What should I read next
Bluuuue Rajah
I just finished Brian van de Mark's Pandora's Keepers. The choices for
what should come next are
Charlie Wilson's War
See No Evil (from Syriana)
The Puzzle Palace (just read Body of Secrets)
Colossus (just read The Codebreakers)
The Longest Day
A Night to Remember (just saw the film)
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (read once)
The Right Stuff (read once)
Derek Broughton
Do you think perhaps authors might be important? Some of those are
certainly unique (/Zen.../, for instance) and since there's a film of /A
Night to Remember/, that's probably the one I know, but I would bet there's
a dozen books titled /See no Evil/ (my library has 5 fiction, and two
non-fiction with a subtitle) and not knowing who or what is "Syriana", I'm
not sure whether that's an author or publisher.
In particular, I'm suspecting that "Colossus" is not the one in my
library...
--
derek
Towse
SYRIANA is a movie. George Clooney. Based on the book SEE NO EVIL.
<http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/17925/george_clooneys_syriana_a_long_slow.html>
> In particular, I'm suspecting that "Colossus" is not the one in my
> library...
COLOSSUS is a book about code breaking.
<http://www.amazon.com/Colossus-Secrets-Bletchley-Code-breaking-Computers/dp/019284055X>
Based on BODY OF SECRETS, PUZZLE PALACE would be this one:
<http://www.amazon.com/Puzzle-Palace-National-Intelligence-Organization/dp/0140067485>
If you've seen SYRIANA, read SEE NO EVIL. If you haven't seen SYRIANA,
read SEE NO EVIL.
--
Sal
Ye olde swarm of links: thousands of links for writers, researchers and
the terminally curious <http://writers.internet-resources.com>
Derek Broughton
> Derek Broughton wrote:
> If you've seen SYRIANA, read SEE NO EVIL. If you haven't seen SYRIANA,
> read SEE NO EVIL.
I'm still wondering who wrote it.
--
derek
Grand Mal
"Derek Broughton" <de...@pointerstop.ca> wrote in message
news:1556158.l...@cedar.serverforest.com...
If you're curious enough long enough you may find yourself resorting to
'Google'.
As an alternative to the impatient wait for the spoon.
Towse
If you cared, you could click the link I provided.
Greg Goss
>Derek Broughton wrote:
>> Bluuuue Rajah wrote:
>>
>>> I just finished Brian van de Mark's Pandora's Keepers. The choices for
>>> what should come next are
>>>
>>> Charlie Wilson's War
>>> See No Evil (from Syriana)
>>> The Puzzle Palace (just read Body of Secrets)
>>> Colossus (just read The Codebreakers)
>>> The Longest Day
>>> A Night to Remember (just saw the film)
>>> Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (read once)
>>> The Right Stuff (read once)
>>
>> Do you think perhaps authors might be important? Some of those are
>> certainly unique (/Zen.../, for instance) and since there's a film of /A
>> Night to Remember/, that's probably the one I know, but I would bet there's
>> a dozen books titled /See no Evil/ (my library has 5 fiction, and two
>> non-fiction with a subtitle)[.]
>> In particular, I'm suspecting that "Colossus" is not the one in my
>> library...
>
>COLOSSUS is a book about code breaking.
><http://www.amazon.com/Colossus-Secrets-Bletchley-Code-breaking-Computers/dp/019284055X>
It was also a book and a movie about a computer that takes over the
world.
--
Tomorrow is today already.
Greg Goss, 1989-01-27
Clams Canino
In my top 5 all time.
The "journalistic style" won me over in the same way Tolkiens "reporter
style" did.
I've never served a "cornish game hen" dinner again without thinking of the
book.
-W
"Bluuuue Rajah" <Bluuuuue@Rajah.> wrote in message
news:Xns9BDC9DA1BF1FDlk...@207.115.17.102...
William December Starr
"Clams Canino" <cc-m...@earthdink.net> said:
> Dracula - Stoker.
>
> In my top 5 all time.
> The "journalistic style" won me over in the same way Tolkiens
> "reporter style" did.
Has there ever been a reporter who wrote the way Tolkien did in Lord
of the Rings? Without getting fired?
-- wds
Iain
> In article <UqCdnVVjjZsqZFPUnZ2dnUVZ_tmdn...@earthlink.com>,
> "Clams Canino" <cc-mar...@earthdink.net> said:
>
> > Dracula - Stoker.
>
> > In my top 5 all time.
> > The "journalistic style" won me over in the same way Tolkiens
> > "reporter style" did.
>
> Has there ever been a reporter who wrote the way Tolkien did in Lord
> of the Rings? Without getting fired?
I knew a Spaniard who learned English, from only two sources : an
audio & text based course, and Lord of the Rings.
When describing the bombings in Madrid in an assignment, he began
"2004 was a dark year for the Spaniard..."
I wouldn't dare correct his English as it stands. That would be to
destroy it.
--Iain
Bluuuue Rajah
Why would you recommend "See No Evil" over "Charlie Wilson's War" and
the others, and is it a page turner?
Derek Broughton
> Derek Broughton wrote:
>> Towse wrote:
>>
>>> Derek Broughton wrote:
>>
>>
>>> If you've seen SYRIANA, read SEE NO EVIL. If you haven't seen SYRIANA,
>>> read SEE NO EVIL.
>>
>> I'm still wondering who wrote it.
>
> If you cared, you could click the link I provided.
>
So I'm going to go to a link, about a movie, expecting to find out who wrote
the book? If _you_ cared, you'd provide reasonable citations. Obviously
it isn't that important and I _don't_ care.
--
derek
Derek Broughton
>
> "Derek Broughton" <de...@pointerstop.ca> wrote in message
> news:1556158.l...@cedar.serverforest.com...
>> Towse wrote:
>>
>>> Derek Broughton wrote:
>>
>>
>>> If you've seen SYRIANA, read SEE NO EVIL. If you haven't seen SYRIANA,
>>> read SEE NO EVIL.
>>
>> I'm still wondering who wrote it.
>
> If you're curious enough long enough you may find yourself resorting to
> 'Google'.
> As an alternative to the impatient wait for the spoon.
You might have noticed that I actually consulted my library catalog.
Clearly googling "See no evil" is unlikely to be useful. Equally clearly,
it can't be that important as the OP seems either to not know, or not care.
In either case, it can't be that good.
--
derek
Derek Broughton
> Towse <se...@towse.com> wrote:
>>
>>COLOSSUS is a book about code breaking.
>><http://www.amazon.com/Colossus-Secrets-Bletchley-Code-breaking-Computers/dp/019284055X>
>
> It was also a book and a movie about a computer that takes over the
> world.
Precisely. By DF Jones, iirc.
--
derek
Towse
That's true. I own the book and its sequel. I don't own the final book
in the trilogy.
The Original Poster, however, qualified the title by saying he had "just
read The Codebreakers."
Grand Mal
> Grand Mal wrote:
>
>>
>> "Derek Broughton" <de...@pointerstop.ca> wrote in message
>> news:1556158.l...@cedar.serverforest.com...
>>> Towse wrote:
>>>
>>>> Derek Broughton wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> If you've seen SYRIANA, read SEE NO EVIL. If you haven't seen SYRIANA,
>>>> read SEE NO EVIL.
>>>
>>> I'm still wondering who wrote it.
>>
>> If you're curious enough long enough you may find yourself resorting to
>> 'Google'.
>> As an alternative to the impatient wait for the spoon.
>
> You might have noticed that I actually consulted my library catalog.
> Clearly googling "See no evil" is unlikely to be useful.
Well, there you go then. Why bother.
>Equally clearly,
> it can't be that important as the OP seems either to not know, or not
> care.
> In either case, it can't be that good.
Is anything though, really?
> --
> derek
Grand Mal
> Towse wrote:
>
>> Derek Broughton wrote:
>>> Towse wrote:
>>>
>>>> Derek Broughton wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> If you've seen SYRIANA, read SEE NO EVIL. If you haven't seen SYRIANA,
>>>> read SEE NO EVIL.
>>>
>>> I'm still wondering who wrote it.
>>
>> If you cared, you could click the link I provided.
>>
> So I'm going to go to a link, about a movie, expecting to find out who
> wrote
> the book?
The third sentence in the link-
"Based on Robert Baer's book, 'See No Evil,'..."
If _you_ cared, you'd provide reasonable citations. Obviously
> it isn't that important and I _don't_ care.
She was probably misinterpreting your sentence, "I'm still wondering who
wrote it." to mean you were still wondering who wrote it.
> --
> derek
Skitt
> Towse wrote:
>> If you've seen SYRIANA, read SEE NO EVIL. If you haven't seen
>> SYRIANA, read SEE NO EVIL.
>
> Why would you recommend "See No Evil" over "Charlie Wilson's War" and
> the others, and is it a page turner?
There is a book titled /See No Evil/, written by my late wife's uncle, Jack
Vizzard.
http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-0671204793-1
He was a movie censor in Hollywood, and the book is about that.
--
Skitt (in SF Bay Area)
www.geocities.com/opus731/
Greg Goss
Towse
>> If you've seen SYRIANA, read SEE NO EVIL. If you haven't seen SYRIANA,
>> read SEE NO EVIL.
>
> Why would you recommend "See No Evil" over "Charlie Wilson's War" and
> the others, and is it a page turner?
You'll notice that I didn't recommend SEE NO EVIL over CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR.
I do think that reading the work on which a movie is based is always a
"good" thing. Sometimes you find that the movie improved on the book.
Sometimes it didn't.
I heard all sorts of raves about OSCAR AND LUCINDA (the movie with Ralph
Fiennes and Cate Blanchett based on the book by Peter Carey).
The gals I read books with came over one night, a month or so after we'd
read and discussed the book, to watch the movie on our big drop-down
screen. Dinner. Movie and popcorn.
The movie was odd, although Fiennes and Blanchett are excellent. I would
not have been able to follow it at all if I hadn't read the book prior
to watching the movie. The last bit of the book is a maelstrom of dashed
expectations and plot twists. The movie changed two important plot
points and watered down the best twists at the end.
Why?
In a similar way, SIX DAYS OF THE CONDOR (James Grady) became THREE DAYS
OF THE CONDOR (with that dreamy Robert Redford). Plot points shifted.
The ending was quite different.
Why?
And then there are the times when about the only similarity to the book
is the title.
Given that SYRIANA is a fictionalized movie based on SEE NO EVIL, I
think it's worth the while if one has all the time in the world to sit
in a comfy chair reading, to read SEE NO EVIL.
With Amazon.com and elsewhere these days, you can read the first pages
of the book and see if it might be something that interests you. If not,
read something else.
Bluuuue Rajah
...which I strongly recommend.
Bluuuue Rajah
> it's worth the while if one has all the time in the world to sit
> in a comfy chair reading,
there are people who don't?
Öjevind Lång
news:aZAzl.20291$PH1.16488@edtnps82...
>> I'm still wondering who wrote it.
>> --
>> derek
>
> If you're curious enough long enough you may find yourself resorting to
> 'Google'.
"See No Evil" was written by Robert Baer.
Öjevind
Michael Stemper
>Towse <se...@towse.com> wrote in news:gqo496$5ck$1...@news.motzarella.org:
>> Greg Goss wrote:
>>> Towse <se...@towse.com> wrote:
>>>> Derek Broughton wrote:
>>>>> Bluuuue Rajah wrote:
>>>>>> Colossus (just read The Codebreakers)
>>>>> In particular, I'm suspecting that "Colossus" is not the one in my
>>>>> library...
>>>> COLOSSUS is a book about code breaking.
>>>> <http://www.amazon.com/Colossus-Secrets-Bletchley-Code-breaking-
>Compu
>>>> ters/dp/019284055X>
>>>
>>> It was also a book and a movie about a computer that takes over the
>>> world.
>>
>> That's true. I own the book and its sequel. I don't own the final book
>> in the trilogy.
>>
>> The Original Poster, however, qualified the title by saying he had
>> "just read The Codebreakers."
>
>...which I strongly recommend.
Just out of curiousity, have you read Stephenson's _Cryptonomicon_?
--
Michael F. Stemper
#include <Standard_Disclaimer>
91.2% of all statistics are made up by the person quoting them.
Bluuuue Rajah
news:gqqu1u$ube$5...@news.motzarella.org:
> In article <Xns9BDDC946CAF05lk...@207.115.17.102>,
> Bluuuue Rajah <Bluuuuue@Rajah.> writes:
>>Towse <se...@towse.com> wrote in news:gqo496$5ck$1...@news.motzarella.org:
>>> Greg Goss wrote:
>>>> Towse <se...@towse.com> wrote:
>>>>> Derek Broughton wrote:
>>>>>> Bluuuue Rajah wrote:
>
>>>>>>> Colossus (just read The Codebreakers)
>
>>>>>> In particular, I'm suspecting that "Colossus" is not the one in
>>>>>> my library...
>>>>> COLOSSUS is a book about code breaking.
>>>>> <http://www.amazon.com/Colossus-Secrets-Bletchley-Code-breaking-
>>Computers/dp/019284055X>
>>>>
>>>> It was also a book and a movie about a computer that takes over the
>>>> world.
>>>
>>> That's true. I own the book and its sequel. I don't own the final
>>> book in the trilogy.
>>>
>>> The Original Poster, however, qualified the title by saying he had
>>> "just read The Codebreakers."
>>
>>...which I strongly recommend.
>
> Just out of curiousity, have you read Stephenson's _Cryptonomicon_?
Is it any good?
Derek Broughton
> mste...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper) wrote in
> news:gqqu1u$ube$5...@news.motzarella.org:
>
>>
>> Just out of curiousity, have you read Stephenson's _Cryptonomicon_?
>
> Is it any good?
Some. Not his best.
--
derek
Towse
Won a Hugo for Best Novel in 2000, so it's probably worth looking into.
Amazon has the "first pages" available.
Which of Stephenson's is "his best" do you think?
James Silverton
>> mste...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper) wrote in
>> news:gqqu1u$ube$5...@news.motzarella.org:
>>
>>> Just out of curiousity, have you read Stephenson's
>>> _Cryptonomicon_?
>>
>> Is it any good?
> Some. Not his best.
Stephenson is very clever but I've never had the patience to finish one
of his books. 1000 pages of word play is much more than enough to me.
--
James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland
Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not
Derek Broughton
> Derek Broughton wrote:
>> Bluuuue Rajah wrote:
>>
>>> mste...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper) wrote in
>>> news:gqqu1u$ube$5...@news.motzarella.org:
>>>
>>>> Just out of curiousity, have you read Stephenson's _Cryptonomicon_?
>>> Is it any good?
>>
>> Some. Not his best.
>
> Won a Hugo for Best Novel in 2000, so it's probably worth looking into.
> Amazon has the "first pages" available.
>
> Which of Stephenson's is "his best" do you think?
/Snow Crash/ without a shadow of a doubt. One of the best science fiction
novels _ever_ written. I was probably a little too terse
about /Cryptonomicon/ - it's very good (and I do read _all_ of Stephenson's
books), but he's suffering from the same problem being ascribed to Asimov
elsewhere in one or more of these groups at this time - he wants to tie all
the novels into one continuum.
And for James, /Snow Crash/ is a mere 440 pages in the edition my library
has :-)
--
derek
David Goldfarb
>Derek Broughton wrote:
>> Bluuuue Rajah wrote:
>>
>>> mste...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper) wrote in
>>> news:gqqu1u$ube$5...@news.motzarella.org:
>>>
>>>> Just out of curiousity, have you read Stephenson's _Cryptonomicon_?
>>> Is it any good?
>>
>> Some. Not his best.
>
>Won a Hugo for Best Novel in 2000, so it's probably worth looking into.
It was nominated, but the winner was _A Deepness in the Sky_.
--
David Goldfarb |"THEY ZONKED ME WITH ELECTRONIC SHOCK WAVES,
gold...@ocf.berkeley.edu | I TELL YOU!!!"
gold...@csua.berkeley.edu | -- _Prez_ #2
Moriarty
> In article <gqrdh3$2g...@news.motzarella.org>, Towse <s...@towse.com> wrote:
<Cryptonomicon>
>
> >Won a Hugo for Best Novel in 2000, so it's probably worth looking into.
>
> It was nominated, but the winner was _A Deepness in the Sky_.
In any other year it would have won. In fact, any of the nominees but
one in 2000 could have won any other year.
_A Deepness in the Sky_
_Cryptonomicon_
_A Civil Campaign_
_Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_
_Darwin's Radio_
Bujold and Stephenson had already won the award for books inferior to
the 2000 offerings. The Harry Potter that won the following year
wasn't as good as _Azkaban_. _Darwin's Radio_ is certainly the odd
man out here.
-Moriarty
Mike Ash
Derek Broughton <de...@pointerstop.ca> wrote:
I must disagree here. My favorite of his is _The Diamond Age_, with
_Cryptonomicon_ as a close second. _Snow Crash_ is good, but reading it
after I had already read the other two, I found it to be a little too
raw and over the top by comparison.
Stephenson's attempts to tie everything into one continuum doesn't
bother me with respect to _Cryptonomicon_ because I absolutely hate the
follow-on books he wrote and don't really pay attention to what they
say. Absent them, the rest stand alone.
I also think that his oft-overlooked _Zodiac_ is a really great read.
I realize that I am somewhat contrary to the typical opinions on these
things.
P.S. Happened to notice on Wikipedia that there's a Diamond Age
miniseries being developed by the SciF^H^H^H^HSyFy channel. No good can
come of this.
--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon
Howard Brazee
>I must disagree here. My favorite of his is _The Diamond Age_, with
>_Cryptonomicon_ as a close second. _Snow Crash_ is good, but reading it
>after I had already read the other two, I found it to be a little too
>raw and over the top by comparison.
YMMV. I read _The Diamond Age_ first, and prefer _Snow Crash_. I
think I prefer Stephenson's writing to be raw.
--
"In no part of the constitution is more wisdom to be found,
than in the clause which confides the question of war or peace
to the legislature, and not to the executive department."
- James Madison
Towse
> In article <gqrdh3$2gj$1...@news.motzarella.org>, Towse <se...@towse.com> wrote:
>> Derek Broughton wrote:
>>> Bluuuue Rajah wrote:
>>>
>>>> mste...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper) wrote in
>>>> news:gqqu1u$ube$5...@news.motzarella.org:
>>>>
>>>>> Just out of curiousity, have you read Stephenson's _Cryptonomicon_?
>>>> Is it any good?
>>> Some. Not his best.
>> Won a Hugo for Best Novel in 2000, so it's probably worth looking into.
>
> It was nominated, but the winner was _A Deepness in the Sky_.
Misremembering. It's been a while.
Nick
> On Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:14:14 -0400, Mike Ash <mi...@mikeash.com> wrote:
>
>>I must disagree here. My favorite of his is _The Diamond Age_, with
>>_Cryptonomicon_ as a close second. _Snow Crash_ is good, but reading it
>>after I had already read the other two, I found it to be a little too
>>raw and over the top by comparison.
>
> YMMV. I read _The Diamond Age_ first, and prefer _Snow Crash_. I
> think I prefer Stephenson's writing to be raw.
The first half, or so, of The Diamond Age is fantastic. But it then
loses its way and wanders around horribly with all the weird sex stuff
before pulling its act together again for the finale. That spoils it
for me.
--
Online waterways route planner: http://canalplan.org.uk
development version: http://canalplan.eu
R H Draney
>
>Howard Brazee <how...@brazee.net> writes:
>
>> On Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:14:14 -0400, Mike Ash <mi...@mikeash.com> wrote:
>>
>>>I must disagree here. My favorite of his is _The Diamond Age_, with
>>>_Cryptonomicon_ as a close second. _Snow Crash_ is good, but reading it
>>>after I had already read the other two, I found it to be a little too
>>>raw and over the top by comparison.
>>
>> YMMV. I read _The Diamond Age_ first, and prefer _Snow Crash_. I
>> think I prefer Stephenson's writing to be raw.
>
>The first half, or so, of The Diamond Age is fantastic. But it then
>loses its way and wanders around horribly with all the weird sex stuff
>before pulling its act together again for the finale. That spoils it
>for me.
Yeah, I say if you're going to go off on some weird tangent, have the decency to
*stay* off on some weird tangent!...r
--
A pessimist sees the glass as half empty.
An optometrist asks whether you see the glass
more full like this?...or like this?
Mike Mooney
> Grand Mal wrote:
>
> > "Derek Broughton" <de...@pointerstop.ca> wrote in message
> >news:1556158.l...@cedar.serverforest.com...
> >> Towse wrote:
>
> >>> Derek Broughton wrote:
>
> >>> If you've seen SYRIANA, read SEE NO EVIL. If you haven't seen SYRIANA,
> >>> read SEE NO EVIL.
>
> >> I'm still wondering who wrote it.
>
> > If you're curious enough long enough you may find yourself resorting to
> > 'Google'.
> > As an alternative to the impatient wait for the spoon.
>
> You might have noticed that I actually consulted my library catalog.
> Clearly googling "See no evil" is unlikely to be useful.
>
Is there a verb "to Amazon"?
Mike M
Mike Mooney
> In article <2840016.lLkS5PL...@cedar.serverforest.com>,
> Derek Broughton <de...@pointerstop.ca> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Towse wrote:
>
> > > Derek Broughton wrote:
> > >> Bluuuue Rajah wrote:
>
> > >>>news:gqqu1u$ube$5...@news.motzarella.org:
>
> > >>>> Just out of curiousity, have you read Stephenson's _Cryptonomicon_?
> > >>> Is it any good?
>
> > >> Some. Not his best.
>
> > > Won a Hugo for Best Novel in 2000, so it's probably worth looking into.
> > > Amazon has the "first pages" available.
>
> > > Which of Stephenson's is "his best" do you think?
>
> > /Snow Crash/ without a shadow of a doubt. One of the best science fiction
> > novels _ever_ written. I was probably a little too terse
> > about /Cryptonomicon/ - it's very good (and I do read _all_ of Stephenson's
> > books), but he's suffering from the same problem being ascribed to Asimov
> > elsewhere in one or more of these groups at this time - he wants to tie all
> > the novels into one continuum.
>
> > And for James, /Snow Crash/ is a mere 440 pages in the edition my library
> > has :-)
>
> I must disagree here. My favorite of his is _The Diamond Age_, with
> _Cryptonomicon_ as a close second. _Snow Crash_ is good, but reading it
> after I had already read the other two, I found it to be a little too
> raw and over the top by comparison.
>
> Stephenson's attempts to tie everything into one continuum doesn't
> bother me with respect to _Cryptonomicon_ because I absolutely hate the
> follow-on books he wrote and don't really pay attention to what they
> say. Absent them, the rest stand alone.
>
My mileage varies considerably. I loved Cryptonomicon, and loved even
more the wonderful Baroque Cycle that followed/preceded it - one of
the few trilogies I would consider re-reading. Anathem was a bit heavy
going, mind.
Never read Diamond Age/Snow Crash/Zodiac - must get around to them
soon.
Mike M
David DeLaney
> Derek wrote on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:27:29 -0300:
>>> mste...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper) wrote
>>>
>>> Is it any good?
>
>> Some. Not his best.
>
>Stephenson is very clever but I've never had the patience to finish one
>of his books.
The canonical reply to that has got to be "Neither has he."...
Dave "though I hear Anathem did manage to have an Actual Ending" DeLaney
--
\/David DeLaney posting from d...@vic.com "It's not the pot that grows the flower
It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see
Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK>
http://www.vic.com/~dbd/ - net.legends FAQ & Magic / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.
Howard Brazee
<3-no...@temporary-address.org.uk> wrote:
>> YMMV. I read _The Diamond Age_ first, and prefer _Snow Crash_. I
>> think I prefer Stephenson's writing to be raw.
>
>The first half, or so, of The Diamond Age is fantastic. But it then
>loses its way and wanders around horribly with all the weird sex stuff
>before pulling its act together again for the finale. That spoils it
>for me.
Same for me.
Michael Stemper
>mste...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper) wrote in news:gqqu1u$ube$5...@news.motzarella.org:
>> In article <Xns9BDDC946CAF05lk...@207.115.17.102>, Bluuuue Rajah <Bluuuuue@Rajah.> writes:
>>>Towse <se...@towse.com> wrote in news:gqo496$5ck$1...@news.motzarella.org:
>>>> The Original Poster, however, qualified the title by saying he had
>>>> "just read The Codebreakers."
>>>
>>>...which I strongly recommend.
>>
>> Just out of curiousity, have you read Stephenson's _Cryptonomicon_?
>
>Is it any good?
Excellent in my opinion. The reason that I brought it up is that it
contains several sections set at Bletchley Park during WWII. It has
a fair number of info-dumps on code-breaking.
--
Michael F. Stemper
#include <Standard_Disclaimer>
A preposition is something that you should never end a sentence with.
Michael Stemper
>On Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:14:14 -0400, Mike Ash <mi...@mikeash.com> wrote:
>>I must disagree here. My favorite of his is _The Diamond Age_, with
>>_Cryptonomicon_ as a close second. _Snow Crash_ is good, but reading it
>>after I had already read the other two, I found it to be a little too
>>raw and over the top by comparison.
>
>YMMV. I read _The Diamond Age_ first, and prefer _Snow Crash_. I
>think I prefer Stephenson's writing to be raw.
I'm with you on this. Raw is good.
I got _Anathem_ for Christmas (Thank you, Susan and Peter!) and really
enjoyed it. But, it didn't feel like Stephenson to me.
--
Michael F. Stemper
The FAQ for rec.arts.sf.written is at:
http://www.geocities.com/evelynleeper/sf-written
Please read it before posting.
Michael Stemper
>Howard Brazee <how...@brazee.net> writes:
>> On Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:14:14 -0400, Mike Ash <mi...@mikeash.com> wrote:
>>
>>>I must disagree here. My favorite of his is _The Diamond Age_, with
>>>_Cryptonomicon_ as a close second. _Snow Crash_ is good, but reading it
>>>after I had already read the other two, I found it to be a little too
>>>raw and over the top by comparison.
>>
>> YMMV. I read _The Diamond Age_ first, and prefer _Snow Crash_. I
>> think I prefer Stephenson's writing to be raw.
>
>The first half, or so, of The Diamond Age is fantastic. But it then
>loses its way and wanders around horribly with all the weird sex stuff
>before pulling its act together again for the finale. That spoils it
>for me.
That is exactly where _The Diamond Age_ lost my interest, as well.
Although the last time that I read it (last fall, I believe), I got
through that part without too much effort.
Bluuuue Rajah
> In article <Xns9BDE8635BAE7Blk...@207.115.17.102>,
> Bluuuue Rajah <Bluuuuue@Rajah.> writes:
>>mste...@walkabout.empros.com (Michael Stemper) wrote in
>>news:gqqu1u$ube$5...@news.motzarella.org:
>>> In article <Xns9BDDC946CAF05lk...@207.115.17.102>,
>>> Bluuuue Rajah <Bluuuuue@Rajah.> writes:
>>>>Towse <se...@towse.com> wrote in
>>>>news:gqo496$5ck$1...@news.motzarella.org:
>
>>>>> The Original Poster, however, qualified the title by saying he had
>>>>> "just read The Codebreakers."
>>>>
>>>>...which I strongly recommend.
>>>
>>> Just out of curiousity, have you read Stephenson's _Cryptonomicon_?
>>
>>Is it any good?
>
> Excellent in my opinion. The reason that I brought it up is that it
> contains several sections set at Bletchley Park during WWII. It has
> a fair number of info-dumps on code-breaking.
I'd read the info dumps but not waste time on the rest of it.
Derek Broughton
> In article <2840016.l...@cedar.serverforest.com>,
> Derek Broughton <de...@pointerstop.ca> wrote:
>
>> Towse wrote:
>>
>> > Which of Stephenson's is "his best" do you think?
>>
>> /Snow Crash/ without a shadow of a doubt. One of the best science
>> fiction
>> novels _ever_ written. I was probably a little too terse
>> about /Cryptonomicon/ - it's very good (and I do read _all_ of
>> Stephenson's books), but he's suffering from the same problem being
>> ascribed to Asimov elsewhere in one or more of these groups at this time
>> - he wants to tie all the novels into one continuum.
>>
>> And for James, /Snow Crash/ is a mere 440 pages in the edition my library
>> has :-)
>
> I must disagree here. My favorite of his is _The Diamond Age_,
Well, I refuse to argue with you over that choice - I loved /The Diamond
Age/, and you're welcome to call it his best :-) otoh, my wife - a harsh
critic - loved /Snow Crash/, hated /The Diamond Age/.
> with
> _Cryptonomicon_ as a close second. _Snow Crash_ is good, but reading it
> after I had already read the other two, I found it to be a little too
> raw and over the top by comparison.
It probably matters how geeky you are. /Snow Crash/ does computer _fiction_
better than anybody else has. /Cryptonomicon/'s computer bits aren't
really fiction.
> Stephenson's attempts to tie everything into one continuum doesn't
> bother me with respect to _Cryptonomicon_ because I absolutely hate the
> follow-on books he wrote and don't really pay attention to what they
> say. Absent them, the rest stand alone.
LOL. I'm really not sure how it's possible to hate the rest of the milieu,
and love /Cryptonomicon/. And as James pointed out, it's around a 1000
pages - as are the rest of them. /The Diamond Age/ has the added
advantage, iirc, of being shorter than /Snow Crash/.
>
> I also think that his oft-overlooked _Zodiac_ is a really great read.
I'll second that.
> I realize that I am somewhat contrary to the typical opinions on these
> things.
>
> P.S. Happened to notice on Wikipedia that there's a Diamond Age
> miniseries being developed by the SciF^H^H^H^HSyFy channel. No good can
> come of this.
Be an optimist - Battlestar Galactica was great!
--
derek ("Poor Impulse Control")
Mike Ash
Derek Broughton <de...@pointerstop.ca> wrote:
> Mike Ash wrote:
>
> > In article <2840016.l...@cedar.serverforest.com>,
> > Derek Broughton <de...@pointerstop.ca> wrote:
> >
> >> Towse wrote:
> >>
> >> > Which of Stephenson's is "his best" do you think?
> >>
> >> /Snow Crash/ without a shadow of a doubt. One of the best science
> >> fiction
> >> novels _ever_ written. I was probably a little too terse
> >> about /Cryptonomicon/ - it's very good (and I do read _all_ of
> >> Stephenson's books), but he's suffering from the same problem being
> >> ascribed to Asimov elsewhere in one or more of these groups at this time
> >> - he wants to tie all the novels into one continuum.
> >>
> >> And for James, /Snow Crash/ is a mere 440 pages in the edition my library
> >> has :-)
> >
> > I must disagree here. My favorite of his is _The Diamond Age_,
>
> Well, I refuse to argue with you over that choice - I loved /The Diamond
> Age/, and you're welcome to call it his best :-) otoh, my wife - a harsh
> critic - loved /Snow Crash/, hated /The Diamond Age/.
Are you sure you're allowed to do that?
> > with
> > _Cryptonomicon_ as a close second. _Snow Crash_ is good, but reading it
> > after I had already read the other two, I found it to be a little too
> > raw and over the top by comparison.
>
> It probably matters how geeky you are. /Snow Crash/ does computer _fiction_
> better than anybody else has. /Cryptonomicon/'s computer bits aren't
> really fiction.
If you mean that geekier means preferring _Cryptonomicon_ because it's
more true to life, then that fits me.
> > Stephenson's attempts to tie everything into one continuum doesn't
> > bother me with respect to _Cryptonomicon_ because I absolutely hate the
> > follow-on books he wrote and don't really pay attention to what they
> > say. Absent them, the rest stand alone.
>
> LOL. I'm really not sure how it's possible to hate the rest of the milieu,
> and love /Cryptonomicon/. And as James pointed out, it's around a 1000
> pages - as are the rest of them. /The Diamond Age/ has the added
> advantage, iirc, of being shorter than /Snow Crash/.
I don't really know how to analyze it or why it was this way, but I
found _Cryptonomicon_ to be 1000 pages of fun and adventure, while each
of the other three were 1000 pages each of boring slow stuff I didn't
care about. I struggled through the first two, very slowly, and finally
gave up halfway through the third. I had no real idea of the plot, who
the important characters were, what made them important, etc. The stuff
with the ships and the pirates and all that was great, but my
recollection is that those were small bits embedded in tremendous
amounts of ultra-boring court intrigue and other such things.
> > I also think that his oft-overlooked _Zodiac_ is a really great read.
>
> I'll second that.
>
> > I realize that I am somewhat contrary to the typical opinions on these
> > things.
> >
> > P.S. Happened to notice on Wikipedia that there's a Diamond Age
> > miniseries being developed by the SciF^H^H^H^HSyFy channel. No good can
> > come of this.
>
> Be an optimist - Battlestar Galactica was great!
You have a point there, I held pretty much the same opinion about that
one until a friend convinced me to give it a try.
Derek Broughton
> In article <1535575.9...@cedar.serverforest.com>,
> Derek Broughton <de...@pointerstop.ca> wrote:
>
>> Mike Ash wrote:
>>
>> >
>> > I must disagree here. My favorite of his is _The Diamond Age_,
>>
>> Well, I refuse to argue with you over that choice - I loved /The Diamond
>> Age/, and you're welcome to call it his best :-) otoh, my wife - a harsh
>> critic - loved /Snow Crash/, hated /The Diamond Age/.
>
> Are you sure you're allowed to do that?
I'm fairly certain I'm _not_, but I just love to break rules :-)
>> > with
>> > _Cryptonomicon_ as a close second. _Snow Crash_ is good, but reading it
>> > after I had already read the other two, I found it to be a little too
>> > raw and over the top by comparison.
>>
>> It probably matters how geeky you are. /Snow Crash/ does computer
>> _fiction_
>> better than anybody else has. /Cryptonomicon/'s computer bits aren't
>> really fiction.
>
> If you mean that geekier means preferring _Cryptonomicon_ because it's
> more true to life, then that fits me.
No, I mean I've been a computer geek for 30+ years, and very few people get
the future of computing even believable, let alone right. /The Adolescence
of P1/ is still one of them (I think - I've lost my copy, of course).
imo, /Snow Crash/ is another. Anything by William Gibson. Of
course /Cryptonomicon/ is "true to life", it's more historical fiction than
Science Fiction. I don't have a problem with that, but it isn't geeky
enough for me :-)
>> > I also think that his oft-overlooked _Zodiac_ is a really great read.
>>
>> I'll second that.
>>
>> > I realize that I am somewhat contrary to the typical opinions on these
>> > things.
>> >
>> > P.S. Happened to notice on Wikipedia that there's a Diamond Age
>> > miniseries being developed by the SciF^H^H^H^HSyFy channel. No good can
>> > come of this.
>>
>> Be an optimist - Battlestar Galactica was great!
>
> You have a point there, I held pretty much the same opinion about that
> one until a friend convinced me to give it a try.
I only even checked it out because the original BG was "Attack of the Killer
Tomatoes"-bad, and had to see if it could be made even worse. But I have
to admit, turning shlock into drama is pretty unusual.
--
derek
Mike Lyle
[...]>
> No, I mean I've been a computer geek for 30+ years, and very few
> people get the future of computing even believable, let alone right.
Though not an SF man, I've just read a moderately good book, from the
sharing shelves in the hospital, whose title and author I've forgotten
already, set far in the future. The characters and dialogue were almost
believable, and I was prepared to overlook the LED displays and the guns
that fired bullets, but what really impressed me was that the control
panels on the gigantic machine burst into flames when things began to go
wrong (sort of) for the alien visitors. Just like the telly, it was.
--
Mike.
Derek Broughton
"Just like the telly"???? It sounds more specifically "just like Doctor
Who"? Now, don't get me wrong, I love /Doctor Who/. I was born in England
and of just the right age that I still _vividly_ remember those first
episodes (and discovered this week that they're now on DVD AND MY LIBRARY
HAS THEM!), but it pretty much defines the word "Camp".
--
derek
Roland Hutchinson
FWIW, I'm about a third of the way through The Baroque Cycle and liking it
more than Cryptonomicon (which I did enjoy). But then, I'm and
early-modernist both by training and by inclination.
Of course, it's not science fiction in any sense at all, except for possibly
being shelved that way in the bookstores.
--
Roland Hutchinson Will play viola da gamba for food.
NB mail to my.spamtrap [at] verizon.net is heavily filtered to
remove spam. If your message looks like spam I may not see it.
Nick
I'm in an awkward position with the Baroque Cycle, having put down
Quicksilver about half way through for too long. At the moment I can't
remember enough to carry on reading it, and have not forgotten enough to
want to start at the beginning again. I think I need to let it fade for
another year or so before trying again.
Roland Hutchinson
To confess the absolute truth of the matter, I'm going to find myself in
something like that position if I don't get back to it soon.
Six of Nine or Half-dozen of the Other of the Borg
Roland Hutchinson <my.sp...@verizon.net> wrote:
> Of course, it's not science fiction in any sense at all, except for possibly
> being shelved that way in the bookstores.
There is no fiction in science. We have sent our agents disguised as your
preachers to prevententent you from acheiving full psychokarmic consciousness
before we arrived to harharharvest you.
--
We are the Borg.
You will be assumu-- You will be assimulgated-- You will be assalat--
You will be assaulted-- You will be assimigummy-- You will be assimublated--
Oh, bloody 'ell.
Roland Hutchinson
> In article <gqv214$nik$1...@news.motzarella.org>,
> Roland Hutchinson <my.sp...@verizon.net> wrote:
>
>> Of course, it's not science fiction in any sense at all, except for
>> possibly being shelved that way in the bookstores.
>
> There is no fiction in science. We have sent our agents disguised as your
> preachers to prevententent you from acheiving full psychokarmic
> consciousness before we arrived to harharharvest you.
I just hate when that happens.
Six of Nine or Half-dozen of the Other of the Borg
Roland Hutchinson <my.sp...@verizon.net> wrote:
> Six of Nine or Half-dozen of the Other of the Borg wrote:
>
> > In article <gqv214$nik$1...@news.motzarella.org>,
> > Roland Hutchinson <my.sp...@verizon.net> wrote:
> >
> >> Of course, it's not science fiction in any sense at all, except for
> >> possibly being shelved that way in the bookstores.
> >
> > There is no fiction in science. We have sent our agents disguised as your
> > preachers to prevententent you from acheiving full psychokarmic
> > consciousness before we arrived to harharharvest you.
>
> I just hate when that happens.
Our conflicker c virus will synchronise your computers and emitmitmit a
coordinated pulse that will shift the magnetic poles. That will create the
wormhole that will allow our lawnmowers of death to enter earth orbit. Prepare
to bebebe harvested.
William December Starr
Six of Nine or Half-dozen of the Other of the Borg <six-...@borgcollective.gov> said:
> Our conflicker c virus will synchronise your computers and
> emitmitmit a coordinated pulse that will shift the magnetic
> poles. That will create the wormhole that will allow our
> lawnmowers of death to enter earth orbit. Prepare to bebebe
> harvested.
You, um, you _do_ realize that your plan relies upon flawless
execution from millions of computers that all run under *Windows*,
right?
-- wds
Bluuuue Rajah
ni...@borgcollective.gov> wrote in news:six-nine-083CE8.16111001042009
@nntp.motzarella.org:
> our lawnmowers of death
That's "lawnmowers of 'DOOM.'"
Mike Mooney
Update: as a direct result of reading this thread I have just
purchased "Snow Crash". I've read the first chapter and it looks very
promising indeed, if nothing like his more recent work.
Mike M