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I love a great SF read. A book that not only inspires me and opens my mind, my also pushes me through its pages at blinding pace because it's just too good to put down. Such great reads are rare… which is both a curse and a blessing.
The curse is, of course, there aren't enough great reads. If only every book could shine that brightly! The blessing is that we don't have to suffer the same withdrawl symptoms all the time. When I finish a great read, I want/expect my next read to be just as good. It almost never is, leaving me feeling a bit lost and depressed.
Note use of the word "almost". I just had a rare double-header of great SF novels: James S.A. Corey's "Abaddon's Gate" www.amazon.com/Abaddons-Gate-E… and Ranez Naam's "Nexus" www.amazon.com/Nexus-Ramez-Naa…. I heartily recommend both… though be warned, each one will probably have you itching to read the sequel by the last page. "Nexus'" sequel www.amazon.com/Crux-Ramez-Naam… comes out in August. The next James S.A. Corey Expanse book won't be out for AT LEAST a year.
But that brings me to the interactive segment of this blog. What are the Really Great SF books you've read in the past couple of years – the ones make you sad when you realize you've digested the last word on their last page and/or the ones that seem to call you back for a re-read, if only to relive some of its reader experience? Care to share?
And finally… on the subject of sharing… here are my recent picks for really cool deviations. Explore and enjoy!
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<da:thumb id="300158362"/>
The curse is, of course, there aren't enough great reads. If only every book could shine that brightly! The blessing is that we don't have to suffer the same withdrawl symptoms all the time. When I finish a great read, I want/expect my next read to be just as good. It almost never is, leaving me feeling a bit lost and depressed.
Note use of the word "almost". I just had a rare double-header of great SF novels: James S.A. Corey's "Abaddon's Gate" www.amazon.com/Abaddons-Gate-E… and Ranez Naam's "Nexus" www.amazon.com/Nexus-Ramez-Naa…. I heartily recommend both… though be warned, each one will probably have you itching to read the sequel by the last page. "Nexus'" sequel www.amazon.com/Crux-Ramez-Naam… comes out in August. The next James S.A. Corey Expanse book won't be out for AT LEAST a year.
But that brings me to the interactive segment of this blog. What are the Really Great SF books you've read in the past couple of years – the ones make you sad when you realize you've digested the last word on their last page and/or the ones that seem to call you back for a re-read, if only to relive some of its reader experience? Care to share?
And finally… on the subject of sharing… here are my recent picks for really cool deviations. Explore and enjoy!
<da:thumb id="381585614"/> <da:thumb id="376434062"/> <da:thumb id="380262462"/> <da:thumb id="331820943"/> <da:thumb id="77352443"/>
<da:thumb id="300158362"/>
Simmering
While I haven’t been leaving much of a visible art foot print, these last few weeks, I haven’t been slacking off. First, I’m working on both building up my digital resources and trying to get my 3D-skills updated after about a three-year absence. There’s quite a few image ideas swimming in my head, I’m just building to the point where I can tackle them in my “new ways”.
Second, I’m taking an online natural illustration course out of Australia so that’s not only going to be taking some of my art time, but also (hopefully) giving me a refresher with my old skills in physical art media. So l
2020: The Year I Make Recontact
Well it’s been only about a month (give or take) since my last blog update so maybe I’m having success in retraining myself back to the DA habit. I’ve made really good progress on migrating my old arting materials to my new machine and getting up to speed with DAZ Studio 4.12. I may have only pumped out three finished pieces, but behind each one is a number of experiments and trials. With each one my “render legs” have regained a bit more strength. It feels kinda nice being back at the digital drawing board… if only to provide some distraction from our nation’s dumpster fire du jour.
I’m also r
From the shadows shuffles the unspeakable horror..
Well hey there! Long time no chat. I’m still alive and kickin’… I’ve just been kickin’ it elsewhere: in my reading nook, on my modeling bench, and in my kayak. So I’ve very much NOT been here… due to the fact I didn’t have much new to show anyone. But that may change in the coming months.
The biggest thing that’d been keeping me away from making art was my aging machine (as I work mostly digital, these days). The ole box just could keep up with the state of the tech. Like a (too) old car, it can still get me from point A to point B – most of the time – but not without great ag
We here I am again… after another loooooooong absence. For whatever reason I just haven’t felt driven to create much art this year, and something in me feels guilty about coming to DA purely as a spectator. All I can say is that I sure hope this lull passes because I’m much happier when I’m creating!
I’d be lying if I said political anxiety here in the U.S. wasn’t part of the problem and with the outcome of the last election I find myself driven to become even more politically engaged to preserve the progress made over the last couple of decades. But I’ll attempt to minimize bringing my political bag
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I totally know what you mean. I was on such a roll with the Expanse books, and then I encountered some real stinkers immediately after, which probably seemed even worse in comparison to the Expanse books. I had such a visceral reaction to the mediocre book I read after finishing one of my favorite books, China Mieville's Perdido Street Station, that I chucked it across the room and have had a vendetta against it ever since. It was like being served a processed Hostess cupcake when I'd grown used to high quality chocolate cake.
Some good recommendations here! I tend to read books that are a little hard to box in--rarely straight-forward hard SF or high fantasy. As mentioned, I love China Mieville's "weird fiction." (I will cut anyone who calls them 'steampunk'). I've also really enjoyed Paolo Bacigalupi's dystopian "bio-punk" work.
I recently read Gene Wolfe's Shadow of the Torturer and hated it x_x
On the burner I've got some Iain Banks, more Paolo Bacigalupi, Gibson's Idoru, and Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312. Also making my way through an 800 page nonfiction brick about post-independence Africa, just to mix things up!
Some good recommendations here! I tend to read books that are a little hard to box in--rarely straight-forward hard SF or high fantasy. As mentioned, I love China Mieville's "weird fiction." (I will cut anyone who calls them 'steampunk'). I've also really enjoyed Paolo Bacigalupi's dystopian "bio-punk" work.
I recently read Gene Wolfe's Shadow of the Torturer and hated it x_x
On the burner I've got some Iain Banks, more Paolo Bacigalupi, Gibson's Idoru, and Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312. Also making my way through an 800 page nonfiction brick about post-independence Africa, just to mix things up!