this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2023
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Science Fiction

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Lemmy World Rules

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I'm currently reading the Wool omnibus by Hugh Howey. It's pretty decent I've been making very rapid progress as it's been too hot to sleep here recently now the summer has arrived.

I haven't seen the Apple show, but maybe I'll watch it in the future when I've finished all the books (I had Shift and Dust as well).

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

I'm rereading Asimov's complete saga in "internal story chronological order":

  1. I, Robot / The Complete Robot (except 'Mirror Image'!) [ROBOTS]

  2. The Caves of Steel [ROBOTS]

  3. The Naked Sun [ROBOTS]

  4. Mirror Image (short story) [ROBOTS]

  5. The Robots of Dawn [ROBOTS]

  6. Robots and Empire [ROBOTS]

  7. The Stars, Like Dust-- [EMPIRE]

  8. The Currents of Space [EMPIRE]

  9. Pebble in the Sky [EMPIRE]

  10. Prelude to Foundation [FOUNDATION]

  11. Forward the Foundation [FOUNDATION]

  12. Foundation [FOUNDATION]

  13. Foundation and Empire [FOUNDATION]

  14. Second Foundation [FOUNDATION]

  15. Foundation's Edge [FOUNDATION]

  16. Foundation and Earth [FOUNDATION]

I'm currently on "Forward the foundation"

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

The Foundation series is absolutely amazing, and I am jealous of you if this is your first reading. One of my formative series growing up. You're inspiring me to do the whole Asimov read through like your doing, because I don't believe I ever read the Empire books and never read Robot beyond I, Robot.

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

I'm surprised The Caves of Steel is so early as it seemed really futuristic compared to most of The Complete Robot, but I read it a long time ago so maybe I'm not remembering correctly.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (9 children)

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. Was a recommendation on the R site.

Complex, eon spanning, hard sci-fi. I'm loving it!

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I've been working through The Expanse books, and have just started Leviathan Falls.

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

I'm about halfway through Persepolis Rising. That prologue was one hell of a jolt!

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

I listened to the 2nd and 3rd books of the Murderbot series on a car ride recently. I had read them before, but it was the first time that he did. I really enjoyed laughing with him.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not science fiction, but I’m loving Carl Sagans “The Demon-Haunted World”. He really was a brilliant dude.

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

Yeah, I really liked that book. Pale Blue Dot is really good as well and he reads part of the audiobook himself, although unfortunately not all of it as he was already quite ill by that point. He was taken far too young.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Working my way through some Hugo winners past— reading A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M Miller.

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

I really liked Canticle, but I really felt like it suffered from being a fix-up novel. It’s three acts are not equal and don’t totally fit together in my opinion. It really starts off strong though! Hope you like it!

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

Currently reading Foundation and Earth by Asimov, I absolutely loved the original trilogy so I’ve been reading through the sequels and plan on going back to the prequels after. In my opinion the sequels have a big shift in pacing and sort of the way that the plot develops… not sure how I feel about that. On one hand it is easier to keep up with with less characters, but on the other it feels like the scale of things is much smaller. Trying to not spoil anything. The series is a fantastic read nevertheless!

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

I've only read the original Foundation trilogy, would you recommend the others?

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

Just finished The Dispossessed, by Ursula Le Guin and going to look for a library where I can buy the next book in the Hain cycle !

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I'm really trying to read Three Body Problem, but I'm having a hard time following

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

Currently I'm reading the Space Odyssey series by Arthur C. Clark

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

I'm currently reading Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey, which is the first book of the Expanse series. I haven't watched the TV series, since I wanted to dive into the books without previous knowledge.

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

I've read all of them. The TV series is incredible as well and had the full involvement of the authors. Some stuff is done better in the books (like the stuff that doesn't translate so well to screen such as the lanky belters and zero-gravity) and some stuff is done better in the TV show (they had an incredibly good cast of actors, all of whom really added to the roles - Krisjen, Ashford and Drummer in particular were amazing).

It was a really really good adaptation and it's quite rare you see that.

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

And they are magnificent.

So is the TV series ; -)

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

I just finished up a first time read of Wheel of Time series. Solid 8 months of reading but 100% worth it. Mat Cauthon is my second favorite character ever written I think.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I'm reading Nemesis by Isaac Asimov, slow (not much time to read) but steady.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Wool was great. And the show was good too. You can basically watch the first season after finishing Wool, if you’d like.

I’m reading He Who Fights With Monsters but I’m going to dig through this thread and find a good scifi novel to read next!

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine.

I really loved the first book in the series, A Memory Called Empire, but I find the second one harder to get through. The writing really gets into the protagonist's head, and with all the stress she's in, it gets... claustrophobic, I guess, for me. I wish there was a bit more focus on the plot about the cool mysterious aliens.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

I’m working my way through both the Murderbot Diaries (just started Network Effect) and the Rivers of London series (just finished Broken Homes, though this series is more urban fantasy). Both and very enjoyable!

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

The murderbot stories get so much praise but I was never able to get into them. I binge read (well, actually binge listened) to the Rivers of London books a few months ago and thought they were first-rate.

I just finished the new Ann Leckie book, Translation State, which I liked very much. If you couldn't get enough of the the Imperial Radch universe it's a must read.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I have a couple things on deck:

  • Light from Uncommon Stars - Ryka Aoki - I've seen this one recommended several times, and finally decided to give it a spin.
  • 36 Streets - T.R. Napper - A more niche title, but something to hopefully give me a bit of a noir fix.
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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Roadside Picnic by brothers Strugatsky.

It's really fun, with a cool premise. It's a classic though. Basically: Aliens come to Earth for a fraction of second and dump their garbage there. The places of impact are basically turned into paranormal zones and people are actively trying to scavenge the wonders of the civilisation so alien to us we couldn't even catch a glimpse of what they are.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

"The complete robot" by Isaac Asimov.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Broken Earth Trilogy. I finished reading the entire Wool series many years back and gave it a 3.5/5. Really strong start but unfortunately the pacing for the rest of it wasn't quite to my liking.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I'm currently reading Chibola Burn, the forth book in The Expanse series. Really enjoying it, specially since the third one was my least favorite of the first three. So it feels good to be loving a book in the series again.

I would recommend the series to fans of somewhat believable sci-fi.

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

My girlfriend and I are listening to The Foundation right now, it's wild how much material is based directly on that book.

@[email protected] Wool is really good, I read the first few and it stuck with me as a decent sci-fi setting. Unfortunately it's YA roots show the longer into the series you get.

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

Just finished Inversions by Iain M Banks. Classic series. Stupendous world building.

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

Just started The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel, too early to see if I like it yet. I’ve got some pretty high hopes though, Station Eleven was absolutely fantastic!

I just finished the Watchmaker of Filigree Street series, and loved that as well! IMO, the second was better than the first, but don’t read the second without reading the first since you need the context.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'm reading Children of Ruin, the second book of the Children of Time series. I blasted through the first book in less than a week. First time I've read Tchaikovsky and I love it.

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

Wool was great! The rest of the series too. I've been watching the show and I think they did a pretty good adaptation with it.

Currently reading "This is How you Lose the Time-war". Just started it but it's an interesting concept and different from my usual sci-fi reads

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

Currently on The Hydrogen Sonata of a The Culture marathon.

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

Just started "The City We Became" by N.K. Jemisen. It took a minute for me to get my bearings, but I'm really digging the concept

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

I'm on the last book of the riftwat-series by Raymond E Feist. Truly a masterpiece, even some 30-odd books into it.

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

I'm on Tiamats Wake in the Expanse series, love it

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

I'm almost done the Lords of Uncreation which is book 3 of The Final Architecture. Quite the epic space opera. Then I will pick up Wool as season 1 of the TV series will be concluded.

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

I bought the two Asimov sets of the Robot books and Foundation books, but still need to finish The Stranger Times (Urban fantasy) before delving into that. Read The Eyes of the Void by Adrian Tchaikovsky before that.

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

I’m currently hooked on the Dresden Files, by no means perfect literary master pieces but damn if I’m not completely hooked. I’m averaging one-two books of the series a week right now lol

Also just finished Revival by Stephen King as an audio book. I’m a big Stephen King fan, but I have to say I did not find this book to be that scary and the build up was looooong even by his standards.

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

I use the Dresden files books as a palate cleanser between more difficult reads. So much fun. I listen to the audiobooks read by James Marsters.

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

Reading Noor right now. Very enjoyable and it will be quick read.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (10 children)

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson. Book 3 in the Words of Radiance series.

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

More fantasy, but reading the Abhorson series by Garth Nix. Excellent series.

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

I am currently reading "Wool - Silo, book 1" by Hugh Howey. It's an incredible post-apocalyptic story about a fully functioning society that resides inside a massive silo. Nobody can venture outside due to the toxic environment outside that make survival impossible, even with protective clothing.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Terry Pratchett's books on Discworld 📖

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Based on the posts in this thread, I see a lot of overlap between urban fantasy fans and science fiction fans. With the exception of Lord of the Rings, I've never cared much for high fantasy, but I've really enjoyed the urban fantasy series I've read. If anyone is interested, I've enjoyed...

  1. The Laundry Files by Charles Stross
  2. The City We Became and The World We Make by MK Jemisin
  3. The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
  4. The Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey
  5. The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch
  6. The Stranger Times series by C.K. McDonnell
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