this post was submitted on 23 Aug 2023

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Science Fiction

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[Vote] Book of the Month (August 2023) (i.imgur.com)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by Izzy@lemmy.world to c/sciencefiction@lemmy.world

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Book of the Month Vote Here

Hello /c/sciencefiction, it is that time of the month. Time to vote for the book of the month. The options are loosely collected from the most voted and discussed books in the "What are you Reading" thread for August.

At the end of the month the poll will be closed and the winner will be the book of the month for August 2023. Myself and hopefully some others will read this book over the following month and then near the end of the month a discussion post will be made to talk about it. Feel free to participate or not at your leisure.

Once the book is chosen it will be set to "Reading" status on the community BookWyrm account here. https://bookwyrm.social/user/ScienceFiction Feel free to follow this account with your own BookWyrm account so other members can find you. This can help people find book recommendations of like minded science fiction readers.

Here are this months selection

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[–] TheBest@midwest.social 14 points 1 year ago

Neat! First time seeing this community. Going to check it out, commenting so hopefully others do to :)

[–] MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

But...

They're all worth reading!

[–] Izzy@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I'm sure some of them will show up in future votes. Maybe some day we will get to everything. 🙂

[–] brcl@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

Well my arachnophobia rules out children of time for me…

[–] Jaded@lemmy.dbzer0.com 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Children of time is amazing imo. Love the concept and the characters.

[–] Gutless2615@ttrpg.network 6 points 1 year ago

The trilogy is amazing. The last book in the series Children of Memory is maybe my favorite. Some real heady hard sci fi.

[–] Thedogspaw@midwest.social 11 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Project hail Mary is probably the best book on that list

[–] positiveWHAT@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Currently reading. It is quite good indeed, but I haven't read the other ones so I don't feel I should vote.
E: Oh, I got the intent of the vote wrong.

[–] Izzy@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Right, you would probably want to pick the one you are most interested in reading, but it doesn't really matter if you pick your favorite that you have read and want others to read.

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[–] Protoknuckles@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Project Hail Mary is probably the best book I've ever read, lol.

[–] positiveWHAT@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (3 children)

"Consider Phlebas" is the ultimate 80's Space Adventure. I say I'm a fantasy guy, but that's my favorite book currently.

[–] Sim@lemmy.nz 2 points 1 year ago

Great story, you've reminded me how much I enjoyed it. Thanks!

[–] shua_too@midwest.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Have you read the rest of the Culture series? I’ve got them all on my Kobo but haven’t started.

[–] positiveWHAT@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Only "The Use of Weapons" which is hard to follow because of the unconventional structure.

[–] Cruxifux@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Really? Because that’s like, the worst one of the entire series.

[–] positiveWHAT@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

The only other one I've read [Use of Weapons] felt overly goofy. I dig the bits it added, but "Consider Phlebas" had some special feel.

[–] munter@feddit.de 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Weir's characters are always so 'alive' somehow!

[–] Protoknuckles@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

It was a revelation when I found out he wrote "the egg". That was my favorite internet story. He's my favorite living author (RIP Adams and Pratchett)

[–] BongRipsMcGee420@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Same! Haven't stayed up late reading like that in ages, if ever.

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[–] Nutteman@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

HYPERIONNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

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[–] athos77@kbin.social 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ooh, Children of Time, please!

[–] glorious_albus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

That's my first suggestion for anyone who wants to try sci-fi. What a legendary book!

Been a Tchaikovsky fan ever since.

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[–] TheShitAbyss@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not enough sci fi fans seem to read neuromancer, it's what got me into it and I recommend to anyone who likes fast paced cyberpunk. Such a vivid book to me.

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's good but I can understand why many people don't read it, the way it uses language can make it difficult to decipher what is going on and it doesn't really hold your hand.

[–] harsh3466@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’ve had one go at Neuromancer and the language definitely made it a more difficult read for me. I want to read it again (I voted for it in the poll), and I think on my second go it’ll be more enjoyable.

[–] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Try a short story anthology called "Mirrorshades." It's edited by Bruce Sterling, another early cyberpunk pioneer. The stories are amazing and more accessible than neuromancer, but I bet you'll be more primed to read it afterwards.

Also look up anything by Pat cadigan. She writes great cyberpunk and also edited a few good anthologies.

[–] wrath-sedan@kbin.social 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

22/11/63 - Stephen King

Is this the sequel to 11/22/63? /s

[–] essteeyou@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago

Sensible Date Format Edition

[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Both are a prequel to 1963-11-22.

[–] wrath-sedan@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

oh shit it’s a trilogy??

[–] AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’ve read five on the list (Martine, Tchaikovsky, Corey, Howey, and Weir) and I’d put them all on the same (excellent) tier. But if I had to rank them, that’s the order I’d put them in.

[–] essteeyou@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I've read 4, and I would probably order them: Weir, Howey, Tchaikovsky, King.

It's a very close call though. If asked to rank them again next week I'd probably have a different answer.

[–] ACatNamedBunny@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

Just subscribed! I have read more fantasy than science fiction, but I'll vote for children of time based on some of these comments! I'll join the collective read next month, that sounds like a healthy change for me (:

[–] _thebrain_@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

I vote necromancer.

I'll have to read children of time next tho as I haven't read it yet. Currently reading through anathem.

[–] munter@feddit.de 4 points 1 year ago

Weir! Though I am currently reading Martine myself.

[–] Gutless2615@ttrpg.network 3 points 1 year ago

Children of Tiiiiiiime

[–] clockwork_octopus@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Voting for Leviathan Wakes as it’s the only one I’ve read so far. That being said, the majority of these titles are on my list of books to read, and the ones that aren’t, I’m looking into now!

[–] essteeyou@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

I vote for Leviathan Wakes because it's the only one I haven't read but have heard of the author.

[–] tiny_parking@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Voting for Wool as it makes sense to read the book before checking out how AppleTV have (maybe) destroyed it

[–] essteeyou@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Apple's series is very enjoyable. I loved the books, and it does a good job of translating them to screen. Howey is an executive producer on the show.

[–] tiny_parking@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sounds good, still not forgiven them for foundation, although if you forget the books it is quite an enjoyable story in its own right

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[–] Phanatik@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'm shocked that I've never read any of these although a bunch are on my list. Voted for Neuromancer because cyberpunk is my main focus for my own work.

[–] ekZepp@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Neuromancer is basically the manifesto of the cyberpunk genre. A great novel with an astonishing prophetic look at the technologies of the future.

[–] jasondj@ttrpg.network 1 points 1 year ago

Only one I read on this list is Project Hail Mary and it was really good…and everyone I know who has read it (including people who don’t regularly read science fiction) loved it, too.

[–] Lauchs@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Only read a handful of these but now I have a few more to add to my list!

[–] Franzia@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 year ago

Sounds super fun!

[–] ShranTheWaterPoloFan@startrek.website 1 points 1 year ago

I have to vote for Martine.

This is a very good selection of books, but I would like for "classic" sci-fi to have it's own category. I love Hyperion, necromancer and the expanse series, but I think they start to choke out newer/fringe books. Especially if the the plan is to vote on what book is next.

[–] jzefbeio54@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Thx you for the poll, I just read Simmons's in this list, I will have a look at the rest of it :)

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