April's Fools and what they're reading. - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

knivesout · 5th April 2005, 07:00 AM

Happy, Jon?

So here we are. April's 'Now Reading' thread. That most indispensable of topics on a board like this. In which we narrate our literary journey's to each other, in the manner of all travellers through all of time and space.

I'm currently reading The Seperation by Christopher Priest, an alt-historical world war 2 novel that won the Arthur C Clarke award and the British SF award in 2003.

Teresa Edgerton · 5th April 2005, 08:21 AM

Er ... shouldn't you have stuck this thread?

I just brought home Ghosts in the Snow by Tamara Siler Jones, and Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country by Rosalind Miles. I'm reading the Jones first. The other one may have to wait, if Mark's book arrives this week like Amazon promised me.

knivesout · 5th April 2005, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kelpie

Er ... shouldn't you have stuck this thread?

Yes. I've done it now.

Leto · 5th April 2005, 08:57 AM

Ok, back from sweet holidays.
Still into my Dune re-read - now the "God Emperor of Dune". The most romantic novel in the serie.
During holidays, I've also read 2 mystery books by Fred Vargas, "Pars vite et reviens tard" about a new pest epidemy in Paris, and" L'Homme aux cercles bleus". Good reads but the writing is not really consistent. I've read (or more exactly re-read) a collection of short stories (written mostly in the late 60s) by Robert Silverberg : "To see the invisible man" , a Jack Vance novel - "The Blue World", and Isidore Haiblum's "The Tsaddik of Seven Wonders". The last one is a crazy story mixing Monty python burlesque and jewish humor.

Currently reading along with Dune part 4, "The Weavers of Saramyr" and "The Ancient" by Muriel Gray.

Winters_Sorrow · 5th April 2005, 09:42 AM

well - I'm about 200 pages into Garden of the Moon by Steven Erikson. Never read any of his work before and I notice he tends to flip from character to character without warning (like GRRM). I'm finding it a 'hard read' to begin with as he tends to speed through some things like 'High House Shadow' & 'Warrens' without little initial explanation but I'm slowly picking it up. Haven't been hooked so far, as I was with Magican or Game of Thrones however.

Quokka · 5th April 2005, 01:08 PM

Im still wandering through the masterworks releases and picked up a few more second hand the other day, I really do enjoy rumaging through a new second hand book store. Reading Flowers for Algernon (Daniel Keyes) at the moment and as with the other books I'm really suprised how little they have dated, I always assumed that'd be a big problem for SF but I guess a good story is a good story. Also grabbed The Worm Ouroboros (E.R. Eddison) from the companion Fantasy Masterworks releases, Not sure if it'll be my cup of tea or not but Ive a very long flight comming up so we'll see

Either way I'm still keen to read 'The lathe of Heaven' afterwards.

dwndrgn · 5th April 2005, 01:54 PM

I'm in the middle of both Sean Russell's The One Kingdom and Chris Bunch's The Seer King. Oddly enough I picked up both at a second-hand store thinking they would be something new...now that I'm into them I realize that I've read both before - some time ago. I don't recall much about either so the re-read is a non issue. The One Kingdom has some uniqueness but it also has the drawback of not really having a 'background ambiance', which means (to me at least) that the action takes place in some sort of bubble as the author hasn't really explored the world in enough detail for this reader. What I enjoy about Bunch's The Seer King is that the protagonist has a sarcastic/humorous and realistic tone of voice that I enjoy. The fact that the main character is a part of a military unit, with good descriptions thereof, reminds me of Mark Urpen's work.

Tsujigiri · 5th April 2005, 02:24 PM

I don't believe I'm actually reading the Encyclopedia of Living Faiths......

dwndrgn · 5th April 2005, 03:35 PM

Sounds like some serious reading!

dwndrgn · 7th April 2005, 02:58 PM

I've got three books going currently, the two mentioned previously and now Mary Gentle's Rats and Gargoyles. I'm only a short way into this one and I'm liking it though it is a bit dark for my normal tastes. It shares some similarities with Mieville's Perdido Street Station so I'm hoping it continues as well to the finish.

Now that I've said that I'm going to put the above three on hold as I just got a load of books from the library - mostly YA titles suggested in the YA thread a few days ago. Hopefully I'll enjoy them - whether I do or not, you'll hear about it I'm sure

Neon · 7th April 2005, 11:57 PM

I just finished the Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb, and have just begun the first book in the Tawny Man series entitled Fool's Errand.

Amber · 8th April 2005, 06:41 PM

I'm rereading the Foundation series for about the hundreth time, and am flicking through the Silmarillion

And for light reading which isn't sci-fi I'm reading Andy McNabb boks. Surprisingly enjoyable, fast paced with a lot of earthy humour. And I love the relationship between Nick and Kelly ^^- him sending Kelly (8) to nick some passports for them lol

igneouscarl · 8th April 2005, 07:40 PM

I'm in the middle of 'Wolves of Calla' by King and also reading 'The Stone Canal' by Macleod. Then whatever I feel like, which will no doubt be the next Dark Tower!

Leto · 8th April 2005, 07:44 PM

Duncan or Connor MacLeod ?
Sorry, i'm not familiar with this author. What's the book about ?

Currently started the second half of the Neutronium Alchemist by Peter F Hamilton (second part of Night's Dawn "trilogy"). Not enough Capone but at least Edenists are doing something now.

Winters_Sorrow · 8th April 2005, 07:47 PM

Still ploughing through Gardens of Moon (although I'm into Darjus-thingy city so it's starting to pick up)

Bad news is, I picked up a cheap 2nd hand copy of Wolf In Shadow by David Gemmell and now I keep dipping into that one!

5th April 2005, 07:00 AM	#1 (permalink)
knivesout cheap,flashy little crook Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 2,998	April's Fools and what they're reading. Happy, Jon? So here we are. April's 'Now Reading' thread. That most indispensable of topics on a board like this. In which we narrate our literary journey's to each other, in the manner of all travellers through all of time and space. I'm currently reading The Seperation by Christopher Priest, an alt-historical world war 2 novel that won the Arthur C Clarke award and the British SF award in 2003.

5th April 2005, 08:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
Teresa Edgerton Ink-stained Wretch Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: California Posts: 4,586	Re: April's Fools and what they're reading. Er ... shouldn't you have stuck this thread? I just brought home Ghosts in the Snow by Tamara Siler Jones, and Guenevere, Queen of the Summer Country by Rosalind Miles. I'm reading the Jones first. The other one may have to wait, if Mark's book arrives this week like Amazon promised me.

5th April 2005, 08:57 AM	#4 (permalink)
Leto Outside Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 2,332	Re: April's Fools and what they're reading. Ok, back from sweet holidays. Still into my Dune re-read - now the "God Emperor of Dune". The most romantic novel in the serie. During holidays, I've also read 2 mystery books by Fred Vargas, "Pars vite et reviens tard" about a new pest epidemy in Paris, and" L'Homme aux cercles bleus". Good reads but the writing is not really consistent. I've read (or more exactly re-read) a collection of short stories (written mostly in the late 60s) by Robert Silverberg : "To see the invisible man" , a Jack Vance novel - "The Blue World", and Isidore Haiblum's "The Tsaddik of Seven Wonders". The last one is a crazy story mixing Monty python burlesque and jewish humor. Currently reading along with Dune part 4, "The Weavers of Saramyr" and "The Ancient" by Muriel Gray.

5th April 2005, 09:42 AM	#5 (permalink)
Winters_Sorrow Unreg. Mutant Moderator Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Tyne and Wear Posts: 2,689	Re: April's Fools and what they're reading. well - I'm about 200 pages into Garden of the Moon by Steven Erikson. Never read any of his work before and I notice he tends to flip from character to character without warning (like GRRM). I'm finding it a 'hard read' to begin with as he tends to speed through some things like 'High House Shadow' & 'Warrens' without little initial explanation but I'm slowly picking it up. Haven't been hooked so far, as I was with Magican or Game of Thrones however.

5th April 2005, 01:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
Quokka wandering Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Australia, Western Australia Posts: 1,191	Re: April's Fools and what they're reading. Im still wandering through the masterworks releases and picked up a few more second hand the other day, I really do enjoy rumaging through a new second hand book store. Reading Flowers for Algernon (Daniel Keyes) at the moment and as with the other books I'm really suprised how little they have dated, I always assumed that'd be a big problem for SF but I guess a good story is a good story. Also grabbed The Worm Ouroboros (E.R. Eddison) from the companion Fantasy Masterworks releases, Not sure if it'll be my cup of tea or not but Ive a very long flight comming up so we'll see Either way I'm still keen to read 'The lathe of Heaven' afterwards.

5th April 2005, 01:54 PM	#7 (permalink)
dwndrgn Fierce Vowelless One Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 3,663	Re: April's Fools and what they're reading. I'm in the middle of both Sean Russell's The One Kingdom and Chris Bunch's The Seer King. Oddly enough I picked up both at a second-hand store thinking they would be something new...now that I'm into them I realize that I've read both before - some time ago. I don't recall much about either so the re-read is a non issue. The One Kingdom has some uniqueness but it also has the drawback of not really having a 'background ambiance', which means (to me at least) that the action takes place in some sort of bubble as the author hasn't really explored the world in enough detail for this reader. What I enjoy about Bunch's The Seer King is that the protagonist has a sarcastic/humorous and realistic tone of voice that I enjoy. The fact that the main character is a part of a military unit, with good descriptions thereof, reminds me of Mark Urpen's work.

5th April 2005, 02:24 PM	#8 (permalink)
Tsujigiri Waiting at the Crossroads Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 1,489	Re: April's Fools and what they're reading. I don't believe I'm actually reading the Encyclopedia of Living Faiths......

5th April 2005, 03:35 PM	#9 (permalink)
dwndrgn Fierce Vowelless One Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 3,663	Re: April's Fools and what they're reading. Sounds like some serious reading!

7th April 2005, 02:58 PM	#10 (permalink)
dwndrgn Fierce Vowelless One Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Florida Posts: 3,663	Re: April's Fools and what they're reading. I've got three books going currently, the two mentioned previously and now Mary Gentle's Rats and Gargoyles. I'm only a short way into this one and I'm liking it though it is a bit dark for my normal tastes. It shares some similarities with Mieville's Perdido Street Station so I'm hoping it continues as well to the finish. Now that I've said that I'm going to put the above three on hold as I just got a load of books from the library - mostly YA titles suggested in the YA thread a few days ago. Hopefully I'll enjoy them - whether I do or not, you'll hear about it I'm sure

7th April 2005, 11:57 PM	#11 (permalink)
Neon Brighter than a lightbulb Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 332	Re: April's Fools and what they're reading. I just finished the Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb, and have just begun the first book in the Tawny Man series entitled Fool's Errand.

8th April 2005, 06:41 PM	#12 (permalink)
Amber Oh mighty Gackt Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 517	Re: April's Fools and what they're reading. I'm rereading the Foundation series for about the hundreth time, and am flicking through the Silmarillion And for light reading which isn't sci-fi I'm reading Andy McNabb boks. Surprisingly enjoyable, fast paced with a lot of earthy humour. And I love the relationship between Nick and Kelly ^^- him sending Kelly (8) to nick some passports for them lol

8th April 2005, 07:40 PM	#13 (permalink)
igneouscarl Degenerate and wretched Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 21	Re: April's Fools and what they're reading. I'm in the middle of 'Wolves of Calla' by King and also reading 'The Stone Canal' by Macleod. Then whatever I feel like, which will no doubt be the next Dark Tower!

8th April 2005, 07:44 PM	#14 (permalink)
Leto Outside Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 2,332	Re: April's Fools and what they're reading. Duncan or Connor MacLeod ? Sorry, i'm not familiar with this author. What's the book about ? Currently started the second half of the Neutronium Alchemist by Peter F Hamilton (second part of Night's Dawn "trilogy"). Not enough Capone but at least Edenists are doing something now.

8th April 2005, 07:47 PM	#15 (permalink)
Winters_Sorrow Unreg. Mutant Moderator Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Tyne and Wear Posts: 2,689	Re: April's Fools and what they're reading. Still ploughing through Gardens of Moon (although I'm into Darjus-thingy city so it's starting to pick up) Bad news is, I picked up a cheap 2nd hand copy of Wolf In Shadow by David Gemmell and now I keep dipping into that one!

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