Science Fiction

[captain_cynic]

havoc said:

captain_cynic said:

cerbfan said:

I've been reading them in the order they were written in and currently about 40% the way through 'Look to Windward'. It's good but find I can't sit down and read it for a long time without getting a bit bored. With a Hamilton book I can usually sit and devour it in huge chunks and never want to put it down.

Look to Windward was one of the more boring ones IMHO.

Interesting. I rather liked it. Yes it felt a little 'shaggy dog story' in the middle, but it came together rather nicely...

OK, I probably should elaborate on what I meant

It's boring for Iain M Banks... Which still makes it a lot better to the kind of dross that passes for literature these days.

I just found it to be one of the weaker novels compared to earlier works like Use of Weapons, Player of Games and Excession, it was still a good novel.

[Sway]

cerbfan said:

Sway said:

I'm getting through it via audiobook (first time listening to something 'chunky' on the commute).

Really enjoying it so far, new universe, and difficult so far to see where the story is going - just like when the Reality Dysfunction was on the colony world with ivet Quinn Dexter...

I'm liking the sound of that, the Reality Dysfunction was the first of his books I read and it was brilliant. Always disappointed that he has never re-visited that universe.

Agreed. I think given the ending of the ND trilogy, it's almost impossible to revisit that universe with something compelling...

Salvation is completely new - and very different, at least so far!

[Baron Greenback]

Sway said:

I'm getting through it via audiobook (first time listening to something 'chunky' on the commute).

Really enjoying it so far, new universe, and difficult so far to see where the story is going - just like when the Reality Dysfunction was on the colony world with ivet Quinn Dexter...

I love both, the audiobook make days at work fly by! 45hr each book audio I have listen to all 3 book alot of times!

[glazbagun]

Everyone is good at different things. Hamilton is great at blowing stuff up, Banks is just a joy to read and the cultures are just great.

I find in many cases the ending to be disappointing because I was enjoying turning the pages so much I would rather it not end at all!

I loved the system wide inertia of the Nights Dawn trilogy as everything just begain to strain at the seams, but the ending felt like a betrayal of the investment! I prefered his later trilogy (forget the name- with the wormhole trains) which felt like a more refined Nights Dawn and a neater more focussed book, but haven't read any PFH since.

Any big standout work to recommend?

[cerbfan]

glazbagun said:

Everyone is good at different things. Hamilton is great at blowing stuff up, Banks is just a joy to read and the cultures are just great.

I find in many cases the ending to be disappointing because I was enjoying turning the pages so much I would rather it not end at all!

I loved the system wide inertia of the Nights Dawn trilogy as everything just begain to strain at the seams, but the ending felt like a betrayal of the investment! I prefered his later trilogy (forget the name- with the wormhole trains) which felt like a more refined Nights Dawn and a neater more focussed book, but haven't read any PFH since.

Any big standout work to recommend?

I'm guessing this was the Commonwealth Saga that you read in which case you probably want to read the Void trilogy which is set in the same universe only later. Really great books particularly liked how parts were set with high technology in space and the other part is almost medieval and magical yet it all somehow ties together, he really does have an incredible imagination.

[Mannginger]

What's Hamilton the one with Al Capone's energy ghost. I keep trying to persevere with it but having to put it down again, it's pretty bad!

[Halmyre]

Mannginger said:

What's Hamilton the one with Al Capone's energy ghost. I keep trying to persevere with it but having to put it down again, it's pretty bad!

The Reality Dysfunction? The only Hamilton I've read, and the only one I'm ever likely to read.

[tertius]

Halmyre said:

Mannginger said:

What's Hamilton the one with Al Capone's energy ghost. I keep trying to persevere with it but having to put it down again, it's pretty bad!

The Reality Dysfunction? The only Hamilton I've read, and the only one I'm ever likely to read.

I tried to read The Reality Dysfunction and just couldn’t bear the visceral gory unpleasantness of it and gave up.

[cerbfan]

tertius said:

Halmyre said:

Mannginger said:

What's Hamilton the one with Al Capone's energy ghost. I keep trying to persevere with it but having to put it down again, it's pretty bad!

The Reality Dysfunction? The only Hamilton I've read, and the only one I'm ever likely to read.

I tried to read The Reality Dysfunction and just couldn’t bear the visceral gory unpleasantness of it and gave up.

It's a bit of cross between horror and sci-fi that one but loved it personally. I guess everyone's tastes are different.

[Sway]

cerbfan said:

tertius said:

Halmyre said:

Mannginger said:

What's Hamilton the one with Al Capone's energy ghost. I keep trying to persevere with it but having to put it down again, it's pretty bad!

The Reality Dysfunction? The only Hamilton I've read, and the only one I'm ever likely to read.

I tried to read The Reality Dysfunction and just couldn’t bear the visceral gory unpleasantness of it and gave up.

It's a bit of cross between horror and sci-fi that one but loved it personally. I guess everyone's tastes are different.

Indeed. I rate the ND trilogy as my favourite fiction books...

I love the story being an internal human struggle, almost irrespective of the futuristic setting. Some damned cool concepts (love bitek) and a genuine nail biter.

Yes, more than a tad deus ex machina, but the ending hit me from the blindside.

[captain_cynic]

tertius said:

I tried to read The Reality Dysfunction and just couldn’t bear the visceral gory unpleasantness of it and gave up.

I finished the Reality Dysfunction, but never bothered with the other books, especially after learning the ending was a bit hand-wavey. I didn't enjoy it as much as his other stories.

But I've enjoyed all of PFH's other novels, the Commonwealth saga is epic, the Void trilogy is almost as good. I'm re-reading Great North Road which I have to say is just as great as the Commonwealth novels.

The only novel I've never been able to finish was Ancillary Justice.

[tertius]

captain_cynic said:

tertius said:

I tried to read The Reality Dysfunction and just couldn’t bear the visceral gory unpleasantness of it and gave up.

I finished the Reality Dysfunction, but never bothered with the other books, especially after learning the ending was a bit hand-wavey. I didn't enjoy it as much as his other stories.

But I've enjoyed all of PFH's other novels, the Commonwealth saga is epic, the Void trilogy is almost as good. I'm re-reading Great North Road which I have to say is just as great as the Commonwealth novels.

The only novel I've never been able to finish was Ancillary Justice.

I used to take the view that whenever I started a book I had to persevere and see it through, but Possession managed to persuade me that there were better things to do than grinding through a book I'm not enjoying, like read something I would like ... ... but even so I've only ever felt the need to give up on a few books (I'll read the most awful trash) but The Reality Dysfunction is one as is Game of Thrones.

[Mannginger]

captain_cynic said:

The only novel I've never been able to finish was Ancillary Justice.

That's one I had to have a couple of goes at as well, I'm glad I did though, about half-way through the first book it improves and finished the series quite satisfied. It's not the masterpiece it seems to be credited as being but it is a pretty interesting concept that on-balance is decently executed.

[Halmyre]

captain_cynic said:

tertius said:

I tried to read The Reality Dysfunction and just couldn’t bear the visceral gory unpleasantness of it and gave up.

I finished the Reality Dysfunction, but never bothered with the other books, especially after learning the ending was a bit hand-wavey. I didn't enjoy it as much as his other stories.

But I've enjoyed all of PFH's other novels, the Commonwealth saga is epic, the Void trilogy is almost as good. I'm re-reading Great North Road which I have to say is just as great as the Commonwealth novels.

The only novel I've never been able to finish was Ancillary Justice.

I read the synopses of the rest of the Reality Dysfunction series on Wikipedia and that was hard-enough going. I'd need pretty good persuasion to try any other of his doorstopsbooks.

[Sway]

Just finished the Peter F Hamilton Salvation .

Story flew by, as an audiobook on my commute.

Dual timelines, one set in near future, one in the far future.

Pure character development, with some interesting concepts.

Now to wait for the next one...

Think I'll pick up the Reality Dysfunction on audible - as previously mentioned I love the books, and my copies are seriously dog eared. Should last me a couple of weeks.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

I recently re-read Larry Niven's book Protector

Still a great read, even after all these years. I may have to dive back into my book case and revisit more of my collection of Niven books.

[DocJock]

I love Larry Niven. The way his Known Universe all fits together is amazing.

[Baron Greenback]

Introduced someone at work to Ian M Bank all this talking tempted to start again! Dont normally reread book so may go audobooks!

Been enjoying Neal Asher got Infinity Engine and The Soldier to read!

[Guvernator]

Baron Greenback said:

Introduced someone at work to Ian M Bank all this talking tempted to start again! Dont normally reread book so may go audobooks!

Been enjoying Neal Asher got Infinity Engine and The Soldier to read!

I assume you've read Asher's Cormac and Spatterjay series? Some of his best work IMO.

Besides the main protagonists there are some really interesting characters, the enigmatic Mr Crane and war drones like Sniper and Arach. I wish he'd do a separate series for some of these characters.

[Baron Greenback]

Guvernator said:

I assume you've read Asher's Cormac and Spatterjay series? Some of his best work IMO.

Besides the main protagonists there are some really interesting characters, the enigmatic Mr Crane and war drones like Sniper and Arach. I wish he'd do a separate series for some of these characters.

Aye love the concept and characters!