tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post8767138181125529022..comments2023-09-20T17:55:43.908-05:00Comments on BookLust: Musings: In the Garden of IdenAartihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-32709278666852518352012-07-10T21:33:51.808-05:002012-07-10T21:33:51.808-05:00I can totes see you loving Evil Plans over courses...I can totes see you loving Evil Plans over courses of series.Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-24035122915533968562012-07-10T21:32:54.785-05:002012-07-10T21:32:54.785-05:00Thanks for the recommendations and the warning abo...Thanks for the recommendations and the warning about Ender's Game. I'd probably give Ender's Game a miss, anyway, as I hear Orson Scott Card is a real jerk.Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-51897811477121636162012-07-09T19:02:32.492-05:002012-07-09T19:02:32.492-05:00Aw, pooh, I'm sorry this was no good for you. ...Aw, pooh, I'm sorry this was no good for you. If you hated this I don't know that you'd like the other Company books -- I wasn't expecting hard sci-fi going in, and I was mad about all the overarching stuff about the Company and their Evil Plans that happened over the course of the series. I love Evil Plans over courses of series, when they are done well.Jennyhttp://jennysbooks.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-3033787105486834002012-07-04T19:57:21.489-05:002012-07-04T19:57:21.489-05:00Oh, interesting. I've had these books in mind ...Oh, interesting. I've had these books in mind for years and hadn't heard about the religious aspect of their plotting; I'm glad to know to expect that going in. Given your response to that part of the books, I'm guessing that you wouldn't be fond of <i>Ender's Game</i> either (nor am I) and that some of the classics (like Heinlein) might rankle you too. Most of my favourites are older too (Ursula K. LeGuin's <i>The Dispossessed</i>, Elizabeth Moon's <i>Remnant Population</i>, Joan Slonczewski's <i>Door Into Ocean</i>), but two writers have been recently recommended to me -- Karen Traviss and Liz Williams -- so I've picked up a couple. I've also recently picked up a copy of Beukes' <i>Zoo City</i>, which many also seem to be quite fond of. Whatever you do try next, I hope you find a better fit!Buried In Printhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00808249065026802365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-64406080003973830422012-07-03T20:22:37.710-05:002012-07-03T20:22:37.710-05:00Yes, it just seems so cool to me! Maybe I should ...Yes, it just seems so cool to me! Maybe I should try the Thursday Next novels again.Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-64729563819697654392012-07-03T20:22:02.392-05:002012-07-03T20:22:02.392-05:00It isn't that I don't enjoy religion or di...It isn't that I don't enjoy religion or differences in thought, exactly- it's that I don't enjoy them in the context of science fiction when I am expecting something else. But I admit I was not a fan of these discussions.Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-2811550135724857452012-07-03T20:21:22.992-05:002012-07-03T20:21:22.992-05:00OH. That is good to know about the short stories ...OH. That is good to know about the short stories vs. full-length novels! I never even considered that. I will definitely look into that more- thanks.Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-21298801961673282772012-07-03T20:20:59.155-05:002012-07-03T20:20:59.155-05:00Way to commit ;-)Way to commit ;-)Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-79316775158471606322012-07-03T20:20:41.178-05:002012-07-03T20:20:41.178-05:00Thanks for the list! I definitely want to read so...Thanks for the list! I definitely want to read some Le Guin, so I might try her first.Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-88665382459620396262012-07-03T20:20:08.571-05:002012-07-03T20:20:08.571-05:00Haha, I know what you mean! It's like you wan...Haha, I know what you mean! It's like you want to read all the books at the same time, not one at a time.Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-1715389618302422902012-07-03T17:44:16.068-05:002012-07-03T17:44:16.068-05:00Too bad you didn't find more enjoyment with th...Too bad you didn't find more enjoyment with this one. The premise seems promising but I think if it contained more time travel you would have enjoyed it more. I, too have always been fascinated with the idea of time travel.Kathleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01739982274914536036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-53903310800669690852012-07-03T13:24:09.793-05:002012-07-03T13:24:09.793-05:00I remember really enjoying this one, but I also en...I remember really enjoying this one, but I also enjoy reading about religion and differences in thought. I have always had it in mind to pick up the next one in the series, but I just haven't gotten around to it. Perhaps I'll try her fantasy novel instead...Shehttp://www.historyofshe.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-63604888698278068502012-07-03T07:36:51.938-05:002012-07-03T07:36:51.938-05:00If you want to read Science Fiction, you really ou...If you want to read Science Fiction, you really ought to start with some Heinlein short stories, or some of Andre Norton's novellas. Longer fiction works are not the strength of the genre--most people read a short story (try one by Ray Bradbury, maybe Harrison Bergeron) and get interested in one of the ideas before they go on to a work in which many ideas are explored. The one we just reread at my house is Heinlein's "The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag," which is the title work of a collection. Right after it is "The Man Who Traveled in Elephants," which is Spider Robinson's favorite SF story. My personal favorite, I think, is Fritz Leiber's "Space-Time for Springers."Jeannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01374498643286099244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-24077748919011367592012-07-03T05:39:52.415-05:002012-07-03T05:39:52.415-05:00I tbr'd this because it had time travel but it...I tbr'd this because it had time travel but it will be awhile if ever that I actually read this.Carehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06478474870247729611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-61886193792973750602012-07-03T03:58:40.024-05:002012-07-03T03:58:40.024-05:00I'll admit that though I quite enjoy sci-fi, I...I'll admit that though I quite enjoy sci-fi, I've never been a fan of time travel. The whole concept of a time travel paradox is enough to give me a headache, and almost all time travel books do a really bad job of dealing with it. It seems as though <i>In the Garden of Iden</i> does an even weirder job than most books in the genre!<br /><br />As for recommendations, I can second <i>Ender's Game</i> and <i>The Sparrow</i>. Both are very different types of sci-fi (<i>The Sparrow</i> was marketed as more "literary", is slightly more mature in writing style), but ultimately very good.<br /><br />Other good sci-fi books:<br /><i>Solaris</i> by Stanislaw Lem is bizarre but very interesting (though apparently the translation into English is a double translation, and not very good...).<br /><i>Foundation</i> by Isaac Asimov was very good, but might be better with a bit more familiarity with sci-fi<br /><i>The Day of the Triffids</i> by John Wyndham is <i>excellent</i>.<br /><i>The Left Hand of Darkness</i> by Ursula K. Le Guin is also utterly fascinating.Meytal Radzinskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15805413335735169073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-80547503248183199912012-07-02T19:10:01.826-05:002012-07-02T19:10:01.826-05:00Okay, a couple more thoughts on SF that I loved. ...Okay, a couple more thoughts on SF that I loved. The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell, does deal with a lot of religious themes (which I often love in books, but I totally see why one wouldn't). But it's very much in a thematic way, rather than having characters sermonize. It's a beautifully written book, and very thought-provoking about ethics, culture, and what we take for granted.<br /><br />The other one is called Hellspark, which is by Janet Kagan. It's a bit rough in the first two chapters, since it dumps a lot of info on you right away, but if you breeze through that it's pretty much a good old fashioned murder mystery in space. Again with the overtones of the importance of culture in making us who we are--funny how all my faves are like that.<br /><br />But seriously--Vorkosigans all the way, baby.LibraryHungryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01981967495068772927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-90843103498393583692012-07-02T17:48:48.223-05:002012-07-02T17:48:48.223-05:00I really like the Company novels but then again, I...I really like the Company novels but then again, I like the religious aspect of it because it's the religion I'm most familiar with. And I really want to know what happens to Mendoza. She skips around like crazy! I think I have three unread Company novels because I want to KNOW all at once, rather than wonder. Because I'm weird like that.Carrie Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15585975894624687972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-76150294175525929922012-07-02T17:23:48.568-05:002012-07-02T17:23:48.568-05:00Ooh, thank you! I have read the Hitchhiker's ...Ooh, thank you! I have read the Hitchhiker's Guide (though not the entire series, I don't think) and enjoyed it, but wanted to read something not quite so comic and gently mocking. I'll look into the other ones you suggest!Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-85914409334585571942012-07-02T17:23:04.836-05:002012-07-02T17:23:04.836-05:00I loved that one, too! It was hilarious.I loved that one, too! It was hilarious.Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-55270994588956553042012-07-02T17:22:47.710-05:002012-07-02T17:22:47.710-05:00Maybe you'll do better than me, then!Maybe you'll do better than me, then!Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-4351640001819756762012-07-02T17:22:31.505-05:002012-07-02T17:22:31.505-05:00Will definitely do so :-)Will definitely do so :-)Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-42203688733257621152012-07-02T17:22:17.258-05:002012-07-02T17:22:17.258-05:00I have had the Vorkosigan Saga on my TBR list fore...I have had the Vorkosigan Saga on my TBR list forever, but can never find the first book on the shelf when I go looking for it! I still try, though :-)Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-10599662360345374502012-07-02T17:21:44.317-05:002012-07-02T17:21:44.317-05:00Ah, so happy to see you back online!! :-)Ah, so happy to see you back online!! :-)Aartihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02354873119188597611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-27861578138404649462012-07-02T17:08:16.276-05:002012-07-02T17:08:16.276-05:00Although you didn't enjoy the book your review...Although you didn't enjoy the book your review of it intrigued me and now I'm curious to give it a try myself. I haven't read anything by Baker before though The Anvil of the World has been on my wishlist for a while.<br /><br />As someone who doesn't read a lot of scifi, here are some of the scifi books that I have really enjoyed:<br /><br />The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis<br />Venus of Dreams by Pamela Sargent <br />Diving into the Wreck by Kristine Kathryn Rusch<br />Gateway by Frederik Pohl<br /><br />And, of course, there is Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, though they are pretty close to being fantasy as well.Simchahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14730042073954228379noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7343567357202223317.post-69012175634704180172012-07-02T16:25:28.253-05:002012-07-02T16:25:28.253-05:00The only time travel book I've read recently w...The only time travel book I've read recently was To Say Nothing of the Dog, which I absolutely loved. I'm sorry this one didn't work for you, but I appreciate your review. Doesn't sound like I'd like it much either.Col Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00541121019404860401noreply@blogger.com