Reading / Literature Club

#82

I pick up any plays by tennessee williams that i can get my hands on

Nice critiques on the human condition, some of his interviews are very interesting too

#83

On the Ballard tip this one looks interesting http://www.appliedballardianism.com/category/j-g-ballard/

#84

YEAHHHHH GET IT GURL!!!

Sorry, have only read it twice but shit changed my goddamn life (second, revelatory read alongside my first full reading of A Thousand Plateaus for the most proper of head fucks)

Fuck, books being the other thing I spend all my money on (well, and ‘medicine’) I have many to recommend, but will share a few that have either been in heavy rotation or on my mind a lot (some of which are mentioned in the Hardcore Continuum? thread).
Revolutionary Time and the Avant-Garde by John Roberts:

http://field-journal.com/issue-2/brynjolson-review-roberts

Discographies by Jeremy Gilbert and Ewan Pearson is another one.

Samuel R. Delany’s Dhalgren is the craziest sci-fi book you’ve never read:

Oh man, and anything by Kodwo Eshun, PLEASE:)

Peace and happy reading!

#85

Just finished Ballard’s Concrete Island. Worth a read and a good entry point into the Ballardian world for anyone who hasn’t read him before I’d say.

#86

After a pathetic year last year I’m on a mission to read as much as I can in 2018. Just finished book #39. It’s a reflection on a particular brand of horror film that the author argues represents a response to 20th/21st-Century economics and industrial practices. Really interesting and interspersed with the author’s own history with the genre.

And here’s my goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/44613230-aidan-hanratty

#87

Reading The Count of Monte Cristo for the first time and I’m hooked, to say the least. Little wonder it’s regarded as one of the best pieces ever written.

Also reading A Short History of Nearly Everything, which is an excellent summary of a lot of important facts and pieces of knowledge.

#88

Halfway through the Earthsea series, which somehow slipped by me through all the years of insatiable reading in childhood. Glad that it did — wonderful to have something like that for the first time.

#89

Just finished Monk’s biography of Ludwig Wittgenstein. A fascinating chap, well worth a read even if you’re not interested in philosophy. If you are then it might serve as a gentle introduction to some of his work. I found the biographical content a lot more interesting though.

#90

Agreed and it’s the first of his that i read and also one of my favourites.
His short stories are really good too. They’re compiled across two books.

#91

I need to check those out. I hear a film is in the works of Concrete Island. Can’t image how that would turn out!

#93

OH! My black metal danish subletter was ALL about that series and he picked up Dune right after that.

Left this at my friend’s house when I was half-way through but it’s a heady read:

My copy of this has been on loan for like 6 years but really loved it:

Been eyeing this one for a hot minute:

This was highly recommended to me by the one person I’ve ever met who stocks all the books and records I want to read…admittedly had to learn what the fuck the blockicechain even was first (sorry not sorry):

(and as the book is very expensive, I’ve never seen a recent book have more online pdf’s of it, so it’s out there if you’re looking for it.)

Just started re-reading this yesterday and think I stand a chance of actually following it this time:

#94

I’m currently working my way through the trilogy for the first time, really enjoying it so far! I often find sci-fi to be hit or miss, but I find this walks a similar line to Simak and Asimov (as you mentioned) without being completely backward facing.

#95

I feel the same way - I started watching it because I felt I owed it to myself for being so emotionally invested in the world of this character. I hadn’t even made it to the end of the first season, and I saw previews for the next w what seemed to be a woman’s March/Hilary Clinton thing, which is sooo opposite in tone w the book. Plus, w the inclusion of Luke’s story, there’s just so much being shown, it’s like it loses its mystery and intrigue, because the pinhole I was viewing everything through in the book is being completely blown open… not sure if I want to ruin it for myself, w this obvious reaching for television ratings

#96

I still haven’t read 1984, as I’m a bit of a slow reader, so haven’t gotten around to it yet, though it’s always seemed really intriguing, and obviously seminal for the genre

Gilead feels particularly upsetting, because it seems to run parallel w our own real society. We have a huge problem relating to ppl’s fears around sex, mostly largely because of abrahamic religions - it feels like it could easily be taken too far, since it’s been thousands of yrs, and still hasn’t been quashed. It makes the fear in this story all that more palpable (arguably lessened to a large degree by being put through the sieve of television - prob would make a much better film)

#97

Have you read any of Orwell’s books? If not, try Animal Farm. It’s short, a great introduction to Orwell and a must read in general.

#98

My favourite thing about Orwell is all the people on the internet that call things Orwellian, or reference either Animal Farm or 1984, despite having read neither book since they were 15.

#99

Does this actually happen a lot?

#100

Depends, I guess, but my Twitter feed is largely geared towards current affairs and politics, so I see it a lot. It’s always people who think they’re making a very clever point about something they barely understand. There ought to be a Godwin equivalent for sixth-form Orwellists.

edit And they’re apparently ignorant to the context in which Eric Blair lived and wrote, or that he wrote anything but those two books.

I accept I might have a bee in my bonnet about this…

#103

I just started Infinite Jest. Feeling a bit intimidated by it at the moment but I’m determined to finish it.

#104

@deprecate congrats on committing to IJ! I recommend investing in a couple of extra bookmarks…you’ll need them to hold your place/reference the end notes. nothing to be intimidated by…he’ll draw you into his world soon enough and it’ll zip right by. enjoy :slight_smile: