You're a monster! The handmaid's tale and Oryx and Crake are the best things Atwood has written by miles.
It's interesting actually as your list isn't an inversion of mine, it's just randomised. Probably a sign she's a good author with diverse style
For me, off the top of head and it's been a while for some of these
A*: Oryx and Crake, The Handmaid's Tale
3+: The blind assassin
3: The edible woman, alias grace, the heart goes last
3-: the robber bride
Bottom tier but as you say still fine: Oryx and Crake sequels,Hag-seed
I can't remember enough about the others to even be sure which I've read
I think that Atwood’s most distinctive strengths are in her portrayal of social relationships and the unspoken currents that govern them, and so much of the pleasure of reading her books is this sense of—yes, that is! what goes unspoken in so many interactions between men and women; that is! what this person would feel like and act like in these recogngizeable circumstances that perhaps I haven’t experienced but they’re so pervasive and yet unexamined usually. Her work in more fantastical settings has less of this, as the setting takes priority and the circumstances of the relationships are less recoggnizeable and there’s no recognition of like, aha, this is how the social dynamics of a situation are subtly changed because one person comes from a waspy background and the other one doesn’t.
I only read oryx and crake in high school and only remember thinking it was a little silly. Handmaid’s tale I reread more recently, and while I like it and think it’s very good, it’s a different sort of novel than what I want from Atwood. I also don’t like that the setting is sort of meant to be plausible rather than entirely alternate or fantastical, because it simply doesn’t feel plausible to me, and I don’t like that. It also doesn’t have a good sense of Boston about it, even though that’s where it takes place.
Man, The Handmaiden's Tale feels more plausible then ever these days.
You're a monster! The handmaid's tale and Oryx and Crake are the best things Atwood has written by miles.
It's interesting actually as your list isn't an inversion of mine, it's just randomised. Probably a sign she's a good author with diverse style
For me, off the top of head and it's been a while for some of these
A*: Oryx and Crake, The Handmaid's Tale
3+: The blind assassin
3: The edible woman, alias grace, the heart goes last
3-: the robber bride
Bottom tier but as you say still fine: Oryx and Crake sequels,Hag-seed
I can't remember enough about the others to even be sure which I've read
I think that Atwood’s most distinctive strengths are in her portrayal of social relationships and the unspoken currents that govern them, and so much of the pleasure of reading her books is this sense of—yes, that is! what goes unspoken in so many interactions between men and women; that is! what this person would feel like and act like in these recogngizeable circumstances that perhaps I haven’t experienced but they’re so pervasive and yet unexamined usually. Her work in more fantastical settings has less of this, as the setting takes priority and the circumstances of the relationships are less recoggnizeable and there’s no recognition of like, aha, this is how the social dynamics of a situation are subtly changed because one person comes from a waspy background and the other one doesn’t.
I only read oryx and crake in high school and only remember thinking it was a little silly. Handmaid’s tale I reread more recently, and while I like it and think it’s very good, it’s a different sort of novel than what I want from Atwood. I also don’t like that the setting is sort of meant to be plausible rather than entirely alternate or fantastical, because it simply doesn’t feel plausible to me, and I don’t like that. It also doesn’t have a good sense of Boston about it, even though that’s where it takes place.
Man, The Handmaiden's Tale feels more plausible then ever these days.
No. I mean people say that, but it doesn't (and it's disempowering and offensive to women to genuinely believe that it's a plausible scenario, that one day all American women would allow themselves to have their financial accounts shut down and would allow the sort of mass rollback of human rights portrayed in the setting to happen).
You're a monster! The handmaid's tale and Oryx and Crake are the best things Atwood has written by miles.
It's interesting actually as your list isn't an inversion of mine, it's just randomised. Probably a sign she's a good author with diverse style
For me, off the top of head and it's been a while for some of these
A*: Oryx and Crake, The Handmaid's Tale
3+: The blind assassin
3: The edible woman, alias grace, the heart goes last
3-: the robber bride
Bottom tier but as you say still fine: Oryx and Crake sequels,Hag-seed
I can't remember enough about the others to even be sure which I've read
I think that Atwood’s most distinctive strengths are in her portrayal of social relationships and the unspoken currents that govern them, and so much of the pleasure of reading her books is this sense of—yes, that is! what goes unspoken in so many interactions between men and women; that is! what this person would feel like and act like in these recogngizeable circumstances that perhaps I haven’t experienced but they’re so pervasive and yet unexamined usually. Her work in more fantastical settings has less of this, as the setting takes priority and the circumstances of the relationships are less recoggnizeable and there’s no recognition of like, aha, this is how the social dynamics of a situation are subtly changed because one person comes from a waspy background and the other one doesn’t.
I only read oryx and crake in high school and only remember thinking it was a little silly. Handmaid’s tale I reread more recently, and while I like it and think it’s very good, it’s a different sort of novel than what I want from Atwood. I also don’t like that the setting is sort of meant to be plausible rather than entirely alternate or fantastical, because it simply doesn’t feel plausible to me, and I don’t like that. It also doesn’t have a good sense of Boston about it, even though that’s where it takes place.
Man, The Handmaiden's Tale feels more plausible then ever these days.
No. I mean people say that, but it doesn't (and it's disempowering and offensive to women to genuinely believe that it's a plausible scenario, that one day all American women would allow themselves to have their financial accounts shut down and would allow the sort of mass rollback of human rights portrayed in the setting to happen).
Except there are multiple cases worldwide where these things and worse did happen to women - see the gradual then sudden decline in women’s rights in the 20th century Middle East. Mass rollbacks of rights by violent revolution is not exactly an uncommon phenomenon.
Which kind of reframes it to be “It’s offensive to believe these things could happen to American women.”
You're a monster! The handmaid's tale and Oryx and Crake are the best things Atwood has written by miles.
It's interesting actually as your list isn't an inversion of mine, it's just randomised. Probably a sign she's a good author with diverse style
For me, off the top of head and it's been a while for some of these
A*: Oryx and Crake, The Handmaid's Tale
3+: The blind assassin
3: The edible woman, alias grace, the heart goes last
3-: the robber bride
Bottom tier but as you say still fine: Oryx and Crake sequels,Hag-seed
I can't remember enough about the others to even be sure which I've read
I think that Atwood’s most distinctive strengths are in her portrayal of social relationships and the unspoken currents that govern them, and so much of the pleasure of reading her books is this sense of—yes, that is! what goes unspoken in so many interactions between men and women; that is! what this person would feel like and act like in these recogngizeable circumstances that perhaps I haven’t experienced but they’re so pervasive and yet unexamined usually. Her work in more fantastical settings has less of this, as the setting takes priority and the circumstances of the relationships are less recoggnizeable and there’s no recognition of like, aha, this is how the social dynamics of a situation are subtly changed because one person comes from a waspy background and the other one doesn’t.
I only read oryx and crake in high school and only remember thinking it was a little silly. Handmaid’s tale I reread more recently, and while I like it and think it’s very good, it’s a different sort of novel than what I want from Atwood. I also don’t like that the setting is sort of meant to be plausible rather than entirely alternate or fantastical, because it simply doesn’t feel plausible to me, and I don’t like that. It also doesn’t have a good sense of Boston about it, even though that’s where it takes place.
Man, The Handmaiden's Tale feels more plausible then ever these days.
No. I mean people say that, but it doesn't (and it's disempowering and offensive to women to genuinely believe that it's a plausible scenario, that one day all American women would allow themselves to have their financial accounts shut down and would allow the sort of mass rollback of human rights portrayed in the setting to happen).
Except there are multiple cases worldwide where these things and worse did happen to women - see the gradual then sudden decline in women’s rights in the 20th century Middle East. Mass rollbacks of rights by violent revolution is not exactly an uncommon phenomenon.
Which kind of reframes it to be “It’s offensive to believe these things could happen to American women.”
Sure. It's offensive to believe these things could happen to american women right now in the present moment. At different points in time and in different places the situation gains some plausibility. Not now.
and how bout let's not try to turn my feelings about being female in america into some sort of history gotcha
You're a monster! The handmaid's tale and Oryx and Crake are the best things Atwood has written by miles.
It's interesting actually as your list isn't an inversion of mine, it's just randomised. Probably a sign she's a good author with diverse style
For me, off the top of head and it's been a while for some of these
A*: Oryx and Crake, The Handmaid's Tale
3+: The blind assassin
3: The edible woman, alias grace, the heart goes last
3-: the robber bride
Bottom tier but as you say still fine: Oryx and Crake sequels,Hag-seed
I can't remember enough about the others to even be sure which I've read
I think that Atwood’s most distinctive strengths are in her portrayal of social relationships and the unspoken currents that govern them, and so much of the pleasure of reading her books is this sense of—yes, that is! what goes unspoken in so many interactions between men and women; that is! what this person would feel like and act like in these recogngizeable circumstances that perhaps I haven’t experienced but they’re so pervasive and yet unexamined usually. Her work in more fantastical settings has less of this, as the setting takes priority and the circumstances of the relationships are less recoggnizeable and there’s no recognition of like, aha, this is how the social dynamics of a situation are subtly changed because one person comes from a waspy background and the other one doesn’t.
I only read oryx and crake in high school and only remember thinking it was a little silly. Handmaid’s tale I reread more recently, and while I like it and think it’s very good, it’s a different sort of novel than what I want from Atwood. I also don’t like that the setting is sort of meant to be plausible rather than entirely alternate or fantastical, because it simply doesn’t feel plausible to me, and I don’t like that. It also doesn’t have a good sense of Boston about it, even though that’s where it takes place.
Man, The Handmaiden's Tale feels more plausible then ever these days.
No. I mean people say that, but it doesn't (and it's disempowering and offensive to women to genuinely believe that it's a plausible scenario, that one day all American women would allow themselves to have their financial accounts shut down and would allow the sort of mass rollback of human rights portrayed in the setting to happen).
Except there are multiple cases worldwide where these things and worse did happen to women - see the gradual then sudden decline in women’s rights in the 20th century Middle East. Mass rollbacks of rights by violent revolution is not exactly an uncommon phenomenon.
Which kind of reframes it to be “It’s offensive to believe these things could happen to American women.”
Sure. It's offensive to believe these things could happen to american women right now in the present moment. At different points in time and in different places the situation gains some plausibility. Not now.
and how bout let's not try to turn my feelings about being female in america into some sort of history gotcha
Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale as a direct response to both the Iranian Revolution and the way the American right demonized women during the ERA Amendment fight.
That’s not a history gotcha. That’s the context of the novel.
You're a monster! The handmaid's tale and Oryx and Crake are the best things Atwood has written by miles.
It's interesting actually as your list isn't an inversion of mine, it's just randomised. Probably a sign she's a good author with diverse style
For me, off the top of head and it's been a while for some of these
A*: Oryx and Crake, The Handmaid's Tale
3+: The blind assassin
3: The edible woman, alias grace, the heart goes last
3-: the robber bride
Bottom tier but as you say still fine: Oryx and Crake sequels,Hag-seed
I can't remember enough about the others to even be sure which I've read
I think that Atwood’s most distinctive strengths are in her portrayal of social relationships and the unspoken currents that govern them, and so much of the pleasure of reading her books is this sense of—yes, that is! what goes unspoken in so many interactions between men and women; that is! what this person would feel like and act like in these recogngizeable circumstances that perhaps I haven’t experienced but they’re so pervasive and yet unexamined usually. Her work in more fantastical settings has less of this, as the setting takes priority and the circumstances of the relationships are less recoggnizeable and there’s no recognition of like, aha, this is how the social dynamics of a situation are subtly changed because one person comes from a waspy background and the other one doesn’t.
I only read oryx and crake in high school and only remember thinking it was a little silly. Handmaid’s tale I reread more recently, and while I like it and think it’s very good, it’s a different sort of novel than what I want from Atwood. I also don’t like that the setting is sort of meant to be plausible rather than entirely alternate or fantastical, because it simply doesn’t feel plausible to me, and I don’t like that. It also doesn’t have a good sense of Boston about it, even though that’s where it takes place.
Man, The Handmaiden's Tale feels more plausible then ever these days.
No. I mean people say that, but it doesn't (and it's disempowering and offensive to women to genuinely believe that it's a plausible scenario, that one day all American women would allow themselves to have their financial accounts shut down and would allow the sort of mass rollback of human rights portrayed in the setting to happen).
Except there are multiple cases worldwide where these things and worse did happen to women - see the gradual then sudden decline in women’s rights in the 20th century Middle East. Mass rollbacks of rights by violent revolution is not exactly an uncommon phenomenon.
Which kind of reframes it to be “It’s offensive to believe these things could happen to American women.”
Sure. It's offensive to believe these things could happen to american women right now in the present moment. At different points in time and in different places the situation gains some plausibility. Not now.
and how bout let's not try to turn my feelings about being female in america into some sort of history gotcha
Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale as a direct response to both the Iranian Revolution and the way the American right demonized women during the ERA Amendment fight.
That’s not a history gotcha. That’s the context of the novel.
I am aware of that
My comment is in response to the scenario being 'more plausible than ever' in today's society
I find that offensive
You can continue to try to prove your knowledge of history or of atwood or whatever at me but I had better stop responding
You're a monster! The handmaid's tale and Oryx and Crake are the best things Atwood has written by miles.
It's interesting actually as your list isn't an inversion of mine, it's just randomised. Probably a sign she's a good author with diverse style
For me, off the top of head and it's been a while for some of these
A*: Oryx and Crake, The Handmaid's Tale
3+: The blind assassin
3: The edible woman, alias grace, the heart goes last
3-: the robber bride
Bottom tier but as you say still fine: Oryx and Crake sequels,Hag-seed
I can't remember enough about the others to even be sure which I've read
I think that Atwood’s most distinctive strengths are in her portrayal of social relationships and the unspoken currents that govern them, and so much of the pleasure of reading her books is this sense of—yes, that is! what goes unspoken in so many interactions between men and women; that is! what this person would feel like and act like in these recogngizeable circumstances that perhaps I haven’t experienced but they’re so pervasive and yet unexamined usually. Her work in more fantastical settings has less of this, as the setting takes priority and the circumstances of the relationships are less recoggnizeable and there’s no recognition of like, aha, this is how the social dynamics of a situation are subtly changed because one person comes from a waspy background and the other one doesn’t.
I only read oryx and crake in high school and only remember thinking it was a little silly. Handmaid’s tale I reread more recently, and while I like it and think it’s very good, it’s a different sort of novel than what I want from Atwood. I also don’t like that the setting is sort of meant to be plausible rather than entirely alternate or fantastical, because it simply doesn’t feel plausible to me, and I don’t like that. It also doesn’t have a good sense of Boston about it, even though that’s where it takes place.
Man, The Handmaiden's Tale feels more plausible then ever these days.
No. I mean people say that, but it doesn't (and it's disempowering and offensive to women to genuinely believe that it's a plausible scenario, that one day all American women would allow themselves to have their financial accounts shut down and would allow the sort of mass rollback of human rights portrayed in the setting to happen).
Except there are multiple cases worldwide where these things and worse did happen to women - see the gradual then sudden decline in women’s rights in the 20th century Middle East. Mass rollbacks of rights by violent revolution is not exactly an uncommon phenomenon.
Which kind of reframes it to be “It’s offensive to believe these things could happen to American women.”
Sure. It's offensive to believe these things could happen to american women right now in the present moment. At different points in time and in different places the situation gains some plausibility. Not now.
and how bout let's not try to turn my feelings about being female in america into some sort of history gotcha
Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale as a direct response to both the Iranian Revolution and the way the American right demonized women during the ERA Amendment fight.
That’s not a history gotcha. That’s the context of the novel.
I am aware of that
My comment is in response to the scenario being 'more plausible than ever' in today's society
I find that offensive
You can continue to try to prove your knowledge of history or of atwood or whatever at me but I had better stop responding
I don't see what you find offensive about it beyond the fact that you just don't like to believe that it could happen here.
You look at things like the Kavanaugh nomination and what we see is that an increasing push by women to be considered fully equal and worthy of respect is creating a counter-movement to push women back down to protect those poor downtrodden men. And of course shifts in the court make women's rights more tenuous then they've been for a long time.
Now you can think differently and that's fine. But it's rather silly to find it offensive that others feel different.
As someone who grew up in conservative Christianity, I find it dismissive to say that The Handmaid’s Tale seems fantastical. Mildly hyperbolic? Sure. But every element of the attitudes, the theocratic desires, the patriarchal structure is just rife in our society right now. And I guarantee that many elements of that setting would indeed be realized if the not-insignifanct portion of our society based on those belief structures had the power to enact them.
Even the forced childbearing. Sure, that seems ridiculous on the surface, but in a scenario where suddenly many women are infertile? I guarantee evangelical leaders would be whipping out the story of Abram and Hagar and thoroughly ignoring the part where it was bad in order to make sure “be fruitful and multiply” was still happening. This is a culture already permeated with a “women are to be keepers at home” and women are the “responsibility” of men ideology.
Basically, it may seem at first glance unbelievable, but considering the specific societal problem and the kind of people in charge, the kind of people I spent much of my life around—some of that type being legislators right now, it really isn’t that far of a stretch.
You're a monster! The handmaid's tale and Oryx and Crake are the best things Atwood has written by miles.
It's interesting actually as your list isn't an inversion of mine, it's just randomised. Probably a sign she's a good author with diverse style
For me, off the top of head and it's been a while for some of these
A*: Oryx and Crake, The Handmaid's Tale
3+: The blind assassin
3: The edible woman, alias grace, the heart goes last
3-: the robber bride
Bottom tier but as you say still fine: Oryx and Crake sequels,Hag-seed
I can't remember enough about the others to even be sure which I've read
I think that Atwood’s most distinctive strengths are in her portrayal of social relationships and the unspoken currents that govern them, and so much of the pleasure of reading her books is this sense of—yes, that is! what goes unspoken in so many interactions between men and women; that is! what this person would feel like and act like in these recogngizeable circumstances that perhaps I haven’t experienced but they’re so pervasive and yet unexamined usually. Her work in more fantastical settings has less of this, as the setting takes priority and the circumstances of the relationships are less recoggnizeable and there’s no recognition of like, aha, this is how the social dynamics of a situation are subtly changed because one person comes from a waspy background and the other one doesn’t.
I only read oryx and crake in high school and only remember thinking it was a little silly. Handmaid’s tale I reread more recently, and while I like it and think it’s very good, it’s a different sort of novel than what I want from Atwood. I also don’t like that the setting is sort of meant to be plausible rather than entirely alternate or fantastical, because it simply doesn’t feel plausible to me, and I don’t like that. It also doesn’t have a good sense of Boston about it, even though that’s where it takes place.
Man, The Handmaiden's Tale feels more plausible then ever these days.
No. I mean people say that, but it doesn't (and it's disempowering and offensive to women to genuinely believe that it's a plausible scenario, that one day all American women would allow themselves to have their financial accounts shut down and would allow the sort of mass rollback of human rights portrayed in the setting to happen).
Tens of millions of American women voted for Trump. I don't see any conflicting evidence that they're any less prone to acting or acquiescing against their interest than American men or, any other demographic. Plenty of raging dominionist nutbars are women. Women have, distressingly often, historically been highly effective enforcers of patriarchal ideology.
I fail to see the lack of plausibility.
+6
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knitdanIn ur baseKillin ur guysRegistered Userregular
I stuck with Library at Mount Char and I’m glad I did because it’s really started to pick up and have actual characters and a hint of a plot instead of just rough sketches.
“I was quick when I came in here, I’m twice as quick now”
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
I stuck with Library at Mount Char and I’m glad I did because it’s really started to pick up and have actual characters and a hint of a plot instead of just rough sketches.
It clicked for me when I realized it was an urban fantasy in a Stephen King setting of The Dark Tower and The Stand kind.
Phillishere on
+1
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knitdanIn ur baseKillin ur guysRegistered Userregular
I kept thinking of it as YA early on even though all the “kids” are like 30. It just had that vibe. Plus it just wasn’t grounded enough for me. It felt like too much too fast. But then I met Erwin.
“I was quick when I came in here, I’m twice as quick now”
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
I kept thinking of it as YA early on even though all the “kids” are like 30. It just had that vibe. Plus it just wasn’t grounded enough for me. It felt like too much too fast. But then I met Erwin.
I had a similar reaction until I realized that “Oh! This is a horror novel.”
jakobaggerLO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTOREDRegistered Userregular
I've been reading a lot of f/sf this year, more than usual. Partly because work has had me pretty beat so I wanted something comforting and entertaining (even though it's not been mindless popcorn stuff, eg. the Quantum Thief series really required my full attention and I still don't think I understood 100%), but partly also out of a dumb gamer-min/maxing-attitude to my Goodreads reading goal of 50 books which I thought was reasonable but not too unambitious.
Turns out I way overshot though and reached 50 around the start of October. Which means, combined with work having become slightly more reasonable that I'm now free to read anything. Though I'm not ruling out good f/sf, and this thread has always been my main way of sorting the wheat from the extremely widespread chaff in those genres.
So! Please recommend me well, basically anything that you think is very good. If you really like homework you can look at my Goodreads profile but otherwise some pointers: previously mentioned f/sf but only the top stuff (and no RPG sourcebook novels (eg. Sanderson)); spy novels (particularly spies combined with the arcane/horror)); big picture history or general non-fiction in the vein of Kurlansky's Salt or Guns, Germs, Steel or Debt: the first 5000 years; fiction about or featuring libraries or librarians, your favourite book or favourite author.
Sorry if this is too rambling I'm a bit tired and tipsy right now.
Charlatan: America's Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam was a really fun historical read. Details the escapades of a quack in the early 20th century and the insane scams he managed to pull off, most notably his implanting goat testicles in to patients.
Charlatan: America's Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam was a really fun historical read. Details the escapades of a quack in the early 20th century and the insane scams he managed to pull off, most notably his implanting goat testicles in to patients.
I heard a very entertaining podcast episode about that guy! Not really something I'm interested in reading a whole book about though, I think.
BrodyThe WatchThe First ShoreRegistered Userregular
@jakobagger Ian W. Toll has a couple of interesting, American centered(just noting in case you aren't really in to American history) history pieces. Six Frigates covers the founding of the US Navy, and the work, political, physical, and engineering wise to get our first six ships built. Pacific Crucible is a deep dive into the naval action in the Pacific during World War II, with, again, a mix of politics and tactics, and points out how luck is always way larger of a factor in war than anyone would like. I believe he's done another Pacific WWII book, but I haven't read it yet.
"I will write your name in the ruin of them. I will paint you across history in the color of their blood."
So! Please recommend me well, basically anything that you think is very good. If you really like homework you can look at my Goodreads profile but otherwise some pointers: previously mentioned f/sf but only the top stuff (and no RPG sourcebook novels (eg. Sanderson)); spy novels (particularly spies combined with the arcane/horror)); big picture history or general non-fiction in the vein of Kurlansky's Salt or Guns, Germs, Steel or Debt: the first 5000 years; fiction about or featuring libraries or librarians, your favourite book or favourite author.
Its been awhile, but as far as a history book goes, I enjoyed Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford for really filling in an era/region of history that I knew very little about (aside from that crash course history thing by the vlogbrothers a few years ago) and how surprisingly connected and advanced the mongol empire was (they weren't just the "mongol horde" that I picked up from my silly world history class in middle school).
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
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Powerpuppiesdrinking coffee in themountain cabinRegistered Userregular
I just finished the fourth murderbot book by Martha Wells and I really liked it. I get really invested in the heroic protag's horrified discomfort with emotion and friendship. I think somebody in this thread put me on the first one so thanks x100
I finished _The Left Hand of Darkness_ by Ursula K. Le Guin and thought it was good!
started _The Overstory_ by Richard Powers, and it's very good so far
+5
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Mojo_JojoWe are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourseRegistered Userregular
edited October 2018
After having heard it mentioned with no real context, I recently read The Southern Reach Trilogy
What a terrible name for that trilogy. Why would you hide this behind a generic fantasy series title?
The first one, Annihilation, is very good until the author hits the word count and just ends things.
The second two are just fine. I suppose as by then you've sort of accepted it probably won't go anywhere.
It reminded me of what The Vohrr was probably trying to do. It's not perfect at being a weird mystery that is also satisfying, but it does a better job than most at it
I had no idea that there was a film of the first one. I'll probably have a look
Now I'm reading Finches of Mars. This is probably a mistake. It comes across as grumpy old man sci-fi
Mojo_Jojo on
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
Record of a Spaceborb Few by Becky Chambers is thoroughly enjoyable. It continues with the very low stakes problem circumstances which I appreciate. This one is definitely the slowest but also really unique in the challenge the Human fleet faced compared to most sci-fi books.
Oh, I just found out that The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson, sequel to The Traitor Baru Cormorant, just came out yesterday. I can't believe it wasn't on my radar. I really liked Traitor, so I'm gonna go pick this one up soon.
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
Oh, I just found out that The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson, sequel to The Traitor Baru Cormorant, just came out yesterday. I can't believe it wasn't on my radar. I really liked Traitor, so I'm gonna go pick this one up soon.
You mean you didn't pre order it and have it automatically download on your Kindle so you can immediately dive back in to the crushing colonialist world of Falcrest?
Oh, I just found out that The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson, sequel to The Traitor Baru Cormorant, just came out yesterday. I can't believe it wasn't on my radar. I really liked Traitor, so I'm gonna go pick this one up soon.
You mean you didn't pre order it and have it automatically download on your Kindle so you can immediately dive back in to the crushing colonialist world of Falcrest?
I feel quite ashamed that I did not.
I will rectify this situation post haste!
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
I will say Overdrive is super nice. Found a library book on my phone, sent it to my Amazon account, and got it on to my kindle via WiFi while riding the metro.
I finished Deadhouse Gates last night. I don't know if I've read about that much graphic violence in one book outside of a Warhammer 40K novel. I don't know if it's because I'm reading the chapter summaries from the wiki as I go, but I didn't have nearly as much difficulty following the story and keeping the characters straight as I did with Gardens of the Moon.
Following the recommended reading order I downloaded the first set of Bauchelain & Korbal Broach novels after work. I might end up plowing through the series in one go like I did with ASoIaF. I hear the story momentum slows down a bit after the fourth mainline book, though, so no promises.
I finished Deadhouse Gates last night. I don't know if I've read about that much graphic violence in one book outside of a Warhammer 40K novel. I don't know if it's because I'm reading the chapter summaries from the wiki as I go, but I didn't have nearly as much difficulty following the story and keeping the characters straight as I did with Gardens of the Moon.
Following the recommended reading order I downloaded the first set of Bauchelain & Korbal Broach novels after work. I might end up plowing through the series in one go like I did with ASoIaF. I hear the story momentum slows down a bit after the fourth mainline book, though, so no promises.
Deadhouse Gates is more coherent, for the most part, then Gardens of the Moon so that helps alot. Memories of Ice is probably the best of the series in that respect.
I have not been reading much with the advent of my new job. I need to fix that!
In any case, I did finish Glasshouse, by Charles Stross.
So I don't like the Laundry Files, or at least the first one, cause I am not into the character or the whole concept, really--I don't like detective stuff or spy stuff, generally. But I do think Stross does far future really well (judging from this book and Accelerando). He definitely goes for it and has a far future that feels much weirder than a lot of other far futures, and it's not spaceship-focused, so that's also interesting. His writing is really easy to read and moves right along--lots of action and suspense, really well-paced. The characterization is like...decent? No one's super interesting but no one feels horribly implausible.
That said there is not a lot of thought or nuance in the personal relationships portrayed, and there is sometimes jarring incongruence with how people deal with certain circumstances. This book is mostly about some people in the far future being put into a 20th-21st century simulation, and the ways in which they react to the circumstances, even given all the various reveals, are just not internally consistent (let alone super well thought-out/realistic).
I think I'll still buy all of his non-Laundry files books in paperback as I come across them in used book stores, because the action is fun and the future shit is cool, but they aren't exactly good per se (this is just based on Accelerando, Glasshouse and um the one in the MMO with the forensic accountant--ah Halting State)(whoa ok I went to wikipedia to look up Charles Stross and he apparently worked on D+D materials in the 70s and 80s invented githyanki, githzerai, and slaad! Hah that's awesome).
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Man, The Handmaiden's Tale feels more plausible then ever these days.
No. I mean people say that, but it doesn't (and it's disempowering and offensive to women to genuinely believe that it's a plausible scenario, that one day all American women would allow themselves to have their financial accounts shut down and would allow the sort of mass rollback of human rights portrayed in the setting to happen).
Except there are multiple cases worldwide where these things and worse did happen to women - see the gradual then sudden decline in women’s rights in the 20th century Middle East. Mass rollbacks of rights by violent revolution is not exactly an uncommon phenomenon.
Which kind of reframes it to be “It’s offensive to believe these things could happen to American women.”
Sure. It's offensive to believe these things could happen to american women right now in the present moment. At different points in time and in different places the situation gains some plausibility. Not now.
and how bout let's not try to turn my feelings about being female in america into some sort of history gotcha
Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale as a direct response to both the Iranian Revolution and the way the American right demonized women during the ERA Amendment fight.
That’s not a history gotcha. That’s the context of the novel.
I am aware of that
My comment is in response to the scenario being 'more plausible than ever' in today's society
I find that offensive
You can continue to try to prove your knowledge of history or of atwood or whatever at me but I had better stop responding
I don't see what you find offensive about it beyond the fact that you just don't like to believe that it could happen here.
You look at things like the Kavanaugh nomination and what we see is that an increasing push by women to be considered fully equal and worthy of respect is creating a counter-movement to push women back down to protect those poor downtrodden men. And of course shifts in the court make women's rights more tenuous then they've been for a long time.
Now you can think differently and that's fine. But it's rather silly to find it offensive that others feel different.
wish list
Steam wishlist
Etsy wishlist
Tens of millions of American women voted for Trump. I don't see any conflicting evidence that they're any less prone to acting or acquiescing against their interest than American men or, any other demographic. Plenty of raging dominionist nutbars are women. Women have, distressingly often, historically been highly effective enforcers of patriarchal ideology.
I fail to see the lack of plausibility.
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
It clicked for me when I realized it was an urban fantasy in a Stephen King setting of The Dark Tower and The Stand kind.
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
I had a similar reaction until I realized that “Oh! This is a horror novel.”
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Turns out I way overshot though and reached 50 around the start of October. Which means, combined with work having become slightly more reasonable that I'm now free to read anything. Though I'm not ruling out good f/sf, and this thread has always been my main way of sorting the wheat from the extremely widespread chaff in those genres.
So! Please recommend me well, basically anything that you think is very good. If you really like homework you can look at my Goodreads profile but otherwise some pointers: previously mentioned f/sf but only the top stuff (and no RPG sourcebook novels (eg. Sanderson)); spy novels (particularly spies combined with the arcane/horror)); big picture history or general non-fiction in the vein of Kurlansky's Salt or Guns, Germs, Steel or Debt: the first 5000 years; fiction about or featuring libraries or librarians, your favourite book or favourite author.
Sorry if this is too rambling I'm a bit tired and tipsy right now.
I heard a very entertaining podcast episode about that guy! Not really something I'm interested in reading a whole book about though, I think.
The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
Steam: Korvalain
Its been awhile, but as far as a history book goes, I enjoyed Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford for really filling in an era/region of history that I knew very little about (aside from that crash course history thing by the vlogbrothers a few years ago) and how surprisingly connected and advanced the mongol empire was (they weren't just the "mongol horde" that I picked up from my silly world history class in middle school).
started _The Overstory_ by Richard Powers, and it's very good so far
Now I'm reading Finches of Mars. This is probably a mistake. It comes across as grumpy old man sci-fi
The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
Steam: Korvalain
oh man, I'm trying to think where 75% puts you...it starts going places though.
Yeah, I finished it this weekend.
75% was just before...
Huge spoilers
The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
Steam: Korvalain
You mean you didn't pre order it and have it automatically download on your Kindle so you can immediately dive back in to the crushing colonialist world of Falcrest?
I feel quite ashamed that I did not.
I will rectify this situation post haste!
Dammit.
What! It's good
But I wanna read Monsterrrrrrrrr
And I probably won’t finish it in time to finish this too
And then it’ll go back on hooooolllld my life is the hardest
Following the recommended reading order I downloaded the first set of Bauchelain & Korbal Broach novels after work. I might end up plowing through the series in one go like I did with ASoIaF. I hear the story momentum slows down a bit after the fourth mainline book, though, so no promises.
Deadhouse Gates is more coherent, for the most part, then Gardens of the Moon so that helps alot. Memories of Ice is probably the best of the series in that respect.
In any case, I did finish Glasshouse, by Charles Stross.
So I don't like the Laundry Files, or at least the first one, cause I am not into the character or the whole concept, really--I don't like detective stuff or spy stuff, generally. But I do think Stross does far future really well (judging from this book and Accelerando). He definitely goes for it and has a far future that feels much weirder than a lot of other far futures, and it's not spaceship-focused, so that's also interesting. His writing is really easy to read and moves right along--lots of action and suspense, really well-paced. The characterization is like...decent? No one's super interesting but no one feels horribly implausible.
That said there is not a lot of thought or nuance in the personal relationships portrayed, and there is sometimes jarring incongruence with how people deal with certain circumstances. This book is mostly about some people in the far future being put into a 20th-21st century simulation, and the ways in which they react to the circumstances, even given all the various reveals, are just not internally consistent (let alone super well thought-out/realistic).
I think I'll still buy all of his non-Laundry files books in paperback as I come across them in used book stores, because the action is fun and the future shit is cool, but they aren't exactly good per se (this is just based on Accelerando, Glasshouse and um the one in the MMO with the forensic accountant--ah Halting State)(whoa ok I went to wikipedia to look up Charles Stross and he apparently worked on D+D materials in the 70s and 80s invented githyanki, githzerai, and slaad! Hah that's awesome).