Whatcha reading redux.

[Mike OTDP]

Finished Fate of Worlds by Niven and the other guy (Lerner in this case). Meh. I've read all the 'XX of Worlds' books mainly for completeness, but the Known Space stories have gotten a lot less fun over time.

Yup. Fate of Worlds was underwhelming.

FWIW, I'm back home, rereading The '45 by Christopher Duffy. A military history of the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. It's an interesting strategy and policy study.

[Highspeed]

I have downloaded a whole bunch of scifi books. I'm really trying to like fiction again ( I haven't really enjoyed it since I was a teenager )

The book I'm reading now is called Cryptonomicon and it is mind blowing. I chose it to read first out of the collection because I have got a huge interest in crypto and thought it might just possibly be worth a read if the title was anything to go by. The author seems to be writing about some alternative version of WW-2 and the startup of a computer tech business in the late 90's that is getting into some heavy politics. I'm only 40% of the way through and it's fascinating me. I have purposely not looked up the title on the internet because I don't want to read any spoilers.

Without adding any spoilers myself there are righteous ass kicking Marines - but also a lecture from the author on polyalphabetic ciphers and modular arithmetic - explained via the concept of Alan Turings bicycle having a bent spoke in the rear wheel and a weak link in it's drive chain.

I have never read anything like it before...

[Greg]

I have downloaded a whole bunch of scifi books. I'm really trying to like fiction again ( I haven't really enjoyed it since I was a teenager )

The book I'm reading now is called Cryptonomicon and it is mind blowing. I chose it to read first out of the collection because I have got a huge interest in crypto and thought it might just possibly be worth a read if the title was anything to go by. The author seems to be writing about some alternative version of WW-2 and the startup of a computer tech business in the late 90's that is getting into some heavy politics. I'm only 40% of the way through and it's fascinating me. I have purposely not looked up the title on the internet because I don't want to read any spoilers.

Without adding any spoilers myself there are righteous ass kicking Marines - but also a lecture from the author on polyalphabetic ciphers and modular arithmetic - explained via the concept of Alan Turings bicycle having a bent spoke in the rear wheel and a weak link in it's drive chain.

I have never read anything like it before...

Wow. For just trying fiction again, you sure aimed high. Neal Stephenson is very special- unique in fact. You won't read anything else like it that isn't also by Stephenson.

I love his writing. The sheer amount of intelligently presented cluefully pre-analyzed information in his digressions is mind blowing. He gets it. And it's all funny.

One minor warning, though, because I don't want it to be a shock. His biggest weakness as a writer is that he doesn't really write endings. He just kind of stops.

[Highspeed]

Thanks for the warning Greg - I'm just at the point where I'm starting to wonder if there was any way to tie the plot threads together.

[Greg]

Thanks for the warning Greg - I'm just at the point where I'm starting to wonder if there was any way to tie the plot threads together.

Oh don't worry about that, he's not a sloppy writer. All the major plot threads fit together nicely.

[Greg]

Finished Queen of Wands today. I rather enjoyed it.

[Highspeed]

Oh don't worry about that, he's not a sloppy writer. All the major plot threads fit together nicely.

That's a relief then. I also wondered if my ' learning to suspend disbelief ' project was best served by reading fiction that is full of equations

My missis went to this horrible Brit expat community place today and brought some books home from a sale they were having.
She has appalling taste in literature and reads lowest common denominator stuff like the ( made up by me for the purpose of humour ) " Quest for the Rune Spoon " a 14 book series, all full of wizards and elves and fucking magic swords and goblins with a tortured human hero. I think that shit is churned out by a computer somewhere and then they just slap some generic picture on the front cover that looks like a 70's Metal LP, with a dragon breathing fire at some sword wielding bitch wearing chainmail underwear and go to press.

Her other favourite genre is historical fiction ( as befits someone who thinks she is Boudicca, warrior queen of the Iceni tribe )
But it's all so badly written. I cannot suspend disbelief when Biggus Dickus the Roman Centurion is saying to Awesomus Maximus - " You take point " - like it's a lousy stereotyped 80's Vietnam movie sent back in time by 1000 years.

But she did bring home Steven Pressfields 'Gates Of Fire' amongst all the other garbage and was bemused when I was like a dog with two tails when I saw it. All I know about it so far is that it's required reading for USMC officers, so I do not expect to be disappointed

[SeekHer]

After reading that superb book Constantine’s Sword, I'm now jonesing something fierce for something to read dealing with Rome, the Legions, about 100 BCE to 300 AD Europe not Middle East, historical fiction/war but not so much for mysteries...Anybody have authors and/or titles they recommend.

All I know of are these below and they're mysteries and I've never read anything by any of them except for Davis, as noted…I actually got the list from a Wiki post of Fiction set in Ancient Rome,

Steven Saylor = Roma Sub Rosa Mystery – Gordianus the Finder
John Maddox Roberts = SPQR Mystery – Decius Caecilius Motels the Younger
John Maddox Roberts = Nova Roma Alt History – Hannibal's Children and The Seven Hills
Conn Iggulden = Emperor series -
Colleen McCullough = Masters of Rome – Basically a bio of Julius in seven parts.
Ruth Downie = Mystery – Gaius Petreius Ruso
Rosemary Rowe = Mystery – Libertus
Lindsey Davis = Mystery - Marcus Didius Falco -- I've read a couple of them and they were quite good.
Poul and Karen Anderson = King of Ys Fantasy – Sounds quite good
Francine Rivers = Mark of the Lion – Marcus – Sounds quite good

Also, do the books from the series HAVE to be read in sequence for continuity or are they stand alone titles

Highspeed, my non Jewish bro (not Hebrew--that's like calling me a wanker), Pressfield's books are excellent, extremely accurate, well researched and he writes with a readers pace in mind...I'm reading in bits and drabs, "Tides of War".

[Highspeed]

Highspeed, my non Jewish bro (not Hebrew--that's like calling me a wanker), Pressfield's books are excellent, extremely accurate, well researched and he writes with a readers pace in mind...I'm reading in bits and drabs, "Tides of War".

Oh crap, apologies for any clumsy references
I'm a redneck just trying to do the right thing...

[MiddleAgedKen]

After reading that superb book Constantine’s Sword, I'm now jonesing something fierce for something to read dealing with Rome, the Legions, about 100 BCE to 300 AD Europe not Middle East, historical fiction/war but not so much for mysteries...Anybody have authors and/or titles they recommend.(snip)

Imperial Governor, by George Shipway
Eagle in the Snow, by Wallace Breem
The Three Legions, by Gregory Solon (been a while since I read this one, but I read the first two within the last two years and enjoyed the hell out of both).

You may or may not find Turtledove's Videssos cycle worth a look. I thought they were all right, 20 years ago.

Highspeed, I can practically guarantee you will not be disappointed by Gates of Fire.