Sci-Fi Group Book Club discussion

This is the discussion thread for our book of the month, or group read, for March. Please remember to use the spoiler tags where necessary.

[Sorry for not setting this up sooner - illness and patchy Internet over the weekend mitigated against me doing this.]

I've already read and reviewed the first three books in this series and am twenty-four pages into the fourth. I bought the four old paperbacks (cheap on bookfinder.com) and have made my way through them one by one. I gave the first one three stars, the second one four stars, and the third one three stars.

As you begin reading, you might find keeping a character chart useful. By that, I mean writing down on a piece of paper the character name, the page number the character is first introduced, and six to ten words that best describe who he/she is. The reason to do this is because there are three different stories really in the first book with separate characters for each which only merge later.

Dan wrote: "I've already read and reviewed the first three books in this series and am twenty-four pages into the fourth. I bought the four old paperbacks (cheap on bookfinder.com) and have made my way through..."

That's a good piece of advice, Dan. Can you fit all these characters on one sheet or do you need a notebook to do that?

As I recall, there were about thirty characters for the first novel. I fit them all on one side of a piece of notebook paper (college ruled). The next novels have more (and different) characters than the first novel, but the subsequent novels do refer back to the contributions of the characters in the first novel. The first novel is a bit dry for two of the three stories it contains because it basically sets up the structure the next three novels draw from, but it has one good, main story in it, a romance of all things!

Dan wrote: "As you begin reading, you might find keeping a character chart useful. By that, I mean writing down on a piece of paper the character name, the page number the character is first introduced, and six to ten words that best describe who he/she is. The reason to do this is because there are three different stories really in the first book with separate characters for each which only merge later...."

Seems like excellent advice; thanks!!

I just started the 'omnibus' earlier this week. The advise for character noting is a good one. Thanks for that Dan.

Sorry guys, but this just isn't gripping me at all. I've got some way through the first book, but I've put it down now and started The Grace of Kings instead (very different, I know).

I'll join in with you all next month.

I started this series in summer the 2016 of last year and have not been able to make myself read the fourth book yet.

I'm struggling to get interested in the story as well. I plan to continue and finish, but so far the first 200 pages have been pretty dull. Hopefully there is a payoff later on in the book.

Me, personally, I've wanted to read this for 'historical' reasons. I find it, thus far, rather dry, but will read it whether I love it or not. It is, apparently, an integral part of scifi history. It has, apparently, inspired greater works that came later - including those cool Boston album covers...

Denis wrote: "It has, apparently, inspired greater works that came later - including those cool Boston album covers..."

I had not heard that before. That is a neat piece of trivia!
Thanks for mentioning it.

That makes perfect sense! I never looked closely enough before to see that isn't a spaceship on the Boston album, but an actual city taking off. https://www.google.com/search?q=bosto...
My only problem with it is that the two main cites mentioned by name as leaving Earth in Blish's series were Scranton and New York City, not Boston. Still, it beats getting caught between The Moon and New York City: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnBPH...

;)

Dan wrote: "That makes perfect sense! I never looked closely enough before to see that isn't a spaceship on the Boston album, but an actual city taking off. https://www.google.com/search?q=bosto......"

It's been a long time since I heard that song! The reference to cities reminds me tangentially of the 1998 film Dark City. Anybody seen it?

yes good film

I have not seen that one... How'd that one get by me? Looks like a good one.

Near end of Prt. one of Cities in Flight. Can see why some would find it a bit stiff and dry, very nerdy - I agree, but am enjoying it anyhow.