What are you reading now?
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wrote on 13 Oct 2020, 19:48 last edited by
More pulp....
Reynolds has written a huge saga based on the "Revelation Space" universe. I've not read any of them, but they look intriguing. This book consists of two short stories, "The Great Wall of Mars" and "Glacial." Though not written first, they are chronologically first in the tale.
Thought I'd give it a shot.
The first story was great. Nice, self-contained introduction into the rest of the saga. Looking forward to the others.
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wrote on 17 Oct 2020, 22:22 last edited by
A nice, fun, 45-minute listen.
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More pulp....
Reynolds has written a huge saga based on the "Revelation Space" universe. I've not read any of them, but they look intriguing. This book consists of two short stories, "The Great Wall of Mars" and "Glacial." Though not written first, they are chronologically first in the tale.
Thought I'd give it a shot.
The first story was great. Nice, self-contained introduction into the rest of the saga. Looking forward to the others.
wrote on 22 Oct 2020, 22:01 last edited by@George-K said in What are you reading now?:
Reynolds has written a huge saga based on the "Revelation Space" universe. I've not read any of them, but they look intriguing. This book consists of two short stories, "The Great Wall of Mars" and "Glacial." Though not written first, they are chronologically first in the tale.
Great, hard, HARD, sci-fi.
I've read the first four short stories/novellas in the "Revalation Space" universe.
"Great Wall of Mars" sets up the universe with the background of the "Conjoiners." The next three stories expand on the premise.
One of the reasons I decided to go chronologically rather than in order of publication is that some of the characters that appear in later novels are introduced in the short stories/novellas.
Each is about 90 minutes or so, and are really fun.
Gonna take a break from this and dive into the next of the "Dune" prequels: The Machine Crusade.
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wrote on 22 Oct 2020, 22:14 last edited by
@George-K said in What are you reading now?:
When did he write that? Seems like a reference to Tweety.
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@George-K said in What are you reading now?:
When did he write that? Seems like a reference to Tweety.
wrote on 22 Oct 2020, 22:19 last edited by George K@jon-nyc said in What are you reading now?:
When did he write that? Seems like a reference to Tweety.
In 2010. Pick your POTUS.
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wrote on 22 Oct 2020, 22:20 last edited by
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@jon-nyc said in What are you reading now?:
When did he write that? Seems like a reference to Tweety.
In 2010. Pick your POTUS.
wrote on 23 Oct 2020, 00:45 last edited by@George-K said in What are you reading now?:
@jon-nyc said in What are you reading now?:
When did he write that? Seems like a reference to Tweety.
In 2010. Pick your POTUS.
Yeah but the bird cage in particular.
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wrote on 2 Nov 2020, 19:39 last edited by bachophile 11 Feb 2020, 19:40
Just finished this, deeply painful romance, good also if u r interested in WWI historical fiction with a lot of WWI medical history. But in the end, a love story. By the author of the piano tuner, which I also enjoyed.
Now just starting this
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@George-K said in What are you reading now?:
Reynolds has written a huge saga based on the "Revelation Space" universe. I've not read any of them, but they look intriguing. This book consists of two short stories, "The Great Wall of Mars" and "Glacial." Though not written first, they are chronologically first in the tale.
Great, hard, HARD, sci-fi.
I've read the first four short stories/novellas in the "Revalation Space" universe.
"Great Wall of Mars" sets up the universe with the background of the "Conjoiners." The next three stories expand on the premise.
One of the reasons I decided to go chronologically rather than in order of publication is that some of the characters that appear in later novels are introduced in the short stories/novellas.
Each is about 90 minutes or so, and are really fun.
Gonna take a break from this and dive into the next of the "Dune" prequels: The Machine Crusade.
wrote on 8 Nov 2020, 23:48 last edited by George K 11 Aug 2020, 23:49@George-K said in What are you reading now?:
Gonna take a break from this and dive into the next of the "Dune" prequels: The Machine Crusade.
Finishing this up (hope to be done tomorrow).
It's a great tale, and a worthy sequel to "The Butlerian Jihad." I know it'll leave a lot of things unresolved until the final book of the trilogy, but I've enjoyed it.
There are some flaws (some disposable characters that waste a lot of space - introduced and then gone), but it picks up nicely from the first book.
When I dove into this, I found it fascinating that Xavier Harkonnen is such a hero. I can't wait to find out what the story about the Harkonnen/Atreides feud is all about.
If you haven't read "Dune," it might be a bit of a heavy lift, because there are so many points at which you go "Oh! Yeah! That explains what happened there...." But as a standalone, it does have its merits, particularly when joined with the first book. Looking forward to #3.
"Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08
The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.
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wrote on 10 Nov 2020, 02:30 last edited by
Good story, but very much a place holder for the last part of the trilogy.
Gonna take a Dune break and dive into Revelation Space (Alistair Reynolds). I did the first stories of this universe (short stories, all) and liked what he's setting up.
I'm going to go chronological, not in terms of publication, but in terms of the story.
So, up next:
Tom Dreyfus is a Prefect, a law enforcement officer with the Panoply. His beat is the multifaceted utopian society of the Glitter Band, that vast swirl of space habitats orbiting the planet Yellowstone, the teeming hub of a human interstellar empire spanning many worlds. His current case: investigating a murderous attack against one of the habitats that left 900 people dead, a crime that appalls even a hardened cop like Dreyfus. But then his investigation uncovers something far more serious than mass slaughter---a covert plot by an enigmatic entity who seeks nothing less than total control of the Glitter Band. Before long, the Panoply detectives are fighting against something worse than tyranny, in a struggle that will lead to more devastation and more death. And Dreyfus will discover that to save what is precious, you may have to destroy it.
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wrote on 13 Nov 2020, 16:11 last edited by
For Mik --
Wine Girl: The Trials and Triumphs of America's Youngest Sommelier
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TF91YMC?_bbid=17064396&tag=bookbubemail12-20
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@George-K said in What are you reading now?:
Gonna take a break from this and dive into the next of the "Dune" prequels: The Machine Crusade.
Finishing this up (hope to be done tomorrow).
It's a great tale, and a worthy sequel to "The Butlerian Jihad." I know it'll leave a lot of things unresolved until the final book of the trilogy, but I've enjoyed it.
There are some flaws (some disposable characters that waste a lot of space - introduced and then gone), but it picks up nicely from the first book.
When I dove into this, I found it fascinating that Xavier Harkonnen is such a hero. I can't wait to find out what the story about the Harkonnen/Atreides feud is all about.
If you haven't read "Dune," it might be a bit of a heavy lift, because there are so many points at which you go "Oh! Yeah! That explains what happened there...." But as a standalone, it does have its merits, particularly when joined with the first book. Looking forward to #3.
wrote on 13 Nov 2020, 16:26 last edited by@George-K said in What are you reading now?:
@George-K said in What are you reading now?:
Gonna take a break from this and dive into the next of the "Dune" prequels: The Machine Crusade.
Finishing this up (hope to be done tomorrow).
It's a great tale, and a worthy sequel to "The Butlerian Jihad." I know it'll leave a lot of things unresolved until the final book of the trilogy, but I've enjoyed it.
There are some flaws (some disposable characters that waste a lot of space - introduced and then gone), but it picks up nicely from the first book.
When I dove into this, I found it fascinating that Xavier Harkonnen is such a hero. I can't wait to find out what the story about the Harkonnen/Atreides feud is all about.
If you haven't read "Dune," it might be a bit of a heavy lift, because there are so many points at which you go "Oh! Yeah! That explains what happened there...." But as a standalone, it does have its merits, particularly when joined with the first book. Looking forward to #3.
Yeah, the Harkonnen/Atreides story is definitely interesting. I also enjoyed the Norma development...
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Good story, but very much a place holder for the last part of the trilogy.
Gonna take a Dune break and dive into Revelation Space (Alistair Reynolds). I did the first stories of this universe (short stories, all) and liked what he's setting up.
I'm going to go chronological, not in terms of publication, but in terms of the story.
So, up next:
Tom Dreyfus is a Prefect, a law enforcement officer with the Panoply. His beat is the multifaceted utopian society of the Glitter Band, that vast swirl of space habitats orbiting the planet Yellowstone, the teeming hub of a human interstellar empire spanning many worlds. His current case: investigating a murderous attack against one of the habitats that left 900 people dead, a crime that appalls even a hardened cop like Dreyfus. But then his investigation uncovers something far more serious than mass slaughter---a covert plot by an enigmatic entity who seeks nothing less than total control of the Glitter Band. Before long, the Panoply detectives are fighting against something worse than tyranny, in a struggle that will lead to more devastation and more death. And Dreyfus will discover that to save what is precious, you may have to destroy it.
wrote on 8 Dec 2020, 23:55 last edited by@George-K said in What are you reading now?:
Great tale. Wonderful world-building that expands on the short stories that I read before. Long and intricate, without being confusing.
I'm going to go thru the "Revelation Space" universe in chronological (not published) order. The short stories and novellas have given enough background to make it understandable.
But...up next, to finish the trilogy:
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wrote on 9 Dec 2020, 00:34 last edited by
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@George-K said in What are you reading now?:
Great tale. Wonderful world-building that expands on the short stories that I read before. Long and intricate, without being confusing.
I'm going to go thru the "Revelation Space" universe in chronological (not published) order. The short stories and novellas have given enough background to make it understandable.
But...up next, to finish the trilogy:
wrote on 18 Jan 2021, 03:02 last edited by@george-k said in What are you reading now?:
Finally, FINALLY, finished this.
Great tale which, considering the source material ("Dune") set thousands of years in the future from this story, does a great job of setting the foundation of so much of what becomes canon in "Dune."
The Mentats
The Bene Gesiret (though not named as such)
The Atreides / Harkonnen feud
The "are you a human" concept.
The origin of the "Freemen," Fremen of Arrakis.
The origin of House Corrino.Thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy, though the ending seemed a bit rushed in the last 100 pages.
A good, rollicking sci-fi tale.
If you're up to a commitment, read the whole trilogy. It's fun. At my age, I enjoy popcorn.
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@george-k said in What are you reading now?:
Finally, FINALLY, finished this.
Great tale which, considering the source material ("Dune") set thousands of years in the future from this story, does a great job of setting the foundation of so much of what becomes canon in "Dune."
The Mentats
The Bene Gesiret (though not named as such)
The Atreides / Harkonnen feud
The "are you a human" concept.
The origin of the "Freemen," Fremen of Arrakis.
The origin of House Corrino.Thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy, though the ending seemed a bit rushed in the last 100 pages.
A good, rollicking sci-fi tale.
If you're up to a commitment, read the whole trilogy. It's fun. At my age, I enjoy popcorn.
wrote on 18 Jan 2021, 03:23 last edited by@george-k I will second that.
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wrote on 23 Jan 2021, 09:14 last edited by
I dont know why but I’ve restarted the expanse series.
I read leviathan wakes a number of years ago, didn’t continue in the series and sort of forgot about it.
But on a lark I decided I want to read the whole shebang. So I restarted leviathan wakes. And I’m surprised i didn’t pick up earlier how well written it is.
So I’m at the start of what I guess will be the long haul.
Not sure if I want to squander the enjoyment by starting to watch the video series, because I’m still a firm believer in “the book is better than the movie” and although I’ve read the accolades here on the vid version, I still think I prefer to tackle it via the books.
It will take a while because of late I’ve found myself always distracted from reading by skimming Twitter, FB, and of course here, which always eats into my reading time and often nod off before getting back to the book. But I’m giving it the old college try.
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wrote on 23 Jan 2021, 11:55 last edited by
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wrote on 23 Jan 2021, 13:11 last edited by
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wrote on 24 Jan 2021, 03:50 last edited by
With all that has been happening in 2020, I am reviewing/re-reading a couple of old books. One covers the Great Plague of London in 1665 and the other talks about the Black Death. Both are kind of "academic style", which makes them a bit boring, especially The Black Death book. Too much "in town X, these are the statistics of who died, who lived, etc" For me, not enough background and making the people and times seem "alive.
