This week's reading

[andrewducker]

Just finished the new Iain M Banks (Surface Detail), which I thoroughly enjoyed. I'd been worrying about it a bit, as I've given up on the mainstream Iain Banks novels a while back, but it hung together incredibly well, and I found the book incredibly hard to put down. Recommended (although I'm not sure how well someone who hasn't read some of the previous Culture novels would get on with it.)

Now I've started The Quantum Thief, which was recommended by a couple of people who got advance reading copies. Only about 10 pages in so far, but it's ticking all the right buttons (the opening scenes are set within a virtual prison based around The Prisoner's Dilemma). Oh, and the back cover has a recommendation by someone called "Charles Stross", who also seemed to like it.

Comments

[dalglir.livejournal.com]

I'd seen that Banks had Surface Detail out and popped into Waterstones with dalglivk (as we were passing) so she could pre-emptively get a copy as my birthday is coming up soon.

Then I also spotted The City and the City AND Kraken by China Mieville (sadly neither of which appear to be Bas Lag novels) AND The Evolutionary Void by Hamilton (part 3 of a trilogy of which I have read the first 2).

So I came away with a haul of 4 books, none of I get to read until the end of November. Quite looking forward to the Banks book. Was a bit disappointed with The Algebraist. I need more Excession type writing :)

[snarlish.livejournal.com]

The City and the City is my favourite of Mieville's books now, very pared down from the Bas Lag style, while you may recognise tropes and themes of Bas Lag in Kraken.

and speaking of Mielville...

[dalglir.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link - China's letter to Facebook certainly makes amusing reading :D I loathe Facebook...