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Read a [book].

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Posts

  • webguy20webguy20 I spend too much time on the Internet Registered User regular
    Jedoc wrote: »
    It's fine. Jason Sanford wrote a Patreon post pointing out that the Baen's Bar forum is showing worrying signs of becoming a Sad Puppies/alt-right stronghold, and he referenced and linked Scalzi's 2014 blog post about The Orthodox Church of Heinlein, in which he addressed the conservative bent of one of Baen's publishers and the creepiness of many modern Heinlein fans.

    As with any interaction with grumble gators, everything descended into a deeply depressing level of hysterical shit-throwing more or less instantaneously, and since Scalzi is the most public figure tangentially involved in any of this, a bunch of the shit started spattering into his Twitter feed and DMs.

    It really does seem like this is a case where he's not commenting on it because he has nothing to do with any of it. Which is unusual, because in most cases "oblique reference to something I'm not going to comment on" is code for some really shady stuff you hope is going to get swept under the rug if you ignore it hard enough.

    Yea, I think Scalzi is just trying to get a book done. Between lockdown, Politics and him getting Covid it really fucked him last year. He had to redo dozens and dozens of pages that he wrote in a fog through Covid. If he gets into it I imagine his work will suffer again, and he is really behind.

    Steam ID: Webguy20
    Origin ID: Discgolfer27
    Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
  • Grey GhostGrey Ghost Registered User regular
    I finished The Traitor Baru Cormorant

    I'm.... not sure I have the heart to read the others

  • 3cl1ps33cl1ps3 I will build a labyrinth to house the cheese Registered User regular
    They don't really get cheerier.

  • Grey GhostGrey Ghost Registered User regular
    I think I hate Baru and also Seth Dickinson

  • 3cl1ps33cl1ps3 I will build a labyrinth to house the cheese Registered User regular
    Jedoc wrote: »
    It's fine. Jason Sanford wrote a Patreon post pointing out that the Baen's Bar forum is showing worrying signs of becoming a Sad Puppies/alt-right stronghold, and he referenced and linked Scalzi's 2014 blog post about The Orthodox Church of Heinlein, in which he addressed the conservative bent of one of Baen's publishers and the creepiness of many modern Heinlein fans.

    As with any interaction with grumble gators, everything descended into a deeply depressing level of hysterical shit-throwing more or less instantaneously, and since Scalzi is the most public figure tangentially involved in any of this, a bunch of the shit started spattering into his Twitter feed and DMs.

    It really does seem like this is a case where he's not commenting on it because he has nothing to do with any of it. Which is unusual, because in most cases "oblique reference to something I'm not going to comment on" is code for some really shady stuff you hope is going to get swept under the rug if you ignore it hard enough.

    Scalzi also has an at this point longstanding policy of rarely, if ever, directly addressing the Sad Puppies because he doesn't want to give them the attention and acknowledgment.

    Whether he's correct in that or not, I have no idea, but this is pretty standard for him.

  • 3cl1ps33cl1ps3 I will build a labyrinth to house the cheese Registered User regular
    Grey Ghost wrote: »
    I think I hate Baru and also Seth Dickinson

    I totally get this, although Baru makes me sad more than anything else.

  • Grey GhostGrey Ghost Registered User regular
    It's not even that I think it was a bad book! It's a very good book! But fuck

  • CoinageCoinage Heaviside LayerRegistered User regular
    I try not to complain about books I got from the library and don't didn't care to finish because that's not very interesting, but let me drop this hot take about Leave the World Behind by Ruuman Alam: it is never necessary to write a clever description of semen in your published novel. So many writers are such gross boys

  • MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    Grey Ghost wrote: »
    It's not even that I think it was a bad book! It's a very good book! But fuck
    3clips3 wrote: »
    Grey Ghost wrote: »
    I think I hate Baru and also Seth Dickinson

    I totally get this, although Baru makes me sad more than anything else.

    Baru is a heartbreaking character.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    Coinage wrote: »
    I try not to complain about books I got from the library and don't didn't care to finish because that's not very interesting, but let me drop this hot take about Leave the World Behind by Ruuman Alam: it is never necessary to write a clever description of semen in your published novel. So many writers are such gross boys

    Ok but is this euphamism because saying normal body stuff is squicky or full on bodice ripper style turning it's gaze onto guys for a change?

  • CoinageCoinage Heaviside LayerRegistered User regular
    It's not sexy, the whole book is in a nausea inducing style because idk wealthy New Yorkers are evil or something I'm not reading the whole book. But even still, there are certain things you can keep to yourself.

  • Grey GhostGrey Ghost Registered User regular
    edited February 2021
    adding The Monster Baru Cormorant to cart...

    Grey Ghost on
  • GrudgeGrudge blessed is the mind too small for doubtRegistered User regular
    Yeah, I'm about 2/3 through Tyrant, and I had to take a break and read something happier - I've almost reread the whole First Law trilogy now - before I can go back again. I mean, that one is pretty grimdark, but at least there is a bit if humor here and there, but Baru is just sad and horrible.

  • V1mV1m Registered User regular
    One of the underlying comments about Baru is that it's largely impossible to fight being colonised by neurotic assholes without being prepared to be an equally massive asshole oneself.

  • StraightziStraightzi Here we may reign secure, and in my choice, To reign is worth ambition though in HellRegistered User regular
    edited March 2021
    I recently finished the supernatural thriller Empire of Wild, by Cherie Dimaline. It's the story of a Metis woman searching for her missing husband, about land rights and tent revivals and also werewolves (the rougarou, technically, if you care about the intricacies of your wolf men).

    It's good! It's a breezy little read, I cleaned it out in just a couple of days, very much that sort of page turner thriller affair. It's got some good spooky shit, some horny bits, some parts about the role religion plays in imperialism, the works.

    Straightzi on
  • DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    I'm nearly through Gravity's Rainbow. I have very little idea what I'm reading

  • hatedinamericahatedinamerica Registered User regular
    In my early twenties I got maybe 30 to 50 percent of the way through Gravity's Rainbow before I figured out what the dang setting even was. Never did finish it.

  • Brovid HasselsmofBrovid Hasselsmof [Growling historic on the fury road] Registered User regular
    I need to watch Knives Out again.

  • KandenKanden Registered User regular
    Back around Christmas I decided to set a goal for myself of 100 pages a day, turns out that's a really good way to boost up completion numbers, already up to 37 books finished (most days I go over the 100, especially if I'm reading a Discworld book or something) But I just finished the Earthsea books, never read them before, those are good as hell! Like there were definitely parts that dragged for me, but looking back on the books as a whole it's definitely one of those situations where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

  • TayaTaya Registered User regular
    I finished The Obelisk Gate. I’m enjoying the Broken Earth series a lot but damn if I don’t understand what’s actually happening.

  • tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    fuck, I got so annoyed at that stupid boring 50s spy novel I forgot books exist.
    I should read some. Different ones though.

  • knitdanknitdan In ur base Killin ur guysRegistered User regular
    I have a few Becky Chambers books ordered, a Katherine Addison, and an Andy Weir

    One shows up this week and then I get one each in April May and June

    “I was quick when I came in here, I’m twice as quick now”
    -Indiana Solo, runner of blades
  • LalaboxLalabox Registered User regular
    Im hoping that my local bookstore is gonna get a Desolation Called Peace in the next couple days and there won't be any delays

  • knitdanknitdan In ur base Killin ur guysRegistered User regular
    Oh yeah that one should be coming soon as well

    “I was quick when I came in here, I’m twice as quick now”
    -Indiana Solo, runner of blades
  • KanaKana Registered User regular
    OH SHIT a desolation called peace comes out on the 2nd, I was thinking it wasn't until the 4th.

    OH DOUBLE SHIT it's already loaded onto my kindle!

    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.
  • LalaboxLalabox Registered User regular
    Ah, the australian release date is 11 may

    guess im ordering online

  • htmhtm Registered User regular
    Kana wrote: »
    OH SHIT a desolation called peace comes out on the 2nd, I was thinking it wasn't until the 4th.

    OH DOUBLE SHIT it's already loaded onto my kindle!

    It is so good. I stayed up till 5AM reading it Monday night (Apple Books unlocks new releases at midnight EST).

  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    edited March 2021
    i just started Unconquerable Sun either because of this thread or the d&d one but uh, this is delightful.

    also they said the name of the book in the first chapter and actually it was adorable and not what i expected

    initiatefailure on
  • KanaKana Registered User regular
    edited March 2021
    htm wrote: »
    Kana wrote: »
    OH SHIT a desolation called peace comes out on the 2nd, I was thinking it wasn't until the 4th.

    OH DOUBLE SHIT it's already loaded onto my kindle!

    It is so good. I stayed up till 5AM reading it Monday night (Apple Books unlocks new releases at midnight EST).

    I'm not done yet, but so far it is pretty nerve-wracking!

    There's so many possible ways in which this could all go very wrong

    Kana on
    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.
  • KetBraKetBra Dressed Ridiculously Registered User regular
    I've been reading the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy

    The Three Body Problem was great and compelling. I'm like half-way through The Dark Forest now and the third part of this book has taken such a hard right hand turn

    KGMvDLc.jpg?1
  • 3cl1ps33cl1ps3 I will build a labyrinth to house the cheese Registered User regular
    KetBra wrote: »
    I've been reading the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy

    The Three Body Problem was great and compelling. I'm like half-way through The Dark Forest now and the third part of this book has taken such a hard right hand turn

    The series continues to take turns.

  • KetBraKetBra Dressed Ridiculously Registered User regular
    I just want the books to put Da Shi in increasingly ridiculous circumstances

    KGMvDLc.jpg?1
  • KanaKana Registered User regular
    I finished desolation called peace.

    Its very good! I do have some minor quibbles with it, whereas Memory Called Empire was all so of a singular piece that it kinda feels like you're all in or not.

    Desolation feels a bit more specifically sci-fi. Memory was just kinda using that as a setting to talk about cultural imperialism and assimilation and all those soft power sorts of aspects of empire, Desolation's definitely got a focus, but it's a little more abstracted.

    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.
  • SporkAndrewSporkAndrew Registered User, ClubPA regular
    I finally got around to picking up and blasting my way through Wayfarers 4 (The Galaxy and the Ground Within) and I wasn't ready for Wayfarers to end, let alone to be consistently punched in the gut by new characters / species and the relationships between them

    The whole thing is basically one long bottle episode taking place in a small enclosed area and it's wonderful

    It turns out I've already got A Psalm for the Wild-Built pre-ordered so July can't come fast enough

    The one about the fucking space hairdresser and the cowboy. He's got a tinfoil pal and a pedal bin
  • htmhtm Registered User regular
    edited March 2021
    Kana wrote: »
    I finished desolation called peace.

    Its very good! I do have some minor quibbles with it, whereas Memory Called Empire was all so of a singular piece that it kinda feels like you're all in or not.

    Desolation feels a bit more specifically sci-fi. Memory was just kinda using that as a setting to talk about cultural imperialism and assimilation and all those soft power sorts of aspects of empire, Desolation's definitely got a focus, but it's a little more abstracted.

    I love them both, but they have, imo, a common flaw:
    The Lsel Station government is just really fucking stupid. Installing an imago machine into Six Direction was absolutely in their best interest. What better way to guarantee their sovereignty than to make sure the guy who promised to honor it lives forever and is dependent on them to keep doing so? The Lsel Council should have been encouraging Yskandr to offer imago installation (plus an eternal maintenance plan) to Six Direction, in exchange for a treaty that guaranteed Lsel’s independence forever. Yskandr figured out that deal on his own (and Nineteen Adze et al. killed him for it), but it should have been the Lsel Council’s plan from the start.

    Also, I don’t know WTF Darj Tarats was doing at the end of Desolation. There was just no plausible reason for him to pursue Mahit. After... maybe 36 to 48 hours, he expected to Mahit to have successfully sabotaged the imperial war effort and somehow communicated that fact back to him while still onboard the imperial flagship. Mahit even called him out for being that stupid for that reason in the story. It’s like the author really wanted Mahit to slap him, so she pushed that subplot way past its logical breaking point in order to make that happen.

    Perhaps the most inexplicable plot hole, though, is that it just never seems to occur to the Lsel Council that the aliens might be worse than Teixcalaan even though the aliens have blowing up their ships and Teixcalaan is their biggest trading partner. There’s not much in either book that really justifies that degree of irrational hatred. It’s understandable that Lsel stationers might resent the domineering prevalence of the Teixcalaani overculture, but Teixcalaan has treated Lsel pretty well, all things considered. When you run a tiny little space station and incomprehensible aliens are destroying your scout ships, the thought that your longstanding alliance with a really big military power is a good thing worth maintaining ought to at least cross your mind.

    Anyway, Martine wrote the Lsel stationers to be too dumb and too evil, without any exculpatory nuance at all. Aknel Amnardbat practically twirls her mustachios in the early parts of Desolation. It’s not the most important aspect of the two books, but because Martine did such a wonderful job making Teixcalaan an interesting, thoughtful, not entirely evil Space Aztec empire, I was hoping she’d put the same level of effort into the culture that produced Mahit and Yskandr. Instead, Lsel ended up an evil pony with a single imago machine trick.

    htm on
  • KanaKana Registered User regular
    I... Agree and disagree.
    Darj showing up just to be a useless ass is definitely the weakest point of the book. I did love the scene in which basically just everyone is screaming at everyone and airing their dirty laundry on the bridge, like the galaxy's worst thanksgiving family squabble, but getting there just felt like a weird asspull in a series that is good at avoiding that sorta thing.

    Lsel's larger plan makes a kind of sense. It's a very large and very simple plan, but I can understand how that makes it tempting. Lsel is slowly being absorbed by Teixcalaan, and even if it's not by military conquest, they seem pretty clearly doomed longterm. They're gonna get assimilated and culturally genocided sooner or later if the status quo remains. Mahit's whole attitude of like, "Well I love both cultures" is obviously the most relatable to us, but to Lsel it's just an intolerable position, you can't love both cultures when one of them is eating the other.

    So I definitely don't think it's a plothole that Lsel's big plan is, well, a very simple solution to a very complex problem. It's a plan of desperation. But it also wasn't that far away from working! If the Teixcalaanli had been more stereotypically aggressive off the bat they could have very easily been stuck in a longterm costly war that would've seriously fucked over the empire. Lsel is dangerously near the front line, but they can try to hunker down and get ignored, which they know they won't be if things the status quo just continues. They were like 5 minutes away from getting invaded just a few months ago!

    It definitely would've been nice to have some more of Lsel through Three Seagrass's eyes though. But at the same time I don't think she would have noticed the important stuff

    With the imago machine... I dunno, the imago machine is both a practical technology and also basically the holiest sacrament of their culture, it has a religious sacredness. Trading that to a foreign emperor so that he can use it in the Wrong Way is deeply sacrilegious. Yskandr ended up deciding it was worth it, but that was over like 20 years of personally knowing the Emperor. Even then if it had worked they might have ended up forgiving Yskandr, but instead he's killed by his own Teixcalaan allies because that sort of brain modding is deeply taboo to them, too.

    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.
  • QuantumTurkQuantumTurk Registered User regular
    3clips3 wrote: »
    KetBra wrote: »
    I've been reading the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy

    The Three Body Problem was great and compelling. I'm like half-way through The Dark Forest now and the third part of this book has taken such a hard right hand turn

    The series continues to take turns.

    I loved them all so much, AND I accidentally started with the third one, and just read them 3,2,1. They were still great!

    For unconquerable sun, my recent path has been Gideon, Harrow, Memory Called Empire, Trail of lightning (aka let's read what SE++ reccs) and starting unconquerable sun has been rough for some reason. Something about this style is making my eyes bounce right off it. Not sure if I just need to get a bit deeper so the plot grabs me or if these characters will grow on me, but the initial impression is almost moustache twirling camp from mom and dad, and super fantasy tropes of "these super soldiers vs these other, different super soldiers, you know? the ones?" But I'm still quite early.

  • htmhtm Registered User regular
    Kana wrote: »
    I... Agree and disagree.
    Kana wrote: »
    They were like 5 minutes away from getting invaded just a few months ago!

    That part is what's really stupid about Lsel's "plan". Lsel is physically closer to the aliens than it is to Teixcalaan. If the aliens really push hard against the Empire, then Lsel likely ends up on the aliens' side of the war front. I'm not saying Martine should have written Lsel with a different plan, I'm saying it strains credulity that there's no explanation of why someone on Lsel didn't at least think about more closely allying with Teixcalaan, or what would happen to Lsel if the aliens won, or whether they might need to evacuate to somewhere not on the front lines. Instead, their entire decision making process seems to be driven by Aknel Amnardbat's hatred of Teixcalaan and Yskandr. Incompetent villains are boring. And the whole idea that Lsel's Council can even be that incompetent invalidates the importance of the imago machines within the setting. The six of them are supposed to each be packing 10 to 15 generations of expertise in their heads. They should have been shown brilliantly utilizing that, reinforcing why Six Direction coveted imago tech so badly.
    Kana wrote: »
    It definitely would've been nice to have some more of Lsel through Three Seagrass's eyes though. But at the same time I don't think she would have noticed the important stuff

    Yeah, Lsel is underdeveloped in general, and the fact that Martine restricted the the PoVs of Lsel to just a few sociopathic Council members plus a few pages of Seagrass running loose is a big disappointment. It feels like she really wanted to make sure that Mahit couldn't go back to Lsel. I read that Memory and Desolation are supposed to be a duology, but with the way Lsel was written and the way that Memory ended, it's hard to imagine that there's not going to be further sequels (and to be clear, I am completely onboard for an infinite number of volumes of Mahit and Reed's Culturally Uncomfortable Adventures on the Perilous Frontier).
    Kana wrote: »
    With the imago machine... I dunno, the imago machine is both a practical technology and also basically the holiest sacrament of their culture, it has a religious sacredness.

    Yeah, I can see that. But if there were ever a time to share it, it would have been with Six Direction.

  • CoinageCoinage Heaviside LayerRegistered User regular
    I'm so mad at this book. The text itself is okay as pulp sci-fi, but this is the cover
    w9u37h484bks.jpg
    The story is about 5 astronauts stealing the world's first alcubierre drive ship to illicitly set up a colony on an Earth-like planet, and Earth doesn't move at all, fuck you! I wanted a book about this video!
    https://youtu.be/gLZJlf5rHVs
    To be fair, there is something threatening to make Earth significantly less habitable, but it's
    a bioengineered virus. Big yikes for this July 2020 release date

This discussion has been closed.