Peadar

I have started Adrian Tchaikovsky's Alien Clay. Enjoyable so far, as you might expect...

On 2/4/2024 at 10:02 PM, Underfoot said:

I found this interview from last year:

No info on the third book on the skyhorse/talos publishing website, Goodreads, or Amazon. Hopefully 2025??

Ah, now, well sure that's good news, so it is! Thanks for sharing.

5 hours ago, Underfoot said:

At the recommendation of one or more people on this board quite awhile ago, I read Master Assassins and Sidewinders by Robert V.S. Redick, book 1 and 2 of the Fire Sacraments trilogy. Absolutely stellar. Well realized characters, one of the most interesting and imaginative but fully realized worlds I've read for a long time, and a plot that pulls you along and grows and grows in import over time. Run, don't walk to read these!

Unfortunately Sidewinders ended on more of a cliffhanger than I'd like - does anyone know when book 3 (Siege) is coming out?

 

Yes! These are great. I tried to engage the author on Twitter last year, but got no response about book 3. I hope it's on its way.

On 1/15/2024 at 11:09 PM, VigoTheCarpathian said:

Just finished “City of Last Chances” by Adrian Tchaikovsky - my wife picked it up on a whim at the library, and I was pleasantly surprised and sucked in by the worldbuilding and original story, I’d only heard the name mentioned here, but will definitely check out more by this author.

Almost done with “Searoad: Chronicles of Klatsand” by Ursula Le Guin.  Really odd and poetic set of short stories, very beautiful little vignettes that really is some of the best writing in/about the Pacific NW I’ve ever experienced.

There is a new book set in the same world "The House of Open Wounds". Also great, IMHO.

As for me, I just read the graphic novel Voyaging, Volume One: The Plague Star, adapted by Raya Golden from our old pal, GRRM's Tuff series. Very enjoyable.

On 12/27/2023 at 12:17 AM, williamjm said:

I also bought the book about the time it was being discussed a lot on the boards but never actually got round to reading it. I think some of the reactions I've read to how the series progressed didn't really encourage me to start it.

I highly recommend the first trilogy. Yes, there is some dodginess -- lack of women except as unflattering clichés -- but some of the good parts made me feel like I was hurtling towards the edge of a cliff with no brakes. In a good way. Dark and way too horrible to miss out on.

As for me, Adrian Tchaikovsky's House of Open Wounds was tremendous fun. If you liked the first book in the same universe, you'll like this too. If not, not.

7 hours ago, Wilbur said:

Since Ser Not Appearing plans to eventually feature a novel by Lawrence Watt-Evans on his podcast, I was prompted to take one with me on the family trip to the cabins on Lake Patagonia State Park this past week.  I chose the first book of The Lords of Dûs, which is The Lure of the Basilisk.  Fortunately, I still possess the original paperbacks, which featured some excellent cover art, unlike the heated garbage of later re-printings.

Strangely, this is an author I totally missed out on. Might try to rectify that soon.

For now, I am starting Adrian Tchaikovsky's House of Open Wounds. As always, a few pages in, I know I'm in good hands. This is set in the same world as his excellent City of Lost Chances, but apparently, you can read them in any order. Let's see...

I have just started Ascension by Nicholas Binge.

On to Sword of the Lictor by Gene Wolfe. 

10 hours ago, JGP said:

Not a big horror buff myself, but just going to pipe up regarding Buehlman whose writings are one of my more favorite discoveries in the last few years.

Between Two Fires is a surreal creepfest and, though not topical, his foray into Fantasy with The Blacktongue Thief displayed enviable versatility alongside being very funny.

All of this. Between Two Fires is highly recommended.

I finished Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe -- a reread after decades. It's *very* male-gazey, something my teenaged self failed to notice at all. Onto part two...

Re-reading Gene Wolfe's Shadow of the Torturer for the first time since I was about 15. Enjoying it a lot, I have to say.

I am just starting The Immortality Thief by Taran Hunt. 

I have almost finished Tim Pratt's Doors of Sleep. It's about a guy who travels (seemingly randomly) between universes every time he falls asleep. It's an entertaining and easy read. I may well check out some of the author's other books.

7 hours ago, Ser Rodrigo Belmonte II said:

 

I wanted to start Paul Kearney’s The Monarchies of God next, any views on him ? I’m a huge fan of Matthew Stover and I’ve heard Kearney’s style is similar. But I’ve also heard Monarchies feels very rushed and short.

I thought The Monarchies of God was really good. However!!! If I remember right -- and it's been a while -- there are two different versions, and it's the later one you should read. @Werthead is an expert. He'll know...

11 hours ago, Iskaral Pust said:

Slow Horses by Mick Herron is the first in a series about British espionage, focusing on the cadre of unwanted & disgraced within MI5.  The pacing is torturously slow to convey the frustration of the tedious make-work and Kafka-esque punishment.  I disliked it.  Perhaps if I was in a different mood I would have been more receptive, but it felt like a cryptic, joyless slog — faithfully capturing the intended tone but not at all enjoyable to read.

I doubt I would enjoy the book either, but the TV series on Apple TV is enjoyable.

I'm reading The Anomoly by Hervé Le Tellier, translated by Adriana Hunter. Very good so far, but only two chapters in...

7 hours ago, williamjm said:

Guns of the Dawn, Children of Time, Dogs of War and City of Last Chances were some that I particularly liked by him. I haven't read The Expert System's Brother.

These are all great. In my opinion, Guns of the Dawn, Dogs of War and Cage of Souls are his finest works.

I have started The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Naylor. Good so far. Near future Earth-based SF with an octopus. Don't know much else so far and haven't even read the blurb...

I might give Michelle West a go next, although I'm struggling with the first few pages for some reason.

On 5/27/2023 at 10:50 PM, williamjm said:

I finished Adrian Tchaikovsky's The Lords of Uncreation, the third book in his Final Architecture space opera trilogy. I thought it was a really good conclusion to the story. While there are certainly elements of the premise that are quite familiar (such as the spaceship crewed by misfits who end up having to save the day), I thought that the series did have some interesting ideas that I hadn't seen in the other space operas I had read. I thought the conclusion of the story was very satisfying and I liked that it was about more than having a big space battle (although there are a couple of big space battles in the book). I thought some of the world-building was also very good, I particularly liked the Essiel, an alien race so different from humans (in appearance they look like giant clams) that it is a struggle to understand them or to even figure out whether they are trying to help or hinder. Some other bits of the world-building are a bit less detailed, we don't really get much of an impression about what life on ordinary human worlds is like in this future. I also enjoyed the characters and thought they all got some interesting things to do in the final book, although it did sometimes feel like there are only a couple of dozen important people in this interstellar civilisation who all seem to know each other. I think Tchaikovsky has perhaps written a few better books, but I still liked this one a lot.

I'm reading this now. Glad you enjoyed it!

Nick Harkaway's Titanium Noir was very enjoyable. He's a witty SOB, that's for sure. Not too sure what's next...

Just about to start Titanium Noir by Nick Harkaway.

I'm reading Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, as suggested by RhaenysBee. Very good so far.

Reading Adrian Tchaikovsky's And Put Away Childish Things. Fun, so far.

I finished Octavia Butler's Kindred and felt it ended very suddenly. It was as though it just... stopped, even though all threads were tied up correctly. I much prefer her Parable of the Sower.

M. R. Carey's Infinity Gate was excellent. There were too rather alarming coincidences that almost threw me off, but they were sort-of explained towards the end. Over all, recommended.

Currently reading North 40, a graphic novel by Aaron Williams and Fiona Staples.