What Are You Reading Right Now?

For what it's worth, we've had similar problems with Amazon but I must say our experience with their customer support has been phenomenal!

Verna
 
reading a biography of Sergei Korolev, the mastermind of the Soviet space program. not fiction but certainly sciency. poor guy friended the wrong people in the 1930s and spent some time in the gulag, screwing up his health and partly leading to his early death. gotta hand it to the Russkies, they got a heck of a space program going on.
 
I am currently reading two books.

Robinson, Kim Stanley - 2312 (2).jpg


Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312, which showcases humanity's expansion into the solar system. I'm about a hundred pages in right now and it's really very good. It started off with a description of an extreme environment in both technical and figurative language, a combination that he managed to work well enough to almost poetic effect. It has a more sedate pace, but is no less interesting for that. KSR seems like a very humanistic writer with a guarded optimism concerning the future. Also, some of his anarchist sensibilities are coming through. I'm loving the short interludes so far: descriptions on the construction of artificial habitats (from asteroids) and quick-help guides on the processes of planet terraforming. I only ever read two works by KSR in the 90's - his first short novel Icehenge and the novella Green Mars, which came paired with Clarke's A Meeting with Medusa in one of those Tor Doubles. I've mostly forgotten how they were (though I do have a memory of enjoying them) and haven't picked up anything by him since, so it's like reading him for the first time.

Newman, Peter - The Vagrant (2).jpg


Peter Newman's The Vagrant, which is a science fiction/fantasy hybrid novel (or science-fantasy) that seems quite intriguing so far. The protagonist is superficially reminiscent of King's Roland Deschain or Gemmell's Jon Shannow, but with a sword instead of guns. Also, the post-apocalyptic event (a 'breach' of sorts, like the one mentioned in Mieville's Bas-Lag books) has given Newman a chance to make it quite weird. I like stories where there is good world-building through details sprinkled here and there in the narrative where you have to figure it out for yourself, and this seems like it might be of that type. Also, it's in present tense, but I've gotten used to it so far (I'm on chapter 5).
 
I am now reading Ellen Kushner's Swordpoint. A fantasy, but without magic. Seems more like a period piece, like a Georgian or Regency novel of manners but in an imaginary setting. Very good so far.

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Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint was a great fantasy without any magic. I definitely recommend it for anyone who likes 18th and 19th century novels (esp. of manners) with elements of swashbuckling style and romance like what you'd find in the works of Dumas or Stendhal. Very reminiscent of a Georgian (or Regency) styled historical romance.

Also finished off Stephen R. Donaldson's newest release, The King's Justice: Two Novellas. Enjoyed the two stories, esp. the second, longer one. The first, titular story is an old-school, Robert E. Howard styled sword-and-sorcery mystery with a Western feel told in the omniscient third person. The second novella is also a mystery, but much more ornate in its language with plenty of intrigue and a decidedly Gothic feel (and from the first person perspective).

Currently on Ian McDonald's Luna: New Moon. First time I'm reading him, even though I've owned two of his older works for years. Still towards the beginning, but it was quite an explosive start. Already sucked in. Seems like hard sf (good!) with the potential for plenty of human drama (gooder!).

McDonald, Ian - Luna (1).jpg
 
I am now reading C. A. Higgins' Lightless. I was actually reading a different book, but I decided to read the first chapter of Higgins' novel a couple of nights ago to get a feel for it before I got back to my other book, and suddenly realised that I was 100+ pages in! I'm finding it to be quite the page-turner. A psychological thriller with a mystery concerning AI set in interplanetary space.
 
I'm juggling through three books at the moment + listening to an audiobook whilst out walking:

Nicola Griffith's Hild, a fictional account of Saint Hilda of Whitby in 8th century mediaeval Britain.
I started re-reading Jane Austen last year and finished S&S and P&P. I'm now on Emma.
Eric James Stone's Unforgettable, a near-future, sf-nal, espionage thriller involving the CIA.

And prof. Frances B. Titchener's A History of Ancient Rome, a series of excellent and very entertaining lectures presenting a broad, introductory overview of the empire with very insightful commentary (a Modern Scholar audiobook).

I normally read one book (maximum two) at a time, so this is very unusual.
 
I'm now on Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey.

I have also started Michael Cobley's Ancestral Machines, which takes place in his Humanity's Fire universe after his trilogy, but is supposed to be a stand-alone. The trilogy, starting with Seeds of Earth, was a fun, space opera romp. Rather old-school, and with loads of species/names + plot threads + multiple points-of-views to keep track of, but still a lot of fun. The man knows how to plot. It also gave me a strong Star Wars feel.
 
I have 3 that are looking possible but have not opened the files yet. I have too many irons in the fire lately.

ROGUE STAR
A Warhammer 40,000 novel
By Andy Hoare

Security
by
Poul William Anderson

and/or

THE LISTENERS
by
James E. Gunn
 
I've got a Warhammer 40K novel that I've been itching to get to, too. It's Eisenhorn by Dan Abnett, an omnibus edition collecting a trilogy plus two or three additional stories. I've always thought about picking up some W40K books but was always intimidated by the crapload of books and the massive universe. Eisenhorn was recommended to me as an excellent (and easy!) starting point.

Security
by
Poul William Anderson
It's weird, I know who that is, but I've never come across his middle name before. Or if I did read it before, my brain never retained it.
 
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