what are you reading?

IronGiant · Post by **IronGiant** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 11:59 pm 0

Making Money by Terry Pratchett

Istar · Post by **Istar** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 7:30 am 0

"Consider Phlebas" by Iain M. Banks. Picked this and "The Player of Games" up for 50p each at the local book recirculatory. Did TPoG first, not realising CP was before it in the series, but actually finding no cognitive dissonance as the earlier book is set several hundred years earlier and thus has little barring the overall concept in common.

Did "Mona Lisa Overdrive" by Gibson before these. I keep trying to appreciate Gibson, but, really, it's all a bit too chaotic. I much prefer stuff like Snow Crash, which is definitely in CyberPunk territory but lacks some of the rawness that Gibson has. Also, Gibson has a tendency to overload the reader with information - possibly a very clever technique to approximate jacking-in - but I keep hitting short-term memory limits. I counted, in one opening paragraph of a chapter in MLO, no less than three new place names and four new characters. That many unfamiliar names, previously unmentioned, all thrown at you in the space of 10-15 reading-seconds, is just too much to assimilate easily, and it was another chapter or two before I had enough mental context to place these new entities in their right frame of reference.

Banks rocks though. Always wanted to read the Culture novels, and loving them.

grue · Post by **grue** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 7:36 am 0

Istar wrote:"Consider Phlebas" by Iain M. Banks. Picked this and "The Player of Games" up for 50p each at the local book recirculatory. Did TPoG first, not realising CP was before it in the series, but actually finding no cognitive dissonance as the earlier book is set several hundred years earlier and thus has little barring the overall concept in common.
---
Banks rocks though. Always wanted to read the Culture novels, and loving them.

The Player of Games is excellent. Pick up Excession too, his best Culture book by far.

Salty · Post by **Salty** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 10:29 am 0

A Spot Of Bother by Mark Haddon. Just finished it last night actually, it was a really good read. I felt somewhat akin to George.

supermario · Post by **supermario** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 12:04 pm 0

Science at the Edge -

A collection of short essays by humanist thinkers. Human nature esays are thought provoking, The AI stuff is a bit meh IMO.

http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/brockma ... print.html

PVB · Post by **PVB** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 12:07 pm 0

While I was with Lisa I read:

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

Callahan's Chronicals(sic) by Spider Robinson

I also found out that there's a new (2005-2006) version of Salem's Lot by Stephen King, which is extended and illustrated, so will have to get that sometime soon.

merman · Post by **merman** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 12:32 pm 0

Douglas Adams - The Salmon of Doubt

Glyndwr · Post by **Glyndwr** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 12:34 pm 0

Michael Palin - Diary (The Python Years)

grue · Post by **grue** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 12:48 pm 0

I just clicked Checkout on play.com:

Item : Looking for Jake - China Mieville

Item : The Jennifer Morgue - Charles Stross

Item : Un Lun Dun - China Mieville

Too much work lately so I figured that a bit before-sleep entertainment would be allowed.

Ely · Post by **Ely** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 1:37 pm 0

Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics and Promise of Sports by Dave Zirin

betamax · Post by **betamax** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 2:38 pm 0

The Ghost from the Grand Banks- Arthur C Clarke.

And excellent tale of engineering without limits as two opposing cultural and financial blocs compete to achieve something that has fascinated and frustrated mankind for decades. i can't really go into it much more, suffice to say its up to Clarke's usual standard, which is to say he renders the magnificent and impossible in such terms that make you think maybe, just maybe today's fantastic will be tomorrow's commonplace.

Cities in Flight- James Blish

This has to be one of the best bits of sci-fi I've ever read. Its erudite without being patronizing, Engaging and compelling without ever losing sense of its scope. Perhaps I'd better do some explaining. The future is shit. The east and west have resumed hostilities and democracy is now just a word as a society of secret projects and desperate measures is formed.

Two separate sets of scientists hit upon two remarkable breakthroughs- the Spindizzy, an anti gravity device cable of moving any mass given enough units and anti agathic drugs which indefinitely postpone death. The science of both these ideas is discussed at great length and may strike the reader as overly dry and technical, but I'm aware that some of you guys will probably cream over it.

Armed with these discoveries, this section of humanity decide to forgo the usual spacecraft method and simply lift entire cities into space, making "okie" cities that travel in search of resources and paying work away from the intrigues of a decaying Earth. Will they survive? Will Mayor Amalfi ever manage to replace Deford's fierce if impetuous competence as city manager? And what of the ultimate spectre of the space ways, the lost Vegan Orbital Fort?

Glyndwr · Post by **Glyndwr** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 2:55 pm 0

Rib wrote:I'm reading this thread in yakyak right now.

I'm reading your response to this thread.

GeeZa · Post by **GeeZa** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:45 pm 0

Just about to finish this:

Not as compelling or insightful as Straw Dogs but has some very good sections and research all the same. He still annoys me but I do love his work. Not books for cheerful people obviously.

Muphex · Post by **Muphex** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:49 pm 0

Istar wrote:"Consider Phlebas" by Iain M. Banks. Picked this and "The Player of Games" up for 50p each at the local book recirculatory. Did TPoG first, not realising CP was before it in the series, but actually finding no cognitive dissonance as the earlier book is set several hundred years earlier and thus has little barring the overall concept in common.

Did "Mona Lisa Overdrive" by Gibson before these. I keep trying to appreciate Gibson, but, really, it's all a bit too chaotic. I much prefer stuff like Snow Crash, which is definitely in CyberPunk territory but lacks some of the rawness that Gibson has. Also, Gibson has a tendency to overload the reader with information - possibly a very clever technique to approximate jacking-in - but I keep hitting short-term memory limits. I counted, in one opening paragraph of a chapter in MLO, no less than three new place names and four new characters. That many unfamiliar names, previously unmentioned, all thrown at you in the space of 10-15 reading-seconds, is just too much to assimilate easily, and it was another chapter or two before I had enough mental context to place these new entities in their right frame of reference.

Banks rocks though. Always wanted to read the Culture novels, and loving them.

Just reading Song Of Stone and very good it is too, I guess it's one of his "culture" books, never read ny of his sci-fi etc but it is post apocalyptic in a sense so might fit if you like his other stuff (as would The Bridge actually).

disciple · Post by **disciple** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 4:58 pm 0

Currently ..

After Dark - Murakami
Prometheus Rising - Robert Wilson
Book of Lies - Various

Ordered off Amazon yesterday ..

Mind and Nature: A Necessary Unity - Gregory Bateson
In Pursuit of Excellence: How to Win in Sport and Life Through Mental Training - Terry Orlick
The First Four Minutes - Roger Bannister