tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post6471390149431283323..comments2024-03-04T02:09:30.979-06:00Comments on One Man's Pony Ramblings: For a Change, Let's Talk About Actual Books (Part 21)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-34007942191067623032017-01-06T18:34:43.443-06:002017-01-06T18:34:43.443-06:00I always find books about British imperial awfulne...I always find books about British imperial awfulness difficult, since a) I am British, and b) my grandpa, whom I loved dearly, worked for the dying Colonial Service at the end of Empire. (In 1960s Africa, rather than pre-war India, but still.)<br /><br />I do try to read some for exactly those reasons, though this one doesn't seem to have a UK publisher. I <i>think</i> it's what will be published over here in March, as <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inglorious-Empire-What-British-India/dp/1849048088" rel="nofollow"><i>Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India</i></a>, but I don't know whether it'll be edited for a UK audience. I'll look out for it, anyway.Loganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03769758118827489093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-53089583012222410522017-01-03T22:01:16.153-06:002017-01-03T22:01:16.153-06:00I've been reading some Dashiell Hammet books: ...I've been reading some Dashiell Hammet books: <i>Red Harvest</i> (which was the inspiration for <i>Yojimbo</i>, and <i>A Fistful of Dollars</i>, and pretty much every "lone anti-hero walks into a war between feuding criminal organizations, plays every side against the others, and tears them all down in the end" story every), and two collections of other stories about The Continental Op.<br /><br />Hammett's a freaking master of terse, economical, and understated prose. And everything with the Continental Op is a great study in how to tell a compelling story with a protagonist (and narrator, even) with no personal life, almost zero personality, and whatever character depth he has, he actively hides from nearly everyone.Sammy B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15166388470570622051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-25328158902183388382017-01-02T19:04:03.817-06:002017-01-02T19:04:03.817-06:00Since my treatments, I've managed to read a re...Since my treatments, I've managed to read a reasonable amount, but I can't say I'd been enjoying it all that much. Then I borrowed the first of the <i>Lost Fleet</i> series by Jack Campbell and demolished books 1–4 in just a couple of weeks. His writing has a few quirks that irritate me, but as a retired navy officer, he writes the interpersonal conflicts and political struggles of managing a fleet of starships stuck behind enemy lines extremely well.<br /><br />Now I'm twiddling my thumbs and hoping books 5 and 6 turn up before I start chewing on furniture out of frustration.InquisitorMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10209346997929773686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-15300864286406394132017-01-02T14:51:33.967-06:002017-01-02T14:51:33.967-06:00Only book I'm reading at the moment is Splinte...Only book I'm reading at the moment is <i>Splinter of the Mind's Eye</i> by Alan Dean Foster. He has some incredibly annoying writing quirks, and the dialogue's pretty bad (swap the names out and I'd have never guessed the main characters were supposed to be Luke and Leia), but the underlying story's pretty enjoyable. Definitely good fodder for a D&D or Traveller campaign<br /><br />Also, I <i>hate</i> how droid names are written phonetically in every piece of Star Wars literature, EU or notHolly Oatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01703437987958922954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-10026401157448793122017-01-02T14:01:50.240-06:002017-01-02T14:01:50.240-06:00It's fun to see pony authors work outside the ...It's fun to see pony authors work outside the fandom. I'd like to read more of that, but then, I'd like to read more in general. Still, I don't think I've been disappointed by it so far (out of a small sample size). Consider this one supported (and maybe even read, I like the premise and agree some of what Jawjoe does is likely to work better in a different setting). Icy Shakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00490981784760484964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8184562969471581744.post-1587151338916591032017-01-02T08:10:36.194-06:002017-01-02T08:10:36.194-06:00I feel kind of dumb that I never signal boosted Ja...I feel kind of dumb that I never signal boosted Jawjoe's novel while he was giving it away. Not, from what it sounds, that I needed to, but that's the kind of thing I usually do. D: Ah well, I'll read it eventually.Present Perfecthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16195959811544391904noreply@blogger.com