this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2023
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Science Fiction

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Lemmy World Rules

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I've put together a collage of some books from last months What are you Reading? post. It's mostly random, but the more discussion something gets the more it stands out to me. Going forward I'm going to make a new post every month to talk about what people are reading.

Here is last months post. What are you Reading? (July 2023)

At any rate, what are you currently reading or plan to read in August?

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I'm 6 books into expanse series, and I've kind of lost steam with it. Might need a break. Read bobiverse in full just before it. First children of time book was good but didn't know if I wanted to read book 2.

Also loved project hail Mary and the dark Forest/three body trilogy.

Any other suggestions?

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

I have Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy on my shelf waiting for me to finish The Expanse series. Maybe that?

Also, book 7 of The Expanse becomes a lot easier because you stop having the TV show to compare to. And let me tell you, you think you know what Duarte is doing on Laconia, but my friend you don't. The prologue of book 7 has one of those "I'm sorry, WHAT" moments that really launches you into the next story arc

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Yes yes yes red mars is amazing. At first I was like oh great another 600 page scifi novel, but Holy shit is that some classic hard scifi that draws you in. The literal world building and charecter development is fantastic.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Thatars trilogy took me by surprise. At first it felt slow and dry, but I kept on. It definitely is a unique perspective on colonization and I really enjoyed it in the end.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I’ve been debating starting the Expanse book series. I was a huge fan of the show but never read the books. Watched the whole series twice now. Is it recommended to star at book 1 or would it be advised to start at like book 7 so it follows the series?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I really think the books up to #4 Cibola Burn are worth the read. The TV series is kind of like a final edit of the books, and it's really fascinating to see the changes the authors chose to make. But you get a lot more detail about the situations and the larger impact in the books.

That said, I reeeeally struggled with books 5 & 6 for only one reason: I hate Marco Inaros SO. MUCH. Which honestly just demonstrates how good these authors are. It was really hard for me to walk though the Inaros plot after having seen it through to completion in the show.

But now on book 7, I'm flying though the book again because I need to know where all of this is going and how our beloved characters are gonna get themselves out of this one

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

@Chetzemoka @sciencefiction

I very much share this experience with the series. Book 5 and 6 were the low point. I was more interested in the world building and everything related to it, and less so in the human conflicts. Final three books were great again, and eight probably my favourite in the whole series.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

The show stays pretty true to the books, but there's enough differences that I'd recommend starting with book 1.

Biggest change I can think of is Drummer. The show's Drummer is like 3 or 4 characters from the books rolled into one. Book Drummer had a smaller roll.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I'm currently half way through the third book of the Children of Time trilogy. I LOVED book one. I think having just read "Other Minds" (Peter Godfrey-Smith, great non fiction about the mental processes of [the animal starring in the second book]) a while back made me appreciate the second book even more than I would have otherwise.

The Messengers by Lindsay Joelle is a short story only available on audible (free for members). It kind of reminded me of Children of Time and I really liked it.

Different style, but I liked all the books you listed and also loved Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut- time/space travel as envisioned in the 1950s.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

And I just went: "Children of time trilogy? That one only got 2 books!"

Seems like at some point in 2022 it has grown to a trilogy. Nice! Thanks for pointing that out, I now know what I'll read next :D

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

The third book is very different to I the first two, but I enjoyed it all the same

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

I may circle back to book 2 of children of time... Thanks.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Book 7 was a bit of a drag for me, more so than book 6. Books 8 and 9 are really fast paced and good. It's all proto molecule stuff. I remember not caring about the free navy and just wanting to get on with the larger series plot during 6 and 7. You may have to trudge through those to get to the good stuff though.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Good to know. Also I mis spoke, I'm mid book 7 and kinda bored at present

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Well, if you like space opera try Honor Harrington. The first book is called "On Basilisk Station"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Try the revelation space series, they are a little slow at times but I really enjoyed them