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I've never heard "soft science fiction" before, but having googled it I wonder whether Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson would be an example? Great book, that. The Ministry of The Future is also brilliant, and at one point felt eerily prescient during the heat wave in India a couple of years ago...
I've not read The Dawn of Everything, but I was a huge admirer of David Graeber. I think this was published shortly after his death? Everyone I know who's read it has raved about it.
I used to read loads, but just don't seem to find the time anymore - or, I do, but I start reading something and then start reading something else at the same time, and finish neither. Another problem is I read so much for work that when it comes to reading for leisure I really just want something light and easy.
The most recent thing I started (and nearly finished) was The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman. It's a fantasy novel, not usually my thing these days, but it's genuinely witty and sharply written, from the perspective of the protagonist. Solid 7/10.
Not sure if it's what the poster meant, but hard and soft sci fi generally means how bound to our known laws it is - for e.g hard sci fi would have no faster than light travel etc
Most of the fiction stuff I read is horror and sci fi.
I discovered the books of Grady Hendrix a few years ago and have just finished his book We Sold Our Souls and it might be my favourite of his. It's the story of the fictional 90s rock band Dürt Würk and their great lost album Black Iron Mountain. It's horror but not gory for the sake of it, and it's got a sense of humour. for fans of classic 80s tongue-in-cheek horror films like The Evil Dead trilogy.
My other favourites of his are Horrorstor & The Southern Book Club's Guide To Vampire Slaying, The Final Girl Support Group.
other books in a similar vein....
Devil House by John Darnielle (singer / songwriter of the group The Mountain Goats bus also a spectacularly good writer) A Mask Of Flies by Matthew Lyons The Book Of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
Some recent sci fi books I've loved....
The Three Body Problem (Cixin Liu) – mind-bending sci-fi packed full of genius ideas that I'm sure has been discussed on here before. Looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.
Walking On Glass (Iain Banks) – I’ve read nearly all of his books but never got round to this one until just recently. This one is certainly not a straightforward story but I still absolutely loved it.
The Dispatcher trilogy (John Scalzi) – Film noir with a sci fi edge. The 3 books in the trilogy are The Dispatcher, Murder By Other Means and Travel By Bullet.
Self Help (Ben H. Winters) – an audiobook about an audiobook. Brilliant narration by Wil Wheaton & Ron Perlman
I also read a lot of non fiction music books so here are some recent favourites....
Fingers Crossed (Miki Berenyi)
Rough Trade website selected it as their best book of 2022 saying this: “A revelatory and important statement on the sexism of the 90s music industry, growing up through parental neglect and the wild highs and lows of the Britpop years. The Lush star is a trailblazer and here to remind us that success means different things to different people and that perhaps the traditional definition ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
I bought this from Miki herself when she was doing a book signing at Bella Union in Brighton a while ago. It’s a truly remarkable read. Some musicians biographies can drag a bit when you’re reading about their early lives. You just want them to get to the bit where they start the band. That’s not the case here at all because Miki’s life before becoming a musician was already quite extraordinary. It’s an extremely honest and emotional book and highly recommended, regardless of whether you’re familiar with her music or not
I Wanna Be Yours by John Cooper Clarke (get the audiobook if you can) The man has a way with words as we all know and his frequent tangents about films, breakfast cereal, fashion or whatever are equal parts fascinating and hilarious. As the tagline from the After Eight adverts quoted in the book several times puts it, listening to this was “Luxury, pure unashamed luxury”
Paper Cuts: How I Destroyed The British Music Press & Other Misadventures by Ted Kessler (he's on this forum I believe)
I'm a massive Beatles & having read books about them by Hunter Davies, Mark Lewisohn & Ian McDonald' decades ago I really didn't think I'd ever need to read any more books about them. But I recently read 2 absolutely outstanding ones..... 1 2 3 4 by Craig Brown With a little Help from Their Friends by Stuart Maconie.
I'm also a massive Bruce Springsteen nerd and have read a load of books about him. Recently I've read these ones that stood out.... Born in the USA: Bruce Springsteen and the American Tradition by Jim Cullen Deliver Is From Nowhere by Warren Zanes
i just read "She's Always Hungry" by Eliza Clark, which i would maybe describe as 'soft body horror'? i've never really read horror but i loved it, have you heard of it?
Just back from holiday, read three really good books:
The Match: The Story of Italy v Brazil by Piero Trellini - ostensibly about the classic 1982 World Cup quarter final, but it's about history, politics, sport, money and so much more. Highly recommended.
Richard Burton by Melvin Bragg - solid autobiography of an amazing man, I now need to go watch a whole bunch of his films.
Underworld by Don DeLillo - I read this once about 25 years ago and thought it was amazing. Thought I'd give it another go, it's sprawling at 800+ pages, maybe not as amazing as I thought it was but still nicely written and an interesting 20th Century view of being American.
Zweig is almost unknown today, yet he is surely one of the greatest writers of the 20th century and Beware of Pity is absolutely superb. I read The Unbearable etc. years ago, I recall really enjoying it. Have yet to read any Roth. I'm sure I probably should, but you can't read everything, can you?
Recently I have been trying to work my way through some of the classics that I haven't read yet and I thought Gustave Flaubert's 'Madame Bovary' was genius. Incredibly modern in its open-minded and frank treatment of female desire and aspiration for a book that was written in 1856. Not surprised the bourgeoisie were scandalised at the time! So that's a recommendation if such things appeal to you. However I admit I am struggling with Proust's 'In Search of Lost Time', it requires dedication to stick with it.
Anyway, enough of the highbrow hoo-ha, if you like unputdownable, immersive fiction, Lian Hearn's 'Tales of the Otari' series is utterly brilliant. So good in fact that when I got to the end of the five book series, I started again. The series is set in a fictionalised 16th century Japan, a time when the Japanese were starting to be impacted by European culture and technology.
If anyone wants any other recommendations, just say what genre... happy to oblige. As you can tell, I like literary threads! ;-)
Hi Hubble,
Thanks for your reply and recommendations. The Japan series sounds great.
Another coincidence because the other brilliant book I read this year was 1000 Autumns Of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. That's set in Japan at exactly the same period and for the same reasons.
That Zweig book was absolutely brilliant. I really like the era and setting too, having recently been to Vienna.
I'm sure we've all had our QPR players over the years that we back because of pity and hope that they'll come good. In fact, probably most of them!
I can recommend so many books on the Vietnam war that I've read over the years, random I know.
There are some great suggestions already in this thread.. Thank you! (Just about to buy Zweig's Beware of Pity as a result!)
I've just finished The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. This is one of the most enjoyable books I've read for a while. She is a very assured writer... it was a joy to be in her company for a week or so.
(1) It is brilliant that a forum of QPR supporters has such a rich, varied and enthusiastic thread about books.
(2) Unlike many readers, I never re-read books. There is so much that is new out there. Plus trying to re-live books you loved years ago is always a disappointment.
(3) Recommendation: East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. Ambitious, exhilarating tale of three generations travelling and settling across America at the turn of the 19th/20th centuries. Thrilling narrative, compelling characters and big themes handled with confidence and compassion.
East Of Eden is brilliant.
That's partly inspired me to buy Lonesome Doves, if you haven't read that. That's my next one.
(1) It is brilliant that a forum of QPR supporters has such a rich, varied and enthusiastic thread about books.
(2) Unlike many readers, I never re-read books. There is so much that is new out there. Plus trying to re-live books you loved years ago is always a disappointment.
(3) Recommendation: East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. Ambitious, exhilarating tale of three generations travelling and settling across America at the turn of the 19th/20th centuries. Thrilling narrative, compelling characters and big themes handled with confidence and compassion.
I loved East of Eden too but The Grapes of Wrath is my favourite Steinbeck. One of the few books that's had me in tears. If you've seen the 1940 film, forget it. The book is immeasurably better.
I've never heard "soft science fiction" before, but having googled it I wonder whether Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson would be an example? Great book, that. The Ministry of The Future is also brilliant, and at one point felt eerily prescient during the heat wave in India a couple of years ago...
I've not read The Dawn of Everything, but I was a huge admirer of David Graeber. I think this was published shortly after his death? Everyone I know who's read it has raved about it.
I used to read loads, but just don't seem to find the time anymore - or, I do, but I start reading something and then start reading something else at the same time, and finish neither. Another problem is I read so much for work that when it comes to reading for leisure I really just want something light and easy.
The most recent thing I started (and nearly finished) was The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman. It's a fantasy novel, not usually my thing these days, but it's genuinely witty and sharply written, from the perspective of the protagonist. Solid 7/10.
Not sure where you got 'soft science fiction' from. I said social science fiction. That's a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on societal issues and human interactions rather than technology or space exploration.
Yes, Graeber sadly died before The Dawn of Everything was published. He's a huge loss to anthropology and left wing philosophy. I am currently listening to the audiobook on Spotify and it's just as good and in some ways, better than reading it. I think you'd love it.
Not sure if it's what the poster meant, but hard and soft sci fi generally means how bound to our known laws it is - for e.g hard sci fi would have no faster than light travel etc
Actually that's my type-o 🤦♂️DMM said "social science fiction" which was also what I looked up, refers to sci fi with a focus on social evolution apparently, and was what I was referring to with Red Mars
Edit sorry DMM just seen your reply above. Having a 'mare here lads.
(1) It is brilliant that a forum of QPR supporters has such a rich, varied and enthusiastic thread about books.
(2) Unlike many readers, I never re-read books. There is so much that is new out there. Plus trying to re-live books you loved years ago is always a disappointment.
(3) Recommendation: East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. Ambitious, exhilarating tale of three generations travelling and settling across America at the turn of the 19th/20th centuries. Thrilling narrative, compelling characters and big themes handled with confidence and compassion.
What a brilliant thread. I've shown it to Mrs Hants who is an avid, knowledgeable book reader and active member of a book club. She was impressed so well done all, my SAR ST is safe! For my own part, I love the Steinbeck novels with East of Eden and Grapes of Wrath still my favourites, even after reading them > 50 years ago.
Most of the fiction stuff I read is horror and sci fi.
I discovered the books of Grady Hendrix a few years ago and have just finished his book We Sold Our Souls and it might be my favourite of his. It's the story of the fictional 90s rock band Dürt Würk and their great lost album Black Iron Mountain. It's horror but not gory for the sake of it, and it's got a sense of humour. for fans of classic 80s tongue-in-cheek horror films like The Evil Dead trilogy.
My other favourites of his are Horrorstor & The Southern Book Club's Guide To Vampire Slaying, The Final Girl Support Group.
other books in a similar vein....
Devil House by John Darnielle (singer / songwriter of the group The Mountain Goats bus also a spectacularly good writer) A Mask Of Flies by Matthew Lyons The Book Of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
Some recent sci fi books I've loved....
The Three Body Problem (Cixin Liu) – mind-bending sci-fi packed full of genius ideas that I'm sure has been discussed on here before. Looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.
Walking On Glass (Iain Banks) – I’ve read nearly all of his books but never got round to this one until just recently. This one is certainly not a straightforward story but I still absolutely loved it.
The Dispatcher trilogy (John Scalzi) – Film noir with a sci fi edge. The 3 books in the trilogy are The Dispatcher, Murder By Other Means and Travel By Bullet.
Self Help (Ben H. Winters) – an audiobook about an audiobook. Brilliant narration by Wil Wheaton & Ron Perlman
I also read a lot of non fiction music books so here are some recent favourites....
Fingers Crossed (Miki Berenyi)
Rough Trade website selected it as their best book of 2022 saying this: “A revelatory and important statement on the sexism of the 90s music industry, growing up through parental neglect and the wild highs and lows of the Britpop years. The Lush star is a trailblazer and here to remind us that success means different things to different people and that perhaps the traditional definition ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
I bought this from Miki herself when she was doing a book signing at Bella Union in Brighton a while ago. It’s a truly remarkable read. Some musicians biographies can drag a bit when you’re reading about their early lives. You just want them to get to the bit where they start the band. That’s not the case here at all because Miki’s life before becoming a musician was already quite extraordinary. It’s an extremely honest and emotional book and highly recommended, regardless of whether you’re familiar with her music or not
I Wanna Be Yours by John Cooper Clarke (get the audiobook if you can) The man has a way with words as we all know and his frequent tangents about films, breakfast cereal, fashion or whatever are equal parts fascinating and hilarious. As the tagline from the After Eight adverts quoted in the book several times puts it, listening to this was “Luxury, pure unashamed luxury”
Paper Cuts: How I Destroyed The British Music Press & Other Misadventures by Ted Kessler (he's on this forum I believe)
I'm a massive Beatles & having read books about them by Hunter Davies, Mark Lewisohn & Ian McDonald' decades ago I really didn't think I'd ever need to read any more books about them. But I recently read 2 absolutely outstanding ones..... 1 2 3 4 by Craig Brown With a little Help from Their Friends by Stuart Maconie.
I'm also a massive Bruce Springsteen nerd and have read a load of books about him. Recently I've read these ones that stood out.... Born in the USA: Bruce Springsteen and the American Tradition by Jim Cullen Deliver Is From Nowhere by Warren Zanes
The Three Body Problem is a good one.
I haven't read Walking on Glass but the Culture series by Iain Banks is hard to put down once you get into it
i just read "She's Always Hungry" by Eliza Clark, which i would maybe describe as 'soft body horror'? i've never really read horror but i loved it, have you heard of it?
Eliza's an acquaintance of mine! And an absolutely brilliant writer. Her first book Boy Parts is one of my favourites of the last decade, extremely sinister but completely hilarious.
Thanks for your reply and recommendations. The Japan series sounds great.
Another coincidence because the other brilliant book I read this year was 1000 Autumns Of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. That's set in Japan at exactly the same period and for the same reasons.
That Zweig book was absolutely brilliant. I really like the era and setting too, having recently been to Vienna.
I'm sure we've all had our QPR players over the years that we back because of pity and hope that they'll come good. In fact, probably most of them!
I can recommend so many books on the Vietnam war that I've read over the years, random I know.
Have a good one.
Ha, I think we're on some kind of synchroncity tip; I read 'Beware of Pity' following a visit to Vienna last year! In many ways it reminded me of another classic, W. Somerset Maugham's 'Of Human Bondage'.
And I read '1000 Autumns' last year too, an absolutely gorgeous book. I'm a massive David Mitchell fan (the writer, not the comedian for those who don't know him). In fact I think Mr Sheen had recommended it after I was waxing lyrical about 'Utopia Avenue' in a book thread just like this one.
Mitchell is probably my favourite 21st century author and I'd happily recommend any of: Cloud Atlas, Number 9 Dream, Black Swan Green and Slade House - alongside 1000 Autumns and Utopia Avenue.
I've recently started re-reading some of my favourite books. Lanark by Alisdair Gray, The Ginger Man by JP Donleavy and Steppenwolf by Hesse. A very different experience visiting them as an old man than as a proto- adult. Still no nearer to understanding the human condition or maybe just less certain of its nature.
I love that Steppenwolf book, it was on the curriculum when I studied German .
I just finished The Mammoth Book of Wild Journeys. It is a collection of extracts from books by various adventurers, including Ernest Shackleton, TE Lawrence and Beryl Markham. Not all of the adventurers in it are well known, for example, one of them is a Brit who travelled from New Mexico to New York accompanied by a mule...
"Things had started becoming increasingly desperate at Loftus Road but QPR have been handed a massive lifeline and the place has absolutely erupted. it's carnage. It's bedlam. It's 1-1."
Eliza's an acquaintance of mine! And an absolutely brilliant writer. Her first book Boy Parts is one of my favourites of the last decade, extremely sinister but completely hilarious.
if you bump into her you can tell her i think she's amazing. My wife has just finished Boy Parts and i'm about to start it.
If epic Sci fi series interest you, The chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson are among the best. Fall of the Malazan Empire is another terrific series.
[Post edited 26 Aug 17:08]
Enjoyed both series a lot. There's a podcast thing on YouTube where Erikson talks at length about his world creation for the Malazan chronicles.
i just read "She's Always Hungry" by Eliza Clark, which i would maybe describe as 'soft body horror'? i've never really read horror but i loved it, have you heard of it?
not heard of that one but I’ve had another book by Eliza Clark (Penance) on my “to read” list for ages.
I’ll add She’s Always Hungry & Body Parts to the list too, thanks.
For those who like books about football, Big Dunc by Duncan Ferguson is excellent.
If you like WW2 history I can recommend three by James Holland. in no particular order; The Battle of Britain, Dam Busters and Victory 45. All excellent.
For music, How Music Works by David Byrne, Face it by Debbie Harry and Under a Rock by Chris Stein are also excellent. Just three that spring to mind - I've read plenty of others recently including Graham Coxon and Alex James' books.
For the Frankie fans, Last Night a DJ Saved my Life is an incredibly well documented book about DJs from US radio, early clubs, Northern soul, reggae, disco, hi energy, hip hop, to US & European garage & house. I've not finished it yet and have techno, balearic, jazz funk, acid house and UK bass to go. Fascinating if that's your thing.
Of recently published books I have read would recommend James by Percival Everrett.
Loose retelling of the Huck Finn story through the eyes of Jim the Slave. Rattling good story and thought provoking in equal measure -Very much enjoyed it.
If we all took this thread as a reading last... like a QPR book club challenge.... there'd be enough titles here to keep me for years probably! Some fascinating sounding books. Sadly, I'm already in danger of being crushed under my unread books pile if it ever topples towards my bed. I know which thread to resurrect if I'm ever short of ideas though.
LFW, the best read football forum ever?
‘morbid curiosity about where this is all going’
If we all took this thread as a reading last... like a QPR book club challenge.... there'd be enough titles here to keep me for years probably! Some fascinating sounding books. Sadly, I'm already in danger of being crushed under my unread books pile if it ever topples towards my bed. I know which thread to resurrect if I'm ever short of ideas though.
LFW, the best read football forum ever?
I visited a Reading site once, it was all about books, not a single mention of football at all.
Mine is A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. The story is based around the attempt on Bob Marley's life during political upheaval in Jamaica. I didn't really appreciate just how layered and accomplished it is until after I'd finished it.
Seen Paper Cuts recommended and Ted Kessler’s Oasis book A Sound so Very Loud is also fun read. Chris Whittaker All The Colours of the Dark is brilliant read. Mick Herron already mentioned.
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