Science Fiction
Discussion
Schmeeky said:
Children of Ruin, Adrian Tchaikovsky's sequel to Children of Time has just appeared on my kindle after I pre-ordered it ages ago!! 
Finished it last night. No spoilers, but it is good / different.Not easy to read quickly; normally I kind of speed read most stuff - have to read this carefully, more so than Children of Time.
The concepts involve take some following.
Very, very imaginative & unique.
RobDickinson said:
Just read the latest Expanse book.
Quite odd and quite slow.
I've stopped reading them.Quite odd and quite slow.
1. Want to watch the Amazon series (which I've already paid for effectively and really like), and
2. The prices are way more than the early books, now they've got some serious money / marketing / fame behind them.
Just finished Children of Ruin.
I have to say that I don't get on with Tchaikovsky's writing. His concepts are brilliant but he spends far, far too long IMO on exposition and discussing events thousands of years ago that ultimately don't move the story along at all. Definitely something about his prose that's quite impenetrable at times.
Still a decent read and great ideas.
I have to say that I don't get on with Tchaikovsky's writing. His concepts are brilliant but he spends far, far too long IMO on exposition and discussing events thousands of years ago that ultimately don't move the story along at all. Definitely something about his prose that's quite impenetrable at times.
Still a decent read and great ideas.
JonChalk said:
I've stopped reading them.
1. Want to watch the Amazon series (which I've already paid for effectively and really like), and
2. The prices are way more than the early books, now they've got some serious money / marketing / fame behind them.
1. Want to watch the Amazon series (which I've already paid for effectively and really like), and
2. The prices are way more than the early books, now they've got some serious money / marketing / fame behind them.
- 2 is why I always wait for the paperback.
Narcisus said:
Anyone read Salvation, Hamilton’s latest. I’m finding it very hard going... I’ve not managed to get past the detailed description of some kind of sports game at the start of the book.
I must have read it 4 times so far and I still couldn’t tell you what’s happening !
Stick with it; it is worth it.I must have read it 4 times so far and I still couldn’t tell you what’s happening !
But if you're struggling with this, don't even start Children of Ruin (see below).
Sway said:
It's next on my list. Currently listening to the Black Ocean trilogy on audible - great value at 85 odd hours, and a superb blend of Firefly/wizards/humour.
Hope it's up to his usual. If so, I'll be happy.
I thought Salvation was a really good intro to a clearly much larger story - very definitely back on his "infiltration" theme.Hope it's up to his usual. If so, I'll be happy.
Tankrizzo said:
Just finished Children of Ruin.
I have to say that I don't get on with Tchaikovsky's writing. His concepts are brilliant but he spends far, far too long IMO on exposition and discussing events thousands of years ago that ultimately don't move the story along at all. Definitely something about his prose that's quite impenetrable at times.
Still a decent read and great ideas.
He has a unique style and mindset that is hard to keep up with + he assumes you'll be able to keep up with centuries of time gap, scientific discoveries and evolution at the drop of a hat.I have to say that I don't get on with Tchaikovsky's writing. His concepts are brilliant but he spends far, far too long IMO on exposition and discussing events thousands of years ago that ultimately don't move the story along at all. Definitely something about his prose that's quite impenetrable at times.
Still a decent read and great ideas.
JonChalk said:
Narcisus said:
Anyone read Salvation, Hamilton’s latest. I’m finding it very hard going... I’ve not managed to get past the detailed description of some kind of sports game at the start of the book.
I must have read it 4 times so far and I still couldn’t tell you what’s happening !
Stick with it; it is worth it.I must have read it 4 times so far and I still couldn’t tell you what’s happening !
But if you're struggling with this, don't even start Children of Ruin (see below).
Sway said:
It's next on my list. Currently listening to the Black Ocean trilogy on audible - great value at 85 odd hours, and a superb blend of Firefly/wizards/humour.
Hope it's up to his usual. If so, I'll be happy.
I thought Salvation was a really good intro to a clearly much larger story - very definitely back on his "infiltration" theme.Hope it's up to his usual. If so, I'll be happy.
Sway said:
I can understand - even though ND is my favourite ever story... You're certainly thrown in at the deep end of the universe, expected to pick it all up very rapidly... I starting to worry slightly that PFH is a kind of one trick pony. Don’t get me wrong I’ve read and enjoyed all his stuff so far ( mostly ) but most of his work follows a very similar vein ...
Tankrizzo said:
Just finished Children of Ruin.
I have to say that I don't get on with Tchaikovsky's writing. His concepts are brilliant but he spends far, far too long IMO on exposition and discussing events thousands of years ago that ultimately don't move the story along at all. Definitely something about his prose that's quite impenetrable at times.
Still a decent read and great ideas.
I too just finished it; at around 2.20am this morning. I'm a little tired this morning. I have to say that I don't get on with Tchaikovsky's writing. His concepts are brilliant but he spends far, far too long IMO on exposition and discussing events thousands of years ago that ultimately don't move the story along at all. Definitely something about his prose that's quite impenetrable at times.
Still a decent read and great ideas.
I love his work; he's probably one of my favourite authors right now.
I really enjoyed this book. Not as fresh as the first one, and I didn't feel the same sense of peril and "who is going to win and who do I want to win?" that the first book gave, but there were some great concepts, well executed, and a neat little twist at the end.
The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin
It's been mentioned, and recommended, several times in this thread and the first book is currently 99p on Amazon Kindle so I thought I would give it a go.
Overall, I enjoyed it. The hard science was good, and I found it easy to follow (I do have a bit of an advantage here in that my first degree is in Physics). The story was ok and mostly hung together, although I found the idea of the sophons a bit Deus Ex Machina. There were a few times that it slipped into well-worn sci-fi tropes / cliches, such as using nanofibre thread to cut things. That's been done many times before - Ringworld by Larry Niven, for example.
At times I struggled to know who was who, as I'm not used to dealing with Chinese names (and variations and diminutives). A list of dramatis personae would have helped me a lot here.
The in-universe references to other books was a nice nod, especially the reference to The Billiard Ball by Isaac Asimov, which I took some time out to re-read as the text is now available online. It tied in nicely (although, of course, the billiard ball would explode into dust rather than maintaining integrity, but even Asimov acknowledged that).
The next book is full priced at £6.47, since I'm not on Kindle Unlimited. I'm not sure that I enjoyed it enough to want to rush out and buy it at that price, although if it comes up for sale at 99p like the first book then I definitely will.
It's been mentioned, and recommended, several times in this thread and the first book is currently 99p on Amazon Kindle so I thought I would give it a go.
Overall, I enjoyed it. The hard science was good, and I found it easy to follow (I do have a bit of an advantage here in that my first degree is in Physics). The story was ok and mostly hung together, although I found the idea of the sophons a bit Deus Ex Machina. There were a few times that it slipped into well-worn sci-fi tropes / cliches, such as using nanofibre thread to cut things. That's been done many times before - Ringworld by Larry Niven, for example.
At times I struggled to know who was who, as I'm not used to dealing with Chinese names (and variations and diminutives). A list of dramatis personae would have helped me a lot here.
The in-universe references to other books was a nice nod, especially the reference to The Billiard Ball by Isaac Asimov, which I took some time out to re-read as the text is now available online. It tied in nicely (although, of course, the billiard ball would explode into dust rather than maintaining integrity, but even Asimov acknowledged that).
The next book is full priced at £6.47, since I'm not on Kindle Unlimited. I'm not sure that I enjoyed it enough to want to rush out and buy it at that price, although if it comes up for sale at 99p like the first book then I definitely will.
Well I finished the first Dune book. I'll give it a Meh out of 10. I think there's just too many different things going on you have you have to get used to before you even get in to the story, and then it just about a bit with no real explanation as to why. eg it suddenly jumps a couple of years to them attacking the emperors ship with no explanation as to why he's there.
Started reading M R Forbes' Forgotten Colony series. Militaryish science fiction, focusing on the marines guarding the last ship to leave earth after we lose a war to alien invaders. Clearly nicked a few ideas from several other books/films, but not bad.
Started reading M R Forbes' Forgotten Colony series. Militaryish science fiction, focusing on the marines guarding the last ship to leave earth after we lose a war to alien invaders. Clearly nicked a few ideas from several other books/films, but not bad.
RizzoTheRat said:
eg it suddenly jumps a couple of years to them attacking the emperors ship with no explanation as to why he's there.
In those years, Paul brought Spice production to a halt, which forced the Emperor to intervene personally, since it was that important. Well, that's the rationale anyway.Clockwork Cupcake said:
The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin
It's been mentioned, and recommended, several times in this thread and the first book is currently 99p on Amazon Kindle so I thought I would give it a go.
Overall, I enjoyed it. The hard science was good, and I found it easy to follow (I do have a bit of an advantage here in that my first degree is in Physics). The story was ok and mostly hung together, although I found the idea of the sophons a bit Deus Ex Machina. There were a few times that it slipped into well-worn sci-fi tropes / cliches, such as using nanofibre thread to cut things. That's been done many times before - Ringworld by Larry Niven, for example.
At times I struggled to know who was who, as I'm not used to dealing with Chinese names (and variations and diminutives). A list of dramatis personae would have helped me a lot here.
The in-universe references to other books was a nice nod, especially the reference to The Billiard Ball by Isaac Asimov, which I took some time out to re-read as the text is now available online. It tied in nicely (although, of course, the billiard ball would explode into dust rather than maintaining integrity, but even Asimov acknowledged that).
The next book is full priced at £6.47, since I'm not on Kindle Unlimited. I'm not sure that I enjoyed it enough to want to rush out and buy it at that price, although if it comes up for sale at 99p like the first book then I definitely will.
Funny enough I finished this on Monday night; as you say some nice nods, I like the way it started as if it’s a non related subject, but I felt the ending was a little hurried and meh. It's been mentioned, and recommended, several times in this thread and the first book is currently 99p on Amazon Kindle so I thought I would give it a go.
Overall, I enjoyed it. The hard science was good, and I found it easy to follow (I do have a bit of an advantage here in that my first degree is in Physics). The story was ok and mostly hung together, although I found the idea of the sophons a bit Deus Ex Machina. There were a few times that it slipped into well-worn sci-fi tropes / cliches, such as using nanofibre thread to cut things. That's been done many times before - Ringworld by Larry Niven, for example.
At times I struggled to know who was who, as I'm not used to dealing with Chinese names (and variations and diminutives). A list of dramatis personae would have helped me a lot here.
The in-universe references to other books was a nice nod, especially the reference to The Billiard Ball by Isaac Asimov, which I took some time out to re-read as the text is now available online. It tied in nicely (although, of course, the billiard ball would explode into dust rather than maintaining integrity, but even Asimov acknowledged that).
The next book is full priced at £6.47, since I'm not on Kindle Unlimited. I'm not sure that I enjoyed it enough to want to rush out and buy it at that price, although if it comes up for sale at 99p like the first book then I definitely will.
Now in two minds if I would read anything else, which is a shame as I really enjoyed the short stories
captain_cynic said:
JonChalk said:
I've stopped reading them.
1. Want to watch the Amazon series (which I've already paid for effectively and really like), and
2. The prices are way more than the early books, now they've got some serious money / marketing / fame behind them.
1. Want to watch the Amazon series (which I've already paid for effectively and really like), and
2. The prices are way more than the early books, now they've got some serious money / marketing / fame behind them.
- 2 is why I always wait for the paperback.
Narcisus said:
Anyone read Salvation, Hamilton’s latest. I’m finding it very hard going... I’ve not managed to get past the detailed description of some kind of sports game at the start of the book.
I must have read it 4 times so far and I still couldn’t tell you what’s happening !
Going to start it this weekend.I must have read it 4 times so far and I still couldn’t tell you what’s happening !
Read his other work- Commonwealth, Void, and Fallers sagas.
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