Baley Posted June 22, 2007 Posted June 22, 2007 Nah, it was the whole precursor to Alien thing, you know... bursting out of... exposing one's innards... uh, never mind.
metadigital Posted June 22, 2007 Author Posted June 22, 2007 It's worth digging up; well written and (obviously) a fresh idea: it still reads well over half a century later. OBSCVRVM PER OBSCVRIVS ET IGNOTVM PER IGNOTIVS OPVS ARTIFICEM PROBAT
mr insomniac Posted June 22, 2007 Posted June 22, 2007 Right now, am about a third of the way through James Clavell's Shogun. I read it for the first time not long after seeing the miniseries, and that copy of the book was missing the front cover and the first chapter, plus a few pages.... and i kinda skimmed through alot of it. This time I'm taking my time and enjoying it more. Just finished reading The Christ Clone Trilogy by James BeauSeigneur, an entertaining and, for someone with a layman's knowledge of the Bible, thought-provoking take on the end times according to The Bible. I took this job because I thought you were just a legend. Just a story. A story to scare little kids. But you're the real deal. The demon who dares to challenge God. So what the hell do you want? Don't seem to me like you're out to make this stinkin' world a better place. Why you gotta kill all my men? Why you gotta kill me? Nothing personal. It's just revenge.
Guard Dog Posted June 23, 2007 Posted June 23, 2007 Right now, am about a third of the way through James Clavell's Shogun. I read it for the first time not long after seeing the miniseries, and that copy of the book was missing the front cover and the first chapter, plus a few pages.... and i kinda skimmed through alot of it. This time I'm taking my time and enjoying it more. I loved the novel version of Shogun. Clavell is a master of the subplot. That miniseries barely scratched the surface of the story. "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell
metadigital Posted June 24, 2007 Author Posted June 24, 2007 Just finished The God Delusion. Dawkins is less than tactful, though his logic is undeniable. It's actually a good read, even if a little transparent (though he admits that he is trying to convert people away from religion: the first clue is in the title ). OBSCVRVM PER OBSCVRIVS ET IGNOTVM PER IGNOTIVS OPVS ARTIFICEM PROBAT
Hurlshort Posted June 24, 2007 Posted June 24, 2007 (edited) Thinking about rereading the wheel of time series after i have reread the Tawny man series and maybe i should read the second book in the soldier's son trilogy. I really enjoyed the Soldier's Son second book (Shaman's Crossing?) It's a good deal different, though, although I'd say it's got the somber tone of every middle Robin Hobb book. I just like the twist given to the main character. I'm really waiting on the third book. edit: Book 2 is Forest Mage. Edited June 24, 2007 by Hurlshot
Guard Dog Posted June 30, 2007 Posted June 30, 2007 Has anyone read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke? If so can you give an idea if it is any good or at least worth the time it would take to read it? And passing up reading other things in the meantime? "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell
Musopticon? Posted July 1, 2007 Posted July 1, 2007 (edited) Yes, it s worth passing up reading other books, even if you have only the slightest interest. The book has a slow and pondering style that takes a long time to get going, thanks to it being almost ludicrously...British and once it gets going the narriative easily holds the reader spellbind. Clarke has spent along time weaving the charaters and it shows, since nobody is really who they seems to be at first reading. It is unfortunate then that she has resorted to using an archetype for Mr Norrel who, obviously, is a central character. Throughout the book I was looking for another reading besides the dominant one and for a while thought that Clarke was trying to perhaps give a sense of postmodernism by acknowleding the use of such a stereotypical old stuffy gentleman character in an otherwise modern novel. Alas, I was looking for incongruity where there wasn't any. The book doesn't suffer from it, no, but I was waiting for developments that weren't there and was a bit disappointed. Norrel's character does develop throughout the novel and it is not a bad one, but I would have loved it if Clarke had done something original, inventive at least. As a fantasy novel, it is a bit light on the fantastic bits, rather verging on the side of magical realism with bits of low fantasy. Sure, there's, among other things, an illusion that spreads over the whole English canal to fool the Spanish Armada, planewalking and a man disappearing into a throng of crows, but they only occassionally take the center stage from Norrel and Strange. Nevertheless, I liked it's approach to magic and how it was shown to be a two-edged sword, one of the main themes of the novel actually, sometimes a controlled chaos and sometimes an exact science. The two main characters themselves portray this duality as well, being near opposites as persons and thier worldviews. All in all, it's not just a book you can read in parts, it's one of those time consumers. Yet again, I was a waiting for a bit more, but it does reward the reader's devotion. Recommended. Edited July 1, 2007 by Musopticon? kirottu said: I was raised by polar bears. I had to fight against blood thirsty wolves and rabid penguins to get my food. Those who were too weak to survive were sent to Sweden. It has made me the man I am today. A man who craves furry hentai. So let us go and embrace the rustling smells of unseen worlds
metadigital Posted July 1, 2007 Author Posted July 1, 2007 Just finished Coupland's latest (notionally a sequel to Microserfs, though not really) novel jPod. He certainly has a talent to enumerate the various characteristics of geek culture and the mildy-autistic individuals who swim in it. It's not much more than an airport novel, though, and (apart from about three pages of excoriating analysis) is pretty silly. I think he's just resting on his laurels, and I came away feeling a little dirty. OBSCVRVM PER OBSCVRIVS ET IGNOTVM PER IGNOTIVS OPVS ARTIFICEM PROBAT
Musopticon? Posted July 2, 2007 Posted July 2, 2007 It's a biography of an Imperial Inquisitor, Gregor Eisenhorn, going over major points in his life of over 300 years of fighting heresy, sometimes from others, but increasingly more from himself. It's a book about falling and redemption. And it's crazily good for a license book. Of course, since there's a total of five stories written over a wealth of years the quality tends to jump around in leaps, but Abnett writes in very enjoyable, almost martial, style. He moans about the problems of the first person narrative focus in the preword, but I think it works rather well when accounting a personal view on one's life. I'm about halfway through the last novel, Hereticus. Nice, very nice. kirottu said: I was raised by polar bears. I had to fight against blood thirsty wolves and rabid penguins to get my food. Those who were too weak to survive were sent to Sweden. It has made me the man I am today. A man who craves furry hentai. So let us go and embrace the rustling smells of unseen worlds
WITHTEETH Posted July 2, 2007 Posted July 2, 2007 (edited) Any recommend any excellent contemporary sci fi, or beautiful fiction work? Edited July 2, 2007 by WITHTEETH Always outnumbered, never out gunned! Unreal Tournament 2004 Handle:Enlight_2.0 Myspace Website! My rig
Musopticon? Posted July 2, 2007 Posted July 2, 2007 I am Legend by Richard Matheson Go for it. kirottu said: I was raised by polar bears. I had to fight against blood thirsty wolves and rabid penguins to get my food. Those who were too weak to survive were sent to Sweden. It has made me the man I am today. A man who craves furry hentai. So let us go and embrace the rustling smells of unseen worlds
Guard Dog Posted July 2, 2007 Posted July 2, 2007 Any recommend any excellent contemporary sci fi, or beautiful fiction work? The last Sci-Fi book I read that I liked (there have been many I hated) was Old Man's War by John Scalzi. I'm not a big fan of his work in general but he did a good job on this one. Well worth the 6 bucks to buy and a weekend or two to read. "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell
Walsingham Posted July 3, 2007 Posted July 3, 2007 Eisenhorn, like the Gaunt's Ghosts series is fething excellent. I am Legend should be compulsory reading. "It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"." -Elwood Blues tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp.
Musopticon? Posted July 3, 2007 Posted July 3, 2007 (edited) I was thinking of picking up the Ghosts-books, at least the first omnibus, but there's so fething many of'em. I have a good friend who's all over them though and he's been recommending me at least to the spin-off Double Eagle. I might read Ravenor instead, since it's in the same "continuity" as Eisenhorn. Next, I'm trying to start translated edition of Battle Royale, though I'm a bit reserved since I haven't even seen the movie. The book was just so bloody cheap at Waterstone's. Edited July 3, 2007 by Musopticon? kirottu said: I was raised by polar bears. I had to fight against blood thirsty wolves and rabid penguins to get my food. Those who were too weak to survive were sent to Sweden. It has made me the man I am today. A man who craves furry hentai. So let us go and embrace the rustling smells of unseen worlds
Kor Qel Droma Posted July 3, 2007 Posted July 3, 2007 I just started rereading the Gunslinger. Say thankee sai. Jaguars4ever is still alive. No word of a lie.
seejai Posted July 3, 2007 Posted July 3, 2007 just finished the chronicles of narnia. it was intense "She was short, she was furry, she was loud, and she was determined to sell him a melon"- random passage from Spector of the Past by Timothy Zahn
metadigital Posted July 4, 2007 Author Posted July 4, 2007 Any recommend any excellent contemporary sci fi, or beautiful fiction work? I just finished a recently compiled anthology of (not necessarily newly published) short stories, which I highly recommend: I found a book I bought to read on a recent plane flight Extreme Science Fiction.Some highlights: Death in the Promised Land (Pat Cadigan) The Girl Had Guts (Theodore Sturgeon) ... a spiritual precursor to Alien Wang's Carpets (Greg Egan) ... a story that I wish I'd written. OBSCVRVM PER OBSCVRIVS ET IGNOTVM PER IGNOTIVS OPVS ARTIFICEM PROBAT
Hiro Protagonist Posted July 4, 2007 Posted July 4, 2007 I read comic books. Batman, Punisher, Y The Last Man, Star Wars, Grimm's Fairy Tales, etc.
Guard Dog Posted July 4, 2007 Posted July 4, 2007 Yes, it s worth passing up reading other books, even if you have only the slightest interest. The book has a slow and pondering style that takes a long time to get going, thanks to it being almost ludicrously...British and once it gets going the narriative easily holds the reader spellbind. Clarke has spent along time weaving the charaters and it shows, since nobody is really who they seems to be at first reading. It is unfortunate then that she has resorted to using an archetype for Mr Norrel who, obviously, is a central character. I'm about 300 pages in and you are right about pondering style. Reading it is like trying to eat a boot. But is is getting better as it goes on. "While it is true you learn with age, the down side is what you often learn is what a damn fool you were before" Thomas Sowell
Musopticon? Posted July 4, 2007 Posted July 4, 2007 It took me two weeks. I used it as a leverage to get myself reading for exams. Initially, the exam books actually felt way more appealing. kirottu said: I was raised by polar bears. I had to fight against blood thirsty wolves and rabid penguins to get my food. Those who were too weak to survive were sent to Sweden. It has made me the man I am today. A man who craves furry hentai. So let us go and embrace the rustling smells of unseen worlds
Kor Qel Droma Posted July 11, 2007 Posted July 11, 2007 Well, I've finished the Gunslinger. Now it's on to The Drawing Of The Three. Jaguars4ever is still alive. No word of a lie.
Laozi Posted July 11, 2007 Posted July 11, 2007 Kor reading books? I don't believe this, what is the world coming to? People laugh when I say that I think a jellyfish is one of the most beautiful things in the world. What they don't understand is, I mean a jellyfish with long, blond hair.
Krookie Posted July 11, 2007 Posted July 11, 2007 guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the new harry potter is out soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! when i herd about it i was like
Walsingham Posted July 11, 2007 Posted July 11, 2007 I despise Harry Potter and everything it represents. "It wasn't lies. It was just... bull****"." -Elwood Blues tarna's dead; processing... complete. Disappointed by Universe. RIP Hades/Sand/etc. Here's hoping your next alt has a harp.
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