I'll plug the !printsf@lemmy.ca community. Two months in and last months read was Iain Banks Player of Games and this months is Winter World by A.G. Riddle. Usually have a vote thread 6 weeks before the end of the month to pick a new one.

So I flew through this read but I'm not sure I enjoyed it. Also my first read of a Culture novel. Some stray thoughts:

-The initial presentation of Azad as a meritocracy through performance at essentially a competitive test a la the SAT, ACT, A levels, only to be revealed again and again how it's set up to enforce the class structure. Elite schooling and training to perform better, performance enhancing drugs, and just straight out blocking people from participating at a certain level.

-Gurgeh got played begining to end by Special Circumstances. This coupled with the heavy handed commentary about the utopian possibilities offered from having the same virtues as the Culture I think are somewhat at odds? Also a surprisingly high number of people die in the Culture (like at the end) after spending a chunk of time talking about how that rarely happens.

Player of Games - Iain Banks

Second book in the Culture series which I've never read so honestly know nothing about except that it's supposed to be good. Despite being the second book I've heard it stands alone well.

That's a great list. With the exception of Iain Banks. I have bounced off every book by him I've tried. Really should make another effort at Player of Games.

I took a bit of a time off from reading so when I started again this is what I gleaned as recommendations from the other printsf:

Three body problem - Liu Cixin Bobiverse - Dennis Taylor Daemon - Daniel Suarez Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky Pushing Ice - Alastair Reynolds

Honorable mention: Blindsight - Peter Watts

If I were to go with a mix of old and new: Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson I, Robot - Issac Asimov Dune - Frank Herbert

Mix of old and new, short and far future.

Snow Crash is one of my favorite books. So much fun from beginning to end. Also one of the few books by Stephenson that has an unrushed ending.

Haven't played but from another thread I saw about that game awhile ago was to try and play co-op to start. Was told it can be very difficult initially playing solo.

World of Tanks is similar too. A little faster paced perhaps but doing the right thing in the right place is a 1000% more important than reflexes imo. Never played in clans and it might be different at that level.

Commented on something like this the other day. Official votes should be limited to its own community with only active votes. The slate of votes would run at standard times (i.e. Sunday to Sunday). The agora could be used for discussion and meeting a threshold for a topic to clear to be put on the voting slate.

Stonemeier always has excellent production values.

I didn't do the whole game in one sitting but I was glued to my chair for hours when I started Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. Remember looking at them time on my phone and going, "huh, it's after midnight". Then again later and finding out it was the beginning of daylight savings time. Went to sleep, woke back up, and played all day again. Fantastic game.

One of my first beers I watched in horror as a fly landed on the wort during boil and get subducted in never to be seen again. Named that beer Insecticide. Turned out pretty good.