Random’s Comments (group member since Apr 30, 2009)

Random’s comments from the Beyond Reality group.

I started Glasshouse yesterday on my way in to work because I needed a new audio book.

I listened to some more during lunch. And more on the drive home. And once I got home. At 3am this morning my husband finally made me turn off my player and get some sleep before the alarm went off. I suspect I'll have it finished by the time I get home tonight.

Quite a fascinating book.

Nick wrote: "I much prefer anything Silverberg did before "Valentine" to this fantasy series. I've never been able to get into it. I think I'm going to have to chalk this attempt up to "tried yet again" because it's just not happening."

So I'm not the only one. I've been forcing myself to get through it (and about 2/3 through) but I keep feeling like my brain is melting and will start dripping out of my ears at any moment now.

I do wonder if I might enjoy it more if I had some sort of chemical enhancements. :D

I found the narrator for the audiobook of The Back Prism intolerable (and I'm pretty tolerant), so I dumped it for the ebook and grabbed the audio of Lord Valentine's Castle. Started it on my way in to work this morning.

This has been on my to read list for a few years now (audio). I'm planning on getting started tonight. I've not read anything by him yet so this will be my first.

I am loving it so far. :)

My re read of The Demolished Man got derailed since my husband decided to surprise me with the audio book of Captain Vorpatril's Alliance.

I suspect he may have felt guilty about the other two books I've been working my way through. We made a bet and I lost so I had to be the one to read the two game tie-in books for backstory/lore purposes. Upside, some rather humorous lines. Downside, humorous lines alone do not make a good book.

I've read this a couple of times over the years, but not recently. I'll be reading it again once I find my copy. Its somewhere, just not sure where. :D

Carol wrote: "love reading everyone's thoughts. it's my third read through, so i don't have much to add. I do think it's verrry interesting how much the writing style has changed by this point since the first fe..."

Agreed. I never noticed the change until I went back and started listening from the start again. Its very gradual but it makes Snuff solidly a dog in the mind, even if later in the book he is more un-doggy like.

I did look at them. I'm going to have to make up a list of characters and do some comparisons. Just off the top of my head I would give priority to the players first, and then extras after. I'm still at work right now and it looks like I may be here a few more hours, so it may have to wait til tomorrow evening before I get the chance to fiddle.

I'm finally getting back to this discussion.

re: Jim in message #11 above (spolier tags and nothing to quote)

In regards to #3, (end of book spoiler) (view spoiler)[The vicar's stepdaughter Lynette is saved at the end by the Great Detective. (hide spoiler)]

Regarding #6 - (late book spoiler) (view spoiler)[Could this possibly be Jack? The Good Doctor wasn't actually involved with the whole process, and I see no signs of Igor in the picture either. (hide spoiler)]

Jim wrote: "If you say Tekela, it could sound like 'tequila', but again, that doesn't ring any bells for me. Too much tequila can lead to hell the morning after..."

In the audiobook (which Zelazny reads and does an excellent job), Tekela is pronounced very much like tequila, so I would assume that was his intention.

I have been keeping up with the discussion even if I haven't been participating much. I don't want to accidentally spoil things for others.

The scene in the graveyard was an utter hoot. :)

I don't remember a YA classification when I was that age, at least not in the libraries and bookstores I frequented. Same goes for Juvenile. The SF and Fantasy many consider to be YA now days was just lumped in with the rest of the adult books in the genres.

I appreciate that now as an adult since I was exposed to a lot of good books, most of which would have been considered beyond my age. But they made me work, and they made me think. Even if books like Dune and A Stranger in a Strange Land were a little over my head at the age of 10 or so, they fueled my appetite and helped open the door to a universe of ideas.

Personally, I am torn on most YA books. Some are very well done while others just tend to be an excuse for flimsy plots and flat characters. While I would have loved Harry Potter as a kid, I tend to grind my teeth over its stupid adult syndrome now.

I also agree with what Stefan says that the whole YA label is a bit arbitrary. It seems more a marketing ploy than anything else as the label seems to get slapped on anything with a POV character under the age of 20. Its not about content, but about character age.

Re #9 (view spoiler)[You may very well be right. I was thinking she was too plump and short to be the GD after I made the post. I don't remember about Morris, or haven't gotten there yet. I'm almost done. On day 29 now. (hide spoiler)]

Re: #22 (view spoiler)[If you look at the position of the man, its a very intent posture. I would think of Jack as a bit more casual. I might be wrong there. The GD popped into my head as soon as I looked at him and it feels so certain. (hide spoiler)]

What about #3? (view spoiler)[The only other female I can remember so far is the Vicar's step daughter (forget her name). But she looks too old to be the stepdaughter who, if I remember right, is supposed to be 13. (hide spoiler)]

#2 (view spoiler)[I think this one may be the inspector. The only thing I have to go by on that, however, is I just think he looks like one :D (hide spoiler)]

I'll likely be going through a second read before this month is over. I know I've likely missed a few things and this is a fun book. :)

I don't know about 19. The fact that he is with Snuff kind of leans towards it, but (view spoiler)[the teeth and dress lead me to think he's actually The Count (hide spoiler)].

For the ones I'm pretty sure on:
(Note, spoilers contain only the name they are referred to in the book. And since I've read a head with the audiobook, I'm putting it all in spoilers for now because I can't remember who was introduced when.)

4. (view spoiler)[The Good Doctor's creation (hide spoiler)]
8. (view spoiler)[Nightwind (hide spoiler)]
11. (view spoiler)[Tekela (hide spoiler)]
12. (view spoiler)[Vicar Roberts (hide spoiler)]
14. (view spoiler)[Rastov (The Mad Monk) (hide spoiler)]
15. (view spoiler)[Crazy Jill (hide spoiler)]
16. (view spoiler)[Graymalk (hide spoiler)]
17. (view spoiler)[Cheeter (hide spoiler)]
18. (view spoiler)[ Quicklime (hide spoiler)]
19. (view spoiler)[The Count (hide spoiler)]
20. (view spoiler)[Snuff (hide spoiler)]
21. (view spoiler)[Bubo (hide spoiler)]
23. (view spoiler)[Lary Talbot (hide spoiler)]

And the one missing its number is (view spoiler)[Needle (hide spoiler)]

For the ones I'm not sure on

1. (view spoiler)[Might be The Great Detective's companion. I know he posed as a butler when in disguise. (hide spoiler)]

22 and 9 are driving me batty. (view spoiler)[Both have strong possibilities for The Great Detective. 22 because he is smoking a pipe, but 9 could be his disguise. Does anyone remember if Jack smokes a pipe in the book. Its mentioned for The Great Detective a number of times. (hide spoiler)]

I'm about two thirds of the way through at the moment. I have to admit, I was quite disappointed that the book description (at least one here on Goodreads) totally spoils the characters and identities. I think it would have been a blast to have come to the realization on my own.

I think I've been on the second page for the last 2 week or so. I haven't been able to concentrate on diddly squat for a while now. :(

I am going to try to get this done before the end of the month. I really enjoyed The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms so I'm hoping maybe this weekend I can wind down enough to be able to get all the way to page 5. ;)

I read this one a couple of years ago and really liked it. I'm going to try to re-listen to the audio book. I should hopefully have the time.

Anyone ever watch the From the Earth to the Moon mini series? I think I feel a marathon coming on.

Paul 'Pezski' wrote: "I've always thought that the mix of excitement, novelty and exploration is why fantasy (and more lately sci-fi) is so prevalent amongst children's literature, but it is one of those things that some people seem to think we ought to grow out of. I read an interview in which an author (possibly China Mieville) said that whenever he's asked "when did you start reading fantasy?" he replies "when did you stop?" "

Excellent post and I have to echo it myself. I don't really have anything to add except for maybe creativity and imagination. Where else do we get the opportunity to imagine that which does not exist and has never existed.

Apparently I'm incapable of doing one long post. I think I'm post button happy. :)

I am personally drawn to the idea of speculative fiction because it is broader in concept and less limiting.

So often you see arguments about what is real science fiction. Usually the loudest are those who believe that hard science fiction (based on the scientific knowledge and theories of today) is the only real science fiction and I find that so limiting. (And I'm saying this as a lover of hard science fiction.)

There is a lot of variation. For myself, science fiction is a look at the what if, what might be, what could be, what may never be but would be cool if it could. Is the accuracy of the drive technology so important that the exploration and wonder is overlooked? Is the existence of aliens and how they got here so important that it eclipses the concept of how society might react if they landed in Central Park one morning?

The line between science fiction and fantasy is wide and fuzzy with many curves, kinks, and switch backs. And it is so because they really are just aspects of the same thing. Neither is a subset of the other any more than my personal life is a subset of my professional life. And like my personal and professional lives, they are not mutually exclusive.