Re: What book are you reading?

**alexander p** · 03-30-2012, 02:04 PM

Libra by Don Delillo. It's a fictional take on dissecting the JFK conspiracy, with prose models written in various related peoples' POVs. It's beautiful.

**ColinM9991** · 03-30-2012, 06:50 PM

I purchased World War Z, should really start reading it instead of telling myself I will ^_^

**westyfield** · 07-20-2012, 11:13 AM

Clear!
Bzzt
All right thread, you're good to go!

Just finished Isaac Asimov's original Foundation trilogy (consisting of Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation). A really solid read, they're classics for a reason. It was interesting to read a sci-fi book where the science in question wasn't physics or biology - in this case it was psychology and sociology, albeit vastly more advanced versions ('psychohistory', a combination of the two by which the reactions of large groups of people to certain stimuli can be predicted mathematically). I would definitely recommend the trilogy to any science fiction fan, and plan on reading some of the other books from the Foundation series.

Now I'm just starting Absolution Gap, the third book in the Revelation Space sequence by Alastair Reynolds. It's taking a while to get back in to the RS 'verse, it's been at least a year since I read Redemption Ark (the previous book). After that, if the weather improves I think I'll read something summery. Not yet sure what though.

**DaViking** · 07-20-2012, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by westyfield

Just finished Isaac Asimov's original Foundation trilogy (consisting of Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation). A really solid read, they're classics for a reason. It was interesting to read a sci-fi book where the science in question wasn't physics or biology - in this case it was psychology and sociology, albeit vastly more advanced versions ('psychohistory', a combination of the two by which the reactions of large groups of people to certain stimuli can be predicted mathematically). I would definitely recommend the trilogy to any science fiction fan, and plan on reading some of the other books from the Foundation series.

Sci-fi isn't all physics and stuff. That is the "hard" sci-fi. There is a ton of stuff out there that can be considered "soft" sci-fi. Robert Heinlein has some really good stuff, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick. Arthur C. Clark's Rama series starts out very technical but slowly changes to explore more social ideas. William Gibson's Nueromancer has a somewhat technical, gritty cyberpunk setting but it becomes a romance story. There is so much I could list.

I am working on 2 book series: George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire ("Game of Thrones" series) and Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun.

I have also been rereading some SF short stories with time travel being the element used to create the situation the story is based on. A couple favorites would be Robert Heinlein's "-All You Zombies-" and Kate Wilhelm's "Forever Yours, Anna"

**westyfield** · 07-20-2012, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by DaViking

Sci-fi isn't all physics and stuff. That is the "hard" sci-fi. There is a ton of stuff out there that can be considered "soft" sci-fi. Robert Heinlein has some really good stuff, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick. Arthur C. Clark's Rama series starts out very technical but slowly changes to explore more social ideas. William Gibson's Nueromancer has a somewhat technical, gritty cyberpunk setting but it becomes a romance story. There is so much I could list.

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that all sci-fi is physics-oriented, it's just that most of what I read is hard SF. Alastair Reynolds, Peter Watts, and Paolo Bacigalupi are some of my favourites at the moment - plenty of astrophysics, relativity, biopunk, et cetera. I definitely need to read more Arthur C. Clarke, I loved the Space Odyssey series, and The Songs of Distant Earth is excellent as well. Not read any Heinlein or Bradbury, I'll give them a look. Thanks for the suggestions!

**Skud** · 07-25-2012, 06:47 AM

Originally Posted by Skud

Finished At the Queens Command by Michael Stackpole a few weeks ago. It's a fantasy/alt history about early America, Dragons, Zombies, and "Magick"

The next novel will be coming out this december.

Currently reading Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove.

As you can tell I'm on a bit of a alt history binge.

Since my last posting...

Been reading the "Fate of the Jedi" Star Wars Series... Decent. If you liked Legacy of the Force stuff you'd probably like this stuff too. Same authors, same process.

I read Star Wars Death Troopers - it was fun. I've picked up it's sequel Red Harvest and plan on reading that soon. They're non-canon, about zombies in the Star Wars universe. Death Troopers starts off really slow but picks up well mid way through. Easy read.

Also read Star Wars Deathstar - it was well done. I like star wars material about Imperials/non-main characters. The entire book was about different people aboard the Deathstar from start to explosion. Politics, Conspiracy, etc etc. Good stuff.

I have the sequel to"At the Queens Command by Stackpole, Of Limited Loyalty. I look forward to it, as I haven't read any Stackpole since last summer.

I read an interesting non-fic (at least, as much as I could stomach) About Face - it's a book about military resisters in the United States Military. Many of the people in the book were either in prison for desertion or in the process of court martial. A lot of it is "Boo hoo, woe is me, fight the power" stuff, but it's always good to gauge the other side of the political spectrum when engaged in long conflicts. I read about 3/4 of it before growing tired of too many similar stories. It basically was "AWOL: The book of dirtbags"

My dad gave me a lot of books by Richard Marcinko - they're military, and he says they're untouchable.

I also have a large history book The Crusades by Thomas Asbridge. Very detailed. It's almost a play by play, day by day accounting of the Crusades, from both sides. Very well done, but very heavy reading.

**Wicks** · 07-25-2012, 11:42 AM

Just finished this...

Very good read, would have liked more technical info but there is some there.

If anyone wants an extremely intelligent perspective from a former Delta Commander the next is one of the best I have ever read...

Just re-read the next one, for me the definitive account of Operation Annaconda..

**Jeepo** · 07-25-2012, 11:45 AM

50 shades of grey.

Or not.

**Skud** · 07-25-2012, 03:11 PM

I have a more appropriate title for that book that is not suitable for TG forums. It's a good one, I swear.

**LowSpeedHighDrag** · 07-28-2012, 10:16 PM

@Jeepo

Please tell me you haven't. Just for posting that you'll need to read at least 10 uber macho war books to return to normal.
:P

**johnwish** · 08-04-2012, 09:56 AM

Now I am reading "A Bend in The River" Book.
Its very interesting story..

**Vitamin187** · 08-04-2012, 05:03 PM

found an old book i got when i was in the navy that i may start reading once again...

Delta*RandyShugart* · 08-06-2012, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by westyfield

We've already got a 'What song are you currently listening to?' thread, so how about a 'what book are you currently reading?' thread?

It's pretty self-explanatory.

I'm currently reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. It's absolutely huge and absolutely brilliant, though it's taking me an age to read and my list of books to read is steadily growing.

What about you?

50 shades of grey, only the sex parts though.

**QuantumQrack** · 08-07-2012, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by Delta*RandyShugart*

50 shades of grey, only the sex parts though.

LoL. I just got through reading W.O.O.L. If you are into SciFi with a post apocalyptic emphasis, I recommend it! Get the omnibus edition, it includes all the books.

**Aimed** · 08-09-2012, 07:20 PM

Just finished The Hunger Games in a day. I started it and just could not put it down once. I'm not a big reader at all, I normally get bored easily but this had me addicted. Definitely the best book I've read that I can remember, picking both sequels up tomorrow so I can finish them before I come home from holiday on Sunday.