Spectrum Computing

I was really impressed with Algis Budrys' 'Rogue Moon'. It's about exploring the moon (pre-Apollo) by using a crude teleporting device, and goes into all the issues of teleporter-as-copier, along with some genuinely weird and unknowable geometry.

I can't remember which 'classic' author I tried to read recently, but the misogny involved was properly outrageous.

I always get disappointed by authors that have a brilliant breakthrough novel, or one great one that you like, then you find everything else they wrote was garbage. Modern ones like Michael Marshall Smith ('Only Forward'), Ernest Kline ('Ready Player One') and Peter F. Hamilton (in this case 'Pandora's Star' and 'Judas Unchained' were brilliant, as were some side-stories set in the same 'Commonwealth Saga' reality, but the 'Night's Dawn' trilogy that came before, and the 'Void Trilogy' stuff that came after were atrocious. Nice writing, but ludicrous plots).

stupidget wrote: ↑Mon Jun 03, 2019 9:26 am Right then I’ve finally finished this book and, at best, it’s pretty average. Not a bad pulp sci-fi book, but, it never really gets going.

So who wants to be the next recipient of this book?

Is there a willing victim, err avid reader, to continue the chain of this marvellous book ?

R-Tape wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 8:39 am

stupidget wrote: ↑Mon Jun 03, 2019 9:26 am Right then I’ve finally finished this book and, at best, it’s pretty average. Not a bad pulp sci-fi book, but, it never really gets going.

So who wants to be the next recipient of this book?

Is there a willing victim, err avid reader, to continue the chain of this marvellous book ?

Rather surprisingly I’ve not had anybody come back to me wanting to read this Sci-fi gem

stupidget wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 12:36 pm Rather surprisingly I’ve not had anybody come back to me wanting to read this Sci-fi gem

Suprising indeed. It seems this thread has gone cold. For the record, both me and Stu can confirm it's one of the best books we've ever read*.

*but don't read the rest of the thread to check

Resurrecting an old thread, but Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is either pretty cool or intensely annoying however you choose to see it. The constant stream of 80s references is fun and the ZX80 gets a name check right at the end.

Warning: put your brain into ‘13 year old schoolboy’ mode before reading and you’ll enjoy!

SpeccyKev wrote: ↑Wed Apr 06, 2022 6:09 pm Resurrecting an old thread, but Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is either pretty cool or intensely annoying however you choose to see it. The constant stream of 80s references is fun and the ZX80 gets a name check right at the end.

Warning: put your brain into ‘13 year old schoolboy’ mode before reading and you’ll enjoy!

Funnily enough I nearly bought the book last weekend, but was put off by the tiny text and lots of pages (somehow combining both geriatric and millenial behaviour at the same time!). I assumed any references would be well post 80s. Maybe I'll give this one a go.

R-Tape wrote: ↑Thu Apr 07, 2022 9:30 am

SpeccyKev wrote: ↑Wed Apr 06, 2022 6:09 pm Resurrecting an old thread, but Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is either pretty cool or intensely annoying however you choose to see it. The constant stream of 80s references is fun and the ZX80 gets a name check right at the end.

Warning: put your brain into ‘13 year old schoolboy’ mode before reading and you’ll enjoy!

Funnily enough I nearly bought the book last weekend, but was put off by the tiny text and lots of pages (somehow combining both geriatric and millenial behaviour at the same time!). I assumed any references would be well post 80s. Maybe I'll give this one a go.

I wasn't a fan. Aside from the general weirdness of having a series of puzzles that nobody could solve for years, all suddenly getting solved almost instantly I found a lot of the references a bit out of place. Being told that everyone was re-watching Spaced looking for clues because the author was a big 80s fan, for example....

Yeah I picked up the Spaced error too. But I still reckon it's an easy, fun read - not high literature by any means, but enjoyable...