Rindis's comments (member since Dec 10, 2007)

Rindis's comments from the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club group.

I don't get the various references I'm seeing around to invading Britain not making sense. Seems eminently practical: It is a small land mass that the initial force of cylinders should be able to handle (admittedly Ireland might be better from that viewpoint). An entire continent might be a bit much.... Do remember that for all their technology, there's only a limited amount of resources available. Husbanding them must be a priority since there's no back up until some months after the next conjunction of Earth and Mars (note that the 'explosions' happened when Mars is at the closest point in its orbit to Earth).

Also, if their studies did offer some understanding of the organizational structure of Earth, 'beheading' the most powerful political entity can only be a plus.

I was never a great fan of the ending, but if you look at the book as more of a 'thought experiment', the focus upon the main character's reaction to the dying Martians in the dead city of London is certainly a very powerful scene.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/519...

Perfect!

I don't think you can "play" Second Life. Play with it maybe....

The Sims (and Sim City, et al.) are 'sandbox games'. Which is to say that it defies much of the definition of 'game' (much like traditional RPGs), and is more an environment for you to play around in without any predetermined goals.

A Real-Time Strategy game is one that features base-building and resource management in a continuous environment (instead of 'turns') while fighting an opponent for control of the area. (One without the first two parts but still combat oriented is sometimes called 'Real-Time Tactics'). The ones you list in the first paragraph are indeed RTSes (I think, would need to double-check BfME II.)

I played RTSes (and FPS) when they were brand-new and refreshingly different. (Last one I played was Total Annihilation.) Overall, they're just not my thing (my response times suck-I need time to think).

Afraid I got sucked into WoW when the roommate got it. These days, I try to balance my time with that with my first love, old-fashioned board wargames. Haven't managed any roleplaying for the last few years, and precious little in the decade before that.

He really only has four characters: stock villains, himself, a father figure, and all the women he's ever loved or wanted to rolled together. They differ only by haircuts.

...That's probably the best summing-up of Heinlein I've ever heard. I need to remember that one.

I'm solidly in the 'he could be good' camp, and the general advice that his juveniles are the best bet for finding a good Heinlein novel.

To a large extent the real reason I find him such a frustrating author is because of two books that do not live up to their promise--Stranger in a Strange Land, and The Cat Who Walks Through Walls. Both of them start out as very different books than what they end as. Technically, the ending themes can work as books as well as the beginning ones. Technically, it is possible to do a theme shift such as those books feature and have a good single story. However, in neither case do I consider Heinlein to have even come close to succeeding.

The Proteus Operation by James P. Hogan

Neverwhere is indeed a novel that often does not quite come together. It's good, but isn't quite tightly put together enough. I think the fact that not everything would fit in the BBC series did the story a favor: it forced them to cut down to essentials.

I think the BBC production also benefited from some fairly strong performances that just don't come across in the novel. I recommend the mini-series on the weight of Krupp and Vandemeer alone.

On other Gaiman works: Stardust was wonderful, but then it had Charles Vess (I've just seen the original illustrated version), which makes anything better.
http://greenmanpress.com/merch/prints/mo...
Good Omens was like any of Terry Pratchett's other writings for me: the jokes all fell flat. Sandman didn't do a thing for me: I only cared for one or two minor characters in one story - not worth slogging through. The Books of Magic was pretty good, with a lot of promise, but I only saw the initial story and don't know how the series delivered on it.

In general, I find Gaiman just isn't interested in writing the kinds of stories I like to read. Stardust is the exception, as he was purposefully going for a pre-20th Century style of story. And Neverwhere is the one time I've found where the story is strong enough to overcome my problems. Actually, I think it's the one time I've seen where plot was emphasized more than usual, which is probably why I liked it.

I've seen the series and read the book. I'll admit that I think the series is a bit better, but some of that is just some great casting, and some may be that I saw that first.

Stardust was never quite a graphic novel in the conventional sense. It was light prose with much of the description done through Charles Vess' illustrations. I'm afraid that I'm such a Vess fan that I could never stand to touch the straight novel. I'd like to see the movie version, but haven't had the chance.

Hmm. The Venus Prime series were Paul Pruess novels wrapped around old Clarke short stories. An interesting idea, but probably not what you want. Also, you're still missing the rest of them. (There were something like five.)

You may also want to consider 2001: A Space Odyssey. Not only is it probably his best known work, I consider the story better for prose than film, which is its better-known version. And I already have a copy, so I can actually talk about it. :P

Heh, and then you throw in The Cosmic Computer. Good off-the-cuff contrast there. ^_^

I've never read at that speed, and my reading definitely suffers today, but I have read a fair amount....

I'm thinking I may go over to
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/527....
and do a 'done in one' fantasy thread. Just for you. ^_^

Edit: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show_grou...

I occasionally fool myself into thinking I'm well-read. Then someone reminds me how much more is out there.

Good essay Robert.

I wouldn't be surprised if Asimov's story was inspired by Brown's. Though as more of an 'answer' to it.

A couple more recent novels that have themes of a single controlling computer system: The Two Faces of Tomorrow by James P. Hogan, and Earth by David Brin.

Ah, that's always been one of my favorites.

The strong point of the story is how he manages to come at the question from a slightly different direction each time. The purpose of each scene is the same, but they're all different. And of course, the opening line is a winner.

And the last line, which I like to quote every once in a while.

I've read eight of those. I don't think I've heard of most of the ones I haven't read.

I'm sure. There's no telling when you'll need a veteran ogre-slayer. ^_^

However, a few things that deal with a metaverse, or at least full-immersive VR:

Ghost in the Shell, the TV series (Stand Alone Complex and 2nd Gig are recommended over all the other versions).

Entoverse, and Realtime Interrupt by James P. Hogan.

Reality Check by TaviCat. (Sadly, fell afoul of contracts and bad business, it was hilarious for as long as it went.)

I like the Internet because it allows me to do things that I wouldn't be able to do in reality - slaying dragons, fighting ogres, pushing little patterns of boxes around to make rows disappear, etc.

I was fighting ogres long before I was on the internet. (A moment of silence for Gary Gygax.)

What the internet has allowed me to do is hang out with more than just a couple people. ^_^

To give them credit, Jeff, the list is not what influenced SF, it's what will influence you. That does tend to leave a lot of the older books out, simply because much of what they might have had to say would have permeated into society at large already. (Time Machine and War of the Worlds are particular examples of this.)

Top o' the list: Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, the 'little admiral' from many, many Lois McMaster Bujold books (and several others, but Miles really outshines them).

Jack Holoway, from the Fuzzy books. (And, heck, the rest of the crew, human and fuzzy.)

Bilbo Baggins.

Skywise from Elfquest.

Karl Zambendorf from Code of the Life-Maker.

Tiger and Del from Jennifer Roberson's series of the same name.

Silk from The Belgariad.

Athaclena from The Uplift War.

Schmendrik from The Last Unicorn.

Stepping outside of books...
James T. Kirk (of course!) and crew.

Roy Fokker from Robotech.

...and many more of course, but these definitely stand out.

The root idea of Cyberpunk is a near future where computer technology has progressed hugely (it is no accident that this is a child of the '80s), and has created a dysfunctional new society. Generally, things are run by unfeeling 'corporate states' with characters who are outcasts of mainstream society.

Take a look at the '80s, run a classic 'if these trends continue unchecked' model, and you end up with what the original cyberpunk novels look like. As we have moved towards that future, and other trends have emerged, the cyberpunk genre has changed and diversified.

I've read two (Frankenstein and Fire Upon the Deep) and read the first book of the series that the list gives the second or third of (I've read Titan, they gave Wizard). I might have also read The Time Machine, but I just can't remember anything other than my copy's cover.

Lovecraft is decidedly horror. And it's hard to imagine any sort of SF list without any of Bester, Dick, Niven, Clarke, Cherryh or Brin. And given the theme of the list, Tanith Lee should be a good bet.

I'd also agree with Foundation over I, Robot, but won't fault them for the choice.