Techno-Thrillers discussion

I’m going to read Ice Station by Matthew Riley.
Anyone want to join me … to make it a “Buddy Read”?
If so, please reply in the next week.

If it becomes a “buddy read” (i.e., at least 2 of use agree to read it at the same time), then we add it to the bookshelf and keep this discussion thread. Otherwise, it gets purged. If only 1 of us is willing to read it, ... probably isn't worthy of the group bookshelf. And, that prevents every author and their brother from shelving every book they write, ... unless their brother agrees to a buddy read.

Details:
- 513 pages, 15:17 audio
- #28 on the Best Action/Adventure Novels list
- #46 on the Best Technothrillers Ever list
- #738 on the Thrillers list (which is a good list, ... can't win them all)

Given it's rank on lists we look at, I've wanted to read it for years. I'm an audiobook guy, and it wasn't available, except in German. I figured it was written by a German. I guess I didn't search hard enough back then. It turns out it's written by an Australian, ... and there is an English audiobook, in Australia. Audible.com blocks it regionally ... including in the United States, where I am. Why? No idea. The author evidently lives in the U.S. as of 2023, ... and yet no audiobook here. You can by a used audio CD, ... or you can search the web and find a way to get an audiobook despite the regional lockout.

I am also an audiobook guy, and have not yet found a straightforward way to obtain an English version. I tried using VPN to make it look like I was in Australia, but Audible still wouldn't budge.

I found some helpful advice on Reddit. Different people seemed to have varying luck using different approaches.

I appreciate the info, but with so many books on my Want to Read shelf that are easily available, I think I'll stick with those. Maybe an Aussie reader will come across this and be your reading buddy.

I love Ice Station! Reilly's thrillers are fast and relentless. If you like it, there are several more in the series, and a whole other series. Hope you find a buddy!

I've heard a lot about Ice Station. I think Reilly is an amazing writer. If you're reading it, I might read along with!

Sam wrote: "I've heard a lot about Ice Station. I think Reilly is an amazing writer. If you're reading it, I might read along with!"

Hey, hey, hey! I like it!

We’ll call it an official buddy read, Sam. I just put it on the currently reading shelf, with a start date of May 19th, and a month to read. This is based on what I see in some other groups, who give people at least 7 days from a buddy read proposal until they get started, to encourage more to join in. Happy to have you along for the ride, ... and maybe some more will jump in. We do have some Australians in the group who haven't yet read Ice Station ... based on their bookshelf.

I concede that I've already started and just got to chapter 5, about 30% in. The author just finally came up for air for the first time, after 4 chapters that were almost all action ... aside from a few moments setting the stage in chapter 1. Jed’s fast and relentless description rings true. It's hard to put it down when it's that intense.

It sounds like you've read some of Reilly's other books, Sam. I haven't had the pleasure. Any favorites?

Actually, I haven't read any of them, but I am interested in them.

Finished it. It was wall to wall action. Very brief moments where there isn’t action. It was good enough that I may have to look at his other books. Glad I read it.

Where are you at in the story, Sam?

How about that hovercraft scene? Whew!

Hovercraft scene

Jed wrote: "How about that hovercraft scene? Whew!"

That was pretty crazy, and unique. Turns out that Renshaw, (view spoiler)[portrayed as a nasally-voiced annoying sort of short runt of a know-it-all scientist proves to be incredibly quick on the pickup and … arguably courageous in a bold can-do way (hide spoiler)]. It would be really interesting to see that scene portrayed on the screen. I feel like this won’t be made into a movie, but someone could do a good miniseries with a season from each book, and do better than some of the stuff out there. Definitely need to have a scene/episode with a hovercraft battle. I’m not really even sure what that’d look like. I was googling hovercraft photos. They can be pretty small or pretty massive, and make a big flurry of flying snow as they rip across the terrain. I think that’d be a great scene. I wasn’t really sure how plausible some of the maneuvers were. It was interesting, not knowing what to expect, and trying to envision all that. Fun when a book takes you into the unknown like that.

Sam wrote: "Hovercraft scene"

Sam, are you still reading Ice Station?