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90s Cringe Rock posted:I do like the sound of Seth RR Dickinson, but what would the Rs stand for? Rest and Relaxation
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Nov 4, 2018 14:38
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90s Cringe Rock posted:I do like the sound of Seth RR Dickinson, but what would the Rs stand for? Reth Rickinson
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Nov 4, 2018 14:45
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NoNostalgia4Grover posted:Stanislaw Lem's Peace on Earth, The Investigation, and Fiasco are all $1.99 on the kindle storefront right now. It's still showing me Fiasco at $9.99, is there a link I can follow that will show me the discount?
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Nov 4, 2018 16:43
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StrixNebulosa posted:I just found this marvelous take on Tolkein from Gary Gygax, and I cannot get over it. Please enjoy it with me. He's right about The Hobbit being better than LOTR.
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Nov 4, 2018 17:52
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IYKK posted:He's right about The Hobbit being better than LOTR. Care to explain your opinion?
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Nov 4, 2018 18:00
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Ccs posted:It's still showing me Fiasco at $9.99, is there a link I can follow that will show me the discount? It was $1.99 for 12 hours, which is new to me and possibly just amazon messing up or really tweaking their flash sales algorithm timing. Fiasco is sure to hit $1.99 in another unannounced flash discount, seems to happen every 3-4 weeks since I started watching and waiting for Lem's Star Diaries to go on sale it never does. Sad because Star Diaries is full of one-off things later authors would turn into book series....the robot monks on the planet of infinite bio-morphing for example.
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Nov 4, 2018 18:17
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Finished Baru 2. Good stuff. A lot of times during the reading I was like "man, this world has really been thought through." There's so much that makes it feel like a recognizable yet alien yet credible place. My favorite bits were Tau flashbacks in Oriati Mbo. Seeing Cosgrade and Farrier as younger guys figuring out their philosophies was cool, as was Tau's experiences with Kinda and Abd. Least favorite were the bits inside Xate Yawa's head. It focused a lot on her plans and justifications and while it was necessary to advance the story, I didn't get a great sense of place from her perspective, and her ambitions are less interesting than the other POV characters.
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Nov 4, 2018 20:03
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A favorite Baru 2 moment: Baru's immediate fascination with the gliders while fleeing the Morrow Ministry base, and her horror when... quote:Brine slapped at Baru’s face. She howled in dismay. She’d grayed out! She’d missed the flight! “Go back,” she snarled, desperate to experience such a marvel. “Go back, do it again!”
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Nov 4, 2018 21:08
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That bit was great. I love it when The Immense Dork Baru Cormorant peaks out from behind the mask.
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Nov 4, 2018 21:35
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Just finished Baru 2 myself. Love the depiction of the morrow ministry station and the marines, especially the 'tactical clerks' who swing in to make notes about enemy weapons and technology with the single use clocks to verify timestamps. The Masquerade is such a great concept. Mbo as well is a great counterweight to the Empire. Series definitely went in a direction I wasn't really expecting, and that's not a negative. I'd expected Baru to return to the capital and start scheming ala book 1. Was a nice nod to it when they first landed and she caused the run on fiat notes. My only real frustration with the novel is that after everything in book 1 and becoming a cryptarch, she just seemed to get pulled along with events rather than being the prodigal genius she was, and I get that is down to the fallout of Tain Hu's death, and the Qualm. I'm still hoping to see her actually function develop her own network and take advantage of the polestar mark she and her general earned.
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Nov 4, 2018 22:43
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Sliding in because I just finished The Monster Baru Cormorant and while it was not the glass-splinters-in-my-heart experience that Traitor (especially the end) was it was still real god drat good. I can tell that really absorbing it and all the themes it weaves in is gonna take a reread though, just like Traitor did. I really hope Apparitor and Baru figure their poo poo out and become friends and allies, despite everything. They feel like the most natural allies to me, not only because they're both queer characters but because they both have the most useful things to teach one another by virtue of fitting right into one anothers' blind spots so to speak. The weirdest part of the story to me was probably the whole thing about the Cancrioth and how it fits into things. I feel like I have to go back and read Traitor a third time I think just to see how it fits in there, because while I see how it fits with the themes of the book, as a discrete thing it doesn't feel foreshadowed for how important it apparently is and it almost felt out of place with the kind of setting the books have set up. Which is fine, we didn't really touch the Oriati in Traitor after all, but I want to see more about where it and other examples of bizarre mysticism are hiding in the ykari.
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Nov 4, 2018 22:44
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ed balls balls man posted:Just finished Baru 2 myself. This was my major problem with the book and, along with the fact that (unlike Baru 1) everyone seemed constantly depressed and in pain and no one could seemed to be able to form any real connections with one another and those that did have real connections had them forcibly removed/destroyed , made me genuinely concerned for GB’s emotional well-being.
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Nov 4, 2018 22:50
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uberkeyzer posted:This was my major problem with the book and, along with the fact that (unlike Baru 1) everyone seemed constantly depressed and in pain and no one could seemed to be able to form any real connections with one another and those that did have real connections had them forcibly removed/destroyed , made me genuinely concerned for GB’s emotional well-being. Yeah, and for context I gave it 4 stars on Amazon/Goodreads and will preorder again. The prose is fantastic (I absolutely chomped through the first half), the new characters that were introduced I really enjoyed, and thought the new POVs were something necessary now the plot isn't as self contained as Traitor. The Masquerade is one of my favourite fantasy empires along with the Malazans. The Elided Keep and the tidbits we had there about previous cryptarchs were great. Mbo and the tales of Farrier/Hayschest were also really nice insight. I think my own expectations (based on the letter Baru penned at the end of Traitor are just contrasting a bit with Monster I recall GB saying in an interview or somewhere that at some point he had to chop the novel and move some parts around as it was a little long for a relatively new author. Have a feeling this is why it didn't quite scratch all my Baru itches. Will be interesting to see how my opinion forms once I've read the next one!
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Nov 4, 2018 23:17
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uberkeyzer posted:This was my major problem with the book and, along with the fact that (unlike Baru 1) everyone seemed constantly depressed and in pain and no one could seemed to be able to form any real connections with one another and those that did have real connections had them forcibly removed/destroyed , made me genuinely concerned for GB’s emotional well-being. I feel like that ties in with the epigraph pretty well, imo -- everybody trusts their pain because it's part and parcel of the sacrifices/bargains/vows they've made to get to where and who they are. Although implausible (impossible?), they'd probably be better off if they let go and stopped trying to sneak-murder each other.
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Nov 4, 2018 23:39
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Figured I’d ask in here. Has anybody ever encountered the word ”gram” used in a fantasy book as a protective ward? Same root as pentagram. I literally encountered it in a dream and want to know if I made it up or picked it out of something I read.
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Nov 4, 2018 23:39
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navyjack posted:Figured I’d ask in here. Has anybody ever encountered the word ”gram” used in a fantasy book as a protective ward? Same root as pentagram. Word Origin and History for pentagram n. "five-pointed star," 1820, from Greek pentagrammon , noun use of neuter of adj. pentagrammos "having five lines," from pente "five" (see five) + gramma "what is written" (see grammar).
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Nov 4, 2018 23:40
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cptn_dr posted:That bit was great. I love it when The Immense Dork Baru Cormorant peaks out from behind the mask. Indeed. It is somehow reassuring that the spirit of 8-year-old Baru, filled with wonder about the world and everything within it, and determined to learn EVERYTHING has survived all that the world has thrown at her since. uberkeyzer posted:This was my major problem with the book and, along with the fact that (unlike Baru 1) everyone seemed constantly depressed and in pain and no one could seemed to be able to form any real connections with one another and those that did have real connections had them forcibly removed/destroyed , made me genuinely concerned for GB’s emotional well-being. One might wonder if Tau-Indi's concern about a wound in the trim large enough to destroy the world is not entirely unfounded... I enjoyed this one as much as Traitor, partially because it did surprise me with where it went, though it definitely has much more of a middle-book-y ending, whereas the end of Traitor felt like a more complete / self-contained stopping point. Going to be a long year waiting for The Epic Conclusion Baru Cormorant!
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Nov 4, 2018 23:53
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navyjack posted:Figured I’d ask in here. Has anybody ever encountered the word ”gram” used in a fantasy book as a protective ward? Same root as pentagram. Yeah rothfuss uses it in his 2 book trilogy.
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Nov 5, 2018 00:02
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Quinton posted:Indeed. It is somehow reassuring that the spirit of 8-year-old Baru, filled with wonder about the world and everything within it, and determined to learn EVERYTHING has survived all that the world has thrown at her since. The takeaway for me was indeed that Tau was right. They were right all along. Which makes what happens to them all the more tragic. 
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Nov 5, 2018 00:03
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I think it is in some ways an emotionally unsatisfying book because it does not reach an emotional climax. Everyone's fumbling around numb, failing to make connections, and that doesn't quite change by the end. The cliffhanger is purely a plot event; it doesn't bring Baru to a point where 'things cannot go on as they have before,' where she is brought to a place in her life where she simply must alter her course. That comes about 40,000 words later and I really wanted to fit it into this book (Monster), because I would much rather end on a vital character moment than a plot one. As is it's like ending on Han being frozen in carbonite but without any 'No, I am your father' - a bad thing has happened, yeah, but it's not a thing which completely alters a character's approach to the world and their place in it. Unfortunately it was just Too Many Words to squeeze in the necessary text. And, really unfortunately, if everybody decides to skip your second book and wait for your third one, your second book sells for poo poo, and bookstores slash their orders for your third one, causing it to get less publicity and to sell for even more poo poo. So I can't in good conscience say 'wait for Book 3' because then Book 3 is dead on arrival. The good news is that the next book will start with a bang! I think Book 2 is good as is, but it will really click when Book 3 is out and the jagged ends fit together.
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Nov 5, 2018 00:24
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"Bushmeat defense" deserves a fairly high spot on the ranking of understatedly horrifying phrases.
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Nov 5, 2018 01:11
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StrixNebulosa posted:Care to explain your opinion? LotR has many pages of superfluous crap that could be torn out of the book and nothing of value would be missed. Like every time someone sings.
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Nov 5, 2018 01:51
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Chairchucker posted:LotR has many pages of superfluous crap that could be torn out of the book and nothing of value would be missed. Like every time someone sings. the whole drat fantasy genre could be torn out of books and nothing would be missed!!
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Nov 5, 2018 10:27
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Chairchucker posted:LotR has many pages of superfluous crap that could be torn out of the book and nothing of value would be missed. Like every time someone sings. It's like the last few series of the US Office where Andy sings a song for no reason. Bushmeat defence is brutal.
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Nov 5, 2018 11:00
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A human heart posted:the whole drat fantasy genre could be torn out of books and nothing would be missed!! Technically, why stop there; exterminate all sentient life in the universe and absolutely nothing would be missed.
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Nov 5, 2018 11:13
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Groke posted:Technically, why stop there; exterminate all sentient life in the universe and absolutely nothing would be missed. On the one hand you have a point On the other hand, dogs
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Nov 5, 2018 11:15
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Fantastic Feasts: The Crimes of BaruWald
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Nov 5, 2018 12:16
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ninguno posted:Yeah rothfuss uses it in his 2 book trilogy. THERE we go! I KNEW I’d heard it somewhere.
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Nov 5, 2018 19:52
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I am super late to the game on actually reading the Baru books but I started Traitor over the weekend and am loving it! Very excited to read it and 2 so I can come back and read all the spoiler-tagged discussion.
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Nov 5, 2018 19:58
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Groke posted:Technically, why stop there; exterminate all sentient life in the universe and absolutely nothing would be missed. i don't think that's true, seems more like you have a personal issue like depression
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Nov 6, 2018 00:00
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Carbon based lifeforms are boring. Bring on the silicon + bismuth based lifeforms. Master of Orion 2 never gets old.
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Nov 6, 2018 03:51
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eszett engma posted:"Bushmeat defense" deserves a fairly high spot on the ranking of understatedly horrifying phrases. speaking of...was it supposed to be obvious to the reader why it's called the Kettling? is it because it's from 'the kettles (tribes?) of Mzilimake'
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Nov 6, 2018 04:40
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nerdpony posted:I am super late to the game on actually reading the Baru books but I started Traitor over the weekend and am loving it! Very excited to read it and 2 so I can come back and read all the spoiler-tagged discussion. Same, about 1/2 way though the audiobook. Good narration on top of the great story. I was sold when she tanked the empires currency to gently caress the dukes, good poo poo.
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Nov 6, 2018 05:31
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nerdpony posted:I am super late to the game on actually reading the Baru books but I started Traitor over the weekend and am loving it! Very excited to read it and 2 so I can come back and read all the spoiler-tagged discussion. I'm still waiting for book 2 to come out in the UK because on this assbackward island we can't have it yet.
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Nov 6, 2018 08:53
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Ferrosol posted:I'm still waiting for book 2 to come out in the UK because on this assbackward island we can't have it yet.  Bloody Tories. What's going on with that? Apologies to the General if he's answered this and I missed it, and I assume he's not happy about it either. I'd buy the hardcopy, but I bought Baru 1 in ebook and the hardcover later, as a gift for someone, and I don't think they'd appreciate me stealing it back to make my shelves pretty.
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Nov 6, 2018 09:37
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But the EU are evil capitalists, comrade Corbyn told me so (and refuses to back a second referendum).
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Nov 6, 2018 10:07
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Chairchucker posted:LotR has many pages of superfluous crap that could be torn out of the book and nothing of value would be missed. Like every time someone sings. I actually have never been able to read LotR and this is the reason. I enjoyed the Hobbit. It told a fantasy adventure story that was fairly tight and self-contained. LotR felt, from the beginning, a bit indulgent--Bilbo's birthday party was pretty funny, but it started groaning on after that as our hobbit heroes began having the history of the wider world explained to them. Granted, I haven't made an attempt at reading it in quite a while, but the pacing that let Hobbit work was shot to hell in LotR. As well, by the time I tried to read LotR, I'd read dozens of imitators and so the whole secondary historical worldbuilding thing was not so mind-blowing to me. Tolkien certainly did a good job with it, and invoking the style of old eddas and historical sources helped solidify the work, but he was also a dry academic and that's how he wrote. Anyway though I'm not calling LotR bad. Just not for me. It's weird because I am a dry academic as an adult and I've read monographs about things like the Chinese banking industry. Somehow LotR didn't click. Also on the subject of "gram" as Hieronymus Alloy mentioned, it is a root implying a thing written and it appears in some other terms like "tetragrammaton" or "engram" specifically to do with engraving so using it for a mystical ward or written mystical warning wouldn't seem out of place.
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Nov 6, 2018 14:32
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occamsnailfile posted:As well, by the time I tried to read LotR, I'd read dozens of imitators and so the whole secondary historical worldbuilding thing was not so mind-blowing to me.
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Nov 6, 2018 14:47
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90s Cringe Rock posted:I did not vote for Baruxit. I have no idea. Tor UK presumably up to some
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Nov 6, 2018 16:42
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the talent deficit posted:speaking of...was it supposed to be obvious to the reader why it's called the Kettling? is it because it's from 'the kettles (tribes?) of Mzilimake' I think it's cause they have some crazy disease that melds people together in big old kettle style cauldrons, and they make other people eat them.
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Nov 6, 2018 16:48
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