19 December 2009

[14:00] Jago Constantine: Hey, Melch
[14:00] Melch Savon: Hey Jago, Eddi, Claire
[14:00] Eddi Haskell: hiya melch and claire
[14:00] Melch Savon: Don't mind me -- I'm in rezz
[14:00] Eddi Haskell: me too
[14:00] Jago Constantine: Claire / ?
[14:01] Eddi Haskell: dunno / i went along with it
[14:01] Melch Savon: She's on my HUD ... / Oh, 60m away. Sorry
[14:01] Garym Gartner: Hello.
[14:01] Jago Constantine: Hey Gary, welcome to Science Fiction Saturday :)
[14:01] Eddi Haskell: hi GG
[14:02] Jago Constantine: You're a filk fan, that's cool
[14:02] Garym Gartner: Jago, are you associated with Aussiecon?
[14:03] Jago Constantine: No, I'm not
[14:03] Melch Savon: Hello garym
[14:04] Garym Gartner: Ah, well. I was asked if I could recommend anyone to run filk for them ... no luck so far anyway.
[14:04] Jago Constantine: Ok, well maybe its just the four of us today / This is the last meeting for the year ... I'm away over Christmas / Anyway, Gary, being new, I'll explain the meeting format / Basically we usually go around the group, and each talk about what we've been reading since the last meeting / Although recently I've made every second meeting a podcast one, where we listen to a sci fi story as a group
[14:06] Garym Gartner: One moment ... need to get oven
[14:06] Jago Constantine: Sure / Hi, McDaniel!
[14:07] McDaniel Sixpence: hi Jago
[14:07] Jago Constantine: Cool avatar
[14:07] McDaniel Sixpence: ty
[14:07] Eddi Haskell: if you have lag reduce your particles to 0 in graphics
[14:07] Melch Savon: Sorry, I am in a crash cycle. If I crash again I won't bother coming back
[14:07] Jago Constantine: Sure its ok :)
[14:08] Eddi Haskell: melch cut your particles to 0
[14:08] Garym Gartner: I'm back
[14:08] Eddi Haskell: that is why you crash
[14:08] Melch Savon: Will give it a try
[14:08] Jago Constantine: Anyway since the last meeting I read an alternate history - 1632 by Eric Flint
[14:08] Garym Gartner: I've read that.
[14:09] Jago Constantine: It's an alternate history crossed with time travel I suppose
[14:09] Melch Savon: Ring of Fire, right?
[14:09] Jago Constantine: yes, that's it / an average american town is transplanted into the middle of the thirty years' war
[14:10] Eddi Haskell: they prolly bitch about the lack of deoderants
[14:10] Jago Constantine: it reminded me a lot of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
[14:10] Garym Gartner: But they had more long-term success than the Yankee.
[14:10] Jago Constantine: Yes, well the author is probably less cynical than Mark Twain :) / I liked it, although it probably isn't the most plausible outcome for such a temporal displacement / they do manage to survive and thrive through the novel
[14:11] Garym Gartner: It does deal with the problems realistically, at least.
[14:12] Jago Constantine: yes, but it was lucky they were a town with their own power plant and coal mine :P
[14:13] Jago Constantine: Hi, Gaspar :)
[14:13] gaspar Violet: hello
[14:13] Eddi Haskell: i made candles im giving to everyone
[14:13] gaspar Violet: sorry
[14:13] Garym Gartner: Thanks, Eddi
[14:13] gaspar Violet: i'm french, and new
[14:13] Garym Gartner: I'm new here too, gaspar
[14:13] McDaniel Sixpence: ty eddie
[14:14] Eddi Haskell: well welcome ya'all
[14:14] Jago Constantine: Welcome to second life, gaspar
[14:14] gaspar Violet: thank you
[14:14] Jago Constantine: this is a science fiction discussion group, feel free to take a seat :)
[14:14] Garym Gartner: There's an authorized fanfic zine for the 1632 world. A friend of mine writes for it.
[14:14] Jago Constantine: oh that's cool
[14:15] Garym Gartner: The Grantville Gazette, I think it's called.
[14:15] gaspar Violet: you talk with voice ?
[14:15] Jago Constantine: no, we do the meeting in local chat
[14:15] gaspar Violet: ok
[14:16] Jago Constantine: I thought it was alright as an alternate history, but I'm not going to rush to read the sequel
[14:16] Jago Constantine: Hi, Rhiannon :)
[14:16] Rhiannon Dragoone: hi, jago! / Sorry i'm late
[14:16] Jago Constantine: For anyone new who's waiting for Rhiannon's clothes to rez, she's a nudist lol
[14:16] Garym Gartner: Nice outfit. :)
[14:16] Rhiannon Dragoone smiles at Jago
[14:16] Melch Savon: Eric Flint is a McDonalds writer -- filling, but not gourmet. He always satisfies but I don't know if he's ever blown me away
[14:16] Rhiannon Dragoone: Garym, thank you!
[14:17] Melch Savon: Proflific as all get out though
[14:17] Jago Constantine: This was the first Eric Flint novel I've read
[14:17] Rhiannon Dragoone: Jago, which one was it?
[14:17] Jago Constantine: 1632, about an american town transported to the 30 years' war
[14:18] Rhiannon Dragoone: oh, wow, i've been meaning to read that.
[14:18] Jago Constantine: it's available for free online at the Baen Free Library
[14:18] Rhiannon Dragoone: i'll jot that down. ty
[14:19] Jago Constantine: http://www.baen.com/library/
[14:19] Jago Constantine: Ok - Eddi, did you read any sci fi since the last meeting?
[14:19] Eddi Haskell: i read a book called the year million / or most of it / that you turned me on to
[14:20] Jago Constantine: How did you like it?
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: it is an academic treatice
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: i liked it but some of the equations were hard for me
[14:20] Garym Gartner: Who's it by?
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: all these authors
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: like each one has a section
[14:20] Jago Constantine: Edited by Damien Broderick
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: i was particulary interested in one thing / since the universe is now expanding / rather, then as einstein thought / contraacting after a big bang
[14:21] Garym Gartner: Are you sure that's what Einstein thought?
[14:21] Eddi Haskell: what does that mean for potentional time travel? / mmmmmmm / no / i think he thought that but im not sure / but
[14:22] Rhiannon Dragoone: Eddi, a time traveller would experience the universe's expansion in reverse
[14:22] Eddi Haskell: mmmmmmmm / yeah thats right / so
[14:22] Rhiannon Dragoone: The big crunch
[14:22] Eddi Haskell: very good / so if time is essentially a matter of a point of view / depending on which spectrum you take as your past and wich as your forward / the universe to you would be contracting / now one thing about this book / well lots of things were interesting / the relevance of finding the matermatical formula to predict primes
[14:23] Jago Constantine: actually, einstein did introduce his "cosmological constant" to achieve a static universe ... in order to prevent it from contracting
[14:23] Eddi Haskell: what is that jago
[14:24] Garym Gartner: Fancy language for "fudge factor" :)
[14:24] Jago Constantine: oh its a famous fudge factor
[14:24] Jago Constantine: exactly
[14:24] Jago Constantine: he made up this thing to get the result he wanted
[14:24] Eddi Haskell: so how does it fudge / mmmm
[14:24] Jago Constantine: and called it the cosmological constant, or that's what its known as
[14:25] Garym Gartner: It has to do with how strongly the universe holds itself together, I think.
[14:25] Eddi Haskell: mmmm
[14:25] Rhiannon Dragoone: Jago, but that was a hypothetical
[14:25] Jago Constantine: because he was perhaps philosophically opposed to the idea of a contracting universe
[14:25] Jago Constantine: or maybe a dynamic universe - one that expands or contracts
[14:25] Eddi Haskell: mmmm why does the universe have to expand to infinity just because it is expanding now?
[14:25] Garym Gartner: More that the universe was observed to be expanding, but shouldn't have been by his theory.
[14:26] Eddi Haskell: yes
[14:26] Rhiannon Dragoone: Garym, that's right and with gravity a tenth of what is necessry to hold the universe together...
[14:26] Jago Constantine: yes, observation proved him wrong and he greatly regretted it
[14:26] Eddi Haskell: does that mean gravity can or cannot hold it together
[14:26] Rhiannon Dragoone: Eddi, it means we have a descrepency we have to explain
[14:26] Eddi Haskell: or the strong force which we assume / but
[14:26] Garym Gartner: Eddi: That's the key question, whether the universe wi ll expand forever or start contracting
[14:26] Rhiannon Dragoone: String theory does it by saying gravity's force leaches in other dimensions.
[14:26] Rhiannon Dragoone: Then there is dark matter
[14:27] Eddi Haskell: mmmm / i thight string theory was all about proving the relationship between difference obeservable forces / and unobservable but theoretic ones
[14:27] Rhiannon Dragoone: Eddi, its all about unification--of relativity and quantum mechanics
[14:28] Eddi Haskell: yes
[14:28] Rhiannon Dragoone: its the Unified Field Theory than Einstein dreamed of
[14:28] Eddi Haskell: yes
[14:28] Jago Constantine: I thought it was pretty clear that the universe will expand forever
[14:28] Rhiannon Dragoone: Jago, not if gravity is ten times greater
[14:28] Garym Gartner: I think that's the consensus view right now.
[14:28] Rhiannon Dragoone: or there is ten times the matter
[14:28] Eddi Haskell: mmmm but how can you prove that with an equation
[14:28] Rhiannon Dragoone: then it could contract, like a yo-yo
[14:29] Garym Gartner: In fact, wasn't it recently shown that the expansion of the universe is accelerating?
[14:29] Eddi Haskell: yes in the past 10 years / it is shown
[14:29] Rhiannon Dragoone: Garym, no ur thinking of my carberator.
[14:29] Eddi Haskell: that is what this chapter is about
[14:29] Jago Constantine: The Universe will expand for ever, at an ever-increasing rate, Nasa scientists have announced.
They base their conclusion on new data obtained by the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (Map) satellite, which has been orbiting the Sun beyond the Moon since shortly after its launch in 2001.
[14:29] Jago Constantine: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2748653.stm
[14:29] Rhiannon Dragoone: Jago, i've read that
[14:29] Eddi Haskell: mmmm today they think that
[14:29] Rhiannon Dragoone: it depends on whether string theory is true or dark matter
[14:30] Garym Gartner: Which leaves the question, what's pushing it apart?
[14:30] Rhiannon Dragoone: so all that can change
[14:30] Jago Constantine: the cosmological constant ;)
[14:30] Garym Gartner: Bingo.
[14:30] Rhiannon Dragoone: jago LOL
[14:31] Eddi Haskell: and i have also been reading about the fall of the whitlam government in australia in 1975 which is more unbelivable then time travel
[14:31] Eddi Haskell: but it happened
[14:31] Jago Constantine: lol Eddi
[14:31] Eddi Haskell: lol
[14:31] Rhiannon Dragoone: Eddi, no clue wht ur talking about / i'm just a dumb blond from no. america
[14:31] Jago Constantine: I'm Australian ... / The elected govermnent in 1975 was dismissed by the Governor General, the Queen's representative
[14:32] Rhiannon Dragoone: Sorry, really to be so ignorant, Jago, and Eddi
[14:32] Jago Constantine: It was Australia's major constitutional crisis
[14:32] Rhiannon Dragoone: Oh, is that the one where the Governor General overruled the people's vote?
[14:32] Eddi Haskell: yeah
[14:32] Jago Constantine: Yes, kind of
[14:32] Rhiannon Dragoone: okay, don't feel so stupid now
[14:33] Jago Constantine: There was a huge outcry, and then the population went ahead and voted for the guy the GG appointed anyway lol
[14:33] Rhiannon Dragoone: yeah, i heard that.
[14:33] Eddi Haskell: oh and yesterday desmond shang gave me a tour of caledon in blue mars
[14:33] Rhiannon Dragoone: i think a GG is a good idea but shouldn't it be elected? / i mean, there is the history of the monarchy, etc. / For sure
[14:33] Eddi Haskell: noah cause it will hav pwer then / its a ceremonial post
[14:33] Melch Savon: Oh, how was Blue Mars? No mac or linux client, and I haven't booted up windows to see it yet
[14:34] Eddi Haskell: well
[14:34] Eddi Haskell: you can use mac, bootcamp
[14:34] Jago Constantine: Hi, Ugene, Fuschia, welcome to science fiction saturday
[14:34] Eddi Haskell: im gonna have a gallery there, ive done four movies / its amazing
[14:34] Ugene Ogrimund: what's going on here?
[14:34] Fuschia Nightfire: hi jago
[14:34] Jago Constantine: we're just discussing blue mars
[14:34] Eddi Haskell: you just walk around and look at cool builsings
[14:34] Jago Constantine: not the novel - the virtual world
[14:34] Eddi Haskell: i have posters i made ill rez if you want them
[14:34] Garym Gartner: Ah, thanks, I was confused on that.
[14:35] Melch Savon: Naw, I'll check it out myself when I have time. Just wanted you to say ts worth my time is all.
[14:35] Jago Constantine: I plan to check it out next year / Anyway, Melch - have you read any novels lately? / or any sci fi
[14:36] Eddi Haskell: let me know if you want them i made three posters
[14:36] Melch Savon: Since I last came I think I have rediscovered all of the Vorkosigan books by Bujold
[14:37] Jago Constantine: Hmm ... I never got into those
[14:37] Melch Savon: Nice read. Everyone likes the underdog
[14:37] Jago Constantine: or anything by bujold actually
[14:37] Garym Gartner: I've read some of hers. Pleasant, but didn't make me wildly enthusiastic the way it does for many people.
[14:37] Melch Savon: They were up my ally. No need to strain my brain (I have work for that) but interesting enough to be engaging
[14:38] Jago Constantine: ok, so how many books are there?
[14:38] Rhiannon Dragoone: Melch tell us a little about these books. I'm always interested in a new series
[14:38] Melch Savon: 6? 7?
[14:38] Garym Gartner: More than that.
[14:38] Jago Constantine: wow lol
[14:38] Melch Savon: It all revolves around Miles Vorkosigan. Its a space adventure, and hes from a slightly backwards planet where all mutations are killed at birth.
[14:39] Melch Savon: Well, there carriers are
[14:39] Rhiannon Dragoone: oh, ho, i love a good space opera
[14:39] Melch Savon: He looks like a dwarf mutant due to some post-birth trauma, so everyone on his planet finds him disgusting. Most do at least
[14:39] Jago Constantine: so they're basically spartans?
[14:39] Melch Savon: Yet because his father is regent he works his way into intelligence, and becomes admirals of a mercenary fleet / They would be if Bujold went to the extreme, yes / It's all about Miles struggle to be accepted at home while leading a secret life where he is a crippled James Bond in space / Not a horribly boring concept really. The secondary characters tend to be well done as well
[14:41] Ugene Ogrimund: ahhhhhhhhhhh. how the fuck do i get out of here????
[14:41] Avatar ejected.
[14:41] Jago Constantine: I eject you that's how :P
[14:41] Garym Gartner: Whatever works. :)
[14:41] Jago Constantine: nudity is ok ... erections aren't
[14:41] Rhiannon Dragoone: Melch, it sunds like a good read
[14:42] Melch Savon: It is. Not too deep, but enough to keep your interest
[14:42] Rhiannon Dragoone: no, erections are sexual behavior. / Did you eject him?
[14:42] Melch Savon: The Kindle has been very expensive for me. Every book I finished, I had the next in 3 minutes. Read the series straight through
[14:42] Rhiannon Dragoone: I hope
[14:42] Jago Constantine: haha
[14:42] Rhiannon Dragoone: Didn't see him, thank god!
[14:42] Jago Constantine: its like me with itunes / with tv episodes
[14:43] Melch Savon: Jago ... I have that problem too, though not as bad there
[14:43] Jago Constantine: I have just been watching Glee and loving it :)
[14:43] Jago Constantine: Anyway thanks Melch - Rhiannon, have you read any sci fi?
[14:45] Rhiannon Dragoone: Well, no Jago. i'm still thinking though of the Ipod broadcast. / The idea of looking at plant intelligence or clone intelligence
[14:45] Jago Constantine: ok ... last week we listened to a podcast about an intelligent plant and a clone :)
[14:45] Rhiannon Dragoone: And i'm still reminded of Oscar, the intelligent plant, from, i think the STanly Weinbaum story--from the golden age
[14:46] Jago Constantine: Little Shop of Horrors
[14:46] Jago Constantine: :P
[14:46] Jago Constantine: Oh that was Audrey
[14:46] Garym Gartner: Was that the Martian Odyssey or something like that?
[14:46] Rhiannon Dragoone: not that was Bradburry / But Audrey is typical, the story i'm thinking of was unique / in that the plant really was a plant. / Took in oxygen, spewed out carbon dioxide, absorbed minearls, the whole bit / So how would such a creature think? / that's what the story was all about
[14:49] Jago Constantine: The Lotus Eaters / was that the story? / I just googled it / the plant creatures have no survival instinct
[14:50] Rhiannon Dragoone: Yes, I think it was
[14:50] Rhiannon Dragoone: that's right, they just exist.
[14:50] Jago Constantine: hmm I'll check it out if I get a chance
[14:50] Rhiannon Dragoone: and our hero, a human, had a hard time comprehending there thinking
[14:50] Rhiannon Dragoone: *their
[14:50] Jago Constantine: I bet / Ok ... Gary - would you like to talk about some sci fi you've read lately?
[14:50] Rhiannon Dragoone: i think i will re-read it. Thanks for finding the cite, Jago
[14:51] Garym Gartner: Well, just today I got a surprise in the mail from a friend...
[14:51] Garym Gartner: Five stories by classic SF authors, translated into German. But I haven't started on that yet.
[14:51] Garym Gartner: Last month I re-read Niven and Pournelle's "Inferno."
[14:51] Rhiannon Dragoone: kewl
[14:52] Garym Gartner: It's a science-fictional version of Dante's Inferno, with Mussolini instead of Virgil as the guide.
[14:52] Jago Constantine: oh cool
[14:52] Rhiannon Dragoone: all right. Now, that's an awesome concept
[14:52] Jago Constantine: hmm is there supposed to be some correspondence between virgil and mussolini?
[14:52] Rhiannon Dragoone: they're both Italians
[14:53] Garym Gartner: Only that they're both Italian, as far as I can see.
[14:53] Garym Gartner: But Mussolini was expiating the bad things he'd done in life by guiding people through Hell.
[14:53] Rhiannon Dragoone: Maybe Mussolini was a frustrated poet.
[14:53] Garym Gartner: The main character is a science fiction author who died stupidly at a con.
[14:53] Jago Constantine: hmm ok ... in the original virgil is a virtuous pagan
[14:54] Rhiannon Dragoone: is there any other way to die at a con but stupidly?
[14:54] Garym Gartner: Unfortuantely, yes.
[14:54] Rhiannon Dragoone: i know. just kidding
[14:55] Garym Gartner: I chaired a con this year where one of the guests died before it.
[14:55] Rhiannon Dragoone: how horrible for you.
[14:55] Rhiannon Dragoone: I retract my joke, then.
[14:55] Garym Gartner: No offense taken.
[14:55] Rhiannon Dragoone smiles
[14:56] Eddi Haskell: its over my head but most stuff like this is.
[14:56] Garym Gartner: ANyway , it's got some nice parallels with Dante. The setup of Hell is mostly the same.
[14:56] Jago Constantine: Cool
[14:56] Jago Constantine: I was reading about another sci fi treatment of hell by ... hmm what's his name
[14:57] Eddi Haskell: dick cheney
[14:57] Garym Gartner: The "Heroes in Hell" series, perhaps?
[14:57] Rhiannon Dragoone: another good book to add to my reading list
[14:57] Jago Constantine: Hal Duncan
[14:57] Rhiannon Dragoone: ROTF
[14:57] Jago Constantine: It's called Escape from Hell
[14:58] Rhiannon Dragoone: thanks, Eddi
[14:58] Jago Constantine: It sounded interesting
[14:58] Eddi Haskell: your welcome!
[14:58] Jago Constantine: It's like escape from new york
[14:58] Jago Constantine: I gather that Hell is like new york in the novel ... except with a statue of Justice instead of Liberty :P
[14:59] Rhiannon Dragoone: Jago, i can't tell the dif between NY and Hell either
[14:59] Jago Constantine: "A hitman, a hooker, a homosexual and a hobo make the ultimate prison break"
[15:01] Jago Constantine: Anyway, it sounded like a fun concept, but perhaps a little forced
[15:01] Jago Constantine: Ok, thanks for coming folks
[15:01] Jago Constantine: I'll send out a group notice for the next meeting, which will be in January
[15:01] Garym Gartner: Thanks for hosting!
[15:01] Rhiannon Dragoone: Great, Jago
[15:01] Rhiannon Dragoone: U did a good job of hosting, as usual
[15:01] Eddi Haskell: merry xmas everyone
[15:02] Garym Gartner: This was good, I'll want to come back again.
[15:02] Rhiannon Dragoone: Merry Christmas everyone!
[15:02] Jago Constantine: Thanks for joining the group, gary - bring friends :)
[15:02] Melch Savon: Bye all -- see you next year
[15:02] Jago Constantine: And best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to you all :)
[15:02] Eddi Haskell: cu mitch !

12 December 2009: 'The Fifth Zhi' by Mercurio D. Rivera

[13:59] Rhiannon Dragoone: Hi Jago!
[13:59] Sora Bluebird: hello everyone evening
[13:59] Rhiannon Dragoone: Hi Sora, Camila, Primal
[13:59] Jago Constantine: Hey sorry I had to dash out and back
[13:59] Camilla Delvalle: Hello Rhia!
[13:59] Rhiannon Dragoone: Hi Bobby
[13:59] Bobby Lomba: Helllooliuuuuu!!! / AIAIAIA KARAMBA!
[13:59] Primal Snowpaw: ello everyone
[14:01] Jago Constantine: Hi, Primal!
[14:01] Jago Constantine: Cool avatar
[14:01] Primal Snowpaw: ello, cheers ^^
[14:01] Jago Constantine: Hey Melch, Sora, Bobby, Camilla, Rhiannon
[14:01] Melch Savon: Hey all!
[14:01] Bobby Lomba: Hello Mr Jago, an all
[14:02] Rhiannon Dragoone: Yeah, Primal's avi is kewl
[14:02] Jago Constantine: He's hairier than bobby is xD
[14:02] Bobby Lomba: Haha! He should shave
[14:02] Sora Bluebird: hotter too :P
[14:02] Primal Snowpaw: lol
[14:02] Bobby Lomba: Hell, no, im damn hot!
[14:02] Rhiannon Dragoone: I like a hairy man / Bobby, ur hot? / I'm freezing
[14:03] Bobby Lomba: yes?
[14:03] Jago Constantine: lol rhiannon you should wear a scarf maybe
[14:03] Bobby Lomba: pff.... you can watm yourself on the hair on my manboobies?
[14:03] Rhiannon Dragoone: Jago, actually Im fine. The fire puts out a lot of heat / I may stand by it though
[14:03] Jago Constantine: Hey Martyn, welcome to the meeting
[14:03] Jago Constantine: take a moment to let yourself rez
[14:04] Jago Constantine: You can sit on those cushions Rhiannon
[14:04] Jago Constantine: Ok because this is a podcast meeting we'll start the program at about 10 past, for any latecomers
[14:05] Rhiannon Dragoone: i'd better see if my sound works today.
[14:05] Jago Constantine: This week we have a DJ, Sora, to play the track, so we should all be on the same page
[14:05] Jago Constantine: the same page metaphorically lol
[14:06] Jago Constantine: hmm did we lose melch
[14:06] Fuzz's Clicky: Sora fluffs up Primal's ears and plays with his fur.
[14:07] Rhiannon Dragoone: j'm hearing pulsating static
[14:07] Primal Snowpaw: ^^
[14:07] Jago Constantine: that's all you should hear until we start the track :) / We may as well go Sora :)
[14:07] Sora Bluebird: now?
[14:07] Jago Constantine: Yes please!
[14:08] Jago Constantine: This one is different from the previous ones, for variety :)
[14:08] Rhiannon Dragoone: okay
[14:08] Sora Bluebird: restart streams
[14:08] Rhiannon Dragoone: Well, then I'm good
[14:08] Jago Constantine: ok I hear it / hey ookami!
[14:09] Ookami Moonwall: HI Jago
[14:09] Jago Constantine: make sure you have streaming music on in preferences, and the play button pressed
[14:09] Rhiannon Dragoone: there we go
[14:21] Jago Constantine: Hey Tsukhoi, welcome to Science Fiction Saturday :)
[14:21] Tsukhoi Culdesac: thank you i love science fiction / Hi everyone
[14:21] Jago Constantine: We're listening to a podcast episode on the music stream
[14:25] Rhiannon Dragoone: hi Tsukhoi
[14:41] Jago Constantine: Hi, Glass, welcome!
[14:41] Glass Sorbet: salut
[14:43] Rhiannon Dragoone: hi Glass
[14:43] Jago Constantine: Okay ... so what did you all think?
[14:43] Ookami Moonwall: Intangeverse :)
[14:43] Rhiannon Dragoone: okay, my first thought is that the story was a vehicle to get us to udnerstand alien and clone perspecties
[14:43] Rhiannon Dragoone: The plot really wasn't important
[14:43] Rhiannon Dragoone: It was the memories and feelings and the way in which the clone related to the alien plant
[14:44] Jago Constantine: The father issues were interesting :P
[14:44] Rhiannon Dragoone: yes, and how the father made the clone seem special / And thought that was betraying him when push came to shove
[14:45] Jago Constantine: It reminded me of jack in the beanstalk ... and rogue moon if anyone has read it
[14:46] Jago Constantine: In rogue moon a series of clones is sent to explore a deadly structure on the moon
[14:46] Rhiannon Dragoone: not rogue moon
[14:46] Rhiannon Dragoone: I thought the perspective of a clone was well presented from the inside
[14:46] Jago Constantine: Thanks Sora, cya!
[14:47] Rhiannon Dragoone: Soya's leaving? / Bye!
[14:47] Jago Constantine: It would be interesting to have the story expanded, to see how the clones relate to each other before the mission
[14:47] Jago Constantine: What's that famous novel about clones ...
[14:47] Rhiannon Dragoone: "I Think I'm a Clone Now?"
[14:48] Rhiannon Dragoone: Sorry
[14:48] Ookami Moonwall: :)
[14:48] Jago Constantine: Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang, by Kate Wilhelm
[14:48] Jago Constantine: It's a classic
[14:48] Ookami Moonwall: Oh, yeah, I like that book
[14:48] Jago Constantine: A post-apocalyptic novel about a society of clones / That really gets into a clone's mindset I think
[14:49] Ookami Moonwall: In a much more psychological plausible way, I think
[14:50] Rhiannon Dragoone: Well, aren't we talking novel? More depth is possible there
[14:50] Rhiannon Dragoone: I think this story was good as far as its limits could take it
[14:50] Jago Constantine: yes, I agree
[14:50] Jago Constantine: I'm not sure about the voice of the stalk, it seemed a little funny :P
[14:50] Ookami Moonwall: :)
[14:50] Rhiannon Dragoone: well, hard to capture the mind set of a plant
[14:51] Ookami Moonwall: I bet it would have seemed different if we had read it
[14:51] Rhiannon Dragoone: Stanley Weinbaum, i think his name was, was the first to do so in a story, about Ocar the Venusian / i think that was it, anyway
[14:51] Jago Constantine: Yeah ... but I found this more funny than the voice of the worms from Will You Be an Astronaut the last month
[14:51] Rhiannon Dragoone: The stalk was a little too, well, like an animal
[14:51] Jago Constantine: oh cool
[14:52] Jago Constantine: Hi, Dawg
[14:52] Ookami Moonwall: It was a little like the reader wasn't taking the whole thing seriously
[14:52] Rhiannon Dragoone: in the Weinbaum, we see what sentience would be like when all you need is light, water and minerals
[14:52] Rhiannon Dragoone: Here, the stalk could be an anemonie
[14:52] Jago Constantine: what would the plot be for such a story Rhiannon?
[14:53] Rhiannon Dragoone: Well, its been a while. But an astronaught lands on a world, discovers, through clues, that the dominant life form is a plant, and tries to understand
[14:53] Rhiannon Dragoone: Again, like the stor we just read, the plot is really a device to allow us to experience psychology
[14:54] Jago Constantine: I just turned the media stream back to music lol / bobby - what did you think?
[14:54] Rhiannon Dragoone: Its not like the later Robot stories of Asimov, where we get to understand R. Daneel Olivaw's psychological changes during a plot driven story
[14:54] Bobby Lomba: ahja, had to go afk, so i missed most of the story
[14:54] Rhiannon Dragoone: Bobby, how could u?
[14:54] Jago Constantine: oh ok ... you can download the story if you want
[14:54] Rhiannon Dragoone: LOL
[14:55] Bobby Lomba: yeah i know:(
[14:55] Rhiannon Dragoone: Bobby, its worth it, for the psychology of the clones and the stalk
[14:55] Jago Constantine: http://media.rawvoice.com/escapepod/media.libsyn.com/media/escapepod/EP204_FifthZhi.mp3
[14:55] Bobby Lomba: okay, will do... / good, thanks Jago
[14:56] Rhiannon Dragoone: Nice sound this time, in my right ear anyway
[14:56] Jago Constantine: Ok so next week is a book report meeting, and after that there will be a hiatus
[14:56] Rhiannon Dragoone: The left had the static, so i heard it mono-aurial / i'll miss u guys during the hiatus
[14:57] Bobby Lomba: whats a hiatus?
[14:58] Jago Constantine: a break in the schedule
[14:58] Rhiannon Dragoone: its a kind of plant, Bobby
[14:58] Ookami Moonwall: :)
[14:58] Rhiannon Dragoone: no, really, it means Jago is taking a break.
[14:58] Jago Constantine: so there won't be a meeting on the 27th or the 3rd of january
[14:58] Bobby Lomba: a schedule changing plant! Christmas tree?
[14:58] Ookami Moonwall: Summer holiday?
[14:58] Jago Constantine: yes summer holiday for christmas :)
[14:58] Rhiannon Dragoone: Winter, where i am
[14:59] Jago Constantine: I think meeting attendance is lower over christmas anyway
[14:59] Rhiannon Dragoone: yeah, more pressure to socialize in rl
[15:00] Jago Constantine: yes :)
[15:00] Bobby Lomba: yeah probably.. but we got good time reading in the christmas
[15:00] Jago Constantine: Anyway I'm glad you all liked the story!
[15:00] Rhiannon Dragoone: oh, that's for sure. / I have some catching up to do
[15:00] Jago Constantine: I have to go to another event, so I'll see you next week :)
[15:00] Ookami Moonwall: Well, that was fun. I'd heard of escape pod but had never listened before.
[15:00] Rhiannon Dragoone: CU Jago / ookami, that's what's so great about this.
[15:01] Bobby Lomba: thanks for the meetin MR JAgo, sir... and happy merry christemananas to all!
[15:01] Rhiannon Dragoone: Gives u an excuse to hear a book or story u wouldn't normally have time for.
[15:01] Ookami Moonwall: Yes, glad I could pop in

31 October 2009

[13:56] Vel Alchemi: Hi, K.
[13:56] Seren Snowpaw: hello vel
[13:56] Kghia Gherardi: Hi Jago
[13:57] Harpy Convair: Hello Vel
[13:57] Vel Alchemi: Hi, Seren.
[13:57] Jago Constantine: Hi, Kghia!
[13:58] Kghia Gherardi: Jago, please welcome Skipa and Seren. Both are newcomers to SL.
[13:58] Vel Alchemi: Hi Harpy. I'm not keeping up with the greetings.
[13:58] Harpy Convair: It's alright
[13:58] Jago Constantine: Hi, Skipa, Seren!
[13:59] Kghia Gherardi: I'm going leave you in Jago capable hands and grab some dinner.
[13:59] Skipa Monday: hello ty
[13:59] Kghia Gherardi: please let me know if you need anything. And welcome to Bookstacks!
[13:59] Seren Snowpaw: bye kghia thanks for the warm welcome :)
[13:59] Vel Alchemi: Bye Kghia.
[14:00] Jago Constantine: I'm in the usual room folks XD
[14:01] Jago Constantine: Thanks for coming :)
[14:01] Jago Constantine: Happy Halloween to anyone who's into that :)
[14:02] Harpy Convair: Thank you
[14:02] Jago Constantine: Actually, it might be fun if this week we talk about a horror novel ...
[14:02] Jago Constantine: rather than our usual routine of discussing what we read during the week
[14:02] Vel Alchemi: Sure. Which novel?
[14:03] Jago Constantine: well, one of our favourites I suppose :)
[14:03] Jago Constantine: Let me think
[14:03] Jago Constantine: I suppose my favourite horror novel is Blood Crazy by Simon Clark
[14:04] Harpy Convair: I've never heard of that one
[14:04] Jago Constantine: he's a british horror novelist
[14:04] Jago Constantine: he wrote the abysmal sequel to day of the triffids
[14:04] Harpy Convair: I didn't know that such a creature existed
[14:04] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:04] Jago Constantine: but his original works can be pretty good, and Blood Crazy is close to perfect
[14:05] Jago Constantine: the premise is that something makes everyone over 18 go crazy
[14:05] Harpy Convair: Hmm
[14:05] Jago Constantine: and try to kill everyone under 18
[14:05] Harpy Convair: So only 18 year olds live
[14:05] Vel Alchemi: Sounds like parenthood to me.,
[14:06] Jago Constantine: so a lot of the horror of the novel comes from parents trying to kill their children
[14:06] Harpy Convair: Yikes!
[14:06] Harpy Convair: I read Lullaby by Chuck Palanuik
[14:06] Vel Alchemi: See? And I hadn't even heard of the book.
[14:06] Jago Constantine: I haven't read that one?
[14:06] Jago Constantine: Anyway it becomes a novel of survival
[14:06] Harpy Convair: I found it very disturbing
[14:06] Jago Constantine: with groups of children trying to survive and form a society
[14:07] Harpy Convair: Interesting
[14:07] Jago Constantine: protecting themselves from hordes of zombielike (but somehow smarter) adults
[14:07] Seren Snowpaw: o dear i have zombiephobia so this sounds super scarey
[14:08] Harpy Convair: Hmm, sounds interesting
[14:08] Vel Alchemi: So can horror fiction be divided by who is trying to survive what?
[14:08] Harpy Convair: I read World War Z by Max Brooks
[14:08] Jago Constantine: now the novel is really gripping from the beginning, with great action, a likeable young adult protagonist
[14:08] Jago Constantine: I can't recommend it highly enough :)
[14:08] Jago Constantine: anyway, Harpy ... what did you think of WWZ?
[14:09] Harpy Convair: Loved it, very nervous about the movie version
[14:09] Jago Constantine: oh they're making a movie? cool
[14:09] Harpy Convair: It's set up to be a series of interviews of the survivors and major players of a world wide zombie outbreak
[14:09] Harpy Convair: Max Brooks is Mel Brooks son
[14:09] Jago Constantine: wow
[14:09] Harpy Convair: There is some humor, but it's also very emotionally true
[14:10] Seren Snowpaw: o no, more zombies lol
[14:10] Jago Constantine: I like end of the world novels
[14:10] Harpy Convair: I can't talk about the one I'm reading now, because I'm doing a talk on it tomorrow
[14:10] Vel Alchemi: What is it, Harpy?
[14:10] Harpy Convair: I loved The Road by Cormac McCarthy as well
[14:11] Jago Constantine: not so much cataclysms ... but surviving afterwards
[14:11] Harpy Convair: John Dies at the End by David Wong
[14:11] Jago Constantine: I guess post-apocalyptic
[14:11] Jago Constantine: I love the Road too :)
[14:11] Harpy Convair: I've heard the upcoming movie is extremely close to the book
[14:11] Jago Constantine: that's good!
[14:12] Jago Constantine: I thought it was a very original end-of-the-world
[14:12] Jago Constantine: well, I have read a few with similar causes
[14:12] Harpy Convair: I was amazed by how much I connected with the characters despite the fact that they had no names
[14:12] Harpy Convair: I like that you never really know what caused it
[14:13] Jago Constantine: yeah that was good
[14:13] Jago Constantine: In my mind, something killed all the plant life
[14:13] Jago Constantine: everything else followed from that
[14:14] Harpy Convair: I felt the wizened apples suggested that some plant life survived
[14:14] Harpy Convair: THough in a much reduced fashion
[14:14] Jago Constantine: hmm I forgot that bit ... were they from a tree or preserved?
[14:14] Jago Constantine: hey bobby
[14:14] Bobby Lomba: Hello people!
[14:15] Harpy Convair: They were windfall
[14:15] Vel Alchemi: Hi, Bobby.
[14:15] Bobby Lomba: :)
[14:15] Harpy Convair: Hello Bobby
[14:15] Seren Snowpaw: hello bobby
[14:15] Bobby Lomba: hello all
[14:15] Jago Constantine: I'll check that cos my theory was pretty neat :P
[14:16] Jago Constantine: Anyway thanks, Harpy :)
[14:16] Harpy Convair: Since the boy was about 10 and the event happened before his brith
[14:16] Harpy Convair: birth*
[14:16] Jago Constantine: Vel ... do you have a horror novel you'd like to discuss?
[14:16] Harpy Convair: Even well preserved fruit would have rotted
[14:16] Jago Constantine: yeah
[14:17] Vel Alchemi: I'm not a horror fan. Poe and Saki are the horror authors I read growing up.
[14:17] Vel Alchemi: Since then, it seems there's plenty of horror in mainstream fiction without going to look for more.
[14:17] Jago Constantine: ok, well feel free do talk about your sci fi reading :)
[14:17] Bobby Lomba: is this a horror noght??
[14:17] Vel Alchemi: Maybe grimness rather than horror, I should say.
[14:17] Bobby Lomba: night?
[14:18] Harpy Convair: I'm a scifi/fantasy and horror herd
[14:18] Jago Constantine: oh well horror is an option bobby :)
[14:18] Vel Alchemi: I'm reading Iain M. Banks "The State of the Art" on a recommendation and it is very grim.
[14:18] Harpy Convair: nerd*
[14:18] Jago Constantine: oh they're making a movie of one of his stories
[14:18] Harpy Convair: Anyone read Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson?
[14:18] Vel Alchemi: No,
[14:18] Jago Constantine: yes :)
[14:19] Harpy Convair: You should, it inspired Second Life
[14:20] Jago Constantine: is that the first banks you've read vel?
[14:20] Vel Alchemi: LOL, well in that case....
[14:20] Vel Alchemi: Yes. He's an author I hadn't read before.
[14:20] Vel Alchemi: I see a lot of echoes of Philip K. Dick.
[14:20] Jago Constantine: he's great ... state of the art isn't the first book I'd recommend :P
[14:21] Bobby Lomba: what book would you recommend of him+
[14:21] Harpy Convair: I still need to read Phillip K. Dick
[14:21] Vel Alchemi: That's the title, but it's made up of about half a dozen short works.
[14:21] Jago Constantine: Well I like Consider Phlebas
[14:21] Vel Alchemi: By Banks?
[14:21] Jago Constantine: yes
[14:22] Jago Constantine: but many people think Use of Weapons is his best work
[14:22] Vel Alchemi: I'm wondering if Banks is an author better liked by men han women.
[14:22] Seren Snowpaw: i have to go now thanks for the chat everyone :)
[14:22] Vel Alchemi: Bye Seren
[14:22] Jago Constantine: thanks for coming Seren
[14:22] Jago Constantine: We're here same time next week :)
[14:22] Harpy Convair: I don't like many female authors, I don't tend to like their writing style
[14:23] Vel Alchemi: Women writer of all genres?
[14:23] Bobby Lomba: you think women have a genuinly different style of writing?
[14:23] Harpy Convair: I like a few
[14:23] Harpy Convair: Bobby, I do
[14:23] Harpy Convair: Just as they have a different style of speaking
[14:24] Harpy Convair: Most women writers I've read seem to be better suited for fantasy then the raw, intensity needed for most scifi and horror
[14:24] Vel Alchemi: Makes sense. After all, communication skills show up much differently in little girls than in little boys.
[14:25] Jago Constantine: what about horror?
[14:25] Jago Constantine: oh you said horror lol
[14:25] Vel Alchemi: Mary
[14:25] Vel Alchemi: Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein.
[14:25] Harpy Convair: I quite liked that book
[14:25] Harpy Convair: I enjoy Katherine Kerr's fantasy series
[14:25] Vel Alchemi: Hi rene
[14:25] Jago Constantine: I recently read Children of Men, which is a great science fiction novel
[14:25] Harpy Convair: Marion Zimmer Bradley is quite good as well
[14:26] rene Swords: Hello
[14:26] Jago Constantine: Hi, Rene
[14:26] Bobby Lomba: Helluuu!
[14:26] Harpy Convair: Hello Rene
[14:26] rene Swords: Can you hear me ? Is it possible to voice ?
[14:27] Harpy Convair: I have my voice off at the moment
[14:27] Jago Constantine: I don't have voice on
[14:27] Bobby Lomba: ditto
[14:27] Jago Constantine: I can turn it on but we usually text these meetings
[14:27] Bobby Lomba: ups, ja, aint got voice on
[14:27] rene Swords: Thank you for your answers
[14:28] Vel Alchemi: Hi glass
[14:28] Harpy Convair: Hello Glass
[14:28] Glass Sorbet: Hey everyone
[14:28] Bobby Lomba: Hello Miss Glass
[14:28] Jago Constantine: Hi, Glass
[14:28] Jago Constantine: We're just discussing female authors
[14:28] Jago Constantine: of horror sci fi and fantasy
[14:29] Bobby Lomba: only feamle writers discussed today?
[14:29] Jago Constantine: well no bobby XD
[14:29] Harpy Convair: Tanith Lee's White as Snow was very interesting
[14:29] Jago Constantine: we're just at that point right now ...
[14:29] Harpy Convair: A very old school retelling of Snow White
[14:29] Bobby Lomba: ah hehe ok
[14:29] Jago Constantine: I never really got into retellings of fairy tales :P
[14:30] Jago Constantine: Anyway, Bobby ... what have you read this week in sci fi ... or tell us about a horror novel you love
[14:30] Harpy Convair: Andrews, Flowers in the Attic, but she died and a male ghost writer is continuing the work
[14:31] Bobby Lomba: well, dont think ive ever read a horror book
[14:31] Harpy Convair: Emz is a female horror writer
[14:31] Bobby Lomba: this week i read Starfish by Peter watts, got some horror in it
[14:31] Bobby Lomba: horrible fish in it
[14:31] Bobby Lomba: moster fish
[14:31] Jago Constantine: oh yeah
[14:31] Jago Constantine: that is pretty scary for sci fi
[14:31] Harpy Convair: Trial of Madness has a female author
[14:32] Jago Constantine: or grim
[14:32] Harpy Convair: But I can't remember her RL name
[14:32] Harpy Convair: It harkens back to the original version, before the Grimm Brothers made it a little softer
[14:32] Vel Alchemi: I can't think of any contemporary women writers doing horror fiction.
[14:32] Bobby Lomba: Yeah! It is! Kinda condusing book, i cant really tell whats the main story of it is, but i like it
[14:32] Bobby Lomba: Got a scary claustophobic feel, the whole book
[14:32] Jago Constantine: except for the paranormal romance genre vel
[14:33] Harpy Convair: I am SO sick of vampire romance novels
[14:33] Jago Constantine: aren;t we all XD
[14:33] Harpy Convair: I want to smack Anne Rice for starting that trend
[14:33] Bobby Lomba: have you guys read starfish? the rifter series is popular i think?
[14:33] Vel Alchemi: That makes me shudder -- paranormal romance. As bad as sci fi romance.
[14:33] Jago Constantine: yes I read starfisj
[14:34] rene Swords: I am sorry I have to leave. Have a nice meeting
[14:34] Harpy Convair: Rene, it was nice to meet your
[14:34] Vel Alchemi: Bye rene. Hope to see you again.
[14:34] Harpy Convair: you*
[14:34] Harpy Convair: Bobby, haven't heard about it.
[14:34] Bobby Lomba: Ok, good book, even tho it was a bit disappointing after having read Blind sight of same author. Best sf ive read:)
[14:34] Harpy Convair: Who's the author?
[14:34] Bobby Lomba: Peter watts
[14:35] Harpy Convair: I have Blindsight by him, but haven't read it
[14:35] Jago Constantine: I love blindsight
[14:35] Bobby Lomba: but, i havent read much sf. im new to the genre
[14:35] Harpy Convair: I recommend Dune by Frank Herbert
[14:35] Vel Alchemi: Maybe we should all give Bobby one favorite Sci fi title
[14:35] Harpy Convair: It's the LOtR of Scifi
[14:35] Bobby Lomba: Yes!!! please do!!
[14:35] Bobby Lomba: Dune is noted
[14:36] Vel Alchemi: Hm. Connie Willis "Doomsday Book"
[14:36] Jago Constantine: I would suggest A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
[14:36] Bobby Lomba: Great. And Jago, your all time favourit?
[14:37] Jago Constantine: It could be that one
[14:37] Bobby Lomba: cool, ill read it
[14:37] Jago Constantine: Or Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
[14:37] Bobby Lomba: Just got 15 books in the mail so it will be some thime till i order anymore hihi
[14:37] Harpy Convair: Snowcrash is my only Stephenson
[14:37] Vel Alchemi: There are so many varieties of sci fi that it will be interesting to see which ones you like, Bobby.
[14:37] Eddi Haskell: sorry im late
[14:37] Jago Constantine: lol hey eddi babe
[14:37] Harpy Convair: HOw does it compare to his other books?
[14:37] Eddi Haskell: hi
[14:37] Vel Alchemi: 15! That beats me!
[14:38] Vel Alchemi: Hi eddie
[14:38] Eddi Haskell: hi val!
[14:38] Jago Constantine: I think I liked DIamond Age more than Snow Crash
[14:38] Vel Alchemi: Are you allowed on the couch, Eddie?
[14:38] Harpy Convair: Simialr themes?
[14:38] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:38] Eddi Haskell: no im a wetter
[14:38] Jago Constantine: well yes similar
[14:38] Jago Constantine: Diamond Age seems like it could be set in the same world but later
[14:39] Harpy Convair: Ah, ok
[14:39] Jago Constantine: after nanotechnology is invented
[14:39] Jago Constantine: there are similar themes of the breakdown of civil society into affinity groups
[14:39] Jago Constantine: for example
[14:39] Bobby Lomba: is it part of a series?
[14:39] Jago Constantine: no they're both stand alone
[14:39] Bobby Lomba: ok
[14:40] Harpy Convair: William Gibson is classic cyberpunk
[14:40] Jago Constantine: I never really liked Gibson novels much :P
[14:40] Harpy Convair: Walter Jon Williams Hardcrash
[14:40] Bobby Lomba: he wrote neuromancer, right?
[14:40] Harpy Convair: I like some more than others
[14:40] Jago Constantine: yeah
[14:40] Harpy Convair: Yes, Bobby
[14:40] Vel Alchemi: How about S.M. Stirling?
[14:40] Bobby Lomba: yeah, ive readd that one
[14:40] Jago Constantine: I prefer Bruce Sterling XD
[14:40] Vel Alchemi: lol
[14:40] Jago Constantine: to both
[14:40] Harpy Convair: He is very technobabble, hard to get into sometimes
[14:41] Jago Constantine: I hate SM Stirling
[14:41] Harpy Convair: Haven't read Stirling or Sterling
[14:41] Vel Alchemi: Come on Jago, tell us how you really feel.
[14:41] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:41] Jago Constantine: well he has written a few partly enjoyable books
[14:41] Vel Alchemi: Orson Scott Card?
[14:41] Harpy Convair: I know he leans a little more to fantasy, but very much has steampunk elements, China Mieville
[14:42] Harpy Convair: I love his books, his use of lanuage is fabulous
[14:42] Jago Constantine: Mieville is great ... we had a meeting at a Mieville-inspired sim once
[14:42] Bobby Lomba: Enders game! liked that one
[14:42] Harpy Convair: language*
[14:42] Harpy Convair: Cool
[14:42] Vel Alchemi: Have you tried Card's Alvin Maker series, Bobbie?
[14:42] Bobby Lomba: no?
[14:42] Vel Alchemi: Bobby. Sorry for the misspelling.
[14:43] Harpy Convair: There's a YA book called True Sight which is really interesting
[14:43] Bobby Lomba: hahanp, the series, is it good? recommend it?
[14:43] Harpy Convair: I'd also recommend Scott Westerfield's Uglies series
[14:43] Jago Constantine: I enjoyed the alvin maker series, I liked what card was doing with it
[14:43] Vel Alchemi: I'd call Alvin Maker fantasy rather than sci fi, but I liked it.
[14:43] Jago Constantine: but I wouldn't read them twice ;P
[14:43] Vel Alchemi: Lol
[14:43] Vel Alchemi: Isn't that the way with a lot of books?
[14:43] Jago Constantine: sure, but some it's more worth noting than others
[14:44] Vel Alchemi: In fact, I'm having to thin out my collection and that's how I'm doing it. If I don't expect to read the book again, it goes to a charity shop.
[14:44] Bobby Lomba: enders game wasnt much fantasy i think tho...?
[14:44] Jago Constantine: In fact ... I should have said I wouldn't recommend buying them ... get them from the library
[14:44] Jago Constantine: that's how I thin out my books vel
[14:44] Harpy Convair: I still need to read Ender's Game
[14:44] Vel Alchemi: Hi Duck
[14:44] Duck Quinote: Oooh Ender's Game is awesome.
[14:44] Jago Constantine: Hi, Duck :)
[14:44] Bobby Lomba: Thin out book?!?! Who does such a horrible thing?!
[14:44] Duck Quinote: Hi Vel.
[14:44] Eddi Haskell: hi duck!
[14:44] Duck Quinote: Hi Eddi.
[14:45] Harpy Convair: We donate ours to the local library
[14:45] Vel Alchemi: lol. No books are harmed in this process. They merely get new owners.
[14:45] Jago Constantine: books aren't sacred ... you can get rid of them xD
[14:45] Bobby Lomba: ah, good. never hurat a book, think Jesus said so
[14:45] Vel Alchemi: lol
[14:45] Bobby Lomba: hurt a book
[14:45] Harpy Convair: Books are about the only thing I hold sacred, but they can be given away
[14:46] Vel Alchemi: But on the other hand, I shop second hand stores to find books other people don't want.
[14:46] Jago Constantine: you can always try bookcrossing: http://www.bookcrossing.com
[14:46] Vel Alchemi: I've looked at it but haven'
[14:46] Vel Alchemi: haven't tried it.
[14:46] Jago Constantine: I found one once!
[14:46] Harpy Convair: That's a fun idea, not enough people in my town read for it to work for me
[14:47] Vel Alchemi: Small town or small minds?
[14:47] Harpy Convair: They are doing a "Read It Forward" program at our campus
[14:47] Harpy Convair: A little of both
[14:47] Jago Constantine: oh?
[14:47] Harpy Convair: They are starting with the book IQ
[14:47] Jago Constantine: ok
[14:47] Vel Alchemi: I like the read-and-release program -- put the book in a public place for someone else to pick up.
[14:47] Harpy Convair: The librarian hid copies of the book, the kids find it, read it, pass it on
[14:47] Vel Alchemi: I love it!
[14:48] Jago Constantine: heh
[14:48] Vel Alchemi: I'm going to tell my library about that.
[14:48] Harpy Convair: Most books I buy, I don't ever let go of
[14:48] Vel Alchemi: Sigh. It's been that way all my life.
[14:48] Harpy Convair: Its the school library, not hte public
[14:48] Jago Constantine: You could always try forbidding the book to encourage them even more xD
[14:48] Vel Alchemi: But now I run the risk of being killed by a falling stack of books.
[14:48] Harpy Convair: Jago, we have too many parents that do that already
[14:48] Bobby Lomba: haha, how many books would you guys say you own?
[14:48] Harpy Convair: Had a parent rip up a teacher's personal copy of Harry Potter about 7 years ago
[14:49] Harpy Convair: A LOT
[14:49] Jago Constantine: Oh I only own about 700 now
[14:49] Vel Alchemi: Well, I use LibraryThing.com to catalog them. So far I have 2500 and piles to go.
[14:49] Harpy Convair: I love ebooks because they aren't heavy in a move
[14:49] Jago Constantine: I am very strict
[14:49] Bobby Lomba: 2500?! wow
[14:49] Vel Alchemi: Jago, you must be.
[14:49] Harpy Convair: I avoid bookstores because I don't have the money to spend
[14:49] Jago Constantine: I am making a lot more use of the library and interlibrary loans
[14:49] Vel Alchemi: Second hand shops, Harpy.
[14:50] Harpy Convair: Don't have the money for that either
[14:50] Vel Alchemi: Hi eddie
[14:50] Harpy Convair: And I hate books not being in good shape
[14:50] Duck Quinote: Baning and destroying books, becausen nothing bad ever came of that before...
[14:50] Jago Constantine: Interlibrary loans are free in Aus
[14:50] Vel Alchemi: Here in US, too.
[14:50] Vel Alchemi: My, how you changed, Eddie.
[14:50] Eddi Haskell: hi
[14:50] Bobby Lomba: free everwhere i think
[14:50] Harpy Convair: I'm terrible about getting books back ontime
[14:50] Jago Constantine: hehe
[14:50] Eddi Haskell: lol
[14:50] Harpy Convair: And the late fees don't go into the library
[14:51] Jago Constantine: I took a lot of my books to book exchanges gradually
[14:51] Jago Constantine: taking say five along and getting 2 or 3 back
[14:51] Jago Constantine: winnowing
[14:51] Vel Alchemi: My library supports my buying habits. They sell donations they don't want -- 50 cents for a hardback and 25 cents for a paperback.
[14:51] Harpy Convair: They do that here too, but it's romance novels and westerns
[14:51] Jago Constantine: mine sells them for about a dollar!
[14:52] Vel Alchemi: Well, I do have to pick through a lot of chaff to get to the wheat.
[14:52] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:52] Harpy Convair: We gave the library and Easton Press edition of Brothers by Ben Bova the last time we moved away
[14:52] Vel Alchemi: Did they appreciate it?
[14:52] Harpy Convair: It was in a box of books, it's still on the shelf
[14:53] Vel Alchemi: Good grief.
[14:53] Harpy Convair: It gets checked out as far as I know
[14:53] Duck Quinote: The mere mention of the word romance novels made me think of Twilight, which made me want to go and wash my brain out with bleach.
[14:53] Vel Alchemi: lol
[14:53] Eddi Haskell: i like the cheap cheezy ones
[14:53] Harpy Convair: Duck, I hate book burning, but that series makes me want to
[14:53] Jago Constantine: Duck - have you read any sci fi this week?
[14:54] Jago Constantine: that you'd like to talk about?
[14:54] Bobby Lomba: Alberto Manguel has written a book about collecting books, the love of books.... The Library at Night, anyone read it?
[14:55] Harpy Convair: No, sorry
[14:55] Vel Alchemi: No, but I just added it to my to-be-read list.
[14:55] Duck Quinote: I'm trying to read the Jerle Shannara trilogy at the moment but Thesis writing keeps getting in the way.
[14:55] Bobby Lomba: supposed to be a great book
[14:55] Harpy Convair: Anyone else on Goodreads?
[14:55] Bobby Lomba: im going to read it
[14:55] Jago Constantine: No
[14:56] Vel Alchemi: Goodreads?
[14:56] Duck Quinote: The Twilight series are books in the same way Botulism is a yoghurt. Burning them totally doesn't count.
[14:56] Harpy Convair: A social network for book nerds
[14:56] Duck Quinote: So I hear, but I'm having trouble getting into them.
[14:56] Harpy Convair: Yes it does, it got many kids to read
[14:56] Eddi Haskell: im trying to figure out botulism and yoghurt
[14:56] Vel Alchemi: Maybe that's a clue - pre-teen reading.
[14:57] Harpy Convair: Jago, you could make a group page for this discussion
[14:57] Duck Quinote: (now that I've said it so am I Eddi, it worked in my head).
[14:57] Jago Constantine: I am planning to Harpy :)
[14:57] Bobby Lomba: kids shouldnt read, they could become addicted, and end up, well, lik me
[14:57] Eddi Haskell: lol
[14:57] Harpy Convair: Heehee Bobby
[14:57] Vel Alchemi: lol
[14:57] Harpy Convair: I so want a B&N Ereader
[14:57] Jago Constantine: Ok, would anyone like a group invite before we wind up?
[14:58] Duck Quinote: Sure why not.
[14:58] Harpy Convair: Sure
[14:58] Sarah Television: Oh.. phoo... I missed it
[14:58] Duck Quinote: I'm new to Second life and don't know what that means but it sounds good.
[14:58] Vel Alchemi: Send one to me, too.
[14:58] Jago Constantine: Would you like a group invite Sarah?
[14:58] Bobby Lomba: think im in the group
[14:58] Sarah Television: Na... I'll catch ya next Saturday... I got too many groups. :D
[14:59] Harpy Convair: That's always a problem in SL
[14:59] Jago Constantine: ok cya next time Sarah :)
[14:59] Duck Quinote: Ooooh, geek bling above my name.
[14:59] Jago Constantine: haha
[15:00] Jago Constantine: welcome to second life duck
[15:00] Eddi Haskell: welcome
[15:00] Jago Constantine: In your contact list there is a tab for groups
[15:00] Jago Constantine: you can activate groups to show a group title
[15:00] Bobby Lomba: Yes, welcome, and get out while you still can!
[15:00] Vel Alchemi: lol
[15:01] Duck Quinote: Ty Jago. By you're mention of wrapping up can I take it I somewhat overshot in my effort to be fashionably late?
[15:01] Jago Constantine: hehe
[15:01] Vel Alchemi: Thanks Jago. See you next time.
[15:01] Jago Constantine: we just go for an hour before I have breakfast xD
[15:01] Jago Constantine: I'm in Australia
[15:01] Harpy Convair: Texas
[15:01] Duck Quinote: Lol, I take it if it was a choice between crack and SL you would reccoment the crack the Bobby?
[15:01] Bobby Lomba: you wake up late, or youre in a wierd place
[15:01] Eddi Haskell: i would. you dont have to buy all these hairs
[15:02] Vel Alchemi: lol
[15:02] Jago Constantine: lol eddi
[15:02] Eddi Haskell: im gonna be talked to how to dress at these meetings
[15:02] Jago Constantine: ok ... see you all next week!
[15:02] Eddi Haskell: bye all!
[15:02] Vel Alchemi: Bye Jago.
[15:02] Jago Constantine: happy halloween again :)
[15:02] Duck Quinote: By Jago.
[15:02] Bobby Lomba: byebye!
[15:02] Vel Alchemi: Bye all.
[15:02] Harpy Convair: Take care all

5 September 2009

[13:56] Eddi Haskell: such slow rez
[13:56] Flawnt Alchemi: hi LL.
[13:56] Flawnt Alchemi: "all" ;-)
[13:56] Shadowen Silvera: howdy
[13:57] Eddi Haskell: hiya flawnt
[13:57] Eddi Haskell: hi SS
[13:58] Flawnt Alchemi is it heiSS or is it me...
[13:58] Jago Constantine: Hey, Shadowen - cool avatar
[13:59] Flawnt Alchemi: hi camilla dear
[13:59] Shadowen Silvera: thanks
[13:59] Camilla Delvalle: hello flawnt
[13:59] Flawnt Alchemi: did you get a new haircut, camilla?
[13:59] Flawnt Alchemi snorts.
[13:59] Camilla Delvalle: maybe
[14:00] Simeon Beresford: hi folks
[14:00] Karl Mearkus: Hi everyone
[14:00] Jago Constantine: Hi, everyone :)
[14:00] Jago Constantine: Thanks for coming to Science Fiction Saturday!
[14:00] Jago Constantine: And thanks again to our hosts at Bookstacks
[14:01] Flawnt Alchemi claps, muffled.
[14:01] Jago Constantine: As usual, we'll go round the group and talk about what we've read during the week
[14:01] Jago Constantine: I'll begin by talking about the book I read - Hunter's Run
[14:02] Jago Constantine: It was written by Gardner Dozois, George R R Martin and Daniel Abrahams
[14:02] Jago Constantine: It was a long collaboration, originally between the first two authors, but they never finished
[14:02] Jago Constantine: it was completed a few years ago by Abrahams
[14:03] Jago Constantine: Anyway, it's a pretty light weight novel about a man being chased by aliens on a largely wilderness-type world
[14:04] Jago Constantine: the twist is that one of the aliens is actually a clone of him, and it's written from the clone's perspective
[14:04] Flawnt Alchemi: neat
[14:04] Jago Constantine: I thought it was alright, but I'm glad I got it from the library instead of paying for it :)
[14:05] Jago Constantine: Welcome, Coach
[14:05] Flawnt Alchemi: what didnt work in it?
[14:05] Coach Bravin: Hi Jago
[14:05] Flawnt Alchemi: or rather why didnt it work for ya
[14:05] Coach Bravin: Hi all
[14:06] Jago Constantine: Well, it was just written at too low a level for me
[14:06] Camilla Delvalle: i have read book by george rr marting
[14:06] Jago Constantine: I felt I was reading a young adult novel or something
[14:06] Jago Constantine: maybe that was it
[14:06] Camilla Delvalle: how do you mean low level?
[14:06] Flawnt Alchemi: you mean the language?
[14:06] Jago Constantine: Yes, I think so
[14:07] Flawnt Alchemi: ursula le guin writes at that level, too, sometimes
[14:07] Eddi Haskell gave you Incident at Oak Ridge, Terry Bisson.
[14:07] Flawnt Alchemi: but she still hits my spot every time
[14:07] Camilla Delvalle: interesting that it had three authors
[14:07] Flawnt Alchemi: actually a lot of times...
[14:07] Jago Constantine: Maybe I didn't like the fact that it was mostly set in the wilderness, and that isn't my thing
[14:07] Jago Constantine: It's hard to say
[14:07] Flawnt Alchemi shudders - wilderness
[14:07] Camilla Delvalle: did you notice the style of the differnt writers?
[14:07] Jago Constantine: the background civilization isn't very well fleshed out either
[14:07] Jago Constantine: No it's hard to spot and signs of that
[14:08] Jago Constantine: It was co-written by Dozois and Martin when they were young authors decades ago
[14:08] Flawnt Alchemi wonders about other (better) multi author collaborations
[14:08] Jago Constantine: and completed by newish author Abrahams
[14:08] Jago Constantine: Welcome, Pasirto
[14:08] Flawnt Alchemi: brothers strugatzky are a brilliant example. you wouldnt know it.
[14:08] Simeon Beresford: only thing of abrahams I have read is his short "Flat Diane", which was very good
[14:09] Camilla Delvalle: george rr martin usually has a lot of details
[14:09] Jago Constantine: Actually, it feels a lot like a 1970s sci fi novel, which is understandable given when it was begun
[14:09] Jago Constantine: Yes, well it's nothing like Martin's later works
[14:09] Camilla Delvalle: how is 1970 sf?
[14:10] Tillery Woodhen is Online
[14:10] Jago Constantine: Heh don't ask me to try and pin it down, it's just a feeling
[14:10] Simeon Beresford: pre or post star wars?
[14:10] Jago Constantine: Hmm... not sure when it was begun
[14:11] Simeon Beresford: star wars kicked of a return to space opera
[14:11] Jago Constantine: This isn't really space opera - it's planetbound
[14:11] Simeon Beresford: but action adventure ?
[14:11] Jago Constantine: Yeah, it's action
[14:11] Simeon Beresford: nods
[14:12] Camilla Delvalle: i dont think i would like a novel by a man hunted by aliens in the wilderness either
[14:12] Flawnt Alchemi wishes for some action. writes down "more action".
[14:12] Jago Constantine: Anyway ... Shadowen - have you read any good books lately?
[14:12] Shadowen Silvera: Always :)
[14:13] Flawnt Alchemi laffs.
[14:13] Jago Constantine: Heh please share
[14:13] Shadowen Silvera: typing
[14:13] Shadowen Silvera: I have the typing sound turned off so please be patient
[14:13] Jago Constantine: ok
[14:15] Shadowen Silvera: Unfortunately the library delivered several books at once that I had put on hold so I haven't been able to finish them yet. Currently reading: Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson, The Losers by David Eddings, Flow my tears the Police Man said by phillip k dick
[14:15] Shadowen Silvera: a few others but they are not scifi
[14:15] Raver Xeno is Online
[14:15] Jago Constantine: Nice
[14:15] Jago Constantine: Which one are you liking the most?
[14:15] Jago Constantine: Welcome, Justine
[14:16] Camilla Delvalle: i have read by eddings and gibson
[14:16] Justine Rhapsody: Thanks, hello everyone
[14:16] Flawnt Alchemi raven catching up on human literature? ;-)
[14:16] Shadowen Silvera: Cryptonomicon for the geek elemens, The Losers for the humanistic
[14:16] Camilla Delvalle: hello justine
[14:16] Jago Constantine: Welcome, Arkady
[14:16] Simeon Beresford: the eddings got his usual plot?
[14:16] Flawnt Alchemi: i am curious about "the losers" - havent heard of it
[14:16] Arkady Poliatevska: hi Jago
[14:16] Shadowen Silvera: no the losers is not typical eddings
[14:16] Jago Constantine: Is Losers a fantasy?
[14:17] Shadowen Silvera: Fiction I suppose but it does have a fantastical element
[14:18] Shadowen Silvera: Set in oregon and washington its a sort of good against evil story
[14:18] Shadowen Silvera: not far into it but its good
[14:18] Jago Constantine: Cool
[14:18] Jago Constantine: Thanks :)
[14:18] Eddi Haskell: ir oregon good and washington evil?
[14:18] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:18] Flawnt Alchemi: lol
[14:18] Shadowen Silvera: Hope the good side would be oregon cause otherwise im living in the wrong state
[14:19] Eddi Haskell: well at least they know how to say please and thank you there , not like seattle
[14:19] Jago Constantine: Ok, Eddi - have you read anything this week?
[14:19] Eddi Haskell: yes
[14:19] Eddi Haskell: i caught my attention
[14:19] Jago Constantine: Welcome, Nolligan
[14:19] Eddi Haskell: the story was by Terry Bissson
[14:19] Eddi Haskell: it was called return to oakridge
[14:19] Nolligan Nino: hi
[14:19] Nolligan's Google Translator: जागो Constantine
[14:19] Eddi Haskell: i gave a note card to jago with the story on it
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: on nolligan
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: its about a time warp
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: well it was really good but i cant figure out the ending
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: has anyone read the story ?
[14:20] Flawnt Alchemi: nope
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: he won a big award for it
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: well
[14:20] Nolligan Nino: soz didn't see you
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: its like the philadelphia experiment
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: yah i dont see some people
[14:20] Eddi Haskell: and
[14:21] Eddi Haskell: two guys go back to 1944
[14:21] Eddi Haskell: they end up in oakridge
[14:21] Eddi Haskell: where the uranium isoptop was purified or something
[14:21] Eddi Haskell: im sure others nhere know more about this than me
[14:21] Eddi Haskell: and
[14:21] Eddi Haskell: then at the end
[14:21] Eddi Haskell: there true selves
[14:21] Eddi Haskell: meet them and everyone tries to kill everyone lese
[14:21] Shadowen Silvera: sorry jago groups are full
[14:21] Eddi Haskell: else
[14:21] Nolligan Nino: me too
[14:21] Eddi Haskell: see
[14:22] Simeon Beresford: lol
[14:22] Eddi Haskell: if they interfere with oakridge, they interfere with the manhattan project
[14:22] Eddi Haskell: and then
[14:22] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:22] Simeon Beresford: sumss up so many plots
[14:22] Eddi Haskell: who knows that would have happened
[14:22] Arkady Poliatevska: the beaver is never born?
[14:22] Eddi Haskell: but its really good i just cant figure out the quantum at the end
[14:22] Jago Constantine: lol Arkady
[14:23] Eddi Haskell: yes the beaver might not be born, hugh beaumonth might have been part of operation coronet
[14:23] Arkady Poliatevska: too old a reference for many
[14:23] Eddi Haskell: and barbara billigsley could have become a dyke biker, who knows?
[14:23] Jago Constantine: Yes :P
[14:23] Arkady Poliatevska: :)
[14:23] Camilla Delvalle: never heard of :)
[14:23] Jago Constantine: Ok, thanks, Eddi
[14:23] Eddi Haskell: Im named after a very famous obnoxious teenager, eddi haskell
[14:23] Jago Constantine: Nolligan - have you read any sci fi this week?
[14:24] Shadowen Silvera: I've been musing to myself as to what the world would be like if the hindenburg disaster hadnt happened.
[14:24] Nolligan Nino: not this week
[14:24] Camilla Delvalle: it would be nice with airships
[14:24] Shadowen Silvera: oops wrong window
[14:24] Jago Constantine: Ok, no worries :)
[14:24] Arkady Poliatevska: some other airship would have bloen up spectaculalry
[14:24] Jago Constantine: lol shadowen
[14:24] Justine Rhapsody: Airships are so beautiful
[14:25] Nolligan Nino: but I recently re-read a classic - the land ironclads by HG Wells
[14:25] Eddi Haskell: and nothing famous would have ever happened in new jersey except mob killings
[14:25] Jago Constantine: Cool
[14:25] Arkady Poliatevska: in france in ther early twentieth century..
[14:25] Jago Constantine: I haven't read that
[14:25] Flawnt Alchemi: me neither
[14:25] Eddi Haskell: is it about tanks?
[14:25] Arkady Poliatevska: the very first concrete buidings were airship hangers
[14:25] Arkady Poliatevska: because they caught fire so freqquently
[14:26] Nolligan Nino: written in 1910 it imagines a european war that is resolved by the use of 'tanks' essentially
[14:26] Jago Constantine: Cool ... I wonder how prescient it was?
[14:26] Eddi Haskell: well tanks were thought up in 1914 under churchills juridiction
[14:26] Jago Constantine: I mean maybe the writing was already on the wall
[14:26] Jago Constantine: tank-wise
[14:26] Nolligan Nino: I don't think so
[14:26] Eddi Haskell: they were invented to end trench warefare
[14:27] Nolligan Nino: nobody expected trenches - it was wars of movement pre 1914
[14:27] Flawnt Alchemi: interesting.
[14:27] Camilla Delvalle: they didnt know there could be such a great war at that time
[14:27] Simeon Beresford: were trences in american civil
[14:27] Eddi Haskell: yup. it was the farthest thing from their minds
[14:27] Nolligan Nino: make sme wonder which sci fi writers today will be judged as 'prescient
[14:27] Jago Constantine: "the first description of a tank-like vehicle and its usefulness in trench warfare is found in an H.G. Wells short story, "The Land Ironclads", in the Strand Magazine, December 1903"
[14:27] Eddi Haskell: wow
[14:27] Nolligan Nino: sorry 1903
[14:28] Eddi Haskell: did he visit the future
[14:28] Eddi Haskell: serioulsy
[14:28] Eddi Haskell: how could he see this stuff????????
[14:28] Nolligan Nino: how could Neal Stephenson see a place similar to sl?
[14:28] Eddi Haskell: i wish i coujld do things like that
[14:28] Flawnt Alchemi: wells wasnt a cottage writer...he was on top of science in his time and knew everyone who know anything
[14:28] Shadowen Silvera: Imagination combined with current information
[14:29] Jago Constantine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank#History
[14:29] Flawnt Alchemi: fabians, russell...plus the world was actually simple then (or was it?)
[14:29] Eddi Haskell gave you jago oil.
[14:29] Camilla Delvalle: There were ironclads on the sea, so it would not be a far leap to imagine ironclad wagons powdered by steam or something
[14:29] Shadowen Silvera: If you know it could be possible but doesnt exist (yet) its fun to imagine what it would be like if it was. with enough clues you can come up with a good idea
[14:29] Simeon Beresford: all the scientific heavy weights new big changes in the air
[14:30] Camilla Delvalle: they also had trains, so they could think up trains without rails
[14:30] Jago Constantine: Yes
[14:30] Eddi Haskell: yes the first ironclad le gloirie 1858 france
[14:30] Simeon Beresford: and wells new them all
[14:30] Jago Constantine: That wikipedia link mentions some ideas for use of steam vehicles in war
[14:30] Nolligan Nino: easy to say with hindsight
[14:30] Eddi Haskell: well necessity is the mother of invention and they needed tanks
[14:31] Jago Constantine: So Nolligan - is it a good read, or is it just notable for its prediction of tanks?
[14:31] Shadowen Silvera: makes one wonder if there will ever be battle suits ala heinlein's starship troopers
[14:31] Eddi Haskell: iwant to read it
[14:31] Camilla Delvalle: or mechas like in anime
[14:31] Nolligan Nino: quite a good read , quite short too
[14:31] Nolligan Nino: good but not brilliant
[14:32] Nolligan Nino: but I like HG Wells generally
[14:32] Eddi Haskell: who cares about that will there be hot shower scenes with casper van dien again?
[14:32] Flawnt Alchemi: /e nods nolligan
[14:32] Jago Constantine: http://www.zeitcom.com/majgen/60w-1_landironclads.html
[14:32] Jago Constantine: That's the story online
[14:32] Flawnt Alchemi: ty jago
[14:32] Jago Constantine: lol eddi
[14:32] Jago Constantine: Ok, thanks, Nolligan
[14:32] Nolligan Nino: :-)
[14:32] Jago Constantine: Karl - have you got a book report for us?
[14:33] Karl Mearkus: Nope, didn't get to any SF this week
[14:33] Jago Constantine: Ok :)
[14:33] Jago Constantine: Justine?
[14:33] Karl Mearkus: I'm just here to hoover up all your tips ;)
[14:33] Eddi Haskell: dont you feell guillty when you say that? i do.
[14:33] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:33] Flawnt Alchemi hides.
[14:34] Justine Rhapsody: oh yes,
[14:34] Jago Constantine: heh wb justine :)
[14:34] Justine Rhapsody: lol you caught me
[14:34] Justine Rhapsody: I am reading Beggars and Choosers by Nancy Kress, the second in the trilogy.
[14:34] Jago Constantine: Oh, I was just listening to an interview with her
[14:35] Justine Rhapsody: I like these books, her characterizations are wonderful.
[14:35] Justine Rhapsody: Oh really!
[14:35] Simeon Beresford: the folks that dont sleep?
[14:35] Jago Constantine: an old one from The Future and You podcast
[14:35] Shadowen Silvera: thanks
[14:35] Jago Constantine: like a few years old
[14:35] Justine Rhapsody: yes the sleepless and then there are super sleepless lol
[14:35] Justine Rhapsody: Yes they are. I only recently discovered that I like her writing, so went back and got those.
[14:35] Jago Constantine: And how does it compare to the first book?
[14:36] Justine Rhapsody: oh its a good continuation
[14:36] Justine Rhapsody: she brings in a various concepts, nano,
[14:37] Justine Rhapsody: and i especially like how she creates the supersleepless as having new ways of thinking, completely different than humans can think now.
[14:37] Jago Constantine: Here are 6 episodes of the future and you with Kress http://www.thefutureandyou.libsyn.com/?search_string=kress&Submit=Search&search=1
[14:38] Jago Constantine: It's a great podcast, I only just discovered it. Really wonderful
[14:38] Simeon Beresford: always have problems with none human thinking how can humans right about it?
[14:38] Jago Constantine: I think it would be hard for an author to try to write a character that is either superintelligent or thinks in a radically different way
[14:38] Justine Rhapsody: ok thanks :)
[14:39] Shadowen Silvera: Jago: try the alien intelligence game sometime. it's fun.
[14:39] Jago Constantine: Of course, being an author you're omniscient anyway lol
[14:39] Justine Rhapsody: well it is, but she does a good job of describing it - they create all kinds of association thinking with images words etc all rolled in together.
[14:39] Shadowen Silvera: sometimes called higher power
[14:39] Eddi Haskell: like a 12 step program.
[14:40] Jago Constantine: thanks, shadowen
[14:40] Justine Rhapsody: alien intelligence game?
[14:40] Simeon Beresford: think most heros are super intelligent the author takes three days to pick an action the hero has 3 seconds for.
[14:40] Jago Constantine: true
[14:40] Jago Constantine: So I assume you're going on to read the third book, Justine?
[14:41] Shadowen Silvera: you assume the aspect of a higher power/alien intelligence and then have a friend ask meaninful questions.. like "why are we here" you then answer as if you are a higher intelligence: ie "Nobody knows but it is the journey that counts" my example is lame but you get that idea.. its a sort of stream of consciousness exercise
[14:41] Justine Rhapsody: Yes I am. Though now I have Paul McAuley's new Quiet War ordered so have to read that one first.
[14:41] Camilla Delvalle: sounds difficult
[14:41] Jago Constantine: I want to read that one too
[14:41] Jago Constantine: Quiet War
[14:42] Justine Rhapsody: Yes I love that kind of space opera with ideas.
[14:42] Jago Constantine: Thanks, Justine ... Ok, Arkady? Anything to report?
[14:42] Arkady Poliatevska: I will just obseve this time
[14:42] Arkady Poliatevska: if thats okay
[14:42] Jago Constantine: Sure :)
[14:43] Jago Constantine: Flawnt, I see you crouching down back there
[14:43] Jago Constantine: :P
[14:43] Flawnt Alchemi whistles.
[14:43] Kyo Rogozarski is Offline
[14:43] Flawnt Alchemi: ya, i havent read any SF. torturing myself with flaubert on my left and alison lurie on my right
[14:43] Jago Constantine: Heh no worries
[14:43] Eddi Haskell: are they avatars?
[14:43] Justine Rhapsody: lol
[14:43] Eddi Haskell: sounds hot
[14:43] Flawnt Alchemi wipes the sweat off his brow
[14:44] Jago Constantine: Ok, Camilla ... your turn!
[14:44] Camilla Delvalle: can you tell me of flaubert maybe? im interested in him because people says he writhes good
[14:44] Flawnt Alchemi: lol eddi. but they're dirty ;)
[14:44] Eddi Haskell: lol
[14:44] Flawnt Alchemi: he's a style guru
[14:44] Camilla Delvalle: shall i talk?
[14:44] Flawnt Alchemi nods camilla - later.
[14:44] Jago Constantine: If you have read some sci fi :)
[14:44] Camilla Delvalle: ok i can talk about haibane renmei
[14:44] Camilla Delvalle: although it is fantasy
[14:45] Jago Constantine: Nice :)
[14:45] Jago Constantine: Another anime I like :)
[14:45] Simeon Beresford: more manga?
[14:45] Camilla Delvalle: it is a anime, japanese series
[14:45] Simeon Beresford: ah
[14:45] Camilla Delvalle: so you like it?
[14:45] Jago Constantine: Yes, it's sweet
[14:45] Camilla Delvalle: it is about a girl who is reborn as an angel
[14:45] Camilla Delvalle: in a strange town
[14:45] Camilla Delvalle: and there are other angels but mostly humans
[14:46] Camilla Delvalle: she gets winds
[14:46] Camilla Delvalle: but her halo will not stick so they have to use metal wire to keep it in place
[14:46] Camilla Delvalle: but they are like disciminated
[14:46] Camilla Delvalle: because she can only wear used clothes
[14:46] Flawnt Alchemi gets wind, too.
[14:47] Camilla Delvalle: and they cant have money
[14:47] Jago Constantine: heh
[14:47] Camilla Delvalle: the angels are cool
[14:47] Camilla Delvalle: there is a leader who is called Reki
[14:47] Jago Constantine: Yes, the angels are called haibane in the show
[14:47] Flawnt Alchemi likes it.
[14:47] Jago Constantine: which I think is a japanese pronunciation of heaven
[14:47] Camilla Delvalle: and she smokes cigarrettes
[14:48] Camilla Delvalle: it is very calm series
[14:48] Camilla Delvalle: i like it because it is not hysterical or shrieky like many other
[14:48] Jago Constantine: I hate those shrieky hyperactive anime series :P
[14:48] Camilla Delvalle: it is a bit religious but not so that it disturbs
[14:48] Jago Constantine: Excel Saga for instance
[14:48] Camilla Delvalle: it is much about existential questions
[14:49] Camilla Delvalle: and friendship and such
[14:49] Jago Constantine: Yes, I think it's just a japanese author using angel symbolism mostly
[14:49] Jago Constantine: in the same way they might pick out ancient greek or aztec just because they think it's cool
[14:49] Camilla Delvalle: it not so much plotdrivet
[14:49] Camilla Delvalle: more character driven, with low tempo
[14:49] Camilla Delvalle: very nice
[14:49] Camilla Delvalle: questions?
[14:49] Flawnt Alchemi: arent "angels" outside of the japanese....spiritual world? (not that i have any clue)
[14:50] Jago Constantine: Well they'd have a conception of them from western sources
[14:50] Simeon Beresford: yes
[14:50] Flawnt Alchemi: it is a rather interesting choice then i suppose.
[14:51] Flawnt Alchemi wonders what the equivalent would be for a western writer.
[14:51] Camilla Delvalle: the creator said that it was inspired by religions, but he would not say which
[14:51] Jago Constantine: It's kind of whimsical in the manner of hayao miyazaki in some places
[14:51] Camilla Delvalle: yes
[14:51] Jago Constantine: although not too surreal
[14:52] Camilla Delvalle: it is not entirey logical
[14:52] Simeon Beresford: japanese do thinngs to to western culture that are as wrong as some of the things we do to eastern cultures not much resembance.
[14:52] Jago Constantine: yes
[14:52] Jago Constantine: it's probably as realistic as our conception of zen for example
[14:52] Jago Constantine: a popular conception
[14:52] Flawnt Alchemi nods. good example.
[14:52] Simeon Beresford: you have to put away the part of you that says " thats just wrrong".
[14:52] Jago Constantine: or hinduism
[14:53] Jago Constantine: Ok, Simon ... you had a sci fi author speak during the week didn't you?
[14:53] Eddi Haskell: yeah ever have a big mac in tokyo? you can gag
[14:53] Flawnt Alchemi wonders if modern sci fi is more culturally transgressive or not
[14:53] Jago Constantine: Thanks, Camilla :)
[14:53] Jago Constantine: transgressive in what sense?
[14:54] Flawnt Alchemi will teleport to second tokyo later to gag on a mac
[14:54] Simeon Beresford: there was one at one virtualy speaking I think
[14:54] Simeon Beresford: ours is tomorrow
[14:54] Jago Constantine: Ok, I thought I got a notice from bookstacks during the week :P
[14:54] Simeon Beresford: we cross promote
[14:54] Flawnt Alchemi: jago: in the sense of using symbols etc from other cultures
[14:54] Jago Constantine: Ok, it was the Tobias Buckell podcast
[14:55] Jago Constantine: my mistake
[14:55] Simeon Beresford: yes at one oclock tomorrow
[14:55] Simeon Beresford: we will be recording in world
[14:55] Jago Constantine: well, I think authors today, flawnt, have access to better information about other cultures through the internet
[14:55] Flawnt Alchemi: ... and turning it into something new and really interesting.
[14:55] Simeon Beresford: and there will be a q&a after with the audience
[14:55] Flawnt Alchemi: i am wondering how real that information is...
[14:56] Arkady Poliatevska: thank you all I must go
[14:56] Jago Constantine: and I expect there's a lot of incentive to be the first to exploit a different culture for a story
[14:56] Simeon Beresford: nods
[14:56] Flawnt Alchemi nods.
[14:56] Simeon Beresford: bye arkady
[14:56] Nolligan Nino: bye
[14:56] Flawnt Alchemi waves
[14:56] Jago Constantine: Let's see - there's Ian McDonald's River of Gods
[14:56] Justine Rhapsody: bye
[14:57] Justine Rhapsody: Oh I loved that book River of Gods.
[14:57] Jago Constantine: a major one from recent years set in India
[14:57] Simeon Beresford: coulld I plug our meet to set up some reading groups tommorrow at two as weel
[14:57] Jago Constantine: absolutely fantastic book
[14:57] Flawnt Alchemi: i am just astounded how culturally provincial most sci fi still seems to be...
[14:57] Flawnt Alchemi: thanks will check that out.
[14:57] Jago Constantine: sure simeon
[14:57] Flawnt Alchemi nods - sure simeon
[14:57] Flawnt Alchemi: thanks jago, again!
[14:57] Simeon Beresford: will expect to see every one at both :^)
[14:58] Flawnt Alchemi: bye all
[14:58] Eddi Haskell: bye!
[14:58] Nolligan Nino: bye
[14:58] Jago Constantine: Thanks for coming everyone
[14:58] Simeon Beresford: see you next week
[14:59] Justine Rhapsody: I need to go too
[14:59] Jago Constantine: Back here again next week same time!
[14:59] Simeon Beresford: when I will have finished a book to report on :^)
[14:59] Jago Constantine: And don't forget the off the shelf podcast here tomorrow
[14:59] Jago Constantine: If you'd like to check that out :)
[14:59] Eddi Haskell: happy labour day to you americans
[14:59] Justine Rhapsody: Bye everyone
[15:00] Eddi Haskell: bye!
[15:00] Simeon Beresford: that sounds so socialist
[15:00] Jago Constantine: bye!

29 August 2009

[13:53] Aviano Gearz: here
[13:53] Simeon Beresford: It is in chat not voice
[13:53] Aviano Gearz: i am here
[13:54] Aviano Gearz: here
[13:54] Aviano Gearz: Mom
[13:54] Aviano Gearz: i am here
[13:54] moomintroll Flanagan: what are you sitting on Avi
[13:54] Aviano Gearz: oh
[13:54] moomintroll Flanagan: I tried to sit on your lap
[13:54] Aviano Gearz: hahah
[13:54] Aviano Gearz: try again
[13:54] moomintroll Flanagan: but it wouldn't let me
[13:54] Aviano Gearz: there's no pose ball
[13:54] Aviano Gearz: sit on my right side
[13:55] moomintroll Flanagan: sit on the chair
[13:55] Aviano Gearz: lets chat in voice
[13:55] Aviano Gearz: you sit first
[13:55] moomintroll Flanagan: what on?
[13:55] Aviano Gearz: here
[13:55] Aviano Gearz: just left click
[13:55] Aviano Gearz: we have a sofa set
[13:56] Aviano Gearz: can you sit
[13:56] Aviano Gearz: is it worknin
[13:56] Aviano Gearz: working
[13:56] moomintroll Flanagan: two chairs here Avi
[13:56] Aviano Gearz: no
[13:56] Aviano Gearz: one is here
[13:56] Aviano Gearz: sit here
[13:56] moomintroll Flanagan: I can't see any
[13:57] Aviano Gearz: right click here
[13:57] moomintroll Flanagan: oh yes
[13:57] moomintroll Flanagan: now
[13:57] moomintroll Flanagan: there
[13:57] Aviano Gearz: hahahah
[13:57] moomintroll Flanagan: ahhhhh
[13:57] Aviano Gearz: now it looks good
[13:57] moomintroll Flanagan: sweet
[13:58] Aviano Gearz: i can even sleep if the event gets boring
[13:58] Aviano Gearz: hahahaha
[13:58] Aviano Gearz: :)
[13:58] moomintroll Flanagan: yes
[13:58] moomintroll Flanagan: I will smooth your forhead
[13:58] Simeon Beresford: hi jago
[13:58] moomintroll Flanagan: blimey
[13:58] Aviano Gearz: hi Simeon
[13:58] moomintroll Flanagan: ants in your pantss?
[13:58] Aviano Gearz: OMG
[13:59] Jago Constantine: Hi, folks :)
[13:59] Aviano Gearz: helu
[13:59] Aviano Gearz: who is the host?
[13:59] Karl Mearkus: Hi Jago
[13:59] Jack Ozigard: hi jago
[13:59] Jago Constantine: I'm the host ... thanks for coming :)
[13:59] Simeon Beresford: jagp hosts
[13:59] Aviano Gearz: nice to meet you
[13:59] Jago Constantine: For anyone new, the way the group runs is that we go round the circle
[13:59] Aviano Gearz: may i know what this event is all about?
[14:00] Jago Constantine: and talk about what science fiction we read since the last meeting
[14:00] Jago Constantine: or if it's your first time, what you read last
[14:00] Aviano Gearz: oh i think i am at the wrong place...
[14:00] Aviano Gearz: i dont have anything to share
[14:00] Aviano Gearz: but i can listen if you guys dont mind
[14:00] Jago Constantine: Well, you can just sit in if you like
[14:01] Aviano Gearz: oh yes
[14:01] Aviano Gearz: Mom do you like this place?
[14:01] Jago Constantine: Hi, Fourside
[14:01] Jack Ozigard: there was too much folks last time, so not everybody got a turn. I guess listening is very okay
[14:01] Fourside Janus: m
[14:01] Fourside Janus: Hi
[14:01] Aviano Gearz: hi Fourside
[14:01] Aviano Gearz: so it a voice discussion?
[14:01] Jago Constantine: So this week I read an Alastair Reynolds novel, Century Rain
[14:01] Jago Constantine: No, it's chat
[14:02] Jago Constantine: You're trying to sit on me, Fourside :P
[14:02] Fourside Janus: oops, sorry!
[14:02] Jago Constantine: This was different to Reynolds' usual novels set in the Revelation Space universe
[14:02] Jago Constantine: a stand-alone, set in the future and in a world resembling 1950s Paris
[14:03] Simeon Beresford: 2 worlds?
[14:03] Jago Constantine: It's kind of an alternate history in a sense, but as an alternate history it's not very satisfying
[14:03] Jago Constantine: Yes
[14:04] Bryce Galbraith: Hi all
[14:04] Simeon Beresford: hi
[14:04] Jago Constantine: Because you don't see enough of the alternate world to get much of a feel for it
[14:04] Jago Constantine: it's not well fleshed out
[14:04] Jago Constantine: But the future parts were interesting, so I didn't mind so much
[14:05] Jago Constantine: Anyway, I recommend it if you're a fan of Alastair Reynolds' work
[14:05] Jago Constantine: Ok, Bryce, did you read anything this week?
[14:05] Bryce Galbraith: Still working on Sundiver by David Brin.
[14:06] Jago Constantine: Cool
[14:06] Bryce Galbraith: Got a job and a half so it takes me a while to get through a book...
[14:07] Jago Constantine: Sure. Anything notable you want to mention from the novel?
[14:07] Simeon Beresford: nods
[14:08] Bryce Galbraith: Hmmm... the story is still developing...taking on more of a mystery now since one character was killed in a sunship.
[14:09] Bryce Galbraith: There is a tension that contact with galactic civilization has brought to man, and that figures pretty prominently in the story.
[14:10] Bryce Galbraith: Galactic civilization has been around for millenia ... more really... and so on the one hand there is already a lot of stuff that humans can learn directly without having to find it out for themselves.
[14:10] Bryce Galbraith: So there is a decline in pure research.
[14:10] moomintroll Flanagan: Thank you everyone...I have learnt something ...Now I have to go
[14:10] moomintroll Flanagan: Take care
[14:10] Jago Constantine: Thanks moomintroll :)
[14:10] Simeon Beresford: |bye
[14:11] Simeon Beresford: Hi camilla
[14:11] Camilla Delvalle: Hello
[14:11] Jago Constantine: I like the idea that there would be a decline in research because of the easily-obtained technology from the galactic encyclopedia
[14:12] Bryce Galbraith: There's also a kind of caste/class thing going on in galactic civilization too, and humans are kind of a wildcard because they don't quite fit in really.
[14:12] Jago Constantine: Thanks, Bryce
[14:12] Jago Constantine: Simeon, cool avatar ... how was your reading this week?
[14:13] Simeon Beresford: Thanks
[14:13] Simeon Beresford: this week I finished raggamuddin
[14:13] Simeon Beresford: fagamuffin
[14:13] Jago Constantine: heh
[14:13] Simeon Beresford: argh
[14:13] Simeon Beresford: ragamuffin
[14:14] Simeon Beresford: sequal to crystal rain
[14:14] Simeon Beresford: has some charactersi n common
[14:15] Jago Constantine: So you liked it?
[14:16] Simeon Beresford: Yes the lost colony from the first book restablishes contact with the main civilisation
[14:16] Simeon Beresford: where things are not going well for human
[14:16] Jago Constantine: What's the problem?
[14:17] Simeon Beresford: third class citizens living at the whim of others
[14:17] Jago Constantine: Ok
[14:17] Jago Constantine: I haven't read any Tobias Buckell
[14:18] Jago Constantine: I should :P
[14:18] Simeon Beresford: the colony is not exactly in a good spot either
[14:19] Simeon Beresford: the worm holes reconnecting it to the rest of the galaxy
[14:19] Simeon Beresford: are re openned bye the same people that the colony cut the worm holes to tisolate itself from in the first place
[14:20] Jago Constantine: ah
[14:20] Simeon Beresford: much higher tech level in this book.
[14:20] Camilla Delvalle: what kind of tech do they have?
[14:21] Simeon Beresford: colony steam and electric.
[14:21] Simeon Beresford: rlectronics al disaepreared in the ENF pulse that cut it of
[14:22] Simeon Beresford: main sivilisation
[14:22] Jago Constantine: So it cut off electronics permanently?
[14:22] Jack Ozigard: sorry I had a bad connection
[14:22] Camilla Delvalle: i guess it is not so easy to make electronics without a factory and engineers
[14:23] Simeon Beresford: yeah colony hac not advanced enough to replace them every one dependa on Laminea
[14:23] Simeon Beresford: in the main civ
[14:23] Jago Constantine: ok
[14:23] Jago Constantine: Ok ... so Fourside ... what have you read lately?
[14:23] Simeon Beresford: electronic info tags attached to eveery thing
[14:24] Simeon Beresford: four side?
[14:24] Jago Constantine: Sorry, Simeon ... you're still going?
[14:24] Simeon Beresford: nah
[14:24] Fourside Janus: Eheheheh... accidentally found Fallout1 & 2, so... nothing. >_< Go ahead simeon.
[14:24] Jago Constantine: ok
[14:24] Simeon Beresford: thought cammilla
[14:24] Jago Constantine: Lol ok Camilla
[14:24] Camilla Delvalle: me?
[14:24] Jago Constantine: Have you read any good books lately?
[14:25] Camilla Delvalle: No but I can talk about anime series Elfen Lied?
[14:25] Jago Constantine: Sure, I like that one :)
[14:25] Camilla Delvalle: I is japanese comic series
[14:26] Camilla Delvalle: It begins with a naked woman escaping from institution by splatting 23 guards
[14:26] Jago Constantine: Heh
[14:26] Jago Constantine: It's very violent
[14:26] Camilla Delvalle: much blood :)
[14:26] Camilla Delvalle: i like
[14:26] Camilla Delvalle: but she is shot in head and loose memory and drop in ocean
[14:27] Jago Constantine: It's fun that it crosses the ultra-violent plotline with the romantic one
[14:27] Camilla Delvalle: and float a shore in the village
[14:27] Fourside Janus: Like Kill Bill?
[14:27] Jago Constantine: the anime cliche where the one guy is living with a bunch of women
[14:28] Camilla Delvalle: maybe like kill bill in that a lot of people are splatted and there is blood flying everywhere
[14:28] Jago Constantine: yeah
[14:28] Camilla Delvalle: but most of the series is very cute
[14:28] Camilla Delvalle: there is a homeless girl with a little dog and they are both adorable
[14:29] Camilla Delvalle: when i thougt that the dog was splatted i was going to die, but it wasnt
[14:29] Jago Constantine: Yes ... a friend found the series a little slow, in between the ultra-violent parts lol
[14:29] Camilla Delvalle: well it is slow, but not too much i think
[14:29] Camilla Delvalle: it is very relaxing for the mind
[14:29] Jago Constantine: I loved the theme song
[14:29] Jago Constantine: from the opening credits
[14:30] Camilla Delvalle: because there are not so many disturbing comic-book effects
[14:30] Camilla Delvalle: yes the music is beautiful
[14:30] Jago Constantine: Welcome, Singularity
[14:30] Camilla Delvalle: it is drawn quite realistically i think
[14:30] Camilla Delvalle: and not so much overacting, the characters are quite calm
[14:30] Jago Constantine: It reminded me of Neon Genesis Evangelion
[14:31] Camilla Delvalle: and there is some romance
[14:31] Camilla Delvalle: and many feelings
[14:31] Camilla Delvalle: how did it remind?
[14:31] Camilla Delvalle: of neon?
[14:31] Jago Constantine: Another anime series where ultra-violence is mixed with everyday life and romance
[14:32] Camilla Delvalle: ok
[14:32] Jago Constantine: Also with stylish animation
[14:32] Camilla Delvalle: i think Elfen Lied is quite artistic
[14:32] Jago Constantine: Anyway, thanks, Camilla ... Bobby, how is your reading going
[14:32] Jago Constantine: Yes, it's nicely drawn
[14:32] Bobby Lomba: Goody! Just started mote in god's eye
[14:32] Jago Constantine: Brilliant :)
[14:32] Bobby Lomba: cant say much about it, havent read much
[14:33] Bryce Galbraith: I remember that -- I loved that book :)
[14:33] Bobby Lomba: Its ok so far
[14:33] Jago Constantine: Yes, well it gets good when you actually get to the mote :P
[14:33] Bobby Lomba: Yeah, im there
[14:34] Jack Ozigard: isn't that a cyberpunk book?
[14:34] Jago Constantine: No, not cyberpunk ... space opera
[14:34] Bobby Lomba: no, future first contact thing
[14:34] Bryce Galbraith: No, more of space/first-contact story.
[14:34] Jack Ozigard: ok thanks
[14:34] Camilla Delvalle: what is a mote?
[14:35] Jago Constantine: A speck of dust
[14:35] Jago Constantine: In this case it's a metaphor for a star
[14:35] Camilla Delvalle: aha
[14:36] Jago Constantine: Ok, well I look forward to hearing about it when you finish the book, Bobby
[14:36] Bobby Lomba: yep:)
[14:36] Jago Constantine: Ok, Karl ... great avatar!
[14:36] Jago Constantine: Have you got a book to talk about?
[14:37] Jack Ozigard: do you think we should water him?
[14:37] Edward Aelberts: Nice.
[14:37] Bobby Lomba: think its a meat eater
[14:37] Karl Mearkus: Hi
[14:38] Jago Constantine: heh
[14:38] Simeon Beresford: never get your coffe til after your turn karl
[14:38] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:38] Karl Mearkus: sorry, well I read my first non-fiction science fiction book "The world without us"
[14:38] Jago Constantine: Oh, I saw the tv show of that
[14:38] Fourside Janus: Ooh, that's a good one.
[14:39] Karl Mearkus: really enjoyed the speculation - the descriptions of new york a few days after humanity has mysteriously disappeared
[14:39] Jago Constantine: Yeah, it would be a good reference for a post-apocalyptic novelist
[14:40] Bryce Galbraith: I saw the original documentary based on the book and then a few of the episodes they did afterward. Pretty enjoyable :)
[14:40] Jago Constantine: lol karl
[14:40] Karl Mearkus: and strange a real life group called the voluntary human extinction movement
[14:40] Jago Constantine: I've heard of them too
[14:40] Karl Mearkus: highly recommended for you humans - let the greenery run the place for a bit ;)
[14:40] Jago Constantine: hehe
[14:40] Fourside Janus: O.o
[14:41] Camilla Delvalle: was the entire book about humans disappearing?
[14:41] Karl Mearkus: that was the start point and then investigating things like plastic, forests cities
[14:41] Jago Constantine: Yes, it's about how things would run down and decay
[14:42] Edward Aelberts: Does it give a reason for the disappearance, or does it let the reader imagine one?
[14:42] Jago Constantine: how traces of human civilisation would vanish over time
[14:42] Jago Constantine: It's non-fiction, so it's just 'what if humans disappeared
[14:42] Karl Mearkus: fingers crossed though
[14:42] Edward Aelberts: It sounds really good.
[14:42] Vel Alchemi: Does it say anything about the return of dammed up streams and rivers?
[14:42] Camilla Delvalle: how large time scale has it?
[14:43] Jago Constantine: the tv show mentions the hoover dam
[14:43] Jack Ozigard: sounds like a very interesting read for world builders
[14:43] Karl Mearkus: from 1 day to 150 thousand years time scale
[14:43] Jago Constantine: how it might be the last place that there is electricity
[14:43] Karl Mearkus: when plastic might start going
[14:43] Camilla Delvalle: i guess there would be a lot of stuff left
[14:43] Camilla Delvalle: when does plastics disappear?
[14:44] Karl Mearkus: only when someone evolves to eat them I'm afraid
[14:44] Simeon Beresford: depends on the plastic
[14:44] Karl Mearkus: but yes highly recommended
[14:44] Jago Constantine: Yes, and I recommend the documentary :)
[14:45] Jack Ozigard: there's plastic eating fungi in chernobyl I understood
[14:45] Camilla Delvalle: how much would be left according to the book?
[14:45] Jago Constantine: Actually, the last trace of human civilization to exist would be the voyager space probe, or the apollo landers
[14:45] Camilla Delvalle: lol
[14:45] Bryce Galbraith: It's sort of surprising how quickly some stuff would fall apart.
[14:45] Karl Mearkus: all plastic that has been manufactured since the 1950s still exists and will exist for another 100 thousand years, but mybe thats for another discussion
[14:46] Jago Constantine: yes
[14:46] Jago Constantine: hehe
[14:46] Jago Constantine: we should get back on track
[14:46] Jago Constantine: Thanks, Karl :)
[14:46] Simeon Beresford: i seem to remember ceramics survive best
[14:46] Bryce Galbraith: Depends on climate too....
[14:46] Jago Constantine: Jack - have you read any good books lately?
[14:46] Bryce Galbraith: Maybe we'll have to have to have a discussion just based on that one book sometime :)
[14:46] Camilla Delvalle: there are dinosaur bones in the ground that are older then that i guess
[14:46] Jack Ozigard: I reread the Docteur Mystere comics I have
[14:47] Jago Constantine: Yes :)
[14:47] Vel Alchemi: Aliens coming to earth a millinium from now will find procelin sinks and toilets.
[14:47] Jack Ozigard: Mystery of Milan and War of the Worlds
[14:47] Jago Constantine: I haven't heard of that series
[14:47] Jack Ozigard: they are french or italian, but have been translated into engflish
[14:47] Jago Constantine: ok
[14:47] Jago Constantine: What is the setting? they sound victorian
[14:47] Jago Constantine: 19th century
[14:48] Jack Ozigard: they are based on adventures by paul d'ivoi
[14:48] Jack Ozigard: http://www.coolfrenchcomics.com/pauldivoi.htm
[14:48] Jack Ozigard: the setting is a bit vidctorian but outside britain
[14:48] Jack Ozigard: in War of the worlds it is the moon
[14:48] Jack Ozigard: in Mystery of Milan, it's.... Milan
[14:49] Jago Constantine: they sound interesting ... I'm surprised they haven't been translated
[14:49] Jack Ozigard: I do think warof the worlds is mostly scifi
[14:49] Jack Ozigard: it has a lot of caeos in it
[14:49] Jack Ozigard: have been translated
[14:50] Jack Ozigard: here: http://www.milehighcomics.com/comicindex/trade-paperback/title/Title-DOCTEUR-MYSTERE--MYSTERIES-OF-MILAN-HC--2004--by-SAF-COMICS.html
[14:50] Jago Constantine: ok ok cool
[14:50] Jago Constantine: I misread your sentence :P
[14:50] Jack Ozigard: and here: http://www.milehighcomics.com/comicindex/trade-paperback/title/Title-DOCTEUR-MYSTERE--WAR-OF-THE-WORLDS-HC--VOL--2---2005--by-SAF-COMICS.html
[14:50] Jack Ozigard: I type not very well this late at night
[14:50] Bryce Galbraith: I need to head out now. Nice talking with you all :)
[14:50] Jago Constantine: Thanks for coming, Bryce
[14:51] Jago Constantine: So you enjoyed the comics?
[14:51] Jack Ozigard: war of the worlds has darth vader in it and mr spock
[14:51] Jago Constantine: Jack?
[14:51] Jago Constantine: lol
[14:51] Jack Ozigard: I enjoyed the story
[14:51] Jack Ozigard: I do think the pictures could be better
[14:51] Jago Constantine: ok
[14:51] Jack Ozigard: and the text is a bit boring at times
[14:51] Jago Constantine: Thanks for that :)
[14:51] Jago Constantine: Vel - have you got a book report for us?
[14:52] Jago Constantine: heh
[14:52] Vel Alchemi: I've been going through old boxes of books.
[14:52] Vel Alchemi: And Rite of Passage by Alexi Panshin.
[14:52] Jago Constantine: ok
[14:52] Vel Alchemi: Just re-read Wasp by Eric Frank Russell.
[14:52] Jago Constantine: cool
[14:53] Vel Alchemi: They were published in the 50s so that makes them classic sci fi, I'd say.
[14:53] Jago Constantine: Definitely
[14:53] Vel Alchemi: I've also been re-reading the Dresdin File series by Jim Butcher and realized something about my taste in sci fi.
[14:53] Jago Constantine: Yes?
[14:54] Vel Alchemi: All those books are narrated by individuals and very much from one point of view.
[14:54] Vel Alchemi: So I seem to have a taste for a strong single source.
[14:54] Jago Constantine: Interesting
[14:54] Vel Alchemi: It was a surprise. But now that I have seen it, I can point to other favorites that fit that same structure.
[14:55] Jack Ozigard: no sorry
[14:55] Vel Alchemi: Who else has read those books?
[14:55] Simeon Beresford: me
[14:55] Karl Mearkus: not me
[14:55] Edward Aelberts: I haven't..
[14:55] Vel Alchemi: Want a synopsis?
[14:55] Jago Constantine: Not me
[14:55] Fourside Janus: Most I've seen is the TV series on that last one...
[14:55] Jago Constantine: I watched one episode of the Dresden Files show but didn't like it :P
[14:56] Vel Alchemi: I can see why it wouldn't translate well. The books are very introspective.
[14:56] Jack Ozigard: what is the dresden files about?
[14:56] Vel Alchemi: The main character is a wizard in modern Chicago.
[14:56] Simeon Beresford: any eric framk russel is worth reading slick humorouss advewnture
[14:57] Vel Alchemi: He gets dragged into -- and beaten up in -- all sorts of supernatural warfare.
[14:57] Jago Constantine: heh
[14:57] Jago Constantine: Ok, we'd better move on to Edward, the hour is almost up
[14:57] Edward Aelberts: Hello everyone!
[14:57] Jago Constantine: Edward? Read anything good?
[14:57] Vel Alchemi: Hi Edward.
[14:57] Fourside Janus: Hi
[14:58] Edward Aelberts: I recently finished Time Enough For Love by Robert Heinlein.
[14:58] Jago Constantine: nice
[14:58] Vel Alchemi: Good one.
[14:58] Edward Aelberts: I enjoyed the character of Lazarus Long more than the story itself.
[14:59] Jago Constantine: What did you like about the character?
[14:59] Edward Aelberts: He belonged to a family with perfect genes, able to live to 150, and these people decided to invest in technology to rejuvenate themselves.
[14:59] Vel Alchemi: I always thought Lazarus was Heinlein as he saw himself.
[14:59] Jago Constantine: heh
[14:59] Jago Constantine: I think a lot of heinlein's characters are
[15:00] Bobby Lomba: aiai, got to go, thanks for the meeting!
[15:00] Jack Ozigard: cu bobby
[15:00] Jago Constantine: See you bobby
[15:00] Edward Aelberts: He was very.. simple. Living for such a long time basically hardened him to loving people.
[15:01] Edward Aelberts: He could live to old age, then be rejuvenated, which wasn't described very well in the book, and be young again.
[15:01] Edward Aelberts: If I remember right, he was 2200 years old when the book opens.
[15:01] Jago Constantine: Sorry folks, I have to log now
[15:01] Jago Constantine: Thanks Edward
[15:01] Jago Constantine: Thanks, everyone
[15:01] Edward Aelberts: No problem! I enjoyed it.
[15:01] Jack Ozigard: cu jago
[15:01] Jago Constantine: Feel free to stay and chat though :)
[15:01] Vel Alchemi: Bye, all.
[15:01] Fourside Janus: Bye
[15:01] Karl Mearkus: bye Jago
[15:02] Jago Constantine: Same time and place next week!