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Gben

Book of the day

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A possibly self-indulgent thread to talk about books I'm reading...

I recently discovered a list of recommended books and I'm working my way through it.

 

Started with "Enders Game" by Orson Scott Card.

EndersGame.jpg

What started as a straightforward story about a battle school had a really satisfying epilogue which turned the whole story upside down. Now a major motion picture with Harrison Ford. Looking forward to seeing that. I *really* loved this book.

 

Moved onto "Consider Phlebas" by Iain Banks.

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the first book in the "Culture Series". A story full of really interesting characters, but I think the other books have moved onto different characters, and haven't got onto the next books yet.

 

Just finished the Night Dawn series by Peter Hamilton

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Each book is around 1200 pages long. Started okay, interesting premise, but ultimately unsatisfying conclusion. a true deus ex machina solution. I think I was looking for a philosophical answer but ended up with a technological one. My dissatisifcation comes from one alien race not helping to solve the problem because they were 'advance' but yet a more advanced race at the end had no problems interfering.

 

My guilty pleasure is Star Trek novels.

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Many favourites but the most recent one I liked was the Destiny Trilogy about the origins of the Borg. The TV series are generally good, the movies are generally bad, and the books are generally excellent fast-food.

 

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I'll say it's time for this thread to get a sticky to join "video of the day" and "pic of the day".

 

I used to love reading back then because it was fun, but now I have to go back to reading.

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Text on paper books? People still read them? :P

 

I'll say it's time for this thread to get a sticky to join "video of the day" and "pic of the day".

 

Probably won't happen, we don't need any more of these "... of the day" threads.

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Righto... scraping plans for the pony of the day thread.

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Righto... scraping plans for the pony of the day thread.

We tried that about two years ago. Zee demolished the thread and it was never seen again.

 

On topic, though, I don't think I'll be posting anything here. I hate books and I only read what I have for obligatory reading at school. The last thing I liked was Crime and Punishment a few months back.

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I hate books and I only read what I have for obligatory reading at school.

The future generation, all hope is lost. :P

 

I read a lot when I have access to books, but that doesn't happen often. I guess the last book I read was Shōgun.

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The library is my friend.

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I would recomend my favorite author, who is Philip Kindred Dick. If you get into the Nolan "Inception", you may be intrested in most stoned book (Philip used to test on himself LSD and other drugs) "Ubik", which stands for French word which means "Everywhere" - or my book preface is wrong.

 

 

Ubik%281stEd%29.jpg

 

It's really worth of attention, because whole story is so unique, that bothers me why this book wasn't filmed yet.

Edited by Traymen

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vlq24cA.jpg

 

Just finished book 3 of Greg Bear's Halo prequel triology. I really enjoy his writing, no matter what the subject. I've only played half of the original Halo on xbox (just saw the flood in the temple) and then I had to give the game back (but played all of Halo:Reach) plus a smattering of comics and movies. I know enough of the lore to enjoy these books.

 

Made me want to play Halo4 - so I guess the books did their job!

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1846059372.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

 

Just finished Ernest Cline's "Ready Player One". Check the description and see if it's for you:-

 

The year is 2044 and the world is in near-ruins. The Great Recession has taken its toll on the world's economy, and resources are scarce. The Internet and gaming culture have evolved into a creation known as OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation), a massively multiplayer online simulation game created by James Halliday and Ogden Morrow of Gregarious Simulation Systems (GSS), formerly known as Gregarious Games.

 

Halliday, with no heirs or other living family, dies suddenly and leaves a video will to those in OASIS and a book that was dubbed Anorak's Almanac, a journal written by Halliday himself containing all his thoughts. The video says that whoever can collect three keys (Copper, Jade, and Crystal) that are hidden throughout the universe of OASIS and pass through the matching gates will receive his fortune and controlling stake in GSS.

 

This becomes known as the Hunt and people immediately begin the search for Halliday's Easter Egg. Those searching for the Egg are referred to as "gunters," a portmanteau of "egg hunters." Gunters devote an enormous amount of time to studying 1980s pop culture, the decade Halliday grew up in and was perpetually obsessed with, in the hope it will assist them with locating and solving the puzzles involved with the egg.

 

As the book opens, many years have passed since Halliday's death, but none of the keys have been found. The public frenzy about the hunt has receded into a gunter subculture, while Innovative Online Industries corporation continues to operate a task force dedicated to solving the puzzles and seizing control of GSS.

 

Let me compare it to "Wreck it Ralph" - I thought the movie was a bit too light on retro-gaming references but this book really lays it on too thick at the begining. Once the easter egg hunt begins and the story focuses on one 80's reference at a time, the book is more enjoyable. Turns out there was a proper easter egg in the book and 'Delorian' was given away as a prize (well if you believe wikipedia!)

:)

 

Next Robert Heinlein - the Moon is a harsh mistress.

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