elfbiter

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 07:19:28 GMT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG1WcTLDJ1E

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State of Hugos

Thu, 15 Feb 2024 08:42:04 GMT

Something shady in the Hugo world...

https://file770.com/the-2023-hugo-awards-a-report-on-censorship-and-exclusion/

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Vurt

Sat, 09 May 2020 19:34:26 GMT

Jeff Noon – Vurt

( Trainspotting for cyberpunk )

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The Gun Seller

Sat, 09 May 2020 19:33:41 GMT

Hugh Laurie – The Gun Seller

( No House for warmongering )

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Take your shirt off and cry

Sat, 09 May 2020 19:32:46 GMT

Nancy Balbirer – Take your shirt off and cry

( Not everybody who goes to Hollywood ends up being a star )

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The Logic of Failure

Sat, 09 May 2020 19:31:52 GMT

Dietrich Dörner - The Logic of Failure

(This is a repost from Livejournal)

Dietrich Dörner is a German cognitive researcher. In this book he tries to find out why things go wrong - and what people do afterwards. Among other things, he describes results of various simulations where the test subjects were to try to administer couple of communities run as computer simulations, including two hypothetical African tribes and a small town with a watch factory. Many of them did not do very well. The reactions to their failure were the usual;
( Not My Fault Ad Nauseum )

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Zorro

Sat, 09 May 2020 19:31:04 GMT

Isabel Allende - Zorro

(This is a repost from Livejournal)

Zorro AKA Diego de la Vega originated as an American pulp hero, the precursor of superheroes. In this tale Isabel Allende tries to give him a past, figure out what make him what he was. This is a tale of Zorro's childhood, how he came to know Bernardo, his later servant, and learn the various skills, including fencing.
( Zorro prequel Allende style )

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The Man of Gold

Sat, 09 May 2020 19:30:23 GMT

M. A. R. Barker - The Man of Gold

(This is a repost from Livejournal)

Tekumel is an planet in dimensional pocket in far future where most of the ancient knowledge has been lost (and one scene seems to hint why this kind of thing happens). But the various species - the humans included - have recovered and created very complex societies - with all the foibles of civilization…
( First novel of the Empire of the Petal Throne )

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Don't Ask

Sat, 09 May 2020 19:29:34 GMT

Donald E. Westlake - Don't Ask

(This is a repost from Livejournal)

This time it is Tiny Bulcher who contacts Dortmunder and the others because of his newly-found distant cousin from a newly founded pseudo-slavic country asking for a not-so-new relic.
( Dortmunder dealing with pseudo-Baltic problems )

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Skis against the atom

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 18:17:19 GMT

Knut Haukelid – Skis against the atom

There has been number of documentaries about how Norwegian resistance members trained in Britain were parachuted to destroy Norwegian heavy water plants. One of these men was Knut Haukelid, who later wrote the basis of this book.

In hindsight this might have been for nothing since Nazi Germany was not able to create a nuclear weapon for various reasons, some of which are still disputed. One certainly was the fact that number of German and non-German scientists were not cooperative or outright claimed that nuclear weapon was impractical. Fortunately there was not any suitable to V-2 rockets.

Destroying the heavy water factory and the shipment is actually just part of the book. Haukelid also describes the dangers of Norwegian resistance members living under Nazi occupation, including trying to live off the land in the Norwegian mountains and avoiding patrols. And people that might recognize them.

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Shakespeare's tremor and Orwell's cough

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 18:16:38 GMT

John Ross - Shakespeare's tremor and Orwell's cough

John Ross is US medical doctor with literary interests. In this book he describes number of kind of case histories of literary greats.

( Life and especially Death of authors in English )

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Emergency Sasquatch Ordinance

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 18:15:37 GMT

Kevin Underhill - Emergency Sasquatch Ordinance

This is collection of strange laws – outside those "dumb laws" sites where lots of that stuff are actually urban legends and (intentionally?) misundertood case-specific rulings.

Name of the books refers to a county in the Washingtong state where law protects the sasquatch in case they might exist.

( Superfluity does not vitiate )

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Theres

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 18:14:51 GMT

Steve Sem-Sandberg – Theres

Ulrike Meinhof was West German journalist who later abandoned her family to become part of the German left-wing terrorist undergroud. Her role in Red Army Fraction was seen so important that the group was called Bader-Meinhoff-group (another prominent member was Andreas Baader who was famous for dislikes political discussions and attributed to just wanting to kill policemen).
( Inside the mind of prominent political terrorist )

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Prostho Plus

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 18:14:13 GMT

Piers Anthony - Prostho Plus
(Repost from Livejournal)
Dr. Dillingham is a human dentist who suddenly has to treat a denizen of a flying saucer. After the successful treatment, the grateful proto-Greys abduct him and sell him in outer space. Poor doctor gets acquainted with number of (amusingly) alien species and their various dental problems. Eventually he finds himself in the Galactic University of Dentistry and faces its internal politicking.
( Major drilling work for Dillingham )

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Suits Me - The Double Life of Billy Tipton

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 18:12:46 GMT

Diane Wood Middlebrook - Suits Me - The Double Life of Billy Tipton
(Repost from Livejournal)
Billy Tipton was a minor Depression-era jazz musician who, among other things, organized the Billy Tipton Trio for the vaudeville circuit. However, he was born Dorothy Lucille Tipton and apparently decided to don the male costume in order to get a job as a saxophone player. He ended up living the rest of his life as a male.
( Playing jazz requires pants )

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Five Hundred Years After

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 18:11:29 GMT

Steven Brust - Five Hundred Years After
(Repost from Livejournal)
After over 500 years of his reign Tortaalik has become more interested about the formalities and his daily routines and is only occasionally interested about the affairs of the state - which have become rather complex, including various Houses refusing to send their representatives or even pay their share to the Imperial Treasury. And Teckla, the commoners, are growing restless because of the rising grain prices and Tortaalik's various dictates.
( But where's the dauphin? )

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The Phoenix Guards

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 18:10:36 GMT

Steven Brust - The Phoenix Guards
(Repost from Livejournal)
This is the first of the Dragaeran books I've managed to read - I'm still missing many Vlad Taltos books. But I think I consider myself impressed. And I'm going to tell you why.

Why, we are eager to hear that
I'm glad you think so
Charmed, I'm sure.
Well, do you condescend to listen?
Flames, it's been an hour since I've been asking anything else!
I shall do so promptly.
Argh!
( The tone of the tale definitely influenced my writing style )>

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The case of a man who died laughning

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 21:19:39 GMT

Tarquin Hall – The case of a man who died laughning

India does have a burgeoning sceptic's movement in real life and faithful Hindus have been sending them deah threats. So when outspoken sceptic in this story is killed what appears to be avenging goddess of Kali, the motivation is not invented out of whole cloth.

( Indian detective with huge appetite )

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A Secret History of the IRA

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 21:18:14 GMT

Ed Moloney – A Secret History of the IRA

Ed Moloney is Irish journalist who has followed IRA – and Sinn Fein – for decades. For this books he also interviewed lots of people, including members of the IRA who will remain anonymous. He admits that this book is also about career of Gerry Adams, one of the most prominent members of the Irish Republican movement.

( From terrorism to parliament )

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Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 21:16:08 GMT

Carmen Aguirre - Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter

Carmen Aguirre is an actor and scriptwriter living in Canada. However, in her youth she was part of the Cold War-era secret left-wing network in South America which was effectively a resistance movement against the dominating military dictatorships.

( Left-wing resistance in hiding )

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Telegram from Guernica

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 21:15:19 GMT

Nicholas Rankin – Telegram from Guernica

This is a biography of British (South African-born) de facto war correspondent George Steer. Over his career Steer witnessed fighting in Ethiopia, Spanish Basqueland and Finland. The title of the book refers to the fact that Steer reported how he found evidence that German incendiaries had destroyed Guernica – when Franco's side blamed the anarchists and British government claimed "there was no evidence".

( Four wars in three countries )

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Scissors Cut Paper Wrap Stone

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 21:13:45 GMT

Ian McDonald - Scissors Cut Paper Wrap Stone

(This is repost from LJ)

( His palms bring madness )

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Hearts Hands and Voices

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 21:12:56 GMT

Ian MacDonald - Hearts Hands and Voices

(US edition. Broken Land)

(This is repost from LJ)
( Civil war in a pseudo-African land )

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Queen of Angels

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 21:12:03 GMT

Greg Bear - Queen of Angels

(This is repost from LJ)

The year 2047 is coming. Nanotechnology is commonplace and forensic investigators can examine the crime scene molecule by molecule. Recycled organic waste has replaced oil.
( Nanotech in four storylines )

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More sex is safe sex

Tue, 04 Jun 2019 19:53:16 GMT

Steven E. Landsburgh - More Sex is Safer Sex

( How economists ruin our life by dodgy mathetics )

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