David Sarkies’s books on Goodreads (2,124 books) (original) (raw)

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| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | --------------- | ------------------------- | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | | ------ | | | checkbox | position | cover The Lost World (Oxford Popular Fiction) | title The Lost World | author Doyle, Arthur Conan | isbn 0192831860 | isbn13 9780192831866 | asin 0192831860 | num pages 216pp | avg rating 3.93 | num ratings 69,072 | date pub 1912 | date pub edition Jun 29, 1995 | David's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 0 | # times read 1 | date started Nov 16, 2024 | date read not set | date added Nov 16, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Speaking with the Dead | title Speaking with the Dead | author Cunningham, Elaine * | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages unknown | avg rating 1.00 | num ratings 1 | date pub unknown | date pub edition 1998 | David's rating did not like it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Laughably Bad 7 November 2024 Okay, so this is the first of the short stories that are a part of a collection of short stories from one of the Forgott Laughably Bad 7 November 2024 Okay, so this is the first of the short stories that are a part of a collection of short stories from one of the Forgotten Realms books that I picked up in a second-hand bookshop a couple of years ago. To say that this story was bland and boring is a literal understatement. Sure, I was rather distracted by world events when I was reading this book, among other things, but that probably has more to do with the story than anything else. From what I got from the story is that it is about a party of adventurers (not surprising considering that it is a Dungeons & Dragons story) whose leader wants to travel to a port city to purchase some items from the New World (though in the Forgotten Realms they call it Maztica). They stop off at a fortified inn run by gnomes, and while there somebody is killed, and one of the members is accused of the murder because his knife was used. An investigation begins to clear his name, and then the dead man appears again, and it turns out that he was faking is own death. Honestly, that is all I got and can remember from it. Mind you, it is also the Forgotten Realms, and I have to say that the world is just so bland and boring, but then again I suspect that it was put together by somebody that didn’t put a huge amount of time and effort into it (though when you compare a world with Middle Earth or Westeros they are generally going to fall pretty flat, but then again it does demonstrate that it is possible to create a realistic feeling fantasy world). Then again, when I played Dungeons and Dragons, or at least played in the Forgotten Realms, my appreciation of history was, well, rather limited. Anyway, that’s one of the stories that I can put aside, though there are still a few to go. The thing is that these stories basically all seem to have been written by the TSR staff writers, so honestly I have little hope for the rest of them. Oh, and one thing that comes to mind is how I spent all this time trying to break into Dungeons and Dragons when in reality you actually have a better chance of breaking into other games, especially the games that people who love roleplaying, but hate Dungeons and Dragons, play. Yeah, the competition is fierce, and your offerings will generally last as long as a youtube video. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 2 | # times read 1 | date started Nov 04, 2024 | date read Nov 07, 2024 | date added Nov 15, 2024 | owned | format | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Hitchhikers Guide to Missions | title Hitchhikers Guide to Missions | author Lum, Ada | isbn 0877843287 | isbn13 9780877843283 | asin 0877843287 | num pages 143pp | avg rating 3.50 | num ratings 2 | date pub Jun 1984 | date pub edition Jan 01, 1984 | David's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 0 | # times read 1 | date started Nov 11, 2024 | date read not set | date added Nov 11, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Doctor Who and the Keys of Marinus | title Doctor Who and the Keys of Marinus | author Hinchcliffe, Philip | isbn 0426201256 | isbn13 9780426201250 | asin 0426201256 | num pages 128pp | avg rating 3.40 | num ratings 400 | date pub Aug 1980 | date pub edition Aug 21, 1980 | David's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Four Adventures in One12 November 2024 You could say that this is four adventures in one. Basically, the Doctor and his companions arrive on a planet Four Adventures in One12 November 2024 You could say that this is four adventures in one. Basically, the Doctor and his companions arrive on a planet whose seas happen to be acid (I wonder if this is a warning regarding climate change – I do know the environment was as issue way back then, and I suspect that there were concerns with regards to our carbon output would turn our seas to acid, but that is beside the point). Anyway, the planet is being invaded by the Voord who want to control a vast computer called the Consciousness of Marinus, and to prevent them from doing so they must find four of the five keys that have been hidden across the planet. As such, they end up going to four different places – including a jungle where the plants grow incredibly fast, a frozen world where they have to deal with some guy who has been sending people off to their deaths, a city where everybody has been hypnotised to believe they live in luxury, and the final place where Ian has been accused of murder and he has to prove his innocence. Yeah, this guilty until proven innocent is an interesting thing since ideally our world we are innocent until proven guilty. Sure, that may be the case, but the reality is that our legal system is based on so many prejudices that sometimes you wonder if that is the case. This is particularly true when it comes to Law and Order politicians who push for mass incarceration, and tweak the laws so that criminals are locked up, ironically with other criminals, which basically ends up being a breeding ground for more criminals. Well, there is also the illusionary city, which you could also say that is relevant is well, considering that we live in a world of mass media, which is notorious for spreading misinformation. Like, okay, that has always been the case, but since we have made it possible for anybody to access media, and since the almighty God that is the algorithm will continue to feed us more and more of what it thinks we want to watch, it is nearly impossible to escape it. Oh, and the fact that it takes more effort to combat misinformation than it does to spread it, means that we are trapped in such an illusion. Oh, and like the city, those who try to expose the truth are silenced as well. These stories are quite interesting, though it seemed to be an odd finish (which I don’t want to give too much away). Like, it made me wonder what the whole purpose of it was, except that the idea was that the machine controlled the thoughts of the inhabitants of the planet, and they needed the keys to power it up because, well, it was turned off. Still, it was a fun book, and it does make me want to start watching these episodes again (and interestingly there are some people that apparently have seen all of them). ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 2 | # times read 1 | date started Nov 06, 2024 | date read Nov 12, 2024 | date added Nov 06, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Realms of Mystery (Forgotten Realms: Anthologies, #6) | title Realms of Mystery(Forgotten Realms: Anthologies, #6) | author Athans, Philip * | isbn 0786911719 | isbn13 9780786911714 | asin 0786911719 | num pages 346pp | avg rating 3.63 | num ratings 523 | date pub Jun 09, 1998 | date pub edition Jun 09, 1998 | David's rating | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review None | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 0 | # times read 1 | date started Nov 04, 2024 | date read not set | date added Nov 04, 2024 | owned | format Mass Market Paperback | actions view | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Real Thing | title The Real Thing | author Stoppard, Tom | isbn 057112528X | isbn13 9780571125289 | asin 057112528X | num pages 81pp | avg rating 3.91 | num ratings 4,718 | date pub 1982 | date pub edition Jan 01, 1984 | David's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Plays within Plays5 November 2024 I saw this play while I was in London, namely because I kept on seeing the advertisement on the elevators as I was t Plays within Plays5 November 2024 I saw this play while I was in London, namely because I kept on seeing the advertisement on the elevators as I was travelling through the tube. Yeah, that happens to me quite a lot when I’m in London, though it is somewhat frustrating when I see plays that I would really like to go to that start weeks, or even days, after I leave, and finish before I have a chance to get back. Well, we do get some decent plays in Australia, but nothing on the level of London. Anyway, I picked up the book at the Old Vic, which I thought was cool because not many of the plays that I have gone to actually have the text available. The interesting thing is that this play is sort of autobiographical, but then again a lot of playwrights, and authors, get a lot of inspiration from people that they have known, and events that they have experienced. The play is about these two characters who are married, but not to each other. Apparently the protagonist, Henry, has become somewhat bored with his wife so is having an affair with a actress who is in one of his plays. However, Anne goes to Glasgow to star in another play and there are questions as to whether she was really in this play. The interesting thing is that the play opens with a guy who is accusing his wife of having an affair because she apparently went to Geneva, but didn’t take her passport (this was before the British could travel to Europe without needing a passport, and of course that was before Brexit as well). The thing is that it was a play being performed – sort of a play within a play, but never actually telling the audience that it was a play within a play. This is one reason why I suspect the play is called the Real Thing. Yet there is another reason, and that involves a character known as Brodie. Brodie used to be in the military, met Anne, and was convinced to join a march in the city. However, he decides to set fire to a wreath on the Cenotaph and is sentenced to six years in gaol. So, Anne decides to take it on herself to attempt to get him released, but the one way she sees that she can do it is to write a play, or at least a television play. The thing is that Henry isn’t all that interested in writing the play, Brodie can’t write, and Brodie doesn’t want Henry to write it as well. In fact you could say that the play is about illusion verses reality. There is always the reference to Mussolini making the trains run on time, but one does wonder whether that was true or not, and whether it was just a criticism of British Rail. Yet there is also the question of the character of Brodie, especially what happens at the end. Yet, one wonders whether we should only help people based on their character, and that people who land up in gaol aren’t necessarily of good character (assuming that people who land up in gaol in the west are there because they actually have committed crimes). Like, the play had some interesting aspects to it, but it certainly wasn’t one of the greatest. However, the question of reality to imagination, especially since there were a couple of scenes in the play where it appears that it is reality, but it turns out to be a play. Then there is a question of character, and whether we hold some people much higher than they really are. It had a few twists, and was reasonably well written, but it really wasn’t one of the greatest of the modern plays that I have read. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 2 | # times read 1 | date started Nov 2024 | date read Nov 04, 2024 | date added Nov 01, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Captains Courageous (Signet Classics) | title Captains Courageous | author Kipling, Rudyard | isbn 0451465652 | isbn13 9780451465658 | asin 0451465652 | num pages 224pp | avg rating 3.86 | num ratings 21,712 | date pub Mar 1897 | date pub edition Jan 07, 2014 | David's rating it was ok | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Rich Boy Working with Hands5 November 2024 So, it turned out that Theodore Roosevelt actually quite liked this book, and I was going to say who was I Rich Boy Working with Hands5 November 2024 So, it turned out that Theodore Roosevelt actually quite liked this book, and I was going to say who was I to argue with the one president that actually had the guts to stand up to the oligarchs of his age, but that still doesn’t mean that I liked it. Well, then, there is also the thing that it was written by Rudyard Kipling, and apparently he is supposed to be a pretty good author. Well, his books are still read today, but the thing is that, honestly, I really didn’t like this one. The story is about this boy named Harvey who is basically a trust fund kid. His dad is one of those railroad barons, but because his mum doesn’t like living out west, she and Harvey spend their time travelling around the world. However, Harvey is washed overboard and lands up on a fishing trawler, and that is basically most of the book. Well, actually, most of the book seems to be the fishermen talking with each other in some annoying accent which, if I watched it on the screen I could actually understand it, but since it is the written word it results in me having to try too hard to understand what it going on, and what is being said, and thus I end up losing interest. Yeah, I have to say that I really don’t like those novels that insist on actually spelling out the accents because, at least where I’m concerned, it makes the book unreadable. If they are going to do that they might as well actually have the French characters speak in French (which is what they do – which also ruins it because if you can speak or read French then all well and good, if not well it sucks to be you). Mind you, I did like the idea that we have a trust fund kid who is actually forced to work with his hands. In fact, he pretty quickly realises that being stuck on a fishing boat that is literally out at sea for months at a time means that he probably should at least try to get along with the people. As I suspected, when he finally gets back to shore and contacts his father, his life has been irrevocably changed, meaning that he actually wants to return to sea, much to his parent’s horror (namely because it is one of those rather dangerous jobs in a time when a lot of working-class jobs were quite dangerous). Still, even though I liked the idea, namely that a rich kid is forced to actually work with his hands, and can’t call on his trust fund to solve his problems. In fact, he simply can’t return to his luxurious lifestyle because, well, he is trapped at sea. It’s much different from those winter sleepouts, which while they work to raise awareness of rough sleeping, they aren’t actually sleeping rough (because they are no doubt sleeping in a safe place and are returning to their warm houses afterwards). Like, especially seeing some of these rich people in the movies, and in real life, one would like to see them land up in a situation, and one that they can’t get out of, where they are forced to experience how the other side lives. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 2 | # times read 1 | date started Oct 23, 2024 | date read Nov 2024 | date added Oct 23, 2024 | owned | format Mass Market Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Religious Freedom in a Secular Age: A Christian Case for Liberty, Equality, and Secular Government | title Religious Freedom in a Secular Age: A Christian Case for Liberty, Equality, and Secular Government | author Bird, Michael F. | isbn 0310538882 | isbn13 9780310538882 | asin 0310538882 | num pages 224pp | avg rating 4.20 | num ratings 86 | date pub unknown | date pub edition May 03, 2022 | David's rating it was ok | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Complaining of Persecution23 October 2024 Ok, while I don’t actually know the author of this book, I do know that he teaches at the bible college in w Complaining of Persecution23 October 2024 Ok, while I don’t actually know the author of this book, I do know that he teaches at the bible college in which my church meets so I decided to give it a go. Sadly, much of the book seems to rant and rave against militant secularism (which is probably more militant Atheism than anything else) and while it touches on the extremes at which some Christian sects tend to go, he seems to be oblivious to the fact that they tend to be the ones that scream the loudest, and also seem to be the ones that drive people away from Christianity. Okay, I’ll give him credit for not writing a book that is crying about Christians being silenced while Muslims and such are being given free reign. In fact his writing does actually show how much Christians have advanced in the past ten years in that he is accepting of people’s lifestyle choices and he isn’t Muslim bashing either. However, he has fallen into the tired old trope that extreme secular governments are much more genocidal than religious governments while ignoring the fact that colonialism, which occurred with the blessings of the church, was responsible for the destruction of whole civilisations. One nation under god was built on the backs of slaves and the wiping out of whole nations of indigenous peoples – so no Christian can’t claim that their system doesn’t have blood on their hands, or accuse the communist states of committing genocide (without actually doing proper research and not calling it rewriting history if it doesn’t agree with your position – Stalin I agree was retributive, however, famines can, and do, result from failed economic policy). Okay, I do appreciate where he is coming from, in that our system of government means that we should be able to freely practice our faith and that we should be free not to have any religion whatsoever. In fact we should be free to have a society where faithful Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and the like are able to live side by side, and even share meals together. Like, it was not long ago when churches were teaching about how we shouldn’t be letting them into the country, and suddenly changed their tune when Muslims decided that maybe Christianity was actually more appealing (and vice versa). However, when the words orphanage and Catholicism are mentioned in the same sentence I have to say that a shiver really goes up my spine. The issue in my mind is not so much secularism, it is that crimes that have been committed by the church are being addressed, but they are going too far in the opposite direction. Like, I see his point with the racial discrimination act where he says that having the word ‘offend’ in it, that is making it an offence to offend people probably goes too far. Then again, there have been so many times where I have had to literally suck it up but I’m not allowed to offend others – it seriously has to work both ways – if I can’t offend you then you can’t offend me. But, as I have mentioned, it is the extremes that are the problems, and he doesn’t do all that much to address the extremes of Christianity – and they are there. Like, if you look at the policy platform of Family First, you will notice that most of it involves bashing the LGBT community, bulldozing farmland to build single-family homes, gutting divorce and abortion laws (and spreading misinformation while they are at it), giving employers the power to screw over their employees, and tacking some social policies on the end (oh, and forcing all drug users into treatment facilities). Yet, ironically, for a Christian party, there is no mention on their policy platform about bring honesty and integrity into government and getting money out. Yeah, these lot are pretty extreme, and I remember a time when they claimed that the problem with Islam is that it is really easy to radicalise people, but the more I look at the way Christians behave the more I realise that Christianity is just as bad. Like, the reason that I still consider myself a Christian is that I don’t actually have any issues with Jesus Christ – however I do have quite a few issues with Christians. The problem I have with books like this is the same problem I have with Christians – they spend too much time telling others what to do and little to no time cleaning up their own mess. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 4 | # times read 1 | date started Oct 18, 2024 | date read Oct 23, 2024 | date added Oct 18, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Words of Khakheperresened | title Words of Khakheperresened | author Unknown | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages unknown | avg rating 3.00 | num ratings 1 | date pub unknown | date pub edition unknown | David's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Ancient Complaints 13 October 2024 I would say that this is a tract that is basically some scribe whinging about how hard his life is, but honestly, i Ancient Complaints 13 October 2024 I would say that this is a tract that is basically some scribe whinging about how hard his life is, but honestly, it really feels as if nothing much has changed, especially if you spend any amount of time scrolling through Facebook or the like. In a way, very little has changed between when this guy was writing and now. Like, we are reading this tract like 3000 years after it was written, and apparently it was taken off a tablet that happens to be located in the British Museum, so the fact that we have this poem written by some guy that thinks his life sucks really says something. Honestly, if your words are still being read thousands of years after you have died that really says something. At least he isn’t remembered for selling somebody some shitty copper. That’s something. So, what this tells me is that it doesn’t matter how influential you are, life still sucks. Sure, in the world of social media, where everybody is crafting their image in the best way possible, it can be difficult, especially since people don’t post stuff on Facebook complaining about how much their life sucks. However, if you think your life is a struggle, then you can be assured that you are not alone. Honestly, I have to say that a lot of the people that end up presenting stuff on television probably aren’t making all that much, however they can’t say anything because you aren’t supposed to bite the hand that feeds you. It’s the reason why Spotify gets a lot of crap because nobody is going to actually blame the record companies for screwing over the musicians. So, yeah, this story says quite a lot of us now, and that is basically if you think your life is shit, then honestly, you aren’t alone. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 3 | # times read 1 | date started Oct 13, 2024 | date read Oct 13, 2024 | date added Oct 15, 2024 | owned | format | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Doctor Who: Marco Polo | title Doctor Who: Marco Polo | author Lucarotti, John | isbn 0426199677 | isbn13 9780426199670 | asin B002IEZ8QC | num pages 144pp | avg rating 3.61 | num ratings 736 | date pub Apr 01, 1985 | date pub edition Apr 11, 1985 | David's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review The Doctor Crosses the Gobi20 October 2024 The interesting thing about this story is that it is unlikely that it will be reconstructed, and sadly it i The Doctor Crosses the Gobi20 October 2024 The interesting thing about this story is that it is unlikely that it will be reconstructed, and sadly it is one of the many lost episodes. The reason for this is that since it was an historical epic then there were an awful lot of costumes, as well as characters that we have no idea what they looked like (namely because the episode has been lost). Back when this episode was filmed the writers had access to the BBC’s wardrobe, which had a lot of historical costumes that they could use, which is why you have a number of these historical stories (though it is also because one of the reasons behind Doctor Who was to have historical epics). Apparently, it was similar to Star Trek in that they had access to the wardrobes from Paramount’s other works, which is why you had a number of historical set pieces (including the episode that Quentin Tarantino wanted to remake). If you actually compare the historical epics with the sci-fi ones you will notice a huge difference in the costumes, namely because when they were doing the sci-fi ones they had to use their own costumes (which is why you would only see a handful of Daleks – Dr Who was well know for writing stories on a shoestring budget) and making costumes was rather expensive. Of course, they weren’t necessarily going to recycle them either. Like, it’s similar to Star Trek – especially with the original series. Anyway, this story is about Marco Polo, and it is one that involves the Doctor losing access to his Tardis. Anyway, they end up travelling with Polo, but also there is a lot of intrigue going on behind in scenes. In one part I sort of expected that it would just be about his travel to China, but it turned out that when he reached China he became the servant of the Kahn (this was during the reign of Kublai Kahn, whose empire actually made it easier for China and Europe to trade) and wasn’t able to return to his home of Venice. So, basically Polo is attempting to find a gift for the Kahn so that might be allowed to return home. Of course, as I suggested, there are a number of competing interests. What interested me though is the statement at the end that apparently the key to the Tardis is now on display in the Forbidden City in China, though since I’ve never been there I can’t confirm or deny (and I suspect that the writers of the episode couldn’t either, since at the time China was basically a closed country). ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 2 | # times read 1 | date started Oct 13, 2024 | date read Oct 19, 2024 | date added Oct 13, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction | title Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction | author Robinson, Nigel | isbn 0426203275 | isbn13 9780426203278 | asin 0426203275 | num pages 120pp | avg rating 3.61 | num ratings 407 | date pub May 01, 1988 | date pub edition Jan 01, 1988 | David's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Stuck in the Tardis 7 September 2024 While I’m trying to read these Doctor Who books in order (though I won’t be touching the ones that were written a Stuck in the Tardis 7 September 2024 While I’m trying to read these Doctor Who books in order (though I won’t be touching the ones that were written after the conclusion of the original series) I doubt I’ll be able to read all of them as I have a gut feeling that some of the books, or at least The Dalek Masterplan, was never novelised (actually, it was, but it was split into two volumes – Mission to the Unknown and The Mutation of Time). Anyway, this is the third story and it begins with a brief rundown of the previous two stories and ends with an introduction to the fourth one, Marco Polo. So, the entire story is set inside the Tardis, something that you don’t get all that much in the series (though there is probably a pretty good reason for that). The Tardis suddenly breaks down and they are in a race against time (of course) to try and find out what is happening. Actually, one of the main themes in this story is about how the Tardis is actually more than just a machine. That is probably not surprising considering that it is a device built by an advanced culture. In a way you could say that the Tardis contains artificial intelligence, though I’m a little surprised that the Doctor doesn’t actually know this. Another thing that happens is that the crew end up turning on each other, accusing each other of attempting to sabotage the Tardis. This is an interesting take, especially since the Doctor, in this incarnation, is actually a rather cranky and distrustful individual. He still hasn’t warmed to Barbara and Ian and distrusts them immensely. I guess this was the nature of this incarnation, something that the later ones didn’t inherit (which is a bit of a shame, though the rumour is that the actors that played the Doctor never talked to the previous ones so that they would make the character their own). I can’t say that it is one of my favourite stories, though it is certainly different to a lot of the other ones. It was okay, but it certainly wasn’t as enjoyable as some of the other stories I’ve seen and read, probably because the Doctor is actually really annoying in this one. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 3 | # times read 1 | date started Sep 2024 | date read Sep 02, 2024 | date added Oct 07, 2024 | owned | format Mass Market Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Words of Neferti | title Words of Neferti | author Unknown | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages unknown | avg rating 3.00 | num ratings 1 | date pub unknown | date pub edition 2500 | David's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Another Idealistic View of the Past1 September 2024 So, this is another one of those tracts that was written during the Middle Kingdom but set in the Another Idealistic View of the Past1 September 2024 So, this is another one of those tracts that was written during the Middle Kingdom but set in the Old Kingdom. Mind you, it could be that it was written during the Old Kingdom and had been passed down by word of mouth, much like the Homeric epics of Ancient Greece. I honestly don’t know, and the introduction doesn’t seem to say much. However, there does seem to be some idealistic view of the Old Kingdom, but then many of us do tend to have idealistic visions of the older eras. Anyway, like the previous one, this involves a discussion between the priest of Bast Neferti and the king Sneferu. Apparently, according to the notes, Neferu means ‘perfect’, and the king’s name means ‘he who makes perfect’. It does seem to be an admired king, particularly considering the contents of the previous work in this book (though we have moved on from the stories here). The thing about this work is that it seems to be a complaint about chaos infecting the kingdom. Apparently, Bast, the cat god (and I remember an interesting drawing of her in one of my old Dungeons & Dragons books) is the guardian of Egypt’s borders. Well, considering cats were held in high regard, namely because they kept the snake population down, it is probably appropriate that the cat goddess is also a guardian. So, there are references to Asiatics coming into the land, which refers to the people who lived in the East. Okay, I suspect that it is older than from when the Israelites came and settled in Egypt, though it could quite possibly be a reference to this. They were always considered outsiders, and after the Pharaoh who had invited Joseph and his family to settle in Goshen had died, and the fact that they were having lots of children, there is a possibility that the complaints could be in reference to this. Mind you, while this story is set centuries before, a lot of these stories usually use historic events to reference current events, and in this case an influx of people from the East (though of course there were also issues with the Libyans, who happen to live in the west). Yes, it seems that there have always been issues with foreigners, and there have always been xenophobic attitudes – this is nothing new to our era. I guess that is why the law of Ancient Israel had specific instructions to look after foreigners and aliens (another part of the Bible that seems to be conveniently ignored). It’s interesting, and it shows us how, sadly, attitudes have not changed. Foreigners have always been used as scapegoats for societies problems, just as they are still used by politicians now to get elected on unpopular platforms. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 3 | # times read 1 | date started Aug 31, 2024 | date read Sep 2024 | date added Oct 05, 2024 | owned | format | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, #2) | title The Silence of the Lambs(Hannibal Lecter, #2) | author Harris, Thomas | isbn 0099532921 | isbn13 9780099532927 | asin 0099532921 | num pages 421pp | avg rating 4.25 | num ratings 563,001 | date pub Jul 1988 | date pub edition Jan 01, 2009 | David's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review To Catch a Serial Killer 13 October 2024 When my horror book club chose this book my first question was ‘how is this book horror’. Then I remembered t To Catch a Serial Killer 13 October 2024 When my horror book club chose this book my first question was ‘how is this book horror’. Then I remembered that we watched the film when I was studying English at university and had chosen the horror stream, namely because the poetry stream clashed with other subjects (and I have to admit I’m not a big fan of horror, yet for some reason I end up attending more horror book club meetups than I do the fantasy meetups). Mind you, after reading the book I still have to say that I don’t see how this is a horror novel. It’s a crime novel, though once again I will admit that Edgar Allen Poe wrote both horror and detective stories, so I can see how they interlink. I could give you a rundown of the book, but it is so well-known that I probably don’t need to. I do remember watching the film in English and suddenly realising how awesome Dr Hannibal Lecter was, but then again that probably had more to do with Anthony Hopkins than anybody else. In fact, when you mention Silence of the Lambs, you automatically think of Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter. Actually, come to think of it, I also think of Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, but none of the other characters seem to come anywhere close to these two. As I was reading the book, a lot of flashbacks from the film were coming to me. Mind you, I’m somewhat surprised that when I was doing English I we watched the film as opposed to reading the book. Mind you, I didn’t complain because it was one less book to read, and since we had to pretty much read a book a week in English I, having a week off from reading something was sort of kinda cool. So, this story got a lot of flack from the trans community, and I can sort of see why. Also, I found it interesting that all of these really dodgy characters, like Jame Gump, come from dysfunctional families and have horrid childhoods. Then again, there is a lot of suggestion that this was the same with Clarice Starling, and thus one could argue that this is not always the case. Mind you, sometimes I would like a villain like Jame Gump to come from a nuclear family, but then again there are quite a lot of rotten people in our world that come from such families. I’m not going to name names though. Anyway, this book actually was pretty good, though as I mentioned it was difficult to read the book without thinking about the film. I guess because the film was so popular and won so many awards that is the reason that it is difficult to distance oneself from it. Mind you, I haven’t watched it in a very long time (probably since English, namely because these films don’t really appeal to me), but I guess it was pretty good that the book club chose the book and the film. Anyway, I hope the next person at the little community library appreciates the fact that I dumped the book there. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 3 | # times read 1 | date started Oct 03, 2024 | date read Oct 13, 2024 | date added Oct 03, 2024 | owned | format Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Tale of King Cheops' Court | title The Tale of King Cheops' Court | author Unknown | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages unknown | avg rating 3.00 | num ratings 1 | date pub unknown | date pub edition 1300 | David's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Reflecting on the Greater Kings17 August 2024 Well, this is another one of those tales in a tale, though the frustrating thing is that chunks of it ar Reflecting on the Greater Kings17 August 2024 Well, this is another one of those tales in a tale, though the frustrating thing is that chunks of it are missing, in particular the first part. Anyway, while it was written during the Middle Kingdom, it is actually set during the reign of King Cheops, the pyramid guy. Apparently, he wasn’t really all that liked. In fact, from the commentary, the Great Pyramid is sort of like one of those emotional support vehicles, except that this emotional support building is the only surviving of the seven wonders, and millions flock to it every year just to see it. Oh, and he is also remembered, not that he would care since he is dead. Anyway, I get the impression that this story is about some people who tell tales to him of his father and his grandfather. In fact there seems to be a comparison between them, namely that his father and grandfathers were decent kings, while he was a tyrant (and when you force you people to build a pyramid so that you might be remembered in the 21st Century, you sort of can appreciate them). So, there are four stories, but one of them is lost. The second one is about an affair (and there is an interesting euphemism for sex – making holidays – I might try that the next time I’m in a pub). The interesting thing is that we have the queen having an affair with a commoner, and they are caught because another servant spies on them and rats them out. They are proceeded to be killed, which seems to be a little extreme for the Egyptians since we know that Joseph, who was accused of attempted rape of Potiphar’s wife, was just thrown into prison. The next story is about a king that decides to go for a row but he gets a whole heap of women to row his boat. Mind you, the king goes a little further than that and decides to get them to strip off all of their clothes and wear fishing nets, so you could say that the Egyptians invented fish net clothing. Mind you, the focus is more on a woman who loses a totem in the river, and despite them offering her a new one, she wants the old one, so they use magic to get it. Oh, and in the end they all decide to make holidays. Yeah, there seems to be a lot of magic in this story, but then again we do know that magic was a particularly big part of Egyptian life. Actually, speaking of magic, when we get to the final one, we have the teller claim that the previous two stories are unrealistic and proceed to tell a story about a sorcerer who cuts the heads off of animals and reattaches them so they are alive again. However, this story then moves to a more serious note where he arranges for a woman to give birth to three kings, which end up being the three kings that come after Cheops. In a way, it is an amusing story, but it also seems to have a serious note with regards to Cheops, and also seems to be giving a divine aspect to his descendants. Mind you, this was written during the Middle Kingdom, so to the readers it was basically ancient history. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 3 | # times read 1 | date started not set | date read not set | date added Sep 23, 2024 | owned | format | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Dead Man | title The Dead Man | author Bradbury, Ray | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages 19pp | avg rating 3.75 | num ratings 12 | date pub 1945 | date pub edition 1945 | David's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review The Dead Among the Living13 August 2024 I have to admit that this is actually quite a decent place to end this collection of short stories. In fact, i The Dead Among the Living13 August 2024 I have to admit that this is actually quite a decent place to end this collection of short stories. In fact, it has a rather interesting ending, one that I really don’t want to give away. The story is about a chap known as Odd, and apparently he believes that he died in a flood (not the great flood but rather a recent local flood, though at first, I thought he was one of those characters that have been around for millennia). Anyway, people think that he is crazy because he keeps on telling people that he is dead. However, despite that, people don’t seem to think that he is creepy enough to actually go to a Halloween party. Also, it seems as if he is a bit of an outcast but that is because people think he is crazy. This isn’t all that surprising because if I went around telling people that I was dead they would probably think that I was crazy as well. In fact, Bradbury tends to lead us to believe that Odd is crazy, and yeah, that does work, but we also ask the question ‘what if he isn’t, what if he really is dead’. In fact, there are suggestions that other people have tried to emulate Odd with little success. Anyway, yeah, it isn’t bad at all, and as I said, it does work as a good ending to the book. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 2 | # times read 1 | date started Aug 12, 2024 | date read Aug 12, 2024 | date added Sep 20, 2024 | owned | format ebook | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Night | title The Night | author Bradbury, Ray | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages 8pp | avg rating 3.38 | num ratings 32 | date pub 1946 | date pub edition 1946 | David's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review A Second Person Perspective 12 August 2024 One thing about short stories is that the author can experiment with different styles, and this is certainl A Second Person Perspective 12 August 2024 One thing about short stories is that the author can experiment with different styles, and this is certainly what Bradbury has done here. The thing is that most stories are written in either the first or the third person, however in this story Bradbury has written it in the second person, so in a way you get more of an experience of the character than you would normally do. In fact, by using the second person you almost become the character. So, what we have here is a young boy and it seems that the action takes place over the evening and the night. It appears that they are not only waiting for the father to return, but it seems as if his older brother has gone out and hasn’t returned either, and his mum is in a panic. Mind you, it isn’t the first time he has experienced death, but Bradbury is taking us through this situation through the mind of a young boy. It certainly is an interesting story, and the perspective makes it a lot creepier than it would normally be if it was in any of the other person's viewpoint. I sort of liked it, though the more I think about it, the more I feel that maybe it could be just as creepy. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 5 | # times read 1 | date started Aug 12, 2024 | date read Aug 12, 2024 | date added Sep 18, 2024 | owned | format | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The World at the End of Time | title The World at the End of Time | author Pohl, Frederik | isbn | isbn13 | asin B0DN8YR6NS | num pages unknown | avg rating 4.00 | num ratings 2,303 | date pub 1990 | date pub edition 1992 | David's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review An Isolated Society5 October 2024 I was sort of wondering how the title would be explained, but as I got deeper into the book it actually started to m An Isolated Society5 October 2024 I was sort of wondering how the title would be explained, but as I got deeper into the book it actually started to make sense. The thing is that this is hard sci-fi despite that fact that it involves plasma creatures who live in stars and are almost god-like in their nature (they are at war with each other and randomly blow up stars to attempt to kill their enemies – though it turns out that many of the enemies are actually the main character’s children – in the sense of how an amoeba reproduces). Well, it is not just about these creatures that live in stars, it is also about a group of colonists who set out from Earth to a new home and the struggles that a new colony provides. In fact the story revolves around Victor Sorricaine, who starts off the book as a teenager who is woken up from deep freeze at the beginning when the ship is being turned around, and then spends other parts of the book in deep freeze. Actually, that is the way that Pohl jumps ahead in time, namely by putting Victor in deep freeze, and waking up in the future to see how the civilisation has developed. However, there is another interesting aspect of this story because all of the sudden they discover that the section of space in which the planet is located is moving, and moving at quite a rapid pace. This is why the world is at the end of time – relativity – the faster we move through space the slower time moves for us. Well, that and the fact that when a cluster of stars are moving at speed through the universe the stars will begin to cool. It is an interesting take on how cultures develop, particularly when they are cut off from each other, and how over vast centuries cultures change, as does the knowledge of historical events. Further, it is not just that but it is also the question of science and looking for truth. Either it isn’t important and people who seek to explore these questions are ridiculed and considered bad influences, or worse they are considered a danger to society and are conveniently made to disappear. Sure, there may not be creatures living in our stars, though the thing is that these creatures live for billions of years, and these events take billions of years to unfold. It is like the idea of a supernova, which is probably the last thing we should be worrying about because humanity will probably be extinct when that happens (and at the rate we are going we are probably going to be extinct in the not-to-distant future after we finish completely trashing the planet). However, Pohl does put this into perspective by creating a world that actually exists beyond the confines of the universe, but also acknowledging that our roles are to lay the foundations for the better lives for our children and grandchildren. Sadly, that doesn’t seem to be what is happening. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 5 | # times read 1 | date started Sep 14, 2024 | date read Oct 03, 2024 | date added Sep 14, 2024 | owned | format Unknown Binding | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover Let's Play "Poison" | title [ Let's Play "Poison"](/book/show/54271842-let-s-play-poison "Let's Play "Poison"") | author Bradbury, Ray | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages 11pp | avg rating 3.69 | num ratings 13 | date pub Nov 1946 | date pub edition Nov 1946 | David's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Hate Builds Upon Hate9 August 2024 Well, once again this is another of Bradbury’s creepy works, and it involves a teacher that hates kids. Well, sort Hate Builds Upon Hate9 August 2024 Well, once again this is another of Bradbury’s creepy works, and it involves a teacher that hates kids. Well, sort of because at the beginning of the story we are told that the kids threw another kid out of a window and he died. As such, he basically quit his job and went into retirement. Except, they needed a substitute so they convinced him to come back. In a way, this is a story about how hate builds and builds and eventually boils over. The thing is that if you hate somebody they pretty much know it. It is obvious, and I should know because I have been the sender and the receiver. In this situation, the teacher is forced into a situation where he has to deal with kids, and the more he does the more he despises them. In fact, he claims that the kids are either alien invaders or even rejects from hell. However, the more he hates them, the more they realise it, and the more that his fears are turned into reality. I won’t say much more, but it is interesting how he refers to some etchings on a footpath as simply a signature of the creator while the kids claim that it is actually a grave. Yeah, it’s short, and not bad either, and I guess in part I do like some of these short stories. Oh, and the title refers to a game that children play where they can’t step on a certain spot because it happens to be poison. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 4 | # times read 1 | date started Aug 09, 2024 | date read Aug 09, 2024 | date added Sep 09, 2024 | owned | format ebook | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Stars, Like Dust (Galactic Empire, #1) | title The Stars, Like Dust(Galactic Empire, #1) | author Asimov, Isaac | isbn 0449023737 | isbn13 9780449023730 | asin 0449023737 | num pages 192pp | avg rating 3.74 | num ratings 24,557 | date pub 1951 | date pub edition Jun 01, 1972 | David's rating really liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review A Fantasy Adventure in Space9 August 2024 Honestly, the thing that stood out to me about this story is that it sounded like a modern fantasty story, e A Fantasy Adventure in Space9 August 2024 Honestly, the thing that stood out to me about this story is that it sounded like a modern fantasty story, except that it was written by Issac Asimov and it is set in space. So, you have Biron, who is the son of a wealthy rancher who is sent to Earth because his father is in trouble, and he comes across as the prince who happens to not realise how important he is. Then you have Arta, who is the daughter of a politician and she is being forced to marry somebody she doesn’t want to, and she comes across as the princess. Of course, in the process of the story, they fall in love. Now, this is particularly odd because a lot of the Asimov stories that I have read where the main characters become romantically involved end up being really quite bad, but this one works. Mind you, it is Asimov, so you can expect an awful lot of exposition, but then again that is pretty much what we get in his stories. Another thing I noticed is that this is supposed to be a part of the Empire trilogy, namely three novels that explore the beginning of the Galactic Empire in the Fountain novels. Now, Robots and Empire was supposed to be the bridging novel, however this novel starts on Earth. The focus of the story is on a polity known as the Tyranni, who are dominating the worlds, however, there is a movement that is seeking to break away from them and establish a system where the planets are free to rule themselves. Mind you, there is an indication at the end of the story as to what this means, but when I was reading this you sort of wonder how small you end up breaking these down into. Like, in our world we have many separatist groups who seek to govern themselves. However, there is a set number of countries and a huge amount of resistance to breaking these countries apart. For instance, there are at least two regions in Spain that seek to be independent, and of course, there is always the Scottish issue. The thing is that if we give one country independence where do we stop because we will suddenly find more and more groups seeking to rule themselves. Here we are talking about planets or even planetary systems, but honestly, where do we draw the line? As I mentioned, it was a rather interesting book, and I felt as if Asimov must have borrowed from a fantasy story or something, except the problem is that when he was writing we were in the world before Tolkien. Like, sure, Asimov does have an issue with writing characters, but for some reason, he did a pretty good job in this book, though it does turn out to be fairly typically Asimov. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 5 | # times read 1 | date started Aug 04, 2024 | date read Aug 09, 2024 | date added Sep 09, 2024 | owned | format Mass Market Paperback | actions view (with text) | | | | | checkbox | position | cover The Handler | title The Handler | author Bradbury, Ray | isbn | isbn13 | asin | num pages unknown | avg rating 3.00 | num ratings 2 | date pub unknown | date pub edition 1947 | David's rating liked it | my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves | review Leave the Dead Be 31 July 2024 One thought I had was that this story, instead of being creepy, could have been more black humour, particularly what ou Leave the Dead Be 31 July 2024 One thought I had was that this story, instead of being creepy, could have been more black humour, particularly what our protagonist gets up to in his office. He happens to be an undertaker, but he also happens to hate people, so he gets his revenge on them when preparing their corpses. Like, he embalms a racist with black ink, and fills the head of a woman with whipped cream. This gets even more outlandish when they start closing the coffins. Anyway, the problem is that people who land up in the morgue aren’t always dead – apparently, that was what the wake as all about, if somebody had been mistakenly assumed to be dead, but they weren’t - like they were in a coma. Well, as I mentioned, the dead don’t always stay dead, or at least people who land up in the morgue aren’t always supposed to be there, and of course, our undertaker is actually exposed, to an extent. The problem is that in my mind he was taking out revenge on people that he didn’t like, though it is pretty clearly indicated that that basically included everybody. Still, I thought it was pretty good. Definitely worth checking out, and I’m sure some dark grimey humour could be seen in it. ...more | notes Notes are private! | comments 0 | votes 3 | # times read 1 | date started Jul 30, 2024 | date read Jul 31, 2024 | date added Sep 03, 2024 | owned | format | actions view (with text) | | | |

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