Book Thread

[Cpt.Jericho]

Depends on what you can take. Many eastern novels tend you spit you out thinking that you know less than you thought you knew before. If you can cope with that feeling, try "Roadside Picknick" or "Solaris".

[Hank001]

Solaris was a masterpiece! We screened the here the year it came out. Liked the book better. Had time getting the the film to US back then.

Will check out the other title.

And nobody I've met knows as much as they think they do.

Way to with Steam! Boycotting since 2011.

Edit: Here was favorite sci-fi of my younger days:

"The Masters of Solitude"

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Masters_of_Solitude

Back to series of that day: Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover books.

[Morkonan]

This thread is almost six pages old and no one has mentioned the "Three Body Problem" by Cixin Liu, so far.
As for Weber: As long as he keeps implying that guns and military are the ultimate asnwer I don't consider him as worthwhile.

I've read about the "The Three Body Problem" but just haven't picked it up yet.

Weber isn't at fault for the subject of his military sci-fi. The often reluctant, but seen as necessary, application of military force in the face of imminent disaster is one of the elements that the readers and fans of that genre want to read. One may as well insinuate that Stephen King is a sociopathic murderer due to some of his subject matter.

The true soldier is always the last one who wants war.

On the "Eastern Style." There is a true, distinct, Eastern/Oriental style in writing fiction that is different from what we see as a traditional Three Act Play/Heroic Journey/etc. I can't remember the name, atm, but several Western writers have attempted to adopt that sort of style for a story or three. Not long ago, and pardon my memory, a science-fiction story written in that style gained a lot of Western acclaim. For Western readers, it's very "different" in its read. (Dangit, will have to look through my bookmarks, now, to find some good commentary on it. )

[Hank001]

My ex... One of my exes used to attempt to translate South Korean Sci-Fi to me. We gave up when it too oft delved into concepts that was beyond her to translate into English. I began to believexas she did that this was done on purpose because it made it uniquely theirs and their cultures. Bravo for them if that's so.

[Bishop149]

I've read about the "The Three Body Problem" but just haven't picked it up yet.

All three books in that series have been translated now, and are very good.
The first one (3-body problem) is very heavily rooted in Chinese cultural touch-points around the cultural revolution. I'd recommend getting a version with some decent translators notes to fill you in on the context you;d likely miss unless you grew up Chinese.

If there are any Revelation Space fans here, Reynolds has produced a new books to follow on from The Prefect (now renamed Aurora Rising because it is the start of it own series now, rather than a standalone book). The new book is called Elysium Fire, and it's great. I don't want to talk about it for fear of spoilers, other than to say that I'm loving it.

I'm a big Reynolds fan but my two favourites by him are not one set within his Revelation Space universe. Namely "Pushing Ice" and "House of Suns" both would appear on my list of favourite books ever. . . . . on the subject of that list I'm still sad about Iain (M) Banks, IMO the last few works he did: "Transition", "Surface Detail", "The Hydrogen Sonata" and "Matter" were all head and shoulders above the (already excellent) standard of his previous work. . . . incredible, such a shame they proved to be his last.

Finally, of what I have read recently the following really stands out "Children of Time" by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
Brief synopsis: Humans play god, attempt to uplift some primates to make a race in their own image etc. It's all goes horribly wrong . . . . . spiders accidentally uplifted instead. An exploration of the history and culture of a race of intelligent spiders follows.

[Morkonan]

...Namely "Pushing Ice" and "House of Suns" both would appear on my list of favourite books ever. . . . . on the subject of that list I'm still sad about Iain (M) Banks, IMO the last few works he did: "Transition", "Surface Detail", "The Hydrogen Sonata" and "Matter" were all head and shoulders above the (already excellent) standard of his previous work. . . . incredible, such a shame they proved to be his last...

^--- This. Bravo! You'd be happy to know that all of these are on "my shelf" as well. (In boxes, atm, but all of them much-beloved, especially "House of Suns!" A fookin' great book!)

[muppetts]

Still have Player of Games as my number 1, gutted when he died.

[pjknibbs]

Still have Player of Games as my number 1, gutted when he died.

I've never actually read that one, I must get it sometime--to be honest, I read a lot less these days than I used to, I need to get back into the habit. My favourite of the ones I *have* read is Excession--the entire scene where the Sleeper Service escapes from its pursuing GSV is a high point, but the entire book is superb.

[mrbadger]

Still have Player of Games as my number 1, gutted when he died.

I've never actually read that one, I must get it sometime--to be honest, I read a lot less these days than I used to, I need to get back into the habit. My favourite of the ones I *have* read is Excession--the entire scene where the Sleeper Service escapes from its pursuing GSV is a high point, but the entire book is superb.

I've moved primarily to audiobooks as my means to experience novels these days. It means I can listen while travelling to and from work, or in bed.

I'm just too busy most of the time to lose myself solely into a paper book, although it does happen.

Such occurences are for rare events now, like holidays when I have genuine free time.

My Audible account is my first port of call whenever I'm told of a new book.

[Hank001]

Somehow when the decision to move from printed page to photons on screen is force upon one it makes you yearn for the lost ability to hold the pulp in your hands and dogear the pages, beak a binding or two, hunt for pages that have fallen out, (?)... ... Let me back up here. Maybe washing off ink from you fingers and being the demise of booklice crawling across their home wasn't as glamorous as I thought. Think I'll go back to my KINDLE app and xo some more browsing the electronic shelves...

Edit: When I shut down my smartphone does Android dream of electronic sheep?

[mrbadger]

Upstairs I have hundreds of paperbacks, worth in turn many thousands of pounds. Quite a few first editions, many quite literally irreplaceable now.

or the collection is worth nothing, since I never intend to sell them. My son might. That will be his choice.

However I rarely read them. Not because I don't like them. Often if I want to relive a favorite story I buy a newer copy so I don't have to touch the one in my collection, which is often really old and fragile, or I buy it in audiobook form.

What's the point of collecting books and not reading them?

Well why collect something that was deliberatelly printed to not last (literally 'pulp' fiction) 50-60 years ago, then keep reading it till it falls apart?

All I'd have then is a broken book. As it is most of my books from the 50's-60's are already a bit worse for wear. I daren't read them much. Once for pleasure, then that's it. Unless I can get them in another format, in which case not even once.

I don't buy new SF in paperback form any more. that's always audiobook for me. As far as I'm concerned the golden age for paperback fiction is gone, at least for now.

It might come back. It would be nice if it did.

[Hank001]

No, MrB what would be really great would be for the whole sci-fi genre making a resurgence in print in Any form. They had no more than three years ago sites for new writers to post new sci-fi works. Most died within months after becoming "troll factories". Mainly because I gathered the contributers became outnumbered by the critics. A shame. Only a few survive and mainly because the content is reviewed before posting. Seems editors outnumber the writers too.

[mrbadger]

Agents mostly state on their websites - No Science Fiction - No Fantasy.

Why? Because most of it is badly written garbage. Go look on Amazons self publishing thing for proof.

Sure you can be a 'published author' in minutes, but that lack of difficulty also means the title lacks any real meaning.

Agents are inundated with garbage from people who think their work is good. Most of the time they are mistaken. Yes probably it could be good in time, but few will put in the effort to make it that good.

I thought my work was good, but it turned out to be a moderately ok first draft I shouldn't have shown anyone, let alone an agent. And I thought at the time it was ready?

I was an idiot. Most people are. So they blame the agents, stick their book on Amazon, no-one buys it and they give up.

It took me five years of work to complete my doctoral thesis. Longer than usual because I covered two topics rather than one. That was just 65,000 words. And it still needed corrections.

Novels it appears are actually much harder, because there are no rules, it's all imagination and skill. You can get books with advice, get people to give you feedback (I've done these things) but ultimatelly you're on you're own, just you and the next empty page.

[Hank001]

Nailed the high points there. Most sites I spoke of were started to give the novice an outlet. I got my start when after game modules for the RPGA the editor of their magazine talked me into articles. I found that the secret of good writing is a good editor. I'm suffering now because as of this week spellchecking has been taken away from our Android keyboards systems through Google as it a porthole for hackers. Self proofreading is missing more than you catch. Yes there are in all probability much more budding fictionalists than the market can bear, but the market for any is small. So I suppose we'll keep our libraries of of past masters from the "golden age". I miss Clark and Heinlein and Doc Smith and so many others.

[mrbadger]

Lots of the books in my collection are there for the covers too. I have some truly awful books from that 'golden age'. But the cover art is good, which is why I bought them.

No doubt the publishers were hoping to get the next big thing. They mostly missed.

Mind you, even some of Heinleins work is pretty bad. Stranger in a Strange Land totally failed to sell first time round. For any new author that would have been the end of it. I can't stand it, or Friday.

There are lots of aspiring authors. Lots of aspiring people in all fields. There are lots of aspiring Bill Gates and Elon Musks out there. Loads of people who would have been rich 'if they'd just had that lucky break'. I see plenty in my line of work, convinced the world will make them rich because they deserve it.

Mostly they don't realise that 99.9% of the time you create that 'lucky break' yourself. It never just happens.

[Hank001]

Heinlein regreted Friday and was vocal that it his publisher driving him for something "trendy". Other than that until later he was writng "juveniles" even when he wasn't.

The one I don't like is Orson Scott Card. He never met another writer he didn't insult and he won the Hugo away from "Footfall" simply because it was about Halley's Comet in the year it dissappointed us all with it's dismal showing.

Brinn's novels I read and somehow walked away from.

[pjknibbs]

I wouldn't see the point of an audiobook. If I did something else while listening to it then I'd miss half the plot (I already have this problem if I'm listening to a podcast while working, I'll get engrossed in what I'm doing and suddenly realise I've missed 20 minutes of what they were saying), and if I'm *not* doing anything else, I might as well read the book myself! I think I need to get a pair of reading glasses, though, it's getting harder to see the print these days.

[Hank001]

Well as for me it's approaching as my only option since Braille is becoming a thing of the past as far as literature is concerned. And I'm finding as Mrbadger suggests, it's easy to multi task with audio books, at least for me.

[mrbadger]

I wouldn't see the point of an audiobook. If I did something else while listening to it then I'd miss half the plot (I already have this problem if I'm listening to a podcast while working, I'll get engrossed in what I'm doing and suddenly realise I've missed 20 minutes of what they were saying), and if I'm *not* doing anything else, I might as well read the book myself! I think I need to get a pair of reading glasses, though, it's getting harder to see the print these days.

I have train journeys and now a walk to work to fill. Not a very long walk, but I need to walk to maintain my ability to walk at all. Having a book to listen to is a nice distraction from the pain that walking causes me. Plus the Gym too. Why do they play such awful loud music? it's not a pickup bar.

I miss my long evenings of walking , but those won't come back.

I can't listen to an audiobook while I'm doing something other than mentioned above either. I find, like you that I've missed a large block and I need to go back. That starts to grate if it happens too often, so I no longer even try.

[Morkonan]

...The one I don't like is Orson Scott Card. He never met another writer he didn't insult and he won the Hugo away from "Footfall" simply because it was about Halley's Comet in the year it dissappointed us all with it's dismal showing.

Well, the cat's out of the bag! That vote/controversy still resonates in Hugo circles.

The contenders: https://www.tor.com/2011/06/05/hugo-awards-1986/

Some fine books there, even if there are far too many that spawned from already recognized novelette editions.

Each year, it seems the Hugo controversies get bigger. Puppygate

IMO, this is a problem. The problem is, in my opinion, some books get picked not for their quality, but for their subject matter. That's not always a bad thing, since authors are often tasked with being the "conscience of a culture." But, in several recent awards, books have been given awards influenced more by "activists" focused on a political or cultural spectrum than just plain good writing.

How could I pick between Ender's Game and Footfall? I loved them both. They were both well-written works. They both manage to reach beyond their pages. Neither could have been told or written differently and been of better quality - They're outstanding works.

In short - Social and political divisiveness is now a part of the Hugo awards. The "Puppies" have formed their lines and, in some cases, this divisiveness has resulted in stalemates that end up with awards not being awarded, even if there are many fine stories that deserve them.

Brinn's novels I read and somehow walked away from.

Brinn isn't a stranger to controversy, either. I've enjoyed a great many of his stories, though. In short: He writes very well. (That's a very big compliment for any author, btw.) I think his "Uplift" universe is actually more important a notion than some of the stories that are presented within it. I loved "Brightness Reef" more than his other Uplift novels, I think. Then again, I was also caught up in the adventure started in Sundiver, too.

I'm a huge fan of "The Postman" which is just a darn wonderful story and a very good example of what's best about pure science-fiction.

(I'm a full supporter of one of Brinn's other passions - A campaign against "Active SETI" also known as "METI." (Messaging Extra-Terrestrials) I've had some - uh - "heated" discussions with Alexander Zaitsev on this subject, myself. In other places, using another NIC, of course. )

...I think I need to get a pair of reading glasses, though, it's getting harder to see the print these days.

Same here, though I keep putting it off. I also am not a fan of "audio books" as true "books" since the experience is completely different for me. I don't begrudge that for others, though, and have listened to audio-books when traveling on many occasions. BUT, the sorts of audio-books I'd choose for that are specifically the sorts of books I wouldn't normally considering buying off the shelf. They're usually in genres other than standard science-fiction/fantasy or are currently acclaimed titles I wouldn't normally be interested in reading. (Never non-fiction, since I want that in my hands so I can examine it in detail.)