The Sword and Laser discussion

April's here. No foolin. What else are you reading?

April lands with a Thud!

I'm going to start with Written in Red, which I've been meaning to read for ever. Oh and I need to get to the new Saxon Tales book soon. But...I'm a mood reader :)

Finished The Sword of Shannara on Wednesday so working to finish A Gathering of Shadows today or tomorrow. From there I may pick The Fifth Season up to try again and probably will try The Right Kind of Crazy: A True Story of Teamwork, Leadership, and High-Stakes Innovation, which a coworker recommended. And jump back into The Demon Cycle books.

House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds. I'm enjoying it a lot, much more than my first Reynolds (Blue Remembered Earth).

House of Suns is pretty good. I read all of the Revelation Space books even though I gagged on the straight rips of Niven. In House of Suns the story is completely his own.

Reading both the main pick (text) and the alt pick (audio)

Also still re-reading Leviathan Wakes, listening to The Addictive Brain, and Hollow World.

I just started reading The God of Small Things.

Gaines wrote: "I just started reading The God of Small Things."

I loved that book. I'm reading The Traitor Baru Cormorant. After that I'll be jumping into the monthly pick.

I'm reading Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire which is excellent so far.

I've made it a good way into Anathem by Neal Stephenson.

Me-from-6-years-ago was wrong to give up on this novel. Its great.

I finished reading The Black Lung Captain and really enjoyed it. (My Review)

I also listened to both NPCs (My Review) and Split the Party (My Review) and loved them. I really hope there are more books coming soon, and that the audiobook release isn't so far behind the text.

After Cryptonomicon, Anathem is my favorite Neal Stephenson novel. I enjoyed just about everything about it. Both books seemed more mature then Snow Crash or The Diamond Age: or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, with out fealing as dry and marauding as the "Baroque Trilogy", or even Seven Eves. I really should reread that again sometime.

I just finished 'Rosemary and Rue' and went straight onto the next book A Local Habitation. So in love with this series!

This last month I've read

Snow Crash - This was a hard book for me to rate. I feel like if I'd read it on it's release when I was about 20, it would've blown my mind. Two decades after the fact, the mythology parts kind of dragged for me, but the world-building couldn't let me give this less than ****. The was my first Neal Stephenson book; I'm looking forward to more.

Dracula - Slow starter, but a surprisingly smooth read for something from the 19th century. I expected that I'd pretty well know the story that so many others have borrowed from, but by halfway through I was really drawn in. ****

Reaper Man - As fun as the character of Death is, I wasn't as entertained by the half of the story about the undead wizard. ***

The Last Colony - I'm loving the Old Man's War series more than anything right now! *****

The Fellowship of the Ring (reread) - Haven't read this since 6th grade; as good as ever. *****

Saga of Old City - A bit of a disappointment. I liked it starting out, but about a third of the way through it felt like just a series of short stories with no feeling of an overall direction. They were pretty good stories, but it wasn't what I expected and I had a hard time shifting gears to motivate myself to finish this book. ***

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Ended the month strong, this book had themes (that the movie didn't touch) that disturbed me and made me think. *****

I am on the last book of the Star Wars Thrawn Trilogy The Last Command, will start the dual BOM picks and finish the month with Joe Abercrombie return trip to the First Law World with Sharp Ends, a collection of short stories.

Ju wrote: "I just finished 'Rosemary and Rue' and went straight onto the next book A Local Habitation. So in love with this series!"

I want a rose goblin :)

Leesa wrote: "Ju wrote: "I just finished 'Rosemary and Rue' and went straight onto the next book A Local Habitation. So in love with this series!"

I want a rose goblin :)"

A rose goblin would be the best!!! Adorable *and* spiky - what could be better?!

The Outlaw - Another nonstop tense book, with a very solid twist at the end of it and I'm really excited to read more.

Voice of Mars - Still a fun sci-fi/fantasy fusion serial, weaker than the 2nd book, but stronger than the first.

Screw The Galaxy - Was a fun sci-fi comedy series, despite the fact that I enjoyed it a good bit. I kind of don't want to keep reading this series for a bit.

Also been reading the official releases of アクセル・ワールド 6 -浄火の神子- Akuseru Wārudo 6: Jōka no Miko and No Game, No Life Vol. 4, sort of a reread sort of not, as these books were where the fan-translations died (because the official translations got announced).

Rob wrote: "I also listened to both NPCs (My Review) and Split the Party (My Review)..."

yes, Yes, YES!

The Dragons of Dorcastle

The Hidden Masters of Marandur

The Assassins of Altis

Started reading Dragons of Dorcastle on April 1st and due to nap training, ended up finishing the others on Saturday and Sunday.. Really like Jack Campbell in his military space opera series, but haven't read any of his fantasy. This series though is both Sword and Laser, so it was nice. There's supposed to be 3 more to be released this year to complete the series.

Still going on listening to The Wishsong of Shannara

Have begun the monthly pick A Darker Shade of Magic

Geoff wrote: "I've made it a good way into Anathem by Neal Stephenson.

Me-from-6-years-ago was wrong to give up on this novel. Its great."

I don't know if this is the album with the Hundreders and Thousanders or not but back when the book first came out you could find music from Anathem (I'm working at the reference desk right now so can't test it.) When I read it, hearing an imagined version of the music really grabbed me.

I'm halfway through The Elfstones of Shannara. When Sword was picked people complained that Elfstones was way better but, sincerely, all lies :DD I don't see any improvement. It's not that is a bad story, but It's basically the SAME story with the characters names changed. Another super-über-mega evil that is evil because of reasons, the chosen one because (view spoiler)[I'm a super powerful tree that is dying but if you don't bring me one of my favourites, you mofos are all going down with me, again because of reasons (hide spoiler)], and again the same scenes with the "nazguls" flying over the protagonist and "oh, I'm super afraid" but nothing happens (how many times has Brooks writen that same scene??), again the stupid deux ex machina solutions, new characters appearing to help the protagonists when they are lost, same old, same old.

Obviously, it's nothing like LotR. I mean, (view spoiler)[in Sword, when exiting Moria, it was Frodo who fell instead on Gandalf, and in Elfstones, the one that falls is that soldier that I don't even remember his name cause he appeared like in 2 chapters. And the "i'm unable to destroy this bridge but don't worry, the f*ck*ng wind will do it for me" was just shameful. (hide spoiler)] They are clearly completely different stories!!!

Anyway, I'm gathering all my forces to finish the last 300 pages but, unless it improves A LOT I'm not going near Wishsong unless somebody pays me a lot to read it. Which, if somebody is up to it, I'm not going to complain ;-)

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I don't know if this is the album with the Hundreders and Thousanders or not but back when the book first came out you could find music from Anathem."

While I think its cool to have produced music inspired by the book. I'm not sure Gregorian chants are what I'm looking for in my reading accompaniment.

Finished A Darker Shade of Magic and immediately began A Gathering of Shadows, again by V.E. Schwab.

I found Anathem slightly frustrating. It was an amazing book interspersed with pages from a mediocre book. If he had just cut out that second book it would have been perfect.

Totally agree with Brendan about Anathem. But I'm "abnormal" because I adored the Baroque Cycle books, so...

terpkristin wrote: "Totally agree with Brendan about Anathem. But I'm "abnormal" because I adored the Baroque Cycle books, so..."

Adoring The Baroque Cycle is abnormal?

Based on the perception of that trilogy around here... ;)

Sky wrote: "terpkristin wrote: "Totally agree with Brendan about Anathem. But I'm "abnormal" because I adored the Baroque Cycle books, so..."

Adoring The Baroque Cycle is abnormal?"

I don't know if I'd say I adored them, but I did actually finish them. I think I actually read Quicksilver twice.

Scott Sigler's Alight downloaded to my Kindle this morning, but I've already got a few chapters head start - thanks to his podcast. Will probably get stuck into this once I finish Darker Shade of Magic. (Which I am enjoying!)

I finished The Fireman by Joe Hill this weekend (it comes out in a few weeks and I had a review copy.) It was FANTASTIC. I thought apocalypse fiction was over for me, because the last few I've read, I have not enjoyed at all. Nope. I just needed to read a good one again. Here is my review.

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I finished The Fireman by Joe Hill this weekend (it comes out in a few weeks and I had a review copy.) It was FANTASTIC. I thought apocalypse fiction was over for me, because the la..."

Good review. I haven't jumped tried any of Joe Hill's novels, despite being a huge fan of Stephen King.

Listening to Authority by Jeff VanderMeer. The narrator, Bronson Pinchot, is amazing.

I just discovered "Interactive Fiction"; i.e. choose your own adventure stories (slightly) modernised.

- A full library of stories here: http://ifdb.tads.org/
- A simple demo game: http://iplayif.com/?story=http%3A%2F%...

Thought these may be of interest to S&L members (though admittedly they're on the borderline between books & games).

I'm still neck deep in Seanan McGuire's 'October Daye' series and loving every moment.

About to start The Story of Kullervo by Tolkien. Looking forward to this.

John wrote: "I just discovered "Interactive Fiction"; i.e. choose your own adventure stories (slightly) modernised."

Here are some other IF resources.

Frotz
http://frotz.sourceforge.net/

Index: if-archive/games/zcode
http://www.ifarchive.org/indexes/if-a...

A Beginner's Guide to Playing Interactive Fiction
http://www.microheaven.com/IFGuide/

Home : Inform
http://inform7.com/

Platforms - ScummVM :: Wiki
http://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/Pla...

The Unofficial Legend Text Adventure Home Page
http://www.waitingforgo.com/legend/

The Interactive Fiction Archive
http://www.ifarchive.org/

ZILF download | SourceForge.net
https://sourceforge.net/projects/zilf/

Blew through the pick for the month. Never got back to the second Mrs Peregrines book.. just not interested. Very much enjoyed Javelin Rain and am now working on The Emperor's Soul and Queen of Shadows.

Ran across an interesting book at the library yesterday, The Dog Master: A Novel of the First Dog, which is science fiction of a specific type: speculation about the past based on scanty evidence.

I've already read about 80 pages and I quite like it. It's half White Fang and half The Clan of the Cave Bear.

Aaron wrote: "...
Here are some other IF resources.
..."

That's awesome, thank-you :)

I finished A Darker Shade of Magic and liked, but didn't love it (My Review). I'll likely continue to the second book at some point.

Aaron wrote: "John wrote: "I just discovered "Interactive Fiction"; i.e. choose your own adventure stories (slightly) modernised."

Here are some other IF resources.

Frotz
http://frotz.sourceforge.net/

Index: ..."

I've been wanting to learn how to write programs for my Amazon Echo - I was thinking a text-based adventure game would be well suited for the Echo - Thanks for the links!

Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen -- it's a nice book. I love all things Vorkosigan but it's very slight. I'd say read if when you are in the mood for a cozy little romance story with Cordelia.

I'm waiting for this month's book picks from the library so I finally read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I liked it a lot. It reminded me a bit of Mortal Suns but happier and much more entertaining.

John wrote: "I just discovered "Interactive Fiction"; i.e. choose your own adventure stories (slightly) modernised."

Ahhh so a VN without the visuals, or a text adventure without the
>INSPECT DOOR
The door is locked
>USE KEY
You unlock the door and enter to the other room

I just finished Hounded by Kevin Hearne (Book 1 of The Iron Druid series). I enjoyed the first book a lot, and now I'm moving on to the rest of the series.

I just finished Memoirs Found in a Bathtub and it DIDN'T go into my 'Abandoned' a.k.a 'lem' folder :) A strange but interesting book although I didn't enjoy it as much as Solaris.

On to Daemon now which deals with my networking tech profession.

AndrewP wrote: On to Daemon now which deals with my networking tech profession. "

Daemon was great - very plausible near-term sci-fi. The next two were not so good, unfortunately. Suarez really jumped the shark with the (view spoiler)[Katana weilding autonomous homicidal transforming motorcycles (hide spoiler)]

Next two? What comes after Freedom™?

Rob wrote: "Next two? What comes after Freedom™?"

Aha - next one. Everything is a trilogy these days, i had forgotten that there were only two total.

2 was already one too many..