What Are You Reading?

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'Annihilation' by Jeff VanderMeer which gets my vote for mind-fuck of the year.

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I've had the hardest time finding decent horror novels. I love the horror genre, but horror literature has just never done it for me, for whatever reason. If you recommend Annihilation, I'll look into it. Especially if it's a mind fuck. (Damn, did I love me some House of Leaves.) I had the opportunity to check out Kafka's Metamorphosis two weeks ago, but instead decided to detour into more "light-hearted" material like Ready Player One.

Has anyone read much in the way of Kafka?

When I read horror fiction, the genre name is a misnomer. I only read sci fi with a since of weird or 'mind-fuck' for lack of a better word, because it is literally impossible for me to be scared in book or movie forms, occasionally I might feel a bit tense in a video game, but I'm the kind of person that played Silent Hill, Doom 3, Dead Space, etc. at 3 am in the morning during sleepless nights in high school for fun.

Don't think of it as a horror novel. It's a suspenseful, thriller novel that has horror themes, but the prose and the story really had nothing to do horror. It's a mind-fuck more than anything else. Which is why I chose it. Its somewhat stand-alone as far as an experience, but the story IS a trilogy, so..

In fact, the reason I'm probably NOT enjoying The Deep is because it tries to be a straight-up horror novel and, if you don't feel tension, its a pointless exercise. I read it because I'm fascinated by deep sea novels with danger, and thought this would provide it, but other than the introductory voyage down, this might as well could have been set in an Office building for all it matters.

I think the only horror movie/book I ever really enjoyed was Event Horizon, and that's only because it scared the shit out of me when I was something like ten years old. Damn, I wish they made movies like that anymore. Never understood why the whole sci fi horror thing never took off even after the success of Alien and The Thing.

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Has anyone read much in the way of Kafka?

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Nope, just another one of the great writers of Western civilization that I've ignored, partially because school ruined it for me back in the day. Mostly, though, because I keep thinking it'll be outdated despite the professors praising it. For example, I never actually enjoyed Edgar Allen Poe that much, even though I can understand and respect his brilliance and uniqueness.

I like to read Novel

Fascinating

Hey, has anybody read Faulkner? Someone told me he was good, but his work is on Oprah's book club, so you never know...

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Hey, has anybody read Faulkner?

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I read Sound and the Fury. And thoroughly hated it. (I couldn't stand Emmy Bronte, either, so maybe that says something about my literary preferences.)

Well, how was it?

Went back to game and book comparison again. This time decided to read the novelization of the Rage game.

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Originally Posted by Nissa

Well, how was it?

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Uh... bad?

I mean, I normally like stories from the POV of a questionable narrator, events taking place out of sequence, and a good amount of ambiguity. Maybe it was simply the time period that put me off the most.

I dunno, you may like it more than me.

Hey, I have read StarCraft Nova, but that was only a few chaptrs before I had to put it away and since, I could never find it again afterwards. Has anyone else read anymore StarCraft Books?

Speaking of books, I've sort-of made a new social group about book discussion. I know this thread can discuss books too, but I thought "why not" and didn't think about it before making it... Sorry, but you can look and join if you want. I haven't made any photos for it yet and yeah, this forum already talks about books, but I hope nobody minds. If you want, here's the link. I already listed it in the compendium.

http://sclegacy.com/forums/group.php?groupid=47

Nah, we just rant and rave about books here. This basically already is our social group.

In any case, I have read many SC novels. They range from almost acceptable to hilariously terrible. SC:G Nova is actually my favorite, because despite the fact it's horribly written, it has some good ideas in it. It also has no affect whatsoever on SC canon, which is a bonus. Speed of Darkness was okay, but boring and it spoiled its own ending. Liberty's Crusade was a shameful fanfiction self-insert that happened to get published. Shadow of the Xel'Naga was written by people who probably didn't play the game much, if at all. The "Dark Templar" trilogy barely has much of the way of Dark Templar in it at all, and somehow thinks that even though DTs can't access the Khala because they don't have nerve cords, humans can access the Khala, despite the likewise lack of nerve cords.

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Originally Posted by Nissa

Nah, we just rant and rave about books here. This basically already is our social group.

In any case, I have read many SC novels. They range from almost acceptable to hilariously terrible. SC:G Nova is actually my favorite, because despite the fact it's horribly written, it has some good ideas in it. It also has no affect whatsoever on SC canon, which is a bonus. Speed of Darkness was okay, but boring and it spoiled its own ending. Liberty's Crusade was a shameful fanfiction self-insert that happened to get published. Shadow of the Xel'Naga was written by people who probably didn't play the game much, if at all. The "Dark Templar" trilogy barely has much of the way of Dark Templar in it at all, and somehow thinks that even though DTs can't access the Khala because they don't have nerve cords, humans can access the Khala, despite the likewise lack of nerve cords.

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To me the DT Saga should have been renamed Protoss Society Saga, since that's mainly what it talked about anyway, especially the 2nd book of the series.

The Fifth Season, by N K Jemisin. Uuugh, so good.

Some of my most trusted sources tell me that's an excellent book. I've had it for a while now, from a sale, really, really, really must get to reading it. Let me know how it goes for you.

(Pretty sure I've said with about forty times now)


As for me, I've taken up a new obsession with Alien versus Predator. I'm reading the comics, playing the games, and reading the trilogy. It's epic in scope, not at all what you would expect, feels just like a StarCraft, Halo, or Mass Effect book in scope, and written well. It seems AvP may be my go-to sci fi series for a while.

Currently reading Alien: The Weyland Yutani Report. It's interesting to see how the Xenomorph is being viewed from their POV.....

Let me know how it goes for you, I may start collecting some of this stuff. I need to fill this StarCraft shaped void in my soul.

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Originally Posted by TheEconomist

Let me know how it goes for you, I may start collecting some of this stuff. I need to fill this StarCraft shaped void in my soul.

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Well right now I'm looking at the Alien Resurrection part, since we all know that was the least successful of the 4 Alien films.

Currently working on You are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto. Spoiler alert: never trust anything with "manifesto" in the title or subtitle.

Haha, no shit, I've said that too myself many times.

"Traitor to his caste" is also one of those bullcrap indicator phrases.

I wonder how many times I've heard "Traitor to his/her race/gender/class" to silence valid criticism. It would be hilarious how lazy it is if it weren't so much a real and present threat.

I was reading this review of an FDR biography, and in it the person said they thought it would be good because the back of it said FDR was a "traitor to his class." Hahahaa...

I'm collecting a list in my head of other bullcrap indicators. "Wise women" means "feminists saying common nonsense to make themselves feel good," and "delicacy" means "stuff that is considered culturally relevant but is really just what people ate in poorer times so they didn't starve to death."

What book is that? I'm kind of curious how a decendent of a political family who failed miserable numerous times in business and expanded the role of government ever since, can be anything but a 'champion of his (political) class".

And the delicacy thing is so true. I remember, when I was young growing up in Miami surrounded by blacks, I kept hearing about this 'delicacy' known as Chitlins. Later, when I tried it, after realizing that it was basically pig's intestines for the poor of the day, its as far from a delicacy as imaginable.

And since you're on feminism, I'll add another: Independent woman = "Single mother dependent on government instead of men'. Of course, 'tolerant liberal' and its various spinoffs is, of course, an oxymoron. I dunno, I've been hearing nothing "strong woman" this and "independent woman" that. I love how Ashley Judd can rail against the 'defaultness' of being white because of the term 'people of color' but can't understand how the term "strong woman" and "independent woman" can be anything but derogatory to the woman who don't fit the description for reasons completely unrelated to strength or independence.

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Originally Posted by TheEconomist

I wonder how many times I've heard "Traitor to his/her race/gender/class" to silence valid criticism. It would be hilarious how lazy it is if it weren't so much a real and present threat.

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Just go check the Dead Space novels. You'll see more than enough of that heresy BS.

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Originally Posted by TheEconomist

What book is that? I'm kind of curious how a decendent of a political family who failed miserable numerous times in business and expanded the role of government ever since, can be anything but a 'champion of his (political) class".

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Huh, okay. *looks it up* It's Traitor to His Class: The Privileged Life and Radical Presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Hahahaha, I don't see how anyone can read the title without realizing how stupid it is.

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And the delicacy thing is so true. I remember, when I was young growing up in Miami surrounded by blacks, I kept hearing about this 'delicacy' known as Chitlins. Later, when I tried it, after realizing that it was basically pig's intestines for the poor of the day, its as far from a delicacy as imaginable.

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I would definitely eat chitlins before I would eat tofu soaked in pig's blood.

That is a thing.

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And since you're on feminism, I'll add another: Independent woman = "Single mother dependent on government instead of men'. Of course, 'tolerant liberal' and its various spinoffs is, of course, an oxymoron. I dunno, I've been hearing nothing "strong woman" this and "independent woman" that. I love how Ashley Judd can rail against the 'defaultness' of being white because of the term 'people of color' but can't understand how the term "strong woman" and "independent woman" can be anything but derogatory to the woman who don't fit the description for reasons completely unrelated to strength or independence.

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Honestly, neither of those terms mean anything to me except, "I, the speaker, don't read or think critically." Apparently there's a textbook somewhere that claims Holly from Die Hard isn't strong, when she's the most confident person in the whole movie. Because apparently strength of character doesn't exist, and you're only a "strong female" if you shoot guns and never let a man save you. Feminists wouldn't know strength if they saw it.

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"Just go check the Dead Space novels. You'll see more than enough of that heresy BS."

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Rag you're a traitor to the SC2 cause, how dare you criticize something! (anything)

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"I would definitely eat chitlins before I would eat tofu soaked in pig's blood.

That is a thing."

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Century eggs are much better IMO.

I only want to vomit a little bit.

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Originally Posted by KaiserStratosTygo

Rag you're a traitor to the SC2 cause, how dare you criticize something! (anything)

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This coming from the guy who criticized so much on SC2 already....

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Originally Posted by ragnarok

This coming from the guy who criticized so much on SC2 already....

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Palpatine's behind it all.

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Originally Posted by KaiserStratosTygo

Palpatine's behind it all.

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Well yes there's that too....

How to be a God, by by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, to fill that need for scifi and fantasy.

And The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe, for that history-shaped void in my heart. Also, because of Cheetoh-shaped presidents. (Or perhaps a president-shaped Cheetoh?)

I always wanted to learn more about the relationship between the Pope, Mussolini, Hitler, etc. since it seems like it would be one of the more interesting times in history for me, but I just never got around to it. Gimme a paragraph or two synopsis when you're done, I'd like to incorporate some of the concepts into my (useless, occassional) internet argument ... y'know, since graduation, I've been far too lazy to learn new non-market information. So now I rely upon you, VoK.

I'm reading Saint Augustine's Confessions right now. I like it, but the dude uses really fanciful language, and it's hard to understand what exactly he's saying, even if you're paying attention. However, I found his comments on astrology fun. It kinda reminds me of quantum physics, actually. Astrology claimed to be able to predict human behaviors and fates by the stars, just as certain materialist physicists claim that all human behavior can be predicted by quanta. Quantum astrology, heh.

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ust as certain materialist physicists claim that all human behavior can be predicted by quanta. Quantum astrology, heh.

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Never heard of this. I'll have to look into it. What is old is new again, I guess :D

Well, bear in mind that I'm the one saying "quantum astrologist." They're really called material reductionists.

I'm reading Fake News and I'm trying to find the Real News so I can become an informed citizen that can serve Fuhrer Trump.

I don't read the news -- YouTube vloggers, Donald Trump's tweets and 4chan is enough for me.

I used to only read The Economist, Financial Times, Seeking Alpha and places like that to get an economist perspective on politics, but since some of my go-to economists have lost their shit with Paul Krugman suggesting military overthrow of Donald Trump and Robert Reich claiming that the UC Berkley rioters were actually paramilitary groups.

Pretty sure the only one who has a trustworthy opinion for me.. is me.

In all seriousness, the only legitimate news source I still follow enough to actually say I read them are: Forbes, New York Times, and a few foreign-language aggregates that offer translations of articles from foreign countries (mostly Hungary, Germany, Japan, China and Russia).

You read the New York Times? What the fuck?

What are these aggregates you are using?

Aggregate was probably the wrong word. The Local is the most in-depth generally-European one I've yet come across.

http://www.thelocal.com/contentmarketing/#!//&lang=en

I just read from the English editions CCTV, Spiegel; have been reading a Hungarian one though the translations aren't that good, so I'm looking for a better one.

EDIT: New York Times has a good music section, so that's mostly what I wind up reading there.