ThReads Must Roll: the new, improved rolling fantasy, science fiction, speculative fiction &c. thread

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (5028 of them)

Or perhaps just things that last for a wide audience who like different aspects of the thing. Maybe simple yet powerful things hold a smaller audience but for just as long.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 13 March 2020 19:28 (four years ago) link

The guy flying on the We Who Are About To cover reminds me of 2000 AD's Tharg.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 13 March 2020 19:30 (four years ago) link

Looks like I picked the wrong week to start reading The Parable of the Sower.

Paperbag raita (ledge), Monday, 16 March 2020 16:49 (four years ago) link

http://www.valancourtbooks.com/the-valancourt-book-of-world-horror-stories-vol-1.html

Haven't heard of a single author of those announced so far!

Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 21 March 2020 22:30 (four years ago) link

Watched a French youtube interview with Stableford from 2016, but it's quite long and a lot of time is spent going through a translator. I always assume that prolific translators must know their languages well enough to listen and speak fluently, but yesterday saw a prolific chinese translator who taught in china for several years say he still needs help from his chinese wife to understand chinese language films.

Stableford says his personal favorite books by himself are Prelude To Eternity, Alien Abduction: The Wilshire Revelations and Vampires Of Atlantis. None of them his better known works.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Sunday, 22 March 2020 13:45 (four years ago) link

Was just informed that M. Luke McDonnell is the pseudonym of an acquaintance of mine

Οὖτις, Sunday, 22 March 2020 19:32 (four years ago) link

her husband’s office is across the street from my house

Οὖτις, Sunday, 22 March 2020 19:33 (four years ago) link

HI DERE

Robbie Shakespeare’s Sister Lovers (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 28 March 2020 16:33 (four years ago) link

Might even create a separate thread for that kind of thing.

Robbie Shakespeare’s Sister Lovers (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 28 March 2020 16:34 (four years ago) link

It's kind of secret, Report on Probability A keyhole side view into ILX.

Robbie Shakespeare’s Sister Lovers (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 28 March 2020 17:01 (four years ago) link

Some fairly promising pitches and prices here:
http://view.mail.macmillan.com/?qs=4d1ce37ee5d40c4b11d4340c2c17106e38aa3811d8ecc94a3d85a6fea673895b13938a46b3016cd22768c4d4ba7e202f8515a38aae16306c3395eadcf40ee9ea436a1e9c0e8c485eb43c9ac2c5d8e0ee654fd5045799ec7a
Incl this:
The Empress of Salt and Fortune
Nghi Vo
With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama, Nghi Vo's The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women.

“A tale of rebellion and fealty that feels both classic and fresh, The Empress of Salt and Fortune is elegantly told, strongly felt, and brimming with rich detail. An epic in miniature, beautifully realised.”—Zen Cho

And maybe this, despite heavy breathing---simmer down now, Library Journal!
K. M. Szpara's Docile is a science fiction parable about love and sex, wealth and debt, abuse and power, a challenging tour de force that at turns seduces and startles.

“This powerful debut is filled with achingly tender and brutally raw prose. Szpara strikes out at capitalism as well as the pharmaceutical trade and its effects, while dancing on the emotional knife's edge between love and obedience.”—Library Journal starred review

dow, Saturday, 28 March 2020 20:54 (four years ago) link

I have had my eye on the Nghi Vo book.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 28 March 2020 21:34 (four years ago) link

This is the writer and publisher of Tartarus Press
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePl4wQT4KdE

Robert Adam Gilmour, Tuesday, 31 March 2020 01:13 (four years ago) link

This video has been removed by the user

Was it controversial or something?

threnody for the victims of alan shearer (Matt #2), Tuesday, 31 March 2020 09:03 (four years ago) link

Not at all, unless showing off museum worthy collectables is making people rage with jealousy.

Think this is a re-upload here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVU0CowrJl0

Robert Adam Gilmour, Tuesday, 31 March 2020 15:36 (four years ago) link

https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/tod-051-the-secret-life-of-molly-tanzer/
Had a lot of fun listening to this, especially when she talks about Thomas Day and Roald Dahl

Robert Adam Gilmour, Tuesday, 31 March 2020 17:26 (four years ago) link

https://www.tor.com/2015/11/16/the-coode-street-podcast-episode-256-suzy-mckee-charnas-and-pamela-sargent/
Making me bump Charnas up my list, because she said the third book of Holdfast put almost everyone off the series. She says it's the proudest mistake she's ever made. They both seem calmly pessimistic.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 3 April 2020 21:27 (four years ago) link

trying to find some decent escapist space opera, tried adrian tchaikovsky's children of time - 1/4 of the way in and i'm giving up. not enough space, not enough opera, high on the Reynolds scale of 'all the human characters are awful' and i'm not particulary keen to learn more about the giant spider pro/antagonists.

Paperbag raita (ledge), Monday, 6 April 2020 08:33 (four years ago) link

i burned through leigh brackett's the big jump in an hour or so - it was like reading the 'in all old movies' thread: "say bud, don't get sore" * 1000.

next up: ksr's 2312 (loved aurora & the mars trilogy); elizabeth bear's ancestral night.

Paperbag raita (ledge), Monday, 6 April 2020 08:38 (four years ago) link

trying to find classic sf i haven't read before, especially by women, and my god how much of this stuff is 'set in a post-apocalpytic future'? not keen, especially not right now.

Paperbag raita (ledge), Monday, 6 April 2020 09:02 (four years ago) link

i assume you've already read the stars my destination

Bstep, Monday, 6 April 2020 12:06 (four years ago) link

kindle monthly deals often have whole series of SF things that look interesting, but could be shovelware of the worst kind

this month, for instance

Evan Currie's Odyssey One series

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Into-Black-Remastered-Odyssey-Book-ebook/dp/B005ML0EZS/ref=sr_1_30

that's 500+ pages and there are currently 7 books, all with 4+ star reviews, but there's no accounting for taste.

cheap though.

my only other recommendations would be Banks (which you've read) or (early) Reynolds, which you don't like. 8)

koogs, Monday, 6 April 2020 12:23 (four years ago) link

M john Harrison: Light
I did not really get the acclaim this received

Tsar Bombadil (James Morrison), Monday, 6 April 2020 12:23 (four years ago) link

not hugely keen on bester or most stuff from that era.

i don't hate reynolds! he does a great sensawunda. I've been harsh on him upthread, i just tired of his characters holding lifelong grudges schtick. prob should give house of suns a go, or whatever is latest multivolume blockbuster is.

Paperbag raita (ledge), Monday, 6 April 2020 13:38 (four years ago) link

i'm not particulary keen to learn more about the giant spider pro/antagonists.

― Paperbag raita (ledge), Monday, April 6, 2020 9:33 AM

A lot of people particularly loved the spiders.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:06 (four years ago) link

are they better than the spiders in Vinge's "A Fire Upon the Deep"?

Οὖτις, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:14 (four years ago) link

I have no idea, I haven't read either, I didn't know there were spiders in Vinge's book.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:16 (four years ago) link

re: Light - I think that was the first M. John Harrison novel I read, prior to that I'd only read short bits from the New Wave period. I don't think its a masterpiece but I do like that cycle of novels, its a good mix of cosmic phantasmagoria and noir and I find his prose very sharp and dense.

Οὖτις, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:17 (four years ago) link

the only two Vinge books I've read are that one and its prequel and they were both very good, solid relatively hard-science/space opera hybrids. Not been inclined to check out anything else of his though. Haven't read any of his ex-wife Joan's stuff either.

Οὖτις, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:18 (four years ago) link

Trying to filter some of the things you don't like, ledge, I cautiously suggest Lois McMaster Bujold and Galactic Empires, the 2-volume Aldiss anth, from '76 or so, that helped pave the way for Bujold (and lesser talents).

dow, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:24 (four years ago) link

The spiders were always going to be a controversial choice given arachnophobia exists. I enjoyed it, but haven't bothered with the second one (and didn't like his ironclads thing). He seems to have like 10 books out all of a sudden.

I've reached the point with Reynolds where I'm not anticipating the next book and I do see your point. You should probably stay clear of Revenger then! House of Suns is iirc more clans with feuds. Terminal World might suit. Or Century Rain (both less space opera-y).

koogs, Monday, 6 April 2020 16:42 (four years ago) link

I was more invested in the spiders than the humans, for sure

change display name (Jordan), Monday, 6 April 2020 17:54 (four years ago) link

started john scalzi's interdependency series. haven't read anything by him before, but this one seems to have some 'foundation' in it

mookieproof, Monday, 6 April 2020 18:34 (four years ago) link

Trying to filter some of the things you don't like, ledge, I cautiously suggest Lois McMaster Bujold and Galactic Empires, the 2-volume Aldiss anth

thanks! for parental reasons i do 99% of my reading on an ereader in a dark room - I've been waiting in vain for some bujold to be available, might have to go back to dead trees for her.

Paperbag raita (ledge), Monday, 6 April 2020 18:42 (four years ago) link

Scalzi seems like a decent guy, but I find his prose irritating

Οὖτις, Monday, 6 April 2020 18:44 (four years ago) link

I had Galactic Empires Vol. 1 as a kid but have not seen it as a legit or illegit ebook

valet doberman (Jon not Jon), Monday, 6 April 2020 20:42 (four years ago) link

P sure all the Bujold is on Amazon as e-books because I went through a phase of reading most of her catalog last year.

There's more Italy than necessary. (in orbit), Monday, 6 April 2020 22:05 (four years ago) link

ok, i have a kobo not a kindle but should be able to convert if i can get hold of them, thanks.

Paperbag raita (ledge), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 06:36 (four years ago) link

found them. jesus, these covers:

https://www.baen.com/allbooks/category/index/id/2060

Paperbag raita (ledge), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 11:18 (four years ago) link

just roll w it u will come to love them, i am going to make t shirts out of captain vorpatrils alliance

adam, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 12:12 (four years ago) link

xp No way! Those covers are peak mass market luridness. The story goes on for generations btw, and I guess probably offer diminishing returns but I held on for like 15 books between Amazon and what the public lib had.

There's more Italy than necessary. (in orbit), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 14:49 (four years ago) link

adam otm iow

There's more Italy than necessary. (in orbit), Tuesday, 7 April 2020 14:49 (four years ago) link

The Penric omnibus has a decent cover.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 17:39 (four years ago) link

Don't recall the cover, but paperback of Bujold's Memory was very impressive as something deep in series yet w pellucid, portable and plain handy layers of What Has Gone Before, mainly how any of that relates to what's happenin' now, in this scene pressing down and gliding by---always well-timed. Matters of class and social obligations, at home and in ceremonies, parties, etc. like filed-down Jane Austin, mam-talk on the job more broadly sardonic and gossipy (Le Carre kind of): plenty of intrigue, with somewhat bloody stakes, but this is a big transition for Miles V. and I would like more shit blowing up in space, so must check earlier vols. Don't think quality of this one is a fluke (though it may well be a peak): She's won a bunch of awards, has long-faithful stans, and see entry in sciencefictionencyclopedia.com

dow, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:30 (four years ago) link

"man*-talk, that is!

dow, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:31 (four years ago) link

The men are snarkier/more gossipy than the women.

dow, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 18:33 (four years ago) link

the whole memory-komarr-civil campaign stretch is incredible, pulling in threads of detective stories and interstellar political machinations and georgette fuckin heyer

actually trying to read the most recent one right now, gentleman jole and the red queen. no commute means no reading time as i have a 2 year old to wrangle sunup to sundown.

adam, Tuesday, 7 April 2020 19:34 (four years ago) link

https://www.tor.com/2020/04/07/announcing-the-2020-hugo-award-finalists/

One of the best related works being a speech from the previous year seems like a really bad idea to me. Movies are awful as usual.

Seemingly it's all going to be online this time and I'm curious how they'll do that. Poor New Zealand.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 9 April 2020 19:01 (four years ago) link

https://www.tor.com/2020/02/20/announcing-the-2019-nebula-awards-finalists/
I guess it's worse when SFWA members are choosing Marvel films.

Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 9 April 2020 19:14 (four years ago) link


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.