Author Topic: What are you reading, part 3  (Read 311311 times)

Bookstore Guy

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1170 on: March 03, 2010, 09:31:20 PM »
Yeah, he bounced around a ton.  To me, this was all set up, and it suffered from it.  Do I think the book was bad? No.  I enjoyed it.  Was it as strong as earlier novels in the series? Well, by itself, no.  In a few months when TCG is released (in the UK), I'll be able to form a more informed opinion.

But yeah, I can see why a lot of people are frustrated with book 9.  I can also see why people are loving it.  This has really been the mantra of the series.  It doesn't bother me, perhaps because I end up having to read and finish so many terrible novels (due to the review blog), that Erikson's 80% is still awesome compared to a lot of crap I end up reading.  He's a welcome relief.
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Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1171 on: March 03, 2010, 09:58:48 PM »
My problem with the Crosstime Traffic books was that each of them I picked up ended with someone other than the main characters solving the problem. It got to where I would flip to the end (I never do this) to see if the same thing happened, and it did. My guess is that Harry Turtledove thought he needed to do something to dumb-down the books for teenagers, and this was his response. Not a good idea, in my opinion.

I think Harry's standalone novels (like Guns of the South) are stronger than his enormous series. The big ones get too impersonal, with their far-flung casts. I read the first couple Worldwar books and then realized I didn't care about any of the characters.

Eric Flint's (and others') 1632 books on the other hand keep it personal and interesting. Actually, if you like straight alt-history (no time travel setup), also check out his Trail of Glory series, 1812: The Rivers of War and 1824: The Arkansas War. I thought they were great (and there's few more coming eventually). My only complaint with them was that the new version of the Star-Spangled Banner was a bit cheesy.
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Shivertongue

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1172 on: March 03, 2010, 10:17:27 PM »
I think Harry's standalone novels (like Guns of the South) are stronger than his enormous series. The big ones get too impersonal, with their far-flung casts. I read the first couple Worldwar books and then realized I didn't care about any of the characters.

I had the opposite reaction. While I enjoy the standalones, I enjoyed the larger series significantly more. I didn't find them to be impersonal, myself, but I think I can understand how you might see it that way. Some of the character were less interesting than others (especially in the sequel series, Colonization). The Darkness series was even better, and I think it might have been because it was shorter.
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WriterDan

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1173 on: March 04, 2010, 08:56:23 AM »
Mr. Monster

Ha, ha!
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Sigyn

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1174 on: March 06, 2010, 07:31:28 PM »
Mr. Monster!
If I had any clue, would I be here?

guessingo

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1175 on: March 07, 2010, 04:53:43 PM »
I don't like Eric Flint's 1630s books because I know enough about the 30 years war to know his books are not really historically accurate. Yes I know it is alternative history, but he changed personalities on historical figures. His portrayal of Gustaphus Adolphus really annoys me. He was not this wonderful Flint makes him out to be.

I also think his books are kind of silly. Alot of what the people from that small town do are not really believable. I know most people don't care about historical accuracy in the sci-fi. I actually do... I am in the minority. It is because I read alot of history and historical fiction.

Harry Turtledove does the best of any alternative history to be realistic. I have read alot of his books, but got bored with him awhile ago. It seems the be the same pattern over and over again. I am not putting him down. However after about a dozen or more of those books, I don't want to keep going. To be fair 10-12 books is about my limit for any author.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2010, 08:17:28 PM by guessingo »

Shivertongue

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1176 on: March 07, 2010, 07:22:25 PM »
So you want historical accuracy... in alternate history? Despite the fact that the mere act of transporting an entire town back in time to the middle of the aforementioned war means that it cannot, in any way, play out the way it originally did?

I'm not sure how to comment on personalities of historical figures being changed. I don't know any historical figures, or what they're like as people. I haven't actually read the 163x series, though - alternate history that deviates due to time travel isn't as interesting to me as the kind that deviates due to a small change.

Anyway.. finished I Am Not A Serial Killer a few days ago, and last night finished Servant Of A  Dark God, which I put off for a while due to other books capturing my interest. SoaDG was good though, despite my earlier problems with John Brown's writing style, and I look forward to the next book in the trilogy.

Currently reading Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora, which is possibly the best alliterative title ever, finishing up The Affinity Bridge, and considering starting a re-read of The Name of the Wind. Also meandering my way through Dawnthief by James Barclay and Elements of Fiction Writing: Characters & Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card.
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guessingo

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1177 on: March 07, 2010, 08:20:11 PM »
I like alternative history, where they change stuff, but the stuff that isn't changed is believable. Alot of the actions done by the Americans and their success was kind of silly too. Harry Turtledove does far more research in his alternative histories. I actually don't agree with all of his outcomes, but I can respect his conclusions.

SM Stirling did better alternative history when he sent the Island of Nantucket back 6000 years in time. He is not the most entertaining writing (Flint is more entertaining), but he did more research. I like to see entertaining and good research.

I read alot of historical fiction.

Peter Ahlstrom

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1178 on: March 07, 2010, 08:31:44 PM »
I did read Island in the Sea of Time by Stirling. It contains no historical figures, so you can't say he got the personalities better than Flint did. :)

In any historical period of study there are different sides that researchers take. I don't know the period well, but I'm willing to believe that there are historians who do think Flint's take on the personalities fits fine. Virginia DeMarce, for example, one of the later co-writers, is a historian who knows a ton about the period, and she seems to have no problem with Flint's take.

There are a couple more glaring errors in 1632, such as the idea that the locals weren't used to taking baths (they were), but all in all I'm satisfied. Though having so many armchair experts among the town population does stretch believability a bit (but I had that same problem with Stirling).
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WriterDan

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1179 on: March 08, 2010, 07:11:04 PM »
Finished Mr Monster:

Awesome

Awesome

Awesome

 8)

So, I'm a freak about paperbacks and always read them barely opened enough to see all of the text that's way down in the dark spine of the book.  Which means that as I was reading this book, my peripheral vision was constantly getting glimpses of "the eyes" on the cover of the book.  Freaked me out.  Especially at the beginning of Chapter 9 when John's looking into the mirror and wondering about Mr Monster.

Whoa.

Yeah.  This was such a great book.
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Recovering_Cynic

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1180 on: March 08, 2010, 07:17:27 PM »
My wife finished Mr. Monster last night, staying up until 2:00 a.m. to get through the last quarter of the book.  Now, for some people (like myself), this is not abnormal behavior.  I'll stay up late to finish a book if it interests me at all.  My wife, however, doesn't like to read much, and if it hooked her that hard, well, it has to be really good.

And now it's my turn :)  I'll have it done by Wednesday easily.
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Sigyn

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1181 on: March 09, 2010, 04:22:30 PM »
I finished Mr. Monster last night too. I stayed up late to finish it, because I thought that if I didn't finish it I wouldn't be able to go to sleep because I would be thinking about it, but then after I finished it, I had trouble going to sleep because I was still thinking about it. Sigh. It was so good.
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Recovering_Cynic

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1182 on: March 09, 2010, 04:53:26 PM »
Half-way through.  Stuck at work.  Curt needs to die.
this is the way the world ends,
not with a bang, but a whimper
~T.S. Eliot

WriterDan

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1183 on: March 09, 2010, 07:45:37 PM »
Curt needs to die.

Oh what a twisted web Wells weaves...

<<<evil laughter>>>
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Recovering_Cynic

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Re: What are you reading, part 3
« Reply #1184 on: March 10, 2010, 05:47:14 AM »
And now I am finished, sated, to describe it precisely.  I'll admit that I had a hard time with the first quarter of it, but after things got rolling . . .   Holy awesome.
this is the way the world ends,
not with a bang, but a whimper
~T.S. Eliot