What Are You Reading? 3
- Thread starter Tonyblack
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I think Something Wicked is probably the only Ray Bradbury novel I've ever read. It was alright, I guess.
I'm currently on a bit of a binge of translations of Japanese light novels. I've started the first volume of Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (no, really, that's its name), and when I get it, I'm going to read the first volume of The Saga of Tanya the Evil, which is what happens when a ruthless Japanese HR manager gets reincarnated by a rather lazy and petulant deity as a young girl in an alternate version of Germany in World War I, where magic exists. No, really. Plus, there's an adaptation of Douglas Adams' never-filmed Doctor Who story Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen, which is what was turned into Life, the Universe, and Everything...
I'm currently on a bit of a binge of translations of Japanese light novels. I've started the first volume of Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (no, really, that's its name), and when I get it, I'm going to read the first volume of The Saga of Tanya the Evil, which is what happens when a ruthless Japanese HR manager gets reincarnated by a rather lazy and petulant deity as a young girl in an alternate version of Germany in World War I, where magic exists. No, really. Plus, there's an adaptation of Douglas Adams' never-filmed Doctor Who story Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen, which is what was turned into Life, the Universe, and Everything...
raisindot said:
I read Lincoln in the Bardo recently. I haven't quite decided whether it's a brilliant new literary form or a failed screenwriter's attempt to pass off an unsellable screenplay as a pretentious new form of literature. 
The first of the Christmas books I'm reading is Deadly Kerfuffle which is as good as I hoped it would be.
Happy Reading!
I'm re-reading my copy of Historionics: A Treasury of Historical Anecdotes by Geoffrey Regan. It's good, harmless fun.
Geoff also compiled various other books of historical blunders and funny stories, many of which I read when I started getting into history. They're very accessible but also intelligent without being boring.
Geoff also compiled various other books of historical blunders and funny stories, many of which I read when I started getting into history. They're very accessible but also intelligent without being boring.
I've been reading a bunch of manga and Japanese light novels, which have been something of a mixed bag, but the one I'm currently reading is actually quite good, despite the dark subject material. It's the first volume of a series called The Saga of Tanya the Evil, and revolves around an alternate version of World War I set in the early 20s where mages are a key part of combat.
A lot of the story revolves around a prodigious 10 year old 'German' mage called Tanya, who is noted for her ruthlessness, pragmatism, and even sadistic attitude, many even on her own side consider her a monster. In truth...she is actually the reincarnation of a Japanese HR manager from our universe who, after being murdered by a drug addict he fired, is confronted by a being who claims to be God, though the HR manager, a lifelong atheist, calls him Being X. Being X, blaming a lack of faith on modern conveniences, decides to reincarnate said manager as Tanya, as well as deliberately set things up to force Tanya to become an acolyte. Like, for example, creating a powerful magic focus that only works properly when you pray, and brainwashes you. So, Tanya's very like a darker version of Flashman or Ciaphas Cain.
A lot of the story revolves around a prodigious 10 year old 'German' mage called Tanya, who is noted for her ruthlessness, pragmatism, and even sadistic attitude, many even on her own side consider her a monster. In truth...she is actually the reincarnation of a Japanese HR manager from our universe who, after being murdered by a drug addict he fired, is confronted by a being who claims to be God, though the HR manager, a lifelong atheist, calls him Being X. Being X, blaming a lack of faith on modern conveniences, decides to reincarnate said manager as Tanya, as well as deliberately set things up to force Tanya to become an acolyte. Like, for example, creating a powerful magic focus that only works properly when you pray, and brainwashes you. So, Tanya's very like a darker version of Flashman or Ciaphas Cain.
raisindot said:
I read Lincoln in the Bardo recently. I haven't quite decided whether it's a brilliant new literary form or a failed screenwriter's attempt to pass off an unsellable screenplay as a pretentious new form of literature.
Just finished The Courier by Gerald Brant its a cyber punk one set in what is called San Angles all the major cities on the coast grown and merge into one built on seven levels with the government controlled by mega corporations, for me a page turning novel I'm waiting on the sequel being delivered by Monday hopefully (The Operator).
There’s an awesome book called Jennifer Government set in a dystopian world where corporate organisations run everything. The author is Max Barry, here’s a wiki thing for it - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Government
I highly recommend it.
Happy reading.
I highly recommend it.
Happy reading.
I read that years ago...
I'm currently reading the two parts of the latest Overlord novel (for the English translations, anyway), Volumes 5 and 6, making up the story The Men in the Kingdom. Seriously, if you need a dark fantasy series with a twist and the occasional bit of humour, go for Overlord by Kugane Muryama. It's nothing to do with the game series, but it's great. It's basically what happens when a normal guy playing an evil overlord in a MMORPG ends up being transported to a fantasy world, along with the NPCs of the guild he ran...and they come to life. And are ridiculously OP compared to everyone else. Just as a taster, I'll post a link to a fandub of the opening of the first anime series....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR-FkFwMLco
As a sidenote, given how well Christopher Guerrero plays Momonga/Ainz in the dub, I reckon he wouldn't be too bad as Death...
I'm currently reading the two parts of the latest Overlord novel (for the English translations, anyway), Volumes 5 and 6, making up the story The Men in the Kingdom. Seriously, if you need a dark fantasy series with a twist and the occasional bit of humour, go for Overlord by Kugane Muryama. It's nothing to do with the game series, but it's great. It's basically what happens when a normal guy playing an evil overlord in a MMORPG ends up being transported to a fantasy world, along with the NPCs of the guild he ran...and they come to life. And are ridiculously OP compared to everyone else. Just as a taster, I'll post a link to a fandub of the opening of the first anime series....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR-FkFwMLco
As a sidenote, given how well Christopher Guerrero plays Momonga/Ainz in the dub, I reckon he wouldn't be too bad as Death...
Sorry I couldn't say much, as it's been years since I've read it. I remember that the titular character was the divorced wife of one of the main villains, and there was a plot to drum up interest for...Nike shoes or something by shooting someone wearing them. And everyone had corporations they worked for as surnames to denote their affiliation. It was enjoyable enough for a dystopian satire, but I don't think I can be arsed reading it again. Hell, dystopian stuff in general I've sort of gone off. I like dark stuff, but dystopian science fiction is a bit of a turnoff for me lately, probably because it's too damned likely to happen, and I could do without being any more depressed than I am already (unless it's far in the future, like, say, Warhammer 40K or the video game series Borderlands...and even then, I can only stand the Ciaphas Cain series from the former franchise, as I want it to have some comedy). Hell, it's one of the reasons I haven't read Ready Player One yet, despite the acclaim and the upcoming movie.
A lot of the stuff I've been reading lately have been Japanese light novels, which are admittedly a bit of a mixed bag, but you can find some gems. Overlord was one, and Baccano! was another. Durarara!! is also one to consider, as is The Saga of Tanya the Evil. I think that's partly because my motivation to read anything longer than a couple of hundred pages has gone down significantly lately. But it also shows I'm drifting somewhat towards fantasy series rather than science fiction lately, unlike what I've read in the past (Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, Rowling and George RR Martin aside). Hell, if they officially translate the light novels of Fate/Zero and Fate/Apocrypha, I'll be buying them.
A lot of the stuff I've been reading lately have been Japanese light novels, which are admittedly a bit of a mixed bag, but you can find some gems. Overlord was one, and Baccano! was another. Durarara!! is also one to consider, as is The Saga of Tanya the Evil. I think that's partly because my motivation to read anything longer than a couple of hundred pages has gone down significantly lately. But it also shows I'm drifting somewhat towards fantasy series rather than science fiction lately, unlike what I've read in the past (Tolkien, Terry Pratchett, Rowling and George RR Martin aside). Hell, if they officially translate the light novels of Fate/Zero and Fate/Apocrypha, I'll be buying them.
I finally found a copy of Philip Reeve's book, Goblins. It's pretty decent YA writing and reasonably good fun. I particularly liked the middle-aged princess (after all, it was an old ballad) that the twelve-year-old adventurer set out to rescue. The main goblin character was perhaps a tiny bit too good to be true, but the action was nonstop and the magic system seemed reasonably consistent.
G'day,
I had a birthday recently and was given some excellent books. Three by PG Wodehouse Carry On Jeeves, Thank You Jeeves and The Code Of The Woosters. I forgot I'd read the last one, that's the trouble with Wodehouse. An awesome Australian book called Penguin Bloom about a magpie that rescues a family. Here's a thing if you're interested https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... d-a-family it's an exceptional story and the photo's are astounding. Last but not least, The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury which I'm about to start.
It's good to see what everyone's been reading.
Take care.
I had a birthday recently and was given some excellent books. Three by PG Wodehouse Carry On Jeeves, Thank You Jeeves and The Code Of The Woosters. I forgot I'd read the last one, that's the trouble with Wodehouse. An awesome Australian book called Penguin Bloom about a magpie that rescues a family. Here's a thing if you're interested https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... d-a-family it's an exceptional story and the photo's are astounding. Last but not least, The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury which I'm about to start.
It's good to see what everyone's been reading.
Take care.
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