FREE/BARGAIN — Science Fiction & Fantasy - Page 52

GeoffR · 08-19-2017, 02:56 PM

(Edit: re: R. Scott Bakker, The Darkness That Comes Before.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

So many mixed reviews on this thing!

A number of readers seem to hate it with a passion! Other readers appear to really like it.

What to think? I don't know. If it comes down to the 5 dollar range on U.S. Amazon, then I may pick it up. On the other hand, those reviews.....

I thought it was great, but I can undertand it not being everyone's cup of tea. It is a little on the dark side, but it has depths and I was able to get well absorbed in it. I've already bought the next two at full price.

lkmiller · 08-19-2017, 04:49 PM

I read that trilogy long ago from the library. I thought the first one was ok, but by the end of the third one I wished I hadn't wasted my time. I like other grimdark authors like Joe Abercrombie and Steven Erikson, but I won't be giving R. Scott Baker another try. A couple of the book bloggers I follow really like him, but I don't agree with them on this.

Little.Egret · 08-19-2017, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoffR

The Darkness That Comes Before, first in R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series, is $4.99 at Australian / New Zealand retailers (normally $12.99 / $16.99)

£4.99 in UK including tax or buy used pbook for £2.81 inc postage

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darkness-Th...dp/B003PPDBUS/

Little.Egret · 08-19-2017, 08:12 PM

Amazon UK's Big Deal today

8 by Peter F. Hamilton at 99p each

Pandora's Star

The Reality Dysfunction

The Dreaming Void

Judas Unchained

The Temporal Void

The Neutronium Alchemist

The Naked God (Nights Dawn Book 3)

The Evolutionary Void

crich70 · 08-19-2017, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm sure there's a logical flaw in that somewhere, but I can't figure out what it is...

I think it's that if they didn't need the $ then they wouldn't need to visit themselves in the past so that they would have the $ for the road ....

pdurrant · 08-20-2017, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

Amazon UK's Big Deal today

8 by Peter F. Hamilton at 99p each

Pandora's Star

The Reality Dysfunction

The Dreaming Void

Judas Unchained

The Temporal Void

The Neutronium Alchemist

The Naked God (Nights Dawn Book 3)

The Evolutionary Void

Link

They look like my kind of thing, but I find I've never read any Peter F. Hamilton. Does anyone have any comments on his work, good or bad?

HarryT · 08-20-2017, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

Amazon UK's Big Deal today

8 by Peter F. Hamilton at 99p each

Pandora's Star

The Reality Dysfunction

The Dreaming Void

Judas Unchained

The Temporal Void

The Neutronium Alchemist

The Naked God (Nights Dawn Book 3)

The Evolutionary Void

That's a great deal - one of my favourite authors! I have all his books.

HarryT · 08-20-2017, 05:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

They look like my kind of thing, but I find I've never read any Peter F. Hamilton. Does anyone have any comments on his work, good or bad?

One of my favourite authors. He writes both sweeping "space opera", and also excellent standalone books, several of which are really good mysteries and detective stories in a future setting.

What you've got here is the "Night's Dawn Trilogy": The Reality Dysfunction (1996), The Neutronium Alchemist (1997), The Naked God (1999).

and then two series set in the "Commonwealth":

Firstly, the "Commonwealth Saga": Pandora's Star (2004), Judas Unchained (2005).

and then, set 1200 years later, but featuring some of the same characters:

The Void Trilogy: The Dreaming Void (2007), The Temporal Void (2008), The Evolutionary Void (2010).

Buy and enjoy!

DrNefario · 08-20-2017, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little.Egret

£4.99 in UK including tax or buy used pbook for £2.81 inc postage

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Darkness-Th...dp/B003PPDBUS/

It was cheaper some time quite recently. I had it on my wishlist for ages, and now it's in my library.

I realise that's not much help right now, but you just have to wait these things out.

mewmartigan · 08-20-2017, 04:48 PM

I can definitely recommend the duology of Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained.

Wish this sale were Amazon US too as I would definitely jump in.

haydnfan · 08-20-2017, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

They look like my kind of thing, but I find I've never read any Peter F. Hamilton. Does anyone have any comments on his work, good or bad?

Like the others I highly recommend the Commonwealth Saga. Very well thought out universe, interesting characters and story. The antagonists are also well thought out and don't disappoint. It's a slow burn but worth it. The technology and it's impact on culture are well explored and so memorable that I don't think that I'll ever forget it. For reference my favorite sf authors are Reynolds, Asher, Hamilton and Banks.

haydnfan · 08-20-2017, 05:05 PM

On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers is $2 on Kindle/Kobo in the US. It's a fun romp and the inspiration for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

ATDrake · 08-20-2017, 05:24 PM

Bargain @ $1.99 from Ace Books in Canada & US (Orbit has the UK rights, IIRC; should be the same price at all the usual retailers):

The Rhesus Chart by Charles Stross (Wikipedia), 5th novel in his Hugo Award-nominated Laundry Files series of supernatural urban fantasy centred around a secret government agency with decidedly Lovecraftian bureaucracy. These originally started out as spy thriller spoofs pastiching particular styles of classic espionage novels for the first 4, but this one shifts the tone to exploring urban fantasy tropes (this is the vampires one) and is a decent jumping-on point if you haven't read the rest (#1 was also on sale a while back) with a reasonably standalone, self-contained story (start of a new overarching plot arc which continues through the next few books).

The Hugo Award-winning author of The Delirium Brief reveals the secrets of The Laundry Files in an adventure of Lovecraftian horror and espionage hi-jinks...

As a newly appointed junior manager within the Laundry—the clandestine organization responsible for protecting Britain against supernatural threats—Bob Howard is expected to show some initiative to help the agency battle the forces of darkness. But shining a light on what’s best left in the shadows is the last thing Bob wants to do—especially when those shadows hide an occult parasite spreading a deadly virus.

Little.Egret · 08-20-2017, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrNefario

It was cheaper some time quite recently. I had it on my wishlist for ages, and now it's in my library.

I realise that's not much help right now, but you just have to wait these things out.

Yep, The Darkness That Comes Before,
The lowest price to date was £1.99 last reached on December 13, 2016.
(for 7 days)

https://uk.ereaderiq.com/dp/B003PPDB...-of-the-princ/

mbovenka · 08-21-2017, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Buy and enjoy!

I second this. Hamilton is great. But you're in for the long haul; anything less than 500 pages is a novella for him. He writes doorstops that will intimidate a bank vault

If I didn't already own all of them I'd grab the lot at that price.

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08-19-2017, 04:49 PM	#767
lkmiller Laura Posts: 1,540 Karma: 23597272 Join Date: Nov 2009 Device: Kobo Sage, Kobo Elipsa, Nook Glowlight 4 Plus, Kindle Oasis 2	I read that trilogy long ago from the library. I thought the first one was ok, but by the end of the third one I wished I hadn't wasted my time. I like other grimdark authors like Joe Abercrombie and Steven Erikson, but I won't be giving R. Scott Baker another try. A couple of the book bloggers I follow really like him, but I don't agree with them on this.

08-19-2017, 08:12 PM	#769
Little.Egret Wizard Posts: 3,168 Karma: 37800000 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England, UK Device: Kindle Keyboard 3G, Kindle Fire 2, NOOK ST, Kindle HDX, Fire 7"	Amazon UK's Big Deal today 8 by Peter F. Hamilton at 99p each Pandora's Star The Reality Dysfunction The Dreaming Void Judas Unchained The Temporal Void The Neutronium Alchemist The Naked God (Nights Dawn Book 3) The Evolutionary Void

08-20-2017, 04:48 PM	#775
mewmartigan Guru Posts: 852 Karma: 8242060 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Kindle Oasis (2019)	I can definitely recommend the duology of Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained. Wish this sale were Amazon US too as I would definitely jump in.

08-20-2017, 05:05 PM	#777
haydnfan Guru Posts: 650 Karma: 5632364 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kindle PW 4, Oasis 2	On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers is $2 on Kindle/Kobo in the US. It's a fun romp and the inspiration for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

08-20-2017, 05:24 PM	#778
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	Bargain @ $1.99 from Ace Books in Canada & US (Orbit has the UK rights, IIRC; should be the same price at all the usual retailers): The Rhesus Chart by Charles Stross (Wikipedia), 5th novel in his Hugo Award-nominated Laundry Files series of supernatural urban fantasy centred around a secret government agency with decidedly Lovecraftian bureaucracy. These originally started out as spy thriller spoofs pastiching particular styles of classic espionage novels for the first 4, but this one shifts the tone to exploring urban fantasy tropes (this is the vampires one) and is a decent jumping-on point if you haven't read the rest (#1 was also on sale a while back) with a reasonably standalone, self-contained story (start of a new overarching plot arc which continues through the next few books). The Hugo Award-winning author of The Delirium Brief reveals the secrets of The Laundry Files in an adventure of Lovecraftian horror and espionage hi-jinks... As a newly appointed junior manager within the Laundry—the clandestine organization responsible for protecting Britain against supernatural threats—Bob Howard is expected to show some initiative to help the agency battle the forces of darkness. But shining a light on what’s best left in the shadows is the last thing Bob wants to do—especially when those shadows hide an occult parasite spreading a deadly virus.