Dyson sphere Edition
>Recommendations:
>Fantasy
http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/4chanlit/images/a/a8/1307836551252.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110612005642
>Sci-Fi
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/4chanlit/images/a/a6/Scifilit.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100710233344
http://imgur.com/r55ODlL
>Who is your favorite Author that utilizes Dyson spheres in Science Fiction/Fantasy?
>What are your favorite books that deal with with Dyson spheres?
>How would man utilize all that energy? How would covering the sun affect the other planets?
>As a supposed Dyson sphere was discovered a few weeks ago, do you think there will be a flood of books to hit the market centered around the Spheres to ride on the popularity?
Old Thread
>>7246345
That image looks more like a Matroishka brain under construction to me.
They'd use the energy to power all the processing going on inside the structure itself, which would in turn be their own minds and virtualised environments.
If you're talking about the large objects that were in the news last week after being discovered literally years ago, they're in no way a Dyson sphere, you're retarded.
>>7284638
what the fuck is a dyson sphere OP
Why would you waste your time building a dyson sphere instead of making your own mini fusion reactors?
Are there any books that portray a dyson sphere as a deprecated, abandoned project?
Or just space ruins in general if that's too specific.
>>7284633
>So you will be reading books to past time until you die?
Yes. I can see TWOW in 2016 tho tbh.
>Just like the Long Price Quartet was, The Dagger and Coin is historical fiction with "SMALL" hints of magic and the fantastical.
I don't mind that, although I couldn't get into TLPQ either, I think because it was so different from the regular medieval setting of ASOIAF.
>It was shit for me, but if you like history with a few glimpses of the magical(which is what GURM does) you can go for it.
I'll give it a try tbh fam. Thanks.
What I like about ASOIAF is the epic scope, which encompasses a variety of genres, moods and settings. So it's like 5 books in one.
Like someone on here once told me "if you like the gritty battles of ASOIAF try Black Company," but the truth is I like the variety.
>>7284656
Homeworld 2 wallpapers?
>>7284658
If you liked the gay, rape and incest of ASOIAF you'll enjoy Prince of Nothing.
>>7284682
You are the only one forcing the meme friend.
When will you give up?
>>7284707
It doesn't even make grammatical sense.
>>7284649
What do you mean "in no way"?
The evidence shows that it's a big cluster of lightweight objects that don't radiate infrared light. It's either a lot of comets in a really weird configuration or something artificial, it's still up in the air.
>>7284829
If it was a completed Dyson sphere, we wouldn't be able to see them as they wouldn't radiate light. Not all megastructures are Dyson Spheres and there's no reason to assume they are.
>>7284847
It's could be a Dyson swarm which is technologically feasible even for us in the near future.
>>7284853
Yeah, and it could be Azathoth's corpse or a herd of mega-butterflies, so what? Maybe they're made out of milkshake, it's possible. Do you think there'll be a flood of books to hit the market centred around mega-butterfly milkshake to ride the popularity?
>>7284867
You are implying that a Dyson structure is pure fantasy made by sci-fi stoners.
It's actually a serious concept with logical reasoning behind it.
It's no more preposterous than a generation ship or terraforming for example, which are "fiction" but well within the real of possibility.
>>7284888
I think he's saying that there's no reason to get excited about it being a Dyson superstructure (sphere or swarm or whatever) until we have more reason to think it is, not that the concept is inherently dumb.
I don't agree btw. I don't really give a fuck about pop authors or sensationalist journalists or Reddit getting excited about how it's Space Jesus, but I do get excited thinking about how we might have find the first alien thing and it's a massive fucking superstructure. It's worth looking into and it's perfect fodder for nerds to banter about. But obviously I'm not clenching my asshole shut 24/7 waiting for more news about it, since it's *probably* nothing.
>>7284888
No, I'm implying that you're leaping to conclusions. Lots of serious concepts for future technologies with logical reasons behind them turn out to be completely pointless by the time we've reached the level of sophistication needed to actually create them. It's not a supposed Dyson sphere, it's what appears to be some large objects in space that we haven't seen before. There's even less reason to suspect they're Dyson Spheres than there was in the '60s to believe the signals we were receiving were from aliens and not, as they turned out to be, pulsars.
>>7284904
I never implied that they MUST be alien structures, I'm just peeved by how you dismissed the possibility even though not even the scientists studying it dismissed it, it's more likely to be something natural but we just don't know yet and neither do you.
>>7284924
I haven't dismissed it. If you read my posts, the words "it's possible" are in there.
You'll note that the scientists studying it haven't dismissed the Azathoth or mega-butterflies theories either, they would be natural after all. My point is that you're leaping to conclusions.
>>7284925
"Possibility" is not "conclusion".
Also you did dismiss it in the first post I quoted.
>in no way
And bringing the Azathoth theory won't reinforce your argument because it's pure fantasy unlike the other possibilities.
What's the best metaparody in fantasy?
>>7284638
>Who is your favorite Author that utilizes Dyson spheres in Science Fiction/Fantasy?
Neal Asher explored it in one of his agent Cormac books, but haven't heard of it since the person in charge of building it went on a killing spree.
>As a supposed Dyson sphere was discovered a few weeks ago, do you think there will be a flood of books to hit the market centered around the Spheres to ride on the popularity?
I can already visualize fantasy writers using some ether derived device to harvest magical properties directly from the sun.
Hell, Jim Butcher might use it in his next Cinder Spires book.
Who /waiting for Southern Scadrial to start World War I/ here?
bought some books today.
How'd I do, lads?
>>7286263
ugliest set of covers i've ever seen in my life
>>7286317
You may be sad to know these books also don't come with pictures, lad
Vurt is my favourite sci-fi book
What's yours?
>>7286319
listen not only are the covers crap they're slightly oversized the way they make them now.
they don't fit into your hand right and the words are oversized and overspaced
>>7286263
Hah, dick!
>>7284654
Essentially, it's a solar array that entirely encapsulates a star.
>>7286263
What collection is that? I've never seen it before. Ugly as shit, but still interesting. Door Into Summer, City and the Stars, Under Pressure, The End of Eternity, and The Dream Master are all strange choices for the authors imo.
>>7286263
That's a pretty good selection. Now you have to actually read them.
>>7286263
A lot of good books with nothing but god awful covers.
i know, i know, the dust jackets are shit. I can always take them off.
>>7286780
SF book club 50th anniversary edition. They're the SFBC's top 8 selections from each decade. Almost half of them were already on my reading list.
>>7286263
I don't love the covers but it's cool that they're all in the same collection, there's a lot there I'd love to read, plus the Dick and Le Guin are classics
>>7287075
They're all hardback? How much did all of those cost? I thought they were cheap paperbacks.
>>7287184
would you believe fewer than 50 dollars?
Can you guys rec some fantasy that isn't autistic and escapist?
>>7287633
fantasy that isn't autistic and escapist is called fiction
I'm reading the second book in the Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox and I can safely say this is a really, really good series.
>>7284680
>I thought Shallan's secret was that her father diddled her. Had a hard on waiting for the reveal.
>IT NEVER CAME
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
As the only person in thread to have apparently read the paper about KIC-8462852, I feel I should point out that while the scientists (and there are a mess of them) don't mention any kind of artificial structure specifically, they also put forward every other possibility you can think of, and then dismiss them as not quite fitting the bill.
Either way, it's neat.
>>7286263
When I saw the covers I expected a bunch of Rothfuss tier fantasy.
As it turns out a lot of this is pretty good, nice haul
>>7287458
Less
I've ordered:
1) Perdido Street Station
2) The City and the City
3) Embassytown
How am I doing?
So this is getting an English translastion next year....
>>7289655
That's actually pretty cool, I've been wanting to dip into that - the series is too long for my taste
>>7289633
Depends. If you like Mieville you're doing pretty well.
>>7289659
There's a new chinese cartoon adaptation coming in 2017
I'm going to share some relevant music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpE0pZsM1Go
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPAR0P-8vGM
DId not know Gavrial Kay has a new novel out next year.
Where should I start with Elric? What are some Elric collections worth getting?
>>7284638
Tbh I think Star Wars got the cool aspect of dyson spheres right and cut out all the nerd shit. Giant space ball --> we have the power of space is the essential aesthetic core of the concept, Kardashev-whatever is fluff.
Who is the best modern prose stylist in fantasy fiction?
>>7286263
Is the End of Eternity worth reading? I read All You Zombies recently and was pretty blue-balled about the lack of time agents having fun time travel adventures, killing Hitler and stuff.
>>7289655
ugh
>just finishedlisteningto the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I didn't think that i would feel so confused with the ending after... Well, after the whole mood and comedic tone(save for the 4th book) of the whole series.
What the hell happened? All i could understand was that, apparently,the Vogons end up destroying Earth again, with Trillian and AU-Trillian in the same room, and then somehow that fixes the whole problem of the time and dimentional distortions that happened in the solar system.
I feel like i missed a page or two, or at least a paragraph, because it feels like i'm missing information.
What fantasy books(prefer magic, but sci fi is ok too) have a villain protagonist, who isn't a thug/mercenary/barbarian type, but a genuine overlord wannabe?
>>7291239
George R.R Martin
Joe abercrombie
Amazing writing.
>>7289838
>If you like Mieville
No, I like rad quality stuff.
![VALIS(1stEd)[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/NCj9RU5.jpg "VALIS(1stEd)[1].jpg")
I sure am happy I saw someone post about this book, it's nice to find a entertaining book to read.
Also does anyone dislike knowing if the author is religious or not when reading books that deal with religion?
Whenever I read a Brandon Sanderson book I just remember he's a mormon and it just makes me second guess everything he writes about religion.
So, given that i started listening to audiobooks recently, i was wondering, did any of you listened to Book of the New Sun? Since it's so highly regarded in here, i was thinking that if i didn't read it i would miss on the experience or something like that.
>>7284638
>>Who is your favorite Author that utilizes Dyson spheres in Science Fiction/Fantasy?
John C. Wright
>>What are your favorite books that deal with with Dyson spheres?
Probably going to be the upcoming Vindication of Man by John C. Wright.
>>How would man utilize all that energy? How would covering the sun affect the other planets?
Building fantastically large AIs.
Other planets? You mean those piles of construction material?
>The Power christened Vonrothbarth of 61 Cygni was a hyperjovian and a fire giant, a Brown Dwarf who failed to ignite, swinging rapidly in a submercurial orbit around his primary. Over millennia, he had extended the topless towers of exotic-particle material upward and outward from his fiery globe, a trailing braided tail, threads of material two hundred twenty million miles long, held aloft from the star by 61 Cygni’s immense solar wind pressure. The twin telluric worlds of the system were unable to comprehend Vonrothbarth’s arts, or analyze the building material, dubbed orichalchum. The material was the alloy of artificial elements not found on any periodic table, isotopes possible only through engineering on the subatomic scale. Odile looked on with awe and Odette with dread, and each sought to ship her surface populations elsewhere, before the distant age arrived when project was triumphant.
>The orichalchum megascale structure housed both inhabited and uninhabited continents. These continents coated the inner surface of hollow cylinders indefinite in length, absorbing and digesting particles from the sun, and ever growing. The flexible cylinders rotated at various rates to imitate gravity. The array was as if composed of countless beanstalks set end to end, or, like a loosely woven arc of odd, superplanetary noodles.
>As ages passed, the threads expanded ever farther along the orbit of Vonrothbarth as he circled the star, eventually forming a work encircling the solar equator. And still, as centuries passed into millennia, it grew ever onward. When it reached three full circuits of 61 Cyngi, a three-banded strandworld, it awoke, and shrieked, and named itself Zauberring.
...
>Rumors filtered down to the posthumans that Cold Potentates had overheard the radio messages, spanning the years and lightyears between the Powers and their new and incomprehensible masters, these Principalities. Cool and remorseless Catallactic of Tau Ceti, serene and detached Consecrate of Altair, patient and sly Toliman of Alpha Centauri, and young Zauberring of 61 Cygni, whose zeals and ideals were based on mathematical models no Power and no Potentate could comprehend.
>>7286263
If you want gay:
>Forever War
>Left Hand
>City (gay as in gay for Lopers [I mean me being gay for Lopers])
Rape:
>Stars my Destination
>Door into Summer (Debatable, statutory)
>Canticle for Leibowitz (I might be remembering this incorrectly)
>Smoke Rose Up
Incest:
>Mote in God's Eye (alien only)
David Bowie:
>Under Pressure
Now this is not a complete list, but it should get you started.
>>7292255
>Door into Summer
>not pure and consensual
>>7290736
Pls respond
>>7292040
>Whenever I read a Brandon Sanderson book I just remember he's a mormon and it just makes me second guess everything he writes about religion.
Like how? Knowing Wolfe is Catholic makes New Sun ten times better.
>>7292355
It can be pure and consensual and still be statutory.
Superheroes are kinda fantasy right? I think this is the right thread to ask.
Recently I've read a really cool series called Ex-Heroes, about superheroes in a zombie apocalipse. That made me curious, are there more books about superheroes? Any you guys would reccomend?
Please don't tell me to go to /co/, they barely read comic books, I don't think they can read actual books.
>>7292894
>they barely read comic books
Wow you're dumb.
>>7292096
I listened to the old recording made for the blind in the 90's /80's and the recently re-recorded one made cor audiobooks listeners.
If i got all the story you can too.
>>7284656
Well we have the technology for a dyson sphere currently so there's that. Not the means, but at least the technology.
>>7292894
The Reckoners by Sanderson has a shit protagonist but some good side characters.
>>7293418
I was severely disappointed thatTWO MAIN CHARACTERS had superpowers. I mean, I get that it's a magic system and you can be super and not evil under certain circumstances, but he marketed those books as non-supers beating supers.
And the MC is just a self-insert, because it's YA.
>>7292040
He lurked atheist forums so he could write Jasnah properly. I think it's safe to say he researches beforehand.
I got a question for Michael Fabre's under the skin
Why is the alien's original appearance like dogs? Is it an irony that men's best friends are eating men
Seveneves for all its flaws was a fun ride.
>mfw the transhumanist gets physically uploaded into cannibals
>>7292681
But Catholicism isn't retarded.
>>7291239
Gene Wolfe is still alive and writing.
>>7292219
Finally, another JCW fan.
Count to a Trillion might be a little uneven, but there's so much going on. Wright's sort of a combination of Wolfe and Van Vogt. A shame so many won't give him a chance because of muh progressive ideals. So far the books have basically mapped the evolution of posthuman intelligence as a progression from a godless present/near future, to a pagan age of legends, to the host of angels. I can't wait to see how he deals with wrapping everything up...hopefully his spat with Tor didn't screw things up on either end. Yes, lots of Dyson sphere are involved.
>>7293548
But Mormonism isn't retarded either, at least no more than Catholicism. It just holds Hermetic beliefs in a time when Christianity is overwhelmingly Gnostic.
>>7293566
I love his idea that enhanced intelligence enhances the magnitude of our mistakes. I'm really looking forward to them sending neural signals through galactic filaments and still being a Texas gunslinger who stole the Princess from a dreadful Spaniard, and still getting their duel interrupted.
>>7293471
Well, I think it was a prettypredictable plot twist. I also think it'd be pretty boring if it turned out the MCs just had unlimited luck at beating super powered villains out of a sheer plot armour book after book.
>>7293597
Well it's Sanderson, of course there's a twist. But it could have been a different twist.
See, in heists, as he explains on his podcast, you either explain what they're going to do and it goes wrong, or you go in blind and they pull it off. Variations on that theme could keep ano-supersReckoners series going as long as he wants. No major revelations necessary.
Inaho explained his plans, and then they worked. That was a big part of that show's problem. He was never wrong, not even when his opponent could predict the future.
>>7293617
The Reckoners is probably just the Aldnoah of Sanderson's series. But I agree it was better when there were no super powers, but on the other handthe stakes are much higher in the third book if they're going against Prof rather than 'just another' epic. I guess instead of epics they could just go for the source Calamity but I think it'd be underwhelming especially as Sanderson is going for the blockbuster feel.
Wonder how they're going to get around Meg now she's practically invincible, but I guess I didn't see the TLR twist coming either.
>Inaho explained his plans, and then they worked. That was a big part of that show's problem.
I always thought that Aldnoah was going to pull a Sanderson-esque Atium twist but it never ended up happening and they never really discussed it again. Big disappointment.
The power levels are getting a bit too high in the Reckoners though, I agree, but it didn't go straight into OP like Mistborn did. (I noticed that he significantly toned down the Mistborn super powers with the Wax/Wayne stuff)
>>7293627
Oh, I never read the second Reckoners. Couldn't even make it through... the chalk magic one. I was fine with Alcatraz and I'm flagrantly homosexual towards Stormlight, so I don't know if I'm the problem there or not. There's a pretty big quality drop when you read the stuff he writes to take a vacation from writing his other stuff.
I think the Mistborn power levels were handled pretty well aside from that slog of a Sazed fight, really. One of the big payoffs in fantasy for me was when Vin collapsed that steel palace and threw herself into the stratosphere.
>>7293634
Mistborn power levels were handled quite well. But it must be pretty difficult to have to factor that into all of your plot. The Wax/Wayne stuff has more twin borns/limited powers than its predecessors, it's quite interesting to see the difference in the way he tackles those.
>>7293639
A lot of it reflects his growth as an author. Nowadays he likes to take a little power and stretch it a long way. He's not going for as much gee-whiz, as we can see in Wild West Mistborn, and I can see where it helps him focus on more human characters but I can't say I love it.
>>7293693
>but I can't say I love it.
that's true
>>7293479
>He lurked atheist forums so he could write Jasnah properly
>he couldnt even be assed to read Atheist philosophers
Bravo Hackerson
>>7293727
But if he based a character on atheist philosophers none of his atheist readers would recognize it.
>>7293727
>atheist philosophers
Are you implying that before I decided to become an atheist I went up and read a shitload of arguments?
>>7292894
Steel Heart by Brandon Sanderson
>>7291977
hours later, no reply
>>7293996
No one owes you a reply.
>>7293996
What you want anti hero?
Losts of books with evil villians usually resolves itself with th protagonist sacrificing himself for the greater good. Books with a evil guy doing wvil things and living happily everafter doesn't sell well.
Fucking public and their "muh morals".
>>7293996
Literally the Book of the Fucking Sun
>>7294265
>i haven't had the chance to entertain myself with an undone trope
>better complain about society's morals
>>7294336
Neither, actually. I know that it's been done heavily due to how wide is the spectrum when it comes to books, but i was mostly referring to known authors and shit.
>>7294319
I said "muh morals" because Authors try to resolve the book with good conquering evil(or the evil guy not being so evil) because of the public.
What book did you read that the person you detested the most, survives in the end and continues to kill and pillage and doesn't answer for his crimes?
Please let me know so I can read it.
>>7284638
The structures probably aren't dyson spheres, they're probably huge chunks of molten metal caught in orbit around the star.
I personally think the human race will run out of the resources required to build something like that long before we get anywhere near colonizing other planets.
Which is a shame because exploring the galaxy would be bad ass.
>>7289655
Why would you want a translation?
Have anyone of you read "Prince of Thorns"? and if so would you recommend it for someone who liked The first law series alot?
>>7295410
Yea I would, but don't touch the sequels.
Just read the first Law Trilogy and the Broken Empire Trilogy.
Don't touch anymore of their books.
>>7284638
Try Ring World for Dyson Sphere books.
>>7293087
>and the recently re-recorded one made for audiobooks listeners.
Do you know where can i find it? KAT doesn't have it and the thread on /t/ has only the cassette recordings, which i can't hear when going on the bus.
>>7284638
Does Ringworld count? Of course, a ring is used instead of a sphere, but in the same way for the same purpose. Plus, the novel is amazing, if you haven't read it yet, do so soon.
>>7292040
Was Dick religious? I thought he was just nuts.
>>7295410
I liked the rape, gay and incest in Prince of Thorns series.
Why is it there's hardly any literary science fiction?
>>7297682
Didn't you say you liked the gay rape incest of Prince of Thorns 2 threads ago?
Prince of thorns starts with rape, brother Sim was a good bugger boy, and the incest? Jorge fucking his sister/aunt-in-law counts?
>>7297693
Because this isn't a dfw or gravity's rainbow thread.
>>7297730
I used to love science fiction but I can't get over the lack of prose. Most writers have such a simplistic style of writing I can't handle it. I was hoping that there would be some serious suggestions otherwise I'm just going to order the Barsoom series at the library and see what happens.
So, it's been a long time since I've read this, and I still think about it all the time. I don't quite understand it, mainly the ending, but it still blows me away. It also seems right up /lit/'s alley.
>>7297787
It's an amazing work. One with literary merit beyond the narrow trappings of science fiction.
>>7297787
>that cover
No thanks.
>>7297787
Looks like a scene from the movie avatar (the cover that is)
Anyone here read the "Night Watch" series by Sergei Lukyanenko? I've been reading the first four books over the last few days and I liked them, kind of a different, Russian take at urban fantasy for a change.
... just don't try to watch the movies. Cringeworthy at best.
i want a fantasy in space that isn't called 'science' 'fiction'
>>7298571
>>7298585
So dreams and prophecy guide characters, spells and curses have real consequences, like attracts like and evil contaminates, but they're also concerned about injection orbits, delta-v, and atmosphere scrubbing?Not that most SF cares about that last bit anyway.
>>7298598
Lolita sure looks lonely amongst all that trash.
>>7294292
you mean book of the new sun?
>>7295410
I have read and I'm currently reading the third book of the trilogy. Very fun.
Unfortunately, I wouldn't know what to recommend, I'm looking for similar books myself too. Abercrombie probably works for that.
>>7298598
I liked the rape, gay and incest in all the books in your picture.
Guys, you read a lot of scifi, how do they cure diarrhea in the future? I get it every day and it's exhausting. I have to take my shirt off when I defecate it's so bad. I also can't wear belts.
>>7298799
Drink less milk(milk, cream, ice cream, cheese) if you are dairy intensive.
To help the shittings, get Guava leaves or Green Tea leaves. Brew every dark.
That will clog you up nicely.
>>7298799
They must have cured diarrhea in the future since all restaurants are Taco Bell.
>>7298835
Thanks, man.
>>7294646
Not a book, but Nightcrawler is a movie like this.
>>7298879
Eat a lot of high fibre foods too, or get some psyllium husk and drink it with water. You'll be shitting comfy shits
>sci-fi general talking about diarrhea
Sounds about right :^}
>>7299084
I can't wait. The future is now.
>>7298799
>Guys, you read a lot of scifi, how do they cure diarrhea in the future?
The basic solution is blowing up the USA -- no more American "food" and no more stomach problems and obesity and diabetes. Problem solved.
>>7299199
You would still have Africa, where in many countries the leading cause of death is diarrhea.
>>7298799
I liked the rape, gay and incest in your diarrhea.
>>7285222
Fuckin' Xanth.
Is Dhalgren worth reading?
>>7298585
Maybe give the Pern novels a try? It's not exactly in space, but it is a series of fantasy novels set on another planet and sort of still is SF. I'd start with Dragonflight, Dragonquest and The White Dragon.
>>7301489
It's recommended to read Dragonsong, Dragonsinger and Dragondrums in between Dragonquest and The White Dragon.
>>7284638
Loved the Riftwar Books tbh.
They start off as really generic but start getting interesting, then they go back to generic.
Loved The Empire Trilogy especially. Only read up to Shards of a Broken Crown because I heard the books after are shit.
>>7298799
I'd go to the doctor mate just to check.
>>7301533
Erik Von D best character, Calis a shit
>>7300506
>Xanth
Is Piers Anthony good?
Been meaning to read him for years but the blurbs are so meh.
Why is a board relevant thread dropping to page 8, while non literature threads(what film, what music, what painting, etc), are upon page one?
>>7284654
easily said it is when a civilization can utilize the power of the sun creating an almost infinite amount of power
>>7303550
Because sci-fi is shit and you're from another board
>>7302561
I read Tarot which was a nice enough read, I still remember some parts of it five years later so that's something at least.
>>7302561
1T D3P3NDS
DO YOU L1K3 PUNS 4ND SC4NT1LY CL4D WOM3N?
1TS B33N 4 WH1L3 S1NC3 1 R34D 4NY OF TH3 X4NTH BOOKS BUT 1 H4V3 FOND M3MOR13S OF TH3M
TH3Y W3R3 3NJOY4BL3 BUT 1 W4S 4LSO L1K3 14
CONC3PTU4LLY X4NTH 1S 4 N34T 1F V3RY S1LLY PL4C3
1TS 4LL V3RY L1GHT H34RT3D 4ND NOT R34LLY WH4T YOUD C4LL D33P 4S F4R 4S 1 C4N R3C4LL
>>7303576
>been here for years
>vaporware, /mu/, /tv/, /pol/ and /v/ shit spammed almost daily
>relevant threads stays close to page 5 for days
>recently more asinine shit spammed
>relevant threads drop to page 8 within 5 hours
>new
I guess some /an/ namefag would know whom is from which board
I need some spooky books about space
Like event horizon
>>7298799
>having diarrhea when your entire civilization is uploaded into machines
What's a good name for a science fiction library?
I named mine The Datalinks in honor of Sid Mier's Alpha Centauri.
So I decided I should read atleast one cyberpunk book in my life and I chose Snowcrash. When does it get good? I am at the first grill-centered chapter, where she's being a smug little slut about catching some minivan.
>>7305311
You chose badly.
>>7305311
Try Vernor Vinge's True Names instead.
>>7303953
Ship of Fools/Unto Leviathan bye Richard Paul Russo reminded me a tiny bit of Event Horizon.
>>7305312
No that anon should hold out until she getsculturally enriched by Aleut dikit's truly the climax of the novel.
>>7305008
>Harry Potter and American Gods are the only fantasy book there
This makes me sad.
>>7305373
Damn I knew it was Reddit trash.
Thanks for the rec sempai
>>7292894
Worm by J.C. "Wildbow" McCrae is the Superhero Story To End All Superhero Stories; it's like Watchmen in book form. The only catch is that after you read it, you will never be able to look at other superhero stories the same way again; it's a category killer.
https://parahumans.wordpress.com/table-of-contents/
https://github.com/rhelsing/worm_scraper
What do you think is China Mieville's best book? I finished Perdido Street Station and it was dope af. I feel like it kind of took a dip in quality in the second half though, when it became less about ideas and atmospheric stuff and more action-y. I was thinking of reading either The Scar, Embassytown, or The City and the City Next. Not sure which one though
>>7284638
Any of y'all read Conservation of Shadows by Yoon Ha Lee?
It's sci fi-ish mixed with fantasy and some ancient Chinese myth. It's honestly pretty good, my only complaint is that they rarely feel like complete, self contained stories, rather like the sketch or outline of a longer one (she introduces too much and expounds too little). But I'd rec it anyway, especially if your library has it
>>7289655
What exactly would you miss out on compared to just watching the show? It's clearly story-oriented fiction. Or does the book feature more insightful inner dialogue or something? I thought the show was pretty clear.
>>7301533
I loved Empire and original, then snakewars was pretty meh, brief revival with Talons of Silverhawk (which he ripped off from Count of Monte Cristo but who cares, it was awesome), then quality dropped again.
I quit afterPug dropped a moon on some planet
>>7306392
The Scar is his best book for me. Rightly paced, excellent unusual-but-not-bizzare prose, tight plot and story, and engaging characters. Second best is Embassytown which similarly well paced and well written, but shorter and more of a science fiction than fantasy. The theme Mieville explore in Embassytown is dope as fuck though.
I finished Fool's Assassin today, on one hand I'm excited that we can expect Fitz adventures again, on the other hand...hadn't Fitz and the Fool suffered enough already, Hobb?
Goddamn.and what's up with Nighteyes showing up, is he somehow living on in Bee's mind as well?
Currently reading the Book of the New Sun, and while I have trouble understanding parts of it, I still enjoy it.
Is there anywhere I can read about for more info on the book, some clarification for certain things?
>>7306591
A lot will fall into place towards the end. But yes, afterwards there's plenty of fan discussions you can look up online. And some stuff will just always remain speculation.
Anything particular that has you wondering?
>>7306599
Yeah, a lot of it. I'm pretty new to fantasy (I just finished ASOIAF before I started TBOTNS). Some of my questions already fell into place, but right now I'm just wondering what happened to the kid Severian when climbed up a statue to retrieve a ring.
Besides that, is the Severian telling the story reliable? He occasionally mentions things I never noticed before, but feel they already have been told, and just went way over my head.
So I'm currently reading Shadow of the Torturer as my first Gene Wolfe book and I'm having a hard time following it most of the time.
Was it a mistake to start with this one? I chose it because it's generally regarded as his best work, but I feel like it assumes I know many things that I don't.
Hey /lit/, pleb here.
I want to start on either Asimov or Wolfe, with whom and where should I start?
>>7306816
I feel like the two aren't really comparable, but I've only skimmed one Wolfe book before. I'd say start with I, Robot or Foundation
What's some Sci-Fi that deals with the shadier side of future life? Preferably not Cyberpunk.
>>7306392
The City and the City
>>7306816
Try one of Asimov's short story collections, such as "Nightfall and Other Stories" or "The Best of Isaac Asimov". That'll let you know if you like his style.
>>7307038
>not cyberpunk
Well, fuck. Can you be more specific anon?
>>7296490
The one narrated by Jonathan Davis? Its on audible, so you could listen to it with their free trial
>>7306392
Read the Scar next since it's set in the same world and is the next book in chronological order.
>>7284649
>virtualised environments
literally a caveman imagining flying on tamed birds
>>7304238
>goddamnit phil, now the whole dyson sphere's full of dysentry
>>7307038
Richard Morgan's stuff
>>7308426
Butt boy Morgan.
>>7306816
Go with Asimov, he's far more accessible. Start with I, Robot if you want to ease into his oeuvre or Foundation if you want to read his best/most iconic work first.
>>7286263
>The end of eternity
>The stars my destination
You did good, son.
It's basically just books that are considered classics so you can't really do bad.
>>7291290
It's good but it's not about time agents having fun time travel adventures, killing Hitler and stuff.
It's relatively short but still very compelling so if you put your mind onto it you can finish it in a few hours.
And time travelling is different than you are used to.
>>7308707
>time travelling is different than you are used to.
Based on your oic, do they literally nuke themselves into the past/cuture?
>>7293573
I've still never read any of his ebooks, because I'm a pro-paper-copy Luddite. I heard The Book of Feasts and Seasons was meh, but City Beyond Time and Somewhither both looked decent.
What is everyone's opinion on Heechee series. I just started reading pic related. So far it seems nice and i'm just wondering if it's going to turn to shit in sequel books.
>>7309157
I liked the rape, gay and incest in Heechee Series.
Recommend me some Space Fantasy senpai
>>7310000
>quads wasted on star wars shit
You want books similar to star wars or are you just shit posting?
>>7310022
Not him, but you trying to say all star wars books are shit?
>>7310033
Yeah, something fantastical but set in a futuristic space setting. Already read Dune btw.
>>7310045
>>7310045
Paradox Trilogy, by Rachel Bach.
Wouldn't call it objectively "good", but more of a guilty pleasure.
Basically involves Samus Aran fighting space lizards and space magic shenanigans, and while I couldn't really identify with her romance plot, the action scenes were exciting and the different aliens were varied and interesting, with their culture and physiology.
What sci-fi should I read if I want to go on a motherfucking adventure? Strange worlds, life or death situations, all that good shit. I want something grandiose and fun.
>>7310098
Why only Sci-fi? No fantasy?
>>7310282
We don't have Coke, is Pepsi ok?
>>7310098
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy comes to mind, but i'm sure there's a better example out there.Also, the ending is shit, but overall worth it.
If anyone here likes alternate history, you need to read For Want of a Nail. It's amazing, it's a alternate history written like a freshman level college textbook, with footnotes and everything.
The historical change is that the rebels lose the American revolution. However unlike basically every single other alternate history I've read, things keep changing in a butterfly-effect like way. Like in a typical one if the Brits won the war then modern society and map boundaries would be exactly as they are now, the only difference being that US is part of the Commonwealth or whatever. In For Want of a Nail, history changes completely past the point of divergence, getting weirder and weirder as time goes on. The book covers history all the way up to the 1970's.
>>7308833
no, they use elevators to travel through time
>>7284656
Because the Sun is an unbelievably gigantic fusion reactor which processes half a billion tons of hydrogen per second, nearly all of which is wasted.
That kind of energy would render those in control of it capable of godlike accomplishments.
>>7310288
Rather a Sprite, don't like dark drinks.
>>7310399
>Burgoyne
>Saratoga
I don't even know any of those places or people, why would any of that matter
>just thought to my self that the gameplay sounded good this time around
>see this
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoV7X9B35Xs
>mfw
>>7310993
copyright claim etc no one can access it, well done.
>>7310993
top video m8
>>7310098
Revelation Space, as always.
>>7310282
Because I felt like reading a fun sci-fi book. I dunno. If you have some good grand adventure fantasy books to recommend, I'll check them out as well.
>>7310732
The title of the book comes from a poem/proverb. Small changes in seemingly unimportant events create large unpredictable changes in larger things. I don't mean to be a meme-science person, but it's the butterfly effect.
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
>>7310098
Expanse series is the closest one that I can think of, but the writing starts to slit its own wrists halfway through book 3.
Surprisingly, there aren't that many sci-fi books that fall into the "adventure" category.
Then again, modern sci-fi books are a rather unexplored territory, for a reason too. You'll probably have a better luck at looking at fresh releases on your own.
>>7309157
Gateway has some really cool ideas IMO. The whole old-alien-thing-that-is-found is always fun, the idea of not knowing exactly how the ships work, how to control the ships, where you'll end up etc. are all fun. It could have been even better though.
I've read the first sequel (Beyond The Blue Event Horizon), which was ok, but definitely not as entertaining. I'm also going to give the second sequel (Heechee Rendezvous) a try, but I'm not going to read any further, unless I'm positively surprised.
>>7306382
>Superhero Story To End All Superhero Stories
No it isn't. It isn't even on Watchmans level. It's a couple of good ideas poorly handled. Fuck off back to Space Battles with that shit.
>>7291290
>time agents having fun time travel adventures, killing Hitler and stuff.
Are there any books like this though? I've never seen one but maybe I just didn't look at the right authors. Any one can recommend something like this?
Hell any books that are just fun? Just lighthearted, good wins, the MC doesn't get shat on, the victory isn't pyrrhic? But isn't straight up comedy? Maybe something comfy?
After Joe Abercrombies First Law trilogy And Perdido Street Station I need a good pick me up. I'll even accept YA.
>>7313050
Belgariad
Is Poul Anderson good?
>>7311826
weird how I always just assumed it was about man's desire to build bigger and bigger hammers that would eventually destroy himself.
All because there weren't enough nails to hammer.
>>7313050
Have you already read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?
>isn't straight up comedy
Well, the tone gets more serious by the 3rd or so book.
>>7306799
>I feel like it assumes I know many things that I don't.
Shoulda started with the Greeks.
Honestly a dictionary might help.
>>7308934
Somewhither looked like a kitchen sink and I've never really gotten into it. Feasts and Seasons had some cool stuff in it, City Beyond Time too, but if you really want good Wrighting go for Awake In The Night Land, which is actually available in hardcover. The other short collections are hit-and-miss.
>>7310098
Stephenson. Baroque Cycle. Science fiction set in the dawn of science, when phosphorus and sunglasses were advanced scientists, with pirates.
How good are you at imagining the things you read?
Very often when I'm reading something, I have a hard time imagining things unless they are explicitly described, so for example unless they give me some info about the location, I end up imagining characters in some... bland, almost void-like place.
What's a good way to improve that?
Just reading more, I guess?
>>7315159
If you don't have a good imagination, I don't think there is a way to improve it.
Look at a lot of movies, photos of people and places.
When someone is described to you in a novel(no matter how blandly) you would be able to (subconsciously) pick from the pieces of movies and photos you saw and the places you visited.
Try "watching" a movie with your ears. Close your eyes and listen to the entire movie and try to imagine what is happening. You can also try graphic audiobooks.
>>7313876
I don't think the Guide series is for them if they don't want the MC getting constantly shat on, and for everything to be alright in the end.
>>7315232
Thanks m80, those actually sound like pretty good suggestions, I'll try them out.
I'm also aware that I need to slow down when I'm reading, I got too used to reading in College, something that always involved a deadline.
Can anyone here recommend some mindfuck scifi/fantasy?
I'm talking about something like the Matrix, Lost, or Homestuck that draws on eastern religions (or dead western ones), philosophy, modern pop-culture, and possibly real technology to create something that you can endlessly dig apart for theories and symbolism
Best Space Operas?
>>7315580
>Homestuck
So are there any good books with loli main characters or cute girls doing cute things in space?
In what order should I read the Foundation series?
>>7291290
Dinosaur Beach by Keith Laumer doesn't involve any real-world characters, but might scratch the itch of "time agent have time travel adventures".
Really, why would someone traveling back in time from a radically different universe/timeline/period of history give a shit the same people you do anyway?
>>7314508
I actually own the hardcopy Awake in the Night Land. An amazing work.
Kitchen sink is Wright's specialty. I'd buy a hardcopy Somewhither. I wouldn't buy a collection of his blog posts though.
>>7310098
As long as we're talking about him, John C. Wright's Count to a Trillion series. The eponymous first book is a little mediocre, but sets up the better follow-on books pretty nicely.
>>7315580
The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch and VALIS, both by our beloved PKD.
The Book of the New Sun.
>>7316338
Chronological, and like Dune you should drop the whole series the very moment you're not having a good time.
>>7316338
Publication order. So start with Foundation, followed by Foundation and Empire, followed by Second Foundation. This is the original trilogy. Then read Foundation's Edge, followed by Foundation and Earth. These are direct sequels. Then read Prelude to Foundation, followed by Forward the Foundation, both prequels. I loved all of them when I first read them, back when the last few ones were coming out, but I was a kid back then. When I read them now, I prefer the original trilogy, but Asimov is always entertaining.
There are Foundation books by other authors, but haven't read those.
>>7316425
No, with Dune, the second and third book are the weakest, so you should definitely give the fourth a try, IMO. And I really liked the fifth and sixth book as well.
>>7315974
Revelation Space-series. Read Revelation Space, Chasm City, Redemption Ark and Absolution Gap if you want a cool series written by a physicist working at the European version of NASA.
Night's Dawn Trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton.
I was pleasantly surprised by the Succession-duology by Scott Westerfeld, consisting of The Risen Empire and the Killing of Worlds.
Read Dune, at least the first six books.
The Hyperion Cantos, consisting of Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion and the Rise of Endymion.
>>7316435
Yeah, here I can agree that the quality of the Foundation novels generally drops along the way, although they're still enjoyable IMO.
>>7313050
Sounds like you're after Adventure books.
The Princess Bride if you haven't read it yet. It's a classic.
Escape from Hell! by Hal Duncan. Short but a lot of fun.
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. Another classic. It's YA, perhaps even a children's book, but it's brilliant.
If you like China Mieville, then Un Lun Dun, it's a YA romp through a fantasy alternative London.
The Anvil of the World by Kage Baker is a strange one, I liked it but didn't love it. Difficult to explain what it's about so look it up if you're interested.
And The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway because it's one of my favourite books.
>>7315580
The Book of All Hours by Hal Duncan.
The Voice of the Fire by Alan Moore.
>>7316336
There was a book about a cute loli going to hell(she calls satwn her uncle).
She gets raped in hopes of breaking ber spirit.
Its called Black jewels trilogy.
>>7315580
The perfect state by Brandon Sanderson mind fucker me.
>>7315312
>and for everything to be alright in the end.
To be fair, except for the very end, everything was always alright.
Also, what the hell happened to Zaphod after the 3rd book? I somehow missed it and never heard of him again.
bu8mp for quality
Sending out aaaarrrgg invites
>>/g/51165985
Please quote me here and I'll get to you asap
Science fiction (and fantasy) isn't really literature.
It's fan-fiction of vague characters.
>>7317875
when you make something, has the concept of that thing always existed before?
>>7317897
That's vague.
