what are you reading?

[piku]

Since Russell:

William Gibson - Burning Chrome (thus finishing off the first wave of Gibson re-reads that I was doing for the first time in 10+ years)

I'm going through Count Zero at the moment. What's the next one I'm supposed to read?

[SimonB]

I'm going through Count Zero at the moment. What's the next one I'm supposed to read?

Mona Lisa Overdrive to finish the "sprawl" series proper.

Burning Chrome has some short stories set in the same era.

Second set are Virtual Light, Idoru and All Tomorrow's Parties.

Third series starts with Pattern Recognition, then Spook Country and whatever he writes next.

[BBC-B Get'in'mah'bell-E]

I’ve only just got back into reading fiction again after – like – a decade of only reading non-fiction reference type stuff.

I recently finished Richard Morgan’s “Altered Carbon”, very good; I’ll have to read more of his stuff. I’m now reading Shea and Wilson’s “The Illuminatus! Trilogy” Currently on to “The Golden Apple” – this is an awesome book (the Trilogy that is - - - you buy it as one book). I’d heard about it YEARS ago and have only just got round to reading it.

[betamax]

The Bleeding Chalice. Its a novel based around the lore of the Space Marines. It's popcorn reading, but satisfying for all that.

[zip accident]

I’m now reading Shea and Wilson’s “The Illuminatus! Trilogy” Currently on to “The Golden Apple” – this is an awesome book (the Trilogy that is - - - you buy it as one book).

I remember seeing that on the shelves in the 70s, but there were about ten books in the series then, all of them fairly thick for paperbacks. Were the rest pulped and never republished? That's odd Wikipedia says there were no sequels, but I remember books numbered up to 10.

[Viscount Charles]

Pretty sure that there were only three books in that trilogy.

Just finished Gemmel's Troy series. It's OK - his Drenai novels were his best work. Better than Conn Iggulden's Caesar novels, though.

Just started Richard Morgan's Black Man. It won't be as good as his Takeshi Kovacs novels (like Altered Carbon), but I'm hoping that it will be better than Market Forces.

Still waiting on the next part of GRR Martin's saga, and on the concluding part to the Wheel of Time. But there's plenty of other books to keep me going in the meantime.

[BBC-B Get'in'mah'bell-E]

That's odd Wikipedia says there were no sequels, but I remember books numbered up to 10.

I think the authors became quite prolific writers, perhaps it was the other books they wrote that were on that shelf?
The trilogy is deff worth reading though if you want a story that’s immersive, wacky and also quite funny.

[Mark]

Just finished Gemmel's Troy series. It's OK - his Drenai novels were his best work. Better than Conn Iggulden's Caesar novels, though.

Just started Richard Morgan's Black Man. It won't be as good as his Takeshi Kovacs novels (like Altered Carbon), but I'm hoping that it will be better than Market Forces.

I've recently finished Black Man - thought it was very good, but indeed not as good as the 2 Kovacs books I've read - Altered Carbon and Broken Angels. It does have its moments though - esp. the part when you find out what was happening in the prologue.

And coincidentally I've just ordered the last 2 of Gemmell's Troy series to add to the top of my booklist.

I'm currently finishing off the last book of Cities in Flight by James Blish, which has been brilliant so far. Epic sci-fi really floats my boat, so this was, erm, right up my street.

[HGFB]

After a recommendation by Senior Swith I bought and started reading World War Z by Max Brooks today. I'd avoided this book in the past. How could it be any good? I'm not a huge horror or zombie fan at the best of times.

Fuck me if my sinful colleague didn't nail this one. It's bloody excellent. Less about zombies and face eating and more about just how people and the world reacts to the impending threat of Zombie apocalypse. Max Brooks utterly nails it. Totally worth a read.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/World-War-Z-Max ... 442&sr=1-1

[HGFB]

Altered Carbon and Broken Angels

I nearly bought Altered Carbon today but was put of by the fact that the back and inside cover were dedicated to people saying how good it was to the extent that they'd forgotten to tell me what the book was actually about.

Is it worth me having a read?

[Mark]

Altered Carbon and Broken Angels

I nearly bought Altered Carbon today but was put of by the fact that the back and inside cover were dedicated to people saying how good it was to the extent that they'd forgotten to tell me what the book was actually about.

Is it worth me having a read?

If the idea of a hardboiled, punchy, brutal sci-fi detective story set in a dystopian cyberpunk future appeals at all, then hell yes.

Here's a brief overview from the Amazon listing (I'd actually consider some of the rest of the overview a little spoilery, personally, hence just a snippet):

In 2411, death is not forever. Afterward, they can read your personality from an implanted "cortical stack" and upload you into a new body--at a price. Hero Kovacs has worn many bodies on different worlds as a former member of the UN Envoy Corps, programmed killers to a man. Now the incredibly rich Bancroft brings him to Earth to investigate a killing... of Bancroft himself, restored from his digital backup and rejecting the police theory of suicide.

One of the things I really liked about it was that he took the core concept of the cortical stack uploading (or "sleeving" to give it its proper title) and ran with it, coming up with some really interesting situations along the way. The book's a little rough around the edges perhaps, but it's got plenty of pace and action, and enough good ideas to keep me happy at least (although I am pretty easily-amused a lot of the time).

[benedictw]

Just read Peter Watts' Blindsight available here for free.

Pretty good first contact story, very disturbing in one particular way that I won't talk about.

[VNVObit]

More WH40k
Books 2 and 3 of the Horus Heresy, False Gods and Galaxy In Flames
Wasn't sure about a series written by different authors but the story has got me
enjoyable space war romp
Enjoyment spoily slighty by seeing reviews on the black library website as some idiots posted the fate of one of the main characters

Galaxy in Flames was definitely the stronger of the 2

ordered the remaining ones definitely hooked

[grue]

Scar Night by Alan Campbell.
I bought this on amazon's recomendation an I'm loving it. It has a Planescape-y vibe to it.

[IronGiant]

Currently have two on the go:

The Truth by Terry Pratchett
Pies and Prejudice by Stuart Maconie