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Books Not Heroscape-related. |
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#2653
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Re: Books: What are you currently reading?
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#2654
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Re: Books: What are you currently reading?
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#2655
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Re: Books: What are you currently reading?
Alright I am intrigued...You have mentioned this before and now I am interested. As someone thinking about testing the water what would your recommend. Not sure if I am ready for the big dive but I did notice that there is a lot in the audio book catalog including the short stories and I'm willing to give it a listen. Are there any smaller commitment stories you would recommend that don't spoil any of the larger stories in case I like it or would you just recommend jumping to Revelation Space and an opening?
Would I want it to be everything I love...sure...but that's just not realistic so I'm going to focus on finding things that will make me unhappy and work on fixing those. |
#2656
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Re: Books: What are you currently reading?
Reynolds does a good job of making everything read well in any order, I think. At least I was happy doing that. One of the reasons is that there are always more ideas and subplots thrown out than can be explored. So if one gets explored in a short story, it's either a nice expansion (if you read it afterwards) or good background (if you read it first). Or maybe I just got lucky with the order I read them in? The one exception is the "Inhibitor Trilogy", Revelation Space, Absolution Gap and Redemption Ark, which are probably best read in that order.
The first thing I read was a novella called Diamond Dogs, and this might be ideal for what you want if you can find it. It gives a really good sense of the feel of the universe (quite dark, has a neat alien thingy that is fairly representative of the overall way the series deals with aliens). What this, and the short stories, don't do that the novels do really well is take several long strands of story and build them into a coherent, connected finale. I don't know about audio books, but it came as a physical book with Turquoise Days, which is also good. Of the short stories, Grafenwelder's Bestiary stood out as one I really enjoyed. It might be worth reading A Spy in Europa first and it is one that ties in with other books a bit more strongly (there's an overlapping character with Diamond Dogs and the worms feature in the novels). Weather is another one I enjoyed. This explains more about the slightly mysterious conjoiner engines that allow near-light-speed travel and are in more-or-less all of the books/stories. This is one I read later and was glad to have more background, but I think it'd also work as making the books more enjoyable if you knew in advance. While I wait for The Prefect to arrive in the mail (the only Revelation Space book I haven't read) I'm taking my own advice and (re-)reading a John Wyndham book. Trouble with Lichen. Interesting to contrast it with what I just said about Reynolds. Rather than a bajillion ideas that give a great sense of an overarching universe without stranding you (or blindsiding you with something you couldn't know to save the story), Wyndham at his best takes one idea and plugs it into our world (well, 1950s Britain) and sees how it all plays out. In this case it's an anti-aging drug. At the time it was probably quite daringly feminist: the protaganist is a female scientist and it tracks her attempt to overthrow the existing order to make it fairer for women. By this point (at least 5 reads, maybe more, over the last 20 years) it's like an old friend and I know what's coming next. But there's still a lot to appreciate. |
#2658
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Re: Books: What are you currently reading?
Just went to Barnes & Noble to pick up the newly republished A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin. Actually, it collects for the first time the three canonical novellas set in Westeros, ninety years before Game of Thrones. Follow the adventures of a hedge knight and his lowly squire in three tales published originally in 1998, 2004, and 2010, now with lots of pictures, in the days when Targaeryns still sit on the iron throne, and people still remember live dragons.
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#2659
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Re: Books: What are you currently reading?
Whoa! I did not know this existed! Thanks for the heads up!
Semi-Retired C3G Hero (and first Official Member of the C3G Target Audience!) The correct way to add C3G playtests to posts. My favorite day EVER on heroscapers. DISCLAIMER: C3G claims no ownership of the characters or artwork used for C3G customs. All rights for the characters belong to their respective publishers/creators. C3G cards are not intended for sale, and C3G does not authorize any party to profit from C3G cards. RIP George Perez
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#2660
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Re: Books: What are you currently reading?
I'm in the third book of the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.
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#2662
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Re: Books: What are you currently reading?
I've heard nothing but good things about that series, but the sheer volume of the entire series intimidates me a little.
Semi-Retired C3G Hero (and first Official Member of the C3G Target Audience!) The correct way to add C3G playtests to posts. My favorite day EVER on heroscapers. DISCLAIMER: C3G claims no ownership of the characters or artwork used for C3G customs. All rights for the characters belong to their respective publishers/creators. C3G cards are not intended for sale, and C3G does not authorize any party to profit from C3G cards. RIP George Perez
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#2663
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Re: Books: What are you currently reading?
It isn't for everybody. I wish I would have given up after the first book.
Follow the adventures of Agent Minivann
http://agentminivann.blogspot.com/ http://opensourcevolleyball.blogspot.com/ |
#2664
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Re: Books: What are you currently reading?
The first three are excellent, the next three are pretty good, then it slogs until the Brandon Sanderson ones. Ultimately... I was happy I read them.
~Aldin, reading _Shadows of Self_ by Sanderson at the moment He either fears his fate too much or his desserts are small That dares not put it to the touch to gain or lose it all ~James Graham |
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