Books

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by Katon

The first three Discworld books are far, far worse than the rest of the series. Pratchett was still learning back then, and those three in particular are much weaker than the stuff he's writing now. Mort is the first book where he's starting to get things straightened out.

I guess I really have something to look forward too!

[sachmo71]

Finally finished!

Reviewing Equal Rights by Terry Pratchett


This is another Discworld book, a series of very humorous books by Terry Pratchett. Think Douglas Adams, Robert Asprin, and Monty Python all rolled into one. Great stuff.

************************************SPOILERS***************************************



The Bad: Lokugh nailed it. I liked this book the least of all that I have read so far. It seemed to me that Pratchett started writing a story, and sort of forgot to add the humor. Early in the book, it didn't even appear that he was trying to be funny. Tell a story? Yes, but the humor was almost noexistant. It definatly picked up toward the end, and the interaction of Cutangle and Granny was just great. But the slow start was a big change.

The Good: Once the humor came back, I was rolling. While some of the jokes were a bit simple, I appreciated them, and they seemed to fit with the characters. I like Granny a lot, and look forward to seeing her again, and of course, the Librarian of the Unseen University. Ook, ook.

Overall, I'll give this volume of Pratchett"

5 out of 10 Cougars!!

So go ahead and read this book. It's not Pratchett's best, but if you stick with it, I think you'll enjoy it.

Next up...NONFICTION! And it's not a military history book!

[Lokugh]

Sachmo,

Yep, that pretty well sums up the way I felt about Equal Rites too. Katon is right...they all get better from here.

I've not seen Sir Fozzie post in reply to the Deathstalker tech level question, so I'll answer this way: The tech level is so high they've gone back to using swords for personal combat, if you see what I mean. Basically, when the tech level gets high enough, projectile and beam weapons are near to useless on anything but a grand scale (ship to ship or planetary bombardment) because of personal defenses. Designer drugs giving superhuman abilities, AI's, clones, genetic engineering on a grand scale. Star travel is a given, the ability to destroy entire star CLUSTERS exists. Psi powers are well developed. That is the tech level. Picture late Imperial Rome with Ultra-tech and weirder uniforms with a dash of medieval Italian politics thrown in for good measure. They are pretty good.

[sachmo71]

Lokugh,

That sounds like something I would enjoy. I'm going to check the Deathstalker series out! Well, I will one of these days.

[sachmo71]

Just finished a book I've been wanting to read for quite some time now.

The book is The Unauthorized History of Dallas by Rose-Mary Rumbley.

I've searched high and low for books on the history of Dallas, but they are few and far between. I've found exactly three books on the subject today that are still in print, but whenever I'm out I've either forgotten to look for them or just passed them by for something else. However, last week my friends and I were at Half-Price Books and just killing time. I decided to check out the local history section and I saw on of the three sitting on the shelf. I picked it up and saw that it was $4.98! How could I pass this up? I snapped it up and bought it. While thumbing through it, I noticed that it was an autographed copy! Whoot!! So, I took a break from the book I was reading and devoured this book.

The Good: What a eye opener! I love history in all forms, but to me there is something special about finding out the history of my local area. For me, walking on the same ground as my forebearers has special meaning. I love trying to find out the history of old buildings and historical sites, but for me a plaque is usually not enough.
For example, I used to wait tables at Planet Hollywood in downtown Dallas. The resturant was adjacent to a mall in area of town known as the West End. The buildings down there are old, but I really knew nothing about their history. One day I was doing a favor for the managers and working the front door. Pretty boring job, until this older gentleman come up to me and starts asking me about the resturant. We get to talking and about an hour later, I found out that the resturant used to be a candy factory, and a whole lot of other facts about the area. This is the sort of thing that I love learning about, and that's what this book is. Rumbley has done a lot of research, but she also has a lot of personal stories and opinions about Dallas history. It isn't a straight-forward history book. It's organized into sections about places, people, businesses, stories, and even her hopes for the future of Dallas.
Rumbley doesn't seem to worry if her opinions on local legends are the actual outcome or not, she just presents her opinions and let's the reader decide. I really like that. She does a great job of taking the reader on a guided tour of Dallas, and even comparing today's landscape to what used to be. Very enjoyable.

The Bad: Sometimes she would go off on tangents, and insert a memory where it didn't really seem to fit. I had to muddle though it in a few spots, but it wasn't too bad. Also, because many of the stories were clipped from a newpaper column that she wrote, they didn't always flow well. Again, not a big deal, just a little something I noticed.

I know most of you probably have no interest in this book, but if you have any interest in history, I'd like to encourage you to go out and read a book about the history of your local area. You may not find it as interesting as I do, but it will probably help you see your city/town/village in a different way.

My rating:

6 out of 10 Reunion Towers!

Thanks for listening, and happy reading!

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by sachmo71

i stand shoulder to shoulder with my dorky brethern. I'm really getting into book two of Guardians of the Flame. I'll probably go on and finish the third book, and move onto the new series by Raymond Feist, or Micheal Curtis Ford, or any of the other hundred books I have in my queue.

Are you talking about the Conclave of Shadows Series by Raymond Feist? If so, it's a good read. Takes place quite a few years after the Serpentwar Saga.

In my opinion though, you can never go wrong with Feist.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by indoorsoccersim

Are you talking about the Conclave of Shadows Series by Raymond Feist? If so, it's a good read. Takes place quite a few years after the Serpentwar Saga.

In my opinion though, you can never go wrong with Feist.

Yes, I am. I have yet to read it, but I've heard good things. I very much enjoy Feist.

[MacroGuru]

He has just release Prince of Blood in the Author's Preferred Edition, where he has added a bunch of stuff into the book, that he feels will explain a lot of the story better.

[sachmo71]

I saw that book today, Indoor. It looks good!

I bought some bargin books today at Barnes and Noble. Battlefield Earth, which I have never read, for $2, One More River, a book about the Allied forces crossing the Rhine for $3, and a book about a woman who performed surgery on herself at the South Pole for $3. My wife was really interested in that last book a couple of years ago when it came out, so hopefully she's excited about it!

[Lokugh]

Just saw this. Feist finally released the author's edition of PotB? That story always was weak. Perhaps I'll have to get the new one to see if it has improved. Thanks Indoor (and thanks Sachmo for the dynasty, without which I'd not have seen this )

[sachmo71]

Has anyone read anything by Ian Douglas? Specifically Semper Mars

[sachmo71]

Next discworld book finished: Mort by Terry Pratchett

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


This books follows Death and his apprentice Mort through Discworld. And beyond. The plot boils down to Mort falling in love with someone who is going to die. Problem is, he has the power to save her, but there is a price.

the good: He's back, folks. This book is one of the funniest I've read so far. Pratchett seems to be exploring his skills more with this book, but the humor is non-stop. It had me rolling.

The bad: It ended? Not much to complain about.

Great book! 9 stars out of 10! Highly recommended!

Now back to my previous book. I just couldn't wait any longer.

[Lokugh]

MORT is definitely one of the top five Discworld novels, in my book. If you are a Lackey fan, watch for a tribute to Mort in her "The Fairy Godmother" This assumes you can make it that far into the novel...not exactly my cup of tea, but I'll read most anything she writes on general principles.

BTW, you mentioned the Deathstalker novels by Simon Green. If you liked them, and are a fan of dark fantasy, be sure to check out his new series about "The Nightside" (begins with "Something from the Nightside"). It's about a dark side to London where everything you ever imagined is available, and a lot of things you can't...

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by Lokugh

BTW, you mentioned the Deathstalker novels by Simon Green. If you liked them, and are a fan of dark fantasy, be sure to check out his new series about "The Nightside" (begins with "Something from the Nightside"). It's about a dark side to London where everything you ever imagined is available, and a lot of things you can't...

Haven't gotten to Deathstalker yet, but it's in my queue. Is the Nightside at all like Gaiman's stuff?

[Lokugh]

I hate to admit this, but I am only slightly familiar with Gaiman. However, from what I do know, it is similar, but a bit lighter in tone. Only slightly lighter, you understand

The main character is John Taylor, a private eye working the mean streets of the Nightside. He was born in the Nightside of London. His father was human, but his mother turned out to be not quite so, and his father drank himself to death to try to forget that part. Everyone is afraid of John Taylor, but he has never been sure why. People have been trying to kill him since he was a boy, because he is the son of his mother. The problem is, no one seems to know what she was...including him. His main talent is the ability to find things. Anything. Literally anything, even things that don't really exist. Things ranging from a missing girl to the method to kill God Himself (not that God would ever wander down to the Nightside...just in case he met John Taylor there...)

[sachmo71]

A friend of mine handed me a book and said "This is my favorite book, and I thought you might enjoy it."

What a wonderful treat! I think it's wonderful when someone shares a book with me, especially one that means something to them. It's a chance to see a little deeper into that person's life and learn a little something about them while also getting a chance to read a good book.

A little bit about my friend...he's about as regular as a guy can be. He likes history and could be considered what some easily intimidated "intellectuals" would call a "jackass", or in other words is an amateur historian. He loves sports, especially baseball, and is a pretty funny guy.

However, just reading the title of the book showed me more a lot about him. The book he handed me is called Remembering American: A Voice from the Sixties by Richard N. Goodwin. If you know who Goodwin is, then you know what the book is probably about.

If not, then I'll fill you in. Richard Goodwin was a young Harvard graduate who served in the administrations of John Kennedy and Lydon Johnson, and advised the Robert Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy campaigns also. The book is sort of an autobiography of Goodwin, but it mostly concentrates on his experiences in the 60's, and about how the decade unfolded from his point of view.

***************************************************************

The Good: Someone that close to all of the major political figures of the 60's is bound to have some interesting stories, and Goodwin doesn't disappoint. From his beginnings at Harvard, to his tour in the army, to LBJ's cabinet, he saw a lot of things. The book really put the political ride of the 60's on display for me, in a way that I had not seen it presented before. I feel like I learned from this book, and that's a good sign for me.
For the most part, I feel like Goodwin was being truthful. He doesn't gloss over mistakes he feels that he made, and he shares his thought process, pointing out his flaws and short comings. He's not trying to protray himself as a hero in this book, and I respect that.

The bad: Well. Goodwin is a liberal, so if you don't have any interest in that side of the political world, you won't find much to like about this book. His view of Vietnam and the Great Society may have some pulling their hair out in bunches. On this front, Goodwin came across to me as one-sided. Understandable, maybe, but from the truthfulness he was displaying, I guess I was expecting a little more. Maybe not portraying Mcnamarra and the other hawks as only looking out for themselves, and giving them the benefit of the doubt?
Also, while Goodwin won't hesitate to point out his flaws, he can be idealistic at time, even in the present day. I realize that since his political life pretty much ended when Bobby Kennedy was killed he's had time to mull things over, but I got the feeling that under Goodwin's honesty there was a HUGE axe waiting to be ground. Perhaps he should write another book?


It was a pleasure to read this book. It was a bit liberal for my tastes, but it gave me a view of a period and theme of history that I have never spent much time on. The source is knowledgable, and credible (as far as the points that I've referenced), and I always respect honesty. For anyone who is interested in politics in the 60's, or just in reading about that decade from another point of view, I would recommend this book.

6 out of 10 stars!

And thanks to my buddy for letting me learn just a little more about him.

[sachmo71]

Next up is The Ten Thousand by Michael Curtis Ford.

Book description: In 401 B.C., a thundering army of mercenaries, camp followers, dreamers, and glory seekers set off to help a rebellious foreign general named Cyrus. In the months that followed, ten thousand men--trained and hardened in three decades of war in Greece--would engage in pitched battles, witness untold horrors, and begin a desperate march across he desert, over raging rivers, and into the jaws of hell itself. By the time it was over, some would be alive, others dead, and one among them would emerge and the greatest hero of all...

In a novel of high adventure and riveting historical drama, Michael Curtis Ford brings to life an amazing true story from Greek antiquity--Xenophon's march of the ten Thousand. A tale of war and peace, of loyalties and betrayals, and of a soldier's love for a mysterious and dangerous woman, The Ten Thousand captures the eternal spirit of courage--in the face of impossible odds.

****************************************************************

The Good: The book was a page turner! The back story, the march across Persia, the climactic battle close to Babylon...just great stuff! The story read like an adventure novel, but with gobs of history baked in the middle. I couldn't put the book down!
Ford presented the book from the point of view of Themistogenes (Theo), squire of Xenophon of Athens. He was true to this point of view, not giving him access to things that he would have no way of knowing. I enjoyed reading the story from the squires point of view. It allowed him to observe the events with a critical eye, and not get as wrapped up in the emotions that the generals would, or even his friend and master, Xenophon.
Ford did a good job with keeping characters true to the ways of their people. The Spartans were rigid and dangerous, the Atheneans more introspective but still deadly, and the allies were plentiful.

The bad: It seemed like Ford was in a hurry to finish the book. As the army came closer and closer to "salvation" (but still a long way from home), the story jumped forward in huge chunks. Finally, still far from home, the book ended. Not when I expected it to, and not in a good way. I needed more, but it wasn't there. That left me pretty cold.

While I liked Ford's writing style overall, there were times when the writing was tedious. Mostly this was regarding the love story between Theo and Asteria, but also when Theo would have an introspective moment. The adventure would be rolling along and suddenly I would have to avoid a pool of sentimental drivel that threatened to suck me down. Ugh! Give me some warning, man!

Also, while the book is packed with history, some of the situations seemed thrown in so that Ford could get all of the big Greek wonders into the book. I know that this book is based on the actual accounts of the life of Xenophon, but it felt forced.

Conclusion:
Had he written a longer book and added more to the ending, this would have been a much better read, but as it stands it was average. A good read, but I wouldn't knock myself out to check it out, and for that we'll give it the most average of scores:

5 out of 10 stars.

If you are bored, and really interested in this period of time, check it out. Otherwise, keep on marching.

[sachmo71]

Went to Half Price Books today...man, I love that store.

Carl Sagan: The Demon Haunted World
William Gibson: Neuromancer
William Gibson: Count Zero
Michael Curtis Ford: Gods and Legions
Neil Gaiman (w/Terry Pratchett): Good Omens

Cost? $19.62!

[sachmo71]

Just finished Burning Chrome by William Gibson.

*******************************************************************

I just realized that I had this book sitting on my bookshelf for over ten years. I really wish I had read it earlier.

Burning Chrome is a collection of short stories written by Gibson, some in collaboration with others.

This is the first book I've read by Gibson. My only previous impression of his workwas what others have said about him. He conjured up images of the matrix, Shadowrun, Blade Runner, and so on.

But that doesn't do him justice. He is a much broader writer than I gave him credit for being.

Some of the stories in this collection fit my impressions, but the others were just excellent pieces of sci-fi. Here is a breakdown of the stories included:

Johnny Mnemonic- you've probably heard of this before, if only because of that shitty movie with Keanu Reeves. The short story is much better, about a guy who stores data in his head for people, and has been set up to take a fall. One thing that I found interesting about this story is that the setting and some of the characters make a reappearance in Neuromancer.

The Gernsback Continuum- This is about a photographer who begins to see "ghosts" of an alternate, future world where everything from bad 50's sci-fi is a reality. Very interesting story, and was really a surprise to me when I read it. I was waiting for the cyberpunk to appear, but it never did. Just a very interesting tale about a man convinced he's losing his mind.

Fragments of a Hologram Rose- A tale of a playback junkie. This story plays out as a Gibson dark look at the future, and what effect some of his technologies could have on society. After I finished this story I began to realize that I shouldn't expect too many happy endings from Gibson. I wondered if this story was an influence for the movie Strange Days.

The Belonging Kind- a man who lived his life as an outsider finds his niche. I was really impressed with this story also, I really had no idea where it was going, but I didn't really care. It was a great ride. I never once felt sorry for the main character, and I think that's what Gibson intended. After reading this story I realized just how easily I was being transported into the worlds Gibson was creating for me.

Hinterlands- the price of discovery would be the best way to describe this sci-fi story. I'd read it before in some anthology, but came away with a whole new persepective on it. Spooky story, but in my mind, a totally rational story, if a discovery like this were ever made. Gibson again doesn't show a lot of faith in humanity as a whole, but he seems to trust the individual.

Red Star, Winter Orbit- as the space program crumbles, life on a space station becomes chaotic. After reading this story, I thought back on what I had read so far, and was impressed with all of the alternate futures that Gibson created for these stories. I found myself very intereted in reading about the prehistory of these stories. This one implied that the Soviet Union was the dominant power on the earth. There may have been a war, or maybe an alternate ending to WWII? Facinating. Anyway, this story has a "happy" ending, sort of, but the main character is doomed anyway, so that takes some of the wind out of it's sails.

New Rose Hotel- A dark story about the underworld, zaibatus, and love. Pretty depressing, actually, but enjoyable. Oh, if you are in a Gibson story, don't cross the big corporations. It's bad.

The Winter Market- If this story had a lesson, I didn't get it. I did enjoy it, but not as much as the others. It's about a girl who turns her pain into mental art, that turn into a hit with the jacker crowd. More corruption, bad people, and sadness. I did feel for Lise, but the main character made me mad.

Dogfight- Another surprising story. A drifting con artist tries to gain make money playing a simulator in a small town. Aside from muttering "oooos" of how cool this game would be, I was really drawn to the human side of the story. Very interesting interaction between the main character, his girlfriend, and the locals. Sort of a reverse of the usual underdog story.

Burning Chrome- good cyberpunk action, with a love triangle thrown in for good measure. After reading this story, I was impressed with how easily Gibson can take a flawed, dark character, and make them into a hero and a villan at the same time.

I guess what impressed me the most about Gibson was how much of my opinion of him was wrong. I never expected to find pure sci-fi in this book, but there it was. I expected to find the same Neo..., errr, hero in each story, fighting the Japanese corps and drug fiends in a dark future. The dark part is right, but there is so much more here to discover.

On the downside, I can see how his writing style could turn people off. Even though I found his stories imaginative, I think it takes a rather active imagination to get the most out of these stories, and that's not something a lot of people seem to have patience for. Also, some of his discripitve writing can lose the reader; I found myself rereading a line or two a few times, but for me it helped things fall into place. For some, it might be frusterating.
The technical terms and slag can be a little confusing, but again, I think anyone with a little imagination and more than a passing interest in sci-fi/cyberpunk will have no problem getting past this.

Rating: 9 out of 10 stars!

[sachmo71]

I've fleshed out my Gibson review some more...that'll learn me to write something while watching the kids...alone!

[Qwikshot]

I heartily recommend for those interested in a cyberpunk universe try reading Richard K. Morgan's "Altered Carbon" and the sequel "Broken Angels". Very good, fun reads.

[Lokugh]

Harold Coyle (probably best known as the author of Team Yankee) retold the Xenophon story in a modern setting in one of his novels, strangely enough also entitled "The Ten Thousand". If you like military fiction, his whole series (beginning with Swordpoint) is worth a read. In the process of the series you get to see war with the Iran/Soviets, war with Libya/Soviets, war with Mexico, war with a united Germany and war with Columbian rebels (mechanized infantry fighting the drug war...probably works better than what we are doing now).

[sachmo71]

I've read The Ten Thousand by Coyle. I didn't make the connection until now.

I can't count the number of times I read Team Yankee. Greatness.

[3ric]

Gibson's one of my favorite authors of all time. It's fascinating to read his works in chronological order (since they all share the same evolving background story, it's also the only possible order) and notice how he's evolving as an author to become more than "just" a sci-fi writer...

[Lokugh]

Just noticed on the SFBC site: Going Postal, the newest Discworld novel, is due to be released in hardcover on 9/28. Just FYI...

[sachmo71]

3ric, I'm very much enjoying Neuromancer, and am looking forward to Count Zero. So the backstory is ongoing? I was wondering about that, and when I saw the Differential Engine (might not be the title) I couldn't see how that fit into the Neuromancer world.

Lokugh, good to hear. I'm itching to go back to discworld.

[3ric]

"The Difference Engine" is a stand-alone work, and a joint effort with Bruce Sterling, I think. Nice story, but not up to par with his other books.

The back story - the three books "Neuromancer", "Count Zero" and "Mona Lisa Overdrive" is also called the "Cyberpunk trilogy" as they loosely tie together in a very neat way. However, with "Virtual Light", "Idoru" and "All tomorrow's parties" I believe Gibson moved on to a different story line, but still in the same world, possibly another timeline. It's hard to say for sure.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by 3ric

"The Difference Engine" is a stand-alone work, and a joint effort with Bruce Sterling, I think. Nice story, but not up to par with his other books.

The back story - the three books "Neuromancer", "Count Zero" and "Mona Lisa Overdrive" is also called the "Cyberpunk trilogy" as they loosely tie together in a very neat way. However, with "Virtual Light", "Idoru" and "All tomorrow's parties" I believe Gibson moved on to a different story line, but still in the same world, possibly another timeline. It's hard to say for sure.

Good to know, thanks 3ric. I was actually looking at Difference Engine next, as it sounded really cool, but I'll probably wait then.

[sachmo71]

I just finished Neuromancer by William Gibson.
*****************************************************************************


This is Gibson's first novel, about a runner named Case who is hired by parties unknown to crack an ICE. The problem is that Case was maimed by someone he double-crossed and unable to interface with the matrix. However, the party that hires him is willing to pay to have him repaired. Of course, Case accepts the job, but finds that it is much bigger then he originally anticipated. Traveling all over the world (and even above it) Case fights a dirty war to stay alive and complete the job.


The Good: As noted in my review of Burning Chrome, while sci-fi is now innundated with the Matrix and artifical intelligence, it wasn't when this book was written. When I made a conscious effort to chase what I knew about dark sci-fi from my mind and get into the story, it was great. This book was a major influence for everything that came after it.

Also, Gibson again leaves a trail of breadcrumbs for the reader to follow through the story, but leaves a lot to the imagination, rather than putting a fence along the path. Particularly in the Villa Straylight, where he describes a scene, he left it in a state where my mind could build it's own picture, rather than the picture that he may have intended. I find that writing like this is a rare find, and I very much enjoy it.

A few of the characters have appeared before in other stories, such as Molly from Johnny Memnonic. She even makes reference to him in the story. This allowed me to build on the world that I had imagined in that story, and keep my mental picture of her more or less intact, although she'd been through a lot between the stories.

Overall, Gibson's portrait of the Matrix was the same that I had built from a number of sources, but this read like the foundation of everything. Shadowrun oozed from the pages. The Matrix seemed like the next logical step. When Case was riding the Chinese virus through the depths of the T-A computer system, I conjured up images of every damn 'net game I've ever played, especially Shadowrun for the Sega Genesis. Sweet!

What I wasn't expecting, but I liked, was the depth of consiparacy in the story. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it was a sci-fi story, mixed with a detective story, and a study in human behavior wrapped around if for good measure. It's a bit complicated, and I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but let's just say that I wasn't able to guess what would happen next.

The Bad: Gibson drops you right into the world and says, "Good luck." I can easily see how that would confuse the hell out of a reader. Since I've been exposed to this sort of story before, it wasn't too hard to wrap my mind around the terminology, but I don't think it would be a given that someone reading this book would have that sort of exposure.

Also, Gibson's loose descriptions might make a reader uncomfortable also. There are definate advantages to having the scene painted out in detail for you. It can make a story feel more comfortable. This book doesn't do that, and I found that I would have to go back at time and try to figure out what just happened in a particular instance.

While I very much liked the characters, every single on of them was flawed in some way. I'm glad I could still identify and root for the main characters, but it can be a little depressing sometimes.

Conclusion: Just an excellent book overall, if a bit loose. I'd have to say that I can understand some of the criticism that this book has been subjected to, but I can also justify the heaps of praise. I would recommend this book to anyone.

8 out of 10 stars!

[samifan24]

I had to read Neuromancer for my Philosophy & Human Nature class my sophomore year. The professor specializes and is most interested in the philosophy of modern technology and its impact on humanity, and therefore it comes as no surprise that the original Matrix is among his favorite movies. All that aside, I enjoyed the book and especially the insuing class discussions on the book. As you mentioned, it is very easy to see The Matrix and other more modern dark sci-fi deriving from Neuromancer and for good reason: it's a great story.

[3ric]

Glad you liked Neuromancer, but Gibson really did take his baby steps with that book, groundbreaking as it was. As a storyteller, he started to come into his own with the next two books as they becomes progressively better... (!)

[sachmo71]

I have Count Zero in my bookshelf...waiting. I'm looking forward to reading it.

[mattwakeman]

Originally Posted by 3ric

Glad you liked Neuromancer, but Gibson really did take his baby steps with that book, groundbreaking as it was. As a storyteller, he started to come into his own with the next two books as they becomes progressively better... (!)

Second this. They make a great (but maybe a little strange) trilogy. I seem to recall Gibson taking great pride in writing them all on an old-fashioned proper typewriter and not using a word processor at all.

Keep up with the Pratchett books as they are all good (although I think he is at last beginning to fade with the last couple) but 'Small Gods' is one of the funniest takes on religion that I have ever read.

And if I could offer one suggestion of an author to read then it is Iain M. Banks. The 'M' is important as it is the difference between his SF books (which are simply stunning) and his more contemporary fiction (which I like a lot less). His first SF book 'Consider Phlebas' is ok but the two books that follow that 'Player of Games' and 'Use of Weapons' are two of the greatest books that I have ever read.

Apologies for the threadjack though mate, its just nice to see such a cultural (ahem for the sad M. Banks in-joke) dynasty!

[sachmo71]

Just finished Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Good Omens is a comedy about, among other things, Judgement Day and the events leading up to it. In typical Pratchett style, things get pretty silly as the Four Bikers of the Apocolypse ride forth while being opposed by and angel, a demon, a prophetess and a prostitute, among others. I don't want to spoil the end for you, but I will say that Gaiman has his fingerprints all over this book.

The Good: Well, the book is pretty damn funny. I will warn you ahead of time that if you aren't a fan of either author, then this isn't the book for you. That may seem obvious to you, but you never really know.
Pratchett is himself, which is a big plus. The way the man can crack me up with a simple comment from a character such as "..." or "Urg", or from a description of a bank of computers can have me rolling is amazing. I really look forward to reading his books, as he never fails to amuse me.
As for Gaiman, I only have experience with him from Neverwhere, which I enjoyed, but I could see his flavor coming through the characters. It was a little strange, seeing his introspections mixed with Pratchett's crazy humor, but most of the time I enjoyed the mix. I can say that this book wouldn't have probably been as good if either were not part of it.

The Bad: Maybe it was just me, but I was expecting a little more laugh out loud moments. This may not be fair, as the book was published over 14 years ago, and as mentioned before I love Pratchett, so it's possible that I am overcritical, but that's the beauty of book reviews. This takes it down a few notches.
Also, some of the purely English jokes lost me, which isn't really a knock, it's just a note.

Conclusion: I enjoyed this book, but as I noted above I was probably expecting more then is fair. The book probably wouldn't have been as fun if not for the collaboration, though. Each author has his influence on the book, and it can clearly be seen. If you are a fan of silly things, and/or either of these authors, I would recommend this book.

6.5 out of 10 stars!

[sachmo71]

Trip to Half-Price today netted me:

How to Talk So Your Kids Will Listen and How to Listen So Your Kids Will Talk, by Adele Faber

Earth Abides by George Stewart.

[Calis]

Very interested to hear what you think about Earth Abides...that's a book I've been meaning to get for quite a while now. I'm a sucker for Post Apocalyptic stuff, but oddly enough I really haven't read any books on it.

Day of the Triffids is one Post-Ap book I'd really liked to read, anyone familiar with it?

I'd be curious if you read the new Feist series as well. I loved Feist's old stuff, but I really didn't get into his latest series near as much. I think I was mostly a sucker for it though because Betrayal at Krondor ranks up there as probably my favorite RPG evah.

[sachmo71]

I've bought Talon of the Silver Hawk, but have yet to read it. The queue grows longer every day!

[sachmo71]

Finished The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan a few weeks ago. My review from Amazon:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I never really wanted to be a skeptic. There are times in my life where I wish I could have faith in something I can't explain. I love the idea of ghosts walking beside me. I am facinated by dreams of an advanced race of beings coming to earth and sharing their cosmic wisdom with us, helping to put an end to our bloody wars. So when I saw this book, I thought that it might help me decide once and for all where I stood. Am I a dreamer or a doubter? Take your best shot, Sagan.

Well, it wasn't what I expected. Sagan didn't come at me with each controversial theory and rip it apart with his scientific mind. He did do this on a limited basis, but that wasn't really the focus of the book. This isn't Penn and Teller. It really boils down Sagan trying to educate people on the power of thinking.

Did I agree with everything Sagan has to say on this subject? Of course not. Did Sagan help me decide which side of the fence I would live on? Nope. But this book did teach me about how to search for answers to things that I may accept without thinking, which seems the logical thing to do when people WANT to believe in something strongly enough. I also learned that searching for answers doesn't make you a cynic, just someone who likes to look before they leap.

If you decide to pick this book up, which I would recommend you do if the subject matter intests you, understanding what this book is and is not might help you in the long run. It's not a book debunking myths. It's more an illustration of Sagan's belief that those who think will achieve.

[Peregrine]

Neat idea for a "dynasty" sachmo. I should do something similar, I've been reading a lot lately. Most of my reading is SF/fantasy and military history.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

Neat idea for a "dynasty" sachmo. I should do something similar, I've been reading a lot lately. Most of my reading is SF/fantasy and military history.

Feel free to chime in here if you wish! I started the dynasty, but I wouldn't mind it at all if it became a universal book review thread. That way, I won't have to search out the 20-odd topics where book recommendations are made!

[Peregrine]

Feel free to chime in here if you wish!

I may have made this recommendation somewhere else already, but I can always add it here since this is a damn fine book IMO.

I will highly recommend The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon. I read it two weeks ago, but I still find myself thinking about it often and the kinds of questions it raises about how we live our lives and what should be considered a "normal" life.

I initially heard about it after it won the 2003 Nebula Award, but it is barely science fiction at all in my opinion, the only sci-fi touches, if you can call them that, is that it's set in the near/mid future and there are a couple references to how society is different then, but really this is just a book about a person, Lou Arrendale, and how he lives his life as a high-functioning autistic. The author's son is autistic, so I'm sure that prodded her to explore this topic, but she really does an amazing job of presenting how Lou sees the world, and it is very different from "normal" people. Yet he has to face the same kinds of decisions everyone does, about his hobbies, friends, relationships, and most especially when he is presented with the possible opportunity to be cured of his "illness" and become normal. How he struggles with that was extremely moving to me, and extremely well written.

My only complaint was that the ending is a bit abrupt, but I understand why the author set the book up this way, so I won't ding her much for that.

[sachmo71]

Originally Posted by Peregrine

I may have made this recommendation somewhere else already, but I can always add it here since this is a damn fine book IMO.

I will highly recommend The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon. I read it two weeks ago, but I still find myself thinking about it often and the kinds of questions it raises about how we live our lives and what should be considered a "normal" life.

I initially heard about it after it won the 2003 Nebula Award, but it is barely science fiction at all in my opinion, the only sci-fi touches, if you can call them that, is that it's set in the near/mid future and there are a couple references to how society is different then, but really this is just a book about a person, Lou Arrendale, and how he lives his life as a high-functioning autistic. The author's son is autistic, so I'm sure that prodded her to explore this topic, but she really does an amazing job of presenting how Lou sees the world, and it is very different from "normal" people. Yet he has to face the same kinds of decisions everyone does, about his hobbies, friends, relationships, and most especially when he is presented with the possible opportunity to be cured of his "illness" and become normal. How he struggles with that was extremely moving to me, and extremely well written.

My only complaint was that the ending is a bit abrupt, but I understand why the author set the book up this way, so I won't ding her much for that.

That sounds like something I would be very interested in. My brother is autistic, and anything that can help me understand him better would be high on my list! Thanks very much!

[sachmo71]

Just finished Blind Man's Bluff by Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew.


**********************************************************************************

Blind Man's Bluff seems to have two themes. In one, it is a superficial history of American cold war submarine espionage. The other is a more detailed look at some of the stories, missions, and personalities that made this history.

When my friend recommended this book to me, his comments left me with the impression that it was going to delve more into the history side of these operations, but the reality is that the history is presented more as a wrapper for the stories within. The individual stories make up the bulk of the book, but I feel like I came away with a better understanding of the overall progress of the struggle thanks to the author's added notes.

I've been an enthusiast of all things military for most of my life, but I have to admit I didn't know much of anything about the world of submarine esponage. Of course I'd read Clancy, and other sources about attack boats stalking one another and "boomers" sneaking away to a dark, deep spot in the sea for months at a time, but I no idea of all of the different missions the sub force had undertaken. From recovering fragments of missile parts, to physically tapping undersea cables, I was pretty impressed. The author did a fine job of presenting the sailors as flesh and blood people, and not bit parts in the bigger historical picture. Since the book is mainly about the stories themselves, this may seem obvious, but in the past I have not always found this to be the case. Sontag and Drew did a good job of being true to the spirit of the book and letting the story tell itself. I could really feel like what was written down on the page was passed onto them directly from the people who were actually there.

Like others, I was surprised that much of this information was avaliable to the authors at all. Some of these missions seem like the type of thing the get recorded and locked away forever in some vault. I applaude the authors for the groundwork they must have done to gather all of this information and succeed in presenting it in a well thought out format.

I found myself wishing there were a few more stories from the later year, maybe the 80's and 90's, but I'm sure that is probably still locked away somewhere. I would be interested in reading about how the sub espionage business is conducted in today's post 9-11 world, but I guess if someone where to tell me about it, they'd have to kill me. Or maybe I should go hang out at the Horse and Cow.

[Peregrine]

I listened to Blind Man's Bluff as an audio book a while back Sachmo, it was pretty interesting. It did seem a little fragmented and it would have been nice to have a bit more completeness, but I could understand that access to de-classified records was pretty limited. Still pretty good though.

[Bad-example]

Originally Posted by Qwikshot

I heartily recommend for those interested in a cyberpunk universe try reading Richard K. Morgan's "Altered Carbon" and the sequel "Broken Angels". Very good, fun reads.

I recently read Altered Carbon and really liked it. I have the sequel on request from the library.

I highly recommend checking out some of Rudy Rucker's fiction. I finished Frek and the Elixir a couple weeks ago and loved it. The Hacker and the Ants, Software and its sequels and especially The Master of Space and Time are all excellent reads. The Master of Space and Time is set to become a movie from Dreamworks starring Jack Black.

[sachmo71]

Thanks, bad-example!

So it Master of Space and time going to be a comedy?

[Bad-example]

Yes indeed...it is a sci-fi comedy in the same mold as Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe. Unfortunately, it has been out of print for a while now, but you might find it at a used book store or the library. That was the first Rudy Rucker book I read and I still curse the name of the bastage I loaned it to and never returned it.

[sachmo71]

Just finished The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart and the Daily show writers.


************************************************************************

Since I don't want to spoil the laugh out loud factor of this book, I'm not going to share my favorite jokes from the book in this review. I REALLY wanted to, but I won't.

I believe it would be best to say that said laugh out loud factor is very, very high. We're talking coke out of your nostrils moments. If you like sarcastic humor, this book has it. Immature humor fan? Check. How about silly? Yup. This is one of the funniest books I have ever read. My wife made me stop reading it before bed because my laughter would keep her up.

Since humor is so subjective, I can't guarantee that you'll like this book, and it is crude in parts. If you are easily offended, I would avoid it, but otherwise, give it a chance. I hope you have as much fun reading this as I did.

[Swaggs]

I just finished "Swan Song" by Robert McCammon. If you read/enjoyed "The Stand" by Stephen King, this is the same type of disaster-survival epic. I really liked it.

[MikeVic]

I read Jennifer Government by Max Barry a few months ago, and I thought I'd recommend it here.
****************************************************************************************

If anyone has played NationStates, this was the book that the game was promoting. I've never written a book review, so I don't quite know what to put here, except that I really enjoyed the book. At the end of each chapter, I wanted to continue reading onto the next.

I am a slow reader, and finished the book in a couple of days of fairly heavy reading (for me at least).

So if you want to read about a possible future scenario of the world when capitalism rears its ugly head, I highly recommend this book.