Science Fiction

[captain_cynic]

CopperBolt said:

Guvernator said:

Conversely I found the Ian Cormac series to be very good. Yes the first book does jump around a bit but it does introduce some key characters that stay throughout the series of books. By book two it's well into it's stride and it basically becomes James Bond in space.

Ok cheers may try the second one at some point. Just found a synopsis of the gridlinked plot, which does indicate the reason for the initial explosion although even that doesnt explain why it was done.

Gridlinked was Asher's first serious novel and yeah, it's a bit disjointed. The second one was a huge improvement (The Line of the Polity). Asher likes to keep multiple plot lines going throughout his books that covered and cross at various points.

[techguyone]

CopperBolt said:

Guvernator said:

Conversely I found the Ian Cormac series to be very good. Yes the first book does jump around a bit but it does introduce some key characters that stay throughout the series of books. By book two it's well into it's stride and it basically becomes James Bond in space.

Ok cheers may try the second one at some point. Just found a synopsis of the gridlinked plot, which does indicate the reason for the initial explosion although even that doesnt explain why it was done.

Separatists wasn't it? (haven't read it for a while) those people who objected to the quiet revolution and AI running the Polity.

[Guvernator]

techguyone said:

Separatists wasn't it? (haven't read it for a while) those people who objected to the quiet revolution and AI running the Polity.

Nope that's what they thought initially but it turned out to be another creature (won't spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it)

[Bannock]

Right, well, I've finished "Shards of Earth", finally, thought it a wee bit meh, not sure I'm totally enthused to pick up the sequel, there are better Czajkowski books IMHO. And I've gone back to Gridlinked, at the 40% mark on my Kindle, almost 2 months after I gave it up as a bad job. Might have a shufty at a synopsis to remind/inform me what's going on.

[DibblyDobbler]

Stick at it with Gridlinked - I thought it was a decent book and there are tons of them in the Asher universe to get into

[p1doc]

Bannock said:

Right, well, I've finished "Shards of Earth", finally, thought it a wee bit meh, not sure I'm totally enthused to pick up the sequel, there are better Czajkowski books IMHO. And I've gone back to Gridlinked, at the 40% mark on my Kindle, almost 2 months after I gave it up as a bad job. Might have a shufty at a synopsis to remind/inform me what's going on.

try spatterjay by asher vgood but easy to read as well

[Baron Greenback]

Just started watching The Peripheral on amazon prime, anyone watch the 1st 2 episode who has read the book? Loved Neuromancer and do I wait to read the book or read it now and have not like the plot of the book ringing in my head. Only book I loved both book and film is climbing book Into Thin Air, cant think of any i like both, any other people cant think of. Holding hand up not read 2001 space odyssey.

[Zumbruk]

Baron Greenback said:

Just started watching The Peripheral on amazon prime, anyone watch the 1st 2 episode who has read the book? Loved Neuromancer and do I wait to read the book or read it now and have not like the plot of the book ringing in my head. Only book I loved both book and film is climbing book Into Thin Air, cant think of any i like both, any other people cant think of. Holding hand up not read 2001 space odyssey.

TV series is only distantly based on the book.

[Baron Greenback]

Zumbruk said:

Baron Greenback said:

Just started watching The Peripheral on amazon prime, anyone watch the 1st 2 episode who has read the book? Loved Neuromancer and do I wait to read the book or read it now and have not like the plot of the book ringing in my head. Only book I loved both book and film is climbing book Into Thin Air, cant think of any i like both, any other people cant think of. Holding hand up not read 2001 space odyssey.

TV series is only distantly based on the book.

Ooh good ta.

[hairykrishna]

The Peripheral and Agency are both really excellent books. They've carried the basic premise and some characters over for the series but, so far at least, it's quite different.

[hairykrishna]

Bannock said:

Right, well, I've finished "Shards of Earth", finally, thought it a wee bit meh, not sure I'm totally enthused to pick up the sequel, there are better Czajkowski books IMHO. And I've gone back to Gridlinked, at the 40% mark on my Kindle, almost 2 months after I gave it up as a bad job. Might have a shufty at a synopsis to remind/inform me what's going on.

I agree that Shards of Earth isn't his best and the sequel is also fairly underwhelming compared to some of his other work. Not a patch on The Doors of Eden or Children of Time.

[arfur]

hairykrishna said:

Bannock said:

Right, well, I've finished "Shards of Earth", finally, thought it a wee bit meh, not sure I'm totally enthused to pick up the sequel, there are better Czajkowski books IMHO. And I've gone back to Gridlinked, at the 40% mark on my Kindle, almost 2 months after I gave it up as a bad job. Might have a shufty at a synopsis to remind/inform me what's going on.

I agree that Shards of Earth isn't his best and the sequel is also fairly underwhelming compared to some of his other work. Not a patch on The Doors of Eden or Children of Time.

Must say that I am 50% through Shards of Earth atm and find it more interesting and involving than Children of Time - I really didn't get into that at all :-(

[Clockwork Cupcake]

arfur said:

Must say that I am 50% through Shards of Earth atm and find it more interesting and involving than Children of Time - I really didn't get into that at all :-(

Very different types of book, IMHO. Shards of Earth is "space opera" whilst Children of Time is more "hard sci-fi", so the former is probably a little more accessible.

I'm finding Shards of Earth to be a fun little romp but it is definitely a lighter and more easygoing book. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

[arfur]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

arfur said:

Must say that I am 50% through Shards of Earth atm and find it more interesting and involving than Children of Time - I really didn't get into that at all :-(

Very different types of book, IMHO. Shards of Earth is "space opera" whilst Children of Time is more "hard sci-fi", so the former is probably a little more accessible.

I'm finding Shards of Earth to be a fun little romp but it is definitely a lighter and more easygoing book. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Don't disagree at all .. it's an entertaining read so far

I do enjoy hard sci fi as well - I think (semi hard anyhow) the Alistair Reynolds Revenger Trilogy are still my favourites for a long long time. I just wish he'd taken it a bit further, always felt that there was one more book in the story

[RizzoTheRat]

arfur said:

Clockwork Cupcake said:

arfur said:

Must say that I am 50% through Shards of Earth atm and find it more interesting and involving than Children of Time - I really didn't get into that at all :-(

Very different types of book, IMHO. Shards of Earth is "space opera" whilst Children of Time is more "hard sci-fi", so the former is probably a little more accessible.

I'm finding Shards of Earth to be a fun little romp but it is definitely a lighter and more easygoing book. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Don't disagree at all .. it's an entertaining read so far

I do enjoy hard sci fi as well - I think (semi hard anyhow) the Alistair Reynolds Revenger Trilogy are still my favourites for a long long time. I just wish he'd taken it a bit further, always felt that there was one more book in the story

I find Tchaikovsky a bit hit and miss. Enjoyed Children of Time, Loved Dogs of War and Bear Head, gave up part way through The Tiger And The Wolf

[Zumbruk]

hairykrishna said:

The Peripheral and Agency are both really excellent books.

Absolutely.

But then, what Gibson books aren't?

[p1doc]

RizzoTheRat said:

I find Tchaikovsky a bit hit and miss. Enjoyed Children of Time, Loved Dogs of War and Bear Head, gave up part way through The Tiger And The Wolf

dogs of war is his best work i reckon cage of souls and spiderlight close seconds

[hairykrishna]

Cage of Souls and Spiderlight are both great. I think Doors of Eden is still my favourite but it's hard to pick one.

[RizzoTheRat]

Not read Cage of Souls or Doors of Eden so will have to give them a try once I finish my current series (Rivers of London, not scifi but very good).

[Zumbruk]

RizzoTheRat said:

my current series (Rivers of London, not scifi but very good).

They are very good ... and I don't know what they are if they aren't SF! OK, they're urban fantasy, but that's a sub-genre of what, these days, seems to be called "Speculative" rather than "Science" Fiction.