SciFi Books you've just read - Part II

[bearack]

<p>Not sure Tom Clancy falls into the SciFi arena, but I recently read Endwars and was amazed how gifted Clancy was.&nbsp; Never read his books until then.&nbsp; But of course, I've seen the movie Red October and Patriot games and played Ghost Recon on PS3 so I knew he was talented, but the book engulfed me.&nbsp; I picked it up at the airport one day because I forgot to bring my book for a business trip.&nbsp; I'm not the fastest reader, but I read the entire book in the 3 days of my business trip.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><br /><img id="06322a8d-f18d-4ab1-8ea7-150275a4cb53" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/6/14/06322a8d-f18d-4ab1-8ea7-150275a4cb53.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" /></p> </div>

 

[Doc_Grey]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Just finished Hiero Desteen, which is Hiero's Journey and The Unforsaken Hiero bound together in one volume.&nbsp; Excellent book, but written quite a while ago.&nbsp; I also just finished Cosmic Plasma, by Hannes Alfven which seems to contain a bit more fiction, in light of present-day knowledge,&nbsp;than the author may have intended. <br />Posted by DrRocket</DIV><br /><br />Holy Smokes!</p><p>Dr. You're the first person I've ever 'met' since I first read Hieros Journey 30+yrs ago that had heard of, let alone read these. Unfortunatey, Lanier wasn't too prolific. For some reason, that was a very important book in my formative young scifi/fanasy years.</p><p>You put a grin on my face with that one.</p>

 

[neomaine]

<p>Finally getting around to reading the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons.&nbsp; Just finish Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion.&nbsp; My comment is on the first book, Hyperion, when Martin Silenus is telling his story of what brought him along.</p><p>Other than joke or other books actually designed to make you laugh, I just about died laughing while reading his account of his life after waking from cryogenic freeze and getting brain damage to his speech center.&nbsp; Without giving away too much, he's vocabulary is down to just eight or so simple, but very colorful words.</p><p>I was just laughing out load and couldn't stop as I was laying in bed.&nbsp; My wife thought I was going crazy.&nbsp; Once I'm done the the Endymion books, I'm going back just to read those chapters.&nbsp; Ok, its bathroom type humor but it was right up my alley.&nbsp; Really, really funny stuff...&nbsp; </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><br />Have a good one,<br /><br />neomaine<br /><br />Folding@Home home page:<br />http://folding.stanford.edu/<br /><br />Folding@Home download page:<br />http://folding.stanford.edu/English/Download<br /><br />Folding@Home Team 10993 Stats at ExtremeOverclocking:<br />http://folding.extremeoverclocking.com/team_summary.php?s=&t=10993</p> </div>

 

[10_stone_5]

Finished up Larry Niven/Jerry Pournelle Footfall.
Next up Stanislav Lem Fiasco.

 

[capt_cardor]

Paul Melko

Singularity's Ring
The Walls of the Universe

Just read two books by a "new" author, Paul Melko. The first is "Singularity's Ring" which takes a unique look at the possibility of a linkage of personalities in the future. The main character/characters are a unit of five personalities all bound together who are training to pilot a starship. I wasn't sure I would like this plot line and actually returned it to the library before picking it up again. Its a fairly standard chase sequence, but Melko creates a believable character, perhaps unique in SF. I thought it was a good effort and then went on to read his most recent work "The Walls of the Universe". This was originally an award winning novella, stretched to become a novel (and it is hinted at the end) the first in a series. The plot simple stated is that John (called Farm Boy) is confronted by another John (called Prime). He explains that he is from a parallel universe and then tricks Farm Boy into traveling into another universe, leaving Prime to live a normal life and with Farm Boy having no way to get home. Frankly, I did not care for this book. Knowing that Melko can really write, this book was so padded and thin that I couldn't wait for it to end. The implausibility of the resolution didn't help any. Sigh!
At 380 pages it was a novella stretched to resemble a figure in a funhouse mirror. Too bad.

 

[thedistantyear2000]

Part of the way through this literary classic(in my opinion of course) - it's absolutely gripping and relentlessly absorbing - have gone through half of it today already!

 

[jryle1234]

I am presently reading Ray Bradbury's, "We'll Always Have Paris" even though this is short stories not SF what he has written are some of the best stories in SF and also some of the best stories that I have ever read.


JSR

 

[jryle1234]

Having read the two "Hiero" books years aga I always thought that they begged a third, anyone know anything about any possibility?

 

[capt_cardor]

Just saw the post about "Hiero's Journey" Sterling Lanier is one of my favorite authors and I loved all his work. Try his short stories about Brigadier Ffellowes. They are wonderful. Sadly, Lanier passed away in 1989 at the age of 78.

 

[capt_cardor]

Sorry, I sent that off too quick. He passed away in 2008.

 

[jmilsom]

A busy year for me, hence my disappearance from SDC. I see my post count seems to diminish with each long absence.

Haven't read much in the past year. Books I read and enjoyed, however,

The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin

Road Side Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
and

A Fall of Moondust by A.C.Clarke.

Perhaps if this year goes better, I'll get to do some reading and start writing some reviews again.

Happy New Year everyone

 

[a_lost_packet_]

..Happy New Year everyone

Happy New Year man! Good to see ya around!