Jump to content
Tactically Inept

Recommended Posts

Posted

inb4 this becomes a malaphax and me only because I think we are the only ones that read on a regular basis

 

I read every day before going to sleep. I read pretty much exclusively science fiction and fantasy. Not real life intellectual enough for you? Come at me bro.

 

Books I've read recently (in the past year roughly?):

.

.

.

Kingkiller Chronicles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Name_of_the_Wind

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wise_Man%27s_Fear

Third book not out yet.

.

.

.

Old Man's War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Man%27s_War

.

.

.

The Farseer Trilogy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin%27s_Apprentice

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Assassin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassin%27s_Quest

.

.

.

The Forever War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forever_War

There is more to this universe but I wasn't pining for more at the end of this so I let it go.

.

.

.

Deus Ex - Icarus Effect

.

.

.

A shit ton of book from the Dune universe.

.

.

.

Cryptonomicon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptonomicon

.

.

.

Magician

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magician_%28novel%29

Actually part of a trilogy but I was done with this universe so I just moved on.

.

.

.

I tried to start the long series of books that follows Drizzt the Drow from Forgotten Realms (Dungeons & Dragons) but it's very high fantasy and I just couldn't stomach so I didn't even get much into the first book until I dropped it.

.

.

.

Trying to start the Mistborn Trilogy but I'm not sure yet if I'll stick with it. One thing it has going against it is my ereader is reporting the length of it as over 2500 pages. Would like to stop with the fantasy for a bit too and go back to some sci-fi.

.

.

.

Some of my favorite books:

Neuromancer - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuromancer Read it twice.

Fallen Dragon - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallen_Dragon Read it twice. I find it amazing that a really enjoyable read can be destroyed in the final 15 pages. I'm not spoiling anything because you shouldn't read this book.

 

 

I'm currentl;

  • Replies 188
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted

I finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep last night. It was better than blade runner in several ways, but would have been hard to convey into a movie without going too deep into empathy and other human traits. The movie is rather light hearted and happy in comparison to the book.

 

I'll probably will start the Kingkiller Chronicles because it's high on that top 100 list. I also need to get around to putting a rom on my nook, I looked over some of the instructions today. I'll probably look into doing that within the next week.

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

I was reading A Thousand Sons (The Horus Heresy series) by Graham McNeill (Author) until my ereader died after being dropped. Now I'm re-reading Variable Star by Robert A. Heinlein and Spider Robinson. I remember it being a pretty mediocre book but I'm desperate. I'm also remembering why I'm not a big fan of Heinlein outside of some specific titles.

Posted

While B&N is sending me a new ereader and having finished Variable Star by Robert A. Heinlein and Spider Robinson, I'm now going back to re-read another book in the meantime, Scar Night by Alan Campbell. I remember this book being a bit of a mess to read but as an alternative to nothing, I'll give it another shot.

Posted

Hm, would you recommend the Farseer Trilogy? It looks interesting-- I didn't read too far down the wiki as not to ruin the story. I'm trying to supplement my free time with reading rather than mindless internet browsing. Although free time has been a luxury not easily afforded.

Posted

Hm, would you recommend the Farseer Trilogy? It looks interesting-- I didn't read too far down the wiki as not to ruin the story. I'm trying to supplement my free time with reading rather than mindless internet browsing. Although free time has been a luxury not easily afforded.

It's not bad but not special either, I would afford it a pretty middle grade. It is middle fantasy, some magic, but not ridiculous levels (high fantasy), but not super rare/simple either (low fantasy). It is not a happy go lucky Disney story, it has its fair share of tragedy. If what you read so far of the plot interests you and what I've told you doesn't dissuade you then I'd give it a shot. I would lend it to you but I have it as an ebook so unless you have an ereader or tablet, you'll have to find it on your own.
  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

While B&N is sending me a new ereader and having finished Variable Star by Robert A. Heinlein and Spider Robinson, I'm now going back to re-read another book in the meantime, Scar Night by Alan Campbell. I remember this book being a bit of a mess to read but as an alternative to nothing, I'll give it another shot.

It was still a bit of a mess the second time through.

 

I'll be re-reading Nemesis by Isaac Asimov (wiki link) since I haven't gotten around to rooting'n'flashing my replacement nook and I refuse to allow myself to go without reading material. Last time I read Nemesis it was a bit, too happy go lucky, or something like that, distant memory. Meh. I hope it's better this time through.

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Read some random Warhammer 40k books but now trying to move to something else..... tried find a good search filter on amazon so I could have some kind of more concise list of titles to look over sans going to the bookstore.... since that is so very old tech....

 

Filter: keyword + 4 star and up + sort by popularity

 

This filter unfortunately relies on user reviews and popularity can be skewed by book clubs and the like. It puts an aweful lot of faith in people (ughhh) but without using the filter I was getting random stuff all over the place. I searched for cyberpunk to see if there was anything - http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st?bbn=2831...popularity-rank Immediately I see I have read the first 5 books, not counting the shadowrun rulebook. A couple books on the 2nd page onward...

 

Vurt - http://www.amazon.com/Vurt-Jeff-Noon/dp/03...words=cyberpunk

A Song Called Youth - http://www.amazon.com/Song-Called-Youth-Jo...words=cyberpunk

The Ware Tetralogy - http://www.amazon.com/Ware-Tetralogy-Rudy-...words=cyberpunk

The Electric Church - http://www.amazon.com/Electric-Church-Jeff...words=cyberpunk

Tokyo Zero - http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-Zero-Novel-Mar...words=cyberpunk

Shadow of a... - http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Dead-Star-Won...words=cyberpunk

 

As a whole I have to say that was a bit depressing considering what I had to all look through to just scrap together that meager list of preliminary options. Now to see how many of these I can find as torrents....

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

"I'd encountered liches in countless videogames and fantasy novels. They were to be avoided at all costs."

"...but if you touched it [treasure], the undead King Acererak appeared and opened a can of undead whup-ass on you."

"If Halliday had re-created the Tomb of Horrors just as it was described in the module, I was in big trouble. My avatar was a third-level wimp, with nonmagical weapons and a twenty-seven measly hit points."

 

-Ready Player One quotes

  • 3 months later...
Posted

The Belgariad by David Eddings

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgariad

Recently read this. Was terribly generic fantasy and lots of mary sue characters

 

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Left_Hand_of_Darkness

Currently reading this. It's kind of a complicated read and focuses on some unique alien/human interaction ideas. Not sure where it's going.

Posted

I wantsssss it....

 

Bring it out to our next meet up, whenever that's going to be and I'll gladly take if off your hands. Although, I highly recommend you read it prior to returning it. The books are WAY better than the show. (On that note, I haven't watched season 2 of GoT)

 

 

 

Currently reading Case Studies in Finance. Soon to read my International Finance book followed by studying some Tax.

Posted

Based on a recommendation from here: http://www.locusmag.com/2012/AllCenturyPollsResults.html

 

I just finished reading The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. Here is the wiki link again: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_hand_of_darkness

 

Meh. The whole story just felt kind of anticlimactic the entire time. Most of the book is literally just a journey story of two characters, their struggles and their relationship. Not bad but it just didn't feel like much happened. A bit boring perhaps. A lot of talk about human alien interaction and all the complications that entails. No action but that's not an issue. Oh well. I really don't know what I'll move on to now....

Posted

Read Count of Monte Cristo if you haven't.

 

Also, have you picked up "Ready Player One"? I think you can appreciate that one. It's a NY Times best seller for what that's worth.

Posted

Read Count of Monte Cristo if you haven't.

 

Yes, I have read all the main Alexandre Dumas books. There was a time in my life that he was my favorite author.

 

Also, have you picked up "Ready Player One"? I think you can appreciate

that one. It's a NY Times best seller for what that's worth.

 

Let's see.... where can I find a plot.... Amazon...

 

 

At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, READY

PLAYER ONE is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming

debut—part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera

set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese

robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.

 

It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

 

Like

most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending

his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that

lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play

and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

 

And like most

of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate

lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For

somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James

Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive

fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them.

 

For

years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing

only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved—that

of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in

this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive

study of Halliday’s icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as

comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing

Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his

OASIS rig.

 

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.

 

Suddenly

the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the

hunt—among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very

real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to

survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so,

he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and

face up to life—and love—in the real world he’s always been so desperate

to escape.

 

A world at stake.

A quest for the ultimate prize.

Are you ready?

 

Hmm. Doesn't sound fantastic but I've read dumber sounding plot summaries than that before that I went on to read. I guess I'll give it a shot.

 

EDIT: Just finished downloading. I guess I'll start it tonight.

Posted

Wooo!! Tell me what you think

 

Initial impressions are decidedly negative. The fact that the main character is an overweight, acne-faced, socially awkward computer geek who needs to heavily reference 80's pop trivia to accomplish his quest kind of smacks me as a cheap appeal to people's nostalgic emotions. I'm assuming the author had a certain demographic in mind.... such as overweight, acne-faced, socially awkward computer geek who grew up in the 80's and 90's. I'll keep reading but I hope the story grows some balls.

Posted

:snort:

 

Ehhhh.... I'm not sure where you're at... but it gets better. At least I thought it was good. Towards the end, I wish there was such a thing in our age so I can play.

 

I wish I had more time for games... but within 1.5 years, I shall be free.

Posted

The sheer number of directly referenced things is impressive unto itself. I think I had one page where star trek, star wars, matrix, indiana jones, battlestar galactica, world of warcraft and everquest were all mentioned directly by name. I'm actually curious if that presents any kind of copyright issue....

Posted

Most likely, he's cleared it with them before putting it in. Also, I'm surprised you picked out so many references-- I was only able to pick out a few.

Posted

Finished Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. It wasn't terrible but I'm not sure I would endorse it either. Things shape up a little bit about 1/2 way through but the main characters wear some awfully thick plot armor, the main villain is decidedly pure evil and there is almost no tragedy in the book leaving me with little emotional investment in the plot. Still, it was a easy "page turner" with easy writing so I flew through it pretty fast. I hate to use this word but I guess if someone was just looking for a generic, casually entertaining book then I could probably point that out to them but they better have at least a little background in science fiction or gaming because there are a few references they may not appreciate.

 

 

Currently reading Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End (1953). I can't click on that wiki link for fear of spoilers. So far it's ok. I don't really know where it's going but there are a few ideas in the book that bother me a little bit. If you find ideas that are very critical of religion unnerving that I cannot recommend this book.

Posted

I have read the entire old man's war series (4 books) I cannot recommend the 4th. Honestly only the first and third were decent.

 

I also read the forever war which was interesting and unique concept on war and time dialation.

 

Currently I'm reading book 2 of the farseer chronicles. So far so good. I seem to have been reading quite a bit over the last 5 weeks, we'll see if school cuts that back.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...