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[kswiston]

I had a lot of trouble with tWA because it was just a bunch of talking heads discussing how clever they were for the entirety of the novel. I think Bujold writes terrific internal monologues, but tWA lacked some of the meat that made SoH so enjoyable. There was much more a sense of tension between Cordelia and Aral, not to mention a sense of danger (despite having read tWA and knowing what was coming.) I never really felt like Miles was in danger, because some coincidence or clever idea would pull him out of the fire.

I liked that The Warrior's Apprentice dealt with depression and other mental illnesses in a fairly grounded way. I'd probably rank it above The Vor Game for that.

So right now for me it would be Falling Free > Shards of Honor > The Warrior's Apprentice > The Vor Game

I know that quite a bit of time passes over the course of this series, so I am hoping that Miles matures a bit in later books.

Not that any of the books are bad.

 

[Mumei]

I liked that The Warrior's Apprentice dealt with depression and other mental illnesses in a fairly grounded way. I'd probably rank it above The Vor Game for that.

So right now for me it would be Falling Free > Shards of Honor > The Warrior's Apprentice > The Vor Game

I know that quite a bit of time passes over the course of this series, so I am hoping that Miles matures a bit in later books.

Not that any of the books are bad.

What order are you reading the books in?

 

[aidan]

I liked that The Warrior's Apprentice dealt with depression and other mental illnesses in a fairly grounded way. I'd probably rank it above The Vor Game for that.

On that note, I liked how SoH handled Cordelia's PTSD, and actually dealt with the impacts of being both career soldiers asked to do some horrific things (Aral) and a newcomers to war.

Dude. Dude.

Aidan you bastard.

Hey! September's not too far away. Something to look forward to!

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

Okay found what I'm reading next. Oddball book choice I got from a library sale:

Picked it up because the cover intrigued me and so far it's good. I didn't read the jacket so when the

Spoiler

meta-human(?)

stuff started I was caught off-guard at first.

Still listening to The Golem & The Jinni every time I'm doing something where I can't read.

 

[kswiston]

What order are you reading the books in?

I am sort of following internal chronology, but not strictly.

I read Shards first, then Falling Free, then the first two Miles books. I will have to go back and read Barrayar at some point. I skipped over it because I don't own it, but did have The Warrior's Apprentice.

 

[Mumei]

Hey! September's not too far away. Something to look forward to!

aidan
Hugo Award Winning Author and Editor and Booktease

Spoiler

Don't stop. <3

I am sort of following internal chronology, but not strictly.

I read Shards first, then Falling Free, then the first two Miles books. I will have to go back and read Barrayar at some point. I skipped over it because I don't own it, but did have The Warrior's Apprentice.

Oh, I see. I think it makes sense to wait to read Falling Free until much later, because it's set so long ago that it makes more sense to read it before the book that is next set there. But it doesn't make much of a difference.

And the absence of Barrayar is really what was throwing me.

As regards the conversation you and aidan were having, that was my biggest misgiving with the series. I actually took a long time to go back to the series after I read The Vor Game. Just look at my dates in Goodreads:

Omnibus 1: October 6, 2011
Omnibus 2: October 7, 2011
Omnibus 3: March 1, 2013
Omnibus 4: June 19, 2013
Memory: July 7, 2013
Omnibus 6: July 9, 2013
Omnibus 5: July 10, 2013 (no, this isn't a mistake)
Cryoburn: July ?, 2013 (probably also 11 but I must've forgotten to put the day before~)
Captain Vorpatril's Alliance: July 11, 2013

 

[Alucard]

How can I win a Hugo, guys? Just write something good that's rooted in sci-fi? That's IT?

 

[kswiston]

I actually took a long time to go back to the series after I read The Vor Game. Just look at my dates in Goodreads:

So you would say that the Vor Game was one of the weaker books in the series (despite being one of Bujold's Hugo winners I believe)?

How can I win a Hugo, guys? Just write something good that's rooted in sci-fi? That's IT?

Sci Fi or Fantasy. I hear that writing something with a conservative or libertarian lean will improve your chances of getting nominated these days

 

[Alucard]

So you would say that the Vor Game was one of the weaker books in the series (despite being one of Bujold's Hugo winners I believe)?

Sci Fi or Fantasy. I hear that writing something with a conservative or libertarian lean will improve your chances of getting nominated these days

Huh. You don't say. I figured it would be the opposite. Don't the Hugo guys like liberals?

 

[Mumei]

So you would say that the Vor Game was one of the weaker books in the series (despite being one of Bujold's Hugo winners I believe)?

Oh, definitely. I think this is a good review of the weaknesses of the book. To be fair, I still really enjoyed it (more than I respected it, if you will) because Miles is a sort of character type that I really find appealing even in the context of a book that has its share of issues. But that doesn't mean that the issues go away.

 

[Alucard]

I have the start of my story, guys. Here it goes...

Tom Jameson was an asshole. Not your garden variety talk-loudly-on-the-phone-while-taking-public-transportation-for-25-minutes-or-more asshole, either. Nope. Tom Jameson was the guy who ruined his grade 5 teacher's marriage by jumping through a space portal into Mr. Barrington's bedroom and leaving a pair of Tom's mom's underwear on the bed with a note that said, "Thanks for an unforgettable evening of adult love making." It wasn't perfect, but for a 10-year-old, Tom Jameson was the tops when it came to assholedom.

...Okay, now what? I can already smell that Hugo.

 

[Mumei]

I have the start of my story, guys. Here it goes...

Tom Jameson was an asshole. Not your garden variety talk-loudly-on-the-phone-while-taking-public-transportation-for-25-minutes-or-more asshole, either. Nope. Tom Jameson was the guy who ruined his grade 5 teacher's marriage by jumping through a space portal into Mr. Barrington's bedroom and leaving a pair of Tom's mom's underwear on the bed with a note that said, "Thanks for an unforgettable evening of adult love making." It wasn't perfect, but for a 10-year-old, Tom Jameson was the tops when it came to assholedom.

...Okay, now what?

Read Watch on the Rhine and take notes.

 

[Switch Back 9]

Beginning Shadow and Claw

Am I in for a treat or in for a struggle? I'm no stranger to difficult reads, but all I've read lately is pulpy sci-fi, comics, and WW1 histories. Might need to get my thinking cap on for this.

Plus it's an eBook, and having to tap my way back and forth to the appendices is already irritating. Stupid Chapters not having any in stock, I fucking hate reading digital books

 

[Ashes]

...Okay, now what? I can already smell that Hugo.

Hugo, your pet hamster?

 

[Dazzler]

Reading Fahrenheit 451 for the first time and really enjoying it thus far

Onwards to a Pierre Elliot Trudeau biography afterwards

 

[Switch Back 9]

Honestly? Both. It's a difficult read but it's very rewarding. Be warned that the individual volumes of Book of the New Sun aren't really standalone at all. You'll probably want to move right on to Sword and Citadel for the latter two.

That's what I normally do with book series of the Fantasy and Sci-fi genres. Can't just leave em be. But thanks I'm really looking forward to it after seeing it posted in these threads on GAF for yeeeaars.

 

[Alucard]

Ehhhh too much theme and possible social commentary. Needs to be just pure balls to the walls military action.

The grenade trembled in Robertson's hand. Had he had any sense, he would have thrown in without any hesitation, but Reilly Robertson was a man too entrenched in his personal code of ethics to just lob a death bomb at a hospital. Even if it was stuffed with damn dirty martians.

"Dammit, Robertson! What are you waiting for?"

He didn't know.

----

Still no?

 

[Piecake]

The grenade trembled in Robertson's hand. Had he had any sense, he would have thrown in without any hesitation, but Reilly Robertson was a man too entrenched in his personal code of ethics to just lob a death bomb at a hospital. Even if it was stuffed with damn dirty martians.

"Dammit, Robertson! What are you waiting for?"

He didn't know.

----

Still no?

A real man would have used a pistol to take out all the Martians surgically with lots of shit blowing up but no innocents losing their lives, then would have fucked a grateful nurse and smoked a cigar as he lay in bed.

 

[nailbombxx]

A volume of Clark Ashton Smith's fantastical, spellbinding poetry. There isn't much like this.

 

[kswiston]

A real man would have used a pistol to take out all the Martians surgically with lots of shit blowing up but no innocents losing their lives, then would have fucked a grateful nurse and smoked a cigar as he lay in bed.

This. For maximum impact, make sure that your martians are basically space terrorists. They've come to take our freedom in a blitz of laser fire and suicide bomb runs.

Oh, definitely. I think this is a good review of the weaknesses of the book. To be fair, I still really enjoyed it (more than I respected it, if you will) because Miles is a sort of character type that I really find appealing even in the context of a book that has its share of issues. But that doesn't mean that the issues go away.

Thank you for the review link. The author basically touched on a lot of things that bothered me about the book (including some I mentioned here). I also ended up demoting it to 3 stars on Good Reads (I would have given it 3.5 stars if given the option). I'm glad to hear that the other books pick up again.

I haven't decided yet what to read after finishing up the Martian. I have Never Let Me Go in my backlog. Perhaps that.

 

[Alucard]

A real man would have used a pistol to take out all the Martians surgically with lots of shit blowing up but no innocents losing their lives, then would have fucked a grateful nurse and smoked a cigar as he lay in bed.

You should write the novella. Or we can split duties. Could be fun. We then submit it to the Hugo Society.

 

[TTG]

Don't forget about the space orgies. In the future we've dropped the shackles of outmoded draconian conventions, smoking hot space orgies are routine. And yes, they're called space orgies.

 

[aidan]

Don't forget about the space orgies. In the future we've dropped the shackles of outmoded draconian conventions, smoking hot space orgies are routine. And yes, they're called space orgies.

I feel like you would really like "Spar" by Kij Johnson.

 

[Rowena]

Anyone reading "Dinosaur Lord"? Was going to try to read this after I finish "The Stand"

 

[TTG]

I feel like you would really like "Spar" by Kij Johnson.

I was just spoofing like every military sci fi book ever, what's this?

To those of you who shy away from difficult adult topics, this may not be the podcast for you. For those of our listeners who decide to bravely traverse the path ahead, I'm honored to be your guide.

Of course I had to click the audio! Is this like sci fi's The Onion? I mean Kij Johnson, that's clearly not a real name... Oh God. Ok, back to the text, I had a full body wince through the audio intro and that's just bad for your health: don't take Gary, anyone but Gary!

I can't do it any more. I'm salvage, or flotsam. I should have heeded the warning really. And here I was just thinking about how Starship Troopers is a blight on the genre's reputation. What the fuck did you just link me to man?

 

[Haly]

Someone doesn't appreciate the ins and outs of space.

 

[Dresden]

I was just spoofing like every military sci fi book ever, what's this?



Of course I had to click the audio! Is this like sci fi's The Onion? I mean Kij Johnson, that's clearly not a real name... Oh God. Ok, back to the text, I had a full body wince through the audio intro and that's just bad for your health: don't take Gary, anyone but Gary!

I can't do it any more. I'm salvage, or flotsam. I should have heeded the warning really. And here I was just thinking about how Starship Troopers is a blight on the genre's reputation. What the fuck did you just link me to man?

'Ponies' is pretty fun too.

 

[Piecake]

You should write the novella. Or we can split duties. Could be fun. We then submit it to the Hugo Society.

A real man doesnt write. He does. And he definitely does it alone.

 

[Protome]

I finished Uprooted by Naomi Novik yesterday. It was stupidly easy to read, definitely the fastest I've read through a book in a long time. The layers upon layers of manipulation and corruption that the villain employs were great and kept it exciting the whole time.

Next up, Howl's Moving Castle

 

[Cade]

Picked it up because the cover intrigued me and so far it's good. I didn't read the jacket so when the

Spoiler

meta-human(?)

stuff started I was caught off-guard at first.

Still listening to The Golem & The Jinni every time I'm doing something where I can't read.

Exactly why I picked it up too, haha. I'm taking a break on it though because my digital library finally came through, so I'm reading:

 

[Nymerio]

I'm about 20% into Memory and

Spoiler

Miles just got medically discharged. Can't say I didn't see that coming. This book does a good job making Miles into a bit of a prick. First he shoots off the guys legs because he goes into a combat situation even though he knows he's prone to these seizures under these circumstances. He doesn't even tell his second in command about the danger, tries to fake the report and gets angry at Elii when she tells him he's insane to even try. After that little fight he turns right around and fucks Taura. Next up you have Ivan getting his promotion and the little prick just gets jealous. I mean, I understand that if there's anyone deserving a promotion it's probably Miles for the amount of work he puts in, but at least be happy for the one Barrayaran guy who was for friend since childhood. Illyan even gives him one last chance to come out with the truth but he's so fucking fixated on his next mission that he continues to hide his lies. He absolutely deserved this.

 

[besada]

What is your favorite book in the series?

Not fucking Cryoburn, I'll tell you that!

 

[Alucard]

Laugh all you want, ladies and gentlemen, but I'm moving forward with this asshole story. There's something here that is just deliciously satirical of modern life. I've written the opening 3 paragraphs. If anyone would like to help with the editing process in private, let me know.

 

[Glaurungr]

Anyone have any recommendations for alien-invasion-of-earth books? Preferably set not too far in the future. I have read the first book in Turtledove’s WorldWar series, and found it mediocre, but enjoyed the setting and premise.

 

[Alucard]

Anyone have any recommendations for alien-invasion-of-earth books? Preferably set not too far in the future. I have read the first book in Turtledove’s WorldWar series, and found it mediocre, but enjoyed the setting and premise.

While maybe not outright what you're looking for, you may enjoy Ender's Game and/or Starship Troopers.

 

[Maklershed]

Anyone have any recommendations for alien-invasion-of-earth books? Preferably set not too far in the future. I have read the first book in Turtledove’s WorldWar series, and found it mediocre, but enjoyed the setting and premise.

Only the first bit of it happens on Earth but Blindsight might interest you.

 

[Meteorain]

Nice. Gemmel's Legend is on my to-read list by the end of 2016. Let me know how you like it. Is it just the original book? And I thought the protagonist carried an axe and not a sword?

The cover art if of another character. The alternate covers have an axe on them though.

So far it's proving fun. It's fairly briskly paced. Not used to reading something so short when concerning fantasy!

 

[Alucard]

The cover art if of another character. The alternate covers have an axe on them though.

So far it's proving fun. It's fairly briskly paced. Not used to reading something so short when concerning fantasy!

The brevity is what interests me. The original Shannara trilogy has soured me on thickass fantasy stories that I'm not even sure I'll enjoy.

 

[Alucard]

Okay, ladies and germs. Here is the opening paragraph of the little story I'm working on. I like how it's shaping up so far.

It has been said that the world is full of assholes and idiots. What is not known is whether an asshole or an idiot made this assertion. No one has bothered to do the background research on this important human discovery, but it is probably safe to say that the person who divided the world thus was some type of philosopher; it then follows that the person was likely an asshole, but no idiot can truly say because that would just be assuming too much, and everyone knows what happens when you do that.

Any feedback on this short intro, positive or negative, is totally welcome.

I'm shooting for fun and playful social commentary, reeeaaaching for inspiration from Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Kurt Vonnegut, and to a lesser extent, Piers Anthony. The goal is to keep the story moving forward at all times while keeping things interesting and engaging with every paragraph and page.

 

[Mumei]

Not fucking Cryoburn, I'll tell you that!

I know. I know.

Anyone have any recommendations for alien-invasion-of-earth books? Preferably set not too far in the future. I have read the first book in Turtledove’s WorldWar series, and found it mediocre, but enjoyed the setting and premise.

I haven't read it, but Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End is a science fiction classic that revolves around an invasion.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

Anyone have any recommendations for alien-invasion-of-earth books? Preferably set not too far in the future. I have read the first book in Turtledove&#8217;s WorldWar series, and found it mediocre, but enjoyed the setting and premise.

The Damned Trilogy

I finished Uprooted by Naomi Novik yesterday. It was stupidly easy to read, definitely the fastest I've read through a book in a long time. The layers upon layers of manipulation and corruption that the villain employs were great and kept it exciting the whole time.

Next up, Howl's Moving Castle

When you finish Howl's, you should check out the other books. Also: Have you seen the Ghibli movie?

 

[Protome]

The Damned Trilogy

When you finish Howl's, you should check out the other books. Also: Have you seen the Ghibli movie?

That's the plan!
I actually just rewatched the movie a couple of days ago, it's what reminded me that I had the book in my to-read pile. That and the fact that I really like some of Diana Wynne Jones other books (the Crestomanci ones and Fire and Hemlock in particular.)

 

[grounded_dreams]

Just started reading Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, only about fifty pages in and already hooked.

 

[Rug Monkey]

I feel like you would really like "Spar" by Kij Johnson.

Then there's always Ghastly's Ghastly Comic if you are into the whole Chthulu mythos and like to laugh out loud.

 

[MidnightPass]

does anyone know any interesting books on Germanic mythology that i should check out? always had an interest in pre-christian,european mythos

 

[ScaryMonsters]

 

[PassiveObserver]

Has anyone read this beast?

I am usually a fan of Don Delillo; a lot of it goes over my head but it's a fun challenge trying to follow the thread. This one is just an unwieldy beast, with character and time jumps every chapter, the only constants being prevailing nuclear dread and a baseball. 4/5ths done and I am still flailing. A discombobulating journey with no destination in sight.

 

[Dispatch]

Well, it's nearly August, so it's time to halt my pleasure reading and start getting ready to teach, so I'll be rereading Huck Finn as my A.P. students are reading it this summer. (Well, I hope they are. It was assigned to them.)

 

[Maklershed]

Did you folks wanna nominate something for book of the month for August?

 

[Mumei]

Did you folks wanna nominate something for book of the month for August?

I made several suggestions!