Third Perpetual Book Thread

[jschmeling]

After those I'd probably read Judas Unchained and Pandora's Star. They feel similar in some ways, while vastly different in others. Focus on the human story, plus great technological universe.

I'm reading The Dreaming Void (2008), The Temporal Void (2009), and The Evolutionary Void (2010) series, about 100 pages into the third. Set in the same world as the first two books I mentioned, though I don't care for the medieval setting that alternates with it, the modern (future) setting portions of the book make wading through the others worthwhile.

 

[jschmeling]

Otto Pilot - how about Pump Six and Other Stories? (Hrm, is there an audiobook?)

 

[jschmeling]

Visigoth[/url]":3d4xwjez]

Visigoth[/url]":3d4xwjez]I just finished reading the six Frank Herbert Dune books and was wondering if the Anderson/Herbert ones were worth reading as well. I've seen it mentioned that I likely read three books more than most people recommend, but felt that I should finish out the run of the original books. Plus my curiosity was piqued to see where he was going with everything. Now I'm trying to decide between continuing down the path with all the other books or to just read the two that are supposed to wrap-up the original Dune series books. Since the two that finished up the storyline came after a number of the prequel stories they put out I'm wondering that if I don't read those that there will be things referencing them in the final two that I won't understand.

Some yes, some no. In closing the series they brought some big details from the prequels and sequels together. Recurring characters are shared across the two in those last books. Now thats not to say you need to read all of the prequels. I'll see if I can make a list of which ones you'll need to read to understand the ending.

Edited to add:
Just the books: Dune: The Butlerian Jihad, Dune: The Machine Crusade, and Dune: The Battle of Corrin.

You can skip the mess of the house books (Atreides, Harkonnen, Corrino) as they dont add much to the ending vs more back story to the original series (a how we got here type of thing with MOAR DRAMA!).

Thanks. I'll add them to the list. I'm kind of surprised they haven't done any books covering the Scattering from both the old and new empire perspectives. But they are still writing new books so maybe at some point they'll get to that topic.

I'd add before the prequels both Hunters of Dune (2006) and Sandworms of Dune (2007) which were by Brian Herbert and Anderson. They were based (supposedly) on the notes Frank Herbert left. I kind of enjoyed The Butlerian Jihad and The Machine Crusade, but never got to The Battle of Corrin - there series is interesting, but perhaps predictable and was focused on the cruelty of the machines more than I thought necessary. I also have Paul of Dune on the shelf but haven't bothered.

 

[jschmeling]

juntao[/url]":2fmgmoln]Hamilton definitely has consistent themes in his books. I really enjoyed the Night's Dawn trilogy and Fallen Dragon. However I had a really hard time finishing the Great North Road. Maybe my tastes have changed, but it just seemed like a bunch of tropes targeting 13 year old boy nerds thrown together without a sensible plot. I also didn't enjoy the Void books as much as Pandora's Star, so your opinion might vary.

I agree - the Void books flipping back and forth between the fantasy/sci-fi wasn't what I wanted, though the writing was consistent and interesting. I really liked Pandora's Star and its sequel.

 

[jschmeling]

If you like Windup Girl or Shipbreaker, read Pump Six and Other Stories. But be prepared for real dystopias. That book is dark. It's very well written and the stories are excellent. But VERY dark.

 

[jschmeling]

multiple Paolo Bacigalupi ... novels.

Have you read any of his short stories or novels? They're (really) good, even the YA are good, but depressing.

 

[jschmeling]

Diabolical - Pump Six and Other Stories is far more intense than the Windup Girl, which is where I started. The Shipbreaker trilogy was good, still depressing, but oddly lighter. I haven't picked up The Water Knife yet. Seems too close!

 

[jschmeling]

The Water Knife does feel like a potential future as we watch the Colorado Basin continue to dry & more housing being constructed in those arid regions. I found it a well constructed picture of that potential dystopia, quite good. Windup Girl / Pump Six left no long term impression on me.

Interesting, because both Windup Girl and Pump Six left strong impressions for me, perhaps exaggerated, but including environmental pollution and its impact and genetic engineering/agriculture and impact of plant pests and diseases, and then the idea of food being such a critical input to industry. Good thought experiments taken a ways further than most toward dystopia.

 

[jschmeling]

Really enjoyed Peter F. Hamilton's Commonwealth books, Pandora's Star, Judas Unchained, and the sci fi but not fantasy parts of Dreaming Void. Just finished his Salvation trilogy and really liked it. All of his books are too long, but the concepts are interesting enough to keep going, and his characters are pretty good! I'd recommend them. Haven't read some of his more standalone books though.

 

[jschmeling]

In looking over Le Guin's catalog I don't see a single one of her books I ever read. Which is weird because I read so much random sci fi while borrowing books 30 to 50 at a time from my uncle back in the early to mid-80s.

 

[jschmeling]

Earthsea trilogy...not sci-fi , but multi-layered fantasy. Do it. My 13 year old brain didn't really pick up on all of it, but I enjoyed it immensely. The more subtle portions evaded me until my late 20s, when I read it again

I am just not a fantasy fan I think. I didn't care for the Chronicles of Thomas Covenent (Illearth War?) series at all though read two or three of them. One Sword of Shannara book. The Tolkien books. Did not like them, though the movies were good. (Yes, I know. Terrible.)

I did read the Elric and related series, and some were fine, others, meh. But I wasn't going to be a quitter, dammit. Maybe I should try them again as an adult with an education?

 

[jschmeling]

Oh, and the Hyperion series felt the same to me. On the other hand, I did really like a lot of AD&D fiction, including Dragonlance, the dark elf trilogy and earlier, and so on. But those did not stand up as well as an adult. Now I feel like molo, hating everything. Sigh.

 

[jschmeling]

Oh, crap, my paragraph/sentence organization sucks. I am NOT trying the Elric books again. I meant maybe I should try some of the others again. Lol.

 

[jschmeling]

Well that's useful to know. I haven't read fantasy in 30 years, so I should have thought that it might have evolved/improved.

 

[jschmeling]

Still a bit torn, I love the world, and really like the story telling, and most of the novels, but the end was sudden, and a bit, well, inconclusive yet expected. The Salvation Series had a lot of character I liked. The world is one I really like. And Peter F. Hamilton can write the hell out of details. But every one of his book [series] seem to come to sudden ends. The Commonwealth worlds, tech, characters, and so on, are so, so good. The variations like the Dreaming Void series that alternate between worlds left me cold. But that dude can write!

 

[jschmeling]

I've enjoyed all of his books except the Void series and it's jumping in and out of fantasy. Hamilton's world building is great, and his characters are pretty interesting.

 

[jschmeling]

Looks like Hyperion's trees have some scientific basis! https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smar...ed-it-in-nature-for-the-first-time-180988275/

Treetops Emit Ultraviolet Sparkles During Thunderstorms. Researchers Just Filmed It in Nature for the First Time​

The weather events probably cause the air around leaves to produce weak electrical discharges​