TSF Book Club
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="dogmeat" data-cid="576189" data-time="1462100182">
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<p>The brain is without a doubt the body's most sensuous organ</p>
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<p>I'm more of a boob man myself but whatever floats your boat I guess.</p> -
<p>But brain can be used to think about boobs... this reminds me of...</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href=' -
<p>For everyone who has been waiting 15 years for one of my favourite books to be made into a movie. Altered Carbon is coming as a TV series -</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.blastr.com/2016-5-13/joel-kinnaman-star-new-netflix-cyberpunk-sci-fi-series-altered-carbon'>http://www.blastr.com/2016-5-13/joel-kinnaman-star-new-netflix-cyberpunk-sci-fi-series-altered-carbon</a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="dK" data-cid="559487" data-time="1455846897">
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<p>Just finished a very good trilogy by Miles Cameron, The Traitor's Son Cycle. If you enjoy Sword Fantasies with a mix of Medieval European History (of sorts) then this would be a great start</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13616278-the-red-knight?ac=1&from_search=1&from_nav=true'>https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13616278-the-red-knight?ac=1&from_search=1&from_nav=true</a></p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17737893-the-fell-sword?from_search=true&search_version=service'>https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17737893-the-fell-sword?from_search=true&search_version=service</a></p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23129080-the-dread-wyrm'>https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23129080-the-dread-wyrm</a></p>
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<p>I have read a lot of Cameron's Historical fiction (written under Christian Cameron) which would appeal to people who enjoy Conn Igglugden. He has 4 main series</p>
<p>1) the Tom Swann short novellettes are Kindle only books, set around the late Medieval Era and the encroachment of the Ottoman Empire into to Eurpoe</p>
<p>2) the Tyrant series, which is based on a post-Alexandrian Mediterranean world</p>
<p>3) the Long War series, which explores the Persian invasion of Greece, around the Battel of Plataea</p>
<p>4) the William Gold series, about the stories of a donat of the Order of St John and his adventures in France, Italy and now the Crusades to fight the Saracen</p>
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<p>All great reads for the nerds among us</p>
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<p>Thanks for this DK. I read a Tom Swann when you first posted this and found it a bit meh, but had forgotten that I (must have) got The Red Knight at the same time.</p>
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<p>Wow - just wow. How had I not discovered him for myself? Totally endorse your recommendation. Good characters real feel to his writing, writes a good battle and despite a lot of majick (sic) it does seem quite well grounded in the Plantagenet period.</p>
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<p>It's like a modern chivalric romance</p> -
<p>Operation Mayhem - Steve Heaney MC with Damien Lewis.</p>
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<p>A black ops British squad is dropped into a village in Sierra Leone to try and slow the progress of the RUF intent on taking the Freetown Airfield.</p>
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<p>Just another tale of some woeful decisions made higher up the chain that leads to putting lives at risk unnecessarily on the front line, good read though with one of the Pathfinders squad (Steve Heaney) being involved in writing with renowned war and conflict reporter Lewis.</p> -
<p>am heading down to my library today to take the above back, I'll see if they have it, otherwise I'll get you to send it up ;)</p>
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<p>jegga i finished Catastrophe. First half -2/3rds is pretty awesome. I though he ran out of stuff to talk about at the end, given he wrote a book that big about 5 months of a conflict.</p>
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<p>The explanation of the lead up to conflict was awesome. The details of the early battles was great, and then how it basically just broke down in to 4 years of sitting 100 yards from each dying.</p>
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<p>As usual, scathing of the English military, but dispels a few myths i had of that time.</p>
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<p>Good book though, will actually dig out another WW1 book i have to read a bit more. </p> -
M4l , that's interesting . I haven't finished it yet I keep going back to it after I get distracted by something else. At the moment I can't put this down<br>
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanns_and_Rudolf'>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanns_and_Rudolf</a><br>
It fascinating to read how one of them gradually became a mass murderer and the other man went back to his old life and what he did was forgotten till it was mentioned at his funeral . -
<p>The reckoning, the day Australia fell. Basic premise, Indonesia invades Australia and the US refuses to help out. Read like a John Birmingham book , which imho is a good thing. Not exactly high brow but I couldn't put it down.</p>
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<p>$1.01 on Amazon</p>
<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.amazon.com/Reckoning-Australia-Fell-Unforeseen-Duology-ebook/dp/B00F8ZHSGG/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=513s8hvIqXL&dpSrc=sims&preST=UX300_PJku-sticker-v7%2CTopRight%2C0%2C-50_OU01__BG0%2C0%2C0%2C0_FMpng_AC_UL160_SR111%2C160&psc=1&refRID=M7JZVX29347S5EDMVGGA#nav-subnav'>https://www.amazon.com/Reckoning-Australia-Fell-Unforeseen-Duology-ebook/dp/B00F8ZHSGG/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=513s8hvIqXL&dpSrc=sims&preST=UX300_PJku-sticker-v7%2CTopRight%2C0%2C-50_OU01__BG0%2C0%2C0%2C0_FMpng_AC_UL160_SR111%2C160&psc=1&refRID=M7JZVX29347S5EDMVGGA#nav-subnav</a></p>
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<p>Just started the sequel, here's a taste.</p>
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<p style="font-family:georgia, times;color:rgb(51,51,51);">“Reports suggest 40 Commando supported by the Royal Navy have driven Indonesian invaders away from the coast in Queensland. The war in Australia is all but won.†– Yorkshire Post (UK)</p>
<p style="font-family:georgia, times;color:rgb(51,51,51);"><br>
The half-rotten corpse that had once been an Indonesian soldier lay prone, riddled with maggots. SGT Craig Linacre knelt slowly beside the stinking mess, rifle cradled across his chest. The large exit wound at the back of its skull showed the fatal wound. Craig could see what was left of the decomposing brain beyond. But what interested him more was the soldierâ€
s webbing. The pouches appeared full and might hold valuable information. Wary of booby-traps, Craig tied a rope to its belt buckle and moved back, feeding the rope out as he went.<br>
Taking cover behind a nearby boulder, the special-forces soldier looked across at Matty in the near distance and nodded. CPL Matty Nasution gave thumbs up, before returning his attention down the barrel of his weapon, giving cover. Taking a breath, Craig pulled hard on the rope. He felt the weight at the other end shift and knew the corpse had rolled over. Good, no booby-traps so far. Bringing the rifle into his shoulder, Craig was stepping out from behind the boulder when the corpse exploded. He was thrown to the ground, winded. In a few seconds he climbed back to his feet, dazed, yet instinctively scuttling behind the boulder. The charge had obviously been rigged with some kind of delayed detonator.<br>
Shaking the fogginess from his brain, Craig peered around the boulder and saw a pair of half rotten legs – from the knees down – lying beside a crater. Nothing else remained of the corpse. Gaining Mattyâ€s attention, he signalled they were moving out. The explosion would have been heard from kilometres around, and if there were any Indonesian soldiers still in the area, they would be moving towards the explosion.<br>
As the pair of SAS soldiers slowly made their way through the brown, dry, waist-high grass, several dull thumps could be heard in the distance. The men paused, taking a knee to listen.<br>
Silence.<br>
Soft wind teased the surface of the grass for acres in every direction. Then a high-pitched shriek, growing in volume, shattered the peaceful deathly quiet.<br>
“Cover!†roared Craig, diving to the ground as artillery rounds exploded nearby.<br>
An Indonesian artillery battery had zeroed its guns in on the corpse, waiting for the booby trap to be triggered. If they fired fast enough, they‘d be able to take out an entire platoon. Maybe more.<br>
Pushing himself into a crouch, Craig was deafened by a ringing screech in his ears. He looked across at Matty, who was shouting something. No sound reached Craig.<br>
“Go!†Mattyâ€s lips formed the word. “Go!â€<br>
As the ringing in his ears began to dissipate, he heard more thumps in the distance.<br>
“Go!†he heard Matty screaming loud and clear. “Go!â€<br>
Sprinting through the grass, the pair heard a familiar high-pitched shriek as artillery rounds streaked down onto their position. The rounds slammed into the ground exploding between the two men with devastating effect.<br>-
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Pain wracked Craigâ€s body. It felt like heâ€d been in a cage fight. Groaning, he pushed himself off the ground, spitting dirt from his mouth as he moved into a crouch. Patting down his arms and legs, he checked for injury, but nothing seemed broken or bleeding. Spotting his M-4 nearby, he reached for it, checked it over before cradling it across his chest.<br>
Matty lay prone nearby, motionless. With a grunt, Craig moved to him, squatted beside him and checked for a carotid pulse. With relief he felt a strong pulse and patted Mattyâ€s cheek.<br>
“Hey mate,†Craig muttered. Patting the skin of Mattyâ€s face Craig spoke again. “Oi! Matty, time to move mate.â€<br>
There was no response.<br>
“For fuck sake,†Craig said, knowing time was of the essence. He was strong enough to drag Matty perhaps five hundred metres before being forced to rest and find concealment. That distance was not enough to clear the current area which would more than likely be crawling with Indonesian soldiers within the next hour.<br>
Craig slapped Mattyâ€s face hard. “Oi, dickhead!â€<br>
This time there was a groan and slight movement in one leg.<br>
Unceremoniously rolling Matty over, Craig slapped him again. “Wakey wakey,†Craig said, casting a glance over Mattyâ€s body checking for obvious injury or haemorrhage.<br>
More dull thumps reverberated in the distance.<br>
“Youâ€re fuckâ€n joking!†snarled Craig.<br>
Picking up Mattyâ€s weapon, he tucked the rifle into the unconscious manâ€s chest webbing. Grabbing Matty under the arms, he dragged him as far as possible before the distant shriek indicated artillery rounds were inbound. Dumping Matty, Craig dived to ground, buried his face into the dirt and hoped for the best. The barrage fell slightly short of their position, exploding on and around where the Indonesian corpse had been.<br>
When the last shell exploded, Craig slowly climbed to his feet, body still aching. Keeping as low a profile as possible, he dragged Matty away from the area. Three more artillery barrages hit, some close, others not so much, showing the enemy gunners were making small elevation changes to ensure maximum coverage. By the time night began to fall, Craig, now exhausted, had dragged Matty close to a kilometre out of the area and had found a small depression in the ground where he had chosen to lay low for the night.<br>
Setting up a Claymore anti-personnel mine facing towards the most likely enemy approach, he kept the clacker, the device used to detonate the explosive, tied to his right hand. Inadvertent detonation was near impossible, as the clacker had a safety catch of sorts. The safety catch was easy enough to disengage with a single hand, meaning the mine could be fired within two seconds. Filled with seven hundred steel ball bearings embedded in composition explosive, the weapon was designed to injure and maim rather than kill. One wounded man required two others to carry him, effectively taking three soldiers out of the fight.<br>
Should enemy stumble upon their position, seven hundred ball bearings would whistle through their ranks at knee height, before Craig opened fire. If the Indonesians did find his position, more than likely, Craig would be overrun and killed along with the unconscious Matty. But at least it would be a bittersweet victory for the Indonesians.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="dogmeat" data-cid="602446" data-time="1470123779"><p>
That didn't read like Birmingham to me. Is all the writing that florid? I'll get it but hope the action carries me along so I forget the purple prose. <br><br>
Have to say I have found some real gems through this thread</p></blockquote>
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Despite all his drug taking Birmingham works for the defence dept and loves explaining weapons and tech , these books are like that . Didnt strike me as too purple ? That's if purple means the same thing to me as it does to you. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="602419" data-time="1470121095"><p>
Nice jegga. I'll grab that one</p></blockquote>
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There's another one I found along the lines of Girt I was going to check out, if it's any good I'll let you know . -
<p>I was in the library a couple of weeks back looking at the Matthew Reilly and Chris Ryan books for some easy reads, and saw 'Empire of the Moghul - Raiders of the North' by Alex Rutherford.</p>
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<p>A historical fiction in the Iggulden mould, about the Moghul Empire..the fact I had never heard of them had me interested.</p>
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<p>Is a pretty good read, the main character, Babur is a descendant of Genghis Khan and it charts his rise as a boy king and the failures he has as he plays the 'game of thrones' (boom, see what I did there...I'll get my coat) in the ancient city of Samrkand, Ferghana and Kabul, think there are 6 books in the series.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="602457" data-time="1470125207"><p>There's another one I found along the lines of Girt I was going to check out, if it's any good I'll let you know .</p></blockquote>
Speaking of: David Hunt is supposed to have another one coming out soon -
<p>I'm halfway through the 2nd book of some bloke called Mark Lawrence's "The Red Queen's War" (books are Prince of Fools, The Liars Key, and the Wheel of Osheim).</p>
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<p>Picked it on a whim off the book store shelf, and I'm not sure why, but i am happy i did.</p>
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<p>Two polar opposite main characters get a spell put on them that seems to drive them north on a quest, which neatly ties in to one of their revenge missions. The main character is great, a petty princeling who freely admits to being a liar and a coward with no morals. When we meet him he's being chased by brothers for fucking their sisters, and bookies because he owes them a fuck load of money. Almost halfway through the story and he hasn't changed much, which makes a bit of a change from the usual fantasy hero who is damn near invincible. He can't really fight, and he can't resist women. I can relate!</p>
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<p>It's written in the first person, which i usually hate, but seems to work here, as the guy telling the story is so fucking selfish. Much like the Joe Abercrombie books, it's almost as if the overall story is less important than what is happening to the main characters. </p>
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<p>It's an entertaining little read. </p>
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<p>Oh, and although never actually confirmed, it appears to be set in Europe, in the future, a few hundred years after a catastrophic nuclear war. I'm pretty sure the Wheel of Osheim is the Hadron Collider. </p>
