November 2020 Reading Thread

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Bick said:
Now making a start on The Shrinking Man, by Richard Matheson. A stone-cold classic I’ve not actually read before.
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Yes, thanks for that Baylor. I've not seen the movie either as it happens though I was aware of it. My impression was always that it was a bit more simplistic (i.e. a 50's B-movie), compared to the novel, which has depth and genuine literary qualities... but I may be wrong there.
 
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Fritz Leiber " A Spectre is Haunting Texas" (1969)
Tedious tosh. Leiber may be one of the greats of the post WWII era, but this is very much of its time and smacks of being written to deadlines (serial publication in Galaxy). That said, it does have a certain comedy at times. The protagonist is a ham Shakespearean actor (also eight feet tall and very very thin from living all his life in zero gravity on a lunar satellite) and given that Leiber was brought up in his actor parents' touring Shakespearean company, this must be a characterization that he knows from the inside out.
 
Bick said:
I just read Alan Dean Foster's Pip and Flinx novel, Mid-Flinx. This is one where Flinx goes to Midworld, trying to escape some 'baddies' who are chasing him. The ecology and invention of the Midworld flora and fauna is the hero here. The characters are ok, but the plot is thin and ends abruptly without resolving in any way the key underlying revelations that formed the most interesting sub-plot. In short, this is not ADF's best. It was enjoyable enough, but weakly plotted and ultimately not very satisfying. But I've enjoyed Pip and Flinx stuff more in the past, so I'll go back for more at some stage I imagine.
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I've read all his earlier Pip and Flinx books, this one will be next. The environment it is set in is also the setting of the book Midworld which I've yet to read.
 
Hugh said:
Fritz Leiber " A Spectre is Haunting Texas" (1969)
Tedious tosh. Leiber may be one of the greats of the post WWII era, but this is very much of its time and smacks of being written to deadlines (serial publication in Galaxy). That said, it does have a certain comedy at times. The protagonist is a ham Shakespearean actor (also eight feet tall and very very thin from living all his life in zero gravity on a lunar satellite) and given that Leiber was brought up in his actor parents' touring Shakespearean company, this must be a characterization that he knows from the inside out.
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Twice I've tried to read this, just something about it. My copy is a VG first edition, I thought of selling it but not sure it would be worth the hassle.
 
I saw Bob Shaw mentioned in another thread and realised I’d never read anything by him so I’ve just started The Palace Of Eternity.
 
Hugh said:
Fritz Leiber " A Spectre is Haunting Texas" (1969)
Tedious tosh. Leiber may be one of the greats of the post WWII era, but this is very much of its time and smacks of being written to deadlines (serial publication in Galaxy). That said, it does have a certain comedy at times. The protagonist is a ham Shakespearean actor (also eight feet tall and very very thin from living all his life in zero gravity on a lunar satellite) and given that Leiber was brought up in his actor parents' touring Shakespearean company, this must be a characterization that he knows from the inside out.
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I've had it for about 35 years and still not read it, tried once I think. Bought on one of my regular second hand Michael Moorcock trawling expedition to Scarborough on the strength of the wacky cover and title. Why on earth I've kept this over some of the books I've given away over the years I haven't a clue.
 
AE35Unit said:
I've read all his earlier Pip and Flinx books, this one will be next. The environment it is set in is also the setting of the book Midworld which I've yet to read.
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Midworld is a good deal better than MidFlinx. I’d recommend you read Midworld instead, especially as the events from this novel are referenced in Mid-Flinx.
 
Bick said:
Midworld is a good deal better than MidFlinx. I’d recommend you read Midworld instead, especially as the events from this novel are referenced in Mid-Flinx.
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Yes! The Flinx series i a very mixed bag. The early ones are truly spellbinding. But after a certain point it‘s hit and miss.

There‘s lots of other genius stuff in the Thranx universe, though. Definitely worth checking out beyond Midworld (which is one of the best, imho).
 
Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney

This book impressed me much more than The Einstein Intersection, greatly because it is more "readable" and I understand the story. It explores the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis that language influences thought and perception. Even though this idea has been greatly discredited, it is still an interesting concept. The movie Arrival is a very different story based on the same hypothesis, and I must admit enjoying it more. Another good book involving language used as a weapon is Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson.

I have now read Nova, The Einstein Intersection, and Babel-17. I think I am finished reading this author. His writing tends to feel poetic, and themes and ideas interest me enough that I worked through 3 of his books. But he seems someone who is a great intellectual and well read in literature, yet isn't able to make his works accessible to average people. I often re-read passages or look up concepts while reading Delaney's books, making reading tedious. He is like the James Joyce of sci-fi, and I start thinking I'm just reading his works to try to feel smart.
 
kythe said:
Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney

This book impressed me much more than The Einstein Intersection, greatly because it is more "readable" and I understand the story. It explores the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis that language influences thought and perception. Even though this idea has been greatly discredited, it is still an interesting concept. The movie Arrival is a very different story based on the same hypothesis, and I must admit enjoying it more. Another good book involving language used as a weapon is Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson.

I have now read Nova, The Einstein Intersection, and Babel-17. I think I am finished reading this author. His writing tends to feel poetic, and themes and ideas interest me enough that I worked through 3 of his books. But he seems someone who is a great intellectual and well read in literature, yet isn't able to make his works accessible to average people. I often re-read passages or look up concepts while reading Delaney's books, making reading tedious. He is like the James Joyce of sci-fi, and I start thinking I'm just reading his works to try to feel smart.
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I would say read Triton before abandoning Delany. Maybe not straight away, but it's one of his more accessible ones.
 
Random note - I just noticed I spelled "Delany" wrong, consistently, in every post I've made on his books. :oops:
 
kythe said:
Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delaney

This book impressed me much more than The Einstein Intersection, greatly because it is more "readable" and I understand the story. It explores the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis that language influences thought and perception. Even though this idea has been greatly discredited, it is still an interesting concept. The movie Arrival is a very different story based on the same hypothesis, and I must admit enjoying it more. Another good book involving language used as a weapon is Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson.

I have now read Nova, The Einstein Intersection, and Babel-17. I think I am finished reading this author. His writing tends to feel poetic, and themes and ideas interest me enough that I worked through 3 of his books. But he seems someone who is a great intellectual and well read in literature, yet isn't able to make his works accessible to average people. I often re-read passages or look up concepts while reading Delaney's books, making reading tedious. He is like the James Joyce of sci-fi, and I start thinking I'm just reading his works to try to feel smart.
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The only Delaney I've read is The Jewels of Aptor which was an average adventure story.
 
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