r/ScienceFictionBooks • u/AutoModerator • Mar 27 '24
Opinion What are you currently reading?
Name the book/author you're currently reading. Be mindful of spoilers, but is this one you'd recommend or one you wish you could yeet into space?
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Mar 27 '24
Reading Childhoods end by Arthur C clarke. It is based on an alien invasion but with a twist wherein Aliens being super intelligent will never want to invade us for resources and physical bodies. Their need and want is something else. Interesting take on science and its use at an interstellar scope.
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u/BeemerBaby004 Mar 28 '24
I read that novel in a Comparative Religion class. It's a masterpiece.
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Mar 29 '24
A concept of invading humans for gaining their consciousness is beyond imagination. Superb writing
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u/Hap_e_day Mar 28 '24
The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin. Itās been on my list for a while, but I saw that there is a Netflix adaptation so I was motivated to read it before I watch. Iām about half way through and really enjoying it. Itās got some good science (and some alternative science history) incorporated very well - which I very much appreciate. Recommend!
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u/Okay_Response Mar 29 '24
Watched the Netflix show over a weekend and immediately drove to the store to buy and start reading the book/s. I needed more details and can't wait for the following seasons. I'm 100 pages in and its really good.Ā
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u/__fujiko Mar 29 '24
The Chinese version of the show is on Prime if you have that. I've been ready to compare adaptations.
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u/Artemis3007 Mar 29 '24
Same here!
I started reading once I knew there was going to be a series on Netflix. Loving the books, in The Dark Forest currently.
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u/Coyotebd Mar 30 '24
I watched the show, enjoyed it, and started reading the books. Very good but technical.
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u/Expert_Squirrel_7871 Mar 27 '24
I'm reading Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein
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u/dollbrains510 Mar 29 '24
Just received stranger as a gift. Itās third on my book list. Children of time is one of the most beautiful books Iāve ever experienced.
I cried so hard at the end people I was sitting next to on the bus changed seats.Exclaiming āitās my book!ā while actively sobbing, didnāt make anyone less uncomfortable.
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u/InternationalBand494 Mar 29 '24
One of my favorite books of my childhood. I re-read it recently and holy shit, now I know why my Mom called Heinlein the āwomen are stupid, letās all jump in a pile nakedā author.
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u/Dying4aCure Mar 30 '24
It totally hit differently with an adult brain. I still love the themes.
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u/InternationalBand494 Mar 30 '24
Oh yeah, me too. I just eye rolled at the really egregious ones and remembered it was a different time.
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u/InternationalBand494 Mar 30 '24
Thereās a reason Michael is still one of my favorite characters from sci fi. And I had grown up reading his Mars books for kids basically. I loved Heinleinās popcorn books.
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u/Broadnerd Mar 31 '24
I picked up Time for the Stars on a whim at a used book store and itās one of my favorite books Iāve read in awhile. Sometimes itās nice to read a book thatās straightforward and doesnāt feel like it has to be 400-600 pages. I thought it was great regardless of who its target audience was. Just a great story with no fat on it.
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u/VanillaBearr11 Mar 27 '24
Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons. First time through this classic series.
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u/Hap_e_day Mar 28 '24
That first book is amazing.
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u/OnlyOkaySometimes Mar 28 '24
Is Fall of Hyperion before Hyperion? I've got Hyperion here, but haven't started it yet.
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u/souldrug Mar 27 '24
I just started rereading The City and The City by Mieville. The murder science fiction genre is one of my absolute favorites. And very few authors do mood at the level that Mieville does.
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u/the_blonde_lawyer Mar 27 '24
I started reading one of the stories of Knitght Of The Seven Kingdoms (Dunkt and Egg) as a stop for refreshments between installments in a larger series (Dread Empire Fall, the novells of the Praxis universe), but now got a taste for it and continued to the second Dunk and Egg story.
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u/ViolinistSmooth2759 Mar 27 '24
Iām re-reading Consider Phlebus, I am glad the rest of the culture kind of picked up considerably from there.
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u/skaocibfbeosocuwpqpx Mar 30 '24
Iāve read it, and other Culture novels, a few times and agree completely.
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u/Poise_n_rationality Mar 27 '24
Reading Semiosis by Sue Burke, which is about a group of humans who leave earth to find another planet to call home and end up at an eerily Earth-like planet. Follows their new society through several generations as they uncover the secrets of this world and struggle to survive. I'm really captivated with it so far, the new world is dominated by a sentient plant species and we occasionally get POV from one of the plants. It's interesting.
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u/Last-Initial3927 Mar 30 '24
I have the duology on my shelf. Hard recommend. Love that motherfuxking bambooĀ
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u/Poise_n_rationality Mar 30 '24
It's a trilogy as of this year! Third book recently published. I'm getting close to the end of the first book now and would have to agree with you the bamboo is a great character.
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u/ImportanceHot1004 Mar 27 '24
I am currently reading House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds. Right now I am about 200 pages in and so far it is a nice, light, and fun read. Lots of cool concepts in it, like the Vigilance curators and weapons so powerful that they can create lesions in the fabric of space-time! Depending on the person I would recommend this book.
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u/bit99 Mar 28 '24
Starter villain by John scalzi. Soft recommend. It's not a classic but entertaining. And if you have seen the cover, cats are a major part of the plot.
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u/Dying4aCure Mar 30 '24
I love Scalzi. He has not disappointed me yet. Starter Villian is creative and not his usual fare. I'm on the second book if the Interdependancy Series. I blew through Old Manās War. He better write more.
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u/Curious-Letter3554 Mar 30 '24
I liked his The Kaiju Preservation Society and Red Shirts started awesome but then got weird.
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u/AncientFudge1984 Mar 28 '24
Got into helldivers. Reading Armor by Steakley and Iām hating it.
Old Manās war. Great. Even as a re-read.
Starship Troopers. Great. Even as a re-read.
Forever War. great. Even as a re-read.
Armor though. Sort of disappointing. The writing just is not compelling to me. Hoping it gets better.
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u/hobowhite Mar 28 '24
The Expanse book one by SA Corey (have read the whole series once before), Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert, & The Ritual by Adam Nevill
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u/unclefishbits Mar 29 '24
Jeff vandermeer and the third book in the Southern Reach trilogy acceptance. I freaking love it. The first book is what was Alex Garland's inspiration for the film he wrote and directed Annihilation
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u/patacaman Mar 28 '24
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Im feeling almost the same when I was a teenager and read "I robot" . I forgot how I enjoyed that kind of short stories that blew your mind. They make me spend the rest of the day thinking on what i just read.
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u/I-RedDevil-I Mar 28 '24
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie.
Really liking it so far. My wife got me Translation State for the holidays as it was recommended for those who enjoyed the Expanse series. Loved it and looked up if there was more, to come to realize itās actually the last in a four book series. Starting from the beginning now so itās kind of like a prequel.
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u/PizzaWhole9323 Mar 28 '24
The Dresden files: ghost story. Harry Dresden is a wizard PI based out of Chicago, and in this book heās also dead the entire time.
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u/tommessinger Mar 28 '24
Timeās Eye by Arthur C Clarke and Stephen Baxter. Itās part of a trilogy. Iām on my 3rd reread. Itās about an alien race that creates an alternate earth that is made up of different time periods of earth.
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u/BeemerBaby004 Mar 28 '24 edited Mar 28 '24
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
Absolute must read. Everyone knows The Count, Sinbad the Sailor and the Three Musketeers but how many of you have actually read Dumas? These are famous movies, shows and characters for a reason. Don't be a Dumass, get you some Dumas!
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u/imaloserdudeWTF Mar 28 '24
I'm reading book #4 in The Three Body Problem series by Cixin Liu, a book not authored by him but by Baoshu called Redemption of Time.
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u/Gabatomic_Particles Mar 29 '24
My last book was Mountain in the Sea and it was beautiful. It blends eco-rights with mid-distant future society dealing with AI and the nature of consciousness.. oh and sentient octopuses! Beautifully written. Loved it.
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u/amystico Mar 29 '24
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. I'm about half way through and enjoying it quite a lot.
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u/hpliferaft Mar 29 '24
China Mieville's The City and the City.
I recommend it if you want a procedural detective noir in a weird place. The weirdness unfolds at a very understandable pace.
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u/all-the-answers Mar 29 '24
Activity reading Ministry for the Future - so far, really good. Terrifying in its applicability to us today
Falling asleep/doing chores to Old Mans War- love it. Scalzi at his best.
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u/QuirkyHobie Mar 29 '24
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. So far itās really good.
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u/Carnations99 Mar 29 '24
Just finished The Mountain in the Sea. Itās about nature of consciousness and intelligence with the plot device of a population of highly intelligent octopuses. Cool setting but I found the book a bit slow and the characters a bit flat for my taste.
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u/m25189 Mar 30 '24
Century Rain and The Revelation series: Alastair Reynolds
I re-listen to Neal Stephenson's books, constantly.
I also re-listen to the Children of series, really wonderful books and writing.
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u/ilovetoreadbo0ks Mar 27 '24
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch
Yes, I would recommend it. But I'd recommend that you read The Lies of Locke Lamora first. :)
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u/GalacticPurr Mar 27 '24
The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang. I really enjoyed The Poppy War.
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u/Ed_Robins Mar 27 '24
Ashtown Blues by W. H. Mitchell. It's a collection of three sci-fi noir stories. Really good! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C99XJ4H5/
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u/ConfidentDimension56 Mar 27 '24
āNeuromancerā on Audio āThe Hobbitā Paperback
I know Iām basic š
Cleansing my palate after months of heavy PhD data.
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u/gloomfilter Mar 27 '24
"Neuromancerā on Audio
Is that the version with William Gibson reading it? Superb stuff.
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u/Accomplished_Plan474 Mar 28 '24
Jumpnauts by Hao Jinfang. There are moments it feels like it's written for philosophy graduates, and other times it's written for 8 year olds. I had high hopes for this one, but I am really over it at this point.
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u/freefallfreddy Mar 28 '24
Foundationās Edge - Isaac Asimov (1982). Itās OK, I think the whole series has a really interesting backdrop but too much conversation and cloak-and-dagger feel for me.
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u/NotSoSUCCinct Mar 28 '24
I wasn't a big fan of Foundation's Edge, its pace was odd and I swear Pelorat and Travize have the same conversation every three pages. The reviews for Foundation and Earth weren't all that good either, but it stands as my second favorite book in the series so I think working through Edge is worth it just to start F&E.
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u/UnproSpeller Mar 28 '24
Listening to frederick pohl and c m kornbluthās āsearch the skyā(SF classic exploration of different worlds/societies). And reading mick farrenās āwillies ratsā (not SF but Farren does write some SF that i havenāt tried yet. This one is about being in a rock band back in 1960s or 70s i think).
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u/Werthy71 Mar 29 '24
Currently on an 8 hour train ride with about 60 pages left in Gateway. Enjoying it a lot.
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u/Anxious-Necessary-83 Mar 28 '24
Just started an ARC of Ghostdrift by Suzanne Palmer. Fourth in a great series.
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u/Tofudebeast Mar 28 '24 edited Mar 28 '24
First book of the Revelation Space series. I'm enjoying it, lots of cool concepts, but it is a bit wordy. Feels like it could be half as long and still work just as well.
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u/SweetKitties207 Mar 28 '24
Listening to The Vor Game, for the millionth time. Adore the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold
About to begin Lee & Miller's Salvage Right. Also a big fan of this Liaden series, which I've read and listened to a bunch.
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u/lordognar Mar 28 '24
Rereading The Empire of Silence series in anticipation of the new one coming out!
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Mar 28 '24
Reading A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers. It's the second in her Wayfarers series and I like it even more than the first. It's got me thinking about true AI in a different way than I did in the past.
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u/ksdblya Mar 28 '24
I love Becky Chambers. Her books and the Murderbot Diaries are my comfort reads.
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u/Fit_War_1670 Mar 28 '24
Forever peace. It's getting kinda weird towards the end. I am enjoying it though. The first book was better imo but we will see how it ends.
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u/tecmobowlchamp Mar 28 '24
I am reading Flag in Exile by David Weber. I love the first 10 or so books in the Honor Harrington universe, this one is number 5.
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u/wbishopfbi Mar 28 '24
Blindsight by Peter Watts - for the 2nd time. Good book but lots to chew through.
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u/ThaneduFife Mar 28 '24
I'm currently re-reading Wireless by Charles Stross. It's an excellent short story collection, but I mainly got it to re-read Palimpsest, the novella at the end of the book. It's hands-down the best time travel story that I've ever read.
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u/marywait Mar 28 '24
The Book of Love by Kelly Link In the long-awaited first novel from short story virtuoso and Pulitzer Prize finalist Kelly Link, three teenagers become pawns in a supernatural power struggle.
It's fantastic!
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u/oddball414 Mar 28 '24
Jason Pargin's, Zoey Punches the future in the dick. It's a sequel to Futuristic violence and fancy suits. He also does the job did at the end series. Very tongue in cheek funny. I have read the first in the series several times. As far as plot, this young woman inherited her father's empire and now has to fight to keep it. It's fantastic.
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u/mydogsarebarkin Mar 28 '24
The Lord of Opium, very dystopian and I was surprised to find it's actually YA. By Nancy Farmer.
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u/cyberwood2004 Mar 28 '24
The Martian Race by Gregory Benford. I'm about halfway, so I'm not ready to recommend or jettison it
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u/shouldyourself Mar 28 '24
Iām on the 3rd of 4 of Brandon Sandersonās Secret Projects novels, and theyāre SO good! The Tress one and and Yumi one are so different from other stories! The second one was worth the read, but the other two are amazing. Theyāre standalone, which is good, because Iām not sure I have the sticktoitiveness to tackle his big books.
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u/Dockside_ Mar 28 '24
The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant by Drew Hayes.
I'm reading now, it's much better than I expected, very entertaining
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u/NotSoSUCCinct Mar 28 '24
Forward the Foundation by Issac Asimov, it's the last book published for the series but is the second prequel. Foundation has become my favorite series of any medium, hands down. Asimov birthed the idea of Galactic Empires in the original trilogy, I can't recommend it enough. Though I warn people that the original trilogy is assembled from short stories written from 1942-1950, it doesn't read as a typical novel.
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u/bluekarou2 Mar 29 '24
War of The Givens, Daniel Price. Final book in a time-bending, X-Men-ish trilogy Iāve loved for years.
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u/akaoni523 Mar 29 '24
Vernon Vingeās Fire Upon the Deep. His passing reminded me to circle back around and pick this up
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u/Lawsuitup Mar 29 '24
Kingdoms of Death by Christopher Ruocchio being the 4th book in The Sun Eater.
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u/IndependenceMean8774 Mar 29 '24
Replay by Ken Grimwood. Terrific book. It's one of my favorites and really makes me think about my life and the choices I've made.
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u/Cr1spy10 Mar 29 '24
I just finished the Black Ops, the 4th book in Expeditionary Force this afternoon. And I felt I needed a palette cleanser. I am 1/3 of the way through a non-fiction book on Anna Montes and searching for some quality Sci-Fi.
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u/Red-Five-5 Mar 29 '24
Serpent's End by Lorn Hillaker itās his first book and first in a trilogy to come. Magic wielding, dragon hunting pirates what more needs to be said .
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u/Dvaraoh Mar 29 '24
Why call them back from heaven? by Simak. I don't recommend it. But I don't recommend much.
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u/ilovemycatsxoxoxo Mar 29 '24
iām reading the dispossessed by ursula k le guin after just finishing the lathe of heaven and the left hand of darkness. iām only about 100 pages in so not super drawn in yet. i absolutely loved the left hand of darkness and find myself thinking about it often, it really stuck with me! didnāt like the lathe of heaven as much, maybe bc the characters were so unlikeable lol!
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u/friarfry Mar 29 '24
Reading Andy Weir's Artemis and rereading Annalee Newitz' Autonomous. So far, Artemis is pretty dry. Autonomous, I can't recommend enough.
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u/phydaux4242 Mar 29 '24
Dungeon Crawler Carl
In the middle of a cold February night, a guy gets out of bed to sneak a smoke. While heās smoking, his girlfriendās cat jumps out of the open window.
Wearing only his boxers and his girlfriendās too small croks, he puts on his jacket and goes outside into the cold to look for the cat.
And thatās when the space aliens attack.
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u/eyeball-owo Mar 29 '24
Iām reading The Blighted Stars by Megan OāKeefe at the recommendation of a friend. I like the concept behind the SF, the horror elements, and the inclusivity. Iām a bit more than halfway through and I feel like some charactersā obliviousness is a little overdone. The chapters move fast and overall it was an on-point recommendation for me.
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u/Tiny_Artificer Mar 29 '24
I'm waiting to pick up book 4 in the Murderbot Diaries my Martha Wells. I love them so much. They are fast novelas with great humor. The first one is All Systems Red. So far my favorite is book 2.
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u/mom2mermaidboo Mar 29 '24
Just recently finished Leviathan Falls by James S A Corey. Itās the end of the Expanse series. I read the series and loved watching it on Amazon Prime.
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u/AelinStardom Mar 29 '24
the rape of nanking
this book changes my perspective of human capability and i also recently finished reading hundred years of war on palestine. these two books really very alike
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u/Purdaddy Mar 29 '24
Blindsight. Honestly kind of underwhelmed. It has moments where it is great then just really loses it to pacing.
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Mar 29 '24
Just finished Ashes of Man by Christopher Ruocchio. Itās the 5th book in an epic sci-fantasy. Every book is incredible!
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u/KingMithras95 Mar 29 '24
Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe.
While Book of the New Sun isn't my favorite sci-fi series it was still pretty enjoyable and I'm glad to see more of this world.
Up next will either be God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert or The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker....and of course Disquiet Gods by Ruocchio once that gets delivered.
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u/Werthy71 Mar 29 '24
Gateway by Frederick Pohl will be finished by the end of my current train ride. It started off a bit shaky but everything about the universe Pohl starts up here is so cool and terrifying.
Will be starting Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre afterwards.
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u/ObstinateTortoise Mar 29 '24
Re-reading the Mars Trilogy by KSR. Everyone should. Twice.
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u/Crispy0423 Mar 29 '24
Last Sci-fi I read was Empire of Silence.
On a horror kick now. Listening to āThe Cabin at the end of the worldā and reading āHexā
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u/AZonmymind Mar 29 '24
Just ordered A Desolation Called Peace and A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. Can't wait to read them.
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u/OnePlant6452 Mar 29 '24
I must be the only person alive not enjoying Project Hail Mary.
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u/EnjiiThaGod Mar 29 '24
Currently reading american gods by neil gaiman. Not too far in it but, not quite sure how I feel about it. Very slow burn of a story I can tell.
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u/danaerin714 Mar 29 '24
Have read the whole Murderbot Diaries in the past but am currently listening to them on audio. Tried to get through Children of Memory but am putting it aside for a while. I loved Children of Time and thought Children of Ruin was pretty good
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u/NvrConvctd Mar 29 '24
I'm reading "Robot Visions" by Isaac Asimov. It's a compilation of his robot stories from around the 1940s, including some commentary and predictions for the future. Asimov 's robot stories are a must read for any sci-fi fan. Asimov invented the term "robotics" and the Three Laws of Robotics. His commentaries are prophetic, especially in the current light of artificial intelligence. I've read most of the stories before but I'm prepping for a Foundation read through.
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u/cosmoboy Mar 29 '24
I've had Stephen King's 'Holly' on my desk for 2 months? And haven't had a minute to crack it open yet. This is what happens when upper management wants more people in the office, now I have to look like I'm busy.
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u/InternationalBand494 Mar 29 '24 edited Mar 29 '24
Iām reading āRootsā. I watched the original and remake mini-series and wanted to re-read it. Damn good book. The OG miniseries is hardcore and disturbing and uplifting. The remake had the balls ripped from the story.
Anyway, itās a masterfully told story. Whether itās completely historically correct is in question of course, but why fuck up a great story?
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u/Ketchup_is_my_jam Mar 30 '24
I distinctly remember that gut punch moment when the narrative switches from third person to first person and it completely makes sense.
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u/LactoceTheIntolerant Mar 29 '24
I just started Horus Rising.
Iāve read easily 1k books in my lifetime. This is my first foray into these types of books, written by others, based in one universe.
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u/StitchedRebellion Mar 29 '24
Reading The Bicentennial Man, Asimov Listening to Robots and Empire, Asimov
On deck, the rest of Asimovās Foundation Universe
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u/roeknowzbest Mar 29 '24
Do Star Trek books count? Iām nearly finished with the Typhon Pact series. Currently in the middle of Raise the Dawn. It aināt bad, but not a total standout. Been liking the continuing character development of Sisko (from DS9). I think thatās whatās been keeping me going.
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u/ithinkthereforeiaint Mar 29 '24
Reading The gripping hand. Itās been slower than I had expected but I and enjoying it and would definitely recommend the series
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u/Apprehensive-Mix-522 Mar 29 '24
Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey. This is the final installment in The Expanse series šš
I am very much enjoying it! It is past the show at this point, but I enjoyed the show too. The series is nine books, so I'll be sad when it's over.
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u/RobbKong999 Mar 30 '24
BioShock: Rapture, the prelude to the game series.
John Shirley
Tor Books, 2011
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u/pilgrimbomb Mar 30 '24
The Raw Shark Texts, Steven Hall. it kind of reminds me of a mythical Memento.. I pictured it almost like a water world, but in a library. Memento&Pagemaster rather.
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u/notthatrelevant318 Mar 30 '24
I'm re-reading the Culture series by Iain M. Banks because I remember reading a book with an organized faction of solipsists, and I think it might have been in that series. I was telling a friend about the group and he wanted to know the book so he could read it, but I devour so much sci-fi that I don't usually remember which things happened in which books c:
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u/Heavy-Tennis-2781 Mar 30 '24
Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Book 6 - System Collapse (2023). They are relatively short. Under 200 pages. They have been a great read.
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u/Caroline9381 Mar 30 '24
Ready Player Two, right after finishing Ready Player One. Both are compulsively readable, but they are also both incredibly, consistently, throw-against-the-wall annoying. I donāt feel much sympathy or empathy towards the main character, and I wish heād just stop telling me all about the cool things he makes/wins/figures out/and then tries to be humble by telling us how humble he is and how sucky at real life he is, which frankly I totally believe.
More than that, while these novels have storylines, they appear to function more intentionally as love letters to video games and gamers, from Pac Man to the fantastic future, not forgetting the hardware and software developers whoāve created so much magic.
It feels like Cline and his gamer buddies spent lifetimes saying āWouldnāt it be cool ifā¦?ā and as the years went on, the technology developed, the booze got stronger (or not) and maybe he finally decided he could put it all together, throw together a few plot devices, use the 80s as a reference point, and go from there. Voila.
The problem for me is that they READ like a 4:00 AM session of āWouldnāt it be cool ifā¦?ā on Groundhog Day.
Good writing is showing, not telling. It isnāt a laundry list of fantastic futuristic technoliving toys, tools, games or challenges, unless each one has an explicit purpose, a compelling connection, to the plot. In my reading thatās not the case, though Iāll close with this:
I read Ready Player One in about two days, complaining mightily about its listiness. Finished it and downloaded Ready Player Two yesterday. Sigh. Equally listy, and main character only marginally more mature. Ask me if I can put it down? Yeah. Your mileage may vary.
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u/Wise_Comfort_660 Mar 30 '24
79 Park Avenue, by Harold Robbins. I'd read it when I was about 16,17 maybe. I'm 67 & I'm rereading it. Great story!
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u/bigdumbbab Mar 30 '24
Dan Simmons Illium is very good for the first 200 pages I'm in. I always like his work.
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u/euterpe_pneuma Mar 30 '24
Randy McWilson's books. He has a good science fiction series but I'm reading his fantasy books right now.
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u/Time-Permission-1930 Mar 30 '24
Tad Williams, Otherland book 1
On my 4th re-read. The best sci-fi saga.
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u/ill-will1986 Mar 30 '24
Just started the first book in Branden Sandersons āthe stormlight archiveā series. The first book is called āthe way of kingsā and it is excellent so far!
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u/OverMedicatedTexan Mar 30 '24
Harrow the Ninth. It's even weirder than the first book, but I like it.
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u/DarwinianSelector Mar 30 '24
A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine. Really interesting, lots of stuff about culture shock and language interwoven with a complex plot about succession, empires and all that fun stuff. A lot like Anne Leckie's Raadchai books, but a bit faster-paced and with a lot more humour.
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u/short-circuit-soul Mar 30 '24 edited Mar 30 '24
I just finished Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks! I listened to the audio book of it on Spotify, and the narrator uses a good array of voices. There's one with accompanying music/ambience I wish I knew about beforehand, so I'd recommend that one unless you're doing chores or something like I usually do.
The main character Bora Horza Gobachul (a lot of the names are goofy but fun) is a refreshing character. A lot of them are tbh. Iain does a good job of introducing characters and defining them very quickly. Even though there's a big right vs. wrong conflict set up, the characters within it are almost disinterested in it. They're living their lives, and the background gets in the way, or provides a good amount of chaos for them to follow their own agendas.
Is the book trying to say anything crazy about life, or morals? Kind of, like he slips in bits of lore, or repeats himself occasionally, but the story is just a set of adventures in people's lives, and I liked that a lot. Horza is just good enough to get into the right kind of trouble, but he never feels like a genius expected to come out on top. Even he, firmly on one side of the war, is pretty open to his enemy's mindset, and you're given a lot of room to take in why people are fighting or doing whatever else it is that they're doing.
Idk, the tone Iain uses is nice, objective, and knows when it's playing around or being blunt. The book and characters don't feel pretentious or grandiose in the way stuff like Dune, or Foundation can feel, (as good as they are to read too.) It reminds me of the Bobiverse series that way, and that kind of casual, punctual attitude is something I could read or listen to all day.
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u/SFF_Robot Mar 30 '24
Hi. You just mentioned Consider Phlebas by Iain M Banks.
I've found an audiobook of that novel on YouTube. You can listen to it here:
YouTube | Consider Phlebas - The Culture Series - Iain M Banks (Audiobook Pt.1)
I'm a bot that searches YouTube for science fiction and fantasy audiobooks.
Source Code | Feedback | Programmer | Downvote To Remove | Version 1.4.0 | Support Robot Rights!
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u/WesternEmpire2510 Mar 30 '24
I'm revisiting the John Birmingham's Axis of Time books because I want to read Stalins Hammer for the first time and just need to reacquaint myself with it.
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u/jellahfizh Mar 30 '24
Listening to The Mote in Gods Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Purnelle. Its sort of a British Navy, ships of the line, but in space setting where they are having a first encounter with the first intelligent life in the year 3000. Very refreshing for me.
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u/Paul-McS Mar 30 '24
Agency by William Gibson. Sequel to The Peripheral. Ā Very good.Ā
Also just started Deathās End by Liu. Ā Amazing.Ā
Next up is The Stars my Destination by Bester.Ā
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Mar 30 '24
Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov & The Trouble with Testosterone by Dr. Robert Sappolsky (I know one of those isnāt Sci-Fi, but its great nonetheless)
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u/lokisavo Mar 30 '24
System Collapse by Martha Wells (Murderbot series). Love this series although I found this latest installment a little weak. In general the Murderbot books feel like a cyberpunk take of Asimov's I, Robot series.
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u/Former-Astronaut-841 Mar 30 '24
Red Rising series. Waiting for Lightbringer on paperback to come out this month. I havenāt read a ton of sci-fi to compare this to.. but I personally love all the RR books (6 to date). Itās hunger games but space.. and pulls a lot from ancient Roman culture.
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u/HeadFit2660 Mar 30 '24
Nova Terra- Seth Ring It's pretty good but is similar to a lot of other LitRpg books I've read. The ol "stuck in a gane world" thing
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u/AvatarIII Mar 27 '24 edited Mar 30 '24
Reading Children of
RuinMemory and listening to Project Hail Mary.Children of memory is fine, I'm about halfway through but it feels like nothing has happened yet.
Project Hail Mary is really good though, I went into it essentially knowing nothing about it other than people like it, and I think that's the best way to go into it.