Murdoc Posted July 18, 2011 in Vancouver now with like 6 chapters, nothing, took a chance at a few used book stores downtown, but nothing either. Chapters still sells books but it seems like every book I go there for over the last 6 months isn't ever carried. And it's not like I'm looking for obscure books either, granted it's not a new release, but I figured CS lewis would be carried in the national major book store. Oh, actually one thing about Out of the Silent Planet, its super cool and everything, but if you're really anti religious, you may not like the subtext near the end. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Roderick Posted July 21, 2011 There was a documentary? Anyway, I was reading this around this time last year when I was playing Dwarf Fortress and started to see parellels which I thought were funny. The book takes a dive about half way and I just stopped, I tried to go back, but it just keeps taking a dive. Interesting take on human history, a lot of neat stuff in the first half. You're right about the dive. Though I don't find it debilitatingly bad, Diamond does tend to take his time explaining things that are basically just like what he already explained a dozen times earlier in the book. It drives home the message, but it hardly has the eloquence of a Richard Dawkins, who never seemed to underestimate his audience like Diamond (slightly!) does. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gwardinen Posted July 21, 2011 Richard Dawkins has his own problems though, for one he's so fucking militant about his atheism that he comes across a as a palette swap of a religious fundamentalist. Same personality, different ideals. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lu Posted July 21, 2011 Pretty much. I have enjoyed a lot of his books, but as a person I just can't really stand to listen to him. Even if I agree. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderPeel2001 Posted July 21, 2011 Richard Dawkins has his own problems though, for one he's so fucking militant about his atheism that he comes across a as a palette swap of a religious fundamentalist. Same personality, different ideals. So true. I intensely dislike the hatred he spews into the world, as much as I dislike any hatred spewed by militant religious people. He offers no solutions to the problems he poses, he merely attacks those who disagree with him. I totally agree with taking down negative religious dogma (homophobia, sexism, etc, etc.), I admire and enjoy his books (except for maybe The God Delusion), and I agree with most of what he says, but as a person he's lost his way. I remember in an interview where he was asked if he would like there to be a heaven. His answer was, "No, I'd get bored". Which just cracked me up. I imagined a scenario if there was a heaven: You'd be like, "Holy shit! I can't believe it! Heaven actually exists! This is amazing!" Then you'd look around and see his miserable face, "I'm bored." "Dude! This is heaven! Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon are playing a gig together tonight. Shakespeare's written a movie that Kubrick's directing. There's no death, famine, war. No suffering at all..." "Really?", he'd petulantly pout, "I wish I was dead." He's so anti-religion he just can't help himself sometimes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elmuerte Posted July 21, 2011 I can relate to that. Every description of heaven I know sounds like a hell of boredom. Perfection sucks, the quest for perfection is the interesting part. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderPeel2001 Posted July 21, 2011 I can relate to that. Every description of heaven I know sounds like a hell of boredom. Perfection sucks, the quest for perfection is the interesting part. I can appreciate that you can relate. I was partially joking. Living forever may indeed be boring, but it was just the fact that given the opportunity of any heaven, he'd prefer no heaven. (Presumably because if he didn't he'd be giving an inch towards religion, or something.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Orv Posted July 21, 2011 "Dude! This is heaven! Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon are playing a gig together tonight. Shakespeare's written a movie that Kubrick's directing. There's no death, famine, war. No suffering at all..." Almost worth Catholics being right. . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elmuerte Posted July 21, 2011 That's because he objects to the concept of heaven. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderPeel2001 Posted July 21, 2011 (edited) That's because he objects to the concept of heaven. Ugh. 1. He objected to an eternal afterlife because he'd get bored. 2. We're not talking about religion's use of heaven/reincarnation/afterlife -- we're talking about any definition of an afterlife, which could have included Dawkins's own. (It could also have included my definition, where boredom doesn't exist.) 3. Dawkins objects to the concept of a heaven and hell as a tool to manipulate people. He doesn't object to the concept of an afterlife -- How do I know? Because he actually said (if you want to know) "give me two or three hundred years". 4. You don't even know what I'm referring to, so why on earth are you trying to contradict me, or claim intimate knowledge of Dawkins's thoughts? Edited July 22, 2011 by ThunderPeel2001 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sal Limones Posted July 22, 2011 (edited) Guys, guys. Shhh. In heaven, everything is fine. Edited July 22, 2011 by Sal Limones joke possibly too obscure?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Garple Posted July 22, 2011 And Borges is reaaaallly different - sometimes, too technical for me - he seems completely obsessed with seamlessly mixing fantasy and reality, using a very dry, non-sensationnal style to blur the frontier. Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius and Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote are smart and rigorous essays on forgery that sort of left a bad taste in my mouth because they are too good at passing themselves for what they're not. Funny you mention this I'm reading Labyrinths right now and I'm blown away by it. I was going to recommend it in this thread because I think every story in it is like a GAME Borges is playing with the reader and himself. I capitalized the word game not because I'm yelling it, but because I wanted to emphasize the relevance of the book to the interests of the idle thumbs. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thyroid Posted July 23, 2011 So I finished A Storm of Swords. That's a 1130 page monster downed in 7 sittings of roughly 200 pages each. It's pretty great. Throughout the series there are moments that make you want to throw the book in anger, and others to fistpump the air in celebration. This book is a heavily concentrated dose of that. I love it. Apart from all the awkward sex scenes, I mean. The wedding may have been the most heartbreaking part of the book. And it was just dripping with clues I totally missed. Brilliant. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ben X Posted July 23, 2011 Bah, fair enough. You can have a borrow of Rasl anyway if you like. *COUGH COUGH* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThunderPeel2001 Posted July 23, 2011 That reminds me. I borrowed this comic from this guy and it was good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ben X Posted July 23, 2011 You're too kind, Thunder, it was nothing, really, my pleasure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Orv Posted August 4, 2011 So how about that A Dance with Dragons? Timeline of reading: :tup::tup::tup: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gwardinen Posted August 4, 2011 So how about that A Dance with Dragons?Timeline of reading: :tup::tup::tup: I'm about a third of the way in, so I suppose I'm going to hit the soon? Truth be told it already feels like it's lost a little momentum, but we'll see how it goes. I actually took a break from reading a Dance with Dragons to read the latest Dresden Files book, Ghost Story. I'm both impressed by the chances Jim Butcher (the author) took, and disappointed by the chances he didn't take. It's certainly an interesting semi-reboot of the franchise at a time in which the franchise probably could use it, and at least resolves everything that happened in the previous book, Changes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Orv Posted August 4, 2011 I'm about a third of the way in, so I suppose I'm going to hit the soon? Truth be told it already feels like it's lost a little momentum, but we'll see how it goes.I actually took a break from reading a Dance with Dragons to read the latest Dresden Files book, Ghost Story. I'm both impressed by the chances Jim Butcher (the author) took, and disappointed by the chances he didn't take. It's certainly an interesting semi-reboot of the franchise at a time in which the franchise probably could use it, and at least resolves everything that happened in the previous book, Changes. About there, yeah. Maybe a little further. I just felt like ADWD fell a little short of his typical style for a couple chapters. As for Dresden Files, I'm three books behind, and I already feel like the series is a bit long in the the tooth. I still thoroughly enjoy it (to the point of picking up Butcher's Codex Alera series, though I haven't read them yet) so we'll see. Since I don't have anything on the immediate horizon (LYYYYYNCH!) I'll probably catch up with Dresden. Though I do need to read The Crippled God as well, few months late on that. Hmm. . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thyroid Posted August 5, 2011 The thing about A Storm of Swords is that I can't decide what part was best. From Lannister shitting gold to Arya giving The Tickler what's what , it's all good. A Feast for Crows I started yesterday, and it has been slow-going. I'm only on chapter two, but already noted the increased amount of description, some of which is unnecessary. I don't mind - I can't read more than a chapter a day, since I'm busy (and reading a technical book on Java simultaneously) - but I hope that it'll pick-up by the time I'm on holiday at the end of August. Yeah. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ben X Posted August 6, 2011 I've just started Neil Gaiman's American Gods in anticipation of the tv adap, and am enjoying it very much so far even though barely anything has happened. (Zero spoilers please.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gwardinen Posted August 6, 2011 DUMBLEDORE DIES . Fixed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nappi Posted August 6, 2011 Fixed. Thanks asshole! I hadn't read the bible yet. Still, working my way through the Tin Drum. Interesting read, but I'm not sure how many more times I can bare to be reminded what it smells like underneath Oskar's grandmother's four skirts. Rancid butter. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites