What are you reading?
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- Apjak
- Posts: 519
- Joined: 30 Jun 2008 12:06
- Location: Kansas City
Re: What are you reading?
Finally reading "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss. I am enjoying it immensely. Are the novellas/sequel any good?
I don't think the author should make the reader do that much work - Kevin J. Anderson
We think we've updated 'Dune' for a modern readership without dumbing it down.- Brian Herbert
There’s an unwritten compact between you and the reader. If someone enters a bookstore and sets down hard earned money(energy) for your book, you owe that person some entertainment and as much more as you can give. - Frank Herbert
We think we've updated 'Dune' for a modern readership without dumbing it down.- Brian Herbert
There’s an unwritten compact between you and the reader. If someone enters a bookstore and sets down hard earned money(energy) for your book, you owe that person some entertainment and as much more as you can give. - Frank Herbert
- SadisticCynic
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Re: What are you reading?
I thought the sequel was just as good. I haven't had the chance to read the novellas yet.
Ah English, the language where pretty much any word can have any meaning! - A Thing of Eternity
- Sandwurm88
- Not Soleman
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Re: What are you reading?
Checking out Flowers for Algernon right now, not bad so far.
- Freakzilla
- Lead Singer and Driver of the Winnebego
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Re: What are you reading?
I read that in High School because I had to. Hated it. Looking back I love the story.Sandwurm88 wrote:Checking out Flowers for Algernon right now, not bad so far.
Paul of Dune was so bad it gave me a seizure that dislocated both of my shoulders and prolapsed my anus.
~Pink Snowman
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Re: What are you reading?
Necessary reading, I just don't like stories that make me cry.Freakzilla wrote:I read that in High School because I had to. Hated it. Looking back I love the story.Sandwurm88 wrote:Checking out Flowers for Algernon right now, not bad so far.
Leto II is gone for good, except for OM. The "pearl" was just that; a miniscule portion of what Leto was, and not a compressed version of the whole. The pearl that the worms have do not make them Leto, or in any way similar to him.
-Omphalos
-Omphalos
- Freakzilla
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Re: What are you reading?
LOL, yeah. Not exactly a happy ending.D Pope wrote:Necessary reading, I just don't like stories that make me cry.Freakzilla wrote:I read that in High School because I had to. Hated it. Looking back I love the story.Sandwurm88 wrote:Checking out Flowers for Algernon right now, not bad so far.
Paul of Dune was so bad it gave me a seizure that dislocated both of my shoulders and prolapsed my anus.
~Pink Snowman
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- Administrator
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Re: What are you reading?
The man that sold the moon by Heinlein. I have been reading some short by Heinlein I never read before. The man was really good a writer
"... the mystery of life isn't a problem to solve but a reality to experience."
“There is no escape—we pay for the violence of our ancestors.”
Sandrider: "Keith went to Bobo's for a weekend of drinking, watched some DVDs,
and wrote a Dune Novel."
“There is no escape—we pay for the violence of our ancestors.”
Sandrider: "Keith went to Bobo's for a weekend of drinking, watched some DVDs,
and wrote a Dune Novel."
- SadisticCynic
- Posts: 2053
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Re: What are you reading?
Started on The Left Hand of Darkness by Le Guin.
Ah English, the language where pretty much any word can have any meaning! - A Thing of Eternity
- Aquila ka-Hecate
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Re: What are you reading?
I've loved Heinlein since I was a small girl. He was something of a prophet when it came to humanity.Serkanner wrote:The man that sold the moon by Heinlein. I have been reading some short by Heinlein I never read before. The man was really good a writer
Damn. Now I have a Bowie song repeating in my head.

Another favourite of mine. My son was actually named after the protagonist in The Dispossessed.SadisticCynic wrote:Started on The Left Hand of Darkness by Le Guin.
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Re: What are you reading?
Let me guess ... life on mars?Aquila ka-Hecate wrote:I've loved Heinlein since I was a small girl. He was something of a prophet when it came to humanity.Serkanner wrote:The man that sold the moon by Heinlein. I have been reading some short by Heinlein I never read before. The man was really good a writer
Damn. Now I have a Bowie song repeating in my head.![]()
"... the mystery of life isn't a problem to solve but a reality to experience."
“There is no escape—we pay for the violence of our ancestors.”
Sandrider: "Keith went to Bobo's for a weekend of drinking, watched some DVDs,
and wrote a Dune Novel."
“There is no escape—we pay for the violence of our ancestors.”
Sandrider: "Keith went to Bobo's for a weekend of drinking, watched some DVDs,
and wrote a Dune Novel."
- Aquila ka-Hecate
- Posts: 237
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Re: What are you reading?
Actually no. That one's on my daily work playlist as it's great for writing SQL.Serkanner wrote:Let me guess ... life on mars?Aquila ka-Hecate wrote:I've loved Heinlein since I was a small girl. He was something of a prophet when it came to humanity.Serkanner wrote:The man that sold the moon by Heinlein. I have been reading some short by Heinlein I never read before. The man was really good a writer
Damn. Now I have a Bowie song repeating in my head.![]()
I was trying to scrub "The Man Who Sold The World" out of my pea-brain.
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- Administrator
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Re: What are you reading?
Aquila ka-Hecate wrote:Actually no. That one's on my daily work playlist as it's great for writing SQL.Serkanner wrote:Let me guess ... life on mars?Aquila ka-Hecate wrote:I've loved Heinlein since I was a small girl. He was something of a prophet when it came to humanity.Serkanner wrote:The man that sold the moon by Heinlein. I have been reading some short by Heinlein I never read before. The man was really good a writer
Damn. Now I have a Bowie song repeating in my head.![]()
I was trying to scrub "The Man Who Sold The World" out of my pea-brain.

"... the mystery of life isn't a problem to solve but a reality to experience."
“There is no escape—we pay for the violence of our ancestors.”
Sandrider: "Keith went to Bobo's for a weekend of drinking, watched some DVDs,
and wrote a Dune Novel."
“There is no escape—we pay for the violence of our ancestors.”
Sandrider: "Keith went to Bobo's for a weekend of drinking, watched some DVDs,
and wrote a Dune Novel."
- Naib
- Posts: 394
- Joined: 30 Jan 2014 15:54
Re: What are you reading?
Reading The Martian by Andy Weir at the moment. Light and fairly amusing.
- Omphalos
- Inglorious Bastard
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Re: What are you reading?
I am reading that one too. It's OK.Naib wrote:Reading The Martian by Andy Weir at the moment. Light and fairly amusing.
- SadisticCynic
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Re: What are you reading?
Now I've started Feersum Endjinn, which will be my last science fiction by Banks.
The Left Hand of Darkness was great, I enjoyed it a lot. I think it could have been more interesting with the Envoy being female, but maybe that's just me.

The Left Hand of Darkness was great, I enjoyed it a lot. I think it could have been more interesting with the Envoy being female, but maybe that's just me.
Ah English, the language where pretty much any word can have any meaning! - A Thing of Eternity
- Naib
- Posts: 394
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Re: What are you reading?
That is very sad.SadisticCynic wrote:Now I've started Feersum Endjinn, which will be my last science fiction by Banks.![]()
- Hunchback Jack
- Posts: 1983
- Joined: 30 May 2008 15:02
- Location: California, USA
Re: What are you reading?
Indeed. See my sig.
I'm currently reading Darwin's Blade by Dan Simmons - a mainstream novel written in 2000. I'm gradually going back over his work and picking up the novels I've missed. This one is good, but a little uneven. The main character - an "insurance detective" who determines the causes of road accidents - suddenly calls on his skills as an ex-military sniper about 2/3s through the novel. Plausible, I suppose, but the switch came out of nowhere, and it feels like two novels smashed together. The writing is good, though, and the humor, while cheezy, is entertaining.
Next up? No idea. I have The Cuckoo's Calling (Galbraith/Rowling), Stinger (McCammon), Absolution Gap (Reynolds), The Girl in the Spider's Web (not Larsson) or Go set a Watchman (Harper Lee) as candidates.
HBJ
I'm currently reading Darwin's Blade by Dan Simmons - a mainstream novel written in 2000. I'm gradually going back over his work and picking up the novels I've missed. This one is good, but a little uneven. The main character - an "insurance detective" who determines the causes of road accidents - suddenly calls on his skills as an ex-military sniper about 2/3s through the novel. Plausible, I suppose, but the switch came out of nowhere, and it feels like two novels smashed together. The writing is good, though, and the humor, while cheezy, is entertaining.
Next up? No idea. I have The Cuckoo's Calling (Galbraith/Rowling), Stinger (McCammon), Absolution Gap (Reynolds), The Girl in the Spider's Web (not Larsson) or Go set a Watchman (Harper Lee) as candidates.
HBJ
"The sky calls to us. If we do not destroy ourselves, we will one day venture to the stars."
- Carl Sagan
I'm still very proud of The Quarry but … let's face it; in the end the real best way to sign off would have been with a great big rollicking Culture novel.
- Iain Banks
- Carl Sagan
I'm still very proud of The Quarry but … let's face it; in the end the real best way to sign off would have been with a great big rollicking Culture novel.
- Iain Banks
- Omphalos
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Re: What are you reading?
In the insurance industry we call those guys "accident reconstructionists," not insurance detectives. I have never heard that term, but it makes me think of another position called "SIU investigator" or "Special Investigations Unit Investigator." Those are the guys who go out and investigate potentially fraudulent claims.Hunchback Jack wrote:Indeed. See my sig.
I'm currently reading Darwin's Blade by Dan Simmons - a mainstream novel written in 2000. I'm gradually going back over his work and picking up the novels I've missed. This one is good, but a little uneven. The main character - an "insurance detective" who determines the causes of road accidents - suddenly calls on his skills as an ex-military sniper about 2/3s through the novel. Plausible, I suppose, but the switch came out of nowhere, and it feels like two novels smashed together. The writing is good, though, and the humor, while cheezy, is entertaining.
Next up? No idea. I have The Cuckoo's Calling (Galbraith/Rowling), Stinger (McCammon), Absolution Gap (Reynolds), The Girl in the Spider's Web (not Larsson) or Go set a Watchman (Harper Lee) as candidates.
HBJ
- Hunchback Jack
- Posts: 1983
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Re: What are you reading?
Omph, "accident reconstructionists" is the term in the book, too. I couldn't remember it, so made something up
.
That part of the book was very interesting - if a little gruesome - and one could imagine a series of novels with that premise.
HBJ

That part of the book was very interesting - if a little gruesome - and one could imagine a series of novels with that premise.
HBJ
"The sky calls to us. If we do not destroy ourselves, we will one day venture to the stars."
- Carl Sagan
I'm still very proud of The Quarry but … let's face it; in the end the real best way to sign off would have been with a great big rollicking Culture novel.
- Iain Banks
- Carl Sagan
I'm still very proud of The Quarry but … let's face it; in the end the real best way to sign off would have been with a great big rollicking Culture novel.
- Iain Banks
- Omphalos
- Inglorious Bastard
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Re: What are you reading?
It is an interesting part of the job. In my role I deal with the worst of the worst cases and deal with those guys a lot. Took a bit to get used to it all. Not sure it would make really interesting reading though; at least the reality of it probably wouldn't.Hunchback Jack wrote:Omph, "accident reconstructionists" is the term in the book, too. I couldn't remember it, so made something up.
That part of the book was very interesting - if a little gruesome - and one could imagine a series of novels with that premise.
HBJ
- Freakzilla
- Lead Singer and Driver of the Winnebego
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Re: What are you reading?
That's why we read fiction, right?Omphalos wrote: at least the reality of it probably wouldn't.
Paul of Dune was so bad it gave me a seizure that dislocated both of my shoulders and prolapsed my anus.
~Pink Snowman
- Freakzilla
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Re: What are you reading?
I just read all six FH Dune books... AGAIN.
Definitely robots. :eyroll:
Definitely robots. :eyroll:
Paul of Dune was so bad it gave me a seizure that dislocated both of my shoulders and prolapsed my anus.
~Pink Snowman
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- Administrator
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Re: What are you reading?
I have started with the Old man's war series by John Scalzi.
"... the mystery of life isn't a problem to solve but a reality to experience."
“There is no escape—we pay for the violence of our ancestors.”
Sandrider: "Keith went to Bobo's for a weekend of drinking, watched some DVDs,
and wrote a Dune Novel."
“There is no escape—we pay for the violence of our ancestors.”
Sandrider: "Keith went to Bobo's for a weekend of drinking, watched some DVDs,
and wrote a Dune Novel."
- Omphalos
- Inglorious Bastard
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Re: What are you reading?
First book is awesome. I just got a copy for my teenaged son to read. Hope you like them!Serkanner wrote:I have started with the Old man's war series by John Scalzi.
- Freakzilla
- Lead Singer and Driver of the Winnebego
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Re: What are you reading?
I loved the first two. I've read mixed reviews about the rest of the series.Omphalos wrote:First book is awesome. I just got a copy for my teenaged son to read. Hope you like them!Serkanner wrote:I have started with the Old man's war series by John Scalzi.
Paul of Dune was so bad it gave me a seizure that dislocated both of my shoulders and prolapsed my anus.
~Pink Snowman