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Parallel Visions: City of Angels City of Demons ebook and trade paperback available on Amazon (or here). |
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Welcome to 2021! Let's get some writing done.
Track your writing progress in 2021 using this free spreadsheet.
(And if you're an author with a wiki, add a comment here.) If so, I'd like to hear about it. Add a comment here
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Fritz's recent reading list 2017 July to December
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Finished | Continued | Started | Stopped | Abandoned | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audiobooks: | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Books: | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Graphic novels: | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
-------- | --------- | ------- | ------- | --------- | |
Total books: | 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Finished | Continued | Started | Stopped | Abandoned | |
Audio short stories: | 78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Short stories: | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
-------- | --------- | ------- | ------- | --------- | |
Total short stories: | 92 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2017 Reading[edit]
December 2017[edit]
by Robert A. Heinlein
Heinlein's juveniles
search amazon
(finished,reread,full-cast,audio,book)
by Richard Stark a.k.a. Donald E. Westlake
Parker #23
search amazon
(finished,audio,book)
by Richard Stark a.k.a. Donald E. Westlake
Parker #19
search amazon
(finished,audio,book)
by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins
Mike Hammer #16
search amazon
(finished,audio,book)
by Edmond Hamilton
Captain Future #1
search amazon
(finished,book)
by Ben Aaronovitch
Peter Grant #5.5
search amazon
(finished,audio,short story)
by James Robinson, Aaron Campbell (Illustrator)
James Bond (Dynamite)
search amazon
(started,graphic novel)
November 2017[edit]
editor Philip Francis Nowlan, Dick Calkins (Illustrator)
Paperback
(finished,book)
by Edmond Hamilton
Captain Future #1
search amazon
(started,book)
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Hmmm. Perhaps I've read a bit too many SF novels, but I figured out the plot shtick within the first few pages. -- Sigh. And the ending was rather anti-climatic. |
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There is a big idiot plot point in Aurora (2015) by Kim Stanley Robinson that I am struggling and failing to get over. Namely, that they have fabber's (which are called printers) that are quite capable of producing things such as gun powder, pesticides, and sophisticated drug cocktails, but no one thinks to use them to make food. Which wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the major plot driver that crop failures on the generation ship are causing everyone to slowly starve to death. As I approached the end, I realized that many of the plot points hinged on the lack of some technologies that we already have and yet there was no reason given for not using them. Particularly among those was the notion that generation ships are in general impossible and that humans will never expand to reach the stars (which seems to the parable of the book) because of zoo-devolution and genetic drift, and this flies in face of genetic engineering. I also realized that I had never warmed to any of the characters, with the possible exception of Ship, that is, the AI of the ship. I did like a lot of the exposition and technical details despite ignoring facets of science and technology available to us even now (and I have to admit liking Seveneves (2015) by Neal Stephenson much more and how it addressed the same issue of long term survivability of humans in enclosed habitats and narrowly constrained populations). Ultimately, I ended up just wanting to get done with reading the thing. And that's a serious disappointment for 16+ hour long book. Update: I've been thinking more on this and feel I must add how irritating the main character's anger with her ancestors choosing to go on the generation ship and "condemning their descendants to lingering death" and how this makes me angry with that attitude particularly in the face of not being able to the predict the future. How conceited and self centered that character was to think that her ancestors should have not chosen to go out as colonists because they might be condemning their descendants to an unpleasant death. |
by David VanDyke and B. V. Larson
Galactic Liberation #1
search amazon
(finished,audio,book)
October 2017[edit]
by David VanDyke and B. V. Larson
Galactic Liberation #1
search amazon
(started,audio,book)
by Thomas Lopez, ZBS Foundation
Ruby the Galactic Gumshoe #9.5
search amazon
(finished,audio,short story)
by Thomas Lopez, ZBS Foundation
Ruby the Galactic Gumshoe #9
search amazon
(finished,audio,short story)
by Thomas Lopez, ZBS Foundation
Ruby the Galactic Gumshoe #8
search amazon
(finished,audio,short story)
by Thomas Lopez, ZBS Foundation
Ruby the Galactic Gumshoe #7.5
search amazon
(finished,audio,short story)
by Warren Ellis, Jon Davis-Hunt (Illustrator)
The Wild Storm #1
search amazon
(finished,graphic novel)
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Overall, I enjoyed Steal the Sky (2016) by Megan E. O'Keefe. There was a rather bothersome plot hole in which a fairly obvious use of the fundamental mechanic of the "powers" that create basis for most of the plot and the foundation of much of the technology, namely, that the gas 'selium' being mentally manipulated to create various effects, lift airships, etc, could easily be sent into someone's lungs by a "powered" individual and prevent the target from absorbing oxygen, thus disabling or killing them. |
Steampunk! An Anthology of Fantastically Rich and Strange Stories (2011)
editors Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant search amazon (finished,audio,book) |
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by Meatball Fulton, ZBS Foundation
Jack Flanders
search amazon
(finished,audio,short story)
by Meatball Fulton, ZBS Foundation
Jack Flanders
search amazon
(finished,audio,short story)
by Thomas Lopez, ZBS Foundation
Ruby the Galactic Gumshoe #10
search amazon
(finished,audio,short story)
September 2017[edit]
by Ken MacLeod
The Corporation Wars #3
search amazon
(finished,audio,book)
"With a Poet's Eyes" by John C. Hocking -- (read,short story)
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Despite being fairly long, Forging Hephaestus (2017) by Drew Hayes is probably the best supervillain novel I've read since Soon I Will Be Invincible (2007) by Austin Grossman. It is traditional in it's conceptualization of the the superhero world (this is not meant to be a criticism, as I'm still a fan of that) in so far as it allows for superpowers based on magic (fantasy), science (SF), and many in between or unexplained superpowers. The worldbuilding is good, with a nice take on the superhero-supervillain dynamics, and has a firm grasp on the superhero culture and its implications (which I is lacking in soooo many allegedly superhero novels). ...Warning: This is a work in progress. -- Fritz. |
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Jane Carver of Waar (2012) by Nathan Long makes no bones about being inspired by A Princess of Mars (1917) by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Starting with an author's note that he received tapes narrating the adventures of Jane Carver (a name not far from John Carter) (tapes being an echo of the Dray Prescot adventures) and moving on to a pursuit leading to our hero taking refuge in a cave that transports her to distant planet and dropping us into a Sword and Planet adventure stocked with two moons, brightly colored humans, and six-limbed savages. ...Warning: This is a work in progress. -- Fritz. |
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I have mixed feelings about Ninefox Gambit (2016) by Yoon Ha Lee. While I enjoyed the atmosphere and the plot, it failed for me on a number levels. One of these was that the author made no attempt to ground the technology and "science" within the story with the technology and science of today, leaving me no other conclusion than that this was work of fantasy with the verbal trappings of science fiction. Nor was I enamored with the main character. Having said that, I think the worldbuilding was good and there was a distinct feeling of otherworldliness (that is, non-Westerness) to it. ...Warning: This is a work in progress. -- Fritz. |
Robert E. Howard's Conan the Cimmerian Barbarian: The Complete Weird Tales Omnibus (2017)
by Robert E. Howard Conan the Barbarian Kindle, Paperback, Audio (finished,audio,book) |
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August 2017[edit]
Robert E. Howard's Conan the Cimmerian Barbarian: The Complete Weird Tales Omnibus (2017)
by Robert E. Howard Conan the Barbarian Kindle, Paperback, Audio (continued,audio,book) |
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I recently (August of 2017) finished rereading A Plague of Demons (1964) by Keith Laumer. While it counts as a memorable novel, I have to say I didn't remember it for it's sly, almost Chandleresque humor and excellent descriptions. |
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Kiln People (2002) by David Brin was a masterful science fiction novel combining a superb worldbuilding, an innovative multiple first person narrative, prose that integrated with both the world and narrators, and an exploration of the philosophy of conscienceless. Warning: This is a work in progress. -- Fritz. |
Robert E. Howard's Conan the Cimmerian Barbarian: The Complete Weird Tales Omnibus (2017)
by Robert E. Howard Conan the Barbarian Kindle, Paperback, Audio (started,audio,book) |
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I rather enjoyed Seveneves (2015) by Neal Stephenson, despite it's dark, apocalyptic nature. Among it's attractions were a number expositional bits describing technology and problem solving. |
| I'm afraid I was rather disappointed with the ending of Seven Surrenders (2017) by Ada Palmer. The one outstanding question I had, namely, is this a science fiction novel or a fantasy novel was not resolved. Which is to say, were Bridger's powers purely miraculous, or did they have a scientific underpinning was never answered. Nor did it help that one of the obvious solutions to the political crisis was never undertaken, made particularly egregious by the fact one of the characters was a self-professed assassin (who even went by the name Sniper). One would have really expected someone to have taken matters to their natural conclusion and simply assassinated Madame / Julia (making this an idiot plot to some degree). Amidst the disappointment, I continued to admire Ada Palmer's worldbuilding and plotting. |
July 2017[edit]
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The Delirium Brief (2017) by Charles Stross was a fun addition to the Laundry Files series. Charles Stross continues to "twist the dagger" on Bob Howard and the rest of the Laundry as Horrors from Beyond continue to insinuate their tentacles intent on devouring humanity. |
by Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel, Lee Sullivan (Artist), Luis Guerrero (Colorist)
Rivers of London (graphic novels) #1
search amazon
(finished,graphic novel)
by Andy Diggle, Luca Casalanguida (Illustrator)
search amazon
(finished,graphic novel)
January to June
Also See
- Fritz's recent reading list
- 2021 reading / 2021 Read / 2021 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2021 September to December
- Fritz's recent reading list 2021 May to August
- Fritz's recent reading list 2021 January to April
- 2020 reading / 2020 Read / 2020 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2020 September to December
- Fritz's recent reading list 2020 May to August
- Fritz's recent reading list 2020 January to April
- 2019 reading / 2019 Read / 2019 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2019 September to December
- Fritz's recent reading list 2019 May to August
- Fritz's recent reading list 2019 January to April
- 2018 reading / 2018 Read / 2018 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2018 September to December
- Fritz's recent reading list 2018 May to August
- Fritz's recent reading list 2018 January to April
- 2017 reading / 2017 Read / 2017 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2017 July to December
- Fritz's recent reading list 2017 January to June
- 2016 reading / 2016 Read / 2016 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2016 July to December
- Fritz's recent reading list 2016 January to June
- Fritz's recent reading list 2021 / 2021 Read / 2021 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2020 / 2020 Read / 2020 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2019 / 2019 Read / 2019 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2018 / 2018 Read / 2018 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2017 / 2017 Read / 2017 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2016 / 2016 Read / 2016 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2015 / 2015 Read / 2015 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2014 / 2014 Read / 2014 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2013 / 2013 Read / 2013 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2012 / 2012 Read / 2012 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2011 / 2011 Read / 2011 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2010 / 2010 Read / 2010 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2009 / 2009 Read / 2009 reading picks
- Fritz's recent reading list 2008 and 2007 / 2008 and 2007 reading picks
- 2008 Read
- 2007 Read
- What I've been reading on Pinterest
- Fritz's reading lists
- Fritz's to read stack
- Fritz's recent viewing list
- Fritz's adhoc story survey
- A list of books Fritz stopped reading and why
- What Fritz has been reading on the web
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