What are you reading?

[duerer]

For some reason, I have just read Larry Niven's classic(?) Ringworld.
Not quite sure if the early 70's sci-fi zeitgeist or the writer's curious style or my recently developed brutal elitist attitude was the cause, but oh boy... this book was one torturous read.
I know that all art is subjective, but honestly: with stylistic and narrative black holes the size of the Milky Way, this book doesn't even function as a decent pulp fiction, despite the killer premise.
Hugo? Nebula? Locus? For this? -- What were they smoking?

Anyway... Up next is Strange Wine by Harlan Ellison, because wounds must be healed.

 

[duerer]

And he died at the age of 53! I'm turning 53 next month, so that feels way too short.

Before this current reading effort I'd read about 16 of his novels and about 6 or 7 short story collections. Mostly >30 years ago.
Now I'm up to 22 novels. According to Wikipedia I have 14 more SF novels to go (I'm not counting his non-SF stuff, though I'd like to read some of that someday).
I have all of them (mostly as old second hand paperbacks) except A Scanner Darkly, Deus Irae (co-written with Roger Zelazny), and The Crack in Space aka Cantata-140. I'll get there eventually.

Agree, Phil Dick is sorely missed.
Just beware, that as with any profilic authors, Dick made a few turds too: so he is not the Almighty Never-Go-Wrong Writer.
Nevertheless, when Dick is good, he is VERY good (e.g. The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch), but when he is bad, he is VERY bad (Ganymede Takeover). Fortunately, his in-between works are mostly awesome.

Now I propose a challenge: read VALIS - and I mean it: read the thing. This book is the penultimate Voight-Kampff test of your understanding of PKD

 

[Shagnak]

Now I propose a challenge: read VALIS - and I mean it: read the thing. This book is the penultimate Voight-Kampff test of your understanding of PKD

I tried reading that in my late teens and bounced off it. I'll get to it eventually, but I'm saving the later books in his oeuvre with a similar theme (Radio Free Albemuth, VALIS, and The Divine Invasion) for last.

Just finishing Gregory Benford's Tides of Light (1989). The fourth book in his loose "Galactic Center Saga". Big brain stuff, and well written, like pretty much everything of his I've tried.

Then I'll return to PKD, Next will be A Scanner Darkly. Found an overpriced reprint at a bookstore. I could have ordered it online for cheaper, but hey, support local and all that.

 

[Carnifex]

I finished Star Rover and it was at least enjoyable the second time as the first, maybe even more now because I can understand the theme better fifty some odd years later. Poignant and tough from page one until the finish.

I'm still amazing London didn't kill Houdini for what went on during the writing of this book.

 

[Zloth]

I'm re-reading the Stormlight Archive books by Sanderson. Wow! These books are way better the second time through! Knowing the plot twists ahead of time and having a better grasp on how the world works lets me pick up on a lot of foreshadowing. The first time I read the series, the "interludes" were nice ways to take a break from the story and see other parts of the world. There would be little bits and comments that would likely be important later, somehow. The second time through, though, I'm understanding a lot more of the big picture. The little comments make a lot more sense, and odd character quirks let me see through disguises.

 

[Carnifex]

Yeah, I've still not picked up the fifth book, Wind and Truth. My plan is to re-read them all, then dive into number five. The first four are quite good! And yeah, those comments/observations within the series are rather important, indeed.

 

[Carnifex]

I breezed through Child's short story entitled "Eleven Numbers". This author often does an amazing job of hiding a plot within a plot and, while short stories aren't my favorite, there are some writers that can hook me with anything.

Now I'm onto book six of the Paradise tales, High Profile. Two murders happen quickly in Paradise and all hands are assembled on deck!

 

[Carnifex]

And High Profile was devoured, there were lots of suspects yet Stone and company eventually got it all narrowed down and resolved. And we got some more info on Stone's love life along the way.

Now I'm onto book seven, Stranger in Paradise. Crow is back in town, it's been ten years since the heinous incident took place, who knows what he's up to this time?!

 

[Carnifex]

And Stranger in Paradise was an excellent read, things got violent for a bit yet, in the end, the police wrapped it all up. Crow, however, is in the wind.

So now I'm starting two books: Prison Healer, book one in a new series, and a reread of Way of Kings, in preparation of getting my mitts eventually on book five!

 

[Carnifex]

Prison Healer was good, it features a young woman working as, you guessed it, the healer in a prison. She took over the role after her father passed, as he had the same position a few years earlier. As we see her day to day life in prison we start to slowly get some backround into how her family got into this situation. I'll be looking for the next book for sure.

I'm about halfway done Way of Kings and it's just as great as it was the first time I read it some years ago.

And to replace Prison Healer I've started Bury Your Dead, book six in the Three Pines/Gamache series.

 

[Carnifex]

Finished with Way of Kings this morning, what a great first book in a series and establishes the world so well. It totally pulls you in from page one and never lets up, and I've started Words of Radiance, book two.

Still going along in Bury Your Dead, the murder mystery is taking some odd turns while revealing some tales about Quebec's storied past. This history lesson is fascinating!

And since I saw the film earlier this week, I've acquired the Thicket in book form and the setting is completely different from the movie's. I feel warmer simply by reading the material, though I think overall I prefer this tale taking place in Alberta.

 

[Carnifex]

The Thicket book was great, I enjoyed the read and the further exposition of characters. Honestly though, I believe I prefer the setting to be in Canada rather than Texas though, for terrain purposes, it makes more sense as thickets wouldn't be in mountainous regions.

I finished Bury Your Dead this morning, another smart tale in the Three Pines saga. This one sees the final resolution of a murder that took place in an earlier book, and a horrific situation that happened between stories, which is covered somewhat in this tale.

 

[Carnifex]

While still reading book two of the Stormlight Archives, I've also started another book, a thriller from Amazon called Unspeakable Things. The author cites they were inspired by a crime podcast to pen this tale, it's set in the mid eighties and so far is entertaining.

 

[SveNitoR]

While still reading book two of the Stormlight Archives, I've also started another book, a thriller from Amazon called Unspeakable Things. The author cites they were inspired by a crime podcast to pen this tale, it's set in the mid eighties and so far is entertaining.

I've also been rereading The Stormlight Archives before reading book five. I'm almost halfway through book four. In general it's very good, but I find some characters' mental health problems a bit hamfistedly depicted.

 

[Carnifex]

Aye, a few instances of mental issues that are out of line with their lives, to the point of me sometimes wondering how functional they'd actually be.

 

[Carnifex]

Last night I finished Unspeakable Things, which was light on actual danger/action yet poignant in how some early life in the eighties was. I enjoyed flashing back to that era more than I realized, especially through the eyes of children.

 

[Carnifex]

And book two of Stormlight Archives, Words of Radiance has also been re-completed. I really like how this volume builds on the prior book and then substantially ramps almost everything up. The final fifty pages are, in particular, really memorable.

I've started a book I'd not planned on reading at all, simply because it was a gift. And gifts get dealt with first, be they books, games, food, etc. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that the book, which my friend talked about previously though hadn't mentioned the author, is penned by non other than William Forstchen, my old friend from a nine volume series of books from the nineties! This book is called One Second After, and it depicts what might happen if the United States suffered an EMP assault.

 

[Carnifex]

One Second After was a decent read, though not as good as Forstchen's prior books, imo. This one tended to be a bit maudlin in spots and retelling particular points over and over, for some reason.

Now I'm well into book three of the Stormlight Archives, Oathbringer.

 

[Carnifex]

I had a book sprung on me that's from the library so being on a time limit I dove into it. It's the eighth book in the Three Pines saga, the Beautiful Mystery, about a murder that takes place in a monastery. So far so intriguing!!

 

[Pessimeister]

I'm reading the Belgariad at present. 80s fantasy goodness. It was always hovering around in my friendship circles back in high school and D&D group but somehow for whatever reason I never got around to reading them. I'm very much appreciating the quality of the dialogue; the first two books were very heavily driven narratively and it makes for good easy reading. I have all the books for the Mallorean too should this first adventure leave me wanting more.