71
The Crabikiad / Re: Crabby Fails
« Last post by coobek on February 03, 2022, 12:56:56 pm »
Recent Posts
72
The Crabikiad / Re: Crabby Fails
« Last post by SmilerLoki on February 03, 2022, 01:57:53 am »There is no official word.
73
The Crabikiad / Re: Crabby Fails
« Last post by coobek on February 02, 2022, 04:31:56 pm »Hey - long time no see.
I got here after few years of waiting. Is there a word on the new book?
I mean what can you do during Pandemic if not write if you are an author...
Thanks for any enlightment on this subject.
I got here after few years of waiting. Is there a word on the new book?
I mean what can you do during Pandemic if not write if you are an author...
Thanks for any enlightment on this subject.
74
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2022
« Last post by Wilshire on February 01, 2022, 03:37:07 pm »Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by KJ Parker (1)
Hey this was a fun book. My first KJP and well worth it. Light hearted (generally) and funny, KJP spins a nice story without spoiling it by going into too many details. I'll definitely be wanted to read more from him.
The Dread Wyrm by Miles Cameron (2)
I continue to enjoy Cameron. His books feel weighty and crunchy. This can be detrimental at times, when too much time is spent on inconsequential topics/plots, since they quickly feel overbearing and slow. But when Cameron focuses on the things that you care about, it makes an impact. As always the physical conflicts feel powerful - knights dueling, cavalry charges, man at arms taking the hill, the clash of monsters and men. These things have a visceral feel because of Cameron's talent.
The worldbuilding is nice, driven largely by the plot and revealed at a pace that is acceptable. Enough mystery to go around but with enough explanation to keep the reader up to speed.
Character relationships are a mixed bag. Some feel forced and or contrived, but at the end of the day when someone not wearing plot armor dies horribly you feel sad about it.
The series as a whole is working for me. The path Cameron is taking is circuitous, and mostly this is fun. A few times there is a bog of details that are just not necessary, with characters and plots that end suddenly and/or obviously in a way that makes me wonder why the details were necessary at all. But largely the efforts made to bring the world and its characters to life are well worth the time to read. I feel compelled to read on, and so I will!
Hey this was a fun book. My first KJP and well worth it. Light hearted (generally) and funny, KJP spins a nice story without spoiling it by going into too many details. I'll definitely be wanted to read more from him.
The Dread Wyrm by Miles Cameron (2)
I continue to enjoy Cameron. His books feel weighty and crunchy. This can be detrimental at times, when too much time is spent on inconsequential topics/plots, since they quickly feel overbearing and slow. But when Cameron focuses on the things that you care about, it makes an impact. As always the physical conflicts feel powerful - knights dueling, cavalry charges, man at arms taking the hill, the clash of monsters and men. These things have a visceral feel because of Cameron's talent.
The worldbuilding is nice, driven largely by the plot and revealed at a pace that is acceptable. Enough mystery to go around but with enough explanation to keep the reader up to speed.
Character relationships are a mixed bag. Some feel forced and or contrived, but at the end of the day when someone not wearing plot armor dies horribly you feel sad about it.
The series as a whole is working for me. The path Cameron is taking is circuitous, and mostly this is fun. A few times there is a bog of details that are just not necessary, with characters and plots that end suddenly and/or obviously in a way that makes me wonder why the details were necessary at all. But largely the efforts made to bring the world and its characters to life are well worth the time to read. I feel compelled to read on, and so I will!
75
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2022
« Last post by The P on January 26, 2022, 03:30:45 pm »A Practical Guide to Conquering the World by K. J. Parker (3)
Loved it, of course. Parker's trilogies are very structurally different from what's typical in the genre. Each one of these books works well on its own, while also containing an enjoyable through line to tie them all together. Even this third one is a fully contained narrative arc; someone could pick this up as their first Parker book and have no trouble enjoying it. That said, there is some greater enjoyment to be found in how it all ties together with the previous two.
This book goes way beyond where I expected it to go after the first two. It's again a first person account from a character we haven't met before and quite far removed from the setting of the first books. Parker packs it full of various themes and ideas, some notable ones being, agency, consequences intended vs. unintended, providence. There is significant riffing on some biblical stories, notably Moses, but also some sprinkling of bits of Jesus, John (the Revelator), and maybe some apostolic bits. All very wry, sometimes subtle, other times pointedly obvious.
As far as the greater "Parker-verse" is concerned, this book has maybe the most references to other places and events, and maybe the clearest pinning down of anything else in the broader geography and timeline. (For those who haven't read Parker, he is not a world-builder, although he likely has things concretely pinned down in his head, any references outside of the particular narrative scope are merely easter eggs and may or may not comprise a comprehensive whole, though they seem to.) We hear about Perimadeia (Fencer trilogy), Vesani (Folding Knife), Mezentia (Engineer trilogy), Sashan (Savages), several other minor recognizable people groups, and a distinct call out to a practice in Sharps.
I thoroughly recommend. The Siege trilogy will be my go-to Parker recommendation if people want something longer than a novella.
Loved it, of course. Parker's trilogies are very structurally different from what's typical in the genre. Each one of these books works well on its own, while also containing an enjoyable through line to tie them all together. Even this third one is a fully contained narrative arc; someone could pick this up as their first Parker book and have no trouble enjoying it. That said, there is some greater enjoyment to be found in how it all ties together with the previous two.
This book goes way beyond where I expected it to go after the first two. It's again a first person account from a character we haven't met before and quite far removed from the setting of the first books. Parker packs it full of various themes and ideas, some notable ones being, agency, consequences intended vs. unintended, providence. There is significant riffing on some biblical stories, notably Moses, but also some sprinkling of bits of Jesus, John (the Revelator), and maybe some apostolic bits. All very wry, sometimes subtle, other times pointedly obvious.
As far as the greater "Parker-verse" is concerned, this book has maybe the most references to other places and events, and maybe the clearest pinning down of anything else in the broader geography and timeline. (For those who haven't read Parker, he is not a world-builder, although he likely has things concretely pinned down in his head, any references outside of the particular narrative scope are merely easter eggs and may or may not comprise a comprehensive whole, though they seem to.) We hear about Perimadeia (Fencer trilogy), Vesani (Folding Knife), Mezentia (Engineer trilogy), Sashan (Savages), several other minor recognizable people groups, and a distinct call out to a practice in Sharps.
I thoroughly recommend. The Siege trilogy will be my go-to Parker recommendation if people want something longer than a novella.
76
The Unholy Consult / Re: Rereading again, new insights again
« Last post by H on January 24, 2022, 07:29:48 pm »About chapter 15:
The tunnels under Kyudea and Ishuäl are referred to as similar in architecture, and then as Nonman work.
For Kyudea it is confirmed to be Nonman architecture. I can't remember: Do we know this to be the case for Ishuäl as well?
We don't know it for sure, but I think it is fair the read it in, since Ishuäl is an Ihrimsû name, meaning "Exalted Grotto." Seems likely to me that the Kûniüric High Kings learned of it somehow, likely after it had ben abandoned by the Nonmen and then used it for their own purposes. Meaning, of course, that the Thousand Thousand Halls were carved with some Nonman purpose, the Dûnyain only later found their own use for them.
77
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2022
« Last post by Wilshire on January 24, 2022, 01:13:45 pm »I enjoyed Senlin Ascends but the subsequent book wasn't enough for me to want to finish.
78
The Unholy Consult / Re: Rereading again, new insights again
« Last post by Monkhound on January 20, 2022, 07:07:43 pm »TTT starts with full force in the quote and the Dream where Mekeritrig tortures Seswatha:
Secondly the illustration that if you take away one's humanity, a human is no different from a sranc?
The first passage that Esmenet reads from the Sagas. I'm pretty sure that I remember it being sung by the Nonman on the elevator in Ishterebinth, in TGO:
Conphas thinking before being brutalized by Cnaiür:
At the same time, do I note aparallel between "meaning" and "Truth" in this? Both concepts are flung around a lot in this book. Only when a Truth or a meaning is broken, do we understand what it actually meant.
About chapter 15:
The tunnels under Kyudea and Ishuäl are referred to as similar in architecture, and then as Nonman work.
For Kyudea it is confirmed to be Nonman architecture. I can't remember: Do we know this to be the case for Ishuäl as well?
Is the whole Sorweel in the Ishterebinth underground meant to help understand the whole Dunyain journey here, with both Kellhus and the Siqu looking for their father?
Quote from: chapter 1
"To understand the soul of a Nonman, the philosopher Gotagga had once written, one need only bare the back of an old and arrogant slave. Scars. Scars upon scars. This was what made them mad. All of them."First the parallel with Cnaiür's scars and madness, of course. With that, does it somewhat insinuate that killing chips away at your sanity?
[...]
"I will strip you to your footings", the Nonman grated. "Though I love, I will upend your souls foundation! I will release you from the delusions of this word 'Man', and draw forth the beat - the soulless beast! - that is the howling Truth of all things..."
Secondly the illustration that if you take away one's humanity, a human is no different from a sranc?
The first passage that Esmenet reads from the Sagas. I'm pretty sure that I remember it being sung by the Nonman on the elevator in Ishterebinth, in TGO:
Quote from: chapter 8
"Rage - Goddess! Sing of your flight,
From our fathers and our sons.
Away, Goddess! Secret your divinity!
From the conceit that makes kings of foods,
From the scrutiny that makes corpses of souls.
Sing us the end of your song. "
Conphas thinking before being brutalized by Cnaiür:
Quote from: chapter 9
"Where the Nansur wheedled and negotiated, the Scylvendi simply took - seized. It was as though they had embraced violence as a whole, while the Nansur had shattered it into a thousand pieces to set as splinters across the multiform mosaic of their society.Again, the shattering of a "one into thousand" symbolism.
It made them seem... more manly."
Quote from: chapter 12
"Only when things were broken did their meaning become clear. "This one struck me particularly with respect to the whole brutality that is inflicted on the Scalded in TUC.
At the same time, do I note aparallel between "meaning" and "Truth" in this? Both concepts are flung around a lot in this book. Only when a Truth or a meaning is broken, do we understand what it actually meant.
About chapter 15:
The tunnels under Kyudea and Ishuäl are referred to as similar in architecture, and then as Nonman work.
For Kyudea it is confirmed to be Nonman architecture. I can't remember: Do we know this to be the case for Ishuäl as well?
Is the whole Sorweel in the Ishterebinth underground meant to help understand the whole Dunyain journey here, with both Kellhus and the Siqu looking for their father?
79
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2022
« Last post by The P on January 20, 2022, 02:37:38 pm »Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft (2)
I really liked this one. Well done characters, unique setting. The story is basically this guy trying to find his lost wife in this massive (too big to ever realistically exist) tower. I was worried it would be a McGuffin story where the missing wife is just there to move the plot, but there is sufficient work done in establishing her character and relationship to the titular Senlin. A lot is packed into the 300 or so pages, Bancroft doesn't waste time giving wholistic descriptions of what is going on in the tower and how things work. This is helped by our perspective being tied to the naive and out of his depth main character. It's hard to believe some of the tower manages to sustain itself by what we see, but there's at least an idea of much more being out there that Senlin just doesn't get to.
I'm excited to read the rest of these, and probably will in short order. But first a new KJ Parker.
I really liked this one. Well done characters, unique setting. The story is basically this guy trying to find his lost wife in this massive (too big to ever realistically exist) tower. I was worried it would be a McGuffin story where the missing wife is just there to move the plot, but there is sufficient work done in establishing her character and relationship to the titular Senlin. A lot is packed into the 300 or so pages, Bancroft doesn't waste time giving wholistic descriptions of what is going on in the tower and how things work. This is helped by our perspective being tied to the naive and out of his depth main character. It's hard to believe some of the tower manages to sustain itself by what we see, but there's at least an idea of much more being out there that Senlin just doesn't get to.
I'm excited to read the rest of these, and probably will in short order. But first a new KJ Parker.
80
Literature / Re: Yearly Reading Targets 2022
« Last post by The P on January 11, 2022, 06:00:22 pm »Leviathan Falls by James S. A. Corey (1)
Hmm... I was surprised to find myself not excited to read this conclusion to the series. I liked the previous books pretty well, but maybe it had been too long before this one came out. It could also be the time jump that occurred at book...7? The plots and characters got spread out and disparate, and thus less compelling I think.
My biggest problem with this book was its pacing. The beginning is kind of slow and aimless, then suddenly out of nowhere we are fighting for the very existence of humanity, which I knew was coming. There is a very clear existential threat that has to be dealt with going into the book, but I just didn't like how the authors got around to dealing with it. Some story elements got far out there, psychedelic, brief interludes of stream of consciousness kind of, I did not like it. The Expanse is at its best when it deals with conflict between people, whether on a personal or planetary scale. Going so far into the trippy mind alien realm just didn't work, it was better in previous books when it was just briefly touched on or alluded to.
Overall, this is a fine conclusion to an otherwise great modern space epic. The denouement was probably my favorite part. I will say, throughout the whole series it is very clear this was lifted from/heavily-inspired by some sci-fi rpg session someone ran, not unlike Dragonlance is for D&D. Characters have their clear class, traits, and alignments, and I found myself frequently thinking how a gamed session morphed itself into various scenes in the series. It's still good, worth reading if you want a big sci-fi epic.
MSJ, both those series are on my list for the year. Just started Senlin Ascends.
Hmm... I was surprised to find myself not excited to read this conclusion to the series. I liked the previous books pretty well, but maybe it had been too long before this one came out. It could also be the time jump that occurred at book...7? The plots and characters got spread out and disparate, and thus less compelling I think.
My biggest problem with this book was its pacing. The beginning is kind of slow and aimless, then suddenly out of nowhere we are fighting for the very existence of humanity, which I knew was coming. There is a very clear existential threat that has to be dealt with going into the book, but I just didn't like how the authors got around to dealing with it. Some story elements got far out there, psychedelic, brief interludes of stream of consciousness kind of, I did not like it. The Expanse is at its best when it deals with conflict between people, whether on a personal or planetary scale. Going so far into the trippy mind alien realm just didn't work, it was better in previous books when it was just briefly touched on or alluded to.
Overall, this is a fine conclusion to an otherwise great modern space epic. The denouement was probably my favorite part. I will say, throughout the whole series it is very clear this was lifted from/heavily-inspired by some sci-fi rpg session someone ran, not unlike Dragonlance is for D&D. Characters have their clear class, traits, and alignments, and I found myself frequently thinking how a gamed session morphed itself into various scenes in the series. It's still good, worth reading if you want a big sci-fi epic.
MSJ, both those series are on my list for the year. Just started Senlin Ascends.
