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What else do you read besides scifi?

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Re: What else do you read besides scifi?
Post by Northstar   » Wed Apr 24, 2013 12:09 pm

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TerryPratchettandNeilGaiman wrote:
    "She managed to come up with the kind of predictions that you can only understand after the thing has happened." Said Anathema. "Like 'Do Notte Buye Betamacks.' That was a prediction for 1972."


Delicious :lol:
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Re: What else do you read besides scifi?
Post by Grabthar's Hammer   » Tue May 07, 2013 8:12 pm

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Having combed the whole thread to be certain, I am shocked! Shocked I say! That no-one (including me :oops: ) has mentioned - Guy Gavriel Kay.

I've just thrilled and gloried through his latest (Master) work. Titled River Of Stars, it was all I hoped for, and then some! Seriously, some authors go beyond merely writing a story, they instead craft a melody to the pages, which is audible to the soul and then rejoices through ones senses. If you hadn't guessed, I really like GGKs offerings. Here's what I've read, and how I rated it.

River of Stars ***** Fall of the Northern Song dynasty analogue. Alt/Hist = Sublime and Wonderful

Under Heaven ***** Mid Tang dynasty analogue (An Lushan rebellion) Alt/Hist = Utterly Glorious, a
Masterpiece

The Sarantine Mosaic **** (Two books) - Byzantine Empire analogue, Justinian and Theodora era Alt/Hist = Elegant Thoughtful and Cruel

The Last Light of the Sun **** Alfred the Great analogue. Alt/Hist = Poignant and Fey

The Lions of Al-Rassan **** Spanish Reconquest analogue.(Castile and Aragon) Alt/Hist = Savage and Beautiful

1* to 5***** rating by Grabthar.
    ~:~ ~:~ ~:~ ~:~
    "GOLD! - It may not buy happiness, but it can buy you a better state of misery, that's for sure!"
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    Count Duckula
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    Re: What else do you read besides scifi?
    Post by Daryl   » Wed May 08, 2013 8:26 am

    Daryl
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    Just stumbled across Sharon Shinn and her 12 house series.
    A typical medieval sword and mild sorcery style except it is written by a story teller who does get you engaged. Worth a look.
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    Re: What else do you read besides scifi?
    Post by pokermind   » Wed May 22, 2013 7:57 am

    pokermind
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    Just finished the first books of the Destroyermen series it's great. Checked DA to see what art other fans have added, not much @ http://browse.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&global=1&q=destroyermen only 6 arts compared to Honorverse's 293 arts. But these two caught my eye these are thumbnails I suggest visiting the url and seeing the art to view details:

    Image

    2008: Grik by ~carakav

    http://browse.deviantart.com/art/2008-Grik-102929162

    Image

    Tab-At by *Jozi11a

    http://browse.deviantart.com/art/Tab-At-166770307

    Tab-At or Tabby must be after her promotion to chief Engineer of USS Walker as she was not known for wearing tee-shirts in the Boiler Room, also one of my favorite characters.

    The author Taylor Anderson has his own site, http://www.taylorandersonauthor.com/, with some good photos of model ships see blog and model contest for photos. Not IMHO is this site as good as David Weber's without forums.

    Poker
    CPO Poker Mind Image and, Mangy Fur the Smart Alick Spacecat.

    "Better to be hung for a hexapuma than a housecat," Com. Pang Yau-pau, ART.
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    Re: What else do you read besides scifi?
    Post by Daryl   » Wed May 22, 2013 8:23 am

    Daryl
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    Taylor Anderson's Destroyermen series is a great read, well researched, full of action, and written by a story teller. The author responds personally to emails and has great hardware detail. Poker, you will love some of the jury rigged weapons, nearly as crazy as yours. RFC is a fan.
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    Re: What else do you read besides scifi?
    Post by Queequeg   » Wed May 22, 2013 9:30 pm

    Queequeg
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    For me it's mostly Sci-Fi with some Fantasy in between and some historical biographies. I've also managed to get my wife away from reading mysteries and into (hooked is a better term) all of DW's books. I've only managed to get one of my three kids into DW's stuff though. Oh well cant' win em all.
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    Re: What else do you read besides scifi?
    Post by Spacekiwi   » Thu May 23, 2013 5:45 am

    Spacekiwi
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    Daryl wrote:Taylor Anderson's Destroyermen series is a great read, well researched, full of action, and written by a story teller. The author responds personally to emails and has great hardware detail. Poker, you will love some of the jury rigged weapons, nearly as crazy as yours. RFC is a fan.




    I quite like the doom whomper of silvas....


    and boy does the walker keep taking poundings....
    `
    Image


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    its not paranoia if its justified... :D
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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    Re: What else do you read besides scifi?
    Post by Daryl   » Thu May 23, 2013 7:05 am

    Daryl
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    I got in touch with him as a great uncle died in the real timeline battle that started the series, and my father was a P40 (Kittyhawk) pilot in the region as well, so I had a personal interest. He responded with an interesting and detailed personal email. I too like the doom whomper and wish I had one in reserve in case of Allosaurus plagues.
    Spacekiwi wrote:
    Daryl wrote:Taylor Anderson's Destroyermen series is a great read, well researched, full of action, and written by a story teller. The author responds personally to emails and has great hardware detail. Poker, you will love some of the jury rigged weapons, nearly as crazy as yours. RFC is a fan.




    I quite like the doom whomper of silvas....


    and boy does the walker keep taking poundings....
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    Re: What else do you read besides scifi?
    Post by pokermind   » Thu May 23, 2013 8:48 am

    pokermind
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    Hi guys,

    Had a friend make a 40mm pom-pom barrel into a rifle, shot it once, that was enough. He also made a .72 (12 Gauge) cap and ball revolver that had a hell of a kick. He made a 1.00 revolver that even I was not crazy enough to shoot offhand. He had a copy of the 1.00 (25mm) rifle that George Washington commissioned to defend West Point (Original in West Point Museum) that was a hoot to shoot, weighed nigh on 25 lbs (11.36 KG) so the recoil was not that bad with round ball. Any thing much larger requires either wheels or, an oar lock mount (pintale for ye purests).

    Image

    Elmer's 100 cal rifle on bi-pod mount so kids could sight down the barrel.

    Some more of Friend Elmer's weird guns. I like the combination boarding axe pistol :D

    Image
    Image

    Two photos of my friend Elmer's weird short guns.

    Taylor Anderson is a Gunsmith see photos of some of his work here http://www.taylorandersonauthor.com/2007/01/the-gunmaker/ I wonder if he made a Doom whomper from a 25 mm aircraft cannon barrel? Several muzzle-loaders in Utah made small scale canon from surplus 25mm aircraft cannon from Hill AFB. Then there was crazy ol' Clemon Flintlocker who turned a 8" naval rifle barrel into a fireable Kentucky rifle, weighing in at over a ton it would take a real man to shoulder that one :D

    A Crazy Gunsmith Fraternity member :mrgreen: ,

    Poker

    Daryl wrote:I got in touch with him as a great uncle died in the real timeline battle that started the series, and my father was a P40 (Kittyhawk) pilot in the region as well, so I had a personal interest. He responded with an interesting and detailed personal email. I too like the doom whomper and wish I had one in reserve in case of Allosaurus plagues.

    [Sniped quotes]

    CPO Poker Mind Image and, Mangy Fur the Smart Alick Spacecat.

    "Better to be hung for a hexapuma than a housecat," Com. Pang Yau-pau, ART.
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    Re: What else do you read besides scifi?
    Post by umbrarchist   » Fri May 24, 2013 7:46 pm

    umbrarchist
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    What did people think of H. G. Wells 100 years ago?

    The World of H.G. Wells, by Van Wyck Brooks
    http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42221/42 ... 2221-h.htm
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