Author Topic: What are you reading, part 3  (Read 311316 times)

Chaos

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1005 on: November 27, 2009, 09:18:44 AM »
Rereading Foundation's Edge, by Isaac Asimov. In my opinion it is the best Foundation novel. I'm anxious to see if my reread holds up to my first reading. I'd thought this is one of the best books, but let's see now, with my added perspective on writing, if it holds up to the test of time.

I'm near the beginning, though I can find few faults. It is concise, snappy prose. Fabulous writing from a Great.
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Patriotic Kaz

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1006 on: November 27, 2009, 05:25:00 PM »
I prefer Second Foundation
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Chaos

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1007 on: November 27, 2009, 10:59:02 PM »
Wow. It's been a while since I've read Asimov. Holy crap, it's dialogue heavy, with cerebral characters. Still, it worked. I think Foundation's Edge is definitely the best of the Foundation novels, especially when you add in the knowledge you gain from Foundation and Earth.

I've given up on NaNoWriMo, kinda, but I shall make for it by reading. Next up, The Blade Itself.
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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1008 on: November 30, 2009, 04:15:05 PM »
Okay, Last Argument of Kings is *much* darker than the other books in Abercrombie's First Law trilogy.  I thought the third book in a trilogy was supposed to be an upswing?  Instead, it seems like all of the characters have descended into darkness.
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Sigyn

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1009 on: November 30, 2009, 08:13:47 PM »
Servant of a Dark God by John Brown. I'm really liking it so far.
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Patriotic Kaz

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1010 on: November 30, 2009, 08:18:59 PM »
I read the sample chapters before it was released quite good.
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WriterDan

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1011 on: November 30, 2009, 10:31:38 PM »
As a note to all you who like the stuff I like: Next year, a short story collection is coming out from Eos titled Swords and Dark Magic.  It was edited by good old Lou Anders.  It is 576 pages of stories with the following table of contents:

"Introduction: Check Your Dark Lord at the Door" - Lou Anders & Jonathan Strahan
"Goats of Glory" - Steven Erikson
"Tides Elba: A Tale of the Black Company" - Glen Cook
"Bloodsport" - Gene Wolfe
"The Singing Spear" - James Enge
"A Wizard of Wiscezan" - C.J. Cherryh
"A Rich Full Week" - K. J. Parker
"A Suitable Present for a Sorcerous Puppet" - Garth Nix
"Red Pearls: An Elric Story" - Michael Moorcock
"The Deification of Dal Bamore" - Tim Lebbon
"Dark Times at the Midnight Market" - Robert Silverberg
"The Undefiled" - Greg Keyes
"Hew the Tint Master" - Michael Shea 
"In the Stacks" - Scott Lynch
"Two Lions, A Witch, and the War-Robe" - Tanith Lee
"The Sea Troll's Daughter" - Caitlin R Kiernan
"Thieves of Daring" - Bill Willingham
"The Fool Jobs" - Joe Abercrombie

I just fainted again seeing this list.

I did as well the first time I saw the list posted on Lou Ander's blog.  MAN.  I'm excited for this one.
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Bookstore Guy

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1012 on: December 01, 2009, 05:44:38 PM »
Servant of a Dark God by John Brown. I'm really liking it so far.

I enjoyed this one.  Very very set-up heavy, but good.

I did as well the first time I saw the list posted on Lou Ander's blog.  MAN.  I'm excited for this one.

I preordered my copy of this (Swords and Dark Magic) from Subterranean Press.  It is signed by all the authors.

Okay, Last Argument of Kings is *much* darker than the other books in Abercrombie's First Law trilogy.  I thought the third book in a trilogy was supposed to be an upswing?  Instead, it seems like all of the characters have descended into darkness.

Upswing?  Heavens no.  That's kind of the point.  They DO descend into darkness, no matter how hard they fight against it.  Best Served Cold shows this as well.  Abercrombie is Dark Fantasy about screwed up people.
« Last Edit: December 01, 2009, 05:55:02 PM by Bookstore Guy »
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WriterDan

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1013 on: December 01, 2009, 06:47:37 PM »
I preordered my copy of this (Swords and Dark Magic) from Subterranean Press.  It is signed by all the authors.

Please tell me it's going to be published elsewhere as well.  I'd have a hard time dishing out $75 for it.  Although, I must admit, I am still tempted.

By the way, Gardens of the Moon is coming along nicely.  I'm garnering a few new opinions of the book this time through.  My impression last time that it was character development light was completely wrong.  Must have been something else that made me think that, though I don't know what it might have been.  But liking what I'm seeing so far.  :)
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Bookstore Guy

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1014 on: December 01, 2009, 09:36:53 PM »
Eos will be publishing a normal version.  If the Sub-Press version wasn't signed, I would have just gone for the normal one.

Yeah...I never understood the people that claimed Erikson was light on character.  He wasn't amazing in Gardens, but man does he improve.
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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1015 on: December 02, 2009, 07:58:16 AM »
Currently reading Romeo Dallaire's Shake Hands with the Devil. (Yes, nonfiction. It's Dallaire's account of the '94 Rwandan genocide. Compelling stuff, if a little difficult to take at times.)

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1016 on: December 02, 2009, 06:51:50 PM »
Hey Silk, I just finished that.  Its a bit over the top on the minutae, but seriously intense stuff regardless.  Very good read, and agreed...hard to take at times.

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1017 on: December 04, 2009, 10:17:31 PM »
Finished up Leviathan by Westerfield.  Not bad.  Not as good as Phillip Reeves' Hungry City Chronicles, but still good.  The Bio-Manipulation in it was quite awesome though.

Neuropath is next i think.  But i have a huge stack to choose from...
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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1018 on: December 05, 2009, 03:48:17 AM »
Slamel: I'm actually kind of enjoying the minutiae. Then again, I'm reading it as research for my current novel, so I'm happy for any details he throws in in that regard. (I also have had hardly any time to read since September, so maybe I'm just a bit starved for anything narrative.)

But yes. I heartily recommend it to anyone with a strong stomach. Though after this I think I'm going to go out and find me a couple Terry Prachett books.

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1019 on: December 10, 2009, 08:47:46 AM »
So, Gardens of the Moon is done.

Cool.

I have to say, I really liked the book this time around.  For some reason, it was different, and I can't really put my finger on why.  Maybe I'm just a different reader now and that's the sum all end all reason for it.

Anyhow, I think I did figure out why I though the characterization was so poor the first I read it.  Erikson DOES do characterization, but in this book we never really get motivation.  So, for the most part, we don't know WHY people are doing what they are doing (besides following orders or other mundane things like that).  Yes, he gets into the character's heads, but we're not there long enough to see it all.  He could have explained it all, like most other authors tend to do, but instead he just drops us in and makes us figure it all out as we go.  In this, we have to take it on faith that the author knows what he's doing.

He does.

Hoping for more good things from Malazan #2.

Thus, I'm currently reading Deadhouse Gates.
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