RJ - Slayer of Trolls’s Comments

RJ - Slayer of Trolls’s comments from the 2025 Reading Challenge group.

Note: RJ - Slayer of Trolls is not currently a member of this group.

I finished the classic Science-Fiction fix-up novel about a generation ship where the crew has forgotten they are on a ship


Orphans of the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

#62 in 2023:

I finished the classic Science-Fiction fix-up novel about a generation ship where the crew has forgotten they are on a ship


Orphans of the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read this as a child and loved it. I read it again a few years ago when I decided to re-read the entire Narnia series and thought it still held up as the best of the Narnia books.

I finished the inspirational account of the 1936 USA Gold-Medal winning 8-Man Crew team


The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

#61 in 2023:

I finished the inspirational account of the 1936 USA Gold-Medal winning 8-Man Crew team


The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown
Rating: 5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

#60 in 2023:

I finished the excellent Science-Fiction short story collection


Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree Jr.
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


A Curtain of Green and Other Stories by Eudora Welty

I finished the excellent Science-Fiction short story collection


Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree Jr.
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


A Curtain of Green and Other Stories by Eudora Welty

Ilona wrote: "Just finished chapter 4: I am wondering what is up with animals as a status symbol? I understand that they are almost extinct and thus rare and precious. But why does everyone feel the need to own ..."

One of the themes of the book is what makes someone human. Humans are said to be able to empathize with other living beings, which means they care about taking care of animals who have survived the apocalyptic event that is making Earth uninhabitable. It has become "fashionable" to care for animals to the point that those who cannot afford a real animal buy and care for robotic ones. As usual, author Philip K Dick trades in absurdity so he often escalates things to a ridiculous degree.

I finished the acclaimed campus novel


Stoner by John Williams
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the epic poem


The Aeneid by Virgil

#59 in 2023:

I finished the acclaimed campus novel


Stoner by John Williams
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading the epic poem


The Aeneid by Virgil

Jess wrote: "Currently reading two quite dense but very different books so taking my time:

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
Dangerous Liasons by [author:Pierre Choderlos..."

I really enjoyed Dangerous Liaisons when I read it in college, after watching the excellent movie version. I'm going to try Cryptonomicon next year so I'll look forward to hearing what you think. It's an intimidating book!

Valerie wrote: "...Whenever I am asked if a film is ever better than the book, my immediate answer is always Blade Runner...It basically takes the themes from the book, especially empathy, and develops them."

This is very true and I agree completely. Although the novel touches on the existential theme of what it means to be human, the film does a much better job exploring this idea.

Lorraine wrote: "...I will certainly read book 2...."

It's worth mentioning that the "second book" - along with a third and fourth book - is written by a different author, K.W. Jeter. These books were authorized by Philip K. Dick's estate after the Blade Runner film enjoyed a renaissance in the early 1990s due to the publication of a Director's Cut version that restored some cut scenes and stripped out the narration that had been added to the original version. So, no real need to read the sequels unless you really want to.

Should you enjoy the Blade Runner movie, you might also enjoy the sequel film Blade Runner 2049 - both an homage to and a continuation of the first film, which is typically listed as one of the great Science-Fiction films of all time. The sequel was not directed by Ridley Scott who directed the first film (as well as "Alien," another all time great Science-Fiction film) but instead by Denis Villanueve who also directed Sicario, Arrival, and the new 2-part Dune movie.

By the way, the film name "Blade Runner" never appears in the original novel. It is taken from The Blade Runner by Alan E. Nourse, a completely unrelated Science Fiction novel whose rights were purchased by the filmmakers just so they could use the name.

I finished the Cold War-era espionage thriller


Triple by Ken Follett
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


The Bottoms by Joe R. Lansdale

#58 in 2023:

I finished the Cold War-era espionage thriller


Triple by Ken Follett
Rating: 2 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


The Bottoms by Joe R. Lansdale

Mo wrote: "Better that Pillars?! Oooh gosh, I may jump into Column soon then because I'm already missing Kingsbridge, haha...."

Haha that's funny, I miss it too. I should mention that in A Column of Fire, a lot of the action takes place away from Kingsbridge, but I still enjoyed it a lot.

Mo wrote: "Finally finished it and I really enjoyed it as well! Debating on jumping into the 3rd quickly since I've also heard good things! :)..."

I liked A Column of Fire even better than the first two books. :) I'm hoping to start the fourth one next year - The Evening and the Morning - which is set prior to the first book. The fifth one - The Armor of Light - is coming out tomorrow.

The original Blade Runner film is one of my favorites. It uses a lot of the material from the book but differs from the book in many ways. I highly recommend watching it if you haven't already.

The book is a good introduction to the world of Philip K Dick, whose stories have been converted to films many times - Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly just to name a few. PKD's book Ubik is on Time Magazine's list of 100 best American Novels. His novel The Man in the High Castle was made into an Amazon original TV show.

I did not enjoy the audio version of this book. Narrator Scott Brick has a quirky style that some people enjoy and others hate. I would recommend listening to a sample before purchase if you're thinking about going that route.

Ilona wrote: "I'd like to nominate A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin for its original magic system."

That is a great book. I will second it.

#57 in 2023:

I finished the light-hearted time travel novel


In the Shadow of Time by Kevin Ansbro
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading


Stoner by John Williams