I'd read this book before, but a long time ago and I decided it was time for a re-read. Its a good book, although the exposition about Sumerian history feels like a first attempt at the style of exposition used in later books like Quicksilver and I think its not as well done here. The story is pretty good sci-fi, even if the plot feels a little dated today. Overall a good book, but not Stephenson's best. [isbn: 0140232923;0553562614]
I've read this book before, many years ago. I figured I should re-read it, given how much I love the short story. Unfortunately, I think the short story is better than the novelization. The novel tends to try to explain too much, although the last chapter is a worthy addition. I'm sure I'll still read the rest in the series though, as there is more to see in this universe.
All of the Old Men's War books (Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades) have started slowly and built up to a climax. That's been good because its given some time for background which makes the second phase of the book all the more fully formed. This book is the same, although I think the introduction is more long winded than previously, and the whole thing gets wrapped up surprisingly quickly. Overall a good book, but not as good as the previous two.
I'm registered for LCA 2011! I wasn't expecting to be able to come due to a clash with a work event, but then they moved that event. So, I'm pretty happy about that. Have you registered yet? Early bird closes soon...
This book is a really good sequel, and just as good as Old Man's War. While some of the characters reappear, the story stands on its own and is quite entertaining. I enjoyed this book a lot. There's something about bright green genetically engineered super soldiers killing aliens that makes me happy. [award: nominee prometheus 2007] [isbn: 0765354063]
I've owned this book for a while, and now really regret not reading it the second it hit my shelves. Its amazingly good for a first book, and is definitely as good as The Forever War and Forever Peace, and better than Starship Troopers. I'm very very impressed with it. An excellent book if you're into combat scifi. Update 2011: I've been in a rut recently where I haven't really been enjoying the books I've been reading. The number of books I read has also dropped off a lot since I moved back to Australia. Some of the drop off is associated with living in a house instead of an apartment -- there is constant maintenance work to be done, and I might never finish painting this place. However, I was worried that perhaps I simply wasn't as into reading as I was a couple of years ago. So, I decided to go back and read a book I enjoyed before, and see if I still liked it. This was that book. The answer is hells yes. This book is still fantastic, and I really enjoyed it. I also knocked it over in a time similar to when I was…
This is a pretty odd book. It was given to me as a gift, and its a meandering tale about a failed science fiction writer. The author even appears as a character. The style is interesting, as the text stops for frequent illustrations, which is something I haven't seen before. However, the story doesn't really do it for me. [isbn: 9780385334204;0385334206]
I Know You Got Soul Consider Plebas Destinies Volume 1 Number 1 The Accidental Time Machine Camouflage Mars: A Survival Guide The Hemingway Hoax The System of the World Zodiac
This isn't Neal's best work, and I found the second half a little hard to read -- I think because it meandered, with several theories for who was responsible being interchanged. They were all reasonable theories, but the jump between each of them was jarring and could have been better done. The version of the book I was reading also had heaps of typographical errors -- single character substitutions and stuff like that -- which meant you needed to re-read sentences to make them make sense, which was pretty annoying. Overall not the worst book I've ever read, but certainly the worst Stephenson I've read. [isbn: 0099415526]
I was talking to some folk at work yesterday, and they suggested that perhaps I'm reading the wrong books. In fact, they might have been a tiny bit less polite than that. So, I whipped up a little recommendation engine last night. Its nothing fancy, but if you want to recommend a book for me, then please do!