Reading in February 2014

[Ropie]

"God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" by Kurt Vonnegut.

This was the first book of Vonnegut's I read, 15 years ago or more. I've never liked anything else by him quite as much as I did this one - really struck a chord in me at the time.

 

[chitman13]

Adding to the discussion on Endymion/The Rise of Endymion - I read both fairly recently and I really did enjoy Endymion. The Rise of Endymion, however, is another story. Too long, needless descriptions, way too much detail when it really isn't needed. In all I was very disappointed with it, and I remember enjoying it so much more the first time I read it.

I finished up Pandora's Star by Peter F Hamilton the other day. Once again I loved it, and it's right up there among my favourite novels. The introduction of Prime society, and MorningLightMountain in particular, is perhaps the best example of an alien species I've read. I also picked up on a lot of information the foreshadows the sequel this time around. I'm now on Judas Unchained, and enjoying it very much. I'll probably move on to the Void trilogy once I'm done with this duology in preparation for the new Void/Commonwealth novel, The Abyss Beyond Dreams, later this year.

 

[mylinar]

Both Endymion books are in my stacks and ready to go. Excited to read them. Of course they are battling for primacy with the other two hundred as yet unread books piled around my nightstand, and with the upstart fiftyish ebooks on my ipad. (Their contest to be read is violent and pulpy, they all dream of the day they get to join their read brethren on my own version of Parnassus: the book shelves!)

Maybe you should save them. After a particularly unsatisfying read from your stash you can treat yourself!

 

[mylinar]

As I continue to go through all of my books deciding what to keep and what to part with I ran into an old one. Judging by the pages and the cover I may have had this since it was new back in the late 70s. It is Mastadonia by Clifford Simak. I really did not remember much about it so I went through it in a few hours. I have always liked his off beat stories but this one just did not cut it. There were plot holes all over the place and it just seemed to never satisfy what I was looking for in the book. Perhaps it is just the difference between old SF and the newer stuff or maybe just me. It is heading for Half Price Books soon.

 

[Ropie]

Two thirds through Dark Eden. I would put it more in line with a florid Arthur C Clarke than Orwell (Orwell! As stated on the cover blurb!) It's interesting but the continual use of the double or even triple adjective instead of 'very' (eg: 'he was angry angry', 'they ran fast fast fast') is almost driving me up the wall..

 

[Westy]

^^ Interesting, I didn't notice that (or remember it).

 

[privateidaho]

So where does alternative history come down as far as what genre it is?I don't know,I guess it depends but that's a question for another time.

I read 1901 by Robert Conroy and am now half way through 1920:America's Great War also by Conroy.

Note that these books are not directly connected.They were written many years apart and tell different alternative history stories.

If you like this kind of story these are excellent examples.They follow the same structure as most books like this.Conroy and Turtledove somewhat own this category.

I find the idea that one different choice can have multiple effects on history fascinating.Books like this are built around a very plausible change,they are well researched and pretty good mind exercises.There is action but it's not something the book is built around.Generally the character study element is good.

I'm a bit of a history buff and if you are like me the presentation of an alternative that is reasonably plausible is fun to explore.

 

[Luke_B]

^^ Interesting, I didn't notice that (or remember it).

Not sure how you could not notice that. Or why it would drive Ropie up the wall. Language and thought are decaying in the society in the book and this is reflected in the way people talk. Hence the obvious Orwell comparison too...

 

[Westy]

Not sure how you could not notice that. Or why it would drive Ropie up the wall. Language and thought are decaying in the society in the book and this is reflected in the way people talk. Hence the obvious Orwell comparison too...

Rings a slight bell now...must be memory, getting old.

 

[Ropie]

Language and thought are decaying in the society in the book and this is reflected in the way people talk. Hence the obvious Orwell comparison too...

I wouldn't have thought of that, but is Orwell's famous double-speak 'decay'? I'm not sure why in Dark Eden there are only certain poignant words they've turned into childish pidgin-speak, like any-virsry and police-veekle when there are any number of other words and phrases they can recollect and enunciate just as we do today. I realise it gives an 'alien' quality to the prose but to me it's just annoying and artificial. The loss of the word very is similarly inexplicable (unless there's going to be some sort of phonetic revelation at the end of the novel; I'm not quite there yet..!)

I realise also that in some languages it's normal to repeat an adjective twice in succession for emphasis (we do it in Italian sometimes) but why would it have filtered through into the English spoken on Eden? Maybe I missed something.

I have to add that I had a similar problem with moon-speak in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and the future-slang in Stand on Zanzibar, though.

 

[Luke_B]

I wouldn't have thought of that, but is Orwell's famous double-speak 'decay'?

Splitting hairs. The point is more related to how speech and thought are linked and how that can result in acceptance of the status quo. In Orwell, speech is tightly regulated so as to control thought (and as a consequence action). In Dark Eden it's a similar concept - the limited vocabulary and lack of conception of the meaning behind words has created a docile and easily controlled society. Hence, the obvious comparison.

The words you highlight have no direct relevance to the people in the book and they don't understand their meaning. Hence the phonetic pronunciation. Didn't seem random or annoying to me at all. Made perfect sense, in fact.

They repeat words because their vocabulary has decayed and they are unable to express themselves with appropriate adjectives or synonyms. So instead of 'extremely dark' or 'pitch-black' they say 'dark dark'. Again, it's linked to way their society has become docile and unquestioning of the status quo. The book is about cult and religion and control of thought.

Not sure any of this is rocket science...

 

[Ropie]

My problems with the use of cheesy colloquial language aside (they know what a mountain and a valley are, but a glacier is a 'snowslug'?) I did enjoy Dark Eden, especially the descriptions of the eerie locations, and the bioluminescent flora and fauna - these were amongst the best I've read in a long time. I also enjoyed tracing the development of the various characters from the family, the way their genetic limitations showed up and grew with them, and how the society that developed was so limited and yet thrived. That said, I found some of the main characters derivative and predictable in their actions.

The ending was not wholly unexpected but was satisfying and closed it off nicely for readers -- like me -- who are not into sequels and series; for those who are, however, there is still plenty of scope for more action from Eden. I'd give it 4 out of 5.

 

[bio]

Before me left only 30 pages in David Dvorkin Pit Planet . I dont know why it is so good novel. Some interesting twists in action, but without great and new ideas. In this Galaxy you use starships like trains. Buy a ticket, and go! Is it Benton, a main hero of this book who makes this story so exciting? He reminds me guys from Heinlein novels. And those dickian charakters in every day struggle with megacorporations. Very satisfying money, and time investment. And always after last words of actual lecture lays a question - what next? I am very glad, that after so many years of waiting, in a couple of months I will read Stand on Zanzibar in first polish translation.

 

[N. E. White]

I'm taking advantage of Angry Robot's sales: just got vN and Zoo City.

(Is there something wrong with the site or Chrome. Everything is all wonky...)

 

[Rob B]

I started Honor's Knight by Rachel Bach over the weekend and will likely finish it tonight. I'm really enjoying these Paradox books.

 

[privateidaho]

I'm taking advantage of Angry Robot's sales: just got vN and Zoo City.

(Is there something wrong with the site or Chrome. Everything is all wonky...)

You'll want to read iD,vN's sequel,which continues the stories.

I'm on chrome and so far so good.

 

[privateidaho]

So I read a list of older sci fi books that "you should read" or something and this book,Spinneret by Timothy Zahn was there and I picked up a cheap used copy.

This book was written in 1985 and 1980's DNA is all over it.In fact the best way to read it today is as an alternative history.It's set literally in present day,2014-15.There's even a reference to the 2016 presidential elections.

But this version of 2014-15 is one where humanity developed interstellar flight,went out to colonize etc and discovered a universe already loaded with intelligent civilizations who had already taken every possible available planet.(All this is with an earth that hasn't changed very much at all politically or sociologically from the 80's).

The races we run into already have trade and so forth between each other and there is a very earthlike economic system and viewpoint between them.

Ultimately earth is allowed to take a planet nobody else seems to want,mostly because it is virtually devoid of metals.Eventually a very coldwarish US military is given the mandate to deal with this planet by a very 80's looking version of the UN which eventually does things that reflect views of the UN or it's future in those days.

More or less by accident a reason for the lack of metals and a valuable secret of the planet are discovered leading to a series of stories from diplomatic posturing to threats to attempted take overs to mutinies and so forth.It's a real mixed bag of impacts these discoveries make.Both the numerous alien races involved and various groups of humans are players in each event.

Zahn is a well known and prolific writer so he makes the most of this and does a good job.What he doesn't do is try to break out of the box of the thinking and attitudes of the time it was written.Still it's one of those books I don't regreat taking time to read but I'd never but it full price even in ebook form,it's a dollar used paperback type book.

 

[Westy]

I finished Twenty Trillion Leagues Under the Sea by Adam Roberts, a take on the Jules Verne novel of a similar name.

It's set in the 1950's and tells the story of the maiden voyage of a new, technologically advanced French submarine, The Plongeur.

What starts out as a standard journey turns into a continual voyage down into the depths that they have no control over, and as they go deeper things get stranger and weirder. This was an excellent book, up there with Roberts' best I think - it has a mixed bag of characters, conflict, some unusual beings encountered, and an excitement to it that kept me wanting to read more, especially as it got to the end.

Interspersed throughout are illustrations by M Singh, which add to the story nicely. A great read!

 

[Ropie]

I finished Twenty Trillion Leagues Under the Sea by Adam Roberts, a take on the Jules Verne novel of a similar name.

I'm willing to give Adam Roberts' work another shot and I'm going to seek this one out. I loved Yellow Blue Tibia but really disliked Jack Glass (and By Light Alone was interesting but long and dull).

 

[Westy]

I'm willing to give Adam Roberts' work another shot and I'm going to seek this one out. I loved Yellow Blue Tibia but really disliked Jack Glass (and By Light Alone was interesting but long and dull).

Glad to hear it.

I loved Jack Glass, liked By Light Alone quite a bit and thought Yellow Blue Tibia was OK!

Interested to see what you think of this one.