Asking you guys to select which book I should read next turned out to be an interesting experience. Now that I've finished reading Stephen King's The Gunslinger (the review is coming up), and now that I'm into Brian Ruckley's Bloodheir, I felt that it would be cool to do this all over again.Given the results, this is definitely something I'll do from time to time, if only to make things a bit more interactive on the Hotlist!;-) And since I'm still waiting for those page proofs for both Steven Erikson's Toll the Hounds and Ian Cameron Esslemont's Return of the Crimson Guard, the timing is perfect.
Once again, I think I came up with a well-balanced list of nominees. Two titles (Banks and Reynolds) are back for an encore, while the rest of the books are new additions. As you can see, I have quite a backlog sitting on my shelves!;-) Vote for the novel you want me to read by leaving a comment with your selection. . .
The nominees are:
- China Miéville's Perdido Street Station
- Tad Williams' Rite
- Neil Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors
- Peter F. Hamilton's The Reality Disfunction
- Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash
- Chris Wooding's The Fade
- Robert V. S. Redick's The Red Wolf Conspiracy
- Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon
- Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves
- Daniel Abraham's A Shadow in Summer
- Dan Simmons' Ilium
- Iain M. Banks' Consider Phlebas
- Alastair Reynolds' Chasm City
- The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy edited by Ellen Datlow
- Jeff Somers' The Digital Plague
- Fast Forward 1 edited by Lou Anders
Have fun!
107 commentaires:
Giving up on the Darktower series already?? I thought you were more resilient than that.
Not giving up at all, as I really enjoyed THE GUNSLINGER. But I'm in the mood to read something different just now.:-)
Definitely Altered Carbon since there's the added dimension of being able to compare it to his recent book Black Man which should still be fresh on your mind.
I lost my copy of The Gunslinger... :( I was enjoying it too.
Anyway... wow. This list is more difficult for me than the last, coz lots of my favourite novels are on it. Plus one I've been looking at buying (Red Wolf Conspiracy).
Hmmmm.
Perdido Street Station. It's not the best Mieville, but if you haven't already entered his wacky world then it's about time...
The book I am most interested, and have not read, on this list is the Red Wolf Conspiracy. I have heard good things about it but have not been able to get a copy since it is not available in the US yet and with the dollar's recent tumble, it is very expensive to get from the UK. Second on the list would be Wooding's The Fade.
First Altered Carbon.
Next: Snow Crash
The Red Wolf Conspiracy. I heard it was one of the better debuts this year. Wanted to get your view on it.
WHAT? You haven't read Altered Carbon? I'm gobsmacked...
I no longer trust you.
Read Altered Carbon! (excuse the exclamation point, but it warrants it)
Hey, Pat...I'm a long time visitor to your blog and thought I'd post my first comments here since I recently enjoyed one of these books. I highly recommend Altered Carbon. I've never been a big sci-fi reader but I could not put this one down.
Snow Crash.
Reality Dysfunction is part 1-2 of a 6 part series. Fun, but you may not come up for air for a while.
My vote is for Consider Phlebas. I was thinking about picking it up and would like to hear what you think
Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves
Dan Simmons Ilium
If you've never read Miéville's PSS, then that ought to be a top candidate. Gaiman's story collection there is stronger overall than his Fragile Things, I found when I read it over 5 years ago. Datlow's upcoming anthology is a very strong one and come to think of it, when was the last time you've reviewed an anthology?
seriously, if you ve never read Altered Carbon, you really need to read it asap. Otherwise my vote is for Snow Crash, that s a real cyber punk classic
I'd highly recommend any of the books there that I've read:
China Miéville's Perdido Street Station
Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash
Iain M. Banks' Consider Phlebas
Of those, the best is probably Meiville, but the other two are classics as well. I'd actually recommend Use of Weapons by Banks first however.
Id like to read your review of a Shadow in Summer. Its so short though that you can probably knock it out in a day, so then read House of Leaves.
I'd have to say Perdido. Great novel. Altered Carbon would be my #2 -- insert bathroom joke here.
The Reality Disfunction is waaay too long. I think Hamilton has a great novel in him, but he hasn't written it yet.
Either Toll the Hounds or Return of the Crimson Guard ARC.
Definitely Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, I read it recently (years after I read Cryptonomicon, actually) and found it [Snow Crash] to be magnificent.
Snow Crash is probably one of the best cyberpunk books I've ever read, and should definitely be read before Altered Carbon (which is an awesome book in it's own right).
Snow Crash!
Perdido Street Station positively blew my mind. Definitely read that first. Then go read Altered Carbon. It's a kick ass book for sure.
Shadow in a Summer!
Neil Gaiman's - Smoke and Mirrors
Wow, that is a nice backlog to have. My top two:
1. Snow Crash
2. Perdido Street Station
I vote for Consider Phlebas, with one caveat: I hope you read Player of Games instead. Sure, CP is earlier in the timeline and is the first book published in the series, but PoG is so much better as a first Culture novel you read. It's the most accesssible and one of the most easily enjoyable novels in the series. Also, all of the major characters in the first book are unlikeable dicks. :3
Snow Crash.
Either Mieville's Perdido Street Station or Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors.
House of Leaves
My girlfriend has this book and just flipping through it it looks insane so I'd love a review on it from you.
Also want one on A Shadow in Summer, but House of Leaves I'm just too curious about.
Red Wolf Conspiracy. It's a book that i've been meaning to buy
Oh god, too many good ones there. I'll just copy and paste someone who had the brilliant idea of taking the words right out of my mouth:
China Miéville's Perdido Street Station
Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash
Iain M. Banks' Consider Phlebas
:) Enjoy!
My vote goes to China Mieville.
Too many good ones, but I would like you to read the ones I haven't read yet:
1- Altered Carbon
2- A Shadow in Summer
3- Red Wolf Conspiracy
Hard choice...
Perdido Street Station and Smoke and Mirrors.
What a treat you have in store, all of those titles are great reads. However, I'd suggest China Miéville's Perdido Street Station as the first to enjoy :)
YOU HAVEN'T READ SNOW CRASH?!?!?!?!
Definitley Mieville's PSS. He is as unique as Erikson and Duncan and deserves alot more publicity.
Altered Carbon or Illium.
Well, choosing from the list among the one I read, I would have to recommend either MChina Miéville's Perdido Street Station or Peter Hamilton's Reality Disfunction.
The problem is both books are quite long, especially Hamilton's.
I wouldn't recommand Altered Carbon, especially if you already read Black Man. I really enjoyed reading it, and think it's a good book but it is less accomploshed than Black Man.
House of Leaves is amazing, but I'd say go with the Mieville for now.
House of Leaves is one of my favorite books of all time. Chock full of awesomenessity. That said, I enjoy all your reviews, so I won't be complaining if Altered Carbon (seems to be the most popular so far) gets the nod.
Cheers.
House of Leaves
Snow Crash.
Ilium was good, but Olympos was such a train wreck I really can't recommend either at this point.
PSS
-CN
must read banks...
must read banks...
must read banks...
I was thinking about reading "Perdido Street Station" and "A Shadow in Summer", so I'm curious about your opinion of those two books.
Miéville's PSS for sure.
Altered Carbon
1. Perdido Street Station
2. Snow Crash
3. Red Wolf Conspiracy (so I can find out whether to buy or not!)
A Shadow in Summer
I'd like to hear your opinion on this author since GRRM always raves about him.
I'd say House of Leaves, but that book is not for everyone. If you can find the rhythm to read it, I'd say go for it.
Second choice would be Perdido Street Station.
Great idea! I vote for Robert V. S. Redick's The Red Wolf
Conspiracy.
Daniel Abraham's A Shadow in Summer
Robert V. S. Redick's The Red Wolf Conspiracy...I've always thought never judge a book by its cover, but i cant help with this one..looks good!
I've been considering reading Mieville, so I vote for a review of Perdido Street Station.
A Shadow in Summer
I just finished Perdido Street Station last night, it is incredible, I'm not well versed in the science fiction/weird fantasy literature out there but for all the weirdness of PSS, it is a really, really enjoyable read.
So that is my vote.
Funny that, once again, most of you prefer "older" titles to more recent novels.
I've had Miéville's Perdido Street Station sitting on my shelf for years now. Ever since someone said it was commie propaganda, I've been reticent to read it. As you know, I'm not keen on Left-wing stuff.
But it now looks like it's going to be a race between Miéville and Morgan, two Leftists!:p
Oh the humanity. . .;-)
You might want to question Morgan about his being a "leftist". He tries to present arguments for the other side as well, since issues are complex and there are consequences to either extreme. Human nature is human nature and anyone can be greedy.
Really loved Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash!
A Shadow in Summer
One vote for Iain M. Banks' Consider Phlebas! I am also reading it and would like to know what you think of it.
Perdido Street Station...Great entry into a wonderful world.
and ... Consider Phlebas. I have always wondered about that book, but never pulled the trigger. I respect your reviews, so it would be interesting to see what you think.
I defenitely want to see your review of Dan Simmons' Ilium, i had a friend told me it was good, but i wasnt sure if i should read it!
so : Dan Simmon's Ilium!
Jean-Francois
Chasm City by Reynolds.
I cannot vote against Snow Crash and live with myself.
Snow crash, definitely!
China Miéville's Perdido Street Station.
As things stand, Miéville is running away with this one.
Stephenson and Morgan are nearly even, yet still far behind.
Abraham and Redick bring up the rear. . .
House of the leaves of course
Peter F. Hamilton's The Reality Disfunction
Perdido Street Station, just because it is a modern fantasy classic and I'm interested to see what you make of it.
Would it be really outrageous and self-promoting of me to mention that my own blog has a review of Red Wolf Conspiracy on there? And there's a few other bloggers' takes on it out there as well, such as Sandstorm Reviews.
Perdido Street Station. I love Ilium and Snow Crash, but that one takes it.
Read Snow Crash first. It's pretty good.
In general I would like to see some more science fiction reviews. Alastair and Hamilton, alongside Neal Asher, are mind blowing.
Altered Carbon - first in a series of three - is also a great read and runner up, so, being realistic, I vote Morgan.
Wes
While it is true that Mieville is on the left and politically active, he does not force his political views on the reader, IMHO, but *looking* for it might harm the reading experience. Enjoy it for the language, and truly wild imaginitive world which he creates.
Read Ilium! I've been meaning to get around to that one too.
Definitely voting for Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves.
The Fade or Shadow in Summer.
Snow Crash
Damn, I'd love it if you read Rite by Tad Williams, but I got to go with House of Leaves or my girlfriend will kill me.
Altered Carbon
I'm reading Thirteen right now and it's great.
Definitely Banks or Mieville - although I would recommend "Use of Weapons" over "Consider Phleabas" if you're a Culture virgin.
I think you should read China Miéville's Perdido Street Station
Iain Banks will never disappoint.
After seeing your 7.5/10 rating for The Gunslinger, I bet you'd give Altered Carbon a 9 or 10/10.
Once again my vote goes to Brit SciFi. Either Banks or Reynolds.
Snow Crash!
Altered Carbon, for certain! This books has become one of my all-time favorites.
Do yourself a favor, read anything by Neal Stephenson. Snow Crash will do.
Peter F. Hamilton's The Reality Disfunction
chasm city - sky rules
a shadow in summer...
I really want to check it out anyway but I know I'll buy it if it gets a great review from you :P
Tough choice, but I'm most like to read your take on:
1. Snow Crash
2. Smoke & Mirrors
2. Altered Carbon, because it's really a cool book and it deserved to be read by any SF fan.
1. Snow Crash, because it's Neal Stephenson, and everyone needs to read books written by God at least one time in his life. Definetely. Et tu ne verras plus jamais un rouleau de papier toilette de la même façon après (désolé, je ne savais pas comment le dire en anglais). :-)
Either Chasm City or Ilium.
I'd go with Peter F. Hamilton's The Reality Disfunction
Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon
Read this now!!!
Miéville is still in the driver seat, but Stephenson has moved up in second place. Morgan is falling behind...
Lots of great titles on your list, but I'm going to vote selfishly for one I haven't read, rather than for one you should read :-).
So, The Red Wolf Conspiracy it is then.
Well whatever you do, DON'T read Altered Carbon--you won't be able to put it down. In fact, you might even want to read it twice.
seriously, there are some MUST READ volumes in there
in order of importance
1. Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash
2. China Miéville's Perdido Street Station
3. Iain M. Banks' Consider Phlebas
4. Dan Simmons' Ilium
5. Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon
Danielewski should be up there too,
haven't read it yet, though
so i vote for Snow Crash as your next read
Snow Crash.
Dooooo eeeeeeet.
Daniel Abraham's A Shadow in Summer!
Of course. EVERYONE should read A Shadow in Summer!
-- Daniel Abraham, author of A Shadow in Summer
(P.S. -- Show Crash is a great second choice . . .)
I would definitely recommend A Shadow in Summer--I was very impressed with this book!
Post a Comment