February : What are you reading?

[Umbran]

I've read...no, wait, that was American Gods. Well, I've read Neverwhere too. I really like Gaiman's stuff, but for some reason it doesn't stick with me. I've read American Gods three times now, and I still barely remember it. And I've forgotten everything about Neverwhere except the back cover copy.

Strange. His details stick really well with me. My favorite, so far, has been Anansi Boys.

I found it derivative of The Forever War, but your mileage may vary.

I don't mind derivative so much, if he also does something new with it in the process. Scalzi also did Fuzzy Nation, a rewrite of H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy, and while it was clearly and explicitly derivative, there were new bits for thought in there.

Is Engineers the sequel or the sequel's sequel? I read the former but not the latter. Will have to see about getting them used somewhere.

It goes Ringworld, Ringworld Engineers, Ringworld Throne, Ringworld's Children, Fate of Worlds. I'm rereading the first two, so I can approach the latter books.

There's also a set of prequels that I haven't read yet - Niven was a major foundation of my science fiction reading, but I basically devoured what my brother had in his library, and then didn't myself continue to keep up with the author too well.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Just finished The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. Great light read.

Mote is awesome. I haven't read the sequel through. It just didn't grab me as much.

I should read that again soon.

 

[Nellisir]

Strange. His details stick really well with me. My favorite, so far, has been Anansi Boys.

Yeah, I mean...there are maybe 5 books I've read 3 times in my life. I just can't remember anything about Gaiman's novels. It's weird.

I don't mind derivative so much, if he also does something new with it in the process. Scalzi also did Fuzzy Nation, a rewrite of H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy, and while it was clearly and explicitly derivative, there were new bits for thought in there.

He's popular, I personally just haven't been all that enthralled.

It goes Ringworld, Ringworld Engineers, Ringworld Throne, Ringworld's Children, Fate of Worlds. I'm rereading the first two, so I can approach the latter books.

Ah, so I have read it. I haven't read Throne or anything past that, although the series have been percolating up through my consciousness.

There's also a set of prequels that I haven't read yet - Niven was a major foundation of my science fiction reading, but I basically devoured what my brother had in his library, and then didn't myself continue to keep up with the author too well.

Looking at his bibliography, I've read sporadically of it. Ringworld, Ringworld Engineers, The Integral Trees, The Smoke Ring, The Legacy of Heorot, Beowulf's Children, Lucifer's Hammer, The Mote in God's Eye, Footfall, The Gripping Hand, possibly Destiny's Road, and the Kzin are familiar, so it's probably I've read some of or parts of those books. I'll probably start chasing some down; I'm pretty sure I only have a few of them in my library.

 

[Umbran]

Mote is awesome. I haven't read the sequel through. It just didn't grab me as much.

*Ugh!* Oh, that's horrible! I take it sir, that you feel you're handy with a pun, then?

 

[Umbran]

He's popular, I personally just haven't been all that enthralled.

Fair enough. Though, for an example of, "derivative, but doing something a bit new with it," I would recommend Scalzi's Redshirts (which is much the basis for his current popularity, I think). It is basically Scalzi's attempt to do a thinking person's "Galaxy Quest", in novel form.

Looking at his bibliography, I've read sporadically of it. Ringworld, Ringworld Engineers, The Integral Trees, The Smoke Ring, The Legacy of Heorot, Beowulf's Children, Lucifer's Hammer, The Mote in God's Eye, Footfall, The Gripping Hand, possibly Destiny's Road, and the Kzin are familiar, so it's probably I've read some of or parts of those books. I'll probably start chasing some down; I'm pretty sure I only have a few of them in my library.

Yes, I've read most of those, though some years back. Footfall is one I'm hoping to reread soon again, as well. I note that the Man-Kzin Wars are not strictly Niven - he only wrote a couple of the pieces in those books - they're the place he allows other writers to play in Known Space.

I rather wish the genre (both authors and writers) still embraced the short story like they did back in Niven's hayday - because you don't see a whole lot of works like his Anthologies out there any more, and they were awesome - especially in terms of inciting readers to be curious about science, I think.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

*Ugh!* Oh, that's horrible! I take it sir, that you feel you're handy with a pun, then?

I hate having to come to grips with that question. On the one hand, I have an occasional grasp at brilliance. On the other hand, it's hardly consistent enough to give myself a hand about.

 

[Kaodi]

I am reading Anne of Green Gables. No, seriously.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Reading A Memory of Light. Been waiting a long time to finish this story up.

Yeah me too. Finished it and now am reading IC Esslemont's (Steven Erickson's partner) Blood and Bone. Will probably have the time to read Joe Abercrombie's latest, Red Country.

AR

 

[Ebon Shar]

All this talk of Niven makes me want to go back and re-read some of his classics. Like someone else posted, Niven was a foundation of my Sci-Fi experience as a child. I devoured everything he wrote except, and this is strange, the Ringworld books. I need to correct that.

 

[Nellisir]

I am reading Anne of Green Gables. No, seriously.

I've meant to read that for years. I thought I had it on my shelves, but now I'm not sure. I should check tomorrow. I also need The Little House on the Prairie series, which I actually did read once upon a time.