Book club - The first book we're reading is Neuromancer

Post by **Best First** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 10:42 pm

Whats the score with this Comps?

i just finished reading 'Are you Dave Gorman?' by Dave Gorman and Danny Wallace - everyone should read this - it makes the world a better place.

I am now read 'Things my girlfriend and I have argued about' by Mill Millingtion - so far its pretty funny.

Next on my list i will be readinf Francis Wheen's 'How Mumbo Jumbo Conquered the World' - even tho i know the answer is: Impy.

All this is assuming Dave doesn't beat me with a stick cos i should be doing comic reviews...

Eline · Post by **Eline** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 10:45 pm

yes, book club!

I'm reading the 5th Harry Potter at the moment, after that it will be the 'Da Vinci code' which Dylan kindly lent me.

But when do we start on the TF book club?

Post by **Computron** » Sun Jul 11, 2004 10:58 pm

Whenever you guys want to start we can. If you want to join, simply post here with two books you recommend. Then we'll choose one, and run with it.

Is a book a month fair?

Big Z · Post by **Big Z** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 12:23 am

Gets my vote.

Two I can recommend are:

1) Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
2) Rocket Boys, by Homer H. Hickham

Freddy Krueger Junior · Post by **Freddy Krueger Junior** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 6:53 am

Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve, The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 8:14 am

Best First wrote:
All this is assuming Dave doesn't beat me with a stick cos i should be doing comic reviews...

Damn right!

Seriously, I never get time to read books anymore.

I bought 'Watchmen' this weekend (haven't read it in 10 years) but I don't know when I'll get chance to read the thing...

Eline · Post by **Eline** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 9:43 am

Yay!

We could get started in one or two weeks I think.

My books:
1. the fountainhead by Ayn Rand
2. the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 12:30 pm

Im reading 'Transformers the Ultimate guide - by Simon furman'

good stuff lots of pictures

Post by **Computron** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 6:14 pm

I suppose I should make some recommendations...

1) 1984 - I'm sure most of us have read this, but it's a very easy book to get a hold of (It's available online), it's relatively short (easily readable over the course of a Saturday), and it's chock full of discussion material.

2) The Inferno - Another easily accessible classic of literature.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 7:26 pm

Talking of Orwell - I really like Keep the Aspidistra Flying. Bit depressing tho.

Hangover Square? The only book to bring a tear to my eye...

Anyone read Brett Easton Ellis' Glamorama? If you thought American Psycho was stomach churning...

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 8:46 pm

I've never read 1984 and I'm not ashamed of that fact.

But if it's available online I may check it out at some point.

Recommendation... can't remember what I had originally suggested. I know it was a Douglas Coupland book... well, I'll just say Microserfs as I know I've been meaning to pick it up anyway.

angloconvoy · Post by **angloconvoy** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 3:51 pm

Big Z wrote:Gets my vote.

Two I can recommend are:

1) Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
2) Rocket Boys, by Homer H. Hickham

Funnily enough I've just started on Life of Pi. Interesting but a bit preachy, self-indulgent and up its own arse. I'd recommend a read if you can find it in the local library though.

Post by **Denyer** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 7:14 pm

saysadie wrote:Recommendation... can't remember what I had originally suggested. I know it was a Douglas Coupland book... well, I'll just say Microserfs as I know I've been meaning to pick it up anyway.

Good choice.

1984: http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/1984/

Brave New World: http://www.huxley.net/bnw/index.html

I'm gonna throw in William Gibson's "Neuromancer" as a suggestion.

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 8:10 pm

Denyer wrote:
1984: http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/1984/

Strangely enough, after glancing it over I do recall having read it in high school. 0_o I could have sworn I'd not read it...

Ah well. Could do with a read-again.

I tried to read the Life of Pi once; couldn't stand it...

Post by **Denyer** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:48 pm

I can fling out text copies of Microserfs or Neuromancer if anyone has trouble tracking 'em down.

Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas is another I'd recommend.

Post by **Computron** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:18 am

Denyer wrote:I can fling out text copies of Microserfs or Neuromancer if anyone has trouble tracking 'em down.

Hit me up with some of that literary crack.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 1:42 am

Im reading 2 warhammer 40k novels.

Soul drinkers and grey knights. both pretty cool if u like that kind of thing.

Orion Pax · Post by **Orion Pax** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:02 am

saysadie wrote:I've never read 1984 and I'm not ashamed of that fact. But if it's available online I may check it out at some point.

Recommendation... can't remember what I had originally suggested. I know it was a Douglas Coupland book... well, I'll just say Microserfs as I know I've been meaning to pick it up anyway.

Wouldn't be All Families are Psychotic would it? I just finished that and it is a good reccomendation.

Post by **Denyer** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 3:07 am

Impactor returns 2.0 wrote:Im reading 2 warhammer 40k novels.

Soul drinkers and grey knights. both pretty cool if u like that kind of thing.

Are those recent ones... and did Ian Watson ever finish his inquisitor plot arc, d'you know?

edit: Nevermind, apparently 'Inquisitor' got renamed 'Draco', the trilogy completed and the whole lot bundled up with extra material as 'The Inquisition War'... hmm, may have to get that...

Sir Auros · Post by **Sir Auros** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 5:49 am

1 - Redwall
2 - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Neither are particularly difficult, but both are quick, entertaining reads.

Post by **Computron** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 5:53 am

Final question, how would you like to choose a book? I suppose I could be tyrannical about it and simply choose one, we could have a 2-3 person committee agree on one, or we could have a large vote. For this first book I think our best bet would be 1) A relatively shorter read (No more than 200 pages) and 2) Relatively popular and thus accessible.

saysadie · Post by **saysadie** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 6:49 am

Orion Pax wrote:
Wouldn't be All Families are Psychotic would it? I just finished that and it is a good reccomendation.

That wasn't it, but it's a good book I agree. Picked it up last year and have been trying to track down more Coupland books ever since.

Denyer- I'd like to check those books out too.

Comps- how about a poll?

Eline · Post by **Eline** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 8:49 am

yeah, a poll is good.

or just pick one yourself and we'll read it.

Post by **Denyer** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:57 pm

Sir Auros wrote:2 - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Neither are particularly difficult, but both are quick, entertaining reads.

Hmm... Androids has dated somewhat. (Note for others: this is the book which became Blade Runner.)

I may not get chance to track down / skim anything I haven't encountered before, but will cheerfully haver on any title I've read.

Will get hook-ups mailed out in a minute.

angloconvoy · Post by **angloconvoy** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 1:53 pm

Must admit, I'm not a hugh Phillip K Dick fan myself. Well, maybe that's not fair, I've only ever tried to read DADOES, but didn't bother finishing it.

Edit: I could happily recommend Fight Club. Also, Espedair Street, or maybe The Business (both Iain Banks).

Or for lighter stuff, Bill The Galactic Hero.

KingMob · Post by **KingMob** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:43 pm

I guess the book I recommend to people the most frequently is Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson....the only trouble being that it's a massive (ie bloody huge) book.
Other books I generally throw at people and expect them to catch are Use Of Weapons by Banksie and (if in the mood for undemanding chaos) the Gaunt's Ghosts series.

angloconvoy · Post by **angloconvoy** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 3:04 pm

Tried to read the first of the Gaunt's Ghosts series, but it just wasn't holding my attention. Mind you, I was in hospital when I started reading it, so it would have taken something a bit special to keep my interest.

KingMob · Post by **KingMob** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 4:02 pm

Hmm, just remembered Under the Frog by Tibor Fischer. Black comedy set in 50's Hungary. Very good book.

Post by **Computron** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 9:49 pm

The poll limited how many options I could include, so I only included people's first choice of their two books.

Post by **Denyer** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 11:13 pm

KingMob wrote:Hmm, just remembered Under the Frog by Tibor Fischer. Black comedy set in 50's Hungary. Very good book.

Borrowed "The Thought Gang" from a friend and loved it... had a collected volume of short stories (I think it was called something like "Don't Read This If You're Stupid") too but lent it to someone a long time ago... very interesting author with a deft turn of phrase.

If I had to pick a Banks novel, would probably go for Excession or Look To Windward, although I seem to remember "Against A Dark Background" being rather spiffy too. The trouble I find with his books is that it's difficult to hold them in your head for any length of time after reading them.

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Book club - The first book we're reading is Neuromancer

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