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Post by saintofm on Oct 26, 2024 11:49:35 GMT -6
Just Finished The Predator Omnibus (based on the film series, written about 1992 between the two movies, going to read on a tablet Star Craft: Evolution
Book One: Predator Concrete Jungle:
follows Shaffer a NYC detective and brother of Dutch (Arni's Carrecter modeled off of him) named Schaefer and his partner Rache as they deal with Predators hunting in the big apple. Book one seems alot like Predator 2 and this came out before it (almost the same plot, just different cities). And of course includes the government screwing this up, and even a trip to what was left the site of the final battle from the first movie. While fun, I wouldn't call it Newberry winning and does have the action movie cliché's at the time that made me go "what?" which is never a good sign. Namly a Police Chief that seems to have it out for the main character and his by the book partner despite them literally not doing anything wrong; Schaefer being pushed out a 5 story building by a Pred and sti able to walk out of the hospital as if nothing happened like he was in Skyrim and got all the armor perks in Heavy armor. and finally, in the jungle duel wielding a M-16 and a Automatic shotgun (its played as a desperation move but still). Other than that, need a pulpy fun involving a decent movie monster check it out.
Book 2, Cold War, continues sometime latter with Schaefer pulled back into the action by the military as a Predator ship crashes in the middle of Sibera. Whie Rache does return here and there, he is happy s a small town sheriff in Orain until he finds out his friend got drafted into this. Schaefer puts up with it long enough to get another fight in with them, but the Russian Winter and the Preds are definitely not his friend. A new protagonist, Lieutenant Ligacheva, a much needed action girl and pretty much the main character of it until Schaffer comes back to share the spotlight. I am happy to say the book vastly improvement of the first with no moments that my disbelief drop even for an instant. I also liked how she isn't a romantic option, for anyone, although I think Dutch's brother develops a crush on her by the end of it. The two seem to have platonic relationship based on trust and wanting to avenge the butchered men at her fuel pipeline plant (which the Predators raided to fix their ship). Shes a strong female character that is strong, and actually has struggles to push passed (sexism, ladder climbing officers willing and able to screw her over, the fact she was put in charge of a facility in Siberia, and so on) and yet find ways to make it work. A book that I think i a not quite Newberry ready, has done more for female representation by in the early 90's than a lot of films done in the last few years since "Strong Female Character" became a byword. I also like the idea the Preds are just trying to get out of there (they don't like the cold), but their habits just draw more attention to them.
Finaly Big Game is the best of the three. It follows Navajo soldier stationed in New Mexico named Nakai as a Predator kills his friend, blows up his base, and continues its hunt. Its a modern retelling of the Monster Slayer Twins of Navajo Legend (Twin Brothers protect their people by slaying the monsters that make prey of them which finaly ends when they slay the giant that is their king). I won't spoil much because its that good, but looks at a modern soldier using ancient ways to hunt down a hunter of humans. And the last hundred pages have all the ups and downs of a great showdown between the army and the Pred.
I say its worth checking out if you like action and adventure, adn if you like scifi, adn in general if you like the Predator Franchise
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Post by RAVENEYE on Oct 30, 2024 11:24:58 GMT -6
Oh yeah! I'm aware of the Navajo Twin Brothers legend. Neat that the story is formed around that. Though I had no idea books had been written about the Predator saga. Yikes.
Title: Children of Time
Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky
Genre: Sci-fi
What do you think of it?
Wow, my mind is blown. Just finished it. And it's one of those books that you can't just jump into the next adventure. You gotta savor what just happened to you. Honestly, it took me two tries to get through it. Mainly because it's nothing like what I expected it to be. I had to find out what it was about, then let that idea stew for a couple of years before my brain was like "Yeah, I can read that book now."
The book takes place over the span of maybe ... 10,000 years? How is that possible? You gotta read it, cuz I ain't gonna ruin it. But the main unexpected thing...
I have arachnophobia, like bad, right? And one of the main characters in this book is a spider. Or, actually, a lineage of spiders who all have the same name, for continuity purposes. The other main characters are a group of humans fleeing a dead earth and looking for a place to settle.
With those two things in mind, this book could have been nothing but a monster-eat-monster story. But it's nothing like that. It's hard sci-fi at its philosophical best. It asks huge questions and poses very unorthodox answers to those questions.
As far as the ending goes (no spoilers), I theorized about 4 different ways this story could end, but none of those things happened. So after everything, the resolution was a smack in the face, utterly gorgeous and affecting.
Recommend it?
Absolutely. Even if you hate spiders. Even if you have nightmares about spiders, like I do. You will soon love these spiders. Then when you get to the chapters about the humans, you'll be like "Yeah, yeah, humans suck. Can we go back to the spiders now?"
This book will take you on a centuries-long journey of the highest stakes and leave you breathless in awe.
Does that sound like hyperbole? To some it may be, but that's exactly what happened to me. This is a book I will probably read again a couple decades hence.
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Post by havekrillwhaletravel on Nov 1, 2024 10:25:53 GMT -6
Oh yeah! I'm aware of the Navajo Twin Brothers legend. Neat that the story is formed around that. Though I had no idea books had been written about the Predator saga. Yikes. Title: Children of Time Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky Genre: Sci-fi What do you think of it?Wow, my mind is blown. Just finished it. And it's one of those books that you can't just jump into the next adventure. You gotta savor what just happened to you. Honestly, it took me two tries to get through it. Mainly because it's nothing like what I expected it to be. I had to find out what it was about, then let that idea stew for a couple of years before my brain was like "Yeah, I can read that book now." The book takes place over the span of maybe ... 10,000 years? How is that possible? You gotta read it, cuz I ain't gonna ruin it. But the main unexpected thing... I have arachnophobia, like bad, right? And one of the main characters in this book is a spider. Or, actually, a lineage of spiders who all have the same name, for continuity purposes. The other main characters are a group of humans fleeing a dead earth and looking for a place to settle. With those two things in mind, this book could have been nothing but a monster-eat-monster story. But it's nothing like that. It's hard sci-fi at its philosophical best. It asks huge questions and poses very unorthodox answers to those questions. As far as the ending goes (no spoilers), I theorized about 4 different ways this story could end, but none of those things happened. So after everything, the resolution was a smack in the face, utterly gorgeous and affecting. Recommend it?Absolutely. Even if you hate spiders. Even if you have nightmares about spiders, like I do. You will soon love these spiders. Then when you get to the chapters about the humans, you'll be like "Yeah, yeah, humans suck. Can we go back to the spiders now?" This book will take you on a centuries-long journey of the highest stakes and leave you breathless in awe. Does that sound like hyperbole? To some it may be, but that's exactly what happened to me. This is a book I will probably read again a couple decades hence. I've heard of this! I can't do giant insects of any kind and so I've always avoided the book. Guess I'll have to seek this out ... eventually >.> |
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Post by RAVENEYE on Nov 1, 2024 10:41:08 GMT -6
Oh yeah! I'm aware of the Navajo Twin Brothers legend. Neat that the story is formed around that. Though I had no idea books had been written about the Predator saga. Yikes. Title: Children of Time Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky Genre: Sci-fi What do you think of it?Wow, my mind is blown. Just finished it. And it's one of those books that you can't just jump into the next adventure. You gotta savor what just happened to you. Honestly, it took me two tries to get through it. Mainly because it's nothing like what I expected it to be. I had to find out what it was about, then let that idea stew for a couple of years before my brain was like "Yeah, I can read that book now." The book takes place over the span of maybe ... 10,000 years? How is that possible? You gotta read it, cuz I ain't gonna ruin it. But the main unexpected thing... I have arachnophobia, like bad, right? And one of the main characters in this book is a spider. Or, actually, a lineage of spiders who all have the same name, for continuity purposes. The other main characters are a group of humans fleeing a dead earth and looking for a place to settle. With those two things in mind, this book could have been nothing but a monster-eat-monster story. But it's nothing like that. It's hard sci-fi at its philosophical best. It asks huge questions and poses very unorthodox answers to those questions. As far as the ending goes (no spoilers), I theorized about 4 different ways this story could end, but none of those things happened. So after everything, the resolution was a smack in the face, utterly gorgeous and affecting. Recommend it?Absolutely. Even if you hate spiders. Even if you have nightmares about spiders, like I do. You will soon love these spiders. Then when you get to the chapters about the humans, you'll be like "Yeah, yeah, humans suck. Can we go back to the spiders now?" This book will take you on a centuries-long journey of the highest stakes and leave you breathless in awe. Does that sound like hyperbole? To some it may be, but that's exactly what happened to me. This is a book I will probably read again a couple decades hence. I've heard of this! I can't do giant insects of any kind and so I've always avoided the book. Guess I'll have to seek this out ... eventually >.> If you do read it, you may never think of spiders the same way again. Or at least, some spiders. Like, I actually considered getting a portia labiata for a pet after reading this. Yep, people actually order them to keep as "pets" in terrariums? Did you know that portia labiata (the species of spider featured here) comes from your neck of the woods? I'm kinda jealous about that.  |
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Post by HDSimplicityy on Nov 1, 2024 20:45:21 GMT -6
Oh yeah! I'm aware of the Navajo Twin Brothers legend. Neat that the story is formed around that. Though I had no idea books had been written about the Predator saga. Yikes. Title: Children of Time Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky Genre: Sci-fi What do you think of it?Wow, my mind is blown. Just finished it. And it's one of those books that you can't just jump into the next adventure. You gotta savor what just happened to you. Honestly, it took me two tries to get through it. Mainly because it's nothing like what I expected it to be. I had to find out what it was about, then let that idea stew for a couple of years before my brain was like "Yeah, I can read that book now." The book takes place over the span of maybe ... 10,000 years? How is that possible? You gotta read it, cuz I ain't gonna ruin it. But the main unexpected thing... I have arachnophobia, like bad, right? And one of the main characters in this book is a spider. Or, actually, a lineage of spiders who all have the same name, for continuity purposes. The other main characters are a group of humans fleeing a dead earth and looking for a place to settle. With those two things in mind, this book could have been nothing but a monster-eat-monster story. But it's nothing like that. It's hard sci-fi at its philosophical best. It asks huge questions and poses very unorthodox answers to those questions. As far as the ending goes (no spoilers), I theorized about 4 different ways this story could end, but none of those things happened. So after everything, the resolution was a smack in the face, utterly gorgeous and affecting. Recommend it?Absolutely. Even if you hate spiders. Even if you have nightmares about spiders, like I do. You will soon love these spiders. Then when you get to the chapters about the humans, you'll be like "Yeah, yeah, humans suck. Can we go back to the spiders now?" This book will take you on a centuries-long journey of the highest stakes and leave you breathless in awe. Does that sound like hyperbole? To some it may be, but that's exactly what happened to me. This is a book I will probably read again a couple decades hence. That is on my TBR list. I keep wanting to dive in.... until a shorter, easier space opera gets my attention. |
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Post by havekrillwhaletravel on Nov 3, 2024 9:19:59 GMT -6
I've heard of this! I can't do giant insects of any kind and so I've always avoided the book. Guess I'll have to seek this out ... eventually >.> If you do read it, you may never think of spiders the same way again. Or at least, some spiders. Like, I actually considered getting a portia labiata for a pet after reading this. Yep, people actually order them to keep as "pets" in terrariums? Did you know that portia labiata (the species of spider featured here) comes from your neck of the woods? I'm kinda jealous about that.  I'm hopeless with identifying wildlife of any kind, so I wouldn't know a portia labiata even if it jumped (Wikipedia says they can jump, JUMPING SPIDERS) at me. According to Wikipedia, they have been "...called "eight-legged cats", as their hunting tactics are as versatile and adaptable as a lion's. All members of Portia have instinctive hunting tactics for their most common prey, but often can improvise by trial and error against unfamiliar prey or in unfamiliar situations, and then remember the new approach." and I am now grateful to not be an insect 
I always wonder what people do with pet spiders. Are they setting up tiny hoops and platforms in the terrarium for the spiders, maybe a live fly every now and then to keep their reflexes sharp? Can you teach a spider tricks?
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Post by RAVENEYE on Nov 3, 2024 23:42:48 GMT -6
If you do read it, you may never think of spiders the same way again. Or at least, some spiders. Like, I actually considered getting a portia labiata for a pet after reading this. Yep, people actually order them to keep as "pets" in terrariums? Did you know that portia labiata (the species of spider featured here) comes from your neck of the woods? I'm kinda jealous about that. I'm hopeless with identifying wildlife of any kind, so I wouldn't know a portia labiata even if it jumped (Wikipedia says they can jump, JUMPING SPIDERS) at me. According to Wikipedia, they have been "...called "eight-legged cats", as their hunting tactics are as versatile and adaptable as a lion's. All members of Portia have instinctive hunting tactics for their most common prey, but often can improvise by trial and error against unfamiliar prey or in unfamiliar situations, and then remember the new approach." and I am now grateful to not be an insect 
I always wonder what people do with pet spiders. Are they setting up tiny hoops and platforms in the terrarium for the spiders, maybe a live fly every now and then to keep their reflexes sharp? Can you teach a spider tricks?
hehehe, you've keyed on why the portia labiata is the star of this book. So very smart, oh yes. So very agile, oh yes. Though, I can't imagine what would be the point of have a 10 millimeter long spider for pet, other than *gulp* watching them hop around and ambush other bugs. ew ew ew! It's not like you can cuddle with it or something. On the other hand, if a spider COULD learn tricks, it would be the portia. Just read the book! You'll want one too. Hehe. |
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Post by havekrillwhaletravel on Nov 17, 2024 7:29:06 GMT -6
hehehe, you've keyed on why the portia labiata is the star of this book. So very smart, oh yes. So very agile, oh yes. Though, I can't imagine what would be the point of have a 10 millimeter long spider for pet, other than *gulp* watching them hop around and ambush other bugs. ew ew ew! It's not like you can cuddle with it or something. On the other hand, if a spider COULD learn tricks, it would be the portia. Just read the book! You'll want one too. Hehe. HAHA, I kind of want to see someone trying to cuddle a tiny spider. I'll have to muster up the courage and read the book.
Title: You Dreamed of Empires (trans. Natasha Wimmer)
Author: Álvaro Enrigue Genre: Historical? Magical realism?
What do you think of it?
The story follows Cortes, Moctezuma, and their respective retinues on the eve of the Spanish-Aztec War.
This is a wildly ambitious book. One of its core ideas is a lack of understanding. Boxed in by the limitations of culture and language, both the Aztecs and Spanish find each other as complete other, utterly indecipherable. Both sides misconstrue the motivations of the other, drawing strange and fanciful conclusions.
The reader isn't impervious to this sense of alienation; the author overwhelms you with a bunch of Nahuatl vocabulary. When something is translated into English, it is done so in a deliberately unwieldy way. One of the councilors is only referred to by his full title: He Who Looses the Rain of Words and Governs the Songs Lest We Be Like the Flowers and Bees That Last But a Few Days (petition to bring back such amazing titles in lieu of Regional Manager).
Even within their own circles, characters are left in the dark, uncertain about the plans and allegiances of those around them. Regardless of this uncertainty, characters charge on with their own dreams and schemes, "immune to reality" as the book puts it, confident they will come out on top.
The novel's own reality feels surreal. The excesses of Tenochtitlan and the freeflow of psychoactive substances are an endless goldmine of dreamlike imagery. The narrative itself audaciously shatters the fourth wall and jumps into the future. The characters' actions are farcical. The Aztec mayor is stumped by the abstruse ritualism of the Aztec court, comically enduring unproductive meetings while the empire falls apart. Meanwhile, the conquistadors have dreams of conquest and adventure but are beset by obstacles like ... figuring out how to wear their clothes and ... finding their way out of the palace. The comedy clashes with the casual and brutal violence both sides frequently mete out. This contrast of mood is something the novel does really well. There's an especially memorable scene where a conquistador's prayer is juxtaposed against the memory of carrying out a horrific atrocity.
Recommend?
Yes! It's such an inventive book. The prose occasionally drops the ball - the anachronistic language can sometimes feel clunky, and there are a couple sentences that are stinkers. But the book has so many creative ideas that more than makes up for the occasional sentence flub. NOTE: The novel contains a short scene depicting SA.
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Post by RAVENEYE on Nov 17, 2024 13:16:15 GMT -6
hehehe, you've keyed on why the portia labiata is the star of this book. So very smart, oh yes. So very agile, oh yes. Though, I can't imagine what would be the point of have a 10 millimeter long spider for pet, other than *gulp* watching them hop around and ambush other bugs. ew ew ew! It's not like you can cuddle with it or something. On the other hand, if a spider COULD learn tricks, it would be the portia. Just read the book! You'll want one too. Hehe. HAHA, I kind of want to see someone trying to cuddle a tiny spider. I'll have to muster up the courage and read the book.
Title: You Dreamed of Empires (trans. Natasha Wimmer)
Author: Álvaro Enrigue Genre: Historical? Magical realism?
What do you think of it?
The story follows Cortes, Moctezuma, and their respective retinues on the eve of the Spanish-Aztec War.
This is a wildly ambitious book. One of its core ideas is a lack of understanding. Boxed in by the limitations of culture and language, both the Aztecs and Spanish find each other as complete other, utterly indecipherable. Both sides misconstrue the motivations of the other, drawing strange and fanciful conclusions.
The reader isn't impervious to this sense of alienation; the author overwhelms you with a bunch of Nahuatl vocabulary. When something is translated into English, it is done so in a deliberately unwieldy way. One of the councilors is only referred to by his full title: He Who Looses the Rain of Words and Governs the Songs Lest We Be Like the Flowers and Bees That Last But a Few Days (petition to bring back such amazing titles in lieu of Regional Manager).
Even within their own circles, characters are left in the dark, uncertain about the plans and allegiances of those around them. Regardless of this uncertainty, characters charge on with their own dreams and schemes, "immune to reality" as the book puts it, confident they will come out on top.
The novel's own reality feels surreal. The excesses of Tenochtitlan and the freeflow of psychoactive substances are an endless goldmine of dreamlike imagery. The narrative itself audaciously shatters the fourth wall and jumps into the future. The characters' actions are farcical. The Aztec mayor is stumped by the abstruse ritualism of the Aztec court, comically enduring unproductive meetings while the empire falls apart. Meanwhile, the conquistadors have dreams of conquest and adventure but are beset by obstacles like ... figuring out how to wear their clothes and ... finding their way out of the palace. The comedy clashes with the casual and brutal violence both sides frequently mete out. This contrast of mood is something the novel does really well. There's an especially memorable scene where a conquistador's prayer is juxtaposed against the memory of carrying out a horrific atrocity.
Recommend?
Yes! It's such an inventive book. The prose occasionally drops the ball - the anachronistic language can sometimes feel clunky, and there are a couple sentences that are stinkers. But the book has so many creative ideas that more than makes up for the occasional sentence flub. NOTE: The novel contains a short scene depicting SA.
I imagine a book like this would be difficult to translate. I wonder if that contributed to the "stinkers." Whew, what a topic to tackle for a novel. There's so much shame around it. That's probably why I've steered clear of material about it, but this novel seems like a good reason to go there. Putting it on my to-read list. |
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Post by HDSimplicityy on Nov 20, 2024 23:22:34 GMT -6
HAHA, I kind of want to see someone trying to cuddle a tiny spider. I'll have to muster up the courage and read the book.
Title: You Dreamed of Empires (trans. Natasha Wimmer)
Author: Álvaro Enrigue Genre: Historical? Magical realism?
What do you think of it?
The story follows Cortes, Moctezuma, and their respective retinues on the eve of the Spanish-Aztec War.
This is a wildly ambitious book. One of its core ideas is a lack of understanding. Boxed in by the limitations of culture and language, both the Aztecs and Spanish find each other as complete other, utterly indecipherable. Both sides misconstrue the motivations of the other, drawing strange and fanciful conclusions.
The reader isn't impervious to this sense of alienation; the author overwhelms you with a bunch of Nahuatl vocabulary. When something is translated into English, it is done so in a deliberately unwieldy way. One of the councilors is only referred to by his full title: He Who Looses the Rain of Words and Governs the Songs Lest We Be Like the Flowers and Bees That Last But a Few Days (petition to bring back such amazing titles in lieu of Regional Manager).
Even within their own circles, characters are left in the dark, uncertain about the plans and allegiances of those around them. Regardless of this uncertainty, characters charge on with their own dreams and schemes, "immune to reality" as the book puts it, confident they will come out on top.
The novel's own reality feels surreal. The excesses of Tenochtitlan and the freeflow of psychoactive substances are an endless goldmine of dreamlike imagery. The narrative itself audaciously shatters the fourth wall and jumps into the future. The characters' actions are farcical. The Aztec mayor is stumped by the abstruse ritualism of the Aztec court, comically enduring unproductive meetings while the empire falls apart. Meanwhile, the conquistadors have dreams of conquest and adventure but are beset by obstacles like ... figuring out how to wear their clothes and ... finding their way out of the palace. The comedy clashes with the casual and brutal violence both sides frequently mete out. This contrast of mood is something the novel does really well. There's an especially memorable scene where a conquistador's prayer is juxtaposed against the memory of carrying out a horrific atrocity.
Recommend?
Yes! It's such an inventive book. The prose occasionally drops the ball - the anachronistic language can sometimes feel clunky, and there are a couple sentences that are stinkers. But the book has so many creative ideas that more than makes up for the occasional sentence flub. NOTE: The novel contains a short scene depicting SA.
I imagine a book like this would be difficult to translate. I wonder if that contributed to the "stinkers." Whew, what a topic to tackle for a novel. There's so much shame around it. That's probably why I've steered clear of material about it, but this novel seems like a good reason to go there. Putting it on my to-read list. Wow... that sounds like a heck of a story! |
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