Return of the Book Thread

[Quinton]

Latest Culture novel (Hydrogen Sonata) dropped early in the U.S.  I had it pre-ordered and it just shipped today instead of in mid-October as originally scheduled. Just FYI for those interested.

Annoyingly the Kindle edition is still a pre-order for October 9th... only a buck cheaper than hardcover, though (ebook pricing: still making very little sense).

[Cyrrex]

Yeah, I don't get the ebook pricing.  I understand that they gotta make some money, but come on...there are no significant materials and/or production processes going on with these things.  Some newfangled company is going to come along and find a way to get us cheaper ebooks, and then the other cans just go fuck their own faces.  They really should cost no more than half.  It's doubly galling when the ebook costs the same as the hardcover.  WTF is that?

[Viin]

I picked up another random SciFi book, called the Complete Atopia Chronicals which seems to be 6 short(er) stories. Interesting so far, but nothing too crazy. Basically, a new "software" system has been developed to be installed in your brain - this software runs a virtual you, so while you are off in virtual land playing with furries, your body is being controlled by your virtual you .. probably doing pushups and running 6 minute miles. One of the stories is about "virtual" kids that age very quickly, which you can spawn to see if you are ready for real kids. But, apparently, after becoming attached to those kids its pretty hard to see them die at age 89, 8 weeks later.

So I wrapped this series up a couple of days ago - I can certainly say it went places I wasn't expecting. The author explores the idea of "distributed consciousness" pretty well and culminates the series with some unexpected consequences of a psycho using this tech. I recommend it, not as good as Wool but certainly better than your typical popcorn sci-fi.

Now I'm reading Love and Logic for Early Childhood. Yay.

[Hammond]

I love my Kindle but the ebook pricing is driving me nuts.   I find myself buying lots of kindle only titles just because they are cheaper.  I am sure as hell not paying hardcover prices for a ebook when most likely 90% of the cost is profit to the publishers.  With a very small percentage of it going to the actual author or course :( . 

I read Haemish books recently which all in all I enjoyed. His writing is getting better and I thought his last book was the best so far.   I also broke down and read the Wool Omnibus and well I thought it was ok but nothing stellar. 

[HaemishM]

I'm sure I'd had the ebook discussion before, but a lot of the pricing issues are on the publishers. They are charging for "ebook conversion fees" as well as pricing them competitively to the cheapest editions that are out there (most I've seen are the same price as a paperback) so as not to "cannibalize their existing business model." You are getting gouged for ebooks, plain and simple. The 5 big publishers and Apple actually colluded to set up the "agency model" where the publishers all agreed to charge more for their ebook versions to force Amazon to stop discounting their ebooks. A judge told them that the collusion was wrong (not the pricing part - just the colluding).

Either way, publishers ARE charging too much for ebooks. Knowing that I can sell my ebook at $2.99 and still make more per unit than a author makes on hardcover sale tells me that the author is getting screwed right along with the consumer. I think any author with a decent following who doesn't get the ebook rights to their works and re-publish the ebooks themselves is leaving money on the table that the pubs are gobbling up.

And thank you, Hammond. I'm glad you liked the books.

[Shannow]

<snip> nevermind I'm an idiot.

[Tmon]

Have I said they new Alex Bledsoe Eddie Lacrosse books are good?

Because they're pretty good.

Midnight Kingdom was an interesting read. I'd recommend it. It's not pyrotechnic, but it has stuck with me a little.

I tried to read a couple, but couldn't get into them.  Part of the problem was the local library only had 5 and 6 but it looked like a series of loosely linked stories so I didn't think it would make a huge difference where I started.  I'll put in a hold for book one and see if starting from there helps.

[Mattemeo]

I have managed to fuck up reading Gibson's Sprawl trilogy twice, now. The first time I simply didn't know any better; the second time is really down to me being a total moron.

Years ago I found out there was more than just Neuromancer when I saw Mona Lisa Overdrive at the Library and upon reading it, discovered it was a sequel of sorts; recurring characters and references etc. Loved it. Then a few years after that I found there was another sequel to Neuromancer - Count Zero - which I'd not found nor read - up till now. So I figured I'd pick up the whole trilogy and get my cyberpunk on, devoured Neuromancer all over again, devoured Mona Lisa Overdrive all over again. To start Count Zero and realise... it comes between the two. Fuck's sake. I'm pretending to myself it's a prequel to MLO, now. Still, says something about how fucking awesome MLO is that I never once considered I was missing something.

[lamaros]

Have I said they new Alex Bledsoe Eddie Lacrosse books are good?

Because they're pretty good.

Midnight Kingdom was an interesting read. I'd recommend it. It's not pyrotechnic, but it has stuck with me a little.

I tried to read a couple, but couldn't get into them.  Part of the problem was the local library only had 5 and 6 but it looked like a series of loosely linked stories so I didn't think it would make a huge difference where I started.  I'll put in a hold for book one and see if starting from there helps.

Hmm. Pretty sure there are only 4 out? Book one is probably my least favourite, FYI.

[Tmon]

You're right, they aren't numbered and I thought all the books listed in the inside cover were part of the series.  So it's books three and four that I have. 

[Khaldun]

New Banks Culture novel out today.

[ghost]

New Banks Culture novel out today.

Got it in the mail, hardcover!   

I haven't bought an actual book in a long time. 

[RhyssaFireheart]

Hit up my B&N account last night to buy a bunch (6?) of short stories by Michelle West set in her Essalieyan universe (aka Sun Sword and Sacred Hunt series).  So far read two and love them both.  Basically she's filling in some gaps or providing some information about characters that doesn't fit into the current series but it's nice to know about (like what happened to Cynthia of Maubreche from the Sacred Hunt series) and some insight into what an Artisan maker is like.  The other books give background on Kallendras, Avendar, the Black Ospreys and one about the Blood Barons.  Since I really like her work, I'm sure I'll enjoy the other short stories, too.

And speaking of pricing, these were perfect impulse buys.  I think the most expensive was $2.99, which means it's barely worth considering when hitting the "buy" button.  Yet I'm hesitating to buy the latest two ebook versions of her "House War" series (the ones about House ATerafin and Jewel) because they're priced at $8.99 and $12.99 and for something I'm not going to hold in my hands, that's a bit too much.  I'll just pick up the paperbacks and complete the collection that way instead.

[Rishathra]

Completely forgot that I pre-ordered The Hydrogen Sonata months ago.  What a lovely surprise on my desk this morning!

[dd0029]

Just finished up the most recent David Weber Safehold tome, Midst Toil and Trouble. I imagine that if I went and looked for what I said about the last one, it would be pretty much the same. The first half of the book is meetings and the second half is blowing up stuff. At least things blow up on screen, unlike the most recent Honor Harrington books. His use of emphasizing italics is a bit grating.

[Quinton]

Finally got around to checking out Liminal States, which was a lot of fun, if pretty bleak, especially at the end.  I think I first saw it mentioned in a discussion of Cloud Atlas (as both books feature connected stories written in different genres/styles separated by time).

Some fun sci-fi with edges of horror delivered in western, hard boiled detective, and apocalyptic future segments.  Reading some of the companion material (the eight part Reificant serial story) after the fact was enjoyable -- some people seem to think starting there makes it more understandable, but I'd advise going in cold and enjoying the mysterious bits unfolding.

[Ironwood]

Read Eon by Greg Bear.

It was shite.

[Khaldun]

Yeah, I really disliked Eon, and I've liked other Bear.

[Ironwood]

Give me a good one for me to try again then.  I've been really put off by the writing, it just seemed so nonsensical and pointless.

[ghost]

I seem to remember liking Eon, but it's been a million years since I've read it. 

I did not like Bear's addition to the Foundation trilogy.  Darwin's Radio was pretty decent. 

[HaemishM]

Having finished A Storm of Swords, I decided to finally read the first book in the Dresden Files, Storm Front. I just finished that over the weekend, and liked it a good deal. Lots of hooks for future stories, well-written pulp with a bit of sense of humor. I could see bits of this that made it into the television show but it was definitely better than the show. I'll have to read some of the other books sometime.

Started reading a book I got on the Kindle for free. The Complete Works of H.P. Lovecraft. I've really been meaning to dive into the Cthulu stuff for a while now, and this is every single story he wrote by himself collected in one big ass eBook. Very cool.

[MrHat]

Having finished A Storm of Swords, I decided to finally read the first book in the Dresden Files, Storm Front. I just finished that over the weekend, and liked it a good deal. Lots of hooks for future stories, well-written pulp with a bit of sense of humor. I could see bits of this that made it into the television show but it was definitely better than the show. I'll have to read some of the other books sometime.

Started reading a book I got on the Kindle for free. The Complete Works of H.P. Lovecraft. I've really been meaning to dive into the Cthulu stuff for a while now, and this is every single story he wrote by himself collected in one big ass eBook. Very cool.

I really enjoyed the Dresden series.  The world really ends up fleshed out and the hooks have fairly consistent consequences in later books.

[Shannow]

Ender's Shadow. A companion? novel that gives us the back story of Bean and then the events of Ender's Game from his point of view with some very interesting revelations along the way. I must admit I was most impressed by how Card managed to take an already excellent book (Game) and then almost completely retell the story from another point of view and make it plausible. OSC still comes off as a bit full of himself in his forward as usual.
Well worth it if you are a fan of Ender's Game.

[Ingmar]

Just make sure turn up your Mary Sue tolerance to 11 if you're going to read the whole Dresden series. There's a lot of that to put up with to go along with the interesting parts.

[MrHat]

Just make sure turn up your Mary Sue tolerance to 11 if you're going to read the whole Dresden series. There's a lot of that to put up with to go along with the interesting parts.

Mary Sue?

[Ingmar]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue

It gets a little thick at times in Dresden.

[MrHat]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue

It gets a little thick at times in Dresden.

Ah thanks for the link.

And ya, it does but permanent stuff does happen and it's good enough for me :)

[Shannow]

Just finished up the most recent David Weber Safehold tome, Midst Toil and Trouble. I imagine that if I went and looked for what I said about the last one, it would be pretty much the same. The first half of the book is meetings and the second half is blowing up stuff. At least things blow up on screen, unlike the most recent Honor Harrington books. His use of emphasizing italics is a bit grating.

I personally cannot stand David weber for this series in particular. I LOVED the premise of the series but it became blindingly obvious that the author is doing nothing more than stretching out the series to make money. Every book is  exactly the same with the plot not really any closer to conclusion than it was at the end of the first book. I urge all readers to refuse giving any money to this hack.

[Abagadro]

Give me a good one for me to try again then.  I've been really put off by the writing, it just seemed so nonsensical and pointless.

I remember liking Moving Mars and the duology of Forge of God and Anvil of Stars.  But, that was twenty (!) years ago, so who knows.

[RhyssaFireheart]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue

It gets a little thick at times in Dresden.

But considering he's the protagonist of the series, is it really fair to call Dresden a Mary Sue?  I mean, if you apply the Mary Sue test to most main characters of extended series, they'd fail and be considered over-powered and such-like.

Picked up Elantris as my first Brandon Sanderson book to read.  I was going to buy the paperback copy but couldn't justify getting physical media when I could just as easily get the ebook.  I've basically decided that any series which I've already started collected in physical format is going to be finished that way and all new series will be ebooks.  Unless it's an impulse buy or I have other compelling reasons to by the actual book.

[HaemishM]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue

It gets a little thick at times in Dresden.

But considering he's the protagonist of the series, is it really fair to call Dresden a Mary Sue?  I mean, if you apply the Mary Sue test to most main characters of extended series, they'd fail and be considered over-powered and such-like.

All Mary Sue's start at max level. 

[RhyssaFireheart]

Oh, it's Haemish!

/notes that it's now officially FALL on the calendar....

/stares

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue

It gets a little thick at times in Dresden.

But considering he's the protagonist of the series, is it really fair to call Dresden a Mary Sue?  I mean, if you apply the Mary Sue test to most main characters of extended series, they'd fail and be considered over-powered and such-like.

All Mary Sue's start at max level. 

Of course!  Because they can only go up from there! 

[HaemishM]

And for those who have been waiting, I'm probably 2-3 more writing sessions away from finishing my next novel's first draft.

I'm literally a long chapter from finishing the rough draft. I would have gotten to it this weekend, but felt like total monkey shit thanks to some bad burritos.

[Ingmar]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Sue

It gets a little thick at times in Dresden.

But considering he's the protagonist of the series, is it really fair to call Dresden a Mary Sue?  I mean, if you apply the Mary Sue test to most main characters of extended series, they'd fail and be considered over-powered and such-like.

Definitely fair to do so. I'm not sure if your second statement is true or not - I don't read a lot of serieses that go beyond 3 or 4 books - but if it is it probably explains why I tend to prefer ensemble casts to Main Character Guy stories. I do think Dresden is, especially in the middle of the series, worse than most I can think of this way. He's at or beyond Vlad Taltos levels, which is pretty bad. The world building is neat though, and there are some really entertaining secondary characters, that is what keeps me interested.

[RhyssaFireheart]

And for those who have been waiting, I'm probably 2-3 more writing sessions away from finishing my next novel's first draft.

I'm literally a long chapter from finishing the rough draft. I would have gotten to it this weekend, but felt like total monkey shit thanks to some bad burritos.

Oops, missed that!  Carry on.  And hope you're feeling better.  Had a bad experience this weekend with some food I've eaten just fine in the past but the past two times (widely distant in time), said food has not been nice to me.

re: Dresden - I can agree that he'd gotten a bit over-the-top in the middle books but he also seems to have been slapped down recently.  The world building is nicely done and the side characters aren't just there to make Dresden look good and in fact, tend to show him up sometimes.  Now that I think about it, one of my biggest "issues" would be how so much is solved via asspull or sudden realizations, but that kind of defines the character as well.