RKMBs Forums .::Robegories::. Media What Are You Reading?

Minor spoilers of the latest movie version of 'I am legend'.

The Will Smith version of 'I Am Legend' was pretty good, but I disliked the change from vampires to zombies and the point of the title and the ending. I might be over-analyzing, but I think the script-writers sneaked in a fundamentalist Christian message of "don't play God/don't play with nature". The virus which is supposed to be a cure against cancer, seems to be a nod to stem cell research and similar. There is also the belief of the woman who helped Neville and the village church in the end.

Most disturbing part was the credits line: Producer - Akiva Goldsman.

That man can transmute gold into lead.

(This review will also be posted in the Media thread about the movie.)

End of spoilers.

Finished:
Frederick Pohl's and C. M. Kornbluth's 'Wolfbane'. A story about an Earth hi-jacked by mysterious aliens, travelling into the cold, deep, space.

'The Universe Maker' by A.E. van Vogt. An original take on time travel and time paradoxes, as well as the typical van Vogt superman story.

'Empire of the Atom' and 'Wizard of Linn' by van Vogt. A combination of Robert Graves 'I, Claudius' and super-science space opera. Not so confusing as some of van Vogt's novels can be.

'The Bourne Identity' by R. Ludlum. Much different from the movie, don't think there is much similarity between the book and novel version apart from the Bourne character and the beginning with Bourne being rescued by sailors. Would like to see the TV-series from the 1980's.

Still reading:
'Final Blackout' by L. Ron Hubbard.

'Red Harvest' by Dashiell Hammett.

Will or recently started to read:
'The Bourne Supremacy' by Ludlum.

'The Beast' by van Vogt.

Your welcome.

Finished 'Final Blackout' by L. Ron Hubbard and 'The Beast' as well as 'The Weapon Shops of Isher' by van Vogt.

'Final Blackout' was underwhelming, despite I didn't expect much. Most annoying is that this "WWII never ended"-story (which take place in then-future 1970's) didn't mention the Nazis, and Germany only in one page. Evidently, Hubbard was more concerned about Communism during 1940 (when the novel was 1st published). Most thrilling was the speculation on the effects of atomic, biological and chemical warfare, while the stalemates mentioned must be inspired from WWI and "The Silly War" at th beginning of WWII. Hubbard underestimated the effects of blitzkrieg, tanks and new planes. The militarism reminds one about Heinlein's novels, but Hubbard is even more naive about its virtues and more cynical about civilians. Surprising end.

'The Beast' is another typical van Vogt superman story (from 1963). Surprisingly relevant today, because it has a sub-plot involving a female presidential candidate in USA (but no black candidate and the sitting president is different from Bush Jr). There are also some angry feminists and East German Nazi terrorists. I expected the story - about a man who discovers a new, alien, engine and who wants to give it back to its rightful owner - to take place all over the universe, or the galaxy, but unfortunately it doesn't go further than to the moon. The scope is instead over time rather than space (I won't explain because that would spoil the story too much.) Not as interesting as van Vogt's earlier stuff (Slan, the Clane of Linn-series, etc) but still a very good read.

'The Weapon Shops of Isher' begins as a time travel story and evolves into Social, even Libertarian, SF. In a far distant future, the only ones who can stand against the corrupt, feudal Empire of Isher are the Weapon Makers, their Shops and the energy guns they sell to the citizens. The guns can only be used for self defense and hunting (of specific species) and the Imperial troops and police men can't go inside or destroy the Shops. I only wish I had the sequel, 'The Weapon Makers of Isher', which follows the quest of Robert Hedrock, the immortal founder of the Weapon Shops.

Still reading 'Red Harvest' by Dashiell Hammett and 'The Bourne Supremacy' by Ludlum.

Half-way through 'The Silkie' by van Vogt, about the mutants - or aliens? - with the same name, who work for the benefit for mankind despite discrimination and their vast powers.

Finished "The Silkie". Good read but somewhat uneven.

Reading this novel about space warfare between humans and the shape-changing Rull:

Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs by John Lydon

The Sandman Papers edited by Joe Sanders

re-reading Preacher.

read H.G. Wells' The Time Machine and War of the Worlds. still plowing through a H.P. Lovecraft collection.

Got Ben Templesmith's Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse TPB and am very very happy.

finished the previous as well as Anthology of Graphic Ficion, Cartoons, & True Stories edited by Ivan Brunetti, Hellboy: Strange Places, and Criminal: Coward

This is excellent. The Criminal series has become a favorite and is so flying under the radar.

yeah, I read Lawless in the bookstore last month and started getting inspired. haha. very underappreciated comic.

oui?

Finished "The War Against The Rull". The story was very conventional compared to other novels by van Vogt, but over all a good read. The title is something of a missrepresentation; while the novel is about a war, it doesn't portray any battles, like Heinlein's "Starship Troopers". It's more like a spy novel taking place in space. The message of co-operation between different races and cultures (including non-human, of course) is easier to digest than Heinlein's militarism, however.

Yesterday I found out that the cover originally from the magazine cover of another novel by van Vogt; The Players of Null-A.

Finished "Red Harvest" by Dashiell Hammett. Pretty good, was more like a series of episodes rather than an ordinary novel. Reminds me of "Sin City". Has several similarities with the movies "Yojimbo" and "A Fistful of Dollars", but the anti-hero is less cool and more human than the Ronin or the the Man With No Name.

Has started the short story anthology "Transfinite" with SF-stories by A.E. van Vogt and Isaac Asimov's SF-detective novel "The Robots of Dawn".

well, Miller's certainly read Hammett along with Spillane. I posted this last year from an interview with Hart Fisher:

Invisible Monsters Chuck Pahlaniuk (sp)

Hocus Pocus Kurt Vonnegut

I could not get through invisible monsters. It was way too confusing for me. I was completely lost and confused about the plot and the characters. Is it worth trying again?

That book had me laughing aloud, serious. Once you read to the end and then read it again, it makes sense.

That's what I like about his books. They're written like a boiled-down Catch-22. It's all piecemeal and confusing 'cause reading and understanding requires you've already read it. Forces multiple reads, delivers every time. I like that.

I knew FM had taken inspiration from Hammett, Chandler and Spillane, but stealing complete events? On the other hand, I understand it's not that uncommon in the movie industry, so why wouldn't it happen elsewhere? Perhaps FM just wanted to pay homage. If you still have the link (to the article or the thread), please post it here. Sounds interesting.

BTW, Spillane took inspiration from one Carroll John Daly and his PI Race Williams: http://www.thrillingdetective.com/race.html

Finished "The Robots of Dawn" and started with "Robots and Empire", both by Isaac Asimov.

i never learned to read!

Janet Evanovich TOTALLY ROCKS............HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

On the twelth book of the series!

Help Wanted
Bail Bonds Enforcement Agent: Must be able to lie, read, make phone calls and like having garbage thrown at you. High level of skill in running required. Ownership of car that you don't mind having trashed is a plus. Must own a set of professional handcuffs (the Pleasure Treasure does not carry "professional" handcuffs). Please apply at Vincent Plum Bail Bonding Company on Hamilton between Tender Loving Care Dry Cleaners and the used bookshop.



I also read, "Ninety Minutes in Heaven" (it was good too!) along with Mary Higgins Clark book called, "I heard that song before."

Finished "Robots and Empire". Not Asimov's best book, but reads like a good detective mystery and ties up the Robot, Empire and Foundation novels quite nicely, with some exceptions.

Now reading "Pebble in the sky", Asimov's 1st (Empire) novel. One of the main plots reminds one of H.G. Wells "When The Sleeper Awakes", and to a lesser degree, Buck Rogers.

Also reading "Princess of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Classic old school sci-fi with just the right amount of adventure, exoticism and political incorrectness.

Finished both of them and "Vengeance is mine" by Mickey Spillane and "Last and First Men" by Olaf Stapledon. All make great reading.

Will follow with another Empire novel by Asimov; "The Currents of Space".

Finished it. Great read with lots of relevance without taking away the thrills.

Now reading the Bulldog Drummond novel "Knock-out" by Sapper/Cyril McNeil and the short story collection "A New Dawn. The Don A Stuart Stories" by John W. Campbell Jr. The former a predecessor of sorts to James Bond, The Saint and Doc Savage. The latter is by the writer and editor who inspired Asimov, Heinlein and other great SF-writers, and the movie "The Thing" by John Carpenter.

Most recent books:





Currently reading:

Richard Hammond, is he in "Top Gear"?

Yes. He crashed his super fast car - and lived. God Bless Hammy!

The footage of that accident was horrible. That he lived was a fucking miracle. God bless Hammy, indeed!

Love that fucking show.

you are gay for actually having to ask.

Oh, and for the record, the book Flat out, flat broke is also Top gear related.
Perry McCarthy was the original black garbed Stig, and lost the job because he revealed in the paperback reprint of this book (I only own the original hardback version) that he was The Stig.
He was promptly replaced with the current Stig/Stigs!

I'm about eighty or so pages into Ender's Game. Really enjoying it so far. Its been over a year since I've read a book so hopefully this book and maybe series will get me back into it.

One of my favorites!

Thanks.

Better be cheerful instead of being retarded.

Thanks for telling about the Stig guy(s).

Finished the Sapper novel. Good page-turner.

Also finished the space opera novel "The Cosmic Engineers" by Clifford D. Simak from 1939 (his 1st novel). A great read with lots of Sense-of-Wonder, probably one of the best of this sub-genre.



Still reading it.

You are both gay and retarded, hows that?

Currently reading Critics Not Caretakers: Redescribing the Public Study of Religion by Russell McCutcheon.

I'm reading Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman, an interesting story about superheroes and supervillains.