ThunderPeel2001

Books, books, books...

Recommended Posts

Just started reading, "Treasure Islands: Tax Havens and the Men Who Stole the World".

It's predictably infuriating.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams shamelessly tries to be PG Wodehouse in space... and succeeds

...

Although, I'm sure you've read all of them.

Man, wouldn't it be great if I hadn't read Hitchhiker's? I'd love to introduce a grown person to that book without them having any preconceptions.

I should probably get back to reading Bone, but currently I'm looking for something that's honest-to-god text that I can read on my phone at night that will make me feel better about life before I sleep.

I may give Speedy's Wodehouse recommendation a try.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Man, wouldn't it be great if I hadn't read Hitchhiker's? I'd love to introduce a grown person to that book without them having any preconceptions.

I should probably get back to reading Bone, but currently I'm looking for something that's honest-to-god text that I can read on my phone at night that will make me feel better about life before I sleep.

I may give Speedy's Wodehouse recommendation a try.

I have not read Hitchhiker's guide and know little about it. It's one of those books I always meant to read when I was younger but just didn't get to it for some reason.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I should probably get back to reading Bone, but currently I'm looking for something that's honest-to-god text that I can read on my phone at night that will make me feel better about life before I sleep.

I may give Speedy's Wodehouse recommendation a try.

Apparently, most of Wodehouse is pretty funny and light-hearted. The little Terry Pratchett I've read was funny, and great for light relief. I hear Christopher Moore is great.

A Confederacy of Dunces is the funniest novel I've ever read, but it's not going to make you feel better about life. The main character isn't the most pleasant man on Earth. But Christ, is it funny.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Hark! A Vagrant was recently turned into a book, and it's wonderful.

Particularly relevant to recent threads are this one and this one.

I picked this up a little while ago myself. First time I've really picked up a collection of a web comic. By far my favorite comic and I figured I should buy the book considering the sheer amount of joy I get from reading the comics online.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I have not read Hitchhiker's guide and know little about it. It's one of those books I always meant to read when I was younger but just didn't get to it for some reason.

DO IT.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I'll get to it, eventually!

If you're too busy to read the book, listen to the original radio series. It's brilliant.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'll probably wait till spring break or summer, unless I find my school work to be really low impact. I prefer reading to be honest.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
If you're too busy to read the book, listen to the original radio series. It's brilliant.

I had an audiobook of Douglas Adams reading Restaurant at the End of the Universe, which was also very good. But to be honest, those books are such easy reads that you could blow through all five in no time at all. I certainly did, in my early teenage years, and not being the fastest of readers.

Also, I like how the quotation-imposed italics rendered my command even more emphatic.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Having heard the radio plays and the audiobooks, I can say they are pretty different, I can't remember how much the plot changes for the HGTTG when it went from radio play to book, but there was quite a few changes.

Right now I'm reading Hardcoregaming101's "The Guide to Classic Graphic Adventures" and it's pretty interesting and thorough, I'm learning about games I've never heard of and learning things from games I thought I knew well...

What?! It's a book! It counts! :getmecoat

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I actually disagree with a lot of the games focused on for HG101's adventure series and the articles that subsequently appeared in the book. I think they give too much credit to really bad adventure games, which is what adventure sites have been doing for years. Les Manley? Phantasmagoria? Police Quest? I don't understand why those games get so much credit on the site.

In general I feel like the quality of the site and the games it covers have just become bottom of the barrel in the last few years. It's overdue Another World article was just wordy, pretentious garbage that had a lot of blanks filled in for emotions or driving forces that Chahi didn't really ever state himself. It also takes a lot from the old amazing Idlethumbs interview.

Anyway, to it's credit, I do enjoy some of the lost adventure gems it covers and I do like that is really gets at some of the most popular adventure series for their obvious shortcomings (King's Quest and Longest Journey most of all).

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I kinda actually like going to that site for the weekly kusoge (bad Japanese game)...

I just read the Police Quest part recently, and most of the series for making you do monotonous and boring Police tasks. Heck, he even pointed out the flaws of my favorite Lucasarts game and.. he was pretty reasonable and made good points.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Kinda related: the best HG101 article is probably the Final Fantasy one. The entire thing is on Socks Make People Sexy, but the HG101 guy said it'll be on the site soon-ish. I'd link you to the article itself, but it's blacked-out for PIPA and SOPA.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I actually disagree with a lot of the games focused on for HG101's adventure series and the articles that subsequently appeared in the book. I think they give too much credit to really bad adventure games, which is what adventure sites have been doing for years.

You might not like the Adventure Gamers Top 100 Adventures list that they did recently, then..!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That list STANK, but it wasn't done by the HCG101 dude, was it?

I only read reviews of games I've played, but they were as critical or praising in exactly the right amount. I hate it when fan sites praise shite games, especially the Adventure Game community.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
You might not like the Adventure Gamers Top 100 Adventures list that they did recently, then..!

I really don't. I really really don't.

I think for all of the adventure games I played in my life, there's very few that I consider actually good. This forum seems somewhat founded upon that though.

That list STANK, but it wasn't done by the HCG101 dude, was it?

I only read reviews of games I've played, but they were as critical or praising in exactly the right amount. I hate it when fan sites praise shite games, especially the Adventure Game community.

I agree, the games I played and liked, I found the articles very fair and balanced. I guess my perception of HG101 was foremost more of a list of games to play before you die. Now it's sort of a site that covers whatever obscure crap it could dig up. There's a few adventures there with articles that I can't believe anyone would happily suffer through.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I just read this. It's a wonderful article about a group of people who sneak into places they're not supposed to be and then... Repair broken things.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Because it's a wonderful pageturner of a book?

The ending sucked giant balls, but everything leading up to that was exciting and thought-provoking, no matter your stance in the political spectrum.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
I just read this. It's a wonderful article about a group of people who sneak into places they're not supposed to be and then... Repair broken things.

That is wonderful :tup:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Because it's a wonderful pageturner of a book?

The ending sucked giant balls, but everything leading up to that was exciting and thought-provoking, no matter your stance in the political spectrum.

Really? I think it's rather poorly written and dull as a vasectomy sans painkiller. Which is to say arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If you'd like some BBC style balance for that Ayn Rand, here's a very left wing antidote that the Wired article above reminded me of: Lockpick Pornography.

It's about people who write gay propaganda for children, then break into schools to surreptitiously place it in the libraries.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now