Now Reading

Ah great. I’ve been saving it for when I have some time off and it’s coming up in a week or so. I know it’s a trilogy: are the other parts as good or is the reputation of these books built on the first one?

  On 7/18/2019 at 8:44 PM, petsim said:

Ah great. I’ve been saving it for when I have some time off and it’s coming up in a week or so. I know it’s a trilogy: are the other parts as good or is the reputation of these books built on the first one?

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Almost entirely built on the first one. Dune Messiah is decent and I’m on record as a huge defender of Children of Dune, but the former is almost a novella compared to the others, and the latter can drag in parts. I’ve never made it past Book 4 (God Emperor of Dune? I think?) with any semblance of sanity remaining. There are the superfans who claim all 6 or 7 or however many there are are unparalleled achievements of literature but I think they’re just huffing spice. Or maybe my higher consciousness hasn’t ascended to being a thousand year old worm god yet. 

Also the prequel books (co-written by Kevin Anderson & Herbert’s douchebag son who also lives in my neighborhood and called the cops on my unleashed dog while we were playing fetch on a fenced in school field on a Saturday in July) are all complete trash and should be avoided at all costs.

  On 7/18/2019 at 9:26 PM, Lada Laika said:

I’ve never made it past Book 4 (God Emperor of Dune? I think?) with any semblance of sanity remaining.

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Cheers for the heads up. I doubt that i’ll make it that far in but who knows. And that incident with your dog has definitely put me off the prequels. 

Maggie Gee - Light Years

Nice little bit of English ,dry, comedically existential slice-of-life 80s literary stuff. The prose is lovely.

James Herbert - Ash.

Picked up hardbound copy for 50p in local charity shop, looks unread.

Used to read a lot of Herbert when I was younger (the Rats trilogy especially I recall), so interested to see how this fairs.

  On 7/18/2019 at 4:33 AM, Embers said:

Have been slowly churning through UNSOUND:UNDEAD

https://www.urbanomic.com/book/unsoundundead/

 

"A brilliant multi-disciplinary, multi-genre exploration of reality as perceived and unperceived. Unsound:Undead exists at the intersection of fact, fiction and philosophy. It weaves these together into a collection of short essays that are both intriguing and thought-provocative. An absolutely fascinating compendium into audio research and audio intelligence and its application into physical and metaphysical realms."

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This looks really interesting, I might grab this.

  On 7/29/2019 at 3:41 PM, Soloman Tump said:

 

This looks really interesting, I might grab this.

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I really enjoy the format as I don't need to dedicate long sessions to reading. I can read one essay, let it churn in my mind and move on when I'm ready. The essays are short, sweet and to the point. They're grouped into "chapters" with a common theme, but are loosely connected so that you don't have to read it all in one sitting.

What's been really surprising is the amount of research that has gone into this. All factual stuff is appropriately (scientifically) referenced which opens up further exploration of topics. Though you may find the references themselves equally bizarre. And this is all seamlessly blended with fictional narratives to create a kind of conspiratorial / esoteric vibe to the stories. Something that would sit comfortably within a dystopia framework. Reminds me of Blade Runner at times.

For the price it's great value!

  On 7/30/2019 at 2:44 AM, Embers said:

I really enjoy the format as I don't need to dedicate long sessions to reading. I can read one essay, let it churn in my mind and move on when I'm ready. The essays are short, sweet and to the point. They're grouped into "chapters" with a common theme, but are loosely connected so that you don't have to read it all in one sitting.

What's been really surprising is the amount of research that has gone into this. All factual stuff is appropriately (scientifically) referenced which opens up further exploration of topics. Though you may find the references themselves equally bizarre. And this is all seamlessly blended with fictional narratives to create a kind of conspiratorial / esoteric vibe to the stories. Something that would sit comfortably within a dystopia framework. Reminds me of Blade Runner at times.

For the price it's great value!

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Ok sold. Sounds great.  A birthday present to myself

Recently finished Rendezvous with Rama, Like Water for Chocolate, and the Master and Margarita. enjoyed em all, Rama didn’t age tooo well tho but maybe i just don’t enjoy arthur c c.

currently still churning through a david graeber book and started The Dispossessed by Le Guin.

  On 7/18/2019 at 9:28 PM, Lada Laika said:

Also the prequel books (co-written by Kevin Anderson & Herbert’s douchebag son who also lives in my neighborhood and called the cops on my unleashed dog while we were playing fetch on a fenced in school field on a Saturday in July) are all complete trash and should be avoided at all costs.

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why am i not surprised that herbert’s son is a dickwad

ted chiang - stories of your life and others 

mostly pretty interesting scifi short stories with interesting ideas and writing good enough that it doesn't get in the way (except for the victorian era steampunk golem one which is too mannered and stuffed with cliched victoriangentlemanspeak)

clearly inspired by borges, which is a good thing

scifi/fantasy writing is generally pretty terrible imo so its nice to find an exception

Henry Green - living

bleak modernist novel that felt like a slog at times but has some genuinely beautiful melancholic moments in it, interested to try his later stuff

finished Gibson's Virtual Light, I feel like I enjoyed it a lot more than Neuromancer.

Just started in Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert. The first book was great 

Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval, I don't know that I've ever read something so... moist.

High Weirdness - Drugs, Esoterica & Visionary Experience in the 70's, from the same publisher as "Unsound:Undead". Just look at the cover...

Profiles the McKenna bros, Robert Anton Wilson & Philip K Dick within various west coast scenes, substances & chronologies. Reads like a PhD thesis trimmed down & the better for it (who needs footnotes?). The RAW & PKD sections are easily the strongest, solid preamble (theory), allusions/influences, really enjoyed the excursion into "Chapel Perilous" & PKD's 2-3-74 exegesis fleshed out. Proper fun with a cornucopia of references that are as entertaining as the main protagonists themselves.

I'm always surprised that Terence McKenna isn't mentioned mote often ITT.

  On 8/26/2019 at 8:26 AM, thumbass said:

Just started in Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert. The first book was great 

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About to finish The God-Emperor of Dune myself, quite a mind-fuck at times.
I've been reading the whole saga for some month now, fascinating reading really.

  On 8/31/2019 at 3:55 PM, Nil said:

About to finish The God-Emperor of Dune myself, quite a mind-fuck at times.
I've been reading the whole saga for some month now, fascinating reading really.

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Yeah I know right, it's fucking amazing!

https://bepresentfirst.com/accumulators-energy-and-bi-polar-disorder/

@thumbass : indeed! I read the first two volume ages ago and wanted to dive into the whole thing again, so I started from scratch early this year and I'm enjoying it even more than the first time.

Also starting Dune for the first time!

Reading No Country for Old Men as well, seen the movie a couple times, only Cormac McCarthy I haven't read - defo not as dense as his other work but fast paced and lotsa violence i enjoy it

  On 7/18/2019 at 9:26 PM, Lada Laika said:

Almost entirely built on the first one. Dune Messiah is decent and I’m on record as a huge defender of Children of Dune, but the former is almost a novella compared to the others, and the latter can drag in parts. I’ve never made it past Book 4 (God Emperor of Dune? I think?) with any semblance of sanity remaining. There are the superfans who claim all 6 or 7 or however many there are are unparalleled achievements of literature but I think they’re just huffing spice. Or maybe my higher consciousness hasn’t ascended to being a thousand year old worm god yet. 

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i've read all the originals, imo they're worth it if you're into the /world/ but even then no one's gonna claim the latter books are better than the first, of course. some interesting stuff going on though, and his writing is generally about on par with the first, but just the form and substance is being attacked in different ways in those last ones, and i assume he was sorta trying to just write these other type of books but trying to keep it in the Dune universe since that what was popular and essentially his cash cow (from my vague understanding), instead of exploring those ideas in a different universe. also the ending of the last Dune book (as you stated the ones by his son are undoubtedly fucking garbage, love the personal story lol) is fucking mental and just really....... very odd. don't wanna say too much since multiple people here are reading the series now (yay!) 

i really would like to read it back through again at some point but probably won't for a while, just read them for the first time about 7 years ago.

  On 8/26/2019 at 1:39 PM, doublename said:

Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval, I don't know that I've ever read something so... moist.

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I loved this book, but yeah I would not recommend reading it while eating.

  On 9/8/2019 at 8:13 AM, auxien said:

i've read all the originals, imo they're worth it if you're into the /world/ but even then no one's gonna claim the latter books are better than the first, of course. some interesting stuff going on though, and his writing is generally about on par with the first, but just the form and substance is being attacked in different ways in those last ones, and i assume he was sorta trying to just write these other type of books but trying to keep it in the Dune universe since that what was popular and essentially his cash cow (from my vague understanding), instead of exploring those ideas in a different universe. also the ending of the last Dune book (as you stated the ones by his son are undoubtedly fucking garbage, love the personal story lol) is fucking mental and just really....... very odd. don't wanna say too much since multiple people here are reading the series now (yay!) 

i really would like to read it back through again at some point but probably won't for a while, just read them for the first time about 7 years ago.

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I’ve been thinking about just jumping into God Emperor again for the hell of it once I finish my reread of The Expanse. I like a lot of it in concept but felt it meandered a lot in its delivery, plus 

Of course, going into philosophical millenia-spanning SF after reading the pulpy action of the Expanse might give me total whiplash. We’ll find out!

Haven't been able to read much in the last 6 months, so relishing small opportunities.

Recently reread Under the Volcano. Was only 22 when I first read it so connected with a lot more this time around. Reminded me a little of Nostromo at times, and touches upon so much. I'm still not completely on board with the final chapter, felt the earlier chapters had such genius momentum and then it sort of peters out. Might be among the 25 finest novels I've read.

currently on Desolation Island (Aubrey-Maturin #5). As an Australian, the convict transport plot line to Bligh on New Holland is something Ive had my eye on since the first volume. As ever, deeply humorous and somewhat idyllic historical fiction.