[March] What are you reading?

[Dave Blewer]

The Sundered Realm: The War of Powers book 1 by Robert E. Vardeman and Victor Milan. It is from 1980, good fantasy, some sex, a ghost in a bottle, a flying city, a city in ice. Not a bad read a bit on the light side.

I read these years ago and have fond memories of them... Fun undemanding stuff, I might dig my copies out now...

 

[WayneLigon]

Just finished Astro City TPB. Not bad, but glad I loaned it. Did buy the 30 Days of Night autographed TPB, and it's pretty good. Minimalist, effective storytelling.

And finally, there is a new Astro City mini-series out. The Confessor cameo was much appreciated ('There are pictures of him now') and made me go back and read the Confessions TPB.

I have been dying to find 30 Days of Night.

I guess I should note comics reading in this thread, then Too many good TPB's to pick up. I'm ordering the first Mystic TPB and the hardback collected Ultimate Spider-Man.

Just finished the first Sojourn TPB last night. One of the only regular Fantasy comics around.

 

[Olive]

Just finished reading The Cassini Division by Ken MacLeod. Quite cool, very political sci-fi set in the nearish future. He's friends with Iain M Banks and Banks is an obvious influence. If you know Banks, then think of this as the story of the early culture as it expands from earth. not exactly, but not dissimilar either...

 

[EricNoah]

I'm reading Manifold: Space by Stephen Baxter. This guy is good. Some sci-fi is good at the "fiction" part but not at the "science" part, or vice versa. This guy's good at both. Heavy stuff!

 

[Scorch]

Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Scorch

 

[jasper]

Just started yesterday
The Barbarian Invasions by Hans Delbruck. A little out date in places but good histroic reference book. I will probably read the 4th volume later this year.

 

[Gizzard]

Is anyone else reading for the Hugos? The first wave of selection takes place at the end of the month, so I've dug out all of last years Asimov's and F&SF's and crosschecked against the Locus recommended list. I'll see how many stories I can read by the 31st. (Or maybe before, it doesn't look like they are accepting internet ballots this year??)

Anyway, I picked up the Conjunctions 39: New Wave Fabulists anthology and read a couple stories out of that:

Andy Duncan caught my eye several years ago with a story about a dead jazz musician and a train to Hell called Beluthahatchie. His stuff always has an incredible sense of place and time; often a little wistful. Anyway, the story in Conjunctions is Big Rock Candy Mountain which deals with rail hobos and reads like a tall tale with a bit of a modern sensibility.

Neil Gaiman did a story called October in the Chair which has the strange imagination and dark overtones of a lot of his stuff.

I also read China Mieville's Familiar. All DMs should read this very twisted take on what it means to be a Familiar. I'm continuously amazed at Mieville's ability to conjure up a dark, grim world filled with mysterious and implacable forces. Its territory he's worked in King Rat, Perdido Street Station and the Scar, yet he doesnt seem to be running out of tricks. Anyway, if you thought you were going to get away with going down to the local Wizards Guild and paying 100 GP for a Frog, you were wrong. ;-)

 

[CrazyMage]

About half-way through Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. He's trying to explain why certain societies have come to dominate in power, while others have not. Starting resources have a lot to do with it. As many a computer game reminds you, food production is the key to advancement.

Also reading The Romance Languages, edited by Martin Harris and Nigel Vincent. Gives a nice survey of the languages, including even Occitan and Sardinian! It's a non-stop thrill ride, an orgy of sex and violence! (Wait, scratch that last part. It's not THAT good)

 

[Eben]

Crazymage, I read another book by Jared Diamond, the title escapes me (The fourth Chimpansee?) It paints a rather pessimistic picture of human evolution, but written in an entertaining style. He also touches the issues you spoke of.
For a non-biologcal)evolutionary perspective on western dominance, read "Orientalism" by Edward Saïd. It's rather hard to get into, but there are some interesting consequences for modern social sciences. (Althoug I feel Said himself doesn't really drive the issue home.)

 

[Holy Bovine]

Still slogging through The Queen of the Damned. After that, I'll read The Tale of the Body Thief, the last Anne Rice book I'm ever gonna touch. Once I'm finished with these two turkeys, I'll be picking up Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead and after that, Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers.

It really isn't worth it. Tale of the Body Thief, IMO, was her weakest work. I was mildly entertained by Interview, liked Lestat and Queen nearly drove me from Anne Rice forever. I wish it had then I wouldn't have had to read the mess that TotBT was.

Eaters of the Dead and Starship Troopers are great (just don't expect them to resemble their movie counterparts - especially Starship)

I am currently re-reading Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen by H. Beam Piper. Possibly the best time travel novel written in the last 70 years. This, of course, is inbetween reading all of my Scarred Lands source books

I am stuck on what new stuff to read. I finally managed to pick up Song of Fire and Ice after becoming disgusted with it last year. Finished book 2 and am now waiting for #3 to hit paperback. I like this thread though as I usally get a few good suggestions (liek being convinced to pick up Martin's work again).