The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Books Thread Book • Page 132

Currently reading a certain book by @theagentcoma and thoroughly impressed. Eager to just keep reading!!

 

hey I recognize that cover, thanks for reading man!

 

How did Matt Dinnamin level up his writing and storytelling AGAIN for this book? My word. None of this should work. All of it does.

 

Every time Carl meets another former cookbook author is so emotional. Spoilers for chapter 11.

 

The Volteeg chapter may be the best in the whole series somehow???

 

"The conquerers always assumed that what they conquered was identity. But the truth was, identity could only be killed from within - and even that gesture was but a chimera. Isolation had many children, and disillusion was but one of them - yet its path was unique, for that path began when identity was left behind."

Erikson is just the fucking best

 

this is just true.

 

Man, I really enjoy Suneater for the story but the conservative bullshit is getting a bit much for me lol. Anyone else have a similar problem with the series?

 

Sobbing at the Milk chapter.

 

Did we read entirely different books or am I just that used to conservative thought living in the South?

 

i feel its very conservative, yeah. partly why i loathe hadrian. and i don't think i've even gotten to the really conservative stuff as I've only finished 2 so far

 

I really truly did not experience this when reading it and I'm from TX lmao. Interesting this pops up today after a Reddit thread yesterday or the day before trying to grasp at straws because Ruocchio made a vague comment about Jordan Peterson like almost 10 years ago.

 

Having talked to Ruocchio a lot on discord over the last few years, outside of being pretty catholic, he's never given me an indication of his political beliefs. I think it's important to understand where Hadrian is from and how his beliefs evolve over the course of the series as he's exposed to more fucked up stuff and his prior stances on stuff get rocked to their core.

 

Hadrian literally names Jordan Peterson as a great philosopher of history, "Old Peterson with his knowing smile." Also, his attitude towards the Extra Sollarians modifying themselves "almost as if identity were fluid."

TBH I just thought of Hadrian is an idiot and even told Christopher Ruocchio as much when I met him. Turns out Christopher is a devout Roman Catholic so I'm not sure what to think now.

 

He does reference Peterson in the books as a great philosopher of history though.

 

That was my point. It was his first book when he was like 18 or something. I'm willing to give him some grace for being a dumbass/impressionable teenager. My point is I don't get anything else like that in the rest of the series.

 

Speaking of... book 7 might be being announced next week, lol.

 

Gotcha. So what about Hadrian's views on identity? Nothing there for you? I'm only through book 3. Also, let me be clear. These are damn good books. Hadrian is just not a person I'd be interested in knowing.

 

he just announced that he and his wife just had their 2nd child and the book still has a couple more chapters left. I'm slightly concerned he's gonna miss his deadline.

 

Hadrian after the events of book four is a wildly different Hadrian than the early series.

I also think with the Extra Sols it is part of the question of "what is human vs what is machine" as opposed to "gender" identity. Khan Segara, Vorgosos, cloning, etc... just an extension of that debate, I think. Especially considering there are at least multiple LGB characters.

 

My opinion of Hadrian is that he's very much a fish out of water for a majority of the series. I think his beliefs actually morph and change as he's exposed to other ways of thinking and other kinds of beings. No doubt he's mega melodramatic and stubborn, but I don't think he's incapable of acceptance of things he had misconceptions about. I think Valka is a perfect example of that. You forget his whole thing at the beginning is that he can create peace with the Cielcin. He's wildly naive.

 

Picked up a book / ticket for Matt Dinniman signing here in Tempe, AZ on May 16th. I have book 1 signed and plan to have all 6 others signed at this signing. I'm so frickin stoked. May is gonna rule I have this and Kendrick concert planned.