What are you reading now?

[Jolly]

Actually written by C.M. Kornbluth and Judith Merrill, it was serialized in Astounding Science Fiction in 1952. Later released by Simon & Schuster in hardback and several paperback editions.

The plot deserved a better writer, but it's still a 3.5.

The book is set in the future, after a limited nuclear war. The world has evolved into a feudal state, which includes the moon colony and Mars.

All is governed by an emperor, who wields power through his Powermaster, an office that controls the Gunner Supreme, Gunners and Armsmen. (Think knights, squires and armsmen with futuristic weapons.)

Gunner Cade becomes involved in a conspiracy to overthrow the Empire by winning the independence of Mars.

[George K]

I mostly enjoyed the Netflix adaptation, but it did seem a bit contrived in places. Perhaps shoe-horned is a better term. I got through about ⅓ of the Chinese version - interesting, but slower than Aqua's sister to give a refund.

So, I thought I'd re-read the book. I don't remember much from my first read, so, having seen both adaptations, it might be worth it.

Enjoying it MUCH more the second time around.

[kluurs]

We just started watching that. We're using the bedroom tv which is a modest sized screen - makes it challenging to read the captions.

[George K]

@George-K said in What are you reading now?:

Enjoying it MUCH more the second time around.

Finished it this morning. A great tale, but...

Like other "Trilogies" it ends on a cliffhanger, or perhaps on an unresolved note. The story ends with a "Now what?" note. I wish authors would just tell the story, and merge into the next tale, without leaving a ton of stuff on the table.

Of course, "Dark Forest" is next in the queue.

[bachophile]

has anyone read this?

Started it a couple of years ago. Gave up.

Too weird, even for me.

In a far-future, Dr. Avrana Kern is the head of a science team that has terraformed an uninhabitable planet then deliberately released a genetically designed virus to speed the evolution of monkeys. Their plan goes wrong when the monkeys' ship burns up upon entry, leaving the virus to infect a variety of creatures, eventually settling on spiders (Portia labiata). Meanwhile, the last human remnants of a dying Earth are en route to the promised paradise planet unaware of the uplifted spiders. The work plays off the contrast between the rapid advancement of the spiders and the barbaric descent of the starship crew of the last humans

Spiders.

Space spiders...

[bachophile]

New Erik Larson just released.

Civil war stuff.

[George K]

@George-K said in What are you reading now?:

Of course, "Dark Forest" is next in the queue.

A much better book than "Three Body Problem." Mostly new characters. The story has a resolution which, though not satisfying in an emotional sense, gives the story a reasonable end. However, the door is open for another episode.

I might just dive into #3 for the sake of continuity and remembering plot lines.

[Jolly]

More old stuff...

[George K]

@Jolly oh, man....

[Jolly]

@George-K said in What are you reading now?:

@Jolly oh, man....

Always thought it would make a heckuva movie...

[George K]

OK, once I started, I had to finish.

Started the final book yesterday.

The story, and the narration keep getting better. Though the first book was intriguing, the second one really fleshed out the story. I can't wait to see where this one finally takes us.

Only 592 pages, LOL.

[bachophile]

https://images4.penguinrandomhouse.com/cover/9780385544764

Couldn’t rely get into the new Larsen book so I ditched and went to what is for me always a good staple, maritime stories. This just released about cooks third and final voyage, I thoroughly enjoyed a previous book on HMS endeavor which was cooks vessel for his first voyage. So this looks to me just what I need now.

[George K]

@George-K said in What are you reading now?:

Finished it.

wipes brow

Actually a bit of a disappointment. So much extraneous stuff that added little to the story, and was shoehorned into a "Chekhov's pistol" type of setting.

This was good, hard sci-fi that devolved into speculative stuff about multiple, alternate universes. Unexplained FTL travel, and no real resolution.

Such great premises that could have been fleshed out a lot better.

It'll probably continue to be a good TV series, until it gets weird (as the third book did).

[Doctor Phibes]

I have way too many of this sort of book discussing how to improve your jazz, most of which remain unread. This one is actually quite good.

Probably a fairly limited audience for it here at least...

[George K]

[bachophile]

rereading the karla trilogy by le carre

(TTSS, honorable school boy, smileys people)

ive been though them before but i simply cannot get enough of le carre as a spy writer. IMHO, no one comes close to his mastery in the genre. simply superb and a pleasure to read.

the soviet-west cold war, seems to be so very much alive, 60 years down the road, even though 60 years is about 2-3 generations afterwards.

[kluurs]

just finished listening to Jimmy Carter's autobiography after his book on Palestine. A decent book. I don't know if any other President kept himself more busy post Presidency.

[George K]

Never read any of his stuff...let's see how it goes.

[Aqua Letifer]

@George-K said in What are you reading now?:

Never read any of his stuff...let's see how it goes.

My dad loves 'em because they take place in DC.

[jon-nyc]