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Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 4:08 pm
by Vraith
TheWormoftheWorld'sEnd wrote:Macroscope (1969), Piers Anthony. I'm finding out, again, that he was at one time quite an ingenious author until the greed set in.
That book and the "Incarnations" series are the only ones I really think transcend meh-ness. [though I haven't read the incarnations ones after God book.]
Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2010 8:04 pm
by thewormoftheworld'send
Vraith wrote:TheWormoftheWorld'sEnd wrote:Macroscope (1969), Piers Anthony. I'm finding out, again, that he was at one time quite an ingenious author until the greed set in.
That book and the "Incarnations" series are the only ones I really think transcend meh-ness. [though I haven't read the incarnations ones after God book.]
That Piers has a phenomenal brain on him. The physics in Macroscope involves theories which are still fashionable forty years later. I am finding two issues with the physics, however:
1. The wormhole theory only works if the universe is in a process of collapse (this isn't really a mistake because at the time nobody knew), and
2. Anthony mistakenly believes that Neptune has the same gravity as Earth simply because the solid part of Neptune, beneath the cloud layer, is about the same size. And this even though he recognizes that Neptune is far denser than Earth. But density has a significant effect on gravity. A planet the same size as Earth, but twice as dense, has four times the gravity. This has been known since Isaac Newton's day.
Edit - I suspect the number is closer to 17 times greater gravity on Neptune, given the actual masses of both planets. I had to assume equal radii and the entire mass of Neptune is located in the solid portion. Taking into account the gaseous portion, I still get a mass 15 times greater than Earth given equal radii.
Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2010 4:53 am
by thewormoftheworld'send
Reading certain parts again it's not so bad after all. Anthony mentioned a gravity nullifier before and after the first big leap, although he called it by slightly different names.
Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 3:14 am
by Fist and Faith
Stonewielder
Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 3:19 am
by thewormoftheworld'send
Fist and Faith wrote:Stonewielder
Hehe. I'm actually glad if I'm wrong about Anthony's
knowledge of physics, because that would have been
a huge blunder on his part. But the book is a difficult
read, and the gravity nullifier almost slipped past my
notice. And why were they making such a big deal
about Neptune's solid part being smaller than the Earth?
I submitted a glowing review of Macroscope to the
forum this morning.
Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 1:23 pm
by Fist and Faith
I meant Esslemont's new Malazan book. Anthony wrote a book with that title?
Posted: Sun Dec 19, 2010 2:09 pm
by thewormoftheworld'send
Fist and Faith wrote:I meant Esslemont's new Malazan book. Anthony wrote a book with that title?
No, but if the people of the Land think I'm throwing stones, that makes me a Stonewielder.
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 4:49 am
by Orlion
Started a re-read of the Wheel of Time... also reading Malazan and will probably start Crowley's Aegypt and Bakker's The Darkness that Comes Before.
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:32 am
by Avatar
Skip CoT.
--A
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 4:52 pm
by danlo
OK, I'm cornfused what's CoT?
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 7:16 pm
by Orlion
danlo wrote: OK, I'm cornfused what's CoT?
Crossroads of Twilight, the tenth book in the series...if you like endless talking and women smoothing out their skirts, this book is for you!
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 8:13 pm
by danlo
Oh WOT of time! I don't Jordan or Rowling...
Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:01 pm
by Fist and Faith
I freakin' love women lifti...
Oh. Smoothing. Never mind.
Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 8:51 am
by Avatar
Orlion wrote:danlo wrote: OK, I'm cornfused what's CoT?
Crossroads of Twilight, the tenth book in the series...if you like endless talking and women smoothing out their skirts, this book is for you!
Yeah, this was the book that shouldn't have happened...he'd lost his way so badly that even a map and a compass wouldn't have helped. Book 11 really redeemed the series though. And 12 & 13 were as good.
--A
Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 3:25 pm
by I'm Murrin
I finished Player of Games last night. Great book, and though I saw the final reveal coming, I'm still not sure I can quite reconcile the two personalities...
Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 11:44 am
by Avatar
I'm gonna have to read it again...don't remember the ending.
--A
Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 12:00 pm
by I'm Murrin
I'm referring to the fact that the drone Mawhrin Skel was Flere Imsaho.
Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 9:12 am
by Avatar
Ah yes...it comes back to me. Still think I'll reread it. Been a long while.
--A
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 10:17 pm
by pat5150
Just finished Patrick Rothfuss'
The Wise Man's Fear.
Though it suffers from the same shortcomings as
The Name of the Wind, Rothfuss upped his game in this one. Fans will love it, while those who weren't that impressed with TNotW need not bother, methinks.
Check out the blog for the full review.
Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com
Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 1:12 am
by Fist and Faith
THE WISE MAN'S FEAR IS OUT???!!?!?!!!???!!!???
OK, bn.com says March 1 for the hc. You have an advance copy, or you're not in the US?