Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 384116 times)

PatH · « **Reply #3000 on:** November 30, 2017, 10:20:45 AM »

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PatH · « **Reply #3001 on:** November 30, 2017, 10:41:58 AM »

The last night of my Portand stay, one of my SILs rented Valerian for me and the other daughter to watch. Very enjoyable, even if it has some flaws. I was glad to watch it on his super big screen; the fancy scenes were worth it.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3002 on:** November 30, 2017, 05:33:29 PM »

I agree Pat, it is the exceptionally colorful scenes that I was quite taken with. The story would be a bit less than ordinary otherwise. There is a whopping big difference between the original cartoon sequence of City of a Thousand Planets (it was one of the cartoonists' early strip sequences) and the movie. The cartoons themselves were much less colorful and more disjointed, but they captured the hearts of the French for many, many years.

Almost done with Cold Welcome. Artemis should be available to me next week. In the meantime, I've borrowed Chasm City and another (forget what just now) from the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3003 on:** December 05, 2017, 03:38:20 PM »

Artemis is at the library for me to pick up.

Because I was being nice not to disturb the newbie's nap, I was temporarily separated from my Paperwhite. SO, I started Chasm City.

Now we are upstairs and he is being very "helpful" with my typing. Sound asleep half on and off the keyboard.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3004 on:** December 17, 2017, 07:15:37 AM »

Since I only had only two days left to read Chasm City, I am renewing it for another three weeks; I am only to Chapter Six. (Angle of Repose took longer that I expected to read it.)So, I decided to read Evan Currie's latest in his Odysseus series, Odysseus Awakening before continuing. It will not take me very long to get through it, and I only have til the 25th until my free Kindle Unlimited month is up. I don't know if the books I selected will disappear when I cancel before the 30 day free trial is up.

Uh, Oh! My typing buddy had arrived

Frybabe · « **Reply #3005 on:** December 17, 2017, 05:19:25 PM »

My sister just told me about We Are Legend (We Are Bob: Bob Universe 1) by Dennis E. Taylor. She is big on audiobooks. I just listened to an excerpt on Amazon. The reader is fantastic! The book is a riot! Too bad I already used my two free credits for Audible and I'll be cancelling the service before my trial is up. The library system has one print book. Too bad they don't have the CD. Take a listen. https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse/dp/1680680587/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513549058&sr=8-1&keywords=we+are+legend+we+are+bob

okay, my typing buddy had arrived and is now chewing and licking my fingers. Thrilled.

PatH · « **Reply #3006 on:** December 17, 2017, 08:26:18 PM »

That's a tough book to read aloud; he is good. Sounds like an interesting story line too. What happens when your unlimited trial is up? Do you get a lesser number of books, or have to buy them?

Frybabe · « **Reply #3007 on:** December 18, 2017, 06:02:45 AM »

PatH. For Kindle Unlimited, there is a monthly fee for access to more books for you to borrow, and you can borrow more than one a month vs. the one a month restriction for the Lending Library. For the Audible, you pay a monthly fee for the privilege of being able to buy Audible books (I am not sure if they are discounted or not) with credit rewards toward free audio books. If I don't unsubscribe they start billing me the monthly fee. I am happy enough with my Prime account. I don't need to pay additional subscription fees for things I have no time to read anyway, and Audible is a bit more pricey than I care to pay, especially since I rarely listen to audiobooks. But, this guy is so good I may make an exception by getting the mp3/CD version.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3008 on:** December 20, 2017, 05:45:23 AM »

Well, I broke down and ordered a three month subscription to Audible. They offered the monthly fee at half price to keep me on for three months. There are a few more audible books I'd like to listen to, including We Are Legion.

I cancelled the Kindle Unlimited yesterday because I am okay with just getting my monthly Kindle Lending Library fix with Amazon Prime. Which means I have two days, including today, to finish Odysseus Awakening. Any Kindle Unlimited books I have tagged (I think there are three altogether) I will lose access to when my 30 day free trial ends. I've only been able to get to read this one, and I am only half-way through it.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3009 on:** December 21, 2017, 06:19:54 AM »

A Many Books list of five Science Fiction books, at least two of which I am almost certain are short stories, rather than books. http://manybooks.net/articles/5-free-science-fiction-books-about-alien-encounters I have not read any of these.

Did you know that Murray Leinster is a pen name? I didn't, nor do I recall ever reading or seeing anything by William Fitzgerald Jenkins.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3010 on:** December 21, 2017, 01:11:07 PM »

Surprise! Surprise! Jack McDevitt has another Priscilla Hutchins book releasing in on April 17, 2018, called The Long Sunset. I really thought StarHawk was the last.

I would have hoped for another Alex Benedict book since that series is my favorite, but any book from him is welcome.

Speaking of Jacks, Jack Campbell began a new series, The Legacy of Dragons, this year. It is an offshoot of his Dragons of Dorcastle. The best I can tell is that this is a combo steampunk/fantasy/scifi universe. Doubt I will read it, but I see I missed picking up his Genesis Fleet: Vanguard that released in May. Need to do that.

PatH · « **Reply #3011 on:** December 21, 2017, 10:38:57 PM »

Frybabe, thanks for that link--not familiar stuff. I forget whether I read all of The War of the Worlds or not, don't remember reading any of the others. Leinster is the only other familiar author. I could very well have read The Aliens when it came out, but certainly don't remember it. I'd forgotten that Leinster was a pen name until you said it. Certainly he isn't as memorable in his Jenkins identity.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3012 on:** December 22, 2017, 07:08:28 AM »

List of non-fiction books on UFOs etc.
http://www.unboundworlds.com/2017/12/truth-5-books-ufo-buff-life/?cdi=13F0CB1F062E09D7E0534FD66B0A73BA&ref=PRH2028E2388CC9

PatH · « **Reply #3013 on:** December 23, 2017, 12:44:31 PM »

Firefox won't let me open the UFO link.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3014 on:** December 23, 2017, 04:14:06 PM »

This is the second time this week that my links aren't working for people. Huh! I can get into it just fine. Wonder what is up.

Try this http://www.unboundworlds.com/2017/12/truth-5-books-ufo-buff-life/ All that other stuff on the end must have something to do with the email from which I got the first link. This on is more direct. The last two book on the list look interesting enough for me to see if I can find a copy.

I am back to reading Chasm City and see that the character who attaches himself to the main character claims to be composer. He mentions the symphony he wants to work on will be Shostakovitchian like. Of course I thought of you. I haven't warmed up to the characters very much but I do want to see where th is goes especially with the Sky Haussman sequences. How does one become both a hero and get executed as a criminal for the same acts? Hmmmm! Probably a very silly question.I am trying to refrain from making comments and comparisons to some current and historical figures.

I did get to finish the M. R. Forbes book I was reading after my Kindle Unlimited expired. I had it downloaded so it didn't disappear off my Fire until I turned on my wireless link. Another book I have, but haven't started, is still on my Paperwhite, but did disappear from the other two Kindles, because I haven't linked to the net. It will not be my next read, however, because the next of the Marco Kloos' series will release on January 9. By that time, I will have finished Chasm City.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3015 on:** December 27, 2017, 05:38:57 PM »

More comments on Chasm City.

It finally dawned on me that Chasm City itself is very steampunkish. The cable tcar system is seems very tenuous, not something I would like to try in the least.

I am a little more than 60% through the book. The narrator is describing the Escher Heights district has having chrystalline shapes in "glorious pinks and blues and greens". I immediately thought of my mineral sample of bismuth which is in silvery pastels and the structure looks like a mini high-rise city. I turned the page and see that the author had muscovite, tourmaline and quartz in mind.

Reynolds spends a lot of time detailing the people, culture and the physical city. A little more so than I care to read, but read it I am. I am waiting to see what happens when the two threads (Sky Haussmann and Tanner Mirabel) intersect. My suspicion is probably way off.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3016 on:** December 30, 2017, 09:25:14 AM »

I've finished Chasm City. This has to be the top book that I've read for the number of twists and turns in it. I was able to follow along fairly well though. At first I didn't see the parallels between Haussmann and Mirabel (et.al.). Who Mirabel ended up being, finally, did surprise me a little. What a convoluted and bizarre story. The only one I had any sympathy for was the grub.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3017 on:** January 05, 2018, 07:30:56 AM »

Busy month for SciFi reading.

A reminder that Alastair Reynolds' new Prefect Dreyfus book, Elysium Fire, set in the Revelation Space Universe, is due to release on January 28. I am happy that he decided to add another Prefect Dreyfus book; I really like the character.

I have downloaded both Jack Campbell's Genesis Fleet: Vanguard and the latest in the Liaden Universe series, Neogenesis.

Waiting for the January 9 release of Marco Kloos' latest, Points of Impact (Frontlines series) to download for my monthly Lending Library read.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3018 on:** January 08, 2018, 04:51:26 PM »

I just finished a short book called Starseed by ? already deleted the book, which I probably downloaded from one of the independent SciFi author book sites. Now I can't remember the author's name. Anyway, it is such a bizarre book, I thought I'd make a brief comment on it. I really thought I was reading the rantings of a Schizophrenic with delusions of god-like behavior. The ending did surprise me. When I looked the title up on Google, I could not find the book I read, but there are others titled or about Starseeds. Who knew. Larry Niven was mentioned in a few of the Google returns, among others. There are even groups devoted to Starseeds. Again, who knew. Not I. It is partly a new age thing, I think. Here is one site that lists the attributes of a Starseed. https://www.gaia.com/lp/content/are-you-a-starseed-27-starseed-characteristics-that-might-give-you-an-answer/ I didn't read the whole thing, but I think many of these attributes fit some psychological disorders.

PatH · « **Reply #3019 on:** January 09, 2018, 04:13:16 PM »

Oh, dear. Seems pretty disordered to me. Clearly I'm not one, certainly not an awakened one.

PatH · « **Reply #3020 on:** January 09, 2018, 04:36:52 PM »

People will make an opera out of almost anything. Have you read Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower? It's a really depressing dystopia, with everything falling apart, even those with jobs having trouble getting food, and living in fear of getting mugged. The heroine, a young adult black woman, and what's left of her family, are making their way to the California coast where they think they can find relative safety. It ends with everyone pretty desperate. I haven't read the second book, but I'm told things get worse. Butler died before she could write the third.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3021 on:** January 10, 2018, 07:12:59 AM »

No, I haven't read it Pat.

I am in the middle of Points of Impact (Frontlines series) by Marko Kloos. This volume includes the problems of burnout and PTSD. Our intrepid narrator, Andrew, who is nine years into the war, has been showing signs of disaffection and burnout for the last book or two, and is now beginning to recognize he is in trouble. The series started out with Andrew in the PRC (high rise slum areas) and follows him through enlistment, training, battles, and a few tours back on Earth as an instructor in between. He is now married and his wife (a drop ship pilot) is a stabilizing force in his life. It is interesting to see this character grow as he ages and gains experience (wanted or not) and rank. Can't wait to finish it; dread finishing it, then it will be another wait for the next.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3022 on:** January 18, 2018, 06:07:42 AM »

I am wondering if Points of Impact is the last of the Frontlines series. The ending sure seemed like an ending. I'll have to check Kloos's webpage.

Now I am reading Jack Campbell's Genesis Fleet: Vanguard. I was shocked to find that I have already read it, but since I didn't originally buy it, I must have gotten a book to borrow from somewhere. While the text is very familiar as I am reading it, I don't remember the story at all. It is a good thing I am rereading it because the second in series is due out in May.

PatH · « **Reply #3023 on:** January 18, 2018, 12:15:23 PM »

Thanks for the reminder, Frybabe; I haven't even read the first one yet.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3024 on:** January 29, 2018, 05:51:08 AM »

Here is an odd volume, a booklet, published in 1915 called The Mania of the Nations on the Planet Mars and its Terrific Consequences (A Combination of Fun and Wisdom) http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/56445

Frybabe · « **Reply #3025 on:** January 31, 2018, 06:13:32 AM »

Revelation Ark just arrived from The Free Library of Phila. I plan on starting it today.

PatH · « **Reply #3026 on:** February 06, 2018, 07:56:17 PM »

My Portland visit to Powell's didn't help any with finding books to discuss here, but did enable me to snag the last remaining two of a series--Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan saga. This space opera involving Miles Vorkosigan, heir to nobility on a backward planet with a supermilitary culture, damaged in utero by a poison gas attack on his parents, compensating for his disabilities in a culture with a horror of mutations by being a hyperactive overachiever. His achievements are theoretically possible, though unlikely, and you keep wondering what crazy thing he's going to do next. Like the Liaden series, shuffling of publishers put some books out of print for a while and now has them combined differently, so it's hard to get them all.

I got the one remaining unimportant outlier story, plus the latest one. That's probably going to be it, since all the characters are older, getting slightly stuffy, and settling down.

It was Steph who brought these to my attention. She also introduced the Liaden series. I'm sorry she's not still around.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3027 on:** February 07, 2018, 05:20:46 AM »

I haven't run across the series, Pat, but I'll check into it.

As for Steph, I do miss her too and hope she and her Corgi's are doing well.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3028 on:** February 11, 2018, 03:29:11 PM »

I just finished Alastair Reynolds' Redemption Ark. What a strange turn that book took. The ending would seem to be a good series ending, but no, I think there is one more. Before I read it though, I have Le Guin's Lavinia to read.

Neither my library system nor the Free Library of Philadelphia have the first Vorkosigan Saga book. I am going to see if I can do an interlibrary loan or find it used.

PatH · « **Reply #3029 on:** February 11, 2018, 08:18:11 PM »

In order of time, the first one, Cordelia's Honor (made up of Shards of Honor and Barrayar) tells the story of Miles' parents and his birth. I actually read The Warrior's Apprentice first, since some of the books were hard to find, but it's better to read them sort of in order.

I should warn you that some of the villains are rather sadistic, though they seldom manage to succeed in anything on the main characters, but it comes close to my tolerance level.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3030 on:** February 12, 2018, 06:24:19 AM »

I checked up on Cordelia's Honor as well. It is also not available to me through my library system. However, the FLP is a member of both Overdrive and Hoopla, and Hoopla does have an e-audiobook version. I would need to recommend the book to FLP with no guarantee they would add it to their collection. Now I am wondering if I should sign up with Hoopla with my FLP card in addition to Overdrive. Since most of my ebook borrows are from FLP (and Amazon), I may actually get access to a few more books, etc. Sigh! Just what I need more access to more books. Of course, there is always recourse to using ILL or buying the book. I not only read the Amazon excerpt, but listened to the audio excerpt.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3031 on:** February 16, 2018, 01:49:17 PM »

My Unbound Worlds newsletter led me to The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch. https://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2018/02/review-the-gone-world-by-tom-sweterlitsch The novel is a time travel crime mystery/detective story involving the NCIS. Fox bought the movie rights to it and assigned the director of District 9 to the project before the book was published. Looks like they are serious about making a movie. We'll see. The Criminal Element website is one I am not familiar with.

PatH · « **Reply #3032 on:** February 17, 2018, 10:09:41 AM »

The Gone World looks like just the thing for the director of District 9. I liked that movie, even though it was too bloody for me.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3033 on:** February 17, 2018, 10:36:05 AM »

You know, Pat. I started watching District 9 once and for some reason I didn't click with it. Time to try it again.

PatH · « **Reply #3034 on:** February 17, 2018, 03:25:50 PM »

The South African accents didn't help--I understood it better the second time around.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3035 on:** February 19, 2018, 06:41:44 AM »

Two SF books that look interesting:

The Cold Between: A Central Corps Novel by Elizabeth Bonesteel First of a series, it is another military SF/romance.

The Night Market by Jonathan Moore. It's a detective mystery/thriller. This is part of Moore's San Francisco series. He is primarily a Mystery/crime writer.

Moore's book reminds me that John Sanford wrote a SF novel, called Saturn Run, which I enjoyed very much. I do wish he would collaborate to do another SF.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3036 on:** February 20, 2018, 06:46:48 AM »

Oh lucky me! I discovered that Amazon Channels has Shards of Honor in its current online streaming SciFi section. I listened to Chapter 1 last night. Now I don't have to buy a used book or see if I can get it through the ILL feature at the library.

I took a closer look at The Cold Between and some of the reviews. I think I will pass, but I am still interested in The Night Market.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3037 on:** February 20, 2018, 08:54:42 AM »

Some interesting developments in Absolution Gap, the fourth of the Revelation space series.

I would never have thought to consider religious devotion/fervor/fanaticism as the results of a virus. Not sure I care much for the idea of it, but it sure does move the story along. Then there is John. I really liked the image of him forming an image of himself as he originally was for Antoinette. While I hadn't thought too seriously about him in earlier books, except that his transformation could be for good or ill to the crew/passengers, I really took an instant liking to him all of a sudden.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3038 on:** February 23, 2018, 07:23:26 PM »

Final thoughts on Absolution Gap. I wasn't as interested in the religious sections, but it did pull the story along rather well. I was sad to see some of the characters go, especially Clavain and Captain John. I rather liked John, a very reluctant hero indeed. While not my favorite character, Scorpio did try his best in the situations he found himself. I was most interested that Reynolds included the multi-verse theories of Brane (for membrane) and Bubble universes, although the Bubble universe theory was not expanded on.

Reynolds' new "Prefect Dreyfus" book is out. It is called Elysium Fire. I am going to have to see if I can get it through the library because it isn't available through Prime Reading or the Lending Library. I think I will go and borrow his Galactic North too. For some reason I had that on my wish list then took it off. Oops! Maybe I didn't take it off. It doesn't seem to be on the FLP list anymore.

I should soon be near the end of Shards of Honor and have placed a hold on Barrayar . The only version of it I could find, free, is in mp3 format. I am hopeful I will be able to listen to it through the music app on my Fire. If not, I should be able to listen on my laptop. It is not an audible file, so I am not sure what I will need to download and listen to it. It may be that I have to listen to it while connected to the internet.

Next up is L. Ron Hubbard's Battlefield Earth and Charles Yu's How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, or something close to that.

Frybabe · « **Reply #3039 on:** February 24, 2018, 07:15:04 AM »

I've read the introduction to Battlefield Earth so far. It is interesting in that it contains a bit of history about Astounding Stories (later Analog) and Jack W. Campbell.

Did you know that Lois McMaster Bujold wrote another book following the original (Cordellia branch) series which was published in 2016? It is called Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen , the description of which raised my eyebrows a bit. Tantalizing. Wikipedia says that Bujold designed the cover herself.

I watched, this morning, the replay of yesterday's SpaceX launch of the PAX satellite and then a clip of Neil DeGrasse Tyson, among other old school space types, criticize Musk and his efforts. It upset Musk that some of his space heroes who inspired him to make the effort were among the critics. It appears the critics think the only people qualified to make the upcoming attempt for manned missions to Mars are the overly wasteful and slow government agencies. They both have a place. Are these people jealous? Oh, and Tyson's argument about governments being the only groups that do the heavy, dangerous work may have some play, but what does that have to do with the present? So what if business steps in after governments open the door? At some point governments begin to hold things back and open the door (sometimes reluctantly) for businesses to take over the major expenses and burden. BTW, SpaceX and their counterparts would not get off the ground if not for government sanction and support.

News:

Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 384116 times)