Reading Science Fiction

Reading Dumarest 26, which is a continuation of #25. It’s good. Exciting!

Currently reading: The Coming Event by E.C. Tubb 📚

Finished Reading 2024: Uller Uprising by Henry Beam Piper 📚

This was a short book that took me a while to read. I’m not a big fan of military SF, and this is indeed that. But the themes in this book deal with colonialism, corporate interest, etc. The thing that was a bit off-putting was the avalanche of character names and places, both human and alien. Really hard to keep track of. But maybe 1/3 of the way into the book you realize most of them are pretty disposable and just keep reading and it all makes sense.

This is the first in Piper’s Terro-Human Future History novels. I’ve not read them in order, but I don’t think it’s that important.

Anyway, some of the details of the “war effort” in this novel are a bit tedious. However, one thing really struck me. In this novel there are some native aliens on a planet being exploited by a human company. The humans refer to the natives as “geeks”, due to a sound they make when vocalizing. A young woman character initially does not use the term but eventually starts to use it regularly. When you first encounter the term in the novel it seems like Piper is endorsing this kind of thing, but later her describes the young woman as now using the insulting and derogatory term. So Piper is describing the insidious way that kind of thinking works its way into peoples minds. He’s not endorsing it. I have found that Piper does that kind of thing a lot in his novels. He doesn’t beat you over the head with it. If you aren’t paying attention you will miss it.

Even with the tedious parts I enjoyed this novel.

Just a little bit more discussion of my reading, and a little talk about our gaming group.

In this episode, I talk about the book that I’m still reading and I talk about the blog that I set up for my Science Fiction role-playing game.

I’m a bit behind on my reading. We’ve had guests the last two weekends, which is unusual. We also went to see Echo and the Bunnymen play here in Dallas. Been busy and tired, so I gave my eyes a rest. A break is fine. Back at the books today though.

Just a few thoughts about the novel I’m currently reading, and the recent series released on streaming, Fallout.

In this episode, I talk about my experience reading and now listening to Harry Harrison‘s novel, Deathworld.

Currently reading: Uller Uprising by Henry Beam Piper 📚

This is chronologically the first in Piper’s Terro-Human Future History. I’ve read a few of the others, including the Little Fuzzy books. Thought I’d read the first one. They span 6000 years.

Finished Reading 2024: The Terridae by E.C. Tubb 📚

Another enjoyable installment in the Dumarest of Terra Saga. It is common in these books for the climax to involve a deftly thrown knife into someone’s brain. In this one, however, Dumarest outwits the Cyclan with some clever planning. Very cool.

I created a new page, linked to from my info page, about my 5% per day reading practice.

Currently reading: The Terridae by E.C. Tubb 📚

Finished Reading 2024: Star King by Jack Vance 📚

Just finished Star King, first in Jack Vance’s Five Demon Princes novels. Another short read. World-building was interesting. The novel is less than 200 pages so there’s not THAT much you can do with detailing some of the interesting aspects. Apparently this is also the first novel set in his Gaean Reach space opera setting. Throughout the novel he drops in excerpts from fictional texts to teach you a bit about it, which is a cool method. I may occasionally work in the next 4 books when I have time for a short one. The writing style is very weird. Not horrible, but strange, and I wonder if it is intentional, to convey something about the future setting.

I have wondered why so many SF novels are so damned long these days.

In this Reddit thread, author John Scalzi expounds on this topic.

Currently reading: Star King by Jack Vance 📚

The protagonist of this series is, like Slippery Jim DiGriz, written up in a Traveller RPG supplement, so I thought I’d give this one a try before moving on to the next Stainless Steel Rat book.

Finished Reading 2024: A Stainless Steel Rat is Born by Harry Harrison 📚

I read a collection of books 4-6 (chronologically)of this series years ago. Now I’m going to read 1-3, which I think were written later. This one is an origin story of Slippery Jim DiGriz. Generally I don’t like humorous SF, but Harrison really nails it with this character. Some of the antics are crazy as hell and could be right out of an RPG session. These are tales of an ingenious rogue, set in the future. As such they are much less about technology and more about the character. Very enjoyable.

Found this on eBay.

Want to read: Dust of Far Suns by Jack Vance 📚

Currently reading: A Stainless Steel Rat is Born by Harry Harrison 📚

Finished Reading 2024: The World of Null-A by A. E. van Vogt 📚

Just straightening out my bookshelves. This is the worst novel I’ve ever read.