What I did on my summer vacation

by veilwar

Among other things, I read a few books – the first books I’ve read since last Fall.

  • The Oilman’s Daughter – by Ian Healy and Alison Dickson – I got an advance copy of this, and it’s great fun from two of our Really Big Idea authors. Loved it. Not available yet, but you’ll want to read it when it comes out. Atomic space trains. Pirates. Need I say more?
  • The Mongoliad – by Neal Stephenson and others – Not up to normal standards of Stephensonian verbosity, but a fun read with lots of swords.
  • Ashes of Candesce by Karl Schroeder – Fifth and concluding book of the Virga series. Virga is a world of air, a bubble in space heated by a fusion sun. Steampunk and singularities, a great conclusion to a great and richly imagined series.
  • Through Struggle, the Stars by John Lumpkin –  another Really Big Idea alum. This book has some of the best hard sf space battles I’ve ever read. Well thought out, well written, and an interesting universe.
  • Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez – I loved Freedom(tm) and Daemon, and was not disappointed with this one. Drones using algorithms derived from aggressive ant species – great read, and really creepy in places.
  • The Apocalypse Codex by Charles Stross – I have loved the Laundry series, but although I did enjoy this one, it felt like it was treading familiar ground. Hopefully, now that Howard is getting promoted, we can get to the excitement of Case Nightmare Green in the next book.
  • The Devil in the Dollhouse by Richard Kadrey – only 99 cents! Read this because the previous several books in the Sandman Slim series are pure adrenaline awesomeness, and I couldn’t wait two more weeks until Devil Said Bang comes out. Fantastic books, all well worth your time.

Right now, I’m reading Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis, and next up is Liminal States by Jack Parsons and The Thousand Hour Club by George O’Har.

Update: Well, Devil Said Bang came out, so I read that. Pure awesome. I have rarely had as much fun with a series as this one, and the level of quality has, if anything, gone up with time not down. Finished Bitter Seeds, which is grim but fascinating. An alternate WWII with British sorcerers and Nazi cyborgs. Will have to read the sequel. Liminal States is loaded up on the Kindle, and that means I need to buy George’s book.