Favorite Books

[Tom Dempsey]

I really like "Mote" and also "Lucifer's Hammer" which came out about the same time.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Alastair Reynolds

Revelation Space
Chasm City
Redemption Ark
Absolution Gap

[webenda]

Oh, Wayne. Only 2 stars for "Mote?" Despite what the godfather said? I think you're carrying iconoclasm a bit too far

Also, did you read the math book cover to cover? I doff my chapeau to you

Yes I did, started it the summer of 1974 when we had 10 consecutive days with temperatures above 110 °F. It was a good time to stay indoors with a good book. Took three months to go through it. There are many things I never understood, like the use of the logical "not" symbol, "~", in 1 ~ 1 = 2. The logic reads, "One not one equals two." All the authors attempting to help the student with this work of Whitehead and Russell simply write, 1 + 1 = 2. Not helpful! Why did Whitehead and Russell use "not" for "+"? I was not the only one to struggle with the notation. Kurt Gödel was harshly critical of the notation.

The Pp propositions (propositions assumed without proof) also bothered me as incredibly lazy. I think they defeated the whole purpose of the work.

"Mote?" Come on! "Humanity is slowly recovering from an interstellar civil war that tore apart the first Empire of Man." A worn out theme in science fiction. The aliens are decribed as, " brown and white furred creatures." Too cute for me. Or are they? Pretending to be peaceable creatures, they have a "beam" in their eye... they war with each other. Oops... I gave away the inane plot.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I gave away the inane plot.

No, there's a bit of twist that you left out............

[webenda]

What? The blockade of the Alderson exit point, leaving the greatest threat humanity has ever faced, Furry Moties, to multiply and take over the universe by annihilating humans? That war would be in Outies or The Gripping Hand?

I don't think you are referring to the protostar is forming in the Coalsack Nebula that might have an Alderson exit point.

I often forget about (or miss) important twists in plots, even in books that are interesting. Maybe I missed something big in this one?

[rex desilets]

You forgot, amonst other things, the warrior Moties.

[webenda]

Motie warriors, more deadly than any human? Do not see that as a twist.

Moties have three arms? Trying to remember a twist. Moties can mimic our speech and sound like any one of us?

[aterry11]

Clive Barker, Weave World,,
Bradbury, Illustrated Man,
Kesey, Demon Box,
Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume.
Pichkal, Various Huxley and Uncle Fester.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Clive Barker, Weave World,,

I was thinking of that one from Barker a few weeks ago, wondering about re-reading it.

[webenda]

Alright, I cheated. James Nicoll says, "The big twist is family planning for the Moties." Seriously? No wonder I missed it.
Reference: http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/man-versus-motie

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Alright, I cheated.

10 demerits

BTW, I actually think far more highly of Niven's other books in the "Known Space" universe, such as Ringworld....

[MurphOnMillerAve]

This is getting pretty esoteric , isn't it. Cool.

[healey36]

With regards to automobiles, pick up a copy of Alan Clark's Back Fire...a collection of essays of much that is important in the world of the motor-head.



Clark, despite being the scurrilous cad that he was, wrote some fine books.

Healey

[Rufus T. Firefly]

This is getting pretty esoteric , isn't it. Cool.

Niven:

Ringworld
Protector
World of Ptaavs

James S. A. Corey

The Expanse books:

Leviathan Wakes
Caliban's War
Abaddon's Gate
Cibola Burn
Nemesis Games

[Big Jim]

George:
"Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors." Absolutely. In fact, the episode is something of a fetish with me. There is quite a bit of other literature on the subject including the official USN version. Plus a documentary on the old Military Channel.

What an heroic story! I saw the documentary and that compelled me to buy the book.