Jazzmoose Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 After all these years, I finally picked up Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive, so I figured I'd enjoy this one again to get started. Credited with more or less inaugurating a new sub-genre of sf (well, along with a few early Bruce Sterling things.) For all that, I never much cared for it. I loved it, but I had that feeling while reading it that Gibson would be one of those one trick pony types. I can't say Count Zero completely knocked that impression out, but I was pleasantly surprised with it. On the other hand, I decided to put off Mona Lisa Overdrive for a bit; it isn't really a series, but rather more of a set of books with a common background. Instead I went with this to follow: Nowhere near the level of Childhood's End, but still a good read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medjuck Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 (edited) Salman Rushdie's "Joseph Anton". Edit because I couldn't write 4 words without mis-spelling one of them. Edited October 17, 2012 by medjuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted October 17, 2012 Report Share Posted October 17, 2012 Salman Rushdie's "Joseph Anton". Edit because I couldn't write 4 words without mis-spelling one of them. Must be that philosophy degree you have, you create your own reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted October 21, 2012 Report Share Posted October 21, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp626 Posted October 21, 2012 Report Share Posted October 21, 2012 I am re-reading Rushdie's Midnight's Children -- possibly his best novel. I've decided to go ahead and see the movie, so I wanted to have the book fixed in my head before it can be "spoiled" by the movie. But just in general, I'm hoping to read or reread some decent novels, after a really long string of duds. I also have a couple of much shorter novels that I may end up tackling on the bus: Futility by William Gerhardie and The Waitress Was New by Dominique Fabre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted October 21, 2012 Report Share Posted October 21, 2012 Haruki Murakami: Norwegian Wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted October 22, 2012 Report Share Posted October 22, 2012 Not a book, but I've been enjoying the latest issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction. I remember a while back someone started a thread asking about newer SF writers, and if I remember correctly, they were quite generous in the time frame to qualify as 'newer'. I couldn't name a one. So, I figured that while I'm delving back into the field, why not check out some of the newer folks and subscribed to the remaining SF magazines I remember (F&SF, Asimovs and Analog). A rare splurge on my budget these days, but once in a while you just have to jump... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Lark Ascending Posted October 24, 2012 Report Share Posted October 24, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted October 25, 2012 Report Share Posted October 25, 2012 After all these years, I finally picked up Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive, so I figured I'd enjoy this one again to get started. Credited with more or less inaugurating a new sub-genre of sf (well, along with a few early Bruce Sterling things.) For all that, I never much cared for it. I loved it, but I had that feeling while reading it that Gibson would be one of those one trick pony types. I can't say Count Zero completely knocked that impression out, but I was pleasantly surprised with it. On the other hand, I decided to put off Mona Lisa Overdrive for a bit; it isn't really a series, but rather more of a set of books with a common background. Instead I went with this to follow: Nowhere near the level of Childhood's End, but still a good read. After years of being a Clarke fan, I concluded that none of his novels are as good as Childhood's End. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Son-of-a-Weizen Posted October 25, 2012 Report Share Posted October 25, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted October 25, 2012 Report Share Posted October 25, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 After years of being a Clarke fan, I concluded that none of his novels are as good as Childhood's End. I haven't read too many novels by him; that's too bad. On the other hand, as good as Childhood's End was, it's understandable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted October 26, 2012 Report Share Posted October 26, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 (edited) Edited November 1, 2012 by jazzbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Salman Rushdie's "Joseph Anton" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 After years of being a Clarke fan, I concluded that none of his novels are as good as Childhood's End. I haven't read too many novels by him; that's too bad. On the other hand, as good as Childhood's End was, it's understandable. Actually, growing up I think there were times when I preferred his science fact writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Colin Dexter: The Way Through the Woods Inspector Morse is one of my favorite literary characters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Goren. Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 After years of being a Clarke fan, I concluded that none of his novels are as good as Childhood's End. I haven't read too many novels by him; that's too bad. On the other hand, as good as Childhood's End was, it's understandable. Actually, growing up I think there were times when I preferred his science fact writing. That's the way I felt about Asimov, believe it or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Michael Chabon: Telegraph Avenue Just another Chabon entertainment. I'm through reading his stuff. I can think of a few people here who might enjoy this book much more than I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted November 8, 2012 Report Share Posted November 8, 2012 Julian Barnes: The Sense Of An Ending Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp626 Posted November 14, 2012 Report Share Posted November 14, 2012 Just wrapping up Futility by William Gerhardie. This is an unusual book. It was written in 1922 by an Englishman who basically grew up in Russia. I believe this book is somewhat autobiographical, so it seems that in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, he was sort of an Russian expert attached to the British army and saw some of the post-revolution chaos. The main plot centers on a man with an extremely complicated family -- by the end he has two mistresses and innumerable hangers-on who keep hoping that his gold mines in Siberia will actually produce anything (he has been borrowing on them all this time). I guess the best way to describe it is the lassitude of Chekhov's Three Sisters with some of the desparation of Dostoevsky's The Gamblers, but all played for comic effect. Nonetheless, it is a bit exhausting (despite being a short novel), and I certainly don't care for any of the characters. It is basically a curiosity, but probably worth reading if one likes Russian literature. There is one small moment that I like quite a bit, however, where the narrator is talking to one of the Uncles, who says that rushing around makes one feel that life is purposeful (even if nothing at all is accomplished). I think I fall victim to this from time to time -- rushing around to avoid thinking about the void... Am about halfway through Murakami's Sputnik Sweetheart. After that, I will finish up with Mill on the Floss (stopped right when the mill ownership is transferred). Then Faulkner's The Reivers. So things are looking up a bit from the last couple of months when I really didn't enjoy what I was reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted November 14, 2012 Report Share Posted November 14, 2012 Michael Chabon: Telegraph Avenue Just another Chabon entertainment. I'm through reading his stuff. I can think of a few people here who might enjoy this book much more than I did. So, you would not agree with this blurb off Amazon: "An intimate epic, a NorCal Middlemarch set to the funky beat of classic vinyl soul-jazz and pulsing with a virtuosic, pyrotechnical style all its own, Telegraph Avenue is the great American novel we've been waiting for. Generous, imaginative, funny, moving, thrilling, humane, triumphant, it is Michael Chabon's most dazzling book yet." I'm still debating about getting this one, it would be a nice trip down Memory Lane, to relive my six years in Berkeley, but I'm not overly fond of Chabon, I completely gave up on The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (in fact, threw it in a dumpster, I was so frustrated by it), might go into a used book store in a couple of months and buy it -- bring back memories of Telegraph from back in the day, and when I was much younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted November 14, 2012 Report Share Posted November 14, 2012 Michael Chabon: Telegraph Avenue Just another Chabon entertainment. I'm through reading his stuff. I can think of a few people here who might enjoy this book much more than I did. So, you would not agree with this blurb off Amazon: "An intimate epic, a NorCal Middlemarch set to the funky beat of classic vinyl soul-jazz and pulsing with a virtuosic, pyrotechnical style all its own, Telegraph Avenue is the great American novel we've been waiting for. Generous, imaginative, funny, moving, thrilling, humane, triumphant, it is Michael Chabon's most dazzling book yet." I'm still debating about getting this one, it would be a nice trip down Memory Lane, to relive my six years in Berkeley, but I'm not overly fond of Chabon, I completely gave up on The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (in fact, threw it in a dumpster, I was so frustrated by it), might go into a used book store in a couple of months and buy it -- bring back memories of Telegraph from back in the day, and when I was much younger. I guess if you were there, the book might bring back some memories. I wasn't, and the book didn't do much for me. I wouldn't even recommend it to soul/funk jazz afficianados. What's written about the music is fairly superficial, imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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