But seriously. Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia by John Gilmore. Ignore Steve Hodel's self-serving book "solving" the crime by "proving" that it was is own father, George Hodel. Gilmore presents much better evidence and concludes we will probably never know who killed Elizabeth Short.
Right. Helpful for those who aren't into comics. It's a curiosity and a one-shot. It was created to make both Archie fans and Marvel fans say "What the f...?" Seriously, I always liked Archie comics, but I could never understand why he was always after Veronica when Betty was RIGHT THERE and adored him. It just shows that teenagers can be pretty damn stupid.
“Starfish”. It’s an odd sci-fi thriller about modified humans living 9000 feet down at the bottom of the ocean working on electricity generators. About half way through, not sure I like it yet. Not even sure of the point. But it’s oddly interesting and I want to get to the end. Fairly new book.
Just got done reading all four books of the Mortal Engines series. Thought they’d be fairly light and easy reading but they were surprisingly dark. Fast and easy though. I think the world they describe is fascinating and sad.
I read a lot of SF back in the 70s, but I never read Jack Vance. He was from the silver and bronze ages of science fiction (1930s-40s is considered golden age, 50s to 60s the silver age), and a lot of good SF was written then, back when it was still taken seriously.
How do you like the book? Have you read any other Jack Vance?
That is ... quite high praise indeed. Best writer ... not just best SF writer? Well, then, I'm definitely going to have to read some of his books. I'm reading reviews about Vance's books on Amazon and people overwhelmingly give the same opinion of Vance as you. I guess I'm going to Trullian this week.
Best writer period. I struggle to read anything else now because the quality of his writing makes every other author look lazy and low iq in contrast. Some plot lines are dry but it's always worth reading simply to appreciate the writing.
There are some writers who are so gifted they just make it look easy. I've read a fair amount of John Barth, Vladimir Nabokov, and Pynchon and I'm always astounded at how good they are and how well their books hold up to re-readings. I wish I could say the same thing about Joyce, but in retrospect, I think he mostly wrote lengthy riddles for academics.
I read a lot of SF from the 60s to the 80s, and while some of it was very impressive, none of it was in the genius category. As I remember my reading habits and preferences from 30 to 40 years ago, it seems I was more easily impressed. I remember being very impressed by Delany's "Dhalgren" and thought it might qualify as genius, but not so much now, especially now that I know what a deviant he is.
thepiratebay.org/description.php?id=17775427 "Solomon's Secret Arts: The Occult in the Age of Enlightenment" And Encyclopedia of Insects - 1st and 2nd Ed (2003-2009) thepiratebay.org/description.php?id=12168810
What? Not approved (at least publicly) by this site's users? LAWRZ!
The last book I read that might be acceptable to publicly state would be The Odyssey translated by Robert Fangles. It was fairly decent, but I had expected more from it.
[ - ] CHIRO 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 09:18:09 ago (+1/-0)
Somewhat contrary to my penchant for collecting books, I find more and more often that learning a particular philosopher's views is best done on the web. Purists will shout, "No, you must read original sources. Everyone has their version of a particular philosopher based on their unique reading."
Right, which is why I can go to Stanford Encyclopedia and find a summary of what the smartest people in the game today all have to say about that thinker.
Of course sometimes it is a pleasure to read the source material. Other times it isn't. Aquinas is a good example. There might always be a reason that crops up to search for a particular article in the Summa, for example, but I've learned far more material that I'm 'comfortable deploying' by reading Feser's books.
I agree somewhat, but Author Schopenhauer doesn't get great reviews from modern pundits. Pessimistic people don't fit well the modern flwowery world view.
[ + ] Joe_McCarthy
[ - ] Joe_McCarthy -1 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 09:48:58 ago (+1/-2)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FHxQ1hhUYAUlCx-.jpg
[ + ] diggernicks
[ - ] diggernicks 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 10:07:27 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] HughBriss
[ - ] HughBriss 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 11:15:10 ago (+0/-0)
But seriously. Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia by John Gilmore. Ignore Steve Hodel's self-serving book "solving" the crime by "proving" that it was is own father, George Hodel. Gilmore presents much better evidence and concludes we will probably never know who killed Elizabeth Short.
[ + ] diggernicks
[ - ] diggernicks 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 20:25:03 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] HughBriss
[ - ] HughBriss 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 20:49:31 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] WanderingToast
[ - ] WanderingToast 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 11:29:33 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Redhairin
[ - ] Redhairin 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 19:53:41 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] WanderingToast
[ - ] WanderingToast 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 9, 2022 08:12:24 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] SocksOnCats
[ - ] SocksOnCats 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 15:37:49 ago (+0/-0)
Just got done reading all four books of the Mortal Engines series. Thought they’d be fairly light and easy reading but they were surprisingly dark. Fast and easy though. I think the world they describe is fascinating and sad.
[ + ] gaybeeye
[ - ] gaybeeye 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 15:55:44 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] Redhairin
[ - ] Redhairin 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 20:08:43 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] HughBriss
[ - ] HughBriss 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 20:52:35 ago (+0/-0)*
How do you like the book? Have you read any other Jack Vance?
[ + ] BlueEyedAngloMasterRaceGod
[ - ] BlueEyedAngloMasterRaceGod [op] 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 8, 2022 12:52:51 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] HughBriss
[ - ] HughBriss 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 8, 2022 13:00:37 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] BlueEyedAngloMasterRaceGod
[ - ] BlueEyedAngloMasterRaceGod [op] 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 8, 2022 13:08:58 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] HughBriss
[ - ] HughBriss 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 8, 2022 13:19:05 ago (+0/-0)
I read a lot of SF from the 60s to the 80s, and while some of it was very impressive, none of it was in the genius category. As I remember my reading habits and preferences from 30 to 40 years ago, it seems I was more easily impressed. I remember being very impressed by Delany's "Dhalgren" and thought it might qualify as genius, but not so much now, especially now that I know what a deviant he is.
Thanks for making this post.
[ + ] Stonkmar
[ - ] Stonkmar 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 8, 2022 13:07:08 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] olinneserpona
[ - ] olinneserpona 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 08:37:58 ago (+1/-0)
Just finished the 'The Three Body Problem' by Liu Cixin. It's a scifi trilogy I can highly recommend.
[ + ] AngryWhiteKeyboardWarrior
[ - ] AngryWhiteKeyboardWarrior 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 08:49:05 ago (+1/-0)
War photographer's memoirs.
[ + ] diggernicks
[ - ] diggernicks 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 09:51:22 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] albatrosv15
[ - ] albatrosv15 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 09:57:38 ago (+1/-0)
"Solomon's Secret Arts: The Occult in the Age of Enlightenment"
And Encyclopedia of Insects - 1st and 2nd Ed (2003-2009)
thepiratebay.org/description.php?id=12168810
[ + ] Ironcrusader88
[ - ] Ironcrusader88 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 10:56:50 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] GrayDragon
[ - ] GrayDragon 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 13:14:46 ago (+1/-0)
What? Not approved (at least publicly) by this site's users? LAWRZ!
The last book I read that might be acceptable to publicly state would be The Odyssey translated by Robert Fangles. It was fairly decent, but I had expected more from it.
[ + ] BlueEyedAngloMasterRaceGod
[ - ] BlueEyedAngloMasterRaceGod [op] 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 14:34:42 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] Ozark
[ - ] Ozark 2 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 08:20:27 ago (+2/-0)
The print is tiny and I can only see it in natural light.
[ + ] BlueEyedAngloMasterRaceGod
[ - ] BlueEyedAngloMasterRaceGod [op] 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 08:34:20 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] CHIRO
[ - ] CHIRO 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 09:18:09 ago (+1/-0)
Right, which is why I can go to Stanford Encyclopedia and find a summary of what the smartest people in the game today all have to say about that thinker.
Of course sometimes it is a pleasure to read the source material. Other times it isn't. Aquinas is a good example. There might always be a reason that crops up to search for a particular article in the Summa, for example, but I've learned far more material that I'm 'comfortable deploying' by reading Feser's books.
[ + ] Ozark
[ - ] Ozark 2 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 09:31:02 ago (+2/-0)
[ + ] CHIRO
[ - ] CHIRO 2 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 09:51:07 ago (+2/-0)
[ + ] Ozark
[ - ] Ozark 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 09:55:13 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] DelaporesCat
[ - ] DelaporesCat 3 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 08:57:48 ago (+3/-0)
It's about Andrew Jackson's time in the white house, beating the bank.
[ + ] HughBriss
[ - ] HughBriss 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 11:07:18 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] DelaporesCat
[ - ] DelaporesCat 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 16:11:36 ago (+0/-0)
[ + ] HughBriss
[ - ] HughBriss 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 16:13:08 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] DelaporesCat
[ - ] DelaporesCat 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 7, 2022 16:44:10 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] poopdawg15
[ - ] poopdawg15 1 point 2.8 yearsAug 8, 2022 00:36:59 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] DelaporesCat
[ - ] DelaporesCat 0 points 2.8 yearsAug 8, 2022 01:36:30 ago (+0/-0)