*Edit*: here at least, I am clearly not isolated!

Perhaps I am increasingly isolated in holding this position, but I have no interest in reading "AI"-generated slop.

I love reading.

I read people's blogs and toots and whatever *because people wrote them* and I want to read their own thoughts and opinions.

I buy books, and read numerous different authors. I like finding new authors, bringing new ideas, styles etc.

Same with "AI" images. I'd prefer no image at all.

@neil best book you read last year? Looking for recommendations

@sephster

Book recommendations from anyone, or only from @neil?

Some of mine are here: @booktrail

#books

@unchartedworlds @neil @booktrail welcome from anyone. Thank you for the heads up

@sephster

"Against the Grain" by James C Scott was a paradigm shifter to me last year!

DEBT follows right after: https://mastodon.acm.org/@nobody/116232495598467927

@unchartedworlds @neil @booktrail

Else, Someone (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image "As if time itself has become his enemy" @[email protected] thank you sooo much for bringing DEBT to my attention, it's full of gems

Mastodon

@sephster @unchartedworlds @neil @booktrail If you like Scifi you could take a look at @mcrscifi 's previous list : https://mcrscifi.wordpress.com/previous-scifi-books/ Any book that scored over 4 is great over 3.5 is good. (IMHO)

One that falls just outside your 'last year' is Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh which I loved and was constantly wrong footed by.

Previous SciFi Books

Below is a list of the Science Fiction Novels that we have read. Just for fun we rate each book out of five “somethings” that relate to the story, e.g. 3.11 out of 5 Flying Cats. The sc…

Manchester SciFi Book Club #mcrsf

@steely_glint

Ha, that Emily Tesh book was on _my_ list too!

@sephster

@unchartedworlds @sephster

It completely wrong footed me multiple times. I thought I knew what sort of book it was and where it was going, and it subverted those expectations time-and-again.

A great corrective for people (like me) who have read too much old scifi - as was a Half Built Garden - which I also loved.

@steely_glint @unchartedworlds @neil @booktrail @mcrscifi thank you so much. Added to my reading list. Love sci fi although I haven't read too much

@sephster @neil

I'm limiting myself to authors who sell direct, without DRM in the case of ebooks. But not necessarily books I read in the last year

Si Clarke's Devon Island Mars Colony series is about creating a colony on Mars. Not much physics, but lots about the human practicalities and difficulties.

Si Clarke's Starship Teapot series is odd-ball, humourous sci-fi. Reminds me of Douglas Adams.

Elliott Hay's Vigilauntie Justice series is about a bunch of old ladies doing whatever is needed to keep their community safe.

All the above are available at https://whitehartfiction.co.uk/ The author (one person, two pen names) is on fedi at @clacksee

Dharma Kelleher writes queer crime fiction. I've read some of her Jinx Ballou books and can recommend them, but I haven't read any of her other books.
https://dharmakelleher.com/

I've read and can recommend Michael W Lucas' git murder novels, which are crime fiction set at tech conferences. He's also written tech books and (I think) sci-fi.
https://www.tiltedwindmillpress.com/
@mwl

White Hart Fiction: inclusive stories

SI CLARKE writes neurodiverse, gender-bendy sci-fi. ELLIOTT HAY writes comedic crime fiction.

White Hart Fiction
@rpbook @neil @clacksee @mwl thank you so much for taking the time to write this out. Non-drm is dear to my heart so will be looking into all of these
@sephster @neil I was captivated by Project Hail Mary. I also enjoyed Heroes by Stephen Fry but I still have some pages to go.
@cpy thank you. I read PHM as part of my book club and loved it. Not read Heroes though so will add it to my list. Thanks!