Recent (hard) Sci-Fi Short Story Collections - Page 3

mbovenka · 09-10-2014, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrNefario

I think I had the same reaction as you, although I did finish the book. I haven't read a lot of Stross, but I've never really clicked with any of it, and it seems to just be the way they are told.

I like his 'Laundry Files' series much better. The one redeeming quality Accelerando had was that my favourite bar, 'In de Wildeman' in Amsterdam, is in it (it's the very bar mentioned in the review)

gmw · 09-10-2014, 12:19 PM

I must admit, when I looked at the Charles Stross website to download the book I clicked on his supposed explanation for Singularity ... and the result was the book didn't get a high priority for my attention. But then I read his "Bit Riot" short in "Engineering Infinity" (zombies SF-style) and was amused, so maybe I'll get to the novel soon-ish.

I have finished the shorts in "Engineering Infinity", "Edge of Infinity" and "Reach for Infinity". I enjoyed them, it seemed that the collections got better as they progressed. The first had a few stories in it that didn't seem much like SF to me and not many stand-outs, the second was better, more consistent, and the third was very good - one I can imagine picking up to reread. What I liked about going through these diverse collections was getting a taste of so many different authors, and there a few in there that I definitely want to see more of.

I'm part way through "The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year Volume Eight" - mostly because I saw it when shopping for the others mentioned above (same editor) and saw a Neil Gaiman story I wanted. But, as it turns out, it was the Ted Chiang story that has been the big stand-out so far - "The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling" - simply brilliant. So I definitely want to see more of him. (For some reason Kobo don't have his books in English ... how strange. I guess I'll have to shop around.)

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09-10-2014, 12:19 PM	#32
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,818 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	I must admit, when I looked at the Charles Stross website to download the book I clicked on his supposed explanation for Singularity ... and the result was the book didn't get a high priority for my attention. But then I read his "Bit Riot" short in "Engineering Infinity" (zombies SF-style) and was amused, so maybe I'll get to the novel soon-ish. I have finished the shorts in "Engineering Infinity", "Edge of Infinity" and "Reach for Infinity". I enjoyed them, it seemed that the collections got better as they progressed. The first had a few stories in it that didn't seem much like SF to me and not many stand-outs, the second was better, more consistent, and the third was very good - one I can imagine picking up to reread. What I liked about going through these diverse collections was getting a taste of so many different authors, and there a few in there that I definitely want to see more of. I'm part way through "The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year Volume Eight" - mostly because I saw it when shopping for the others mentioned above (same editor) and saw a Neil Gaiman story I wanted. But, as it turns out, it was the Ted Chiang story that has been the big stand-out so far - "The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling" - simply brilliant. So I definitely want to see more of him. (For some reason Kobo don't have his books in English ... how strange. I guess I'll have to shop around.)

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