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| SFReader Forums > SF Fiction and Art > Right Now I'm Reading.... > 2007 Reading List for Members Discussion | Forum Quick Jump
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Bill Ward
Biblioholic
      
Date Joined Jul 2006
Total Posts : 1632
| Posted 3/15/2007 1:13 AM (GMT -4) |   | Couple bibliobite shout-outs:
@Howard, ever tackle the Historian yet? I'm looking forward to reading Battles of the Medieval World soon myself (thanks for the tip on that on).
@Jeff, The Vondish Ambassador is a name that pops up a lot, would you offer a capsule review of a few sentences?
@xiaotien, How'd you like Friday? There's about a hundred books I'd recommend as a first scifi book before that...it didn't send you running for the hills I hope?
@Nicholas: How'd did you like the Winchester book? I haven't read that one myself, but his two books on the Oxford English Dictionary were excellent, riviting and fascinating stuff (The Professor and the Madman especially). I really should hunt more of his books down, his Krakatoa book looks like a good one too.
I caught a long interview with him on book tv one day, really interesting guy, and I love his writing set up--he has his own converted barn/shed/guest house in his back yard that he commutes to everyday :)
@Sean, How does Knight's fantasy compare to his vampire earth novels? I thought those were a bit rough personally.
@cyrstalwizard, how's Bradbury's sequel to D-wine? I haven't read any 'latter' Bradbury beyond one novel I found disappointing (Lets All Kill Constance), how's this compare? Did you read His Majesty's Dragon yet?
@Steve Gobel, how'd you like the Dawkins? Haven't read it myself but if you haven't already read The Blind Watchmaker check it out, its his seminal work a mechanistic universe.
Did you like Leiber's Big Time? I may have had an ugly mood day when I read it but I really didn't care for it, or even much follow it.
@STForstner, how would you rate those writing books? Any recommendations? | | Back to Top | | |
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Bill Ward
Biblioholic
Date Joined Jul 2006
Total Posts : 1632
| Posted 3/15/2007 1:50 AM (GMT -4) | | I do the same thing, for Battles I'd probably do a battle a day, unless it was one I was already very familair with, like Hastings.
Erikson must be good to keep you reading the series, I've been curious about him myself. I haven't taken the plunge yet though, partially because of the difficulty in getting the books secondhand...cheap bastard I know. I'll get them new when (if) they come out in papaerback, and once I free up some space in my collection. | | Back to Top | | |
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von Darkmoor
Small Press Publisher (and Dancer still)
Date Joined Dec 2005
Total Posts : 2940
| Posted 3/15/2007 2:27 AM (GMT -4) | | Hey, I've been picking up Erikson's Garden's of the Moon hardcover on Barnes & Noble's Bargain Shelves and Half-Price Books' shelves for $5.98 and giving them to friends. And I just saw book 3, Memories of Ice, on Monday night at Half-Price Books for (I think) $6.98 - that was the best book I read in 2006 and I almost bought it again just to own a second copy of myself. Oh, I was so tempted. But instead I bought 3 hardcover Golden Press Doc Savage books! 
So, anyway, there is NO excuse to not be getting into Erikson!* Prior to early 2006 I used to swear by George RR Martin's series A Song of Ice and Fire. Now I say that Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series is to Martin's what his is to everyone else's!
*Unless you're like Armand, who despises any and all magic in his fantasy. Erikson's books reek of magic. And they have 300,000 plus years of history and races of such stunning in-depth work it's unbelievable. The overwhelming complaint (and only truly valid one as far as I am concerned) about Erikson's series is that it is too complex.
Sure it is - for our popcorn-reading habits generation. Erikson wrote a - pardon the expression ladies - manly man's series. By this I simply mean something you can sink your teeth into and bite off a massive chunk of to stick in a cheek for days to gestate before ruminating on it and gradually digesting its power. And believe me, there are plenty of powerful women in these books, too! I love Erikson's work and, as I mentioned on some other thread, he's written the exact combination of power and pleasure that I've wanted to write.
If you do read him, know that GotM was written long before the rest of the series and is his worst book to date. By which I mean that things get awesomely better, not that this is a terrible book. The middle is quite convuluted and has thrown several critics out of the series altogether, but I think the ending and the setup for what's to come more than recompenses the reader for his time and effort in getting there.
Each of the reviews I've done on the Malazan-related books are here: vondarkmoor.blogspot.com/search?q=steven+erikson
Sorry this got so long, it wasn't the intention. I just like Erikson 
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Jason
Ever waltz with the Devil? Or devil with a Waltz? Visit www.vondarkmoor.blogspot.com to find out. | | Back to Top | | |
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Jeff Stehman
Sage
Date Joined Mar 2005
Total Posts : 1224
| Posted 3/15/2007 3:08 AM (GMT -4) | | The Vondish Ambassador is in the Ethshar series. Chronologically, it comes a few years after The Unwilling Warlord, in which the Empire of Vond is created. The protagonist is Emmis, a freelance dockworker in Ethshar of the Spices. When the Vondish Ambassador arrives in EotS, he hires Emmis as a guide. The job evolves into that of aide, and he ends up dealing with assassins, both magical and mundane, and mixing with high-powered lords and wizards. In short, he's in way over his head, yet he has an active role in the plot.
A lot of details about the world of Ethshar are revealed in this one, especially if you read the accompanying blog or the various threads on rec.arts.sf.written. I suspect some readers would find too much world detail in it. When Emmis is crossing the city, his path is often given, street name by street name. (That's also true in Ithanalin's Restoration, which I'm currently reading.) LWE has a very detailed world in Ethshar, including city maps. He doesn't go out of his way to give this info to the reader, but he doesn't hide it when the characters encounter it or discuss it, either. Many of the characters in this book are pretty mundane, like Emmis. That's also fairly common in Ethshar books.
What is posted on-line is the first draft. A hardcopy edition will be published by Wildside Press. Chapter one can be found here: http://www.ethshar.com/thevondishambassador1.html . I don't know for how long, but at least through March. Those who contributed were given access to a couple maps, one of the Ethshar of the Spices with the locations of a few scenes marked, and one of the Empire of Vond. People who contribued $25 or more will receive a signed copy of the book.
--Jeff Stehman | | Back to Top | | |
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carnifexpress
Sage
Date Joined Feb 2005
Total Posts : 1355
| Posted 3/16/2007 5:45 PM (GMT -4) | |
Howard von Darkmoor said...
*Unless you're like Armand, who despises any and all magic in his fantasy. Not exactly true... I enjoy most of the Forgotten Realms books I've read so far - and getting close to breaking reading 100 of the 200+ - I just dislike it when the main character is a wizard or relies on magic to fight. I prefer the strong swordsman killing everything with a blade and a Clash of Steel rather than some skinny twerp using magic missiles to slay a dragon.
Armand Rosamilia, posting about Jason without a snide comment for once.
*Jasonisajackasshead*
Visit Carnifex Press for more information!
The Freehold site is now up!
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Bill Ward
Biblioholic
Date Joined Jul 2006
Total Posts : 1632
| Posted 3/16/2007 9:27 PM (GMT -4) | | I've read Pride and Prejudice, the only Austen so far. I enjoyed it, but it didn't exactly rock my world or anything. I prefer writers at the other end of the nineteenth century I think. One of her novels that deals with isolation and ostracism, Mansfield Park? Emma? I don't remember, sounds interesting and will probably be the next of her books I try.
I've read William's Mem, Sorrow, etc. and thought it was ok, far too drawn out in places, very good in others, with some solid prose throughout. A good epic, one I don't think I'll slog through again however. The historical equivalencies were at times a bit to heavy-handed for me as well, I would have prefered a bit more of a twist on the cultures, rather than having obvious greeks, romans, celts, norse, and japanese elves. Still, it was at no time unenjoyable. I'd read his other stuff, Otherland seems interesting.
So what did you think of Friday xiaotien? I thought it was just a bit on the plus side of dreadful honestly, and I always feel embarassed for latter-day Heinlein, like he was my once proud old uncle that now-a-days just can't keep his hands off girl's bottoms at parties.
@Sean; I may just check those out then. I think he's got real ability, just VE had some freshmen mistakes that made me put the book aside unfinished.
@Jeff, that sounds quite good! thanks. | | Back to Top | | |
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Swashbuckler
One-man sword-and-sorcery machine
Date Joined Mar 2006
Total Posts : 1227
| Posted 3/18/2007 5:52 AM (GMT -4) | | WD: I did like the Dawkins book, quite a bit. I've read a lot of his stuff, and seen some interviews and lectures. I enjoy him immensely. I'm not quite as militantly anti-religion as he is, though. I'm an agnostic/ DIY Buddhist.
I also enjoyed "The Big Time" by Leiber, but confess it took me a while to get into it. It starts rather slowly as he eases you into the setting and concepts he's playing with. Once it got up to speed, I liked it a lot -- and I could kind of see why he eased readers into the thing the way he did. I may even give "Ship of Shadows" another try; that's a Leiber piece I've started several times, and I always give up about six pages in because it is just too hard to follow. But maybe, when I'm in an exploratory mood, I'll try it again.
A few Leiber science fiction books I did enjoy are "A Spectre is Haunting Texas," "The Wanderer," and "The Silver Eggheads." And a lot of his short science fiction stuff is really good. But Fafhrd and the Mouser are my favorite Leiber creations, of course.
Steve Goble
Visit my web site for news on upcoming stories or visit my blog, Swords Against Boredom | | Back to Top | | |
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Bill Ward
Biblioholic
Date Joined Jul 2006
Total Posts : 1632
| Posted 3/25/2007 3:41 PM (GMT -4) | | | That's probably the best way to look at those elements of late heinlein: bemusedly. | | Back to Top | | |
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STForstner
Acolyte
Date Joined Nov 2005
Total Posts : 384
| Posted 3/30/2007 8:46 PM (GMT -4) | | Just getting back to this thread, sorry guys.
I got caught up in the L'Amour books and haven't been able to stop. They're easy reads, not a lot of thinking required amd all similar enough in construction that they make nice reading before bedtime.
Of the writing books, anything by Bickham beats the heck out of most of the others. He had a very clear methodology, but you have to follow it. "Between the Lines" didn't do much for me. I've read enough writing books that all I expect anymore is one small tidbit of something new. If I get one new idea, I figure the book was worth it. Between the Lines didn't supply me with that. It's probably a good enough book if you've never had any other writing books, but it pales next to Stein or Bickham. The feeling of being coached by someone who really understands the craft of writing isn't there. It's more like someone who really understands coaching about the craft of writing. It's a subtle difference, but enough to make the book less useful to me.
Story Structure Architect was very dry and repititious. It gives you the story type (say supplication) and then it tells you what elements are necessary and where to expect them to fall in the story--beginning, middle or end. Not terribly useful on a day to day basis, but it did modify my overall view of fiction enough to be helpful.
My top recommends are still Bickham's "Scene and structure", Knight's "Creating Short Fiction", Stein's "Stein on Writing", and Longyear's "Science Fiction Writer's Workshop #1"
I'm now starting on Gardner's "The art of Fiction." Pretty flowery so far and on a par with Mailer in that respect, but not so chest thumping as Mailer's book was, so hopefully I'll be able to finish it. I have 9 others on the shelf that I want to finish by the end of the year. Man, do I like punishment or what?
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Bill Ward
Biblioholic
Date Joined Jul 2006
Total Posts : 1632
| Posted 3/31/2007 11:22 PM (GMT -4) | | | Thanks for the rundown on those, I think I'll check out Stein and Bickman. I also got a lot of out of Knight's book. | | Back to Top | | |
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erazmus
Master
Date Joined Jul 2005
Total Posts : 4474
| Posted 4/1/2007 11:54 AM (GMT -4) | | | | |
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