Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

[astra]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

That is what I'm actually reading. Love his sense of humo(u)r. You can feel the guy did not like the social conventions of his time.

Then what whouls he say now?

[nekokami]

Finished Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. I thought the story was more solid and the plotting and characterization more consistent than some of his others. Perhaps I also felt the "in jokes" were easier to get and so less distracting (though for some reason the "Soul Cake Duck" references completely escaped me until about 1/3 through the book). I like DEATH and Susan well enough that I've skipped ahead to Thief of Time for my next Pratchett book. I thought Hex was also quite charming.

I might read Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom soon. I did like Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, though it was more than a little surreal.... People who like D&O might also try Snowcrash by Neil Stephenson.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

That is what I'm actually reading. Love his sense of humo(u)r. You can feel the guy did not like the social conventions of his time.

No, he didn't. He was born and raised in the Midwestern US "Bible Belt", and a lot of his fiction can be seen as Heinlein systematically examining the beliefs he was raised in and asking "Does this make sense?" The answer was frequently "No!"

He continued to do so till the end of his life. His last books were not widely considered successful, but it was obvious he was still reaching for new things and trying to grow as a writer.

Stranger was in part Heinlein's version of Voltaire's Candide. He used a literal man from Mars to examine human customs and find them largely wanting. It was written in at least three stages over a period of several years, as Heinlein groped for the proper form to tell the story he had in mind.

(The protagonist, Valentine Michael Smith, is the only survivor of an ill-fated attempt to found a colony on Mars. He is adopted as an infant by the Martians, and trained in the Martian language and Martian thought. The Martian's view of reality gives them an assortment of abilities we might find supernatural. For instance, the asteroid belt was once a planet, with an intelligent species inhabiting it. The Martians became aware of them, decided they were incompatible, and destroyed the planet, apparently by exercise of mental force.

Another major difference in Martians is that they don't die. A Martian simply discorporates, and his body is dead but his spirit remains present. The body in consumed in a ritual ceremony by the friends and family, and the discorporate spirit is present at the feast. Understanding that the spirits of the human departed don't stick around is a major stumbling block for Smith.)

Incidentally, Stranger appears to be set in the same universe as his juvenile _Red Planet_.
______
Dennis

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

I used to feel like that a while back and was even scared of it. I think it was due mostly to the disservice brought on by the concept of "The Borg".

We were "designed" with a number of senses built in. What if we could add others? That is a philosophical question indeed.

One problem would be what senses they were, and how we would interpret them.

Looking at it further, we do. Although it's not built in and mostly artificial, our use of tools prolong our members and the long range communication tools such as phone and internet, prolong our hearing and visual senses.

Yes, bit those are not additional senses. We use technology to extend what our bodies already do.

I'm addicted to internet to defeat a certain loneliness. I would be very happy to wilfully have the instant communication unity of the Borg. Wouldn't you?

Maybe, maybe not.

Problem number one is that the Borg are no longer individuals. They are a collective.

Problem number two is the depth of the communication and how voluntary it might be. Poul Anderson wrote a story called "Journeys End" in which a man and woman who were telepaths finally found each other. The resulting mind-to-mind communication included not only the surface thoughts but also the deep secrets and things we are ashamed of and don't like to admit to ourselves, let alone others. The result was to permanently drive them apart. Neither could deal with the other knowing that much about them.

Seeing in the dark and much further, other wavelengths, hearing ultrasounds etc. Those augmentations would be acceptable for most anyone. How about magnetic homing like migratory birds?

Lotsa quetions indeed...

Senses and bodily capabilities evolve to meet challenges in the environment. Enhancements like the ones you mention are possible now, using external equipment. What's the benefit to having it built-in? How often do you actually need to do something like that?
______
Dennis

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Lobolover

chapter 26 of "The lair of the white worm" .

I have seen the movie. Very bizarre movie to say the least.

[JSWolf]

As far as Discworld goes, my next book to read is Guards! Guards!. I have also waiting to be read soon is the 5th Spencer book The Judas Goat by Robert B. Parker. I'll have to put all the other in the works books in my signature if I have room for them.

My list as it stands.....
The Concrete Blonde by Micheal Connelly
Kushiel's Dart by Jaqueline Carey
The Runes of the Earth by Stephen R. Donaldson
The Stand (Complete & Uncut) by Stephen King
Dragonseye by Ann McCaffrey
Honor Bound by Keith R.A. DeCandido
Forged in Fire (Star Trek: Excelsior) by Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels
Star Trek: Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers by James Swallow
Path of Destruction: A Novel of the Old Republic by Drew Karpyshyn
The Onuuissance Cells by Steve Jordan

[Ervserver]

I'm reading Dead by Sunset, Ann Rule

[Sparrow]

I've given up on 'Friday' by Robert A. Heinlein - got about half way, but the story wasn't grabbing me, the characters were thinly drawn, and the world view was unconvincing. There have to be better books to spend my time with.

Just started 'Wellington: the years of the sword' by Elizabeth Longford (pbook).
Partly because it ties in with my current audio listen - 'Sharpe's Fortress' by Bernard Cornwell.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Ervserver

I'm reading Dead by Sunset, Ann Rule

An ex-GF of mine really liked Ann Rule. She liked some pretty awful stuff. One of the worst authors that I read because she said it was so good was Diana Gabaldon (sp?). Such awful tripe. Outlander is a really awful love story with this time travel bit tossed in for no good reason. Sappy, way too long, time travel that doesn't work, just pure drivel.

As for Ann Rule, I don't think I can even contemplate picking up one of her books.

[astra]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

An ex-GF of mine really liked Ann Rule. She liked some pretty awful stuff. One of the worst authors that I read because she said it was so good was Diana Gabaldon (sp?). Such awful tripe. Outlander is a really awful love story with this time travel bit tossed in for no good reason. Sappy, way too long, time travel that doesn't work, just pure drivel.

As for Ann Rule, I don't think I can even contemplate picking up one of her books.

After reading this post it is no wonder she is your ex-GF now

[Mindy]

Hmmm, I read a Gabaldon first year Uni coz one of my friends said it was great.
They're basically 'period romance'; some interesting Scots stuff from my point of view but it's the sort of book I'd normally only read because it was in the hotel 'library' on holiday and I'd already read everything (decent) that I'd brought with me.
Still, good to broaden your horizons....
Won't be going out of my way to read any of the sequels though.

[Lobolover]

"The great king" from M.P.Shiel and "All Hallows" by De La Mare.

[DixieGal]

Finished Need for Magic over the weekend. Very good, after the slow start introducing all of the characters.

Began Asimov's March 2008. I'm a bit behind in my reading, but now that it is TV re-run season, I expect to get caught up.

[nekokami]

Stranger is one of the few Heinlein books I've not re-read. (I've re-read Friday, but it's not a favorite.) I suppose I should re-read Stranger at some point, just to see if I get more out of it on a second read. I liked the premise well enough, but didn't engage with any of the characters.

I've often thought Podkayne was probably set in the same universe as Red Planet, and possibly also The Rolling Stones, though perhaps not, as the flat cats would surely have been in more evidence in Red Planet, and would have distracted from the character of Willis. Sometimes it's a bit hard to tell, though, as Heinlein would re-use some ideas, but shift others for the needs of the story. Stones would appear to be set in the same universe as The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, however.

Hm. Maybe I'll re-read some Heinlein tonight. Thief of Time isn't really grabbing me yet.

[Liviu_5]

I cataloged my reading on Goodreads and I am at 108 new for me books finished this year, 102 fiction and 6 non, 30 read as e and 78 as print. Now I have about 12 books I am reading from, of which 2 are main as print, and 2 main as e.