Forum Home Forum Home > Topics not related to music > General discussions
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - read any good books lately...
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

read any good books lately...
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 8384858687 320>
Author
Message Reverse Sort Order
  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dean Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 13 2012 at 09:18
Ermm do you need to listen to The Sentinel again Jim?
What?
Back to Top
Jim Garten View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin & Razor Guru

Joined: February 02 2004
Location: South England
Status: Offline
Points: 14693 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jim Garten Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 13 2012 at 08:19
Originally posted by Andy Webb Andy Webb wrote:


Originally posted by The Truth The Truth wrote:

Dostoevsky, although I haven't read that one yet.


It's long and boring but really, really good.


Am I the only one seeing a contradiction here ?

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
Back to Top
Dean View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout

Joined: May 13 2007
Location: Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 37575 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dean Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 13 2012 at 08:03
Originally posted by Alitare Alitare wrote:

I'm in the middle of reading 'Maus', the graphic novel - I love it so far.

Anybody know any graphic novels that are, well, nowhere near like a normal comic?

I hate superheroes, but I really enjoyed Watchmen, V for Vendetta, most of the Sin City stories, and this Maus one. I'd prefer them to be rich in metaphor and humanity. I've heard good things about Gaiman's Sandman series, but I can't afford that stuff. I may get PDFs or something, though.
That's quite a difficult criteria to meet because graphic novels are comic books and you've already mentioned five titles that rank among the creme de la creme of graphic novels. To avoid superheroes it's probably best to avoid DC and Marvel - Vertigo (DC imprint) published Sandman and V For Vendetta - Hellblazer (filmed as Constantine) and Preacher may appeal. Dark Horse Comics published Sin City series and 300 but most of their comics are sort of alternative superheroes (many of which you're recognise as films - Tank Girl, Barb Wire, Mask, Timecop, Hellboy, Mystery Men). For the off-beat there is Slave Labor Graphics (Johnny The Homicidal Maniac, Gloomcookie, Lenore - the Cute Little Dead Girl) but they tend to be a little dated in 1990s goth subculture and probably haven't aged well.
 
To be honest the series that fits your criteria best is Sandman.
What?
Back to Top
Jim Garten View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin & Razor Guru

Joined: February 02 2004
Location: South England
Status: Offline
Points: 14693 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jim Garten Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 13 2012 at 07:30
Originally posted by Alitare Alitare wrote:

I can't emotionally handle most hard sci-fi. I like events and sincere, realistic characters/personalities. I like direct, harsh and fluid language ...but I can't handle lots of descriptions of laser beams and space ships and alien races and scientific equipment and characters that I can't emotionally connect to/against in any feasible means.. 


Have you read Stephen Donaldson's 'Gap' series? Yes, there's descriptions of alien races, spaceships & the like, but it's all set in context within a perfectly coherent & compelling storyline with strong characterisation. The SciFi element is almost an irrelevance when you get into the story itself.

As an aside, the storyline's based on Wagner's Ring Cycle, and if you are familiar with the operas this just adds to the enjoyment, if not, no worries

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
Back to Top
Jim Garten View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin & Razor Guru

Joined: February 02 2004
Location: South England
Status: Offline
Points: 14693 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jim Garten Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 13 2012 at 07:20
Originally posted by Prog Snob Prog Snob wrote:

I just finished reading Game of Thrones. I plan on starting A Clash of Kings as soon as I finish studying for my CCNA.  
I found it so hard to put down Game of Thrones that I actually put a pdf of the book on my cell phone so I could read it any chance I had. 


Powering my way through the series of books at the moment - if you think GoT was good, you'll love Clash Of Kings (I nearly appreviated the 2nd book title as well, but that read wrong )

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
Back to Top
Kotro View Drop Down
Prog Reviewer
Prog Reviewer
Avatar

Joined: August 16 2004
Location: Portugal
Status: Offline
Points: 2809 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kotro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 13 2012 at 04:31
Originally posted by Alitare Alitare wrote:

I'm in the middle of reading 'Maus', the graphic novel - I love it so far.

Anybody know any graphic novels that are, well, nowhere near like a normal comic?

I hate superheroes, but I really enjoyed Watchmen, V for Vendetta, most of the Sin City stories, and this Maus one. I'd prefer them to be rich in metaphor and humanity. I've heard good things about Gaiman's Sandman series, but I can't afford that stuff. I may get PDFs or something, though.
 

Have you read/heard of Brian K. Vaughan's Y: The Last Man? Based on the above criteria it should be right up your alley. 
Bigger on the inside.
Back to Top
Alitare View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 08 2008
Location: New York
Status: Offline
Points: 3595 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alitare Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 12 2012 at 21:43
I'm in the middle of reading 'Maus', the graphic novel - I love it so far.

Anybody know any graphic novels that are, well, nowhere near like a normal comic?

I hate superheroes, but I really enjoyed Watchmen, V for Vendetta, most of the Sin City stories, and this Maus one. I'd prefer them to be rich in metaphor and humanity. I've heard good things about Gaiman's Sandman series, but I can't afford that stuff. I may get PDFs or something, though.
Back to Top
Prog Snob View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: June 12 2012
Location: Staten Island
Status: Offline
Points: 225 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Prog Snob Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 12 2012 at 08:14
I just finished reading Game of Thrones. I plan on starting A Clash of Kings as soon as I finish studying for my CCNA.  

I found it so hard to put down Game of Thrones that I actually put a pdf of the book on my cell phone so I could read it any chance I had. 
Back to Top
tupan View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar
VIP Member

Joined: August 22 2005
Location: Brazil
Status: Offline
Points: 1226 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tupan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 12 2012 at 08:12
Originally posted by Alitare Alitare wrote:

Originally posted by Equality 7-2521 Equality 7-2521 wrote:

Originally posted by Alitare Alitare wrote:

Originally posted by Equality 7-2521 Equality 7-2521 wrote:

Originally posted by Alitare Alitare wrote:

That's pretty frightening.


The fact that I like a sci-fi book more than the Giver?

Naw - I thought The Giver was soft sci-fi anyway. 

It scared me that you'd like THAT book over, well, nearly anything. 


I don't really just consider dystopian future books to be sci-fi unless more salient sci-fi features are involved.

But anyway, I see what you're saying. I can respect you disliking the book; I can't respect a general anti-science fiction snobbery.

Now, I'm not some anti-sci-fi snob. Frank Herbert's Dune series is one of my favorites (at least the first 4). I love the short stories of guys like Asimov, Bradbury, Ellison, and Fredric Brown. I just hate Rendezvous with Rama. It is the worst book I've ever forced myself to finish. I detest that sort of 'characterless' hard science fiction where the most important aspect is the 'big dumb object' and not any sense of character depth, emotional resonance, or meaning. Hell, it isn't even an effective action/adventure story. Nobody dies, nothing is in real, immediate danger. No true conflict. Just a bunch of faceless, cardboard scientists exploring some big, trivial machine in the sky. Jules Verne even remembered enough to give us at least a few characters to either vilify or identify with. 

And I couldn't finish Childhood's End. 
 
I agree with many things you said, I prefer "soft" sci-fi than hard sci-fi, but Childhood's End is awesome!
"Prog is Not Dead and never has been." (Will Sergeant, from Echo And The Bunnymen)
Back to Top
Equality 7-2521 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Status: Offline
Points: 15783 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Equality 7-2521 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 11 2012 at 07:03
^
That's one of my favorite moments. I feel Douglass gets too overlooked in intermediate education. It's nice that you cover him.

I figured it was the B&N edition that did the editing. I'll probably write a letter to them that will be ignored about it.
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
Back to Top
Epignosis View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: December 30 2007
Location: Raeford, NC
Status: Offline
Points: 32482 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Epignosis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 11 2012 at 06:41
Originally posted by Equality 7-2521 Equality 7-2521 wrote:

I get giddy when reading an elaborate description of a piece of technology which does not yet exist.

I just finished



A few thoughts on it.
  1. It's my first time reading something by him intended for delivery through the printed page. He writes as well as he speaks.
  2. It definitely changed my conception of slavery. The horrors of the institution are salient enough; however the mindset of the enslaved and hypocrisy of the enslaver put forth caused me to revamp my previous thinking.
  3.  I read the Barnes & Noble classic edition. Curse words have been censored. I'm not sure if this is a result of the edition or if Douglass himself provided the censorship. If it's the former, I find it to be a joke that in a book of this nature that the language could be the thing to offend someone.


I teach an excerpt of this in my class during the week we cover slave narratives in American literature.  We study Douglass' fight with Mr. Covey.   I also pair it with a documentary on Douglass' life, particularly his education and oration.

Incidentally, I don't believe our version is censored at all.
https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays
Back to Top
Equality 7-2521 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Status: Offline
Points: 15783 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Equality 7-2521 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2012 at 21:47
I get giddy when reading an elaborate description of a piece of technology which does not yet exist.

I just finished



A few thoughts on it.
  1. It's my first time reading something by him intended for delivery through the printed page. He writes as well as he speaks.
  2. It definitely changed my conception of slavery. The horrors of the institution are salient enough; however the mindset of the enslaved and hypocrisy of the enslaver put forth caused me to revamp my previous thinking.
  3.  I read the Barnes & Noble classic edition. Curse words have been censored. I'm not sure if this is a result of the edition or if Douglass himself provided the censorship. If it's the former, I find it to be a joke that in a book of this nature that the language could be the thing to offend someone.
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
Back to Top
Alitare View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 08 2008
Location: New York
Status: Offline
Points: 3595 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alitare Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2012 at 17:36
I can't emotionally handle most hard sci-fi. I like events and sincere, realistic characters/personalities. I like direct, harsh and fluid language. I like metaphors and concepts and stuff. Most o' the hard sci-fi I've read (the Clarke, Asimov, etc.) sickened me. I barely finished the first Foundation. Even looking at my Asimov novels on the book shelf scares me. His I Robot cycle was great, but I can't handle lots of descriptions of laser beams and space ships and alien races and scientific equipment and characters that I can't emotionally connect to/against in any feasible means.. 

It is like with Jules Verne - his perfect idea of a novel would've been one without people, just long descriptions of fantastic machines, mechanisms, and research. As much as I enjoyed 20,000 Leagues, I'll always prefer The Invisible Man and The Island of Dr. Moreau. 
Back to Top
Equality 7-2521 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Status: Offline
Points: 15783 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Equality 7-2521 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2012 at 12:30
^ I love the Giver for the record; I just happen to really enjoy Clark and hard science-fiction in general.

Just finished




Best book in the series. Pretty good stuff.
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
Back to Top
Alitare View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: March 08 2008
Location: New York
Status: Offline
Points: 3595 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alitare Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 10 2012 at 06:39
Originally posted by Equality 7-2521 Equality 7-2521 wrote:

Originally posted by Alitare Alitare wrote:

Originally posted by Equality 7-2521 Equality 7-2521 wrote:

Originally posted by Alitare Alitare wrote:

That's pretty frightening.


The fact that I like a sci-fi book more than the Giver?

Naw - I thought The Giver was soft sci-fi anyway. 

It scared me that you'd like THAT book over, well, nearly anything. 


I don't really just consider dystopian future books to be sci-fi unless more salient sci-fi features are involved.

But anyway, I see what you're saying. I can respect you disliking the book; I can't respect a general anti-science fiction snobbery.

Now, I'm not some anti-sci-fi snob. Frank Herbert's Dune series is one of my favorites (at least the first 4). I love the short stories of guys like Asimov, Bradbury, Ellison, and Fredric Brown. I just hate Rendezvous with Rama. It is the worst book I've ever forced myself to finish. I detest that sort of 'characterless' hard science fiction where the most important aspect is the 'big dumb object' and not any sense of character depth, emotional resonance, or meaning. Hell, it isn't even an effective action/adventure story. Nobody dies, nothing is in real, immediate danger. No true conflict. Just a bunch of faceless, cardboard scientists exploring some big, trivial machine in the sky. Jules Verne even remembered enough to give us at least a few characters to either vilify or identify with. 

And I couldn't finish Childhood's End. 
Back to Top
The Truth View Drop Down
Collaborator
Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: April 19 2009
Location: Kansas
Status: Offline
Points: 21795 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Truth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2012 at 22:55
I'm excited for my copy of Demons to show up, sounds like something that will be really enjoyable. In the meantime, Helprin's Winter's Tale is keeping my occupied.
Back to Top
Epignosis View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: December 30 2007
Location: Raeford, NC
Status: Offline
Points: 32482 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Epignosis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2012 at 20:28
Originally posted by Andy Webb Andy Webb wrote:

Originally posted by Equality 7-2521 Equality 7-2521 wrote:

Originally posted by Epignosis Epignosis wrote:

Mmm Dostoyevsky.

The Brothers Karamazov is amazing.


I'm hesitant to read it because it's a translation and it's really long for something I may not enjoy. I realize one of those reasons is really stupid

I couldn't get through it because it seemed like he just went on and on about the tiniest thing for ever and ever.


Context.

19th century people had no TVs.  Hence novels were their "details."
https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays
Back to Top
Epignosis View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Honorary Collaborator

Joined: December 30 2007
Location: Raeford, NC
Status: Offline
Points: 32482 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Epignosis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2012 at 20:25
Originally posted by Equality 7-2521 Equality 7-2521 wrote:

Originally posted by Epignosis Epignosis wrote:

Mmm Dostoyevsky.

The Brothers Karamazov is amazing.


I'm hesitant to read it because it's a translation and it's really long for something I may not enjoy. I realize one of those reasons is really stupid


It made me want to read Russian, if that makes sense.

Get this version if you can:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c2/The_Brothers_Karamazov.jpg

Whether it is faithful to the original Russian I cannot say, but what it is in English is divine.

As for the length- Yes it is long, and I (nor the author, I would imagine) would make any apologies for that.
https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays
Back to Top
Andy Webb View Drop Down
Special Collaborator
Special Collaborator
Avatar
Retired Admin

Joined: June 04 2010
Location: Terria
Status: Offline
Points: 13298 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Andy Webb Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2012 at 20:23
Originally posted by Equality 7-2521 Equality 7-2521 wrote:

Originally posted by Epignosis Epignosis wrote:

Mmm Dostoyevsky.

The Brothers Karamazov is amazing.


I'm hesitant to read it because it's a translation and it's really long for something I may not enjoy. I realize one of those reasons is really stupid

I couldn't get through it because it seemed like he just went on and on about the tiniest thing for ever and ever.
Back to Top
Equality 7-2521 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Status: Offline
Points: 15783 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Equality 7-2521 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 09 2012 at 20:12
Originally posted by Epignosis Epignosis wrote:

Mmm Dostoyevsky.

The Brothers Karamazov is amazing.


I'm hesitant to read it because it's a translation and it's really long for something I may not enjoy. I realize one of those reasons is really stupid
"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 8384858687 320>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.242 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.