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Post by tuigirl on Dec 11, 2020 8:43:45 GMT
Got myself the Star Trek Voyager series written by Kirsten Beyer. They appear to have the highest review rankings of all the Star Trek book series out there. I have read quite many Star Trek books, but apart from a few which are amazing and memorable, most of them are bland, badly written, with bad characterization and very forgettable. Most of them I cannot remember for the life of me. I have a similar issue with the Doctor Who books- I can count the good memorable ones on one hand. I had pretty much given up on Star Trek tie-in fiction, but thought I might give it at least one more chance. Not sure when I find the time, but at least they are now waiting on my Kindle.
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Post by grinch on Dec 13, 2020 15:49:44 GMT
The Magic Pudding (Norman Lindsay)
Currently reading through this Australian’s children classic for the first time. Only really know of the story through vague memories of watching that loose animated adaptation from 2000 something or other but so far I’m really enjoying it.
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Post by grinch on Dec 17, 2020 21:41:50 GMT
Coraline (Neil Gaiman)
I’m more familiar with the excellent Henry Selick stop motion feature but I thought I would give the original novel a go.
It starts with that most famous of quotes from G.K. Chesterton and it’s safe to say it very much fits the vein of a modern day fairytale. A child protagonist, talking animals and the Beldam is very much like a witch so it’s Grimm’s Fairytales influences are very much there. It also, rather surprisingly, has a brief touch of cosmic horror in certain parts. Which is always nice.
Gaiman’s language is, as it should go without saying, wonderfully poetic and Coraline makes for a delightful protagonist. Definitely up there when we come to talk of strong female protagonists.
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Post by grinch on Dec 18, 2020 23:25:29 GMT
Fortunately....the Milk (Neil Gaiman)
On a bit of a Neil Gaiman binge it seems. This one was a delightful read with some truly memorable characters including a few references and allusions to our favourite time traveller.
Had this been around when I was a nipper, it would have definitely been one I’d have gone back to many times.
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Post by shallacatop on Dec 30, 2020 14:01:08 GMT
Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide by John Cleese
It’s very slight (I suppose the title gives that away!), taking me 40 minutes to read, but it’s a good humoured summary of the creative process and a pure shot of positivity, which is most welcome in the current climate.
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Post by grinch on Jan 7, 2021 17:56:03 GMT
The Steam Man of the Prairies (Edward S Ellis)
Found this a very slow read if I’m being perfectly honest. Although it apparently belongs to a very small sub genre of fiction known as Edisonade which is interesting at least.
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Post by fitzoliverj on Jan 7, 2021 18:05:53 GMT
I have read quite many Star Trek books, but apart from a few which are amazing and memorable, most of them are bland, badly written, with bad characterization and very forgettable. They really bucked their ideas up a few years ago, when they did the 'relaunch'. I've not followed the Voyager novels, but the political slant of the TNG (and linked) novels and of hte Enterprise novels have been interesting to follow.
Rumour has it that Pocket are plotting to bring the novel continuity to an end in big final novel, but it's all still hush-hush.
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Post by tuigirl on Jan 7, 2021 18:23:21 GMT
I have read quite many Star Trek books, but apart from a few which are amazing and memorable, most of them are bland, badly written, with bad characterization and very forgettable. They really bucked their ideas up a few years ago, when they did the 'relaunch'. I've not followed the Voyager novels, but the political slant of the TNG (and linked) novels and of hte Enterprise novels have been interesting to follow.
Rumour has it that Pocket are plotting to bring the novel continuity to an end in big final novel, but it's all still hush-hush.
Ouuuuuu! Do share some rumors!
I am completely out of the loop. And what is this about the political slant?
I think the last TNG book I actually bought was "Battle for Betazed" of which I can remember exactly zero.
Must not have been very memorable. Otherwise, I got the novels by K.R.A. DeCandido, because I love his Klingons and the worldbuilding he does for the Klingon Empire. Apart from that, for 15 years, no Star Trek books for me.
Basically only got the reboot Voyager series because people are practically raving about it on Goodreads.
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Post by fitzoliverj on Jan 7, 2021 18:41:52 GMT
Basically, some authors over on trekbbs.com have said that something has been discussed about how to deal with "Picard" changing events of Federation history (in the novels, the Borg are dealt with and Picard has a son by Crusher; that's not the state of play on tv). As for politics, in the TNG-era novels the presidents of the Federation become central characters {Spoiler}one is assassainted in office; one is deposed by a secret cabal of officers (including Picard) because of his illegal actions, and is then murdered by Section 31 (whcih very nearly ends Picard's career when Bashir defeats Control and leaks the entire Section 31 database to the entire galaxy) and in "The Evil That Men Do"/"The Romulan War"/"Rise of the Federation" there's a big focus on the disputes between the political factions on Vulcan (the old guard, some of whom are allied to the Romulans, and the new mind-melding leaders of the planet). Indeed, in the TNG-era novels one founding planet leaves the Federation (temporarily), and the entire Coalition of Planets goes neutral and fails to help Earth in "The Romulan War". TNG-era "Relaunch" continuity - memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Relaunch_novels_timelineEnterprise "undo that crap last episode" continuity - memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_Enterprise_(Pocket)#Set_after_the_series (and I think the last in-series novel, "Last Full Measure", is part of this series too but I've not read that one. For those of you who remember the last episode of "Enterprise", the novel "The Good That Men Do" brilliantly fixes it. {Spoiler 1}The reason why nobody ages despite the gap of several years is because there was no such gap; the story isn't about the founding of the Federation but of its predecessor the Coalition of Planets. {Spoiler 2}And the reason why Trip's death is so poorly handled is because it's actually staged so that he can become an agent of Section 31, undercover on Romulus
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Post by fitzoliverj on Jan 7, 2021 18:43:36 GMT
I couldn't put this in the above post without confusing the spoiler tags:
Really, it's the longterm storylines that become memorable rather than individual novels. The last novel that really stuck in my mind was David A. McIntee's one about Geordi and Scotty (and I don't think that plays a significant role in the ongoing narrative). It took him a very long time to get to write for Star Trek, and personally I think it was a novel worth waiting for.
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Post by tuigirl on Jan 7, 2021 19:14:27 GMT
Wow, thank you for bringing me up to speed! Not sure I will ever find the time to read all these books, but at least now I have an idea where everything was going...
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Post by newt5996 on Jan 8, 2021 3:54:14 GMT
I've been reading The Dresden Files recently, just finishing Grave Peril. I liked the first book and this one, but the second (Fool Moon) was a mess. Though still it's a lot of fun, pulpy, urban fantasy.
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Post by grinch on Jan 9, 2021 21:32:49 GMT
The Great Gatsby (F Scott Fitzgerald)
I have a friend who swears by this as her favourite novel. And I can see why. It's very alluring with a masterful use of the English language. It is also extremely moving and whose message I think will stay with me for a long time yet.
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shutupbanks
Castellan
There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
Likes: 5,666
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Post by shutupbanks on Jan 10, 2021 0:07:34 GMT
The Great Gatsby (F Scott Fitzgerald) I have a friend who swears by this as her favourite novel. And I can see why. It's very alluring with a masterful use of the English language. It is also extremely moving and whose message I think will stay with me for a long time yet. Snap! I’m reading this at the moment. Started yesterday afternoon and read about half of it in one gulp. Haven’t read it since University (last century) so it feels like a completely new book.
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Post by grinch on Jan 10, 2021 0:29:38 GMT
The Great Gatsby (F Scott Fitzgerald) I have a friend who swears by this as her favourite novel. And I can see why. It's very alluring with a masterful use of the English language. It is also extremely moving and whose message I think will stay with me for a long time yet. Snap! I’m reading this at the moment. Started yesterday afternoon and read about half of it in one gulp. Haven’t read it since University (last century) so it feels like a completely new book. This was actually my first time reading it and I have to say I think I'm rather haunted by it now. Just something about this mystical version of the '20s (Jazz Age as I believe Fitzgerald coined the term) the characters inhabit and how they all relate to one another. It's just... wow. Honestly at a loss at what to think of Nick, the titular Gatsby and all the others. It's so poignant and yet so haunting. Sign of a good book I suppose. Definitely going to stay with me for a while.
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shutupbanks
Castellan
There’s a horror movie called Alien? That’s really offensive. No wonder everyone keeps invading you.
Likes: 5,666
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Post by shutupbanks on Jan 10, 2021 0:53:31 GMT
Snap! I’m reading this at the moment. Started yesterday afternoon and read about half of it in one gulp. Haven’t read it since University (last century) so it feels like a completely new book. This was actually my first time reading it and I have to say I think I'm rather haunted by it now. Just something about this mystical version of the '20s (Jazz Age as I believe Fitzgerald coined the term) the characters inhabit and how they all relate to one another. It's just... wow. Honestly at a loss at what to think of Nick, the titular Gatsby and all the others. It's so poignant and yet so haunting. Sign of a good book I suppose. Definitely going to stay with me for a while. 20/30s New York would be one of my requests if the Doctor ever invites me aboard the TARDIS, largely because I’m a bit of a nerd for theatre and SF of the period, but I’m struck at how “modern” some of the attitudes of some of the characters are.
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Post by shallacatop on Jan 12, 2021 10:16:13 GMT
Finished the first of the new Star Wars: The High Republic publishing initiative yesterday - Light of the Jedi.
I absolutely loved it! Took me longer to read than I expected, due to how dense the text is. Not at all a criticism, it's heavily descriptive and focuses a lot on world building; very reminiscent of Stephen King's prose, albeit this book is half the length of his! Charles Soule really makes this era stand out already, with some great characters who I can't wait to read more from and the new Jedi characters are particularly well served, especially their fascinating use of the Force, which is ripe for exploration (High Republic video game please!). The Nihil are very well served as villains, particularly Marchion Ro who is compelling, which isn't always the case in these sort of things; villains are often used as a backdrop to emphasise the lead characters.
The Great Disaster is a very fast paced and frantic read, often to the point where you're not quite sure where you're at, but you get there in the end. I think if I had a slight criticism, it's that we often go a long time without picking up with certain characters, despite their previous chapter ending on a cliffhanger. I think that's to be expected with novels and audios in contrast with on screen media, but you do have to spend a second to remind yourself where they were at.
What really stuck with me is not just how good of a Star Wars novel this is, but the fact it's a great read in its own right. Sometimes you read books belonging to franchises - Star Wars, Doctor Who, etc. - and think they're enjoyable reads within the confines of the series, but don't really think about them in a broader scope. Light of the Jedi really stands out.
Looking forward to this evolving with great interest and can't wait for the two new books next month. They're skewed to a younger audience, so I hope we get to see the fun side of this era too.
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lidar2
Castellan
You know, now that you mention it, I actually do rather like Attack of the Cybermen ...
Likes: 5,812
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Post by lidar2 on Jan 12, 2021 11:57:50 GMT
Finished the first of the new Star Wars: The High Republic publishing initiative yesterday - Light of the Jedi. I absolutely loved it! Took me longer to read than I expected, due to how dense the text is. Not at all a criticism, it's heavily descriptive and focuses a lot on world building; very reminiscent of Stephen King's prose, albeit this book is half the length of his! Charles Soule really makes this era stand out already, with some great characters who I can't wait to read more from and the new Jedi characters are particularly well served, especially their fascinating use of the Force, which is ripe for exploration (High Republic video game please!). The Nihil are very well served as villains, particularly Marchion Ro who is compelling, which isn't always the case in these sort of things; villains are often used as a backdrop to emphasise the lead characters. The Great Disaster is a very fast paced and frantic read, often to the point where you're not quite sure where you're at, but you get there in the end. I think if I had a slight criticism, it's that we often go a long time without picking up with certain characters, despite their previous chapter ending on a cliffhanger. I think that's to be expected with novels and audios in contrast with on screen media, but you do have to spend a second to remind yourself where they were at. What really stuck with me is not just how good of a Star Wars novel this is, but the fact it's a great read in its own right. Sometimes you read books belonging to franchises - Star Wars, Doctor Who, etc. - and think they're enjoyable reads within the confines of the series, but don't really think about them in a broader scope. Light of the Jedi really stands out. Looking forward to this evolving with great interest and can't wait for the two new books next month. They're skewed to a younger audience, so I hope we get to see the fun side of this era too. This is in Saved For Later in my Amazon basket, I have been umming and aahing about it for a while now.
You've talked me into getting it
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Post by shallacatop on Jan 12, 2021 12:09:36 GMT
Finished the first of the new Star Wars: The High Republic publishing initiative yesterday - Light of the Jedi. I absolutely loved it! Took me longer to read than I expected, due to how dense the text is. Not at all a criticism, it's heavily descriptive and focuses a lot on world building; very reminiscent of Stephen King's prose, albeit this book is half the length of his! Charles Soule really makes this era stand out already, with some great characters who I can't wait to read more from and the new Jedi characters are particularly well served, especially their fascinating use of the Force, which is ripe for exploration (High Republic video game please!). The Nihil are very well served as villains, particularly Marchion Ro who is compelling, which isn't always the case in these sort of things; villains are often used as a backdrop to emphasise the lead characters. The Great Disaster is a very fast paced and frantic read, often to the point where you're not quite sure where you're at, but you get there in the end. I think if I had a slight criticism, it's that we often go a long time without picking up with certain characters, despite their previous chapter ending on a cliffhanger. I think that's to be expected with novels and audios in contrast with on screen media, but you do have to spend a second to remind yourself where they were at. What really stuck with me is not just how good of a Star Wars novel this is, but the fact it's a great read in its own right. Sometimes you read books belonging to franchises - Star Wars, Doctor Who, etc. - and think they're enjoyable reads within the confines of the series, but don't really think about them in a broader scope. Light of the Jedi really stands out. Looking forward to this evolving with great interest and can't wait for the two new books next month. They're skewed to a younger audience, so I hope we get to see the fun side of this era too. This is in Saved For Later in my Amazon basket, I have been umming and aahing about it for a while now.
You've talked me into getting it
Oh wow, no pressure, I hope you enjoy it! If you’re finding the whole initiative daunting, then you can just stick with the adult novels; the next one, by our very own Cavan Scott, is out in July. If you do enjoy the era and want a bit of fun, then there’s always the young adult and kids books and comics. And then there’s graphic novels and Manga that have been announced too.
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Post by newt5996 on Jan 12, 2021 15:48:17 GMT
Continuing Dresden Files with Summer Knight which feels like a step down. There’s an attempt to analyze the mental state of some of the characters, however it doesn’t really go very well from Butcher. I do think that the plot is trying to move towards an overarching plot for these books but this one’s kind of a slow start.
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