Books

Lately I’ve been reading science-fiction books, my favorite genre. I have managed to finish all books from the Culture series by Iain Banks. An excellent series, highly recommended. I also finished the last book from the Void Trilogy, “The Evolutionary Void” by Peter F. Hamilton,  another superb science-fiction series.

At the moment I started reading from the Ender Series by Orson Scott Card, so far having  finished “Ender’s Game” and “Speaker of the dead” and about to start “Xenocide“. At the same time I discovered another British science-fiction writer, Charles Stross, and I am currently also reading his “Saturn’s Children“. So far it seems interesting.

So much to read, so little time ;-)

Commonwealth Saga

I managed to finally finish the two books which make the Commonwealth Saga, a prequel to the Void Trilogy I was talking about earlier: Pandora’s Star and Judas Unchained. Really good books too, I am just sorry I haven’t read them before the Void Trilogy books. But it’s ok like this too I guess. Without posting spoilers, some bits and pieces :

• humans got wormhole technology before space flight,  many planets were colonized, travel by train between them.
• interplanetary “internet”, called Unisphere. People interact with it via implants, which everyone have.
• advanced genetics, weapons implants, force fields.
• artificial intelligence.
• immortality via a process called “rejuvenation”. Done every 50 years or so, this 18-months process restores the body to an approximate age of 20.
• later on, ships with FTL capabilities are developed, which travel via onboard wormhole generators.
• OCTattoos (Organic Circuitry Tattoos), colorful or metallic tattoos which serve a multitude of purposes from bank transfers to various sensors.

All in all, two highly recommended science fiction books.