Books motherfuckers, do you read them?

[at0m]

Hah. I have my first Gibson novel, Neuromancer, in my to-do stack, along with Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow and Vector Prime (on advice of Kor).

Neuromancer is one of my favorites. Case is pretty badass for a hacker anti-hero, and Molly is the bodyguard from Johnny Mneumonic (which is actually a short story that shows up in the third Sprawl book).

[Surf314]

[quote author=rumsfald link=topic=1145.msg82725#msg82725 date=1242346581]
Hah. I have my first Gibson novel, Neuromancer, in my to-do stack, along with Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow and Vector Prime (on advice of Kor).

The Neuromancer universe is good, but that trilogy pales in comparison to Gibson's Bridge Trilogy.
If I ever have free time to myself again, I may possibly finish reading All Tomorrow's Parties. I also have Spook Country.
[/quote]

God I love the bridge trilogy.  And the "real world" trilogy is ok, Pattern Recognition was a mind blowing look at our consumer advertising based culture.  Spook Country was an attempt at examining the marriage of internet and art as well as cloak and dagger stuff in the modern age.  It definitely was weak compared to his others but I really liked how it didn't go james bond with the gadgets and instead examined how the culture meets the tech.

[HeK]

[quote author=rumsfald link=topic=1145.msg82725#msg82725 date=1242346581]
Hah. I have my first Gibson novel, Neuromancer, in my to-do stack, along with Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow and Vector Prime (on advice of Kor).

Neuromancer is one of my favorites. Case is pretty badass for a hacker anti-hero, and Molly is the bodyguard from Johnny Mneumonic (which is actually a short story that shows up in the third Sprawl book).
[/quote]

I rewatched Johny Mneumonic (the bad ass Japanese version) after reading Neuromancer. It was better then I remembered, however the low budget special effects and poor acting really ruined it.

[at0m]

[quote author=at0m link=topic=1145.msg82823#msg82823 date=1242374523]
[quote author=rumsfald link=topic=1145.msg82725#msg82725 date=1242346581]
Hah. I have my first Gibson novel, Neuromancer, in my to-do stack, along with Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow and Vector Prime (on advice of Kor).

Neuromancer is one of my favorites. Case is pretty badass for a hacker anti-hero, and Molly is the bodyguard from Johnny Mneumonic (which is actually a short story that shows up in the third Sprawl book).
[/quote]

I rewatched Johny Mneumonic (the bad ass Japanese version) after reading Neuromancer. It was better then I remembered, however the low budget special effects and poor acting really ruined it.
[/quote]There's a japanese version? Is it live-action or animated?

[Eschatos]

Started reading the Dresden Files.  Quite good, if you're into detective novels/fantasy.

[cannedpeahes]

Hah. I have my first Gibson novel, Neuromancer, in my to-do stack, along with Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow and Vector Prime (on advice of Kor).

Gravity's Rainbow is an uphill battle. Pynchon's prose is good but at something like 826 pages, double-spaced 10pt, I couldn't... I just couldn't.

I found a copy of Neuromancer online for freebies but I can't stand reading online. The last thing I read online was the Hitchhiker's Guide series and if I hadn't had my towel handy to throw over the screen, it would have killed me.

I'm looking for some good spec-fic, something grounded in realism but engaging and slightly mythical or fantastical. Any suggestions?

[HeK]

[quote author=HeK link=topic=1145.msg83068#msg83068 date=1242485912]
[quote author=at0m link=topic=1145.msg82823#msg82823 date=1242374523]
[quote author=rumsfald link=topic=1145.msg82725#msg82725 date=1242346581]
Hah. I have my first Gibson novel, Neuromancer, in my to-do stack, along with Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow and Vector Prime (on advice of Kor).

Neuromancer is one of my favorites. Case is pretty badass for a hacker anti-hero, and Molly is the bodyguard from Johnny Mneumonic (which is actually a short story that shows up in the third Sprawl book).
[/quote]

I rewatched Johny Mneumonic (the bad ass Japanese version) after reading Neuromancer. It was better then I remembered, however the low budget special effects and poor acting really ruined it.
[/quote]There's a japanese version? Is it live-action or animated?
[/quote]

It's just a super extended version, however the extended bits are good.

[at0m]

[quote author=at0m link=topic=1145.msg83117#msg83117 date=1242497567]
[quote author=HeK link=topic=1145.msg83068#msg83068 date=1242485912]
[quote author=at0m link=topic=1145.msg82823#msg82823 date=1242374523]
[quote author=rumsfald link=topic=1145.msg82725#msg82725 date=1242346581]
Hah. I have my first Gibson novel, Neuromancer, in my to-do stack, along with Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow and Vector Prime (on advice of Kor).

Neuromancer is one of my favorites. Case is pretty badass for a hacker anti-hero, and Molly is the bodyguard from Johnny Mneumonic (which is actually a short story that shows up in the third Sprawl book).
[/quote]

I rewatched Johny Mneumonic (the bad ass Japanese version) after reading Neuromancer. It was better then I remembered, however the low budget special effects and poor acting really ruined it.
[/quote]There's a japanese version? Is it live-action or animated?
[/quote]

It's just a super extended version, however the extended bits are good.
[/quote]You find this on DVD somewhere, or did would I be able to find it using TPG?

[HeK]

I do not recall specifically, but it's out there; somewhere.

[rumsfald]

The movie is entertaining, but is only _loosely_ based on the book IMO. If you can get over the 'omg the movie isn't anything like the book'/'book isn't anything like the movie' drama, they're both entertaining in their own right. I mean, the movie didn't even _touch....

I don't know why I would pick up on this, but in the book booze is very rare where in the movie Deckard drinks like a fish. That fact alone makes the book version much more depressing and dystopian.

...to replace my lost copy of the Blade Runner DVD which I purchased to replace my lost copy of the Blade Runner VHS.

I missed this first time around, but there ought to be good stories about how the VHS and DVD got lost.

[HeK]

[quote author=HeK link=topic=1145.msg82718#msg82718 date=1242345100]
...to replace my lost copy of the Blade Runner DVD which I purchased to replace my lost copy of the Blade Runner VHS.

I missed this first time around, but there ought to be good stories about how the VHS and DVD got lost.
[/quote]

Hardly, they've gone missing during my first and second moves between houses and apartments.
I haven't had a chance to compare the Final Cut yet.

[Mission Difficult]

[quote author=rumsfald link=topic=1145.msg83927#msg83927 date=1242697761]
[quote author=HeK link=topic=1145.msg82718#msg82718 date=1242345100]
...to replace my lost copy of the Blade Runner DVD which I purchased to replace my lost copy of the Blade Runner VHS.

I missed this first time around, but there ought to be good stories about how the VHS and DVD got lost.
[/quote]

Hardly, they've gone missing during my first and second moves between houses and apartments.
I haven't had a chance to compare the Final Cut yet.
[/quote]

I was really happy with the Final Cut. Saw it in theaters for the re-release and bought the snazzy blu-ray set which had some great documentaries with it.

[copulatingduck]

started on cryptonomicon

[Eschatos]

started on cryptonomicon

I just started reading it three days ago.  :

[Surf314]

[quote author=CopulatingDuck link=topic=1145.msg84060#msg84060 date=1242720448]
started on cryptonomicon

I just started reading it three days ago.  :
[/quote]

It's pretty good, you should wiki how much is based on history.  You'd be surprised.

[at0m]

[quote author=CopulatingDuck link=topic=1145.msg84060#msg84060 date=1242720448]
started on cryptonomicon

I just started reading it three days ago.  :
[/quote]I just couldn't get into that book. It's sitting on a shelf collecting dust.

[Kor]

and Vector Prime (on advice of Kor).

Be careful Rummy, the New Jedi Order series reads like the Dragonlance Saga; you cannot pick up anything else in the series other the next book :p

[CaffeinePowered]

[quote author=rumsfald link=topic=1145.msg82725#msg82725 date=1242346581]
and Vector Prime (on advice of Kor).

Be careful Rummy, the New Jedi Order series reads like the Dragonlance Saga; you cannot pick up anything else in the series other the next book :p


[/quote]

Oh god, I read pretty much all the expanded universe novels right up until the new jedi stuff....was not a fan of it at all. All the Vong stuff just sounds stupid as hell as well.

As least the Thrawn trilogy was really good, if any of the books need to be made into movies its those three.

[Surf314]

I used to have an entire book shelf of nothing but star wars novels.  Luckily I'm better now.

[at0m]

I used to have an entire book shelf of nothing but star wars novels.  Luckily I'm better now.

I've got a shelf filled two-deep of Warhammer 40k novels. Dan Abnett is a genius (Eisenhorn trilogy, Ravenor trilogy, Gaunt's Ghosts series, the first book in the Horus Heresy series...)