roosters93
Member
All Dan Brown's books are pretty much the same containing some shitty conspiracy and no subtlety or good use of suspense. But for some reason, I am continuing to read it.
At least I have A Clockwork Orange to look forward to.
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What are you reading? (May 09)
- Thread starter Undeux
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All Dan Brown's books are pretty much the same containing some shitty conspiracy and no subtlety or good use of suspense. But for some reason, I am continuing to read it.
At least I have A Clockwork Orange to look forward to.
Finally I decided to pick up one of Kenji Siratori's books... And I was overwhelmed just by reading the "plot synopsis" from back of the book :lol
Debug.: Primary Techno Noir
"PRIMARY TECHNO NOIR:: SET UP:: technojunkies' hunting for the grotesque WEB=insanity medium of the human body pill cruel emulator gene-dub of the soul/gram made of retro-ADAM to the ecstasy system of the acidHUMANIX infection archive genomics strategy circuit that jointed the mass of flesh-module:: the data of a chemical=anthropoid super-genomewarable abolition world-codemaniacs murder game of the trash sensor drug embryo that biocaptures to the emotional replicant disillusionment-modules of the hyperrea HIV=scanners that dashes clone-dive her digital=vamp cold-blooded disease animals is ejected to neuromatic...."the nerve cells that were processed the data=mutant of her abolition world-codemaniacs emotional replicant that omits the brain universe of the hyperreal HIV=scanner form murder-gimmick of a chemical=anthropoid to biocapturism genomics battle to a hybrid cadaver mechanism nightmare-script@tera=of=the murder-protocol of the acidHUMANIX infection archive_body encoder that clone-dives dogs different of a trash sensor drug embryo vital-to the DNA bomb mass of flesh-module that was controlled technojunkies' rave on gene-dub hyperlinks the cadaver feti=streaming circuit of the reptilian=HUB_modem=heart--."
... I mean WTF :lol
Debug.: Primary Techno Noir
"PRIMARY TECHNO NOIR:: SET UP:: technojunkies' hunting for the grotesque WEB=insanity medium of the human body pill cruel emulator gene-dub of the soul/gram made of retro-ADAM to the ecstasy system of the acidHUMANIX infection archive genomics strategy circuit that jointed the mass of flesh-module:: the data of a chemical=anthropoid super-genomewarable abolition world-codemaniacs murder game of the trash sensor drug embryo that biocaptures to the emotional replicant disillusionment-modules of the hyperrea HIV=scanners that dashes clone-dive her digital=vamp cold-blooded disease animals is ejected to neuromatic...."the nerve cells that were processed the data=mutant of her abolition world-codemaniacs emotional replicant that omits the brain universe of the hyperreal HIV=scanner form murder-gimmick of a chemical=anthropoid to biocapturism genomics battle to a hybrid cadaver mechanism nightmare-script@tera=of=the murder-protocol of the acidHUMANIX infection archive_body encoder that clone-dives dogs different of a trash sensor drug embryo vital-to the DNA bomb mass of flesh-module that was controlled technojunkies' rave on gene-dub hyperlinks the cadaver feti=streaming circuit of the reptilian=HUB_modem=heart--."
... I mean WTF :lol
I finished Ubik a couple of nights ago, and managed to find some time to write a mini-review.
It is amazing how far ahead of his time Philip K. Dick really was. In Ubik, he unravels the fabric of reality, and challenges our ideas of life, death, and the afterlife. The book is also filled with subtle humour, so its heavy themes never become too overbearing. While difficult to comprehend at times, the book's dizzying quality is its best asset.
In this world, precognition and telepathy have become so commonplace, that prudence organizations have had to be started, to neutralize telepaths in the workplace, so that privacy can be protected. The protagonist of the story, Joe Chip, works for one of these organizations, and it is through his fumbling actions and characters quirks (he is always broke and asking someone else to foot the bill,) that the bulk of the story is told. After a terrorist attack on a ship that was carrying Joe Chip, his boss, and a few other anti-precogs and anti-telepaths to luna, the characters begin to see reality literally regressing all around them. The world eventually reverts back to 1939, and the ship's crew slowly dies along the way. This is a very basic outline of the story, as there are numerous extenuating factors and sideplots that add to its complexity.
It would be too simple to dillute the novel's themes and state that it is only about one thing. In short, if you enjoy stories that play with what is real and what is unreal, and that seem to feature two distinct worlds and types of existence, then Ubik will certainly tickle your brain. Right until the very end, the reader is never really certain what side of the glass they are standing on. While this does make the book a little frustrating to comprehend, it still leaves the reader with plenty to contemplate. 4/5.
I would also like to take this time to heartily recommend Philip K. Dick's Four Novels of the 1960s. Having finished the books contained within its sexy pages, I have gained a great appreciation for his work, his mind, and his influence and importance to the sci-fi genre.
Next up: Dune, by Frank Herbert. I'm finally going to tackle it, after having put it off for a couple of years.
It is amazing how far ahead of his time Philip K. Dick really was. In Ubik, he unravels the fabric of reality, and challenges our ideas of life, death, and the afterlife. The book is also filled with subtle humour, so its heavy themes never become too overbearing. While difficult to comprehend at times, the book's dizzying quality is its best asset.
In this world, precognition and telepathy have become so commonplace, that prudence organizations have had to be started, to neutralize telepaths in the workplace, so that privacy can be protected. The protagonist of the story, Joe Chip, works for one of these organizations, and it is through his fumbling actions and characters quirks (he is always broke and asking someone else to foot the bill,) that the bulk of the story is told. After a terrorist attack on a ship that was carrying Joe Chip, his boss, and a few other anti-precogs and anti-telepaths to luna, the characters begin to see reality literally regressing all around them. The world eventually reverts back to 1939, and the ship's crew slowly dies along the way. This is a very basic outline of the story, as there are numerous extenuating factors and sideplots that add to its complexity.
It would be too simple to dillute the novel's themes and state that it is only about one thing. In short, if you enjoy stories that play with what is real and what is unreal, and that seem to feature two distinct worlds and types of existence, then Ubik will certainly tickle your brain. Right until the very end, the reader is never really certain what side of the glass they are standing on. While this does make the book a little frustrating to comprehend, it still leaves the reader with plenty to contemplate. 4/5.
I would also like to take this time to heartily recommend Philip K. Dick's Four Novels of the 1960s. Having finished the books contained within its sexy pages, I have gained a great appreciation for his work, his mind, and his influence and importance to the sci-fi genre.
Next up: Dune, by Frank Herbert. I'm finally going to tackle it, after having put it off for a couple of years.
Future PhaZe
Member
Patient Zero. Zombie book recommended to me by a gaffer in one of my threads. Pretty good read so far.
Dark FaZe said:
Patient Zero. Zombie book recommended to me by a gaffer in one of my threads. Pretty good read so far.
Thank you for this rec. I'd definitely look this one up.I'm currently reading Norwegian Wood.
Thank you to those who rec this too. It's definitely easier (and more enjoyable to read) than other Murakami's works. I left "Wind Up Bird" halfway unfinished since I got tired trying to figure out what that story is supposed to tell. Maybe I'll read it again after I finished Norwegian Wood.
Extollere said:
For a good "pop start," this might be a good place to look.
It only covers the major Abrahamic religions, but considering that they are the most dominant faiths in the world today, you would likely find this to be interesting. Karen Armstrong writes with respect for faith, but still has a historical eye.
Alucard said:For a good "pop start," this might be a good place to look.
It only covers the major Abrahamic religions, but considering that they are the most dominant faiths in the world today, you would likely find this to be interesting. Karen Armstrong writes with respect for faith, but still has a historical eye.
Hrmmm sounds good but I think I am looking for something more conclusive. Something that covers from the earliest of religions to now, and why those religions are the way they are. Bloody details and descriptions in contempt are also ok, I'm not really looking for a book that glorifies religious history in particular.
Benjamin_MFF
Member
I have around 27 books to read. Today I picked up this book
Paris 1919
Paris 1919
Extollere said:
Hmm, I can't really think of any book that would give you all of that, except for The Golden Bough, which is RIDICULOUSLY long and is a multi-volume work. There is also an abridged edition that runs 1000+ pages. I have it sitting on my bookshelf, but have never had a chance to pick it up. Seriously though, the whole set is 10+ volumes. Good luck!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Bough
Is this closer to what you're looking for?
Witchfinder General
punched Wheelchair Mike
Interesting so far. It's funny how much the belief systems and overall philosophies in the book chime with my own. I wonder if when I finish the book I'll declare myself a Satanist. I wonder if there's any Satanists on GAF? I might start a thread after reading the book.
Just finished Peter S. Beagle's new short story collection We Never Talk About My Brother
A wonderful, wonderful collection of stories. Beagle's best. It shows his wonderful ability to make any character really come to life, to really capture them. From a 10 year old kid, to an angel, to an old woman on the street that every kid is afraid of.
Uncle Chaim and Aunt Rifke and the Angel is a wonderful, sad, happy story told through the eyes of a ten year old boy. One day, as he's sitting in the studio watching his Uncle Chaim paint, an angel arrives and informs Chaim that she's to be his muse and he will from that day on paint only her.
What follows is a harrowing tale as Chaim becomes obsessed, drawing further and further away from the world until only the angel matters.
We Never Talk About My Brother, the story which this collection takes its name from, feels very short and seems to be over before it really begins.
The brother in question is sort of the angel of death. If he says someone died, they die. But not right at that moment, they are already dead, a week ago. It's an interesting premise, but I thought it could have been a bit longer.
The Tale of Junko and Sayuri is a very sad story of a young man that falls in love with a shape-shifter. A tale of how they both come to know their true nature.
King Pelles the Sure is a short almost-fairytale of a king that rules a kingdom that has never known anything other than peace and prosperity. King Pelles, however, wants to be remembered for glory in battle and all that. However, he'd much rather it be a short, manageable war.
The Last and Only,
Or,
Mr. Moscowitz Becomes French
A wonderful story of, well, Mr. Moscowitz turning French. Slowly, over the course of years, he becomes more and more French, until he can no longer even speak english and he and his wife finally move to France. But he can't be happy there, either, for he finds that he is the only true Frenchman alive.
Spook
Another one of Beagle's wonderful Joe Farrell stories. Farrell moves into a new house with Julie, only to find out that it's haunted and the ghost thinks he's the one who killed him.
Obviously, the only solution is a duel to the death. The weapons? Bad poetry.
The Stickball Witch is a truly wonderful story about Beagle playing stickball when he was eleven. One of the best short stories I've read by him.
The Unicorn Tapestries
A nice series of poems based on the unicorn tapestries. Not amazing, but nice.
Chandail is a story set in Beagle's Innkeeper's Song universe. I didn't care much for that book, but I am constantly surprised at how he manages to tell some of his best stories in that world.
This is a story told by one of the characters in that novel, of her encounter with a mysterious, torturous sea creature. It's a wonderful, wonderful story.
A wonderful, wonderful collection of stories. Beagle's best. It shows his wonderful ability to make any character really come to life, to really capture them. From a 10 year old kid, to an angel, to an old woman on the street that every kid is afraid of.
Uncle Chaim and Aunt Rifke and the Angel is a wonderful, sad, happy story told through the eyes of a ten year old boy. One day, as he's sitting in the studio watching his Uncle Chaim paint, an angel arrives and informs Chaim that she's to be his muse and he will from that day on paint only her.
What follows is a harrowing tale as Chaim becomes obsessed, drawing further and further away from the world until only the angel matters.
We Never Talk About My Brother, the story which this collection takes its name from, feels very short and seems to be over before it really begins.
The brother in question is sort of the angel of death. If he says someone died, they die. But not right at that moment, they are already dead, a week ago. It's an interesting premise, but I thought it could have been a bit longer.
The Tale of Junko and Sayuri is a very sad story of a young man that falls in love with a shape-shifter. A tale of how they both come to know their true nature.
King Pelles the Sure is a short almost-fairytale of a king that rules a kingdom that has never known anything other than peace and prosperity. King Pelles, however, wants to be remembered for glory in battle and all that. However, he'd much rather it be a short, manageable war.
The Last and Only,
Or,
Mr. Moscowitz Becomes French
A wonderful story of, well, Mr. Moscowitz turning French. Slowly, over the course of years, he becomes more and more French, until he can no longer even speak english and he and his wife finally move to France. But he can't be happy there, either, for he finds that he is the only true Frenchman alive.
Spook
Another one of Beagle's wonderful Joe Farrell stories. Farrell moves into a new house with Julie, only to find out that it's haunted and the ghost thinks he's the one who killed him.
Obviously, the only solution is a duel to the death. The weapons? Bad poetry.
The Stickball Witch is a truly wonderful story about Beagle playing stickball when he was eleven. One of the best short stories I've read by him.
The Unicorn Tapestries
A nice series of poems based on the unicorn tapestries. Not amazing, but nice.
Chandail is a story set in Beagle's Innkeeper's Song universe. I didn't care much for that book, but I am constantly surprised at how he manages to tell some of his best stories in that world.
This is a story told by one of the characters in that novel, of her encounter with a mysterious, torturous sea creature. It's a wonderful, wonderful story.
Musashi Wins!
FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
I still think Snow Crash was his high point as an author. I've started and put down so much of his work after.
Great Peter Beagle book break down, wow. I've always meant to try him but never have.
To reply to even more things, the Golden Bough is really interesting, but I don't think it's the work that answers that sort of historical breakdown either. I used to read meta histories on that sort of thing, I'm trying to think of what my suggestion would be.
Great Peter Beagle book break down, wow. I've always meant to try him but never have.
To reply to even more things, the Golden Bough is really interesting, but I don't think it's the work that answers that sort of historical breakdown either. I used to read meta histories on that sort of thing, I'm trying to think of what my suggestion would be.
lunchtoast
Member
After reading the Toxic Sugar thread and seeing all the misinformed replies, thought I'd come in here and post this. About half way through. I already knew some of this stuff, but it breaks it all down, plus goes over the history of the research of fat cells, and how after WWII the information was tossed aside and the whole sedentary life and calories in/out took the rise despite all the research against it. It's a shame. There would be a lot less fat/diabetic people in the world.
lunchtoast
Member
Whoops, sorry. This was the first thread that came up in google. Should have read the title closer.
HiroProtagonist
Member
Edit: God-damned thread bumper.
