Now Reading

lol. a writer who won't read anything apart from short stories. very impressive.

like 3849, i much prefer short stories (and poetry). i don't see why someone who doesn't like to read novels is (i do read some novels, but it's much less often than most) missing a lot or is laughable because of that. it's just their preference.

  On 3/31/2013 at 4:53 PM, auxien said:

like 3849, i much prefer short stories (and poetry). i don't see why someone who doesn't like to read novels is (i do read some novels, but it's much less often than most) missing a lot or is laughable because of that. it's just their preference.

I used to only read short stories and poetry; Raymond Carver and Dylan Thomas accompanied me pretty much everywhere. Reading a lot more at the moment. Currently:

and

Particularly nice edition of Do Androids...

Oh man, Lovecraft's "The Street" is irredeemably horrible. Why did I just read that? Fuck.

you're missing a lot, it's your problem.

It offended me, as a swarthy immigrant.

i was just quoting philip glass btw, no idea what we're talking about otherwise.

I've been reading the PKD's Exegesis. Lots of stream of mind rambling that oozes drug abuse and mental problems, and all kinds of conspiracy theories and alternative medicine stuff, but also some pretty interesting tidbits.

Like this one seems to affirm my perception that there are several story lines coming together in PKD's novels:

  Quote

Every novel of mine is at least two novels superimposed. This is the origin; this is why they are full of loose ends, but also, it is impossible to predict the outcome, since there is no linear plot as such. It is two novels into a sort of 3-D novel.

so does everyone on this forum just read pkd? i mean he's got some great works but fucks sake, branch out a little.

  On 4/2/2013 at 10:58 PM, zaphod said:

so does everyone on this forum just read pkd? i mean he's got some great works but fucks sake, branch out a little.

I just started reading A Scanner Darkly, lol. Previously I had read The Man in the High Castle, a book that took an interesting premise and made something really weird and unexpected out of it.

I just read Los Santos Inocentes too, a really short novel about rural society in Spain in the 60s

heh, i'm a dick. i just swear every other post is "just read pkd's ______".

anyway i just read ted chiang's short story "exhalation", which is one of the best science fiction stories i've ever read. available for free here

started tree of smoke by denis johnson. got bored with it. the writing is all over the place and not characteristic of his best books (jesus' son, angels). some of the book doesn't really make sense. he needed an editor on this one. also trying to read retromania by simon reynolds but the guy seems like such a smug twat that i can't get into it.

Heh, I haven't read PKD in years before just starting now with the Exegesis inspired by other people talking here about him.

Anyway, I'm also reading the Dictionary of the Khazars. Just semi-randomly going through the entries trying to figure out the story.

i got pkd's exegenisis but it seems absolutely mental so ive been using it to prop up my laptop for 2 yrs.

finished the road omg it was good, now maybe start tortilla flat by some dude

I just finished reading both Life of Pi and Cloud Atlas *sigh* I should have just watched the films. Waste of my time.

(I can't resist that little nyan cat gif)

i was debating buying Cloud Atlas the other day... no good? i haven't seen the film.

I thought Cloud Atlas was a fun/entertaining read.

S'not a literary masterpiece but doesn't insult your intelligence either.

It's just 6 different kind of novellas, in a way. Each has it's own style.

On another note, it's sad that we won't ever get another Culture novel anymore :-(

readin "with the old breed" by eugene sledge abuot some fuckers in the pacific killin tojo

I KILLED FIDDY MEN

Ian Mc Donald - Brasyl

  On 4/3/2013 at 11:28 AM, mokz said:

Anyway, I'm also reading the Dictionary of the Khazars. Just semi-randomly going through the entries trying to figure out the story.

That's the way to do it imho. Did you see my posts about it here? Watch out for the Islamic sections, they're evil and incompatible with the rest of the book.

  On 4/6/2013 at 10:29 AM, Iain C said:

 

  On 4/3/2013 at 11:28 AM, mokz said:

Anyway, I'm also reading the Dictionary of the Khazars. Just semi-randomly going through the entries trying to figure out the story.

 

That's the way to do it imho. Did you see my posts about it here? Watch out for the Islamic sections, they're evil and incompatible with the rest of the book.

Yeah, I think it's because of your post that it was in my Amazon basket. Ordered it with the other books.

I bought it as used because there were no new copies in Amazon UK at the moment. It seems that it's actually a proof copy. It's a soft cover but has a dust jacket, underneath which is just plain blue covers and on the back cover reads "Uncorrected proof copy on proofing paper and the property of the publisher and not for sale." Adds nicely to the confusion, lol.

I think I also got a pirated book once from an used book seller at Amazon. The printing was shoddy and all the pictures had mysteriously turned to black and white..

finished The Sound and the Fury by Faulkner. wonderful read. the first 60 pages basically need to be re-read after you've finished it, but it's powerful stuff. unfortunately my copy didn't come with the appendix Faulkner later wrote, 'Compson Family: 1699-1945', so i had to track it down online. it provides an interesting epilogue to the book.

now reading The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. probably not the bag of most WATMMers, perhaps not mine either, but i love reading things about the Congo, so i thought i'd give this a try.