Comments for MentatJack

Comment on Reading: The New Weird by If I like China Mieville, which other authors should I try? - Quora

If I like China Mieville, which other authors should I try? - Quora — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 14:57:51 +0000

[...] add comment if you are logged out.Stefan Hayden I would start with this new weird anthology http://mentatjack.com/2009/05/31…Comment downvoted • 6:57amCannot add reply if you are logged out.6:57am Kenneth Rona [...]

Comment on Podcasts: Week Ending Oct 15, 2011 by Mad Scientist « turenn

Mad Scientist « turenn — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:57:21 +0000

[...] Podcasts: Week Ending Oct 15, 2011 (mentatjack.com) [...]

Comment on Podcasts: Week Ending Oct 15, 2011 by Podcasts: Week Ending Oct 22, 2011 « MentatJack

Podcasts: Week Ending Oct 22, 2011 « MentatJack — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 21:44:27 +0000

[...] the father seemed a bit over the top. I bring that up because of my comment about Radio Nowhere last week. I’m quite happy that the closest experience I have to abuse involved the occasional cruel [...]

Comment on List: What This SciFi Fan Listen’s To by mentatjack

mentatjack — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 23:42:13 +0000

Loving DRS as well now too.

Comment on A reading list: Generation Ships by mentatjack

mentatjack — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:38:44 +0000

While I don't have a copy of Orphans of the Sky on my shelf, it turns out that I do have The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume IIA which collected Universe, which is 1/2 of Orphans of the Sky. It's a special joy to get a recommendation and then randomly find it in my personal library!

Comment on A reading list: Generation Ships by Chris M.

Chris M. — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 02:34:41 +0000

Heinlein’s “Orphans of the Sky.”
Brian Aldiss’s “Non-Stop” (aka “Starship.”)
Harry Harrison’s “Captive Universe.”
Clifford D. Simak’s short story “Target Generation.”

I haven’t read “Tau Zero” in a long time, but I don’t remember it being a generation ship story exactly.

Comment on A reading list: Generation Ships by WhiteWolf

WhiteWolf — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:46:02 +0000

Not just Al Reynolds’ REV SPACE books, but everything by Reynolds. He is very firmly anti-FTL in that regard. Pay particular attention to PUSHING ICE and HOUSE OF SUNS.

I’ve heard Greg Bear’s EON and related books follow in this vein as well.

Comment on A reading list: Generation Ships by lavoleous

lavoleous — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:52:49 +0000

Non-stop by Brian Aldiss
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Non-Stop_%28novel%29

Comment on The Kindle Free Digest of F & SF by A reading list: Generation Ships « MentatJack

A reading list: Generation Ships « MentatJack — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 17:30:29 +0000

[...] I have a story idea that I’m fleshing out and it’s got me thinking a TON about long voyages between stars. I’m specifically thinking about non-FTL scenarios, and I’m wanting to pull together a reading list that I hope to tackle in the near future. Here’s what I’ve got so far, looking at recent novels and branching back into older stuff that’s on my radar but I haven’t read yet. I’d love more recommendations, particularly if you know some good short stories (like Overtaken that I mentioned recently). [...]

Comment on Review: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin by Review: A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin « MentatJack

Review: A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin « MentatJack — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 17:24:49 +0000

[...] wrote, in my review of A Game of Thrones that the book bounced around between feeling like a soap opera, a murder mystery or some strange [...]

Comment on The Kindle Free Digest of F & SF by Karl Bunker

Karl Bunker — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 16:59:55 +0000

That’s a terrific one-line synopsis/review of my story; thanks!

Comment on The Kindle Free Digest of F & SF by WS

WS — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 08:30:15 +0000

I’ve subscribed to the same free digest since August and love the format an contents.

Amazon automatically pushes the new issues to the Kindle. You can find older issues under Periodicals Back Issues that’s available at the end of the Kindle Home. It took me quite a while to figure that out!

Enjoy your subscription.

Comment on Review: Briarpatch by Tim Pratt by Tim Pratt » Blog Archive » First Briarpatch Review

Tim Pratt » Blog Archive » First Briarpatch Review — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:28:09 +0000

[...] Klotz has the first review of my new novel Briarpatch, and it’s a very kind one. He’s been a big fan of my work generally, so it means a lot [...]

Comment on Review: Briarpatch by Tim Pratt by Lisa Moore

Lisa Moore — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 20:35:31 +0000

Pre ordered! Thanks Mentatjack and Tim.

Comment on List: What This SciFi Fan Listen’s To by Erin Klotz (@misserinmog)

Erin Klotz (@misserinmog) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:48:19 +0000

My latest addition to my podcatcher is The Dead Robots Society. It’s got writing discussions, book reviews, interviews, and plus, the interests of the hosts cover multiple genres. Highly recommended.

http://www.deadrobotssociety.com

Comment on Review: Rides a Dread Legion by Raymond E. Feist by Les

Les — Sat, 07 May 2011 10:19:38 +0000

Hmmm, I think I’d save yourself a little time. Most of the plot and characters are repeated in every book. You may find it frustrating that the references to previous events are from VERY early books and are continually referred to rather than adding real meat to what are usually good tales. For example, if set decades after the original Riftwar the characters are usually descendants, likely with the same names and probably with all of the same attributes and motivations, with the story referring to the same historic events at every turn. It’s incredibly lazy story writing.
That said, the original tale ‘Magician’ is a great read and I can’t help but continue with all Feist books because I want to know what eventually happens to Pug, Tomas and the various ConDoins (or their descendants) I came to love in that first book.

Read the first three books, then the Mistress of the Empire three, written with Janny Wurts (they are actually a magnitude better than all of Feist’s work!). You may want to carry on after that (as I have) but be prepared for plenty of disappointment thrown in amongst some new memorable characters.

Comment on Review: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin by Review: Rides a Dread Legion by Raymond E. Feist « MentatJack

Review: Rides a Dread Legion by Raymond E. Feist « MentatJack — Wed, 04 May 2011 03:55:34 +0000

[...] just reviewed A Game of Thrones, and while I have fantasy on the brain, it seemed like a good moment to catch up on the other [...]

Comment on Review: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin by Redhead

Redhead — Tue, 03 May 2011 20:08:32 +0000

great review, and five great reasons to read these books! Yes, these are doorstopper books, but there is a lot of characterization and a lot of dialog, and I felt they all read pretty quickly. I never felt bogged down by anything, and just like you said, there is very little, if any “blah”.

epic fantasy soap operas, perhaps?

Comment on Review: Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi by Sci-Fi & Fantasy Month: The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi « Book Monkey

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:57:35 +0000

[...] Review: Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (mentatjack.com) [...]

Comment on A Gift From the Culture by Iain M. Banks by Matter – Iain (M.) Banks « Cynic Reviews

Matter – Iain (M.) Banks « Cynic Reviews — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:31:08 +0000

[...] A Gift From the Culture by Iain M. Banks (mentatjack.com) [...]

Comment on Review: Spell Games by TA Pratt by Review: Broken Mirrors by T.A. Pratt « MentatJack

Review: Broken Mirrors by T.A. Pratt « MentatJack — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 02:42:20 +0000

[...] are also a number of short stories more or less related to the series (see tim’s comment on my review of Spell Games.) and a serialized prequel, Bone [...]

Comment on Short Fiction: Border Guards by Greg Egan by Bryant

Bryant — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 22:18:05 +0000

I recently reread Border Guards (as well as a bunch of other Egan shorts), and also thought of that class and y’all when hitting the Lie Groups bit

Comment on Review: True Names by Cory Doctorow and Ben Rosenbaum by In Ur Interwebz, Concatenatin Ur Filez

In Ur Interwebz, Concatenatin Ur Filez — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 19:42:46 +0000

[...] license). If you’re curious, but want to learn more before you commit, there’s a review here. Alternatively, if you just plain don’t dig on audio formats, you can find plenty of other [...]

Comment on November Signings So Far by In the flesh: Amelia Beamer and Gary K. Wolfe « MentatJack

In the flesh: Amelia Beamer and Gary K. Wolfe « MentatJack — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:28:39 +0000

[...] I went to a book signing for Amelia Beamer’s The Loving Dead at Dark Delicacies. You might recall that I didn’t have much enthusiasm for the standard format that author appearances take at [...]

Comment on Review: Quarantine by Greg Egan by Review: The City and The City by China Miéville « MentatJack

Review: The City and The City by China Miéville « MentatJack — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:37:58 +0000

[...] find it intriguing to think about a quantum narrative outside of a narrative explicitly about quantum mechanics and it’s a perfect way to think about this [...]