What are you reading now?

[George K]

As I've mentioned, I've become enthralled with Alastair Reynolds' books.

He is an astrophysicist who said, "Maybe I can make a career of writing science fiction."

He wrote three books in the "Revelation Space" universe - a trilogy that spawned some other short stories and other novels not in the series, but in the same "universe."

So much science fiction is popcorn. Reynolds' works are steak.

You gotta pay attention. He uses weird words. His stories have foreshadowing that, if you're NOT paying attention, you'll miss.

So, last week I started the addition to the Revelation Space trilogy - "Inhibitor Phase." He said it could be a standalone book, but, nah, you gotta know what the hell is going on to reap the benefits.

Of all Reynolds' books, this is one of the easiest reads. Very linear (for the most part) and a classic adventure tale.

If you like science fiction, check out Reynolds' works. I recommend, if you want to get into the RS stories, starting with the short story/novella "The Great Wall of Mars." All the other tales hinge on what's explained here.

[Jolly]

Combine UDT and the first Force Recon, and you have the SEALS.

[George K]

@george-k said in What are you reading now?:

As I've mentioned, I've become enthralled with Alastair Reynolds' books.

Loved this book. It's probably the most accessible of Reynold's "Revelation Space" universe. It could be a standalone, but it relies on the preceding three books, albeit not in a way that you NEED to know the backstory. Enough is explained to make it easy to follow.

Continuing my dive into the Revelation Space universe, I spent an hour this morning reading this: a short story that sort of wraps up where the universe is headed, while leaving enough threads there for future expansion.

[George K]

Someone, was it @LuFins-Dad ?, asked if I've read the latest of the "Bobiverse" books my Taylor. I hadn't, and though it's not as thought-provoking as Reynolds' stuff, it's a fun read. This is, like all of Taylor's stuff, Popcorn. About 10% through today, and exactly what I'd expect.

It's good, but for popcorn, I prefer John Scalzi.

[LuFins Dad]

@george-k said in What are you reading now?:

Someone, was it @LuFins-Dad ?, asked if I've read the latest of the "Bobiverse" books my Taylor. I hadn't, and though it's not as thought-provoking as Reynolds' stuff, it's a fun read. This is, like all of Taylor's stuff, Popcorn. About 10% through today, and exactly what I'd expect.

It's good, but for popcorn, I prefer John Scalzi.

I listen on Audible and hadn’t realized they switched writers. That explains a bit, though…

I just finished the prologue of Leviathan Falls. Holy **#%

[George K]

@lufins-dad said in What are you reading now?:

I just finished the prologue of Leviathan Falls. Holy **#%

As I said, I'm going to reserve the last three books for a binge. Should be a fun ride, amirite?

[LuFins Dad]

@george-k said in What are you reading now?:

@lufins-dad said in What are you reading now?:

I just finished the prologue of Leviathan Falls. Holy **#%

As I said, I'm going to reserve the last three books for a binge. Should be a fun ride, amirite?

Did you read 7-8 at all?

[George K]

@lufins-dad said in What are you reading now?:

Did you read 7-8 at all?

I read 7, but it was SO long ago that I don't remember much. For the sake of continuity, it'll be a fun ride to do all three.

I frequently do the same thing with TV shows as a new season comes out - binge the preceding season to get into it.

I'm retired, and I've got the time!

[George K]

@george-k said in What are you reading now?:

"Bobiverse" books my Taylor.

OK, I'm about 350 (out of 800) pages into this. Very VERY popcorn.

But, I noticed something with this book that I hadn't noticed with the others.

Remember, the premise is that that there are dozens, hundreds, or even more "clones" of "Bob" - the protagonist of the first book. Each of them is a computer-saved individual, identical in most ways to the source. Yet, each copy has a slightly different personality. Some call themselves, "Bob." Others call themselves "Bill" or "Will (Riker)". Slightly different personalities, each.

A major sub theme of this book is that, now 20 generations out, the "copies" of "Bob" are not copies - they have individual personalities, goals and ethics.

But, I digress...

So, in this book, although it's all first-person, each chapter is told by a different "Bob." And...the timelines are not necessarily consecutive.

"Reading" the book as opposed to "Listening" to the book is a totally different (and better) experience, because, although each chapter identifies the "Bob" whose perspective it is, and the date, this is the kind of stuff that gets lost, very easily, in an audio version.

But, the popcorn's been good this weekend.

[kluurs]

I'm still in the middle of this one - but an excellent book discussing a wide range of issue related to some of what is happening in the world today with tribalism and the challenges of effective communication. This is on my recommended pile. It has the benefit of not being written by a journalist but rather a qualified researcher.

[George K]

@george-k said in What are you reading now?:

Someone, was it @LuFins-Dad ?, asked if I've read the latest of the "Bobiverse" books by Taylor. I hadn't, and though it's not as thought-provoking as Reynolds' stuff, it's a fun read. This is, like all of Taylor's stuff, Popcorn. About 10% through today, and exactly what I'd expect.

Finished this AM. A totally fun read. A good story which ends well, but leaves the door open for future adventures.

So, today I started my re-read of "Persepolis Rising." Probably going to binge through this and the final two books.

[George K]

@george-k said in What are you reading now?:

So, today I started my re-read of "Persepolis Rising."

On re-read, it was...okay.

It's very much a "let's set this up for the final chapter(s) of the story" type of book. It's very much like the 4th book of the series. Somewhat filled with, well, "filler" material which could have been easily omitted for the sake of the story.

But, when you gotta write a book, you gotta write a book.

So, I read the first half, and skimmed through the second.

Now, the penultimate book, at least so far, is a HELL of a ride. I'm only about ⅓ of the way through, and thoroughly enjoying. I hope to finish it this week.

[LuFins Dad]

@george-k said in What are you reading now?:

@george-k said in What are you reading now?:

So, today I started my re-read of "Persepolis Rising."

On re-read, it was...okay.

It's very much a "let's set this up for the final chapter(s) of the story" type of book. It's very much like the 4th book of the series. Somewhat filled with, well, "filler" material which could have been easily omitted for the sake of the story.

But, when you gotta write a book, you gotta write a book.

So, I read the first half, and skimmed through the second.

Now, the penultimate book, at least so far, is a HELL of a ride. I'm only about ⅓ of the way through, and thoroughly enjoying. I hope to finish it this week.

How did you like that opener?

Just finished Leviathan Falls…

[Renauda]

This post is deleted!

[George K]

@lufins-dad said in What are you reading now?:

How did you like that opener?

Yah. All that phoniness from Duarte seeping through into Holden's psyche.

Very good. It's much MUCH better than the previous book.

[bachophile]

I’m finishing up nemesis games (expanse #5)

Taking me forever because I reading other things concurrently.

One question, I haven’t quite figured out how the titles of the books have anything to do with the plot lines.

[George K]

@bachophile said in What are you reading now?:

I haven’t quite figured out how the titles of the books have anything to do with the plot lines.

Well,

https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/216897/what-do-the-novel-titles-of-the-expanse-series-refer-to

1. Leviathan Wakes

The Leviathan is a sea monster in Judaism, most well known from its appearance in the Book of Job.

The title refers to the waking of the long-dormant protomolecule from Phoebe, moon of Saturn.

2. Caliban's War

Caliban is a half human, half monster character from Shakespeare's play The Tempest.

The title refers to the project which created hybrid human-protomolecule soldiers and the war fought with and over them.

3. Abaddon's Gate

Abaddon is a Hebrew name for the abyss or pit of destruction, as well as an angel personifying the same.

The title refers, I think, to the characters passing through the protomolecule's gate and the rapid forced braking they experience and the destruction that follows.

4. Cibola Burn

The Zuni-Cibola Complex is an archeological site in New Mexico. It was believed by the Spanish to be one of the Seven Cities of Gold.

The title refers to Ilus, a planet settled by both Belter refugees and a mining company from Earth, who both wanted to mine the planet for its valuable lithium. It may also refer to the ancient buildings they find on the planet.

5. Nemesis Games

Nemesis is a Greek goddess who enacts retribution against the arrogant.

The title refers to Marco Inaros and his Belter "Free Navy" who attack the Earth.

6. Babylon's Ashes

Babylon was the capital city of the Babylonian Empire. In Jewish and Christian symbolism it stood for the corrupt world, evil, and eventually the Roman Empire.

The title probably refers to the continuing recovery efforts of Earth after Marco's attack, although most book readers would be more likely to sympathise with the Earth's survivors. The title may also be a clue of the Laconian Empire's overtaking of Earth in the next book.

7. Persepolis Rising

Persepolis was the capital of the Persian Empire.

The title refers to the reemergence of the hidden Laconian Empire which, just as the Persian Empire had conquered the Babylonian Empire, then conquered the "Babylon" of Earth, Mars, and all the other inhabited systems.

8. Tiamat's Wrath

Tiamat is the Babylonian goddess of the sea and chaos.

The title refers the unknown alien race which had previously defeated the protomolecule's "Ring Builders" race and is now attacking Humanity (or arguably defending itself), by a variety of means including scrambling the physical parts of humans, causing system-wide consciousness breaks, and destroying everything in the Slow Zone.

[bachophile]

Well that was obvious

[Horace]

Finished this one last night. No new insights for me contained there, but the culture is in desperate need of this book. Unfortunately the woke are not educable in any idea that might go against the social grain, so they are hopeless emotional robots in any case.

I appreciated that Mr McWhorter identified the push for four year college educations for all as the second most important populist cultural idea that needs to be broken. I've identified that same idea as our culture's second dumbest. Great minds and all that.

[Doctor Phibes]

There's a massive knob living across the street, but this book hasn't helped at all.