Book suggestions

Light-hearted discussions, forum games and anything that doesn't fit into the other forums.
Tech Corner - Firewalls, AV etc. - Report Bugs - Board Rules
User avatar
ThunderTitan
Perpetual Poster
Perpetual Poster
Posts: 23270
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: Now/here
Contact:

Unread postby ThunderTitan » 22 Jun 2006, 13:33

Corribus wrote:If it's any indication of how good I thought the book was, I never felt motivated enough to read any of the other ones.
Your loss.

Q: What do you think of the Foundation series by Asimov?
Disclaimer: May contain sarcasm!
I have never faked a sarcasm in my entire life. - ???
"With ABC deleting dynamite gags from cartoons, do you find that your children are using explosives less frequently?" — Mark LoPresti

Alt-0128: €

Image

User avatar
Corribus
Round Table Knight
Round Table Knight
Posts: 4994
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: The Duchy of Xicmox IV

Unread postby Corribus » 22 Jun 2006, 14:28

ThunderTitan wrote: Your loss.
I doubt that.
Q: What do you think of the Foundation series by Asimov?
Are you asking me? I do not have thoughts on it, as I have not read it.
"What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were like a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?" - Richard P. Feynman

User avatar
Cunning Death
Pixie
Pixie
Posts: 121
Joined: 12 Jun 2006
Location: Hungary

Unread postby Cunning Death » 22 Jun 2006, 14:38

ThunderTitan wrote:Q: What do you think of the Foundation series by Asimov?
Just read it twice :-) This is a basic for every sci-fi fan.
warning! there might be documented features in Heroes V
Water Polo European Championships Hajrá magyarok!

User avatar
theLuckyDragon
Round Table Knight
Round Table Knight
Posts: 4883
Joined: 06 Jan 2006

Unread postby theLuckyDragon » 22 Jun 2006, 14:53

Only twice? :devious:

@Corribus
If you have the time and curiosity, I recommend reading the series. :)
The books are nowhere near as large as Dune, BTW.
"Not all those who wander are lost." -- JRRT

User avatar
Cunning Death
Pixie
Pixie
Posts: 121
Joined: 12 Jun 2006
Location: Hungary

Unread postby Cunning Death » 22 Jun 2006, 15:06

theLuckyDragon wrote:Only twice? :devious:
really sorry :scared:
Dude, do you realise, that it's a lot of books? The main trilogy, Prelude to Foundation, Foundation's Edge, Foundation and Earth.... that's what I have here at home. Add to this two times Lord of Rings (first: "whoa! that's good", second: "wait... a film? I must re-read" :))
warning! there might be documented features in Heroes V
Water Polo European Championships Hajrá magyarok!

User avatar
DaemianLucifer
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 11282
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: City 17

Unread postby DaemianLucifer » 22 Jun 2006, 15:22

Cunning Death wrote:really sorry :scared:
Dude, do you realise, that it's a lot of books? The main trilogy, Prelude to Foundation, Foundation's Edge, Foundation and Earth.... that's what I have here at home. Add to this two times Lord of Rings (first: "whoa! that's good", second: "wait... a film? I must re-read" :))
Well if you really want to connect it into a whole,its some 16 books with daneel as the main(well at least the most mentioned one)character.Starting with the end of eternity,over I,robot,the four robot books(the caves of steel,the naked sun,robots of dawn,robots and the empire),three books about the empire(the currents of space,stars like dust,pebble in the sky),and seven foundation books(prelude to foundation,forward the foundation,foundation,foundation and the empire,the second foundation,foundations edge,foundations edge).All of those are connected in a way.Im just four books away from reading this big series,unfortunately they are very hard to find :(

User avatar
theLuckyDragon
Round Table Knight
Round Table Knight
Posts: 4883
Joined: 06 Jan 2006

Unread postby theLuckyDragon » 22 Jun 2006, 15:31

I only need Prelude to Foundation and Robots and the Empire to have the whole collection.

It's not that much to read though. I read the whole thing about four times until now.

LotR? Only read it once. Silmarillion? Four times. 8|
"Not all those who wander are lost." -- JRRT

User avatar
DaemianLucifer
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 11282
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: City 17

Unread postby DaemianLucifer » 22 Jun 2006, 15:36

theLuckyDragon wrote:I only need Prelude to Foundation and Robots and the Empire to have the whole collection.
The prelude I have both in english and in serbian :devious:

But I cannot find forward the foundation,foundation and earth,pebble in the sky and stars like dust. :disagree:
theLuckyDragon wrote: LotR? Only read it once. Silmarillion? Four times. 8|
Well silmarilion needs to be reread in order to grasp it fully and tie the strings.

And if you like fairy tales,give a shot to artemis faul.It has the most original dwarf represantation Ive seen in a while.

User avatar
Cunning Death
Pixie
Pixie
Posts: 121
Joined: 12 Jun 2006
Location: Hungary

Unread postby Cunning Death » 22 Jun 2006, 15:41

DaemianLucifer wrote:Well silmarilion needs to be reread in order to grasp it fully and tie the strings.
Right you are. On my list :) Although it's a good book, it raised many questions for me, which remained, of course, unanswered.
warning! there might be documented features in Heroes V
Water Polo European Championships Hajrá magyarok!

User avatar
Metathron
Round Table Hero
Round Table Hero
Posts: 2704
Joined: 29 Jan 2006
Location: Somewhere deep in the Caribbean...
Contact:

Unread postby Metathron » 22 Jun 2006, 15:49

theLuckyDragon wrote: LotR? Only read it once. Silmarillion? Four times. 8|
LOTR - 13x
The Sil - 8x

;)
Jesus saves, Allah forgives, Cthulhu thinks you'd make a nice sandwich.

User avatar
Cunning Death
Pixie
Pixie
Posts: 121
Joined: 12 Jun 2006
Location: Hungary

Unread postby Cunning Death » 22 Jun 2006, 15:54

Metathron wrote:
theLuckyDragon wrote: LotR? Only read it once. Silmarillion? Four times. 8|
LOTR - 13x
The Sil - 8x

;)
8| that's somethin'. and I thought I'm a huge fan :)
warning! there might be documented features in Heroes V
Water Polo European Championships Hajrá magyarok!

User avatar
Derek
War Dancer
War Dancer
Posts: 392
Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Contact:

Unread postby Derek » 22 Jun 2006, 16:32

reynaert wrote:Brave new world had some strange floating viewpoint (changing the answer to the question 'who's the main character' ad random- at some times, you get elaborate views on a character, in a storyline that is not connected to the other storylines, just to elaborate 'more'?)

anyway, don't forget Brave new world was written before WW2, and 1984 after. It's fun to see in the 'history part' of brave new world how they're talking about gassing people, and poisoning (which was one of the horrors of the 1st WW)- but don't use our most feared weapon, the nuclear bomb.
*SPOILERS for Brave new world*

My contention with the books lies with the central character, at least halfway through the novel it becomes "The Savage." I am just skeptical of the manner in which this character could have so much intelligence when all he has doen is read Shakespeare. He reads a few plays and, zip pow(!), he is as wise as Mustafah Mond. This is a ludicrous position and makes the novel difficult to take seriously.

*END SPOILERS for Brave new world*

I have the Simarillion and have never even read it once. Truly I cannot think of a reason why, but so it goes I suppose.

@Dune
Does the first book mean that I have to read the others? I mean, is it an encapsulated story or does it require the readings of sequels to undestand it? And yes, I have heard terrible things about the prequels.

Any Kafka fans out there? B-)
Hell has frozen over...

User avatar
theLuckyDragon
Round Table Knight
Round Table Knight
Posts: 4883
Joined: 06 Jan 2006

Unread postby theLuckyDragon » 22 Jun 2006, 16:40

The first volume of Dune is pretty much independent from the sequels (but not totally). If you want to see what happens to the universe 3000 or so years in the future of Paul Atreides (and because of him), read the other volumes.
"Not all those who wander are lost." -- JRRT

User avatar
ThunderTitan
Perpetual Poster
Perpetual Poster
Posts: 23270
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: Now/here
Contact:

Unread postby ThunderTitan » 22 Jun 2006, 17:13

DaemianLucifer wrote:Starting with the end of eternity,over I,robot,the four robot books(the caves of steel,the naked sun,robots of dawn,robots and the empire),three books about the empire(the currents of space,stars like dust,pebble in the sky),and seven foundation books(prelude to foundation,forward the foundation,foundation,foundation and the empire,the second foundation,foundations edge,foundations edge)
I said the Foundation series, not the Robots-Empire-Foundation metaseries, or whatever they call it. And the original Foundation series only had 3 book anyway.
Disclaimer: May contain sarcasm!
I have never faked a sarcasm in my entire life. - ???
"With ABC deleting dynamite gags from cartoons, do you find that your children are using explosives less frequently?" — Mark LoPresti

Alt-0128: €

Image

User avatar
Caradoc
Round Table Knight
Round Table Knight
Posts: 1780
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: Marble Falls Texas

Unread postby Caradoc » 22 Jun 2006, 17:24

If you liked 1984, let me recommend the book that Orwell plagiarized. This was "We" by Eugene Zamyatin. It was written in 1920, but not published in Zamyatin's native Russia until 1988. I read it in Russian lit class back in the 70s, and still had my copy when the Russian collegiate debate team came for a match. Naturally, I slipped it in with our gifts -- along with the cowboy hats and Disneyana.

The significance of the title is the inherent ambiguity of the word "we". Does it include second person or not?
Before you criticize someone, first walk a mile in their shoes. If they get mad, you'll be a mile away. And you'll have their shoes.

User avatar
Cunning Death
Pixie
Pixie
Posts: 121
Joined: 12 Jun 2006
Location: Hungary

Unread postby Cunning Death » 22 Jun 2006, 17:26

ThunderTitan wrote:I said the Foundation series, not the Robots-Empire-Foundation metaseries, or whatever they call it. And the original Foundation series only had 3 book anyway.
I suggest you to call it Foundation trilogy then
warning! there might be documented features in Heroes V
Water Polo European Championships Hajrá magyarok!

User avatar
ThunderTitan
Perpetual Poster
Perpetual Poster
Posts: 23270
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: Now/here
Contact:

Unread postby ThunderTitan » 22 Jun 2006, 17:28

The extended series is still different from the Robots one. That's the one I meant, even if i think he complicated it too much in the end.
Disclaimer: May contain sarcasm!
I have never faked a sarcasm in my entire life. - ???
"With ABC deleting dynamite gags from cartoons, do you find that your children are using explosives less frequently?" — Mark LoPresti

Alt-0128: €

Image

User avatar
Derek
War Dancer
War Dancer
Posts: 392
Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Contact:

Unread postby Derek » 22 Jun 2006, 17:34

Caradoc wrote:If you liked 1984, let me recommend the book that Orwell plagiarized. This was "We" by Eugene Zamyatin. It was written in 1920, but not published in Zamyatin's native Russia until 1988. I read it in Russian lit class back in the 70s, and still had my copy when the Russian collegiate debate team came for a match. Naturally, I slipped it in with our gifts -- along with the cowboy hats and Disneyana.

The significance of the title is the inherent ambiguity of the word "we". Does it include second person or not?
Added to my "to read list."

Are you sure that it is plagiarized or that it provided influence to Orwell? Wikipedia leads me to think that it provided influence, but I'd like to hear more about this interesting book.

@TheLuckyDragon

Thanks, I've got too many books to read at the moment and that really takes a load of my shoulder. :sweat:
Hell has frozen over...

User avatar
ThunderTitan
Perpetual Poster
Perpetual Poster
Posts: 23270
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: Now/here
Contact:

Unread postby ThunderTitan » 22 Jun 2006, 17:54

Derek wrote: @TheLuckyDragon

Thanks, I've got too many books to read at the moment and that really takes a load of my shoulder. :sweat:
The first novel was writen without sequels in mind.
And yet I love the way all the diferences between the novels are subtlely explained as historical inacuracies.
Disclaimer: May contain sarcasm!
I have never faked a sarcasm in my entire life. - ???
"With ABC deleting dynamite gags from cartoons, do you find that your children are using explosives less frequently?" — Mark LoPresti

Alt-0128: €

Image

User avatar
Corribus
Round Table Knight
Round Table Knight
Posts: 4994
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
Location: The Duchy of Xicmox IV

Unread postby Corribus » 22 Jun 2006, 20:57

Derek wrote:Added to my "to read list." Are you sure that it is plagiarized or that it provided influence to Orwell? Wikipedia leads me to think that it provided influence, but I'd like to hear more about this interesting book.
I have read it. I liked 1984 better.

And plagiarism is a strong word. Almost everything out there was influenced from something else. Just because it has a similar theme does not mean it was copied.
"What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were like a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?" - Richard P. Feynman


Return to “Campfire”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 43 guests