Reading in Science Fiction in December 2021

Hobbit

Hobbit

Cat Wrangler and Reader
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Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Messages
18,436
Welcome to December!

(Last month's discussion of Science Fiction is HERE. )

It is the usual message here - even though things are beginning to return to some sort of normality, it is in these strange and uncertain times that perhaps you telling us about what you've been reading in Science Fiction is important. Communication on such matters means that you may feel less alone.

Remember, good or bad, we still want to know what you think.

And as this is December, I'd like to thank you all for your continuing interest and custom this year. It has been odd, but I sincerely hope on behalf of the staff and owner here at SFFWorld that we have helped in some way.

All the compliments of the season and the best for a better 2022.


Hobbit/Mark
 
As probably mentioned previously, it is a great site to discuss and read about new books - happy to participate!

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I just read The Quantum War, the third book in Derek Kunsken's Quantum Evolution Series - this one focuses on the developing Union-Congregate war, and as the Congregate starts using modified Homo Quantus as pilots, the Union seeks to rescue them in a daring plan.

Plenty of hard SF concepts like the first two books, delving into evolution, wormholes, advanced hominid species and of course quantum physics. And this book does start to involve Venus and links to the House of Styx (the excellent first book in the Venus Ascendant series).

But I felt this novel was not as enjoyable as the first two; it took a while to get going and felt a bit stilted under it's own weight of technology and heavy science.
 
Re-read Time Is The Simplest Thing by Clifford Simak.
I remembered it with affection, but unfortunately it didn't hold up.
The original breakthrough idea, reaching the stars and learning from an immortal alien, still seemed original and creative.
But the constant ruminations about the rebirth of superstition and hatred caused by esp users going to the stars got not only wearing, but increasingly unlikely. A situation was posited, but then used as a given to forward a rambling plot and countless ruminations. Go elsewhere if you, like I, love Simak.
 
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Tried to get through Outies by Jennifer Pournelle, but to this point have not succeeded It is for the lovers of the Pournelle/Niven universe and specifically Mote et al.
The first 100 pages describe a confused set of scenes from immediately after book #2, Gripping - - - (which I did like). I got bogged down just when the sequence just seemed to start being more straight forward. Looking at comments, which I try not to do until after I finish a book, I learned that there is a timeline for the whole universe, and that it eventually gets to the Moties with some new developments.
But it still is about Mormon and descendent cults on the fringe of Pournelle's empire.
I may pick it up again, but since my copy is a library loaner from across Ohio and will require re-ordering, It will not happen soon.
 
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pogopossum said:
Tried to get through Outies by Jennifer Pournelle, but to this point have not succeeded It is for the lovers of the Pournelle/Niven universe and specifically Mote et al.
The first 100 pages describe a confused set of scenes from immediately after book #2, Gripping - - - (which I did like). I got bogged down just when the sequence just seemed to start being more straight forward. Looking at comments, which I try not to do until after I finish a book, I learned that there is a timeline for the whole universe, and that it eventually gets to the Moties with some new developments about their development.
But it still is about Mormon and descendent cults on the fringe of Pournelle's empire.
I may pick it up again, but since my copy is a library loaner from across Ohio and will require re-ordering,, it will not happen soon.
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It's funny how going back to re-read something we loved years and years ago won't hold up to what we like now. I'm stuck in middle of a re-read of Lord of Rings. Specifically, "The Two Towers"...and I just can't gin up the enthusiasm I had for it when I was 13.
 
Planet of Adventure by Jack Vance.

An explorer from Earth gets stranded on an planet with several alien species living on it. There are also human beings who seem to be descended from people taken from Earth thousands of years in the past.

This is very much pulp fiction, with a lot of action and direct to the point. It's a collection of four rather short novels that are often published together as one book, since they are four parts of the same story.

It reminded me a lot of Edgar Rice Burroughs' work, only more science fictional and better written. Vance's ability to describe interesting alien cultures is clearly shown. Quite a good read, with the agile and entertaining nature of its pulp roots, but also with its limitations (do not expect deep characterization).
 
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I finished reading Noor, the latest novel by Nnedi Okorafotor. Set in near future Nigeria, AO is born without some of her limbs, and is fitted with cybernetic replacements and enhancements. She’s used to being ostracized as she’s different, but a violent altercation leaves her on the run; the doctored footage of her playing into the hands of the multinational “Ultimate Corp”.

Quite an entertaining novel, with plenty of futuristic technology like AO’s body modifications, massive solar and wind farms in Africa, a wireless energy transfer mechanism, a permanent gigantic windstorm that houses a city of refuge. There were strong messages to say about being yourself no matter what the circumstances, the downside of a world that’s so electronically connected, and the dangers of super-large companies and the influence they have.

Very good pacing (it's about 200 pages) – an attribute of most of the author’s books, as was the Africanfuturism outlook. I did think that some of the technology, while inventive, wasn’t really realistic, and some of the characters a bit hard to warm to. But another above-average read from the author.
 
Baxter's Galaxias here, which I feared might be a bit silly, but not finding that so far at least and it's holding my interest.

Also, Proehl's The Somebody People and liking that a lot.
 
Westy said:
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I finished reading Noor, the latest novel by Nnedi Okorafotor. Set in near future Nigeria, AO is born without some of her limbs, and is fitted with cybernetic replacements and enhancements. She’s used to being ostracized as she’s different, but a violent altercation leaves her on the run; the doctored footage of her playing into the hands of the multinational “Ultimate Corp”.

Quite an entertaining novel, with plenty of futuristic technology like AO’s body modifications, massive solar and wind farms in Africa, a wireless energy transfer mechanism, a permanent gigantic windstorm that houses a city of refuge. There were strong messages to say about being yourself no matter what the circumstances, the downside of a world that’s so electronically connected, and the dangers of super-large companies and the influence they have.

Very good pacing (it's about 200 pages) – an attribute of most of the author’s books, as was the Africanfuturism outlook. I did think that some of the technology, while inventive, wasn’t really realistic, and some of the characters a bit hard to warm to. But another above-average read from the author.
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Thanks Westy. I am getting so backed up, between classic SF, due to my reading of Jo Walton's Hugos - , and various non-fiction. But I ordered it. Eventually. Thanks again.
 
From time to time I drop into this multi-volume series of Simak's short fiction, a format of which he was an acknowledged master.


this is a 12 book series and even in the kindle version they Will cost you almost $100

a smaller perhaps more curated selection can be had for $35 at
 
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I just read Fugitive Telemetry which is the sixth major installment in Martha Wells Murderbot Diaries Series. Like the first four installments, this is a novella.

Our favorite SecUnit has been living with its humans on the world of Preservation. Here, it is more than property. People keep acting as if it is either a potentially dangerous construct, or an actual person (both of these are true). Interacting with people cause it all kinds of emotions. Emotions aren’t its strong suit, but it is learning to deal with them. What hasn’t changed is its dry sense of humor, and its sarcastic internal monologue.

In this novel, Murderbot and some the humans on Preservation Station have to deal with an unexpected problem, the murder of a visiting human. This mystery only deepens as the initial facts are discovered, could it be a Corporate plot? Is there someone else at work for unknown purposes? Murderbot needs to find out in order to insure the safety of his friends.

This novella was sort of a self contained murder mystery, and a return to the shorter Murderbot stories. It wasn’t entirely clear to me how it interfaces with the events at the end of the novel Network Effect which preceded it. Regardless, the story itself was another great installment in the Murderbot Diaries.

My only complaint regarding this novella, is the pricing. Tor continues to release these novellas at a price point of a novel. Paying $12 for a e-novella does not seem appropriate to me. Granted, they sometimes offer them on specials later on, but this initial pricing just seems to make a lot of readers unhappy. However, I gave myself and early Christmas present and bought it anyway…
 
Currently reading To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini, which is one seriously weighty tome. I've read 400 pages and am still not halfway through. It started off well enough and I liked it at first, though my early passion is starting to wane.
 
Finished Baxter's Galaxias here. I quite liked the beginning, however we seem to spend the bulk of the novel going to fairly boring meetings (there are a lot of boring meetings) and listening to scientists explain the bleeding obvious to each other.

Of course, a global response to such a threat would indeed involve many such conferences, but that doesn't make for a particularly interesting story, at least for me. I also found the denouement a bit unlikely.
 
Agent Cormac said:
Currently reading To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini, which is one seriously weighty tome. I've read 400 pages and am still not halfway through. It started off well enough and I liked it at first, though my early passion is starting to wane.
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I was similar - really liked the first 100-150 pages, but then felt it descended into fairly standard space opera fare - almost got halfway and put it down.
 
AtramentousFlux said:
Finished Baxter's Galaxias here. I quite liked the beginning, however we seem to spend the bulk of the novel going to fairly boring meetings (there are a lot of boring meetings) and listening to scientists explain the bleeding obvious to each other.
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I can totally see that - nearly 200 in now - though I'm still enjoying it...
 
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