Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Crusader

Orson Scott Card is one of those 'love his work, hate the author' type of relationships. I've enjoyed most of what he's put out and the Formic War series he co-authors with Aaron Johnston is also very good; at least the first one was.

That was generally my position, but I've finally reached the point where I simply will not ever read anything by Card. There are plenty of other authors I'd like to read in my TBR. I'll pass on any more from OSC.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I finished Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card last night. I was a little bit worried about it, given how my opinion of the author has plummeted in the 20 years since I read Ender's Game but I ended up liking it quite a bit. It's really just the story of a family with problems. The big reveal about the aliens was obvious to me from the start, and Ender's genius often seems to revolve around pointing out things that other people really should have noticed ages ago, but for all that it is a decent story and the characters feel real.

I have no intention of reading the third book, or any of the many follow-ups and spin-offs.[...]

I think that's best. I really liked Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead (each so very different) but what I read of the books that follow - while each have their moments of brilliance - I tended to find them disappointing by the end.

I would also add that sometimes things can be obvious to a reader that need not be obvious to the characters. When reading science-fiction we have certain expectations, we're on the lookout. The characters in the story had been studying the piggies for years, it changes their perspective. It is not uncommon for an outsider to come in and see things that are in retrospect obvious, but are effectively invisible to those that were so deeply involved from the start.

[Gazella]

Just started Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Crusader

Orson Scott Card is one of those 'love his work, hate the author' type of relationships. I've enjoyed most of what he's put out and the Formic War series he co-authors with Aaron Johnston is also very good; at least the first one was.

What's he done that's so terrible, if I may ask? I certainly don't agree with his religious views, but the man's entitled to his own opinions.

[Crusader]

Originally Posted by HarryT

What's he done that's so terrible, if I may ask? I certainly don't agree with his religious views, but the man's entitled to his own opinions.

It's basically just his homophobic views that's got everyone up in arms. I definitely don't agree with them, but I'm not going to boycott his work because of it.

[covingtoncat73]

Card has a right to his views, sure, but people have just as much right to boycott him.

[CRussel]

Reading Portal, by Eric Flint and Ryk E. Spoor. The third in the Boundary series. As others have noted, it's a bit weaker than the earlier ones, but still good enough that I'll finish it.

Next up is Detective Inspector Huss by Helene Tursten. I've heard good things about this series, so looking forward to it.

[QuantumIguana]

I'm reading Beat to Quarters (published in Britain as The Happy Return, I think that was a better title), the first book published of the Hornblower series. I read the first two of the Honorverse books by David Weber, I've heard them described as Horatio Hornblower in space, so I wanted to see for myself how they compared.

I'm also reading The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett. It was the first Discworld book I read, and now I'm reading it to my 6-year old daughter. She gives it high praise, she keeps asking for more when I'm done reading for the night.

[samhy]

I'm currently reading "Flowers for Algernon" but it would be over this weekend. It's a sad story, but I like it so far.

[dreams]

Originally Posted by samhy

I'm currently reading "Flowers for Algernon" but it would be over this weekend. It's a sad story, but I like it so far.

I loved that story, even though it was so sad. I'm glad the author didn't give in and change the ending.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is another that has remained in my thoughts over the years. It was many years before I found out about the background of Lennie.

Spoiler:

I was a bindlestiff myself for quite a spell. I worked in the same country that the story is laid in. The characters are composites to a certain extent. Lennie was a real person. He's in an insane asylum in California right now. I worked alongside him for many weeks. He didn't kill a girl. He killed a ranch foreman. Got sore because the boss had fired his pal and stuck a pitchfork right through his stomach. I hate to tell you how many times I saw him do it. We couldn't stop him until it was too late.
John Steinbeck, interview by The New York Times, 1937

[thinkpad]

Finished the fantasy novel Glory Road by Robert Heinlein from 1963. Not my kind of book. The characters and the story didn't really catch my interest.

[jmilica]

After reading Ubik by Philip K. Dick which completely blew me away since I never read SF, and while I collect great recommendations by other members on similar writers in another thread, I am now reading PKD's
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. So far it seems I am in for another unforgettable read and I keep wondering how on earth did I miss reading PKD for all these years...

[Dr. Drib]

This is what I just now finished this morning.

I want to highly recommend a novella by Norman Prentiss. The name is "Invisible Fences."

This is a such fine book.

It is a beautifully, carefully written story. And it is a story that is full of wisdom.

It's a horror story...and yet it transcends this classification to become a truly fine piece of fiction, one that examines the nature of love, friendship, and fears; it's about the things we remember and the things we forget. It is about ourselves.

Prentiss reminds me a bit of Ray Bradbury - not his style - but his concerns about the nature of remembrance and how we strive to understand the wonder that surrounds us. This is the material that Prentiss is working on.

The book is $2.99 from Amazon. Here's the link, so you can examine some of the reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Fenc...orman+prentiss

Prentiss is a member/author here at MobileRead. If you have the time, you may wish to visit his threads.

ADDED: "Invisible Fences" won a 2010 Bram Stoker Award in the category of Long Fiction.




Don

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Next is a change-up. Bloodchild and Other Stories by Octavia E. Butler.

This consisted of 7 stories and 2 essays with afterwords written by Butler. I really enjoyed the story entitled "Speech Sounds" but the others were only so-so. Butler sounds like a very humble, unassuming down-to-earth woman. A couple of her afterwords were quite interesting. Don't think I'll give this a rating. How does one grade a collection?

Next is a risky proposition. Three A.M. by Steven John. Goodreads' reviewers panned this while those on Amazon are more favorable. Harriet Klausner only gave four stars. Published by Tor last year and already hit the bargain bin. The story's description sounds intriguing enough to give it a try.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

This is what I just now finished this morning.

I want to highly recommend a novella by Norman Prentiss. The name is "Invisible Fences."

This is a such fine book.

It is a beautifully, carefully written story. And it is a story that is full of wisdom.

It's a horror story...and yet it transcends this classification to become a truly fine piece of fiction, one that examines the nature of love, friendship, and fears; it's about the things we remember and the things we forget. It is about ourselves.

Prentiss reminds me a bit of Ray Bradbury - not his style - but his concerns about the nature of remembrance and how we strive to understand the wonder that surrounds us. This is the material that Prentiss is working on.

The book is $2.99 from Amazon. Here's the link, so you can examine some of the reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Fenc...orman+prentiss

Prentiss is a member/author here at MobileRead. If you have the time, you may wish to visit his threads.

ADDED: "Invisible Fences" won a 2010 Bram Stoker Award in the category of Long Fiction.




Don

Thanks for that. I bought the book last year but never got around to reading it. Will have to try and slot it in somewhere.