Books discussion

[Skizzaltix]

I personally think that it isn't as good as, say, Eragon and other such stories

You don't have to be so hard on yourself--I mean, I don't think much of my work, but I still wouldn't compare it to something like that

[Dragonchampion]

The trouble is, it is similar to it. While I am not copying any of his ideas, I am afraid critics will see that my book is about people who are companions to dragons, and compare it to his, and then I'll be sunk.

[Skizzaltix]

Oh, I wouldn't worry about being accused of plagiarizing him--I mean, look at how many people he's gotten away with plagiarizing

[Cloud]

Make it your own, in your own style and your own plot. Then no one can criticise the you are just "Another xyz". Sure everyone takes inspiration from other artists, it's a fact of life. Monkey see, monkey do.

The other thing to remember is that the human race is the only race that has a proper imagination. Monkeys might be able to draw a picture they were taught to draw, but they'd only ever draw that. Humans can change that, so no matter how good or bad you might do, you'll always be doing better the majority of the planet's inhabitants!

[Skizzaltix]

The other thing to remember is that the human race is the only race that has a proper imagination. Monkeys might be able to draw a picture they were taught to draw, but they'd only ever draw that. Humans can change that, so no matter how good or bad you might do, you'll always be doing better the majority of the planet's inhabitants!

...I would heartily disagree with this (tool-using crows, anyone?), but I think it would result in a religious flamewar...

[Cloud]

Okay it's just a phrase my old Graphics tutor used to use. Perhaps it's a slight over exaggeration, certainly we're one of very few species that have creative ability and can build the tools for which we can express it with.

[thespaceinvader]

Elephants and gorillas have both been known to draw creatively for pleasure in captivity - most animals don't do anything like this in the wild simply because they're too busy surviving and don't have the time, or the tools.

[Thanatos]

After finishing Morgan's "Altered Carbon" today (which I can recommend - but only to such readers that can deal with explicit violence and sex), I am searching for new stuff (most likely some more intelligent/adult fiction). Seems that my board has nothing unread in it anymore, so I'll have to visit a bookstore/amazon.com tomorrow.

[Edguy_Forever]

I would heartily disagree with this (tool-using crows, anyone?), but I think it would result in a religious flamewar...

Yeah, this is why anyone ascribing themselves as a Christian should read Saint Thomas Aquinas. Basically what he says, and what has always made sense to me is: you cannot demonstrate articles of faith, you can only prove that they are possible/rational.

So basically, attacking evolution and animal intelligence as a lie because you feel it counters your faith is a really bad idea, because it really has nothing to do with your faith. Conversely, trying to use something like a really intricate flower to say: it's impossible that anything but a brilliant creator could have made this, is also a bad Idea.
You cannot use physical evidence to prove or disprove faith. at most it is a tool to counter those who feel they can disprove it.

But hey, what do I know, I'm just that guy.

Back on Topic: Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas is a very interesting read. for Christians, atheists, alike.

[Gobanhimer]

I'm reading this post and some of my friends original stories most of which are very strange meaning innapropriate for anyone without a mental age of a least 20 mabye higher(I read these though I'm only 14).

[adaliabarclay]

I want to finish reading High Calling. A book about the astronaut Rick Husband who died in the shuttle columbia. Is half biography about his life, half what happened to his family after his death.

[Noy]

Thomas Ricks The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008

Considered one of the better accounts of the Iraq war, it gives a detailed but accessible account of how the United States government stemmed what was heading to become a major foreign policy disaster. Like his previous book, Fiasco, Ricks is more focused on operational shift made by the Army and the military's relationship with the government. The book benefits for rich interviews and the author's eye for illuminating information sources. It gives an unrivaled view of the almost titanic policy battle that was fought in Washington and the effects on the ground in Iraq. The only major criticism is its lack of information about the shifts in the local situation, which brings me to...

Ahmed S. Hashim Iraq's Sunni Insurgency (Adelphi Paper 402)

An interesting companion to Rick's Gamble, Hashim's work gives a in-depth examination of the various sunni groups that fought against the occupation between 2003 and 2008. It creates a vivid setting for the mass collapse of the insurgency in the early months of 2007. One really comes away with the impression of Al Qaeda in Iraq's ruthlessness and why Iraq turned so violently against the them after several years of struggle.

Marie Beatrice Umutesi Surviving the Slaughter: The Ordeal of a Rwandan Refugee in Zaire

A really insightful work on a woman's struggle to survive the Rwandan genocide and living in Zaire as a refugee. The latter chapters dealing with her experiences on the run in Zaire are particularly disturbing, and give a sense of the challenges a significant portion of the world's population faces on a daily basis. It also offers a contradictory view to how many perceive the nature of the ethnic strife in the region. Well worth a read.

[Skizzaltix]

I'm currently reading Junot Diaz' The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and my summer reading consists of, so far, a pile of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, some Boris Akunin mysteries, and Brennu-Njálssaga. I figure that as long as I can't waste time online, I might as well waste it reading foreign-language books

[TheHelmet]

I just finished reading Dune, by Frank Herbert. I think I'm gonna start reading Ringworld (By Larry Niven) now.

[Thanatos]

So, I will start Dan Simmons' "Lovedeath" tonight, a collection of novelettes circling around... guess what?

Never read anything from this author til now. I am curious.

/edit: Oh, btw... this is my 500th post. Wasn't expecting to post so much in these forums when I started.