What are you reading right now?

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

I'm supposed to start Empire of the Ants, but I opened it up and was put off of the writing IMMEDIATELY. I paid money for the book...

 

[Candlelight Desolation]

Rereading A History of Fascism, 1914-1945 by Stanley Payne, who has also written a biography on Francisco Franco which I really liked. The book talks about the origins and history of fascist movements in Europe along with other nations outside of the European continent in the first half of the 20th century, though he focuses most of his attention on Germany and Italy. He spends a little more time on Spain and Romania and a few other nations, though he spends more time on the latter two because they are the only other European countries besides Germany and Italy which had fascist movements that really got anywhere with Hungary and Austria being two others, though he also talks about failed fascist movements in other European nations (Oswald Mosley in the UK is mentioned among them).

The book can get confusing if you're not familiar with a lot of the political terms for specific ideologies (syndicalism, etc.), but the author clearly knows his subject well, and he also explains the roots of German and Italian fascism along with how these movements got followers. He also talks extensively about how fascism is often a reaction to communism and also how the latter attack/characterize any right wing movement as fascist. Payne also says how dictatorships often arise in newer/developing countries. The book is very big, but very detailed, and I'd recommend it for anyone who is really curious about studying fascism as an ideology.

 

[LatinasAreTheFuture]

This is what I have to get through. I might have bit off more than I could handle.

 

[curbside2]

Can someone recommend me some books written by people that aren't pedophiles or sex freaks?

 

[World Famous Quasi Payer]

Can someone recommend me some books written by people that aren't pedophiles or sex freaks?

Novel Series
Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Monster Hunter International & Saga of the Forgotten Warrior - Larry Correia
Sun Eater - Christopher Ruocchio

Short Fiction Authors
Robert E Howard
H. P. Lovecraft
Clark Ashton Smith

Off the top of my head.

 

[Day Walker]

Can someone recommend me some books written by people that aren't pedophiles or sex freaks?

Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series
Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series
Anything by
Dashiell Hammett
Raymond Chandler
P G Wodehouse
Douglas Adams
Agatha Christie

 

[Burt Ryan]

I finished reading The Man in The High Castle after I finished the show that goes by the same name (fuck that season 4, the more I let it simmer in my soul the more I fucking hate it). Amazing read, I should give Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep another try, I couldn't get past the first two chapters last year, probably a phase I don't know.

Now I'm reading No Country For Old Men, I've watched the movie more times that I can count and it's possibly in my top three of favourite movies of all times.

 

[Jonah Hill poster]

Learning how to be an electronics technician by reading this book:



It may seem like an introduction like book to the field, but it’s best to start somewhere.

 

[Jason Wynn]

Taking the plunge and started trying to read The Eye of Argon, often considered one of the worst fantasies ever written.

It’s certainly something. It’s like the kid went wild with a thesaurus writing it and only chose $10 words when a $0.10 word would have sufficed. It is a pretty bad Conan styled story, but I can’t help feeling sorry for the author. He was around 15 when he wrote it, and got so hurt by everyone making fun of it, passing it around in circles to see how far you could read it out loud without laughing that he never tried writing anything again and died absolutely ashamed of it. Feels.

 

[Commander X]

The Starcrossed by Ben Bova, a satirical novel set in the 21st century as projected from 1975. It was inspired by Ben Bova's disgruntlement with his role as science advisor for the CTV science fiction series The Starlost (which was also syndicated in the States). The concept of the show came from Harlan Ellison, who had co-written a pilot script with Bova. However, the network decided they wanted to turn it into a full-fledged series, which was plagued by all sorts of production mishaps and mistakes and blunders and meddling and fiddling, for a disastrous 16 episodes before cancellation. Ellison got more disgruntled than usual and had his name taken off the project.

In Bova's novel, inspired by these shenanigans, it's set in a 21st century L.A. where among other details instead of fixing the smog problem, the government has simply added colors and perfumed scents to it. It's one of those 20th century futures where TV has been replaced by 3D holographic TVs. Bernard Finger, chief executive of Titanic Productions, is desperate for a top-10 TV show after a long string of flops has the company on the edge of bankruptcy. It seems that their ridiculously idiotic reality shows are not panning out. So Bill Oxnard, inventor of the 3D television system (and stand in for Bova) is brought in to demonstrate his latest upgrade that will give Titanic an edge over the competition. But the Mob-connected bankers invested in Titanic want more than just crisper 3D holograms, they want a hit show that will pay dividends. Anything short of that will spell the end for Titanic. Reluctantly, Finger agrees to bring in noted scriptwriter and ideas man Ron Gabriel (Ellison), even though he thinks the man is to volatile. Gabriel is also reluctant to work with Finger but he could use a paying job, and he's been promised complete creative control, a significant budget and top talent for the actors and director. Gabriel insists on Oxnard serving as science advisor for the series, to ensure the science is accurate.

The project comes to life, what's envisaged as a lavish, sweeping epic science fiction take on Romeo & Juliet - and soon cost cutting measures, behind-the scenes duplicity and ignorance of both science and science fiction play their parts with disastrous, and humorous results.

 

[CowPox]

Just started "The ticket that exploded" been working my way through Burroughs stuff, its part of a trilogy not meant to be read in order from what i understand...

 

[SpotOnTheWall]

I've been plowing through Lord Norwich's A Short History Of Byzantium, an abridged version of his trilogy on the Byzantine Empire. Naturally, you can't cover 1100 years of history in 400 pages without covering only the highlights, but Norwich does so wonderfully. What unfolds is an engaging story of constant intrigue, warfare, bloodshed, and (usually) excitement. I'm definitely a fan of his writing style, and will probably get the trilogy whenever I get the chance.

 

[The Fountainhead]

Can someone recommend me some books written by people that aren't pedophiles or sex freaks?

 

[YourFriendlyLurker 2.0]

So, I have completed Robert Sapolsky's Behave and it wa a tough read for such a nigger in biology as me. Yet, I liked the book, especially those last paragraphs on free will and our law system. Totally makes one wonder.

Edit: random link appeared out of nowhere.

 

[Agamemnon Busmalis]

Magnetic Mountain: Stalinism as a Civilization

Very interesting and detailed account of the building of Magnitogorsk and the culture and environment of the new "socialist city" during the Stalin era. A good read alongside Scott's Beyond the Urals.

 

[SailingtheSaltySeas]

White Fang by Jack London, oldie but a goodie.

 

[Calandrino]

Just started "The ticket that exploded" been working my way through Burroughs stuff, its part of a trilogy not meant to be read in order from what i understand...

I don't know if I could remember anything from that book a day after I finished reading it. I'm concerned that I'm either too dumb for Burroughs, or too smart (), either way it looks suspiciously like a random assortment of unrelated words to me.

Can someone recommend me some books written by people that aren't pedophiles or sex freaks?

Well I'm sorry if I do find that just a tad restricting...

 

[AnOminous]

I don't know if I could remember anything from that book a day after I finished reading it. I'm concerned that I'm either too dumb for Burroughs, or too smart (), either way it looks suspiciously like a random assortment of unrelated words to me.

They're not entirely unrelated, but he did type it up, cut it into pieces, throw them on the floor, and then splice them back together at random including bits of other stuff too.

 

[glass_houses]

John Knatchbull: From Quarterdeck to Gallows (Including the Narrative Written by Himself in Darlinghurst Gaol 23rd January - 13 February, 1844)

Written 1969, about a convict transported to New South Wales in 1824, and executed in 1844 because he was a murdering cunt. What's interesting is that he was a Captain in the British navy and served in the Battle of Waterloo. Never heard of the man- I am profoundly uninterested in convict history, it's just so depressing- but I tripped over a cheap copy.

 

[Apollo69]

Les Dawson's autobiography No Tears for the Clown. Could see the influence on my late grandad's way of making everyone laugh, so connects me to him and nice recent history to be able to talk to my Nan about.