Reading SF in June 2026

[krisbslick]

I was SO disappointed, I didn't finish it. Really the two books need reading back to back: there's so much going on from the start of this one that depends on you remembering who, what, where and when from the first.

I'm listening to The Helium Sea now too. Only about 30% through. Definitely a lot to remember and juggle. I'm taking a different approach: just trying to float along, taking things as they come, and if I don't remember something/someone, oh well. (like you said, Mark, it would have definitely helped re-reading the first). I will say - there's already a lot more action in this one than the first 80% of The Archimedes Engine, so I am liking that aspect.

 

[Hobbit]

I'm listening to The Helium Sea now too. Only about 30% through. Definitely a lot to remember and juggle. I'm taking a different approach: just trying to float along, taking things as they come, and if I don't remember something/someone, oh well. (like you said, Mark, it would have definitely helped re-reading the first). I will say - there's already a lot more action in this one than the first 80% of The Archimedes Engine, so I am liking that aspect.

Totally agree, Kris. I really should have just gone with the flow, but after about 150 pages I was still having to remember names and things from the first book so much that I wasn't enjoying it. Am sure it was all heading towards a dramatic ending, though - as Mark suggests!

I will try again at some point - just not sure when. I may have to reread book 1 first.

 

[T77]

I preordered The Helium Sea on Audible, so it is waiting there for me to finish up some other books that I want to read. Out of 19 Audible reviews it is sitting at a rating of 4.8. So, hopefully I will like it too.

 

[chitman13]

Completely get where you're coming from, Mark - I re-listened to TAE in April and even then it's not easy to follow through on all the characters and plots, moreso than Hamilton's previous books, for some reason.

 

[chitman13]

For the First Time, Again by Sylvain Neuvel (Take Them To The Stars #3) - both enjoyable and not here, with the story coming to a conclusion that can be read as clear, but also leaves the door wide open should Neuvel want to revisit. I much preferred the first two books, but this was an easy listen and put to rest lots of plot points, but not in an entirely satisfying way.

 

[Raf]

I'm in kind of a reading quandary right now. I've got 4 books going and none of them are holding my interest.

"The Crimson Deathbringers" as you would probably imagine was a DNF.

John Birmingham's"Axis of Time: Reloaded trilogy has me stalled halfway into the 3rd novel which is more of a WW2 spy novel than science fiction.

The 3rd book of Chuck Roger's Fantasy trilogy, "Heroes Road" has just gotten silly.

Michael Flynn's, "The Wreck of the River of Stars". Started it last night, but it's pretty slow. Almost Weber-ish in the sheer amount of character navel gazing. I love Flynn's writing, but sometimes...

And all the inner comparison of Weber to Flynn led me into an attempted re-read of David Weber's "SafeHold" series. Still unfinished and likely to never be finished at this rate. But one of my favorite scifi series ever. I know he can get lost in the political dialectic and mundane details, but I figure I can skim over that and catch the high points.