SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

What are your first thoughts on this sci-fi classic? This will be my first time reading it, or any John Brunner, and I'm looking forward to it.

Just got it from the library... hoping I get a chance to join in.

I am 10% in (thank heavens for Kindle).

Thus far I'm not enjoying it. It may be I'm not paying it enough attention but it feels awfully disjointed.

I'm waiting for it (or me) to click.

I'll keep going.

I am 14% in. I am enjoying it but struggling to see where it will go. Very disjointed and a deluge of characters. Am hoping for the plot to kick in in more concrete fashion soon.

My first impression is of this cover: "Are you my mummy? Mummy!" From the WWII "Doctor Who" episode.

I too am hoping for the plot to kick in.

For the curious, the title comes from John Milton.

The hungry Sheep look up, and are not fed,
But swoln with wind, and the rank mist they draw,
Rot inwardly, and foul contagion spread:
Besides what the grim Woolf with privy paw
Daily devours apace, and nothing sed,
But that two-handed engine at the door,
Stands ready to smite once, and smite no more.

thank you!

Yes thanks. The poor old sheep have a lousy future if John Brunner and Philip K. Dick are to be believed.

on the surface, it seems to be a collection of disjointed events. I'll keep reading because I feel that they'll end up being related.

Unless its a literal title about a group of sheep learning to appreciate astronomy in the future....

Fingers crossed for a HUGE plot twist half way through.

About 33% through and the threads may be coming together.

I am about 10% in and also am having trouble with the series of seemingly disconnected anecdotes. What is remarkable to me is that this was written "way back" in 1972. It feels much more recent.

25% now and it does seem to be coming together. Or Im getting the vibe.

Either way my interest is piqued.

I kind of like the scatty writing style, it seems more personal, or as if it is through the characters. I like how the world stats are dropped in like crumbs.

Half way through now. This book does hold my attention.The disparate themes seem to be converging, but it is not clear in which direction the book will go.
I do enjoy many of the details about how the world problems manifest themselves, and the prophetic accuracy of some of the contrasting views held by environmentalists and politicians. The president could be based on many recent politicians.
I also learned that commère is the feminine of compère, which is obvious really, but I had not seen the word in the context of a presenter before.

Gav451 wrote: "Unless its a literal title about a group of sheep learning to appreciate astronomy in the future....

Fingers crossed for a HUGE plot twist half way through."

*giggle*

Randolph wrote: "Is this sort of a sequel to Stand on Zanzibar?"


It is my understanding that they are as stand alone novels. I am curious about what you guys think about the book. I read it this fall. I will save my thoughts. But I encourage everyone to carry on.

Like a companion piece to Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.

I'm 11% of the way in and I'm also not enjoying it much so far. I have the same complaints as most, it's too disjoint, and I'm not invested in any of the characters yet. The world is interesting and more so given when it was written. I'll stick with it for a while longer.

sorry, I have given up. Too many good books to read to persist with this one

Bonnie wrote: "My first impression is of this cover: "Are you my mummy? Mummy!" From the WWII "Doctor Who" episode."

hehe....

14% in and I think it is a very good book. It is completely new to me.

61% through. The plot thickens. Still could go anywhere but I have a few solid ideas as to what may happen. I think the slow pace is partially to allow room for all the little details and consequences to be explored. I'm enjoying it.

I liked the ending, I think it's worth all the early confusion.

I'm at 50% now and really into it. Its worth persevering with. I have no idea where this is going but my word this is a bleak tale!

Only 26 pages in so far, nothing has really clicked yet, but seems interesting enough. Only problem is the only copy in the library system (including searching my special staff sources) was 23 days older than I am - from January 3rd 1991. As such the copy is absolutely knackered and a struggle to read.

I shall persevere.

Finished. A worthwhile read.

Finished it today. I have a prediction. Fifty years from now, people will be reading this and wondering why we didn't do something to prevent their horrific life when we had warnings from books like this. I haven't rated it yet, but when I do, it's getting four stars from me (view spoiler)[as a book, it falls short in characterization, but it dead on about everything else - I recommend the non-fiction version, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History. (hide spoiler)].

Some things stand out as very true April.

Please remember this is a spoiler free thread and is only about first thoughts. The spoiler thread will be up next week.

Agreed April. One of the few books that has made me think about the human condition whilst forcing a wry smile.

85% and I'm loving the book. I'm glad I persevered. Its odd that the book can have such a shaky start and the really deliver.

If you are at the start and wondering if you should bother I'd say yes. Definitely.

It is worth reading but it is political propaganda. Thus I'm glad I read it because it is an important work and well written. I identified with the characters in that I hoped most of them did well. No one was entirely good or bad. But like most fiction of the 1970's and 80s it is unrelentingly dreary, largely blaming the politicians and corporations for such terrible conditions.

I found I could skip 50 pages and still keep up with the story line. That means it is repetitive in a beating style quite familiar to propagandists.

Finished it, now waiting for the next thread.

Really enjoyed it.

Edwin wrote: "I am about 10% in and also am having trouble with the series of seemingly disconnected anecdotes. What is remarkable to me is that this was written "way back" in 1972. It feels much more recent."

Agree and agree. So much is (sadly) still current--antibiotics in feed, toxins in makeup, resistant crop parasites--I feel like I'm reading a current magazine.

Alex wrote: "But like most fiction of the 1970's and 80s it is unrelentingly dreary, largely blaming the politicians and corporations for such terrible conditions. "

Sadly, it was completely prescient in that.

Too bad no one listened to the warnings all the science fiction writers were sending all these decades.

Brunner is definitely bleak (and from the early 70's things didn't look so great anyway) but I love the stuff of his I have read. I think I read "Sheep" when I was 25 or so; I re-read it every few years.

Just started this over the weekend. 100 pages in and I agree that it's a confusing read with its seemingly random stories, anecdotes, advertisements (?), thoughts , etc. this eventually all makes sense, right?

Also agree that it's still frighteningly relevant. You could have told me this was written last year.

I am 33% through the ebook and echo the majority of opinions. It is very disjointed, but this far in I do feel like I see the merging of storylines. I had to double check when this was written, it does feel like something that could have been written last year. Scary.

So I'm mostly done. I agree with others that things converge but it's still just confusing to me. Maybe it's the style or the dialogue, or maybe it's me, but I've just been really confused and have had a hard time grasping everything presented.

[c.s. Friedman]

Regarding being "frighteningly relevant" I agree. If you read carefully you will realize that it is a warning of things to come. They were certainly threatening to happen almost 40 years ago when this book was written. I remember that clearly. 40 years ago I would have jumped all over this, but it didn't happen. We were just frightened that it might happen. Thus, using logic, one must ask one's self, "Am I being frightened now about something that won't happen this time either?"

It's something to think about.

I'm pretty sure it isn't a warning anymore--its played out that way, which is why I'm not enjoying it at all.

My daughter lives in Denver. It's still there, and the people are more or less alive, so no... it didn't play out that way. Many things didn't happen and perhaps it was because of books like this that it didn't, but I've read so many of these doomsday books that I've become jaded. I feel like someone is offering to bring back the sun during an eclipse if only I will vote to raise my own taxes.

You know this is the no-spoiler thread, right, Alex? I'm referring to earlier comments up thread where people were saying it felt like current issues.

It is not a spoiler to say that bad things happen in the book. That was the point of picking such a book. Let me assure everyone that the author could have picked any city and bad things would have been happening there... and the author does. In my mind these are not spoilers.

However, I will not object if the moderator removes the offending post,

Started today, persevered past the dated feeling and less than inspired ideas to get a little involved in the story. Not going to like it, though, is my guess.

I read this book years ago but still recall I felt is was really, really worth reading.

Some confusion to start but worth sticking with imho.

Stand on Zanzibar I liked also.