quickwhips
Member Forever
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Makes sense. When I work out I feel better and I'm in a more positive mood.
Thread: What are you reading?
Recently finished The Call Of The Wild by Jack London which I really enjoyed. I had read White Fang previously for a book club and enjoyed it, so I figured I might as well check out the other book about a doggo.
Currently on Crime and Punishment which I like but I have to admit I'm having a hard time concentrating while reading it. It gets a bit meandering at points and it probably doesn't help I've been busy all month and my mind is all over the place.
Currently on Crime and Punishment which I like but I have to admit I'm having a hard time concentrating while reading it. It gets a bit meandering at points and it probably doesn't help I've been busy all month and my mind is all over the place.
DonDonDonPata
Bridge Burn Man
Nearly finished with Daemonologie
I went in with some hesitation, not knowing what to expect, thinking to myself "I wonder what they actually thought of witchcraft and the inquisition back in the day". This is a very interesting book. King James applies a proto-psychological / scientific approach to the question of demons in his kingdom and abroad in christendom. In almost all cases, he explains the phenomenon of demons, possession, and "devilry" as natural tricks and deceptions. He does not deny that demons exist or are involved, but he puts forth the idea that these ethereal creatures merely nudge a human one way or another.
The entire thing is laid out as a back-and-forth dialogue. Speaking from the context of a protestant christian aligned against the roman catholic church, KJ is very critical of whimsical / fantastical reports of the abilities of witches and demons, and he goes into detail explaining that the devil's most powerful tool is deception, and therefore many of these reports are all the more powerful because they are untrue at their core, but still believed by the christian populace.
The most surprising part is how even-handed he is, I would've expected it to be full of far more fire and brimstone. Like I mentioned above, he explains most demonic phenomenon and witchcraft as natural -- if not secret -- artifices, and argues that bad health choices and "sinful" lifestyles are just as likely to cause the demonic symptoms as an actual malicious spirit.
he's not 100% "scientific", though. He supports the notion that demons exist and that they affect humans, to one degree or another. With delusions, possessions, hauntings, and even healings via witchcraft, his method of explaining leads back to his underlying assumption of deception and manipulation. For instance, in the case of miraculous healings performed by witch, King James suggests that the person was either cured naturally by the remedies provided by the witch, and/or the disease itself was a demonic affliction which the witch just so happened to remove by her evil charms and methods.
I'm not sure I gained much from the book from a "religious" perspective, as it didn't sway my opinions on spirits either direction. It was well worth the read from a historical and psychology perspective. He is trying to rationalize the emerging secular scientific mindset of the enlightenment/reformation with his own personal experiences with witchcraft-ery in the territories he governs. These sort of historical books are my favorite to read, because you get someone's thoughts on a contemporary topic of their own day, spoken in their own words, it's not just a summary of historical events written by a modern author.
Good book. Very challenging for me as well but I'm glad I read it
I went in with some hesitation, not knowing what to expect, thinking to myself "I wonder what they actually thought of witchcraft and the inquisition back in the day". This is a very interesting book. King James applies a proto-psychological / scientific approach to the question of demons in his kingdom and abroad in christendom. In almost all cases, he explains the phenomenon of demons, possession, and "devilry" as natural tricks and deceptions. He does not deny that demons exist or are involved, but he puts forth the idea that these ethereal creatures merely nudge a human one way or another.
The entire thing is laid out as a back-and-forth dialogue. Speaking from the context of a protestant christian aligned against the roman catholic church, KJ is very critical of whimsical / fantastical reports of the abilities of witches and demons, and he goes into detail explaining that the devil's most powerful tool is deception, and therefore many of these reports are all the more powerful because they are untrue at their core, but still believed by the christian populace.
The most surprising part is how even-handed he is, I would've expected it to be full of far more fire and brimstone. Like I mentioned above, he explains most demonic phenomenon and witchcraft as natural -- if not secret -- artifices, and argues that bad health choices and "sinful" lifestyles are just as likely to cause the demonic symptoms as an actual malicious spirit.
he's not 100% "scientific", though. He supports the notion that demons exist and that they affect humans, to one degree or another. With delusions, possessions, hauntings, and even healings via witchcraft, his method of explaining leads back to his underlying assumption of deception and manipulation. For instance, in the case of miraculous healings performed by witch, King James suggests that the person was either cured naturally by the remedies provided by the witch, and/or the disease itself was a demonic affliction which the witch just so happened to remove by her evil charms and methods.
I'm not sure I gained much from the book from a "religious" perspective, as it didn't sway my opinions on spirits either direction. It was well worth the read from a historical and psychology perspective. He is trying to rationalize the emerging secular scientific mindset of the enlightenment/reformation with his own personal experiences with witchcraft-ery in the territories he governs. These sort of historical books are my favorite to read, because you get someone's thoughts on a contemporary topic of their own day, spoken in their own words, it's not just a summary of historical events written by a modern author.
Good book. Very challenging for me as well but I'm glad I read it
Without Roots: Europe, Relativism, Christianity, Islam eBook : Ratzinger, Joseph, Pera, Marcello: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
Without Roots: Europe, Relativism, Christianity, Islam eBook : Ratzinger, Joseph, Pera, Marcello: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
www.amazon.co.uk
Interesting read so far, interesting to see what the old pope had to say about western decline, written quite a while before it really kicked off but so far remarkably prescient.
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
This was my third reading of this great book. Last one was probably 8 or 9 years ago at this point. Which was great as I had forgotten many of the minor details that kept it a page turner til the end. This book is the basis for the excellent 2000 Kinji Fukasaku film Battle Royale. The book and the film have the same general plot (jr high kids put in game where they are given random weapons and must kill each other off til the last) and (mostly) the same characters. So if you have seen the film you havea good idea what you are in for.
Where the book shines is the amount of depth and backstory given for what seem like minor characters in the film. In the book they are living breathing people and there for their deaths are a bit more meaningful.
There are a couple characters that are fairly different in the book like the games facilitator, who in the film is played by Takeshi Kitano and suppose to be one of their former teachers. In the book he is a random government villain with long hair who has a very different demeanor to him.
While the Fukasaku film has wonderful scenes of frantic violence, the book stretches out many of the combat scenes to be much more thrilling.
All in all 9.5/10 Highly Recommended!
This was my third reading of this great book. Last one was probably 8 or 9 years ago at this point. Which was great as I had forgotten many of the minor details that kept it a page turner til the end. This book is the basis for the excellent 2000 Kinji Fukasaku film Battle Royale. The book and the film have the same general plot (jr high kids put in game where they are given random weapons and must kill each other off til the last) and (mostly) the same characters. So if you have seen the film you havea good idea what you are in for.
Where the book shines is the amount of depth and backstory given for what seem like minor characters in the film. In the book they are living breathing people and there for their deaths are a bit more meaningful.
There are a couple characters that are fairly different in the book like the games facilitator, who in the film is played by Takeshi Kitano and suppose to be one of their former teachers. In the book he is a random government villain with long hair who has a very different demeanor to him.
While the Fukasaku film has wonderful scenes of frantic violence, the book stretches out many of the combat scenes to be much more thrilling.
All in all 9.5/10 Highly Recommended!
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
This was my third reading of this great book. Last one was probably 8 or 9 years ago at this point. Which was great as I had forgotten many of the minor details that kept it a page turner til the end. This book is the basis for the excellent 2000 Kinji Fukasaku film Battle Royale. The book and the film have the same general plot (jr high kids put in game where they are given random weapons and must kill each other off til the last) and (mostly) the same characters. So if you have seen the film you havea good idea what you are in for.
Where the book shines is the amount of depth and backstory given for what seem like minor characters in the film. In the book they are living breathing people and there for their deaths are a bit more meaningful.
There are a couple characters that are fairly different in the book like the games facilitator, who in the film is played by Takeshi Kitano and suppose to be one of their former teachers. In the book he is a random government villain with long hair who has a very different demeanor to him.
While the Fukasaku film has wonderful scenes of frantic violence, the book stretches out many of the combat scenes to be much more thrilling.
All in all 9.5/10 Highly Recommended!
Read that a few years ago and loved it, even more than the movie
Only half way through it, but can thoroughly recommend The Great Fire: One American's Mission to Rescue Victims of the 20th Century's First Genocide by Lou Ureneck.
Details the history of the great fire of Smyrna (Izmir in Turkey) in 1922. Many brave American sailors rescued 100,000 plus Greeks and Armenians against the dictates of higher authority.
A great read, and a history I knew little about despite having some relatives from that city - especially the American intervention.
Details the history of the great fire of Smyrna (Izmir in Turkey) in 1922. Many brave American sailors rescued 100,000 plus Greeks and Armenians against the dictates of higher authority.
A great read, and a history I knew little about despite having some relatives from that city - especially the American intervention.
Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut
I love me some Vonnegut, but wasnt feeling this one too much. The prologue of the book is an abbreviated autobiography (literally) While illuminating (I have never read up on the man... I just read his books), it wasnt that entertaining. And then there is the actual story. It was interesting and had a lot of cool ideas, but many of them felt rushed. He spends a long time on the childhood and backstories of Eliza and Wilbur and that is very interesting if a bit gross at times. But then when it gets to Wilbur's adult life it felt like every thing was just summary. Becoming president, the country getting destroyed, the king of Michigan, the duke of Oklahoma. and fascinating ideas but very little meat on the bones.
I love me some Vonnegut, but wasnt feeling this one too much. The prologue of the book is an abbreviated autobiography (literally) While illuminating (I have never read up on the man... I just read his books), it wasnt that entertaining. And then there is the actual story. It was interesting and had a lot of cool ideas, but many of them felt rushed. He spends a long time on the childhood and backstories of Eliza and Wilbur and that is very interesting if a bit gross at times. But then when it gets to Wilbur's adult life it felt like every thing was just summary. Becoming president, the country getting destroyed, the king of Michigan, the duke of Oklahoma. and fascinating ideas but very little meat on the bones.
1. The Sirens of Titan
2. Mother Night
3. Player Piano
4. Cat's Cradle
5. Slaughterhouse Five
6. Galapagos
7. Deadeye Dick
8. Slapstick
9. Bluebeard
2. Mother Night
3. Player Piano
4. Cat's Cradle
5. Slaughterhouse Five
6. Galapagos
7. Deadeye Dick
8. Slapstick
9. Bluebeard
DonDonDonPata
Bridge Burn Man
Finished reading The Anabesis / March of the 10000 by Xenophon. Very good narrative, packed with as much betrayal, inspiring speeches, and interesting anecdotes as any story. If you know your history especially the previous wars between greeks and persians, the narrative is all the richer.
My favorite parts were the small bits of "travelogue" describing the countryside of the Persians, the food, the villagers, the ruins. Xenophon explains "the small palm dates we are normally accustomed to eating in Hellenes were here in Persia set aside for servants, while the bigger fruits of a size we had never seen were given to the masters like large chunks of amber". Or the description of the wall of Media, which was "made of bakes brick and bitumen, 20 feet wide and 100 feet tall, stretching for a length of 70 miles" or when they travel through a giant abandoned metropolis in the north, not realizing they were in the ancient Assyrian city of Ninevah.
Ferdinand the Cowfish
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Still reading through Malazan Book of the Fallen.
I'm almost done with the 5th book, Midnight Tides.
I'm almost done with the 5th book, Midnight Tides.
At this point, I'd consider this the weakest book in the series so far. I dislike the shift away from the Malazan Empire to the Edur and Tehol Beddict annoys the crap out of me. That said, I'm sure that by the end of this book it will be tied back into the events of books 1-4.
Calcium
Stupid Spoiled Whore
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Still reading through Malazan Book of the Fallen.
I'm almost done with the 5th book, Midnight Tides.
At this point, I'd consider this the weakest book in the series so far. I dislike the shift away from the Malazan Empire to the Edur and Tehol Beddict annoys the crap out of me. That said, I'm sure that by the end of this book it will be tied back into the events of books 1-4.
Interesting. I think Midnight Tides might be my favorite in the series. I was thrown off at first, but the Edur were pretty interesting. I fucking loved the Rhulad stuff and Trull Sengar is my man.
You don't like Tehol?! Wow, the Tehol/Bugg stuff is always super entertaining for me.
Unfortunately the disconnect of being thrown into unknown territory is something that endures in the series. I'm on the ninth book and Erickson is still throwing long tenures with random cultures at the reader. I really thought he'd be wrapping shit up at this point, but the man can't resist a good detour.
You don't like Tehol?! Wow, the Tehol/Bugg stuff is always super entertaining for me.
Unfortunately the disconnect of being thrown into unknown territory is something that endures in the series. I'm on the ninth book and Erickson is still throwing long tenures with random cultures at the reader. I really thought he'd be wrapping shit up at this point, but the man can't resist a good detour.
I read through these 2 by Michael Sandel, a political philosopher. Started with the Tyranny of Merit then wanted to read another by him. Justice was a fairly boring, dated slog that compares different philosophers' views of what it means to be just, with metacommentary on Obama-era events like the big bank bailouts.
Ferdinand the Cowfish
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The comedic aspect of their relationship just doesn't fit with the serious tone of the rest of the novels. Their chapters are Tehol/Bugg dialog, which is funny, a bodyguard with a huge dick that doesn't want to just be used for sex, a dead woman who is always horny, and another dead guy who wants claws and fangs. It's just so different from the tone of the previous 4 novels that it's jarring.
I agree the Edur stuff is really interesting, especially since we meet Trull in the previous novel. It's nice to know his backstory and I suspect that he and Rhuland will figure into other novels moving forward.
Originally, I thought all of this book happened far in the past, but I did look at the wiki so I know it happens pretty much at the same time as Gardens of the Moon and I know WHY it seems like it's happening in the past, which is really interesting.
I ended up buying the Malazan ebook which collects all 10 of the original novels as one large ebook. Despite being almost done reading the 5th book, it seems like I'm only about 42% done with the series, going by page count.
I agree the Edur stuff is really interesting, especially since we meet Trull in the previous novel. It's nice to know his backstory and I suspect that he and Rhuland will figure into other novels moving forward.
Originally, I thought all of this book happened far in the past, but I did look at the wiki so I know it happens pretty much at the same time as Gardens of the Moon and I know WHY it seems like it's happening in the past, which is really interesting.
I ended up buying the Malazan ebook which collects all 10 of the original novels as one large ebook. Despite being almost done reading the 5th book, it seems like I'm only about 42% done with the series, going by page count.
Ferdinand the Cowfish
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Outlaw Platoon by Sean Parnell
Was a solid first hand war story. It follows a US Army Ranger platoon operating in Afghanistan. Perspective is that of the platoon's lieutenant (Parnell). Slow starter as they introduce you to the theater and coming to terms with going to war as a leader. But once they make their first contact it is a wild ride. Does a good job of displaying the strength of warriors and waste of war.
Its kind of numbing reading this now. All that fighting. All the sacrifices... and for what? Taliban are back in control of Afghanistan. I wish I could say we will learn a lesson here... but we wont. I am sure the next generation will be wasted on some other conflict.
Was a solid first hand war story. It follows a US Army Ranger platoon operating in Afghanistan. Perspective is that of the platoon's lieutenant (Parnell). Slow starter as they introduce you to the theater and coming to terms with going to war as a leader. But once they make their first contact it is a wild ride. Does a good job of displaying the strength of warriors and waste of war.
Its kind of numbing reading this now. All that fighting. All the sacrifices... and for what? Taliban are back in control of Afghanistan. I wish I could say we will learn a lesson here... but we wont. I am sure the next generation will be wasted on some other conflict.
Just finished reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
I had read The Hobbit when I was younger and thoroughly enjoyed it. I also, of course, enjoyed The Lord of the Rings movies when they came out, but for whatever reason I never got around to reading through the actual original books despite being a huge fan of fantasy as a kid and young adult. I've ready all sorts of stuff from Dragonlance to A Song of Ice and Fire, but I think I had the impression that The Lord of the Rings books, being sort of the origin of everything, were a bit drab or lacking in complexity. The movies probably reinforced that concept in me since, while they were extremely well done, they were pretty straightforward action movies where the forces of good team up to defeat the Big Bad. If only I knew earlier how much was discarded from the books to translate them to the big screen.
Anyway, I started with a re-read of The Hobbit (still amazing), and blasted through the trilogy, completely engrossed the entire way through. I'm honestly embarrassed to have been as impressed with George R. R. Martin's world building as I was. That's all amateur hour compared to what Tolkien did if you ask me. Maybe I'm just at a point in my life where the ugly cynicism of GRRM's stuff is no longer as appealing as when I was younger. Whatever the case, I'm really glad I decided to revisit LOTR, because these are now easily my favorite fantasy books, if not books in general.
I'm now going to read through The Silmarillion before deciding if I check out any of the other posthumously published works that delve deeper into the First and Second ages.
Once I'm done with that, I'm planning to read some Dostoevsky for the first time and start with this translation of The Brothers Karamazov. From all that I've heard about it, I'm going in with rather high expectations.
I had read The Hobbit when I was younger and thoroughly enjoyed it. I also, of course, enjoyed The Lord of the Rings movies when they came out, but for whatever reason I never got around to reading through the actual original books despite being a huge fan of fantasy as a kid and young adult. I've ready all sorts of stuff from Dragonlance to A Song of Ice and Fire, but I think I had the impression that The Lord of the Rings books, being sort of the origin of everything, were a bit drab or lacking in complexity. The movies probably reinforced that concept in me since, while they were extremely well done, they were pretty straightforward action movies where the forces of good team up to defeat the Big Bad. If only I knew earlier how much was discarded from the books to translate them to the big screen.
Anyway, I started with a re-read of The Hobbit (still amazing), and blasted through the trilogy, completely engrossed the entire way through. I'm honestly embarrassed to have been as impressed with George R. R. Martin's world building as I was. That's all amateur hour compared to what Tolkien did if you ask me. Maybe I'm just at a point in my life where the ugly cynicism of GRRM's stuff is no longer as appealing as when I was younger. Whatever the case, I'm really glad I decided to revisit LOTR, because these are now easily my favorite fantasy books, if not books in general.
I'm now going to read through The Silmarillion before deciding if I check out any of the other posthumously published works that delve deeper into the First and Second ages.
Once I'm done with that, I'm planning to read some Dostoevsky for the first time and start with this translation of The Brothers Karamazov. From all that I've heard about it, I'm going in with rather high expectations.
I just finished the audiobook of After the Quake, short story collection by Haruki Murakami themed around the 1995 Kobe earthquake.
First audiobook I listened to that had voice actors doing the characters. Was pretty enjoyable that way.
The final story really hit me on an emotional level at the end. I can see why the book is considered one of his best.
First audiobook I listened to that had voice actors doing the characters. Was pretty enjoyable that way.
The final story really hit me on an emotional level at the end. I can see why the book is considered one of his best.
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut
While this one was slow to start and set up secondary characters just to reference them later (briefly), it was pretty good. The character Eliot Rosewater was fun to follow. The way he would deal with the people who called the black phone was hilarious.
But where I think the money was (pun intended) was when they are in the Rhode Island bit and the banker explains why conservatism is the only logical perspective when wealthy. Especially when it is unearned wealth. And eviscerates the sophomoric origin of limousine liberals.
Ending is a bit of a sucker punch that was only foretold by the lack of pages remaining. Kind of a lame cop out, but I dont think this story was really about the story. It was about the ideas of wealth and inequality and teh characters are just vehicles for that narrative.
Overall a mid pack Vonnegut, but would probably still recommend it.
While this one was slow to start and set up secondary characters just to reference them later (briefly), it was pretty good. The character Eliot Rosewater was fun to follow. The way he would deal with the people who called the black phone was hilarious.
But where I think the money was (pun intended) was when they are in the Rhode Island bit and the banker explains why conservatism is the only logical perspective when wealthy. Especially when it is unearned wealth. And eviscerates the sophomoric origin of limousine liberals.
Ending is a bit of a sucker punch that was only foretold by the lack of pages remaining. Kind of a lame cop out, but I dont think this story was really about the story. It was about the ideas of wealth and inequality and teh characters are just vehicles for that narrative.
Overall a mid pack Vonnegut, but would probably still recommend it.
DonDonDonPata
Bridge Burn Man
fascinating book that builds upon certain realizations I had after reading 'The Occult in Russian and Soviet Culture'.
Started this after wanting to read it for years. It's been out of print for decades but it was revised and updated last year. It's a fascinating read because it was published originally in 1978 when the public perception of Brian Wilson was vastly different. Today he is recognized as a genius but back then that was not the case. This is the book that started to make people pay attention and evaluate what Brian did and got the ball rolling on him getting the recognition he deserved. It's so interesting to read it as it is pleading a case for Brian and The Beach Boys instead of the established fact journalists parrot today.
GreyHorace
Member
The Leper of Saint Giles: The fifth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters (nee Edith Pargeter) - Decided to read up on my collection of used books of the Cadfael Chronicles, the excellent medieval whodunit series from Welsh author Ellis Peters. If you must know, the books are set in 12th century England during the Anarchy, a civil war between King Stephen and his cousin The Empress Maud for the Crown. In the town of Shrewsbury, a Benedectine monk named Cadfael helps the local sheriff solve murders that would normally be ignored during this time of death and intrigue. Cadfael is no ordinary monk, having served his time as a soldier during the Crusades and acquired a encyclopedic knowledge of herbs to make medicines, so he is more than qualified to solve crimes when needed.
If this all sounds familiar to you, ITV adapted the series in 1994 with Derek Jacobi as Brother Cadfael.
I watched the episode this novel was based on, and while i thought it a good adaptation, I thought the novel was superior with Peters' superb prose and the detail she puts in regarding the setting. White the book is overflowing with religious symbolism, it's not preachy in the least and doesn't forget to be a good mystery. I highly recommend anyone who's a fan of mysteries and historical fiction to read these books.
The Leper of Saint Giles: The fifth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters (nee Edith Pargeter) - Decided to read up on my collection of used books of the Cadfael Chronicles, the excellent medieval whodunit series from Welsh author Ellis Peters. If you must know, the books are set in 12th century England during the Anarchy, a civil war between King Stephen and his cousin The Empress Maud for the Crown. In the town of Shrewsbury, a Benedectine monk named Cadfael helps the local sheriff solve murders that would normally be ignored during this time of death and intrigue. Cadfael is no ordinary monk, having served his time as a soldier during the Crusades and acquired a encyclopedic knowledge of herbs to make medicines, so he is more than qualified to solve crimes when needed.
If this all sounds familiar to you, ITV adapted the series in 1994 with Derek Jacobi as Brother Cadfael.
I watched the episode this novel was based on, and while i thought it a good adaptation, I thought the novel was superior with Peters' superb prose and the detail she puts in regarding the setting. White the book is overflowing with religious symbolism, it's not preachy in the least and doesn't forget to be a good mystery. I highly recommend anyone who's a fan of mysteries and historical fiction to read these books.
Oh that is cool. Didn't know the show was based off a book series (but what isnt?). I have watched many episodes of Brother Cadfael with my mum.
GreyHorace
Member
The Brother Cadfael mysteries were pretty significant in that they popularized the historical mystery genre. While Peters' series wasn't the first, it's success inspired a number of mystery writers to write stories set in different historical eras. And to think she did this series as a side project to her regular historical novels set in Wales.
teezzy
Let me have my wanks
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Heard great things
Snowy day at work, should be avle to get a few pages in
Coming Up for Air by George Orwell
It was an interesting, if a bit mild of a read. Not much really happens and there were few clear themes. It follows a middle aged British man who is having a bit of mid life crisis. He spends much of the book reminiscing about his childhood in the country in the pre WW1 world. He very much romanticizes this 'simpler' time. A time without big business, motor cars or a consideration of the future and change.
Overall not one of Orwell's best, but still a decent read with nuggets of perspective.
It was an interesting, if a bit mild of a read. Not much really happens and there were few clear themes. It follows a middle aged British man who is having a bit of mid life crisis. He spends much of the book reminiscing about his childhood in the country in the pre WW1 world. He very much romanticizes this 'simpler' time. A time without big business, motor cars or a consideration of the future and change.
Overall not one of Orwell's best, but still a decent read with nuggets of perspective.
GreyHorace
Member
SHIT FUCK SHIT FUCK SHIT FUCK SHIT FUCK!
www.bbc.com
My go too online bookstore is closing. Thanks a lot you Amazon cunts. Shouldn't have spent all those billions shitting on Tolkien when you could have saved this neat little website.
Amazon closing UK-based online shop Book Depository
The announcement was met with sadness by many of its customers from around the world.
www.bbc.com
My go too online bookstore is closing. Thanks a lot you Amazon cunts. Shouldn't have spent all those billions shitting on Tolkien when you could have saved this neat little website.
DonDonDonPata
Bridge Burn Man
Finishing up Russian Cosmism. The three essays by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky titled The Future of Earth and Mankind, Pansyschism, and Theorems of Life are all very eye-opening. If a student of history wants a great example of "nothing is new under the sun" these three essays are excellent. The author has barely been published in English until recently, but he was central to the Soviet space program and their national attitude. he believed that it was humankind's destiny to populate the galaxy and to reverse death (both by ending the process of aging and by learning how to resurrect all of the dead).
My main takeaway from his essays is how much Science™ has flip-flopped and pushed goofy ideas. He believed the universe was infinite and therefore so was time, space, and matter. He believed that atoms could "feel", on the logic that since "feeling" was just the interaction of chemicals and brain-signals, any atoms that comprised the human brain doing the "feeling" was also "feeling". He took this idea so far as to suggest that mankind would elevate itself by trying to give atoms the "happiest existence", to elevate matter itself through self-organized pure morality and social order. He spoke openly about the value and the necessity of eugenics and selective human breeding (take note, he was pre-WW2 and pre-Hitler, which should give anyone who thinks Hitler was the only race-supremacist some pause...). Humans, as nothing more than a complex arrangement of chemicals, would find their highest purpose in the universe by spreading themselves everywhere and improving to the point of adapting to various planets and even to the vaccuum of space. He believed humans would eventually be able to live naturally in the empty space, soaking up solar radiation (Gene Wolfe used this idea)
It's also kinda interesting that he was positing these things during the brief, bright age of "Logical Positivism" but before the deathblow of Godel's "set of all sets", Wittgenstein's retractions, and the Big Bang theory. Since the universe was infinite, in his belief, the rise and fall of intelligent species, even galaxy-spanning empires, was equally infinite across the span of time. He believed t hat humans were actually "primitive" compared to the far-greater infinitude of "perfect beings" that already populated the galaxy (or had populated far in the past).
he believed biological evolution was only the first infant step, that the majority of life spreading through the universe would be "perfect beings" who'd already surpassed their own planet, on the logic that humans spread select crop-seeds using technology and nurturing which results in far greater yeilds of plants than if the seed was left to evolve and compete on its own. He believed nature abhors a dominant species. he viewed Nature as an enemy of these goals, especially Nature's curse of death. And so he pushed extremely anti-climate, anti-Gaia, anti-Nature philosophies about dominating the atmosphere, stripping the earth bare of all its resources, etc in order to fulfill humanity's destiny to rule the stars. Nature was something to be dominated using science in the Soviet view, not only in "evil Western capitalist" view.
Extremely influential in many areas of science, yet riddled with crackpot theories that ended up getting disproven just after he passed away in 1935. A very fascinating guy. If one wanted a real historical case-study of the difference in scientific outlook when you believe the universe is Infinite versus the more modern sentiment that the universe is Finite, this guy is it. In his view, eugenics is perfectly moral in an infinite universe of infinite meaningless, temporary lives. He elevates the "eternal atom", the very lowest particle he knew, to the status of divinity.
oshiiiiii I would like to suggest you try Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun if you enjoy this specific series
mentioned above, but Gene Wolfe is a masterful tour of all things amazing about science fiction. He borrowed Tsiolkovsky's idea of the "solar man" as the "green man", a dimensional traveller with green skin, cross-bred with algae to metabolize sunlight.
Gene Wolfe uses so many obscure words and ideas but all of them are rooted in real language and real scientific ideas (even disproven ones). His ability to make characters speak confidently from the perspective of something we know to be incorrect / scientifically disproven is shown throughout many of his books.
My main takeaway from his essays is how much Science™ has flip-flopped and pushed goofy ideas. He believed the universe was infinite and therefore so was time, space, and matter. He believed that atoms could "feel", on the logic that since "feeling" was just the interaction of chemicals and brain-signals, any atoms that comprised the human brain doing the "feeling" was also "feeling". He took this idea so far as to suggest that mankind would elevate itself by trying to give atoms the "happiest existence", to elevate matter itself through self-organized pure morality and social order. He spoke openly about the value and the necessity of eugenics and selective human breeding (take note, he was pre-WW2 and pre-Hitler, which should give anyone who thinks Hitler was the only race-supremacist some pause...). Humans, as nothing more than a complex arrangement of chemicals, would find their highest purpose in the universe by spreading themselves everywhere and improving to the point of adapting to various planets and even to the vaccuum of space. He believed humans would eventually be able to live naturally in the empty space, soaking up solar radiation (Gene Wolfe used this idea)
It's also kinda interesting that he was positing these things during the brief, bright age of "Logical Positivism" but before the deathblow of Godel's "set of all sets", Wittgenstein's retractions, and the Big Bang theory. Since the universe was infinite, in his belief, the rise and fall of intelligent species, even galaxy-spanning empires, was equally infinite across the span of time. He believed t hat humans were actually "primitive" compared to the far-greater infinitude of "perfect beings" that already populated the galaxy (or had populated far in the past).
he believed biological evolution was only the first infant step, that the majority of life spreading through the universe would be "perfect beings" who'd already surpassed their own planet, on the logic that humans spread select crop-seeds using technology and nurturing which results in far greater yeilds of plants than if the seed was left to evolve and compete on its own. He believed nature abhors a dominant species. he viewed Nature as an enemy of these goals, especially Nature's curse of death. And so he pushed extremely anti-climate, anti-Gaia, anti-Nature philosophies about dominating the atmosphere, stripping the earth bare of all its resources, etc in order to fulfill humanity's destiny to rule the stars. Nature was something to be dominated using science in the Soviet view, not only in "evil Western capitalist" view.
Extremely influential in many areas of science, yet riddled with crackpot theories that ended up getting disproven just after he passed away in 1935. A very fascinating guy. If one wanted a real historical case-study of the difference in scientific outlook when you believe the universe is Infinite versus the more modern sentiment that the universe is Finite, this guy is it. In his view, eugenics is perfectly moral in an infinite universe of infinite meaningless, temporary lives. He elevates the "eternal atom", the very lowest particle he knew, to the status of divinity.
Heard great things
Snowy day at work, should be avle to get a few pages in
oshiiiiii I would like to suggest you try Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun if you enjoy this specific series
mentioned above, but Gene Wolfe is a masterful tour of all things amazing about science fiction. He borrowed Tsiolkovsky's idea of the "solar man" as the "green man", a dimensional traveller with green skin, cross-bred with algae to metabolize sunlight.
Gene Wolfe uses so many obscure words and ideas but all of them are rooted in real language and real scientific ideas (even disproven ones). His ability to make characters speak confidently from the perspective of something we know to be incorrect / scientifically disproven is shown throughout many of his books.
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Heard great things
Snowy day at work, should be avle to get a few pages in
One of my favorite fantasy series. The fancy vernacular takes a bit of getting used to but Vance was a great storyteller. If you think 'Hey this magic system sure feels like old School D&D' that's because Gary Gygax lifted the entire thing from Jack Vance (although he did credit him).
The Dying earth is a series of largely self contained stories, but the other books are more novels and well worth a read also.
Weirdly enough I'm in the process of wrapping up the first of Jack Vance's Demon Prince Novels, which are more classic Sci-fi based and revolve around a man seeking revenge against the 5 Demon Princes (duh) who enslaved his entire town when he was a child.
Pretty enjoyable and full of Vance usual quirky writing. Obviously the novels are of their time, which are very 1950s-60s Sci-fi where everything is kind of effortless versus hard sci-fi (stuff just works), but if you can look past that, they're enjoyable enough reads.
SHIT FUCK SHIT FUCK SHIT FUCK SHIT FUCK!
Amazon closing UK-based online shop Book Depository
The announcement was met with sadness by many of its customers from around the world.
My go too online bookstore is closing. Thanks a lot you Amazon cunts. Shouldn't have spent all those billions shitting on Tolkien when you could have saved this neat little website.
Thats sucks. I've used the Book Despository before. Very Sad news indeed.
GreyHorace
Member
You wouldn't happen to know of a another online book store dude? And no, I refuse to use Amazon and their overpriced shipping.
i do buy from Amazon as I have a Kindle & Audible accounts (plus Prime). However I do also shop from Waterstones either online or locally.
teezzy
Let me have my wanks
- Platforms
Today's haul
Im excited as ive only read Lethal Protector prior
The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896)
This is my 3rd or 4th reading of this masterpiece. Its one of those stories that sticks to the bones like a hearty meal around the holidays. The tale of a (seemingly) mad man who is taking science well beyond the realm of morality and unlocking the ruin that it entails.
I have always loved this book. Its in many ways the precursor to one of my favorites Jurassic Park. A scientist who wants to push the boundaries of science and unlocks the horrors of nature in the process.
The 90's film was the biggest pile of shit IMO. Undermined everything that made this book so mesmerizing. The 1970's version is only slightly better. Its a SHORT book, so if you are even mildly interested you should read it. Its a slow start before becoming a rocket ship of events and cause/effects.
This is my 3rd or 4th reading of this masterpiece. Its one of those stories that sticks to the bones like a hearty meal around the holidays. The tale of a (seemingly) mad man who is taking science well beyond the realm of morality and unlocking the ruin that it entails.
I have always loved this book. Its in many ways the precursor to one of my favorites Jurassic Park. A scientist who wants to push the boundaries of science and unlocks the horrors of nature in the process.
The 90's film was the biggest pile of shit IMO. Undermined everything that made this book so mesmerizing. The 1970's version is only slightly better. Its a SHORT book, so if you are even mildly interested you should read it. Its a slow start before becoming a rocket ship of events and cause/effects.
Dacon
CROM
- Platforms
The story behind the production of that film is more entertaining than the film itself.
DonDonDonPata
Bridge Burn Man
finished another Thomas Sowell book:
This is an excellent "conservative primer" to explain the difference in Western worldviews. It is somewhat dry compared to the average "infotainment" book and reads more like an essay, which is Sowell's style .
Sowell uses a different dichotomy for his comparisons than the modern Left vs Right -- The Anointed Vision versus the Tragic Vision -- and explains how the two underlying visions express themselves differently in political and social spheres. He uses ideas and quotes reaching back from John Stuart Mills to the author's present day in 1995, showing that this split is neither artificial nor new.
He begins by challenging the contemporary (in 1995) notions of sex education, criminal justice reform, and the War On Poverty using quotes, campaign promises, and statistics to illustrate his definition of "Vision of the Anointed" and the behavioral patterns these people always seem to fall into. The book doesn't focus on those topics for long, moving on to a historical overview of recent political philosophies and how they led to the current day split. This history lesson on the roots of modern liberalism is worth the price of admission alone. He also goes into the specific ways Statistics are abused (very eye opening) and tears down the environmentalist fearmongering on similar terms.
example:
However he's not content to simply "tear down" the opposing viewpoint, I think the book also gives a workable understanding of "conservative thinking" and why conservatives act and think very differently than liberals.
He explains this as "Tragic Vision", not nihilism or sadness, but a vision that acknowledges the inherent struggle and tradeoff of human society. Laws and lawgivers are imperfectly trying to manage crime and vice, and every new law has the potential to cause other unforeseen problems that begin at the Individual level.
The "Anointed Vision", by contrast, believes that modern problems are due to bad social attitudes (like too much racism, or too much sexism) and bad social services (like not enough Welfare, not enough education) therefore if we correct those problems, the behavioral problems in society will fade away. Individuals are merely victims of Society's bad teaching, no one is inherently Bad.
Sowell makes the point that Both visions believe strongly in renewal, self-evaluation, and improvement. "Progress" is not the sole domain of one side of the spectrum nor does he blame only one party or praise only one "side", he lays out the good behaviors and the quotes and lets the reader decide if this matches what they see.
Chapter 9 "Optional Reality" is especially relevant, starting with the following warning:
The next book I have by him called The Quest For Cosmic Justice (1999) which delves deeper into the "anointed vision"
This is an excellent "conservative primer" to explain the difference in Western worldviews. It is somewhat dry compared to the average "infotainment" book and reads more like an essay, which is Sowell's style .
Sowell uses a different dichotomy for his comparisons than the modern Left vs Right -- The Anointed Vision versus the Tragic Vision -- and explains how the two underlying visions express themselves differently in political and social spheres. He uses ideas and quotes reaching back from John Stuart Mills to the author's present day in 1995, showing that this split is neither artificial nor new.
He begins by challenging the contemporary (in 1995) notions of sex education, criminal justice reform, and the War On Poverty using quotes, campaign promises, and statistics to illustrate his definition of "Vision of the Anointed" and the behavioral patterns these people always seem to fall into. The book doesn't focus on those topics for long, moving on to a historical overview of recent political philosophies and how they led to the current day split. This history lesson on the roots of modern liberalism is worth the price of admission alone. He also goes into the specific ways Statistics are abused (very eye opening) and tears down the environmentalist fearmongering on similar terms.
example:
One of the most common benedictions of the anointed is the use of the word "science" to describe notions which are constant with their vision, but which have neither the certainty nor the intellectual rigor of science. Thus the speculations of sociologists, psychologists, and psychiatrists became part of the criminal justice system under the guise of "science". [...]
The most important characteristic of science -- empirical evidence -- is often omitted entirely by those with the vision of the anointed. Indeed, much of their verbal dexterity goes into evading empirical evidence. the crowning irony is that no empirical data are collected or sough a to how often these 'scientists' are wrong. A psychiatrist whose testimony has freed a hundred criminals who have committed dozens of violent crimes after being released, will be listened to the one hundred and first time with no record available as to how much havoc he has already contributed to. Nothing could be less scientific.
The most important characteristic of science -- empirical evidence -- is often omitted entirely by those with the vision of the anointed. Indeed, much of their verbal dexterity goes into evading empirical evidence. the crowning irony is that no empirical data are collected or sough a to how often these 'scientists' are wrong. A psychiatrist whose testimony has freed a hundred criminals who have committed dozens of violent crimes after being released, will be listened to the one hundred and first time with no record available as to how much havoc he has already contributed to. Nothing could be less scientific.
However he's not content to simply "tear down" the opposing viewpoint, I think the book also gives a workable understanding of "conservative thinking" and why conservatives act and think very differently than liberals.
He explains this as "Tragic Vision", not nihilism or sadness, but a vision that acknowledges the inherent struggle and tradeoff of human society. Laws and lawgivers are imperfectly trying to manage crime and vice, and every new law has the potential to cause other unforeseen problems that begin at the Individual level.
The "Anointed Vision", by contrast, believes that modern problems are due to bad social attitudes (like too much racism, or too much sexism) and bad social services (like not enough Welfare, not enough education) therefore if we correct those problems, the behavioral problems in society will fade away. Individuals are merely victims of Society's bad teaching, no one is inherently Bad.
Sowell makes the point that Both visions believe strongly in renewal, self-evaluation, and improvement. "Progress" is not the sole domain of one side of the spectrum nor does he blame only one party or praise only one "side", he lays out the good behaviors and the quotes and lets the reader decide if this matches what they see.
Chapter 9 "Optional Reality" is especially relevant, starting with the following warning:
This chapter's recapitulation of our exploration of the Vision of the Anointed will begin with its greatest achievement and its greatest danger, which are one and the same: That vision has become self-contained and self-justifying -- which is to say, independent of empirical evidence. That is what makes it dangerous, not because a particular set of policies may be flawed or counterproductive, but because insulation of evidence virtually guarantees a never-ending supply of policies and practices fatally independent of reality.
The next book I have by him called The Quest For Cosmic Justice (1999) which delves deeper into the "anointed vision"
Book 2 of Jack Vance's Demon Prince Series. One thing I only found out recently was that Vance also wrote detective fiction under a series of other names, which ties in with the nature of these novels as the Hero has to do detective work a lot of the time.
A top 5 book for me.
I heard of this from Pewdiepie of all people lol. Book is heavily physics based but written in a very understandable way. It covers many of the mainstream physics topics while introducing some more controversial ideas that are gaining steam within the Academic world. It relates math, physics, and philosophy creating a very well rounded explanation of the reality that we interpret.
It also dabbles in the multiverse theory which is no longer frowned upon by the physics community. It would seem that the multiverse theory has been proven mathematically from our current understanding of physics but currently cannot be observed and might not be possible because of the quantum physics limitations.
The author has put forward their own thesis on the unifying theory of everything that he is trying to prove. I am not sure I believe it but it is one of the most compelling arguments out there.
I heard of this from Pewdiepie of all people lol. Book is heavily physics based but written in a very understandable way. It covers many of the mainstream physics topics while introducing some more controversial ideas that are gaining steam within the Academic world. It relates math, physics, and philosophy creating a very well rounded explanation of the reality that we interpret.
It also dabbles in the multiverse theory which is no longer frowned upon by the physics community. It would seem that the multiverse theory has been proven mathematically from our current understanding of physics but currently cannot be observed and might not be possible because of the quantum physics limitations.
The author has put forward their own thesis on the unifying theory of everything that he is trying to prove. I am not sure I believe it but it is one of the most compelling arguments out there.
Finished up a re-read of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and then Through the Looking Glass (1872)
(This is actually the edition I have with both stories in one book)
It had been at least 10 years since I last read them and had forgotten how insane and disjointed they both are. Especially Through the looking glass. It feels like someone retelling their recent Acid trip with how often the characters and world around her transform.
A fun read though as most of the characters Alice meets are very interesting albeit a bit obtuse and often nonsensical... but thats kind of the point of Wonderland and the Looking Glass World. It is kind of making a mockery of 'logic' and 'standards' by putting every thing on its side.
The poems though (while integral to the tale) are a bit laborious to read through as many are long and they were numerous.
If one has never read these books but seen the Disney interpretations, it will be very illuminating. They took bits from both books and stitched them together. Its mostly the Adventures in Wonderland story with a few things cut and bits from Through the looking glass inserted.
(This is actually the edition I have with both stories in one book)
It had been at least 10 years since I last read them and had forgotten how insane and disjointed they both are. Especially Through the looking glass. It feels like someone retelling their recent Acid trip with how often the characters and world around her transform.
A fun read though as most of the characters Alice meets are very interesting albeit a bit obtuse and often nonsensical... but thats kind of the point of Wonderland and the Looking Glass World. It is kind of making a mockery of 'logic' and 'standards' by putting every thing on its side.
The poems though (while integral to the tale) are a bit laborious to read through as many are long and they were numerous.
If one has never read these books but seen the Disney interpretations, it will be very illuminating. They took bits from both books and stitched them together. Its mostly the Adventures in Wonderland story with a few things cut and bits from Through the looking glass inserted.