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dr_mitch
About
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- dr_mitch
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Comments
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I suppose the only literary book we've had recently has been Sarah Canary which counts as literary, and it meets my two great book club criteria of: (a) I enjoyed it, and got something out of it. (b) It's something I wouldn't otherwise have read. …
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I think it's fine to have a trans character, even if them being trans plays no role, and is no big deal. Same goes for having a range of skin tones, with skin tone being mentioned as part of physical description. Conversely, tokenism is bad. I don'…
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I'll kick the discussion off on Monday unless anyone wanting to join needs more time.
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I feel bad about not joining in this read. I really enjoyed the trilogy , but only finished it late last year and I'm not ready to read it again. I'm not sure it's either about world *or* characters though (although there are strong characters). …
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12. Arthur and the Fall of Roman Britain (Edwin Pace) Interesting. A narrative history of early 5th century Britain where the main assertion is that Arthur is real and the same person as Vortigern and Gildas' "Proud Tyrant". This moves Ar…
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8 - 11. The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, Robots of the Dawn, Robots and Empire (Isaac Asimov). The anniversary made it time for a reread of a series I loved about 30 years ago. The first two are quick reads, incredibly solid, and showcase Asimo…
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I'm certainly intrigued! I'll have a listen.
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Yes, that occurred to me too after what you said.
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> @clash_bowley said: > In the beginning of WWII, the RN was suffering from superpower hangover, and from the fact that those who are promoted in a peacetime navy are not those who tend to do well in a wartime navy. It was thought that the os…
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> @clash_bowley said: > As the series goes on, you do find out more on the father! Well, I bought the next book immediately after finishing this one!
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Well, it would be different. Yours more trad, Neil's more storygamish. Room for both. And you could play tag team on forums as I recall from a while back.
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I'm very glad she's home.
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I wonder if Beat to Quarters could be adapted to submarines. I'll have to chat to Neil Gow about that when I see him (yes, all British game designers know each-other). I think it's something I'd be more interested in playing than running, but th…
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I know there were Britishisms but I was oblivious to them. Still, I agree it's a very British book. I wonder what will happen in the series when Americans are introduced. I think I would have found a US Navy sub book potentially harder. Part of t…
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The good characters were good. The crew of the second sub. The contrast between the two girlfriends. The first sub captain. And the father's particularly interesting - I want to see more of his point of view, his pacifism and what he thinks of the N…
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It needed the technical elements. They weren't overdone, and gave an impression of what was going on with submarine operation. Just right for me.
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The stiffness of the ordinary Royal Navy culture was the most strange to me, and at the start I imagined the main character being very frustrated and unable to fit in, maybe managing something by the end of the book as it's a series. I'm glad tha…
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It's quick and pacy, with interesting detail. Many of the characters didn't stand out very strongly, such as most of the crew of the first sub (the second were better).
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It's fun. I like the way the culture is contrasted with the Navy, being somewhat less strictly formal, with no room for deadweight. Also, when the main character first went on the submarine, there's a sense of joy in it, which hooked me on the book.
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Yay - first book in one of my favourite series! And a really major influence on Liminal.
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Sorry to hear that clash. I know what you're going through and wish I didn't. I'm glad she is home soon.
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@Apocryphal yeah I should probably do a final wrap post.
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I reckon I'm graphite. You can use me to write with. Under immense heat and pressure I turn into diamond. Well, maybe not that last. I'd miss the questions if they weren't there, though having read the books last year I can't fairly answer some o…
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Karen Armstrong is extremely good on thinking what myth is for, and it applies whether we're talking (say) Greek Mythology or the Garden of Eden myth - saying something through metaphor about the world and about human nature (and doesn't think Eden …
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@NeilNjae I'm finding that last part too. I'll also say on my first read through, of the narratives of the three characters, I took to Essun's the least because of the second person point of view.
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Now read. When I finished the book on Kindle, I saw the sequel was £1 so I picked that up too. I'd probably better wait until after our discussion before taking the plunge though.
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Among it's other merits, The Player of Games is fairly short. ;)
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Rogga is a derogatory term for orogene. And chapter 2 gives a bit more context for the world. As for the prejudice... In this chapter I can fully see why people react to orogenes with real fear. Essun lost control and killed a whole town. Of cou…
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> @clash_bowley said: > If I could get through the New Sun, I can get through anything... :D James's Joyce's Ulysses for 2021? I'll be out, but I'll enjoy watching everyone else.
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I get an impression of a hostile landscape meaning rituals of survival and the community are important, and life is cheap. And the extreme prejudice by most against orogenes, who seem like the only ones who might be able to help. Writing ficti…