What did you just read?

Kovaks · Aug 14, 2021

Campbell1oo4 said:
I used to work in a used bookstore.

Can you describe the book?

After I posted this I tried looking again for a few hours, I think it is Dean koontz "seize the night". Every other time I tried to Find a book with an intelligent dog they recommended watchers but that wasn't it. and every time I searched for elevator to hell dimension it gave me some more recent books. I think in the past I was also sure it wasn't a dean koontz book but I must have been wrong.

Campbell1oo4 · Aug 18, 2021

The Archetype of Initiation by Robert L. Moore

I enjoyed this book. The crux of it is that in order to deal with new challenges in life and grow as a person, you must 'die.'

Effectively you have to experience an emotional or mental breakdown, at which point you must accept that you have failed. In this humility, knowing that you are not all-powerful, you are now capable of changing.

But in order to do it right you really need a teacher, a guide to facilitate healthy growth. Without a guide, or with a negative guide, you may develop an over-inflated ego and adopt a persona. This could develop into a psychosis.

But if you do have a guide, you can grow into a new person who now has an updated moral framework that can, in the future, deal with the problem that sent you spinning off into the darkness in the first place.

Where this gets really interesting is that Moore identifies this darkness as a Sacred Space. It is Sacred because it is the only space that can truly transform you as a human being. A guide would be something like a shaman, a priest (in the pre-modern sense) or a therapist.

In some ways this book is depressing because Moore claims there is very little sacred space in our day and age, and very few shamans to guide us through what little sacred space we do have. I agree with him.

In the pre-modern days, people could enter into sacred spaces maintained by elders. There they could undergo initiations (often painful and terrifying) that would signal an elevation to a new mode of consciousness.

Without these practices, the implication is clear; modern people are psychologically immature. In the end of the book, Moore calls on men to do more to help youngsters. He implores men not to throw the youth into jail, but to take them under their wing and teach them to direct their masculine energy in a new direction.

Dandai · Aug 20, 2021

I just finished all of the Expeditionary Force novels (except the book 7.5 audio drama) and now have to wait until December for book 13. I generally recommend the series, but the books do frequently suffer from being overly formulaic:

impossible problem > hopelessness > random inspiration for solution > climax

That being said, I’m clearly a big fan as I heard about the first book (Columbus Day) for the first time in late June and finished all 14 audiobooks by August 19. And on that note, RC Bray is the man. Dude is an exceptionally talented narrator and performer.

slippery · Aug 21, 2021

Dandai said:
I just finished all of the Expeditionary Force novels (except the book 7.5 audio drama) and now have to wait until December for book 13. I generally recommend the series, but the books do frequently suffer from being overly formulaic:

impossible problem > hopelessness > random inspiration for solution > climax

That being said, I’m clearly a big fan as I heard about the first book (Columbus Day) for the first time in late June and finished all 14 audiobooks by August 19. And on that note, RC Bray is the man. Dude is an exceptionally talented narrator and performer.

I'm always recommending the series, I think it's great. He puts out the books pretty fast too.

TJT · Aug 23, 2021

I read the One Second After series this weekend. While I do really like the post-apocalyptic scenario the main character is insufferable. I truly hate it when authors make main characters that are just more heroic versions of themselves.

In this case, John Matheson, a university teacher goes on and on about who would be valuable in a post-apocalypse society. Much like in the WWZ book, carpenters, mechanics, steam engineers, old-school electricians and phone operators, and so on would be the most useful. This is true. But for some reason, a dumbass history professor rises to the top of this society and everyone turns to him and this is handwaved for the convenience of the plot. If I were to describe the character in a single sentence it would be "do as I say not as I do." Which I hate.

First book was good, second was meh and third was bad.

Arbitrary · Aug 24, 2021

TJT said:
I read the One Second After series this weekend. While I do really like the post-apocalyptic scenario the main character is insufferable. I truly hate it when authors make main characters that are just more heroic versions of themselves.

In this case, John Matheson, a university teacher goes on and on about who would be valuable in a post-apocalypse society. Much like in the WWZ book, carpenters, mechanics, steam engineers, old-school electricians and phone operators, and so on would be the most useful. This is true. But for some reason, a dumbass history professor rises to the top of this society and everyone turns to him and this is handwaved for the convenience of the plot. If I were to describe the character in a single sentence it would be "do as I say not as I do." Which I hate.

First book was good, second was meh and third was bad.

I was going to read the later books having liked the first one as well but the little synopses for each on Amazon convinced me to bail. The first is fairly grounded but later on it sounded like he's battling a corrupt US government that wanted to kidnap him because he was just too awesome?

If you like apocalypses I had a good time with Alas Babylon, The Death of Grass, Lucifer's Hammer and Day of the Triffids.

Ronaan · Aug 25, 2021

I just finished the last King Henry Tapes book and now I wonder if we ever get to see the end. I thought by now there'd be three new books out to catch up with (took me three years to read it), and now I'm just sadfrog irl.

Intrinsic · Aug 26, 2021

Ronaan said:
I just finished the last King Henry Tapes book and now I wonder if we ever get to see the end. I thought by now there'd be three new books out to catch up with (took me three years to read it), and now I'm just sadfrog irl.

Did something happen to @Nebuchadnezzar that I missed?

Intrinsic · Aug 26, 2021

Ukerric said:
After a while, he switched main characters, having more or less exhausted Bob's potential. The "spin-offs" are relatively interesting, but less so.

Bob (S-tier): The Atrocity Archives, The Jennifer Morgue, The Fuller Memorandum, The Apocalypse Codex, The Rhesus Chart, The Delirium Brief (A-tier)
"Mo" aka Bob's Wife (B-tier): The Annihilation Score
Alex Schwartz (A-tier): The Nightmare Stacks
Mhari Murphy aka Bob's former GF (C-tier): The Labyrinth Index
bunch of random unknowns (F-tier): Dead Lies Dreaming

If you want a good, satisfying series, the first four make a good complete set. Rhesus Chart is still good, but sets up the spinoffs, and even if you get a quick return to Bob later, the rest is basically the Magic Lovecraftian Apocalypse, not the underground magic agency that made the series top-tier. The 10th book looks interesting in the abstract, and I'm pretty sure there's a big payoff coming at the end, but I couldn't find myself to care. After 10 months, it's still at 14% read on my reader, because there is absolutely no pre-existing character in sight yet.

I think I'm going to start these tonight, thanks for the recommendation. If nothing else it maybe it'll get me back in to Charles Stross. Years ago I read the Singularity series and some of the Merchant, can't remember where I left off. Some of his umm... "hyper" sci fi was just insane stuff.

Kharzette · Aug 26, 2021

My friend that wrote the "What Remains" books recommended "Senlin Ascends", the first in a 4 parter about the old Tower of Babel. It is really flowery tasty reading. I devoured the first 3, but 4 isn't out for another couple months.

Ronaan · Aug 27, 2021

Intrinsic said:
Did something happen to @Nebuchadnezzar that I missed?

I guess he just doesn't come here anmore.
"Last seen Apr 26, 2018"

His site gets updates though

Ritley · Aug 27, 2021

Ronaan said:
I guess he just doesn't come here anmore.
"Last seen Apr 26, 2018"

His site gets updates though

Yeah his blog was updated a couple of weeks ago, but I get the feeling he has lost pretty much all of his drive to write. I don’t think he makes enough writing to pay the bills, and after letting it go so long I just don’t see it ever getting back on track.

Void · Aug 31, 2021

Ritley said:
Yeah his blog was updated a couple of weeks ago, but I get the feeling he has lost pretty much all of his drive to write. I don’t think he makes enough writing to pay the bills, and after letting it go so long I just don’t see it ever getting back on track.

That is incorrect (well, the part about not making enough to pay bills is likely true). He's had a lot of health issues, including surgeries and the like. I'm not going to give any specifics as I can't remember what he has posted publicly and what was told to me directly. If you've been to his blog I assume you would have seen the various teasers from his latest book(s), including personal comments about his progress, his issues, etc. I have emailed him off and on over the years and I can say that he very much wants to keep writing, but sometimes he is not able to put in as much effort as he'd like. And things like the a/c breaking in the middle of a Fresno summer (110+ at times) just compounds the problems.

His last book was massive, and it took a lot out of him, so he took a bit of a break to recharge. Then all the health stuff came to a head, etc. and he sort of wishes he had never taken that break because he's so far behind where he wanted to be. But he IS plugging along and very excited over what he's written, if I can presume to put words into his mouth.

Last I heard he had been hoping to get the next one out before the end of the year, but that isn't going to happen now I believe. So look for something first half of next year, hopefully.

Ronaan · Aug 31, 2021

Thank you for the heads-up, Void. Gives me hope

Ritley · Aug 31, 2021

Void said:
That is incorrect (well, the part about not making enough to pay bills is likely true). He's had a lot of health issues, including surgeries and the like. I'm not going to give any specifics as I can't remember what he has posted publicly and what was told to me directly. If you've been to his blog I assume you would have seen the various teasers from his latest book(s), including personal comments about his progress, his issues, etc. I have emailed him off and on over the years and I can say that he very much wants to keep writing, but sometimes he is not able to put in as much effort as he'd like. And things like the a/c breaking in the middle of a Fresno summer (110+ at times) just compounds the problems.

His last book was massive, and it took a lot out of him, so he took a bit of a break to recharge. Then all the health stuff came to a head, etc. and he sort of wishes he had never taken that break because he's so far behind where he wanted to be. But he IS plugging along and very excited over what he's written, if I can presume to put words into his mouth.

Last I heard he had been hoping to get the next one out before the end of the year, but that isn't going to happen now I believe. So look for something first half of next year, hopefully.

That’s great if that’s the case (well not the health issues are great). It seems that so many times you see authors start with a large delay in writing, followed by excuses and small teasers to keep people on the hook and then ultimately fail to deliver. Like Rothfuss or Lynch.

If it’s really just that he hasn’t been able to but still has the drive then id be perfectly happy being wrong.

Void · Sep 1, 2021

In fact, I had not noticed that he just posted another update on his blog Sunday, so I'll let his words speak for him:

Still hot.

Still smoky.

Still working when I can but really looking forward to autumn and winter.

Crossed below 230 pounds last week. Ton of it is hanging skin at this point. Don't quite have the Lady Knockers I can throw over my shoulder, but if I do a sumo pose its pretty fucking skin monster hilarious.

Still sick of doctors. Have an endoscopy in a couple weeks I'm really not looking forward to. Might not even happen cuz the Rona keeps killing everyone...AGAIN...so there's that.

Still working...which I guess I already said. Very much the marathon-not-sprint part of the job. Slogging through TWO middles at the moment. Humps abound and not the grunting variety! Also putting some pages into another project which you guys might hear about if it doesn't suck...

Nothing exciting, but consider this my Author Is Still Kicking Update for the next month!

Stay safe, stay cool!

In regard to the "two middles" comment, I believe that is in reference to the fact that he's sort of writing the next book and the Vicky novella at the same time. Or maybe he's truly insane and he is writing the two main books simultaneously. That could be, because initially he was going to make this book just like all the other ones, where the main story has school flashbacks throughout it. But he realized that would make the book massive, since the flashbacks are bigger and more significant than any others, so he's splitting it into two entirely separate books. Maybe he's writing them together, which would be crazy, but might be easier for him to keep straight.

Kharzette · Sep 2, 2021

Light Chaser

Partly written by ... Hamilton I think? The main author I didn't know.

The main character lives the way I want to live; Cruising between the stars in her own ship doing whatever and living forever. Book is a bit short, but love the setting.

Randin · Sep 2, 2021

Just finished SPQR by Mary Beard, a general history of Rome from roman prehistory to the reign of the Emperor Caracalla. I've seen it held up a lot as the gold standard of introductions to Rome, and I'm inclined to say that it holds up to its reputation. Definitely worth picking up if you want to get into the Roman Empire.

Ukerric · Sep 3, 2021

Kharzette said:
Light Chaser

Partly written by ... Hamilton I think? The main author I didn't know.

The main character lives the way I want to live; Cruising between the stars in her own ship doing whatever and living forever. Book is a bit short, but love the setting.

The Timeless "Holms" thing is a bit weird, but the story works well within its structure.

Kharzette · Sep 3, 2021

I was really expecting some kind of twist, like she was really just insane from being so old and just killed those AI for nothing.

What did you just read?

Mr. Poopybutthole

Ahn'Qiraj Raider

<WoW Guild Officer>

Mr. Poopybutthole

Tranny Chaser

Molten Core Raider

Person of Whiteness

Person of Whiteness

Watcher of Overs

Molten Core Raider

Bronze Baron of the Realm

BAU BAU

Molten Core Raider

Bronze Baron of the Realm

BAU BAU

Watcher of Overs

Trakanon Raider

Bearded Ape

Watcher of Overs