this week i have been mostly reading...

[abigailbrady]

A Quantum Murder by Peter F. Hamilton. Didn't like this as much as Mindstar Rising. It had narrative exposition which was pretty clumsy having read the other book immediately beforehand : and it doesn't really offer anything new in terms of speculation. The core mystery/whodunnit was well-executed. I shall read the third book in the trilogy, The Nano Flower at some point. probably leaving a bit longer in between this time.

Spike graphic novel thingy: Three one-shots. First one was good, second one had one particularly jarring section that didn't really work for me. Third one was rather entertaining.

The Difference Engine by Sterling and Gibson. I am reading this at the moment, not very far in. Is good. Amused by pun in title (it's really talking about the analytical engine, but of course it made a difference... or it could just be a mistake). Liked cameo of Disraeli.

Must read more steampunk : it is after all a thematic influence on the mud (the idea being that the mud has what would usually in SF be considered anachronistically early space travel, whilst keeping computers and AI crap, along with colonial empires/Scramble for the Stars et al - 2300 AD does the same setup but in a different way by having a devastating nuclear war in between, and tends towards more cyber stuff which i was trying to avoid. 2300 AD (or its predessor, Traveller, I forget which) was apparently also a major influence on Elite/Frontier, so i am in good company), but I was never well read in it.

In my queue are: Lullaby, Neverwhere, Pandora's Star/Judas Unchained. Suggestions welcome.

oh, and i decided what my novel is going to be. i just need to write it now. when is nanowrimo?

Comments

[firinel.livejournal.com]

when is nanowrimo?

November

[lilgreendave.livejournal.com]

I <3 The Difference Engine... I think Sterling helps to smooth out some of the aspects of Gibson I'm not so keen on (He's one of my favourite authors but sometimes his writing style irks me). I love the kino projection ideas, made me imagine steampunk-VJ's ;D

[abigailb.livejournal.com]

rather shockingly, the only Gibson i've read is Neuromancer, which was good although suffers in 2006 from (a) in some ways being dated, and (b) so many elements of it becoming an archetype. and i've not read any Sterling at all. also yet to attack Stephenson's Baroque Cycle, which seems intimidatingly large and scary.

[kuang.livejournal.com]

Did you ever read 'Jack Faust' by Michael Swanwick? Retelling of the classic soul-selling tale, but with the twist that all wordly knowledge only seems to extend to the intellectual boundaries of the owner. Consequently the victorian world gets mass transit systems and computers, but they're all steam driven as the level of technological advancement of the time wouldn't allow for anything else :)

It's not wonderful and can be downright clumsy in places, but it does have some interesting ideas.

[abigailb.livejournal.com]

I hadn't: that sounds intruiging and shall be added to my list. Thanks. :)

[thatmakesmemad.livejournal.com]

the pun in the title ? !!!! Ada Lovelace is of course an indirect reference to deep throat as well. :(
Er http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Difference_engine .
have Bruce Sterlings The Hacker crackdown in amongst various books about the computer industry (downloadable from http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/101 as now out of print).

[abigailb.livejournal.com]

the difference engine just would have done sums (and the one they made recently does this quite well) - the one babbage never built and the book is postulating is the Analytic(al) engine, which is turing-compelte etc.

But of course, had the analytical engine ever been built, it would have made a great difference to history (as the book explores). so either that's a pun or i'm seeing things.

[thatmakesmemad.livejournal.com]

perhaps it scanned better as a title. Suspect that victorian lubrication technology wouldn't have been upto keeping the devices in the book running without collapsing from heat, wear and lockup problems

[deathboy.livejournal.com]

I love it when girls geek about good sci-fi.

-drool-

'hem. terribly sorry. move along.

[icklemichael.livejournal.com]

Am a little pissed right now but, the nano flower is probably the best book in that series, though it is a little long.

If you haven't read anything by him you need to read Alastair Reynolds, he's my fave modern Sci Fi author. Quite enjoying Ken MacLeod also.

Also, am quite pissed. Talk to me tommorow.

[riak.livejournal.com]

Steampunk references? Have you heard of Space 1889 a (tabletop) RPG set in a victorian colonised solar system? It's out of print now but you might find it on ebay or something.

[marvo.livejournal.com]

What would you recommend as a good, easy read steam punk? Possibly with a horror aspect to it?

[skibbley.livejournal.com]

Read any of Ken MacLeod's stuff? I read The Sky Road, The Cassini Division and The Star Fraction and found them amusing.