In which I’m in a slump and need your input.
As y’all know, I read voraciously. So much so that I’ve already read most of it. All the Asimov. All the Bear. All the Robin Hobb. All the Vonnegut, all the Eric Flint, the Egan, the Guy Gavriel Kay. And all of a bunch of other shit, too.
In the last year I’ve discovered Jay Lake and some new Naomi Novik, but mostly I’ve just been re-reading sci-fi ebooks I bought years ago because I don’t know what to look for and apparently I’m too lazy to go surf around and see what’s hot.
I need to learn about new authors in sci-fi and in GOOD fantasy – clever, interesting worlds, not “magic” for its own sake – and modern fiction and engaging science and, what the hell, good erotica too.
Tell me what you’re reading, my babies! Please!
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hrmm you missed R.A. Heinlein, William Gibson in scifi. I have been reading a lot of non-fiction lately richard dawkins and a bunch of stuff on memes; the electric meme and the mind virus. stuff on men’s depression.
and Dan Millman’s Peaceful Warrior series
I’ve read all the Heinlein and Gibson! 😉 -m
You’re barking up the wrong tree here. The only thing we have in common is Vonnegut. I go to the local library and beg for suggestions with caveats: give me characters and substance, no romances and screw the abc mysteries. It’s hit or miss. The latest suggestion was very much a miss.
Now if you were writing erotica I’d have something to read.
I’m actually reading Sherlock Holmes (again) on my iThing right now because that’s what I’m down to. I think I have some unfinished homemade erotica on my netbook (if I didn’t lose it when I changed computers); I’ll email it to you if you want it! -m
Just finished all the books in the Marla Mason series. Fun to read about women who kick ass! 😉 Blood Engines is the first one, I think you might have fun with these. Did you get through the Honor Harrington series by David Weber? Dust, by Elizabeth Bear was very good also. Or for something completely different, the Amelia Peabody mysteries by Elizabeth Peters is really very fun too. Want me to just send you a download of books I’ve read in the past few years from my Book Collector?
Will check out Mason… I’ve read all the Honor books unless there’s a new one I haven’t noticed, will check at Baen… will look into Bear… and yeah, love the Peabody mysteries! Haven’t been through all of those yet, I don’t think. And sure, but only the ones you’d give high ratings to! -m
I need fantasy recommendations from YOU.
I finished Naomi Novik a while back and now I’m wading through A People’s History and by the time I finish that I’m sure I’ll be ready for a little escapism!
Did you see there was new Novik? Apparently it’s not a trilogy any more, there’s four or five now. Maybe six! -m
* Charles Stross is my current favorite writer: check out the Merchant Princes series (he’s about to release book 6, but they all rocketh). I’m about to embark on re-reading Accelerando, which, literally, changed my life.
* John Scalzi, for Heinleinesque good fun: the Old Man’s War trilogy is totally worthwhie.
* Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother is righteous, and Someone Comes To Town, Someone Leaves Town is one of my all-time favorite books.
* Ted Chiang is worth looking into.
* Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies/Pretties/Specials young adult stuff is actually very entertaining, in a diet-beer sort of way.
* Ken Macleod? Hyper-political lefty with big ideas and a great sense of character.
* Rudy Rucker, if you can get past his somewhat infantile way of making up wubby, vippy new terms.
* Sean Williams is one of my favorite Australian writers: see if you can get your hands on Resurrected Man. He also does good stuff with Shane Dix–all of it totally cool.
* Jeff Noon, especially Vurt.
* Matt Ruff, especially Fool on the Hill and Set This House In Order.
* Will Self–anything from his list will blow your head apart.
OK, so those last three aren’t really sci-fi, but you should read them anyway.
Love Doctorow… I’ve read all his stuff ‘cept the “kid’s” book – just haven’t gotten around to that one yet. (Do you read xkcd.com? All the panels about Corey, with him wearing a cape? LOLz.) Thanks for the rest of the list! *smooch* -m
Email the smut! I’m also taking notes on your friend’s suggestions. I need a kick start.
Will do, soon’s I find it! And yeah, I pretty much always love Keef’s suggestions. -m
I’m such a slow reader that I have a backlog of crap to consume, all of which I am sure you have already read through. Right now, I’m reading a comic book for a change of pace. The Maxx, which was originally printed in the early ’90s and then hit MTV briefly as a cartoon, can be found as a six-volume series on Amazon. I’m on volume 5 now… it’s definitely a change of pace from traditional books.
Yay comics! I read manga sometimes. -m
*if* you’ve been reading my blog (and you should be dad-gum it!) i’ve just finished keeper’n me by richard wagamese. next next, other than theory books for my thesis, i’m going to be hitting the thomson highway books. he’s a great canadian writer.
I do! Wagamese and Thomson, check. -m
About six books on archeology in the last 3 months. Nothing like real sci to keep your fi interesting.
Yay archaeology! -m
no, his name is thomson highway, highway being the surname 🙂
Corrected! -m
In the last year I’ve read many good ones:
Several books by Dean Koontz and Stephen King
“The Ice Man” by Philip Carlo – Graphic non-fiction about a contract killer
Several of Christopher Moore’s books, “Lamb”,”A Dirty Job”, “Bloodsucking Fiends” “You Suck”, “Fluke”, “The Stupidest Angel”. I love this guys writing style – ‘Absurdist Fiction’ and they’re all great fun to read.
“On The Road (Original Scroll)” by Jack Kerouac
“Prey” and “Timeline” by Michael Crichton
“Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramahansa Yogananda (Designated one of the “100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century” and I concur
“A New Earth” and “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle
“The Crying of Lot 49” by Thomas Pynchon
“Welcome to the Monkey House” by Kurt Vonnegut
If you like scifi with some romance and smut, you might try the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. After the first one it got too romancey for my tastes but the first book was a really good time-travel story.
I would recommend all of them.
I freaking adored ‘Lot 49.’ -m