Yes, exactly that. I will try to convey what I love about Phil Dick.

We have some "real writers". — Srap Tasmaner

I always hated when people talked about "literary" science fiction. I think that was because it meant so much to me as a kid - it was people with the mind of teenagers writing for teenagers. Lots of ideas and who cares, who even knew, if the writing was any good.

I must admit I've come around since I started reading science fiction again about 20 years ago. Anne Leckie, Martha Wells, Adrian Tchaikovsky, China Mieville, Gene Wolf, Neal Stephenson, Haruki Murakami...

Neal Stephenson — T Clark

The inventor of my name.

Well there's a whole thing about being respectable that's crap, of course. SF may be "the dreams our stuff is made of" now (book by Tom Disch about how sf took over popular culture), but so far as "literature" (pronounced derisively) is concerned, it's still a ghetto. Which is fine by me.

I reserve my greatest disdain for mainstream folks who figure anybody can write speculative fiction. (The way celebrities seem to think anyone can write a children's book.) They don't get it. They don't get what makes it different.

Ok, I'm now re-reading UBIK, but at a snails pace because I'm taking copious notes. :grin:

But I love 50s science fiction. It's the triumph of substance over style. There's a purity about those stories, the centrality of the idea, and the demand of the audience that the idea itself be the most interesting thing in a story, not the author's style. — Srap Tasmaner

I think I would have loved PKD too around the time I was reading Asimov, Simak, Arthur C. Clarke etc. But somehow I missed him. So, no disrespect to that, I just can't get back into it. What grabs me now is something different.

I can relate. I've tried to read The Catcher in the Rye a couple times and could barely get 10 or 20 pages in. I think I might have loved it at 15, but now ...

I saw the English version, which was ok. I've been thinking I should read it — T Clark

It's cool to compare the American version to the Russian one. There's a very different tone in each. The American one pays closer attention to making sense. The plot is sketchy to begin with.

It's cool to compare the American version to the Russian one. There's a very different tone in each. The American one pays closer attention to making sense. The plot is sketchy to begin with. — frank

The book is next on my list as soon as I can get it from the library.

:up: See if they have an anthology of Hugo winners. That's good stuff.

See if they have an anthology of Hugo winners. That's good stuff. — frank

I have a friend who is going through the Hugo winners one by one till he's read them all. When he gets done with that, he plans to go through the Nebula winners not included on the Hugo list.

I have a friend who is going through the Hugo winners one by one till he's read them all. When he gets done with that, he plans to go through the Nebula winners not included on the Hugo list. — T Clark

:grin: :up:

That's a great idea; I might try that.

Haruki Murakami... — T Clark

He's fantasy or, magical realism. Not much sci-fi, a little in his Hard Boiled Wonderland...

He's fantasy or, magical realism. Not much sci-fi, a little in his Hard Boiled Wonderland... — Manuel

You're probably right.

You know of any other authors that combine traditions and sources like Brassier? It's a lot of fun to see the Patricia Churchland next to Meillassoux.

Just read The Unlimited Dream Company by J. G. Ballard.

The last time I read a Ballard novel (Crash) and gave it a review, I was too hasty—I’ve since revised my estimation upwards—so I’ll refrain from saying much about this one. Once again, I didn’t like it much, but who knows what I’ll think in a few weeks. Some quotations:

Soon after dawn I stood naked on the lawn among the drowsy pelicans.

Again I ejaculated beside the tennis courts, and hurled my semen across the flower-beds.

At the filling-station I ejaculated across the fuel pumps, and over the paintwork of the cars standing in front of the showroom. — Ballard

Adrian Tchaikovsky — T Clark

I like the spider stuff.

Both from The Atrocity Exhibition. Weird stuff — Srap Tasmaner

Yes, I should probably read them as part of that book, as they were published.

But don't miss Vermilion Sands for the other side of Ballard — Srap Tasmaner

Now on my list :up:

Currently reading The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa.

Adrian Tchaikovsky
— T Clark

I like the spider stuff. — Jamal

I have not read "Children of Time" yet. I'm sure I'll get around to it. He's really a good writer. Real name - Adrian Czajkowski.

Real name - Adrian Czajkowski — T Clark

Just a different spelling. People don’t buy books by apparently unpronounceable authors.

Just a different spelling. — Jamal

Yes. I'm sure you're right. It just seemed neat to me. I like playing with names. How about "T Quark?" "T Kork." "P Pork." "C Lark." "C Tlark." "T Kralc." "Quarky." "Washington Irving."

One dollar for the relevant literary reference.

Speaking of which, Alan Arkin died yesterday.

Quarky — T Clark

I approve.

Speaking of which, Alan Arkin died yesterday. — T Clark

And speaking of Alan Arkin. Another cultural reference for another dollar - "Cub is young bear."

Twenty bucks if you can get them both.

The Philosophy of Symbolic Forms, Volume 3: Phenomenology of Cognition
by Ernst Cassirer

Spent three days reading:

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton.

That was a masterpiece.

It's been a good while since I've been engrossed in a book like that. Heck, I don't want to rush into my next book just to savor and think about what I just read.

Books like these are the reason literature is so fascinating, giving us a privileged peak into human nature.

It's been a good while since I've been engrossed in a book like that. Heck, I don't want to rush into my next book just to savor and think about what I just read. — Manuel

Sounds interesting. I'll take a look.

I can't guarantee you'll like it; some aspects can be subject to (probably) fair criticism.

It just hit me at the right time I suppose.

Barnaby Rudge
by Charles Dickens

I picked up Libra by Don DeLillo from one of those little free libraries.

I picked up Libra by Don DeLillo from one of those little free libraries. — Noble Dust

Well !@#$% put it back and get back to reading "Ubik"

Fuck!

Fuck! — Noble Dust

You shouldn't be reading either DeLillo or Dick. They are both depressing. I suggest one of my favorite science ficion/fantasy books, "Goodnight Moon."

Goodnight comb
And goodnight brush
Goodnight nobody
Goodnight mush
And goodnight to the old lady whispering “hush”
Goodnight stars
Goodnight air
Good night noises everywhere — Goodnight Moon

For a special treat, you can listen to Christopher Walken's reading: