[Literature] Currently Reading (discussion)

Shinoyami65 · Postby **Shinoyami65** » Sat Jan 04, 2014 4:35 pm

Speaking of sci-fi novels, is Dune good? I'll probably pick it up at some point, although I'm not wild on the sequel novels. I also need to find some time to go get The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks, too.

Xard · Postby **Xard** » Sat Jan 04, 2014 5:04 pm

It has space Muhammed so obviously only proper way to treat it is as filthy Islamic propaganda

Postby **UrsusArctos** » Sat Jan 04, 2014 9:16 pm

That's being way too harsh, Xard.

Lavinius · Postby **Lavinius** » Sat Jan 04, 2014 9:42 pm

Xard wrote:It has space Muhammed so obviously only proper way to treat it is as filthy Islamic propaganda

senpai...
but really I mean it's closer to space Genghis Khan or space Cyrus of Anshan.

caragnafog dog · Postby **caragnafog dog** » Sat Jan 04, 2014 11:41 pm

Shinoyami65 wrote:Speaking of sci-fi novels, is Dune good? I'll probably pick it up at some point, although I'm not wild on the sequel novels. I also need to find some time to go get The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks, too.

If you're going to read sci-fi it might as well be Dune. I haven't read it in a while but I love it.

Trajan · Postby **Trajan** » Sun Jan 05, 2014 12:33 am

Finished A Game of Thrones a month ago, so it's onto A Clash of Kings now.

Blue Monday · Postby **Blue Monday** » Sun Jan 05, 2014 4:45 am

Finally wrapped this up today - An amazing read for sure.
Ending is beautifully poignant and bittersweet; definitely a couple teary moments there.

SPOILER: Show

When Beverly sees Stan and Eddie in the group reflection in the glass - Almost lost it. Then the epilogue with Bill too, his memory already fading more and more and using his last bit of "childhood" to help Audra.

;_;

Will be promptly moving onto The Hobbit now, as I want to get around to finally reading The Lord of the Rings this year, including The Silmarillion as well.

Looking at my bookshelf; have more King (The Shining and the first three books in The Dark Tower series) and Murakami (After Dark and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle) I can sink my teeth into between any ventures into Middle-Earth.

Postby **Mr. Tines** » Sun Jan 05, 2014 5:04 am

Xard wrote:It has space Muhammed so obviously only proper way to treat it is as filthy Islamic propaganda

Back in the '60s, that was simply quaint Orientalism; and the main talking point was that it was the first SF which had ecology as the science in focus. It's the times that have changed.

caragnafog dog · Postby **caragnafog dog** » Sun Jan 05, 2014 11:09 am

Now that a little time has passed I feel I can talk about The Sea of Fertility a little. The last few pages of the 4th book sort of uproots everything that preceded it in a really bleak and horrifying way that I never expected. The fact that Mishima apparently finished this the morning before he went out and committed seppuku makes it even worse. His work is all very personal but I feel these books in particular are bound up in his frustration and rejection of modern (as he knew it) Japan.

This brand of cosmic nihilism (we have no one and maybe we don't even have ourselves) left me in a daze for a while but I've recovered to the point where I can say that I really loved these books. Mishima was a complicated guy who is inextricably connected to his writing, so reading this series was worth it if only to understand a little bit more about him.

Shinoyami65 · Postby **Shinoyami65** » Sun Jan 05, 2014 11:19 am

Blue Monday wrote:Will be promptly moving onto The Hobbit now, as I want to get around to finally reading The Lord of the Rings this year, including The Silmarillion as well.

I've had The Simarillion and all the other LoTR books for ages, but never got round to reading them...I need to get round to that as well. On a side note, I'm halfway through The Wind-up Bird Chronicle as well, but I started Sputnik Sweetheart as well and so I haven't finished it yet.

Gus Hanson · Postby **Gus Hanson** » Sun Jan 05, 2014 3:37 pm

Currently reading Starship Troopers and I am up to chapter 8. While I enjoy the training flashbacks as much as the next person, it gets kind of boring and I want to just get to the part where the asteroid destroys Buenos Aires.

Chuckman · Postby **Chuckman** » Sun Jan 05, 2014 5:21 pm

Dune is one of the few scifi books that isn't the author masturbating over science bullshit for a thousand pages. Everyone should have it tattooed on their eyelids.

Postby **Mr. Tines** » Sun Jan 05, 2014 5:50 pm

Chuckman wrote:the author masturbating over science bullshit for a thousand pages.

Then read other authors than Greg Egan (who is the only one I can think of who actually does that sort of thing). I could make recommendations if you're interested.

Postby **cyharding** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 11:48 pm

I'm 100 pages into Rendevous with Rama and I'm enjoying it. I don't know if it's intentional on Clarke's part or not, but I got a bit a Jules Verne vibe in the story. Liking Verne's books, this isn't a problem.

AngelNo13Bardiel · Postby **AngelNo13Bardiel** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 10:28 am

Currently splitting time between The Divine Comedy and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

...what? I read other things besides Evafics. There's more to life than fics, you know...but not much more.

Xard · Postby **Xard** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:20 pm

AngelNo13Bardiel wrote:The Divine Comedy

Reading this right now. I love it. Too bad I can't read Italian (not to speak of medieval...)

caragnafog dog · Postby **caragnafog dog** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 3:38 pm

The best part of Inferno is when Virgil-kun decides to be his guide.

Postby **Mr. Tines** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 3:43 pm

Reading the Dorothy Sayers translation (the old Penguin edition) always leaves me thinking in terza rima for a while after.

Chuckman · Postby **Chuckman** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 4:02 pm

Sandow Birk's illustrated one is pretty neat, but the attempts to modernize it with random cultural references mixed in with lists of medieval Italian politicians suffering in hell is pretty stupid.

Now yous guys have me thinking about blowing my Christmas money on a copy of Wayne Barlow's Inferno.

caragnafog dog · Postby **caragnafog dog** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 10:12 am

I've been rereading The Iliad, experiencing those battlefield feels all over again. I'm no fan of the Achaeans but Diomedes really wrecked shit.

[Literature] Currently Reading (discussion)

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