Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder2.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: Tony Nance <tnusenet17@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Highlights and Lowlights - September-October 2024
Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 20:15:50 -0500
Organization: A noiseless patient Spider
Lines: 111
Message-ID: <vh3j06$2fl4m$1@dont-email.me>
References: <vgt8vs$11om5$1@dont-email.me> <lperblF1tglU1@mid.individual.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Injection-Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2024 02:15:51 +0100 (CET)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="204dc27f5293100c35afc9e98aadfb22";
	logging-data="2610326"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org";	posting-account="U2FsdGVkX19lM5OYtMi/stVsWPd9WED0Mws4NpYAvro="
User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird
Cancel-Lock: sha1:yfIwriBE48HbC52U0rj7/OkzJWo=
In-Reply-To: <lperblF1tglU1@mid.individual.net>
Content-Language: en-US
Bytes: 6639

On 11/11/24 11:57 AM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
> In article <vgt8vs$11om5$1@dont-email.me>,
> Tony Nance  <tnusenet17@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Highlights and Lowlights - September-October 2024
>>
>> Books are rated using a very primitive rating system:
>> “+” are good, and more “+” are better
>> “-” are not good, and more “-”  are worse
>>
>> I’m happy to answer questions about anything here.
>>
>> My annual dip in fall reading done dipped real good - just five here
>> over the course of two months.
>>
>> Highlights - all five were fine
>>
>> Lowlights - none
>>
>> October
>> ( +++ ) The Spiral Labyrinth - Hughes [Hengis Hapthorne]
>> ( +++ ) Fair Trade - Lee & Miller [Liaden #24]
>> ( +++ ) Cast in Wisdom - Sagara [Elantra #15]
>> ( ++ 1/2) The Stainless Steel Rat’s Revenge - Harrison [Stainless Steel
>> Rat #2]
>>
>> September
>> ( +++ ) The Stainless Steel Rat - Harrison [Stainless Steel Rat #1]
>>
>> Now Reading:
>> Long work - The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World - Harrison
>> Collection - The Best Time Travel Stories Of All Time ed. by Malzberg
>>
>> ===========================================
>> September-October 2024
>> ( +++ ) The Spiral Labyrinth - Hughes [Hengis Hapthorne]
>> This one picks up immediately after “Majestrum”, and we see Hapthorne
>> pulled forward through time into the era where magic and will hold sway,
>> and Hapthorne’s logic and reasoning are mythic things of the past that
>> seem to have no effect. His previously internal “intuitional self” has
>> become a real person who has significant skills in this era, though he
>> is new to them. Hapthorne’s AI assistant has also become sentient,
>> manifesting as a member of a highly prized and rare species. Hapthorne
>> is desperate to get back to his home and time, AND deal with the entity
>> that pulled him forward, as they have bad intentions for the entire
>> universe.
>>
>> ( +++ ) Fair Trade - Lee & Miller [Liaden #24]
>> This is a Jethri Gobelyn book, picking up immediately after “Trade
>> Secret”. As such it occurs a hella long time ago in the Liaden Universe
>> (i.e. long before Val Con, Miri, etc), and picks up as Jethri begins his
>> time on a new ship with new responsibilities. The overall plot driver is
>> a gigantic meeting about a civilization-wide proposal (written by Jethri
>> and his late father) concerning trade between planets, and it’s pretty
>> easy to make the connections with this proposal and the way the
>> “current” Liaden Universe is set. It finishes up in a mildly incomplete
>> spot, where I fully expect “Trade Lanes” to address. All good stuff, as
>> you’d expect Liaden stuff to be.
>>
>> ( +++ ) Cast in Wisdom - Sagara [Elantra #15]
>> Nice that this one actually doesn’t require Kaylin to save the world.
>> It’s focused almost entirely on Kaylin and many companions investigating
>> the border zones between the fiefs, trying to figure out what the heck
>> is going on in these strange gray areas. We learn a lot, of course, and
>> some major things happen to a few characters. These are always fun
>> reads, and I’ll surely keep moving forward.
>>
>> ( ++ 1/2) The Stainless Steel Rat’s Revenge - Harrison [Stainless Steel
>> Rat #2]
>> ( +++ ) The Stainless Steel Rat - Harrison [Stainless Steel Rat #1]
>> I was surprised to discover I hadn’t read any novels by Harrison, and I
>> decided to remedy that by reading a 3-in-1 collection of The Stainless
>> Steel Rat. It’s neat what Harrison points out, alludes to, mentions,
>> etc. He writes in a smooth voice and with humor, both obvious and wry.
>> As most (all?) of you know, The Stainless Steel Rat is “Slippery” Jim
>> DiGriz, a master thief in a far future universe where thieving is almost
>> impossible to do. He makes mistakes, and gets thwarted occasionally, but
>> eventually comes out on top. By the end of the first one, he has been
>> co-opted into joining what amounts to a space police force as a special
>> investigator. These first two (and the third I’m in the middle of) see
>> him on dangerous missions where he uses his thieving and planning skills
>> to try to thwart others. These were really well written, and I’ll be
>> reading more Harrison as I move forward.
>>
>> Now Reading:
>> Long work - The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World - Harrison
>> Collection - The Best Time Travel Stories Of All Time ed. by Malzberg
>>
>> Tony
> 
> Thanks, as usual!
> 
> Still way behind on Liad & Elantra...
> 
> I believe I read all the SSR books at one time but I cannot now
> recall any specifics beyond the premise.  Perhaps time for another
> go.  As far as Harrison, I recall liking the "Deathword" books,
> "Technicolor Time Machine" (though admittedly, it's a one joke
> premise) & "Star Smashers Of the Galaxy Rangers".  As we discussed
> recently here, I read that when I was about 13, and when I looked
> at "Bill The Galactic Hero" it seemed very heavy handed to me and
> I didn't finish it.  I'm a bit scared I would think the same about
> Smashers now.  Of his late works, I liked the King of the North
> series (or whatever it was called) though I suspect a lot of it was
> his co-author, and it fell a bit off the rails at the end.

Interesting! I have the Deathworld trilogy, and Star Smashers... and 
Bill... and I was thinking of doing Deathworld next. I'd never even 
heard of the "King..." books. If I'm guessing right, isfdb calls it "The 
Hammer and the Cross".

Tony