Sci-Fi book recommendations

A few weeks ago, I posted the following message on the Fediverse:

I’m looking for book recommendations.

I am interested in Sci-Fi, with great world building. Possibly a series, something I could enjoy for a few books.

To give you some examples, I really enjoyed The Expanse, and The Dresden Files for example. I like the universe built by William Gibson (e.g Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, The Peripheral), but I find him very hard to read in English.

https://fedi.jeremy.hu/@jeremy/statuses/01GXKX3PGWEFTMKS2ZNDNB8KMB

I didn’t expect many replies. Boy was I wrong! I woke up the next day to close to 40 replies, with multiple recommendations!

I now have enough reading material to last me for the rest of the year, and more! As a thank you to every one of you who commented, here is the full list of the recommendations I received.

Goldorak, 2021

Grendizer may not have been a worldwide phenomenon, but it was super popular in France when I was a kid. I watched a lot of the episodes, and I have fond memories of it. So when I saw this Goldorak graphic novel in my local library, I had to check it out!

It didn’t disappoint! The artwork is beautiful, the colors are perfect. The plot is very much in line with the original TV show; it’s a sequel of the show, with the same characters, and of course Actarus and the team.

Check it out if you get the chance!

Reading with the kids: Lassie Come-Home and The Famous Five

My oldest kid is an avid reader: she reads at school obviously, but also in the evening after school, and under the covers at night :). I try to encourage that as much as I can.

The Expanse: the new book is out!

I’ve blogged a bit about The Expanse in the past, mostly to tell you about the TV series that I’ve grown to really enjoy. I’m also a big fan of the books the series is based on. I’ve read all 7 books published so far, and have been waiting impatiently for the 8th book to become available.

Today is the day! :) Tiamat’s Wrath is the 8th and penultimate book in the series, and you can now purchase it in all formats.

On Repeat Today: Sad Robot, Pornophonique

Boulet is probably my favourite cartoonist today. He’s talented, and he’s great at drawing our daily routines. Watching him draw is amazing, and if you’re not much into watching people draw you can watch the results on his blog.

Today I’m listening to the music he used for one of his drawings, FormicaPunk.

Sad Robot, by Pornophonique. Enjoy!

And if you like his style, here is a small selection:

Discover The Year Without Pants

From time to time, I share links to interesting posts that highlight the way Automattic works, and the way I work on a daily basis. Posts like this one highlight some important parts of my daily work. If you find such posts interesting, you’ll love The Year Without Pants: WordPress.com and the Future of Work.

The Year Without Pants

The book gives an inside look at what it’s like to work at Automattic. Scott Berkun worked with us for over a year, and captured a lot of the small things that make working from home “work”. Better than that, the book is a series of stories; team meetups, project launches, daily interactions with coworkers… Scott doesn’t give you any lessons about how to run your company, but simply gives you an insight through these stories. You’ll learn about distributed company, management, online communication, and you will get a few useful tips to help you work and play with the geeks that we are.

I read the book last week, and I’m now even more happy to work at Automattic :) You should read it too; I’m sure it will make you think of a few changes you could make to your work routine.

Reference: On Sale NOW: The Year Without Pants

Time to find a good book

What have you read recently? What should I read in the coming weeks? I need your opinion!

In the Plex (Steven Levy) – Morceaux choisis

Après mon article de la semaine dernière, continuons avec un autre bouquin sur Google, cette fois avec un oeil plus journaliste, celui de Steven Levy. Il a réalisé des interviews avec de nombreux Googlers afin de réaliser “In the Plex”. Il a aussi eu accès à de nombreux projets et détails qui étaient restés cachés jusque là. C’est donc le complément parfait de “I’m Feeling Lucky“.

I’m Feeling Lucky: The Confessions of Google Employee Number 59 (Douglas Edwards) – Morceaux choisis

Afin de mieux comprendre la philosophie de Google, je me suis offert “I’m Feeling Lucky”, un livre écrit par un ancien employé de Google, Douglas Edwards. Les livres sur Google sont nombreux, mais celui-ci a la particularité d’offrir un oeil vraiment interne sur la vie quotidienne, les prises de décision, et les problèmes rencontrés par Google dans son évolution. Douglas Edwards était l’un des premiers membres de l’équipe Marketing de Google, et s’est très vite imposé comme “la voix de Google”. Il est dans une position bien particulière, et d’autant plus adaptée pour parler du fonctionnement de Google. En effet, chez Google les ingénieurs sont les rois, et les marketeux doivent se battre pour leurs idées, les argumenter avec l’élement clé chez Google, les données.