What's everyone reading right now?

[billybob476]

Wow very cool! Did you get that on your "press" credentials?

[Ktrek]

That's cool Rico!

Personally I have not been very pleased with Michael Martin's books lately so I don't hold out much hope for this one. Especially one based on a game. If it's anything like his last Enterprise novel I'll pass. Let us know what you think though.

Kevin

[Rico]

Wow very cool! Did you get that on your "press" credentials?

He actually emailed me since I interviewed him and Andy Mangels once in the past for the podcast.  He told me about the book he was doing and said he could get me a proof copy to read.  So far it's pretty cool.  More of a history of things going on in the Federation leading to the time frame of the game - not really a book about the game.

[psikeyhackr]

A couple of years ago I tried selecting some sci-fi books from reviews on the net.  So I went to a book store and bought 5 books.  I almost liked one of them.  I was really pissed.  So I figured I might as well read Public Domain stuff on the net for all the good that did.  Needless to say most of that isn't very good.

But I also started 4 Star Trek books last year.  They were selected on the basis of what a number of Trek boards said were the best Trek books.  I finished 3 but actually only enjoyed one.  I am not really a Star Trek fan, I'm a science fiction fan.

So I figured I might as well do some Public Domain explorations.  Wading thru books that are not that good is bad for quality of life.  But what is the point of 1000s of free works if it is people can't fing the RIGHT STUFF.

http://alldaysci-fi.cerizmo.com/

And then we have all of these cheap netbook and smartbook computers and of these complaints about education.  The future is getting too weird.  It ain't what it used to be.

psik

[KC]

Just started reading Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I'm only one hundred pages in, but it is really, really good. Also read a chapter or two of GRRM's A Clash of Kings after a two month break... man, that book has great writing, but it is rough.

[Geekyfanboy]

Just started listening to Terry Goodkind's "The Sword of Truth" series. This is the book that the Legend of the Seeker TV series is based on. So far it's really good.

[Ktrek]

Just started one of the latest Star Trek novels called Unspoken Truth by Margaret Wander Bonanno. It's a Saavik story. I'm not sure I like how she wrote the story as it jumps around a lot without any indicators, other than astericks, to indicate a new section. So, you keep bouncing around. It's making me dizzy!

Kevin

[Darkmolerman]

I am reading "Children of Men" I some how had the fortune to be able to use it for a English project so no complaints here, GREAT BOOK I am on page 76 and I can hardly put it down

[ElfManDan]

Well when ever I get a free moment to read I've been spending it in my sociology textbook. Though as soon as I get the time to actually do some actual reading I intend on reading "Out of the Silent Planet" by C.S. Lewis. Then probably onto the other two books in his Space Trilogy.

[psikeyhackr]

I just made an interesting discovery which I have not been able to find information about on the net so I get to provide the world with some new old information.

The 1954 movie GOG was derived from the novel The Brain by Alexander Blade.

 

Alexander Blade was a recycled pseudonym that was used by many writers but The Brain was actually written by Heinrich Hauser.   I don't know how long ago I first saw GOG but I didn't think much of it.  The novel is much better but it is obvious that a lot of elements from the book were inserted into the movie.  Gog and Magog were the names of robots and they were used to kill in both stories.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/32498/32498-h/32498-h.htm

The movie may be public domain also.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2657298926082009883#

http://classicscifi.blogspot.com/2008/02/gog.html

The book is from 1948 and the movie 1954.

I like this book better than Neuromancer (1984).  It is obvious that Gibson didn't know anything about computers and he really made no attempt to portray the evolution of machine consciousness.

I just remembered and noticed a modern connection to the movie.  There is a scene in Gog similar to an event in the ST:The Next Generation episode Home Soil where a laser drill attacks Data.  A woman was attacked with a solar mirror which she eventually broke.  Maybe Trek stole that or maybe it was an original idea.

Since this book is from 1948 it is after the introduction of the ENIAC in 1946 and before UNIVAC predicted the Eisenhower victory of 1952 and before television took over America.  It is the first story I know of portraying the evolution of machine intelligence.  And we know that is relevant to The Matrix.  I had to reread another "OLD" story on that subject for comparison.  The Two Faces of Tomorrow by James P. Hogan.

http://www.sfreviews.net/2faces.html

Hogan's book is better but it is 30 years later then The Brain which is set in the early 60s and Two Faces is set around 2030 but the concept of ubiquitous controllable devices is fascinating in both.  The Brain is worth reading for the historical computer sci-fi perspective.

psik

[alanp]

Well it's not scifi related but I'm getting a kick out of George Carlin's autobiography Last Words.  It came out late last year and the audiobook is introduced by his co-writer and daughter, then read by his brother Pat Carlin.  The two sound a lot alike.  Interesting read.

[ChadH]

I'm currently reading and very much enjoying "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman. I've been a big fan of Gaiman's since his work on "Sandman" from DC Comics.

[billybob476]

I'm reading "For the Win" by Cory Doctorow (http://craphound.com/ftw/), very interesting pseudo-sci fi novel about the evolution of the gold farming industry. Very interesting for an MMO gamer like me.

[ChadH]

Just finished "The Adventures of Doctor Who" which is a compilation of "Doctor Who and the Daleks", "Dr. W and the Revenge of the Cybermen", and "Dr. W and the Loch Ness Monster". Pretty good.

Currently reading "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay. So far I like it and may try to find some of the other books in the series.

[sheldor]

Treasure Island

ARRRrrrrrr!!!