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Tshern
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« Reply #420 on: September 03, 2009, 03:46:39 PM » |
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Starship Troopers
Excellent book, so much better than the movie. One of these days I'm going to have to pick up more Heinlein. I didn't like it. I finished it and read all the way through, damnit, but I didn't like it. That's probably because I went into it expecting a lot more action and fighting -- more along the lines of the movie but without the suck -- and not political theory. Though, if I read it now I'd probably enjoy it. I had the same problem with 1984 -- except I hated that book so much I actually paid someone to borrow it and never bring it back. But at least I finished that one too. What was wrong with Nineteen Eighty-Four? |
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Ja vuosia myöhemmin
kalvas kaksikko lattialla motellin tihrustelee,
kun sama keiju katossa leijailee.
Kyselevät: "Mikä päivä nyt on?
Tiedätkö sen?"
Kuiskaten laulaa keiju:
"Tämän elämän viimeinen."
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Johannixx
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« Reply #421 on: September 09, 2009, 12:37:57 AM » |
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Starship Troopers
Excellent book, so much better than the movie. One of these days I'm going to have to pick up more Heinlein. I didn't like it. I finished it and read all the way through, damnit, but I didn't like it. That's probably because I went into it expecting a lot more action and fighting -- more along the lines of the movie but without the suck -- and not political theory. Though, if I read it now I'd probably enjoy it. I had the same problem with 1984 -- except I hated that book so much I actually paid someone to borrow it and never bring it back. But at least I finished that one too. What was wrong with Nineteen Eighty-Four? Maybe it was the fact that I was in grammar school when I read it, but I didn't find it very enthralling. It just didn't 'grab' me, so to speak. I can appreciate the historical significance of the book, and the effect it had on popular culture, but I didn't find it to be a very satisfying read. That said, I just finished the "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" short story collection by Stephen King. I never thought I'd ever see a Sherlock Holmes story done by King, but it was quite good, as were most of the others. Apparently they're making "Dolan's Cadillac" into a movie, hence the new edition of the collection. I've found some King novels that I felt were fairly lame ("Cell" is at the top of that particular list, next to "From a Buick 8" and "Dreamcatcher"), but most are quite good, and some are truly epic ("It", "Pet Sematary", "Needful Things", "Misery" and "The Stand" come to mind.) |
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TheWordSlinger
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« Reply #422 on: September 10, 2009, 09:55:36 AM » |
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Starship Troopers
Excellent book, so much better than the movie. One of these days I'm going to have to pick up more Heinlein. I didn't like it. I finished it and read all the way through, damnit, but I didn't like it. That's probably because I went into it expecting a lot more action and fighting -- more along the lines of the movie but without the suck -- and not political theory. Though, if I read it now I'd probably enjoy it. I had the same problem with 1984 -- except I hated that book so much I actually paid someone to borrow it and never bring it back. But at least I finished that one too. What was wrong with Nineteen Eighty-Four? Maybe it was the fact that I was in grammar school when I read it, but I didn't find it very enthralling. It just didn't 'grab' me, so to speak. I can appreciate the historical significance of the book, and the effect it had on popular culture, but I didn't find it to be a very satisfying read. That said, I just finished the "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" short story collection by Stephen King. I never thought I'd ever see a Sherlock Holmes story done by King, but it was quite good, as were most of the others. Apparently they're making "Dolan's Cadillac" into a movie, hence the new edition of the collection. I've found some King novels that I felt were fairly lame ("Cell" is at the top of that particular list, next to "From a Buick 8" and "Dreamcatcher"), but most are quite good, and some are truly epic ("It", "Pet Sematary", "Needful Things", "Misery" and "The Stand" come to mind.) According to my Stephen King Literature and Films professor (and yes, this is a class I'm taking) they've been working on that movie for ages. I am reading Cell for that class currently and while I'll admit it's a pale imitation of The Stand in some ways, it's also a great take on the zombie novel. Also reading Misery on the side for fun and listening to The Dark Tower (series) on Audio book. |
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Currently playing: Forte Lulz, Chaotic EVIL Bard bent on world domination; Canere Potentia, to sing of power.Aralaxax, Warforged Osteomancer, Machines are my people, I wield bones as other wield swords.Randall Gray, she's not sexually confused, honest!Zion "I can make followers, but why bother when people line up for me?"Currently DMing: Real Men Use Their Hands, World's Largest Dungeon "If you can pretend to be a half-orc barbarian or a dwarf wizard then you can pretend to be an alpha male."-Ninjarabbit "The hotel shop only had two decent books, and I'd written both of them."-Douglas Adams " It's funny how the Earth never opens up and swallows you when you want it to." Xander Harris, Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
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Slaughterhouserock
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« Reply #423 on: September 10, 2009, 10:12:23 AM » |
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Apparently they're making "Dolan's Cadillac" into a movie, hence the new edition of the collection. It has been made and has been available for a few months in other countries. It comes out in the US in December I believe. It's an alright film, one of his better adaptations. |
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The DM giveth and the rogue taketh away.
I have a 5 in Charisma and Diplomacy is a cross-class skill. Hopefully I don't piss off too many people.
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Johannixx
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« Reply #424 on: September 10, 2009, 09:45:51 PM » |
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I thought "Cell" had excellent potential, but the ending just fell apart.
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SixthDeclension
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« Reply #425 on: September 11, 2009, 08:44:00 PM » |
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Do you guys have any suggestions for Science Fiction books? Trying to compile a reading list for a class.
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My choice place for buying Magic: the Gathering Singles: adventuresOn.comCurrently DMing a Solo PbP, Check it out hereLike the leaves of the forest when Summer is green,
That host with their banners at sunset were seen:
Like the leaves of the forest when Autumn hath blown,
That host on the morrow lay withered and strown. |
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Johannixx
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« Reply #426 on: September 11, 2009, 09:49:06 PM » |
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Do you guys have any suggestions for Science Fiction books? Trying to compile a reading list for a class.
Robert Heinlein - Starship Troopers David Weber & John Ringo - March Upcountry (and the sequels, March to the Sea, March to the Stars and We Few) David Weber - Off Armageddon Reef (and the sequels, "By Schism Rent Asunder" and "By Heresies Distressed") Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Eric Flint & David Drake - The Belisarius Saga (First book is "An Oblique Approach") John Ringo - The Last Centurion Michael Z. Williamson - Better to Beg Forgiveness |
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veekie
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« Reply #427 on: September 11, 2009, 10:35:37 PM » |
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Anyone read the Lensmen series before here?
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The mind transcends the body. It's also a little cold because of that. Please get it a blanket. I wish I could read your mind, I can barely read mine. "Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. At 2:15, it begins rolling up characters."
"Just what do you think the moon up in the sky is? Everyone sees that big, round shiny thing and thinks there must be something round up there, right? That's just silly. The truth is much more awesome than that. You can almost never see the real Moon, and its appearance is death to humans. You can only see the Moon when it's reflected in things. And the things it reflects in, like water or glass, can all be broken, right? Since the moon you see in the sky is just being reflected in the heavens, if you tear open the heavens it's easy to break it~"
-Ibuki Suika, on overkill
To sumbolaion diakoneto moi, basilisk ouranionon.
Epigenentheto, apoleia keraune hos timeis pteirei.
Hekatonkatis kai khiliakis astrapsato.
Khiliarkhou Astrape!
There is no higher price than 'free'. "I won't die. I've been ordered not to die." |
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Bozwevial
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« Reply #428 on: September 11, 2009, 11:17:30 PM » |
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Do you guys have any suggestions for Science Fiction books? Trying to compile a reading list for a class.
Frank Herbert's Dune. |
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Tshern
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« Reply #429 on: September 12, 2009, 07:11:31 AM » |
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Dostoyevsky season for me.
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Ja vuosia myöhemmin
kalvas kaksikko lattialla motellin tihrustelee,
kun sama keiju katossa leijailee.
Kyselevät: "Mikä päivä nyt on?
Tiedätkö sen?"
Kuiskaten laulaa keiju:
"Tämän elämän viimeinen."
Handy Links |
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El Magnifeco
Ring-Tailed Lemur
Posts: 22
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« Reply #430 on: September 12, 2009, 11:09:10 AM » |
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I'm now reading the third and last book in the Song of Albion trilogy by Stephen Lawhead, The Endless Knot. I'd recommend reading them if you like Celtic fantasy, they really are very good. After this I think I'm going to check out his Celtic Crusades trilogy. Should keep me busy for a little while at least.
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TheWordSlinger
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« Reply #431 on: September 12, 2009, 09:22:45 PM » |
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Do you guys have any suggestions for Science Fiction books? Trying to compile a reading list for a class.
Asimov's (no idea on spelling) Foundation and Robot series are good, and his short stories are nice too. Stephen King's Dark Tower series is a nice example of straddling the Fantasy/SciFi fence. I'll further Johannixx's suggestion about Douglas Adams and advocate for the rest of the series as well. I'll think of more later, do you just want lasers and spaceships SciFi? |
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Currently playing: Forte Lulz, Chaotic EVIL Bard bent on world domination; Canere Potentia, to sing of power.Aralaxax, Warforged Osteomancer, Machines are my people, I wield bones as other wield swords.Randall Gray, she's not sexually confused, honest!Zion "I can make followers, but why bother when people line up for me?"Currently DMing: Real Men Use Their Hands, World's Largest Dungeon "If you can pretend to be a half-orc barbarian or a dwarf wizard then you can pretend to be an alpha male."-Ninjarabbit "The hotel shop only had two decent books, and I'd written both of them."-Douglas Adams " It's funny how the Earth never opens up and swallows you when you want it to." Xander Harris, Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
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j0lt
Hong Kong
Posts: 1317
Browncoat
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« Reply #432 on: September 12, 2009, 11:27:24 PM » |
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Do you guys have any suggestions for Science Fiction books? Trying to compile a reading list for a class.
William Gibson (the originator of the whole Cyberpunk subgenre). Particularly: Neuromancer (and the rest of the Sprawl Series), and Burning Chrome (collection of short stories). |
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Johannixx
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« Reply #433 on: September 13, 2009, 12:20:53 AM » |
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Anyone read the Lensmen series before here?
I read the first book. Interesting, but just anachronistic enough in its language to break me out of my suspension of disbelief. |
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veekie
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« Reply #434 on: September 13, 2009, 08:18:41 AM » |
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Anyone read the Lensmen series before here?
I read the first book. Interesting, but just anachronistic enough in its language to break me out of my suspension of disbelief. Well, the later books are pretty insanely epic. Trope namer for the Lensman Arms Race |
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The mind transcends the body. It's also a little cold because of that. Please get it a blanket. I wish I could read your mind, I can barely read mine. "Skynet begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. At 2:15, it begins rolling up characters."
"Just what do you think the moon up in the sky is? Everyone sees that big, round shiny thing and thinks there must be something round up there, right? That's just silly. The truth is much more awesome than that. You can almost never see the real Moon, and its appearance is death to humans. You can only see the Moon when it's reflected in things. And the things it reflects in, like water or glass, can all be broken, right? Since the moon you see in the sky is just being reflected in the heavens, if you tear open the heavens it's easy to break it~"
-Ibuki Suika, on overkill
To sumbolaion diakoneto moi, basilisk ouranionon.
Epigenentheto, apoleia keraune hos timeis pteirei.
Hekatonkatis kai khiliakis astrapsato.
Khiliarkhou Astrape!
There is no higher price than 'free'. "I won't die. I've been ordered not to die." |
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Bozwevial
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« Reply #435 on: September 13, 2009, 01:50:56 PM » |
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I'm looking for a copy of Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid.
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Johannixx
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« Reply #436 on: October 11, 2009, 10:34:11 PM » |
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Just got Folke Myrvang's MG34-MG42 German Universal Machineguns for my birthday, along with Lt. Col. John George's Shots Fired in Anger. Both are proving to be interesting reads. Myrvang's book has some really interesting historical tidbits about inter-war German machinegun development, much of which was being done in secret by shell corporations in Austria and Switzerland due to the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles.
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Shewolf
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« Reply #437 on: October 14, 2009, 03:49:37 PM » |
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Just finished Ender's Game, and truth be told, was bored with the whole thing until Mazer Rackham and Ender start talking about the buggers.
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El Magnifeco
Ring-Tailed Lemur
Posts: 22
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« Reply #438 on: October 17, 2009, 11:45:33 AM » |
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Started re-reading The Lord of The Rings, thought I'd see what i missed the first time i read it due to my young age.
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CountArioch
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« Reply #439 on: October 17, 2009, 12:21:01 PM » |
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A local place does a huge discount book sale a couple times a year and I picked up a few books for cheap. I currently am reading Needful Things, The Lucifer Effect, the Poetic Eddas, the Kalevala, and picked up a travel guide to hostels in Europe.
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She hasn't come to crush your bones, nor tear your flesh
She has come to steal your sanity with just one glanceSacrapos - At First Glance, Eluveitie |
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