I thought that the movie improved on the book in a couple of ways. The thing that springs to mind most is the single passenger in the Machine to six (was it six?). It made the tension over what was to be believed or not even greater. I also preferred the stepped back tech in which SR Hadden was a passenger on Mir rather than an orbiting billionaire's hotel, although I think the observation that having to view the Earth from the outside would change your perspective (both literally and metaphorically) was a good one. I wish they'd left in the scene with the pendulum though. Oh well, can't have everything.
Victor LaValle has been one of the Arthurs that I've been wanting to explore, but I have not had the time. Would you suggest his works are worth looking into?
I can't say, really, 'cause I haven't read anything else by him. This piqued my interest 'cause ever since Toni Morrison's Jazz, I've been fascinated by that time period (WW1 and onward). His writing doesn't stand out as much as the setting/characters/plot, I think. But it's been very enjoyable so far, plus it cost like 3.50 EUR, so I'd call it a bargain.
Looking it up, that sounds awesome. I need to grab some Derek Landy books I'm missing from my collection and I might look for that when I do.
I'm reading Eddie Izzard's autobiography 'Believe Me'. Normally I get through autobiographies within a few days, but I keep putting this down, because there are lots of extra notes at the bottom of the page. So when you're halfway through a page, you need to read the explanation, then go back to where you were in his story, read a few sentences, go back to another note, go back to the story. It's difficult to get through. Same issue with books that use difficult words, then have the explanation to the words at the back of the book. It makes me lose my focus. So it's a nice book, and interesting to read, but it's probably better for people who don't get distracted easily.
I am now reading Conan the Freelance. It is okay although not all of the chosen authors are good. Robert E. Howard will always be king of the Conan franchise.
Got round to reading Call of the Wild and White Fang recently. I enjoyed them both a lot more than I was expecting, although I sort of feel like thematically Call of the Wild pretty much does what White Fang does but more concisely.
So far it is. I'm up to chapter 41 (short chapters) and it has been a standard 'robot kind enslaved the humans who created them and now the humans are starting to revolt' story.
That is, conceptually, one of the best and scariest things he's ever written. I could see my younger lf doing the exact same thing.
I remember reading The Jaunt years ago. Several times. It was one of my favourite Steven Kings's stories. After seeing this thread, I want to read it again.
"Sit Down and Shut Up" by Brad Warner. Punk rock perspective on all the things Zen. I really need this book right now, a perfect fit these days.
I bought the third one when I went book shopping one time because I didn't know which one it was but it was self-explanatory and actually didn't spoil much about the previous two. I've now been reading this one, fourth, and I am almost finished. On the series I would say a great mix of grounded narrative, very believable characters, good writing technique and a nice touch of late 60's feel and context.
Re-reading Neuromancer. Mrs. A has found a Japanese translation for her e-reader. It's rare that we get to discuss books; except for hardcore literary stuff, it can be hard to find things in both English and Japanese. We tried with Red Mars, but she told me the translation was just about unreadable (wrong kanji being used, the Japanese equivalent of "There, their, they're, don't feel two sad.")
This gem right here. A friend from Norway told me to pick it up months ago, but I just brought it yesterday from Strand for 9 big ones. Enjoying it so far.
Currently reading Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Very engrossing, but I have no desire at all to see the mini-series.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, which has been on my shelf for ages. I bought it when I was going through a dystopian phase, but I grew sick of those and never got around to reading it. I'm about halfway through it, and it's been very much a pleasant experience. I'm surprised at the quality of the language, and the story itself is intriguing. I'll almost certainly pick up more Bradbury in the future.