Books: To Read: Next
Submitted by dgeiser13 on Wed, 01/26/2005 - 10:27
- Starbound by Joe Haldeman
- The Mirage by Matt Ruff
- Flashback by Dan Simmons
- I Don't Want to Kill You by Dan Wells
Author Comments:
I will most likely be reading one of these books next.
I don't read much any more, and one of the last authors that grabed me was Dan Simmons. Almost bought ILIUM. When you read it, I'd be interested to see a mini-review - any chance of that?
Sure, Bertie. I'll see what I can do after I've read it. So have you read anything by Dan Simmons? If not I've read almost all of his other titles so I'm sure I can make a recommendation.
Sure have. Carrion Comfort (not sf, but engrossing), Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, The Rise of Endymion. Those four are amazingly imaginative and engrossing sf and I recommend them very highly.
The only book on your reading list here that I have read is (big surprise) the Heinlein - I've read all of his that was published while he was alive. Double Star was an award winner, I recall, but I wouldn't place it among his best. Are you familiar with the old movie The Prisoner of Zenda? - or the more recent Dave - about an actor who is roped in to impersonate the President when he dies and they want to keep his death secret? Well, both Dave and the Double Star are based on the old Zenda plot. Being non-late-period Heinlein, it is, of course, well worth reading, but, as I said, not really among his best.
Cool. Dan Simmons and Robert Heinlein are 2 of my favorite authors amongst some other. By my count, so far, I've read 13 Dan Simmons titles, including all that you mentioned, and 12 by Robert Heinlein, almost everything from Starship Troopers (1959) and forward.
The reason I picked Double Star was because it's the book he published after the last Heinlein book I read Tunnel in the Sky and it won the Hugo. I'm semi-familiar with the basic premise. Someday I may read his juveniles as well.
As far as Dan Simmons is concerned you've read 5 of the big ones. Carrion Comfort is awesome and the Hyperion/Endymion series is a very solid and imaginative series as well. I would say the Summer of Night (1991) and Darwin's Blade (2000) are 2 other Simmons' favorites of mine.
Thanks for your comments!
Well I can tell you Replay and Accidental Time Machine are both awesome and Im assuming youve read Beggars in Spain if youve got Beggars and Choosers on your list. I will say that its a great book, but DO NOT expect more of the first book.
Otherwise, youve got a TON of stuff on here that is already on my list and a few others I will now be checking into so...thanks
Oh, and what have you read by Robert Charles Wilson? Me, Ive read Chronoliths and Mysterium and I loved them both. I cant wait to read more from him, but I dont think Blind Lake was on the top of that list. Any particular reason why that one or have you just read everything else already?
Cool. Accidental Time Machine will be my 11th or 12th Joe Haldeman novel. He also has a brand new one coming out called Marsbound.
I have read Beggars in Spain and am interested in seeing where Nancy Kress goes with the series. I just got her book of short stories called Nano Comes to Clifford Falls out of the library. She's really good in short story form if you aren't familiar.
For Robert Charles Wilson I've read The Chronoliths and Spin. I believe I choose Blind Lake because it had the highest user rating of the books I haven't read by him. I really should read Axis next but I think there's a 3rd one coming out in that series and I hate reading volumes in a trilogy years apart.
This is fairly current list of everything I've read and want to read.
The only Kress Ive read so far are Beggars in Spain and Beggars And Choosers so I dont really know how she is in short form, but I will warn you that short story format generally isnt really my cup of tea. Im also not *huge* on series' and Beggars is one of the few exceptions. Brain Rose is next up for her (and of course Beggars' Ride)
With Choosers, the expound more on the Super Sleepless and you will be introduced to two social classes as a result: The Livers and The Donkeys. I really liked it overall, but dont think that you will be following any of the previous characters. If it was a movie, Leisha would have about 2 minutes' screen time.
On Haldeman, ATM and The Hemingway Hoax are the only ones Ive read so far. I dont want to move right into the War series just yet. I think Long Habit Of Living is next up. I lost my colored formatting telling me which novels were next for each author (wrote Jim about it) so Im kinda lost now...grrrrr
For Wilson, I was going to go for Spin or The Harvest next...what do you think?
This is my main list. I also have a "one-off" list as well. Like I said, you cant see the red color any more, but if you want to know, you can clone and its the ones that have spaces right before the titles that *were* highlighted as next up. I will take a look at your list now...
Oh, if youre not already a member, please join www.goodreads.com. Its an amazing book site. If you like it, we could be friends on there: My username is 'Ubik'.
I'll have to admit I'm not much of a short story reader myself. I like engrossing myself in novels more. But the few Nancy Kress stories I've read are almost like mini-novels and I find myself seeing them as the perfect length for a translation to the movie screen. Case in point she has a story called Computer Virus which I thought would make an great movie. I'm also hesitant to dive into most series unless it's going to be really good. If you look over my "have read" list I haven't read a lot of series.
If those are the only two Haldeman's you've read you have a ton of treats in store. If by War series you mean Forever War then it's definitely worth reading. It's a pretty short book. Forever War really only has one sequel, Forever Free. Both books have the same characters. Forever Peace takes place in the same universe but wasn't really part of the series.
For RCW I've only read Spin. I'm not familiar with The Harvest. I've heard good things about Darwinia. Keep in mind that Spin and Axis are part of a series.
Funnily enough I got my monthly Good Reads e-mail newsletter overnight. I am a member on there. I'll have to check and see how well I've been keeping my lists updated. I've added you as well. :-)
Oh, I know, its one of those "exceptions" for series. Yeah, I did mean Forever War series. Interesting to know that Peace wasnt really an official sequel.
A suggestion I have for you (although Ive only read one novel so far -- just ILLd my 2nd) is the Strugatsky Brothers. I really loved Prisoners Of Power, and Im about to get 2nd Invasion Of Mars.
Btw, Jim is working on why my font color disappeared yesterday so if/when that gets fixed, youll be able to tell more readily what Im up to reading next, etc.
I added you on goodreads btw. Youve rated Accidental TIme Machine? I thought you were to read that soon....youre an extremely fast reader?
I have a Strugatski Brothers book on my desk called Hard To Be A God. I've heard good things about them as well but haven't had the chance yet.
Actually I think I just added Accidental Time Machine on my to read list. I just picked it up from the library yesterday. If I somehow rated it then it was by accident.
If reading Forever War because it's part of a series puts you off I wouldn't let it. I read it a long time ago and was suprised when I put out two more books in the same universe. It's a very good standalone novel without the books that came later.