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What Else Are You Reading?
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What Else Are You Reading? July 2013
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Dara
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Jul 01, 2013 12:03PM

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I read Ringworld 15 years ago so not sure whether or not to reread it. Currently reading a lot of short SF at the moment from various collections I have. I have set myself a target of reading 200 short stories over the next couple of months. Will break it up with Canada (not SF but Ford is one of my favourite writers), redshirts, Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet (again not sf) and some Jack Vance.
The short fiction binge is including some of starship sofa's ebook collection, The Best of Gene Wolfe: A Definitive Retrospective of His Finest Short Fiction, Saliva Tree and Other Strange, Unfettered (perhaps will start a thread about this one once finished as a few S&L folks are reading it) and some old stuff from Lord Dunsany.



Also going to tackle this comic book pile that's been stacking up this past year, starting with Marvel's AvX :)

Just picked up Unfettered as well. Good short stories so far, especially the Tad Williams one, who I usually find a little dry.

I LOVED Embassytown too. I've been meaning to gear up for another of his reads, I just can't figure out which one. I'd be interested in hearing which you do pick, if you do.

I think a number of good anthologies have come out recently (or I've just had some good luck lately with them)...and this has Scott Lynch!

PS Un Lun Dun is great and im re-reading that next month.


I would recommend checking out his Bas-Lag novels starting with Perdido Street Station. The second Bas-Lag novel, The Scar, happens to be my favorite Miéville novel.


I would..."
iv just finished re-reading Perdido and i love it, magnificent descriptions of new crubuzon but i now do admit that The Scar is a better story.
I wish he would do another bas-lag story set in new Crubuzon either following the characters from perdido or a new story altogether.

I just finished with Delcare and I really liked it. I think it is one of the better spy novels that I've read and the fantasy elements were icing on the cake. I look forward to reading more by Tim Powers (this was the first of his works that I have read). I think Hide Me Among the Graves will be the next of his novels I read.
In regards to China Miéville, I would love another Bas-Lag novel. The world seems so interesting that I wouldn't mind him introducing some new locales or character/races. Maybe he should write a book that focuses on the Weavers and it can be written entirely in free verse.


Declare will be my third Powers book after The Drawing of the Dark which i loved and The Anubis Gates which i enjoyed, so im looking forward to this.

Oh, I didn't realize that. Thanks for letting me know.
I've added On Stranger Tides to me To Read list.


In regards to Embassytown, what do you think about main character, Avice Benner Cho, being made into a similie in the Ariekei's language? Does this idea fit into your research interests about language?

Sandi wrote: "My personal Tim Powers recommendation would be On Stranger Tides."
I did the audiobook for that last year sometime. It was pretty good.
Apparently it was loosely used as the basis (and the name) for the movie.
I did the audiobook for that last year sometime. It was pretty good.
Apparently it was loosely used as the basis (and the name) for the movie.

In regards to Embassytown, what do you think about main character, Avice Benner C..."
I'm afraid not - language plays an important part in the novel, but not the way I'm researching it. My emphasis on how our subconscious use of language is a covert political act of subjugation of marginalized communitites - women, LGBTs, minorities, natives/tribals. It is on how language is used for subtle but powerful ideological domination.
Till now, there are no such concerns in the book - language is just a peculiarity of the Ariekei, not a covert political stance. Avice's sex has no bearings on her fate or her status within the language or the society itself.
Yes, there were two radical things in the work that I could possibly use - Avice's four marriages, with people of both sexes, as well as the parenting system coupled with the absence/very faint presence of nostalgia for the past. These two stances are radical in the sense that they overturn our most conservative leanings towards what we call family.


I've never read any Gaiman and was afraid to start with this one even though I've heard wonderful things about it.
So far, besides this month's books, I finished Engn (review will come soon) and D'autres vies que la mienne.
Finished listening to Redshirts which I happened to be signed up to review for when it made the alternate pick for the month. Talk about perfect timing!
I enjoyed it (My Review).
Now back to my Dresden Audio re-read with White Night
I enjoyed it (My Review).
Now back to my Dresden Audio re-read with White Night

I've never read any Gaiman and was afraid to start with this one even though I've heard wonderful things about it.
So far, besides thi..."
It was good and a pretty quick read. It's a bit of a fable/fantasy/horror tale(although not too graphic). I've heard it described as YA and I guess you could call it that, the narrator relates a story from a time when he was seven years old. I didn't love it but I found it entertaining.

- Hellhole Awakening (finished - it is crap)
- The Martian Chronicles (re-read)
- Fahrenheit 451
- couple other books from my queue.

Just finished Pump Six and Other Stories. A very nice collection of dystopian short stories, but depressing (the way 1984 is depressing).

Already read Redshirts, and need to get started on Ringworld.
Also starting Vol'jin: Shadows of the Horde

The Diamond Age and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress are next on the list!


My Review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Picked up the audio version of Redemption Ark on OverDrive

My review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Starting book 3 of The Liveship Traders Ship of Destiny

I just finished a reread of Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker, and wrote a more in-depth review

While driving around for 4th of July celebrations, I was able to listen to a light mystery-type book, the 8th book in the Ceepak series, Free Fall. It was sunny and funderful. ;) I think I'm going to continue my break from the genre and listen to Red Sparrow.
Once I'm done with my friend's book, I guess I'll go onto Redshirts...bleh.
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