Thomas's comments
(member since May 04, 2008)
Thomas's comments from the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club group.
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Many good stories here. Perhaps we can publish an anthology someday. Something similar to Dawn's story happened to me.
I returned an audiobook to the library with one cd missing. After quite a while (months, I think), the library computer called and left a voice message that said that I had better return the book or pay up. By that point, I had completely forgotten about returning the book. So I hunted everywhere for the complete audiobook. I even emailed my audiobook rental service to see if I had switched books before returning them. In the end, I found the missing cd in my stereo sytem and realized what had happened. I had to pay a sizeable library fine, but not an astronomical one. Might have turned out better if I listened to music more often.
I hadn't really considered this a hardhitting political piece. Considering the time in which he wrote it, maybe I should. The same views published today would be jejune, but so would the view that women should vote.
Welcome to the club, one and all!
Nathanial,
Which part of Baltimore? Are you a member of BSFS? You will definitely encounter new books here.
Marcias,
Are there good Hungarian fantasy or science fiction authors?
If you liked Tolkien, you might want to try Pawn of Prophecy and its many sequels or Deryni Rising.
For the Asimov lover, Clarke or Niven are obvious next steps. Try Ringworld or Rendezvous With Rama
Shay,
Trying to get into Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, which is easier to do once you realize he's trying to be funny and isn't just stupid. That usually helps. You'll find that our discussions often wander onto classics, politics, or other subjects.
My recollection is that the stories tie together quite well. Not directly, but the overall narrative is coherent. It's surprising how well it works, given what Robert says about the origin.
The lyrical quality is alien to me. In my experience, most fiction features a flatter tone.
Is there a discussion leader for this?
If not, not it.
Sandi,
That's what I assumed, too. As much fun as the cartoons were, I don't feel any desire to see how Shyamalan butchers the material I've already seen. (Especially if the trailer is any guide.) Why couldn't they use Avatar? Because of the film Matt linked to?
Matt,
Who is the audience for Avatar? Is it derived from something else? It looked entertaining, if a little too XBox-ready.
Shakespeare's stuff is relatively accessible, despite its antiquity. Sometimes the dry and straightforward is more dangerous than the fruity and antique. Thomas Sowell made the point that almost no one who quotes Adam Smith or other early economists knows what they were talking about, for two simple reasons:
1. Essentially no one reads the original books all the way through.
2. The seemingly plain English in which these works were written features a host of words with meanings very different from modern usage. "Rent," "Demand," and "Natural" are among the trouble makers.
Michael,
We might give up on the real Mars, but Bradbury's Mars is much more exciting and fruitful than the real thing. If there were aliens and arable land on Mars, I don't think we'd have any trouble putting together a Mars mission, budgetary problems or no.
Edit: I don't remember how much the Earthlings know about Mars at that point in the story, though.
I had forgotten Bradbury's translucent style of writing. Normally, it is best to leave wordplay on the Scrabble board, but this author can keep up the poetry for at least a page. We'll see if I still like it by the end of the book.
If I were to recommend any of Asimov's book fiction, I would start with Caves of Steel. It's good to start at the beginning, and the first three Robot books are the best of Asimov's novels. (Of which I've read quite a few.)
When I read them, they did not seem out of date. Rather, there is a simplicity to all of Asimov's work that may not intrigue adults or young, but experienced readers of fiction.
I would agree with Hollis in this: Clarke or another classic sf author would probably be a wiser recommendation for most reading friends.
John,
My mother shares your view of book-to-movie transfers. She believes the collected works of Dumas are particularly ripe for the Hollywood treatment.
Knight Life is light and somewhat humorous. It's not Peter David's best work or his funniest, but it shouldn't get you down.
A friend tells me that the movie improved upon some incidents contained in the book. Supposedly the tragedy is well-tempered.
I think it's great that we have an author's folder. It's the perfect place to advertise a book, and to find out about new books. If an author is tempted to mention their book in a discussion, I suggest the following course of action.
Imagine that you are not online; instead, you are discussing brick houses with your neighbor. If your neighbor gushes about the brick color typical of bricks made at a spot ten miles from your home, you may nod politely. When your neighbor proudly outlines his plan to repave his driveway with bricks of the said color, you may announce that you have left a chicken in the oven and must take it out before it becomes too dry. If you are still listening to your neighbor when he complains about the quality of workmanship in this country, it is finally time to mention your brother's construction business and its dedication to the finest materials and workmanship.
I suspect that any writer worth their salt will be able to understand (and improve upon) the above analogy.
Welcome to Liz, Hagen, Jade, Jacinda, Martha. Welcome back to Cammieo. I look forward to hearing from you all. In this group, there is no stigma associated with thread resurrection, so feel free to comment everywhere.
Daniel,
If you are on the fourth try, I think you have made a sufficient effort to finish the book. As discussion leader, I release you from the obligation to finish. Now you should peruse the other topics and see if there is anything else you want to say about the first half of the novel.
Businesses have been using poor spelling for my entire life. Aside from the trademark consideration, I've never understood the reasoning behind this. Does anyone--anyone--think that Unkle Tommy's Chiccun is going to taste better than Uncle Tommy's Chicken?
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
