The Athenaeum - Reading updates and Literary Review from the Obsidian Elite (this means you)

[Guard Dog]

Now reading

 

[Malcador]

On 8/8/2020 at 9:18 AM, Guard Dog said:

The first one. The next is too ponderous. Third one looks just ok. 

Yep, is on list.  Forgot I didn't finish reading

 

 

Nothing terribly new, but is always nice to recover familiar ground.   Hm, I've read a lot of stuff about Russia, lately.

[majestic]

On 8/13/2020 at 6:19 PM, Malcador said:

Nothing terribly new, but is always nice to recover familiar ground.   Hm, I've read a lot of stuff about Russia, lately.

Fits with your commie YouTube suggestions, comrade.

Anyway, I feel slightely cheated, not sure if Amazon or the publisher is to blame but I've read three of the four The Old Republic books now but the fourth - Annihilation - is not available for Kindle as a single book, only as part of a four book collection that I don't need because I already have the others. The hell?

[Malcador]

Is EA the publisher ?

[majestic]

3 hours ago, Malcador said:

Is EA the publisher ?

Sure looks like it.

Anyway, (re)reading Dune in anticipation of the Villeneuve film. Forgot how great a read that is and kinda can't stop reading.

[Guest]

Currently reading

and

[Guard Dog]

Now reading:

An interesting historical figure. Few eyewitnesses to history are so accessible to the modern world. Almost all of the new testament of the bible are letters he wrote. When you read them you are reading the words of a man who actually lived in the Roman Empire. And there are always little details about it that can be gleaned from them. In addition to that, but for this one man, who never laid eye on Jesus while he lived, the Christian Religion would likely have died out  in the third century. Perhaps consigned to a small minor faith found only in Turkey, Israel, and the modern remnants of the hellenic world. There are few times you can say this but this one man changed the world. And he did it by travelling and writing letters. 

The book is doing a pretty good job discussing Paul of Tarsus as a man and historical figure, 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Guard Dog said:

Almost all of the new testament of the bible are letters he wrote.

Hopefully I don't make an enemy with this book recommendation

[Guard Dog]

4 hours ago, Achilles said:

Hopefully I don't make an enemy with this book recommendation

Added to my "to do" list

[majestic]

Finished Dune. Unsure if I want to continue with Dune Messiah right away.

[Malcador]

4 minutes ago, majestic said:

Finished Dune. Unsure if I want to continue with Dune Messiah right away.

Why not enjoy the prequels ?

[Guard Dog]

It's been a while since I was disappointed by a sci-fi novel. Thought I'd see how bad this one is:

 

So it's just OK. Mildly entertaining. 

[the_dog_days]

I love Larry Niven even though he does have an obsession with BDOs (big dumb objects).

[majestic]

Settled on reading Animal Farm. It's been sitting on my Kindle for a while now and it'll tide me over until I've made up my mind about continuing Dune or doing something else entirely.

[Raithe]

23 hours ago, Guard Dog said:

It's been a while since I was disappointed by a sci-fi novel. Thought I'd see how bad this one is:

 

Have you tried some of  L.E.Modesitt Jr. sci-fi? Action scenes can be a bit on off, but he does tend to spend more time posing ethical / morality / philosophical questions about the nature of society as it develops higher technology.  What I find a touch interesting is how he'll write one story posing that x is correct, then a few years later he'll write another that takes the opposite viewpoint.

Although things that seem constant do tend to be thoughts on how the more advanced the technology becomes, the more personal self-responsibility and transparency is required.

Edit: And some can be a touch fun pulpy sci-fi wrapped around it.

Edited August 23, 2020 by Raithe

[Guard Dog]

Thanks Raithe, I'll give him a look.

[ShadySands]

How let down do you want to be? I find the military fantasy genre particularly good at that.

[Malcador]

19 minutes ago, ShadySands said:

How let down do you want to be? I find the military fantasy genre particularly good at that.

Yeah, Marko Kloos and his abandoned Frontlines series did that.

[Guard Dog]

56 minutes ago, ShadySands said:

How let down do you want to be? I find the military fantasy genre particularly good at that.

You can always tell when military fiction (science or otherwise) was written by someone who was never in the military. Even if they got the details mostly right. Compare Joe Halderman's Forever War & John Scalzi's Old Man's War. Both are good examples of military sci fi and both are good stories. But you could tell Halderman was a vet and Scalzi wasn't. 

[Hurlshort]

I've been reading John Ringo's books and its pretty clear he was military.

[Malcador]

5 hours ago, Guard Dog said:

You can always tell when military fiction (science or otherwise) was written by someone who was never in the military. Even if they got the details mostly right. Compare Joe Halderman's Forever War & John Scalzi's Old Man's War. Both are good examples of military sci fi and both are good stories. But you could tell Halderman was a vet and Scalzi wasn't. 

Scalzi also seems to think characters that are constant smartass snarks are good.

[Raithe]

11 hours ago, Hurlshot said:

I've been reading John Ringo's books and its pretty clear he was military.

Have you hit the "Oh John Ringo No!" yet?

[Hurlshort]

4 hours ago, Raithe said:

Have you hit the "Oh John Ringo No!" yet?

I just started the 2nd, book, so not yet.

[Raithe]

1 hour ago, Hurlshot said:

I just started the 2nd, book, so not yet.

Note... Depends on which series of his you're reading.

Legacy of Aldenata - More military sci-fi, some right wingism, you don't get the "oh john ringo no!" moments until the last couple of books.

Troy Rising - Pulpy silly fun, with only a  couple of "oh john ringo no!" moments.

Empire of Man - co-written with David Weber. All fairly sane (as Baen sci-fi co-authored by those two can be).

Paladin of Shadows / Ghost -  The originator of the "oh john ringo no!" meme. It's there from the very first chapter and goes on.

 

I've got a few friends who have been involved in running sci-fi/fantasy conventions in the US, and one of the things they all agree on, is that John Ringo can be an entertaining, well-spoken, intelligent individual.. who is incredibly upfront about the fact that he can also be a complete ****, and that you better be prepared for that when you talk to him. He pretty much hangs the sign of "I'm an ****, if you talk to me, don't be surprised, if you are, you chose to engage me in conversation knowing that."

 

[majestic]

Finished Animal Farm. Now reading the ramblings of a madman about the Übermensch:

 

Anyways, while I haven't read Animal Farm until now I have seen the animated film it was turned into. Is it just me or is the book a lot less anti-communist than it is generally accepted to be, and rather much more anti-Stalin and anti-authoritarianism? Life on the farm was pretty good until Stalin kicked out Trotsky*, abolished democracy and began his reign of terror.

*At least I get now why Orwell's been called a "rabid" Trotskyist by his detractors.

Edited August 24, 2020 by majestic