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Linux Kernel development, Operating Systems Principals & Practice, Computer Systems A Programmer’s Perspective, and Forward the Foundation
An interesting time to be reading Forward…. Was that because of the TV series? Are you reading them in sequence?
I read all of the main sequence of Dune through to the Brian Herbert ending books. Quinns Ideas got me motivated enough to start reading those a few years ago. That got me to start Foundation next. I saw the various Asimov books referenced by the publishers and read most of the series. I still have Foundation’s Edge, and one other I’m not able to recall ATM, to fill in my entire collection from Robots through Foundation.
I loved robots and empire but foundation was waaay to much telling not showing. Are the latter books better?
The sequels trend towards fewer, longer stories with a bit more characterization as compared to Foundation, but it never really stops being a series about moments in a larger history. I’d say give either prelude to foundation or Foundation and Empire a try, but odds are if those don’t grab you, none of them will.
(importantly for those who don’t know already, the publishing dates vary widely across the series - with Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation released in the 50s, and the surrounding prequels and sequels arriving decades later. This can manifest as a jarring shift in writing style if you read them in chronological order instead of publishing order.)
Appreciate the reply. Yeah it very much sounds like not something that would grab me. More Detective Bailey and less dictionary entries!
I can read most of Asimov, but I don’t like the short stories from his early years as much. The broken but themed short stories are hard for me to stick with reading as a routine. His later stuff is much better than the earlier as far as books you can’t put down. They aren’t sequentially written though. The way Asimov ties in earlier story elements into his later books to interweave the different series together is interesting. Like you might totally miss many subtle references when reading the later books, and these have no impact on the story in question, but if you are reading them with the context of having already read the earlier books there are intuitive clues that guide you along. Like, there is an element of foreshadowing in the plot that is fun. Forward is good but also a slightly broken 3 part story from 3 different feature characters’ perspectives, but a sequential story in its own way. Still, I’m in a lull hiatus in my reading at the beginning of the third section. I just don’t do great with interruptions in fiction. I’ll probably end up binging the last section when I get around to it.
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson! Great series so far
Brandon Sanderson is always a good recommendation
I’m reading Hero of Ages right now, Mistborn being my first Sanderson series. I’ve already purchased all of Stormlight and can’t wait to start!
I’m in the middle of The Lost Metal right now. Mistborn is my first Sanderson series as well and it’s great!
I’m finishing it too. Great writer and great saga
Brandon Sanderson is definitely one of the greats of this era of fantasy writers.
Me too! Although the audiobook version. Hoping to finish this one before the audiobook version of Red Rising #7 comes out!
Has anybody read The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook yet? I just finished it, great concept I just wish it was longer.
People are divided on Oathbringer, but I genuinely think it’s my favorite book.
I’m currently reading Secret Project 3, it’s good so far but I’m only a few pages in.
I tend to binge through books. I just finished Andy Weir’s Artemis and Project Hail Mary in about one night each.
Which means the things I’m in the middle of tend to be web serials since I can’t just rush through. I’ve got dozens of tabs of royalroad open in my phone’s browser. Everything by Ravensdagger is good, and I’ve been enjoying Return of the Runebound Professor and Let’s Not Obliterate, and awaiting the scheduled return from hiatus of Ends of Magic on Monday.
Project Hail Mary is an excellent read. I’m recommending it constantly.
The Three Body problem by Cixin Liu
I’ve had this one recommended to me recently. How do you find it?
It’s good. If you can find enjoyment in a book that’s more about it’s fascinating premise than it is about it’s characters then it’s especially good.
I’m just getting into it. It’s an interesting premise so I’m looking forward to digging deeper.
I just finished it! It really is a great novel. The translation is great and the footnotes are pretty enlightening, considering my lack of deep knowledge on recent Chinese history.
Same, as I read it I’ve been thinking of it as Chinese Michael Crichton, but overall it’s been very good.
This makes sense to me, I just finished Jurassic Park for the first time a little over a month ago. Lots of similarities, cool premise, I don’t care much for the characters so far.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
Great book. I remember where I was and what I was doing when I read sections of that book for the first time. It really leaves a mark on you and no im not being clever
Some people will say the rest of the series isn’t worth reading, but I enjoyed them all.
Just finished the Fall of Hyperion and it’s pretty good still. It can definitely be hard to follow along sometimes though.
The Endymion books definitely feel different and the themes show their age a little, but overall I think they’re still worth reading
Great series. My personal favorite from Simmons is the Ilium/Olympos duology, although Olympos was a bit of a letdown at the end. Simmons is brilliant but he does have a way of setting a lot of things up and occasionally failing to deliver a satisfying climax. Hyperion and Endymion, read as two complete works, do a better job of concluding things.
I distinctly remember reading Ilium when I was like 12 and just being absolutely dumbfounded by the erotic scenes with Helen of Troy. I had never encountered adult content like that in a book and it just blew my horny teenage mind.
Simmons’ fusion of historical literature with robust far future science fiction is chef’s kiss.
My favorite book of all time. Hope you’re having fun with it!
I’m really enjoying it.
Wage Labor and Capital - Karl Marx. It’s very small but I’m taking my time with it
I’m in kind of a rotation of Sci-Fi (last: Children of Dune), classic novels (Dune kinda counts but my last from this category was Lord of the Flies), and nonfiction/leftism
Based. What did you think about Dune? I read books 1 and 2, and then started reading Orientalism by Edward Said, and I’ve found that Dune is smacking of orientalism and sexism. It makes it hard to go back and read the 3rd book.
It’s absolutely orientalist, similar to Zelazny’s Lord of Light but for Islam instead of Hinduism. For these, I was able to view them as a product of their time and enjoy the story even while recognizing some problematic elements.
I found the 2nd book to be a bit of a slog, and I enjoyed the 3rd a lot more again. Since it was about new characters once again coming of age (… kind of), it has that same sense of exploration and discovery as the 1st. The 1st is definitely my fave so far though.
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. I borrowed it from a friend so long ago I don’t remember who it was. Like… More than 10 years ago. I didn’t expect it to start out so strangely, especially after finishing The Three Body Problem lol. And that one started very strangely!
Snow Crash is on my “to read” list. I keep running into references to it.
It’s a little dated but I’m enjoying it, knowing it was written during a time I’m familiar with
Before They are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie. It’s book 2 of the First Law series. I’m mainly a Sci-fi reader, but started this fantasy series, and wow, what a ride.
Aww man, if I go could go back into this series fresh again. I love this series.
If you enjoy the first trilogy the three standalone books are also great and the follow up trilogy is also fantastic.
But man, The Bloody Nine is an all time character.
Enjoy!
A collection of Kafka short stories
TCP/IP Illustrated, Vol. 1, it may be a little bit outdated, but the core concepts still stand.
“The Count of Monte Cristo”. Not in the middle, more the beginning. But it’s like my third read so I take it slow this time.
Me too! First time reading it, at the beginning as well. he’s just about to get married to the Catalan cutie and some dudes be scheming
Definitely should be shelved under Educational.
Dune Messiah
Me too! Can’t wait to see how weird the series gets.
Last book of The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie.
Probably my favourite fantasy series. The audio book is top tier. The narrator brings so much depth to the world.
Aww man, if I go could go back into this series fresh again. I love this series.
If you enjoy the first trilogy the three standalone books are also great and the follow up trilogy is also fantastic.
But man, The Bloody Nine is an all time character.
I second the opinion of the audio book versions.
Enjoy!
Adrian Newey’s how to build a car
I’m reading that currently too! So far I’m really liking it.
Sounds interesting. I read Ross Brawn’s & Alan Parr’s “Total Competition”. Maybe touches the same topics from another angle.
I’m reading Michael Crichton’s The Sphere. It’s an odd one - Crichton rarely spends a lot of time on character, but Sphere in particular is barely interested in the people at all. It’s situations and implications, a sense of mystery and dread, that the author is interested in, and he whips from one dilemma to the next so quickly its a little disorienting. that can sound like praise, but I’m not sure it is. This is an early work, and it feels rough now and then. Without strong characters, the only voice you really hear is Crichton’s, and his tech-terror-explainer ‘tone’ can be a little tough to swallow in large amounts. all the same, I’m desperate to see where it goes, even as I suspect it will all be over much faster than most of his later novels.
I just finished Jurassic Park, and similarly the plot was fun but the characters were fine. The only character that’s somewhat fleshed out is basically a stand-in for Crichton himself and actually has multiple almost chapter long monologues talking about the “arrogance of science.”
Which is confusing as hell as the character is supposedly a world-renown and respected mathematician and basically all of the criticisms Malcolm throws at “science” and “scientists” (as if all science and scientists are some unified bloc) would apply directly to other areas of academia…like mathematics.
I didn’t even touch on the thematic confusion of pro-corporation messages while the villain is corporation-personified.
I say all of that to say Crichton in my experience is great at finding interesting scenarios and plot lines to explore, and not much else.
