What are you currently reading?

[biomieg]

Finished Simmons' first, Song of Kali - great book and a nice quick read! Now on to his second, Carrion Comfort. Can't wait

[killjoy72]

Nifft The Lean by Michael Shea.

[Stebbins]

[frik]

Finished Simmons' first, Song of Kali - great book and a nice quick read! Now on to his second, Carrion Comfort. Can't wait

The book that made me fall in love with this author.
Still my #1 Simmons.
Enjoy, Michaël.

sk

[fernandito]

3/4's of the way into Hyperion...

[Bethany]

I read Go Set A Watchman yesterday. I don't think I've ever been so disgusted with a book in my life.

[zelig]

I haven't read it yet and have tried to stay away from reading anything about it. Why were you disgusted? Not sure if you can answer that without revealing anything about the book.

[webstar1000]

3/4's of the way into Hyperion...

You like it?

[Bethany]

I haven't read it yet and have tried to stay away from reading anything about it. Why were you disgusted? Not sure if you can answer that without revealing anything about the book.

Non-spoilery disgust, I don't think Lee wrote the book. I think the first section was probably part of her first draft but that is all. The style is not the same. To be honest, the majority of the book reads like a high school stream of consciousness essay. And everything that I hold dear and love about TKaM is systematically destroyed. I don't how much of the story has made it outside Alabama but there are very lively rumors going around that Lee is not mentally competent anymore and has been taken advantage of through all of this. As reprehensible as it is, financial gain I understand. Destroying the Finch family was completely uncalled for.

[zelig]

I haven't read it yet and have tried to stay away from reading anything about it. Why were you disgusted? Not sure if you can answer that without revealing anything about the book.

Non-spoilery disgust, I don't think Lee wrote the book. I think the first section was probably part of her first draft but that is all. The style is not the same. To be honest, the majority of the book reads like a high school stream of consciousness essay. And everything that I hold dear and love about TKaM is systematically destroyed. I don't how much of the story has made it outside Alabama but there are very lively rumors going around that Lee is not mentally competent anymore and has been taken advantage of through all of this. As reprehensible as it is, financial gain I understand. Destroying the Finch family was completely uncalled for.

Wow that's very interesting and disheartening too. Everyone involved should have left well enough alone based on what you're saying.

[fernandito]

3/4's of the way into Hyperion...

You like it?

I love it.

Top 5 sci fi for sure.

[goheat]

3/4's of the way into Hyperion...

You like it?

I love it.

Top 5 sci fi for sure.

Amen! and I'm just about done with Fall of Hyperion, and it is awesome as well (and essential after reading Hyperion!)

[Ricky]

Non-spoilery disgust, I don't think Lee wrote the book. I think the first section was probably part of her first draft but that is all. The style is not the same. To be honest, the majority of the book reads like a high school stream of consciousness essay. And everything that I hold dear and love about TKaM is systematically destroyed. I don't how much of the story has made it outside Alabama but there are very lively rumors going around that Lee is not mentally competent anymore and has been taken advantage of through all of this.

I was planning on reading it when it was announced, then I found out that Watchman is just basically a first draft of Mockingbird--they're just selling it as a sequel since it takes place after Mockingbird.

I've heard the rumors that HL is not mentally competent too, but I don't think we'll ever know what's that vs. old age vs. being taken advantage of.

[zelig]

Non-spoilery disgust, I don't think Lee wrote the book. I think the first section was probably part of her first draft but that is all. The style is not the same. To be honest, the majority of the book reads like a high school stream of consciousness essay. And everything that I hold dear and love about TKaM is systematically destroyed. I don't how much of the story has made it outside Alabama but there are very lively rumors going around that Lee is not mentally competent anymore and has been taken advantage of through all of this.

I was planning on reading it when it was announced, then I found out that Watchman is just basically a first draft of Mockingbird--they're just selling it as a sequel since it takes place after Mockingbird.

I've heard the rumors that HL is not mentally competent too, but I don't think we'll ever know what's that vs. old age vs. being taken advantage of.

Is nothing sacred anymore. Why couldn't they have just leave it be with Mockingbird. Perhaps we will never know but I wonder how the Watchmen publication came to be.

[Bethany]

Non-spoilery disgust, I don't think Lee wrote the book. I think the first section was probably part of her first draft but that is all. The style is not the same. To be honest, the majority of the book reads like a high school stream of consciousness essay. And everything that I hold dear and love about TKaM is systematically destroyed. I don't how much of the story has made it outside Alabama but there are very lively rumors going around that Lee is not mentally competent anymore and has been taken advantage of through all of this.

I was planning on reading it when it was announced, then I found out that Watchman is just basically a first draft of Mockingbird--they're just selling it as a sequel since it takes place after Mockingbird.

I've heard the rumors that HL is not mentally competent too, but I don't think we'll ever know what's that vs. old age vs. being taken advantage of.

There have supposedly been investigations by the state into her being exploited.

[webstar1000]

Probably going to finish A Summers Night this evening... going to read A Winter Haunting next then Terror... would you all say stick to Dan and go to Hyperion?

[frik]

Skip A Winter Haunting.
And definitely, go to Hyperion.
Simmons doesn't come much better.

sk

[biomieg]

I really liked A Winter Haunting, I wouldn't skip it. One man's opinion, of course

[goheat]

Probably going to finish A Summers Night this evening... going to read A Winter Haunting next then Terror... would you all say stick to Dan and go to Hyperion?

You can't go wrong by starting Hyperion (and then follow it up with Fall of Hyperion)! I actually read Summer of Night as my first Simmons' a couple months ago, then decided to start chronologically, reading Song of Kali, Carrion Comfort, Phases of Gravity, then Hyperion and finishing up Fall of Hyperion now. To quote Stephen King, "I am in awe of Dan Simmons..."

[zelig]

Probably going to finish A Summers Night this evening... going to read A Winter Haunting next then Terror... would you all say stick to Dan and go to Hyperion?

You can't go wrong by starting Hyperion (and then follow it up with Fall of Hyperion)! I actually read Summer of Night as my first Simmons' a couple months ago, then decided to start chronologically, reading Song of Kali, Carrion Comfort, Phases of Gravity, then Hyperion and finishing up Fall of Hyperion now. To quote Stephen King, "I am in awe of Dan Simmons..."

We should change the name of this thread to Dan Simmons! About a year ago I bought a collection of Simmons 1st editions. I've also known of his work since the early days, about 25 years ago. But I've never read any! There's always been too much to read and I never got around to it. So if I were to start, which book should I start with? Hyperion? I know there are many.

[goheat]

Probably going to finish A Summers Night this evening... going to read A Winter Haunting next then Terror... would you all say stick to Dan and go to Hyperion?

You can't go wrong by starting Hyperion (and then follow it up with Fall of Hyperion)! I actually read Summer of Night as my first Simmons' a couple months ago, then decided to start chronologically, reading Song of Kali, Carrion Comfort, Phases of Gravity, then Hyperion and finishing up Fall of Hyperion now. To quote Stephen King, "I am in awe of Dan Simmons..."

We should change the name of this thread to Dan Simmons! About a year ago I bought a collection of Simmons 1st editions. I've also known of his work since the early days, about 25 years ago. But I've never read any! There's always been too much to read and I never got around to it. So if I were to start, which book should I start with? Hyperion? I know there are many.

Paul, I started with Summer of Night based on suggestions here that it was maybe more accessible then Hyperion, which is a very complex (but fantastic) series. After I read that and loved it, I read Song of Kali because I have this thing where I like to read authors' books in the order released. That's just me! Song of Kali, Carrion Comfort, Summer of Night are more 'horror' if you will, while Hyperion is closer to Sci-Fi, but I wouldn't pigeonhole his stuff into any one category.

So after that long-winded answer, I personally would recommend Song of Kali to start with and read them in order of release. Others may have different opinions.

[zelig]

I like to read books in order of release too. Thanks for your suggestions John. I may get started after I'm done with what I'm reading now.

[Girlystevedave]

Probably going to finish A Summers Night this evening... going to read A Winter Haunting next then Terror... would you all say stick to Dan and go to Hyperion?

I am this close to being done with my reading of Summer of Night. I've got maybe 50 pages left.

[divemaster]

Non-spoilery disgust, I don't think Lee wrote the book. I think the first section was probably part of her first draft but that is all. The style is not the same. To be honest, the majority of the book reads like a high school stream of consciousness essay. And everything that I hold dear and love about TKaM is systematically destroyed. I don't how much of the story has made it outside Alabama but there are very lively rumors going around that Lee is not mentally competent anymore and has been taken advantage of through all of this.

I was planning on reading it when it was announced, then I found out that Watchman is just basically a first draft of Mockingbird--they're just selling it as a sequel since it takes place after Mockingbird.

I've heard the rumors that HL is not mentally competent too, but I don't think we'll ever know what's that vs. old age vs. being taken advantage of.

There have supposedly been investigations by the state into her being exploited.

When this book was announced, the Washington Post ran an article about what is was likely to be. The author of the article seemed convinced (by his own research and reporting skills) that someone close to Lee had basically rifled through her old papers and came up with a bunch of first drafts, discarded materials, abandoned approaches, etc. from Mockingbird. This person, possibly aided and abetted by others, found some way to crib it all together and pass it off as a "new" book (or "long lost sequel") to Mockingbird that Lee wrote at some point in the past. Lee, now, is apparently so riddled with dementia (or at least, exhibiting severely diminished capacity) that she could either be manipulated into "releasing" the book, or bypassed altogether.

I was appalled to hear about how this "book" came to be, and the absolute greed that drove people to basically shit on Lee and her original creation.

[webstar1000]

Probably going to finish A Summers Night this evening... going to read A Winter Haunting next then Terror... would you all say stick to Dan and go to Hyperion?

I am this close to being done with my reading of Summer of Night. I've got maybe 50 pages left.

ME too! I have 48 left. LOL So busy I cannot finish! Your score so far out of 10? Mine is a solid 8.