I really can't believe you did this @Cyreph. If you had read @nagash other threads you would know his library is upwards of 2600 books! So that's 18 down and 2582 to go!
...and I don't have a good camera on my NON-smart phone (still holding out, I don't think the tech is quite established yet!) or a way to easily to get over to my computer so I can't really play along.
I apologise.... for absolutely nothing!
His books are beautiful! I am not as avid reader as most of the people in this thread, but seeing all these books make me happy.
As for me, one of my favorite series of books of all time, due to the "world" it created, is the Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny. At least up until he passed away... his son took over writing them and wasn't nearly as gifted as his dad. It's also the story I'd love to see adapted to film now that we have the technology to do it justice.
I really can't believe you did this @Cyreph. If you had read @nagash other threads you would know his library is upwards of 2600 books! So that's 18 down and 2582 to go!
...and I don't have a good camera on my NON-smart phone (still holding out, I don't think the tech is quite established yet!) or a way to easily to get over to my computer so I can't really play along.
I apologise.... for absolutely nothing!
His books are beautiful! I am not as avid reader as most of the people in this thread, but seeing all these books make me happy.
@Rumbleforge, Cosmic Horror, at least with H.P. Lovecraft, is when a character has a greater realization than they can cope with. Like Elder Horrors that have lived long before mankind, will live long after mankind, and are currently either plotting to destroy mankind or are "sleeping" at mankind's doorstep.
Most characters either go crazy and get locked up in an institute or are considered crazy b/c no one believes them and they get locked up in an institute. My favorite endings are where you are actually reading the notes/recount of events that led to the authors suicide.
It's when you learn something so horrible your mind can't take it, or the truth is so unfathomable that in order to not see what is coming you take your own life.
Mankind is small and insignificant, it's life span is minuscule both on a personal and species level. There are things out there beyond our comprehension that could, if they had the whim, destroy us all.
I don't have as much as a library as I did before, as my books are a mix on Nook and hard copies spread over my parents and my own house. Authors I love are:
JRR Tolkien - Currently living/working where he grew up which is kind of cool
CS Lewis - His prose are so easy to read
GRRM - The GoT series was one of my favorite before it was a show, but he's also got some AMAZING short stories that don't even fall under typical genres)
Neil Gaiman - Self explanitory
Guy Kay - I had actually forgotten about this one because it's been so long since I read one of his, but I saw someone else mention him and remembered how great he is.
Scott Lynch - The Gentlemen Bastards series is SO different, exciting, and well-written. The language may be a little tough for some readers but it's worth the great reads. Really think he should be more popular than he already is.
Naomi Novik - I looooved the first few books in the Temeraire series. I feel like the last ones have been a bit more stale, but the series as a whole is good and proof that historical fiction can be done right.
Current reads are Ready Player One and a manuscript by my dad that he wants to publish eventually. I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone of fantasy and dabble more in Sci-Fi.
These were the first authors that came to mind, but I'm sure I'll be back with more suggestions.
This is the book that I'm currently reading. I'm 15 chapters in, about 1/3 of the way through the story... and I have to say, it hasn't been the smoothest of readings.
Not for anything inherently wrong with the story mind you, I'm enjoying the writing, the characters, and the development all just fine for the most part. No, the thing that keeps slowing me down is something that I keep encountering in 'Steam Punk' style books in general.
See, I can easily slip in between fantasy and science fiction with no trouble at all.... and steam punk is basically somewhere in the middle. You'd think that would be ideal, right?
The situation is that every steam punk book I read has it's own vocabulary... and this vocabulary is usually unique to that particular book, or book series as the case may be. These terms vary greatly from book to book, and that in itself is fine - it helps reinforce the genre of the book in it's story world and helps make it unique...
But I gotta tell you, so far most of these books that I've personally read have not done a great job explaining what these terms and concepts really are. Every time I encounter one, it slows me down.... I come to it, I try to figure it out, try to fathom it's meaning based on the context in the story and going so far to breaking down the root words and trying to guess... which is frustrating when the words are used as "common knowledge" situations in the context of the story. Why don't these books have a dictionary of meanings in the back? Or use footnotes more? (This book does have some footnotes, but not nearly enough for my tastes.)
I'll give you a example of what I mean, out of this book.
Holomorph:
"The bracer was made of thick crome-tanned leather. Adjustable straps with copper buckles ensured that it remained cinched tightly to his arm. There was a compact engine stitched into the thing, also made of copper and steel, barely larger than a pocket watch. It gave off the whispery sounds of fine clockwork. A tiny chemiostatic cell powered it and outlined, in green, a spigot that jutted from the side of his wrist. From the spigot, a drop of blood beaded and fell.
The purpose of the contraption was mysterious at first until Taelin listened carefully to the ticking. Like tapping codes for the blind, the little engine pinged out a stream of numbers, over and over, ringing off the duralumin railings of the zeppelin deck. The sound was subtle, thought Taelin. She supposed you could get used to it.
At the end of the long series of precise pings and ticks, which Taelin now guessed was a complex but automated equation, the valve on Specks' arm snicked open, then shut again, and another drop fell.
"You are a holomorph, aren't you?" she whispered, genuinely amazed. "This thing keeps you floating?" "Yes ma'am. My dad says my legs are in this arm."
So yeah, the runner up in the words that make me stop and ponder, "chemiostatic." And that is quite an elaborate description of the scene.... but then "holomorph is thrown out, and we're all supposed to know what that means in this world? Even within the context of the scene, I don't fully grasp the meaning.
That's just one example, but there are more, and this isn't something limited to just this book... I've encountered this in many a steam punk book... and every time I come across it, I end up spending 5 minutes trying to wrap my head around the concept before proceeding on.
Inevitably, I spend more time trying to digest these books than I do most other forms of fiction.
I like a book that makes you think, but it's a little frustrating repeatedly hitting mental speed bumps when you are enjoying the story itself.
Anyone else find this happening with certain books?
@Rumbleforge, those paragraphs seem poorly executed notwithstanding the vocabulary. To be honest this is also why I don't read fantasy, I always feel like the author has way more history than can ever be covered for the setting. It leaves me with a sense of "am I suppose to know this?"
A similar problem occurs when I watch Anime. I am not a fan of starting episode 1 of season 1 of an Anime and everyone is running around mentioning NPC's or other PC's like I already know them personally.
I would love to offer you many stories from HP to read, but they tend to flow slowly and if you are not a fan "jumping in" might be a struggle. That said, considering all my options, I suggest The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Just be warned that the first few pages are dedicated to architecture, HP was a huge fan. A shorter story that would make an excellent beginning is Pickman's Model.
Another suggestion, to everyone really, would be Robert Heinlein's Star Man Jones. It's more of a read for 'young adults' but when I read it, at 37, it felt current and modern enough. More of a "young man sets off to find himself in the galaxy type story" and not steam punk at all.
I would love to offer you many stories from HP to read, but they tend to flow slowly and if you are not a fan "jumping in" might be a struggle. That said, considering all my options, I suggest The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Just be warned that the first few pages are dedicated to architecture, HP was a huge fan. A shorter story that would make an excellent beginning is Pickman's Model.
Another suggestion, to everyone really, would be Robert Heinlein's Star Man Jones. It's more of a read for 'young adults' but when I read it, at 37, it felt current and modern enough. More of a "young man sets off to find himself in the galaxy type story" and not steam punk at all.
I am pretty familiar with Lovecraft. I have a book of collected Lovecraft stories. (Years ago I went to go see Sin City at the theater, but I accidentally locked my keys and cell phone in my car when I got to the mall. I didn't feel like going to a movie in this predicament, and we still had a bookstore in the mall at that point so I went in and bought the Lovecraft book. I started to read it while sitting in the food court until I could be rescued.) I must confess, I only ever made it half way through the book of collected stories. I like Lovecraft's mythos, but all of his stories start sounding pretty much the same after a certain point. Also, his rather high esteem erudite view got annoying after awhile - a point of view that just about every one of his leading characters shared as far as I could tell.
I just hope it turns out better for us than it did Burgess Meredith in that Twilight Zone episode...
Wow, that's one of the episodes that stayed with me forever. Like, he found the library ... then broke his glasses. So sad! I was a kid, watching that, and just knew that would absolutely devastate me!
Not sure how I missed this absolute gem of a thread, but loved reading all the posts! Bibliophiles unite! lol
Anyways, my list goes as such...:
1. Robert Jordan (and later Brandon Sanderson); "The Wheel of Time" series 2. George R.R, Martin; "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, (GoT) 3. J.V. Jones; "The Book of Words" series 4. Josh Reynolds; "The Blood of Nagash" series 5. Robin Hobb; "The Farseer" series 6. Kate Elliot; "Crown of Stars" series 7. Michael A. Stackpole; "Talion: Revenant" 8. David Drake; "The Lord of the Isles" series 9. Christopher Stasheff; "The Warlock" series 10. David Eddings; "The Belgariad", "The Mallorean", "The Elenium" series 11. Janny Wurts; "The Cycle of Fire", "The Wars of Light and Shadow", "Alliance of Light" series 12. Mickey Zucker Reichert; "The Legend of Nightfall" (one off), "The Renshai" series 13. Eric V. Lustbader; "The Sunset Warrior" series 14. Raymond E. Feist; "The RiftWar", "The SerpentWar" series 15. Anne Rice; "The Vampire Chronicles" series 16. Jennifer Roberson; "The Novels of Tiger and Del" series 17. Brian Lumley; "Necroscope" series 18. Thorarinn Gunnarsson; "The Dragonlord Chronicles" series 19. Julian May; "The Galactic Milieu", "The Saga of Pliocene Exile" series 20. Terry Goodkind; "The Sword of Truth" series 21. Mercedes Lackey; "The Last Herald Mage" series 22. Carole Nelson Douglas; "Sword and Circlet" series 23. Dave Duncan; "The Seventh Sword" series 24. Dennis L. McKiernan; "Hel's Crucible" series 25. Simon Hawke; "Tribe of One" series 26. David Farland; "The Runelords" series 27. Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman; "The Death Gate Cycle" series 28. Bram Stoker; "Dracula" 29. Jeanne Kalogridis; "The Diaries of the Family Dracul" series 30. C. Dean Andersson; "I Am Dracula" 31. Richard A. Knaak; "The Dragonrealm" series 32. Melanie Rawn; "Dragon Prince", "Dragon Star" series 33. Angus Wells; "The Books of the Kingdoms", "The Godwars" series 34. C.S. Friedman; "The Coldfire" series 35. R.A. Salvatore; "The Cleric Quintet" series, plus too many to list
And many, MANY other authors of that wrote novels for Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Magic: The Gathering, Shadowrun, DragonLance, etc.
I like most kinds of tea, mixed with either almond milk, cane/brown/any other kind of natural unbleached sugar, or honey. Biscuits, cookies, cakes, confections are all agreeable.
Well my library is more man cave as it has my computer and xbox In it, most of my paper books are in storage tubs. I got a few hundred books on my nook and tablet. My drink of choice for reading is chai latte hot or cold, mostly iced. As for favorites here is a list 1. Steven Erikson - Fall of the Malazon Empire series 2. Patrick Rothfuss King killer chronical series 3. Raymond Feist- Rift War Saga 4. Robert Howard Conan the Barbarian series 5. Weis and Hickman - Dragonlance series
Doesn't seem like the easiest of read. I like Steampunk a lot, but I don't think I really read much novels relating to the genre. My favorite fiction for Steampunk would be the webcomic Girl Genius by Phil Foglio. At least for a graphic medium, everything is so much easier to understand. The whimsical nature of the genre is so easily expressed.
I'm not sure, for the paragraph you outlined, whether the problem is the attempt to explain some aspect of the universe, or that the attempt was not entirely well-executed. I could imagine enjoy a reading of a steampunk genre where nonsensical words are thrown without too much explanation (e.g. "The sky was dotted with Fluttercopters and Blitzwings"). Not too much detail needs to be drawn, the readers' imagination will do the rest.
But if the concept is important to the story, I supposed a little explanation is required to integrate it with the story. But I think what that paragraph fails to do is to draw the important connection between the details and the big picture. Judging from paragraph, is the holomorph supposed to be something important in the story? Is it because of the character in general, or for the fact that she can float (and maybe do other things as part of being a holomorph). That paragraph focuses too much about the How and not the What.
Also, if the only special thing they do is "float", a Holomorph is a terrible name for a class of people.
@Rumbleforge, I feel your POV for Lovecraft. Personally his detail to architecture takes it's toll on me. His writing also encourages sexism and racism, and although mostly normal for 1910-1920's it obviously dates the material and sometimes just offends.
As for the Holomorph thing, I thought the character was in a blimp and that she was spending time with a clockwork person...
I feel I should point out that the example I gave above is probably the worse case of this in the book I've read so far... there are other instances, but they were easier to gloss over than that particular example.
You are correct Azathoth, in that the scene did take place in an airship of sorts. The "holomorph" boy was the son of the captain of that particular vessel. From what I've been able to gather, he's a bit of a cripple - but the contraption he floats around in is powered by his blood somehow. Cyreph, you asked if the "holomorph supposed to be something important in the story?" and I believe so... There is definitely a theme of power being drawn from blood in this book, some of it relates to the "holomorphy" and some of it to even more esoteric and dark ongoings. And you're right... you can use a lot of crazy words and it doesn't matter if they represent simple concepts or some clearly explained definition... but when it's something complex or unusual, you'd want to get a clear mental image, right?
It's definitely interesting, but you know, if things were just a bit more "clear" it would be even more interesting... or at least easier to appreciate the interesting bits.
But, as I'm only 1/3 done with the book, perhaps I shouldn't judge it too harshly on this yet... perhaps it's laid out in a way that these concepts will become more clear as I progress through the story. Perhaps it will all be revealed in such a way that it makes me look back on earlier events with a new perspective that reveals a twist? That would be pretty cool if that is indeed the case. Otherwise, I'll have to keep filling in the blanks on my own I guess.
So it's like forbidden blood magic, but in a steampunk world? Sounds cool and interesting.
I still contend that Holomorph sounds terribly unfitting for the concept. Hemomorph or Hemamorph, to me, sounds nicer? And I'm not terribly married to the suffix either.
Agreed, Holomorph sounds like an illusion of some sort, in this case it sounds like the boy is not real. Maybe he is an illusion powered by recycled blood, or blood infusions from innocent passengers or his father!
I like the terms Cyreph suggested, assuming the boy is a real/clockwork boy powered by blood.
Rumbleforge, have you read anything else by the author?
So far, I think this is the only book I've read by Anthony Huso, @Azathoth. But looking at this page here, I just realized this Black Bottle is actually his second book set in this world... so perhaps these questions I've had were answered in his previous book.
That being the case, I still take a bit of issue with running into these speed bumps of reading... because it isn't clearly defined as "the 2nd book of a series" therefore it should stand on it's own two feet, right? That's how I view it, anyways.
@Cyreph, I agree with your perception of "Holomorph" as a word.... it sounds way more cyberpunk than steampunk.
And @xexeb , that series sounds interesting. The different races you describe remind me of another steampunk series by Stephen Hunt:
Now, keep in mind that I've only read the first book so far, The Court of the Air. (As you can see, I have 4 more waiting for me to read at some point.)
They are referred to as the "Jackelian series" and feature different races besides humans as well, such as a mechanical race and a race of 4 armed humanoid crustaceans.
The Court of the Air shares some of the same flaws as Black Bottle, in that some of the words didn't reveal themselves terribly clearly in context all the time. In some cases, the confusion was almost comical to me.... for example, there are many names for both races and nations... and when first introduced to these names, I was never entirely clear on whether someone was referring to a nation or a race, until further down the road in my reading.
This type of thing, to me, is the greatest flaw of the genre... and it took me off guard because I generally don't have this confusion with either high fantasy or science fiction. It seems we have a shared cultural vocabulary in these genres... I grasp these meanings without consciously knowing I am doing so. But in all the steampunk I've read so far, I feel like I need a Steampunk to English dictionary. And that book would have to have an edition for every author.
@xexeb , did you notice any of that type of thing in "the Empire of Black and Gold?"
Another thing that's caught me by surprise with most of the steampunk books I've been reading is that they are disturbingly dystopian on various levels. But I suppose that is a conversation for another time.
My wife has far more book shelves than I but she is a linguist after all. The books on the right are mine but I don't read as much as I did 10 years ago. I'm quite jealous of some of you in this thread.
My wife has far more book shelves than I but she is a linguist after all. The books on the right are mine but I don't read as much as I did 10 years ago. I'm quite jealous of some of you in this thread.
I decided I can't be jealous any more. After downsizing I had need to get rid of many things, books included. I am happy knowing others are enjoying them. Most all my books I had read 3-4 times over the years. It seems no matter how many times I read a book that there is always something else to learn or enjoy from them.
I'm with a few others on this thread. The vast majority of my books are now on kindle. We donated boxes and boxes of books to our local library which does the little free library's.
I'm jealous of everybody's fabulously large book shelves. My is minuscule in comparison. Had to start stashing books, here and there, around the house. Think I may have even lost some, though I don't know where, or how.
I'm jealous of everybody's fabulously large book shelves. My is minuscule in comparison. Had to start stashing books, here and there, around the house. Think I may have even lost some, though I don't know where, or how.
Maybe the same gnomes that steal your socks...
I once owned about five bookshelves worth of books. Then, divorce, homelessness ... you get the idea. Now? Yeah, now I'll stick with ebooks. Much more portable. Ok, so yes, when I get rich & famous (coughcough) I'll rebuild my library. Now, I'll deal with portable
I'm jealous of everybody's fabulously large book shelves. My is minuscule in comparison. Had to start stashing books, here and there, around the house. Think I may have even lost some, though I don't know where, or how.
Maybe the same gnomes that steal your socks...
I once owned about five bookshelves worth of books. Then, divorce, homelessness ... you get the idea. Now? Yeah, now I'll stick with ebooks. Much more portable. Ok, so yes, when I get rich & famous (coughcough) I'll rebuild my library. Now, I'll deal with portable
As kid I used to dream of living in a house filled with books. Alas one room was what I eventually acquired but that is long gone. Now I rely mostly on eBooks.
I find the thrill and imagination has never left and that the world itself is the background for the books I read. There's nothing like sitting by a stream and watching a fairy sail off on a leaf floating around the rocks. Or to see that wee elf on the back of a dragonfly drifting in the sun.
I am an avid reader, but I don't have much of a library. I either get my books from the county library or donate my books to the library. So, while Terry Pratchett is my hero - have read almost everything by him - I actually don't have any of his books.
I do, however, have some favorites I've bought and kept - Tolkien, of course; Thomas Covenant series (though Donaldson should have stopped after the second triology, imo); Tad Williams; James S.A. Corey Expanse series; and my favorite guilty pleasure - Bill the Vampire series.
I have very eclectic tastes, buy my favorite genre might be humorous fiction. Besides Pratchett, I highly recommend David Wong, Carl Hiaasen, and Christopher Moore. And the afore mentioned Bill the Vampire books. Their books are laugh out loud funny. (Linwood Barclay is more known for suspense/thrillers, but his Zack Walker books had me in stitches).
Comments
I apologise.... for absolutely nothing!
His books are beautiful! I am not as avid reader as most of the people in this thread, but seeing all these books make me happy.
As for me, one of my favorite series of books of all time, due to the "world" it created, is the Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny. At least up until he passed away... his son took over writing them and wasn't nearly as gifted as his dad. It's also the story I'd love to see adapted to film now that we have the technology to do it justice.
Most characters either go crazy and get locked up in an institute or are considered crazy b/c no one believes them and they get locked up in an institute. My favorite endings are where you are actually reading the notes/recount of events that led to the authors suicide.
It's when you learn something so horrible your mind can't take it, or the truth is so unfathomable that in order to not see what is coming you take your own life.
Mankind is small and insignificant, it's life span is minuscule both on a personal and species level. There are things out there beyond our comprehension that could, if they had the whim, destroy us all.
Cosmic Horror
JRR Tolkien - Currently living/working where he grew up which is kind of cool
CS Lewis - His prose are so easy to read
GRRM - The GoT series was one of my favorite before it was a show, but he's also got some AMAZING short stories that don't even fall under typical genres)
Neil Gaiman - Self explanitory
Guy Kay - I had actually forgotten about this one because it's been so long since I read one of his, but I saw someone else mention him and remembered how great he is.
Scott Lynch - The Gentlemen Bastards series is SO different, exciting, and well-written. The language may be a little tough for some readers but it's worth the great reads. Really think he should be more popular than he already is.
Naomi Novik - I looooved the first few books in the Temeraire series. I feel like the last ones have been a bit more stale, but the series as a whole is good and proof that historical fiction can be done right.
Current reads are Ready Player One and a manuscript by my dad that he wants to publish eventually. I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone of fantasy and dabble more in Sci-Fi.
These were the first authors that came to mind, but I'm sure I'll be back with more suggestions.
This is the book that I'm currently reading.
I'm 15 chapters in, about 1/3 of the way through the story... and I have to say, it hasn't been the smoothest of readings.
Not for anything inherently wrong with the story mind you, I'm enjoying the writing, the characters, and the development all just fine for the most part. No, the thing that keeps slowing me down is something that I keep encountering in 'Steam Punk' style books in general.
See, I can easily slip in between fantasy and science fiction with no trouble at all.... and steam punk is basically somewhere in the middle. You'd think that would be ideal, right?
The situation is that every steam punk book I read has it's own vocabulary... and this vocabulary is usually unique to that particular book, or book series as the case may be. These terms vary greatly from book to book, and that in itself is fine - it helps reinforce the genre of the book in it's story world and helps make it unique...
But I gotta tell you, so far most of these books that I've personally read have not done a great job explaining what these terms and concepts really are. Every time I encounter one, it slows me down.... I come to it, I try to figure it out, try to fathom it's meaning based on the context in the story and going so far to breaking down the root words and trying to guess... which is frustrating when the words are used as "common knowledge" situations in the context of the story. Why don't these books have a dictionary of meanings in the back? Or use footnotes more? (This book does have some footnotes, but not nearly enough for my tastes.)
I'll give you a example of what I mean, out of this book.
Holomorph:
From the spigot, a drop of blood beaded and fell.
The purpose of the contraption was mysterious at first until Taelin listened carefully to the ticking. Like tapping codes for the blind, the little engine pinged out a stream of numbers, over and over, ringing off the duralumin railings of the zeppelin deck. The sound was subtle, thought Taelin. She supposed you could get used to it.
At the end of the long series of precise pings and ticks, which Taelin now guessed was a complex but automated equation, the valve on Specks' arm snicked open, then shut again, and another drop fell.
"You are a holomorph, aren't you?" she whispered, genuinely amazed. "This thing keeps you floating?"
"Yes ma'am. My dad says my legs are in this arm."
So yeah, the runner up in the words that make me stop and ponder, "chemiostatic."
And that is quite an elaborate description of the scene.... but then "holomorph is thrown out, and we're all supposed to know what that means in this world? Even within the context of the scene, I don't fully grasp the meaning.
That's just one example, but there are more, and this isn't something limited to just this book... I've encountered this in many a steam punk book... and every time I come across it, I end up spending 5 minutes trying to wrap my head around the concept before proceeding on.
Inevitably, I spend more time trying to digest these books than I do most other forms of fiction.
I like a book that makes you think, but it's a little frustrating repeatedly hitting mental speed bumps when you are enjoying the story itself.
Anyone else find this happening with certain books?
A similar problem occurs when I watch Anime. I am not a fan of starting episode 1 of season 1 of an Anime and everyone is running around mentioning NPC's or other PC's like I already know them personally.
I would love to offer you many stories from HP to read, but they tend to flow slowly and if you are not a fan "jumping in" might be a struggle. That said, considering all my options, I suggest The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Just be warned that the first few pages are dedicated to architecture, HP was a huge fan. A shorter story that would make an excellent beginning is Pickman's Model.
Another suggestion, to everyone really, would be Robert Heinlein's Star Man Jones. It's more of a read for 'young adults' but when I read it, at 37, it felt current and modern enough. More of a "young man sets off to find himself in the galaxy type story" and not steam punk at all.
(Years ago I went to go see Sin City at the theater, but I accidentally locked my keys and cell phone in my car when I got to the mall. I didn't feel like going to a movie in this predicament, and we still had a bookstore in the mall at that point so I went in and bought the Lovecraft book. I started to read it while sitting in the food court until I could be rescued.) I must confess, I only ever made it half way through the book of collected stories. I like Lovecraft's mythos, but all of his stories start sounding pretty much the same after a certain point. Also, his rather high esteem erudite view got annoying after awhile - a point of view that just about every one of his leading characters shared as far as I could tell.
Anyways, my list goes as such...:
1. Robert Jordan (and later Brandon Sanderson); "The Wheel of Time" series
2. George R.R, Martin; "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, (GoT)
3. J.V. Jones; "The Book of Words" series
4. Josh Reynolds; "The Blood of Nagash" series
5. Robin Hobb; "The Farseer" series
6. Kate Elliot; "Crown of Stars" series
7. Michael A. Stackpole; "Talion: Revenant"
8. David Drake; "The Lord of the Isles" series
9. Christopher Stasheff; "The Warlock" series
10. David Eddings; "The Belgariad", "The Mallorean", "The Elenium" series
11. Janny Wurts; "The Cycle of Fire", "The Wars of Light and Shadow", "Alliance of Light" series
12. Mickey Zucker Reichert; "The Legend of Nightfall" (one off), "The Renshai" series
13. Eric V. Lustbader; "The Sunset Warrior" series
14. Raymond E. Feist; "The RiftWar", "The SerpentWar" series
15. Anne Rice; "The Vampire Chronicles" series
16. Jennifer Roberson; "The Novels of Tiger and Del" series
17. Brian Lumley; "Necroscope" series
18. Thorarinn Gunnarsson; "The Dragonlord Chronicles" series
19. Julian May; "The Galactic Milieu", "The Saga of Pliocene Exile" series
20. Terry Goodkind; "The Sword of Truth" series
21. Mercedes Lackey; "The Last Herald Mage" series
22. Carole Nelson Douglas; "Sword and Circlet" series
23. Dave Duncan; "The Seventh Sword" series
24. Dennis L. McKiernan; "Hel's Crucible" series
25. Simon Hawke; "Tribe of One" series
26. David Farland; "The Runelords" series
27. Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman; "The Death Gate Cycle" series
28. Bram Stoker; "Dracula"
29. Jeanne Kalogridis; "The Diaries of the Family Dracul" series
30. C. Dean Andersson; "I Am Dracula"
31. Richard A. Knaak; "The Dragonrealm" series
32. Melanie Rawn; "Dragon Prince", "Dragon Star" series
33. Angus Wells; "The Books of the Kingdoms", "The Godwars" series
34. C.S. Friedman; "The Coldfire" series
35. R.A. Salvatore; "The Cleric Quintet" series, plus too many to list
And many, MANY other authors of that wrote novels for Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Magic: The Gathering, Shadowrun, DragonLance, etc.
I like most kinds of tea, mixed with either almond milk, cane/brown/any other kind of natural unbleached sugar, or honey. Biscuits, cookies, cakes, confections are all agreeable.
Oh, and my favorite author, is me. lol
1. Steven Erikson - Fall of the Malazon Empire series
2. Patrick Rothfuss King killer chronical series
3. Raymond Feist- Rift War Saga
4. Robert Howard Conan the Barbarian series
5. Weis and Hickman - Dragonlance series
That's my top five for the moment
Doesn't seem like the easiest of read. I like Steampunk a lot, but I don't think I really read much novels relating to the genre. My favorite fiction for Steampunk would be the webcomic Girl Genius by Phil Foglio. At least for a graphic medium, everything is so much easier to understand. The whimsical nature of the genre is so easily expressed.
I'm not sure, for the paragraph you outlined, whether the problem is the attempt to explain some aspect of the universe, or that the attempt was not entirely well-executed. I could imagine enjoy a reading of a steampunk genre where nonsensical words are thrown without too much explanation (e.g. "The sky was dotted with Fluttercopters and Blitzwings"). Not too much detail needs to be drawn, the readers' imagination will do the rest.
But if the concept is important to the story, I supposed a little explanation is required to integrate it with the story. But I think what that paragraph fails to do is to draw the important connection between the details and the big picture. Judging from paragraph, is the holomorph supposed to be something important in the story? Is it because of the character in general, or for the fact that she can float (and maybe do other things as part of being a holomorph). That paragraph focuses too much about the How and not the What.
Also, if the only special thing they do is "float", a Holomorph is a terrible name for a class of people.
As for the Holomorph thing, I thought the character was in a blimp and that she was spending time with a clockwork person...
I feel I should point out that the example I gave above is probably the worse case of this in the book I've read so far... there are other instances, but they were easier to gloss over than that particular example.
You are correct Azathoth, in that the scene did take place in an airship of sorts. The "holomorph" boy was the son of the captain of that particular vessel. From what I've been able to gather, he's a bit of a cripple - but the contraption he floats around in is powered by his blood somehow. Cyreph, you asked if the "holomorph supposed to be something important in the story?" and I believe so... There is definitely a theme of power being drawn from blood in this book, some of it relates to the "holomorphy" and some of it to even more esoteric and dark ongoings.
And you're right... you can use a lot of crazy words and it doesn't matter if they represent simple concepts or some clearly explained definition... but when it's something complex or unusual, you'd want to get a clear mental image, right?
It's definitely interesting, but you know, if things were just a bit more "clear" it would be even more interesting... or at least easier to appreciate the interesting bits.
But, as I'm only 1/3 done with the book, perhaps I shouldn't judge it too harshly on this yet... perhaps it's laid out in a way that these concepts will become more clear as I progress through the story. Perhaps it will all be revealed in such a way that it makes me look back on earlier events with a new perspective that reveals a twist?
That would be pretty cool if that is indeed the case. Otherwise, I'll have to keep filling in the blanks on my own I guess.
So it's like forbidden blood magic, but in a steampunk world? Sounds cool and interesting.
I still contend that Holomorph sounds terribly unfitting for the concept. Hemomorph or Hemamorph, to me, sounds nicer? And I'm not terribly married to the suffix either.
I like the terms Cyreph suggested, assuming the boy is a real/clockwork boy powered by blood.
Rumbleforge, have you read anything else by the author?
But looking at this page here, I just realized this Black Bottle is actually his second book set in this world... so perhaps these questions I've had were answered in his previous book.
That being the case, I still take a bit of issue with running into these speed bumps of reading... because it isn't clearly defined as "the 2nd book of a series" therefore it should stand on it's own two feet, right? That's how I view it, anyways.
@Cyreph, I agree with your perception of "Holomorph" as a word.... it sounds way more cyberpunk than steampunk.
And @xexeb , that series sounds interesting. The different races you describe remind me of another steampunk series by Stephen Hunt:
Now, keep in mind that I've only read the first book so far, The Court of the Air. (As you can see, I have 4 more waiting for me to read at some point.)
They are referred to as the "Jackelian series" and feature different races besides humans as well, such as a mechanical race and a race of 4 armed humanoid crustaceans.
The Court of the Air shares some of the same flaws as Black Bottle, in that some of the words didn't reveal themselves terribly clearly in context all the time.
In some cases, the confusion was almost comical to me.... for example, there are many names for both races and nations... and when first introduced to these names, I was never entirely clear on whether someone was referring to a nation or a race, until further down the road in my reading.
This type of thing, to me, is the greatest flaw of the genre... and it took me off guard because I generally don't have this confusion with either high fantasy or science fiction. It seems we have a shared cultural vocabulary in these genres... I grasp these meanings without consciously knowing I am doing so. But in all the steampunk I've read so far, I feel like I need a Steampunk to English dictionary. And that book would have to have an edition for every author.
@xexeb , did you notice any of that type of thing in "the Empire of Black and Gold?"
Another thing that's caught me by surprise with most of the steampunk books I've been reading is that they are disturbingly dystopian on various levels. But I suppose that is a conversation for another time.
The Food Lab book is huge.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/1700s-book-clubs-drinking-socializing
Maybe the same gnomes that steal your socks...
I find the thrill and imagination has never left and that the world itself is the background for the books I read. There's nothing like sitting by a stream and watching a fairy sail off on a leaf floating around the rocks. Or to see that wee elf on the back of a dragonfly drifting in the sun.
I do, however, have some favorites I've bought and kept - Tolkien, of course; Thomas Covenant series (though Donaldson should have stopped after the second triology, imo); Tad Williams; James S.A. Corey Expanse series; and my favorite guilty pleasure - Bill the Vampire series.
I have very eclectic tastes, buy my favorite genre might be humorous fiction. Besides Pratchett, I highly recommend David Wong, Carl Hiaasen, and Christopher Moore. And the afore mentioned Bill the Vampire books. Their books are laugh out loud funny. (Linwood Barclay is more known for suspense/thrillers, but his Zack Walker books had me in stitches).