May's Meanderings in Fabulous Fiction...

[soulsinging]

The seconds book is probably the best of the three, if you got through 1/2 a book of Fitz moaning about his terrible childhood in book 1 it seems a shame to stop now.

I'd agree that the third book is just too long - there are about 300 pages in the middle where it feels like the characters are milling about in a waiting room for someone to announce that the ending is ready to start ...

Now that sounds like I really didn't like them ... but the fact is that Hobb's writing makes me
willing to forgive what i see as the structural issues with the trilogy.

I read book 2 & 3 back to back in a week or so and really enjoyed the experience

I'm planning to pick up more of Hobb's books in the future but my TBR pile if pretty big and contains a higher proportion of fantasy than normal at the minute so i'm trying to restore some balance...

That's what I've discovered... the writing is so good I can get past most plot issues, and I never felt bored or disinterested during book one, so I think I'll be just fine. It can't possible move slower than Tad William's MS&T books!

But I am going to focus on finishing Brothers K first, then on to the Farseer trilogy.

 

[Esioul]

Yeah I have the classic 100 books, it's great. Although I was telling myself to save it up to read when travelling with long plane journeys or something, but as no such adventures are or have been imminent, I've read quite a few of the books on it.. luckily can download some more using the wireless!

 

[AE35Unit]

Yeah I have the classic 100 books, it's great. Although I was telling myself to save it up to read when travelling with long plane journeys or something, but as no such adventures are or have been imminent, I've read quite a few of the books on it.. luckily can download some more using the wireless!

What?? I don't have the wireless doo daa but we can connect it to the laptop via USB. Is there a website you can get the downloads from? Any SF in there?
They should bring out a 100 Classic SF&F novels for it next

 

[Esioul]

I'm not really sure if there is a website, I suppose there is as it must be getting it from somewhere, but I set it up to the wireless connection here and it just brings up a list of books for download. No SF unfortunatly, but yeah it would be great if they brought out 100 classic SF next...

 

[Connavar]

Rear Window by Cornell Woolrich

Rear Window is the title story in this collection of stories. I want to read Woolrich's classic story.

 

[j d worthington]

Connavar: I don't recall if you've mentioned reading Woolrich before, but if not, you're in for an interesting experience. He wrote quite a few very good pieces in the genre, and I think you'd find him of interest....

 

[Faraday]

So far this month I've started Sarah Zettel's Isavalta series, just need the last book and I can cross it off the list. And have just started The Dark Mirror by Juliet Marillier

 

[gully_foyle]

Reading Collosus by D.F. Jones, which is a great cold war yarn. I'd love to see the movie again.

 

[Connavar]

Connavar: I don't recall if you've mentioned reading Woolrich before, but if not, you're in for an interesting experience. He wrote quite a few very good pieces in the genre, and I think you'd find him of interest....

I had only read a WWII spy story by him in Mammoth book of Spy short Novels.

Having read Rear Window,Half of The Bride Who Wore Black i must say i really like his writing style. He has a very different style than other writers from his era Hammett,Cain and co.
He has much more modern writing style. He reminds me of Elmore Leonard type supense,crime writers who dont focus on the crime but dialouge,characters. He has literary quality to him that i like.

Plus i have weak spot for writers that dont write hardboiled detective fiction. Like Jim Thompson. Have you seen Kill Bill ? That revenge story is way too similar to The Bride Who Wore Black for it to a random coincidence.

 

[j d worthington]

Plus i have weak spot for writers that dont write hardboiled detective fiction. Like Jim Thompson. Have you seen Kill Bill ? That revenge story is way too similar to The Bride Who Wore Black for it to a random coincidence.

No, I haven't. I actually haven't seen any of Tarantino's work, as I keep running into claims from people whose opinions I've learned to respect, that there's a fair amount of plagiarism or "unacknowledged influence" (if you wish to be excessively polite) there, and that makes me hesitant to watch his work....

 

[HoopyFrood]

Surely it's best to watch something for yourself to really make up your mind about such, though...

 

[AE35Unit]

No, I haven't. I actually haven't seen any of Tarantino's work,

You're not missing much!

 

[J-Sun]

No, I haven't. I actually haven't seen any of Tarantino's work, as I keep running into claims from people whose opinions I've learned to respect, that there's a fair amount of plagiarism or "unacknowledged influence" (if you wish to be excessively polite) there, and that makes me hesitant to watch his work....

Any? Never seen Pulp Fiction? I think it's more a case of being steeped in film and following the Woody Guthrie credo - "Ah, he just stole from me. I steal from everybody." (Or the "stealing from one person is plagiarism, stealing from two people is research".) I don't mean to make light of outright plagiarism, which is very serious, but I do think it's not that but mass homage. He's actually sort of like Whedon in that regard. Anyway, I'm not conversant enough in film to really say, but I certainly wouldn't let such rumors deprive you of the joy of Pulp Fiction, at least. You did see Star Wars despite the Lucas/Kurosawa thing, right?

 

[j d worthington]

Surely it's best to watch something for yourself to really make up your mind about such, though...

Depends, Hoops; if it's a case of being heavily influenced, or an unconscious repetition of some source (or even an acknowledged homage), then yes; if (as I've gathered from the sometimes detailed descriptions I mention above) it seems to be outright plagiarism... no.

Any? Never seen Pulp Fiction? I think it's more a case of being steeped in film and following the Woody Guthrie credo - "Ah, he just stole from me. I steal from everybody." (Or the "stealing from one person is plagiarism, stealing from two people is research".) I don't mean to make light of outright plagiarism, which is very serious, but I do think it's not that but mass homage. He's actually sort of like Whedon in that regard. Anyway, I'm not conversant enough in film to really say, but I certainly wouldn't let such rumors deprive you of the joy of Pulp Fiction, at least. You did see Star Wars despite the Lucas/Kurosawa thing, right?

While mildly curious about Pulp Fiction, I'm afraid the descriptions/synopses of Tarantino's other work has left me more than a little unmotivated to see them. Combine the two factors, and...

Oh, and yes, I saw Star Wars... when I was nineteen. Didn't know about the Kurosawa connection at that point, of course, and probably would have given it a go at that age, anyway; getting older, and knowing a bit more about Hollywood's practices concerning such things... I'm a good deal more cautious about what I support with my hard-earned cash....

 

[HoopyFrood]

Depends, Hoops; if it's a case of being heavily influenced, or an unconscious repetition of some source (or even an acknowledged homage), then yes; if (as I've gathered from the sometimes detailed descriptions I mention above) it seems to be outright plagiarism... no.

What I meant was watching something yourself to decide whether it's either of those things.

 

[clovis-man]

No, I haven't. I actually haven't seen any of Tarantino's work, as I keep running into claims from people whose opinions I've learned to respect, that there's a fair amount of plagiarism or "unacknowledged influence" (if you wish to be excessively polite) there, and that makes me hesitant to watch his work....

I'm not on anybody's side here, but the issue may not be that simple. Tarentino was very fond of some of the older Japanese television dramas featuring Samurai and Ninja characters. So much so that he literally lifted one character from a 1980 show called Shadow Warriors which starred Sonny Chiba as the Ninja, Hattori Hanzo. Hanzo is an actual person who lived in the 16th century. Tarantino cadged his character and morphed him into the twenty-first century as a legendary sword maker for Kill Bill. Sonny Chiba even played the part. Not sure who was harmed by this obvious theft. Certainly not Chiba.

 

[Lobolover]

Indeed it is... and quite an extensive collection of American legendry of various types:

Myths and Legends of Our Own Land, by Charles M. Skinner

As someone who enjoys Lovecraft, you might be particularly interested in the following items:

Myths and Legends of Our Own Land, by Charles M. Skinner

In connection with Fungi from Yuggoth #12: "The Howler"; and

Myths and Legends of Our Own Land, by Charles M. Skinner

in connection with "The Shunned House"....

I just find most regional fantastic fiction and folklore to be totaly lacking in literary standarts to the point where the simplicism does not realy make me want to read it .

Also, note, I have seen Kill Bill , and I have yet to see anything tremendously good about it .

 

[j d worthington]

I just find most regional fantastic fiction and folklore to be totaly lacking in literary standarts to the point where the simplicism does not realy make me want to read it .

I'm not sure where the connection to "regional fantastic fiction" comes in here, as this is a case of a folklorist collecting together genuine bits of American folklore, myth, and legend, and presenting them in a brief, but actually rather well-written, style. At any rate, I think you might find several of the pieces here highly suggestive, to say the least; and the two I listed above would be a good way to find out (especialy as each of these is quite brief)....

Hoops: In most cases, I'd agree with you. But this isn't just someone else's opinion, it's the opinion of people I've learned to trust on such things over the years, as I have very seldom found their take on such things to be at fault (from my point of view, anyway)....

 

[AE35Unit]

Well i just finished THE JEWELS OF APTOR by SAMUEL R DELANY.
Not sure what to make of it really. Its one of those books thats SF but reads like fantasy. Its post apocalyptic but no one knows about such basic technology as electricity or radio and yet the others use it regularly. Not one of my favourite reads and it will probably go on bookmooch as i need space for more good SF books. There's one or two of Delany's books I do want to read tho.

 

[J-Sun]

Never read The Jewels of Aptor, but the only book of Delany's I could stand even a little bit was Nova. Not sure if that means you should check that one out or avoid it, since Delany fans would probably tell you to go read something hideous like Dhalgren, but maybe they know better about being Delany fans.

A: "The speed of light and page 300 of Dhalgren."
Q: "Name two things no human will ever reach."