Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#21

Post by smhenderson » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 2:29 PM UTC

After exhausting anything interesting on Wikipedia about Greek mythology I finally decided to dive into the real stuff.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/hesiod/theogony.htm

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#22

Post by slayed0 » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 2:30 PM UTC

Vaskivo wrote: post #14

1984, George Orwell. I'm enjoying it. It's bleak and scary and messes with your mind. The only think I dislike is that the overall mood is "look at how wrong this is". I was expecting a more detached and unemotional description of the setting, where all the "wrongness" would be creeping up in back of the reader's mind. Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy, Simon Blackburn. Not enjoying it. It is a well writ…

Regarding your critique of 1984, try Brave New World if you haven't already. I think it fits your expectations of the dystopian genre much better.

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#23

Post by Syssiphus » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 2:31 PM UTC

Metro 2034, the 'sequel' to Metro 2033

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#24

Post by stevenmays » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 2:34 PM UTC

patrickk wrote: post #20

"Dune" the classic sci-fi novel for the first time and I've just finished the Fountain series. Before that was Snow Crash. On a classic sci-fi reading bender right now.

This is my favorite fiction book. I wish I could go back and read it again for the first time. Enjoy it. =)

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#25

Post by theflork » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 2:34 PM UTC

twosheep wrote: post #5

I just read Andy Weir's The Martian in one day -- it was (obviously) fantastic. I highly recommend it.

Second that, reading this right now what a great book!

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#26

Post by mightymaike » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 2:35 PM UTC

Reamde of Neil Stephenson

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#27

Post by pwelch » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 2:37 PM UTC

sk2code wrote: post #10

Not sure how I missed it - Reading "Ready Player One". Can't wait for the movie, currently in talks with Spielberg behind the camera.

Ready Player One is on the top of my favorites list.

If you liked that you might also enjoy Daemon and the sequel Freedom TM by Daniel Suarez.

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#28

Post by trey-jones » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 2:38 PM UTC

patrickk wrote: post #20

"Dune" the classic sci-fi novel for the first time and I've just finished the Fountain series. Before that was Snow Crash. On a classic sci-fi reading bender right now.

I did quite the bender over the last few years and covered all of the (Frank Herbert) Dune novels, as well as most of Orson Scott Card's and the Ringworld series. I highly recommend all of the Ringworld books if you haven't read them.

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#29

Post by nemo1618 » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 2:38 PM UTC

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, and I'm loving it. Some parts are funny, some are dry, and some are truly mind-blowing. As someone who loves wordplay, self-reference, and multiple layers of meaning, this book is like crack. Every chapter surprises me with something new. Its reputation is well-deserved.

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#30

Post by anilmujagic » Thu, Apr 09, 2015, 2:38 PM UTC

Programming F# 3.0, 2nd Edition

While not reading it right now (read it 4-5 yrs ago) I recommend The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. One of the few non-technical books that I really enjoyed :)