SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

This book has been taking the book world by storm and now it's on our shelves! What are your initial impressions?

Please leave all specifics about characters, their growth, the plot etc. for discussion on the 7th, when the spoiler threads will be posted!

I read it when it came out... kinda. Ended up skimming almost all of it. Wasn’t in right mindset. Tried getting back into it on vacation and couldn’t. Now I’m going to give it a third try because it really does seem like something I ought to love.

I listened to the audiobook when it came out and loved it. I'll be interested to see what everyone here thinks of it.

I'm 25% and it reminds me heavily of Ancillary Justice, but without tea, ancient utensils, gloves and female only pronouns. I like the pace but cannot say that the book enthralled so far

30 pages in, I'm all in. It reminds me of the Radchaii books, too.

I'm about a third through, enjoying it so far. Lots of political intrigue, which is right up my alley. Interested to see how it turns out.

I tried to listen to it on audio, but this somehow isn't the right format for me.
I started for 4 times so far and still phasing out every time. I stopped for now and listen to something else, perhaps I'm in a better mood later this month.

So if I was neither into Ancillary Justice or the Culture series, should I even try reading this?

I'm half way through, and finding this tons of fun. I'm particularly loving how frequently it geeks hard on poetry. One thing, though, is that I'm feeling a bit thrown by the description of it as a "space opera," but that's maybe because my ideas about that particular sub-genre are way off.

Gabi wrote: "I tried to listen to it on audio, but this somehow isn't the right format for me. I started for 4 times so far and still phasing out every time."

I also started several times before finally getting into it. I don't know what it was, but once I got a few chapters in, it got easier.

Also, the audio was unintentionally hilarious, or maybe it's my fault for listening at a faster speed. I kept mishearing some of the words and it made me chuckle. Like 'info fish sticks' XD

Travis wrote: "I'm half way through, and finding this tons of fun. I'm particularly loving how frequently it geeks hard on poetry. One thing, though, is that I'm feeling a bit thrown by the description of it as a "space opera"...
Yeah, this description doesn't fit. Not sure why people would classify it that way, except out of a misunderstanding of what space opera actually is.

I am about 60% done and find this so so enjoyable. I loved the Ancillary series, but this didn't remind me of that series at all, probably because the main characters/narrators are so very different. I see what people mean, though, about the focus on culture and language.
I love the main character's blend of savvy and vulnerability.

Huh maybe I’ll have to pick this up after all - I did really enjoy the Radch

I think I might have tried the Ancillary series for five minutes, but really, seemed too much work.

This was relatively easy for me to dive into. In some ways it reminded me of The Prefect, which tried to start with a small story (investigate some deaths) which turned into a much larger empire/political story (which is probably why some people call it 'space opera,' Travis), but I thought Reynolds lost control of his plot in a way that Martine definitely doesn't. Definitely much better than I expected, but I tried to go in not knowing much.

I can see why it reminded you of "The Prefect" (which I also enjoyed). In "A Memory Called Empire" there was lots of world building and info drops, creating a compelling universe, which I enjoyed. Looking forward to the next book.

Right, I’m getting so many mixed signals lol.

Some interesting concepts, particularly the imago. Looking forward to seeing how this theme is worked throughout the rest of the book. I’m sure I have one one those in my head too, although it never shuts up and doesn’t seem to know anything useful.

Since so many of you are mentioning the Ancillary series, I thought you might find it amusing that I am actually reading this book in print while concurrently listening to Ancillary Sword and Ancillary Mercy. It's been...interesting going back and forth, but I have to say, they surprisingly hold their own against each other. The book I found this reminded me most of in the beginning was actually The Traitor Baru Cormorant, which I hard DNF'ed. It took me to about 20-30% into the book to REALLY dig the world and get attached to the characters. Like Travis, I really dig the poetry obsession of the culture as well as the comparisons of/references to various cultural ephemera across the various parts of the Empire.

Pujashree wrote: "The book I found this reminded me most of in the beginning was actually The Traitor Baru Cormorant, "

I agree, there are similarities, mainly a foreigner in imperial culture, but there are also differences, which prevented me to see similarities before you've mentioned it

I had the same feeling. I didn't get any Ancillary vibes from this at all, but I kept thinking of Baru and Ninefox. I hated Baru and love Ninefox to death, so it was a weird mix to start with. Of course Ninefox and Ancillary are already similar in some ways, so maybe it's just that I know Ninefox better and love it more.

That's part of the fun of genre, the cross-pollination and riffs on other books, whether conscious or unconscious.

Close to 100 pages in. No spoilers ahead, holding it in 'til later in the week:

- Italics are frequent enough to be too noticeable. It isn't like the emphasis is in places an English speaker wouldn't expect, so I'll just call that a tic.

- All these number-noun names are a little confusing. I can easily remember the characters the pov character meets directly, the rest not so much.

Anna wrote: "I had the same feeling. I didn't get any Ancillary vibes from this at all, but I kept thinking of Baru and Ninefox. I hated Baru and love Ninefox to death, so it was a weird mix to start with. Of c..."
So I have been trying to finish Ninefox Gambit for years now, and I keep falling out of it and having to restart. And you're right, I got a mix of that and Baru from this and was SUPER worried. I have some issues that I will discuss in the spoilery talk, but those have nothing to do with the similarities, but just pacing. But overall, at about 90%, I am very intrigued with the world and the commentary about empire, and the relationships between characters that I will probably be keeping up with the series in the future.

Did everyone get This for $2.99 on Kindle yesterday?

Having a hard time wriggling my way into this one. I am feeling more Radch than Machineries of Empire so far. It has interesting things but so many terms to remember, and I'm not really feeling the character motivation yet. Hoping it picks up soon!

It REALLY picks up just after halfway through. Your mileage may vary; I did enjoy the first half as well.

I love the names! If everyone would now refer to me now as Twelve Deadoak I would appreciate it.

You got it, Twelve Deadoak.

Maybe we could all choose Teixcalaani names.

Five Rosewood for me!

(I always choose Rosewood for my screen names, and was pleased to see another Rosewood mentioned in passing in the book.)

This is fun: Tor has a Teixcalaani name generator!

https://www.torforgeblog.com/2019/03/...

Hello, my name is Forty-Three Pyrite.

I'll be Pi to the power of minus one Oubliette

I choose Four Oculus.

Allison wrote: "I choose Four Oculus."

:)

According to the Tor name generator, you'd be more like Fifty-Four Oculus.

Travis wrote: "Allison wrote: "I choose Four Oculus."

:)

According to the Tor name generator, you'd be more like Fifty-Four Oculus."

Right, 'Four Oculus is my nickname. I'll let you all be familiar with me. You only have to provide a half-bow, too. haha!

I'm too lazy to check how many SFF books I read to get my Tor-Teixcalaanli name, but I would choose Four Broccolini. The four is not for what the Tor article says, it's how many bags of broccolini I can eat in a day!

I thought I was lazy, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. Ha!

My name is Twelve Variscite

Good one!

Allison wrote: "Good one!"

I had to google oculus 😊 but I was treated to some pretty awesome architecture photos!

We are officially living in the future...

(view spoiler)[

NYC's World trade centre transit hub (featuring an oculus) is very Nineteen Adze





(hide spoiler)]

GIF in tags so it doesn't make everyone crazy.

(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

lol @ both of you. The new transit hub looks very "Equilibrium" to me (which is very 1984).

Anna, I could have used that spell a lot! I think we both could have!

Allison wrote: "Anna, I could have used that spell a lot! I think we both could have!"

Totally.

Twenty-seven Penitente. I had no idea.

Raucous wrote: "Twenty-seven Penitente. I had no idea."

Holy moly! Penitente are amazing! Good choice.

Four Stair, I think.

I got into the book fairly easily.

I feel like this is going to be a slog. I'm hoping it gets better in the second half like some have said.

My fifth try was successful ;). I just let the audio run instead of rewinding when I spaced out, and now I'm in the story. Fortunately it doesn't feel like Ancillary at all.

It's early pages for me but so far many aspects of this are reminding me of Aliette de Bodard's Universe of Xuya stories. I enjoyed the series buddy read we did of her work and so am looking forward to getting deeper into A Memory Called Empire.

Waiting patiently for a mighty mod to start the spoiler thread! :D

oh shoop! Thanks, Beth, today got away from me!

27 Parallax ... or something.