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What Are You Reading? Suggestion/Review Thread
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City at the End of Time is a sci-fi novel with some fantasy elements, taking place both in contemporary Seattle and the last human city 100 trillion years in the future called the Kalpa. As the book's title implies, the Kalpa exists in an artifically generated space, as the universe/multiverse (from what I can gather, the many universes converge into one chaotic mess at this "time'") is so ancient, it is "worn out," so to speak. This seems to have either developed into or called the attention of an entity/force called the Typhon, which turns old space/time into pure chaos. The descendants of humanity living within the city largely try to ignore the universe turning into chaos, but some have been working on the problem of reversing it. Somehow this involves using bio-engineered beings called "Ancient Breeds" made from "primordial matter" (ordinary atoms, as most of the inhabitants of the Kalpa are either virtual or made of exotic material). The way these Ancient Breeds are described, they are either suppose to resemble pre-human ancestors, or the people of the distant future don't quite remember what old humans looked like, so they gave them fur over some areas and odd-shaped ears. In any case, the Breeds live away from human descendants, but some special members are trained to go out into the Typhon, seeing if they can find another city in the chaos.
The Typhon is not only making the multiverse as we know it cease to exist, the effects are reaching back in time, so that eventually it would be like the familiar multiverse never existed in the first place. Meanwhile in the present, there are three special young people, all of them with the ability to jump to other universes in which a version of themselves exist. They all carry strange items called Sum-runners, which are somehow key to saving the multiverse. Because of this, the forces of a goddes- like cosmic entity called the Chalk Princess are after them. Two of these youths, a girl named Virginia and a guy named Jack also have dreams of a city, the Kalpa itself and seem to be able to briefly see through the eyes of two of the Ancient Breeds there, a male named Jebrassy and a female named Tiadba.
So how does all this save existence as we know it? I'm still trying to figure parts of that out. This book has such fascinating, grand ideas of what it would be like in an incredibly distant point in time, the technology, the history, and the people that inhabit the Kalpa. The notion of the universe not only ceasing to exist, but never existing in the first place is also awe-inspiring. However, this book handles it rather clumsily. It's a slog to get through. Chapters upon chapters of not much at all occur before something interesting or revealing happens. Also, the parts that take place in the Kalpa are written in too much of an in-universe voice so that it can come across as confusing. Worst of all, despite the book's length, there is very little time spent on meaningful characterization. None of the protagonists feel like distinct individuals. They all just seem to be pushed along by the grandeur of the novel's concepts. Oddly enough, only one of the villains feels like a substantive and interesting character. This book has some great ideas, and I didn't entirely dislike my time reading it, but it can be difficult to comprehend and a real chore to read at times.
On a side note, I still can't decide if how the Typhon meets its end is one of the most awesome things I ever read or one of the dumbest. Let's just say it involves millions upon million of cats.
The courage to try again...
Twitter: BerryEggs
Aside from that, I'm rereading Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath with my girlfriend, who's a huge fan of that author's work but somehow never read that during high-school like the rest of us.
As for Hitchhiker's Guide, I can see why this series is so popular. I love its wit and absurdity. I read it as part of a massive single-book collection, so I'm already reading The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
The courage to try again...
Twitter: BerryEggs
I found it to be a excellent end to such a long series. Tarmon Gai'don itself dragged on a little (especially the chapter actually named "The Last Battle;" it was nearly 200 pages long!), but there were lots of incredible scenes and events. Egwene's
The Wheel of Time dragged a lot, especially between Lord of Chaos and Crossroads of Twilight, Jordan really isn't good at writing romance, and his depiction and gender politics in the world is laughable, but I mostly enjoyed my experience with the series and am very satisfied with its ending. I also have to credit it with introducing me to my current favorite author, Brandon Sanderson. A Memory of Light may be long, but its a fantastic book.
The courage to try again...
Twitter: BerryEggs
The courage to try again...
Twitter: BerryEggs
As for the comic books...yeah, I'm not a comic book person. I'll leave it at that.
As for TGS...okay, I can understand why the diehard fans hate the way the TGS staff broke away from canon a bit or redesigned some characters to fit their own vision (basically comes down to villains redeeming themselves and getting all lovesick), and of course the writing quality can change from one story to the next, but I still enjoyed it. I don't think I like the superhero model. The whole "make a million storylines, villains, and spin-off series and never bring any storyline to an ultimate close" style. The TGS novelized style, on the other hand, had a more linear plot with definite beginnings and ends to the whole thing (sans core Gargoyles characters; only TGS creations were at risk of dying or leaving for whatever reason). Sure, every now and again there was a colourful story thrown in to mix things up, and the mushiness got a little out of hand, but TGS continued the story and they did it without going all over the place (whereas Weisman had planned 5 spin-offs in just 2 years of production).
Shame they never got around to finishing their work, although I can understand given the main franchise storyline wouldn't technically end until the construction of the Eeyrie Arcology. It would have been nice to see them finish up their Timedancer storyline. They're just one season short.
That said, there's nothing like browsing through the new comics in a comic book store on a Wednesday. The comic that got me back into it was when I started reading The Walking Dead after enjoying the TV show so much. That got me craving more. So I started picking up other comics, mainly from the X-Men line, since that is what I enjoyed growing up. None of those have really jumped out as "great" though, although I do love the artwork in the current Uncanny X-Men and Uncanny X-Force. Another comic I've been reading and loving though is Saga.
Other than that, I finished off two books by my favorite author, Cormac McCarthy: Child of God and Outer Dark. Child of God was probably the first book of his that I did not enjoy at all. It featured very short, sharp chapters, focusing on very specific events relating to the main character. While it was an interesting idea, kind of like peaking in the windows of the life of a madman, I just did not enjoy the style very much. Outer Dark, however, probably lines up as one of my favorites from McCarthy. Still behind Blood Meridian, but it's up there with Suttree as a runner up. I loved the bizarre premise, and the way the narrative was framed was fascinating to me. As with any of his novels, it takes some time to digest the full meaning.
The courage to try again...
Twitter: BerryEggs
After these are done, I'm planning on attacking a growing pile of vintage sci-fi (read: speculative fiction) paperbacks that I grabbed at the local used bookshop these past few months - lots of Frederick Pohl, John Brunner, Theodore Sturgeon, and the like... Those guys could pack more meaning and style into a 5-page short story than a hack like Kevin J. Anderson projects through an entire series of novels.
And Another Thing... definitely didn't have Douglas Adams' same style, it was still nice to see the characters get a final hurrah and end it on a happier note than Mostly Harmless. Adams himself said before he died that he didn't like how dark a note the series ended on and intended on writing another one (using some of the material from The Salmon of Doubt that didn't work for his Gently novels).
Speaking of which, if you haven't read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and it's sequel The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, you should. If you like H2G2, you'll enjoy Dirk Gently.
You should also read my book! /shameless_self_promotion
Apologies for quote replying to something that has been chilling here for a good few months, but this one caught my attention. I'm at the exact other end of The Wheel of Time. Having just finished re-reading the Hannibal series (because I decided to read them in chronological order starting from Hannibal Rising), I wanted to step back into fantasy. I accidentally picked up a book called Geomancer, by Ian Irvine, the start of one of the Tales of the Three Worlds by him and am now re-reading THAT series, which will take a while because it's quite long. Accidentally falling into a series of books is a little irritating when I have another stack of books as high as my desk that I want to get into BUT OH WELL I DIGRESS
My point as originally intended is that I've got the very first book of The Wheel of Time and am painfully aware that the series is ... long, to say the least. This excites me rather than intimidates - I like the thought of a long series, something meaty and that I can really get my teeth into. Despite the promise of that though, I'm having trouble getting into it. I'm interested in your opinion, Strawberry, as someone who clearly did get into it, as to why this may be. Perhaps it's Jordan's writing style? Perhaps it's because brought up on a diet of dry but classic fantasy like Eddings I'm finding too much dryness in the first book?
I'm open to the thought that I'm not giving it enough of a chance. Especially with a series long enough that the term 'epic' can apply in fairness, it's sensible to suppose it will take longer to really get into it and feel wheels moving beneath you (excuse the pun.)
What do you think? Is it worth pushing to see if I can get hooked on it, or is it one of those things you either like or you don't?
of those becalmed at sea
though at peace they can be found
at peace they never be.
On the fantasy front I've just finished the first book of Jack Vance's Lyonesse trilogy (Suldrun's Garden). I've become a great fan of this author after having read Tales of the Dying Earth, especially the Cugel stories. Prior to this I finished the first half of Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun, which I only moderately enjoyed.
of those becalmed at sea
though at peace they can be found
at peace they never be.
Jordan's style does seem to one of those love it or hate it things. I enjoy his attention to detail, ability to build a world and the way he writes in-universe without being distracting. However, I can see why some people would find his writing too attentative and dry. His character writing is usually good, though some could be better characterized. The romances are mostly poor as well. :P
As for whether or not you should continue the series, I'm of the mind that if the first book didn't draw you in, then maybe the series isn't for you. If you'd like you can either read the prequel novel New Spring, which is what drew me into the series, or the second book The Great Hunt to see if that catches your interest. I say this because I think that the first five books as well as the prequel novel are very engrossing, but it starts to drag on by the sixth book Lord of Chaos, lasting until the 9th book, which in things start to really pick up again. It may not seem that many, but I slogged through 6, 7 and 8.
The courage to try again...
Twitter: BerryEggs
Sure, I love reading the classics. In fact, Don Quixote is one of my favorite books. Hence, the forum title above my avatar.
I haven't read the Divine Comedy yet, but it's on my to do list.
Right now I'm reading Robert Greene's The 33 Strategies of War. For anybody unfamiliar with Robert Greene, he delves deep into subjects and provides awesome historical examples of each "lesson." His books are so well done, I can't imagine the amount of research needed to be done with each. Unfortunately some of his other books, notably The Art of Seduction and The 48 Laws of Power have been tainted by the "PUA" community. But they are all great books for those who love reading this kind with a strong emphasis on historical context.
Thanks for the feedback! I didn't know there was a prequel, so I might get a copy of that and start there. It's one of those series that you always see in book shops and so I've wondered about it for a long time. I'll give it a go!
of those becalmed at sea
though at peace they can be found
at peace they never be.
Next up will be Brandon Sanderson's upcoming book Steelheart, which will be released on the 24th. Until then, if I must read something, it'll have to be manga.
The courage to try again...
Twitter: BerryEggs
As a fan of science fiction, I'm trying to read as many of the supposed classics and catch up. You see, I never enjoyed sci-fi as a teenager, and missed out on a lot of reading. Orson Scott Card's novel is frequently mentioned on lists, and so I eventually got to it. And I'm having a reeeeeally difficult time finishing it.
I'm about half way through, and have just gotten to the part where
The whole thing is a complete farce. I can't enjoy fiction where I can't believe the characters, and there is no future where elementary age children think the way Card seems to believe they can. It has nothing to do with what children are capable or not capable of; that has nothing to do with it. It has to do with the way that children develop, biologically, and how the sequence of physiological and psychological development progresses. So unless the children of Ender's universe are genetically altered in some way (and feel free to shame me for not having read far enough to know if such a revelation will come about), I can't take them seriously.
It would be one thing if the perspective-writing showed a child's lens accurately, where it is easy to tell that all the plotting and metacognition was exaggerated (as a child's mind does). Card's kids, though, apparently have fully-functional adult minds, sans any biological tampering whatsoever. He posits that gifted children think especially differently than, well, non-gifted children; that they think, act, and behave as if fully grown.
I won't see the upcoming film, but in a way, it will almost certainly, anomalously, be better than the book. Because the protagonists are all all hiked up in age, and the script will undoubtedly be heavily watered down for the book. Both changes will equalize the narrative, helping it find a more believable balance (middle school and high school age kids talking like high schoolers and college students, rather than elementary age kids talking like adults).
And then there's the underlying theme (could it even qualify as that?) that
I'm going to struggle to finish this book. The characters are just too ridiculous. Perhaps some encouraging words are all I need to slog through.
Series ragequit aside, I didn't like Ender's Game and agree that it, as a standalone novel, doesn't live up to its reputation. The premise and characters are too simple, the plot exists only to get the story to the ending, and that made it read like a short story stretched out to the length of a novel to me.
Then I liked the next book in the series a whole lot. Card's ability to plot and outline a complete novel get significantly better. Speaker for the Dead is the most emotional sci-fi novel I've read, and it ended up being the best in the series for me. Unless you outright hate Card's writing style, which is definitely pretentious, I'd suggest pounding through Ender's Game and at least giving Speaker for the Dead a try. Ender's Shadow and that series go back to child prodigies who are even more prodigious than Ender and his family, so you don't want to go there.
Telepathy is a knowledge about mind reading and the main leading hero have the ability to read minds of the people by watching in their eyes or by listening their voice.
It is comprises of more then 50 parts and yet i am on part 6.
The courage to try again...
Twitter: BerryEggs
I have just finished off all the Dresden Files and need a big break from it. I'm amazed at how many little references and nerd in-jokes Butcher can fit on a page.