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I had someone recommend Sufficiently Advanced Magic to me, now that poo poo was poor writing. It was a borderline LitRPG where the book was entirely first person narrated by what can only be described as "twitch streamer with the personality of a big one but the charisma of a small one"
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Mar 26, 2023 00:43
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Taffer posted:I really enjoy Dan Simmons (Hyperion mostly), he doesn't overdo it to the point that it obstructs the movement of the story, but he puts in some absolutely gorgeous descriptive prose at fitting moments. Okay but did you read the sequels? The first is an absolutely lovely book but good god are the rest bad (well, 2 was okay, but 3 and 4 had endlessly useless worldbuilding and a super creepy/weird relationship). Some neat ideas ruined by a garbage main character too.
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Mar 26, 2023 04:11
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Grundulum posted:If you want garbage sci-fi, try to find The Quantum Connection by Travis Taylor. Spoiler/teaser that, if I recall, happens quite early in the book: the protagonist gains access to a machine that can do literally anything he thinks of, and he uses it immediately to give himself the body of an Olympian god and an enormous dick. Wasn't this the book that featured a....very horrible stereotype of an Asian secret agent, only they were... a Double Agent! Getting a free Baen ebooks subscription introduced me to a lot of really bad books.
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Mar 26, 2023 06:17
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Louisgod posted:Okay but did you read the sequels? The first is an absolutely lovely book but good god are the rest bad (well, 2 was okay, but 3 and 4 had endlessly useless worldbuilding and a super creepy/weird relationship). Some neat ideas ruined by a garbage main character too. I enjoy the whole series, but the quality definitely drops off after the first one. The first two pair pretty well together since it's a duology, with the second two serving as kind of a sequel duology. I think overall the quality drops a fair bit in the second two but I really enjoy a lot of the concepts the author explores, and in particular it has a few passages which are some of the most beautiful writing I've ever read. One scene in particular is several consecutive pages of purely descriptive text which I regularly revisit because of how beautiful it is. That said, there's a lot of stuff that's just kind of meh, and in particular the romance and sex scenes are extremely bad. If you run into these just skim, trust me. Still, with all that said the original Hyperion book is probably my favorite sci-fi of all time, and I think despite some weak points it's an incredibly good two-part series. Grundulum posted:If you want garbage sci-fi, try to find The Quantum Connection by Travis Taylor. Spoiler/teaser that, if I recall, happens quite early in the book: the protagonist gains access to a machine that can do literally anything he thinks of, and he uses it immediately to give himself the body of an Olympian god and an enormous dick. Ha, this sounds horrible in the best way. To set the bar on the kind of garbage I read, some of the most fun sci-fi I've read (most fun, not best) was the Bobiverse books, in which a cringe nerd gets killed, has his head frozen (because of course), then gets revived hundreds of years later to serve as digital slave labor since they just copied his mind into a computer. Long story short he gets turned into a Von Neumann probe and spreads out through the galaxy getting into tons of very ridiculous hijinks.
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Mar 26, 2023 06:37
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The first Hyperion book was one of the most enthralling sci fi stories I've ever read. The sheer sudden brick wall blue balls of an ending has kept me from starting the second book lol
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Mar 26, 2023 07:25
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I enjoyed N. K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, but the other books I have read from her have been kinda bad.
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Mar 26, 2023 13:20
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Torrannor posted:Stormlight Archive benefits more than any other Sanderson series from rereads. Of course that was a pivotal moment in the world's history in that little prologue, and rereading it when you know the context is imho quite satisfying. I recently re-listened to the audio book for Way of Kings, and it's 100% my experience that Stormlight is way better on the second go-round, preferably after getting through at least the next book or two. It's clear how fully built the world and history and story was from the start, once you see how the big picture plays out. On this round I finally made the connection Oathbringer/Rhythm of War? spoilers: Szeth's/the Shin whole religious belief that walking on stone was seen as unholy comes from the agreements they made with the Singers when they first arrived. The locals dictated that if the humans stayed over where the soil is, it's fine, so the legal treaty of "don't go out into the stony lands to the east" became the religious taboo of "walking on stone is unholy" over generations of the Shin trying to hold to this ancient treaty. I didn't immediately put that together first time it's revealed that humans were not native to Roshar, or at least I had forgotten about it between that any my 2nd re-read.
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Mar 26, 2023 14:00
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Embarrassing that no one has mentioned Le Guin’s writing yet, which is plainly superior to pretty much every other SF/F writer I’ve ever read.
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Mar 28, 2023 18:54
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I hold Le Guin and Zelazny in pretty similar spots myself.
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Mar 29, 2023 04:07
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https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a43438119/brandon-sanderson-profile/ Esquire just put out a profile that's not a weird hit piece.
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Mar 29, 2023 17:20
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Tunicate posted:https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a43438119/brandon-sanderson-profile/ Someone saw an easy opportunity to get a viral article and took it. Good for them.
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Mar 29, 2023 17:50
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Lawnie posted:Embarrassing that no one has mentioned Le Guin’s writing yet, which is plainly superior to pretty much every other SF/F writer I’ve ever read. I've only read Wizard of Earthsea so far, but I can't say it struck me as anything special. Any further recommendations?
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Mar 29, 2023 17:54
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Tunicate posted:https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a43438119/brandon-sanderson-profile/ This was a decent write-up and had good pictures of the inside of Brandon's house that I hadn't seen before.
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Mar 29, 2023 18:00
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Megazver posted:Someone saw an easy opportunity to get a viral article and took it. Good for them. Apparently they started it 5 months ago
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Mar 29, 2023 18:08
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mrs. nicholas sarkozy posted:People keep saying Rothfuss has beautiful prose what am I missing lmao Do you mean to say that the name Kvothe doesn't just roll off your tongue?? 
Sab669 fucked around with this message at 18:30 on Mar 29, 2023 |
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Mar 29, 2023 18:27
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Tunicate posted:https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a43438119/brandon-sanderson-profile/ This piece was well written in all the ways the wired piece wasn't, but both of them feel to me like the mainstream media heard about the kickstarter thing and started sending out normie reporters to figure out what the nerds were up to now
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Mar 29, 2023 19:38
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Arrath posted:I've only read Wizard of Earthsea so far, but I can't say it struck me as anything special. Any further recommendations? Wizard of earthsea is basically a children’s novel, albeit a great one imo. Left hand of darkness is an incredibly interesting story, I love that one.
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Mar 29, 2023 20:13
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Lawnie posted:Wizard of earthsea is basically a children’s novel, albeit a great one imo. Left hand of darkness is an incredibly interesting story, I love that one. I'll check it out, thanks!
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Mar 29, 2023 20:25
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I'm surprised that Wired article stirred up the reaction that it did. It didn't read particularly mean spirited to me, just a moderately resentful journalist trying and failing to create an interesting story about the most "aw shucks" agreeable writer and fandom possible. I think maybe the journo had internalized too much media about wholesome appearing middle class communities hiding deep terrible secrets and was disappointed that everything was just boring nerds with way too much disposable income who won't even get particularly mad if you say their favorite writer isn't very talented. The bit about Brandon himself not feeling physical pain is fascinating. Normally that would sound like the background for some animal dissecting psychopath. Instead he's just an unstoppable writing machine.
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Mar 30, 2023 00:17
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Subvisual Haze posted:I'm surprised that Wired article stirred up the reaction that it did. It didn't read particularly mean spirited to me, just a moderately resentful journalist trying and failing to create an interesting story about the most "aw shucks" agreeable writer and fandom possible. I think maybe the journo had internalized too much media about wholesome appearing middle class communities hiding deep terrible secrets and was disappointed that everything was just boring nerds with way too much disposable income who won't even get particularly mad if you say their favorite writer isn't very talented. If the writer was compassionate and hadn't already made up his mind, this here was a chance for an entirely different article: quote:Turns out Sanderson doesn’t seem to feel pain of any kind, even emotional. On roller coasters, he’s dead-faced, while his wife is shrieking. “It’s sick and wrong,” she says, smiling. She likes to say she married an android. For his part, Sanderson actually, at this moment, looks pained. He might not feel, he says, but his characters do. They agonize and cry and rejoice and love. That’s one of the reasons he writes, he says: to feel human. That last line genuinely tugged on my heartstrings, and there's so much to unpack there. And that's just a nothing bit in the middle that seems like another thing to point out like how this boring weirdo also adds salt to his food at restaurants.
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Mar 30, 2023 00:55
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New Sanderson at midnight (secret project #2) - drat time flies
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Mar 31, 2023 18:32
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mewse posted:New Sanderson at midnight (secret project #2) - drat time flies I’m slap in the middle of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars but I think I’m going to have to hit pause for this.
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Apr 1, 2023 15:56
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Tunicate posted:If he just wanted to write a hit piece on a fantasy author, dude, piers anthony is still inexplicably not in jail Patrick Rothfuss also continues to exist and is probably the easiest target with the most poo poo to call out when it comes to (not) writing. Sanderson's big(gest) issue is he continues to be mormon and pay a tithe to the church. Though leaving would probably result in a Scientology-level attempt to destroy him and any family members who don't disown him for it. mrs. nicholas sarkozy posted:People keep saying Rothfuss has beautiful prose what am I missing lmao Bad taste in writing. Rothfuss has prose on par with stuff I find in Kindle Unlimited and those series actually got finished (or continue at a reasonable, non-Sanderson, writing pace). You know how Dennis Miller used the biggest words he could as part of his standup bit? Rothfuss tries to use super deep and complex prose in the same way except he fails more often than not. socialsecurity posted:I had someone recommend Sufficiently Advanced Magic to me, now that poo poo was poor writing. It was a borderline LitRPG where the book was entirely first person narrated by what can only be described as "twitch streamer with the personality of a big one but the charisma of a small one" I might've mentioned it in the book thread a few weeks back but with sufficient warning(hopefully) that it was bad. Thousand Li was a decent cultivation series, though after SAM I guess almost anything would be. Literally everything recommended to me in KU after Thousand Li was extremely video game LP LitRPG stuff though. 
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Apr 1, 2023 19:08
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Evil Fluffy posted:Thousand Li was a decent cultivation series, though after SAM I guess almost anything would be. Literally everything recommended to me in KU after Thousand Li was extremely video game LP LitRPG stuff though.
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Apr 1, 2023 20:01
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Brandon taking shots at his childhood state
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Apr 2, 2023 01:05
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I’m about halfway through the new one. Not as into it as some of his other stuff, but not hating it.
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Apr 3, 2023 01:43
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rafikki posted:I’m about halfway through the new one. Not as into it as some of his other stuff, but not hating it. I am really liking the new book so far
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Apr 3, 2023 06:07
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I'm feeling meh on it, I think I'm about a third to halfway through? But I'm sure whatever weird twist is coming down the pike will change my mind.
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Apr 3, 2023 06:23
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I finished it, have some minor quibbles but it was entertaining. The interludes where he jokingly explains how the multidimensional travel works (tell don't show?) were very annoying, and one in particular (FAQ: Did I Just Do A Colonialism?) where he references BIPOC as BAIIHPOC seems incredibly out of touch.
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Apr 3, 2023 15:09
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mewse posted:I finished it, have some minor quibbles but it was entertaining. I took it to be him sending up corporate speak but yeah, it was kinda awkward.
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Apr 3, 2023 15:12
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I'm liking the 2nd book so far, though the spoilered thing was definitely a "you tried, and failed" thing for sure. The actual handbook stuff is otherwise funny and the illustrations are fantastic.Cicero posted:Thousand Li isn't bad by KU standards but it's not particularly great either. Definitely much better stuff around. I'd recommend Cradle and Re:Monarch. I've read Cradle, thought it was finished and didn't realize the last book is actually a few months out. Never heard of Re:Monarch but I'll check it out I guess.
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Apr 4, 2023 01:21
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https://www.brandonsanderson.com/outside/ A more introspective reply to the Wired article.
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Apr 4, 2023 01:57
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Finished the second book tonight, I largely agree with the review above. It wasn't a waste of time to read, but I didn't find it particularly exciting. Probably because I found the perspective character to be kind of an idiot on top of being kind of a cipher. Echoes of Lightsong, but less charming and more sad-sack. A picture of what a person without executive dysfunction thinks it's like to live with executive dysfunction. Nearly every other character in the book is going to live on in my head for a bit while I process the world and circumstances, but I just did not give a poo poo about the main dude even though we actually have a fair amount in common. It probably didn't help that the pontificating about how much of a factor luck is in someone's life didn't really go anywhere, and that the climax went to a "make your own luck!" kind of thing. John is, in my opinion, correct that one well-timed stroke of bad luck can absolutely gently caress someone out of what would have been a perfectly good life, and that it happens all the time. So the fact that the golden boy "friend" Ryan just kinda went "yeah I guess I see what you mean but uh I don't really wanna think or talk about it" was the end of any meaningful discussion about the topic felt like a missed opportunity. We didn't see Ryan facing the consequences of his lapses in judgment, we didn't see him learn anything about what it was like to be John. He just acted like a dick the whole time and then disappeared at the end, although I do tend to lose track of people in Sanderson's long fight and/or climax sequences. tl;dr: It's fine!
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Apr 4, 2023 05:07
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rafikki posted:https://www.brandonsanderson.com/outside/ This was a really nice read, I enjoyed his perspective on gatekeeping a lot.
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Apr 4, 2023 05:22
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CK07 posted:tl;dr: It's fine! Every character was just boring and the "X stars would _______ again" poo poo that got crowbarred into the text at every opportunity was old by the end of the first page. One star, would have preferred a twist halfway through where all the characters died.
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Apr 5, 2023 16:35
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I liked it. The handbook reminded me of Aperture Science stuff. What was up with Logna and Woden? are they higher dimensional beings? maybe I missed something while listening high
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Apr 5, 2023 17:20
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This is the first book that Sanderson’s lack of cursing felt very noticeable. One scene should have had a lot of wtf and gently caress yous.
Calidus fucked around with this message at 20:37 on Apr 7, 2023 |
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Apr 7, 2023 20:10
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I dunno, I think the big crab showing up 2 hours early in WoK should have had at least one or two.
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Apr 7, 2023 21:11
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immoral_ posted:I dunno, I think the big crab showing up 2 hours early in WoK should have had at least one or two. They had stormit
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Apr 7, 2023 21:57
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I finally received my copy of Tress!  It was also lovely to get a few little goodies like a bookmark along with it.
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Apr 8, 2023 17:08
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