Topic: My Reading List

[Bonk]

Almost finished "Stranger In A Strange Land", it is making a lot more sense now that I know about Heinlein's sexual liberation, nudism and social credit political background. Much more sense. Some great quotes in that story.

[toasty0]

I'm two thirds of the way through "Stranger In A Strange Land", I am "grokking" it much better than I did when I read it at the tender age of 14, 22 years ago.

I am focused most on "Fosterism", it seems a combination of the televangelism of the 1980's ("You are loooved!"), Amway Global / Quixtar, and Scientology. Heinlein seems to have prophesied, back in 1961, 20 years early, what has almost come to pass: the doctrines of Scientology being released in stages of induction to the "faith", the charisma of Billy Graham's televangelism and the exclusive "prosumerism" of Amway's current incarnation.

Should we ever see these doctrines merge (as I expect they will) I can only hope that a saviour such as Michael Valentine Smith will come to deliver us.

May you always drink deep, Dynaverse water brothers.

GROK

[Bonk]

 

I've finished "Stranger In A Strange Land" and have moved right into "The Number Of The Beast". I'm finding Heinlein mildly obsessed with nudism and group marriage/sex, but that may just be the perspective of my somewhat prudish and celibate background. The introduction to and afterword of "For Us The Living" does much to explain this observation.

[Nemesis]

I'm finding Heinlein mildly obsessed with nudism and group marriage/sex, but that may just be the perspective of my somewhat prudish and celibate background.

I think it is more that he purposefully challenged some of the basic concepts of society.  In the Moon is a Harsh Mistress he presented alternative ideas for government.  He did the same in Starship troopers and put in a lot of discussion of ethics as well.  For those who are willing to he makes you think.

[toasty0]

I know I've pushed this title before, but I think it should be added to the list of H's books that challenge the status quo: Farnham's Freehold

[Bonk]

Agreed Nemesis, I certainly appreciated his interpretation of Social Credit, it almost motivates me to get into politics. (The horror!)

I'll put that one on my list too toasty0,  Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine" and "Farewell Summer" are next on my list, to break up the Heinlein a bit.

[Soreyes]

My Grandson was going through my book collection yesterday and pulled out a very well worn hardback copy of "The Foundation Trilogy" He started reading it and has yet to put down the book. He's at the right age to be introduced to some of Asimov's books. GOD where does the time go! He's allready 12 

I can hardly wait to hear him yell "Of course thats where the Second Foundation had to be" when he finishes the book. 

[Bonk]

My Grandson was going through my book collection yesterday and pulled out a very well worn hardback copy of "The Foundation Trilogy" He started reading it and has yet to put down the book. He's at the right age to be introduced to some of Asimov's books. GOD where does the time go! He's allready 12 

I can hardly wait to hear him yell "Of course thats where the Second Foundation had to be" when he finishes the book. 

Awesome! Perfect age for The Foundation Trilogy... I read it at about the same time, haven't been the same since.   Glad to see the next generation will be enjoying it also. I think I might actually re-read it soon.

Currently I'm a little baffled by Heinlein's "The Number Of The Beast", I'm about halfway through and it seems to have lost all continuity (of what little it had). Captain Hilda has asked to be let off at "Earth Without A J" and effectively divorce Jacob, reinstating Zeb as Captain, but then they just seem to continue on their merry adventure ignoring this huge decision which was not given a reason. I'm assuming it is some plot device I have not yet grokked, and so will press on to see what happens.

[Dracho]

A lot of what goes on in that book is a subtle poke at some of his previous plots.

[toasty0]

It also pokes fun or homage to/at other great writers and their stories.

[Bonk]

After greater exposure to Heinlein's writing, I've particularly noted how Spider Robinson models his plots after Heinlein's (especially "Mindkiller" [excellent novel] and "Very Bad Deaths"), as well as some of the "punstering".

[Dracho]

Hey, some other classic SciFi you might like would be Gordan R. Dickson's Dorsai series (the Childe cycle I think), and Fred Saberhagen's Berserker series.

[Bonk]

I finished Heinlein's "The Number Of The Beast" last week, it's continuity continued to degrade into complete chaos from about half way on. I enjoyed the first half, and liked the idea of the last half but not its presentation. Neat concept and fun parody of itself and the genre, but taken too far in my opinion.

This week I finished Ray Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine" and "Farewell Summer". I enjoyed them thoroughly, excellent writing but I was a liytle disappointed with the ending of "Farewell Summer".

[Sirgod]

Bonk,

I wound up picking a random Book off my shelf today, while I was re-instaling patchs on my alt-PC. IT turned out to be Alas, Babylon.

Anyways, after reading it, I thought I might suggest it to you bro.

Synopsis can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alas,_Babylon

For It's time it was not only a great book, but also, we can see the propaganda Influenced at the time it was written. Still an interesting study on the mindset of people back half a century or so ago.

Stephen

[Nemesis]

Bonk,

I wound up picking a random Book off my shelf today, while I was re-instaling patchs on my alt-PC. IT turned out to be Alas, Babylon.

Anyways, after reading it, I thought I might suggest it to you bro.

Stephen

 

[toasty0]

Another recommendation. If you can find a copy of this novel you should snag it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_Past_Human

[Nemesis]

Another recommendation. If you can find a copy of this novel you should snag it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_Past_Human

And its sequel "The Godwhale"

[Bonk]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! I'll see if our library system has any of those. (edit: poop, just checked and they don't have any of them, I'll keep an eye out for them in the used bookstores)

Right now I'm reading "The Old Man Told Us" (excerpts from Micmac history). What I'm learning is that their history is our history here in Acadia (Atlantic Canada).  Since the Micmac have no written history of their own, all we have is snippets from our histories. In reading these snippets I've found that our historical identity in this region is inseparable from theirs.

My favorite story from it so far is of a legendary MicMac chief L'kimu ('He Sends'). This story tells a tale of him at the age of 103 driving the Kwetejk (Mohawk/Iroquois) from the Valley in Nova Scotia, into New Brunswick, up the St Lawrence and as far as Caugnawage (across the river from Montreal) where they are to this day (Remember Oka?). I have learned that the Micmac came to Atlantic Canada from the New England States pushing the Mohawk out all the way. They were able to do so because of their superior archery skills and of course L'kimu... back to one of his stories where near Salisbury New Brunswick (where his fort-mound remains) he could hear the Kwetejk coming from a long way off through his magic, he sent his own warriors away and let the Kwetejk capture him. They tied him to a tree and set a pyre about him, once it was lit, he bounded out of his bonds and away from the pyre and the Kwetejk shaman recognised him and warned his warriors they would lose their heads. The Kwetejk shaman was first, dispatched with a single blow and then L'kimu proceeds slaughter their army of several hundred single-handedly without a scratch, leaving only three survivors who he cut the ears from, slit their noses and cheeks and sent them home to tell of their defeat by a single Micmac 103 years old!

Another text on the Micmac was reccomended to me by a co-worker: "We were not the savages : a Micmac perspective on the collision of European and aboriginal civilizations"  By Daniel N. Paul. I have placed a hold on it in our library system and it will be sent to my branch soon.

[Bonk]

I just added the following to my list:

- Poul Anderson - The Avatar
- Isaac Asimov - The Edge of Tomorrow
- Isaac Asimov - Nine Tomorrows

Revisiting some Asimov. 

I found (rediscovered) this awesome bookstore nearby:

http://www.seasidebs.com/

[Dracho]

If you like SciFi Action-type books, I recommend John Ringo's Looking Glass and Manxome Foe, as well as the Starfist series by David Sherman and John Cragg.