Reading in July 2011

**Rob B** · July 4th, 2011, 03:17 PM

Yeah, I think I'd rather dive headfirst into Honor Harrington, The Quantum Thief, Warhammer 40Kor something by Eric Brown or....

**Loerwyn** · July 4th, 2011, 03:18 PM

Ky Vatta?

**Rob B** · July 4th, 2011, 03:19 PM

I've got the first two of that series on the pile as well...

**Loerwyn** · July 4th, 2011, 03:21 PM

I've got the whole series, including Moon Flights with a Ky Vatta short story in it.

I started Marque and Reprisal (Book 2) and never picked it back up. I *really* need to spend more time reading.

**Nikita42** · July 5th, 2011, 08:32 AM

Just finished reading Blindsight by Peter Watts. Interesting take on a first contact situation and very unique aliens, as there was nothing human about them. It asked a lot of great questions about intelligence and sentience. Only part I didn't like was the need to introduce a Vampire race into the mix.

Also part way through Learning the World by Ken MacLeod. Another one about first contact. Enjoying it so far, but the aliens in this one are very similar to us.

**Rob B** · July 5th, 2011, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by Rob B

I've moved onto Robert Buettner's Overkill and after a few chapters I'm not quite feeling it. Much more disjointed start than his Orphan/Jason Wander series.

A very large step down in this book for Mr. Buettner. Nothing really jelled throughout for me, there wasn't any real dramatic tension and I didn't care bout the protagonist all that much.

**Westsiyeed** · July 5th, 2011, 10:30 PM

Finished Peter F Hamilton's Second Chance at Eden short story collection (set in the same universe as the Night's Dawn trilogy).

They were all great stories, in fact this is one of the better collection of short fiction I've read in some time. Hamilton's style is so easy to read and he's come up with interesting ideas and plotlines for every story. His style/stories remind me a lot of Alastair Reynolds actually.

Speaking of which, have now started reading Reynold's latest novella, Troika.

**Sfinx** · July 6th, 2011, 06:56 AM

SF reading in July: Player of Games by Iain M. Banks. About 1/3 in, liking this one much better than June read Against a Dark background (of which i had high hopes / perhaps (overly) fond memories).

Cheers,

Sfinx.

**Rob B** · July 6th, 2011, 09:41 AM

I started The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi this morning. The bouncing narrative is interesting, this book could be an enjoyable trip.

**chitman13** · July 7th, 2011, 06:14 AM

I'm still reading The Departure by Neal Asher as I've just not had the time or enrgy to read it. After my initial unsure reaction I started to quite like it, but.... That's the thing. But. I will finish it, although my expectations for what could have been a contender for top read of the year have been readjusted - as long as it continues as is I'll be happy, hopefully it won't disappoint too much in the end.

**suciul** · July 7th, 2011, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by chitman13

I'm still reading The Departure by Neal Asher as I've just not had the time or enrgy to read it. After my initial unsure reaction I started to quite like it, but.... That's the thing. But. I will finish it, although my expectations for what could have been a contender for top read of the year have been readjusted - as long as it continues as is I'll be happy, hopefully it won't disappoint too much in the end.

I actually liked a lot the first half - if only for the world building, though the mystery of the main character was great too, but the second half was very predictable action shootout I've seen countless times - still it's Neal Asher so it was good and I am definitely in the series for the duration.

Back on topic, after some non-English sf (most notably S. Brussolo's Krucifix which is among the author's best dark sf of the message in a bottle kind), I got and read in a sitting the YA Honorverse A Beautiful Friendship, based on the story with the same name and recounting the first contact between treecats and humans on Sphinx; the first part which was the story expanded was great as the original story was, the second which continues after the first contact was more conventional but still engaging and I am curious where this series goes next since it stops at a good point but DW seems to want to break into the YA market too

Despite its YA label, the book is not that different than the usual Weber offerings and basically only that the main human character (Stephanie Harrington of the first Sphinxian Harrington generation some 500 years before the main series) is a 13-14 year old justifies the label, though DW wrote other stories with YA as main characters, so it's more of a marketing strategy than anything

**Loerwyn** · July 7th, 2011, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by suciul

I got and read in a sitting the YA Honorverse A Beautiful Friendship, based on the story with the same name and recounting the first contact between treecats and humans on Sphinx; the first part which was the story expanded was great as the original story was, the second which continues after the first contact was more conventional but still engaging and I am curious where this series goes next since it stops at a good point but DW seems to want to break into the YA market too

Despite its YA label, the book is not that different than the usual Weber offerings and basically only that the main human character (Stephanie Harrington of the first Sphinxian Harrington generation some 500 years before the main series) is a 13-14 year old justifies the label, though DW wrote other stories with YA as main characters, so it's more of a marketing strategy than anything

But was it good? I have it on pre-order, and I'm waiting for it to come.

**suciul** · July 7th, 2011, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by Loerwyn

But was it good? I have it on pre-order, and I'm waiting for it to come.

I read it in one sitting, so i guess it kept me quite entertained

If you read the original story - free HERE - you will recognize the first part which is a pretty big expansion - 100+ pages - of the story and excellent, while somewhat different from most Weber stuff with first contact, alien (ie treecat) POV's...

The second part is good too but very Weberian, so you've seen it a few times if you are a huge fan like myself and the book ends at a good stopping point; it's not Rising Thunder (or whatever that gets to be named with the split and all) but a fast entertaining tale which is for all ages despite its YA label

**Loerwyn** · July 7th, 2011, 01:39 PM

Excellent, thanks suciul. I'm thinking about getting Worlds of Weber in the interim, just so I've got a print copy sat around, and so I can see what might be coming.

**HellsGuardian** · July 7th, 2011, 05:16 PM

I recently finished reading Ultraviolet by BJ Anderson. It's about a girl with Synesthesia (Colours have taste, sounds can have shapes, numbers have colour etc.) and how she apparently murdered another girl but there isn't any evidence.