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Messages - Bookstore Guy

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61
Books / Re: Steam punk research reading list
« on: February 02, 2011, 04:25:44 PM »

I shouldn't be allowed to buy books in a bookstore, because this is what happens:
Dreadnought  Cherie Priest  (The lady said this one was much better than the first.)
Scar Night Alan Campbell
The Osiris Ritual George Mann
Leviathan Westerfeld
Behemoth Westerfeld.
----------------------
Grand total = $72.

EDIT:  Oh, and I bought a copy of The Time Machine, I hope to god I don't have to tell you who wrote that one, for my sister, because she has never read it.



you could use your library card? I constantly have books and audio books checked out.

But then you can't mark them up if you use them like research.  I love the library, but sometimes owning the book is way more effective.

62
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: February 01, 2011, 05:56:34 PM »
Apparently Daniel Abraham has a new book coming out that he co-authored with George RR Martin's assistant. If you look in GRRMs blog there is a link to a video interview with the two. Might be tricky to find, I think they are using a pen name instead of their names for the author.

Yeah, it's called LEVIATHAN WAKES.  WriterDan is also reading an ARC of that of that one (though hopefully not right at this moment since it doesn't come out for months yet).

63
Books / Re: Steam punk research reading list
« on: February 01, 2011, 04:46:40 PM »

I shouldn't be allowed to buy books in a bookstore, because this is what happens:
Dreadnought  Cherie Priest  (The lady said this one was much better than the first.)
Scar Night Alan Campbell
The Osiris Ritual George Mann
Leviathan Westerfeld
Behemoth Westerfeld.
----------------------
Grand total = $72.

EDIT:  Oh, and I bought a copy of The Time Machine, I hope to god I don't have to tell you who wrote that one, for my sister, because she has never read it.


Yeah...this is why I got into the review business.  And also why I buy online.  You'd think as a "Bookstore Guy" I'd be all about supporting my local bookstores, but I refuse to buy any novel unless I can get at least 40% off the cover price.

64
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: January 31, 2011, 10:40:55 PM »
I'm going to tell you all what WriterDan is reading.  Preempting his gloating, so to speak:

"I'm currently reading Abraham's THE DRAGON'S PATH,"  Dan said.  He rubbed his hands together in a vague similitude of Scrooge counting his money.  "That's right, folks!  The new Abraham!  Aside from Parker, Abraham is my fav author. MUAHAHAHA!!"

And there you have it.

65
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: January 31, 2011, 05:32:51 PM »
I'm reading THE HEROES by Abercrombie.  Next will be THE CRIPPLED GOD by Erikson.

66
Books / Re: Steam punk research reading list
« on: January 26, 2011, 05:21:44 PM »

So I've recently decided to pick up an old project of mine.  Reading through it I found quite a few good elements and some atrocious ones.  I realized I was very strong on the vampire mythos, but my world building sucked when I wrote it.  This lead me to decide I need to do a lot of steam punk reading to find what people have done.  So I can get some ideas on what to research specifically as well as make sure to not write something that has already been written.  (Yes, I said vampires and steam punk referring to the same project.)

I picked up a book by Cherie Priest today called Boneshaker.

My question to yous guys is, what books should I add to my list of books to read for well built steam punk worlds and cultures.


It depends on what kind of steampunk you want to write.  Boneshaker is one of the worst steampunk books I've ever read, because there isn't hardly any steampunk in it (most overrated Hugo nomination ever?  maybe).  Drop by my blog and read the review I wrote on it.

If you really want to read some good steampunk, and want to cover all your basis, Stephen Hunt is good, as is George Mann. Leviathan by Westerfeld focuses more on biological creations than steampunk, though the sequel Behemoth is better.  Whitechapel Gods is fantastic.  Carriger's work is OK, but it focuses more on the women's love-lives and their hats (and too much over-the-top wit in the dialogue).  You could read classics like HG Wells and Jules Verne.  Mike Resnick has a novel titled The Buntline Special that is steampunk western.  Scar Night by Campbell has a little steampunk in it.  Retribution Falls by Wooding has some as well.

However, the best of all of it might be Steampunk and Steampunk II edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer.  Not only are there good short stories in the anthologies, but also a ton of non-fiction essays about the sub-genre.  Completely awesome.  Steampunk is just a setting device.  You take any type of story--vampire, detective, epic quest, romance, horror, fantasy, mystery, western--and put a steampunk skin over it and adjust all your tech to match.  

67
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: January 21, 2011, 06:04:10 PM »
I'm reading House of Chains and loving it.

I loved that novel.  Once you finish book 6 you should read the first 2 Esslemont novels.  You should also read the collection of three novellas that Erikson wrote about the necromancers.  Pure comic gold.

68
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: January 19, 2011, 09:39:36 PM »
books we like that are pretty good
books that are great which you think are the best books.

We've been getting this kind of thing ready.  We are hammering out where the line is.

69
Dan Wells / Re: Serial Killer book 3 release date?
« on: January 18, 2011, 09:28:29 PM »
Book Depository lost my copy (2nd book in a row...).  Luckily I've already read it, but still. 

70
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: January 18, 2011, 08:30:15 PM »
Servant of a Dark God was rather well done, however I put the book down a couple of occasions when I found Talen a little too petty and self-righteous.

I enjoyed it quite a bit--especially after the first few chapters were were forgotten.

As I was compiling a List for the Hugos, I realized that EBR might be eligible for the BEST RELATED WORK category.  So, if you need something to put on your ballot along with Writing Excuses Season 4, put our names down!

71
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: January 15, 2011, 12:55:44 AM »
Half-way through Tim Lebbon's ECHO CITY.  It has an extremely strong PERDIDO STREET STATION feel to it.  Since I liked that novel, this is a good thing.  It should also give you a hint as to the type of content to expect in it.

In the mean-time I'm compiling the EBR list of the best of 2010, plus our compiled Hugo Nomination list (my personal list will be slightly different than the one EBR posts).  It's tough going, especially since I know that the Best Novel category will be filled with  stuff by the usual suspects regardless of the quality of the work.  It's amazing what blog visibility has done to the Hugos.

72
Books / Re: Truly unique fantasy worlds
« on: January 11, 2011, 05:32:09 PM »
You can find pretty much anything.  CRYSTAL RAIN has a tribal feel to it.  You can find Urban Fantasy with just about every slant in it.  You just have to look around.  Read China Mieville.  NONE of his fantasy feels like medieval European stuff.  Read Guy Gavriel Kay - his recent UNDER HEAVEN is a lot like the Tang Dynasty of China. 

As far as hunter-gatherer societies, Jean M. Auel has done this in her historical fiction series.  Kathleen O'Neal Gear also has to a lesser degree with Native American Historical Fiction.  I'm sure if you looked hard enough, Dan Simmons prolly has too--let's face it, the guy has done just about everything.

I imagine the reason you feel like you read a lot of stuff set in European-ish worlds is because most of the authors that are mainstream are are European decent.  If you find novels translated from authors in other countries, you'll likely get a very different flavor than the main authors of the US, Canada and the UK (a huge majority of our reading).

73
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: January 07, 2011, 05:01:48 PM »
My copy of Stonewielder finally came.  Sheesh.  My first copy was lost, so the place had to send a new one.  Looking forward to reading it.

I also have a copy of Tim Lebbon's Echo City coming.

74
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: December 16, 2010, 05:26:09 PM »
Geez.  What have I read...

Horns of Ruin
Cardinal's Blades
Elfsorrow
Shadowheart
Walking Dead Book 1
Scar Night
Tyranny of the Night (re-read)
Deadman's Road
The Fall
Rot & Ruin
Ragged Man (after a re-read of the 3 novel before it)
...and a handful of others.

Doing a re-read on the last 2 Erikson novels and also the first 2 Esslemont novels (my copy of Stonewielder by Esslemont got lost in the mail).  I'm reading 3 different manuscripts that are set to be published over the next year or 2.  I have the next 2 Alan Campbell novels, some Daniel Abraham, the 2nd Walking Dead book, some imports, and a dozen other novels in my pile to be read.

Yeah, that just about sums up my last couple of months, and the coming few.

The End.

75
Books / Re: What are you reading, part 3
« on: October 12, 2010, 04:08:27 PM »
Finally into Way of Kings.  I'm a bit slow.   ::)  Or maybe just broke.

Heh. I'm currently on page 75. Been too busy reading other stuff.

The only reason I'm done with it is because I read it a year ago...though I did re-read large segments of it a tad before it was published.

I finished ROT & RUIN, which was great.  DEXTER IS DELICIOUS, which was sooooooo terrible.  Re-reading some Glen Cook in prep. for his SURRENDER TO THE WILL OF THE NIGHT (so excited!).  Might read either some David Weber next, or THE CARDINALS BLADES.

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