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REPO Man
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Re: Books!

by REPO Man Sun May 16, 2021 2:28 pm

Recently finished Lovesickness, a recently released collection of Junji Ito stories, including the five-part namesake. A worthwhile read for fans of horror manga.
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bmoc
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Re: Books!

by bmoc Mon May 24, 2021 2:41 pm

I finished Chapterhouse Dune yesterday. I have the followup books written by Frank Herbert's son and Kevin J. Anderson. I've liked the few Kevin J. Anderson books that I have read - his Jedi Academy Trilogy is one of my favorites from the Star Wars Legends lineup. I'm not expecting a masterpiece but I hope they give a satisfying conclusion to the story. I also have the Butlerian Jihad trilogy as I thought that would be a fun read. If those books don't suck then I may get some other Dune books they have written.

Any opinions around here on the Brian Herbert/Kevin J. Anderson Dune books?
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Re: Books!

by Jagosaurus Tue May 25, 2021 9:07 am

I read the original Dune couple years back. While I can appreciate what it did for the genre and the original ideas... it was a bit drawn out for me. The pacing wasn't consistent, but core ideas solid.

I've heard that gets better with other books in the Dune universe. I'm drawing from a small sample size.

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bmoc
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Re: Books!

by bmoc Tue May 25, 2021 10:38 am

Jagosaurus wrote:I read the original Dune couple years back. While I can appreciate what it did for the genre and the original ideas... it was a bit drawn out for me. The pacing wasn't consistent, but core ideas solid.

I've heard that gets better with other books in the Dune universe. I'm drawing from a small sample size.

I get that. I had to take a lot of breaks while reading Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune. My favorite so far has been God Emperor of Dune. Leto II is such an interesting character and that book is riddled with fantastic quotes and insights from him.
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bmoc
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Re: Books!

by bmoc Tue Jun 08, 2021 4:33 pm

Well, I finished Hunters of Dune and Sandworms of Dune. After reading Chapterhouse Dune, I had a pretty good idea where things were headed. Without getting into spoilers, I'll just say I got the broad strokes right.

That said, they were both easy, enjoyable reads. Were they as masterfully written as Frank Herbert's novels? Definitely not, however the Brian Herbert/Kevin J. Anderson books are certainly not without merit as some Frank Herbert fanboys out there will have you believe. Though well written, I thought Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse Dune were pretty slow. Hunters and Sandworms had shorter chapters and more action which I felt made them more of a "page-turner". Some of the dialogue could be cringy at times but overall, I was entertained and satisfied by the conclusion.

Here's how I'd rank them according to my preference:

God Emporer of Dune
Dune
Dune Messiah
Children of Dune
Sandworms of Dune
Hunters of Dune
Heretics of Dune
Chapterhouse Dune
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fastbilly1
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Re: Books!

by fastbilly1 Tue Jun 08, 2021 9:32 pm

Wow, God Emperor over original, whats your reasoning for that? I fully agree on the KJA titles. Sandworms was the best of the ones I read.

I have been churning through Vasily Mahanenko "litRPG" series The Way of the Shaman. Whats a litRPG you ask, imagine Ready Player One with stats. Do the stats add anything, no, do I even like Ready Player One, not really, but the mechanic of someone doing a large treasure hunt inside of a fantasy world is engaging to me. LitRPG's are huge in Russia, so most of the big series are still in Russian. Mahaneko is one of the few authors with multiple books translated. Way of the Shaman is about a guy who gets tricked and ends up in prison which is a copper mine in a fantasy world much like World of Warcraft. The first book is shows him learning the system, the next three is him getting established and setting up a clan. Just started book five yesterday.

I would not say this is for everyone, but if you have fond memories of playing MMOs, forgive the mary sue main character, and can let some inconsistent parts slide by, they are enjoyable and go really fast. It just makes me long for mid 1998 dial up UO...
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Re: Books!

by bmoc Wed Jun 09, 2021 1:23 pm

fastbilly1 wrote:Wow, God Emperor over original, whats your reasoning for that? I fully agree on the KJA titles. Sandworms was the best of the ones I read.

I suppose it scratches a wish fulfillment itch. I admire Leto's ability to not give a crap because he knows he's right. The whole book is basically the Falcon & Winter Soldier "He's out of line but he's right" meme dialed up to 11.

Who hasn't watched a disaster happen because no one listened to you when you pointed out a problem? Working in IT, I see that happen all the time. I guess it just struck a chord more so than the original Dune.
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REPO Man
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Re: Books!

by REPO Man Sun Jun 27, 2021 7:05 pm

Junji Ito's Remina, an existential piece of cosmic horror about a planet that arrives from a wormhole, named after the daughter of the scientist who discovers it. Soon Remina, the girl, becomes a famous celebrity while the planet Remina soon sets itself on a collision course with Earth… and literally destroying everything in its way.
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Re: Books!

by Ninjamaster Thu Jul 01, 2021 2:01 pm

Started Doctor Sleep by Stephen King.
My collection Updated 2021: viewtopic.php?f=28&t=31763
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Re: Books!

by REPO Man Sat Dec 04, 2021 8:09 pm

Last night I read Junji It's Sensor, a Lovecraftian tale of a young woman drawn to a mysterious village covered with soft, golden volcanic hair that apparently grants a host of psychic abilities. Soon a cult devoted to dark and nefarious purposes seeks to use her as a conduit to cosmic powers beyond all measure.

Pure Junji Ito.
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