Oh Jacob, I meant to ask you, have you read any of Brandon Sanderson's work? I just finished the Mistborn trilogy and I enjoyed it tremendously.
nah, I have not read a whole lot of fantasy and I tend to be out of step with most fans when I do - I couldn't stand the first Wheel of Time and the first Malazan books, for instance
Ah, okay. I remembered you talking about Book of the New Sun, I didn't know if you read other fantasy stuff.
I have real trouble keeping track of who's into what around here.
Oh Jacob, I meant to ask you, have you read any of Brandon Sanderson's work? I just finished the Mistborn trilogy and I enjoyed it tremendously.
nah, I have not read a whole lot of fantasy and I tend to be out of step with most fans when I do - I couldn't stand the first Wheel of Time and the first Malazan books, for instance
Fantasy is a genre with an unusually high percentage of poop in it. In many different ways, but some of the worst offences are novels that read like RPG source books and ridiculously bloated never-ending series.
That said, some of my favourite books are fantasy. LOTR, Earthsea, Little Big, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Song of Ice and Fire.
I need to give Glen Cook a try, yeah. I also want to read more Tim Powers although I found him kind of cotton-candy.
I looked for more Tim Powers books at Half Price books before I got a Christopher Moore one. Didn't find any.
Glen Cook's Black Company is weird. I feel like it's poorly written a lot but... it's... good? It's odd. I suppose it's more like Vietnam fiction than other fantasy works.
I need to give Glen Cook a try, yeah. I also want to read more Tim Powers although I found him kind of cotton-candy.
The Garrett stuff is your standard Noir mystery stuff but with fantasy, some bad things happen but usually to bad people. The Black Company....bad things happen.
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OnTheLastCastlelet's keep it haimish for the peripateticRegistered Userregular
Oh Jacob, I meant to ask you, have you read any of Brandon Sanderson's work? I just finished the Mistborn trilogy and I enjoyed it tremendously.
nah, I have not read a whole lot of fantasy and I tend to be out of step with most fans when I do - I couldn't stand the first Wheel of Time and the first Malazan books, for instance
Ah, okay. I remembered you talking about Book of the New Sun, I didn't know if you read other fantasy stuff.
I have real trouble keeping track of who's into what around here.
I'm the one who's into collecting precious moments figurines and murdering drifters
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OnTheLastCastlelet's keep it haimish for the peripateticRegistered Userregular
@So It Goes so you prob know tightrope by janelle monae
My friend really wants me to watch the Resident Evil movies and I try, I really try they just can't hold my attention for very long.
They are putrid. I actually used them as an object example in a research paper I wrote about the decline of female action heroes in film.
Ok if you did a research project using it, maybe you can explain to me why it is the most boring thing ever to me.
I mean the actors are good actors. The soundtrack is good. The effects aren't bad. The dialog isn't cringe-inducing. The situations are simplistic but that's how action films usually are. What is it that makes it so boring?
"If you divide the whole world into just enemies and friends, you'll end up destroying everything" --Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
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Hi I'm Vee!Formerly VH; She/Her; Is an E X P E R I E N C ERegistered Userregular
Hmm, I'll give the first Garrett book a try.
I read everything on my tablet now, and it's kind of frustrating how many books are the same price as the paperback version. Especially since I was really starting to get into using Thriftbooks to find really cheap used paperbacks.
The convenience of being able to read on my tablet outweighs price considerations, though.
maybe i'm streaming terrible dj right now if i am its here
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jakobaggerLO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTOREDRegistered Userregular
I did the responsible thing and went to bed early for once. But then of course I woke up at half past one am and couldn't get to sleep again. Now, after an entire pot of coffee I'm less tired but feel pretty weird. Chemistry!
Last Call was really good and really creepy but The Anubis Gates is probably better.
I'll check it out. Thanks.
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JacobkoshGamble a stamp.I can show you how to be a real man!Moderatormod
I mean theoretically I should like fantasy a lot? I guess my thing is I prefer
a) shorter. standalone books instead of series
b) with a strong emphasis on characterization and atmosphere
c) and not too much bs jargon
so I feel like a lot of the ten-book Saga of the Butt Sword stuff is not really for me. But I like China Mieville a lot, and Gene Wolfe, and Jack Vance, and Robert E. Howard (to a point).
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VariableMouth CongressStroke Me Lady FameRegistered Userregular
Mieville can't write a good ending to save his life and I feel like his books keep getting worse.
I almost re-read Iron Council when at Half Price Books though.
Embassytown and the City & the City were great, I thought. Also, I don't think I've been markedly unsatisfied with any of his endings. He's certainly no Neal Stephenson.
Mieville can't write a good ending to save his life and I feel like his books keep getting worse.
I almost re-read Iron Council when at Half Price Books though.
I dunno, I liked the endings of all the Bas-Lag books. I understand why people wouldn't like the endings to Perdido and The Scar; I think they made sense but were deliberately designed to kind of alienate and upset - but Iron Council had, I thought, just about the perfect ending. It had all the inevitability of myth.
My friend really wants me to watch the Resident Evil movies and I try, I really try they just can't hold my attention for very long.
They are putrid. I actually used them as an object example in a research paper I wrote about the decline of female action heroes in film.
Ok if you did a research project using it, maybe you can explain to me why it is the most boring thing ever to me.
I mean the actors are good actors. The soundtrack is good. The effects aren't bad. The dialog isn't cringe-inducing. The situations are simplistic but that's how action films usually are. What is it that makes it so boring?
My specific criticism, which is well developed in the paper but probably not in this post so forgive me for that, is that the heroine has been drained of her female strengths to make room for what is essentially a killing machine. She doesn't even have the level of empathy that we expect from a male action hero, Rambo and John MacLaine seem downright emotional in comparison. She's a cardboard cut out of a character doing ninja moves.
It doesn't matter that she's a good actress, in fact, that probably makes it worse because as a competent actress she's doing a good job of playing the emotionally flat character as written.
So you as the audience have nothing to relate to. The effects are irrelevant, all the cool explosions and tech in the world mean nothing in film if there is nothing to engage you emotionally.
The simplest example I can think of would be to take Schwarzenegger's character from Terminator 1 and insert it into Terminator 2.
That would be a shitty film, would it not?
That's basically how I feel about the Resident Evil films.
Posts
Ah, okay. I remembered you talking about Book of the New Sun, I didn't know if you read other fantasy stuff.
I have real trouble keeping track of who's into what around here.
goood goood feed your addiction
maybe i'm streaming terrible dj right now if i am its here
Fantasy is a genre with an unusually high percentage of poop in it. In many different ways, but some of the worst offences are novels that read like RPG source books and ridiculously bloated never-ending series.
That said, some of my favourite books are fantasy. LOTR, Earthsea, Little Big, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Song of Ice and Fire.
I looked for more Tim Powers books at Half Price books before I got a Christopher Moore one. Didn't find any.
Glen Cook's Black Company is weird. I feel like it's poorly written a lot but... it's... good? It's odd. I suppose it's more like Vietnam fiction than other fantasy works.
whatcha think
look up the song 212 on youtube
maybe i'm streaming terrible dj right now if i am its here
The Garrett stuff is your standard Noir mystery stuff but with fantasy, some bad things happen but usually to bad people. The Black Company....bad things happen.
Why is all new music so goddamn weird lately, I love it
maybe i'm streaming terrible dj right now if i am its here
I'm the one who's into collecting precious moments figurines and murdering drifters
but how about the awesome rap remix
Ok if you did a research project using it, maybe you can explain to me why it is the most boring thing ever to me.
I mean the actors are good actors. The soundtrack is good. The effects aren't bad. The dialog isn't cringe-inducing. The situations are simplistic but that's how action films usually are. What is it that makes it so boring?
I read everything on my tablet now, and it's kind of frustrating how many books are the same price as the paperback version. Especially since I was really starting to get into using Thriftbooks to find really cheap used paperbacks.
The convenience of being able to read on my tablet outweighs price considerations, though.
Time to get in on those crazy Japanese eye drops!
It's a fan poster but it's actually pretty effective.
One of my favorite random songs of 2012
maybe i'm streaming terrible dj right now if i am its here
I listened to everything on spotify and 212 is the only one I like. Had heard it some time back in chat.
I'll check it out. Thanks.
a) shorter. standalone books instead of series
b) with a strong emphasis on characterization and atmosphere
c) and not too much bs jargon
so I feel like a lot of the ten-book Saga of the Butt Sword stuff is not really for me. But I like China Mieville a lot, and Gene Wolfe, and Jack Vance, and Robert E. Howard (to a point).
Great.
LIke greatness.
Regular room rate for tonight is $100 plus tax
I almost re-read Iron Council when at Half Price Books though.
the fact that someone (Dynagrip) liked Gene Wolfe is how I started hanging around PA in the first place.
That's a perfect poster.
I have a "my best of 2012" playlist almost put together but it needs more rando
maybe i'm streaming terrible dj right now if i am its here
Embassytown and the City & the City were great, I thought. Also, I don't think I've been markedly unsatisfied with any of his endings. He's certainly no Neal Stephenson.
Also perfect.
listen
I expect a huge discount if I ever encounter your hotel
SIR
I dunno, I liked the endings of all the Bas-Lag books. I understand why people wouldn't like the endings to Perdido and The Scar; I think they made sense but were deliberately designed to kind of alienate and upset - but Iron Council had, I thought, just about the perfect ending. It had all the inevitability of myth.
My specific criticism, which is well developed in the paper but probably not in this post so forgive me for that, is that the heroine has been drained of her female strengths to make room for what is essentially a killing machine. She doesn't even have the level of empathy that we expect from a male action hero, Rambo and John MacLaine seem downright emotional in comparison. She's a cardboard cut out of a character doing ninja moves.
It doesn't matter that she's a good actress, in fact, that probably makes it worse because as a competent actress she's doing a good job of playing the emotionally flat character as written.
So you as the audience have nothing to relate to. The effects are irrelevant, all the cool explosions and tech in the world mean nothing in film if there is nothing to engage you emotionally.
The simplest example I can think of would be to take Schwarzenegger's character from Terminator 1 and insert it into Terminator 2.
That would be a shitty film, would it not?
That's basically how I feel about the Resident Evil films.