FREE/BARGAIN — Science Fiction & Fantasy

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Anything of his you would recommend? I tried On A Pale Horse (which I might try again) and the first Bio of a Space Tyrant, which was just too damn depressing, though I think I understand what he was trying to do.

I've looked at Blue Adept and Ghost (which had a GREAT cover, but awful reviews). I might have Cthon, though I don't remember for sure.

I will eventually read Firefly. As a fan of '80's schlock horror how can I not?

This is both easy and difficult. Easy because it's "the first book of any of his series" (but not Battle Circle because it is very much not a pleasant place) or standalone books like Macroscope.

Difficult because of steadily increasing word counts in what publishers consider publishable length. The earlier series like Omnivore, Cluster and Tarot are fine, but you get into the 1980s where a single novel is two to three times the length of a novel from a decade prior, that's when it starts getting dull. You mention the Apprentice Adept series. Split Infinity is interesting, but Blue Adept and Juxtaposition are just more, more, more of the same being rehashed.

[lkmiller]

Originally Posted by Manabi

On the other hand, I also ended up with Beauty. (I don't remember the author.) That book had some truly horrifying stuff in it, including lots of rape, partial self-dismemberment, and a depiction of Hell that's the most awful I've ever read.

I'd guess Sheri S. Tepper. I haven't read it, but I've seen it described that way.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Manabi

Around a decade ago people started noticing Anthony had some truly disgusting themes in his books: misogyny, rape, pedophilia, etc. That stuff's definitely in his books and people calling attention to it severely damaged Anthony's reputation. No doubt that's a part of why his books aren't talked about much now, and why they aren't widely available.

So last night, I was watching a video review of Richard Laymon's Endless Night and the reviewer (CriminOlly, who I like quite a bit) mentioned Laymon's penchant for misogyny, overly detailed depictions of women's bodies, etc. and apropos of nothing, my better half said "that's like Piers Anthony."

I asked what she meant and she said it was really noticeable in his books.That the Blue Adept books had some of that and that as Incarnations went on and on it got worse and more in your face, especially in the latter two: For Love of Evil and And Eternity. There is actually an eighth one: Under A Velvet Cloak and the Goodreads reviews on that one are pretty brutal.

[ZodWallop]

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer is $1.99 at Amazon US.

The Southern Reach Trilogy begins with Annihilation, the Nebula Award-winning novel that "reads as if Verne or Wellsian adventurers exploring a mysterious island had warped through into a Kafkaesque nightmare world" (Kim Stanley Robinson).

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide; the third expedition in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition.

The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one another, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.

They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding—but it's the surprises that came across the border with them and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Manabi

On the other hand, I also ended up with Beauty. (I don't remember the author.) That book had some truly horrifying stuff in it, including lots of rape, partial self-dismemberment, and a depiction of Hell that's the most awful I've ever read.

The only SF book titled Beauty I can remember reading was by Sherri S. Tepper and my memory does not seem to match your description.

[Tarana]

Annihilation By Jeff VanderMeer $1.99 Amazon, Kobo and B&N
Science fiction. I know nothing about it except there is a movie based on this book.

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Anything of his you would recommend? I tried On A Pale Horse (which I might try again) and the first Bio of a Space Tyrant, which was just too damn depressing, though I think I understand what he was trying to do.

I've looked at Blue Adept and Ghost (which had a GREAT cover, but awful reviews). I might have Cthon, though I don't remember for sure.

I will eventually read Firefly. As a fan of '80's schlock horror how can I not?

I loved Xanth but only ever read maybe the first 13 or so. My BIL and I adore puns, but the story lines just didn't interest me. While I liked Bio of a Space Tyrant, the violence got to me so never continued. I read and very much enjoyed the first 3 books of Apprentice Adept series many years ago. I acquired the books (discounted) in the last few years but haven't reread yet. For Incarnations, I've only read On A Pale Horse (read it again a few years ago and enjoyed it). My brother has the series in ebook so I'll get to it eventually. He very much enjoyed it. I just recently started Orn (bought that and follow up ebook during Kobocalypse some years ago) not realizing it was book 2. My BIL scanned a copy of book 1 for me as it is not available as an ebook.

[ratinox]

Originally Posted by Tarana

I loved Xanth but only ever read maybe the first 13 or so. My BIL and I adore puns, but the story lines just didn't interest me. While I liked Bio of a Space Tyrant, the violence got to me so never continued. I read and very much enjoyed the first 3 books of Apprentice Adept series many years ago. I acquired the books (discounted) in the last few years but haven't reread yet. For Incarnations, I've only read On A Pale Horse (read it again a few years ago and enjoyed it). My brother has the series in ebook so I'll get to it eventually. He very much enjoyed it. I just recently started Orn (bought that and follow up ebook during Kobocalypse some years ago) not realizing it was book 2. My BIL scanned a copy of book 1 for me as it is not available as an ebook.

Omnivore, Orn, 0X (it's "zero-ten", not "ox", go fig).

Just... stay very far away from the Battle Circle series. Bio of a Space Tyrant pales in comparison to the brutal violence and misogyny depicted in the Battle Circle books.

[Critteranne]

Originally Posted by ratinox

Omnivore, Orn, 0X (it's "zero-ten", not "ox", go fig).

Just... stay very far away from the Battle Circle series. Bio of a Space Tyrant pales in comparison to the brutal violence and misogyny depicted in the Battle Circle books.

[Manabi]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

I'd guess Sheri S. Tepper. I haven't read it, but I've seen it described that way.

Yep, that's it.

Originally Posted by DNSB

The only SF book titled Beauty I can remember reading was by Sherri S. Tepper and my memory does not seem to match your description.

Here's my memories of the events I referenced:

Spoiler:

Beauty is raped repeatedly by one of the guys who takes her to the future. This lasts until she's able to use some magic boots to finally return to the past. She later returns to the future briefly and gets revenge, causing the guy to only able to see the magic world (which is barren in the future) and not the real world he inhabits. (I believe it was more making sure he can't hurt other women than just revenge.)

During the Cinderella portion, one of the "evil stepsisters" chops off part of her own foot trying to make it fit into the glass slippers. This causes her to bleed to death.

Beauty ends up in Hell for a while, protected by others, but still witnessing the horrors. The thing I remember most was how people in hell were forced to act out tales and forcibly made to fit the roles. For example, someone needing to have on high heels had them nailed into their feet. Other than that, I remember how it was a truly horrific place no one would want to experience.

I don't have issues with this stuff being in there, none of it felt gratuitous, it all serviced the plot. I thought the overall plot was really interesting, and it gave me new perspectives on some of the fairy tales. (Like how Cinderella got her name: Ellie of the ashes = Cinderella.) I'd even rate it at least 4 out of 5★, but it's definitely a book I have no interest in rereading.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Manabi

Yep, that's it.


Here's my memories of the events I referenced:

Spoiler:

Beauty is raped repeatedly by one of the guys who takes her to the future. This lasts until she's able to use some magic boots to finally return to the past. She later returns to the future briefly and gets revenge, causing the guy to only able to see the magic world (which is barren in the future) and not the real world he inhabits. (I believe it was more making sure he can't hurt other women than just revenge.)

During the Cinderella portion, one of the "evil stepsisters" chops off part of her own foot trying to make it fit into the glass slippers. This causes her to bleed to death.

Beauty ends up in Hell for a while, protected by others, but still witnessing the horrors. The thing I remember most was how people in hell were forced to act out tales and forcibly made to fit the roles. For example, someone needing to have on high heels had them nailed into their feet. Other than that, I remember how it was a truly horrific place no one would want to experience.

I don't have issues with this stuff being in there, none of it felt gratuitous, it all serviced the plot. I thought the overall plot was really interesting, and it gave me new perspectives on some of the fairy tales. (Like how Cinderella got her name: Ellie of the ashes = Cinderella.) I'd even rate it at least 4 out of 5★, but it's definitely a book I have no interest in rereading.

I would agree that none of the content seemed gratuitous which is why I had no issues with it.

As for Cinderella's stepsisters? That was true to the original story as recorded by the Brothers Grimm where both sisters mutilated their feet trying to fit into the glass slipper. The original story has little to do with modernized versions and probably even less to do with the Disney abomination.

As for the name? I seem to remember the Brothers Grimm's title was Áschenputtel which would translate (more or less, I'll be quite happy to have a German speaker correct me) to "Little Ash Girl".

The next morning, he went with it to the man, and said to him, "No one shall be my wife except for the one whose foot fits this golden shoe."

The two sisters were happy to hear this, for they had pretty feet. With her mother standing by, the older one took the shoe into her bedroom to try it on. She could not get her big toe into it, for the shoe was too small for her. Then her mother gave her a knife and said, "Cut off your toe. When you are queen you will no longer have to go on foot."

The girl cut off her toe, forced her foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the prince. He took her on his horse as his bride and rode away with her. However, they had to ride past the grave, and there, on the hazel tree, sat the two pigeons, crying out:

Rook di goo, rook di goo!
There's blood in the shoe.
The shoe is too tight,
This bride is not right!

Then he looked at her foot and saw how the blood was running from it. He turned his horse around and took the false bride home again, saying that she was not the right one, and that the other sister should try on the shoe. She went into her bedroom, and got her toes into the shoe all right, but her heel was too large.

Then her mother gave her a knife, and said, "Cut a piece off your heel. When you are queen you will no longer have to go on foot."

The girl cut a piece off her heel, forced her foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the prince. He took her on his horse as his bride and rode away with her. When they passed the hazel tree, the two pigeons were sitting in it, and they cried out:

Rook di goo, rook di goo!
There's blood in the shoe.
The shoe is too tight,
This bride is not right!

He looked down at her foot and saw how the blood was running out of her shoe, and how it had stained her white stocking all red. Then he turned his horse around and took the false bride home again.

"This is not the right one, either," he said. "Don't you have another daughter?"

"No," said the man. "There is only a deformed little Cinderella from my first wife, but she cannot possibly be the bride."

The prince told him to send her to him, but the mother answered, "Oh, no, she is much too dirty. She cannot be seen."

But the prince insisted on it, and they had to call Cinderella. She first washed her hands and face clean, and then went and bowed down before the prince, who gave her the golden shoe. She sat down on a stool, pulled her foot out of the heavy wooden shoe, and put it into the slipper, and it fitted her perfectly.

Want to give your children or grandchildren nightmares? Read them the original versions of the Grimm Brothers' tales.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Want to give your children or grandchildren nightmares? Read them the original versions of the Grimm Brothers' tales.

Or the original Sleeping Beauty.

Spoiler:

Disney spoils it with the three too twee witch-fairies and skipping the 100 years!
The Sun, Moon and Talia version has the cursed sleeping beauty being raped by the King!
Who is already married.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun%2C_Moon%2C_and_Talia
And people fuss about the non-consensual kiss in the other versions? Isn't the princes's kiss equivalent to mouth to mouth resuscitation?

The orignal Grimms didn't give me nightmares as a kid, but I needed brain bleach after a Terry Goodkind novel as an adult.

[Apache]

The original fairy tales and nursery rhymes were meant to teach children life lessons that would help with their survival.
Apache

[Tarana]

Ivory By Mike Resnick $1.99 Amazon, Kobo and B&N
Scifi. Big fan of the late Mike Resnick but I have not read this book.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Quoth

The orignal Grimms didn't give me nightmares as a kid, but I needed brain bleach after a Terry Goodkind novel as an adult.

Why? Is it the Ayn Rand stuff or something else?

I think Objectivism is stupid, but was kind of curious to see how it gets incorporated into a fantasy story.

[escaner]

A few books on sale on Amazon stores in the EU/UK for about 1€:

Redemption Arc. Alastair Reynolds.
Absolution Gap. Alastair Reynolds.
Inhibitor Phase. Alastair Reynolds.
The Wise Man's Fear, Patrick Rothfuss.
Ringworld. Larry Niven.
The Lies of Locke Lamora. Scott Lynch.
Assassin's Apprentice. Robin Hobb.
Roadside Picnic. Strugatsky.

Also:
Upgrade, Blake Crouch. 1.49€