I’ve put together a collage of some books from last months What are you Reading? post. It’s mostly random, but the more discussion something gets the more it stands out to me. Going forward I’m going to make a new post every month to talk about what people are reading.
Here is last months post. What are you Reading? (July 2023)
At any rate, what are you currently reading or plan to read in August?
Im halfway through The color of magic by Terry Pratchett, I’ve read a few other discworld books but I thought it was time to start the first book an try to read them all in the “right” order.
It’s probably the weakest of the Discworld books (at least from what I read of them). You can tell that he’s still developing the world and it’s much more just a fantasy spoof as opposed to the social satire masquerading as fantasy spoof that those books then more and more turn into.
I’m about half way through The Fall of Hyperion. It’s great
Just finished Hyperion so I guess that will be soon for me. Might read something else in between first though
I’m currently in the middle of Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds. I’m only about 15% of the way through so I don’t have a great picture of what is going on or what it is about yet. It seems like the main premise is about an archeologist who has been working on an excavation of an ancient species on a distant planet for an extremely long period of time that likely has far reaching implications about the universe. I’ve definitely never read anything similar to this in the past.
The other book I plan on reading (listening to) is The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers of which I know basically nothing about. I tend to listen to a book whenever I can’t read such as when I’m driving or bathing and then read at times that I can like before sleeping. I find it is a good system to get through 2 books at once.
Revelation Space, the only book within which I saw the word “triumvirate” used outside of the “Our jimmies are eternal. None can rustle the Triumvirate.” meme.
If you want to get a wider feel more quickly of the Revelation Space worldbuilding, try Galactic North which is a short story collection featuring many varied shippets featuring characters from the main series.
To an ordinary person not interested in sci-fi world building, I would be more inclined to recommend Reynolds’s Pushing Ice or Century Rain which are self-contained.
House of Suns is also fantastic. It’s my favorite one-book sci-fi anything ever.
Just finished Leviathan Wakes today. Can’t wait for my Amazon delivery of Caliban’s War.
My favorite series, enjoy your read
Neuromancer, count zero, blade runner (do androids dream…), burning chrome. Lots of cyberpunk stuff lately
I really need to read Neuromancer at some point. It seems like one of those classics that every science fiction fan should have already read.
I recall reading and enjoying Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep along with Man in the High Castle and A Scanner Darkly a while ago… I should attempt a re-read.
Everyone recommends Neuromancer, but when I tried it a while back… I got stuck in the first third and give up. I vaguely recall it had a lot of world building, which I’m not a huge fan of (at least at the time).
I just started reading Neuromancer last week after finishing Asimov’s Foundation trilogy.
Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It’s been a while since I read anything of his and I’m loving it.
Maybe my favorite of the series so far, and definitely the best ending of the three. That book goes places, some super heady hard sci fi.
That’s good to hear. I absolutely loved Time but didn’t enjoy Ruin anywhere near as much, so I didn’t read Memory. Might have to get on that
Yeah definitely recommend it. It was one of those “okay I need to immediately evangelize this series to multiple friends because I need them to get to the third book in the series” moments when I got to the last few chapters. It’s really good.
Oh this is great to hear, I love Ruin and Time, and havent read Memory yet. So if thats even better, woah
I was re-reading The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein, which I read about 15 years ago and really enjoyed (even bought it for a friend as a gift). On the second read through… I found it much less entertaining (though the connection between the computer and the current LLM/AI hype is interesting), got about half-way through and basically stopped. I probably won’t finish it, which is kind of sad. Oh well, tastes change I guess.
Is that the one with all the complicated relationships? I found it a little too detailed on that point, but otherwise a good read. I wouldn’t read it again though. I read Rendezvous With Rama around the same time and liked that a lot more.
It is about a revolution on the moon, and it had some complicated relationships (a very different society where there “clans” and basically open marriages), but I don’t it was that bad. My current issue is that I can kind of see through libertarian ethos that permeates the book and at some points it’s basically Heinlein pontificating instead of moving the story along… which my younger self enjoyed. Now? not so much.
Currently listening to The Dark Tower 7 and about to start The Fall of Hyperion. I’m new to The Hyperion Cantos, but the first book hooked me so I’m looking forward to diving back into it.
I’m a big fan of both series.
Currently on book 3 of the Bobiverse. Most fun, zany scifi I’ve read in a while.
Edit: Seveneves was fun too, currently also reading Termination Shock. We really need those “earth suits” I think …
Frank Herbert’s Dune
Very good decision, congratulations! In my opinion the best space epic ever written. I recommend reading all six Dune books by Frank Herbert, they are different from each other but all are great writing. I also recommend to ignore all “Dune” books by Brian Herbert. They are so bad I will forever regret every cent I spent on them.
“Roadside Picnic” is incredible. The Sttugatskys were prolific Soviet SF writers, and well worth a look; “The Doomed City” is another banger.
This is one that stuck with me LONG after I finished reading it
The Bobiverse books were great. Can’t wait for more. I’ve been reading Expeditionary Force which is where the Skippy’s come from. Also Rythm of War by Brandon Sanderson.
Fuck, Rhythm of War is awesome. I might have to go back and read the whole Stormlight series with my kids.
Currently on book 4 of the Horus Heresy. I read a lot of sci-fi and somehow missed out on the 40k universe so I’m trying to make up for it.
I’m actually going through this myself as well! Currently, I’m just starting book 2. Seeing the “before”, noticing how mindsets were often the complete opposites, then watching the very beginnings of the shift towards the 40K universe everyone is familiar with—it’s all fascinating.
I was planning to do the first 3 before taking a break to give some other things a shot. It’s fantastic, but I don’t think I’m ready to wholly dedicate myself to the 50+ books in the series just yet.
I’m 6 books into expanse series, and I’ve kind of lost steam with it. Might need a break. Read bobiverse in full just before it. First children of time book was good but didn’t know if I wanted to read book 2.
Also loved project hail Mary and the dark Forest/three body trilogy.
Any other suggestions?
I have Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars Trilogy on my shelf waiting for me to finish The Expanse series. Maybe that?
Also, book 7 of The Expanse becomes a lot easier because you stop having the TV show to compare to. And let me tell you, you think you know what Duarte is doing on Laconia, but my friend you don’t. The prologue of book 7 has one of those “I’m sorry, WHAT” moments that really launches you into the next story arc
Yes yes yes red mars is amazing. At first I was like oh great another 600 page scifi novel, but Holy shit is that some classic hard scifi that draws you in. The literal world building and charecter development is fantastic.
I’m finally starting House of Leaves with a book club from work. I have no idea what to expect other than weirdness, and I am very excited!
Wow, that’s a title I haven’t heard in years. That book was a rollercoaster for my buds and me back 20 years or so ago. I’d love to read it again, but it’s certainly something.
