Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Books - Let's try this again.

Ok, so my last book post didn't go over well. No one had anything to say about it. But, I don't give up that easily. I imagine once I start reading something a little more popular, I'll get more comments. But anyway, I finished the book I was reading. I thought it was pretty good. It started pretty slow, but that is to be expected with an epic science fiction series, I think. And once the action started, it got going pretty well, and was very interesting. My review of it can be found here.

So, now I am starting the second book in the series, which I got for Father's Day. I hope it will be better than the first, as it doesn't have to have all the slow parts setting everything up.

So, has anyone else read this series, or anything else by this author? Anyone reading anything interesting they'd like to recommend?

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6 comments:

PaulNoonan said...

I haven't read that series or author, so I can't offer much there.

The best book I've read in the last ten years is without question Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, and I highly recommend it.

Re: Orson Scott Card.

Many democrats became vocal supporters of Bush shortly after 9/11, but most reverted when major fighting ceased in Afghanistan, so it's not that unusual. He seems pretty messed up politically, but that just makes him typical in my opinion. Besides, Ender's Game is still great.

Anonymous said...

Cryptonomicon was very good. Have you read any of his latest trilogy? I have the first one but I haven't started it.

Right now I'm reading The Golem's Eye by Jonathan Stroud. It's the second book in the Bartimaeus trilogy. It's a very good series so far. It's about a world very similar to our own where magic works by harnessing demons (djinni, imps, etc...) The world, characters and plot are very well-designed, and I like his writing style.

Anonymous said...

I almost started Cryptonomicon after reading Snow Crash, but I wasn't in the mood for anything that long at the time.

I agree Ender's Game is still great, I just wish he wasn't such a fucknut.

Anonymous said...

I really haven't been much in the mood for fantasy lately.

PaulNoonan said...

Cryptonomicon is actually historical fiction, it just gets put into the Sci-fi section due to Neal's earlier works (Snow Crash, Diamond Age, etc.). I have read The Baroque Cycle. It's excellent (especially if you've already read Cryptonomicon, as the characters are all ancestors) but quite the committment.

Right now I'm reading Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel, which should actually be called Plants and Words, and Neal Stephenson's latest, Interface. I actually just read Ender's Game a few weeks ago.

Anonymous said...

We have a review of books I and II over at SF Signal.