What book is this? (SciFi)

[Jeff V]

Years ago when I first read them I did enjoy most of it. I never got the reason Stranger in a Strange Land was held in such high esteem. In the last 5 years I have read Friday and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. I thought both of those were better than his older stuff, which upon a recent re-read hadn't aged very well.

Late in life he really became a dirty old perv in his writing. Most of the utopian societies he envisioned were clothing optional at best with a fuck as proper a greeting as a handshake. If it didn't slap you in the face before, I imagine it's super hard to ignore after all of the #metoo victims brought so many down.

[Rumpy]

If it didn't slap you in the face before, I imagine it's super hard to ignore after all of the #metoo victims brought so many down.

Yeah, there's one passage in the book that's particularly galling, which almost made me give up on it right then and there, but I forged on hoping the story would redeem itself, but haha nope. I felt it was a collassal waste of time. Very heavy on the misogyny. If anything it seems to be written like it was supposed to be a stage play. Maybe Fahrenheit 451 was right about some things

[Scuzz]

I agree with what both JeffV and Rumpy wrote in the last two posts.

[Jaymon]

My teen daughter is getting into reading. and as I go through the stuff in my library, even my beloved hugo winners, there is so much that I have to just set aside and say, I can't let her read this. Now that I am older I can see the how many of them are whitemale centric, and its distressing.

Thats what I read through all my formative years, how has it affected me?

[Scuzz]

My teen daughter is getting into reading. and as I go through the stuff in my library, even my beloved hugo winners, there is so much that I have to just set aside and say, I can't let her read this. Now that I am older I can see the how many of them are whitemale centric, and its distressing.

Thats what I read through all my formative years, how has it affected me?

Isn't all most all literature "white male centric"? Based on that she should never read the classics. Imagine all the wonderful books she would miss out on. I would agree to never discuss Heinlein with her, but in the end she will read what she wants to read.

I have two daughters, both in their 20's now. Neither one has ever expressed any interest in my sci-fi collection. They have dabbled in my classics, ignored my history. The eldest has read some fantasy. But she is now into mainly books written by women. My youngest, who came late to reading, probably reads a book a week now, maybe more. But her love is basically the young-adult fantasy genre that is huge right now.

[dbt1949]

I'm not a big fan of Heinlein but do love Starship Troopers.

[gameoverman]

The easiest prediction for the future is brain chip implants that will do everything.

Haha, but what is 'everything'? That's the part you can't see until you're there. Sure, one day all humans will be permanently and wirelessly 'jacked in' but what does that mean? I could answer that by saying that everything I do now that requires me to either boot up my computer or unlock my phone will be constantly available to me only a thought control away. Okay, but what kinds of possibilities does that open up?

Maybe between autonomous cars and jacked in humans it means when I need to go somewhere I just need to think "I need to go to the market" and there will will be an autonomous car parked outside waiting for me before I even open the door. But wait! If we're all jacked in, why do I need to go to the market? Why couldn't I just think "I need my weekly groceries" and an autonomous car will bring my usual order to me and a robot will bring the groceries into my home...and probably put everything away for me too. It's impossible to foresee all possibilities.

[Jeff V]

I'm not a big fan of Heinlein but do love Starship Troopers.

I prefer the derivative stuff...the book was too light on action, too strong on ultra-right ideology. I thought Verhoeven did an excellent job parodying that aspect of the book in his movie.

[Jeff V]

. Sure, one day all humans will be permanently and wirelessly 'jacked in' but what does that mean?

Larry Niven, Known Universe stories. Pretty much it meant a constant dopamine rush allowing one to completely ignore troublesome things happening around them. Think PBR, meth and Trump's base.

[Jaymann]

. Sure, one day all humans will be permanently and wirelessly 'jacked in' but what does that mean?

Larry Niven, Known Universe stories. Pretty much it meant a constant dopamine rush allowing one to completely ignore troublesome things happening around them.

Maybe that's the Great Filter.

[Hipolito]

I read the unabridged version of that book in the 90s on the recommendation of a sci-fi-loving friend. It might have been the first sci-fi book I ever read. I was disappointed. Good concept, like you said, but I didn't understand why it's considered a classic. Reading it was like having to listen to a deranged, highly opinionated uncle at a party.

D'oh, I gotta correct myself. Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land was not my first sci-fi read. I'd read Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama prior to that. Now that was a good book! And written simply enough for my kid brain to understand.

[dbt1949]

As a teen my favorite author by far was Andre Norton. Especially her outer space books but I also liked her Witchworld series.

[Rumpy]

I'd read Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama prior to that. Now that was a good book!

We can definitely agree on that! Great story, and I might I that I think it's aged quite well.

[dbt1949]

His whole Rama series was good.

[Holman]

The easiest prediction for the future is brain chip implants that will do everything.

Haha, but what is 'everything'? That's the part you can't see until you're there. Sure, one day all humans will be permanently and wirelessly 'jacked in' but what does that mean? I could answer that by saying that everything I do now that requires me to either boot up my computer or unlock my phone will be constantly available to me only a thought control away. Okay, but what kinds of possibilities does that open up?

Maybe between autonomous cars and jacked in humans it means when I need to go somewhere I just need to think "I need to go to the market" and there will will be an autonomous car parked outside waiting for me before I even open the door. But wait! If we're all jacked in, why do I need to go to the market? Why couldn't I just think "I need my weekly groceries" and an autonomous car will bring my usual order to me and a robot will bring the groceries into my home...and probably put everything away for me too. It's impossible to foresee all possibilities.

Groceries? I'm permanently jacked in to my nutrient tubes at all times. I receive a carefully balanced slurry of biologically necessary material, but I've programmed my brain to experience it as eating steak and cheesecake 24/7.

[Rumpy]

His whole Rama series was good.

I'd heard that his followups weren't quite as good?

[dbt1949]

I read all three books within a couple of weeks of each other, however, that was over 25 years ago and altho I enjoyed them all I can't remember whether the first was the best.

[Hipolito]

In a fit of nostalgia, I looked for the covers of a couple of the books mentioned in this thread, as I remember them.

Neuromancer:




Rendezvous with Rama:




Such great products of their time! I've been reading books on my old black-and-white Kindle, so I've been missing out on how cool book covers can be.

[dbt1949]

I've read a lot of books on my Kindle but I prefer the real thing.

[Scuzz]

[Scuzz]

[Holman]

In a fit of nostalgia, I looked for the covers of a couple of the books mentioned in this thread, as I remember them.

Neuromancer:



Such great products of their time! I've been reading books on my old black-and-white Kindle, so I've been missing out on how cool book covers can be.

The payphone is a nice touch!

[Daehawk]

A decker carrying his deck. Batteries must cost a fortune for that thing.