Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

With October set for Boneshakers, why not get a jump on discussing / stumping for November's sword pick?

I'll steer away from my predictable pleading for either Le Guin Ursula or Iain Banks considering they're mostly Laser picks anyways and make an unconventional but exciting pick for me: Taiwanese author's Wu Ming-Yi recently translated "ecological fantasy" The Man with Compound Eyes.

It has gotten some pretty decent recent reviews:




Having read the free iBook sample I'm loving it so far and would love to see if the S&L gang agrees with me. I'm a big fan of East Asian literature ... I suspect members fond of the fantastical worlds of Miyazaki's manga film works will love this. Not sure if the comparisons with David Mitchell, Haruki Murakami or Yann Martel will endear many given the mixed reviews of Cloud Atlas & 1Q84, but at 300 pages this is a short read in comparison!

I vote for Tom to keep it a secret until 1 November.

Isn't it Veronica's turn? Either way, I'm fine with the secrecy, but that doesn't mean we can't pitch ideas to our Supreme leaders does it? ;)

Veronica is choosing Boneshaker for October. Then Tom will pick for November. Then I imagine Veronica will choose for December...

Yeah, November is a laser pick from Tom.

What date do they usually release the book pick?

Kathryn wrote: "What date do they usually release the book pick?"

Whenever they get around to it mostly. No set date usually. Sometimes picked. Sometimes polled. Always fun.

Greg Egan's novels finally came out on the Kindle last month, so I think it's time we give him a crack.

Permutation City is probably his most accessible book. It explores the philosophic implications of uploading human minds to computers -- for example, if you transfer a person's mind from one computer to another, are they really the same person, or do they just believe that? And how would it be different from running the mind on a distributed network with different parts of the brain being handled by different computers? And if you pause a person's mind, are they dead or alive?

Sean O'Hara wrote: "It explores the philosophic implications of uploading human minds to computers -- for example, if you transfer a person's mind from one computer to another, are they really the same person, or do they just believe that? And how would it be different from running the mind on a distributed network with different parts of the brain being handled by different computers? And if you pause a person's mind, are they dead or alive? ."

Oh personal identity, how I love thee.
I wrote a twenty-four-page paper on personal identity for a philosophy course, quite fun and very eye opening. The topic is truly fascinating.

Sean O'Hara wrote: "Greg Egan's novels finally came out on the Kindle last month, so I think it's time we give him a crack.

Permutation City is probably his most accessible book. It explores the philosophic implicati..."
Oh god no. His ideas are dazzling, but to call his characters one dimensional is to exaggerate their complexity.

Didn't you see Tom's pick in the thread when we were asking for October's title? It's a sexy space romance ;p

But really, I hope it's something weird and wonderful and spacey. Something by Octavia Butler maybe. Or Iain Banks or Alastair Reynolds have been suggested many times.

Butler would be awesome. As, of course, would Banks or Reynolds. I just can't take Egan who seems incapable of writing characters and who tends to wear his philosophy on his sleeve in the books of his that I've tried (nothing since Terenesia to be fair).

How about...
Canticle for Leibowitz
Year Zero
Kindred
or The Martian Chronicles

Oh, the Man With the Compound Eyes has been on my radar for a while. Would love to read that. I just hope the Kindle edition is available soon.

If we're going to do Butler, I would love to check out Lilith's Brood.
Canticle for Leibowitz would be cool too.

It only just came out, so it's probably off the table, but I thought Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie was amazing. I think my friends are at the point where they're going to read it just to shut me up about it.

Very much agree Lindsay - that's an awesome book.

I still would like to see something more light hearted as all of the books lately seem to be pretty serious. I would vote we mix it up a little and read Redwall or something of that ilk. It would be the perfect sort of nice reading to get into the holiday period with when you see all the Harry Potter and Narina stories come back around.

Plus no one is committed to another sequential series.

Redwall is more of a Sword pick I would think. Despite the title of the thread, November is a Laser pick.

But if a less serious book is a go then Year Zero would be a good pick, particularly since Veronica and Tom just interviewed the author.

Would love to read Year Zero

The last couple of laser picks have been classic books so it's about time for another pick from this decade. I'm just hoping for an author I haven't tried yet.

Is anybody else still using the Sword and Laser goodreads listopia lists to vote for favorites? I thought it was a cool idea, and I have been updating my list every couple months or so...

I just added Ancillary Justice to the Sci-Fi list because it is definitely one I am interested in!

Stephanie wrote: "Is anybody else still using the Sword and Laser goodreads lists to vote for favorites? I thought it was a cool idea, and I have been updating my list every couple months or so...

I just added Anc..."

From time to time, I look at the lists for book ideas. I've also voted for some less heralded (ie: not just the books that everyone wants to read) books. Not that I have much hope for some of my picks (Helix - scifi or The Summoner - fantasy) to ever come close to the tops of the lists.

I think it worked really well when Tom took a couple books off the sci-fi list and a couple of his own picks for a poll.

How was Eric Brown's Helix?

Tamahome wrote: "How was Eric Brown's Helix?"

I thought it was pretty good. I liked how the Helix world was put together. I'm not much for writing reviews but I'd recommend it.

Thanks for clarifying the title of the thread - I was a bit confused if this was a sword or laser month :)

I recommend "Pump Six and other stories" by Paolo Bacigalupi ( ) for a laser. It's a collection of short stories but all are well written. Very interesting take on different aspect of the "laser" with all the different types of technology discussed such as food genetics, people genetics, etc. Also it came as part of a Humble Bundle so hopefully many people already have it and can save some money around the holidays.

For a more light-hearted laser read I recommend "Tuf Voyaging" by GRRM. I know people are a bit sick of him, but this book was so different from ASOFAI that I almost thought it was a different author. The read was easy but not too light, and filled with humor and twists but also danger and puzzles. A great mix over all. ( )

Still waiting on a read of Snow Crash.

Robert wrote: "Still waiting on a read of Snow Crash."

This is never a bad idea. I would definitely support this as an alt-pick if it doesn't get the green light. I started re-reading it couple years ago, but got side tracked and had to back burner it. I hope it holds up to my fond memories of first reading it in high school and thinking it was amazing.

We should do an Al Reynolds. As much as I love Revelation Space, maybe a standalone like House of Suns would keep most people happy.

Ben wrote: "We should do an Al Reynolds. As much as I love Revelation Space, maybe a standalone like House of Suns would keep most people happy."

Loved House of Suns!

Ben wrote: "We should do an Al Reynolds. As much as I love Revelation Space, maybe a standalone like House of Suns would keep most people happy."

Yes Please!

I really enjoyed Blue Remembered Earth which is the first of Reynold's new series. I think it's self-contained enough that you don't need to continue the series if you don't want to. The second one just came out.

But if standalones are a go, then I'd love to read House of Suns (one of the few of his I haven't read yet). Another good standalone of his is Pushing Ice.

Solaris.

Since everyone is talking about it (very possitively I might add, from all corners) I'd like to read: Ancillary Justice

KevinB wrote: "Since everyone is talking about it (very possitively I might add, from all corners) I'd like to read: Ancillary Justice"

As I said above, I really loved this one. It and The Ocean at the End of the Lane are my early picks for the Hugo ballot.

However, it hasn't been out for a month yet, so it will be hard to find in libraries and there isn't an audiobook for it yet either. (I'll be fascinated to see what gender of voice actor they pick for it.)

KevinB wrote: "Since everyone is talking about it (very possitively I might add, from all corners) I'd like to read: Ancillary Justice"

One of the best SF novels of the year for me.

Lindsay wrote: "I really enjoyed Blue Remembered Earth which is the first of Reynold's new series. I think it's self-contained enough that you don't need to continue the series if you don't want to. The second one..."

I've just finished Blue Remembered Earth today, really liked it as well. House of Suns is excellent, you should definitely read it pick or no pick!

I still vote for The Sparrow

Adam wrote: "I still vote for The Sparrow"

Me, too.

Well, November's pick was announced. It is Ancillary Justice.

Ooh, that one looks good.