I enjoy Expeditionary Force more than I should. It's the only series I've ever "read" that seems like it was made specifically for a narrator (RC Bray) and specifically for audio. I can't imagine they hold up if you are actually reading them.
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What did you just read?
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Arbitrary
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It was alright. The commentaries for the Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness are all super gold but this wasn't anything special. His youth is a bit interesting and all the people he knew growing up that would go on to make movies. He does the reading for the audiobook which is nice but the last hour is him talking about the book tour and a little 9/11 and it was some effort to finish up.
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There is most definitely shit in there that he puts there purely for RC Bray to say. I can't think of examples off the top of my head, but you definitely notice it in the course of listening
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I'm slogging hardcore through Project Hail Mary from Weir. Anyone else? All I hear is how great this is, but I feel like most mega-popular books are all pushed by women normies who to put frankly, don't have the best taste (or at least a low bar).
It's not "bad" at all, but a bit boring. Plus, the writing seems a bit petulant and childish.
It's not "bad" at all, but a bit boring. Plus, the writing seems a bit petulant and childish.
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Intrinsic
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I looked around briefly for my reaction after finishing it, but couldn't find it. At this point my memory of it was not particularly enjoying it. It wasn't "bad," as you say and that's exactly what I remember, but can't live up to The Martian. I'd probably never go back and re-read it or really care if they made it in to a film.
Finished The God is not Willing last night and am really struggling to not do a Malazan re-read.
I don't think there's an Expeditionary Force, Brandon Sanderson, Laundry Files, or Gideon the Ninth, or Dresden Files...
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Ritley
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Is Gideon the ninth any good? The description immediately turned me off, and NPR endorsing it basically made me write it off completely.
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It is strange. I went in knowing zero about it only a passing recommendation in this thread or another one. The writing style too me a good 1/4 of a book to get in to, prose wise and rhythm. Something was off for me, personally, until it clicked. The story is good and universe building is neat. If you view the 1st book as a whodunit / Clue / Murder By Death story with some Fantasy and SciFi trappings, it makes it goes a little better.
Having read things afterwards I think it was all overblown. If you read fantasy or certain sci-fi there’s nothing here making it some awesome lesbian second coming femme strong lead blah blah. Pretty sure I enjoyed the second book more than the first. Gideon was a little annoying but by the end it grew on me. At least it left me wanting to read the third.
Randin
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A lot of the review snippets included in the book lean really hard on the whole "lesbian main characters" thing, but honestly, the main character's sexuality--or anyone's sexuality, for that matter--barely enters into the story; it's just not a romance- or sex-heavy story, and it's not really doing any sort of "the gay experience" narrative. The main character's a lesbian, she's described as having an impressive collection of titty mags, and she occasionally ogles some of the female characters--that's about as far as it goes.
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I liked it. The setting is weird as hell and doesn't really make any logical sense, but it's a pretty original story.
Gideon's a pretty relatable and realistic character. Harrow is utterly batshit crazy though, which made me enjoy the second book less. I mean, I can appreciate the crazy, but she's a little too crazy, the chick from Gone Girl would tell her to go get help after 2 minutes of conversation.
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Intrinsic
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That's funny. I'd say they're both worth reading if you're in a bit of a dry spell. The 2nd book vastly opens up the universe too I think.
Started Annihilation Score last night after finishing Rhesus Chart and maaaannnn.... I don't know. 10% in and it is just Mo bitching about Bob and her marriage and the dumb violin. At time Stross comes off extremely socially aware, based on jokes that he'll write for characters. Then he goes and writes this and it is full of a whiny complaining woman that hits every trope out there. And even makes meta jokes about failing the Bechdel Test.
Debated skipping it but figured in the long run I'd regret not just knocking it out and getting it over with.
Started Annihilation Score last night after finishing Rhesus Chart and maaaannnn.... I don't know. 10% in and it is just Mo bitching about Bob and her marriage and the dumb violin. At time Stross comes off extremely socially aware, based on jokes that he'll write for characters. Then he goes and writes this and it is full of a whiny complaining woman that hits every trope out there. And even makes meta jokes about failing the Bechdel Test.
Debated skipping it but figured in the long run I'd regret not just knocking it out and getting it over with.
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Tranny Chaser
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I liked the violin stuff and the stuff with Mo setting up a mock super team to divert everyone's focus and I liked those two major components of the story enough that I would never recommend skipping it.
BUT.
Mo is just a bad person. She holds Bob to an impossible standard while being a gigantic unapologetic hypocrite herself. "My husband didn't break security protocol to tell me his vampire ex-girlfriend had to stay at our home after we learned an ancient vampire had infiltrated our org and was fucking killing all our friends and I'm super mad about that forever time to find some dick to ride." She's got a bunch of contradictory feminist garbage in her head that is presented so earnestly it's borderline mockery.
The Labyrinth Index has a female protagonist, Mhari Murphy and it's maybe my favorite in the entire series. It's the only one besides the first that I've listened to twice.
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Thats exactly what I felt during that first 10% retelling the end of Rhesus from her perspective and then some, the whole time was thinking Jesus what a terrible person get the fuck over yourself.
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I gave a couple of these as a gift based on recommendations and now I'm working my way through book six of Expeditionary Force. Each one has had some low points thus far but they're solid and the voice acting elevates the material.
Have you read the novellas? I normally skip all the side stuff in any series.
Dandai
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As far as I know, there’s only one novella, “Homefront”. It’s an audio drama with multiple actors and sound effects. I couldn’t get into it and put it down after 30 min or so.
Every other book in the series is mainline.
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Tranny Chaser
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I guess I'm referring to 3.5, Trouble in Paradise.
The guy that got me in to the Dresden Files said the side stories were all pretty bad so I just skipped them. That one looks like its advertised as a novella with the audionbook clocking in at like 5 hours.
Dandai
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My bad I forgot about that one. I don’t want to give spoilers but if you’re already on book 6 then you know that what [seemingly] started out as an intention for novellas/different POV characters in 3.5 got folded into the mainline novels. 3.5 establishes Emily Perkins and the Mavericks. If you like the audio books and the author’s writing style, I’d recommend listening to it. If you’re ambivalent, then just read the synopsis. There’s nothing critical in that one.
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Book six references it a bunch of times (obviously) and I like the stuff on Paradise enough that I'll probably backfill with it next. I'm maybe a third of the way through six and don't want to stop and start just to get a side story.