I was having a conversation recently with someone I know about reading and she asked what my favorite book was. I told her Percy Jackson’s Lightning Thief, and she looked at me like I’d just killed her prized cow and said “Really? Percy Jackson? THAT’S your favorite book? I expected more from you.” Confused I asked her “What do you mean you expected more?” and she said “I know you’ve read things like The Art of War, so I expected more from than JUST Percy Jackson as your favorite book.” I’ve been seeing that mentality more and more in reading groups and book clubs recently. People are outright getting attacked for being adults that enjoy young adult fiction. And I just….don’t get it. Isn’t the point of reading to be for enjoyment? Who cares what people read, what they enjoy or why?
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Do I study things like metaphysics in my free time? Yeah, yeah I do. I’ve read Art of War, The …
Fantasy series are often 1000+ page 10+ volume affairs. That feels like a lot of story and world to cram into just a few episodes! I’ve been thinking about what I didn’t enjoy in some adaptations beyond individual creative decisions of the show runners. (Witcher, WoT, last seasons of GoT) I realized a lot of it comes down to character development, and I wonder if character growth and significant relationships will always feel rushed in less than 10 episodes for stories of this scale? Would love to hear what other folks think.
I always felt it was kind of funny that The Hobbit gets ignored in most criticisms of Tolkien. I’m an academic with classes in JRR so I get exposed to them more but usually, the surface readings of it always go on about pro-monarchy sentiments and divine rights of kings, fallen ages, and evil races. However, if you read The Hobbit, it actually feels like Tolkien is sending up his own critics’ ideas of himself.
Thorin is the one true king of the dwarves and as blue blooded/divine right of kings as they come. He’s also a complete ass. Thorin is constantly leading the group into disaster, a frankly terrible leader, and a bit of a coward as he sends Bilbo into the dragon’s den first. He also almost ends up in a pointless war with the elves and humans over gold. The Elf King isn’t much better and Bard fully intends to march on the Lonely Mountain to rob the joint. Though, to be fair, Bard perhaps has a point that the dwarves brought ruin on his people.
The …
What the title says
I miss “cookie cutter” fantasy. Gruff dwarves, orcs and goblins, The Dark Lord, bearded wizards with pointy hats throwing fireballs and sage advice. Mysterious woodland elves, maidens in need of rescue from the knight in shining armour.
But it seems like such stories are seen as outdated, overdone or full of clichés and tropes (clichés and tropes exist for a reason IMO) and I agreed with these sentiments until I one day was finished with yet another fantasy book that had only one or two of these elements with their own interpretations of them and I realized I was.. unfulfilled.
Unfulfilled until I read The Spellmonger by Terry Mancour which had evil goblin armies, wizards, dark lords and so on and I found myself feeling like a little kid again reading LOTR for the first time! I sort of rediscovered what made me love fantasy in the first place and it is in fact the stories that are chock full of fantasy tropes and clichés! I have to be honest with myself and acknowledge …
Let’s start off with the magic system, I enjoyed the execution of Allomancy so much and it was implemented very consistently and it was overall a lot of fun. It was explained very plainly and wasn’t too mysterious, which I didn’t mind personally. Just seeing it executed all the times, whilst knowing what was going on really added to the experience for me. Feruchemy was also present as a secondary magic system, which I also really enjoyed.
Also the action was very well done, with said magic system. Other than that, it was very well described as well and I could imagine seeing it all go down. Action scenes were varied in opponents, tips and tricks, winning and losing battles and they were also PLENTY, especially towards the end.
The story was maybe not the most original in concept, but it was very well executed, which more than made up for that to me. There were the occasional twists and revelations, placed logically and were built up well. The pace was a little slow …
The discussion of JK Rowling naming the only East Asian character Cho Chang has recently resurfaced on my twitter timeline, and people seem to be angry at this representation of a Chinese girl.
HOWEVER, I am a Chinese girl with a Chinese name - I grew up in England, and my sister and I were the only Chinese kids at our school. Cho Chang was the first Chinese character I encountered whilst reading. I felt seen. Her name, and even the fact that she was the only Chinese girl (that I knew of) at Hogwarts, resonated with me. I also think this reflects the time in which JK Rowling wrote the books: there just wasn’t as many Chinese people in the country as there are now.
I don’t think the problem is Cho Chang - I think it’s that I haven’t come across another relatable character (ethnicity-wise) whilst reading.
I just needed to vent today… exam season is taking its toll on me…
I’m a massive fantasy reader and WOT ticks all my boxes. I love the characters and the world. But I just can’t. I’ve never made it past book 8, even tried the audio books. I’ve tried skimming and chapter summaries. I know how it ends and it sounds amazing. I want to get there so badly…
But I can’t get past the slog. From about the 3rd book a pattern develops where the first 1⁄3 of the book is a recap /rehash, middle 1⁄3 is a very slow build up, and then the final 1⁄3 is bloody amazing. I cannot slog through 2⁄3 of a 1000 page book to get to the good part, and I especially cannot do it for multiple books….
I was about 200 pages into book 7… and then decided to read Salem’s Lot instead. Loved it from start to finish. No slog. Life’s too short. Read what makes you happy.
This christmas I was invited to the family of my step mother, one evening hosted by her mother, the other by her daughter. For both occations I brought books since sleeping over was basically forced on me. After Christmas dinner, all of them started talking while staying on their phones for 90% of the time, none of the topics were especially interesting or difficult to follow, but nonetheless they didn’t manage to really discuss anything and seemed to only try to responed in the least demanding way. So I decided to get my book (reread of True Grit by Charles Portis), since I can manage better conversation while reading than they can muster while on their phones and just couldn’t cope doing nothing but listening to this farce. When I sat down to read my father started berating me how rude and disrespectful I am to the host and the other people talking at the table with my stepmother also chiming in and supporting the view of my father. I excused myself for the evening and …
No anti-war book packs quite the same punch as Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse 5, with a knockout combo of dark humour, satire and grim realism. I found myself laughing out loud in many sections of the book, and shedding a tear in others.
Its message is clear — just as there exists the banality of evil, there is also the numb banality of war. It shows that there is no black or white, there are no “good guys” or “bad guys.” There is only blatant, meaningless murder in the name of hollow causes such as patriotism and duty. There is no glory in fighting or dying for your nation, no heroism. Only murder.
If there is anyone considering enlisting in the army, as I have, I implore you to read Slaughterhouse 5. Things that I only heard as distant slogans gained a tangible meaning after reading Vonnegut.
Just as time makes fools of us all, so does war.
So it goes.
Ever since I was a kid I’ve always taken the dust covers off of my hardbacks. They just get in the way! Obviously I keep them and put them back on when I’m done with the book, but I just can’t stand when they fold out away from the cover and get caught on everything.
Any other opinions or am I just being hateful?
My favorite author of all time was Michael Crichton. His particular flavor of science fiction featuring accurate science, combined with the immensely enjoyable storytelling, got me hooked on every one of his books. When he died, I didn’t think any other books would satisfy my like his.
The Martian by Andy Weir was great, but I kinda figured it was a one-off. But, I’m currently about a quarter of the way through Hail Mary Project and I am thoroughly enjoying it. A few pages ago I realized this style of story telling is exactly what I’ve been missing since Crichton passed. I’m not finished yet, but so far it’s a 10⁄10.
Edit: just want to add that one of my favorite books of all times is Travels, Michel Crichton’s autobiography. Not only was he a great author but he lived an interesting life. It probably helps that a great story teller[himself] told his story 😆.
I just re-read Left Hand of Darkness, and unlike so many books, it was just as good (or maybe even better) the second time around - I am just so damn impressed by what Le Guin was able to achieve! Its one of the few books that I’d say I honestly recommend to anyone, no matter your reading style. It’s a no-doubter for any best sci fi book list, but it’s so well written it really transcends sci fi and becomes literary fiction that everyone can enjoy.
It was also the first book by a woman to win the Hugo or Nebula awards (and it won both) - and Ursula K Le Guin could not have shattered that glass ceiling in a more on-the-nose way. Not only did she do it, but she did it with a book that examines the very idea of what a world might be like without gender.
Left Hand of Darkness follows Genly Ai, the first Envoy from the other human worlds of the galaxy to the planet Winter.
Winter is a cold, hostile world in the depths of a never-ending ice age, and the Gethenians who live …
edit: Thank you for all these suggestions! I appreciate it.
Would love a hard sci-fi book about hackers that feels like wizards slinging spells at each other.
I guess hard sci-fi + wizards is oxymoronic but any intense, realistic hacker books would be awesome.
Thanks for recommendations.
Hi,
I’m running a bit dry now, actively searching for new series & novels to read in 2022, hence this post to see what you guys have been reading and how you liked it!
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So, Scifi readers, what have you read last year, and how would you rate the books?
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Here is my 2021 list:
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The Bobiverse Series by Dennis E Taylor (4 books)
Bob, a nerdy engineer, dies in modern days, has his head frozen, and wakes up as just a consciousness, reanimated a few hundred years in the future to pilot a Von Neumann probe.
4 books full of adventure, conflicts, R&D & tech that’ll make you dream.
Propulsion tech: Reaction mass (at first), more advanced later in the books (spoiler if more details)
Start here: I am legion (I am Bob)
Topics: Trans-humanism, first-contacts (multiple), space exploration, engineering/problem solving, epic adventure
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Hail May by Andy Weir (single book)
I feel like …
I haven’t read any short stories in a while even though it’s a great way to discover new writers. What’s the best piece of short fiction (can be novella length) you’ve read in recent memory? It can be from any time period and any flavour of SF. I’m looking for stories with killer concepts and equally impressive execution.
EDITED: So I’ve looked through the comments, and a few stories got recommended multiple times (some of my own favourites included). Here are the ones that (I think) appear most often:
“The Last Question” by Isaac Asimov (1956)
“Luminous” by Greg Egan (1995). There were a number of other stories by Egan, including “Axiomatic,” “Seeing,” “Riding the Crocodile” and “Learning to Be Me.”
“The Jaunt” by Stephen King (1981)
“I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream” by Harlan Ellison (1967). People also recommended “‘Repent Harlequin! …
*Please note English is not my native language and there isn’t a translated copy available.
I m actually looking for a good space opera/hard SciFi. I’ve literally read everything translated into my language! To help you understand my level in English, I finished the “Old man’s war” and “Bobiverse” series and found them quite easy, but I couldn’t get into Reynolds “House of Suns”.
Thank you!
I have to say, when someone nominated Blindsight I thought it would be a runaway winner because of the meme train about it on this sub, but somehow calmer minds prevailed and Childhood’s End has ended up the winner.
This is, of course, the spoiler free announcement post. Looks for a spoiler friendly discussion post on or about the middle of the month.
From Goodreads:
The Overlords appeared suddenly over every city–intellectually, technologically, and militarily superior to humankind. Benevolent, they made few demands: unify earth, eliminate poverty, and end war. With little rebellion, humankind agreed, and a golden age began.
But at what cost? With the advent of peace, man ceases to strive for creative greatness, and a malaise settles over the human race. To those who resist, it becomes evident that the Overlords have an agenda of their own. As civilization approaches the crossroads, will the Overlords spell the end for humankind … or the beginning?
If you’d have told me when I was a kid that the guy from “Swingers” was going to usher in the Marvel cinematic universe, redefine the “Star Wars” universe and create one of the most beloved Christmas movies of all time, I’d have probably though you were talking about Vince Vaughn lol. Kudos to Jon Favreau!
Didn’t realise I’d only seen bits and bobs of this incredible movie. Knew it was a mix of animation and live action, I’d seen Corridor Crew react to it, but it wasn’t until I saw it properly as an adult that I really appreciated it.
Good lord, the lighting, the interaction between the toons and the actors - there were moments when I audibly shouted out “how!?“ it’s just incredible.
You really don’t get stuff like this anymore, studios barely take a chance on this - sure they’ll reboot Space Jam, but the techniques fall short, it isn’t the same.
Anyway, I know it’s a well known movie, but I honestly wasn’t expecting to be so bowled over by it.
Edit: link to the making of
As someone who always has a soft spot for teen movies from the 80s and 90s, Not Another Teen Movie was a great spoof considering the 2000s is the decade that killed off the spoof genre. While parody movies received a resurgence with the likes of Scary Movie, by the mid-2000s garbage such as Date Movie, Epic Movie, and Disaster Movie sucked the life out the genre.
When it comes to spoofs, it seems every major teen movie at that point is poked fun at in this movie. American Pie, The Breakfast Club, She’s All That, 10 Things I Hate About You, Varsity Blues, and so on. You even have spoofs of American Beauty and Almost Famous for good measure.
This movie does such a good job at pointing out how ridiculous some of the tropes in these movies are like the “ugly” rebellious girl who is only considered ugly because she wears glasses, has her hair in a ponytail, and wears overalls. “She’s got paint on her overalls!”
There’s still a lot more here to go …