[Andorion]

Reading Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. I have the omnibus edition.

A side-question - while reading hardbacks with dust jackets, is it common to open keep the dust jacket separately? It's getting in the way a bit.

[Traveller]

 Andorion, on 01 November 2017 - 05:50 AM, said:

Reading Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. I have the omnibus edition.

A side-question - while reading hardbacks with dust jackets, is it common to open keep the dust jacket separately? It's getting in the way a bit.

I always take them off. Otherwise they end up getting folded and tired.

This post has been edited by T 'rav Elar: 01 November 2017 - 10:44 AM

[Salt-Man Z]

The dust jacket is for when a book's sitting on the shelf. I always take them off to read.

[Macros]

Same, In always remove for reading.
Especially if I'm travelling for work, just asking for them to get ripped if you don't stow them safely

[QuickTidal]

 Salt-Man Z, on 01 November 2017 - 06:25 AM, said:

The dust jacket is for when a book's sitting on the shelf. I always take them off to read.

 Macros, on 01 November 2017 - 08:37 AM, said:

Same, In always remove for reading.
Especially if I'm travelling for work, just asking for them to get ripped if you don't stow them safely

^^This.

[Andorion]

 T, on 01 November 2017 - 06:08 AM, said:

 Andorion, on 01 November 2017 - 05:50 AM, said:

Reading Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. I have the omnibus edition.

A side-question - while reading hardbacks with dust jackets, is it common to open keep the dust jacket separately? It's getting in the way a bit.

I used to take them off. Otherwise they end up getting folded and tired.

 Salt-Man Z, on 01 November 2017 - 06:25 AM, said:

The dust jacket is for when a book's sitting on the shelf. I always take them off to read.

 Macros, on 01 November 2017 - 08:37 AM, said:

Same, In always remove for reading.
Especially if I'm travelling for work, just asking for them to get ripped if you don't stow them safely

 QuickTidal, on 01 November 2017 - 10:28 AM, said:

 Salt-Man Z, on 01 November 2017 - 06:25 AM, said:

The dust jacket is for when a book's sitting on the shelf. I always take them off to read.

 Macros, on 01 November 2017 - 08:37 AM, said:

Same, In always remove for reading.
Especially if I'm travelling for work, just asking for them to get ripped if you don't stow them safely

^^This.

Thanks guys! Off it goes.

60 pages into Dark materials, and I realize now that for the longest time I did not know that this was a secondary world fantasy

This post has been edited by Andorion: 01 November 2017 - 10:32 AM

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

I'm about 100 pages in to Vance's Eyes of the Overworld, and I'm enjoying Cugel!

It took me about 3 of his adventures before I realized his appellation — the Clever — was intended sardonically. That gave me a hearty laugh.

He's sort of like an ineffective, untalented, harebrained, even-more-selfish Gray Mouser.

And I haven't even touched on Vance's wonderfully inventive Dying Earth. What a lush yet melancholy setting.

[QuickTidal]

 Andorion, on 01 November 2017 - 10:32 AM, said:

60 pages into Dark materials, and I realize now that for the longest time I did not know that this was a secondary world fantasy

That's one of my fave things about it when I first read it. For chunk of the first book you don't realize that it's an Alt-earth, it takes many mentions of things being still used in that era which would no longer be used (Naphtha as fuel, blimps as mass transit) or were "failed" on our earth before it truly clicked for me. Well, that and the intelligent armoured polar bears who can talk.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 01 November 2017 - 12:45 PM

[Andorion]

 QuickTidal, on 01 November 2017 - 12:45 PM, said:

 Andorion, on 01 November 2017 - 10:32 AM, said:

60 pages into Dark materials, and I realize now that for the longest time I did not know that this was a secondary world fantasy

That's one of my fave things about it when I first read it. For chunk of the first book you don't realize that it's an Alt-earth, it takes many mentions of things being still used in that era which would no longer be used (Naphtha as fuel, blimps as mass transit) or were "failed" on our earth before it truly clicked for me. Well, that and the intelligent armoured polar bears who can talk.

Yeah the worldbuilding is in that shadowy spot where its almost but not quite our world to begin with. I suspect the divergences become more clear as the book proceeds. Anyway I am taking this one a bit slow.

Also started reading Temeraire 3: Black Powder War

[QuickTidal]

 Andorion, on 01 November 2017 - 01:24 PM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 01 November 2017 - 12:45 PM, said:

 Andorion, on 01 November 2017 - 10:32 AM, said:

60 pages into Dark materials, and I realize now that for the longest time I did not know that this was a secondary world fantasy

That's one of my fave things about it when I first read it. For chunk of the first book you don't realize that it's an Alt-earth, it takes many mentions of things being still used in that era which would no longer be used (Naphtha as fuel, blimps as mass transit) or were "failed" on our earth before it truly clicked for me. Well, that and the intelligent armoured polar bears who can talk.

Yeah the worldbuilding is in that shadowy spot where its almost but not quite our world to begin with. I suspect the divergences become more clear as the book proceeds. Anyway I am taking this one a bit slow.

Have you never read this before? If so, you are in for a TREAT!

[acesn8s]

Started Bakker's The Great Ordeal. I bought the Unholy Consult too, no stopping now.

[Andorion]

 QuickTidal, on 01 November 2017 - 01:26 PM, said:

 Andorion, on 01 November 2017 - 01:24 PM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 01 November 2017 - 12:45 PM, said:

 Andorion, on 01 November 2017 - 10:32 AM, said:

60 pages into Dark materials, and I realize now that for the longest time I did not know that this was a secondary world fantasy

That's one of my fave things about it when I first read it. For chunk of the first book you don't realize that it's an Alt-earth, it takes many mentions of things being still used in that era which would no longer be used (Naphtha as fuel, blimps as mass transit) or were "failed" on our earth before it truly clicked for me. Well, that and the intelligent armoured polar bears who can talk.

Yeah the worldbuilding is in that shadowy spot where its almost but not quite our world to begin with. I suspect the divergences become more clear as the book proceeds. Anyway I am taking this one a bit slow.

Have you never read this before? If so, you are in for a TREAT!

I read part of the first book many many years back. Other than knowing the name of the protagonist, and the bears I remember nothing.

[QuickTidal]

 Andorion, on 01 November 2017 - 05:38 PM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 01 November 2017 - 01:26 PM, said:

 Andorion, on 01 November 2017 - 01:24 PM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 01 November 2017 - 12:45 PM, said:

 Andorion, on 01 November 2017 - 10:32 AM, said:

60 pages into Dark materials, and I realize now that for the longest time I did not know that this was a secondary world fantasy

That's one of my fave things about it when I first read it. For chunk of the first book you don't realize that it's an Alt-earth, it takes many mentions of things being still used in that era which would no longer be used (Naphtha as fuel, blimps as mass transit) or were "failed" on our earth before it truly clicked for me. Well, that and the intelligent armoured polar bears who can talk.

Yeah the worldbuilding is in that shadowy spot where its almost but not quite our world to begin with. I suspect the divergences become more clear as the book proceeds. Anyway I am taking this one a bit slow.

Have you never read this before? If so, you are in for a TREAT!

I read part of the first book many many years back. Other than knowing the name of the protagonist, and the bears I remember nothing.

Prepare yourself for eventual theoretical physics concepts to be explained in what is essentially a YA trilogy. It's...amazing.

I've got the Prequel/Sequel (BOOK OF DUST) on my desk waiting for me to crack into it.

[QuickTidal]

Started LEGENDS OF LUKE SKYWALKER by Ken Liu, which tells stories of what Luke got up to during the 30 year gap between ROTJ and TFA. Should be solid!

[QuickTidal]

 Briar King, on 02 November 2017 - 12:27 AM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 01 November 2017 - 11:49 PM, said:

Started LEGENDS OF LUKE SKYWALKER by Ken Liu, which tells stories of what Luke got up to during the 30 year gap between ROTJ and TFA. Should be solid!

The Grace author wrote a fucking SW book?!

Calm down Tanner. Stay the course. Don’t give in.

Let me know how it is.

Hehe, I'll let you know. Lol!

[QuickTidal]

 Briar King, on 02 November 2017 - 02:23 AM, said:

Looked it up. It’s YA.

So far (am half way through)...the stories are all told aboard a long haul freighter headed to deliver stuff to Canto Bight (the casino city in THE LAST JEDI) by crew members who met or interacted with Luke or heard a story about him.

MINOR spoilers, not really though

Spoiler

Story one is utter and complete bullshit. It's basically a guy sitting telling a story about a guy telling a story in a cantina, while a hooded figure we are meant to assume is Luke as an old man, listens and goads him on to tell the tale...but the story is basically a bullshit retelling of ANH with the names changed to stupid shit like Benny O'Kenny as a wise off wizard, and Luke Clodhopper...and it's just...bad. Like I'd love to find Ken Liu and ask him WTF everloving fuck he was thinking.

Story two is a bit better...it's post-battle of Jakku and has someone who (again) we are meant to assume is Luke, digging through the starship graveyard to get to that secret lab of Palpatine's that was on Jakku (mentioned in Rey's Survival Guide as sometimes guarded by Emperor's Guards) while saving an Imperial Naval officer and some scavengers...and I'm like...oh good, here we go...we are going to learn what's in that secret lab! ....nope. Fucking NOPE. Luke simply pulls a Gandalf at one point and disappears into the bowels of the lab, only to return and just help them get across a lake of fire. So what could have been a great story giving us some SERIOUS canon nuggets....gives us nada.

It is at this point that I realize that Disney/LFL are SO tamped down on Luke for TLJ....that even the books leading up to it can't give us much in the way of solid canon updates. And I am sad at stupid movie secrecy yet again.

The third story is shaping up to be MUCH better...and appears at least to be possibly giving us the story of the original Jedi and Sith thorough a planet where they call the Force, the Tide...not done it yet, but so far it's the only one worth a damn in this book...

[End of Disc One]

I remember reading the between books during the Prequel Trilogy, and being disappointed that they ended up having almost nothing to do with the next movie. Although of course Rogue Planet did introduce a major concept that came back during the New Jedi Order.

[QuickTidal]

 End of Disc One, on 02 November 2017 - 01:12 PM, said:

I remember reading the between books during the Prequel Trilogy, and being disappointed that they ended up having almost nothing to do with the next movie. Although of course Rogue Planet did introduce a major concept that came back during the New Jedi Order.

The comics from Marvel have given us some good stuff, as have a fair number of the books so far...but this one is purposely steering clear of anything really interesting....which is disappointing.

[amphibian]

It's almost as if Lucas's drive to dilute narrative in a sea of marketable products is alive and well under the new corporate overlords...

[QuickTidal]

 amphibian, on 02 November 2017 - 02:19 PM, said:

It's almost as if Lucas's drive to dilute narrative in a sea of marketable products is alive and well under the new corporate overlords... I hate Star Wars

We get it.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 02 November 2017 - 02:36 PM