The identify that story/book thread: Home of the gas pump boy

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > The identify that story/book thread: Home of the gas pump boy

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Synnr posted:

-Towards the end of the book (approx. last third), characters are flying around in silvered spheres and battling it out. They are (perhaps unintentionally) traveling through time during combat. Possibly as a side effect of the battle. This time travel is part of what the spheres can do, but the characters are not intentionally doing this.

-The characters are most likely primitive humans, or primitive humanoids.

-It is either earth or a very earth-like planet.

-He read this either in middle school or high school, drawn from the school library. So perhaps classified as a childrens/young adults book. It was not brand new, but likely in the 90s. In the last 20 years perhaps. At least before 2002.

Kind of reminds me of The Peace War by Vernor Vinge although only in the limited tech, time travel & silver bubbles bit. There are two sequels, a novella & a novel too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Peace_War

# ¿ Feb 27, 2010 10:57

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 09:57

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

I feel like i've read that too, although i have no idea who it's by or what it's called.

# ¿ Mar 1, 2010 06:00

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Hughlander posted:

Buying Time by Joe Haldeman - Though it was 10 years not 80...

Is correct, Holy Fire by Bruce Sterling is another in a similar vein.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2010 14:27

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

mt1 posted:

The other book was a sci-fi book set in the future on the moon. I read it around 1997-1998. The cover of the book was a moon bootprint with blood on it I think. There was some war going on with the Earth colony and the Union moon base, soldiers invaded the base. Perspective jumped around from the main character to soldiers to others. The only part I remember clearly was the main character being in a virtual classroom and minimizing it to play a videogame or something.

Thanks.

I'd guess Lunar Descent by Alan Steele although there's long history in scifi of moon bases revolting from the control of earth governments &/or corporations ie. Heinlein's The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress.

# ¿ Mar 19, 2010 01:24

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Shieala posted:

The main character is a early middle-aged man who writes commercial jingles. This is set sometime in the future, distant enough that travel between star systems is commonplace.

Sounds like The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl or one of the sequels.

# ¿ Dec 21, 2010 10:59

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Mr. Stay-Puft posted:

I read a story online (I'm pretty sure it was online, not 100% sure though) a year or two ago in a near-future setting where a handful of ludicrously rich people, who were practically whole countries in terms of net worth, controlled the world, and several major corporations existed solely for the purpose of trying to come up with some brilliant idea for a product one of these super-rich people would actually want to buy.

The protagonist works for one of these companies; the product he eventually creates is some kind of virus or nanomachine or something that forces peoples' brains to rewire themselves to be perfectly rational.

YES! nervous breakdown averted. Thanks!
vvvvvv

Not the book but Holy Fire by Bruce Sterling has some very similar themes

# ¿ Oct 31, 2012 23:15

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Poldarn posted:

Here is a vague one. Centaur-like aliens have a warp-drive malfunction that puts them in our section of the galaxy. They don't know where they are but decide to invade Earth or one of it's colonies anyway. A bunch of farmers from a high gravity world are drafted to fight the invaders on a different planet, I can't remember if it's Earth or not. The book talks a bit about how life on the high gravity planet sucks. The only other thing I remember is that they mention how blasts from whatever plasma/pulse/laser weapons the humans use "unravels" after a few miles so they don't have to worry about missed shots hitting someone miles away.

Soldiers(!) John Dalmas. I just finished reading it on the Kindle, in two parts.

# ¿ May 21, 2014 13:21

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:

Oh, nevermind then. The book series I was thinking of only had the one powered up dude. I think he couldn't have sex cause the increase in his heart rate or hormones would cause his fire breathing thing to go off. It was a weird one.

what was that one?

# ¿ May 11, 2018 07:33

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Teach posted:

Well, that took three and a half hours, when I've been mithering about that book for years. Thank you!

buy the omnibus of all three - it was cheaper than any of them individually on amazon last time i looked.

just one of the best ya series ever, especially if you ever watched the wombles

# ¿ Dec 11, 2018 13:23

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Cluncho McChunk posted:

She says she's looked at stuff from the illustrator and it's not one of those ones, she says the pictures were very similar to those ones though. She said that gnomes featured in this book but it wasn't about them as she recalls. Thanks for having a look!

EDIT: She has managed to find it after doing some more digging. The series is called The Woodland Folk and is by Antonio Lupatelli!

i know the book, didn't realise that he was the illustrator of pingu too

# ¿ Mar 8, 2019 12:45

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

australian children's novels, about a steamship (paddle steamer) on the murray-darling rivers.

bit of a fantasy theme including sailing underground in the great artesian basin and being shipwrecked in the mouth of the murray.

lots of hijinks, bets on water speed, escaping from villians etc.

I would have read them in the late 80s early 90s.

*NVM* TROVE came through
https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/35149709?q=Paddle+Steamer&l-format=Book&l-decade=197&c=book&versionId=43654701
https://www.amazon.com/Cliff-Green/e/B001KCBTJS/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

# ¿ Mar 15, 2019 05:34

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

yaffle posted:

I literally went through the library shelves in alphabetical order and read everything with that Victor Gollancz SF yellow spine.

Same. When I hit time enough for love I had a definite pause though... And the John Varley titan series nailed home that I really didn't have to read everything marked SciFi.

(On topic because of centaur sex)

# ¿ Dec 9, 2019 08:20

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

UCS Hellmaker posted:

I swear this is a book and not a movie but I can't think where I read up on it. Its a book about a space habitat in this deadend trade route thats falling apart and basically lawless at this point. Something is happening on it and theres a long forgotten chamber buried deep in the station that is the center of it that almost no one remember. Does anyone have an idea on what I have stuck in my head?

I think this plot has been done a few times. I do t think it's what you're looking for but it definitely reminded me of a part of Charles Stross' Iron Sunrise.

Pohl's Heechee books? Tanya Huff's Torin books. Bujold's Falling free?

I'm piqued by this one

# ¿ Feb 17, 2020 11:27

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Veni Vidi Ameche! posted:

Thanks for taking a shot, but I�m certain it isn�t a Doctor Who plot. Well, if it is, it wasn�t in a Doctor Who book, and didn�t have the Doctor in it. I guess it could have been adapted for television.

I�ll see if I can remember anything else to add to the description.

- Rich adventurer/engineer type
- Designs/commissions design and construction of a bigass balloon (I think) to lift him to very high heights
- Takes listless woman or woman-creature with him
- As they ascend, she starts to wake up, and begins to beam images into his brain
- She�s an exiled alien queen hell-bent on regaining her throne
- She enlists/conscripts him (I think) to achieve this goal, but the story ends before this happens

Nope. I guess that�s about it.

It's reminding me off a story i read in one of the Old Venus / Old Mars compilations I think.

Which also ties into Isolationist's post as those compilations were love letters to the barsoom etc books

# ¿ May 7, 2020 05:07

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Dell_Zincht posted:

I think I posted my request in this thread ages ago, but I can't find it. I've been looking for this for over a decade now, everyone I've spoken to about it thinks I made it up, and I was convinced I was until I found someone on Goodreads asking about the exact same book.

It was a children's book, possibly a short story in an anthology. Read it in the UK when I was in primary school, so no later than 1995. My memories are that it was by a British author because of the terminology used, but I could be wrong there too.

It's about a boy who is fed up with life and wants to become a petrol pump (or gas pump.) He leaves school one day and walks for miles until he ends up by the side of a road somewhere. He sticks his finger in his ear like a pump and a man comes along and tries to pump petrol from him. The boy is nervous and can't so the man kicks him in the shins and then either he or someone else forces him to swallow an abacus(?)

Eventually the boy becomes a working petrol pump and one day his parents pump gas from him. He recognizes them but can't tell them it's him because, he's a petrol pump. One of his parents remarks that their son loved petrol pumps as they drive away.

Seriously i've tried Google, Goodreads, various other search engines and absolutely nobody knows what this story is. If someone could find out i'll happily reward them with an SA gift cert.

EDIT - I'm pretty sure it's not by Paul Jennings, even though it's exactly the sort of story he would write.

Is this the goodreads request? https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/19562796-boy-commits-suicide-by-turning-into-a-gas-pump-early-90s

I'm intrigued. Have you tried other words for pump. (bowser, dispensor in particular)?

# ¿ Jun 2, 2020 23:00

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Davros1 posted:

"Witches"?

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/witch...edition=1892429

"The Occult, Witchcraft, and Magic"?

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-occult-witchcraft-and-magic-christopher-dell/1123506671

"The Usborne Book of Witches"?

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/stori...edition=8120952

I had the first and third books linked there, both probably too cartoony in art style for the op.

Thanks for the memories

# ¿ Dec 4, 2020 12:14

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

It's not lockstep or sun of suns

# ¿ Jan 5, 2021 10:06

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Selachian posted:

If it wasn't for the Soviet aspect, I'd say you were describing James Blish's Cities in Flight series.

Same.

# ¿ Jan 25, 2021 08:19

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

The teeth one sounds like a fever dream

# ¿ Mar 13, 2021 07:53

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Beef Hardcheese posted:

Watching the lovely preview for "The Tomorrow War" reminded me of this story I've been meaning to find and re-read forever.

A veteran returns home to some vaguely defined point in our past. He had been recruited to fight in a war at the end of time against a parallel timeline, in a universe-spanning war. His side won, which ensures their existence, and survivors get to go home still equipped with their weapons which are basically superpowers they were given. The rule is "go home and live your life but don't use your powers". It's alluded that there are a small handful of people who manage to use their powers but not gently caress things up too bad, like Jesus and the Greek pantheon. The main character finds another veteran who is misusing his powers/weapons, and main character has to kill him. The main character beats him up easily in 3D real world meatspace, but the real damage is in the other dimensions and planes of existence where the "grafted" power weapons exist. The moment he unveils his true form to the bad guy he says "Holy poo poo, Colonel Bone! I had no idea it was you!"* and shits his pants because he realizes he's completely outclassed. The fight is one-sided and over quickly, but because time travel is involved and their weapons/powers involve time travel, this means he erases the bad guy from having ever existed. Which means he never fought in the war at the end of time, and since his absence could Butterfly-effect it's way into making them lose the war, the main character has to go back and re-fight the war because of this guy. And the end implies that this happens a lot because people can't stop being jerks with their powers.

*Half the reason I remember this story is the fact that the main character was named "Colonel Bone" and I was like 12 when I read it.

Edit: Of course I find it immediately after I post this and resume searching http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories/quietwar.htm

Edit 2:

Tony Daniel wrote some trash and at least one decent Space Opera called Metaplanetary

I own a copy of it and read it about 10 years back but don't remember much FWIW

# ¿ Jun 9, 2021 04:54

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Hobnob posted:

Well I'd never heard of it before, but from the subject matter it had to be by Edward Gorey. Apparently he did do a pop-up book, The Dwindling Party.

https://www.amazon.com/Dwindling-Party-Pop-Up-Random-House/dp/0394851293

i have a few of his books but certainly not ones for little kids, my toddler always wants to look at the Gashleycrumb Tineys but it's probably not the alphabet i think she should learn

(reproduced here: https://www.brainpickings.org/2011/01/19/edward-gorey-the-gashlycrumb-tinies/)

# ¿ Sep 8, 2021 23:46

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

xcheopis posted:

The Wuggly Ump was a favourite of mine when I was five.

When she's five, not two a half she can have it!

# ¿ Sep 10, 2021 12:22

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

I'm glad the book was found but I think by the principles of homeopathy, any book that had sat next to a book that had been in the same distribution warehouse as another book from the same (self) publisher as that book, would have been as healing and fulfilling as the original book.

# ¿ Dec 4, 2021 04:47

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Paul J McAuley, reef, from one of the Quiet War series is my guess

# ¿ May 21, 2022 10:27

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

branedotorg posted:

Paul J McAuley, reef, from one of the Quiet War series is my guess

Stories from the Quiet War, kindle edition about $1.50

# ¿ May 21, 2022 10:29

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Chill la Chill posted:

Trying to remember the name of a cyberpunk novel that heavily featured the SF bay area and bike couriers. It was near-future, had current day (90s? 00s?) technology and featured phreaking. I remember an excerpt about going down a hill and timing all the lights to green so they can make it in one go.

I'm reading Virtual Light right now as it was suggested but it isn't it. Virtual Light is interesting in its own right but it's too futuristic to have been this one.

It's triggered something, this'll bother me too now.

Cyberpunk and couriers were such a common mix, even Jessica Alba in Dark Angel was in on it.

The only clear phreaking book I can think of is shockwave rider by john brunner it's in SF Bay but I don't recall a courier and it's very 70s

# ¿ Oct 27, 2022 12:59

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Autisanal Cheese posted:

I'm looking for a book - that was probably also a trilogy or at least had more than one entry - that was a sort of sci-fi/fantasy story about an advanced race from another world (that may or may not have had blue skin?) that conquered another, more primitive world and its people, and it was set some time after the conquest. I can't really remember many details other than all the native animals of the conquered planet had six legs (and I think the invaders' had four), and there might have been a thing about an invader turning into one of the conquered people or having their body switched or something.

This was a very long time ago so I'm sorry for being vague, I just remember it being interesting as a teenager and never getting around to finishing the book - I think it was quite long. It may also be obscure and/or bad, I really wasn't that picky back then.

Made me think of Fenrille by Christopher Rowley (I don't think its it but might scratch a similar itch)https://www.goodreads.com/series/97573-fenrille

The war for eternity and the black ship were written first, the two before that were later prequels.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2023 11:50

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Maha posted:

Trying to remember the name of a series of YA fantasy novels, probably from the late 90s/early 00s, where I think all magic was ritual spellcasting done with powdered dragon's blood. I think the protagonist was a teenage boy. Any idea?

2010s Draconis Memorium series by Anthony Ryan uses this as a magic system too.

# ¿ Mar 21, 2023 08:30

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

GD_American posted:

OK, got one for y'all.

British sci-fi novel

Set on a microplanet, like extremely small (maybe 50km diameter)? with its own atmosphere, because of some neutron star remnant at its core (or something on that order)

Settled only by a Hispanic (Portugese?) family.

Humor is somewhat Douglas Adams-ish but toned down, although the plot ends up being fairly absurd.

Overall world setup is that humanity had a war with AI, won, and banned any kind of AI, it's thought that they're still out there (a la the Battlestar Galactica reboot) rebuilding and looking for vengeance, and it turns out they're right

Leader of humanity who won the war is named The Dictator and was overthrown and is missing

There's one crazy old man on the planet that the family has occasional dealings with, and it turns out he's The Dictator

Earth sends some huge cube there that turns out to be a prison for a psychotic, impossibly powerful psyker named Father Christmas (or something similar).

I feel like I've read this too, although I don't remember the cube bit. Hopefully someone else will be more useful

# ¿ Jul 1, 2023 14:11

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

GD_American posted:

OK, got one for y'all.

British sci-fi novel

Set on a microplanet, like extremely small (maybe 50km diameter)? with its own atmosphere, because of some neutron star remnant at its core (or something on that order)

Settled only by a Hispanic (Portugese?) family.

Humor is somewhat Douglas Adams-ish but toned down, although the plot ends up being fairly absurd.

Overall world setup is that humanity had a war with AI, won, and banned any kind of AI, it's thought that they're still out there (a la the Battlestar Galactica reboot) rebuilding and looking for vengeance, and it turns out they're right

Leader of humanity who won the war is named The Dictator and was overthrown and is missing

There's one crazy old man on the planet that the family has occasional dealings with, and it turns out he's The Dictator

Earth sends some huge cube there that turns out to be a prison for a psychotic, impossibly powerful psyker named Father Christmas (or something similar).

finally realised why this triggered something in me, it is pretty similar to the setup of 'the collapsium' the first book of the queendom of sol books by Will Mcarthy. utter red herring for you though, sorry

# ¿ Aug 9, 2023 02:15

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Biplane posted:

A series, I think, about wizards in ww2 but they're all hosed from communing with eldritch terrors. I think the protagonist was british? And I think at one point his wife leaves him after he somehow turns their unborn child into some sort of soulless abomination. I think maybe everyone dies or it all goes completely to poo poo in the end.

Ian tregillis milkweed? I'm not helping but I read three or four 'eldritch WWII' books in a row a few years back and they're all sort of jumbled in my head.

# ¿ Oct 30, 2023 00:51

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# ¿ Apr 28, 2024 09:57

branedotorg: Jun 19, 2009

Hughlander posted:

With 3 body problem coming out soon was thinking of a book series i read the start of then I think I threw across the room.

It was a big series and had recently been re-edited and had a new prequel at the start which is mostly what I remember.

Chinese government realizes that western capitalism is going to win in the end so they launch a cyber attack on the entire world including China knowing that in the post-apocalypse recovery they'll emerge stronger.

Rest of series was hundreds to a thousand or so years later, and something about super powerful building materials making city sized buildings or something? The prequel story annoyed me that I didn't get to the actual story and just remember reading a wikipedia page about it instead.

david wingrove, first few were ok, gets progressively more detailed and the quality dips to the point he has self published the rest, i think they're still going.

i think i stopped at book four but it was about 20 years ago.

# ¿ Mar 6, 2024 04:02

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