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Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 3:18 pm Post subject: Hello from wrryn
Hi. I'm a fossilized (over 50) software engineer living in Austin, Texas. Like most of my colleagues, I'm male. At one time the classroom population in computer science was split about 50-50 between genders. I'm not sure what happened since then, but I wish it hadn't.
I found BookTalk via Google search, looking for an interesting place to get involved in some reading and discussion with people who are more thoughtful than, for example, the average Amazon book reviewer.
I do most of my reading with my ears these days, while driving. Because of that, I tend toward books that can afford a lack of serious attention. That can either be fairly light fiction or it can be non-fiction if I don't care about missing some details. I do manage some actual reading as well, which allows me to attack deeper works. I tend to like "unusual".
My tastes are rather broad. I'm currently reading Team of Rivals, about Abraham Lincoln's cabinet; recently I listened to Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton. Before that, though, the closest I got to politics was River of Doubt, about Teddy Roosevelt's extraordinarily poorly planned expedition down an Amazon tributary.
I love Neil Gaiman's imagination: American Gods, Anansi Boys, Neverwhere. I like Dean Koontz's Odd Thomas character in spite of Koontz's obvious conservative leanings and snide toss-offs that sound like ill-considered ignorant rants to my liberal ears.
One of my favorite books of all time is Ship of Gold, a remarkable and remarkably written story of a California Gold Rush ship's voyage and, in the next century, the treasure hunting expedition to find it. The stories are interleaved chapter by chapter throughout most of the book, and amazingly this works rather than just being a gimmick.
As you might guess from the foregoing, I like a good, well-written adventure story. Into Thin Air is an absurdly well told story of a Mt. Everest disaster; it's also fairly short.
I used to like science fiction and fantasy. I'm finding it harder and harder to locate works in this genre that aren't ... well, to put it bluntly ... crap. Usually when I try one of these I end up throwing it across the room because the writing is terrible and the plot is ridiculous. Even Greg Bear, who has been recommended to me many times by friends who are usually reliable, has far too many cases in which a character who is nearly omniscient most of the time suddenly has a convenient blind spot when the plot needs it.
I like good writing about food. M.F.K. Fisher is a classic. I've listened to Kitchen Confidential, which will make you think twice about ordering the Monday special, as well as autobiographical works by Jacques Pepin, Julia Child, and others. These are people who know what they want to do. I wish I did. Well, at least some of them also took a while to figure it out.
One last mention: Glenn Kurtz's Practicing. Kurtz was a young classical guitar phenom who became disenchanted and left the business. Didn't touch the guitar for years. Then, much later, he returns with far greater understanding of himself and his music. He manages, as much as I imagine is possible, to convey what it's like to work at learning to play music at the very highest level.
Well, that's a start on the books. As to other things ... Not legally married, but otherwise yes; no kids, two cats. Our best vacations involve a lot of walking and hiking, with a preference for the Rockies. Hallett Peak is our most ambitious so far.
Usually Ophelia is the first so I smile every time I manage to sneak a welcome in before she does!!!
Anyway, I've had the privilege of chatting it up with most of the members on this forum and I can say with honesty that they're extremely nice, open, and patient people.
Have you read Into the Wild?? It's written by the same author who wrote Into thin Air.
The only author you mention that I have read is Greg Bear (!), I've read two of his books, found the first one enjoyable but I would say it's fine if you want an easy read and if you're willing not to look at the details too closely.
I was curious about Ship of Gold, so I looked it up.
I used to like science fiction and fantasy. I'm finding it harder and harder to locate works in this genre that aren't ... well, to put it bluntly ... crap. Usually when I try one of these I end up throwing it across the room because the writing is terrible and the plot is ridiculous. Even Greg Bear, who has been recommended to me many times by friends who are usually reliable, has far too many cases in which a character who is nearly omniscient most of the time suddenly has a convenient blind spot when the plot needs it.
As much as I like sci-fi/fantasy, I know there has to be a book out there I haven't read. What have you read in the past that you liked?
Have you read Into the Wild?? It's written by the same author who wrote Into thin Air.
Uh ... congrats? Well, definitely thanks for the welcome!
Yes, I've read Into the Wild and enjoyed it. I don't have nearly as much sympathy for the main character as the author does, but it's an interesting story.
The only author you mention that I have read is Greg Bear (!), I've read two of his books, found the first one enjoyable but I would say it's fine if you want an easy read and if you're willing not to look at the details too closely.
I was curious about Ship of Gold, so I looked it up.
You have a point about looking too closely at the details. Alfred Hitchcock used to complain about nitpickers getting in the way of good stories, and I'm not going to denigrate *his* story telling abilities! I try not to nitpick, but when something is so egregious that it interrupts my suspension of disbelief it really reduces my enjoyment of and regard for the work. That threshold is different for different people, and mine has gotten higher over time.
Is it considered common courtesy to provide links to books mentioned? I'm happy to take the few seconds it takes to add a link if people like that.
As much as I like sci-fi/fantasy, I know there has to be a book out there I haven't read. What have you read in the past that you liked?
Thanks! Unfortunately, anything I can pull off the top of my head you're going to have read. I'll search my memory and my shelves to see what I can come up with. One problem is that I read most of the stuff I think I like long ago, and I might well not like it if I read it now.
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is my favorite SF book of all time. The first three books of the Stephen Donaldson White Gold Wielder series I thought were quite good. Patricia McKillip's Riddlemaster of Hed was a lot of fun. C.J. Cherryh wrote some of the most alien aliens, but I'm having a hard time remembering the name of the series [aha -- the Faded Sun series]; Downbelow Station was really good, though. The first Ringworld book probably isn't as good as I remember it, but I liked it back then. The Mote in God's Eye is another long ago read that I thought was great at the time.
I'm willing to bet you've read all of those. I'll see what more obscure works I can come up with. The list will not include The Gods Hate Kansas, which has one of the worst opening paragraphs ever written.
Welcome wrryn! I read Into Thin Air last year, what a tragic experience! Looking forward to reading Into The Wild this year and then watch the movie itself.
