Manny’s review of Tunnel in the Sky > Likes and Comments

dont read farmer in the sky either..

I liked it until I discovered Lucy in the Sky.

Hi there, Manny. I haven't read the juveniles -- only Stranger, I Will Fear No Evil, and Time Enough for Love. So, I admit the female characters were fulfilling male sexual fantasies. But hey, at least the fantasies were about attractive women who were also smart and competent. Kind of like a certain GR reviewer I know who wants his attractive partner to have opinions about literature.

Sorento, Not isn't as much like a female Heinlein character as you think. For example, she doesn't have martial arts skills and she can't fly a spaceship. Though I must admit I've never actually asked her.

I imagine she is accomplished in many other admirable ways, however.

She's a more accomplished bridge player than Barbara in Farnham's Freehold. By a considerable margin.

Given Not's chess background I'm sure she'd be just as able to pilot a spacecraft without training as the average Hollwood hottie. Which is to say 100% success!

I have a first edition of Podkayne of Mars; ought I bother reading it or simply retain it to enjoy the fantabulous*-ness?

*assertion made by avon, not by me personally.

Not was very annoyed with the ending of Gravity, but I'll pass on your kind words.

OMG. A first edition of Podkayne. You have to read it. But be careful to keep in mind the teenage rebellion thing, it's an easy book to misinterpret. I see now that she's just an ironic airhead.

"Mea culpa! I tell you, I'm that close to rereading the entire suite of Heinlein juveniles to show how sincerely repentant I am."

And no GO or Chess matches for 3 weeks!

Heinlein is a whole in my SF reading -- so no Go or chess for me either until I remedy my negligence.

Don't listen to the haters... just because something is reactionary, misogynistic and plain batshit insane, if it's got this level of historical importance you have to read it nonetheless. It's completely changed the nature of science-fiction.

But enough about the Book of Genesis...

Manny wrote: "Don't listen to the haters... just because something is reactionary, misogynistic and plain batshit insane, if it's got this level of historical importance you have to read it nonetheless. It's com..."

Okay, top 3 Heinlein's for a negligent reader like myself?

Hm... probably Double Star, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Starship Troopers are the best ones. But in order to get a taste of pervy old dude Heinlein, you might want to consider I Will Fear No Evil. One of my favorite so-bad-they're-good novels. I must have read it at least three times as a teen.

Manny wrote: "Hm... probably Double Star, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Starship Troopers are the best ones. But in order to get a taste of pervy old dude Heinlein, you might want to consider I Will Fear No E..."

Thanks Manny!

Speaking of teen years, I found a copy of All the President's Men in the book box while I was in the market this morning... a sign of history repeating itself, je pense....

I just love how God finds these unexpected cool ways to speak to us! Say what you will about other aspects of His character, He's creative.

Manny wrote: "I just love how God finds these unexpected cool ways to speak to us! Say what you will about other aspects of His character, He's creative."

fwiw, I recently heard from a friend in Berkeley that God has come out as transgender, so now it should be 'aspects of they character, they is creative'

Awkward to say, but ya know they's God and all....

The news channels keep trotting out former lawyers and prosecutors from the Watergate days. Soon we'll be able to play "who's the new _____,"

My first vote is: Jared Kushner is the new John Dean.

Bannon is possible as the new Gordon Liddy

Sessions as John Mitchell might be too on the nose, but we'll see

Kellyanne could be Mitchell's wife Martha... she's certainly enough of a dreanged screecher to play the part...

sigh.......................

But who is the new David Edgar? And what is the new Shakespearian play that's going to be rewritten as the story of Donald Trump?

Manny wrote: "But who is the new David Edgar? And what is the new Shakespearian play that's going to be rewritten as the story of Donald Trump?"

How about "A Midsummer Dream's Nightmare"? Which is what this season is shaping up to be....

Publicly, the republicans are showing support, but no one is really on his side after this week's shooting

I like your suggestion, though I think we should also consider "Much Ado about Putin".

Manny wrote: "I like your suggestion, though I think we should also consider "Much Ado about Putin"."

Good one!

A Comedy of Errors can stay as is. Ditto, "The Tempest", although the wags might go with "The Trumpest". Its origin is controversial, but "Double Falsehood" might be good for his twitter rants.

If and/or when he is out of office, he might pen a play of his own, "The Winner's Tale", but it may not be completely factual.........

Let's not forget "As You Liked It", a hysterical sequence of iambic misunderstandings starting with an accidental click on a grammatically dubious tweet.

Manny wrote: "Let's not forget "As You Liked It", a hysterical sequence of iambic misunderstandings starting with an accidental click on a grammatically dubious tweet."

That one has my favorite soliloquy

"All the world's a reality tv show,
And all the men and women merely wannabes.
They have their plots and their double-crosses,
And one man in his time plays many scenes,
His acts being seven episodes (at union scale)."

I love that speech! It's the one which ends "Sans teeth, sans hair, sans taste, sans Melania", right?

Manny wrote: "I love that speech! It's the one which ends "Sans teeth, sans hair, sans taste, sans Melania", right?"

yep!

Man! this stuff just writes itself, doesn't it?!

After a lovely evening meal in the town square, the vin rouge led me to a thought experiment about Buddhist compassion for all living beings. To paraphrase the Dalai Lama, we must be able to find compassion for ALL people, just as he himself had to find compassion for the Chinese who conquered his people and sent him into exile.

During Bush 2, I worked very hard to find compassion for dick cheney - a tough one!!

Now I'm searching for a drop of compassion for the Orange Sphincter - and I'm finding the task to be daunting.

There were a few panic videos on youtube this week about an upturn in seismic activity in Yellowstone Park. The deal I made with the-heavenly-powers-that-be is that I can accept global calamity so long as trump is out of office before the mega volcano blows!!!! Still searching...........

I have been reading some really good stuff recently about the nature of evil and how we can appropriately develop a sense of compassion for evil people. Kjærstad's Erobreren and Sartre's Le diable et le bon Dieu both offer first-class advice. Can't recommend them too highly.

Manny wrote: "I have been reading some really good stuff recently about the nature of evil and how we can appropriately develop a sense of compassion for evil people. Kjærstad's Erobreren and Sartre's Le diable ..."

Thanks Manny!