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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 3, 2016 19:09:24 GMT -5
Night of the SaucersEando Binder Turns out I had the sequel in my box too . They really turned the camp up to 11 on this one, with a new, even bigger alien there, more UFO denying, and more over the top super-science. Oh, and Android Hugh Heffner. It drifts a bit into the stereotypical 60s (and early 70s) gender stuff... Mirabel gets called 'girl' and 'honey' alot, and is suddenly deferring to her husband when she's the super-smart alien with amazing psionic powers, but that's all part of the wish fufillment vibe. Having a 2nd book kinda gave it a bit of a Lensman vibe, which was fun. Much like the 1st one, a fun story to look back on.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 4, 2016 21:29:44 GMT -5
Terrible Tide Charlotte McLeod Not a Boston mystery(which is why I picked up an eariler book of hers), but still pretty good.. especially considering it's a rare non-murder mystery. While the story and the red herrings were massively obvious, the characters are really fun and remarkably well developed for a under 200 page novel... you really felt like you were in the little Canadian town of Jugtown.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 11, 2016 15:19:34 GMT -5
Pellucidar by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The sequel to At the Earth's Core finds David Innes returning to Pellucidar and another quest to save Dian the Beautiful, because...that's what you do in a Burroughs novel. He also finds that his burgeoning "empire" has disintegrated in his absence so he has to take up the white man's burden to bring civilization to Pellucidar. Luckily he's brought guns and ammunition to do just that. If that sounds bad...well I don't really mean it that way. But Burroughs, by and large, had a formula and this one pretty well sticks to it. So the enjoyment is largely in world-building and that is an area where ERB always excels.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 11, 2016 15:39:50 GMT -5
Sapiens A brief history of humankind
by Yuval Noah Harrari
It's exactly what the title says. Some ideas are presented in a rather fresh ways even if the writer does not pretend to have come up with them : that the agricultural revolution of the neolithic, for example, was not a moment when our benighted ancestors realized that by taming plants and animals they would better their lot, but rather a sort of scam our species fell for. For a measure of momentarily increased comfort (availability of flour, large quantity of food obtainable at regular times, possibility of feeding more people on a given plot of land) we submitted ourselves to a life of drudgery (as a farmer works a lot more each day than a hunter-gatherer does), to several new health impairments (back aches, for one) and to the uncertainty of the weather (which will hardly affect a hunter but might wipe out an entire recolt). However, in typical Darwinian/Faustian fashion, once we had adopted the sedentary lifestyle, it was too late to go back!
Harari also illustrates (without singing its praises) how capitalism made our modern world possible.
The single most laudable aspect of this book is how it does not attribute virtues to events, philosophies or cultures. For example, he does not describe the rise of civilization as something intrinsically "good". It is just a historical fact.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 11, 2016 15:44:04 GMT -5
In a different vein, I started Monday Begins on Saturday by the Strugatsky Brothers last night. This would be the third book of theirs that I've attempted to read. I made it through Roadside Picnic, their best reviewed and generally considered their premiere work. I thought it was okay. I didn't love it, but I was willing to try more of their work. I made it about 1/4 of the way through The Ugly Swans, but I just couldn't care enough to go any further. After about 25 pages I can already tell I'm not going to keep going with Monday Begins on Saturday. I just don't care. I'm sure that something will eventually happen, but I don't care enough to find out.
So I'm done with The Brothers Strugatsky. Three strikes...and they're out.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 11, 2016 15:46:31 GMT -5
SapiensA brief history of humankind by Yuval Noah Harrari It's exactly what the title says. Some ideas are presented in a rather fresh ways even if the writer does not pretend to have come up with them : that the agricultural revolution of the neolithic, for example, was not a moment when our benighted ancestors realized that by taming plants and animals they would better their lot, but rather a sort of scam our species fell for. For a measure of momentarily increased comfort (availability of flour, large quantity of food obtainable at regular times, possibility of feeding more people on a given plot of land) we submitted ourselves to a life of drudgery (as a farmer works a lot more each day than a hunter-gatherer does), to several new health impairments (back aches, for one) and to the uncertainty of the weather (which will hardly affect a hunter but might wipe out an entire recolt). However, in typical Darwinian/Faustian fashion, once we had adopted the sedentary lifestyle, it was too late to go back! Harari also illustrates (without singing its praises) how capitalism made our modern world possible. The single most laudable aspect of this book is how it does not attribute virtues to events, philosophies or cultures. For example, he does not describe the rise of civilization as something intrinsically "good". It is just a historical fact. And here I thought it was because they wanted a ready source for beer.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 11, 2016 15:54:57 GMT -5
SapiensA brief history of humankind by Yuval Noah Harrari It's exactly what the title says. Some ideas are presented in a rather fresh ways even if the writer does not pretend to have come up with them : that the agricultural revolution of the neolithic, for example, was not a moment when our benighted ancestors realized that by taming plants and animals they would better their lot, but rather a sort of scam our species fell for. For a measure of momentarily increased comfort (availability of flour, large quantity of food obtainable at regular times, possibility of feeding more people on a given plot of land) we submitted ourselves to a life of drudgery (as a farmer works a lot more each day than a hunter-gatherer does), to several new health impairments (back aches, for one) and to the uncertainty of the weather (which will hardly affect a hunter but might wipe out an entire recolt). However, in typical Darwinian/Faustian fashion, once we had adopted the sedentary lifestyle, it was too late to go back! Harari also illustrates (without singing its praises) how capitalism made our modern world possible. The single most laudable aspect of this book is how it does not attribute virtues to events, philosophies or cultures. For example, he does not describe the rise of civilization as something intrinsically "good". It is just a historical fact. And here I thought it was because they wanted a ready source for beer. In all seriousness, I wouldn't be surprised if that played a major role in our becoming sedentary... Alcohol is one of the little luxuries that we can be perfectly happy without, but are loathe to give up when we're used to them. Something else that appeared with agriculture is the possibility of specialization. In a hunter-gatherer culture, everybody is pretty much a jack of all trades; in an agrarian one, you need only so many people to tend the flocks and take care of the fields... others, perhaps more skilled in these new activities, can spend more time making pots and hammering metal into tools. Or, alas, inventing bureaucracy!!!
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Post by berkley on Oct 12, 2016 1:58:03 GMT -5
And here I thought it was because they wanted a ready source for beer. In all seriousness, I wouldn't be surprised if that played a major role in our becoming sedentary... Alcohol is one of the little luxuries that we can be perfectly happy without, but are loathe to give up when we're used to them. Something else that appeared with agriculture is the possibility of specialization. In a hunter-gatherer culture, everybody is pretty much a jack of all trades; in an agrarian one, you need only so many people to tend the flocks and take care of the fields... others, perhaps more skilled in these new activities, can spend more time making pots and hammering metal into tools. Or, alas, inventing bureaucracy!!! That alcohol was the main motivation rather than food crops was put forth as a serious hypothesis a few years ago, I remember reading somewhere - Scientific American, or something like that, I believe back in the 90s. I've been thinking about trying the Harari book myself, as well as his more recent Homo Deus: A brief History of Tomorrow.
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Post by brutalis on Oct 12, 2016 7:41:57 GMT -5
Finished up the first book in a new series from Faith Hunter the urban fantasy writer. Blood of the Earth about a supposed young witch Nell Ingram who left the religious/church/family she grew up with. Her property in the Soulwood forest lies next to the religious groups and the government paranormal investigation group Psyled lead by Rick LeFleur who used to be the boyfriend of Jane Yellowrock the vampire hunter. Nell is brought into the Psyled group as a consultant as there has been a group of young women being kidnapped and the government needs to use Nell to help investigate the church. Nell was ostracized from the religious group and her family as they believe her to be a witch because she can communicate with nature and her ability to grow anything and make her foodstuffs grow larger and better than they should be. During the investigations she uses her abilities to help track an evil faction within the church that has kidnapped an adopted daughter of Vampire royalty and in saving the girl Nell discovers she is not truly a witch but a descendant of fairies that is connected with the Soulwood forest in which she resides. Her expanding powers and skills help her to become an important asset and part of the paranormal team.
This 1st offering is full of Faith Hunter's great writing and characterizations with plenty of action and fantasy. It is connected to and part of the Jane Yellowrock series (10 books strong, with 11 coming next year) where all the supernatural paranormal creatures of the world are real and vampires are recognized as citizens of the world involved in politics and crimes and more creatures of the night are coming out in to the light daily. Fun, entertaining reading for the cool fall and winter nights in front of an open fire with a hot cup of tea while letting the imagination go wild...highly recommend this new series as well as the Yellowrock novels. Just watch out for the shadows...
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2016 10:44:46 GMT -5
Night of the SaucersEando Binder Turns out I had the sequel in my box too . They really turned the camp up to 11 on this one, with a new, even bigger alien there, more UFO denying, and more over the top super-science. Oh, and Android Hugh Heffner. It drifts a bit into the stereotypical 60s (and early 70s) gender stuff... Mirabel gets called 'girl' and 'honey' alot, and is suddenly deferring to her husband when she's the super-smart alien with amazing psionic powers, but that's all part of the wish fufillment vibe. Having a 2nd book kinda gave it a bit of a Lensman vibe, which was fun. Much like the 1st one, a fun story to look back on. I will be reading that book sometimes in the end of the month - I have a friend who raves it and he thought I would like this book too.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 12, 2016 12:58:07 GMT -5
SapiensA brief history of humankind by Yuval Noah Harrari It's exactly what the title says. Some ideas are presented in a rather fresh ways even if the writer does not pretend to have come up with them : that the agricultural revolution of the neolithic, for example, was not a moment when our benighted ancestors realized that by taming plants and animals they would better their lot, but rather a sort of scam our species fell for. For a measure of momentarily increased comfort (availability of flour, large quantity of food obtainable at regular times, possibility of feeding more people on a given plot of land) we submitted ourselves to a life of drudgery (as a farmer works a lot more each day than a hunter-gatherer does), to several new health impairments (back aches, for one) and to the uncertainty of the weather (which will hardly affect a hunter but might wipe out an entire recolt). However, in typical Darwinian/Faustian fashion, once we had adopted the sedentary lifestyle, it was too late to go back! Harari also illustrates (without singing its praises) how capitalism made our modern world possible. The single most laudable aspect of this book is how it does not attribute virtues to events, philosophies or cultures. For example, he does not describe the rise of civilization as something intrinsically "good". It is just a historical fact. That's not the sort of book I usually read, but that sounds pretty interesting. Also, @ Slam.. that's a really awesome Frazetta(I assume) cover there!
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 12, 2016 12:58:51 GMT -5
Night of the SaucersEando Binder Turns out I had the sequel in my box too . They really turned the camp up to 11 on this one, with a new, even bigger alien there, more UFO denying, and more over the top super-science. Oh, and Android Hugh Heffner. It drifts a bit into the stereotypical 60s (and early 70s) gender stuff... Mirabel gets called 'girl' and 'honey' alot, and is suddenly deferring to her husband when she's the super-smart alien with amazing psionic powers, but that's all part of the wish fufillment vibe. Having a 2nd book kinda gave it a bit of a Lensman vibe, which was fun. Much like the 1st one, a fun story to look back on. I will be reading that book sometimes in the end of the month - I have a friend who raves it and he thought I would like this book too. Neat! You should come on back and tell us what you think when you do
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Post by Deleted on Oct 12, 2016 15:23:13 GMT -5
I will be reading that book sometimes in the end of the month - I have a friend who raves it and he thought I would like this book too. Neat! You should come on back and tell us what you think when you do Will do! ...
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Post by Rob Allen on Oct 12, 2016 20:07:07 GMT -5
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Post by wildfire2099 on Oct 13, 2016 12:20:09 GMT -5
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar The internet says the cover is Neal Adams... anyone know if that's true or not? there's a signature in the corner, but it doesn't look like Adams to me. (definitely says Neal something) Anyway: I've been on a Tarzan comic kick lately (I just love that Jungle art) and I figured it was time to read some of the originals... I've read some other ERB stuff (John Carter, and most recently the Mucker, which was great), so I pretty prepared for the style and language, but some of his writing ticks got to me here.... using 'the former' and 'the latter' after a sentence mentioning 2 characters was pretty annoying, for instance. The story was about what one would expect, a bunch of fun jungle adventures that (mostly) hold together as a coherent plot. What was most striking to me was ERB's espousing of the primitive man, almost like he thought civilization was a curse. Very different from the 'modern' takes, where Tarzan is essentially an enviornmentalist.. in the original he's much more a true Lord of the Jungle, who dominates the animals more than befriending them. I have at least one more Tarzan book in the pile I'll definitely get to soon, totally worth reading, even if they're not masterpieces of fiction.
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