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  PhoenixFalls Challenge #3: 1/1/12 through 12/31/12

  New Title

  

  PART I

  Science Fantasy
  1. Read a novel where a traditional science fiction element is explained fantastically: The God Engines, by John Scalzi
  2. Read a novel where a traditional fantasy element is explained scientifically: Saints Astray, by Jacqueline Carey. Start date: 3/15/12. Finish date: 3/16/12. Rating: 2 1/2 stars. (Rounded down to 2 stars.)
  3. Read a novel where both science fictional elements and fantasy elements are treated as equally factual: The Sea Thy Mistress, by Elizabeth Bear
  4. Read a Dying Earth novel: All the Windwracked Stars, by Elizabeth Bear. Start date: 5/15/12. Finish date:
  5. Read a Planetary Romance: The End of the Game, by Sheri S. Tepper
  6. Read a Sword and Planet novel.
  7. Read a novel set in a future with magic: Resurrection Man, by Sean Stewart
  8. Read a novel with a computer/computers who are treated like gods: Silently and Very Fast, by Catherynne M. Valente?
  9. Read a novel that involves psi powers: Black Sun Rising, by C.S. Friedman. Start date: 1/10/12. FInish date: 1/16/12. Rating: 3 1/2 stars. (Rounded down to 3 stars.)
  10. Read a Lost Colony novel where the colony has reverted to a feudal system of some sort: The Chronicles of Mavin Manyshaped, by Sheri S. Tepper

  Social Science Fiction
  1. Read a utopian science fiction novel: Grail, by Elizabeth Bear. Start date: 1/22/12. Finish date: 1/27/12. Rating: 4 1/2 stars. (Rounded up to 5 stars.)
  2. Read a dystopian science fiction novel: The Parable of the Sower, by Octavia Butler
  3. Read a novel addressing militarism/war: The Silver Ship and the Sea, by Brenda Cooper
  4. Read a novel addressing gender: The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. Le Guin
  5. Read a novel addressing sexuality: A Fisherman of the Inland Sea, by Ursula K. Le Guin
  6. Read a novel addressing race: Mind of My Mind, by Octavia Butler
  7. Read a novel addressing economic systems.
  8. Read a novel addressing religion: Towing Jehovah, by James Morrow
  9. Read a novel that was banned/censored because of its politics: Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
  10. Read an anthropological science fiction novel.

  Space Opera
  1. Read a novel using faster-than-light travel: Agent of Change, by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller. Start date: 6/7/12. Finish date: 6/8/12. Rating: 3 1/2 stars. (Rounded up to 4 stars.)
  2. Read a novel with a hard speed-of-light cap on travel.
  3. Read a novel involving a military unit/soldier: Expendable, by James Alan Gardner. Start date: 3/10/12. Finish date: 3/10/12. Rating: 4 stars.
  4. Read a novel involving a con man/woman.
  5. Read a novel with aliens: The Ghost Brigades, by John Scalzi
  6. Read a novel without aliens:
  7. Read a near-future space opera: Leviathan Wakes, by James S. A. Corey
  8. Read a far-future space opera: Conflict of Honors, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. Start date: 6/8/12. Finish date: 6/8/12. Rating: 4 1/2 stars. (Rounded up to 5 stars.)
  9. Read a space western: Black Gods and Scarlet Dreams, by C. L. Moore
  10. Read a novel involving an interstellar war: Warchild, by Karin Lowachee

  
  
  

  PART II

  Book-as-Object
  1. Read a novel published in the last 12 months.
  2. Read a novel published by a small press: God's War, by Kameron Hurley
  3. Read a novel with cover art that you love.
  4. Read a novel with cover art that you hate: Vigilant, by James Alan Gardner
  5. Read a novel with less than 150 pages.
  6. Read a novel with between 350 and 450 pages: Air: or Have Not Have, by Geoff Ryman
  7. Read a novel with over 700 pages: Blackout/All Clear, by Connie Willis
  8. Read a paperback original: Spin State, by Chris Moriarty
  9. Read a novel that has been out of print for at least ten years: An Earthly Crown, by Kate Elliott
  10. Read a novel that was blurbed by one of your favorite authors.

  PhoenixFalls started this discussion 1 year ago (edited). ( reply | permalink )

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  PhoenixFalls 

  New Title

  

  Finished my first book of this year's challenge: Black Sun Rising, by C. S. Friedman. It's Science Fantasy; I'm putting it in "novel that involves psi powers" but it also fits "traditional fantasy element explained scientifically" and "planetary romance" and "sword and planet." It might also fit "lost colony SF that reverted to feudal system," but in this first book there's too little sense of how the classes are organized for me to be sure. Given that it borrows so heavily from the epic fantasy plot structure, I'd say it's fairly safe to assume there's a feudal structure in the wings though.

  Overall, I found the book exciting and infuriating by turns; exciting in its very interesting take on faith, infuriating in its female characters and its general bloatedness. (I did say it borrowed from the epic fantasy plot structure, didn't I?) Friedman also had her main character have a change of heart near the end that I felt was totally unsupported by the text -- though of course it was required for there to be a sequel. As a result, I won't be continuing the series, because there are way too many books out there that I expect I'll enjoy more.

  posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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  PhoenixFalls 

  New Title

  

  Finished Expendable, by James Alan Gardner. It's Space Opera; for the moment I've put it in the "involving a military unit/soldier" category, but it would also fit "Faster-than-light travel," "near-future," and technically "novel with aliens," though they're really just background.

  This was pretty good; not as good as Commitment Hour, which is set in the same universe and was Gardner's next book written and which I loved in last year's challenge; but still pretty good. It reminded me a bit of John Scalzi's Old Man's War and a lot of Lois McMaster Bujold's Shards of Honor -- it read quickly and had a nice mix of humor and pathos. Unfortunately, I felt the premise (government discovered people grieve more for beautiful people, so only ugly people are sent on dangerous exploratory missions) was never quite interrogated enough to save the book from being philosophically problematic -- which, actually, was also my problem with Commitment Hour, so maybe Gardner and I will never quite get along as much as I think we ought. Still, good enough for me to continue reading him, and I'd recommend him to fans of either Bujold or Scalzi. (Who, of course, have a lot of fans. *grin*)

  posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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  PhoenixFalls 

  New Title

  

  Finished Saints Astray, by Jacqueline Carey. It's Science Fantasy; I'm putting it in "Read a novel where a traditional fantasy element is explained scientifically" -- the main character is named Loup Garron (drawn from loup-garou, or werewolf) but she's really the child of a genetically modified soldier (we never find out what he's modified with though). It's the sequel to Santa Olivia, which was amazing; unfortunately it's probably Carey's weakest book yet. Her work always surprises me with how high concept it is, and the first book in this series was doing some really brilliantly subtle things about the nature of fear (Loup is engineered to not feel it); unfortunately, she really completed that whole exploration in that first book, and all the second book is doing is advancing the plot. And it's kind of a crap plot, and the characters are really flat, and the dialogue -- oh dear gods, the dialogue! -- is absolutely inane at all times. Plus I found the lesbian relationship at the book's core rather uncomfortably performative -- there's a lot of (badly written) flirting and sexual innuendo and heavy petting and of course actual sex scenes, but a majority of the time there's a male audience for those scenes, so it feels more like lesbian porn for men than a beautiful caring lesbian relationship.

  This book was just such a waste of time -- mine and Carey's, it seems! -- that it kind of makes me want to cry.

  posted 1 year ago. ( permalink )

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