That's a really great idea, Wampus, and a really good point.
Though my ideal reader would be able to write to some kind of permanent storage—I think that may be part of what Ax was talking about. You'd keep all your books on basically your home server, and be able to load your reader with whichever ones you want. (I'm funny that way—remote backups are fine with me, but remote storage of my files, without a copy right in my house, would make me nervous!)
Feed my Kindle
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Primula Baggins
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“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Perhaps newer technologies will allow for attaching an electronic signature from the author? It could even be authenticated by someone reliable, for when those first 100,000 downloaded copies become immensely valuable.
What? It could work.
What? It could work.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Well, I'm sure Sumerians really treasured their freshly dried clay tablets.
Nah, I know exactly what you mean. And I DO have a signed copy of Hidden Worlds.
Nah, I know exactly what you mean. And I DO have a signed copy of Hidden Worlds.
If there was anything that depressed him more than his own cynicism, it was that quite often it still wasn't as cynical as real life.
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
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Primula Baggins
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Crucifer— 
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
Don't bother. The Shannara books are the worst kind of copycat rubbish. I read them almost immediately after LotR when I was starving for more of the same. I didn't realise it was basically gonna be a complete ripoff complete with Black Riders (aka Skullbearers). That wouldn't be so bad except they're just not very good.Impenitent wrote:Last time I was in there I saw and bought a copy of The Sword of Shennara, with only a vague idea that I'd read recommendations for it here, but it's been rather disappointing so far (about 5 pages into the book). I'll persist.
The Vinyamars on Stage! This time at Bag End
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Impenitent
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Sigh.
I wonder who recommended them?
I felt a little dubious when I read the blurb and the first page in the shop, but I figured if I got the name here it must be good.
Guess I didn't get the name here. Perhaps I got it confused with Le Guin to begin with? I'm terrible with names and book titles. I have myriad lists of book recommendations, which I squirrel away and then forget to take with me when I hit the bookshops and then I wander up and down the aisles checking shelves trying to remember what my lists are.
I wonder who recommended them?
I felt a little dubious when I read the blurb and the first page in the shop, but I figured if I got the name here it must be good.Guess I didn't get the name here. Perhaps I got it confused with Le Guin to begin with? I'm terrible with names and book titles. I have myriad lists of book recommendations, which I squirrel away and then forget to take with me when I hit the bookshops and then I wander up and down the aisles checking shelves trying to remember what my lists are.
Mornings wouldn't suck so badly if they came later in the day.
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Primula Baggins
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Le Guin! Le Guin! Le Guin!
Her more recent books, except for Tehanu, don't sweep me away as Left hand of Darkness, Lathe of Heaven, and The Dispossessed do; though they're still beautifully written, they seem a little slight by comparison. Her very early books are less remarkable, though not a waste of time. Her short stories and novellas are wonderful.
She's one of those writers who makes her philosophy very clear through the characters and events in her books, and people who don't care for that obviousness or for the (liberal) philosophy itself often have problems with her work.
Her more recent books, except for Tehanu, don't sweep me away as Left hand of Darkness, Lathe of Heaven, and The Dispossessed do; though they're still beautifully written, they seem a little slight by comparison. Her very early books are less remarkable, though not a waste of time. Her short stories and novellas are wonderful.
She's one of those writers who makes her philosophy very clear through the characters and events in her books, and people who don't care for that obviousness or for the (liberal) philosophy itself often have problems with her work.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
I talked about them. About how they are complete rubbish.Impenitent wrote:Sigh.
I wonder who recommended them?
Maybe you just vaguely remembered that it was me. And thought anything I talk about is really good.
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
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Impenitent
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Mahima wrote:
Maybe you just vaguely remembered that it was me. And thought anything I talk about is really good.
Well, this is completely true!
And obviously the answer to my conundrum! 
It's Mahima's fault that I've read 20-odd pages of the Sword of Shennara!
(I stopped reading at that point; just couldn't face going on. Don't know whether to toss it or drop it into a Brotherhood bin for resale).
And today I bought the Earthsea quartet!
They've bundled Tehanu with the first three, so I'm assuming they segue.Mornings wouldn't suck so badly if they came later in the day.
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Primula Baggins
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They do, though Tehanu is not a young-adult book like the other three; it's pretty clearly aimed at adults. I wouldn't keep my mature teenager from reading it, but it certainly wasn't written for her.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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Primula Baggins
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I could understand that. There's cruelty in that story. Though it's compassionately observed and not presented to thrill (unlike what I object to in Orson Scott Card's books), that only makes it more painful.
Yet brief as the book is, it's also got one of the best and most human love stories ever.
Yet brief as the book is, it's also got one of the best and most human love stories ever.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
I believe it may have been the first book to make me cry.
Spoiler=>So far as I remember, if I'm thinking of the right book, it was when Tehanu was being forced into acting like a dog, and being abused, and even slightly ignored by Ged. Is that the Other Wind?
Also the frightening bit when Tehanu and Tenar are walking and bump into the group of men who walk on either side, asserting their dominance. That almost made me stop reading it.
Spoiler=>So far as I remember, if I'm thinking of the right book, it was when Tehanu was being forced into acting like a dog, and being abused, and even slightly ignored by Ged. Is that the Other Wind?
Also the frightening bit when Tehanu and Tenar are walking and bump into the group of men who walk on either side, asserting their dominance. That almost made me stop reading it.
Why is the duck billed platypus?
Response to Crucifer's spoiler:
In Tehanu, Tenar ends up being forced to act like a dog. Ged doesn't do much about it, but IIRC correctly, there wasn't much he could do. He wasn't a mage anymore.
I need to read Tehanu again.
There's actually a lot of cruelty in LeGuin's work, some of it deliberately nasty and some of it just the standard stuff every human encounters every day. She's very...simple about it. Doesn't draw your attention to it, only gets as graphic as she must, but she doesn't pussy-foot around it either. Ever read Four Ways to Forgiveness? It's a four-pack of novellas, a sort of meditation on freedom. Quite good, but there's some stuff in there that's pretty intense. I was cringing and I generally don't flinch at books.
In Tehanu, Tenar ends up being forced to act like a dog. Ged doesn't do much about it, but IIRC correctly, there wasn't much he could do. He wasn't a mage anymore.
I need to read Tehanu again.
There's actually a lot of cruelty in LeGuin's work, some of it deliberately nasty and some of it just the standard stuff every human encounters every day. She's very...simple about it. Doesn't draw your attention to it, only gets as graphic as she must, but she doesn't pussy-foot around it either. Ever read Four Ways to Forgiveness? It's a four-pack of novellas, a sort of meditation on freedom. Quite good, but there's some stuff in there that's pretty intense. I was cringing and I generally don't flinch at books.
When you can do nothing what can you do?