• Home
    • Recent
    • Calendar
    • Register
    • Login
    Iron Heart Forum
    Iron Heart Forum

    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

    Books

    Hobbies and Pastimes
    146
    930
    241.5k
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • JDelageJ
      JDelage
      啓蒙家
      Joined:

      I read the first Wheel of Time book and found it incredibly boring. The character are not well defined, and the story is a drag - not to mention that the atmosphere is quite dark.

      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • S
        Snowy
        Joined:

        Recently got through The Stormlight Archives. Near the end of book 3 I got the feeling it wasn't going to wrap up.. found out it's a 10 parter when part 4 isn't due until next year some time - talk about rest of life wait!

        The Wheel of Time - I got through it all over the last 2 years. I enjoyed most of it, I think it was around 3 books too long. It got a fresh breath of life when Sanderson picked it up.

        The Magician - that's another epic series I've loved.

        Random question; do any of you know of a sci-fi book where the characters upload their consciousness into a coke can and go travelling out into space on the back of a laser beam fired from earth to propel them? There's a cat in there. I read the book years ago but for the life of me can't recall what it's called and what to re-read. Have been trying to find it again for around 2 years, have skimmed through most of the books I can think of and can't find it 😕 Help? 🙂

        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • ChrisC
          Chris
          Raw and Unwashed
          Joined:

          I tried The Wheel Of Time twice, maybe three times, but never made it through the first chapter.  Several of my friends liked the series, so I wanted to like it, but it just never grabbed me.

          Never read anything like that one, @Snowy, so I can't help you on your quest, sorry.

          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • JDelageJ
            JDelage
            啓蒙家
            Joined:

            @Snowy:

            Random question; do any of you know of a sci-fi book where the characters upload their consciousness into a coke can and go travelling out into space on the back of a laser beam fired from earth to propel them? There's a cat in there. I read the book years ago but for the life of me can't recall what it's called and what to re-read. Have been trying to find it again for around 2 years, have skimmed through most of the books I can think of and can't find it 😕 Help? 🙂

            Any SF book with a cat suggests Heinlein, but that one isn't one. The only series I can think of with consciousness traveling through space is the (excellent ) Altered Carbon series. No Coke can though.
            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altered_Carbon

            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • mclaincauseyM
              mclaincausey
              見習いボス
              Joined:

              No idea (very Douglas Adams-sounding), but it makes me think of replicating von Neumann machines, which at our current level of understanding of physics is the most plausible way for a civilization to propagate across a galaxy unless an Alcubierre drive or other technology could ever get us to travel faster than the speed of light (absolutely staggering how vast the galaxy is and it's such a tiny piece of the known universe)–to that end, there was a novel written about that fairly recently that I've not read called We Are Legion (We are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor. I've not read it.

              Think it, be it.

              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • GilesG
                Giles
                IHUK Crew
                Joined:

                I was given a USB stick with about a million (slight exaggeration) Kindler books on it.  I chose a book at Randon.

                Are you there, vodka?  It's me Chelsea.  By Chelsea Handler

                Never heard of her, but she makes me giggle:

                "I remember having this feeling early on, during the second day of kindergarten.  It became apparent to me that all of my classmates had the necessary faculties to play a serious game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, but had no designs on how to forge a late note from their parents"

                "There was more adult supervision at the Neverland Ranch than there was in my house growing up"

                "….as if you're the only one in the world who's ever had a baby, I could have had a baby too....if I had gone through with any of my pregnancies."

                "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • mclaincauseyM
                  mclaincausey
                  見習いボス
                  Joined:

                  She's a character. You should seek out some video of her @Giles she has had TV shows and such.

                  Think it, be it.

                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • J
                    Jett129
                    見習いボス
                    Joined:

                    I’m a huge Chelsea Handler fan although,I’ve never read one of her books. She started out doing stand up,slept with someone to get a late night talk show on E,then went to Netflix,where she,currently, is. Has a new book out This Life Will be the Death of Me,and is coming out with her own line of marijuana products.

                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • SeulS
                      Seul
                      Joined:

                      I still can't believe I got this for a fiver… 800 pages of glorious Jack...

                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • GilesG
                        Giles
                        IHUK Crew
                        Joined:

                        All I am reading at the moment  🙂 🙂

                        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • B
                          browniemcghee
                          Joined:

                          @Seul if you haven’t already, put Martin Eden on the list.  It is my favorite Jack London for sure, though I have not read all of those.  The Sea Wolf is great. Of course, The Call of the Wild is a classic. Enjoy!

                          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • SeulS
                            Seul
                            Joined:

                            I mainly bought it for PEOPLE OF THE ABYSS, but decided to start at page 1… Will pick up MARTIN EDEN as well then!..

                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • B
                              browniemcghee
                              Joined:

                              I just ordered People of the Abyss.

                              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

                              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • michaeljcrM
                                michaeljcr
                                Raw and Unwashed
                                Joined:

                                Bought some travel literature, to enjoy the places it's now hard to get to!

                                The Classic In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin, and the more recent Kings of the Yukon: An Alaskan River Journey by Adam Weymouth.

                                Anyone wants any sci-fi and fantasy recommendations, give me a shout. It's what I do for the day job.

                                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • neph93N
                                  neph93
                                  見習いボス
                                  Joined:

                                  @michaeljcr:

                                  Anyone wants any sci-fi and fantasy recommendations, give me a shout. It's what I do for the day job.

                                  Oh really? Always… i’m a fan of N. Asher, and A. Reynolds. R. K. Morgan too. I’ve dropped out of the  scene a bit recently though. As far as fantasy goes I dropped out a looooong time ago. The last thing I really enjoyed was the S. Eriksen series and Morgan’s fantasy trilogy. Although he flybase the ending of that sadly (imho). Any tips are greatly appreciated.

                                  «Stevie Heighway on the wing!
                                  We had dreams, and songs to sing…»

                                  • Dame Vera Lynn
                                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • ChrisC
                                    Chris
                                    Raw and Unwashed
                                    Joined:

                                    Recently started reading the "Rivers Of London" books by Ben Aaronovitch and have found them quite enjoyable.  "Artemis" by Andy Weir (author of "The Martian") is a fun read.  I'd also strongly recommend "Trail Of Lightning" and "Storm Of Locusts" by Rebecca Roanhorse.  And though I'm waiting for the final book, The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty is also worthwhile.

                                    Just realized these skew more toward urban fantasy than Science Fiction, though.

                                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • michaeljcrM
                                      michaeljcr
                                      Raw and Unwashed
                                      Joined:

                                      @Chris:

                                      Recently started reading the "Rivers Of London" books by Ben Aaronovitch and have found them quite enjoyable.  "Artemis" by Andy Weir (author of "The Martian") is a fun read.  I'd also strongly recommend "Trail Of Lightning" and "Storm Of Locusts" by Rebecca Roanhorse.  And though I'm waiting for the final book, The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty is also worthwhile.

                                      Just realized these skew more toward urban fantasy than Science Fiction, though.

                                      Ha! I was Andy Weir’s UK editor for The Martian. I did the deal for Artemis, but was gone before it came out. Actually, it was a different book at first, he then swapped to that one.

                                      Rebecca Rowanhorse is great - good call.

                                      Derek Kunsken is great but it’s a shameless plug as we publish him.

                                      Martha Wells’ Murder Bot books are great fun, Adrian Tchaikovsky’s recent sci-fi novels are good.

                                      Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

                                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • J
                                        Jett129
                                        見習いボス
                                        Joined:

                                        Haven’t read any sci-fi in quite some time,but used to really like Brian Aldiss.

                                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • gaseousclayG
                                          gaseousclay
                                          Joined:

                                          @michaeljcr:

                                          Anyone wants any sci-fi and fantasy recommendations, give me a shout. It's what I do for the day job.

                                          I like dystopian, end of the world type genres as well as time travel. Anything recent worth checking out? Not sure if horror is in your wheelhouse but any recommendations similar to Poe or Lovecraft would be appreciated too [emoji120]

                                          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                                          WTB:
                                          IHSH-129 size L (blue)
                                          IHSH-19

                                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • J
                                            Jett129
                                            見習いボス
                                            Joined:

                                            My favorite time travel book is called Up the Line by Robert Silverberg. Check it out.

                                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                            • First post
                                              Last post
                                            Copyright Iron Heart 2025.