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

[nana77]

I'm in the middle of "Deus Irae", by Philip K. Dick & Roger Zelazny; as explained on its introduction, and only mentioning it for its historical reasons, it's peculiar because:
a) Till there there hasn't been, on sci-fi, any who would have even touched christian topics on a novel (I mean it only as historical); there is a fun part where the editor mentions the fact that, always onto the sci-fi genre, several authors that claim to be atheists are then the ones that writes to talk about God.
b) The writers collaboration is yet something peculiar, thought most often is done by one of the two acting as to "back sbd"; in there the plot and the build of the idea is like 74% by Philip, although Roger doesn't acts as just a support, he gave it the finest touches, the crochets, the searches into foreign's languages poetry verses... The editor also mentions that a collaboration between two so big is rare, it's like on the '40s a novel would have been written by Heinlein and Van Vogt (or Hemingway-Joyce, or James-Mann).
The novel is fantastically well written.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by nana77

I'm in the middle of "Deus Irae", by Philip K. Dick & Roger Zelazny; as explained on its introduction, and only mentioning it for its historical reasons, it's peculiar because:
a) Till there there hasn't been, on sci-fi, any who would have even touched christian topics on a novel (I mean it only as historical); there is a fun part where the editor mentions the fact that, always onto the sci-fi genre, several authors that claim to be atheists are then the ones that writes to talk about God.
b) The writers collaboration is yet something peculiar, thought most often is done by one of the two acting as to "back sbd"; in there the plot and the build of the idea is like 74% by Philip, although Roger doesn't acts as just a support, he gave it the finest touches, the crochets, the searches into foreign's languages poetry verses... The editor also mentions that a collaboration between two so big is rare, it's like on the '40s a novel would have been written by Heinlein and Van Vogt (or Hemingway-Joyce, or James-Mann).
The novel is fantastically well written.

If you enjoy Philip K. Dick, you might wish to check out Kobo.uk. They currently have The Man in the High Castle for £0.99 [USD $1.32]. It won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1963.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

But before I get to that, I'm reading Death in the House by Anthony Berkeley. One from the 'golden age' of detective fiction. And its of its age, with all characters showing off their sexism and racism.

An instructive book to remind ourselves how much casual racism and sexism was accepted even in the mid 20th Century. The puzzle was poor.

Next I read Luck of the Wheels by Megan Lindholm. There's some resolution by the end, and not a bad place to stop the series. Most enjoyable.

Now I'm starting The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay. The Map I can forgive, but the massive list of characters is harder to overlook. That sort of thing should be relegated to an appendix at best. We'll see how it goes.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by issybird

I've finished: A Star Danced by Gertrude Lawrence, the West End and Broadway star. It's a memoir of her ENSA tour just after D-Day and takes in her career up to that point. Mostly entertaining for all the names she drops and they are legion.

I'm getting A LOT of this in Louise Brooks' LuLu in Hollywood. I actually think she has a flair for memoir/personal reporting and I am quite sad that only seven of her pieces survived (and that no on wanted to publish her while she was alive).

[nana77]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

If you enjoy Philip K. Dick, you might wish to check out Kobo.uk. They currently have The Man in the High Castle for £0.99 [USD $1.32]. It won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1963.

Thanks, I'm about to start to really buy those books in english, but not than one.
Thanks also because I wasn't to have checked and there are various of his novels (shorts and not) at 0.99, published in 2025.
I'll take "Blade Runner", which is @2.99$ (too if it's a later version, within the title changed; the content seems the same). I didn't read already the original.
On Kobo there is not "A Scanner Darkly", by him, on UK, in US instead is available; omg on Amazon its hardcover version is like @196.16$ or more, as used (from 1977).
"Deus Irae" also is @2,99$ on Kobo UK, but now I guess I'm off topic in this discussion.

Ah, I forgot to mention: the editor of the translated version of "Deus Irae" said that when they published it, they'd agree in advance that its price was quite high estimated, there was a run for the licenses in the various European Countries, by that time.

[Fbone]

Finished Dog Wizard by Barbara Hambly. This took a little too long to resolve itself. It's basically a mystery with strange aliens and tremendous energy. A few red herrings but overall, I enjoyed it. I did have a difficult time picturing what the Citadel may have looked like with all the cellars, attics and bridges. Nice variety of characters. Satisfying trilogy conclusion. Rated B [4 stars].

[Tarana]

Still reading Greenthieves by Alan Dean Foster. Two people have been assigned a task and there is a lot of back chatter from an unhappy robot who follows one of the people around. I'm not really thrilled with it but it is a shortish book so will finish.

For listening, I have finished the Sammhamn Murders by Viveca Sten. All were excellent murder mysteries. In the Shadow Of Power, In the Name of Truth, In Bad Company and finally book 10, Buried in Secret. She has completed this series. Currently listening to Bodies from the Library 2: Selected Lost Stories of Mystery and Suspense by Masters of the Golden Age. I'm just going to say that short stories are better read than listened to.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Now I'm starting The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay. The Map I can forgive, but the massive list of characters is harder to overlook. That sort of thing should be relegated to an appendix at best. We'll see how it goes.

It took a while, but I did eventually finish this. I can't say I really liked it. The massive cast of characters at the start didn't matter (although is was unnecessary). The enormous amount of borrowing from The Lord of the Rings did.

I won't be reading any more of it. Perhaps his later stuff is more original.

Not that there weren't some original bits in this. Several, even. But not enough to outweigh all the resonances with LotR.

Disappointing. 2/5

While reading this I read Witch Hat Atelier 1 by Kamome Shirahama, on a recommendation from Lois McMaster Bujold.

It was original and interesting, but I'm not sure I'll continue the series. We'll see if it goes on special offer.

Next up: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Perhaps his later stuff is more original.

Much more. My favorites from GGK are Tigana and The Lions of Al-Rassan. In that order.

The Fionavar Tapestry did get better after The Summer Tree, but it was still annoying at times. For what it's worth, there are bits and pieces of it that show up in all of GGK's books.

[Renate]

I just finished "An American Tragedy", Theodore Dreiser, 1925
It was worth reading, but at ~900 pages it might have improved with some chopping down.

[nana77]

Originally Posted by nana77

I'm in the middle of "Deus Irae", by Philip K. Dick & Roger Zelazny;

And it was very nice, very well written.
I'm on "A Canticle for Leibowitz", by Walter M. Miller, Jr.; which is nice too: I've picked it up randomly, thought because the cover and the edition was something I've never seen: "Science Fiction Book Club", created by Roberta Rambelli (a translator of many SF's).

Got a few nice reads on the colour's: I've been gladly astounded by the drawings of Dongzi Liu, on "Sangre Real (Royal Blood)", written by Alejandro Jodorowksky.
Well the edition was a translation, not sure even if a fan-like one, and the dialogues seemed truncated sometimes, or not much developed, or that's just my opinion; the paintings and the works by the illustrator Dongzi Liu, seem to be found only onto that serie:

Spoiler:

literally, freakish beatiful

Followed by some works of Frank Franzetta, and now I'll like to read all of I can about Mœbius: at the moment "The Airtight Garage" in its original black and white, and the then colored version (which has at least a vignette changed? Other than the Cornelius' name character), that book needs to be readed more times, as there seems to be so many random entwined characterization's plots.
"Arzach" also it's such a beatiful reading.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by Renate

I just finished "An American Tragedy", Theodore Dreiser, 1925
It was worth reading, but at ~900 pages it might have improved with some chopping down.

I read this when I was in my 30s. It's a great American novel, in my opinion. The author, unfortunately, is now often overlooked.

I've read a few of his other books, but one I have yet to read (but own in hardback) is The Genius.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

It's a great American novel, in my opinion.

Well, he gets a lot of credit for speaking plainly about many things in 1925.

I've just gotten around to reading "Tender Is the Night", Fitzgerald.
I've never been big on Fitzgerald.
I just don't get his whole "psychological" approach to everyone.
I don't get how he is into people worshiping other people.
Screw Jay Gatsby. Screw the Divers.

Maybe it's my fault for being emotionally stunted.

[Dr. Drib]

Currently reading Outline, by Rachel Cusk, which is part one of her Outline Trilogy.

A wonderful literary novel that I'm enjoying. I like it so much that I will pick up the other two volumes.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by nana77

"A Canticle for Leibowitz", by Walter M. Miller, Jr.

Thanks for mentioning this one. I read it when I was still in High school, the year it was first published. I just bought the ebook from the Kindle store so I can read again!