Return of the Book Thread

[RhyssaFireheart]

So I finished The Forever War and I'm not sure what I think.  The descriptions of the actual military groups and actions was fine, but then it got wrapped up in this eternal love story thing between Mandala and Rogers(?)... eh? The ending just felt really rushed to me. "Oh that war that's been spread out over centuries because of relativity was just a big mistake/misunderstanding.  Whoopsie! My bad."  And twu lurv overcomes all with a baby to seal it.  I just don't know.

Moving on - I've started reading Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell on the nook and rereading my copy of The Gate to Women's Country on the side.  I've been on a Sheri S. Tepper kick lately and rereading my books by her and she definitely has a theme running through all her books.  I don't mind said theme because I think she does it well, but she's pretty strong on the "patriarchy bad, gaiaism/all-life-is-one-ism good" vibe.

[lamaros]

I'm going to try read 'a history of the Arab peoples' again. I enjoy it but somehow I always get distracted by something else before I get too far in.

[Khaldun]

There's a sweet spot where Tepper is really on and the world-building and characterizations are complex for all that there's an underlying viewpoint she's pushing. And then I thought she lost that and got preachy.

[JWIV]

Just finished reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.  I may be biased somewhat since I live in Baltimore and Johns Hopkins is just a neighborhood over from me, but an absolutely amazing and disturbing true story of science and medicine at its best and worst. Highly, highly recommended.

[Johny Cee]

There's a sweet spot where Tepper is really on and the world-building and characterizations are complex for all that there's an underlying viewpoint she's pushing. And then I thought she lost that and got preachy.

That's pretty common, I think.

I really liked some of the underlying themes and world-building in the Malazan books in the early books that were really helped by Erickson's background in history and anthropology...  by the later books there were long monologues about whatever pet theories were flitting through his skull.

[Ironwood]

Finished Orcs.

It's ok if you like that kinda thing, but generic fantasy crap that has an ending that I used to clean my carpets, it sucked so much.

[bhodi]

Also Bhodi,  if you haven't read any Gene Wolfe yet.... you should.

Okay, trip report. I finished the first two books of the new sun and... well, it's strange. I will say that it definitely did not translate well to audiobook form. Not only does he use/re-purpose too many unfamiliar words without explaining them via context, but the density, quick mid-paragraph shifts forward in time and general prose style didn't lend itself to the format. I'm sort of half-interested in where the story is going but it really feels to me like every single stop on the road is a set piece with an allegory or reference to something that I would understand, if only I had both had degree in literature and was also the Heinlein Everyman. I feel like for every chapter I need to read two chapters of deconstruction to understand what is really going on and what all the characters represent. I'll probably finish the series eventually but I'll definitely be switching to the paper for it. For weirdness quotient, the only thing that I've read that comes close is Blindsight.

I also finished LeGuin's Lathe of heaven (surprisingly downbeat for her, not exactly utopia fiction) and Glen Cook's entire Garret PI series (A much smoother, lighter read coming from black company).

Next up is the Disappearing Spoon, recommended a few pages back.

[murdoc]

Just finished reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.  I may be biased somewhat since I live in Baltimore and Johns Hopkins is just a neighborhood over from me, but an absolutely amazing and disturbing true story of science and medicine at its best and worst. Highly, highly recommended.

This book is incredible. I also highly recommend it.

[Sky]

Next up is the Disappearing Spoon, recommended a few pages back.

Picked this back up, ran into some trouble getting the next couple SW books. Such a fun read. Well, as fun as reading about the inventor of Chlorine gas can be, anyway.

[Ironwood]

Read Neuromancer for the first time.

It was great.

It also made me think "Wait, so they basically ripped off everything in this for The Matrix ?"

 

[Chimpy]

The Matrix series was full of badly mashed together ripoffs of various stuff.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Neuromancer and the original Ghost in the Shell movie, for sure.

[Ironwood]

I was aware.  Simply not aware of the full extent because I hadn't read the book.

Everything.

[HaemishM]

That's kind of what made cyberpunk fans so love the Matrix (until the sequels that is). It really was such a huge ripoff that it made up for nobody being able to make a decent movie of Gibson's works. I mean, before that, the closest we got was Johnny Mnemonic and Hackers. Though I still think Strange Days is one of the best cyberpunk films out there.

[Rasix]

Hey, what's wrong with Hackers?      

[HaemishM]

Nothing. But it ain't Neuromancer. 

[RhyssaFireheart]

Haven't started reading it yet, but I just got this book for my NOOK.  I need to finish Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell before I start anything new though. 

[HaemishM]

 

[Murgos]

In retrospect Moneyball is mostly bullshit. (I thought so at the time, but now I don't see how anyone can argue otherwise)

I disagree, the incorporation of the sabermetric mindset into the decision making process of MLB management is complete and irrevocable and it stems from the A's and that season and those people.  If you read the book and got anything from it other than that then you didn't pay attention.  It was entirely about the transition from the old method to the new.

[Ironwood]

I need to finish Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell before I start anything new though. 

Run away.  Just put it down and walk away.  Start another book.  Start a GOOD book.

[Ironwood]

Though I still think Strange Days is one of the best cyberpunk films out there.

You are correct.  It was an awesome film.

[RhyssaFireheart]

I need to finish Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell before I start anything new though. 

Run away.  Just put it down and walk away.  Start another book.  Start a GOOD book.

Eh?  Why's that?  I'm about 450 pages in and it's still interesting, but since it's an ebook I've managed to resist my usual "read the ending first" habit.  I never realized how much I did that until I kind of couldn't.  Yes, I know I can but remembering what page I'm on before checking out the ending is HARD.

[Sky]

Bookmarks.

[Ironwood]

See, Jonathan Strange and Norrell started out so well, being a sort of fusion of Dickens, historical stuff and Gaiman high magic and folklore.

Instead what happened is the writer couldn't be bothered with a decent ending to any of the threads in the book and turned it into just garbage dissappointing stinky plop right at the end.

Which just made you beat your head against the wall for wasting your goddamned time.   And I agree entirely that it's utterly charming for most of the way through - it just starts to wind down half way through and dies a slow painful death.

Avoid.

[WayAbvPar]

That's kind of what made cyberpunk fans so love the Matrix (until the sequels that is). It really was such a huge ripoff that it made up for nobody being able to make a decent movie of Gibson's works. I mean, before that, the closest we got was Johnny Mnemonic and Hackers. Though I still think Strange Days is one of the best cyberpunk films out there.

Agreed. Although I have a soft spot in my heart (and probably in my head) for Johnny Mnemonic too.

[naum]

Wow, "The Conclusion"…

[Johny Cee]

That's kind of what made cyberpunk fans so love the Matrix (until the sequels that is). It really was such a huge ripoff that it made up for nobody being able to make a decent movie of Gibson's works. I mean, before that, the closest we got was Johnny Mnemonic and Hackers. Though I still think Strange Days is one of the best cyberpunk films out there.

Agreed. Although I have a soft spot in my heart (and probably in my head) for Johnny Mnemonic too.

- Lana.  Lana.  LANNNNNN-AAAAAA.
- WHAT??
- He remembers me!

[WayAbvPar]

 

That's kind of what made cyberpunk fans so love the Matrix (until the sequels that is). It really was such a huge ripoff that it made up for nobody being able to make a decent movie of Gibson's works. I mean, before that, the closest we got was Johnny Mnemonic and Hackers. Though I still think Strange Days is one of the best cyberpunk films out there.

Agreed. Although I have a soft spot in my heart (and probably in my head) for Johnny Mnemonic too.

- Lana.  Lana.  LANNNNNN-AAAAAA.
- WHAT??
- He remembers me!

 

[Johny Cee]

That's kind of what made cyberpunk fans so love the Matrix (until the sequels that is). It really was such a huge ripoff that it made up for nobody being able to make a decent movie of Gibson's works. I mean, before that, the closest we got was Johnny Mnemonic and Hackers. Though I still think Strange Days is one of the best cyberpunk films out there.

Agreed. Although I have a soft spot in my heart (and probably in my head) for Johnny Mnemonic too.

- Lana.  Lana.  LANNNNNN-AAAAAA.
- WHAT??
- He remembers me!

 

Ugh.  Just noticed your new grief title....  and I'm probably lucky that's not me.

[Johny Cee]

Also Bhodi,  if you haven't read any Gene Wolfe yet.... you should.

Okay, trip report. I finished the first two books of the new sun and... well, it's strange. I will say that it definitely did not translate well to audiobook form. Not only does he use/re-purpose too many unfamiliar words without explaining them via context, but the density, quick mid-paragraph shifts forward in time and general prose style didn't lend itself to the format. I'm sort of half-interested in where the story is going but it really feels to me like every single stop on the road is a set piece with an allegory or reference to something that I would understand, if only I had both had degree in literature and was also the Heinlein Everyman. I feel like for every chapter I need to read two chapters of deconstruction to understand what is really going on and what all the characters represent. I'll probably finish the series eventually but I'll definitely be switching to the paper for it. For weirdness quotient, the only thing that I've read that comes close is Blindsight.

Wolfe is probably best read, as he is the king of mind-fucks.  The Book of the Long Sun has a very high quotient of mind fuckery, both major and minor, too...

The Wizard-Knight and the Latro books are both great series and are definitely much easier reads, until you get to the mind-fuck portion which turns the whole seemingly straight forward narrative on it's ear. 

The Latro books in particular....  it's historical fiction, supposedly unearthed as scrolls in a vase, about a mercenary who gets a head wound and has amnesia.  He only remembers about a day, so he has a scroll to write down everything that happens...  and it being Wolfe, his companions and friends have to keep reintroducing themselves or try to take advantage of what happened. 

Also, he can now see the Gods/spirits/etc.  though it's never established that it is much more than another symptom of his brain damage.

[Tmon]

See, Jonathan Strange and Norrell started out so well, being a sort of fusion of Dickens, historical stuff and Gaiman high magic and folklore.

Instead what happened is the writer couldn't be bothered with a decent ending to any of the threads in the book and turned it into just garbage dissappointing stinky plop right at the end.

Which just made you beat your head against the wall for wasting your goddamned time.   And I agree entirely that it's utterly charming for most of the way through - it just starts to wind down half way through and dies a slow painful death.

Avoid.

Exactly, it was fun at first then it turned to shit.  Finishing it felt like old school EQ grinding.  I usually just toss books like that since life is too short to waste time reading books that suck, but I was close enough to the end that I went ahead and finished.  Just started From Here to Eternity, so far it's interesting, hasn't really grabbed me yet though so I've only managed to get a 100 or so pages in.

[Mazakiel]

Someone in this thread had recommended Harry Connolly's Twenty Palaces Society series, which I had picked up and been enjoying quite a bit.  Since finishing the prequel that had just come out, I went to see what I could find on the next book in the series to find out that due to poor sales, the series is cancelled.  Which is pretty disappointing, I found them pretty enjoyable and it didn't really end with any closure. 

Source: http://www.harryjconnolly.com/blog/?p=5488

[Abagadro]

Finally finished Prague Cemetery.  When you get to the kicker at the end it makes it interesting in retrospect, but I'm still not sure I enjoyed it all that much. Eh.

Now reading Wright's Count to a Trillion.

[Merusk]

Wow, "The Conclusion"…

http://blog.gsmarena.com/the-wheel-of-times-final-book-a-memory-of-light-to-come-on-january-8-2013/

Not until Jan, 2013.   So if the Mayans were right we'll never see it.  NEVER!  Jordan's ultimate prank on a rabid fanbase will be fulfilled!

[Johny Cee]

Finally finished Prague Cemetery.  When you get to the kicker at the end it makes it interesting in retrospect, but I'm still not sure I enjoyed it all that much. Eh.

Now reading Wright's Count to a Trillion.

I didn't realize Wright had a new book, and it's high concept scifi!  I'll have to give it a shot.