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Finished Light by M John Harrison and that's an immediate 5/5 from me. What a masterpiece. Now I want to dig out the Viriconium paperbacks and read them all again. They're kept lovingly on the bookshelf so I won't have to do much digging.
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May 15, 2024 04:12
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She's so cute..............
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May 15, 2024 04:16
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The Birds About To Die salute you! Indoor cats rule, outdoor cats become coyote drool.
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May 15, 2024 04:37
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my bony fealty posted:Finished Light by M John Harrison and that's an immediate 5/5 from me. What a masterpiece. Light is probably my favorite book, it's like it was written by a surrealist that got tired of painting melting clocks and decided to have a go at bleak as hell hard sci-fi instead. Don't think I've read anything quite like it before or since. I still want to track down a horse cranium to keep as an ornament.
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May 15, 2024 04:47
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Khizan posted:I'm not pradmer and this is not their kitten, but I cannot pass up kitten chat. Sometime back in March a family friend found a 4 week old kitten they couldn't keep and so I wound up with a kitten.
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May 15, 2024 04:47
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So I DNFed Sword of Kaigen, and up until the point I was reading it, I was giving the story 3/5*. I don't know. The world did not pull me in. It is a feudal Japan, but it has touchscreens, planes, and more. We clearly learn very early on that it's Chinese vs Japanese. It's not dialects but a whole other language, so why keep the two different? It's a bother. I was hoping this book would solve the itch for a breather before I start Red Rising but oh well.
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May 15, 2024 05:14
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Arsenic Lupin posted:did you bottle feed her? Well done. That always sounded brutal on terms of (your) sleep schedule. No, I got super super lucky with her. She was using the litterbox on her own before I even picked her up, and was eating wet food and dry kitten food soaked in formula. I took her to the vet right after I picked her up from the friend who found her and the vet said she had all her kitten teeth and that she could just have dry kitten food by itself with no need for soaking it. I tried having a bowl of dry food available for free feeding and giving her wet food at intervals, but she always ignored the wet food in favor of the dry stuff. I think she likes the crunchiness of it, she's a very bitey kitten. So she was about as tiny as it was possible for a kitten to be without really being any more work than an adult cat in terms of feeding/litter/etc.
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May 15, 2024 06:31
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Today I saw a local stray being friendly with a small dog.
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May 15, 2024 06:44
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PeterWeller posted:I have not read Declare so take this with a grain of salt, but you may enjoy Glen David Gold's Carter Beats the Devil. It's about stage magic, the death of Warren Harding, and the Secret Service taking over as official bodyguards to the U.S. president. It does not feature any SF or fantasy elements that I can recall, but if you want a mystery built around a cast of historical figures, it's great. Quoting from a few months ago to thank you for the suggestion. There's a whole lotta book in Carter Beats the Devil! Towards the end I was purposely only reading a few chapters a week to stretch it out because I didn't want it to end. Now that I'm done with the novel, I can finally browse the 20+ wikipedia entries on the various figures that show up in the story. Excellent first-time outing. Have you (or anyone else) read any of his other books?
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May 15, 2024 07:58
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pradmer posted:The pics! I think it's a girl but waiting on vet visit in a few days. Unnamed so far. She's a little cutie! 
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May 15, 2024 12:38
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pradmer posted:The pics! I think it's a girl but waiting on vet visit in a few days. Unnamed so far. She's a little cutie! Oh my GOODNESS
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May 15, 2024 12:42
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A Sneaker Broker posted:So I DNFed Sword of Kaigen, and up until the point I was reading it, I was giving the story 3/5*. I don't know. The world did not pull me in. It is a feudal Japan, but it has touchscreens, planes, and more. We clearly learn very early on that it's Chinese vs Japanese. It's not dialects but a whole other language, so why keep the two different? It's a bother. I was hoping this book would solve the itch for a breather before I start Red Rising but oh well. It’s set in an alt version of our world that’s West African centric (a world map is our world map inverted) and is basically a standalone prequel to the (YA?) series that’s on hiatus and was originally serialised via her newsletter. There are some definite rough parts, especially early on, and especially with the inconsistency in how language is dealt with but it does hit the emotional points very well (albeit if one relationship arc is resolved pretty suddenly). The very extended ending is meant to be a segue to get you to buy the series. I still haven’t read her follow up stand-alone, Blood Over Bright Haven, which got picked up by Del Rey. At this rate I’m gonna go preorder the new trad pubbed version through my library and read the indie and trad versions side by side just to see what, if anything, trad pub are actually bringing from an editorial perspective considering this had a pretty successful indie release. Ahhhhhhhhhh she’s adorable. Please put her in the middle of a pile of books and let her pick her own name. Then report back.
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May 15, 2024 13:09
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Leng posted:It’s set in an alt version of our world that’s West African centric (a world map is our world map inverted) What do you mean by “our world map inverted”?
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May 15, 2024 14:21
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Chairman Capone posted:What do you mean by “our world map inverted”? Presumably you take the map and you turn it upside down.
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May 15, 2024 14:25
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Jedit posted:Presumably you take the map and you turn it upside down. Inside out actually
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May 15, 2024 14:45
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the almost existential crisis expression kills me in this one
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May 15, 2024 15:17
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A Sneaker Broker posted:So I DNFed Sword of Kaigen, and up until the point I was reading it, I was giving the story 3/5*. I don't know. The world did not pull me in. It is a feudal Japan, but it has touchscreens, planes, and more. We clearly learn very early on that it's Chinese vs Japanese. It's not dialects but a whole other language, so why keep the two different? It's a bother. I was hoping this book would solve the itch for a breather before I start Red Rising but oh well. I DNFed the Faithful and the Fallen at half way through the fourth and last book because I was just sick of the drat thing, how derivative it was, how predictable it was, how amateurish the prose, contrived the dialog, the terrible pacing I don't even know why I got so far into it but at some point I realized I was skimming because I just wanted to be done with it and read something else so I just said gently caress it. Like the worldbuilding didn't make sense, this is supposed to be a epic fantasy at about a vikings level of tech but one army in the story is unstoppable because they invent using formations. Like they have chain mail and steel weapons and loving stirrups on their saddles but no one in history had come up with the idea of organizing in a line. Also, some kid invents the idea of "archers", no one had ever used bows as war weapons before then (even though that's basically the first thing hunter gatherer tribes figure out when they start making war). Also an entire corps of basically fremen who are constantly drawing their long swords from back scabbards, and sending heads spinning through the air. So much head spinning. I almost DNFed the Strain trilogy in book 3 but there were some interesting parts there, even if most of the books were stupid. And the ending took some risks so, whatever. Still probably wouldn't recommend it.
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May 15, 2024 15:45
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Tuf Voyaging: A Novel by George R. R. Martin - $4.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0092EE5HY/ The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CWGBZ4R/ The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0722TJN5P/
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May 15, 2024 15:59
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Chairman Capone posted:What do you mean by “our world map inverted”? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMfXVWFBrVo&t=205s
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May 15, 2024 16:48
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If you really want to read a Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress should probably be the one. I am not saying you should read a Heinlein.
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May 15, 2024 16:59
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I read it last year for the first time and it's got a couple of weird hangups and odd opinions but overall it's not bad. The issues are less "Heinlein is a creep" and more "Golden age sci fi novels are often sexist and/or libertarian" problems. It's definitely the most entertaining book from him I've read, and way less dumb than Stranger or Starship Troopers.
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May 15, 2024 17:43
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MockingQuantum posted:The issues are less "Heinlein is a creep" and more "Golden age sci fi novels are often sexist and/or libertarian" problems.
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May 15, 2024 18:08
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fischtick posted:Quoting from a few months ago to thank you for the suggestion. There's a whole lotta book in Carter Beats the Devil! Towards the end I was purposely only reading a few chapters a week to stretch it out because I didn't want it to end. Now that I'm done with the novel, I can finally browse the 20+ wikipedia entries on the various figures that show up in the story. Excellent first-time outing. Wonderful! I'm glad you liked it. I've read Sunnyside as well, and it's very similar in terms of weaving a great fictional yarn around historical persons and events. It explores the early years of Hollywood and how World War 1 influenced them. Just be warned. There is a scene involving puppies dying in a fire that is among the most heart wrenching things I've ever read. His other book is some sort of memoir, and I don't generally read those.
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May 15, 2024 18:18
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Another fun "map inversion" is to swap the positions of land and water. You get a neat world map that way, with some really interesting climate and terrain. A number of projects have done this, but my favorite is probably Inversia, since it goes a step farther and inverts the height map of Earth, so that mountains become trenches and the trenches become new mountain ranges, etc. Then it starts seriously thinking through the implications of things like the huge basins this creates having bizarrely high air pressure that traps heat and creates climates unlike any on Earth. It's a good time and a relatively short read, hard sci-fi / alien planet enjoyers should give it a look.
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May 15, 2024 18:41
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Nuclear Tourist posted:Light is probably my favorite book, it's like it was written by a surrealist that got tired of painting melting clocks and decided to have a go at bleak as hell hard sci-fi instead. Don't think I've read anything quite like it before or since. I loved how the tie in between the three stories is right in front of your face the whole time and when you realize it you go ooohhh shiiittt And the little mention of why The Shrander pursued Kearney was that she just wanted her dice back, one of my favorite moments in a book full of favorite moments
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May 15, 2024 20:15
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ringu0 posted:Tuf Voyaging: A Novel by George R. R. Martin - $4.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0092EE5HY/ This is a really good good. SF. An eccentric interstellar trader comes into possession of a massive ecological warfare ship. Shenanigans ensue..
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May 15, 2024 21:00
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Finished The Last Policeman. What a good depressing book.
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May 15, 2024 22:52
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Leng posted:It’s set in an alt version of our world that’s West African centric (a world map is our world map inverted) and is basically a standalone prequel to the (YA?) series that’s on hiatus and was originally serialised via her newsletter. Exordia *is* a decent kitten name
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May 15, 2024 23:09
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The cat tax is found acceptable.
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May 15, 2024 23:10
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algebra testes posted:Finished The Last Policeman. What a good depressing book. It's certainly that. The other two books weren't bad either
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May 16, 2024 00:00
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algebra testes posted:Finished The Last Policeman. What a good depressing book.
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May 16, 2024 00:18
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Khizan posted:No, I got super super lucky with her. She was using the litterbox on her own before I even picked her up, and was eating wet food and dry kitten food soaked in formula. I took her to the vet right after I picked her up from the friend who found her and the vet said she had all her kitten teeth and that she could just have dry kitten food by itself with no need for soaking it. I tried having a bowl of dry food available for free feeding and giving her wet food at intervals, but she always ignored the wet food in favor of the dry stuff. I think she likes the crunchiness of it, she's a very bitey kitten. I got similarly lucky in that she can eat on her own, but she's still on milk replacer/wet food mix for now. She can also go to the litter box by herself. I only have to wake up in the middle of the night once to feed instead of multiple times. Lord Hydronium posted:I'm reading that series right now and just finished the first book too. Seems I'd also bought the whole series in a previous Kindle sale so I leapt right into the second. Great series, but have a cheery book on deck for when you finish.
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May 16, 2024 01:17
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Lord Hydronium posted:I'm reading that series right now and just finished the first book too. Seems I'd also bought the whole series in a previous Kindle sale so I leapt right into the second. You should pace yourself.
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May 16, 2024 01:42
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pradmer posted:I got similarly lucky in that she can eat on her own, but she's still on milk replacer/wet food mix for now. She can also go to the litter box by herself. I only have to wake up in the middle of the night once to feed instead of multiple times. He just came out with a new book in January called Big Time. It’s a quick read thriller that mostly comes together in the end after juggling multiple PoVs. So there you go, different kind of book to read after Last Policeman 
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May 16, 2024 02:49
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ringu0 posted:Tuf Voyaging: A Novel by George R. R. Martin - $4.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0092EE5HY/ ringu0 posted:The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0722TJN5P/
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May 16, 2024 03:34
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The gone world is probably in the thread pantheon at this point
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May 16, 2024 04:26
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Because people keep confusing it with The Gone Away World.
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May 16, 2024 05:31
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ringu0 posted:The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0722TJN5P/ Remulak posted:paste up (or whatever the term is for combining magazine short stories you already sold into a novel-length book). Had to look it up myself but apparently it’s “fix-up”. Learn something every day.
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May 16, 2024 09:19
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Clicked the link for The Gone World there, got the US version: Amazon.com: Inception meets True Detective Oops, have to search the UK site instead Amazon.co.uk: The Silence of the Lambs meets Interstellar That's somewhat different vibes 
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May 16, 2024 10:39
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NoneMoreNegative posted:Clicked the link for The Gone World there, got the US version: The UK site's description is way more accurate, but there's definitely True Detective vibes as well.
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May 16, 2024 10:45
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