Shejidan / What have you been reading lately?

**Posted by Griffinmoon** 9/04/2021 2:56 pm

Found and waded through the 4th in the Stormlight Archive/Brandon Sanderson. Reverted back to Goffrey of Monmouth and *his* total fantasy.

**Posted by Surtac** 9/04/2021 7:53 pm

I've been catching up on some short fiction while waiting for the new Al Reynolds book to reach me.

Paper Hearts by Justina Robson is a novella length work that evokes in me memories of some of her best earlier novels (Natural History, Living Next Door to the God of Love etc). It's the unfolding tale of an AI and its plans (and yes, dreams) of how it would slowly and carefully take over the world and make it better. By turns thought-provoking and heart-breakingly beautiful in places both, it reminded me again of just how good a writer Robson is and how little attention she gets. Highly recommended.

**Posted by Surtac** 9/12/2021 9:12 pm

Received and have already finished Al Reynolds' Inhibitor Phase. A return to his Revelation Space universe, it's very good indeed imho - a real page-turner.

Joe Abercrombie's latest, The Wisdom of Crowds, releases tomorrow and my copy is already in transit to me. While I wait, I'm reading Peter Hamilton and Gareth Powell's collaboration Light Chaser.

**Posted by Griffinmoon** 9/12/2021 10:03 pm

Muddling through the Kalevala. Finnish creation/hero saga.

**Posted by HRHSpence** 9/12/2021 10:07 pm

I like Peter Hamilton's works.

**Posted by Surtac** 9/14/2021 8:05 pm

Light Chaser was okay, but paled in the shadow of Reynolds' latest imo.

I'm still waiting for my copy of Abercrombie's new book to get here, but have managed to snag an advance copy of John Birmingham's new secret project to keep me going in the meantime.

**Posted by Kokipy** 9/20/2021 4:57 pm

Just finished Susannah Clark’s Piranesi. I really enjoyed it.

**Posted by Surtac** 9/20/2021 5:51 pm

Kokipy wrote:
Just finished Susannah Clark’s Piranesi. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks for that Kokipy. I'd been on the fence about whether to get that one or not. I'll now add it to my list.

**Posted by Kokipy** 9/22/2021 7:52 pm

It’s very odd, Surtac-ji. But I liked it.

**Posted by starexplorer** 9/24/2021 12:22 am

I finished Hail Mary. No one will confuse it with beautiful literature but I liked it more than my initial reaction would predict. More another time.