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Wade is also building a secret space ship for him, 50 of his closest friends and a bunch of frozen embryos to go colonize a planet near Proxima Centauri
I'm sorry what
it’s a 47 year trip but it’s okay, they’ll just hang out in their own personal OASIS server the whole time
Wade is also building a secret space ship for him, 50 of his closest friends and a bunch of frozen embryos to go colonize a planet near Proxima Centauri
I'm sorry what
it’s a 47 year trip but it’s okay, they’ll just hang out in their own personal OASIS server the whole time
Yeah, Ready Player One and then Armada, I think it was called, were both so poorly received and derided... And the 20 pages I read of each were just bad and awful, I thought hey I should give this writing thing a serious try
I went through a real productive writing period a few times, I could write a chalet or a short story or something, I did that in college almost every week for four years
Ernest wrote this section of the RPO wikipedia page right
In 2018, the book garnered unwanted negative reception from critics who believed it pandered too much on the male demographic, which many online publications later refuted. Writer Chris Isaac of Tor disagreed with the criticisms, stating "So, if you don’t like Ready Player One and have criticisms about it, that’s totally understandable" while adding "I’ll certainly point out the issues I have with his stories, but I’m not going to delight in mocking his work or hoping for his failure like many did with Meyer and Twilight."[26] Constance Grady of Vox defended the novel, saying "For readers in Cline’s target demographic in 2011, that message felt empowering. For readers who weren’t, it felt like a harmless piece of affirmation meant for someone else. Everyone deserves a silly escapist fantasy, right?"
MalReynoldsThe Hunter S Thompson of incredibly mild medicinesRegistered Userregular
I was so angry at Twilight I wrote Maledictions, which, while only selling 200 copies, was worse in so many new and different ways
"A new take on the epic fantasy genre... Darkly comic, relatable characters... twisted storyline."
"Readers who prefer tension and romance, Maledictions: The Offering, delivers... As serious YA fiction, I’ll give it five stars out of five. As a novel? Four and a half." - Liz Ellor My new novel: Maledictions: The Offering. Now in Paperback!
I started reading the new brandon sanderson book. Fuck there are too many characters and things to remember. Its been years I think since I read the previous one and I only vaguely remember wtf is going on. And it's not like it's a quick reread to catch up.
In regard to rpo I thought the movie was at least entertaining. Never read the book though.
I read The Deeds of Paksenarrion, which is one of those books that takes a while for it to sneak up on you that this is basically just an unbranded D&D story. It can basically be summed up as "Actually, paladins ARE cool, so there", and it definitely succeeds at that. Only real complaint is that the last adventure is both pretty predictable and also about a character that the writer was plainly more invested in than I was. I did really like that the main character was basically ace.
And now I finished book 1 of The Black Company books and I'm onto #2. Actually not as much of a tonal shift as you'd think? It's very grimdark and feels very '90s, and as I was going through the free trial portion I kept expecting that I'd drop it, but there's a compelling immediacy to the writing, it keeps up a constant "just one more job" energy and never gets quite too grimdark for me to roll my eyes and abandon it.
A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words.
I read The Deeds of Paksenarrion, which is one of those books that takes a while for it to sneak up on you that this is basically just an unbranded D&D story. It can basically be summed up as "Actually, paladins ARE cool, so there", and it definitely succeeds at that. Only real complaint is that the last adventure is both pretty predictable and also about a character that the writer was plainly more invested in than I was. I did really like that the main character was basically ace.
And now I finished book 1 of The Black Company books and I'm onto #2. Actually not as much of a tonal shift as you'd think? It's very grimdark and feels very '90s, and as I was going through the free trial portion I kept expecting that I'd drop it, but there's a compelling immediacy to the writing, it keeps up a constant "just one more job" energy and never gets quite too grimdark for me to roll my eyes and abandon it.
I was very off-put by the casual reference to many in the company being rapists. I know that’s an accurate account of how mercenaries(indeed all soldiers) acted but contrasted with Raven’s response to similar disgusting acts and the casualness from which it got brought up it was really shocking. I’m still not sure how I feel about it although I’m still working my way through book two as well.
had some cash burning a hole in my pocket so I went to hpb yesterday. Almost left without anything, but they had a display of Rhythm of War up and, after wrestling* with it for a minute, I picked it up. Went to check out and randomly asked after Gideon the Ninth; the cashier was "not surprised" I couldn't find any on the shelf. Another employee piped up and said there were definitely copies -- in Teen Fiction, not Sci Fi/Fantasy, where I'd been idly looking for ages.
I forgot to check for Dawnshard, so I think I'll order that one.
In the meantime, I've started and am about half-way through Gideon now:
Abigail and Marcus have died ("oh right," my brain reported, "it's a murder mystery after a bit"); and Gideon has found a note in a room belonging to "G & P" that has her name on it.
(the gist of) a couple stand-out lines:
- "He looked like someone fun sought out for death"
- "there were metal ladders descending into the pit, but why would you though"
My mental image of Canaan House is Resident Evil by way of Dark Souls.
To understate it by a couple orders of magnitude, she has quite a way with words.
* torn between my specific interest in Roshar and my general disinterest in the Cosmere
Oh wow we really are going full on with Allomancy principles working on other forms of magic huh?
if you read the little blurbs about fabrials at the beginning of each chapter, the effects of certain metals lines up almost identically to allomancy. I think it was only tin that had the opposite effect.
im also reading it on kindle because fuck holding a brick the whole time im reading, so no idea how far in 150 pages is lol.
Oh wow we really are going full on with Allomancy principles working on other forms of magic huh?
if you read the little blurbs about fabrials at the beginning of each chapter, the effects of certain metals lines up almost identically to allomancy. I think it was only tin that had the opposite effect.
im also reading it on kindle because fuck holding a brick the whole time im reading, so no idea how far in 150 pages is lol.
That’s the chapter I just passed and yeah that was some thing I made note of as well. Presently I’m not sure if it’s significant or just a mistake. These books always seem to have one or two minor mistakes in the first printing. With so much going on who could blame them?
Dawnshard won't be out physical until sometime next year btw, he kinda wrote the entire thing right before RoW came out and they weren't able to get the printers spun up for a little bit.
so, with very little fanfare, the villain of the book has decided to reveal itself
and it’s...an AI construct of James Halliday that apparently lived in the OASIS the entire time and decided now would be a good time to make itself known, and immediately kidnapped the co-creator of the OASIS and freed the villain from the last book from prison through computer magic before going on a five page monologue about who it is and how it came to be
I am
unmoved
e: AI Halliday has now trapped everyone in the OASIS and is holding them hostage until they complete the Easter Egg hunt for him, which, I guess, will revive the AI construct of his unrequited love when it’s completed, and for some reason Wade is the only person who can directly interface with said Easter Egg
which isn’t the WORST idea for a retread, but there’s also something grimly funny about a book where everyone is just experiencing the same pop culture they loved previously repeating the plot of the first book with very few changes
YaYa on
0
David_TA fashion yes-man is no good to me.Copenhagen, DenmarkRegistered Userregular
I'm wondering if I should maybe post this in the job/librarian thread, but here goes:
Anyone know of a book (preferably in Kindle format, I'll be honest) about Tarot and Tarot decks that's about the history of it and such and not about how to do readings?
0
JedocIn the scupperswith the staggers and jagsRegistered Userregular
No. I looked for one pretty hard last time this came up, and was defeated. So much of the...I don't want to say "marketing" because I know some pretty genuine people who use it as a spiritual practice, so I guess "identity" of tarot is wrapped up in ancient wisdom, and it's a pretty old practice all by itself. So the search parameters are poisoned all the hell no matter how I hashed 'em.
I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has better luck this time around, because I'd really like to read one.
David_TA fashion yes-man is no good to me.Copenhagen, DenmarkRegistered Userregular
@Peen Huh. Thanks. I think between that one, which claims that Tarot's "original roots lie in the Mithraic tradition of the Persian Magi" and this one which purports to "cut through conventional misperceptions to explore the Tarot deck as it really developed in the Middle Ages and Renaissance Europe", I think I might be well-covered all the way around.
The only thing both agree on is that it certainly didn't originate in Egypt, so I may also pick up Aleister Crowleys book on the Thoth Tarot.
The Twilight novels are bad, the Fifty Shades of Grey novels are very bad, Ready Player One is unspeakable it is a scream your self awake nightmare it is bottomlessly loathesome I would rather read anything else I'd rather read daesh propaganda I'd rather watch that VHS tape of my own death
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Fairly happy with the story. Some bits will likely reward re-reading.
it would probably have felt wrong if Harrow hadn't become a Lyctor; the evidence towards that end kept mounting, but -- especially once it became clear what it entails -- I spent much of the remaining time resisting the outcome.
ditto with their relationship. It's essentially screamed at the audience from the first page, and so some of the developmental moments had a mechanical quality to them. Or Something™
I will probably get around to Harrow the Ninth at some point, but Gideon's sacrifice has temporarily depressed that particular urge. There are still two (or three) mysteries regarding Gideon, and it feels a little odd for her to not be 'around' to unravel them.
+2
JedocIn the scupperswith the staggers and jagsRegistered Userregular
I'd recommend you get to Harrow as soon as possible. It kind of throws you into the deep end, so the more you remember about the first book the better off you'll be.
+6
webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
Hell I won't lie, I'd recommend re-reading the last 20% or so of Gideon again before going into Harrow. It's worth it to cement how the end plays out in your head. Harrow goes places and its real twisty turny.
Posts
it’s a 47 year trip but it’s okay, they’ll just hang out in their own personal OASIS server the whole time
Wowza.
i
who
what
no
i'm so mad
Ah a great PR move for a book with a troubled reception, this will surely make people stop publicly dunking on it
I went through a real productive writing period a few times, I could write a chalet or a short story or something, I did that in college almost every week for four years
But I haven't
Yes
Oh. No. No no no.
"Readers who prefer tension and romance, Maledictions: The Offering, delivers... As serious YA fiction, I’ll give it five stars out of five. As a novel? Four and a half." - Liz Ellor
My new novel: Maledictions: The Offering. Now in Paperback!
It absolutely is not.
The sequels, it should be noted, are also not good - but they do go places. Incredibly, incredibly weird places.
In regard to rpo I thought the movie was at least entertaining. Never read the book though.
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198004484595
https://gofund.me/fa5990a5
And now I finished book 1 of The Black Company books and I'm onto #2. Actually not as much of a tonal shift as you'd think? It's very grimdark and feels very '90s, and as I was going through the free trial portion I kept expecting that I'd drop it, but there's a compelling immediacy to the writing, it keeps up a constant "just one more job" energy and never gets quite too grimdark for me to roll my eyes and abandon it.
I was very off-put by the casual reference to many in the company being rapists. I know that’s an accurate account of how mercenaries(indeed all soldiers) acted but contrasted with Raven’s response to similar disgusting acts and the casualness from which it got brought up it was really shocking. I’m still not sure how I feel about it although I’m still working my way through book two as well.
https://gofund.me/fa5990a5
I forgot to check for Dawnshard, so I think I'll order that one.
In the meantime, I've started and am about half-way through Gideon now:
(the gist of) a couple stand-out lines:
- "He looked like someone fun sought out for death"
- "there were metal ladders descending into the pit, but why would you though"
My mental image of Canaan House is Resident Evil by way of Dark Souls.
To understate it by a couple orders of magnitude, she has quite a way with words.
* torn between my specific interest in Roshar and my general disinterest in the Cosmere
https://gofund.me/fa5990a5
im also reading it on kindle because fuck holding a brick the whole time im reading, so no idea how far in 150 pages is lol.
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198004484595
That’s the chapter I just passed and yeah that was some thing I made note of as well. Presently I’m not sure if it’s significant or just a mistake. These books always seem to have one or two minor mistakes in the first printing. With so much going on who could blame them?
https://gofund.me/fa5990a5
and it’s...an AI construct of James Halliday that apparently lived in the OASIS the entire time and decided now would be a good time to make itself known, and immediately kidnapped the co-creator of the OASIS and freed the villain from the last book from prison through computer magic before going on a five page monologue about who it is and how it came to be
I am
unmoved
e: AI Halliday has now trapped everyone in the OASIS and is holding them hostage until they complete the Easter Egg hunt for him, which, I guess, will revive the AI construct of his unrequited love when it’s completed, and for some reason Wade is the only person who can directly interface with said Easter Egg
which isn’t the WORST idea for a retread, but there’s also something grimly funny about a book where everyone is just experiencing the same pop culture they loved previously repeating the plot of the first book with very few changes
Anyone know of a book (preferably in Kindle format, I'll be honest) about Tarot and Tarot decks that's about the history of it and such and not about how to do readings?
I'd be interested to hear if anyone else has better luck this time around, because I'd really like to read one.
The only thing both agree on is that it certainly didn't originate in Egypt, so I may also pick up Aleister Crowleys book on the Thoth Tarot.
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198004484595
https://www.paypal.me/hobnailtaylor
Fairly happy with the story. Some bits will likely reward re-reading.
ditto with their relationship. It's essentially screamed at the audience from the first page, and so some of the developmental moments had a mechanical quality to them. Or Something™
I will probably get around to Harrow the Ninth at some point, but Gideon's sacrifice has temporarily depressed that particular urge. There are still two (or three) mysteries regarding Gideon, and it feels a little odd for her to not be 'around' to unravel them.
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981