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Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

So I’ve set a goal for myself to read at least one book a month for the rest of the year.

Currently about 2/3rds of the way into Peter Watts’ hard sci-fi novel, Blindsight (2006). A ton of interesting themes, ideas and characters.

Basically one day in the distant future, entities appear in the sky all over the world in perfect formation and scan the Earth. This leaves Earth understanably reeling and they send out 3 waves of probes towards where they suspect was the origin point of the entities to ascertain the threat. The first two waves were just unmanned probes, while the third, and the main focus of the novel, is a crew of augmentented humans, with an AI powered ship that will attempt (successfully) to make first contact. Really fun read despite the complexity of its themes/subject matter.

Spoiler:

We have our protagonist, who had extreme brain surgery as a child that cut him off from his emotions, but with the help of cybernetics, made him adept at observing other peoples intentions.

There’s a vampire, which blew my mind in a sci-fi novel. They were extinct, but brought back through DNA cloning of some sort. He is the leader of the expedition. He’s of course very dangerous and scary, but is extremely intelligent and views reality much different then humans, even when they are heavily augmented. Vampires still have a weakness in what the novel describes as a “Crucifix Glitch”, even in a world where religion seems to have been discarded.

There is a woman who has Multiple Perdonality Disorder, except its not a disorder in this universe at this time. Its induced voluntarily and each personality fulfills a role that helps the crew. She’s the linguist and is the one that talks with the alien entity when it communicates initially.

A couple other science types and a military character round out the crew.

Another character is a "dead" person in "Heaven", but its just the protagonist's mom in some sort of stasis, and her heaven is just VR. She can have anything she wants, but ultimately she is alone in her VR.

Alot of awesome ideas, and maybe too many, but I’m really enjoying it so far. Never knew about “The Chinese Room” thought experiment, as well as the phenomenon of blindsight, Cotard Delusion and Anton-babinski Syndrome. The value/nature of consciousness is debated heavily.


Last month I read Peter Zeihan's The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization. Which was interesting, but a bit too political for this forum to discuss, I believe. He has some valid points, but I prefer Robert Kaplan's travel writing/geopolitical predictions myself.

Next month I have some AoS novels waiting, as well as another hard scifi book The Killing Star(1995) which I fear may not have aged well.

What’s everyone else reading in 2023? Audiobooks and graphic novels count!

"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

Right now I’m reading through Neal Asher’s polity novels. I finished the Cormac series, Prador Moon and the Technician, and now need to wait for the next set to arrive.

In the mean time I’m reading 1493* and Ancient Peoples of the Southwest in preparation for a road trip to visit several ruins, cultural centers, and hopefully some extant Pueblos. Considering the scarcity of some crucial resources in the Southwest, some of those civilizations created some mighty impressive works.

*I highly recommend 1491 for anyone at all interested in Precolombian Americas. It’s a “big picture” overview that blew my mind. Very little of that history was taught in schools back in my day. 1493 is about the Colombian exchange, which lead to the rise and fall of empires and titanic shifts in culture and population. It’s fascinating, but also really depressing.

   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
*I highly recommend 1491 for anyone at all interested in Precolombian Americas. It’s a “big picture” overview that blew my mind. Very little of that history was taught in schools back in my day. 1493 is about the Colombian exchange, which lead to the rise and fall of empires and titanic shifts in culture and population. It’s fascinating, but also really depressing.


Sounds interesting, during the pandemic I had been on an Indian Wars novel streak which was mainly focused on America's westward expansion, post Civil War instead of these first contact/pre-contact societies and their interactions. I'll have to check it out.


"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in ca
Rampaging Carnifex





Toronto, Ontario

Back in January I finished the last book of Stormlight Archives, which was fething excellent. I think Brandon Sanderson may just be my favorite author, at least as far as fantasy is concerned. After that I tried once again to get into Malazan - I read Gardens of the Moon about a decade ago and was so underwhelmed I couldn't be bothered to continue the series. It didn't fare any better the second time, couldn't even finish the first book.

I'm now reading the Rigante series by David Gemmell and really enjoying it. I plan to check out more of his work when I'm done.
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

 nels1031 wrote:
 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
*I highly recommend 1491 for anyone at all interested in Precolombian Americas. It’s a “big picture” overview that blew my mind. Very little of that history was taught in schools back in my day. 1493 is about the Colombian exchange, which lead to the rise and fall of empires and titanic shifts in culture and population. It’s fascinating, but also really depressing.


Sounds interesting, during the pandemic I had been on an Indian Wars novel streak which was mainly focused on America's westward expansion, post Civil War instead of these first contact/pre-contact societies and their interactions. I'll have to check it out.



There is a recurring thread where the earliest explorers described dense, often urban populations along rivers and coasts, followed by a wave of explorers a few generations later who find nothing but ruins and wasteland and assume the first explorers must have been lying. Thus our history books taught of vast wilderness and small groups of tribal nomads and only recently have we begun to really factor in the effects on sedentary civilization of diseases and knock-on effects wiping out 50-90% of their populations in a generation. It’s like the Bronze Age Collapse on steroids.

   
Made in us
Hangin' with Gork & Mork






 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
 nels1031 wrote:
 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
*I highly recommend 1491 for anyone at all interested in Precolombian Americas. It’s a “big picture” overview that blew my mind. Very little of that history was taught in schools back in my day. 1493 is about the Colombian exchange, which lead to the rise and fall of empires and titanic shifts in culture and population. It’s fascinating, but also really depressing.


Sounds interesting, during the pandemic I had been on an Indian Wars novel streak which was mainly focused on America's westward expansion, post Civil War instead of these first contact/pre-contact societies and their interactions. I'll have to check it out.



There is a recurring thread where the earliest explorers described dense, often urban populations along rivers and coasts, followed by a wave of explorers a few generations later who find nothing but ruins and wasteland and assume the first explorers must have been lying. Thus our history books taught of vast wilderness and small groups of tribal nomads and only recently have we begun to really factor in the effects on sedentary civilization of diseases and knock-on effects wiping out 50-90% of their populations in a generation. It’s like the Bronze Age Collapse on steroids.


Reminds me of the records we have of Pilgrims in North America finding empty villages and thanking god for clearing the area in preparation of their arrival.

Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
 
   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
There is a recurring thread where the earliest explorers described dense, often urban populations along rivers and coasts, followed by a wave of explorers a few generations later who find nothing but ruins and wasteland and assume the first explorers must have been lying.


Yeah, I remember something similar in The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon that I read in preparation for when the movie was coming out. In the South Americas, it was wild how fast the jungle could "reclaim" its territory.

"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

Even wilder is that the jungle itself, or a large portion of it, appears to have originally been the product of agroforestry, man-made like the Great Plains.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/04/05 20:18:21


   
Made in us
Secret Force Behind the Rise of the Tau




USA

I've been relistening (audiobook) to the Black Company! I actually forgot how short some of these books are.

But I started because I, finally catching up to everyone else, started Gaunt's Ghosts' series and was very reminded of the Black Company while doing so.

So Gaunts Ghosts and Black Company.

   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

I loved me some Gaunts Ghost, but I gave up around Armour of Contempt or Traitor General.

I just remember getting bored with it, and most crucially I think at the time Black Library started doing their novels in Hardback with the paperbacks months later. Didn’t really care for Hardbacks, unless its a limited edition piece.

"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in us
Secret Force Behind the Rise of the Tau




USA

 nels1031 wrote:
I loved me some Gaunts Ghost, but I gave up around Armour of Contempt or Traitor General.


I think Sabbat Martyr might be my last. Not because I've stopped enjoying it, but it feels like the end of a multibook arc and I'd like to stop before things get to depressing and too many characters die.

Spoiler:
God feth you Cuu!

   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Even wilder is that the jungle itself, or a large portion of it, appears to have originally been the product of agroforestry, man-made like the Great Plains.


I’d only heard that from Graham Hancock, so took it with a heavy dose of salt. Pretty wild.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
 LordofHats wrote:
 nels1031 wrote:
I loved me some Gaunts Ghost, but I gave up around Armour of Contempt or Traitor General.


I think Sabbat Martyr might be my last. Not because I've stopped enjoying it, but it feels like the end of a multibook arc and I'd like to stop before things get to depressing and too many characters die.

Spoiler:
God feth you Cuu!


I had fogotten that name…

Let me pour one out for my boy, “Try Again” Bragg.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/04/06 00:28:29


"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

I’m sure that conclusion will always be contentious. But fire was definitely used to keep the plains and expand them. I also tend to side with the more ambitious take, as archeologists and historians are always having to revise against their earlier conservative interpretations.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/04/06 00:55:40


   
Made in gb
Preparing the Invasion of Terra






I'm about to start my first ever Terry Pratchett novel, Nation.
   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

I read Being Mortal by Atwal Gawande (IIRC). If you are over 40, and have aging parents like many of us on this site; this is a must read to prepare for the hard road ahead.

It is a heavy, and sometimes depressing read but very, very rewarding and enlightening.

Support Blood and Spectacles Publishing:
https://www.patreon.com/Bloodandspectaclespublishing 
   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

 Easy E wrote:
I read Being Mortal by Atwal Gawande (IIRC). If you are over 40, and have aging parents like many of us on this site; this is a must read to prepare for the hard road ahead.

It is a heavy, and sometimes depressing read but very, very rewarding and enlightening.


Got a father well into the throes of dementia, and a mother that might be heading down the same path. I'll have to give it a look.

"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in us
Nasty Nob




Crescent City Fl..

Right now I am reading Life after God by Douglas Coupland. I got then in maybe 69' and have started to read it a few times over the years but I am trucking along this time.
I am left wondering why there wasn't a graphic novel adaptation drawn by Sam Kieth.

I'm also working on The Ninja Mind By Kevin Keitoshi Casey. Not exactly what I had hoped t find but some of it's been interesting. But it's not something I would want to read all the way through in one go.

I finished True path of the Ninja by Antony Cummins (The definitive translation of the Shininkia) month ago.
I had been fairly excited to read this after all the Ninja/Shinobi movies last year and playing the L5R rpg recently. It's been a blast.
Some of the information in this book was interesting and clever but more of it than I had expected was old hat having been in the Army and growing up in Germany in the 80's. So I was underwhelmed a little. Still it's neat to see just how deep they went as far as an ancient sort of "black ops".

Sigh, Yet another doomed attempt by man to bridge the gap between the material and spiritual worlds 
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

I’ve been reading some books on Southwest history, specifically about the Puebloans, Navajo/Dine and Hohokam. Most of these are pretty standard books, but one of them was a history/travelogue about the Pueblo Revolt.

I’m pretty conflicted about the book. One the one hand, the author does a great job synthesizing what sources there are into a conjectural narrative, with enough of his personal experience to add a bit of scale and emotional weight. On the other hand, the writer comes across as a massively self-important smuggo. When he says the Puebloans don’t discuss the event with outsiders, I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe they just didn’t want to talk with *him*.

   
Made in gb
Ridin' on a Snotling Pump Wagon






This week, I ‘ave mostly been reading….

Arks of Omen Farsight.

Arks of Omen The Lion

The Lion, Son of the Forest

The Aranthian Succession Vol 2

Al’s Baby (2000AD)

Mean Team (2000AD)

Let’s just say I’ve made the most of my weekend, having read more the past two days than (outside of work documents) than I’d usually read in a fortnight. It’s been rad!

   
Made in gb
Fixture of Dakka







As it is light reading, I'm working my way through the The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone series by Michael Anderle. They're easy reading, available on Kindle Unlimited, and there are 22 to get back through.

2021-4 Plog - Here we go again... - my fifth attempt at a Dakka PLOG

My Pile of Potential - updates ongoing...

Gamgee on Tau Players wrote:we all kill cats and sell our own families to the devil and eat live puppies.


 Kanluwen wrote:
This is, emphatically, why I will continue suggesting nuking Guard and starting over again. It's a legacy army that needs to be rebooted with a new focal point.

Confirmation of why no-one should listen to Kanluwen when it comes to the IG - he doesn't want the IG, he want's Kan's New Model Army...

tneva82 wrote:
You aren't even trying ty pretend for honest arqument. Open bad faith trolling.
- No reason to keep this here, unless people want to use it for something... 
   
Made in us
Terrifying Doombull




 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
I’ve been reading some books on Southwest history, specifically about the Puebloans, Navajo/Dine and Hohokam. Most of these are pretty standard books, but one of them was a history/travelogue about the Pueblo Revolt.

I’m pretty conflicted about the book. One the one hand, the author does a great job synthesizing what sources there are into a conjectural narrative, with enough of his personal experience to add a bit of scale and emotional weight. On the other hand, the writer comes across as a massively self-important smuggo. When he says the Puebloans don’t discuss the event with outsiders, I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe they just didn’t want to talk with *him*.


Unfortunately not. When I worked in the southwest, our office was invited to a festival up on one of the mesa villages (a caretaker lives there year-round, but mostly its abandoned these days). One thing they were very clear on is we couldn't ask questions about any rituals or events. We could watch them, but we absolutely could not ask. One was what Americans stereotypically call a 'rain dance' (but probably isn't), but I was fascinated by the fox furs that almost certainly weren't native to the area.

I get it (there's a lot of solid, grounded reasons for lack of trust), but dislike the potential loss of cultural information (though I also get that its not anybody's business and anthropological studies are inherently insulting)

The catholic church up there was fascinating, since the decorations (mostly murals) were decidedly not catholic. The usual iconography was gone, entirely replaced by sun and corn motifs.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2023/04/24 12:51:28


Efficiency is the highest virtue. 
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

Yeah, Inwas being a little unfair to him.

In the book he mentions Joe Sando, a historian from Jemez Pueblo who wrote from the Puebloan perspective. So, I’ve started Sando’s book Pueblo Nations.

   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

I am finishing up The Persians by Lloyd LLewellyn-Jones from 2022.

An excellent book on the Achaemenid Persians. He does the basic narrative of the time lines of the Great Kings and his court that is de rigeur (sp) for this type of book. However, he has a couple of very interesting chapters about the life and customs of the Persian royalty that were pretty interesting. He also uses a lot of Persian sources and shies away from leaning on Herodotus whenever possible.

I would put this and Persian Fire as the two books to read to learn about the ancient Achaemenid Persians.

Support Blood and Spectacles Publishing:
https://www.patreon.com/Bloodandspectaclespublishing 
   
Made in us
Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

Adding that to my wishlist. Thanks.

   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

After many life induced delays I finally finished Blindsight (see first post in thread).

I liked it enough to buy the "sidequel" Echoproxia by the same author, but I'm going to put that on the backburner to listen to the audiobook of The Last Volari (Age of Sigmar vampire novel). Heard some good things from some FB group members that I seem to share similar tastes with, so I'm looking forward to it. Its also light/pulpy reading which is a good refresher after the hard sci-fi and concepts of Blindsight.

"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
Made in eu
Frenzied Berserker Terminator




Southampton, UK

Just embarked on a Joe Abercrombie re-read
   
Made in ca
Rampaging Carnifex





Toronto, Ontario

Crispy78 wrote:
Just embarked on a Joe Abercrombie re-read


An author I'm planning on going back to. I read the First Law Trilogy ages ago and loved it, I'm sure he's got a lot more material out now.
   
Made in de
Servoarm Flailing Magos




Germany

For some lighter reading i am currently going through the Wilt series by Tom Sharpe, which is somewhat similar to Douglas Adams in style if he wrote slice-of-life comedy.

If you just want little nightcap now and then you can't go wrong with P.G. Wodehouse, which is why i have some short story collections, mostly Jeeves stories,within reach.

Other than that, if i have the time to get a couple of hours in at once, i'm mostly digging through the Uthred series by Bernard Cornwell, who is probably better known for his other long-running series of Sharpe books. It's a well-written series of adventure-ish books with a sprinkle of court intrigue and historical drama set in the times of Alfred the Great and follows the travels and tribulations of an english youth that gets taken hostage by Danes due to some intrigue of a relative of his, and then continues through the various wars and conquests between Danish and other northern peoples, rival english nobles and kingdoms of that period.
   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

Is that the one that was made into a two season TV show?

Support Blood and Spectacles Publishing:
https://www.patreon.com/Bloodandspectaclespublishing 
   
Made in us
[DCM]
Savage Minotaur




Baltimore, Maryland

 Easy E wrote:
Is that the one that was made into a two season TV show?


I believe it was a fairly long series (3+ seasons I think) on Netflix called The Last Kingdom, and recently a movie conclusion to that series, also on Netflix.

I could be wrong though.

"Sometimes the only victory possible is to keep your opponent from winning." - The Emperor, from The Outcast Dead.
"Tell your gods we are coming for them, and that their realms will burn as ours did." -Thostos Bladestorm
 
   
 
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