Reading SF in September 2026

[Fryan]

Review's up, Fryan: https://www.sffworld.com/2026/09/massif-by-garth-nix/ Hope that's useful.

Great review! And thanks for sharing the link. I think this’ll be one I pass on.

 

[chitman13]

The Infinite Extent by Dennis E Taylor (Bobiverse #6) - finished this after reading the series back-to-back, and I that definitely helped. I did enjoy it, but I'd also say it's perhaps not as good as the other books in terms of story, and much more 'Bob' focused without the side-plots we've had in previous books. While events happened, there were definitely things that did not move along as much as I'd have liked, which was somewhat frustrating given the ending. Taylor has said he plans 7 books in the main linear timeline of the Bobiverse, so I'm hoping he ties off things satisfactorily in the next one.

 

[chitman13]

Dreamcatcher by Stephen King - another of King's I hadn't read, and this one was a slog that seemed to be full of filler and it could have been much leaner and a tighter more focused story. Perhaps I think this because of the film (which I did enjoy), though looking around online after finishing led me to King himself saying it was written at a bad period following his accident, and when he was on some strong pain relief drugs.

 

[Cicero]

Dreamcatcher by Stephen King - another of King's I hadn't read, and this one was a slog that seemed to be full of filler and it could have been much leaner and a tighter more focused story. Perhaps I think this because of the film (which I did enjoy), though looking around online after finishing led me to King himself saying it was written at a bad period following his accident, and when he was on some strong pain relief drugs.

I read a few pages and gave up on it.

 

[Fryan]

I finished up Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie last night. Totally loved it. Loved how she just drops the reader into the universe and you just sort of keep going on blind faith. Really liked how there was no hand holding, very little exposition (or it was cleverly worked into the narrative). And you just have to piece it all together.

I immediately started in on the second book in the series and I feel like I have narrative whiplash. In the opening chapter there’s SO much handholding. I feel like Leckie is explaining everything to me like I’m 5 and even Breq’s first person narration feels like it has been made to read like a more generic narrative voice.

Really hoping once she moves out of “recap the previous book” mode and into the plot of this one, it picks back up.

 

[Siberian]

I finished up Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie last night. Totally loved it. Loved how she just drops the reader into the universe and you just sort of keep going on blind faith. Really liked how there was no hand holding, very little exposition (or it was cleverly worked into the narrative). And you just have to piece it all together.

I immediately started in on the second book in the series and I feel like I have narrative whiplash. In the opening chapter there’s SO much handholding. I feel like Leckie is explaining everything to me like I’m 5 and even Breq’s first person narration feels like it has been made to read like a more generic narrative voice.

Really hoping once she moves out of “recap the previous book” mode and into the plot of this one, it picks back up.

I remember loving Ancillary Justice the first time I read it when it came out. It reminded me strongly of the classic Le Guin (especially The Left Hand of Darkness). Sadly, the sequels were a letdown, and I haven't even read anything by this author since.

 

[Fryan]

I remember loving Ancillary Justice the first time I read it when it came out. It reminded me strongly of the classic Le Guin (especially The Left Hand of Darkness). Sadly, the sequels were a letdown, and I haven't even read anything by this author since.

Yikes! Sad to hear the series dropped off for you as well. I’m still going through the second book, but let’s see if I continue further…

 

[Siberian]

Yikes! Sad to hear the series dropped off for you as well. I’m still going through the second book, but let’s see if I continue further…

She wrote more books in this universe, maybe they got better...

 

[Fryan]

She wrote more books in this universe, maybe they got better...

Yes, I actually have one of those on my eReader, picked it up when it was deeply discounted…let’s see if I live to regret that impulse purchase.

 

[Diosces]

Reading Fold Catastrophes by Peter Watts.
A bunch of near future high tech short stories. Three stories in and great so far.
If you familiar with Watts, you know the prose will be dense, packed with speculative science and well written.

 

[chitman13]

A few finished over the last week:

Trouble on Paradise by Craig Alanson (Expeditionary Force #3.5) - a side-story looking at what is happening on Paradise while events of the main series occur. Interesting enough, but I didnt think it was particulalrly vital to read, at least based on my current progress of the series.

Grind by Bobby Adair (Slow Burn #8) - nearly done with this series and one more to go in the omnibus I bought (though I believe there's at least one further novel been released). Much the same as all the others, easy and quick listening but nothing groundbreaking or new to the genre.

The Many by Sylvain Neuvel - initial thought is it has similarities with the TV show Pluribus (though I've only watched the first epeisode, so cold be very wrong!). As always with Neuvel, he's engaging and interesting, and overall a decent listen.

 

[Fryan]

I finished Ancillary Sword, the second book in Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch series. This one suffered a bit from “second book syndrome”, where it just wasn’t nearly as good as the first one. Or, maybe it was a case that my expectations were too high coming off the first book?

Either way, I found this one far less engaging and I think a problem the series has is that it’s missing a strong plot thread to propel the reader through the series. There is a sort of thread running through the books, but it’s a bit nebulous.

I also found the characterizations in this one a bit too generic or cardboard cutout-like. Leckie also fell into the trap of telling too much rather than showing.

I do think I’ll read the final installment, but I’m not nearly as excited about this series as I was after the first book.

Curious what others have thought and if anyone has read the full series, what they think of the whole?

 

[Prairie_Dog]

I finished Ancillary Sword, the second book in Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch series. This one suffered a bit from “second book syndrome”, where it just wasn’t nearly as good as the first one. Or, maybe it was a case that my expectations were too high coming off the first book?

Either way, I found this one far less engaging and I think a problem the series has is that it’s missing a strong plot thread to propel the reader through the series. There is a sort of thread running through the books, but it’s a bit nebulous.

I also found the characterizations in this one a bit too generic or cardboard cutout-like. Leckie also fell into the trap of telling too much rather than showing.

I do think I’ll read the final installment, but I’m not nearly as excited about this series as I was after the first book.

Curious what others have thought and if anyone has read the full series, what they think of the whole?

I think the third book Imperial Mercy goes in a different direction, and I found it better than the second. After you finish the trilogy, there are three independent novels and a few short stories set in the Imperial Radch Universe. I liked them all, but thought Translation State was the most interesting, partly because there are interactions with aliens.