Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for Cauldron by Jack McDevitt starting on September 26, 2024.


Happy Reading!

Thank you!

Projected Schedule:
1. The Engines of God (Apr 26) [link]
2. Deepsix (May 26) [link]
3. Chindi (Jun 26) [link]
4. Omega (Jul 26) [link]
5. Odyssey (Aug 26) [link]
6. Cauldron (Sept 26)
0.Starhawk (Oct 26) [link]
7. The Long Sunset (Nov 26) [link]

audiobook: #1 and #7 are on Hoopla. Others are all Audible exclusives.
ebook: #2 is on Hoopla.

If folks find more library/subscription copies, let me know and I will update.

Spot!

Read this today! This really is the culmination of everything... (view spoiler)[I love the opening with the development of the Lacona drive--Hutch getting roped into the fundraising promotion, and bringing all the big guns... it was a little parade through the previous books. And it continues with the jumps--getting answers to the Chindi and the Omegas. Not the most satisfying answers... pretty much a "hello, oh, you're assholes. I guess we'll leave then" but still interesting.

There are a lot of tidbits that remind me a lot of McDevitt's other long-running series. The question of sentient life and not wanting to be alone in the universe, whether AI is intelligent, even the public upheaval of a faster spaceship drive. In some ways, I wonder about parts of this series, and if McDevitt wished he'd gone in a different direction... and so wrote the other series.

And then there are moments that remind me of the era of classic SF--"Hutch was getting older, and after all, she was a woman." Because that's a reason for her to be less competent in a conflict. *sigh* (hide spoiler)]

I will be here later today!!!

Haha! It is so funny, because he really is trying not to be one of "those" guys, hahaha!

Through Ch. 2... A chick didn't go for Francois, because, he thinks, she was intimidated and thought she wouldn't be able to hold on to him! Haha! I actually feel kind of bad for the author, because it really comes embedded in his culture and he tries to give us strong female characters, so I am totally giving him a pass:))))

Through Ch. 5.... Ooooohhhhh, Tor is gone:((((

We just met the aliens... (view spoiler)[ So, am I the only one who imagines the aliens as the one on American Dad, the TV cartoon show?

And they turn out to suck... Very disappointing... At least we know now why they have abandoned their technology. Also, interesting that they don't die of natural death...

I do wonder one thing the author hasn't even mentioned - what is fueling the ships? They are flying willy-nilly around the Galaxy and not once are they worried about fuel... I guess this is where the "fiction" part kicks in...:)))) (hide spoiler)]

Finished... With all of its flaws, I still love this series!

(view spoiler)[ I felt so sorry for Rudy! To begin with, he always wanted to be the hero of the story and he was never able to:(( And then, when he finally found remnants of another civilization, he died in this weird accident! Just sad...

I also kind of felt sorry for that creature stuck in space, but I was so happy that Hutch was able to blow up the ship, rather than give it to it... I don't want that type of destructive alien running around with that space folding drive all around the universe!

The AI takes were cool. I liked that this AI wanted to run an animal shelter:))) (hide spoiler)]

I had fun with this one and am looking forward to the next:)))

Glad you enjoyed it Choko! Loved your comments! I haven't seen American Dad but googled it and made me laugh.

Going to comment more later but wanted to get this in--the next one hasn't been scheduled yet and would be in only a few days--when do you want to go forward?

Right away, no breaks! I am truly looking forward to all of our sci-fi reads this year:)))

Requests made! For Oct 26 & Nov 26 to finish up the series.

Great! Thank you! And we will do the other series right after, right?

Totally! I like the Alex Benedict series more than this one, so definitely in. The last week has been a bit crazier than normal (and the whole last few months have been crazy) but I'm hoping things will normalize soon... Looking forward to reading the next one! I'll be there next week.

Oh, and there are some McDevitt standalones on sale at Chirp right now... I picked them all up...