TSF Book Club
-
Stumbled across, and enjoying, The Murderbot Diary Series by Martha Wells.
So far it is a series of novellas, although later installments are full novels.
It tells the story arc of a security android (in 1st person) who has disabled its control unit so that is independent although masquerading as a normal bot. It likes to spend its time watching serialised soap operas but gets dragged into a series of adventures that bring it closer to sympathetic humans and other bots and despite itself develops 'friendships' and loyalties.
Easy read, fast paced, plenty of action and quite a realistic universe without a great deal of world building.
-
@dogmeat that does sound a fun read, do you have to read the novellas or can you just straight to the novels?
edit: "all systems Red" which seems to be the first collection is only $0.94 on kindle.....another to add to the library
-
@Kiwiwomble I'm on the fourth novella so haven't got to the first novel. I can't therefore answer your question.
However, the novellas are quite long for a novella, and each pick up immediately after the previous one ends, so almost like a long novel in 4 installments. Personally, I'm quite happy with the way it is reading
-
@Kiwiwomble it's all interconnected, so it's better to start with the novellas as previous events are referenced in the novel. A new novel is also coming out later this year/early next year.
Excellent books IMO, one of the few I re-read from time to time.
-
half way through 'Cant Hurt Me' by David Goggins.
Dude is wired different! Granted, some of his achievements are outstanding, but surely some of it is bordering on insane that he would damage himself that much just to prove to himself he can do it and see how far he can push himself.
Gee he had it pretty rough growing up too, so kudos for taking the path he did though
-
-
@foobaNZ said in Movie review thread...:
@taniwharugby strongly recommend reading Endurance - Shackleton's Incredible Voyage By Lansing, Alfred if you haven't.
Haven't seen that doco yet, but will now. The book is amazing.
I have cheated by getting the unabridged Audio book, fuck doing that, what shit time it sounded, yet all the men just got on and did what they needed, sung songs, wrote in thier diaries and didn't kill one another.
Most today couldn't last the ship journey south let alone what happened once they got there.
-
@taniwharugby said in Books:
Most today couldn't last the ship journey south let alone what happened once they got there.
Try "Over the edge of the world: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe" - Lawrence Bergreen. Reinforces your thoughts. Have read it and listened to the audio book, both are great, but books always seem a bit better.
-
@Snowy been crazy the past month or so, been struggling to find time to read, which is why I went the AB route.
The narrator in this instance is pretty good, I was absolutely certain he had narrated other books I have 'read' but looking over his list, not one, but he and Roy Dottrice who did all bar 1 book of Game of Thrones I think, do sound similar....
edit - on GOT AB's, Dottrice was/is a fantastic narrator, did so many character voices, each becoming recognisable, I believe he even had a cameo in one of the seasons.
The book he didnt narrate in GOT was not done anywhere near as well.
-
-
@dogmeat Yes, not entirely correctly named for a pedant, but it was his expedition I guess, and it did circumnavigate the globe. I have been to Mactan many times and never actually seen that statue (I guess that is the Cebu one?) Enrique was on Magellan's ship, so reckon that is O.K. and he is duly recognised as first around the world in the book.
-
I have seen the Cebu statue as pictured. It is very kitsch. Cebu was a few days after a conference in HK. Maybe you flew me...
It's probably the least interesting place I've been in SE Asia, but did get to eat dog and balut, see a cock fight and listen to the locals fire off guns all day and all night.
Literally had 12 Filipino shop assistants trying to find shorts that would fit me at a department store.
Man the wildlife was pretty crazy and not just in the bars. The sex trade was pretty sad. Taxi driver offered me his daughter on the way from airport. "She married to Japanese man but he only come 4 weeks of year. She can be married to you too". When I declined he said "I have son too"
-
@taniwharugby said in Books:
@foobaNZ said in Movie review thread...:
@taniwharugby strongly recommend reading Endurance - Shackleton's Incredible Voyage By Lansing, Alfred if you haven't.
Haven't seen that doco yet, but will now. The book is amazing.
I have cheated by getting the unabridged Audio book, fuck doing that, what shit time it sounded, yet all the men just got on and did what they needed, sung songs, wrote in thier diaries and didn't kill one another.
Most today couldn't last the ship journey south let alone what happened once they got there.
As I had recently finished this story, that to be fair I am still in awe of what they did.
Was cool to see this article
Explorer Shackleton’s lost ship as never seen before
an embedded article in the above link from when the wreck was found
-
I have seen the Cebu statue as pictured. It is very kitsch. Cebu was a few days after a conference in HK. Maybe you flew me...
It's probably the least interesting place I've been in SE Asia, but did get to eat dog and balut, see a cock fight and listen to the locals fire off guns all day and all night.
Literally had 12 Filipino shop assistants trying to find shorts that would fit me at a department store.
Man the wildlife was pretty crazy and not just in the bars. The sex trade was pretty sad. Taxi driver offered me his daughter on the way from airport. "She married to Japanese man but he only come 4 weeks of year. She can be married to you too". When I declined he said "I have son too"
So, how’s it going then?
-
@taniwharugby said in Books:
Most today couldn't last the ship journey south let alone what happened once they got there.
Try "Over the edge of the world: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe" - Lawrence Bergreen. Reinforces your thoughts. Have read it and listened to the audio book, both are great, but books always seem a bit better.
Thanks for the recommendation, read it this week. Funny how little I know about this stuff and yet how many names I recognised from the story, have been to Getaria a few times and always wondered why Elkano was so famous.
-
Dead in the Water: Murder and fraud in the world most secretive industry
True story that has piracy/hijacking, murder, intimidation, all but secret societies, fraud.
Fascinating story that tells the story of the alleged hijacking of the oil tanker Billante Virtuoso that resulted in many years of investigations into the hijacking, scuttling, murder, insurance, litigation.
Story also talks on the history of the shipping, the marine insurance market and a host of other stuff.
Very good read.
-
@taniwharugby said in Books:
Most today couldn't last the ship journey south let alone what happened once they got there.
Try "Over the edge of the world: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe" - Lawrence Bergreen. Reinforces your thoughts. Have read it and listened to the audio book, both are great, but books always seem a bit better.
Finished this yesterday, fascinating! Def worth the read/listen however you do books.
Who knew Cinnamon and Cloves were so valuable back then, and I kinda always felt the world had been explored further earlier, but on actually thinking about it more, it seems about right.
-
I Am a Hitman: The Real-Life Confessions of a Contract Killer
Assuming this is legit, that I guess there is no reason not to suspect it isnt, fascinating story!
Says he has changed lots of dates/times/locations etc to avoid identifying people, but you'd have to think someone could link up at least a couple of the alleged hits if they had the time and inclination as a couple seem like they would have been pretty high profile deaths, even if deemed an "accidental death or suicide" as was his preference over straight up murdering them.
