I have finally gotten some reading glasses that let me read for more than an hour at a time and I have been catching up on some long neglected scifi.

In the last few weeks I have reread the LOR trilogy and some Niven stuff and I am currently 2/3 through the Hogan "Giants" trilogy.

It is my understanding that Hogan is a fairly popular writer but a few petty things are distracting me. First, having been writen about 25 years ago they are somewhat dated in technology. Second, he seems obsessed with smoking and even though I am a smoker myself, I have a hard time visualizing an auditorium full of scientists in 2025 smoking pipes, cigars and cigarettes and a spaceship with ashtrays conveniently located everywhere.

The story line is good up to a point but the characters are somewhat trite and his style of continuous denouements are reminisent of a Charlie Chan movie.

Niven seems to be the far better writer. (The Integral Trees series)

Anybody got any recommendations for stuff more current? I have read the KSR Mars trilogy and that is the most utd scifi I have read in quite a few years. I am going to read Ring World next but it is also written at least 20 years ago.

Not to bore anyone but these new high mag specs are like a great new toy for me after quite a few years of painful reading.