Walsingham Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Up to my ears in old Chinese legalist texts about statecraft and warfighting. At first they were fascinating, and now they just strike me as irritatingly scatty and unstructured. "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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raithe Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 Heh, I've got a nice copy of the Seven Military Classics of Ancient China and making your way through the seven different works (while interesting) can be very awkward with the way they were written. It's that combination of the structure in how they were each written (which is different for each one), compounded by the style of translation.. "Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WDeranged Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 I'm currently reading Perdido Street Station by China Meiville, I was put off by the wordy introduction but as soon as I got to the intimate love scene between a fat man and an insect woman I got interested, I wouldn't say I'm hooked but his writing style is very interesting and he uses lots of descriptive words that I have to look up Ugh. I absolutely hated that book. The cover art - yes yes - promised a rich World build coming alive through a fabulous monster hunt. What I got was a lot of disjointed gibberish spread thinly across too many pages. It's one of the few books I have actually thrown away rather than give to a charity shop or keep. I'm near the end and I've enjoyed it so far, I wish he'd explain things without resorting to so much magical science and some characters (eg. Lemuel Pigeon) are acting out of step with their established traits but the ride is fun, I especially like the Weaver, the singing, dancing mad god in the form of a spider. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guard Dog Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Now reading The Man in the High Castle by Phillip ****. I was wrong when I said there was no good sci fi.., this one is good "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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agiel Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Now reading The Man in the High Castle by Phillip ****. I was wrong when I said there was no good sci fi.., this one is good Might I suggest Stanislaw Lem? Some of my favourites by him are The Cyberiad, The Star Diaries, and The Futurological Congress. Quote “Political philosophers have often pointed out that in wartime, the citizen, the male citizen at least, loses one of his most basic rights, his right to life; and this has been true ever since the French Revolution and the invention of conscription, now an almost universally accepted principle. But these same philosophers have rarely noted that the citizen in question simultaneously loses another right, one just as basic and perhaps even more vital for his conception of himself as a civilized human being: the right not to kill.” -Jonathan Littell <<Les Bienveillantes>> Quote "The chancellor, the late chancellor, was only partly correct. He was obsolete. But so is the State, the entity he worshipped. Any state, entity, or ideology becomes obsolete when it stockpiles the wrong weapons: when it captures territories, but not minds; when it enslaves millions, but convinces nobody. When it is naked, yet puts on armor and calls it faith, while in the Eyes of God it has no faith at all. Any state, any entity, any ideology that fails to recognize the worth, the dignity, the rights of Man...that state is obsolete." -Rod Serling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melkathi Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Now reading The Man in the High Castle by Phillip ****. I was wrong when I said there was no good sci fi.., this one is good That's why I suggested him to you Though I haven't read that one. What Scifi had you been reading up until now? Unobtrusively informing you about my new ebook (which you should feel free to read and shower with praise). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guard Dog Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Now reading The Man in the High Castle by Phillip ****. I was wrong when I said there was no good sci fi.., this one is good That's why I suggested him to you Though I haven't read that one. What Scifi had you been reading up until now? Lately, not much. I'm not a big fan of the genre in any way. But I've read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and the first six Dune books. I loved HHGTG but the Dune books started brilliant and got progressively worse and really he should have stopped at #3. I won't even get into what his son has churned out. I read all of John Scalzi's "Old Mans War" series and found them to be mediocre. Halderman's Forever War was a little better. Some of Larry Nivens books were just ok, others... I have no interest in the new stuff like Hunger Games and I think it's geared more to kids anyway. And I won't even touch the cartloads of franchise dreck of star wars and star trek books. And holy crap are there a lot of them. I've read one of China Melivlle's books, don't even remember which one, it really did not make an impression on me, something about pirates on floating city. I read Slaughterhouse 5 and Flowers for Algernon in college and loved them. I've read a lot of HG Wells & Bradbury as a kid and enjoyed it. I ordered this: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/philip-k-****-collection-philip-k-****/1101304598?ean=9781598530490 and started with book one, story one The Man in the High Castle. I'm halfway through it and really into it. "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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melkathi Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 (edited) Lately, not much. I'm not a big fan of the genre in any way. But I've read Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and the first six Dune books. I loved HHGTG but the Dune books started brilliant and got progressively worse and really he should have stopped at #3. I won't even get into what his son has churned out. I read all of John Scalzi's "Old Mans War" series and found them to be mediocre. Halderman's Forever War was a little better. Some of Larry Nivens books were just ok, others... I have no interest in the new stuff like Hunger Games and I think it's geared more to kids anyway. And I won't even touch the cartloads of franchise dreck of star wars and star trek books. And holy crap are there a lot of them. I've read one of China Melivlle's books, don't even remember which one, it really did not make an impression on me, something about pirates on floating city. I read Slaughterhouse 5 and Flowers for Algernon in college and loved them. I've read a lot of HG Wells & Bradbury as a kid and enjoyed it. I ordered this: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/philip-k-****-collection-philip-k-****/1101304598?ean=9781598530490 and started with book one, story one The Man in the High Castle. I'm halfway through it and really into it. Many people will agrree with you on the Dune books. Honestly, I wouldn't mind only having read the original book and not having read any of the rest. I think I mentioned it before somewhere, his son's books are the reason I have decided that should I ever become a famous author and have kids, in my will I'll forbid them from continuing my legacy "Old Man's War" is enjoyable for people who like that kind of books, but "Agent to the Stars" is by far John Scalzi's best book and very much unlike that series - so you may still like it. Let's face it, we just aren't the target audience for "Hunger Games". We are too old and too male. It's aimed at teenage girls. I didn't really think you'd enjoy Haldeman. From what I understand his political views are very much not aligned with yours. Either way, stay clear from books 2 and 3 in the Forever War trilogy. I think Heinlein may be much more your thing. That collection you ordered you can't realy go wrong with. Do let me know what you think of the books (especially And Now Wait For Last Year, as I really enjoyed that). I have no offline friends at the moment who read this author :/ edit: anyway, anyone want to be friends on Goodreads? Edited May 31, 2013 by melkathi Unobtrusively informing you about my new ebook (which you should feel free to read and shower with praise). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexx Posted June 2, 2013 Share Posted June 2, 2013 (edited) Now reading The Man in the High Castle by Phillip ****. I was wrong when I said there was no good sci fi.., this one is good It's too good, that's why his name is censored in this forum. :> The book is great, but I felt that the ending was a little bit lacking. I think I expected a different ending, dunno why. Edited June 2, 2013 by Lexx "only when you no-life you can exist forever, because what does not live cannot die." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WDeranged Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 I just started reading the first book in The Prince of Nothing series, so far it's OK but many people say it really kicks in around 400 pages...apparently Michael Kirkbride has a raging nerd boner for these books so there must be something worth digging for, has anyone else tried it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walsingham Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Heh, I've got a nice copy of the Seven Military Classics of Ancient China and making your way through the seven different works (while interesting) can be very awkward with the way they were written. It's that combination of the structure in how they were each written (which is different for each one), compounded by the style of translation.. On your point about translation. Is there maybe some non-lexical flow imparted by the shape of the Chinese script which you could only get from a skilled translator? Just a thought. "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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raithe Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Heh, I've got a nice copy of the Seven Military Classics of Ancient China and making your way through the seven different works (while interesting) can be very awkward with the way they were written. It's that combination of the structure in how they were each written (which is different for each one), compounded by the style of translation.. On your point about translation. Is there maybe some non-lexical flow imparted by the shape of the Chinese script which you could only get from a skilled translator? Just a thought. It's one of the things I've wondered about. The structure of written chinese is one thing. But also to consider, a lot of those texts were originally produced before the written language was "codified" and "reformatted" as it were by the first Emperor. So how much that caused shifts in the original structure and language, before someone attempted to roll it into English. "Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walsingham Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 Heh, I've got a nice copy of the Seven Military Classics of Ancient China and making your way through the seven different works (while interesting) can be very awkward with the way they were written. It's that combination of the structure in how they were each written (which is different for each one), compounded by the style of translation.. On your point about translation. Is there maybe some non-lexical flow imparted by the shape of the Chinese script which you could only get from a skilled translator? Just a thought. It's one of the things I've wondered about. The structure of written chinese is one thing. But also to consider, a lot of those texts were originally produced before the written language was "codified" and "reformatted" as it were by the first Emperor. So how much that caused shifts in the original structure and language, before someone attempted to roll it into English. Of course they could just be rubbish. I'm not attempting to re-read Clauswitz until they legalise marijuana. "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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Labadal Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 (edited) A Feast of Crows. I've read 100 pages so far. At this point, it is not even close to books 2 and 3. Edited June 4, 2013 by Labadal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melkathi Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 A Feast of Crows. I've read 100 pages so far. At this point, it is not even close to books 2 and 3. And it wont get close. Possibly the weakest of the books. Not that A Dance With Dragons is all that great, but at least it has its moments. Unobtrusively informing you about my new ebook (which you should feel free to read and shower with praise). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raithe Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 A Feast of Crows was where I gave up on the series. I just found myself supremely uninterested in the survival of any of the characters. "Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kor Qel Droma Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 I'm just about to start book three of the Wheel Of Time series. It's allright, so far, but there's what, 14 books in the series? Jaguars4ever is still alive. No word of a lie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raithe Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 I'm just about to start book three of the Wheel Of Time series. It's allright, so far, but there's what, 14 books in the series? Yup. Book 5 & 6 can take a turn for the slow because it's starts getting into that stage of laying more background plots/arcs and characters on the world stage rather then purely focused on the core group. Jordan died after completing book 11, Sanderson finished off the final 3 books, although Jordan had sketched out everything, including a serious mass of notes, sketches, assorted databases of all characters, goals, plots n plans. And Jordan's wife was the editor and recorded him talking through the final of the story. Oh, and Jordan also wrote the epilogue to the final book so Sanderson knew where he had to get to and how to get there. "Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guard Dog Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 I think I am done with big, long, 6-14 book sagas that cannot help but drag at some point. If a writer can't wrap his story up in 1-3 book he needs to rethink his story! Think about the greatest works of fiction you've ever read, the stories that really made you think, were any of them a meter high when stacked? Didn't think so. "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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melkathi Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 *shrug* I try to write children's books. If the story can't be told in ten pages with large fonts (excluding illustrations), then its already too long. Unobtrusively informing you about my new ebook (which you should feel free to read and shower with praise). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcador Posted June 5, 2013 Share Posted June 5, 2013 I think I am done with big, long, 6-14 book sagas that cannot help but drag at some point. If a writer can't wrap his story up in 1-3 book he needs to rethink his story! Think about the greatest works of fiction you've ever read, the stories that really made you think, were any of them a meter high when stacked? Didn't think so. Think again, I really liked those two Neal Stephenson novels. Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raithe Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 On book news.. Iain M Banks is now deceased, and has joined that great library in the sky... "Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melkathi Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 (edited) ... Edited June 9, 2013 by melkathi Unobtrusively informing you about my new ebook (which you should feel free to read and shower with praise). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcador Posted June 9, 2013 Share Posted June 9, 2013 Died pretty young, 59. Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Labadal Posted June 10, 2013 Share Posted June 10, 2013 Don't know if I have it in me to finish a Feast for Crows. I'm extremely underwhelmed by this book. I actually liked the first three books, but this one bores me to tears. It follows most of the boring characters in the series. Can't say I care much for Brienne, Cersei is boring and I can't really say the others have been very fun to read about either. I was looking forward to this book, why oh why did it have to disappoint me so? I'm expecting the following TV show seasons won't get as much praise if they don't come up with a lot of stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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