Sci-fi lovers, what have you read recently?

[Takver]

There's been lots of fantasy threads, time for a sci-fi one, I think!

I've just finished Ancillary Sword, the sequel to Ancillary Justice (by Ann Leckie). Not quite as good as the first one, but I still really enjoyed it. Would def. recommend both of them to anyone who likes traditional straight-down-the-line sci fi.

Now a little way into Ammonite by Nicola Griffith - liking it so far.

Anyone else?

Thanks but I have read those four and most other 'classics' of the genre. Most of the new output seems to be for the YA market. I have nothing against that, but would occasionally like to read something where the protagonist is over the age of 20.

Have you read The Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Russell? Most excellent sf.

Also read lots and lots of Justin Robson.

You should definitely try Ancillary Justice if you haven't read it. The protagonist is, IIRC, something like three thousand years old at the start . . . It's also very good.

I've just finished Ammonite - it's funny in that although it was written in 1992, it feels much more like a 70s novel in the Women's press sci-fi style.

Talking of which, have you read Native Tongue + the sequel The Judas Rose? They're a little less known than other dystopian novels, but really excellent, lots of stuff about language (the author's an academic linguist, I think).

I don't read YA (no criticism of people who do) and thankfully have never had any difficulty finding sci-fi to read that is written for adults, with adult protagonists - special thanks to Amazon & Kindle on that note

I've just finished re-reading the spinward fringe series by lalonde (incomplete next one out next year i think) is a brilliant space opera,

also read the enders game books recently very good, if a little horrifying! I thought m.pax's backworld series a nice easy read, but again unfinished! (Hate hate hate getting into a series and having to wait for books to come out)

Thanks, I will check those out.

I loved Sand and the Wool trilogy, especially Shift.

I also really liked Flood and Ark (Stephen Baxter)

I enjoyed Circle (Dave Eggers)

I liked the first half of The Girl with all the Gifts

I recently read The Chronoliths (Robert Charles Wilson) which was quite good.

I'm going to order 'Native Tongue'. The premise reminds me of Woman at the Edge of Time, which I read when I was younger and liked.

I was reading about Native Tongue and realised that the author actually created a language for that book ("Láadan"), complete with grammar & vocabulary. She was apparently hoping for it to become at least as influential as Klingon but it has had no effect whatsoever - nobody picked it up. And her conclusion is: "... the conclusion I draw from that is that in fact women do not find human languages inadequate for communication."

What do you think she means by this? It is not because English language is inadequate that so many weirdos Trekkers learned Klingon. It is because Star Trek is hugely popular and has an enormous fan base.

I hope you like Native Tongue, TFOHN. Cote, I think the author became possibly a little. . . obsessive . . . about her language - I've also read reviews of the later third book in the series, which didn't inspire me to read it at all.

While I'm waiting for Native Tongue to arrive from ebay seller, I am reading Fortune's Rising by Sara King. Bought it as a kindle recommendation and it's quite good!

Book summary from goodreads

Just seen Red Rising is 99p on the kindle.