Grand unified books thread

[grumbler]

Just finished the latest Murderbot novel, and it was, as usual in this series, excellent.  Probably not Hugo-Award-winning excellent (unlike the earlier entries, which won the 2017, 2018, and 2020 Hugo and Nebula Awards), but that's mostly because it is a continuation of the 2020 novel, and so isn't introducing as many new ideas and lacks the creepines that the unknown imposed in the first novel.

If you an SF fan and enjoy your dry humor mixed with violence and horror, definitely a buy, and if you have Kindle Unlimited all the earlier novellas and novel are available there for free.

[The Brain]

So how are your feelings on Alexander Skarsgård? Good fit?

[Syt]

Just finished the latest Murderbot novel, and it was, as usual in this series, excellent.  Probably not Hugo-Award-winning excellent (unlike the earlier entries, which won the 2017, 2018, and 2020 Hugo and Nebula Awards), but that's mostly because it is a continuation of the 2020 novel, and so isn't introducing as many new ideas and lacks the creepines that the unknown imposed in the first novel.

If you an SF fan and enjoy your dry humor mixed with violence and horror, definitely a buy, and if you have Kindle Unlimited all the earlier novellas and novel are available there for free.

I picked up the bundle on Kindle the other day but have yet to start it.

I started on Gideon the Ninth since it came up quite positively in some conversations, but I'm not sure. On the one hand it has a sci-fi space gothic vibe, with death cults, necromancy, magic(?), reanimated skeleton serfs etc. Kinda Warhammer-ish. On the other hand, the main character (a woman called Gideon) and much of the narrative language is ... casually modern? I get it's a young adult book (much fantasy is), but this is a weird mix. I will probably keep going just to see where this goes, but the tone feels a bit weird.

From the 1st chapter:

"Thirty whole minutes since I took it off, Crux," she said, hands busy. "It's almost like you want me to leave here forever. Ohhhh shit, you absolutely do though."

"You ordered a shuttle through deception," bubbled the marshal of Drearburh, whose main claim to fame was that he was more decrepit alive than some of the legitimately dead. He stood before her on the landing field and gurgled with indignation. "You falsified documents. You stole a key. You removed your cuff. You wrong this house, you misuse its goods, you steal its stock."

"Come on, Crux, we can come to some arrangement," Gideon coaxed, flipping her sword over and looking at it critically for nicks. "You hate me, I hate you. Just let me go without a fight and you can retire in peace. Take up a hobby. Write your memoirs."

"You wrong this house. You misuse its goods. You steal its stock." Crux loved verbs.

"Say my shuttle exploded. I died, and it was such a shame. Give me a break, Crux, I'm begging you here—I'll trade you a skin mag. Frontline Titties of the Fifth." This rendered the marshal momentarily too aghast to respond. "Okay, okay. I take it back. Frontline Titties isn't a real publication."

Crux advanced like a glacier with an agenda. Gideon rolled backward off her seat as his antique fist came down, skidding out of his way with a shower of dust and gravel. Her sword she swiftly locked within its scabbard, and the scabbard she clutched in her arms like a child. She propelled herself backward, out of the way of his boot and his huge, hoary hands. Crux might have been very nearly dead, but he was built like gristle with what seemed like thirty knuckles to each fist. He was old, but he was goddamn ghastly.

"Easy, marshal," she said, though she was the one floundering in the dirt. "Take this much further and you're in danger of enjoying yourself."

I mean, the Dramatis Personae might give an idea ....

Dramatis Personae
In Order of House Appearance

The Ninth House

Keepers of the Locked Tomb, House of the Sewn Tongue, the Black Vestals

Harrowhark Nonagesimus HEIR TO THE HOUSE OF THE NINTH, REVEREND DAUGHTER OF DREARBURH

Pelleamena Novenarius HER MOTHER, REVEREND MOTHER OF DREARBURH

Priamhark Noniusvianus HER FATHER, REVEREND FATHER OF DREARBURH

Ortus Nigenad CAVALIER PRIMARY TO THE HEIR

Crux MARSHAL OF THE HOUSE OF THE NINTH

Aiglamene CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD OF THE NINTH

Sister Lachrimorta NUN OF THE LOCKED TOMB

Sister Aisamorta NUN OF THE LOCKED TOMB

Sister Glaurica NUN OF THE LOCKED TOMB

Some various followers, cultists, and laypeople of the Ninth

and

Gideon Nav INDENTURED SERVANT OF THE HOUSE OF THE NINTH


The First House

Necromancer Divine, King of the Nine Renewals, our Resurrector, the Necrolord Prime

THE EMPEROR

HIS LYCTORS

AND THE PRIESTHOOD OF CANAAN HOUSE


The Second House

The Emperor's Strength, House of the Crimson Shield, the Centurion's House

Judith Deuteros HEIR TO THE HOUSE OF THE SECOND, RANKED CAPTAIN OF THE COHORT

Marta Dyas CAVALIER PRIMARY TO THE HEIR, RANKED FIRST LIEUTENANT OF THE COHORT


The Third House

Mouth of the Emperor, the Procession, House of the Shining Dead

Coronabeth Tridentarius HEIR TO THE HOUSE OF THE THIRD, CROWN PRINCESS OF IDA

Ianthe Tridentarius HEIR TO THE HOUSE OF THE THIRD, PRINCESS OF IDA

Naberius Tern CAVALIER PRIMARY TO THE HEIRS, PRINCE OF IDA


The Fourth House

Hope of the Emperor, the Emperor's Sword

Isaac Tettares HEIR TO THE HOUSE OF THE FOURTH, BARON OF TISIS

Jeannemary Chatur CAVALIER PRIMARY TO THE HEIR, KNIGHT OF TISIS


The Fifth House

Heart of the Emperor, Watchers over the River

Abigail Pent HEIR TO THE HOUSE OF THE FIFTH, LADY OF KONIORTOS COURT

Magnus Quinn CAVALIER PRIMARY TO THE HEIR, SENESCHAL OF KONIORTOS COURT


The Sixth House

The Emperor's Reason, the Master Wardens

Palamedes Sextus HEIR TO THE HOUSE OF THE SIXTH, MASTER WARDEN OF THE LIBRARY

Camilla Hect CAVALIER PRIMARY TO THE HEIR, WARDEN'S HAND OF THE LIBRARY


The Seventh House

Joy of the Emperor, the Rose Unblown

Dulcinea Septimus HEIR TO THE HOUSE OF THE SEVENTH, DUCHESS OF RHODES

Protesilaus Ebdoma CAVALIER PRIMARY TO THE HEIR, KNIGHT OF RHODES


The Eighth House

Keepers of the Tome, the Forgiving House

Silas Octakiseron HEIR TO THE HOUSE OF THE EIGHTH, MASTER TEMPLAR OF THE WHITE GLASS

Colum Asht CAVALIER PRIMARY TO THE HEIR, TEMPLAR OF THE WHITE GLASS

It's all very over the top silly, but I think I might be in the mood for that, even if this seems overly edgelordy (the author, surprisingly, is female)

[The Brain]

Is this how you honor the sixth house and the tribe unmourned?

[Syt]

Is this how you honor the sixth house and the tribe unmourned?

[grumbler]

I started on Gideon the Ninth since it came up quite positively in some conversations, but I'm not sure. On the one hand it has a sci-fi space gothic vibe, with death cults, necromancy, magic(?), reanimated skeleton serfs etc. Kinda Warhammer-ish. On the other hand, the main character (a woman called Gideon) and much of the narrative language is ... casually modern? I get it's a young adult book (much fantasy is), but this is a weird mix. I will probably keep going just to see where this goes, but the tone feels a bit weird.

I read the first book in the series and started on the second, when I realized that the author's schtick was to make it impossible for the reader to understand the plot or identify with the characters (who are often imposters anyway).  I lacked the self-hatred to bother further with an author that was not interested in telling compelling stories or creating interesting characters.

[Syt]

Thanks for the heads up. I will finish the first book and see where I stand on ot then.

[Sophie Scholl]

I read Gideon. I haven't gone onto Harrow yet. I found the beginning of the book *very* rough reading. It eventually became interesting, but never really lived up to the hype. I've heard incredibly mixed reviews of the ensuing books, so they haven't been given a priority in my reading list. Perhaps someday when I'm feeling like excessive mind-fuckery and misdirection for the sake of it. 

[Gups]

I started on Gideon the Ninth since it came up quite positively in some conversations, but I'm not sure. On the one hand it has a sci-fi space gothic vibe, with death cults, necromancy, magic(?), reanimated skeleton serfs etc. Kinda Warhammer-ish. On the other hand, the main character (a woman called Gideon) and much of the narrative language is ... casually modern? I get it's a young adult book (much fantasy is), but this is a weird mix. I will probably keep going just to see where this goes, but the tone feels a bit weird.

I read the first book in the series and started on the second, when I realized that the author's schtick was to make it impossible for the reader to understand the plot or identify with the characters (who are often imposters anyway).  I lacked the self-hatred to bother further with an author that was not interested in telling compelling stories or creating interesting characters.

I'm reassured. I misread Syt's post and thought he was talking about the Murderbot book you recommended and was worried that your standards had gone seriously downhill.

[Jacob]

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

A Gothic novel set in 50s-60s Mexico. I don't read a lot of Gothic novels nor Mexican literature, so I had very little in the way of expectations going in. I enjoyed it.

[Admiral Yi]

Picked up No Country for Old Men on my Subway buddy's recommendation.  Enjoying so far.  Tracks pretty close to the movie, but a little more of Ed Tom's inner thoughts, which I enjoy.

Guess the next step is either Fargo or Inside Llewyin Davis.

[Savonarola]

I've been reading "The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation" by John Gertner.  I learned that Bell Labs first offered licensing of the transistor for $25,000; except to people who were going to use it to develop hearing aids.  They were given it for free in deference to Alexander Graham Bell's work with the deaf.  (Bell had been dead for 25 years at that point.)

[Threviel]

Bean counters of today would get a stroke if someone did that.

[Savonarola]

Bean counters of today would get a stroke if someone did that.

Oh yeah; even licensing the transistor when they had their own manufacturing arm (Western Electric) would be incomprehensible today.  AT&T was a monopoly, and to avoid anti-trust regulations they would do PR moves like this.

At the part of the book I'm at now, the immediate post World War II era; the Truman administration sought to break up A&T and Western Electric.  They were convinced to let that monopoly stand due to the need of radar and communication due to national security (and thereby avoiding breaking up Bell Labs, which had been vital to developing both.)  Shortly thereafter the federal government contracted AT&T to manage Sandia National Laboratories (essentially the Los Alamos JV squad)... those were very different times.

[Savonarola]

I also learned that the maser (microwave amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation) is a Bell labs innovation and that it pre-dated the laser.  When they were first developed lasers were referred to as "Optical masers."