I’ve been engaged in a loop reading the enormous catalog of an author named JN Cheney that publishes space operas on Amazon’s Kindle in conjunction with a plethora of partner authors. I must have read 50 of these things. They remind me of all the old pulp SF novels of my youth (I’m 71). The books are optimistic and the galaxy is teeming with life. I really enjoy your channel. I think you have a great way of presenting and are very well spoken.
I've been busy sorting my Sci-Fi audiobook collection - big spread-sheet project with the help of ISFDB, Goodreads, The Guttenberg Project and Librivox. Listened/listening to Elizabeth Moon - Remnant Population and various modern Sci-Fi from the Clarkesworld site, read by Kate Baker.... I sit back and let her read me a story. Always happy to link up with other sci-fi audiobook fans.
I need to stick or twist with discworld. I read a few back in the day, liked them then, and have since acquired about 20 of them but right now they are just taking up shelf space. I need to read a couple and decide if they're keepers. Cheers John, thanks for watching 👀!
@@SciFiScavenger I didn't start reading discworld until the early 2000s as "I didn't do fantasy". However, I wanted something with a sense of humour similar to Douglas Adams and everyone said Pratchett. I've probably read around 1/3ish. That said, it has probably been a 2-3 year gap between discworld novels.
Thanks for the rundown, Jon. Happy Holidays to you and yours. I'm reading Altered Carbon now. My eyes are rolling a little from the dialogue, but I'll soldier on in the expectation that it gets better. Peace, Mike.
Hi Mike - Altered Carbon is the book that gets all the hype, probably because of the TV show, but Market Forces by the same author is a much better read. thanks for watching 👀!
Robert - I actually enjoyed many of the Star Trek books. I would recommend Andrew J. Robinson - (2000) Star Trek - Deep Space Nine - A Stitch in Time - Garat's Story
Looking forward to the year-end wrap-up! I diverted from Sci-fi (temporarily) this past weekend to read James by Percival Everett. Mostly worth the awards hype; he has a very playful style despite the subject matter. Finished H.G. Wells' The Time Machine as well. It was very interesting, if dated. Hoping to finish book 3 of Butler's Xenogenesis series this weekend!
I'll be recording the wrap up today I think. I have all the book cover images ready to go. I fancy that Butler trilogy as well, but only have book 1. Thanks for watching 👀!
@SciFiScavenger Also read Elder Race by him, which was also quite good, though I didn't like it as much. They're nice to read as a palate cleanser I guess. Let us know what you think if you get to read some.
Hello, my friend, I just finished reading A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, the last book in The Wheel of Time series. I also want to read the Pandominion series by M.R. Carey. I hope you have a nice weekend.
I fkg hated Crash, put me right off Ballard for years. We have declared something of a truce recently, so I will continue to explore his works. Thanks for watching 👀!
The Neglected Bookshop...me thinks you doth protest too much, Jon. 😉😂🤣. That collection actually sounds pretty interesting... I've been busy. I've donated my time in the past to websites where I do proofreading and editing for translated Korean LITRPG stories. I don't do that anymore, but I still help a couple of self published authors by editing and proofreading their work. I don't get renumeration for that, I simply help these authors (on Royal Road, which is a site allowing prospective authors to post work for feedback) one of whom I've been helping all week. She's got a late December publishing date, so I'm helping her make her deadline.😉🤓🐶
Hello, Good luck with Boneshaker - but it bored me. I just finished reading The People of the Pole, by Charles Derennes - this is French proto-SF from 1907, so considering the plot stayed fairly simple, for a "lost world" novel that pre-dates Conan Doyle's The Lost World, it was pretty cool. Very bleak, by the finale. I read it in translation, and am used to the typos these Black Coat Press editions are loaded with (alas); this time they didn't kick in until around page 30, and then my hopes were dashed. I am nevertheless grateful for all the translated French SF of old that the publisher in question has provided; just not sure what the proof-reader situation is. Earlier. I had put the wraps on Menace of the Monster: Classic Tales of Creatures from Beyond, edited by Mike Ashley. Four out of Five stars, overall - appreciated the variety of creatures and scenarios. I had read 'Discord in Scarlet' by van Vogt, in The Voyage of the Space Beagle, but was up for a re-read of the tale that is supposed to aspects of the movie Alien. Anyway, it was supposed to be slightly different than what I read, in the fix-up novel; I think the ending was slightly different. The other entry in Menace of the Monster I had read, but only sort of, was the short, lesser known version of H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds...some quickie version cooked up to fit some illustrations, or something? Anyway, I vastly preferred the novel, and felt like I was being rushed through an alien invasion, cheated out of some carnage, that sort of thing. I should get to at least one SF book before New Year's - just a question of what. But I've diverted to a Christmas-setting Murder Mystery, called The Night of Fear, by Moray Dalton (mentioned in case anyone is stuck for an idea along those lines).
I had decided to put off getting Solomon Kane from Audible until next years Cimmerian September. That opened the way for me to get Helliconia Spring (following our exchange the other day, Jon). Unfortunately, it is not available in Canada. WTF?! Now I'm in limbo. As to Cordwainer Smith's collection, I do have audiobook. I think I have commented before that this is mind-f**kery, perhaps not to extent of PKD. At least, that is my opinion. YMMV.
ok Eric, I'll bear that in mind (not hugely encouraging on the basis that PKD leaves me a bit cold, at least based on what I've read of his so far). Let's see. thanks for watching 👀!
Jon, do you go to science fiction conventons in the UK. I've been to a couple of World Cons, and of course lots of smaller conventons etc. I always loved seeing the authors at the big world cons.
Hi Beky, no I haven't done that yet, I probably should. I could've gone to Worldcon this year in Glasgow but it didn't quite work for me timing wise. Thanks for watching 👀!
I’ve been engaged in a loop reading the enormous catalog of an author named JN Cheney that publishes space operas on Amazon’s Kindle in conjunction with a plethora of partner authors. I must have read 50 of these things. They remind me of all the old pulp SF novels of my youth (I’m 71). The books are optimistic and the galaxy is teeming with life.
I really enjoy your channel. I think you have a great way of presenting and are very well spoken.
Hi Steve, sounds great, and thank you for your kind words, and thanks for watching 👀!
I've not read any of his work, Steve, but have access to a lot. What would you recommend starting with? MJ
Backyard Starship. It reminds a bit of stuff like Doc Smith. He does do a great job of describing stars he’s visiting. I was actually looking them up.
I've been busy sorting my Sci-Fi audiobook collection - big spread-sheet project with the help of ISFDB, Goodreads, The Guttenberg Project and Librivox.
Listened/listening to Elizabeth Moon - Remnant Population and various modern Sci-Fi from the Clarkesworld site, read by Kate Baker.... I sit back and let her read me a story.
Always happy to link up with other sci-fi audiobook fans.
Been reading some discworld this week. Discworld is always a bit of a comfort blanket read. Looking forward to getting to those Carey books.
I need to stick or twist with discworld. I read a few back in the day, liked them then, and have since acquired about 20 of them but right now they are just taking up shelf space. I need to read a couple and decide if they're keepers. Cheers John, thanks for watching 👀!
@@SciFiScavenger I didn't start reading discworld until the early 2000s as "I didn't do fantasy". However, I wanted something with a sense of humour similar to Douglas Adams and everyone said Pratchett. I've probably read around 1/3ish. That said, it has probably been a 2-3 year gap between discworld novels.
Thanks for the rundown, Jon. Happy Holidays to you and yours. I'm reading Altered Carbon now. My eyes are rolling a little from the dialogue, but I'll soldier on in the expectation that it gets better. Peace, Mike.
Hi Mike - Altered Carbon is the book that gets all the hype, probably because of the TV show, but Market Forces by the same author is a much better read. thanks for watching 👀!
I just finished reading the novelization for Star Trek, the motion picture, and I really enjoyed it❤
very cool! I'll look out for a copy of that. cheers Robert, thanks for watching 👀!
Robert - I actually enjoyed many of the Star Trek books. I would recommend Andrew J. Robinson - (2000) Star Trek - Deep Space Nine - A Stitch in Time - Garat's Story
Looking forward to the year-end wrap-up!
I diverted from Sci-fi (temporarily) this past weekend to read James by Percival Everett. Mostly worth the awards hype; he has a very playful style despite the subject matter.
Finished H.G. Wells' The Time Machine as well. It was very interesting, if dated. Hoping to finish book 3 of Butler's Xenogenesis series this weekend!
I'll be recording the wrap up today I think. I have all the book cover images ready to go. I fancy that Butler trilogy as well, but only have book 1. Thanks for watching 👀!
I'm halfway through John Wyndham's "The Secret People" which is early, crude juvenile stuff- a lost race story. Have a good weekend.
Yeah I haven't bothered with any of his older work, or not yet anyway. Cheers David, thanks for watching 👀!
Tchaikovsky's One Day This Will All Be Yours novella (or short story?) was a very nice, quick read.
I have missed out on his novellas, I just have a recent one, "Saturation Point" which I haven't read yet. Thanks for watching 👀!
@SciFiScavenger Also read Elder Race by him, which was also quite good, though I didn't like it as much. They're nice to read as a palate cleanser I guess. Let us know what you think if you get to read some.
Hello, my friend, I just finished reading A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, the last book in The Wheel of Time series. I also want to read the Pandominion series by M.R. Carey. I hope you have a nice weekend.
hi Andrei, great, thanks for watching 👀!
I read Crash by Ballard this week, expecting some cool science fiction and was immediately humbled. 😂
I fkg hated Crash, put me right off Ballard for years. We have declared something of a truce recently, so I will continue to explore his works. Thanks for watching 👀!
The Neglected Bookshop...me thinks you doth protest too much, Jon. 😉😂🤣. That collection actually sounds pretty interesting...
I've been busy. I've donated my time in the past to websites where I do proofreading and editing for translated Korean LITRPG stories. I don't do that anymore, but I still help a couple of self published authors by editing and proofreading their work. I don't get renumeration for that, I simply help these authors (on Royal Road, which is a site allowing prospective authors to post work for feedback) one of whom I've been helping all week. She's got a late December publishing date, so I'm helping her make her deadline.😉🤓🐶
Nice work, that sounds interesting. Thanks for watching 👀!
Hello,
Good luck with Boneshaker - but it bored me.
I just finished reading The People of the Pole, by Charles Derennes - this is French proto-SF from 1907, so considering the plot stayed fairly simple, for a "lost world" novel that pre-dates Conan Doyle's The Lost World, it was pretty cool. Very bleak, by the finale. I read it in translation, and am used to the typos these Black Coat Press editions are loaded with (alas); this time they didn't kick in until around page 30, and then my hopes were dashed. I am nevertheless grateful for all the translated French SF of old that the publisher in question has provided; just not sure what the proof-reader situation is.
Earlier. I had put the wraps on Menace of the Monster: Classic Tales of Creatures from Beyond, edited by Mike Ashley. Four out of Five stars, overall - appreciated the variety of creatures and scenarios. I had read 'Discord in Scarlet' by van Vogt, in The Voyage of the Space Beagle, but was up for a re-read of the tale that is supposed to aspects of the movie Alien. Anyway, it was supposed to be slightly different than what I read, in the fix-up novel; I think the ending was slightly different. The other entry in Menace of the Monster I had read, but only sort of, was the short, lesser known version of H.G. Wells's War of the Worlds...some quickie version cooked up to fit some illustrations, or something? Anyway, I vastly preferred the novel, and felt like I was being rushed through an alien invasion, cheated out of some carnage, that sort of thing.
I should get to at least one SF book before New Year's - just a question of what. But I've diverted to a Christmas-setting Murder Mystery, called The Night of Fear, by Moray Dalton (mentioned in case anyone is stuck for an idea along those lines).
A Christmas murder mystery you say? I'll allow it, given the season. .😀 Let's see how I get on with Boneshaker. cheers Seth, thanks for watching 👀!
I too tend to struggle with short stories vs full novels. Do you favour single author short story collections over mixed author anthologies?
I had decided to put off getting Solomon Kane from Audible until next years Cimmerian September. That opened the way for me to get Helliconia Spring (following our exchange the other day, Jon). Unfortunately, it is not available in Canada. WTF?! Now I'm in limbo.
As to Cordwainer Smith's collection, I do have audiobook. I think I have commented before that this is mind-f**kery, perhaps not to extent of PKD. At least, that is my opinion. YMMV.
ok Eric, I'll bear that in mind (not hugely encouraging on the basis that PKD leaves me a bit cold, at least based on what I've read of his so far). Let's see. thanks for watching 👀!
Jon, do you go to science fiction conventons in the UK. I've been to a couple of World Cons, and of course lots of smaller conventons etc. I always loved seeing the authors at the big world cons.
Hi Beky, no I haven't done that yet, I probably should. I could've gone to Worldcon this year in Glasgow but it didn't quite work for me timing wise. Thanks for watching 👀!