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[Book] Thread 20XXAD

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Posts

  • Vi MonksVi Monks Registered User regular
    Pailryder wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    V1m wrote: »
    Pailryder wrote: »
    chrono_traveller regarding the fire
    the emperor started a new one closer which prevented the ship from getting there in time to save Gurgeeeeeee. the other fire was coming but it was far enough away that Gurgalilly would have escaped if the emperor hadn't gone crazy.
    V1m are you saying
    that the robot was the winner? you can be direct with me here as i'm obviously missing something.

    Who was the player and what was the game? :P
    uhh... the Minds that run The Culture? Even the drone was just playing a part.
    I think the implication is that Special Circumstances had manipulated pretty much the entire course of events in the book, including a whole bunch of things starting well before Gurgeh knew they were interested in him.

    His whole adoption of the alien views and acceptance of their barbaric culture was planned and allowed to happen because it was required for him to win and to bring about the benevolent change of the alien culture. The enlightened Culture stripped away every piece of his autonomy because they had goals they wanted to achieve and didn't care about the price.

    i can see that. i think there are hints that they do care though, maybe.
    i don't think the culture predicted the emperor would go crazy and unless the robot was flat out lying, the outcome of Gurgeh winning or losing was going to be the same, overthrow of Ae. So why did the little robot start speaking Marain again? Yes there was clearly manipulation but i think the robot at least cared about Gurgeh as it was evaluating his mental health and his ability. Maybe it was only to complete the mission but i get the impression that it wasn't soulless, that it did care for Gurgeh and wanted him to be healthy and if possible happy.
    The drone speaking Marain again is an interesting turning point, I think. It's been a while since I read the book, so I'm fuzzy on a lot of the details, but if I remember right, the drone starts speaking Marain again at the end and gives a story about finally figuring out how to disable the bugs that the empire people put on the ship, so Gurgeh could speak Marain again as well. My reading of that section was that it was all a sham. There never were any bugs, or the ship could have (and likely did) disable them immediately. But early on, SC wanted Gurgeh speaking the native language, getting into the proper mindset to play the game. Then later on, they tell Gurgeh that story and let him speak Marain again, and that's about the time he starts playing the game like the Culture, instead of like the empire, and that's what lets him win. My thinking was that the ship calculated that he needed to play the Culture to win, and the best way to facilitate that was to let him speak Marain again, so that's what they did. It's all just more manipulation -- based on my interpretation, anyway.

  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Pailryder wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    V1m wrote: »
    Pailryder wrote: »
    chrono_traveller regarding the fire
    the emperor started a new one closer which prevented the ship from getting there in time to save Gurgeeeeeee. the other fire was coming but it was far enough away that Gurgalilly would have escaped if the emperor hadn't gone crazy.
    V1m are you saying
    that the robot was the winner? you can be direct with me here as i'm obviously missing something.

    Who was the player and what was the game? :P
    uhh... the Minds that run The Culture? Even the drone was just playing a part.
    I think the implication is that Special Circumstances had manipulated pretty much the entire course of events in the book, including a whole bunch of things starting well before Gurgeh knew they were interested in him.

    His whole adoption of the alien views and acceptance of their barbaric culture was planned and allowed to happen because it was required for him to win and to bring about the benevolent change of the alien culture. The enlightened Culture stripped away every piece of his autonomy because they had goals they wanted to achieve and didn't care about the price.

    i can see that. i think there are hints that they do care though, maybe.
    i don't think the culture predicted the emperor would go crazy and unless the robot was flat out lying, the outcome of Gurgeh winning or losing was going to be the same, overthrow of Ae. So why did the little robot start speaking Marain again? Yes there was clearly manipulation but i think the robot at least cared about Gurgeh as it was evaluating his mental health and his ability. Maybe it was only to complete the mission but i get the impression that it wasn't soulless, that it did care for Gurgeh and wanted him to be healthy and if possible happy.
    The drone speaking Marain again is an interesting turning point, I think. It's been a while since I read the book, so I'm fuzzy on a lot of the details, but if I remember right, the drone starts speaking Marain again at the end and gives a story about finally figuring out how to disable the bugs that the empire people put on the ship, so Gurgeh could speak Marain again as well. My reading of that section was that it was all a sham. There never were any bugs, or the ship could have (and likely did) disable them immediately. But early on, SC wanted Gurgeh speaking the native language, getting into the proper mindset to play the game. Then later on, they tell Gurgeh that story and let him speak Marain again, and that's about the time he starts playing the game like the Culture, instead of like the empire, and that's what lets him win. My thinking was that the ship calculated that he needed to play the Culture to win, and the best way to facilitate that was to let him speak Marain again, so that's what they did. It's all just more manipulation -- based on my interpretation, anyway.
    Been a while but I'm pretty sure the book actually talks about how the language used shapes the thoughts of the speaker and by forcing him to abandon Marain they forced him to abandon thinking in the manner of the Culture. Partly so he understands the opposition and partly so that he isn't seen as the threat he really and also to let him tolerate the cost of winning. (Pretty sure he forces a person carrying a child to be neutered rather than lose a game. That is probably not a choice the Culture at large would be on board with.)

    Player of Games shows the Culture at some of their absolute cruelest. It is no mistake that they describe the Culture's methods as that of assimilating their opponent. When they aimed to take down this barbaric culture they resorted to turning one of their own into a barbarian so they could do it.

    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • Vi MonksVi Monks Registered User regular
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Pailryder wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    V1m wrote: »
    Pailryder wrote: »
    chrono_traveller regarding the fire
    the emperor started a new one closer which prevented the ship from getting there in time to save Gurgeeeeeee. the other fire was coming but it was far enough away that Gurgalilly would have escaped if the emperor hadn't gone crazy.
    V1m are you saying
    that the robot was the winner? you can be direct with me here as i'm obviously missing something.

    Who was the player and what was the game? :P
    uhh... the Minds that run The Culture? Even the drone was just playing a part.
    I think the implication is that Special Circumstances had manipulated pretty much the entire course of events in the book, including a whole bunch of things starting well before Gurgeh knew they were interested in him.

    His whole adoption of the alien views and acceptance of their barbaric culture was planned and allowed to happen because it was required for him to win and to bring about the benevolent change of the alien culture. The enlightened Culture stripped away every piece of his autonomy because they had goals they wanted to achieve and didn't care about the price.

    i can see that. i think there are hints that they do care though, maybe.
    i don't think the culture predicted the emperor would go crazy and unless the robot was flat out lying, the outcome of Gurgeh winning or losing was going to be the same, overthrow of Ae. So why did the little robot start speaking Marain again? Yes there was clearly manipulation but i think the robot at least cared about Gurgeh as it was evaluating his mental health and his ability. Maybe it was only to complete the mission but i get the impression that it wasn't soulless, that it did care for Gurgeh and wanted him to be healthy and if possible happy.
    The drone speaking Marain again is an interesting turning point, I think. It's been a while since I read the book, so I'm fuzzy on a lot of the details, but if I remember right, the drone starts speaking Marain again at the end and gives a story about finally figuring out how to disable the bugs that the empire people put on the ship, so Gurgeh could speak Marain again as well. My reading of that section was that it was all a sham. There never were any bugs, or the ship could have (and likely did) disable them immediately. But early on, SC wanted Gurgeh speaking the native language, getting into the proper mindset to play the game. Then later on, they tell Gurgeh that story and let him speak Marain again, and that's about the time he starts playing the game like the Culture, instead of like the empire, and that's what lets him win. My thinking was that the ship calculated that he needed to play the Culture to win, and the best way to facilitate that was to let him speak Marain again, so that's what they did. It's all just more manipulation -- based on my interpretation, anyway.
    Been a while but I'm pretty sure the book actually talks about how the language used shapes the thoughts of the speaker and by forcing him to abandon Marain they forced him to abandon thinking in the manner of the Culture. Partly so he understands the opposition and partly so that he isn't seen as the threat he really and also to let him tolerate the cost of winning. (Pretty sure he forces a person carrying a child to be neutered rather than lose a game. That is probably not a choice the Culture at large would be on board with.)

    Player of Games shows the Culture at some of their absolute cruelest. It is no mistake that they describe the Culture's methods as that of assimilating their opponent. When they aimed to take down this barbaric culture they resorted to turning one of their own into a barbarian so they could do it.
    Yeah, the book definitely talk about the use of language explicitly, how someone from the Culture who doesn't speak Marain for a while starts to change, etc. It's a key element of the book, whatever your particular interpretation of it.

  • DynagripDynagrip Break me a million hearts HoustonRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    V1m wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    @Dynagrip like a decade ago you recommend some sci fi book to me that was maybe short stories dealing with like the earth getting into space and humanity becoming transhuman.

    somethingmatrix?

    Schizmatrix Plus by Bruce Sterling. Novel + 4 related short stories. Outstanding book IMO.
    that's the one! excellent read and I have it pulled from the herd so that I might re-read it soon.

  • chrono_travellerchrono_traveller Registered User regular
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Pailryder wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    V1m wrote: »
    Pailryder wrote: »
    chrono_traveller regarding the fire
    the emperor started a new one closer which prevented the ship from getting there in time to save Gurgeeeeeee. the other fire was coming but it was far enough away that Gurgalilly would have escaped if the emperor hadn't gone crazy.
    V1m are you saying
    that the robot was the winner? you can be direct with me here as i'm obviously missing something.

    Who was the player and what was the game? :P
    uhh... the Minds that run The Culture? Even the drone was just playing a part.
    I think the implication is that Special Circumstances had manipulated pretty much the entire course of events in the book, including a whole bunch of things starting well before Gurgeh knew they were interested in him.

    His whole adoption of the alien views and acceptance of their barbaric culture was planned and allowed to happen because it was required for him to win and to bring about the benevolent change of the alien culture. The enlightened Culture stripped away every piece of his autonomy because they had goals they wanted to achieve and didn't care about the price.

    i can see that. i think there are hints that they do care though, maybe.
    i don't think the culture predicted the emperor would go crazy and unless the robot was flat out lying, the outcome of Gurgeh winning or losing was going to be the same, overthrow of Ae. So why did the little robot start speaking Marain again? Yes there was clearly manipulation but i think the robot at least cared about Gurgeh as it was evaluating his mental health and his ability. Maybe it was only to complete the mission but i get the impression that it wasn't soulless, that it did care for Gurgeh and wanted him to be healthy and if possible happy.
    The drone speaking Marain again is an interesting turning point, I think. It's been a while since I read the book, so I'm fuzzy on a lot of the details, but if I remember right, the drone starts speaking Marain again at the end and gives a story about finally figuring out how to disable the bugs that the empire people put on the ship, so Gurgeh could speak Marain again as well. My reading of that section was that it was all a sham. There never were any bugs, or the ship could have (and likely did) disable them immediately. But early on, SC wanted Gurgeh speaking the native language, getting into the proper mindset to play the game. Then later on, they tell Gurgeh that story and let him speak Marain again, and that's about the time he starts playing the game like the Culture, instead of like the empire, and that's what lets him win. My thinking was that the ship calculated that he needed to play the Culture to win, and the best way to facilitate that was to let him speak Marain again, so that's what they did. It's all just more manipulation -- based on my interpretation, anyway.

    Good point, but even a bit more subtle than that:
    Gurgeh, during the game with the Emperor, realizes that he's always (or for a good amount of the time against the Emperor) been playing like Culture society spreading out resources evenly, and supply lines and such were to not favor any one over another. This was in part why he was losing. The turning point (I think) was to play more like Contact, where he has to destory territory he can't keep (I think this was a reference to the tactic they used in Consider Phlebas when they destroyed the oribital rather than let it be taken.)

    The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
  • redxredx I(x)=2(x)+1 whole numbersRegistered User regular
    edited March 2018
    Dynagrip wrote: »
    V1m wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    Dynagrip like a decade ago you recommend some sci fi book to me that was maybe short stories dealing with like the earth getting into space and humanity becoming transhuman.

    somethingmatrix?

    Schizmatrix Plus by Bruce Sterling. Novel + 4 related short stories. Outstanding book IMO.
    that's the one! excellent read and I have it pulled from the herd so that I might re-read it soon.

    Awesome, thanks. I wanted to revisit it. Annoyingly there doesn't seem to be an audible version. which means I am going to have to read it, which I can't do while looking busy at work.

    redx on
    They moistly come out at night, moistly.
  • Vi MonksVi Monks Registered User regular
    Vi Monks wrote: »
    Pailryder wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    V1m wrote: »
    Pailryder wrote: »
    chrono_traveller regarding the fire
    the emperor started a new one closer which prevented the ship from getting there in time to save Gurgeeeeeee. the other fire was coming but it was far enough away that Gurgalilly would have escaped if the emperor hadn't gone crazy.
    V1m are you saying
    that the robot was the winner? you can be direct with me here as i'm obviously missing something.

    Who was the player and what was the game? :P
    uhh... the Minds that run The Culture? Even the drone was just playing a part.
    I think the implication is that Special Circumstances had manipulated pretty much the entire course of events in the book, including a whole bunch of things starting well before Gurgeh knew they were interested in him.

    His whole adoption of the alien views and acceptance of their barbaric culture was planned and allowed to happen because it was required for him to win and to bring about the benevolent change of the alien culture. The enlightened Culture stripped away every piece of his autonomy because they had goals they wanted to achieve and didn't care about the price.

    i can see that. i think there are hints that they do care though, maybe.
    i don't think the culture predicted the emperor would go crazy and unless the robot was flat out lying, the outcome of Gurgeh winning or losing was going to be the same, overthrow of Ae. So why did the little robot start speaking Marain again? Yes there was clearly manipulation but i think the robot at least cared about Gurgeh as it was evaluating his mental health and his ability. Maybe it was only to complete the mission but i get the impression that it wasn't soulless, that it did care for Gurgeh and wanted him to be healthy and if possible happy.
    The drone speaking Marain again is an interesting turning point, I think. It's been a while since I read the book, so I'm fuzzy on a lot of the details, but if I remember right, the drone starts speaking Marain again at the end and gives a story about finally figuring out how to disable the bugs that the empire people put on the ship, so Gurgeh could speak Marain again as well. My reading of that section was that it was all a sham. There never were any bugs, or the ship could have (and likely did) disable them immediately. But early on, SC wanted Gurgeh speaking the native language, getting into the proper mindset to play the game. Then later on, they tell Gurgeh that story and let him speak Marain again, and that's about the time he starts playing the game like the Culture, instead of like the empire, and that's what lets him win. My thinking was that the ship calculated that he needed to play the Culture to win, and the best way to facilitate that was to let him speak Marain again, so that's what they did. It's all just more manipulation -- based on my interpretation, anyway.

    Good point, but even a bit more subtle than that:
    Gurgeh, during the game with the Emperor, realizes that he's always (or for a good amount of the time against the Emperor) been playing like Culture society spreading out resources evenly, and supply lines and such were to not favor any one over another. This was in part why he was losing. The turning point (I think) was to play more like Contact, where he has to destory territory he can't keep (I think this was a reference to the tactic they used in Consider Phlebas when they destroyed the oribital rather than let it be taken.)

    Ah, that's right. I had forgotten that detail.

  • DynagripDynagrip Break me a million hearts HoustonRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2018
    redx wrote: »
    Dynagrip wrote: »
    V1m wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    Dynagrip like a decade ago you recommend some sci fi book to me that was maybe short stories dealing with like the earth getting into space and humanity becoming transhuman.

    somethingmatrix?

    Schizmatrix Plus by Bruce Sterling. Novel + 4 related short stories. Outstanding book IMO.
    that's the one! excellent read and I have it pulled from the herd so that I might re-read it soon.

    Awesome, thanks. I wanted to revisit it. Annoyingly there doesn't seem to be an audible version. which means I am going to have to read it, which I can't do while looking busy at work.

    Bruce Sterling is kind of an odd figure, he could have been instrumental in the Cyberpunk scene through his fiction but instead took to writing essays and such on the movement. I guess Schismatrix and the Mirrorshades anthology were very influential, but even so, he just doesn't have the same amount of original fiction produced by people like William Gibson and Rudy Rucker. This also reminds me that I should probably reread the Mirroshades collection

    Dynagrip on
  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    Dynagrip wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    Dynagrip wrote: »
    V1m wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    Dynagrip like a decade ago you recommend some sci fi book to me that was maybe short stories dealing with like the earth getting into space and humanity becoming transhuman.

    somethingmatrix?

    Schizmatrix Plus by Bruce Sterling. Novel + 4 related short stories. Outstanding book IMO.
    that's the one! excellent read and I have it pulled from the herd so that I might re-read it soon.

    Awesome, thanks. I wanted to revisit it. Annoyingly there doesn't seem to be an audible version. which means I am going to have to read it, which I can't do while looking busy at work.

    Bruce Sterling is kind of an odd figure, he could have been instrumental in the Cyberpunk scene through his fiction but instead took to writing essays and such on the movement. I guess Schismatrix and the Mirrorshades anthology were very influential, but even so, he just doesn't have the same amount of original fiction produced of people like William Gibson and Rudy Rucker. This also reminds me that I should probably reread the Mirroshades collection

    The Difference engine also kind of codified modern Steampunk

  • DynagripDynagrip Break me a million hearts HoustonRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    Dynagrip wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    Dynagrip wrote: »
    V1m wrote: »
    redx wrote: »
    Dynagrip like a decade ago you recommend some sci fi book to me that was maybe short stories dealing with like the earth getting into space and humanity becoming transhuman.

    somethingmatrix?

    Schizmatrix Plus by Bruce Sterling. Novel + 4 related short stories. Outstanding book IMO.
    that's the one! excellent read and I have it pulled from the herd so that I might re-read it soon.

    Awesome, thanks. I wanted to revisit it. Annoyingly there doesn't seem to be an audible version. which means I am going to have to read it, which I can't do while looking busy at work.

    Bruce Sterling is kind of an odd figure, he could have been instrumental in the Cyberpunk scene through his fiction but instead took to writing essays and such on the movement. I guess Schismatrix and the Mirrorshades anthology were very influential, but even so, he just doesn't have the same amount of original fiction produced of people like William Gibson and Rudy Rucker. This also reminds me that I should probably reread the Mirroshades collection

    The Difference engine also kind of codified modern Steampunk

    good point, i kind of forget about that book because it didn't do terribly much for me.

  • nexuscrawlernexuscrawler Registered User regular
    It was more influential than actually good

  • BogartBogart Streetwise Hercules Registered User, Moderator mod
    About a hundred pages into The Algebraist and hmmm it's not exactly gripping stuff.

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    Bogart wrote: »
    About a hundred pages into The Algebraist and hmmm it's not exactly gripping stuff.

    It's a pretty rapid downhill run from an initial premise that could have been interesting executed with an almost criminal lack of imagination

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
    Bogart wrote: »
    About a hundred pages into The Algebraist and hmmm it's not exactly gripping stuff.

    Man I just re-read that book and I really like it.

  • SummaryJudgmentSummaryJudgment Grab the hottest iron you can find, stride in the Tower’s front door Registered User regular
    I'm reading The Informationist right now since it was a quarter for a used copy at the library and I heard they're making a movie

    Blehhhhhh. I'm not the targeted Vince Flynn audience or whatever, and it does some squicky things with a Mary Sue protagonist.

    Some days Blue wonders why anyone ever bothered making numbers so small; other days she supposes even infinity needs to start somewhere.
  • SummaryJudgmentSummaryJudgment Grab the hottest iron you can find, stride in the Tower’s front door Registered User regular
    "I don't carry the knives anymore, it's too easy to kill."

    Some days Blue wonders why anyone ever bothered making numbers so small; other days she supposes even infinity needs to start somewhere.
  • Dark Raven XDark Raven X Laugh hard, run fast, be kindRegistered User regular
    I'm soon to run out of Expanse books and that is a bummer. Anyone got recommendations for similar gud books? If it's a series, ideally one that has wrapped up so I can get some closure. ;D

    Oh brilliant
  • IncindiumIncindium Registered User regular
    I did it! After starting the series over 28 years ago I finally finished Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. Holy crap that last book was long. The audio book was 42 hours and I'm down to only 3 days left on my loans in Libby for the ebook and audio book for it that I've been switching back and forth between.

    steam_sig.png
    Nintendo ID: Incindium
    PSN: IncindiumX
  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    I'm soon to run out of Expanse books and that is a bummer. Anyone got recommendations for similar gud books? If it's a series, ideally one that has wrapped up so I can get some closure. ;D

    Daniel Abraham, one half of James S E Corey the author of the Expanse, has written two completed series. The Dagger and the Coin is a fantasy series that is heavily intertwined with...banking. I liked it and it is very much not your typical fantasy series. The other is The Long Price quartet and it is hard to describe. It is also technically fantasy though the fantastic elements are mostly McGuffins that motivate the relationships. I thought this was exceptionally good and not at all what I expected but quite touching overall.

    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • lwt1973lwt1973 King of Thieves SyndicationRegistered User regular
    I finished Solar Express. It was okay overall.
    So there's this comet but it's actually an alien spaceship that was busted up but we really can't find anything about it and then it is destroyed by the sun and the pilot gets to rehab on the moon telescope with his penpal who is the caretaker of the moon telescope. I guess the journey is better than the ending but it was a slog through all of it. It's hard science fiction as everything is plausible with no hand waving. At the end I did the "Huh. I guess that was it." Honestly, I was more interested in the earth's history to this point with the depression and the three major powers of China, India, and Noram.

    "He's sulking in his tent like Achilles! It's the Iliad?...from Homer?! READ A BOOK!!" -Handy
  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    I finished the Moustaches and Muskets series

    It was a decent enough light read in a setting that started out quite non standard (although it rapidly seemed to sprint towards the expected). Nice to see some female leads although I think the effort that it took the author does sort of show.

    The main criticism are that there was never any sense of peril and everything was wafer thin. There is nothing underneath what is described, this can be a positive thing, not every series needs the author to have a binder full of details of the life history of the baker in some minor town that a character passed through, but here it's an extreme and makes everything feel flimsy

    And then because I hate myself I'm starting on Reader Player One which I thought I'd read but apparently not. I'm a few chapters in and I might just give up and read a plot synopsis. It is really not very good. But at least it is written in a very quick reading way

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
    @Bogart radio 4 are doing HMS Surprise read by Joanna Lumley, it's on the website

  • m!ttensm!ttens he/himRegistered User regular
    I hated Ready Player One for pretty much the same reasons. Though I must say it was the first book I can remember "hate reading," i.e. finishing the book despite not liking it just so I could complain about it to my partner :biggrin:

  • CroakerBCCroakerBC TorontoRegistered User regular
    m!ttens wrote: »
    I hated Ready Player One for pretty much the same reasons. Though I must say it was the first book I can remember "hate reading," i.e. finishing the book despite not liking it just so I could complain about it to my partner :biggrin:

    I really enjoyed RP1 when it first came out, possibly because I was right in the target demographic.

    Having thought about it and followed discussions since, I’m now a lot more conflicted. I don’t think it’s a bad book, but no longer one I’d recommend without reservations.

  • chrono_travellerchrono_traveller Registered User regular
    CroakerBC wrote: »
    m!ttens wrote: »
    I hated Ready Player One for pretty much the same reasons. Though I must say it was the first book I can remember "hate reading," i.e. finishing the book despite not liking it just so I could complain about it to my partner :biggrin:

    I really enjoyed RP1 when it first came out, possibly because I was right in the target demographic.

    Having thought about it and followed discussions since, I’m now a lot more conflicted. I don’t think it’s a bad book, but no longer one I’d recommend without reservations.

    I thought that Vox did a pretty interesting piece analyzing this particular phenomenon.
    Vox article

    The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    CroakerBC wrote: »
    m!ttens wrote: »
    I hated Ready Player One for pretty much the same reasons. Though I must say it was the first book I can remember "hate reading," i.e. finishing the book despite not liking it just so I could complain about it to my partner :biggrin:

    I really enjoyed RP1 when it first came out, possibly because I was right in the target demographic.

    Having thought about it and followed discussions since, I’m now a lot more conflicted. I don’t think it’s a bad book, but no longer one I’d recommend without reservations.

    I thought that Vox did a pretty interesting piece analyzing this particular phenomenon.
    Vox article

    Eh, I can't agree with the premise because ultimately I think the main complaints about Ready Player One, both back then and now, are not related to elitism or harassment or Gamergate shit in general. It's all about bad writing and wanking over a specific incarnation of internet nerd nostalgia. I think what's changed is mostly that the shiny newness wore off. It's a light flashy book where you can breeze through it quickly and not think too hard about it and it works until you look back.

  • PowerpuppiesPowerpuppies drinking coffee in the mountain cabinRegistered User regular
    Children of time and baru cormorant were real good. Same with library at mount char and invisible library.

    What should I read next guys? You guys are batting like a thousand with those and vorkosigan and fire logic

    sig.gif
  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    Children of time and baru cormorant were real good. Same with library at mount char and invisible library.

    What should I read next guys? You guys are batting like a thousand with those and vorkosigan and fire logic

    You've read N.K.Jemisin's trilogy right?

  • PowerpuppiesPowerpuppies drinking coffee in the mountain cabinRegistered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Children of time and baru cormorant were real good. Same with library at mount char and invisible library.

    What should I read next guys? You guys are batting like a thousand with those and vorkosigan and fire logic

    You've read N.K.Jemisin's trilogy right?

    oooh yes i really liked that one
    i thought it was really cool how they redeemed intempas in the second one

    sieh and the kids starting their own universe was kind of weird to me and didn't land great but i loved sieh's anguish and desperation through the whole third one

    sig.gif
  • So It GoesSo It Goes We keep moving...Registered User regular
    How about Ninefox Gambit and the Raven Strategem

  • SeptusSeptus Registered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    Children of time and baru cormorant were real good. Same with library at mount char and invisible library.

    What should I read next guys? You guys are batting like a thousand with those and vorkosigan and fire logic

    You've read N.K.Jemisin's trilogy right?

    oooh yes i really liked that one
    i thought it was really cool how they redeemed intempas in the second one

    sieh and the kids starting their own universe was kind of weird to me and didn't land great but i loved sieh's anguish and desperation through the whole third one

    Hmm, I thought this was referring to the Broken Earth series, but if not, read that!

    Also, it's a bit off genre from what you mentioned, but I was just so taken with The Power by Naomi Alderson. Thanks to @pyromaniac221 for the suggestion. For me it was an uncommonly gripping book stuffed with thought-provoking social commentary, and pretty well developed characters. Unsurprisingly, it reminds me a bit of Oryx and Crake which I read last year, but I think it has more approachable (not that Oryx and Crake is that bad) prose.

    PSN: Kurahoshi1
  • PailryderPailryder Registered User regular
    So It Goes wrote: »
    How about Ninefox Gambit and the Raven Strategem

    Ninefox just did not click for me. The psuedo math and alien words for things that seemed like they should have regular words just stayed off-putting through the whole novel. The story itself with the main characters was interesting and the universe they lived in was good but it felt too challenging for what seemed like a mostly conventional story of
    basically revenge plot

  • PhillisherePhillishere Registered User regular
    Children of time and baru cormorant were real good. Same with library at mount char and invisible library.

    What should I read next guys? You guys are batting like a thousand with those and vorkosigan and fire logic

    The City of Brass, All the Birds in the Sky, and City of Stairs.

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited April 2018
    shryke wrote: »
    CroakerBC wrote: »
    m!ttens wrote: »
    I hated Ready Player One for pretty much the same reasons. Though I must say it was the first book I can remember "hate reading," i.e. finishing the book despite not liking it just so I could complain about it to my partner :biggrin:

    I really enjoyed RP1 when it first came out, possibly because I was right in the target demographic.

    Having thought about it and followed discussions since, I’m now a lot more conflicted. I don’t think it’s a bad book, but no longer one I’d recommend without reservations.

    I thought that Vox did a pretty interesting piece analyzing this particular phenomenon.
    Vox article

    Eh, I can't agree with the premise because ultimately I think the main complaints about Ready Player One, both back then and now, are not related to elitism or harassment or Gamergate shit in general. It's all about bad writing and wanking over a specific incarnation of internet nerd nostalgia. I think what's changed is mostly that the shiny newness wore off. It's a light flashy book where you can breeze through it quickly and not think too hard about it and it works until you look back.

    So Jenny Nicholson is awesome and she does a review of RP1 (book and movie) in her last video. Which is funny, but didn't make me actually laugh out loud really until the post-patreon thanks tag. Where she talks about how Wade conveniently has already done everything he needs to do to pass the first challenge so there's no real stakes or challenge. And then she finishes with this awesome, awesome description: "Like is this satisfying? I don't understand! It's like watching a speed run... of a book." I don't know why, but that absolutely killed me. Because honestly? Speed runs without knowing the work that went into them are kinda boring.

    As a sidenote, her RP1 for girls video is also very funny.

    enlightenedbum on
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    I finished Ready Player One

    Or more I got to the end of it. I started skipping lots of the redundant prose about playing 80's Computer Games™ (1983, Atari) just to see if anything interesting was going to happen. It didn't. I can see why it's popular though. The author saw a market and gave it exactly what it wanted. For me it was just too much like my brief time at uni doing computer science with those horrible turbo nerds just spouting Monty Python lines non-stop and other tedious shit because they couldn't have independent thoughts. It would probably be less painful as a film and be a fine way to pass ninety minutes of a long haul flight.

    I knew it wasn't good and yet I read it anyway so I've nobody to blame but myself.

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • credeikicredeiki Registered User regular
    I am currently reading The Library At Mount Char, I think on @skippydumptruck 's mention/recommendation. What a weird book! It is so interesting and cool and not at all like anything I've ever read. Conventionally structured but extremely weird setting, circumstances, and characters. I guess it's under the umbrella of modern fantasy but it's nothing you would expect from that label.

    It's the author's first novel and the writing can at times be a tad inelegant or tryhard, but honestly some of that might just be deliberate style in creating mythic circumstances and strange characters. It's quite a good read and I am very intrigued about what will happen next in the plot.

    It's also quite dark and at times gory, so don't read it if you don't want scenes of intense physical and emotional violence.

    Thanks for mentioning the book; I never would have heard of it otherwise!

    Steam, LoL: credeiki
  • jakobaggerjakobagger LO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTORED Registered User regular
    Yeah I also thoroughly enjoyed Library at Mount Char.

    Apart from modern fantasy, I guess you could also say it has some horror elements? But yeah it is definitely not one of those genre books where the genre makes you basically able to predict what will be in it.

  • DissociaterDissociater Registered User regular
    Going to finish The Dark Tower series today finally. I feel like I've been plugging away at these books forever. My only reliable reading time is the 30 or so minutes on transit each morning and night. Usually when I'm home with down time I'm more inclined to play a video game or something.

    Really enjoyed this series though, and the length also
    helps your empathize with Roland in a sense. He's reaching the end of his journey, just as I am, and the excitement of finding what's in the Dark Tower is a compelling reason to keep reading.

    So in preparation of being free from the series, I went to the bookstore today and picked up The Southern Reach trilogy. I remember reading annihilation years ago but never any of the followups. And in fact I forgot about these books entirely until the movie's release reminded me about it.

    I also grabbed the Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, based purely on someone in the thread saying it was good. I really don't even have any idea what it's about.

  • knitdanknitdan In ur base Killin ur guysRegistered User regular
    Don’t read until you’ve finished the Dark Tower
    Surprise! It was a shaggy dog story and none of it mattered at all!

    The Fifth Season is better if you go in knowing very little so this is good.

    “I was quick when I came in here, I’m twice as quick now”
    -Indiana Solo, runner of blades
  • DrovekDrovek Registered User regular
    Really second "going in blind" recommendation for Fifth Season.

    In not-so-fiction reading, I'm currently blazing through Dan Pink's Drive and I'm loving it. It's kind of refreshing seeing written some things about personal motivation that I had kind of thought about inwardly for myself, but that seem far more general than I thought.

    steam_sig.png( < . . .
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