 July 16, 2014 - 4:20am | I've been using the library and used book stores to get back to reading this year and have discovered some real gems. C.J. Cherryh- I had read Pride of Chanur back in the day and while I did enjoy it I did not become smitten with her as an author. Having read Merchanter's Luck, Hestia, and Serpents Reach this year she's become one of my new favorites. She writes pretty good sci fi but her characters are very believable and she's been working in a sub current of romance into her stories which I've found very refreshing since my tastes have usually gone to action-adventure. The romance doesn't get in the way of the story or make you want to drop the book as its not really romance for the sake of being romance but rather it can be important to the resolution of the story. Currently reading "Cuckoo's Egg" by Cherryh "Siege Perilous" by Lester Del Rey short read and interesting concept though his story is "dated" in a way that Cherryh's works remain kind of timeless. Still I have enjoyed two Del Rey's stories this year for the ideas in them dispite some of the out dated setting elements. Plus at 150 pages he's a quick read. It's odd though, at a 150 pages I'm actually ready for the story to be over as I feel like I've gotten the ideas I'm going to get out of it. His characters are not the deep nor compelling. Jack McDevitt- WOW, this guy is good and his stuff is not like anything I've encountered before. My hand's down new favorite. He writes mysteries and while wikipedia says that it usually involves first contact with an alien species that is not exactly correct. The Alex Bennidict series of which I just put a hold on the 3rd book at the library has not gone in for first contact stuff at all. While there has been only a little action in this series both books that I read were compelling- I had to just keep turning pages. The mystery hooked me and a mystery/sci fi adventure has been another breath of fresh air. Highly Recommend: "A Talent for War" and "Polaris" I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 July 16, 2014 - 9:51pm | Well my summer reading list is mostly Civil War especially on the Naval Parts and on Celtic Shamanism. Do have a copy of "The 10th Victim" for a Sci Fi break. Could have an interesting SF adventure with that one. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
July 17, 2014 - 1:57am | @ Rat T; reading up on the Pioneer and the mystery vessel of Bayou St. John and their more famous cousin the Hunley are we? I'll have to look up the "10th Victim", I was thinking I needed to steal back from my brother a book I gave him about the loss of the USS Scorpion- supposedly sunk by the soviets during the cold war and covered up by the US goverment. Jack McDevitt's mysteries have got me thinking about writing something similar as an RPG adventure and the loss of the Sorpion might be a good model for that. EDIT: or for a more sci fi mystery I could go in for the Philidelphia Experiment (which I believe is bogus) and the Star Trek episode based on it: The Pegasus TNG I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
July 18, 2014 - 1:05am | The Naval vessels of the Civil War fall into three general categories. Blue water, green water and brown water. Blue---Ocean going vessels designed for deep sea and ocean crossing Green---Coastal patrol and relative calm of the Gulf of Mexico Brown---River operations especially the Mississippi and Tennessee. Translating that into SF you have Starships, system ships and planet bound aircraft. Now some vessels were capable of all three types of water but were not very good at any. You also have purpose built ships like Blockade runner and mortar boats. All of this makes for some interesting ship designs. Although it is really the Captains and Crews which bring the ships to life, not to mention their fun on shore. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
 July 18, 2014 - 3:03pm | I'm re-reading whatever pops up at the library, interspersed with the "Dragonriders of Pern". I'd read the first 3 back in high school (when Star Frontiers was new), but never progressed past that. My wife, then before I'd even met her, collected at least 10 books, so I'm gonna take a shot at them. After that, I'll take on all of her "Thieves' World" books I never read, either. |
July 18, 2014 - 6:49pm | I'm re-reading whatever pops up at the library, Yeah I side tracked from Cherryh to George Orwell's "Animal Farm" because I spotted it while in the library. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
