Now reading

[ambient789]

I had just finished a scifi classic, "Ralph 124C41+" by Hugo Gernsback (very charming), and I started "Sunborn" by Jeffery A. Carver. Loved his earlier work.

[Seren]

Just finished reading 'The Illustrated Man' by Ray bradbury. a collection of short stories that left me asking "What happens next?" or "What just Happened?", each story is more the forming of a question than giving an answer....Did not remember reading it when i was younger until the last but one story - and then some of my undefined feelings when reading earlier stories made sense.

Just Started 'Macroscope' by Piers Anthony - also read when I was much younger - waiting to see if I enjoy it as much as I remember enjoying it then.

Recently completed the Bourne Trilogy, interesting to compare them to the films in that different aspects of them appear but the films are nowhere near a straight telling....Have to admit i found the conclusion of the third book - Bourne Ultimatum - a bit of a let down - would have preferred it to fit in more with the developed story lines. (But then I think Matrix reloaded would have been better if Neo had actually accomplished both choices given to him by the architect - no need for third movie  ;D ......)

[Seren]

Anyone else read 'Macroscope' ??

Just a few pages in and really enjoying it. Can remember some of the story arcs. Although dated in some ways by when it was writen I remember it being a book which required me to think.

Basic premise is the discovery of a form of radiation called Macrons and the invention of a 'telescope'. Macrons are not affected by matter or distance so images can be focussed down to reading a closed book in an underground room - lots of political potential in the story there. But observations of alien civilisations shows that the most common experience is to pollute your own environment until extinct, lots of things for thought there too - given the global warming issue.

However there is a macron broadcast being sent out in a spherical pattern (ie sent to everyone who can recieve it) that includes information of how to avoid this end. The process of working through it is systematic - unfortunately if you are not able to follow the complicated information you dont understand it and can't use it - if you are able to follow the information then at some point the new concepts fry the brain, leaving people unable to even feed themselves. This seems to be an inbuilt safety procedure in the broadcast.

Other civilisations have not got past this and ended leaving the macroscops become derelict or destroyed them.

In the recent past earth scientists undertook a small breeding programme to enhance IQ and some of the characters are from theis programme. One was so 'bright' that the general experience of life was so ujnsavoury that he created a sub personality that lives in the same body and he has gone to sleep. They need to reawaken him to try and decode the broadcast - but this is a dangerous thing to do as the main personality is not bound by the general conventions of anything........

[mgriffin]

Lena and I just went out of town for a long weekend, and I took along Axis by Robert Charles Wilson, the sequel to his fantastic novel Spin.

It's a sequel in the sense that it follows up on some of the world-changing events and the non-human entities revealed in the first novel, but Axis is by no means a direct follow-up to where Spin left off, in terms of time, location, or characters.  One of the major characters of Spin is a fairly minor character here, and much older, but for the most part this is a whole new group of people in new circumstances, several decades after the end of the last book.



I don't think I'd recommend this book to people who had not read Spin, so I won't bother explaining about the Hypotheticals, or the planet connected to earth via the arch in the ocean -- if you read Spin you'll know what that's about, and if you haven't read Spin then you shouldn't read Axis yet!  But basically, this is a story about human beings finding their horizons expanded by a non-human race (or non-living collective entity, maybe) and spreading out to explore a second, connected (but not nearby) planet.

Overall I enjoyed this and I'd rate it as maybe a B- or B grade, which would be fine if it weren't for the high expectations I had following Spin, which was certainly A or A+ material.  I'll certainly be in line for the next sequel which I believe is coming in 2010 or 2011.

[jkn]

I've been sort of randomly reading a few things - picking them up and reading a bit here and there...

Wil Wheaton - Just a Geek   

Excellent - highly recommended - an autobiography of sorts from the guy you might remember as Wesley Crusher on Star Trek Next Gen or as one of the kids in Stand By Me... he's found his true calling in life, writing.  I've followed his blog for a long time - finally decided to get a book a while back.  It's the kind of book you can read a chapter and then come back to later on.   I plan to get his other books.

Reference Guide for Essential Oils - Connie and Alan Higley
Natural Home Health Care Using Essential Oils - Daniel Penoel

Those last two are due to us 'getting into' and understanding essential oils a bit more.   My massage therapist recommended using wintergreen for my wrist problem - which has helped quite a bit and can replace the need for tylenol or 'biofreeze' sometimes...  combined with the massages every other week I've been finally getting some relief.    Do I think oils are a be all end all solution?  No.   Between my medical doctor, a bit of a homeopathy, exercising, eating fairly healthy, and trying the essential oils - it all ties together.



 

[judd stephens]

Judd:
I think you will need to delete this post (maybe copy the text first), then get out of this thread, back to the Everything and Nothing level, then click on NEW TOPIC.  Give it a title and paste your text.

Thanks Andy, I think I was copying and pasting from the preview section of the post, rather than copying the text from the already-posted copy.  Okay, got it now.

[APK]

You are welcome, Judd.
But I'll be Anthony, Tony, or APK ... but not Andy   ;)

[mgriffin]

Looks like we've found APK's new nickname!

[APK]

Any more of that and I'll start removing your posts !

;D

[jkn]

now calm down, Andy - you're being snippy...

[petekelly]

Can I presume that 'Tone' and 'Ant' would also be unacceptable ? :)

[mgriffin]

Maybe you'll like this better?

http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dzfoxqqgldje

[jim brenholts]

Maybe you'll like this better?

http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dzfoxqqgldje

i like it! tony, toni, tone, aka apk.

[APK]

meanwhile ....

Just finished this sci-fi

- Alastair Reynolds: House of Suns

Think its his most recent. About 500 pages, and its excellent.

[Scott M2]

Ah yes - Al Reynolds!

[mgriffin]

Recently I really, really enjoyed a book called Born to Run which is mostly about a tribe called the Tarahumara in Mexico who live hidden in the canyons and whose culture involves extremely long-distance running, for hunting and for entertainment.

The author is an American magazine writer who keeps getting injuries while running relatively modest distances and he becomes curious about why so many modern, urban runners are hurt all the time, despite fancy, expensive running shoes, while relatively primitive runners running in the mountains in bare feet or hand-made sandals, can run 50 or 100 miles at a time without injuries.

So it's partly an exploration of the Tarahumara, with insight into the American running scene, particularly the niches of ultramarathoning and trail running, culminating in a "challenge" race between top American ultramarathoners like Scott Jurek and Jenn Shelton, against a handful of Tarahumara runners in their weird garb and sandals.



http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303

This really was one of the most interesting and inspiring books I've read in a long time, and made me question a lot of our assumptions about physical limitations.

[LNerell]

Here's one I'm currently reading:



A friend of mine gave this to me to return to the UCLA library, I thought it looked interesting. I better finish this one soon so I can get it back.

[jim brenholts]

after watching band of brothers several times i bought the book and the memoirs of dick winters (beyond band of brothers) and buck comptom (call of duty) as well. they are all excellent and every bit as compelling as the movie. buck's story is particularly amazing including his prosecution of sirhan sirhan for the  assassination of robert kennedy.

[Hypnagogue]

PJ O'Rourke's "Driving Like Crazy"--a collection of his car-magazine essays from over the years. I like how he's gone back to revisit what he wrote and made comments on it or brought in fresh remembrances.

Plus, it kicks off with the essay that I can pinpoint as being a piece of work that was formative in my own development as a writer: "How to Drive Fast on Drugs While Getting Your Wing-Wang Squeezed and Not Spill Your Drink."

[IamBetaCloud]

various Richard Matheson short stories, including 'mad house'.
if you're not familiar with him, he wrote 'what dreams may come', 'i am legend', and several twilight zone episodes.
brilliant descriptives.