What are you currently reading?

[JMack]

Some of my favorites:

Downbelow Station
Pride of Chanur series
The Faded Sun trilogy
Morgaine series

And a minor one, but struck me well in my late teens/early twenties: A Wave Without a Shore

[Rostum]

Has anyone read the  Culture series?

If you are talking Banks many times over Consider Phlebas would be the first published and where I would start. some would argue Use of Weapons to be a better book to start with. Great ideas and the universe is a very big place.

Here is a bit of whimsy from Against a dark background that I suspect was a homage to Douglas Adams. It is very out of character with his writing but fun.

http://www.milezero.org/index.php/fiction/writing/quote/the_lazy_guns.html

[DrNefario]

Has anyone read the  Culture series?

Yes, I'm a big fan. I am of the opinion that Banks saved science fiction (or space opera, maybe). Imaginative, sometimes dark, but also fun.

I started with the second-published, Player of Games, which is probably still my favourite. Maybe just because I read it first. I know people struggle with Consider Phlebas and it is a bit of an outlier. Every book is pretty much standalone, but I think they occasionally reference events from earlier books.

I feel that Al Reynolds is the most obvious heir, so maybe the Culture is not for Nora.

And I should maybe add that I've also read everything else Banks wrote, SF and non-SF - except for the last couple of books, which I'm rationing - and there's plenty of other stuff there which is great.

[Rostum]

I found his lit a bit hit and miss loved The Business, Crow road, Complicity and Stonemouth didn't like a song of stone and the bridge. canal dreams and The Wasp Factory were too grim for my taste

[ScarletBea]

I finished Anthony Ryan's The waking fire and I really really liked it

At the end of my edition there's an interview with the author, and it was funny to confirm that my impression of Lizanne ('female James Bond, spy with gadgets') was exactly what he was aiming for

Unfortunately it's one of those that has got a list of characters at the end! Why oh why

I'm now going to read a YA book by Patrick Ness I got from the library last time, and then I already have Ryan's book 2 ready

[JMack]

Couldn’t wait for the new month to get my next Audible credit, so I bought 3 at “discount”, so called.

Still, I’m into my next book, which is Sanderson’s “Warbreaker”. Really enjoying it so far.

[Lady Ty]

Finished The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter by Michael J Sullivan. Slow start but soon speeded up to be a 5 star. Couldn't bear to leave the world of Royce and Hadrian so started complete re-read in order of publication to refresh and get me ready to find ancient Easter eggs when Age of War comes out in July.

@ScarletBea you set me on this Riyria path and I cannot thank you enough. These books strike the epic sword and sorcery ideal for me.  Excellent characters, wonderful world building, lovely wry humour and with required fighting and battles but not dragged out to excess. There is political intrigue and various other ethical/social problems addressed in passing, but nothing is forced and MJS balances everything perfectly. He is also one of the most accessible authors I have found, will answer queries comments personally and quickly and keeps them up to date.

At present have read back up to Nyphron Rising, first part of Rise of Empire.

@JMack  after your username with a y did you change to Jmack for a while before going JMack? Or am I imagining it?  Or are there more than one of you? 

[JMack]

@Lady Ty, you’ve caught me out.
Yes, I started as “JMacyK”, but everyone kept leaving out the “y” and saying “Jmack”.
So I went with it and became Jmack.

The other day, I figured, “ehh”, let’s get the capitalization right, nd changed things to “JMack.”

And thereby hangs a tale.

[Lady Ty]

^That is quite a relief, good to know. I have some reason to doubt my memory lately.

But I have passed the same old person test as your president, two year's running. They make me do it every year now. It was very very easy, but the hardest part was counting backwards from 100 by 7. I passed it, going right down to 3 but did it the hard way. When I got home realised I should have taken away 10 and added 3 and that would have been much easier. 

Sorry didn't mean to disrupt the thread.

[ScarletBea]

@ScarletBea you set me on this Riyria path and I cannot thank you enough.

You're welcome! Unfortunately only 5 books are published in the UK...

s counting backwards from 100 by 7. I passed it, going right down to 3 but did it the hard way. When I got home realised I should have taken away 10 and added 3 and that would have been much easier. 

I never realised that 'easy way', I also usually do it the hard way

I'm reading Release by Patrick Ness. No fantasy, but a lovely 'teen gay boy' story like only Patrick can write.

[DrNefario]

I finished Seven Forges by James A Moore. I wasn't that impressed, but I'm vaguely interested in seeing where it goes. It's supposedly inspired by Robert E Howard, and I can kind of see that, but in the end I didn't feel very invested in what happened. An expedition from the Empire makes it across the Blasted Lands to the mysterious Seven Forges mountains, where they find a hidden valley and an isolated warrior culture. A small party of the new people accompany them back to the Empire, and stuff happens.

I'm now reading the next Poirot, and then I'm going to start Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron, my current kindle lending library loan.

[Nighteyes]

Has anyone read the  Culture series?

If you are talking Banks many times over Consider Phlebas would be the first published and where I would start. some would argue Use of Weapons to be a better book to start with. Great ideas and the universe is a very big place.

Here is a bit of whimsy from Against a dark background that I suspect was a homage to Douglas Adams. It is very out of character with his writing but fun.

http://www.milezero.org/index.php/fiction/writing/quote/the_lazy_guns.html

I would say start with Player of Games. But yes Culture books are incredible. Though my favourite Iain M Banks is The Algebraist. Aliens that live on Gas Giants! Mind blowing.

[Nora]

Kinda getting bored of Pride of Chanur right now. I have a shitty copy of it with numerous typoes, but beyond that the language is often opaque, the science of the ships and spacefaring is unintelligible, and the politics mostly happen in the Chanur captain's head, and I'm told more than I see, and understand precious little of what I'm given to see.
Will continue with Boy On The Bridge for now.

[S. K. Inkslinger]

Finished Prince of Thorns (Red Queen's War #1), and hoo boy I absolutely loved it! Jalan made me laughed so often I forgot I was reading about the quest of a man who had lost half of his family and journeying away to save the rest. My favorite part is probably when Jalan met Jorg and was scared witless. 

"Jalan: So you're going to say it wasn't by poisoning his mead? Snorri: Single Combat. Jalan: We are leaving..." (Talking about Jorg slaying Sir Galen)"

[ScarletBea]

I've now started The Legion of Flame, by Anthony Ryan, the second in the series