Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 385208 times)

Frybabe · « **Reply #2400 on:** April 29, 2015, 08:07:16 AM »

Science Fiction / Fantasy

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Discussion Leader: PatH

I've just read several H Beam Piper short stories of note.

"Edge of the Knife" involves precognition. Interesting ending.

"Graveyard of Dreams" is good, but it had a poem fragment that I found especially interesting:

Quote

The fountains are dusty in the Graveyard of Dreams;
The hinges are rusty and swing with tiny screams.

We sit in the twilight, the shadows among,
And we talk of the happy days when we were brave and young.

PatH · « **Reply #2401 on:** May 03, 2015, 10:08:17 AM »

I like the poem. I haven't read any of Piper's short stories--just some of the Fuzzy books and Space Pirates, which isn't any better than you'd expect from the name, and has some dreadful elitist politics.

My next task is to read Oryx and Crake, which I've been carefully avoiding ever since it came out. But it's the next f2f book, and I don't want to skip, because I've missed a few lately. At least it will probably be a lively discussion.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2402 on:** May 03, 2015, 01:03:30 PM »

Oryx and Crakeand its sequels are not on my list to read by a long shot.

I see that Atwood also has written some volumes of poetry. Has anyone read any of them?

My current read is Evan Currie's latest, King of Thieves (Odyssey One: Star Rogue). It is in the Odyssey One universe, but is an offshoot (possibly a stand alone) of it rather that a part of it. Well, I raised my eyebrows and crinkled my nose when he included "dragons" in the story (18meter snakes with bat wings, and sharp teeth and claws). Some of the sequences reminded me of the movie Pitch Black. Not my cup of tea, but it doesn't deter from an otherwise great story. Much of the story takes place in an abandoned artificial moon that is at once both a huge scientific research facility and an incredible weapon. I haven't found out how or why the "dragons" are there yet. It will be excruciating to wait for his next book. It looks like he is thinking of or working on a new installment of his On Silver Wings series. That is what I was hoping for. He has got several other books that I haven't read yet, one is a steampunk SciFi set in ancient Roman times.

PatH · « **Reply #2403 on:** May 03, 2015, 01:35:58 PM »

I've only read one of Atwood's poems, but it's stunning.

http://poemelf.com/category/poems/siren-song/

PatH · « **Reply #2404 on:** May 03, 2015, 01:40:32 PM »

Sorry about all the extra stuff. That was the link I found.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2405 on:** May 03, 2015, 02:00:17 PM »

Very interesting, PatH. The ending made me think of the old saw, "There's a sucker born every minute." How deceitful and cunning the Sirens are.

PatH · « **Reply #2406 on:** May 07, 2015, 07:59:09 PM »

Well, I got my copy of Oryx and Crake. Now to see if I can make myself read it. I have a week.

Steph · « **Reply #2407 on:** May 09, 2015, 08:23:44 AM »

Oryx and Crake defeated me. I love most of her books, but that one was just too too complicated.

PatH · « **Reply #2408 on:** May 09, 2015, 12:04:59 PM »

Oh, dear. That bodes ill. I don'need complicated right now. Beside, my brain is in medieval Norway.(I'm leading the Kristin Lavransdatter discussion, and it's complicated too.)

Steph · « **Reply #2409 on:** May 10, 2015, 11:43:30 AM »

Oh me, I would think that the confusion would be overwhelming.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2410 on:** May 12, 2015, 09:28:34 AM »

I just finished yet another freebie from Amazon called Code Breakers: Alpha. It was a bit strange, but okay. I liked most of the characters, although there wasn't much depth to them. I think someone labeled it cyberpunk. It is also another one of a series books which I will not be continuing.

My question is: Has anyone noticed how many of these new, young author's SciFi books are sounding more and more like characters are running through a gaming program? I mean, they seem to move from one place to another, try to figure out how to do something or defeat something to get to the next place, when they reach the next place they have help waiting or another assignment waiting to propel them toward the next goal.

PatH · « **Reply #2411 on:** May 12, 2015, 11:56:19 AM »

I'm not reading those books at the moment, but I can easily believe it. There are a lot of young writers who have talent but not much experience, and it's so easy to publish a book without going through an editing process. Still, the system is a good way for people to get a chance. Look at The Martian. Have you read Ernest Cline's Ready Player One? The whole book is a sequence of gaming puzzles based on the early days of computers and the pop culture of the time, with the prize being control of the corporation that controls the dysfunctional world of the story.

Speaking of dysfunctional worlds, I'm a little way into Oryx and Crake, and finding it heavy going.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2412 on:** May 12, 2015, 04:09:38 PM »

No I haven't Pat. But I have read some of Drew Wager's stories based on the old, and I mean old, Oolite (space trader) games. They don't read so much like a game. By the way, Oolite is still popular. It has a website and all. I think I only got through the short stories and have two more novel/novellas to read. At least I haven't put them in the read bin yet.

I've finally gotten around to reading H. Beam Piper's The Cosmic Computer and enjoying it very much. I had started it before, but put it aside for reason. I believe this was one of his last books, being published in 1963, originally named Junkyard Planet, and was based on his short story Graveyard of Dreams which I just recently read. In fact, that is where I got that poem fragment I quoted a few posts back. In checking, I see that The Cosmic Computer is part of the Federation series.

I forgot he lived in Williamsport, PA. Too bad he committed suicide.

Steph · « **Reply #2413 on:** May 13, 2015, 08:53:05 AM »

Ah Oryx.. If you finish and figure out where she was going. Please let me know.The whole thing made no sense to me and I like her writing very much

PatH · « **Reply #2414 on:** May 13, 2015, 09:21:22 AM »

I think I won't finish before Thursday, but I'll go anyway, and maybe the others will tell me.

Steph · « **Reply #2415 on:** May 14, 2015, 08:32:33 AM »

Waiting to hear, She calls it her masterpiece, but have no idea why.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2416 on:** May 17, 2015, 09:59:04 AM »

I'm reading an interesting and enjoyable SciFi called Deep Crossing by E. R. Mason. A mysterious, very top secret mission for the alien sponsors to locate and bring back an artifact, it took up more than 30% of the book just to learn the new systems, etc. before getting off the ground. And, of course, there is a detour along the way once they are on their deep space test run. I am just getting to the point where they are getting back to their main objective on the test run. I am now wondering if they will get to the main reason for the whole project. The characters are very likeable. The dialogue and narrative are not overly technical.

Now I discover that this is a sequel to Fatal Boarding , which I have but haven't read. Deep Crossing can be read without the first since it starts a new adventure. Both books are freebies on Amazon. I haven't checked elsewhere.

Steph · « **Reply #2417 on:** May 18, 2015, 07:34:11 AM »

Will check my freebie list on Kindle.

PatH · « **Reply #2418 on:** May 18, 2015, 09:50:51 AM »

Frybabe, you're the queen of freebies.

Steph, I hope you won't be too disappointed, but I'm not going to be able to tell you the point of Oryx and Crake. I didn't really give it a fair chance. I only had time to read about a quarter of it, then skipped ahead and read a bit here and there to get some idea of the plot. The writing is really good, but we're in a world I don't like, where diseases are manufactured by pharmaceutical companies, in order to sell the cures, and elitist groups live in well-guarded compounds. This world gets even worse as one of the characters tries to wipe out humanity and replace them with bio-engineered humans of a rather simplistic nature. And of course since it's the first of a trilogy, nothing is wound up in this book. I'd say there's a 50-50 chance of my going back to read the rest.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2419 on:** May 18, 2015, 11:58:47 AM »

Well, I finished it. The book is a bit long, but fast reading. Not too science-y, a bit of fun and humor. Good ending; I don't know what exactly I was expecting, but it was a little surprising. Some of the narrative seems to have been inspired by several different SciFi books and TV shows. I am sure you will spot them. I have the first book, but need to read the borrows I have before that. Now Reading Mary Roach's, Packing for Mars, non-fiction.

Steph · « **Reply #2420 on:** May 19, 2015, 07:33:22 AM »

PatH.. I love most of her books, but that one is simply not fun or interesting. Too much death,gloom, etc.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2421 on:** May 20, 2015, 03:01:56 PM »

Heads up, SciFi AND Fantasy lovers!

My two very, very favorite authors have new books out.

First, Jack Campbell has started a new Fantasy series called The Pillars of Reality. Book One, The Dragons of Dorcastle, was released in April. Book Two, The Hidden Masters of Marandur, will be released in June.
His latest The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier: Leviathan, just this month, and The Lost Stars: Imperfect Sword, out last October.

Jack McDevitt has a revised edition of his first, and highly acclaimed book, The Hercules Text. It was released just last month.

I am now reading Ghost Spin by Chris Moriarty. The beginning is a bit strange and confusing, but I think I am getting the idea now. It is a stand alone, according to the blurb on Amazon, but it is set in the same venue as her Spin State, and Spin Control - some of the same characters, too. These are labeled "cyberpunk" and have to do with post-human, emergent AI's and combos, illegal genetics and "wetware".

Oh, Dear! I've spent real money on three books. Naughty. I have car payments to deal with now (BooHoo!). Even less to spend on extras and little pleasures.

Steph · « **Reply #2422 on:** May 21, 2015, 10:40:37 AM »

I realized recently that I like the golden age of science fiction more than I do current authors.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2423 on:** May 23, 2015, 05:56:41 PM »

I've put this new fantasy book on my library wish list. We have two, but they are still being processed. Looks like fun.

http://books.simonandschuster.com/The-Gospel-of-Loki/Joanne-M-Harris/9781481449489?cp_type=end&rmid=20150523_SciFiRoundup&rrid=8613437

Oh, and an author I need to look at is Linda Nagata. Has anybody read her works?

PatH · « **Reply #2424 on:** May 23, 2015, 08:24:28 PM »

The Gospel of Loki sounds like absolutely my kind of thing, since I'm a big Norse mythology fan. The ultimate trickster tells his story. Do we believe him? Let us know what it's like. The blurb says that fans of Neil Gaiman will like it, no doubt because the narrator of American Gods is a son of Odin.

At the moment I'm kind of steeped in Norse, not the gods but the sagas, as part of leading a discussion of Kristin Lavransdatter, which reeks of the feel of the sagas. It even has me rereading bits of the ones I've read, as well of bits of the ones I didn't read because I got stuck in the genealogy.

My f2f sci-fi/fantasy book group votes on books proposed by members, and one that didn't get chosen (because there were strong votes against as well as strong votes for) was The Long Ships, by Frans G. Bengtsson. Maybe it isn't quite fantasy enough for the group, but I knew it was my kind of thing, so I read it. It's the adventures of an imaginary tenth century viking, whose travels include being a captive rower on a moorish ship, fighting at the English battle of Malden, and much more. It's a good adventure tale, as well as being very funny in the understated Norse way. If you like that sort of thing, it's a sure bet. If not, it's 500 pages of torture.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/frans-g-bengtsson/long-ships.htm

Frybabe · « **Reply #2425 on:** May 24, 2015, 06:02:17 AM »

There was a movie by the same name, but according to Wikipedia, is was only "very loosely based" on the book. I don't think I ever saw it.

PatH · « **Reply #2426 on:** May 24, 2015, 08:54:47 AM »

I never heard of the movie, but I see it came out in 1964, and had Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier in it, so someone was taking it seriously. The plot summary is certainly only dimly like the book. I also see there's a new version in early production, very little detail given.

Steph · « **Reply #2427 on:** May 24, 2015, 09:04:24 AM »

Loki is always fun, will look for the book. Fantasy is my kind of books.

marjifay · « **Reply #2428 on:** May 29, 2015, 04:21:16 PM »

I have yet to be able to finish one of Atwood's books. Oh, correction. I did finish The Handmaid's Tale, but wished I hadn't bothered.

Marj

PatH · « **Reply #2429 on:** May 29, 2015, 05:03:45 PM »

That's the only one I've read all of too.

Steph · « **Reply #2430 on:** May 30, 2015, 08:36:09 AM »

I love Atwood, just not Oryx and crake.. Just finished a Terry Pratchett. Equal Rights. Fun.. a little girl born to be a wizard when that was not allowed and Granny Weatherwax at her earliest. I did laugh hard.

Frybabe · « **Reply #2431 on:** June 02, 2015, 06:17:53 AM »

I am in the middle of Jack McDevitt's revised, updated version of The Hercules Text. Typical of the his SciFi books, it is more people oriented than science oriented. In this case we are following a man (Harry) who, as an administrator rather than a scientist and with something of an inferiority complex because of it, hovers around the edges of a scientific discovery.

Harry is something of a workaholic with a view that even though his job does not require him to be there during the events, he believes that being there gives him a higher visibility to management and therefore a better chance at career advancement. His wife and child are somewhat neglected. He is surprised and hurt that his wife leaves him. I really don't care for him very much.

The story takes digs at bureaucrats and politicians and the political connivances that do damage to the reputations, among their peers, of the scientists working below them. Not unsurprisingly, we see fellow scientists and academics, who are not in on the discovery, display jealousy, anger, and hurt that they were not immediately informed of the discovery. Religion is in there, but so far, it is at a rather benign and personal level.

NOTE: The Nebula Awards is being held June 4-7 in Chicago. McDevitt's book, Coming Home (the most recent of his Alex Benedict series), is one of the nominees. Good luck, Jack. http://www.jackmcdevitt.com/

Frybabe · « **Reply #2432 on:** June 06, 2015, 10:11:18 AM »

I've finished The Hercules Text. Interesting, but not real exciting. Religious/moral beliefs are addressed more in the second half of the book. I can't say that any of the characters really stood out, but I suspect that is the way the author wanted it.

An ebook on Overdrive that I had put on hold a few weeks back just became available. Robots Rising, I think, is the title. It is a volume of short stories about, of course, robots. I started the second of the Bright Horizons series by Wilson(?) Harp a day or so ago. It is an okay series but not great.

Steph · « **Reply #2433 on:** June 07, 2015, 10:41:05 AM »

I really need to read McDevitt..

Frybabe · « **Reply #2434 on:** June 07, 2015, 02:58:26 PM »

Steph, you might like his Eternity Road. https://www.sfsite.com/09a/etern16.htm

Steph · « **Reply #2435 on:** June 08, 2015, 08:53:53 AM »

Yes, I want it, but cannot find it.. Science fiction is hard to find in used book stores or thrift books or my swap club.

PatH · « **Reply #2436 on:** June 11, 2015, 09:56:13 PM »

I just watched the current trailer for The Martian. It's waaay better than the early one we saw, both in acting and staging. Dunno how much was better picking of clips and how much was someone persuading Matt Damon he really had to act, but I'm definitely going to try to see the movie when it comes out. Here's the trailer:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3659388/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1

And here's xkcd's take on it:

http://xkcd.com/1536/

Frybabe · « **Reply #2437 on:** June 12, 2015, 06:22:55 AM »

It looks like they've filled out the operations and rescue efforts so that it isn't all Matt Damon talking to himself. Looks real good.

My sister was going to see the new Jurassic World movie last night. I'll get a report later today, but the trailer for that looks promising also.

Yesterday I read a short story by Ernest Cline about a boy who gets an Omnibot 2000 for Christmas. It is one of the best in the book, Robot Uprisings. Right now, I am reading another short story by Cory Doctorow which turns out to be pretty good too. It is about the interaction between an obsolete AI computer and its "caretaker". I had written off Doctorow after trying to read one of his books (forget, offhand, which one). Guess I will have to try a few more of his.

Steph · « **Reply #2438 on:** June 12, 2015, 08:52:45 AM »

I never think of Jurassic park as science fiction.. No idea why.

PatH · « **Reply #2439 on:** June 12, 2015, 11:06:23 AM »

I got that book from the library, but after I'd read a few they began to seem kind of alike. It's best read at intervals. I did read the Doctorow. The only book of his I've read is Little Brother, supposedly a YA book, which we read in the f2f club. A high school student and his fellow computer geek friends, because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, are suspected of being part of a terrorist attack on San Francisco. Arrested and held in secret, treated brutally, they manage to get out and try to fight back against the surveillance state that sprang up after the attack. I thought it was pretty good. I see there are two sequels, which I didn't know.

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Author Topic: Science Fiction / Fantasy (Read 385208 times)