So I read some books over Spring Break.

2001: A Space Odyssey -- Apparently the book was written at the same time as the movie, and it certainly explains a lot of things that Kubrick was content to leave as what-the-fuck moments. It was shorter than I expected, and while the book naturally had things the movie lacked, the movie also had things the book lacked, which I found odd. Specifically, while HAL was a pretty big part of the movie, in the book he's relegated to a smaller role. He fucks up, then kills everyone but Dave, then blows the airlock to try and kill Dave, who manages to get into a space suit and shut HAL down. There was nothing about the two astronauts hiding in the capsule talking, or Dave having to get back into the ship, or anything. Weird.

Starship Troopers -- I've read it before, but I couldn't remember it so I gave it another whirl. It goes into a lot of depth about the futuristic fascistic world, but the book barely ever even touches on the non-military way of life, since it's the memoirs of a marine and all. The beginning where he's signing up and training is done exceptionally well, but it actually gets more boring near the end when he goes into real battles and all. While a lot of people die in the book, I never really cared much, since everything is so well-oiled and efficient that you can't help but say "oh well" and move on.

Catch-22 -- This book was really fucking hilarious for the first 3/4 and then it suddenly turned into a serious anti-war book. At first, there's a big convoluted story about this batshit-insane air force outpost on an island off Italy during the closing months of WW2. Everyone is insane or stupid, and all this crazy crap happens and it's all hilarious. Then the main character's friends start all getting killed, and he starts sobering up and the book loses its humorous tone for a more desperate one as Yossarian realizes he doesn't want to die and starts doing anything he can think of to stop it. After Starship Troopers, which was a real gung-ho look at military life, this book was full of corruption and idiocy and jealousy and revenge and rivalries.

Fight Club -- One of the few times when the movie was better. It almost feels like a rough outline of what the "real" book should have been.

Last part of 1984 -- It was lying around so I read the part after he gets captured. I've read it a bunch of times but I was bored so whatever. At one point I thought to myself "man, this is so cliche, it's pure Orwellian-dystopia-nightmare" and then I thought "oh wait." The government in that book reminded me of the Borg actually. They all knew -- well, O'Brien knew -- that they were going to make life relatively shit for everyone, but they didn't care because they had been brainwashed into the collective.

First few chapters of Neuromancer -- Started reading it, got bored. I know that this is the "original" cyberpunk novel but it just kept reminding me of Neal Stephenson and whoever wrote Johnny Mnemonic and whoever else has written William Gibson ripoffs, I guess.

yeah its sortof of like when people immediately dismiss Yngwie Malmsteen as just doing neoclassical music and its nothing amazing. Since other people have copied him so many times, listening to his stuff isn't as amazing.

Posted by mantra from 68.118.224.213 @ 03/29/2003 07:42 PM CST

Uuuuh William Gibson wrote Johnny Mnemonic.. :P

In ST isn't Rico an AZN?

Posted by Jon from 62.31.255.83 @ 03/30/2003 05:36 AM CST

Sorry, puerto rican

Posted by Jon from 62.31.255.83 @ 03/30/2003 05:36 AM CST

... but in conclusion I haven't read any of those books (except 1984) but I would like to.

Posted by Jon from 62.31.255.83 @ 03/30/2003 05:37 AM CST

ST was pretty cool. It was pretty interesting how RH ripped "cruel and unusual punishment".

Posted by arioch from 10.0.0.100 @ 03/30/2003 10:49 AM CST

Rico is Filipino if I remember correctly.

Posted by Linguica from 4.63.23.14 @ 03/30/2003 12:31 PM CST

Yeah thats right, sorry. that small detail was overlooked in the film..

Posted by Jon from 62.31.255.83 @ 03/31/2003 04:26 AM CST

Yeah thats right, sorry. that small detail was overlooked in the film..

Much like the rest of the details. Small or not.

Posted by arioch from 10.0.0.100 @ 03/31/2003 11:18 AM CST

heh

Posted by arioch from 10.0.0.100 @ 03/31/2003 11:28 AM CST