Library Bookshelf

[so_P_bubble]

West of Eden (1984)Winter in Eden (1986)Return to Eden (1988) science fiction novel by American writer Harry Harrison.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_of_Eden

A story where the dinosaurs survived and ruled...

[MarsGal]

Morning Bubble. I haven't read any of Harrison's novels (that I can recall, unless it was Deathworld), but I have read several of his short stories. "Arm of the Law" remains one of my all-time favorites.  http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/29204

Valtermar, I have enjoyed all of the Scalzi books that I have read so far. Agent to the Stars was my first encounter with Scalzi and his quirky humor. Very funny! It was his first effort at novel writing and posted it for free on the net to see if anyone was actually interested in reading what he wrote. After that there was the Old Man's War series. If you liked the Star Trek TV series, you might like Redshirts. It is a spoof of the TV show. BTW, Wil Wheaton who played Wesley Crusher on the TV show is a good friend of Scalzi. With the Piper family's permission, Scalzi did his own retelling of H. Beam Piper's Little Fuzzy with his Fuzzy Nation. I recommend Lock-In if you are interested in an earth-based near future medical thriller. The main character is confined to a bed with Haden's Syndrome (reminds me very much of late stage ALS patients and those with catastrophic spinal cord injuries) from which he operates a robot/android in order interact with others outside the confines of his bedroom. He is an FBI agent tasked as a liaison with others of the Haden's Syndrome community and to investigate crimes involving those afflicted. In Lock-On, he investigates several murders involving nefarious medical business dealings, and a his second, Head On he investigates the murder of a favorite player in a sport, open only to Haden's sufferers, that has gained lots of fans and big-money backing. I hope he writes more.

The first Hugh Howey books I read were his Silo series. While they are good, the books that I like the best are his Sand series, a post-apocalyptic series involving "sand-diver" salvagers, The Shell Collector, a stand-alone environmental/romance novel, and especially Beacon 23. Beacon 23 is about an off world "lighthouse keeper" suffering from PTSD.

[so_P_bubble]

I never read Arm of the Law, by Harry Harrison. I will! Thanks for the link

[Marilyne]

Valtermar - Thanks for recommending the Stephen Baxter books.  The trilogy sound like something I will like, so I'll check out my library, and see if they have them in stock.  I think my husband has read books by Len Deighton?  He also likes any fiction or non fiction dealing with World War II . . . before, during and after. 

I read your list of SciFi authors, and only recognized a few of them - Robert Heinlein, and of course Jules Verne.  I was surprised to see the name William Shatner.  He is certainly a multi-talented man!  I know he's involved in all sorts of different things, but I didn't know he was also a writer.  I will have to Google his name, and see what it is that he's written?

[Valtermar]

Bubble - Thank your for the suggestion of books by Harri Harrison and the provided link to Wikipedia. I added the author and books to my list of books to read.

MarsGal - Thank you for listing some books by John Scalzi and Hugh Howey and the comments about these books. I added them to my list of books to read, together with those suggested by Bubble.

Among the authors whose books I started reading more recently, I like to recommend Sharon Lee and Steve Miller and their series of books about the Liaden Universe, and Douglas E. Richards.

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller created these characters from the planet called Liaden, living in a distant future where space travel is common and humanity has spread through the galaxy. I very much like their way of writing and the way they portray their characters. They are very fond of cats, so that cats have their part in the stories.

Douglas E. Richard stories I like because he usually chooses scientific topics and includes them in his stories, so that the reader can both enjoy the stories and learn more about science at the same time. At the end of his stories, Douglas usually comments about his choices and tell what in his stories are facts and what is fiction. It is a new way of writing that some authors of late have chosen. Michael Crichton used this style and James Rollins (author of the Sigma Force Series) uses it as well.

James Rollins books are for those who enjoy adventure stories like those of Indiana Jones. I have read 13 of his books of the Sigma Force series and liked  them all.

[Valtermar]

Hi, Marilyne! I think Len Deighton is a very good writer and also a researcher of History, so that his stories have their fiction part and also their historical facts, so that the readers can enjoy his stories and learn about History at the same time. There was a TV Series made (in England, I think) based on his books.

As for William Shatner, the books by him that I read are of the Tek War series (Tek War, Tek Lords, Tek Labs...). I also watched the movies made based on these stories.

[so_P_bubble]

Yes, I too enjoyed the Liaden Universe very much! I should re-read that series.

[PatH2]

Welcome, Valtermar!  It's great to meet another sci-fi fan.  Now we're going to overwhelm you with enough suggestions to last you for several years.  If you don't already know about it, a great resource is the Fantastic Fiction website.

https://www.fantasticfiction.com

It covers 40,000 authors of several genres, including science fiction, fantasy, and mysteries.  For each author you get a very brief biography, and a list of all their books, including ones not yet released, with a brief description of each.  Series are grouped together in chronological order.  Their system takes getting used to, as their alphabetic lists only include the most popular, so you have to search by author for the others.

[Valtermar]

Hi, Bubble!  The follow up of Neogenesis (Liaden Universe - Book 21), published in January, 2018, will be Accepting the Lance (Book 22), to be published next December 3, 2019. Meanwhile, there has been publication of short stories like Heirs to trouble, Degrees of separation, Fortune's favor and Shout of honor.

[Valtermar]

Hi, PatH2!  Thank you for the Welcome message and thank you also for the link to fantasticfiction. I didn't know the site, so that it was a great addition. 

[so_P_bubble]

Welcome back PatH! Good to see you, - I missed you both! 

[MarsGal]

Good morning everyone.

Cruising through YouTube yesterday, I discovered that the Kings and Generals channel includes The Three Kingdoms. These were posted recently, so I guess the Kings and Generals: Three Kingdoms video game (which sponsors the channel) is a recent addition to their line-up. Nice that they sponsor some real history. Anyway, the Three Kingdoms series sure helps to visualize and keep who is where doing what to whom more straight in my mind. The videos use the real history rather than the novelized version which is what I am reading.  Oh, and I also watched one on the Praetorians which pretty much seems a short summary of the audio book I finished last week.

I've  only gotten around to reading one of Len Deighton's books, City of Gold, which I remember liking.

John Sandford co-wrote with photo-artist, Ctein, a Science Fiction thriller called Saturn Run. It was very good. So far, it is one and only cross-over into SciFi that I know of.

[SCFSue]

Good morning and welcome, Valtermar.  It's always nice to see someone new here.  I've read a few of the books you've mentioned, but I tend to read mostly novels which are easily found in my local library.  I hope you'll settle in soon--and as you can probably see most of us who post are women. More than a few of us are widows.  However, our reading tastes are varied and a number of posters are into the type of books you mention.  I hope you'll visit us again soon.

Sue

[MarsGal]

I have a correction. Kings and Generals does not own the video game, it is Total War that has the Three Kingdoms game. Kings and Generals is, however, sponsored by them. The Invicta channel on YouTube also has a series on the Three Kingdoms which I actually can follow a bit better than the Kings and Generals one. I've watched a number of both channels' short videos on various other ancient groups and battles.

[Marilyne]

Sorry to read in the newspaper this morning, that prolific Southern writer, Dorothea Benton Frank, has died.  She was only 67 years old.  I've read many of her novels over the years, and I know that many of you have also.  The article said that she has a brand new book our now, called Queen Bee.  I would like to read it, and plan to see if it's available at my library.

I haven't been reading much this past week.  The last time I went to the library, I picked up a book by Barbara Kingsolver, called Prodigal Summer.  Her novel, The Poisonwood Bible, is at the top of my list of all time favorites, I'm always ready to read another of her books, in hopes that I will like it.  So far, I haven't found any of her books, since "Poisonwood", to be at all enjoyable, and I don't think I've stayed with and finished any of them. The same problem with "Prodigal".  I read enough to know that I'm not interested in the story or characters, so that's another one crossed off.  I've heard it said that an author really has only one truly great book to write, and when it's been written, all others to follow are mediocre at best.  I think it applies to Kingsolver.   

[CallieOK]

I'm also sorry to hear about Dorothea Benton Frank.  I loved her books and was looking forward to more.
Marilyn, let me know if you are as surprised as I was at the central character in "Queen Bee". 

I'm reading novels by Susan Meisner
  She takes an historical event of the past and builds a story that connects it to a fictional event today. Have read "Fall of Marigolds" (a real fire in a NYC factory) and "Stars Over Sunset Boulevard" (the filming of "Gone With The Wind".  Am currently reading "Secrets Of A Charmed Life".  It centers on two sisters who were evacuated as children during the London Blitz.  Current tie is an interview with one of them who has just confessed she isn't really 102 and her name isn't really what she says it is.  Story has now switched to the evacuation.

Hello, Valtermar from Oklahoma. 

[Valtermar]

Hi, SCFSue and CallieOK.  Thank you for the welcome.

MarsGal, City of Gold is one among Len Deighton's books I didn't read yet.

I do not think I read John Sanford books yet, either. I read what readers thought about Saturn Run and some think the authors spent too much space in the beginning of the story describing technicalities. Are you of the same opinion?

[MarsGal]

Valtermar, I didn't have any problem with the technical details in Saturn Run. I know some people do not like it. I have talked to some people who didn't even like the scientific/mathematical details in Andy Weir's The Martian, which I considered at a high school or first year college level. None of it interfered with the story itself. If I don't understand the science/technology (Quantum theory/mechanics is a good example) I either look it up or skim over it because most of the time the detail does not interfere with the main plot. I don't really need to know how something works, just that it does. If I do need to know, it is because I am a curious creature.

I am going to share a memory with you all. I can remember, when I was a youngster, my Dad used to tell me I would love reading Victor Hugo because I liked detailed descriptions so much. I never did get around to reading Hugo, but I never lost that interest in detailed descriptions, whether in science and technology, or details describing the shape, colors and smells of a landscape, or details of what a character is wearing.

My current SciFi read is M. R. Forbes, Deliverance. It is the first of a series involving a colony ship which is escaping Earth after it is overrun by alien creature bent on destroying mankind. Of course, some of these creatures have managed to get aboard the ship. Forbes writes some interesting characters. I liked his War Eternal series very much. That one involved sentient AI and time recursion.

[so_P_bubble]

And in old time Seniornet (WREX discussion) I started writing about A1, not Al, in a parallel world.   I wish my inspiration would come back... it was fun.

[MarsGal]

Two of my long standing holds at the library came in. One is Alastair Reynold's Revenger. The other is A History of the Later Han Dynasty 23-230 AD by Rafe De Crespigny. The book, published and presented to the Shippensburg University Library in 2017, looks pristine. As I was hoping, it does have some maps. It is 510 pages not including the bibliography and index at the end. I still have a little over 200 pages to read in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

The other day I found a volume of Ray Bradbury short stories (Quicker than the Eye) that I never finished. It is now sitting out where I can see it so I can finish it when I get a chance.

[MarsGal]

This morning I sent back Revenger after reading only a chapter and a half. It is written for the young set, I think. Anyway, I didn't take to it.

[Marilyne]

Mars - I've recently taken back lots of unread books to the library.  There was a time, when I would stick with a book, and try to start liking it - especially if it had good reviews, or someone recommended it to me.  I wasted too much time, when I should've tossed it.  Now I realize that there are many books out there that really suit me, so I don't waste my time any longer. 

My dil, gave me a novel called The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, by Lisa See.  I read another of See's books a few years ago, called Shanghai Girls, and I loved it.  So far I can't drum up any interest in "Tea Girl", but will give it another go this afternoon before I give up on it.   Other than that, I have an Ivan Doig book here, called Mountain Time, that I'm anxious to read, so maybe I'll start it instead, and get back to "Tea Girl" at another time.  Decisions, decisions!         

[Valtermar]

Hi, MarsGal! Thank you for the reply in regard to John Sanford's Saturn Run. I will keep it in my list of books to read.

Richard Douglas also likes to include details of the scientific kind in his stories, and usually I like to read them. I might like to read John Sanford book.

I traveled on Thursday and Wednesday, so that I bought an e-book by Elizabeth George to read while traveling. It is "In the presence of the enemy". I read most of her books of the Inspector Lynley Series, already. This one is among the few still to be read.
Elizabeth George's books were a recommendation of Bubble, many years ago. Thank you again, Bubble. I like to read her stories.

[maryc]

Marilyne,I'll be interested to hear how you like Mountain Time.

[Marilyne]

Good Morning book lovers!    Still early here in the West, but I've been up since about 6:30, thinking about the wonderful movie I watched yesterday and last night.   One of my top five favorites of all time, Doctor Zhivago.  I have the DVD, so usually take it out at least once a year, and enjoy it all over again.  Strange that I have never read the book, by Boris Pasternak, from which the movie was adapted, but I plan to get it at the library this weekend.   Have any of you read the book?  I'm fascinated by the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks, and how Russia was forever changed as a result.  After I saw Doctor Z, for the first time, in 1965, that's what started my interest.   I then read the book, Nicholas and Alexandra, which was a best seller at that time, and followed it up by reading other accounts of the Revolution.

Maryc - I haven't yet started Mountain Time, but there is no time limit on how long I can keep it, so I'll likely wait until after I read "Dr.Z".   

[so_P_bubble]

I tried reading Dr Z, a very heavy tome (in French anyway) and found I was plodding in it, losing track of who all the characters were, and very long descriptions. That was many years ago, when it was just published.  I am not sure if I even got to the end.

Years later, I went to see the film but again, could not manage to the end, but for a different reason   I was pregnant and felt that the baby was in discomfort... I rushed to the hospital, just in time for a miscarriage with sad result. Now I don't want to see the film. But I do like the music of Lara's theme. 

[SCFSue]

I saw the Movie, Dr. Zhivago, on TV when it first appeared, then I went to the library and checked out the book.  The novel was wonderful, although lengthy.  The movie stuck to the plot very well, IMHO!

Sue

[Valtermar]

Hi, everyone!

Back in the seventies, I was still starting to learn English and wanted books in English do practice and advance my poor knowledge of the language.

At the time, I was living in Porto Alegre, in the South of Brazil and, at the end of October and beginning of November, there was always a book fair at downtown. So, while strolling through the fair, searching, I found this used book by Louise S. Rankin, in a bargain box, with the title "Daughter of the Mountains" and immediately decided to buy it and try reading it.

I remember that, though I could not understand all that was written, I got a good gist of the story and enjoyed reading it.

Just today I recalled my experience with this book and thought: "Why not read it again?". Unfortunately, Amazon does not have a Kindle edition of it.   I think I will try the audio book, instead...

Have any of you read this book?

[Marilyne]

Bubble - I can certainly understand why you don't have good feelings about Doctor Z.  Losing your baby is a sad memory, and I can see that the movie, or the book, would always remind you. 

I think the reason that lots of us get bogged down when reading Russian literature of any kind, is the names of the characters - whether fictional or real.  The characters are generally addressed by their full name, which is often long and complicated, and hard to remember.  Then they usually have another shortened nickname.  I recently read the new,  non-fiction book, "Midnight in Chernobyl", and per usual, I lost track of who was who, because of the names! 

As for the movie, "Doctor Z", one thing I would strongly advise anyone to do when they watch it on TV or from a DVD.  Be sure to turn on the closed captions!  Between the complicated names, and the Russian accents, it's difficult to follow the story.  When you have the CC to refer to, it makes a world of difference, and makes it much more enjoyable.

Valtermar - Now I'm curious, and will check my library to see if they have a copy of "Daughter of the Mountains", by Rankin. 

[MarsGal]

Good Morning all.

I finally gave up on Romance of the Three Kingdoms and started reading A History of the Later Han Dynasty 23-230 AD by Rafe De Crespigny. The book starts out with a timeline which is very helpful for seeing who did what when. The book is also very rich with notes, also very helpful. In the few pages I have read so far, I have discovered that the first ever recorded earthquake in China with a seismograph was in 133 AD. Not only did the Chinese aristocrats have a formal name, and a court name, but at least some of them also had a temple name. Lots of luck keeping track of people when each name can be used at different points in a book. The part of the original layout of the capital, Liuyang, was destroyed by course changes of nearby rivers over the years. Early Chinese cities were made from earthworks, tiles and wood which did not hold up well through the centuries.

I have not read Daughter of the Mountains. Information about Rankin is hard to find, but I did run across a Kirkus Review (1950) of her book The Gentling of Jonathan.