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Re: New now reading

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 03:23
by joels344
The Russians have everyone beaten on writing atmospheric apocalyptic stories:

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Re: New now reading

Posted: 09 Mar 2017, 22:08
by Snarfyguy
Martin Amis - The Information

A re-read. I don't really have anything else teed up right now. It was the first of his I read, and I think the one I enjoyed the most.

Re: New now reading

Posted: 10 Mar 2017, 09:12
by Darkness_Fish
K wrote:
Darkness_Fish wrote:Image

That's on my list

It's really good in the earlier chapters, which takes a very broad sweeping athropological view on certain subjects. Such as the agricultural revolution being largely bad for humankind's sense of happiness, which is a controversial opinion, but he states his reasoning clearly and (possibly a little) simplistically. When he gets up to modern times, politics/economy/religion, it was less entertaining. Partially due to my lack of interest on much more familiar ground being covered, and partially because I think his arguments were more based on personal opinion than a particularly scientific rationale.

Well worth a read.

Re: New now reading

Posted: 10 Mar 2017, 13:52
by joels344
Brilliant political space opera with a historical scope, world and characterization that makes Star Wars look like a children's story. The title is somewhat grandiose but the story is so good that it earns such a title. Looking forward to the other 7 books and it seems they're all going to be translated.

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Re: New now reading

Posted: 11 Mar 2017, 13:41
by joels344
This book reminds me of Roadside Picnic meets Rendezvous with Rama. It's definitely holding my attention thus far and it's a short read which is sometimes nice. Now, let's see if he can hook me for the entire trilogy.

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Re: New now reading

Posted: 11 Mar 2017, 13:51
by Fonz
joels344 wrote:... makes Star Wars look like a children's story.

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No offense, but Star Wars IS a children's story.

Re: New now reading

Posted: 11 Mar 2017, 14:18
by Darkness_Fish
joels344 wrote:This book reminds me of Roadside Picnic meets Rendezvous with Rama. It's definitely holding my attention thus far and it's a short read which is sometimes nice. Now, let's see if he can hook me for the entire trilogy.

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I recently read his Finch, a kind of sci-fi detective noir, just with more fungal-lifeforms than the average Daschiell Hammett novel. I enjoyed it, even if it took me a while to understand his setting.

Re: New now reading

Posted: 11 Mar 2017, 14:19
by joels344
Fonz wrote:
joels344 wrote:... makes Star Wars look like a children's story.

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No offense, but Star Wars IS a children's story.


No offense taken. I'm not necessarily a Star Wars fan anyway.

Re: New now reading

Posted: 11 Mar 2017, 15:33
by joels344
Darkness_Fish wrote:
joels344 wrote:This book reminds me of Roadside Picnic meets Rendezvous with Rama. It's definitely holding my attention thus far and it's a short read which is sometimes nice. Now, let's see if he can hook me for the entire trilogy.

Image

I recently read his Finch, a kind of sci-fi detective noir, just with more fungal-lifeforms than the average Daschiell Hammett novel. I enjoyed it, even if it took me a while to understand his setting.


That one also sounds like a good read. Once he establishes a setting, they are very intriguing and atmospheric.

Re: New now reading

Posted: 11 Mar 2017, 22:37
by the masked man
Paul Morley - The Age Of Bowie:

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So far, a thrilling read. Morley is a great critic, and he's sketching the life of Britain's greatest rock star with skill and perception. He is an unusual stylist, and not everyone likes his boastful style, but this works well here. It's one from the heart.

Re: New now reading

Posted: 14 Mar 2017, 14:44
by Jimbo
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Just downloaded this. This is the first in a long series of books. Scarrow was recommended if you like Cornwell or O'Brian. Is anyone here familiar with the series?

Re: New now reading

Posted: 14 Mar 2017, 14:59
by Darkness_Fish
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Re: New now reading

Posted: 14 Mar 2017, 15:52
by Snarfyguy
the masked man wrote:Paul Morley - The Age Of Bowie:

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So far, a thrilling read. Morley is a great critic, and he's sketching the life of Britain's greatest rock star with skill and perception. He is an unusual stylist, and not everyone likes his boastful style, but this works well here. It's one from the heart.

The LRB's correspondent doesn't quite reach the same conclusion: https://www.lrb.co.uk/v39/n01/ian-penma ... ng-teatime

This was lost in my apartment for years ( :oops: ) in the hurly-burley of having a baby/toddler/young child at home, but I just came across it the other night, so I'm looking forward to getting back to it:

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Re: New now reading

Posted: 16 Mar 2017, 08:26
by Jimbo
Jimbo wrote:Image

Just downloaded this. This is the first in a long series of books. Scarrow was recommended if you like Cornwell or O'Brian. Is anyone here familiar with the series?



I am just a few chapters into this and it's really really good. The characters are well etched soldier stereotypes, the new recruit, the sadistic but good hearted drill sergeant, the effete general and many more recognizable characters. They're all in the story along with the knowledge of how the Roman army worked. It's a break from all the Cornwell I read but not much of a break, very similar to the Sharpe series but Scarrow's men are less "manly" and more human. If you like this sort of reading, so far - - - five stars!

Re: New now reading

Posted: 16 Mar 2017, 19:22
by harvey k-tel
I think King's lost his touch.

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Re: New now reading

Posted: 16 Mar 2017, 19:27
by Minnie the Minx
Harvey K-Tel wrote:I think King's lost his touch.

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:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: New now reading

Posted: 17 Mar 2017, 15:21
by Snarfyguy
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A chapter a night before bed, with the little one. At five, she's not picking up on a lot of the references/jokes and she seems to be merely tolerating it, but we're only three chapters in, so we'll see how it goes. I'm enjoying it a lot, however!

Re: New now reading

Posted: 17 Mar 2017, 15:41
by KeithPratt
I can't wait to tackle a load of children's "classics" that I never read as a child - Robinson Crusoe, Treasure Island etc - with my boy. At the moment though we're limited to Dr Seuss, although he does love the Hilda series - a truly fantastic load of books by Luke Pearson. Think Miyazaki meets the Moomins.

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Re: New now reading

Posted: 21 Mar 2017, 13:04
by Darkness_Fish
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French crime-fiction which has as its main character a blind & mute quadriplegic, who is told the details of a series of murders by a 7 year old girl, and has no way of communicating the info to anyone else.

Re: New now reading

Posted: 28 Mar 2017, 23:46
by echolalia
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Each chapter is subtitled with an address complete with GPS coordinates, for obsessives. It’s entirely comprised of testimonials/excerpts, with no narrative input from Jean Stein. It’s all in the montage then – the way she chops up, edits and sequences her material – very filmic. The story of the Doheny “oil family” was new to me and she puts it together very well. (Except it didn’t feel new, because as several people in this chapter point out, the various elements of the story are scattered across Raymond Chandler’s novels.) Great stuff – I’m really enjoying it.