MobileRead August 2013 Book Club Nominations

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by John F

I'll nominate Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds.

Available at libraries everywhere!

This sounds extremely fascinating. I'm glad now I have a vote back from that 6-month nomination screw-up. SECONDED.

Amazon.com Review:
Alastair Reynolds's first novel is "hard" SF on an epic scale, crammed with technological marvels and immensities. Its events take place over a relatively short period, but have roots a billion years old--when the Dawn War ravaged our galaxy.

Sylveste is the only man ever to return alive and sane from a Shroud, an enclave in space protected by awesome gravity-warping defenses: "a folding a billion times less severe should have required more energy than was stored in the entire rest-mass of the galaxy." Now an intuition he doesn't understand makes him explore the dead world Resurgam, whose birdlike natives long ago tripped some booby trap that made their own sun erupt in a deadly flare.

Meanwhile, the vast, decaying lightship Nostalgia for Infinity is coming for Sylveste, whose dead father (in AI simulation) could perhaps help the Captain, frozen near absolute zero yet still suffering monstrous transformation by nanotech plague. Most of Infinity's tiny crew have hidden agendas--Khouri the reluctant contract assassin believes she must kill Sylveste to save humanity--and there are two bodiless stowaways, one no longer human and one never human. Shocking truths emerge from bluff, betrayal, and ingenious lies.

The trail leads to a neutron star where an orbiting alien construct has defenses to challenge the Infinity's planet-wrecking superweapons.

At the heart of this artifact, the final revelations detonate--most satisfyingly. Dense with information and incident, this longish novel has no surplus fat and seems almost too short. A sparkling SF debut. --David Langford, Amazon.co.uk --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title

And here are some links:

Amazon Canada / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Sony Reader Store

[AnemicOak]

A bit late to the party, but I'll nominate...


The Forever War by Joe Haldeman Kobo | B&N | Amazon UK | Waterstones | Amazon CA

A THOUSAND YEAR CONFLICT. ONE SOLDIER LIVES THROUGH IT ALL. CAN HE MAINTAIN HIS HUMANITY?

The Forever War is a science fiction classic that chronicles the life of William Mandella. Due to the time distortion associated with deep space travel, he is present during both the first and the last battle of a thousand year old conflict with the alien Taurans. A masterpiece of not just science fiction, The Forever War illustrates the futility of all wars and their effect on the human soul.

The Forever War won all major science fiction awards including the Hugo, Nebula and Locus. Ridley Scott, director of Blade Runner and Alien, is currently adapting this classic for film.

and


Dune by Frank Herbert Kobo | B&N | Sony (US) | Amazon UK | Waterstones | Amazon CA

Here is the novel that will be forever considered a triumph of the imagination. Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, who would become the mysterious man known as Muad'Dib. He would avenge the traitorous plot against his noble family--and would bring to fruition humankind's most ancient and unattainable dream.

A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what it undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction.

[Dazrin]

You are all making this hard, I thought I was done voting!

Where is Jon to tell me what to vote for? I thought he would be all over this one.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Dazrin

You are all making this hard, I thought I was done voting!

Where is Jon to tell me what to vote for? I thought he would be all over this one.

Actually, the three I nominated, Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations: Watching the Clock by Christopher L. Bennett, Existence by David Brin, and the one whose nomination had to be rescinded because I wasn't thinking about the 6-month rule (Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton) were all books that Jon had either nominated in the past or recommended. That was no fluke. I figured since he wouldn't be here for this vote, I'd nominate something he might enjoy commenting on when he returns.

Originally Posted by sun surfer

I nominate Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. A controversial film version is being released soon so it could be interesting to read and discuss the book now.

~ snip ~

Maybe that would be better phrased as it is controversial that a film version is being released at this time? Anyway I believe I have one more vote available and will use it to second this.

[jmilica]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

I nominate Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. A controversial film version is being released soon so it could be interesting to read and discuss the book now.

I would like to third it.

[jmilica]

Originally Posted by John F

I'll nominate Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds.

Thirded

[jemc]

Originally Posted by caleb72

I'll give Solaris a second. Just throwing in a few more links.

For B&N (US): LINK
For Google Play (AUS): LINK
Diesel: LINK

It's $3.99 or less most places I've looked so it's not an uncomfortable price.

Third Solaris by Stanislaw Lem.

[jemc]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

Second Doomsday Book.

Third Doomsday Book by Connie Willis.

[sun surfer]

Since Lost Horizon doesn't have any info yet, here's some that could be added to the spoiler blurb:

From Goodreads:

While attempting to escape a civil war, four people are kidnapped and transported to the Tibetan mountains. After their plane crashes, they are found by a mysterious Chinese man. He leads them to a monastery hidden in "the valley of the blue moon" -- a land of mystery and matchless beauty where life is lived in tranquil wonder, beyond the grasp of a doomed world.

It is here, in Shangri-La, where destinies will be discovered and the meaning of paradise will be unveiled.


Also, here's the epub link for Lost Horizon to go along with the Kindle one:
MobileRead epub

[sun surfer]

AnemicOak, I think we now have ten fully nominated books, but I wanted to say that your nominations look very interesting; especially Dune, which I definitely want to read eventually.

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

Maybe that would be better phrased as it is controversial that a film version is being released at this time? Anyway I believe I have one more vote available and will use it to second this.

Maybe, and either way it could be interesting to read and discuss the book before the film comes out.

[Dazrin]

Definitely a lot of good choices this time around. Dune is a favorite of mine and would have been good too, maybe another time.

I think the problem will be deciding which books not to vote for.

[WT Sharpe]

From Amazon's Book Description for Ender's Game:

The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years....

The "Buggers" are an invasive insectoid alien species that threaten the survival of humanity. If anyone but Orson Scott Card had christened them with that name, I probably wouldn't think anything about it, but coming from him, it just sounds like a cruel joke from a cold heart.

If this wins, I won't be reading it.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by jemc

Third Doomsday Book by Connie Willis.

That makes 10, and the voting poll will be up shortly!

Thanks for the nominations, everyone!

The nominations are now closed.

[WT Sharpe]

The voting poll is up!

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=218573