Anyone have good recommendations (either new or old) in sci-fi? I've been in a sci-fi mood. I'm reading Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson right now, and I just ordered Odd John and Sirius, Last and First Men, and Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon from Amazon based on a friend's recommendation.
Quote from: Kermit, B. on May 08, 2009, 02:39:42 PM
Anyone have good recommendations (either new or old) in sci-fi? I've been in a sci-fi mood. I'm reading Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson right now, and I just ordered Odd John and Sirius, Last and First Men, and Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon from Amazon based on a friend's recommendation.
Isaac Asimov's Foundation series is fantastic.
Have Spacesuit, Will Travel is very good juvenalia if you're looking for something breezy.
Jon, of course, has already reviewed (http://www.desipio.com/messageboard/index.php?topic=5521.msg141442#msg141442) The Man Who Folded Himself.
Quote from: PenFoe on May 08, 2009, 02:41:26 PM
Quote from: Kermit, B. on May 08, 2009, 02:39:42 PM
Anyone have good recommendations (either new or old) in sci-fi? I've been in a sci-fi mood. I'm reading Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson right now, and I just ordered Odd John and Sirius, Last and First Men, and Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon from Amazon based on a friend's recommendation.
Isaac Asimov's Foundation series is fantastic.
That's what I was going to recommend.
Stanislaw Lem and Philip K. Dick are always good.
People either love or hate the Ender series by Orson Scott Card. So you might like it, you might not.
Quote from: Kermit, B. on May 08, 2009, 02:39:42 PM
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson right now
If you like the cyberpunk aspects of it, can't beat William Gibson. Neuromancer is probably his best known work, but I've enjoyed them all.
I dig the hell out of Ian M Banks (Excession is awesome place to start), which more in the Space Opera realm of SF.
Foundation is a good series, it's short if you stop after the original few (which are the better ones).
Ender's Game is a hell of a book, I can't really get behind the sequels. Card is a hell of a writer but he loves his religion a little much for my tastes.
Quote from: Pre on May 28, 2009, 04:15:45 PM
Card is a hell of a writer but he loves his religion a little much for my tastes.
Oh, I agree there.
Other Stephenson I recommend: Cryptonomicon, and (though not really sci-fi) The Baroque Trilogy.
Another writer I've enjoyed recently: Vernor Vinge. Fire in the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky are excellent.
Thanks for the recommendations, everyone. I'm almost done with Snow Crash (I'm slow), and I'm listening to Anathem (another Stevenson one) right now. The latter is a bit dull so far, but I think I'm only on disc 12 of about 28, so it damn well better pick up. I'm going to do Adams' Dirk Gently series after this, and then I'm going to library the shit out of these suggestions.
Quote from: PenFoe on May 08, 2009, 02:41:26 PM
Quote from: Kermit, B. on May 08, 2009, 02:39:42 PM
Anyone have good recommendations (either new or old) in sci-fi? I've been in a sci-fi mood. I'm reading Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson right now, and I just ordered Odd John and Sirius, Last and First Men, and Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon from Amazon based on a friend's recommendation.
Isaac Asimov's Foundation series is fantastic.
Didn't Asimov write one about a parallel universe where a Major League Baseball team threw a World Series because some gamblers paid them to do it, and one of them, a sure Hall of Famer was not only banned for life but tried to use his illiteracy as a defense?
Nah, that's too crazy, even for Sci-Fi.
Eliot Asinof, Issac Asimov, what's the difference?
I'll second (third?) the Foundation series, although it's been many years since I read it. The Library of America's Philip K. Dick compilation is very good.
http://www.amazon.com/Philip-K-Dick-Library-America/dp/1598530097/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243742349&sr=1-2
I do not recommend the Baroque trilogy. The man's a genius but he needs an editor and is just out of control here. Cryptonomicon rocks.
I enjoyed Richard K. Morgan's series starting with....
http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Carbon-Richard-K-Morgan/dp/0345457684
Finally, it's not pure sci-fi (more cyberpunk) but Daniel Suarez Daemon is very very good.
Quote from: HST Redux on May 30, 2009, 11:09:31 PM
I'll second (third?) the Foundation series, although it's been many years since I read it. The Library of America's Philip K. Dick compilation is very good.
http://www.amazon.com/Philip-K-Dick-Library-America/dp/1598530097/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243742349&sr=1-2
I do not recommend the Baroque trilogy. The man's a genius but he needs an editor and is just out of control here. Cryptonomicon rocks.
I enjoyed Richard K. Morgan's series starting with....
http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Carbon-Richard-K-Morgan/dp/0345457684
Finally, it's not pure sci-fi (more cyberpunk) but Daniel Suarez Daemon is very very good.
That's exactly how I feel about
Anathem so far. He's taking me on a very lengthy journey between interesting parts.
Snow Crash was much tighter.
Quote from: Kermit, B. on June 01, 2009, 04:47:45 PM
Quote from: HST Redux on May 30, 2009, 11:09:31 PM
I'll second (third?) the Foundation series, although it's been many years since I read it. The Library of America's Philip K. Dick compilation is very good.
http://www.amazon.com/Philip-K-Dick-Library-America/dp/1598530097/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243742349&sr=1-2
I do not recommend the Baroque trilogy. The man's a genius but he needs an editor and is just out of control here. Cryptonomicon rocks.
I enjoyed Richard K. Morgan's series starting with....
http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Carbon-Richard-K-Morgan/dp/0345457684
Finally, it's not pure sci-fi (more cyberpunk) but Daniel Suarez Daemon is very very good.
That's exactly how I feel about Anathem so far. He's taking me on a very lengthy journey between interesting parts. Snow Crash was much tighter.
Maybe that's why none of us recommended it.
Quote from: PenFoe on June 01, 2009, 04:50:13 PM
Quote from: Kermit, B. on June 01, 2009, 04:47:45 PM
Quote from: HST Redux on May 30, 2009, 11:09:31 PM
I'll second (third?) the Foundation series, although it's been many years since I read it. The Library of America's Philip K. Dick compilation is very good.
http://www.amazon.com/Philip-K-Dick-Library-America/dp/1598530097/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243742349&sr=1-2
I do not recommend the Baroque trilogy. The man's a genius but he needs an editor and is just out of control here. Cryptonomicon rocks.
I enjoyed Richard K. Morgan's series starting with....
http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Carbon-Richard-K-Morgan/dp/0345457684
Finally, it's not pure sci-fi (more cyberpunk) but Daniel Suarez Daemon is very very good.
That's exactly how I feel about Anathem so far. He's taking me on a very lengthy journey between interesting parts. Snow Crash was much tighter.
Maybe that's why none of us recommended it.
The Naperville Public Library may be the GREATEST LIBRARY IN THE COUNTRY (http://www.haplr-index.com/HAPLR100.htm), but its audio book selection is limited.
Quote from: Kermit, B. on June 01, 2009, 05:07:21 PM
Quote from: PenFoe on June 01, 2009, 04:50:13 PM
Quote from: Kermit, B. on June 01, 2009, 04:47:45 PM
Quote from: HST Redux on May 30, 2009, 11:09:31 PM
I'll second (third?) the Foundation series, although it's been many years since I read it. The Library of America's Philip K. Dick compilation is very good.
http://www.amazon.com/Philip-K-Dick-Library-America/dp/1598530097/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243742349&sr=1-2
I do not recommend the Baroque trilogy. The man's a genius but he needs an editor and is just out of control here. Cryptonomicon rocks.
I enjoyed Richard K. Morgan's series starting with....
http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Carbon-Richard-K-Morgan/dp/0345457684
Finally, it's not pure sci-fi (more cyberpunk) but Daniel Suarez Daemon is very very good.
That's exactly how I feel about Anathem so far. He's taking me on a very lengthy journey between interesting parts. Snow Crash was much tighter.
Maybe that's why none of us recommended it.
The Naperville Public Library may be the GREATEST LIBRARY IN THE COUNTRY (http://www.haplr-index.com/HAPLR100.htm), but its audio book selection is limited.
Soriano's HAPLR score is 946.
Quote from: PenFoe on June 01, 2009, 05:14:01 PM
Quote from: Kermit, B. on June 01, 2009, 05:07:21 PM
Quote from: PenFoe on June 01, 2009, 04:50:13 PM
Quote from: Kermit, B. on June 01, 2009, 04:47:45 PM
Quote from: HST Redux on May 30, 2009, 11:09:31 PM
I'll second (third?) the Foundation series, although it's been many years since I read it. The Library of America's Philip K. Dick compilation is very good.
http://www.amazon.com/Philip-K-Dick-Library-America/dp/1598530097/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243742349&sr=1-2
I do not recommend the Baroque trilogy. The man's a genius but he needs an editor and is just out of control here. Cryptonomicon rocks.
I enjoyed Richard K. Morgan's series starting with....
http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Carbon-Richard-K-Morgan/dp/0345457684
Finally, it's not pure sci-fi (more cyberpunk) but Daniel Suarez Daemon is very very good.
That's exactly how I feel about Anathem so far. He's taking me on a very lengthy journey between interesting parts. Snow Crash was much tighter.
Maybe that's why none of us recommended it.
The Naperville Public Library may be the GREATEST LIBRARY IN THE COUNTRY (http://www.haplr-index.com/HAPLR100.htm), but its audio book selection is limited.
Soriano's HAPLR score is 946.
TOO SMALL A SAMPLE SIZE!
Santos L Haplr?
Quote from: Kermit, B. on June 01, 2009, 04:47:45 PM
That's exactly how I feel about Anathem so far. He's taking me on a very lengthy journey between interesting parts. Snow Crash was much tighter.
Anathem, like the Baroque Trilogy got better towards the end. I enjoyed both, but agree on the editor. Crypnomicron could have used with about 100 less pages too. Diamond Age (Sci Fi) and Zodiac (Eco-Fiction?) are tighter novels and I recommend them both.
Quote from: Pre on June 01, 2009, 05:45:52 PM
Quote from: Kermit, B. on June 01, 2009, 04:47:45 PM
That's exactly how I feel about Anathem so far. He's taking me on a very lengthy journey between interesting parts. Snow Crash was much tighter.
Anathem, like the Baroque Trilogy got better towards the end. I enjoyed both, but agree on the editor. Crypnomicron could have used with about 100 less pages too. Diamond Age (Sci Fi) and Zodiac (Eco-Fiction?) are tighter novels and I recommend them both.
I can second the Zodiac recommendation.
But I didn't mind the bloat of the Baroque Cycle, so there's that.
Quote from: Pre on June 01, 2009, 05:45:52 PM
Quote from: Kermit, B. on June 01, 2009, 04:47:45 PM
That's exactly how I feel about Anathem so far. He's taking me on a very lengthy journey between interesting parts. Snow Crash was much tighter.
Anathem, like the Baroque Trilogy got better towards the end. I enjoyed both, but agree on the editor. Crypnomicron could have used with about 100 less pages too. Diamond Age (Sci Fi) and Zodiac (Eco-Fiction?) are tighter novels and I recommend them both.
Yeah, I was going to recommend them too. Skip the Tom Clancy-esque books he did with his relative. I consider it an accomplishment that I finished the first book of the Baroque series. I hate verbosity for the sake of verbosity. See Wallace, David Foster. *ducks*
Bumping this thread because I finally read Dune after having it on the book shelf for probably 15 years.
I gotta say, for a book that is supposed to be one of the all-time great Sci-Fi masterpieces, I was a little underwhelmed.
This might be some high-level nerd blasphemy, but I thought it was just "pretty good."
Definitely not an absolutely must-read.
Quote from: PenFoe on September 21, 2009, 12:35:29 PM
This might be some high-level nerd blasphemy, but I thought it was just "pretty good."
It's been a long time, but some subset of the novels (first 4?) are solid as a group.
I do think that Dune, like a lot of other older sci-fi, has aged poorly (although it better
than most). Science fiction is still a genre where an author can have a couple of
interesting science concepts and bang out a book with flat characters and goofy plots
and win a Hugo or Nebula. It's advanced some in the past 70 years, but on the whole
it's just full of a lot of tripe. Against a background of garbage like Darwin's Radio, Dune
is an excellent book.
I think that's what makes someone like William Gibson or Ian M Banks stand out so much,
they can write what is legitimately a good book that happens to have a sci-fi theme.
Quote from: PenFoe on September 21, 2009, 12:35:29 PM
Bumping this thread because I finally read Dune after having it on the book shelf for probably 15 years.
I gotta say, for a book that is supposed to be one of the all-time great Sci-Fi masterpieces, I was a little underwhelmed.
This might be some high-level nerd blasphemy, but I thought it was just "pretty good."
Definitely not an absolutely must-read.
I read it last year for the first time, and I came in at "pretty good," too. I really enjoyed the thought he put into the technology, and his sci-fi vocabulary was easy to understand and never became overwhelming. I'm glad I read it, but I wasn't blown away, either.
Quote from: Kermit, B. on September 21, 2009, 02:22:07 PM
Quote from: PenFoe on September 21, 2009, 12:35:29 PM
Bumping this thread because I finally read Dune after having it on the book shelf for probably 15 years.
I gotta say, for a book that is supposed to be one of the all-time great Sci-Fi masterpieces, I was a little underwhelmed.
This might be some high-level nerd blasphemy, but I thought it was just "pretty good."
Definitely not an absolutely must-read.
I read it last year for the first time, and I came in at "pretty good," too. I really enjoyed the thought he put into the technology, and his sci-fi vocabulary was easy to understand and never became overwhelming. I'm glad I read it, but I wasn't blown away, either.
You two will forever be remembered as wives.
I really loved Dune and the rest of the series as a kid, but I re-read Dune a couple years ago and it's just not all that. Some great concepts, interesting characters, and a good plot, but Herbert doesn't have the writing chops to make it great.
Quote from: HST Redux on September 21, 2009, 04:13:13 PM
I really loved Dune and the rest of the series as a kid, but I re-read Dune a couple years ago and it's just not all that. Some great concepts, interesting characters, and a good plot, but Herbert doesn't have the writing chops to make it great.
It was pretty hollow. Iraq-is is the desert area that has the only material in the universe to enable travel? A bunch of terrorists live there who defeat the Empire that comes to ensure the material gets out?
Can someone explain this metaphor to me?
Quote from: Chuck to Chuck on September 21, 2009, 04:39:00 PM
Quote from: HST Redux on September 21, 2009, 04:13:13 PM
I really loved Dune and the rest of the series as a kid, but I re-read Dune a couple years ago and it's just not all that. Some great concepts, interesting characters, and a good plot, but Herbert doesn't have the writing chops to make it great.
It was pretty hollow. Iraq-is is the desert area that has the only material in the universe to enable travel? A bunch of terrorists live there who defeat the Empire that comes to ensure the material gets out?
Can someone explain this metaphor to me?
Wrong thread, Weebs.
Replay by Ken Grimwood (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92131281). Great premise, pretty good book.
Quote from: R-V on November 18, 2009, 02:58:46 PM
Replay by Ken Grimwood (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92131281). Great premise, pretty good book.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replay_(novel)
QuoteKen Grimwood was working on a sequel to Replay when he died from a heart attack in 2003 at the age of 59.
Two recommendations:
Spin, by Robert Charles Wilson.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon.
Great books, the both of them.
Quote from: Gilgamesh on February 03, 2010, 02:49:41 PM
Spin, by Robert Charles Wilson.
I didn't really like Spin. I mean, it wasn't bad, I just found it boring.
Quote from: Pre on February 03, 2010, 03:17:08 PM
Quote from: Gilgamesh on February 03, 2010, 02:49:41 PM
Spin, by Robert Charles Wilson.
I didn't really like Spin. I mean, it wasn't bad, I just found it boring.
This is my new favorite half-insult qualifier.
Quote from: Gilgamesh on February 03, 2010, 02:49:41 PM
Two recommendations:
Spin, by Robert Charles Wilson.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon.
Great books, the both of them.
I own this one.
Quote from: Richard Chuggar on February 03, 2010, 05:05:50 PM
Quote from: Gilgamesh on February 03, 2010, 02:49:41 PM
Two recommendations:
Spin, by Robert Charles Wilson.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon.
Great books, the both of them.
I own this one.
The best part of this post is what it doesn't say.
Quote from: Dr. Nguyen Van Falk on February 03, 2010, 06:46:39 PM
Quote from: Richard Chuggar on February 03, 2010, 05:05:50 PM
Quote from: Gilgamesh on February 03, 2010, 02:49:41 PM
Two recommendations:
Spin, by Robert Charles Wilson.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon.
Great books, the both of them.
I own this one.
The best part of this post is what it doesn't say.
(http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/hkh/lowres/hkhn6l.jpg)
Quote from: flannj on February 03, 2010, 11:31:10 PM
Quote from: Dr. Nguyen Van Falk on February 03, 2010, 06:46:39 PM
Quote from: Richard Chuggar on February 03, 2010, 05:05:50 PM
Quote from: Gilgamesh on February 03, 2010, 02:49:41 PM
Two recommendations:
Spin, by Robert Charles Wilson.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon.
Great books, the both of them.
I own this one.
The best part of this post is what it doesn't say.
(http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/hkh/lowres/hkhn6l.jpg)
I don't know if I quite get it. Are you trying to say Chad rents his books from his parents?
Quote from: ChuckD on February 04, 2010, 08:11:08 AM
Quote from: flannj on February 03, 2010, 11:31:10 PM
Quote from: Dr. Nguyen Van Falk on February 03, 2010, 06:46:39 PM
Quote from: Richard Chuggar on February 03, 2010, 05:05:50 PM
Quote from: Gilgamesh on February 03, 2010, 02:49:41 PM
Two recommendations:
Spin, by Robert Charles Wilson.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon.
Great books, the both of them.
I own this one.
The best part of this post is what it doesn't say.
(http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/hkh/lowres/hkhn6l.jpg)
I don't know if I quite get it. Are you trying to say Chad rents his books from his parents?
If only there was a place to rent books, like a Blockbuster or something.
Quote from: Dr. Nguyen Van Falk on February 03, 2010, 06:46:39 PM
Quote from: Richard Chuggar on February 03, 2010, 05:05:50 PM
Quote from: Gilgamesh on February 03, 2010, 02:49:41 PM
Two recommendations:
Spin, by Robert Charles Wilson.
The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon.
Great books, the both of them.
I own this one.
The best part of this post is what it doesn't say.
I've bizarro Tdubbs'd it. Very good, but not as good as this one (http://www.desipio.com/messageboard/index.php?topic=6533.0) (WARNING: 37.5% of thread consists of KurtEvans posts).
Bumping this thread because I just finished Pattern Recognition, by William Gibson.
For a book that's about, in part, an internet subculture/sensation, it holds up pretty well in 2010.
I know Gibson's much better known for Neuromancer - wondering if this is a must-read?
Quote from: PenPho on November 16, 2010, 01:07:33 PM
Bumping this thread because I just finished Pattern Recognition, by William Gibson.
For a book that's about, in part, an internet subculture/sensation, it holds up pretty well in 2010.
I know Gibson's much better known for Neuromancer - wondering if this is a must-read?
If you enjoyed Pattern Recognition, now's a great time to finish up the arc with
Spook Country and Zero history. They aren't sequels in the strict sense but threads
of the first two culminate in the third. I always find Gibson both insightful and
entertaining.
I love his earlier cyberpunk novels. I rarely revisit books, but I've read them all
multiple times. I highly recommend them all in approximate order that he wrote
them. Not only due to some character interleaving, but because I think he
managed to develop a real universe (or setting or microcosm if you'd rather since
it's mostly southern california based and never beyond low earth orbit) and
following along as he creates from book to book adds another meta level to the
experience. Don't let my pitchfork level, probably misguided, over analysis push
you away from the fact that his books are very entertaining with multidimensional
characters and a ton of action.
His latest three have somehow managed to move backwards in time from cyberpunk
to the 'near future' setting wise but at the same time are so much more modern. I
think cyberpunk, as much as I love it, spoke to the concern that ubiquitous access to
data would lead more to increased oppression as power structures harnessed and
exploited the data to perpetuate themselves. Instead it has mostly lead to more boring
classic commercial exploitation and assholes like us uniting in a common interest (in this
case the Cubs) and instead spending all our time have the same generic conversations
that still happen in bars, dorm rooms, parents' basements, and such. It's a lot more
interesting to explore the concept of the disenfranchised regaining meaning, importance,
and control versus some stupid bullshit about twitter or facebook or something. I'm sure
Douglas Coupland or someone is giving it a shot and I'm sure I don't give a shit. Gibson
has moved on to far more relevant ideas about things like the interdependency and feedback
loops in our society and who, if anyone, really controls things at this point. He doesn't
present answers, he doesn't even directly bring up the questions. He writes entertaining
fiction, but the concepts are in there somewhere.
Gibson and Iain M Banks (but never Iain Banks) are my two favorite living novelists, I
recommend them to pretty much everyone and it was awesome that they both recently
released novels.
Anyone have any recent cyberpunk or (a guilty pleasure of mine) space opera type
recommendations? I'd even settle for some decent options. So much of it is garbage
sadly, but I love anytime there is something decent to read in either genre.
Quote from: Pre on December 15, 2010, 01:19:19 AM
Quote from: PenPho on November 16, 2010, 01:07:33 PM
Bumping this thread because I just finished Pattern Recognition, by William Gibson.
For a book that's about, in part, an internet subculture/sensation, it holds up pretty well in 2010.
I know Gibson's much better known for Neuromancer - wondering if this is a must-read?
If you enjoyed Pattern Recognition, now's a great time to finish up the arc with
Spook Country and Zero history. They aren't sequels in the strict sense but threads
of the first two culminate in the third. I always find Gibson both insightful and
entertaining.
I love his earlier cyberpunk novels. I rarely revisit books, but I've read them all
multiple times. I highly recommend them all in approximate order that he wrote
them. Not only due to some character interleaving, but because I think he
managed to develop a real universe (or setting or microcosm if you'd rather since
it's mostly southern california based and never beyond low earth orbit) and
following along as he creates from book to book adds another meta level to the
experience. Don't let my pitchfork level, probably misguided, over analysis push
you away from the fact that his books are very entertaining with multidimensional
characters and a ton of action.
His latest three have somehow managed to move backwards in time from cyberpunk
to the 'near future' setting wise but at the same time are so much more modern. I
think cyberpunk, as much as I love it, spoke to the concern that ubiquitous access to
data would lead more to increased oppression as power structures harnessed and
exploited the data to perpetuate themselves. Instead it has mostly lead to more boring
classic commercial exploitation and assholes like us uniting in a common interest (in this
case the Cubs) and instead spending all our time have the same generic conversations
that still happen in bars, dorm rooms, parents' basements, and such. It's a lot more
interesting to explore the concept of the disenfranchised regaining meaning, importance,
and control versus some stupid bullshit about twitter or facebook or something. I'm sure
Douglas Coupland or someone is giving it a shot and I'm sure I don't give a shit. Gibson
has moved on to far more relevant ideas about things like the interdependency and feedback
loops in our society and who, if anyone, really controls things at this point. He doesn't
present answers, he doesn't even directly bring up the questions. He writes entertaining
fiction, but the concepts are in there somewhere.
Gibson and Iain M Banks (but never Iain Banks) are my two favorite living novelists, I
recommend them to pretty much everyone and it was awesome that they both recently
released novels.
Anyone have any recent cyberpunk or (a guilty pleasure of mine) space opera type
recommendations? I'd even settle for some decent options. So much of it is garbage
sadly, but I love anytime there is something decent to read in either genre.
Obviously you're a fucking loser, but this Spook book seems cool.
Quote from: Pre on December 15, 2010, 01:19:19 AM
Quote from: PenPho on November 16, 2010, 01:07:33 PM
Bumping this thread because I just finished Pattern Recognition, by William Gibson.
For a book that's about, in part, an internet subculture/sensation, it holds up pretty well in 2010.
I know Gibson's much better known for Neuromancer - wondering if this is a must-read?
If you enjoyed Pattern Recognition, now's a great time to finish up the arc with
Spook Country and Zero history. They aren't sequels in the strict sense but threads
of the first two culminate in the third. I always find Gibson both insightful and
entertaining.
I love his earlier cyberpunk novels. I rarely revisit books, but I've read them all
multiple times. I highly recommend them all in approximate order that he wrote
them. Not only due to some character interleaving, but because I think he
managed to develop a real universe (or setting or microcosm if you'd rather since
it's mostly southern california based and never beyond low earth orbit) and
following along as he creates from book to book adds another meta level to the
experience. Don't let my pitchfork level, probably misguided, over analysis push
you away from the fact that his books are very entertaining with multidimensional
characters and a ton of action.
His latest three have somehow managed to move backwards in time from cyberpunk
to the 'near future' setting wise but at the same time are so much more modern. I
think cyberpunk, as much as I love it, spoke to the concern that ubiquitous access to
data would lead more to increased oppression as power structures harnessed and
exploited the data to perpetuate themselves. Instead it has mostly lead to more boring
classic commercial exploitation and assholes like us uniting in a common interest (in this
case the Cubs) and instead spending all our time have the same generic conversations
that still happen in bars, dorm rooms, parents' basements, and such. It's a lot more
interesting to explore the concept of the disenfranchised regaining meaning, importance,
and control versus some stupid bullshit about twitter or facebook or something. I'm sure
Douglas Coupland or someone is giving it a shot and I'm sure I don't give a shit. Gibson
has moved on to far more relevant ideas about things like the interdependency and feedback
loops in our society and who, if anyone, really controls things at this point. He doesn't
present answers, he doesn't even directly bring up the questions. He writes entertaining
fiction, but the concepts are in there somewhere.
Gibson and Iain M Banks (but never Iain Banks) are my two favorite living novelists, I
recommend them to pretty much everyone and it was awesome that they both recently
released novels.
Anyone have any recent cyberpunk or (a guilty pleasure of mine) space opera type
recommendations? I'd even settle for some decent options. So much of it is garbage
sadly, but I love anytime there is something decent to read in either genre.
Miss you.
Quote from: Pre on December 15, 2010, 01:19:19 AM
Quote from: PenPho on November 16, 2010, 01:07:33 PM
Bumping this thread because I just finished Pattern Recognition, by William Gibson.
For a book that's about, in part, an internet subculture/sensation, it holds up pretty well in 2010.
I know Gibson's much better known for Neuromancer - wondering if this is a must-read?
If you enjoyed Pattern Recognition, now's a great time to finish up the arc with
Spook Country and Zero history. They aren't sequels in the strict sense but threads
of the first two culminate in the third. I always find Gibson both insightful and
entertaining.
I love his earlier cyberpunk novels. I rarely revisit books, but I've read them all
multiple times. I highly recommend them all in approximate order that he wrote
them. Not only due to some character interleaving, but because I think he
managed to develop a real universe (or setting or microcosm if you'd rather since
it's mostly southern california based and never beyond low earth orbit) and
following along as he creates from book to book adds another meta level to the
experience. Don't let my pitchfork level, probably misguided, over analysis push
you away from the fact that his books are very entertaining with multidimensional
characters and a ton of action.
His latest three have somehow managed to move backwards in time from cyberpunk
to the 'near future' setting wise but at the same time are so much more modern. I
think cyberpunk, as much as I love it, spoke to the concern that ubiquitous access to
data would lead more to increased oppression as power structures harnessed and
exploited the data to perpetuate themselves. Instead it has mostly lead to more boring
classic commercial exploitation and assholes like us uniting in a common interest (in this
case the Cubs) and instead spending all our time have the same generic conversations
that still happen in bars, dorm rooms, parents' basements, and such. It's a lot more
interesting to explore the concept of the disenfranchised regaining meaning, importance,
and control versus some stupid bullshit about twitter or facebook or something. I'm sure
Douglas Coupland or someone is giving it a shot and I'm sure I don't give a shit. Gibson
has moved on to far more relevant ideas about things like the interdependency and feedback
loops in our society and who, if anyone, really controls things at this point. He doesn't
present answers, he doesn't even directly bring up the questions. He writes entertaining
fiction, but the concepts are in there somewhere.
Gibson and Iain M Banks (but never Iain Banks) are my two favorite living novelists, I
recommend them to pretty much everyone and it was awesome that they both recently
released novels.
Anyone have any recent cyberpunk or (a guilty pleasure of mine) space opera type
recommendations? I'd even settle for some decent options. So much of it is garbage
sadly, but I love anytime there is something decent to read in either genre.
About 50 pages into Neuromancer right now, but looking forward to Spook Country after this.