I just finished Outer Dark, which is McCarthy's second novel, and it's about as bleak as you can get. Sort of a dry run for Blood Meridian. Absolutely solid work though, and a nice palate cleanser after whatever the fuck he was trying to do with Stella Maris. I love that this is Summer of Love era Cormac....a true miserabilist bastard.llllllllllllllllllll wrote: Sat Nov 02, 2024 10:22 am Many times I was reminded of Cormac McCarthy’s first novel, which I have a sublime dislike for, even if he is one of my fav authors. Growth of the Soil kicks its ass walking.
Re: What are you reading?
712Been burning through a bunch of stuff this last couple of months.
Tomato Red by Daniel Woodrell
Joe by Larry Brown
Welcome Home by Lucia Berlin
The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Light in August by William Faulkner
Smonk by Tom Franklin
Still waiting for the new James Wade jawn to show up on my library app. Might have to go buy it.
Tomato Red by Daniel Woodrell
Joe by Larry Brown
Welcome Home by Lucia Berlin
The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Light in August by William Faulkner
Smonk by Tom Franklin
Still waiting for the new James Wade jawn to show up on my library app. Might have to go buy it.
Re: What are you reading?
713The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds and The Laws of Physics by Roger Penrose.
So far a lot of math that goes over my head but the theoretical and philosophical positions are really interesting. Basically he’s proposing that AI within certain frameworks is bullshit, it’s unlikely to be conscious in the way it’s being sold, i.e. “feeling” and aware in the way a human mind is.
If it was you just created a slave and there are are massive moral questions that will likely be so impossible to transcend without accepting slavery as a morally acceptable position that it will be immediately banned.
I’m not far in but it’s really opening up a lot of ideas I hadn’t really considered.
So far a lot of math that goes over my head but the theoretical and philosophical positions are really interesting. Basically he’s proposing that AI within certain frameworks is bullshit, it’s unlikely to be conscious in the way it’s being sold, i.e. “feeling” and aware in the way a human mind is.
If it was you just created a slave and there are are massive moral questions that will likely be so impossible to transcend without accepting slavery as a morally acceptable position that it will be immediately banned.
I’m not far in but it’s really opening up a lot of ideas I hadn’t really considered.
clocker bob may 30, 2006 wrote:I think the possibility of interbreeding between an earthly species and an extraterrestrial species is as believable as any other explanation for the existence of George W. Bush.
Re: What are you reading?
714I just finished Rose Marshack's "Play Like a Man" and enjoyed it very much. It was also cool to see so many folks from here (and the PRF in general) mentioned so much.
guitar in - weaklungband.bandcamp.com/
Re: What are you reading?
715Now onto the sequel to the last book, After 1177 B.C. by Eric H. Cline, as well as Cicero by Anthony Ever. The Cicero bio is really good so far. It is not the first I have read but it adds a lot of great context and dives deep into the period. We know a lot about him because so many of his works survive. It is always a fascinating character study of someone you can understand in a modern sense, yet be completely baffled by because he was a man of his times that were so long ago he might as well be from another planet. I love that about ancient and classical history in general. The human side that is so easily understood and the cultural side that can be completely alien.
© 2003 el protoolio
Re: What are you reading?
716Almost at the halfway mark re-reading Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. I last read it years ago and wish I hadn't waited as long to re-read it.


Re: What are you reading?
717

justice for sa'niya carter 3/11/2024-3/27/2025
Re: What are you reading?
718Marie Curie: A Life
I didn't realize how long the Poles had it so bad.
I didn't realize how long the Poles had it so bad.
Re: What are you reading?
719The Hamilton Scheme by William Hogeland. Best book on the Revolutionary War period I’ve ever read - frames 1776 and all that under a class warfare lens.
Re: What are you reading?
720Cheers – I'd somehow never heard of this and picked it up after seeing your post, sounds brilliant.horse_laminator wrote: Thu Nov 14, 2024 11:42 pm Almost at the halfway mark re-reading Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. I last read it years ago and wish I hadn't waited as long to re-read it.