What's with the Paranoia?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Larla

At least I am glad that, like me, you can never be well read either.

I can be well read as I really disliked Battlefield Earth.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I don't consider myself well-read, although I've read many classics in my younger days. Nor do I care a whit about such a label. I read for pure escapism and am perfectly content to admit it. For this reason my reading material is almost entirely genre fiction nowadays, with an occasional nonfiction thrown in. A word "literary" (as in literary fiction) makes me run without looking back. I even avoid genre books which have that dreaded word stuck in their description. The story and characters are vastly more important to me than the quality of writing.

Like you, I read some of the classics in my younger days. However, in my adult life my main reading has been mysteries.

I suppose one could consider oneself well-read within a specific genre (for example, a person might have read a wide variety of authors within a genre such as mysteries or science fiction) but I think "well-read" as a general term would imply that one has read a wide variety of books, including classics but perhaps also including at least a sampling of a variety of genres.

We should probably start a new discussion.

[4691mls]

I've started a new topic as to "well-read" since I thought this deserved its own discussion:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...61#post4069061

[haertig]

It made me smile to see that someone picked up on how a reading forum thread had drifted away from its topic of "paranoia" into one that actually relates to reading - "well read".

But you're right, our threads here tend to drift from one thought to another like a badly written novel.

p.s. - The unexpected drift is what makes it fun to follow threads here. It also makes it an exercise in patience to try to find a post years later, "Wait, was that post about Beowolf in the paranoia thread or in the water skiing thread?"

[JSWolf]

Does anyone who tries to keep their Kobo, Kindle, and other Readers private buy eBooks from Kobo, Amazon, or any other eBookstore that has a Reader associated with it?

[Quoth]

Yes. But I only download, I don't use Whispernet. Also I removed Kindle App from the phone as it connects to Amazon even when not opened. I use Aldiko on the old phone and Lithium on the newer phone, using epubs converted by Calibre.

I've had unexpected Firmware upgrades during reading, (or Kindle Sync messing Collections) so now I have Kobo and Kindle WiFi disabled (deleted Airpoint or changed it) and use my tablet or Laptop to look up stuff in a book.

I didn't mind registering the Kindle as I have an Amazon account and sometimes buy Amazon eBooks. One Kindle has an imaginary person's Amazon account with no payment method. I used a gift card to skip the Payment method on account creation on the Kindle.

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by haertig

It made me smile to see that someone picked up on how a reading forum thread had drifted away from its topic of "paranoia" into one that actually relates to reading - "well read".

But you're right, our threads here tend to drift from one thought to another like a badly written novel.

p.s. - The unexpected drift is what makes it fun to follow threads here. It also makes it an exercise in patience to try to find a post years later, "Wait, was that post about Beowolf in the paranoia thread or in the water skiing thread?"

I do enjoy the unexpected directions some of our discussions take. I don't usually bother starting a new topic when an existing thread drifts, but I thought "well-read" was an interesting concept and if the discussion stayed in the "paranoia" thread, we might miss input from people who wrote off the paranoia thread days ago.

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by 4691mls

I do enjoy the unexpected directions some of our discussions take. I don't usually bother starting a new topic when an existing thread drifts, but I thought "well-read" was an interesting concept and if the discussion stayed in the "paranoia" thread, we might miss input from people who wrote off the paranoia thread days ago.

I bet some people wrote it off weeks ago.

[John F]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

I bet some people wrote it off weeks ago.

I bet your right; the first post was made weeks ago.

[ekbell]

Originally Posted by DNSB

When you consider the total number of books available now compared to the number available through most of history? At one point in time, the majority of books published were theological whether books about theology or fiction based on theology. How many people in this forum has read a book of sermons in the last decade?

.

I'm currently reading a book of sermons! (by John Henry Newman)

[issybird]

Originally Posted by ekbell

I'm currently reading a book of sermons! (by John Henry Newman)

Which edition? I’ve read only his Apologia Pro Vita Sua.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by theducks

Blame the El Rons
(and yes, I read all 10. ONCE)
It got so bad (long) that other Authors poked fun at the series/Author in their books.

To put my nerd hat on for a second:

You are confusing Battlefield Earth (a standalone novel) and Mission Earth (a 10 book series). Both are L. Ron opuses.

For me, I read Fear (which was dreadful) and about half of the first Mission Earth book (The Invaders Plan) and that was enough L. Ron for me.

[binaryhermit]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's likely L. Ron Hubbard would barely be remembered as a crappy Sci-Fi author if it wasn't for the whole scientology thing?

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by binaryhermit

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's likely L. Ron Hubbard would barely be remembered as a crappy Sci-Fi author if it wasn't for the whole scientology thing?

I don't think that statement needs any correcting.

From what I gathered through reading some of his work and what I've read of his Xenu story, he seems to belong to the old school of sci-fi. Guys like E.E. Doc Smith who wrote westerns in space, rather than the Campbell crowd (Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein).

Though I doubt it was his plan, Scientology preserved his legacy.

[Larla]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I don't think that statement needs any correcting.

From what I gathered through reading some of his work and what I've read of his Xenu story, he seems to belong to the old school of sci-fi. Guys like E.E. Doc Smith who wrote westerns in space, rather than the Campbell crowd (Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein).

Though I doubt it was his plan, Scientology preserved his legacy.

I think it does need some correcting. He, in fact, considered himself as part of the Campbell crowd and if he can be believed, Campbell did also. Read his lengthy introduction in Battlefield Earth.

I have only read Battlefield Earth by L. Ron but I feel that it is quite a good SF novel. I first read it because in my younger days it exactly fit my criterion of a good book i.e. it was over 1000 pages long. But I have since re- read it several times over the years because I enjoyed it.

Perhaps his other SF works have rightfully earned him a "crappy SF writer" title but Battlefield Earth does not fall into that category. As Jon said, perhaps it should have ended a couple of hundred pages earlier but it is worth reading before dismissing L. Ron Hubbard as a SF author.