this post was submitted on 26 Jun 2023
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Science Fiction

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December book club canceled. Short stories instead!

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Lemmy World Rules

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I'm currently reading the Wool omnibus by Hugh Howey. It's pretty decent I've been making very rapid progress as it's been too hot to sleep here recently now the summer has arrived.

I haven't seen the Apple show, but maybe I'll watch it in the future when I've finished all the books (I had Shift and Dust as well).

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[–] FatLegTed@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. Was a recommendation on the R site.

Complex, eon spanning, hard sci-fi. I'm loving it!

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[–] w3dd1e@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wool was great. And the show was good too. You can basically watch the first season after finishing Wool, if you’d like.

I’m reading He Who Fights With Monsters but I’m going to dig through this thread and find a good scifi novel to read next!

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

I just started HWFWM and it's my first LitRPG. Very different from what I'm used to reading but I really like so far. Going to try and finish it before I start Brandon Sanderson secret novel #3

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[–] allalae@orcas.enjoying.yachts 4 points 1 year ago

A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine.

I really loved the first book in the series, A Memory Called Empire, but I find the second one harder to get through. The writing really gets into the protagonist's head, and with all the stress she's in, it gets... claustrophobic, I guess, for me. I wish there was a bit more focus on the plot about the cool mysterious aliens.

[–] k0nserv@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I recently finished Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and Wool by Hugh Howey, currently reading Shift. We had the Silo trilogy in our bookshelf for years, but it was only after watching the Apple TV show I decided to read it.

I have a somewhat newfound low for hard sci-fi and would love any recommendations folks have.

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

Have you read The Expanse series? That's incredible.

I recommend the TV show too as it is different in some ways and the cast is absolutely amazing (genuinely one of the best sci-fi shows ever made).

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

I'm really trying to read Three Body Problem, but I'm having a hard time following

[–] away2thestars@programming.dev 2 points 1 year ago

There is a YouTube series that has adapted the book really well amazing https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMX26aiIvX5rFSYPXtcqda3tWd6pGVD5Q

[–] k0nserv@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Stick with it. I loved the series, but the first book is unfortunately the most confusing and, in my opinion, the worst of the three.

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

"The complete robot" by Isaac Asimov.

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

Those are some of my favourite stories. Although if I remember correctly, it contains the short story version of The Bicentennial Man and you may wish to read the novella version instead which he wrote later, having developed the story some more.

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

I just finished up a first time read of Wheel of Time series. Solid 8 months of reading but 100% worth it. Mat Cauthon is my second favorite character ever written I think.

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[–] rizo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Just ended with 'Children of Time' by Adrian Tchaikovsky and will now start 'Children of Ruin' (the second in the series). I liked it a lot,... the gist of it:

  • Humans terraform planets
  • Humans want 'crispr' intelligent apes
  • Humans kill each other
  • Crispr can't find apes,.. uses spiders instead
  • Other Humans come eons later and find intelligent spiders

The story is told through the eyes of the spiders and the surviving humans and how they try to communicate, think in different terms, fight for the last habitable planet,....

[–] Walop@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 year ago

I liked the idea, but felt it feared losing the readers and kept over explaining the spider point of view in human terms. I would have liked the spider society be more "other" and more to be left for the reader to figure out and experience the otherness. In contrast Quantum Thief is set in a human society, but it felt actually foreign and more fascinating since the reader is the only fish out of water and the characters don't go out of their way to explain aspects of the word obvious to them.

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

I've been working through The Expanse books, and have just started Leviathan Falls.

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[–] LamerTex@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I'm rereading Asimov's complete saga in "internal story chronological order":

  1. I, Robot / The Complete Robot (except 'Mirror Image'!) [ROBOTS]

  2. The Caves of Steel [ROBOTS]

  3. The Naked Sun [ROBOTS]

  4. Mirror Image (short story) [ROBOTS]

  5. The Robots of Dawn [ROBOTS]

  6. Robots and Empire [ROBOTS]

  7. The Stars, Like Dust-- [EMPIRE]

  8. The Currents of Space [EMPIRE]

  9. Pebble in the Sky [EMPIRE]

  10. Prelude to Foundation [FOUNDATION]

  11. Forward the Foundation [FOUNDATION]

  12. Foundation [FOUNDATION]

  13. Foundation and Empire [FOUNDATION]

  14. Second Foundation [FOUNDATION]

  15. Foundation's Edge [FOUNDATION]

  16. Foundation and Earth [FOUNDATION]

I'm currently on "Forward the foundation"

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

The Foundation series is absolutely amazing, and I am jealous of you if this is your first reading. One of my formative series growing up. You're inspiring me to do the whole Asimov read through like your doing, because I don't believe I ever read the Empire books and never read Robot beyond I, Robot.

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[–] Walop@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 year ago

I am reading currently Snow Crash. A great example how pioneers of a genre seem to lose their originality over time, but the book hasn't changed, everyone else has just copied it to death.

Previously I read some if the Culture series and got surprised by the genuine atrocities popping up in them. The books were interesting and the horrible things had a reason to be there, but I just became overwhelmed.

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

I'm currently nostalgia-reading Robert Rankin's Dance Of The Voodoo Handbag but that's more far fetched fiction than sci-fi. Silly, entertaining and lots of tall tales. I'm also reading The Quantum Magician by Derek Künsken. I was hoping for it to be the start of a good series of books to read over the summer but it's not very good. I will probably not bother with the rest of the series.

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

Currently on The Hydrogen Sonata of a The Culture marathon.

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

Just started reading Hyperion by Dan Simmons.

[–] rephlekt2718@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

Not science fiction, but I’m loving Carl Sagans “The Demon-Haunted World”. He really was a brilliant dude.

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

Working my way through some Hugo winners past— reading A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter M Miller.

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

I really liked Canticle, but I really felt like it suffered from being a fix-up novel. It’s three acts are not equal and don’t totally fit together in my opinion. It really starts off strong though! Hope you like it!

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

Reading Noor right now. Very enjoyable and it will be quick read.

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

I’m working my way through both the Murderbot Diaries (just started Network Effect) and the Rivers of London series (just finished Broken Homes, though this series is more urban fantasy). Both and very enjoyable!

[–] ScrivenerX@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

My wife and I just ran through the whole murderbot series. They are such a fun read. I'm convinced that the author plays/has played a ton of Shadowrun.

[–] OldFartPhil@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

The murderbot stories get so much praise but I was never able to get into them. I binge read (well, actually binge listened) to the Rivers of London books a few months ago and thought they were first-rate.

I just finished the new Ann Leckie book, Translation State, which I liked very much. If you couldn't get enough of the the Imperial Radch universe it's a must read.

[–] fl3tching101@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Currently reading Foundation and Earth by Asimov, I absolutely loved the original trilogy so I’ve been reading through the sequels and plan on going back to the prequels after. In my opinion the sequels have a big shift in pacing and sort of the way that the plot develops… not sure how I feel about that. On one hand it is easier to keep up with with less characters, but on the other it feels like the scale of things is much smaller. Trying to not spoil anything. The series is a fantastic read nevertheless!

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

Just finished Inversions by Iain M Banks. Classic series. Stupendous world building.

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

I'm on Tiamats Wake in the Expanse series, love it

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

Just finished The Dispossessed, by Ursula Le Guin and going to look for a library where I can buy the next book in the Hain cycle !

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

Surface Detail, and The State of the Art by Iain M Banks. Been on a Culture bend recently. Excession is next on my list

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

I read The Player of Games and it was good. I also read Consider Phleblas and while it was very different to Player Of Games I didn't think it was as bad as some people say.

Apparently Use of Weapons is also really good so I should go back to that series. The whole Culture thing is really interesting.

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[–] alienabductionsg@reddthat.com 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm halfway through Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson. I didn't know anything about this book other than it was about a generation ship but I'm really enjoying it. Every time I pick up one of his books I can't believe how good the science is, dude really digs into everything

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

I loved this one! Such an interesting story. I love how he really nails humanity in it as well.

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

Wool was great! The rest of the series too. I've been watching the show and I think they did a pretty good adaptation with it.

Currently reading "This is How you Lose the Time-war". Just started it but it's an interesting concept and different from my usual sci-fi reads

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

I'm rereading, after along time, Druss the Legend.

Once I'm done with that I'll work my through all of Gemmels other books.

[–] sharkfeek@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Re-reading Ready Player One. I want to forget how bad the sequel is and how they butchered all character development at the beginning of the book.

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