SF Fantasy And Horror Literature

(Feoh/42512) Glad you're enjoying it! The next one's out in April. I can't w...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:21:00 -0600

Glad you're enjoying it! The next one's out in April.  I can't wait :) I follow
Kevin Hearne on FB and Twitter and he's a hoot there too.

(Nightspawn/42511) I'm about halfway through the third Iron Druid book, so thanks t...

Nightspawn@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:14:00 -0600

I'm about halfway through the third Iron Druid book, so thanks to all of you
that recommended it.

(Feoh/42510) Clockworks> Interesting, thanks for the thoughtful analysis. I ...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:12:00 -0600

Clockworks> Interesting, thanks for the thoughtful analysis.  I suspect you're
right - much in the same way that early SF writers like E. Doc Smith did some
things with 'ships of space' and 'rods and cones of force' that modern day SF
readers might view askance.

(Clockworks/42509) Its been a long time since I read princess of Mars, but my recol...

Clockworks@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:45:00 -0600

Its been a long time since I read princess of Mars, but my recollection of what
I've read about it is that it was meant be a kind of out of body experience
where John's spirit left his body, went to mars, created a perfect body for
himself there to have his adventures. Bear in mind how long ago this was
written. Burroughs wasn't laboring under a century of culteral baggage ranging
from DnD to hundreds of movies and novels that have limited what "astral
projection" and "out of body experience" means to us as today's audience.

I could take a random sampling of strangers and ask them to define "astral
projection" and I would get very similar answers because they have grown up in
a culture which has defined it. "your mind/soul/spirit leaves your body, forms
an incorporal glowing white ghost-like copy of yourself that can fly around and
perceive the world but not interact with it". 9 out of 10 would say the form is
made of white light, 9 out of 10 would say the form can walk through walls and
can't talk or interact with others. 9 out of 10 would suggest that there may be
certain people, dogs and kids that can see the astral form.

Some of these people may be sci fi fans, most wouldn't. But I bet I would get
the same general description from most of them no matter what their background.

Burroughs wrote in an earlier time, before this was embellished so clearly in
the cultural consciousness. In his time "astral projection" and "out of body
experiences" were more vague, the things of strange eastern philosophies. So he
formed a different perspective on it. In his perspective, the astral form could
be projected to distant planets, form new bodies, etc. A different take on the
concept than what was eventually aggregated.

(Feoh/42508) That's what I was wondering, I was in particular wondering about...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:41:00 -0600

That's what I was wondering, I was in particular wondering about the
significance of whatever the now deceased lady in the cave was burning.

(Xenos/42507) Astral projection?

Xenos@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:08:00 -0600

Astral projection?

(Feoh/42506) I just read _Princess of Mars_ a few weeks back. For some reaso...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 05:32:00 -0600

I just read _Princess of Mars_ a few weeks back.  For some reason the thing
that I keep going back to about the book is the cave from which his adventure
began, and the dead lady with green burning something or other...

Does anyone have any thoughts on what this was supposed to be a reference to?
Was he supposed to have had a spiritual Out of Body Experience or something? I
realize it's sci-fi and you can't read too much into any of it, but I keep
wondering if it's a period reference to something or other.

(Rian/42505) I never knew about the Carson Napier books. How many of them we...

Rian@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:48:00 -0600

I never knew about the Carson Napier books.  How many of them were there, and
can they still be found?  That might make for fun reading, if only from a
historical standpoint.

(Ferenczy/42504) I am a fair ERB fan. Certainly his stuff seems awfully dated to...

Ferenczy@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:39:00 -0600

I am a fair ERB fan.  Certainly his stuff seems awfully dated today in its
science, political correctness, etc.  But they are mostly just fun adventure
stories.  I've been a Tarzan fan since I was about 12 -- Tarzan turns 100
this year.  Yeehaw.  As much as I like them, I have to admit, they really got
sillier and not so good as the series progressed.  The first 2 are pretty
good so I reread them from time to time.

As for his more sci-fi stuff -- I always liked his Carson Napier of Venus
books even more than John Carter of Mars.  Though honestly they're pretty
similar.

One thing is for certain -- ERB had quite an imagination.

(Feoh/42503) Xenos> Absolutely! It's sexist as all get out, but as you say, i...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:35:00 -0600

Xenos> Absolutely! It's sexist as all get out, but as you say, it reflects the
culture in which it was written.  I also found it to be rather formulaic, but
again, it was written before the formulas were in place so it gets some slack
because of that :)

(Xenos/42502) Thanks Stepp, I might give those a go! :-)

Xenos@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 06:37:00 -0600

Thanks Stepp, I might give those a go! :-)
I'm currently reading A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  I'd never
read it and thought I'd pick it up when I saw there's a movie (John Carter)
about to be released.  So far I'm enjoying it, it's very readable, if
incredibly politically incorrect in places - but that reflects its time I
guess.

(Steppenwolf/42501) Well, lemme tell ya Xenos, the Patrick Rothfuss books I reviewed...

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:48:00 -0600

Well, lemme tell ya Xenos, the Patrick Rothfuss books I reviewed above are
NOTHING of the kind. *nodnod*

(Feoh/42500) I'd give it another book and see what you think, not like they'r...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:43:00 -0600

I'd give it another book and see what you think, not like they're hard reads or
even particularly long :)

(Xenos/42499) It's not that I don't like action exactly, it's just that there ...

Xenos@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:31:00 -0600

It's not that I don't like action exactly, it's just that there seems to be a
LOT of that formula around lately.  Maybe I'm just noticing it.  Maybe it's my
fault for picking a particular set of books to read!  But I swear there used to
be more possible plot lines around than "mysterious stuff happens, bad guy(s)
turn up, huge fight/battle ensues".  Honestly.  Even the last couple of Harry
Potter books trudged along that route.  Can't authors come up with anything
else?  It's been a while since I even came across a straightforward "quest"
routine.  Mind you, Eddings did that death.  Maybe he scared off everyone
else... ;-)  The only author I know writing anything different is Pratchett,
and sadly he's unlikely to have many more books in him.

(Dariathalon/42498) Iron Druid> Yeah, I can see your complaint. The third book has...

Dariathalon@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:23:00 -0600

Iron Druid>  Yeah, I can see your complaint.  The third book has a few better
characters in the people that Atticus takes with him to go after Thor.  They
aren't the deepest characters I've ever encountered, but they're based on myth.
Speaking of which, I think the third book does ramp up the mythological
elements more bringing in a lot of Norse myth (of course), but also things from
other cultures as well.  If you like that aspect, I'd give it at least one more
book.  On the other hand, if you don't like the action scenes (which I think is
overstating your message from a few posts back), the third book does have more
of that too.

On the whole I enjoyed it.  It's not the best book ever, but not bad either.
Different strokes for different folks and all that, I guess.

(Xenos/42497) Oh I wasn't expecting a work of great art. But, to pick somethi...

Xenos@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:14:00 -0600

Oh I wasn't expecting a work of great art.  But, to pick something similar, the
Harry Dresden books do at least have engaging characters other than the
protagonist.  Everyone in Iron Druid so far seems very shallow.  Do they
develop?  I'm just wondering whether I should give it one more book, or give up
on it now.  I can't really remember if I had similar problems with Dresden for
the first couple of books (it does take time for characters to develop) but I
don't recall finding it quite so... featureless.

(Feoh/42496) I did say it's not Fine Literature. The story arc is what it is...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:59:00 -0600

I did say it's not Fine Literature.  The story arc is what it is. If you're
looking for mind boggling overarching plot, go read Tolkien of Martin or
something :) These are popcorn books.  Either you like them and they entertain
you, or they don't.

The 'arc' per se does evolve, but I'm not convinced you'll be blown over by it
either.

(Xenos/42495) I've just finished the second Iron Druid book. I'm in two minds ...

Xenos@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:00:00 -0600

I've just finished the second Iron Druid book. I'm in two minds as to whether
to get any more. So far they seem to be following the classic 'stuff happens
culminating in 20 pages of drawn out battle' formula beloved of all male
contemporary fantasy authors.
Which can be good if there has been some interesting character development and
story arc before the tedious fighting, but so far Oberon the dog is really the
best character there. Does the story arc get any better? Is the Thor plot
interesting?

(Rawbone/42494) KingKiller Chronicles> I have read both of these books. I really...

Rawbone@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 07:59:00 -0600

KingKiller Chronicles> I have read both of these books. I really like them both
and i am eagarly awaiting the end. I would agree that it is hard to believe
thie will be wrapped up in a triolgy. I can easily see him continuing the
after the Triolgy is wrapped up. Like bring the character up to date on past
experiences and then start a new series of him with new adventures.

(Atreyu/42493) Kushiel's Dart>

Atreyu@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:01:00 -0600

Kushiel's Dart>
I really liked that book, as well as the following books.  As to how she really
likes pain, it is basically that she doesn't feel pain as such, but that pain
causes her to feel orgasmic.  The interplay between Phedre, the uber-sub, and
Joscelin who is a military ascetic monk is very interesting as Joscelin falls
in love with someone who is the complete opposite of his order.
I also enjoyed the interplay of the different views on the basic religion.  The
basic tenet of the land is "Love as thou wilt" and each of Elau's companions
chose a different way of showing that which leads to the different houses in
the land.
Well, all in all I enjoyed the books, but I haven't read the latest in the
series only reading the first two trilogies.

(Steppenwolf/42492) It doesn't. It just means she REALLY REALLY likes it.

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:55:00 -0600

It doesn't. It just means she REALLY REALLY likes it.

As compared to most subs who have it trained into them by conditioning, I
guess.

(Egregious/42491) That first book sounds like the stuff my wife gets from Free Boo...

Egregious@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:45:00 -0600


That first book sounds like the stuff my wife gets from Free Book Friday
from Barnes & Noble.

What does it mean to be a magickal sub?  How does it affect anyone else?

(Steppenwolf/42490) The other books I read were the first two of the Kingkiller Chro...

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:38:00 -0600

The other books I read were the first two of the Kingkiller Chronicles, by
Patrick Rothfuss. These I very highly recommend. The writing, while not as
self-consciously ornate as Carey's, is awesome, with a good mastery of tone,
description, and dialogue. Big plot, and great characters--even relatively
minor characters are well-painted and have their own voices. I wan't go into
too much detail, but the main character is a young man about whom legends have
already spread, and he wants to tell his true story while around him (maybe
five-10 years after the events of the book) the world is slowly crumbling.

If I have a complaint, it's that while this is supposed to be a trilogy there
have been too many hints and plot threads introduced for me to think they will
be wrapped up with the proper emotional strength it deserved. There are
exciting parts, and lovely parts, but at no point is it quite so gripping that
it peaks to a true climax. On one hand that just highlights the framing
narrative and that this story is being told, but on the other it concerns me
that he might not be able to actually provide that intensity that the plot
hints seem to call for. But that's not a critique so much as a compliment: I
like it enough that I want it to end right.

(Steppenwolf/42489) ODdly, in the last month or so I've read three fantasy books, wh...

Steppenwolf@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:28:00 -0600

ODdly, in the last month or so I've read three fantasy books, which are the
first fantasy books I've read in two or three years.

So now I shall provide reviews:

First book was Kushiel's Dart, by Jacqueline Carey. On a basic level, the woman
can really write; her style is pretty if maybe trying too hard to be beautiful
and erotic and so on. She occasionally makes missteps: When she wrote, "This I
did, letting my sable locks fall over my face to shadow my fair
skin lest anyone glance upward," I wanted to slap her. (Indeed, the phrase
"sable locks" appears three times in the book. Seriously?)

But the problem with slapping her is that she'd probably enjoy it. The main
character is, I kid you not, magically endowed with the power of being an
awesome BDSM sub. To say that I found this distracting is an understatement. I
mean, the sex in the book (of which there is much) is pleasant enough to read,
but holy crap, at times you just couldn't break from your immersion and think,
"Really? This is your main character?" It's not even like being the Magic BDSM
Courtesan adds any particular depth to the book; Carey just wanted to write
about someone who gets off on getting hurt. It was tough to take seriously.

All in all, I didn't mind reading it. Like I said, it really is beautiful at
times, though you get tired of EVERYONE being gorgeous and striking and so on.
But I wouldn't buy it, and I won't read the rest of the series.

Next review on next page.

(Downward Spiral/42488) Dresden Files is kind of strange to me when it comes to the conc...

Downward Spiral@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:16:00 -0600

Dresden Files is kind of strange to me when it comes to the concept of
character development. I myself think that he's really developed the supporting
cast more then he has Harry himself.  Yes you get a sense of his character, his
need to do right over giving into bad Harry but you've seen more depth of
character from Michael and Molly and certainly Murphy then I've really seen
from dresden.

Don't get me wrong I don't think he's boring but I think he's spent so much
time helping everyone else out that as a by product we've seen more growing and
changing in those people then Harry.  Though Ghost Story has done a lot ot
really make him look inward as a character we still see Molly and Murhpy and
even Mort evolving much more quickly, even seeing new sides of Butters and the
Father Forthill.

***************** spoiler **********************

I can't wait to see how things go as Harry moves from facing the big bad guys
to facing his own inner demons as he deals with becoming the Winter Knight
for real and dishing out Mab's will while keeping himself intact.  And maybe
having a daughter in the same city will bring up some more issues.

(Feoh/42487) To each his own. I personally find that Harry Dresden, and the ...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:55:00 -0600

To each his own.  I personally find that Harry Dresden, and the characters that
surround him, actually do have a fair bit of depth for the genre.  I mean, I'm
sure they're nothing compared to characters from a James Joyce or Faulkner
novel or whatever, but in my book watching the character evolve through the
years and have relationships with others that deepen and become more rich
counts as "depth".

(Ferenczy/42486) Certainly in the first book of a series like Dresden or Iron Dru...

Ferenczy@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:45:00 -0600

Certainly in the first book of a series like Dresden or Iron Druid you aren't
likely to find everything there is to know.  I hope Hearne does build up his
universe more as it goes since it really wansn't bad.

While I read _Hounded_ in 2 days, here I am nearly done with my second day of
_WebMage_ and am only 60-70 pages in.  I'm going to finish it, but it just
isn't grabbing me at all.  It is a light, easy read (easy except I haven't
wanted to just sit down and read it) and I should have been able to fly
through in a couple of days.  Alas... this series just may not be for me.

Much like some people just aren't/weren't in Amber.  Not everything works for
everyone.

(Forrester/42485) While I find the Dresden Files fun, I think it's arguable whethe...

Forrester@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:50:00 -0600

While I find the Dresden Files fun, I think it's arguable whether Dresden has
any "depth of character", at least for the first dozen or so books.

(Feoh/42484) Ferenczy> Of course, like you said, we've read through umpteen v...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:48:00 -0600

Ferenczy> Of course, like you said, we've read through umpteen volumes of
Dresden.  The Iron Druid Chronicles are still very young.  It's not clear to me
that Kevin Hearne will create the same depth of character Butcher has, but
they're certainly damn entertaining :)

(Ferenczy/42483) So I'm only around 20 pages into WebMage -- but I'm finding near...

Ferenczy@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:47:00 -0600

So I'm only around 20 pages into WebMage -- but I'm finding nearly any excuse
to put it down.  I'm not done with it, but it certainly hasn't grabbed me
from page one.

I read _The Immortals_ by Tracy Hickman this week.  Not sure I'd call it SF,
but as it does deal with a virus to some degree, perhaps.  It was an
interesting enough read.

I have some 100+ books on my shelf that are unread.  At least 35 of those are
the first or first and second of a series.  I've avoided them because if I
like them then there's another whole set of books to have to get.  Alas, I'm
afraid I'm going to have to sooner rather than later.

(Gespalder/42482) I am now reading Exiles of the Rynth by Carole Nelson Douglas

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:29:00 -0600

I am now reading Exiles of the Rynth by Carole Nelson Douglas

Interesting so far (just started it the other day). If I like it well enough I
will get Six of Swords.

(Ferenczy/42481) So I picked up Iron Druid. Finished the first one a couple days...

Ferenczy@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:19:00 -0600

So I picked up Iron Druid.  Finished the first one a couple days ago and it
was indeed entertaining.  I will read more.  I think I still prefer Dresden,
but then I've had a LOT more time (and pages) with Harry than with Atticus.
But definitely worth a look.

WebMage -- had to order the first book.  Just arrived and picked it up
tonight from the store so I should be able to jump in tomorrow for a bit.

Nice to have a few new things to read -- even if I end up liking them.  I
hate waiting for new books by authors I like, but hey, I've been doing that
most of my life so...

(Nightspawn/42480) Added WebMage to my list too. I need to find more time to read....

Nightspawn@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:36:00 -0600

Added WebMage to my list too.  I need to find more time to read...

(Rawbone/42479) I am reading the night angel trilogy from Brent Weeks. I am enjo...

Rawbone@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:53:00 -0600

I am reading the night angel trilogy from Brent Weeks. I am enjoying it.

(Feoh/42478) I'll give it a shot, thanks!

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:30:00 -0600

I'll give it a shot, thanks!

(Downward Spiral/42477) well depending on your point of view its not really "tech" heavy...

Downward Spiral@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:22:00 -0600

well depending on your point of view its not really "tech" heavy, but the magic
system in the book is based on programming and hacking. It doesn't go into real
heavy detail more like "I wrote this program to hack into the backdoor of the
antiquated system".  It never really explains how or why it works just that
magic is now controlled that way.

(Feoh/42476) Downward Spiral> How tech heavy is it? As a technologist I have ...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:15:00 -0600

Downward Spiral> How tech heavy is it? As a technologist I have to admit I get
turned off to faux tech a bit.  I tend to prefer more purely fantasy novels,
but if it's subtle and doesn't pour on the schmaltz too heavily I'll check it
out :)

(Downward Spiral/42475) Iron Druid> 4th book is out in april and the 5th book is being f...

Downward Spiral@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:14:00 -0600

Iron Druid> 4th book is out in april and the 5th book is being finished.
Another series you might like I think is the Kelly McCullough WebMage series.
More based on Greek mythology but its still got the fun and irreverent tone as
well as a good story line.  http://kellymccullough.com/?page_id=55

(Feoh/42474) Thanks Dariathalon I just added The Dog Days to my list :)

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:29:00 -0600

Thanks Dariathalon I just added The Dog Days to my list :)

(Nightspawn/42473) According to Amazon the fourth book is out in April.

Nightspawn@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:36:00 -0600

According to Amazon the fourth book is out in April.

As I posted in Lit> I added it ot my list of books to read.  I love the Dresden
Files.

(Dariathalon/42472) I already posted this in Lit> as a response to Feoh, but s/he is...

Dariathalon@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:05:00 -0600

I already posted this in Lit> as a response to Feoh, but s/he is absolutely
right, this is the better forum for it, so I'll move it over here instead.

I read the Iron Druid books a few months back, at least the first three of
them.  Have any more come out?  I enjoyed them quite a bit too.  They actually
reminded me of another series that I'd read shortly before them, the Dog Days
books by John Levitt.  If you liked Iron Druid, you might give them a shot too.

(Feoh/42471) Cool let me know what you think! It's not Serious Literature by ...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:41:00 -0600

Cool let me know what you think! It's not Serious Literature by any means, but
reasonably well written, well paced, FUN stories that borrow liberally from the
Celtic mythos :)

(Xenos/42470) Awesome thank you, I'm always on the lookout for good contempory...

Xenos@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:16:00 -0600

Awesome thank you, I'm always on the lookout for good contempory fantasy.
Already downloaded on my Kindle :-)

(Feoh/42469) I already posted this in Literature but I suppose I should've po...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:11:00 -0600

I already posted this in Literature but I suppose I should've posted it here
instead> I am TOTALLY addicted to the Kevin Hearne Iron Druid Chronicles.  I
haven't been this hooked or laughed this much since the Dresden Files.

(Knightshade/42468) http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-sample.html

Knightshade@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:59:00 -0600



http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-sample.html


sample chapter from next Song of Ice and Fire book

(Tomte/42467) Speaking of Ender's Game, I recently read the comic book series....

Tomte@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:53:00 -0600

Speaking of Ender's Game, I recently read the comic book series.  It was
surprisingly good.

Maybe there is hope for a movie not sucking as well.  I know Orson Scott Card
has publicly voiced a lot of the same concerns that you are voicing here right
now.

It would be interesting to find out just how much control and input he will
have in the film.

(Atreyu/42466) Child actors are fine, I'm more upset at the potential dumbing d...

Atreyu@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:16:00 -0600

Child actors are fine, I'm more upset at the potential dumbing down of the plot
and the multiple plotlines.  I  had figured they would probably have a hard
time with Peter and Valentine/Locke-Demothesene(sp) plot, but if you suddenly
make this movie about a "gamer" then you cannot even talk about his upbringing
or the difficulty of being the 3rd child in a world where no one has more than
2.  You can't talk about how Ender's birth was both a protest to the govt but
also mandated by them.  I am curious though if the film will just be Ender's
Game or include Bean/Shadow of Ender as well.

(Egregious/42465) They've been talking about Ender's Game, the movie, for 10 years...

Egregious@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:37:00 -0600

They've been talking about Ender's Game, the movie, for 10 years.

I'm worried about child actors, but many of the Harry Potter movies
showed that you can make it work.

(Feoh/42464) Suck overdrive. What classic will Hollywood decide to defocate ...

Feoh@rss.iscabbs.com — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:21:00 -0600

Suck overdrive.  What classic will Hollywood decide to defocate on next?
Heinlein perhaps? Oh wait we already raped him :)  I know! E. Doc Smith!

(Atreyu/42463) Ender's Game>

Atreyu@rss.iscabbs.com — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:58:00 -0600

Ender's Game>
So, finally this book is making it's way to the big screen.  I didn't realize
though how they may have to change the storyline to get there though, and not
sure how I feel about it.  They have already cast Ender with Asa Butterfield
and according to Variety there is talk of harrison Ford being courted for the
part of Col. Hyrum Graff after Viggo Mortensen passed on the role.  What
bothered me though was the description of the story.  "Futuristic tale will
follow a gifted young gamer with an almost preternatural capacity for strategy
and logistics..."  A gifted young gamer?  Looks like the subplot of his sister
and brother is going to be the first casualty.  Not sure how I feel about even
thinking of this book being about a "gamer".   /sigh
Varitety Link:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118046778

(Gespalder/42462) Just finished Survival World by Frank Belknap Long

Gespalder@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 06:08:00 -0500

Just finished Survival World by Frank Belknap Long
Here is a site with a picture of the novel
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/l/frank-belknap-long/survival-world.htm

This is from the back of the book

Marauder! The desperate men are loose in the world. They come by night,
slipping past the guards & around the barriers, driving ever Eastward, until at
last they meet the barrier of the poisoned Atlantic. They turn northward, but
no matter where they go, the land is turning arid, the fish are dying in the
waters, animals are disappearing from the fields. Hunger feeds their
desperation, for the world is starving to death, the final result of the work
of the polluters. They have poisoned the waters; scourged the soil, destroyed
the viable seeds of life. Now the planet Earth draws a shroud of pestilence,
waiting for the final moments, waiting to die, waiting until one man no longer
submits to the inevitable & fights back against the messengers of death!


I personally enjoyed the book. I liked how one may can make a difference
despite being taken from his time to the future. A nice mix of future tech and
a look at what may happen to our world if we don't take steps to curb our
actions.

(Hroswitha/42461) Nightspawn - you asked about some good titles in Steampunk categ...

Hroswitha@rss.iscabbs.com — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 05:53:00 -0500


Nightspawn - you asked about some good titles in Steampunk category.  I may be
alone in this, but I love everything written to date by China Mieville.  The
best, for my money, have been Kracken and The City and the City.  You might
also try Perdido Street Station and The Scar, or Iron Council.  He also has a
collection of short stories set in the same "world" as the last three titles I
mentioned.  His most recent release is Ambassadortown, and I'm currently
reading that one.

Mieville's prose is gorgeous if somewhat dense.  His plots are often so wildly
inventive that they take my breath away, although many of his characters suffer
from under-development.

Ambassadortown is SciFi structured around language - humans dealing with an
alien race who have something they want.  Humanity can understand these aliens
perfectly, but the aliens at first did not recognize humans as having speech or
thought or intelligence, as the language of these others is structured around
metaphor and duality.  The main character of this book is a woman who, as a
child, entered the language of these aliens as a living embodiment of a
metaphor - the Girl who Ate What She Was Given.  Ambassadors, the only ones who
can speak with these aliens, must be twinned in their brain structure or they
won't be recognized.  The concept is brilliant and surprising, and MIeville is
always very readable.

To start with him, I would recommend either The City and the City or Kraken.
The former is a noir-ish murder mystery set in a kind of behind-the-iron-
curtain city which shares a dimensional reality with another city, the
occupants of each reality choosing to ignore breaches and lapses which reveal
the city on the other side.  The latter is set in London, but a city beset by
rival cults all predicting End Times, a rhetoric that becomes particularly
urgent when the preserved body of a moderately-sized giant squid disappears
from a local Natural History museum.  One of the cults in question asserts that
the Krakens are truly gods, and predicts that they will rise at the world's
end.

Good luck - I hope you find what you're looking for.

(Xenos/42460) First, try not to forget that stuff we think of classic now was ...

Xenos@rss.iscabbs.com — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 03:36:00 -0500

First, try not to forget that stuff we think of classic now was pretty trashy
and/or shocking at the time.  Second, Twilight, Harry Potter, Hunger Games and
so on are the classics of 2050, when older people will be complaining about the
worthlessness of 'today's' fiction for kids.  Third any child can be exposed to
anything, they only have to be given the book.

(Nightspawn/42459) As much as I hate Twilight, it at least got my niece interested ...

Nightspawn@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 07:31:00 -0500

As much as I hate Twilight, it at least got my niece interested in actually
reading a book. Now she's on the Harry Potter, so maybe there is hope for her.

(Ferenczy/42458) I am a fairly new parent, my little girl is 8 months old so I ho...

Ferenczy@rss.iscabbs.com — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:21:00 -0500

I am a fairly new parent, my little girl is 8 months old so I hope I've got a
few years before I really have to worry about the teen fic.  I haven't read
Hunger Games and who knows, 10-15 years from now, who knows what the big
thing will be....  But I do hope that there is something more worthwhile than
the teen stuff I have looked at.

I guess I ought to be really grateful that the current teen market didn't
exist when I was that age.  Sure, a lot of "adult" stuff I read seems pretty
juvenille to me now (Anthony, Eddings)...  I dunno, I guess I just feel bad
for my nieces and nephews who are coming into that age and aren't being
exposed to...

Issac Asimov
Roger Zelazny
Ray Bradbury
Edgar Rice Burroughs
JRR Tolkien
McCaffrey
Hambly

Not to mention the not so sf/fantasy/horror authors I read then.

Maybe teen fiction isn't all bad, but I haven't really found anything all
that encouraging.  Harry Potter, perhaps, but that's kept in the kids
department, though by the end of the series definitely a bit more to it.

(Xenos/42436) I've finally finished all the Dresden books now, up to and inclu...

Xenos@rss.iscabbs.com — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:05:00 -0500

I've finally finished all the Dresden books now, up to and including Ghost
Story.  Really enjoyed them all, and put my Mum onto them :-)  It's a bit of a
shame the end of Changes was spoiled for me in here though.  I'll bet that was
a massive shock if you had no idea it was coming.