What are you reading?

Originally Posted by Angua

Know what you mean Gaz. Just finished reading Maelstrom by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough (book 2 of the Petabey series) wonderfully written but got to the end only to find the story far from finished.

Because my dad was in the RAF we got based at Mildenhall - which allowed me access to the USAF library - anything in a yellow jacket was Sci-Fi & there was loads of yellow jackets (Gollanz?)

I'm sure it was there I read stuff like Hal Clement 'Mission of Gravity', which was intense, but only took about ½ an hour to read

My current book, giving the lie to my hate of more than a single volume, is Pierre Hamilton's 'Judas Unchained' - which is part 2

[dilli-theclaw]

Originally Posted by homealone

'mind' you joining in, any forum wouldn't survive if people didn't - so thanks

Stranger in a Strange Land is Heinlein, yes, but while he had many good ideas, I was never quite happy with the portrayal of women in his books - not as blatant as John Norman, but still there, in my opinion???

I'm more a sci-fi fan, than 'fantasy', for want of a better word, although I loved the Julian May 'Saga of the Exiles'

- which brings me to my final point, which isn't aimed at you in any way, but I got seriously put off by the proliferation of trilogies and more in Sci-Fi /Fantasy writing, so don't read as much as I used to

I enjoyed The Tripods trilogy (i'm going to try and ignore the 'preguel')....

I've only read Dune 1 - but have just got all of the on talking book so will no doubt make a start on that soon.

pentapods pentology

hexapods hexology

- no, no not 'that' decology

and next will be Dan Brown 'Angels and Demons'

[Tezcatlipoca]

I read five Michael Connelly "Harry Bosch" crime thrillers last week (nothing else to do while in France lol).

Top stuff

[sssshhhh]

Tom Holt - The portable door.

very funny and a little odd.

[dragondottie]

Yes, your both right..Gaz and Angua, about the trilogies, I'm up to my eyes in them, I've bought the Twins of Petaybee books but not started them yet, I've also got Tad Williams "Otherland" I've tried the first one "City of Golden Shadow" but given up at the moment, I found it a bit hard going, but I will go back to it, I enjoyed his "War of the Flowers" and I've just read Tery Goodkinds "Wizards First Rule" and debating whether to start the next one "Stone of Tears" I'm surrounded by books, loads I've read and loads I haven't, I'm going to have to get rid of some, or there will be no room for me, I've got a lot of Stephen King, anybody ever read "The Talisman" and the follow up "Black House" with Peter Straub, very good, very strange, The Talisman reminds me a little bit of the "Dark Tower Series"..I've got a few of Clive Barker.."Weaveworld" and "Imagica" and "Arabat"..How about Dean Koontz, I've got some of his.....but one of my real favourites was a short novella by Ray Bradbury called "The April Witch" he is a fantastic story teller, I read that in the Galaxy Magazine years and years ago, I bet the mags no longer in print, anybody read any of Greg Bear...the one I've read I think was called Eon..about a meteor...that wasn't a meteor and it opened a portal to another world filled with non-corporeal beings...it was a very clever story. If anyone is interested, I'll list a few of the others I've got a bit at a time, I'll probably bore you all to tears...I just love my books.....cheers Dottie

Originally Posted by dragondottie

Yes, your both right..Gaz and Angua, about the trilogies, I'm up to my eyes in them, I've bought the Twins of Petaybee books but not started them yet, I've also got Tad Williams "Otherland" I've tried the first one "City of Golden Shadow" but given up at the moment, I found it a bit hard going, but I will go back to it, I enjoyed his "War of the Flowers" and I've just read Tery Goodkinds "Wizards First Rule" and debating whether to start the next one "Stone of Tears" I'm surrounded by books, loads I've read and loads I haven't, I'm going to have to get rid of some, or there will be no room for me, I've got a lot of Stephen King, anybody ever read "The Talisman" and the follow up "Black House" with Peter Straub, very good, very strange, The Talisman reminds me a little bit of the "Dark Tower Series"..I've got a few of Clive Barker.."Weaveworld" and "Imagica" and "Arabat"..How about Dean Koontz, I've got some of his.....but one of my real favourites was a short novella by Ray Bradbury called "The April Witch" he is a fantastic story teller, I read that in the Galaxy Magazine years and years ago, I bet the mags no longer in print, anybody read any of Greg Bear...the one I've read I think was called Eon..about a meteor...that wasn't a meteor and it opened a portal to another world filled with non-corporeal beings...it was a very clever story. If anyone is interested, I'll list a few of the others I've got a bit at a time, I'll probably bore you all to tears...I just love my books.....cheers Dottie

dottie, I could never get into 'Weaveworld' Clive Barker, etc, but loved Theodore Sturgeon 'More than Human', and all the gestalt stuff - however check out Brian Aldiss' 'Hothouse' , one of my favourites

[sherer]

The Talisman is a gret a book but I thought the follow up was very weak as it just seemed to merge into the Dark Tower series and be a plug for that.

I loved the Dark Tower series until I got to the end and then thought it was a total waste of 7 books and all that money

won't mention what happens in case others are still reading

Now reading Silver Screen by Justina Robson...Will let you know more when I've finished it.Interesting so far...but completely differeant from the first book I read by her.which was an enchanting little story about demons.elves,fairies,humans and ghosts but set in a futuristic world of voids and nuclear bombs.Sizzled with sexual tension and had a great sex scene...not many SF writers do good sex...including Anne McCaffery.

What's that?The title? Keeping it Real.

[Russ]

The Rapture - by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins, the final prequel in the Left Behind series.

A bit disappointing as it doesn't explain one or two things which are taken for granted in the rest of the series, such as how the antichrist came about his hypnotic power. It gives an interesting description of heaven and gives a greater insight in to some of the supporting characters so it's not all bad. For a series which has sold more than 60 million and repeatedly topped the New York Times bestseller list, it's not the best in the series.

6/10.

[dragondottie]

Loved "More than Human"...one of my favourites, I read that in serial form in the Galaxy Magazine, the waiting for each episode was nail biting......and I've read "Hothouse" I always think of that book when they talk about the greenhouse effect, quite fancied riding on a giant (can't remember if it was a dragonfly or spider but it was something very strange) remind me Gaz, I might try and get hold of that book again, I was in my twenties when I read that....I'll look for "The Rapture".....and I'll also look for "Keeping it Real" and that reminds me a bit of "The War of the Flowers " by Tad Williams and "The Autumn Castle" by Kim
Wilkins, anybody read any of Anne Rice....the Vampire Storys....and I'm just looking at Philip P Dick at the moment trying to decide to try and have a go..."A Scanner Darkly" and "Ubik"...How about the Mythago Novels by Robert Holstock.....the first is Mythago Wood....very creepy, I wouldn't won't to walk in those woods, it's deftinitely not a teddy bears tea party....and James Herbert "Once"...not at all nice those fairies in that, I'm doing it again..rabbiting on

[lauzjp]

am reading Dirty Blonde by Courtney Love. a little easier to read than her posts on the internet!.. loads of pictures, doodles & ramblings. very ambitious from an early age. bless her.

Originally Posted by homealone

Because my dad was in the RAF we got based at Mildenhall - which allowed me access to the USAF library - anything in a yellow jacket was Sci-Fi & there was loads of yellow jackets (Gollanz?)

I'm sure it was there I read stuff like Hal Clement 'Mission of Gravity', which was intense, but only took about ½ an hour to read

My current book, giving the lie to my hate of more than a single volume, is Pierre Hamilton's 'Judas Unchained' - which is part 2

If you like Peter Hamilton (and I assume you've read the "Night's Dawn" trilogy), I can recommend Richard Morgan books, especially the Takeshi Kovacs series (they are linked, but not a trilogy) -Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, and Woken Furies.


I am more into "hard" SF, so my favourite authors are -
Larry Niven
Allen Steele
John Varley
Charlie Stross
Ken McLeod
Joe Haldeman
and a few others, but I have gone one for long enough now....

Originally Posted by dragondottie

.and I'm just looking at Philip P Dick at the moment trying to decide to try and have a go..."A Scanner Darkly" and "Ubik"...How about the Mythago Novels by Robert Holstock.....the first is Mythago Wood....very creepy, I wouldn't won't to walk in those woods, it's deftinitely not a teddy bears tea party.

Give a Scanner Darkly a go..it's worth it.Dick is the one of the very best of SF writers and his work just doesn't date.It's a tragedy that he died in his prime and before his genius was recognised.In fact after HG Wells I can't think of another SF author who has had more of his books turned into films ( badly done in some cases).

I've just been persuaded to give the Mythago Woods books away to a good home by my husband...Thinking I should be giving him away to a good home instead now.

Originally Posted by foreverwar

If you like Peter Hamilton (and I assume you've read the "Night's Dawn" trilogy), I can recommend Richard Morgan books, especially the Takeshi Kovacs series (they are linked, but not a trilogy) -Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, and Woken Furies.


I am more into "hard" SF, so my favourite authors are -
Larry Niven
Allen Steele
John Varley
Charlie Stross
Ken McLeod
Joe Haldeman
and a few others, but I have gone one for long enough now....

No I haven't read 'Night's Dawn' - Peter Hamilton is a fairly recent discovery for me - the Pandora's Star/Judas Unchained books I bought from Amazon as a result of winning the 'guess the sum of the lottery balls' competition, that was run on here

- I'll keep an eye out, though, thanks

- couple I'm not familiar with in your list of authors, as well, but I definitely agree with Larry Niven & can in my turn recommend Robert L. Forward (Dragons Egg & The Flight of the Dragonfly, especially) - and also Fred Pohl