7 posts tagged “books”
I did learn some new facts and history, though, I guess.
For those who don't know the book is about how globalism is happening, and discusses what that means.
I've added a Widget. It's down there if you scroll far enough. It has links to most of the coolest things. If you click "Read More" at the very bottom it'll give you the most recent updates of all the links above, like an RSS reader. Exactly like an RSS reader. So if you want to be more like me, or if you get kinda bored, check out that.
I would recommend using the open in new tab functionality of your browser, as the window is kinda skinny to be viewing in my blog. If your browser doesn't have open in new tab functionality, get a new browser. (Pro tip: it's middle click)
Also, I've officially started The Amber Spyglass so I feel like I should add it to the books section. Why do they never have the cover I have?
Also also, you Neighborhood people know you can tag these posts? You can. I dunno why exactly you'd want to, but I support it in case you were curious.
Do you like how I switch between images on the left and right?
Also, I'm taking suggestions for books, especially if their in the public domain. I like to find them for free on the interweb.
As might be expected by the title, this book takes great advantage of that old love of geography, and spends many words describing "far away" places, that the author probably knew nothing about. This custom I've always found entertaining when I read the "classics", and while I understand the allure at the time of the writing, doesn't hold any particular sway over a modern reader. I note it only because continuously throughout this book I was reminded of the phenomena, and thought it thus worth note.
A more common detriment of the book is that the ending is astoundingly predictable. I don't hold that too much against a book published in 1873, but I always wish for such things. Unfortunately I suspected rather strongly the "twist" of this text right about the the end of the 2nd chapter.
On a positive note I would note the main character. Described throughout the book and unfailing calm and collected, the word automaton is used several times. Such characters have always been held in high regard by me, and I applaud any Data-like character that predates Data.
Also, I'm like level 50 or something in Puzzle Quest.
Yesterday was a pretty good day. I finished Ancestor, that online book I talked about. So now I'll do some reviewing.
I listened to the book in its podcast form which is a different experience than what one would get from reading it oneself. This is mostly because of pacing and the voices. All the voices are done by the author, I think, which gives everything a really nice B movie feel. I am all for the entrepreneurial low budgetness, but one cannot escape the cheesiness. I'm going to say this all neutralizes for me, but for some people I'm sure it would be very difficult to get over the voices.
The book itself has several issues. The writing, while decent, is not of a style very attractive to me. The author takes time at the beginning of the book to explain basic scientific principals and techniques used in the book, emphasizing the science fact aspect. This is fine, except that I'm pretty sure in order to actually make his exciting horror novel, he is messing up a lot of the science later on. He also makes a few either little misspeaking errors, like referring to bacteria as creatures of only a few thousand chromosomes.
About a quarter of the book is romantic development between two of the main characters. That's probably not true if you are counting words, but if you exclude all the filler stuff, it's the impression I got. Most of the rest is plot development, little bit of character development here and there. That's a decent formula, except I would have left out the romance and worked more on plot.
The book doesn't get going in the horror aspect at all until the last third of the book. After that point things speed up quite a bit, and the author seems to be on ground he knows. Things seem to flow better, and I found it much more entertaining. I'm not a horror fan, but I do enjoy gore and death, so in this case it worked out.
Overall I'd say the book is close to a average published book. There are a few of the hallmarks of quality books, little threads that come back throughout the story, quirks that allow one to relate to characters good and evil, a few humorous points to remember, but it is unpolished. I sorta get the feeling that if Sigler wrote another book or two I wouldn't be able to tell the difference from the books I pick up off shelves. It's a really good free book, but I would be unimpressed had I actually payed for it. When I buy books I'm too used to Tad Williams and Orson Scott Card quality.
I like the authors idea of trying to insert real science into a fictional book, but he doesn't succeed very well in my opinion. More research would be nice, and a less heavy handed and concentrated approach to delivering the science would be beneficial. I also don't approve of it always being the scientist's fault the world is ending, but I guess you can't really avoid that with this type of book.
I'd be curious what an avid horror reader thought of the book.
A final note on the book is that his horrible ancestor creature pretty much already exists in my head as a card from Hecatomb. This didn't detract and I don't mean this an a negative, just an interesting note. This picture doesn't really do justice, they're better described in the Hecatomb storyline.
In other news Dimitri has moved into my room for the rest of spring break, except for sleeping. He's gone right now because he has a headache or something.
I talked w/ Sharese again, so she did manage to keep her word a bit so far, so that's exciting. I talked to Pat too. He won a Wii on ebay.
John and Dimitri and I are working on doing a bit of d20 Moderning, post apocalyptic variety. Haven't actually gotten started but we have done a lot of talking. My new hecatomb deck kinda sucks. I apparently have not enough good red and green cards. /sigh
I want to have a big BBQ, LAN, s'more making, sundae making party while Keston is gone to punish him for leaving, but Ody is the one with a real house and he's sick, so we have to wait for him to feel better. QQ and gg and such.
