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

[vikrahm]

You might find this story interesting. It's called A Hunter's Blood. You can go to www.huntersblood.net to get to the site. Many people have said they enjoyed the story. It's been getting a great response, and now the eBook's on sale for $5.00. Check it out. You can also join the community.

[DixieGal]

Finished listening to Librivox audiobook, Badge of Infamy, Chapter 1, by Lester del Ray.

Chapter 2, probably tomorrow. It is very good, my sort of space thriller from 1973. I'm certainly not happy with being forced to use audiobooks, due to my failing eyesight, but it's better than nothing.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by nekokami

She does mention the Pern colony origin in a preface to Dragonflight, but I think it's not until the sixth book (The White Dragon) that we actually get any information about this prior colony, and not until Dragondawn (8th? 9th?) that we get information about genetic engineering. In The Reader's Guide to Science Fiction, the reviewers write that she tends to leave scientific explanations of her world to others, and that was true at the time (mid-seventies). I personally didn't feel that her scientific explanations, even when provided, were very strong, and certainly didn't think they were the strongest part of her work.

Anne tends to substitute handwavium for science, but I think most of her readers neither noticed nor cared. They read her for other reasons. The Pern stories first appeared in bastion of hard science fiction Analog magazine, which is somewhat amusing, considering how hard the science wasn't. If she were starting nowadays, I suspect she would be classified as writing romance novels, or SF/Romance crossovers a la Catherine Asaro. (And I did encounter one non-SF book of hers that was a romance featuring a couple of gay trapeze artists.)

I agree with bbusybookworm that the Harper Hall books, including The Masterharper of Pern, were the best of the lot. Her interest in and knowledge of music really strengthened those books, without getting in the way of some excellent characterization. While I will occasionally re-read some of her other books, those are the ones I return to over and over.

Agreed. The best of the Ship Who Sang stories were informed by the love of music as well.

Asking fans to copyright books in her name as well as their own is a good way of avoiding the "fanfiction plagiarism" problem from the direction you mention, as well as requiring fans to acknowledge her contribution to the fanfiction.

I wonder if/how that was implemented for PernMUSH?

I have no idea.
______
Dennis

[bbusybookworm]

Deciding to add a little something new to my reading list besides my ongoing rereading of Ann MCCaffrey's Talents series, I'm partway through

I Am America (and So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert

While not a regular watcher of The Colbert Report, his humor is biting and quiet cynical, a pefect fit for my current mood as related to Elections.

While it is squarely aimed at an American audience it is still relevent when looking at politics any where in the world.

The only drawback was that price, while not the highest, is not the cheapest either. Still it did allow me to put my micropay credit to good use.

[The Skwerl]

Sitting here reading Terry Brooks The Gypsy Morph

[bbusybookworm]

Just Skimmed through a few pages of

The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld by Terry Pratchett (Author), Stephen Briggs (Author)

I keep it around to dip in, when I need a laugh, and boy did I really need one today

Its full of quotes and funny stuff from his Discworld Series, and I must say that it is invaluable for times when I just want to relieve a quick scene, without having to laborious search through half a dozen boxes to find the particular book .

Stephen Briggs has definitely done a good job here. Now if only he'll put out the Discworld Companion as a Mobi Dictionary (so I can then justify rebuying my whole Pratchett collection as ebooks, and have the companion easily available to check stuff), or even at least as an ebook. Grrr!

My only regret was that it was only available in pBook when I bought it, so no easy access on the Reader

Actually that's one of my biggest complaints about Pratchett books. The unavailability of books such as the Companion, Science off.. , other reference books as ebooks.

[astra]

I gave up on The Name of the Rose today. Cannot read all this theological gibberish.

Couldn't decide what to read. Catch-22 or A Sundial in the Grave: 1610
Catch-22 has won. About 1/5 into it. Not much fun so far.

[Dr. Drib]

I'm 2/3 through a nice, juicy Edgar Rice Burroughs clone, called Thundar, Man of Two Worlds.

I think the author tries to do too many things "Burroughsish," and the novel falls somewhat flat, although the action scenes are riveting. A little diversion from my Literature reading.

I'm alternating my reading of this with Proust.

About Catch-22 [astra's post], I have the fondest memories of reading this back in 1972. I look forward to reading that again, as well as Vonnegut....(tap dancing and farting aliens, indeed. Hahahaha. ).


Don

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by astra

I gave up on The Name of the Rose today. Cannot read all this theological gibberish.

Couldn't decide what to read. Catch-22 or A Sundial in the Grave: 1610
Catch-22 has won. About 1/5 into it. Not much fun so far.

I didn't make it through 'The Name of the Rose' either, for the same reason. One example where the film is better than the book imho.

I thought 'Catch 22' was ok, but very repetitive. If you're a fifth of the way in, things aren't going to get any better.

I'm currently reading 'Vanity Fair' btw - half way through; very good so far.

[astra]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I didn't make it through 'The Name of the Rose' either, for the same reason. One example where the film is better than the book imho.

I thought 'Catch 22' was ok, but very repetitive. If you're a fifth of the way in, things aren't going to get any better.

I'm currently reading 'Vanity Fair' btw - half way through; very good so far.

Thanks a lot.
At least I don't have to be ashamed. I am not alone

[DixieGal]

I never cared much for Catch 22, but that's probably because it was force fed to us in high school.

Still listening to the audiobooks, but my eyes are getting better, so I'm also reading Overclocked Stories of the Future Present by Cory Doctorow (MR download). It's pretty good, a collection of stories that make you think.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by astra

Thanks a lot.
At least I don't have to be ashamed. I am not alone

I would say give up on Catch-22. If you're that far into it and it's not doing anything for you, you should probably let that one go to the Book Grave.

Don

[astra]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

I would say give up on Catch-22. If you're that far into it and it's not doing anything for you, you should probably let that one go to the Book Grave.

Don

I bet you loved it.

I will give it a bit more time, up till 1/3.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by astra

I bet you loved it.

I will give it a bit more time, up till 1/3.

Yeah, I do love it, but remember there's that kind of "craziness" factor in my humor (you and I were discussing in a different thread ) that the book touches in my personality.

I understand books don't always have the same emotional reaction. I discovered Catch-22 at a rebellious time in my youth; but it was also a time of cultural rebellion and growth for my country, too.

I haven't re-read the book since that time in 1972, but I remember how absurd (in different - or perhaps in similar? - ways than today) the world was back then.

Don

[astra]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

Yeah, I do love it, but remember there's that kind of "craziness" factor in my humor (you and I were discussing in a different thread ) that the book touches in my personality.

I understand books don't always have the same emotional reaction. I discovered Catch-22 at a rebellious time in my youth; but it was also a time of cultural rebellion and growth for my country, too.

I haven't re-read the book since that time in 1972, but I remember how absurd (in different - or perhaps in similar? - ways than today) the world was back then.

Don

Oh well, I loved Hard to be God in my youth as well. Didn't like it when I re-read it a few weeks ago. So, who knows?

The book is a bit crazy...making a lot of fun showing idiocity of Army...reminds me very much Soviet Army.... I even giggled a couple of times yesterday It is just not the type of a book I enjoy reading.

I am not going to say it is rubbish (like I do when I remember The Redemption of Althalus ). Just probably not my cup of tea.