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June 27
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Dale
is currently reading:
The Idiot (Modern Library Classics)
by
Fyodor Dostoevsky
bookshelves:
currently-reading
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my rating:
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Dale
gave  to:
Brave New World (Paperback)
by
Aldous Huxley
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my rating:
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June 25
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Dale
gave  to:
Double Star (Mass Market Paperback)
by
Robert A. Heinlein
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my rating:
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read in June, 2009
Dale said:
"Fun read.
It's about an actor who has to pose as an important politician. It's vaguely sci-fi as bits of it are set on Mars, but to be honest, they could have replaced that with more terrestrial settings and the story would be much the s...more
Fun read.
It's about an actor who has to pose as an important politician. It's vaguely sci-fi as bits of it are set on Mars, but to be honest, they could have replaced that with more terrestrial settings and the story would be much the same.
It might not be groundbreaking or hugely original, but it is an engaging and enjoyable read. I read this while on a business trip, and it was ideal for keeping me entertained while travelling alone - I read it all in about a day and a half :-)(less)
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Dale
gave  to:
The Big Time (Paperback)
by
Fritz Leiber
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my rating:
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read in June, 2009
Dale said:
"The idea behind the story is summed up on the first page:
This war is the Change War, a war of time travelers — in fact, our private name for being in this war is being on the Big Time. Our Soldiers fight by going back to change the pa ...more
The idea behind the story is summed up on the first page:
This war is the Change War, a war of time travelers — in fact, our private name for being in this war is being on the Big Time. Our Soldiers fight by going back to change the past, or even ahead to change the future, in ways to help our side win the final victory a billion or more years from now. A long killing business, believe me.
You don't know about the Change War, but it's influencing your lives all the time and maybe you've had hints of it without realizing.
Have you ever worried about your memory, because it doesn't seem to be bringing you exactly the same picture of the past from one day to the next? Have you ever been afraid that your personality was changing because of forces beyond your knowledge or control? Have you ever felt sure that sudden death was about to jump you from nowhere? ... If you have, you've had hints of the Change War.
The idea is that there are these soldiers who travel through time, changing the outcomes of major world events to better suit their side of a great war through time.
A little like Terminator, I guess.
Actually, more like Quantum Leap, but instead of just Sam Beckett doing it himself randomly and out of his control, there are a bunch of them, and they plan their 'Leaps' and what they hope to achieve from them, in advance.
Very cool.
You don't actually get to see (read?) any of this in the book - the story is based in 'The Place' which is where the soldiers go to recuperate in between their missions. The story is around how they cope with the war, how they feel about it, and so on.
It's really good - compelling idea, interesting characters, and not too predictable. Worth a read. (less)
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May 06
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Dale
gave to:
Quanty (ebook)
by
Darrell Bain
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my rating:
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read in May, 2009
Dale said:
"Interesting book - different perspective on the "what would happen if computers got smarter than us" theme. Unlike the Terminator-esque Skynet vision, in Quanty the computer means well, and looks at how society reacts.
It never ...more
Interesting book - different perspective on the "what would happen if computers got smarter than us" theme. Unlike the Terminator-esque Skynet vision, in Quanty the computer means well, and looks at how society reacts.
It never gets too deep or complicated, but it's an enjoyable read nevertheless. (less)
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April 29
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Dale
gave to:
The Day the Earth Stood Still and Other Classic SF Novellas (Kindle Edition)
by
Harry Bates
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my rating:
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read in April, 2009
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March 23
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Dale
gave to:
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Paperback)
by
Philip K. Dick
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my rating:
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read in March, 2009
Dale said:
"Very different from Blade Runner, but I'd heard it would be so that wasn't a surprise.
The style of writing wasn't quite to my tastes (maybe a little dated? feels a little like other 1960s sci-fi I've read), but the story was brilliant - ...more
Very different from Blade Runner, but I'd heard it would be so that wasn't a surprise.
The style of writing wasn't quite to my tastes (maybe a little dated? feels a little like other 1960s sci-fi I've read), but the story was brilliant - fascinating and thought-provoking.
Definitely a must-read.(less)
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March 21
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Dale
gave to:
The Sum of All Fears (Paperback)
by
Tom Clancy
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my rating:
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read in March, 2009
Dale said:
"No real surprises, but an entertaining and exciting read nevertheless.
It's seriously long - I read the ebook, so not sure how many pages it is when printed, but it's gotta be a weighty tome in dead-tree form! For all that, it didn't feel ...more
No real surprises, but an entertaining and exciting read nevertheless.
It's seriously long - I read the ebook, so not sure how many pages it is when printed, but it's gotta be a weighty tome in dead-tree form! For all that, it didn't feel like it dragged on too much. (less)
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March 08
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Dale
gave to:
Stranger in a Strange Land (Paperback)
by
Robert A. Heinlein
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my rating:
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read in March, 2009
Dale said:
"I loved the first half of the book - a convincing description of what an alien culture might be like, a great story about how the world might react, and a compelling tale of one person's efforts to adjust to life on Earth.
If I was rating ...more
I loved the first half of the book - a convincing description of what an alien culture might be like, a great story about how the world might react, and a compelling tale of one person's efforts to adjust to life on Earth.
If I was rating the first half alone, it'd have to be four or five stars - it was really, really good.
Which made the second half all the more disappointing. I just couldn't get into it. It plodded along at a snail's pace, and in a very odd direction. The plot suddenly got surreal and unconvincing, and the main characters changed in ways that just didn't make sense. The book finished with a drawn out meander through the meaning of religion that seemed to go on forever.
Such a shame.
Worth a read for the first half alone, though.(less)
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February 12
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Dale
gave to:
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (Paperback)
by
Cory Doctorow
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my rating:
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read in February, 2009
Dale said:
"Fascinating book - more for the vision of reality that the story is set in, rather than the story itself. A future where money is less important than your reputation. A logical extension of where social networks are going now?
Worth a read...more
Fascinating book - more for the vision of reality that the story is set in, rather than the story itself. A future where money is less important than your reputation. A logical extension of where social networks are going now?
Worth a read.(less)
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