What Book Changed Your Mind?

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Obvious Leo
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by Obvious Leo »

Hobbes' Choice wrote:I think sci-fi is the most maligned and misunderstood genre.
I agree, although much of it is crap, as you say. However the same could be said of most fiction and non-fiction alike. I was a big sci-fi fan as a younger man and then seemed to grow out of it until my son gave me some Iain Banks books to try. I then had a bit of a sci-fi revival and read every word that Banks wrote, (sadly there will be no more). The physics is absurd but the characters, the plots and the sociological settings are fascinating.
Skip
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by Skip »

My SO loved the Martian and is urging me to read it. I'm reluctant, because I'm far more keen on strange planets, different life-forms, alternate realities (Anthony, Farmer, Asimov, LeGuin) than man vs nature struggles. The Time Machine rather than Mysterious Island, y'know? And certainly not doc smith.

Atwood aligns herself with the alternative school, deliberately. She has a whole little book on kinds and flavours of science and speculative fiction, which explains her position - and is quite entertaining to read, btw. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/o ... ood-review
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Hobbes' Choice
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by Hobbes' Choice »

Obvious Leo wrote:
Hobbes' Choice wrote:I think sci-fi is the most maligned and misunderstood genre.
I agree, although much of it is crap, as you say. However the same could be said of most fiction and non-fiction alike. I was a big sci-fi fan as a younger man and then seemed to grow out of it until my son gave me some Iain Banks books to try. I then had a bit of a sci-fi revival and read every word that Banks wrote, (sadly there will be no more). The physics is absurd but the characters, the plots and the sociological settings are fascinating.
The physics has to be absurd. Sadly humans are stuck with the planet they are evolved to survive on. I very much doubt that we shall ever have an extraterrestrial colony: so hyperdrive is the fiction that makes it all possible.

Interesting that you gave up on sci-fi and had a revival - me too. in 92 when I did my degree as a mature student, I stopped all fiction and sold my books to the local second hand store - by the shelf-foot.
When my academic studies started to wane fiction came back in to my life: Iain (m) Banks, H RIder Haggard, T C Boyle.
I'd also recommend Alistair Reynolds.
I'm furiously reading 100s of short stories on Kindle, as they sort my reading times. "Science Fiction Megapack" of various kinds.
eg http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tenth-Golden-Sc ... QXJZ2HJX8P
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Hobbes' Choice
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

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Skip wrote:My SO loved the Martian and is urging me to read it. I'm reluctant, because I'm far more keen on strange planets, different life-forms, alternate realities (Anthony, Farmer, Asimov, LeGuin) than man vs nature struggles. The Time Machine rather than Mysterious Island, y'know? And certainly not doc smith.

Atwood aligns herself with the alternative school, deliberately. She has a whole little book on kinds and flavours of science and speculative fiction, which explains her position - and is quite entertaining to read, btw. http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/o ... ood-review
I liked the Martian because it reminded my of hard sci-fi. I think there was a Clarke story called "Earthlight", or "Moondust".
Anyway there was a group of people trying to cross the moon after a disaster of come kind,and it was about how to deal with the technical problems that would actually occur. Great entertainment for the same reason Apollo 13 was good.
Dalek Prime
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by Dalek Prime »

Hobbes' Choice wrote:I'm not sure "change my mind" is exactly what I'd say about these books, but they had a great impact, and I'm only too happy to have read them several times before the bloody films ruined them for all time. Not that the films were bad. But nothing can ever replace the imaged landscapes and characters so well draw by the great writing skill of JRR Tolkien, and once the films are out there they can never be unseen.

The Hobbit.
The Fellowship of the Ring.
The Two Towers.
The Return of the King.
Totally agree, Hobbes. I'm so happy I was allowed to imagine his world without seeing it through someone else's eyes, no matter how much Jackson appreciated it himself. The movies are no more than a homage to the books. Btw, have you ever heard the 1973(?) reading of The Hobbit by Nicol Williamson. I recommend it, if you haven't. Quite fun.
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Hobbes' Choice
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by Hobbes' Choice »

Dalek Prime wrote:
Hobbes' Choice wrote:I'm not sure "change my mind" is exactly what I'd say about these books, but they had a great impact, and I'm only too happy to have read them several times before the bloody films ruined them for all time. Not that the films were bad. But nothing can ever replace the imaged landscapes and characters so well draw by the great writing skill of JRR Tolkien, and once the films are out there they can never be unseen.

The Hobbit.
The Fellowship of the Ring.
The Two Towers.
The Return of the King.
Totally agree, Hobbes. I'm so happy I was allowed to imagine his world without seeing it through someone else's eyes, no matter how much Jackson appreciated it himself. The movies are no more than a homage to the books. Btw, have you ever heard the 1973(?) reading of The Hobbit by Nicol Williamson. I recommend it, if you haven't. Quite fun.
No, i've not. Did he not play Merlin in John Boorman's film of Arthur?

I seem to remember about 1980 there was a BBC radio show of about 20 hours in length. of the LOTR. Ian Holm was Frodo who went on to play Bilbo in the LOTR films. I think Gandalf was played by Michael Hordern of Moomin's fame. I recommend this. I do lots of sculpture and often listen to lots of things. I might treat myself to this.
This is a great half-way house between a film and a book.

I understand there is even an earlier late sixties version too.
Dalek Prime
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by Dalek Prime »

Tolkien himself had many recordings, including one where he sung the songs from The Lord of the Rings. So when I saw the movie, I knew Peter Jackson was unfamiliar with them, because they were not done the way Tolkien performed them. Disappointing.
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Hobbes' Choice
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by Hobbes' Choice »

Dalek Prime wrote:Tolkien himself had many recordings, including one where he sung the songs from The Lord of the Rings. So when I saw the movie, I knew Peter Jackson was unfamiliar with them, because they were not done the way Tolkien performed them. Disappointing.
Wow didn't even do the research.
Dalek Prime
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by Dalek Prime »

Hobbes' Choice wrote:
Dalek Prime wrote:Tolkien himself had many recordings, including one where he sung the songs from The Lord of the Rings. So when I saw the movie, I knew Peter Jackson was unfamiliar with them, because they were not done the way Tolkien performed them. Disappointing.
Wow didn't even do the research.
Nope.
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attofishpi
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by attofishpi »

William Buchanan
Mastering Microsoft Windows, Novell Netware and Unix.

In 2000 i moved to Port Lincoln to manage a new computer retail business - PL is a primarily fishing town in S.Aust. I knew God existed for 3 years already, but was a novice in 'its' ways. I was under a rather major 'test' at the time. I moseyed into the library amidst the noise and haste and grabbed this book, then continued the mosey to the pub. I don't remember the name of the pub, but it was really old(ish) with an old wooden bar, rather run down with black and white chequered tiles like a chess board.
I sat at a table with a beer, while fishermen and locals in general were lathering themselves heavily with the amber nectar at the bar. It was really boisterous as i opened to page 3.
"James Clerk Maxwell rates amongst the greatest of all the human beings who have walked upon this planet and his importance to science puts him on par with Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, James Watt and Michael Faraday. Maxwell's most famous formulation was a set of four equations that define the basic laws of electricity and magnetism (Maxwell's equations).
From his work, Maxwell proved that all electromagnetic waves, in a vacuum travel at 186,000 miles per second. This, Maxwell recognised, was equal to the speed of light and from this he deduced that light was also an electromagnetic wave. He then reasoned that the electromagnetic wave spectrum must contain many invisible waves, each with its own wavelength and characteristic."
While i was reading this and summoning my own reasoning in relation to this 'God' entity -that had me in its grip at the time, the people in the bar would call out something pertinent to my reasoning! Of course, it wasn't them doing this, but God in its shimmering light of existence being the backbone to all reality - something that i had sussed out over the previous 3 years. I gazed out across the chequered tiles considering that God IS the light, and everything beyond and inbetween - all wavelengths that ultimately constitute 'material' reality, as the crowd around me would yell 'right' as my reasoning would be acknowledged 'correct' ...etc.
Then this scrawny rough old man walked over to my table grinning, raised his right hand as if to grab something and said, "Would you like some..light..on that?" as he tugged on an invisible piece of string as if to be turning on a light!
None of you will believe any of this, send atto to the cuckoo farm i'm sure...but in that short period of time...i was walking within God's dimensions.
Dalek Prime
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by Dalek Prime »

attofishpi wrote:William Buchanan
Mastering Microsoft Windows, Novell Netware and Unix.

In 2000 i moved to Port Lincoln to manage a new computer retail business - PL is a primarily fishing town in S.Aust. I knew God existed for 3 years already, but was a novice in 'its' ways. I was under a rather major 'test' at the time. I moseyed into the library amidst the noise and haste and grabbed this book, then continued the mosey to the pub. I don't remember the name of the pub, but it was really old(ish) with an old wooden bar, rather run down with black and white chequered tiles like a chess board.
I sat at a table with a beer, while fishermen and locals in general were lathering themselves heavily with the amber nectar at the bar. It was really boisterous as i opened to page 3.
"James Clerk Maxwell rates amongst the greatest of all the human beings who have walked upon this planet and his importance to science puts him on par with Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, James Watt and Michael Faraday. Maxwell's most famous formulation was a set of four equations that define the basic laws of electricity and magnetism (Maxwell's equations).
From his work, Maxwell proved that all electromagnetic waves, in a vacuum travel at 186,000 miles per second. This, Maxwell recognised, was equal to the speed of light and from this he deduced that light was also an electromagnetic wave. He then reasoned that the electromagnetic wave spectrum must contain many invisible waves, each with its own wavelength and characteristic."
While i was reading this and summoning my own reasoning in relation to this 'God' entity -that had me in its grip at the time, the people in the bar would call out something pertinent to my reasoning! Of course, it wasn't them doing this, but God in its shimmering light of existence being the backbone to all reality - something that i had sussed out over the previous 3 years. I gazed out across the chequered tiles considering that God IS the light, and everything beyond and inbetween - all wavelengths that ultimately constitute 'material' reality, as the crowd around me would yell 'right' as my reasoning would be acknowledged 'correct' ...etc.
Then this scrawny rough old man walked over to my table grinning, raised his right hand as if to grab something and said, "Would you like some..light..on that?" as he tugged on an invisible piece of string as if to be turning on a light!
None of you will believe any of this, send atto to the cuckoo farm i'm sure...but in that short period of time...i was walking within God's dimensions.
So, you came to God through beer and coincidence?
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Hobbes' Choice
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by Hobbes' Choice »

Dalek Prime wrote:
attofishpi wrote:William Buchanan
Mastering Microsoft Windows, Novell Netware and Unix.

In 2000 i moved to Port Lincoln to manage a new computer retail business - PL is a primarily fishing town in S.Aust. I knew God existed for 3 years already, but was a novice in 'its' ways. I was under a rather major 'test' at the time. I moseyed into the library amidst the noise and haste and grabbed this book, then continued the mosey to the pub. I don't remember the name of the pub, but it was really old(ish) with an old wooden bar, rather run down with black and white chequered tiles like a chess board.
I sat at a table with a beer, while fishermen and locals in general were lathering themselves heavily with the amber nectar at the bar. It was really boisterous as i opened to page 3.
"James Clerk Maxwell rates amongst the greatest of all the human beings who have walked upon this planet and his importance to science puts him on par with Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, James Watt and Michael Faraday. Maxwell's most famous formulation was a set of four equations that define the basic laws of electricity and magnetism (Maxwell's equations).
From his work, Maxwell proved that all electromagnetic waves, in a vacuum travel at 186,000 miles per second. This, Maxwell recognised, was equal to the speed of light and from this he deduced that light was also an electromagnetic wave. He then reasoned that the electromagnetic wave spectrum must contain many invisible waves, each with its own wavelength and characteristic."
While i was reading this and summoning my own reasoning in relation to this 'God' entity -that had me in its grip at the time, the people in the bar would call out something pertinent to my reasoning! Of course, it wasn't them doing this, but God in its shimmering light of existence being the backbone to all reality - something that i had sussed out over the previous 3 years. I gazed out across the chequered tiles considering that God IS the light, and everything beyond and inbetween - all wavelengths that ultimately constitute 'material' reality, as the crowd around me would yell 'right' as my reasoning would be acknowledged 'correct' ...etc.
Then this scrawny rough old man walked over to my table grinning, raised his right hand as if to grab something and said, "Would you like some..light..on that?" as he tugged on an invisible piece of string as if to be turning on a light!
None of you will believe any of this, send atto to the cuckoo farm i'm sure...but in that short period of time...i was walking within God's dimensions.
So, you came to God through beer and coincidence?
And a severe blow to the head.
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attofishpi
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by attofishpi »

Hobbes' Choice wrote:And a severe blow to the head.
This book could change you mind and i know you own a kindle. I dont get a penny - well not for a long time - Amazon is the only one profiting from my book, Alpha Two.

Its near future (cyberpunk) sci-fi. It starts out in the dystopia of the LA Fire Zone - an area irradiated by 'dirty bombs' that had been set off a few years earlier in central LA. The Fire Zone is an abandoned area left to its own rule of law. Helix Carone, the main protagonist is on the run from a company he used to code for - Bioscope and now is hiding out in the Fire Zone.

Everyone that has bothered to read it have really enjoyed it. It deals ultimately with sentience and AI. An artificial intelligence name Androcies orchestrates every next move to Helix via the neural-net. Eventually Helix learns that Androcies had its AI construct created from the neural scans of his Bioscope mentor - the deceased, Charles Langford. His synapses were sampled at a rate of 100 attoseconds. The AI for all intents and purposes - is Charles Langford.

Give it a go. ...anyone with a kindle - you will love it i assure you, and it just might change your mind!
http://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Two-Andrew- ... ndrew+Seas
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Hobbes' Choice
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by Hobbes' Choice »

attofishpi wrote:
Hobbes' Choice wrote:And a severe blow to the head.
This book could change you mind and i know you own a kindle. I dont get a penny - well not for a long time - Amazon is the only one profiting from my book, Alpha Two.

Its near future (cyberpunk) sci-fi. It starts out in the dystopia of the LA Fire Zone - an area irradiated by 'dirty bombs' that had been set off a few years earlier in central LA. The Fire Zone is an abandoned area left to its own rule of law. Helix Carone, the main protagonist is on the run from a company he used to code for - Bioscope and now is hiding out in the Fire Zone.

Everyone that has bothered to read it have really enjoyed it. It deals ultimately with sentience and AI. An artificial intelligence name Androcies orchestrates every next move to Helix via the neural-net. Eventually Helix learns that Androcies had its AI construct created from the neural scans of his Bioscope mentor - the deceased, Charles Langford. His synapses were sampled at a rate of 100 attoseconds. The AI for all intents and purposes - is Charles Langford.

Give it a go. ...anyone with a kindle - you will love it i assure you, and it just might change your mind!
http://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Two-Andrew- ... ndrew+Seas
As you say this is your book, I'll take a look at it.
http://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Two-Andrew- ... 879&sr=1-1

So tell me about the deal you have with Kindle!
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attofishpi
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Re: What Book Changed Your Mind?

Post by attofishpi »

Hobbes' Choice wrote:As you say this is your book, I'll take a look at it.
http://www.amazon.com/Alpha-Two-Andrew- ... 879&sr=1-1

So tell me about the deal you have with Kindle!
I get 75% of the sell price - but only get a cheque when the sales reach $100. I have'nt seen a cheque yet! I haven't checked how the sales are going, well i haven't exactly done any marketing. I did a hard-copy print run of 100 books and sold them for $15 each - print costs $10\book and the $500 i made covered the professional editor costs. So, yeah to date Amazon are the ones getting any money for it thus far (aside from the editor). :(
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