What are you reading? - 2019, and beyond.

[Otto Harkaman]

Enjoying reading some old sci-fi, Keith Laumer's "Retief" a bit of tongue and cheek stellar diplomacy.

[Deleted]

I'm currently into Stephen King's "Danse Macabre", how fitting for the holiday season. Solid stuff, mostly fair and thoughtful. I don't share King's general enthusiasm for horror, but it's a nice look over the shoulder of one of the 20th century's most prolific writers. - I'm not necessarily a King fan, though; I've read a lot of his books, though, and I find him somewhat repetitive, to tell the truth. I like his overall style, though.

[Falconer]

Zahn’s Specter of the Past.

[Deleted]

What do you think of it, so far?

I won't be able to watch Rogue One until after the holidays, so, I'm back listening to the old "Rogue Squadron" audiobooks. Admittedly, not very Christmas-y, but, hell yeah, definitely cut the chatter, Red 2! Accelerate to attack speed!

[Falconer]

Well, my project is to [collect first printings of and] read what everyone seems to agree are the “good” Star Wars novels of the 1990s (Bantam Books) — the Thrawn series and the X-wing series, which together consist of the following:

1991. Heir to the Empire – Zahn
1992. Dark Force Rising – Zahn
1993. The Last Command – Zahn
1996. Rogue Squadron – Stackpole
1996. Wedge’s Gamble – Stackpole
1996. The Krytos Trap – Stackpole
1997. The Bacta War – Stackpole
1997. Specter of the Past – Zahn
1998. Wraith Squadron – Allston
1998. I, Jedi – Stackpole
1998. Iron Fist – Allston
1998. Vision of the Future – Zahn
1999. Solo Command – Allston
1999. Isard’s Revenge – Stackpole
1999. Starfighters of Adumar – Allston

The original Zahn trilogy was terrific. I found the first four Stackpole books to be a bit of a slog (I wonder if the abridged audiobooks you’re talking about would have been the way to go). The characters are a little two-dimensional, and while I am sure the world-building pays off, the feel was okay but not truly Star Warsey, somehow. That’s okay, they were still fun. Back to Zahn with Specter of the Past, and once again a great read so far. It seems hard to believe it will live up to the greatness of the first three, but so far it has hit the ground running. He jumps around a lot, visiting with all of our favorite characters from the former Zahn books, to the point that I wish it would focus on fewer characters; but, I’m sure it will eventually, and, every scene advances the action and is exciting in its own right. I like that he doesn’t pretend you haven’t read the previous novels—so he can build on characters, places, and ideas without reserve and without being too explainey. So, all in all I’m loving it; can’t put it down. Nice to be back with Zahn (and with Luke, Han, and the other characters who barely appeared in the Rogue Squadron books!).

[stevemitchell]

My Dear Holmes by Gavin Brend. A nice piece of Holmes scholarship, attempting to establish a definitive chronology for the novels and stories (though other writers have reached different results).

A Weird Writer in Our Midst edited by S. T. Joshi. Essays, letters, and memoirs concerning H. P. Lovecraft, from the 1920s to the 1950s.

Poverty Row Horrors by Tom Weaver. An in-depth look (probably more in-depth than some of these films deserve!) at the horror movies released by the Monogram, PRC, and Republic studios in the 1940s. Including some of Bela Lugosi’s worst films (his Monogram series), George Zucco in Dead Men Walk and The Flying Serpent, Rosemary LaPlanche in Strangler of the Swamp and Devil Bat’s Daughter, and many other “classics” from the bottom of the horror bin.

John Quincy Adams: American Visionary by Fred Kaplan. An excellent biography of America’s sixth President—who was also, at various times in his political career, Ambassador to Holland, Ambassador to Prussia, Ambassador to Russia, Ambassador to Great Britain, a U.S. Senator, and U.S. Secretary of State. (And after his one term as President, he served in the House of Representatives for 18 or so years.)

Fog Heart by Thomas Tessier. A strange and disturbing horror novel. . .which I think is a pretty consistent characterization for all of Tessier’s books.

The Quakers: A Very Short Introduction by Pink Dandelion. Another good entry in the Oxford University Press “Very Short Introduction” series.

[foxroe]

Dec 19, 2016 23:06:27 GMT -6 Falconer said:

1996. Rogue Squadron – Stackpole
1996. Wedge’s Gamble – Stackpole
1996. The Krytos Trap – Stackpole
1997. The Bacta War – Stackpole
1998. I, Jedi – Stackpole
1999. Isard’s Revenge – Stackpole

Wow, didn't realize M.A. Stackpole wrote those. I read his Warrior Battletech trilogy when I was younger and I loved it. Might have to check these out.

For those that have read Rogue Squadron, did they borrow elements for the movie from the book?

[Deleted]

Dec 19, 2016 23:06:27 GMT -6 Falconer said:

Well, my project is to [collect first printings of and] read what everyone seems to agree are the “good” Star Wars novels of the 1990s (Bantam Books) — the Thrawn series and the X-wing series, which together consist of the following:

1991. Heir to the Empire – Zahn
1992. Dark Force Rising – Zahn
1993. The Last Command – Zahn
1996. Rogue Squadron – Stackpole
1996. Wedge’s Gamble – Stackpole
1996. The Krytos Trap – Stackpole
1997. The Bacta War – Stackpole
1997. Specter of the Past – Zahn
1998. Wraith Squadron – Allston
1998. I, Jedi – Stackpole
1998. Iron Fist – Allston
1998. Vision of the Future – Zahn
1999. Solo Command – Allston
1999. Isard’s Revenge – Stackpole
1999. Starfighters of Adumar – Allston

The original Zahn trilogy was terrific. I found the first four Stackpole books to be a bit of a slog (I wonder if the abridged audiobooks you’re talking about would have been the way to go). The characters are a little two-dimensional, and while I am sure the world-building pays off, the feel was okay but not truly Star Warsey, somehow. That’s okay, they were still fun. Back to Zahn with Specter of the Past, and once again a great read so far. It seems hard to believe it will live up to the greatness of the first three, but so far it has hit the ground running. He jumps around a lot, visiting with all of our favorite characters from the former Zahn books, to the point that I wish it would focus on fewer characters; but, I’m sure it will eventually, and, every scene advances the action and is exciting in its own right. I like that he doesn’t pretend you haven’t read the previous novels—so he can build on characters, places, and ideas without reserve and without being too explainey. So, all in all I’m loving it; can’t put it down. Nice to be back with Zahn (and with Luke, Han, and the other characters who barely appeared in the Rogue Squadron books!).

Hehehe, that's a worthy endeavor. As you know, old friend, I share your high estimation of the Zahn books: The original Thrawn series, IMO, was a bit better than the "Hand of Thrawn", but I think that has a lot to do with what you mentioned - in the beginning, the book is a bit all over the place. I think this comes with the territory, though. Towards the end of the novel, and in "Visions", as well, that gets better.

(To the others who read this thread, perhaps as a small explanation: "The Hand of Thrawn", aka "Specters of the Past" and "Visions of the Future", was supposed to wrap up the "Zahnverse", the Star Wars continuity established in novels and games between 1991 and the release of Episode I. So, Zahn indeed jumps around a lot, and has a lot of wrapping up to do, as he is writing what might have served as a possible last act for the entire post-"Return of the Jedi" timeline.)

As to your general idea of reading all of the Bantam (?) SW books, I envy you for the time; I also read, or, at least, listened to all of them, over the years, but never quite in sequence. The last few Rogue Squadron books are still pretty good, precisely because the writers try, and sometimes quite artfully, to round things up, and to bring the storylines to fitting conclusions. "Adumar" is most present in my mind, and it left a honey-bear grin on my face when I concluded it. Stackpole and Aalston, honest to God, not the best of writers, but they understood the characters, and loved them deeply.

If you can, also consider "Mercy Kill", the last Del Rey SW universe novel, against written by Aalston in 2012. Like Adumar, it again serves as an epilogue/bookend to the entire universe, and it's written with so much more love than the line was given over the entire previous Del Rey run. I was thoroughly bored by most what I read from Del Rey, but that last one really brought the magic back for me. (Haven't read "Crucible", which is also said to be pretty alright, but I somehow feel like I never will.)

(For context, Bantam Books' Star Wars run is generally considered above-average, "legit" sci-fi. Del Rey, in contrast, had a one-book-per-month publishing policy in regards to SW, paid considerably less to its writers, and, paired with the internal problems the line had with the inclusion of some new info from the prequel movies, their series is, generally, considered inferior to the "Zahnverse", if not outright bad.)


As to the Bantam audiobooks of the Roque Squadron, they're shortened versions of the novels - which as you assumed, does them some good - and, more importantly, they're early big budget listening spectacles, comparable to more modern radio dramatizations, like the one that was done for "Ender's Game" last year. They're read by Henry Thomas (ET's Elliott) and Anthony Heald (the actor who plays the prison director in "The Silence of the Lambs"), and feature music and sound effects. - An easy listen, and the quality of the dramatization makes you overlook the undoubtedly flawed writing. It's "Top Gun in Space", but it's entertaining.


Woof! Sorry for the long answer! It was a delight to return to those memories!

[Falconer]

Not at all, I appreciate the insight.

I’m not going to read all of the Bantam books, just the ones I’ve listed.

Foxroe, I don’t think there is any connection between Rogue One and Rogue Squadron.

[Falconer]

Nearing the end of Specter of the Past. Greatly enjoying it; just, it clearly has a lot of work to do to reboot (undoing some of the ways things were going in the EU) and to set up for Vision of the Future.

Dec 21, 2016 4:38:25 GMT -6 @rafael said:

The original Thrawn series, IMO, was a bit better than the "Hand of Thrawn"

Well, one aspect of the original Thrawn Trilogy that makes it perfect and a must-read is that it is set in the pristine universe of Return of the Jedi, right where we left it, whereas The Hand of Thrawn Duology is takes place in the full-grown weeds of the EU.

[Deleted]

Yeah, I agree completely - Zahn is basically getting the chance to take the reader on a sort of maiden voyage in an established universe. Like, what an amazing chance for a writer to shine. The "Hand" duo of books obviously has to take into account exponentially more material. The reason I think "Hand" was a bit inferior to the original Thrawn series was, though, that Zahn seems to rehash many scenes from his earlier work. (No spoilers here, because I honestly don't remember whether those scenes were in "Specter" or in "Visions".) The portrayal of the Imperial faction, however, is extremely well done, in my eyes.

"Visions" surely presents some of the most iconic and beautiful scenes from the entire EU. Hope you enjoy it as much as you seem to enjoy "Specter". Myself, all the Rogue One buzz has inspired me to reread "Starfighters of Adumar" again; haven't started it yet, but I think, tomorrow. That one, basically the Appendix to all Bantam Star Wars - but, I think, taking place before "The Hand of Thrawn".

[Falconer]

I thought about reading in chronological (in-universe) order, but I am instead reading them in order of publication, and am finding, as I expected, that this is very rewarding. Because I enjoy the evolution of ideas and experiencing a novel as its original audience would have. Rogue Squadron, for example, assumes the reader understands New Republic politics (eg., Fey’lya and the Bothans), and drops mentions of the Katana Fleet and other Zahn elements without explaining them—i.e., not setting them up, but just dropping in nods that the reader is assumed to get. Similarly, Specter includes elements straight from The Bacta War, such as Booster Terik and his Star Destroyer.

[Deleted]

Yeah, that's the best way to go, especially, if you are not particularly well acquainted (like, why would anyone be) with the Star Wars EU. Especially the Rogue Squadron novels go really deep into obscure setting lore - mainly, because they include material from the Dark Horse comic book series. And that's pretty much when one doesn't really get the full picture of the stories, any more, particularly because minor characters usually lead fairly different lives in the comic books. (Wedge Antilles is the textbook example; in the comics, he's a maverick. In the books, he's a mentor. Again, "Adumar" pokes fun at that.)

You might also enjoy one book that most people consider cringeworthy: The infamous "The Courtship of Princess Leia", by Dave Wolverton, which essentially turns the SW universe into the stage for a romantic comedy. It's a tentpole novel, though - the Zsinj plot from the Rogue Squadron series is resolved, and the witches of Dathomir are introduced. And, honestly, it's the best portrayal of Han Solo, in my personal opinion; less as a "scoundrel", but more as a man who finds it increasingly hard to find his place in a changing world. - A heavy premise for an upbeat sci-fi comedy, but Wolverton somehow manages to pull it off.

[terje]

Just finished: Swift to chase by Laird Barron.

Reading: Years Best Weird Fiction 2, Time and the Gods by Dunsanny

[Deleted]

Listening to the audiobook version of Stephen King's "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon". Scaring myself witless with it. - The only other horror tale that I had a similarly strong emotional reaction to was "What the Night Knows", by Dean Koontz. Can't quite define why; something primal going on there.

[thorswulf]

Just finished Holmes' Maze of Peril and the Winds of Darkover by Bradley. Other stuff on the list includes the short story collections about Old Mars and Old Venus.

[Zenopus]

What did you think of Maze of Peril? You should read the Boinger and Zereth Dragon magazine stories now.

I'm currently reading a "Holmes" story - The Seven-Per-Cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer, who later directed the Wrath of Khan. Also watching the new season of Sherlock on PBS.

[stevemitchell]

The Watchers Out of Time by H. P. Lovecraft and August Derleth. All of the Lovecraft-Derleth “collaborations” (actually Derleth working from Lovecraft’s notebook entries) in one volume, with the exception of the novel-length Lurker at the Threshold.

My Life in Comics by Joe Simon. Simon was co-creator, with Jack Kirby, of Captain America, and the two men worked in collaboration for most of the 1940s and 1950s. Published shortly before Simon’s death at age 98, this is a fascinating memoir of the early comic book industry.

Guy Deverell by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. An old-fashioned Victorian mystery from the author of Uncle Silas and Carmilla.

The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William L. Shirer. The classic account. Quite lengthy and a bit dry, but well-researched from primary sources.

The Bourbon Kings of France by Desmond Seward. From Henri IV down to the last Bourbon pretender, Henri V. A lively portrayal of the Bourbon dynasty in France.

Roswell in the 21st Century by Kevin D. Randle. If you’ve never read anything about the supposed Roswell UFO crash, this probably isn’t the best place to start. It assumes much prior knowledge of the Roswell incident and the attendant controversies.

[Deleted]

Going full nerd with the DYOA-ebook "Sagas of the Demonspawn"/"Sagas of Fire*Wolf" on this flu-ridden day. Entertaining enough! There's a company, "Tin Man Games" that has been releasing a number of Fighting Fantasy books as apps, and also a number of other titles. Worth a look, if not entirely inexpensive.

Jan 10, 2017 13:47:26 GMT -6 stevemitchell said:

Guy Deverell by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. An old-fashioned Victorian mystery from the author of Uncle Silas and Carmilla.

What did you think of that one?

[stevemitchell]

I think Le Fanu was more effective in his short stories and novelettes than in his novels. His novels tended to ramble a bit (sometimes a lot!) and did not show the tight plotting of other "Sensation" writers such as Wilkie Collins and Elizabeth Braddon. All that being said, I just happen to really enjoy Le Fanu, so I found the book a pleasant read. But if you've tried some of his other novels like Uncle Silas, Wylder's Hand, or The House by the Churchyard and didn't care for them, then you probably won't find much to interest you here.

[Deleted]

Thanks for the assessment, Steve. My problem with most mid-19th century English writers is, obviously, that they tend to tell very convoluted tales. I THINK I read "The House by the Churchyard", though, and found it quite likable, even from a modern perspective.

[cadriel]

Just started on The Pirates of Venus by Edgar Rice Burroughs, having recently finished The Chessmen of Mars following a near-overdoes of Amber over the holidays (Guns of Avalon, Sign of the Unicorn and Hand of Oberon in short succession). I have the first two Venus books in a Dover book with illustrations, which is also how I have the second Mars trilogy. The shame is that all of ERB's oeuvre is not available in such a format.

[Deleted]

terrybrooks.net/2017/01/book-description-for-the-black-elfstone/

Just found this. Not going to lie to you; this makes me happier than I possibly thought.

[Deleted]

Opening the year with Kazuo Ishiguro's "The Buried Giant". Ishiguro, despite the name, writes in English, and is famous for schmaltz like "The Remains of the Day". This book, again, sets out to deliver all sorts of sobstuff, but, heck, it is well done. Very, very effective fantasy writing, but also, very, very dark.

[Falconer]

Dec 19, 2016 23:06:27 GMT -6 Falconer said:

Well, my project is to read what everyone seems to agree are the “good” Star Wars novels of the 1990s (Bantam Books) — the Thrawn series and the X-wing series, which together consist of the following:

1991. Heir to the Empire – Zahn
1992. Dark Force Rising – Zahn
1993. The Last Command – Zahn
1996. Rogue Squadron – Stackpole
1996. Wedge’s Gamble – Stackpole
1996. The Krytos Trap – Stackpole
1997. The Bacta War – Stackpole
1997. Specter of the Past – Zahn
1998. Wraith Squadron – Allston
1998. I, Jedi – Stackpole
1998. Iron Fist – Allston
1998. Vision of the Future – Zahn
1999. Solo Command – Allston
1999. Isard’s Revenge – Stackpole
1999. Starfighters of Adumar – Allston

Just completed Wraith Squadron. Now THAT was a treat and a half! Awesome!

[Deleted]

Hehe, Falc, in this particular case, I'm delighted to say: I told you so! And, with the exception of "I, Jedi", the series is one of the rare cases when the stories get BETTER as they go along.

...So, what do you guys think about T. S. Elliott? I never read him like that, but it seems he had some influence on the fantasy genre, and many of the more successful genre writers have quoted him as an inspiration. (I remember GRRM, "Vikings"-creator Michael Hirst, and even Tad Williams...)

[Starbeard]

I really should read the X-wing books again. The only Star Wars novels I tried in the 90s were The Courtship of Princess Leia and the X-wing series, and I gave up on those after The Bacta War. I'm currently reading my way through as much pre-WEG Star Wars material as I can find, but once that's done I think I'd like to go through the 'good' Bantam novels as well, as a separate reading project.

On the Terry Brooks front, I finished The Sword of Shannara awhile ago, and found it entertaining despite not appreciating the writing style. I was also disappointed that there wasn't more future fantasy in there: there was a scene in the ruins of a city where everything quite unexpectedly went a bit Gamma World, and though I kept hoping for more of that it never came. I haven't started the second book yet, but my local bookshop did have a copy of Magic Kingdom for Sale/Sold!. It's definitely a cheeseburger-and-fries novel, but I find his writing technique much more focused in this one. It also seems like a great premise for a campaign.

I'm a little embarrassed to say I haven't actually read any T. S. Elliot other than what I had to in school, and I can't remember anything about it.

[stevemitchell]

T. S. Elliot--a great poet if you want to revel in abject futility and the utter meaninglessness of it all. Otherwise, maybe not so great. I thought his putting a section of Notes at the end of "The Waste Land," apparently for the prospective dummies in his readership who otherwise wouldn't understand all his clever allusions, was amazing arrogant.

[stevemitchell]

Empire of Doom by Kenneth Robeson. Will Murray, writing under the Robeson house name, presents another fast-paced team-up between Doc Savage and The Shadow. This time, the two crime-fighters battle The Shadow’s great foe, Shiwan Khan, who has a new scheme for world domination. The struggle against Shiwan Khan rages from New York, across the Caribbean, and finally to the heart of Central Asia. Nicely done.

Tales from the Deed Box of John H. Watson, MD; More from the Deed Box of John H. Watson, MD; and Secrets from the Deed Box of John H. Watson, MD by Hugh Ashton. Ashton writes Holmes pastiches in the classic manner (in other words, no team-ups between Holmes and Nikola Tesla to battle Yog-Sothoth). He presents Holmes, Watson, and even the bumblers from Scotland Yard with affection; and the mysteries, if they don’t always rise to the best of Doyle, are certainly no worse than Doyle in his off moments.

Beyond the Seventh Gate by Timothy Renner. This book explores some high strangeness in southern Pennsylvania, especially as involving the ill-reputed Toad Road and the Seven Gates of Hell.

Hitler’s U-Boat War: The Hunters, 1939-1942 by Clay Blair. This provides a very comprehensive history of the German submarine offensive against Great Britain, and, later, the United States. And because 700 pages wasn’t enough to tell the whole story, Mr. Blair wrote a second volume continuing on to 1945, but I’ll have to read that later—too much combat fatigue from this volume!

The Last Empire by Serhii Plokhy. A detailed examination of the last 6 months of the Soviet Union in 1991. As someone who grew up at the height of the Cold War, I am still astonished that the great global rivalry between the USA and the USSR ended with the Soviet Union voting itself out of existence and dissolving peacefully.

The French Revolution by Ian Davidson. A good, straightforward narrative history.

[tkdco2]

Maigret at the Cornoner's, by Georges Simenon

This one is a little different from the other Maigret stories, as Maigret is visiting Arizona to learn American policing methods and is mainly an observer in a coroner's inquest.