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BigRed0427
Mar 23, 2007

There's no one I'd rather be than me.

I just reupped my audible subscription since I'm gonna be making 1 and a half hour car rides part of my normal life now. Any suggestions? I'm up for queer fantasy or victorian horror/adventure/urban fantasy

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tuyop
Sep 15, 2006

Every second that we're not growing BASIL is a second wasted

Fun Shoe

Conrad_Birdie posted:

In the mood for some literary sci-if short fiction, but written within the last five to ten years. Just want something modern this time. Stuff in the vein of Ursula K Leguin, Octavia Butler, Colson Whitehead.

I recommend Nisi Shawl’s collection “New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Colour”. Some of the stories are pulpy, some literary. All quite good.

Franchescanado
Feb 23, 2013

If it wasn't for disappointment
I wouldn't have any appointment

Grimey Drawer

BigRed0427 posted:

I just reupped my audible subscription since I'm gonna be making 1 and a half hour car rides part of my normal life now. Any suggestions? I'm up for queer fantasy or victorian horror/adventure/urban fantasy

Did you get Audible Plus, too? There's good Victorian literature included. They have Dracula unabridged with bunch of different narrators, including Alan Cumming and Tim Curry. They also have a lot of Charles Dickens unabridged with good narrators, Wuthering Heights, Anna Karenina narrated by Maggie Gyllenhaal (I didn't see who translated it). Look at those and you'll find other suggestions.

Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 21:22 on Feb 11, 2021

Walh Hara
May 11, 2012

Conrad_Birdie posted:

In the mood for some literary sci-if short fiction, but written within the last five to ten years. Just want something modern this time. Stuff in the vein of Ursula K Leguin, Octavia Butler, Colson Whitehead.

Uhm yeah, you want Ted Chiang.

kaesarsosei
Nov 7, 2012
Looking to read something about the history of chess. Both on how the game rules were developed and changed, the major figures in its history, and how strategy progressed over the centuries.

SerialKilldeer
Apr 25, 2014

Mr. Nemo posted:

This is a reaaaally open ended question, so sorry in advance.

What are some books that's obviosuly better to have a physical rather than a digital copy of?

Stuff like House of Leaves, S, The raw shark texts, Dictionary of the Khazars, Rayuela, the unfortunates, anything version of a boook with maps (history of the peloponnesian war for example), flatland, stuff where illustrations are part of the appeal like le petit prince or Princess Bride. But you know, stuff you'd read, and not "coffee table" books such as collections of photograpy, 1001 movies to watch before you die, they Voynich manuscript or stuff like that.

Anything goes, basically I want books worth buying a copy of because of the nature of the text, and not because it's a really nice hard cover edition.

If you're interested in children's literature, A Series of Unfortunate Events might qualify as it's got occasional text gimmicks (blacked-out pages, duplicate pages, different fonts), and also some false-document stuff (there are a couple of volumes that are all letters and secret documents and such). Not sure how the ebooks approach that.

SerialKilldeer fucked around with this message at 05:08 on Feb 12, 2021

DurianGray
Dec 23, 2010

King of Fruits

BigRed0427 posted:

I just reupped my audible subscription since I'm gonna be making 1 and a half hour car rides part of my normal life now. Any suggestions? I'm up for queer fantasy or victorian horror/adventure/urban fantasy

Queer fantasy with audible books I've listened to myself:
The Raven Tower by Anne Leckie
The Fifth Season (and the rest of the Broken Earth trilogy) by N.K. Jemisin

Queer fantasy books I've read and liked (audible versions exist, but I'm not sure of narrator quality):
The Tensorate series by Neon Yang (looks like audible has books 1-3 available as a single audio book so it's 1 credit instead of 3 - worth mentioning since they're all novellas)
Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee
Witchmark (part of a trilogy) by C.L. Polk
Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
The Traitor Baru Cormorant (and sequels) by Seth Dickinson (a goon!)
Gideon the Ninth (part of a trilogy) by Tamsyn Muir

There's a big thematic/subgenre range among all of these but they are all definitely queer. I also tried to stick to novel-length since you get more listening time for your credit with those than with novellas (but I can probably recommend even more if you're cool with novella-length).

Bilirubin
Feb 16, 2014

The sanctioned action is to CHUG


kaesarsosei posted:

Looking to read something about the history of chess. Both on how the game rules were developed and changed, the major figures in its history, and how strategy progressed over the centuries.

Consider asking in the chess thread: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3490241

Also there is a reddit sub r/chessbooks that might be a good place to ask

kaesarsosei
Nov 7, 2012

Bilirubin posted:

Consider asking in the chess thread: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3490241

Also there is a reddit sub r/chessbooks that might be a good place to ask

Thanks - I hadn't thought of coming at this from the other angle somehow (lol).

TommyGun85
Jun 5, 2013
Has anyone read Infinite Jest on an e-reader? I read the paperback years ago and while I enjoyed the content, the actual effort of reading 8pt font was torturous. Is it worth revisiting on a Kindle?

ulvir
Jan 2, 2005

Humerus posted:

FWIW I find the way Kindles handle footnotes/annotations to be far better than physical books. I read Count of Monte Cristo last year and it was great. If the note is short enough it just pops up on the page you're reading when you click on it, otherwise it takes you to the note at the end, but as soon as you hit the X it brings you back to your page.
IMO if a book "must" be read as dead trees it isn't worth reading.

that must be a recent thing1, cause when I used a Kindle, it would always jump back to the wrong point whenever I clicked a footnote. granted this was a 2012-version Kindle



1 wait, jesus christ, where did the last decade go?

Lockback
Sep 3, 2006

All days are nights to see till I see thee; and nights bright days when dreams do show me thee.

ulvir posted:

that must be a recent thing1, cause when I used a Kindle, it would always jump back to the wrong point whenever I clicked a footnote. granted this was a 2012-version Kindle



1 wait, jesus christ, where did the last decade go?

It used to be handled differently, it's better now. Occasionally, rarely, some ebooks were also just broken in terms of footnotes and links but that seems far, far more rare too.

Hieronymous Alloy
Jan 30, 2009


Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!




Morbid Hound

Humerus posted:

FWIW I find the way Kindles handle footnotes/annotations to be far better than physical books. I read Count of Monte Cristo last year and it was great. If the note is short enough it just pops up on the page you're reading when you click on it, otherwise it takes you to the note at the end, but as soon as you hit the X it brings you back to your page.
IMO if a book "must" be read as dead trees it isn't worth reading.

Yeah the kindle is great for that kind of footnote/endnote but sometimes the tension between the main page and the footnotes is part of the experience (see, e.g., Johnathan STrange and Mr. Norell) and for that you want a physical copy.

Mr. Nemo
Feb 4, 2016

I wish I had a sister like my big strong Daddy :(

Mr. Nemo posted:

This is a reaaaally open ended question, so sorry in advance.

What are some books that's obviosuly better to have a physical rather than a digital copy of?

Stuff like House of Leaves, S, The raw shark texts, Dictionary of the Khazars, Rayuela, the unfortunates, anything version of a boook with maps (history of the peloponnesian war for example), flatland, stuff where illustrations are part of the appeal like le petit prince or Princess Bride. But you know, stuff you'd read, and not "coffee table" books such as collections of photograpy, 1001 movies to watch before you die, they Voynich manuscript or stuff like that.

Anything goes, basically I want books worth buying a copy of because of the nature of the text, and not because it's a really nice hard cover edition.

My copy of Thucydides' Peloponnesian war just arrived, and I'll add it to this list. It's the landmark edition, it has over 100 maps, appendexes, side notes, foot notes. Definitely wouldn't work on a kindle.

Hieronymous Alloy
Jan 30, 2009


Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!




Morbid Hound

Mr. Nemo posted:

My copy of Thucydides' Peloponnesian war just arrived, and I'll add it to this list. It's the landmark edition, it has over 100 maps, appendexes, side notes, foot notes. Definitely wouldn't work on a kindle.

Yeah, the Landmark Editions are another great example of something that just would not work on a Kindle.

The various "Annotated Editions" of things -- Sherlock Holmes or Annotated Alice -- also just wouldn't work as an ebook. Anything where any given page is about 1/3rd or more annotation.

Bilirubin
Feb 16, 2014

The sanctioned action is to CHUG


Mr. Nemo posted:

My copy of Thucydides' Peloponnesian war just arrived, and I'll add it to this list. It's the landmark edition, it has over 100 maps, appendexes, side notes, foot notes. Definitely wouldn't work on a kindle.

This reminds me I've had a copy of this collecting dust on my shelf for years, probably getting close to time to actually read it.

Its the Penguin Classics version though so I'll need a magnifying glass for the font size

3D Megadoodoo
Nov 25, 2010

What's the gold standard of books for people who want to know a lot about the Great Pyramid (and pyramids in general why not), particularly the structure more than anything else? I guess it'd have to be new since a lot of poo poo has been discovered fairly recently what with technological advances.

(I already have the David Macaulay book :newlol:)

Bilirubin
Feb 16, 2014

The sanctioned action is to CHUG


3D Megadoodoo posted:

What's the gold standard of books for people who want to know a lot about the Great Pyramid (and pyramids in general why not), particularly the structure more than anything else? I guess it'd have to be new since a lot of poo poo has been discovered fairly recently what with technological advances.

(I already have the David Macaulay book :newlol:)

Chariots of the Gods

3D Megadoodoo
Nov 25, 2010

Bilirubin posted:

Chariots of the Gods

1) gently caress you
2) I already have it

Bilirubin
Feb 16, 2014

The sanctioned action is to CHUG


3D Megadoodoo posted:

1) gently caress you
2) I already have it

:D

What can I say, my grandfather gave me hosts of Reader's Digest "Mysteries of the Unexplained" types of coffee table books over the years, its the best I can do

Hieronymous Alloy
Jan 30, 2009


Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!




Morbid Hound

Bilirubin posted:

:D

What can I say, my grandfather gave me hosts of Reader's Digest "Mysteries of the Unexplained" types of coffee table books over the years, its the best I can do

https://www.amazon.com/Enchanted-World-Time-Life-21-Volumes/dp/B000JVCCYC

Bilirubin
Feb 16, 2014

The sanctioned action is to CHUG



that's really tempting

Kerro
Nov 3, 2002

Did you marry a man who married the sea? He looks right through you to the distant grey - calling, calling..
This might be a somewhat vague request, but I've realised that some of my favourite books are centred around characters learning how to adapt and relate to each other and their environment within an unusual (or at least unfamiliar to the characters) and constrained setting. Stuff like Faces in the Water (set in NZ residential psychiatric institutions), The Secret History (set at an elite college), The Poisonwood Bible (a white missionary family in a tiny Congolese village), anything set within a cult/sect/etc. I don't think the specific setting is too important as what I think I enjoy in these stories is the focus on the relationships between characters and their attempts to make sense of and find a way to live within a context that creates strange challenges or limitations. As I said, kinda vague, but does it bring anything to mind? Preferably not too bleak (as Lord of the Flies also came to mind when writing this, but I'm not in the mood to want to read things like that at the moment!) and prefer not sci-fi/fantasy etc.

Lockback
Sep 3, 2006

All days are nights to see till I see thee; and nights bright days when dreams do show me thee.

Kerro posted:

This might be a somewhat vague request, but I've realised that some of my favourite books are centred around characters learning how to adapt and relate to each other and their environment within an unusual (or at least unfamiliar to the characters) and constrained setting. Stuff like Faces in the Water (set in NZ residential psychiatric institutions), The Secret History (set at an elite college), The Poisonwood Bible (a white missionary family in a tiny Congolese village), anything set within a cult/sect/etc. I don't think the specific setting is too important as what I think I enjoy in these stories is the focus on the relationships between characters and their attempts to make sense of and find a way to live within a context that creates strange challenges or limitations. As I said, kinda vague, but does it bring anything to mind? Preferably not too bleak (as Lord of the Flies also came to mind when writing this, but I'm not in the mood to want to read things like that at the moment!) and prefer not sci-fi/fantasy etc.

Don't Sleep, There are Snakes
https://smile.amazon.com/Dont-Sleep-There-Are-Snakes/dp/0307386120?sa-no-redirect=1

Fits the bill. It's a linquist/missionary type guy who went to live with a Piraha, a Brazil tribe with a completely unique language. He went with the idea of converting them to Christianity, but in the process became an atheist due to the tribes influence on him. The religious part is not really a big part of the book (though it's known more for that). It might be a good library get because the 2nd part of the book mostly dives into the technical aspects of the language and isn't really a narrative, so it's forgivable to put it down if that isn't your bag.

knuthgrush
Jun 25, 2008

Be brave; clench fists.

Back again this time with a request for my son. He absolutely loved Treasure Island and asked if there was more. Any recommendations for that line of reading?

I considered Gulliver's Travels or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea but those are probably just different enough to maybe lose his interest?

I guess I'm asking for well written swash buckling books or non-erotic Treasure Island fanfic for a 10 year old.

Thanks!

A human heart
Oct 10, 2012

knuthgrush posted:

Back again this time with a request for my son. He absolutely loved Treasure Island and asked if there was more. Any recommendations for that line of reading?

I considered Gulliver's Travels or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea but those are probably just different enough to maybe lose his interest?

I guess I'm asking for well written swash buckling books or non-erotic Treasure Island fanfic for a 10 year old.

Thanks!

Gulliver's Travels isn't actually a children's book at all despite the many bowdlerised versions that tried to make it one. Robert Louis Stephenson wrote a bunch of stuff though and a lot of it is pretty similar to Treasure Island in tone so why not read some of his other works?

Selachian
Oct 9, 2012

knuthgrush posted:

Back again this time with a request for my son. He absolutely loved Treasure Island and asked if there was more. Any recommendations for that line of reading?

I considered Gulliver's Travels or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea but those are probably just different enough to maybe lose his interest?

I guess I'm asking for well written swash buckling books or non-erotic Treasure Island fanfic for a 10 year old.

Thanks!

You want Sid Fleischman's The Ghost in the Noonday Sun.

For more advanced swashbucklery stuff, maybe Rafael Sabatini (Captain Blood or The Sea Hawk).

knuthgrush
Jun 25, 2008

Be brave; clench fists.

A human heart posted:

Gulliver's Travels isn't actually a children's book at all despite the many bowdlerised versions that tried to make it one. Robert Louis Stephenson wrote a bunch of stuff though and a lot of it is pretty similar to Treasure Island in tone so why not read some of his other works?

Yeah I'm aware of that, I always just associated it as a kids book because a copy of that came with my copy of Treasure Island when I was a youngern and the two just kinda melded together.

Stephenson is a solid recommendation, thanks! I often forget how prolific he was.

Selachian posted:

You want Sid Fleischman's The Ghost in the Noonday Sun.

For more advanced swashbucklery stuff, maybe Rafael Sabatini (Captain Blood or The Sea Hawk).

I'll add them to the list, thanks!

knuthgrush fucked around with this message at 16:36 on Feb 19, 2021

tuyop
Sep 15, 2006

Every second that we're not growing BASIL is a second wasted

Fun Shoe

Kerro posted:

This might be a somewhat vague request, but I've realised that some of my favourite books are centred around characters learning how to adapt and relate to each other and their environment within an unusual (or at least unfamiliar to the characters) and constrained setting. Stuff like Faces in the Water (set in NZ residential psychiatric institutions), The Secret History (set at an elite college), The Poisonwood Bible (a white missionary family in a tiny Congolese village), anything set within a cult/sect/etc. I don't think the specific setting is too important as what I think I enjoy in these stories is the focus on the relationships between characters and their attempts to make sense of and find a way to live within a context that creates strange challenges or limitations. As I said, kinda vague, but does it bring anything to mind? Preferably not too bleak (as Lord of the Flies also came to mind when writing this, but I'm not in the mood to want to read things like that at the moment!) and prefer not sci-fi/fantasy etc.

Maybe check out Semiosis or Dragon’s Egg for sci fi that sounds like this.

MockingQuantum
Jan 20, 2012



Are there any good books on Juan Pujol Garcia and his fake spy network? I know it's been fictionalized a couple of times, but I want something more biographical or non-fiction. Alternatively, what are good non-fiction books on spycraft or espionage in the WWII-Cold War era?

Sham bam bamina!
Nov 6, 2012

ƨtupid cat

knuthgrush posted:

Back again this time with a request for my son. He absolutely loved Treasure Island and asked if there was more. Any recommendations for that line of reading?

I considered Gulliver's Travels or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea but those are probably just different enough to maybe lose his interest?

I guess I'm asking for well written swash buckling books or non-erotic Treasure Island fanfic for a 10 year old.

Thanks!
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was my favorite book when I was 10, and I loved Treasure Island myself. BEWARE of the unreadable and generally mangled public-domain Victorian translation by Lewis Mercier, which is what you'll probably run into if you pick up a random copy of the book. The translation I fell in love with as a child was Anthony Bonner's, but the one to get is Miller and Walter's version, published by the Naval Institute Press, with all of the original illustrations. It's a fantastic book, and if your kid loves Treasure Island, 20,000 Leagues should be right up his alley.

Sham bam bamina! fucked around with this message at 18:04 on Feb 19, 2021

knuthgrush
Jun 25, 2008

Be brave; clench fists.

Sham bam bamina! posted:

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was my favorite book when I was 10. BEWARE of the unreadable and generally mangled public-domain Victorian translation by Lewis Mercier, which is what you'll probably run into if you pick up a random copy of the book. The translation I fell in love with as a child was Anthony Bonner's, but the one to get is Miller and Walter's version, published by the Naval Institute Press, with all of the original illustrations.

This is awesome, thanks! I really loved that one as a kid, though Treasure Island was my fav, which is why I shared it with the boy. I've definitely got it on the list for him.

Lockback
Sep 3, 2006

All days are nights to see till I see thee; and nights bright days when dreams do show me thee.

MockingQuantum posted:

Are there any good books on Juan Pujol Garcia and his fake spy network? I know it's been fictionalized a couple of times, but I want something more biographical or non-fiction. Alternatively, what are good non-fiction books on spycraft or espionage in the WWII-Cold War era?

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00AFB5MWA/ref=pe_385040_117923520_TE_M1DP?sa-no-redirect=1
The Art of Betrayal: The Secret History of MI6: Life and Death in the British Secret Service

Is quite good. It spends more time on cold war than WW2, but the cold war spy game is a longer period involving lots more people. Spoiler: Cold War Espionage was hilariously ineffective, wasteful and corrupt.

Take the plunge! Okay!
Feb 24, 2007



knuthgrush posted:

Back again this time with a request for my son. He absolutely loved Treasure Island and asked if there was more. Any recommendations for that line of reading?

I considered Gulliver's Travels or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea but those are probably just different enough to maybe lose his interest?

I guess I'm asking for well written swash buckling books or non-erotic Treasure Island fanfic for a 10 year old.

Thanks!

I remember being that age and loving that book, and I think Robinson Crusoe would be just right for your boy.

knuthgrush
Jun 25, 2008

Be brave; clench fists.

Take the plunge! Okay! posted:

I remember being that age and loving that book, and I think Robinson Crusoe would be just right for your boy.

I considered that one as well but for the life of me couldn't remember reading it so I didn't recall the content. It seems like a book I would've read but if I did, it's left my memory. I'll add it to the list, thanks a ton!

Hieronymous Alloy
Jan 30, 2009


Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!




Morbid Hound

knuthgrush posted:

Back again this time with a request for my son. He absolutely loved Treasure Island and asked if there was more. Any recommendations for that line of reading?

I considered Gulliver's Travels or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea but those are probably just different enough to maybe lose his interest?

I guess I'm asking for well written swash buckling books or non-erotic Treasure Island fanfic for a 10 year old.

Thanks!

Go for 20k leagues, maybe Tom Sawyer. I still have my childhood copies of 20k leagues and treasure island.

RLS also wrote a few other adventure books like Kidnapped! But they aren't as good.

knuthgrush
Jun 25, 2008

Be brave; clench fists.

Hieronymous Alloy posted:

Go for 20k leagues, maybe Tom Sawyer. I still have my childhood copies of 20k leagues and treasure island.

RLS also wrote a few other adventure books like Kidnapped! But they aren't as good.

I considered Tow Sawyer though I didn't really care for it when I was younger. Maybe he'll like it... thanks!

Hieronymous Alloy
Jan 30, 2009


Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!




Morbid Hound
You could also try the Disney Treasure Planet movie

Lockback
Sep 3, 2006

All days are nights to see till I see thee; and nights bright days when dreams do show me thee.

knuthgrush posted:

I considered Tow Sawyer though I didn't really care for it when I was younger. Maybe he'll like it... thanks!

I liked Hatchett about that age. Not swashbuckling but a cool adventure nonetheless.

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Big Bad Beetleborg
Apr 8, 2007

Things may come to those who wait...but only the things left by those who hustle.

Willard Price's Adventure series might be ok? Might also be problematic as written between 1950s and 1980s, but I enjoyed them well enough around that age.

e: to be clear - I don't recall anything specific, but they meet tribes of headhunters in New Guinea and the like, and I'm not sure how well that is handled.

Big Bad Beetleborg fucked around with this message at 23:24 on Feb 19, 2021

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