[Nov 2015] What Are You Reading

[Ralif Redhammer]

RPO is such a fun read. But it’s hard to separate it from the joyous nostalgia.

Currently finishing up a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the collection of G.R.R. Martin’s Dunk and Egg novellas. It’s really good. Only having one POV makes for a much more focused tale.

Just finished "Ready Player One". It was fun and definitely worth the read, but also a little pulpy.

 

[Jhaelen]

I just finished 'Intrusion' by Ken MacLeod. I enjoyed it a lot more than 'Descent', which I'd read right before that. Not his best work either, but very thought-provoking and close enough to today's technology that it makes you wonder what it would take for our society to become just like this. My one major nitpick would be how he gets the protagonists off the hook using a barely concealed 'deus-ex-machina' device in the end.

Anyway, now I'm back to pondering the question what to read next. Is it time for another novel by Christopher Priest already? Probably...

 

[Kramodlog]

Starting The Stars my Destination by Alfred Bester. So far it is hilarious and witty. Seems ahead of its time considering that Asimov's Foundation came out not too long before. Maybe because Bester is a better writer it makes him look more modern.

 

[was]

I have moved on to the 6th Extinction by James Rollins.

 

[delericho]

Starting The Stars my Destination by Alfred Bester.

Great book. Though I prefer "The Demolished Man".

 

[Jhaelen]

Hmm, 'The Demolished Man' is one of the few novels that was awarded with a Hugo that I didn't enjoy. I suppose, though, it's mainly because it very clearly showed its age.

 

[delericho]

Having finished both "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and "The Long Mars", I'm now reading Bernard Cornwell's "Waterloo". Which is interesting - it's very definitely history as written by a novelist, which means it's really approachable, but if you want serious history you're probably better looking elsewhere.

Next up will be "Dragons at Crumbling Castle" by Pratchett, and then "The Frood" - a biography of Douglas Adams (which was a Christmas present last year).

 

[Kramodlog]

Great book. Though I prefer "The Demolished Man".

The stars is a novel of its time (1956) when it comes to the quality of the writing, but some of the themes are very cyberpunkish. I'm curious to read The Demolished Man.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Finished The Name of the Wind. On a re-read, its flaws are more readily apparent, but the writing itself is so beautiful that it’s easy to forgive them.

Next up is N.K. Jemisin’s The Broken Kingdoms.

 

[Jhaelen]

Yesterday I started with 'The Extremes' by Christopher Priest. It's still too early to really say anything about it, yet, though.