Re: Highlights and Lowlights - January 2025

On 2/3/25 1:28 AM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:

In article <vno4od$o7q5$1@dont-email.me>,
Tony Nance  <tnusenet17@gmail.com> wrote:

Highlights and Lowlights - January 2025
>
Happy Groundhog Day!

  http://columbiaclosings.com/pix/memes/pogo_groundhog.png

>

 

January 2025
>
( ++++ ) House of Suns - Reynolds
Holy cow, this was excellent. Perhaps my favorite Reynolds? Thanks to
those of you who recommended this one. The scope, the ideas, the
incredible timespans (still featuring our main characters), the
sensawunder - wow.

 For some reason I have not tried Reynolds.  I think now perhaps I will.
 

This one is a standalone, and it one of a few that I would recommend for someone's first Reynolds.

>
( ++ ) Ambassador of Mars - Stewart [Starship’s Mage #15]
Better than the previous one, not as good as the early ones. More
importantly, though, might possibly be avoiding (or ignoring) the stupid
Jump-the-Shark direction it was heading. This one is Roslyn-based, and
there are a few new characters here. The hornets’ nest that was kicked
in #14 blossomed in this one, leaving the Martian forces undermanned,
stretched thin, and far from home. I will read #16.
>

 Also for some reason I've gotten into Stewart's "Duchy Of Terra" setting,
but have not tried the series he's most known for.  I think I've said before
that I will, glad to hear he may be going under the shark.  (He does drop
some head-shaking stuff into DOT from time to time.)

And I've got a note to myself to give Duchy of Terra a try someday.

 

( +++ ) Cast in Conflict - Sagara [Elantra #16]
Yet another very good entry in this enjoyable series. There’s just a
little over-explanation in some places, but otherwise spot on. In the
previous book, we learned a lot about the border zones, one Tower lost
its captain, and the Academia gets re-established. This book picks up on
all of that, including a meeting of the other Tower captains, mostly
about Shadow and Ravellon, and replacing the lost Tower captain is also
front-and-center.

 Yet another series I need to get back to.

>
Now Reading:
Long work - Vandals of the Void - Vance

 My (vague) memory is that this is very early non-Vance Vance, like _The Five
Gold Bands_.
 

I believe you are correct. It is the next-to-last Vance novel that I have not read yet (the last being Monsters in Orbit).
Tony

Collection - Flatlander - Niven
>

 I know I have read this, but am not bringing up anything about it now.
I'm sure I enjoyed it as it was Niven, Known Space & pre-brain-eater.
 

Tony
>

 Thanks for these as usual!