What Scifi/Fantasy book Are You Just Reading?

[GrayMouser]

Originally Posted by Prince Myshkin

Since I finished that and needed something lighter to balance me, I'm re-reading the Beowulf Shaeffer book Crashlander by Larry Niven. Really nice because it's short stories that continue, so it doesn't require a whole lot of continuous reading to get into it.

I find I actually prefer the earlier Known Space stuff -World of Ptavvs, Protector, and the short stories- to the RingWorld books, though they're great, too.

[Prince Myshkin]

Originally Posted by GrayMouser

I find I actually prefer the earlier Known Space stuff -World of Ptavvs, Protector, and the short stories- to the RingWorld books, though they're great, too.

I'm not exactly sure because my exposure to Mr. Nivens work has been somewhat limited... I'm embarassed to admit that this is the extent of my reading of his. But as I understand it, this book has all of his short stories linked together with these linking material to make a continuous story... I always skip the bridging material because I find it rather tiresome and on the whole irrelevant.

This is the stuff with the Pupeteers and the like.

One of my favorite parts is when the Pupeteer tells Beowulf to run his tongue over the Kdatylano touch sculpture... It would be much more sensitive

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

Just finished The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

Wonderful.

[Empress_Flynn]

Aww.... I love Neil... I'm going to have to get that someday... first I really need to concentrate my efforts on getting all of the Sandman graphic novels

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

I think the current spelling of those graphic novels is: $andman.

[Empress_Flynn]

Lol... expensive: yes. Worth it: completely

[klatukatt]

Cryptonomicon
Neil Stephenson makes me so happy. So does Chuck Palahniuk.

[GrayMouser]

Finally got around to reading "The Forever War" by Joe Haldeman. It's always on the lists of best SF novels, but I somehow had the feeling the that it was militarist SF, a la "Starship Troopers"- I love Heinlein, but was less impressed with his spawn, Jerry Pournelle etc.

Of course, it has a totally different take on the war issue- maybe coming from Haldeman being a Vietnam vet, and actually serving (and being severely wounded) in combat, which Heinlein, in spite of all his bluster, never did.

Anyway, fantastic book, deserving all the kudos, with both the military aspects and the scientific/social issues of the relativistic time-stretching being handled incredibly well.

Got it in a trilogy with "Forever Free" and "Forever Peace" which I'm moving on to now. Haldeman says that in the earlier issues he had to leave chunks out which the editor thought too depressing or too sexual; so he says this is the definitive edition.

[Grey_Wolf]

I'm currently re-reading AA Attanasio's brilliant Arthor Series. I utterly love it - the excellent prose - the story - my favourite next to Lord of the Rings - I love the legend - the king who came to unite and make the land whole - one day to return.

[EllethValatari]

There are fantasy novels besides Tolkien's? Do they even compare?!?!

I'm kidding-not that much of a fanatic! Well, maybe I am.

Not currently reading this, but one good Sci-fi novel I've read is John White's The Iron Sceptre. It's a sequel to another of White's books, The Tower of Geburah, and both are very good. The plot bears a slight semblance to Lewis's Chronicles- with children entering another world by strange means- but are not in any way allegorical.

[Grey_Wolf]

These do compare - ever surpasses - Tolkien.

[cee2lee2]

Over this past weekend, I read The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. So glad I got all three at once and could read through to the end. Once I started, I didn't want to stop.

[GrayMouser]

Just finished "Forever Free", the written-20-years-later sequel to "Forver War". It was alright as a story for the most part- definitely a step down from "War"- but the ending was one of those "we built up to a huge Cosmic Mystery, now here's the letdown" things.

A problem when stories get involved in the Vast Conspiracy Behind It All; the unveiling is often a disappointment- the "Riverworld" series was one of those.

On to "Forever Peace"

[Voronwen]

I'm reading "Avalon - The Return of King Arthur" by Stephen Lawhead. My brother in law introduced me to this and now i can't put it down... Now i'll just have to find myself the whole series. I feel a new addiction coming on.

[EllethValatari]

Originally Posted by cee2lee2

Over this past weekend, I read The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. So glad I got all three at once and could read through to the end. Once I started, I didn't want to stop.

Me too! Though I don't know if our weekends coincide . There hasn't been a book since LotR that I literally couldn't set down-if you haven't read them, do before the movie premiere. They are no less than brilliant, and not at all fruity.

[mithrand1r]

Hunger Games and Catching Fire were excellent.

Mockingjay was not too bad. The last third or so of the book felt rushed to me. I did not like the ending. I did not like what happened to some characters.
I also had some trouble imagining what was happening when they were traveling in the capital city.

A more detailed review by me was done at the parchment girl

Originally Posted by EllethValatari

Me too! Though I don't know if our weekends coincide . There hasn't been a book since LotR that I literally couldn't set down-if you haven't read them, do before the movie premiere. They are no less than brilliant, and not at all fruity.

[Acalewia]

I started The Hunger Games this week. It's hard to put down.

[BeardofPants]

I just finished reading "The Hunger Games" trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It was very good, highly recommend.

If there really are only seven original plots in the world, it's odd that boy meets girl is always mentioned, and society goes bad and attacks the good guy never is. Yet we have Fahrenheit 451, The Giver, The House of the Scorpion—and now, following a long tradition of Brave New Worlds, The Hunger Games. Collins hasn't tied her future to a specific date, or weighted it down with too much finger wagging. Rather less 1984 and rather more Death Race 2000, hers is a gripping story set in a postapocalyptic world where a replacement for the United States demands a tribute from each of its territories: two children to be used as gladiators in a televised fight to the death. Katniss, from what was once Appalachia, offers to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, but after this ultimate sacrifice, she is entirely focused on survival at any cost. It is her teammate, Peeta, who recognizes the importance of holding on to one's humanity in such inhuman circumstances. It's a credit to Collins's skill at characterization that Katniss, like a new Theseus, is cold, calculating and still likable. She has the attributes to be a winner, where Peeta has the grace to be a good loser. It's no accident that these games are presented as pop culture. Every generation projects its fear: runaway science, communism, overpopulation, nuclear wars and, now, reality TV. The State of Panem—which needs to keep its tributaries subdued and its citizens complacent—may have created the Games, but mindless television is the real danger, the means by which society pacifies its citizens and punishes those who fail to conform. Will its connection to reality TV, ubiquitous today, date the book? It might, but for now, it makes this the right book at the right time. What happens if we choose entertainment over humanity? In Collins's world, we'll be obsessed with grooming, we'll talk funny, and all our sentences will end with the same rise as questions. When Katniss is sent to stylists to be made more telegenic before she competes, she stands naked in front of them, strangely unembarrassed. They're so unlike people that I'm no more self-conscious than if a trio of oddly colored birds were pecking around my feet, she thinks. In order not to hate these creatures who are sending her to her death, she imagines them as pets. It isn't just the contestants who risk the loss of their humanity. It is all who watch. Katniss struggles to win not only the Games but the inherent contest for audience approval. Because this is the first book in a series, not everything is resolved, and what is left unanswered is the central question. Has she sacrificed too much? We know what she has given up to survive, but not whether the price was too high. Readers will wait eagerly to learn more.

[GrayMouser]

Sounds good- and at the risk of sounding classifactory- did I just make that up?- what age level is it aimed at?

The "standing naked" bit sounds more adult, in our New Puritan times, but this

In Collins's world, we'll be obsessed with grooming, we'll talk funny, and all our sentences will end with the same rise as questions.

sounds like it's the 'young adult ' category- I know, I know, I'm an old fogey.

[GrayMouser]

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

I just finished reading "The Hunger Games" trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It was very good, highly recommend.

Just finished Book 1; very very good- have to run down to the library for the next two.

Also Pride and Prejudice and Zombies- not so good; the author doesn't really understand the Austen style and instead gives it a modern pop culture feeling.