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Michael Still
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These posts mostly relate to books I am reading or series I am collecting to read in order (I tend to collect the series and then read it in one block). You can see a see a list of the books I am currently seeking, as well as a list of all the books I've bothered to catalog if you're interested.


Wed, 18 Nov 2009



Bolo Rising




    ISBN: 0671577794
    Baen (1998), Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages
    LibraryThing
    In the distant future after the Melconians have done their thing, there is a small pocket of humans and they're having a bad day. One of things I like about the Bolo books is that their consistent in their overall direction for future human history, and that future is reasonably plausible -- its a bit like Asimov's extended Foundation Series, but written by a bunch of different authors. There must have been a huge coordination effort while producing these books.

    This book is pretty standard Bolo fair, which is well written and entertaining. It wont make you a better person, but its a fun read and makes you think.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Keith_Laumer(S)


posted at: 20:01 | path: /book/Keith_Laumer | permanent link to this entry


Sun, 15 Nov 2009



Forever Peace




    ISBN: 9780441005666
    LibraryThing
    This a very different book to The Forever War, and not really a sequel. It covers some similar territory, but there are no characters in common, and the overall plots are unrelated (and conflicting). However, this book is as well written as The Forever War, and I enjoyed it.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Joe_Haldeman(S)


posted at: 22:44 | path: /book/Joe_Haldeman | permanent link to this entry


Wed, 11 Nov 2009



The Forever War




    ISBN: 9780312536633
    LibraryThing
    I read this book mainly because multiple sites recommended it as a response to Starship Troopers. I'd actually read the start of this book already in the form of the short story "Hero", which is included in Battlefields Beyond Tomorrow. At the time, I would have described it as an ok short story, but not the best in the book. That's interesting, because the extended version in the novel is amazing. Its one of those books I had trouble putting down, and its gripping to the end. The book has a very different perspective on war from Starship Troopers and is more like some of David Drake's writing (they're both Vietnam veterans). There is also a little bit of Bill the Galactic Hero mixed in as well, without being so over the top. I strongly recommend this book.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Joe_Haldeman(S)


posted at: 14:14 | path: /book/Joe_Haldeman | permanent link to this entry


Fri, 06 Nov 2009



On Cars




    ISBN: 9781856131001
    LibraryThing
    Jeremy Clarkson isn't one of those people you can read hundreds of pages of at once. That's probably why he writes articles instead of books. This book is a collection of these articles, and it is an interesting and entertaining read. However, I couldn't read it front to back. Instead I read it over a series of take offs and landings during a trip, and that worked well. Apart from Jeremy's sense of humour, and the fact that he's mostly right, the other interesting aspect of this book is that you get to see his writing style develop over time. It helps explain how we ended up with Top Gear.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Jeremy_Clarkson(S)


posted at: 21:38 | path: /book/Jeremy_Clarkson | permanent link to this entry


Thu, 05 Nov 2009



Books read in October 2009

posted at: 15:25 | path: /book/read | permanent link to this entry


Wed, 28 Oct 2009



Triplanetary




    ISBN: 0425053830
    LibraryThing
    This is the first book in the EE Doc Smith Lensman series, a series which sweeps from pre-modern Atlantis all the way well into the future. Its pretty old, so some of the science is dangerously dated, but that's not its biggest flaw. This book suffers from uncontrolled hyperbole, which I guess isn't that unexpected for a space opera. I guess it was also more common at the time, before science fiction started taking itself seriously. The plot is also a little hard to believe, with both sides at one point murdering entire cities. They then of course forgive each other because "its logical".

    However, I have an emotional attachment to this book, because it is the one which interested me in reading as a young child. Despite its flaws in both science and plot, it is still an ok book. I enjoyed reading it, and it was entertaining.

    Tags for this post: book(S) EE_Doc_Smith(S)


posted at: 05:22 | path: /book/EE_Doc_Smith | permanent link to this entry


Tue, 20 Oct 2009



Nerilka's Story




    ISBN: 0345339495
    Del Rey (1987), Mass Market Paperback, 208 pages
    LibraryThing
    This book takes place over almost exactly the same period as Moreta. However, its not a rehash of those events, as it is written from a different person's perspective. There are enough points where the two story lines meet for the books to make sense as a pair, and I'd recommend reading them back to back. This book is an incredibly fast read (I knocked it over in a few hours on a flight), and its a bit more positive than Moreta, which has a pretty sad ending. However, this book isn't the happiest book ever written either. I've seen commentary that says this book is mostly about how unattractive Nerilka is physically. I dispute that though -- the book is about how the human spirit is more important than breeding or good looks, and how Nerilka's efforts to do the right thing in a time of crisis have a lasting impact. I enjoyed this book.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Anne_McCaffrey(S)


posted at: 13:05 | path: /book/Anne_McCaffrey | permanent link to this entry
Comment on this post.


Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern




    ISBN: 034529873X
    Del Rey (1984), Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
    LibraryThing
    Moreta is a book about a pandemic, and its hard to make those fun... If you've bothered to find out anything about the book in advance (or read the preceding Pern books, where it is referred to), you know that its not going to be a fun ride. On the other hand, the book is an interesting read, and its educational to find out how much knowledge has been lost in the Pern universe between Moreta and Lessa. For example, its clear in Moreta that everyone knows they moved from the Southern continent, whereas that is much less clear in the books set in Lessa's time. Its hard to say that a book about thousands of people dying is enjoyable. However, the story is a gripping one, and I'm glad I read it.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Anne_McCaffrey(S)


posted at: 13:01 | path: /book/Anne_McCaffrey | permanent link to this entry


Thu, 15 Oct 2009



Starship Troopers




    ISBN: 0441783589
    Ace (1987), Edition: Reissue, Paperback, 272 pages
    LibraryThing
    I saw the movie a few years ago, and so I read this book on a whim. Its very different to the movie. The book is interesting, although it does have a tendency to slide into rants about the moral responsibilities which come with having an electoral franchise. The book is also very pro military in its stance, although that's fair enough (an author without an opinion would be a boring author).

    Overall, I thought this book was an enjoyable read.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Robert_A_Heinlein(S)


posted at: 05:59 | path: /book/Robert_A_Heinlein | permanent link to this entry


Sun, 11 Oct 2009



Better Than Life




    ISBN: 0451452313
    Roc (1993), Paperback, 304 pages
    LibraryThing
    This is the second novelized book from the guys who wrote Red Dwarf. The first book of course shares its name with the name of the TV series. This book deviates from the plot line used in the TV series, and at some points feels more like a summary of the series than a novelization. Then again there are also times where they explore things that would be way to expensive to do in a TV show for the BBC, so that's fun.



    Tags for this post: book(S) Grant_Naylor(S)


posted at: 00:12 | path: /book/Grant_Naylor | permanent link to this entry


Wed, 07 Oct 2009



Red Dwarf




    ISBN: 0451452011
    Roc (1992), Paperback, 304 pages
    LibraryThing
    This book was exciting because its the first book I have read on the spur of the moment after perusing my book shelves -- for the first time in many years I have my entire collection out of boxes on on shelves, which makes it much easier to just grab something to read. This book is a classic, and I love the TV series (which I discovered before the books), and this book. The book is different from the TV series, and feels more like a summary of the series than anything else, but its an engaging read.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Grant_Naylor(S)


posted at: 21:45 | path: /book/Grant_Naylor | permanent link to this entry


Tue, 06 Oct 2009



The King's Buccaneer




    ISBN: 0553563734
    Spectra (1994), Paperback, 560 pages
    LibraryThing
    I really liked this book, as I do most of Feist's work, although he does have a talent for writing books which are long. This book continues the story line from the Magician (Apprentice and Master), Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon. I like that, and have felt for a while that Prince of the Blood was a bit of a tangent from the main thrust of the series -- although characters which are used in later stories are introduced through that book.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Raymond_E_Feist(S)


posted at: 23:47 | path: /book/Raymond_E_Feist | permanent link to this entry


Sat, 03 Oct 2009



Books read in September 2009

posted at: 15:16 | path: /book/read | permanent link to this entry


Deadly Exposure




    ISBN: 0451408721
    Signet (2000), Paperback, 416 pages
    LibraryThing
    This book isn't very good. I read it because my six year old son really liked the front cover art, and wanted me to read it. He wanted me to read it so much in fact that he bought two copies to give me.

    The book starts off with something which feels like its lifted straight out of the Andromeda Strain, you know, government agency / possible alien infection / we need a crack team of scientists! The book then moves on to introduce a selection of surprisingly one sided characters -- the fat self obsessed scientist, the thin young lady obsessed with getting it on, et cetera. The story jumps around, with sometimes implausible outcomes... For example, people are mid argument, and just magically stop when something happens nearby. Do you know people who stop arguing because the lights flicker?

    The book does pick up a little at the end, and I assume all the weird personification we're subjected to is an attempt to convey that the characters are losing their grip on sanity. Overall, I thought this book was quite rough, which is surprising from an author who apparently has had four other books published.

    I have revenge on my six year old planned -- I am going to make him read this book when he is older.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Leonard_Goldberg(S)


posted at: 15:11 | path: /book/Leonard_Goldberg | permanent link to this entry


Sat, 26 Sep 2009



Bolo Brigade




    ISBN: 067187781x
    LibraryThing
    There seems to be a formula for bolo books -- an obsolete bolo or two, and alien invader, a solitary bolo commander, and preferably a management chain which either doesn't trust bolos, the officer, or preferably both. Its even better if the chain of command is also grossly incompetent. This book has all of those, and I am left feeling that it didn't really add much to the overall bolo universe. Other books have explored some new aspect of the bolo psyche, or expanded on the history of the concordiat universe in some way, whereas this book didn't feel like it did any of that.

    However, this was an entertaining book, and is reasonably well written. It just wasn't as ambitious as I'd hoped it would be.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Keith_Laumer(S)


posted at: 03:02 | path: /book/Keith_Laumer | permanent link to this entry


Tue, 22 Sep 2009



The Stars Must Wait




    ISBN: 0671698591
    Baen (1990), Paperback, 283 pages
    LibraryThing
    This book is a novelization of "Night of the Trolls", which I have already read as part of The Compleat Bolo and Battlefields Beyond Tomorrow. I'm pretty fond of the short story, and this book version didn't start out strongly -- there is a prelude to explain some background, and then the book launches into what feels like the exact text of the short story. You can tell it hasn't been edited much, because there are minor continuity errors between this first chapter and the prelude. There are other continuity errors as well -- the blurb on the back says that the main character goes into stasis in 2002, but his wife dies in 1992 which is meant to be after the main character goes into stasis, and the map that he uses once out of stasis is copyright 2011 (even though the main character claims to have bought it just before going into stasis). Note that these dates are different to those used in the short story. These errors are distracting although the underlying story is still a good one.

    However, the good bits of the story are all contained in the short story. This feels like a poorly edited and heavily padded version of that short story, and I think we would have been better off without it. There is in fact a whole heap of seemingly pointless dialogue in the center of the book, where I think what we're meant to be learning is that post-apocalyptic life isn't much fun. I think we could have worked that out, and perhaps saved 50 or so pages. Worst of all, Laumer has changed the ending to a much less satisfying one.

    I recommend just sticking with the short story.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Keith_Laumer(S)


posted at: 00:19 | path: /book/Keith_Laumer | permanent link to this entry


Sun, 20 Sep 2009



Days of Blood and Fire




    ISBN: 0553290126
    Spectra (1994), Paperback, 528 pages
    LibraryThing
    This is book seven of the extended Deverry series (preceeded by Daggerspell, Darkspell, Dawnspell, The Dragon Revenant, A Time of Exile, and A Time of Omens). The blurb on the back cover of this book implies that it should be safe for a new reader to enter the series here, and I can understand why publishers would want to do such a thing for such a long series. By contrast, Asimov's Extended Foundation Series has many entry points, with most stories being free standing. I think Kerr did a reasonable job of introducing the characters without being overly annoying about it. I've seen reviews from others that say that there is a lot of annoying ground to recover, such as the Etheric travel sequences. I disagree however -- these are just as long winded as in other books in the series, and we're talking about a couple of paragraphs, not hundreds of pages.

    The only part of this book which didn't sit well with me was Rori picking up a girlfriend with basically now warning. Perhaps I'm dense, but I didn't see it coming at all, and thought it was rather abrupt. I'm also not sure it did much to further the overall story. On the other had, Jadho is an interesting character, and I'd like to see him explored more.

    This book ends mid plot line, so I guess they're expecting me to read the next book soon. That would have been a lot more annoying if I was reading this book fresh off the presses and had to wait for Kerr to write the next one before I could read it.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Katharine_Kerr(S)


posted at: 14:18 | path: /book/Katharine_Kerr | permanent link to this entry


Mon, 14 Sep 2009



Mr. Penumbra's Twenty-Four-Hour Book Store

    Boing Boing put me onto this online short story. Its really very good, and it distracted me from the book I am meant to be reading by not only being clever, but also by using jargon in a manner that not only furthered the story, but (and here's the rare bit) didn't make me immediately cringe. The story is also chock full of quotable quotes, of which I will supply you with one:

    I can't stop squirming. If fidgets were Wikipedia edits, I would have completely revamped the entry on guilt by now, and translated it into six new languages.


    An excellent short story of our modern times.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Robin_Sloan(S)

posted at: 03:19 | path: /book/Robin_Sloan | permanent link to this entry


Sat, 12 Sep 2009



Isaac Asimov's Robot City: Robots and Aliens: Maverick




    ISBN: 0441731317
    Ace (1990), Paperback
    LibraryThing
    Bruce did an ok job with this book, although I think overall he was suffering from not having a lot to work with. The book is quite readable, which isn't true of some of the others, and has some nice details such as an attempt to sound technically feasible by the liberal sprinkling of unix jargon through the book. I'm not sure if the unix jargon is successful however. Its interesting that this is also the first of these books to not have an introduction from Asimov himself.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Bruce_Bethke(S)


posted at: 04:16 | path: /book/Bruce_Bethke | permanent link to this entry


Thu, 10 Sep 2009



Dragondrums




    ISBN: 0553258559
    Spectra (1997), Mass Market Paperback, 208 pages
    LibraryThing
    This is the third book in the Harper Hall trilogy (after Dragonsong and Dragonsinger). I didn't enjoy it as much as the other two. This book focuses on Piemur instead of Mellony, and the first half is about his pubescent turmoil, which is probably why I didn't enjoy this book as much. I had similar objections to The White Dragon, which is a very similar book to this one. However, the second half of the book is pretty good, and overall I thought it was a useful contribution to the overall story line of the series.

    Tags for this post: book(S) Anne_McCaffrey(S)


posted at: 14:07 | path: /book/Anne_McCaffrey | permanent link to this entry