Re: books that might be somewhat tolerable

"> I'm wondering what types of books that I should persue if I'm
interested in reading if I like the Star Trek franchise and such.

Honestly I'm just asking largely because I've been burned by books
before.



It would be be helpful if you'd list some of the ones (if you remember)

that you didn't like. Often that's as helpful as what you do. "

For example I've read a book called (I believe) "Evergence" or
something like that.

Sounded really nice. Kicking Evil's Ass and then a cheesy plot turn
with the person they untimately trusted being
One of Them (tm) and just killing them all.

Silly PC nonsense about not being unkind to others, etc.

Liked the kick ass AI thing.

The second major work I didn't really care for was something like
"Flight of The Star Wolf" or some crap.

collection of three mini-crappy books.

Apparently the idiot who wrote those thought that he'd make it with
some silly pandering crap about being nice to everyone and such and got
pissed when Roddenberry failed to see his "vision".

Unrealistic elements abounded:

1. Massive "genetic engineering" which involved making people into
silly animal creatures (couldn't happen within the bounds of even
theoretical DNA manipulation science).
2. Stupid social changes which would easily not happen
2a. The stupid captain seems to be enamored with a useless infomercial
quality slogan chanter who has less quality ideas than a magic 8 ball.
2b. No one could, or would operate under silly outdated social ideas or
theories, or acting in outlandish ways. These included silly music,
social mores.
3. Author's obviously flawed ideological axe to grind against organized
religion and an afterlife.

"> One in particular was something I liked a great deal nearly 800+
pages
and it essentially genocided all the good characters in a plot twist
which resembled the author being told that he needed to get his book
out 2 months early.


What was that? "

It just reminded me of what *I* did when I was fantasy playing with
friends around like 10 when I found that I had to go home for dinner in
10 minutes. A bad resolution and a total lack of power for an organized
nation state.

Human sociology, cause and effect, political science shouldn't be able
to disprove central theses of some story (a major beef that I have with
a lot of science fiction).



"> Something perhaps in the upbeat sentiment?

Anyway if this sounds pathetic.?



What aspects of the Trek stories appeal to you? Try to be specific if
you can. "

The major themes that I like in Trek stories are usually (but not
totally limited to).

1. People bahaving in ways which are consistent with our theories of
social and psychological causation.

People don't do stupid things that flagrantly violate rules unless
faced with a *very* good reason. People don't do something without
having a good excuse or say things on the reccord which would/do sound
silly.

2. Nation states are surpreme. Anyone with a massive army and power
isn't/won't relinquish that power. If people threaten that power you
use force, coercion, or blackmail to get your ends.

3. Social trends don't recycle or degrade so that supposed mores become
more and more simplistic, silly, or obviously flawed.

4. telling of tales in the same universe with the same characters (I'm
obviously flexible on this one). It's nice to be familar with things.

5. Falsity of "Businesses taking over the world thesis" or "Laises
Faire Society theory". It's been proved false with the whole Gilded Age
that this theory was/is completely off base. Almost all video games for
example take the stance of the corruption of this theory (think Red
Faction I/II, Half Life I/II, etc).

There are probably others but I might have to think about them more.

I just like stuff that isn't maybe just a political excuse. I know for
a fact that a number of theses of Heinlein's are things that I could
disagree with footnotes included if I took the time (I'm thinking of in
particular his ditty about the guy who could predict people's deaths
with some silly fluroscope type device).

Or his hippie ideals about justification of settlements of the moon
(I''m thinking about "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" here) and their
frankly totally primitive and debased culture. Honestly you can be
sexually promiscuious(obvious sp) and still not be morally as bad as
those.

Anyhoo honestly I''ve not done any real posting via the internet in
probably easily 6+ months so if this seems a little tad disorganized:
It will get better.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: A cornucopia of magic systems
    ... mana levels, enchanting rules, power boosters,. ... needed at least three books to have the core rules. ... I have had no problem at all using HERO ... and create a TL 13 Space Officer from a universe whose technology ...
    (rec.games.frp.gurps)
  • Re: What are the odds that pocket aces...
    ... I have what I'd consider a ton of poker books (learning about poker is ... Does this mean you underestimated the power, ... told me how aces play in a full game, ...
    (rec.gambling.poker)
  • Re: Randomness from Westercon (Cost of Magic, As You Know Bob)
    ... --Michael Swanwick. ... getting power, but is to "touch the numinous". ... about the madman-shaman Setteo in the last two Holdfast books. ... I have learned not to be surprised any more at how often readers of ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: books that might be somewhat tolerable
    ... upbeat books though, sometimes downright grim. ... Anyone with a massive army and power ... The Larry Niven "Known Space" stories and books might appeal to you, ... recommend researching them via google. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
  • Re: Vitamin C makes vaccination unecessary
    ... >> The illuminati don't want this information in public hands which is why ... The books commonly available are pale immitations of the type of technology ... >> There is science as taught by the global elite in their false science, ... I might be wrong on Carl Sagan. ...
    (misc.health.alternative)
Loading