I am re-reading "Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury, it made a strong impression on me four or five years ago, with its pessimistic yet poetic view of the Mars colonization.
My new boss is an annoying Mars colonization enthusiast so I'm counterbalancing.
Ask HN: Which book have you re-read recently?
211–220 of 224 posts
Re: Ask HN: Which book have you re-read recently?
#212Earlier quoted context omitted.
Consider Phlebas is one of the few books I have read more than once. The Culture series is unparalleled. Surface Detail is probably my pick for #1, as Consider Phlebas isn't really set within the Culture proper, so stands in its own category in a sense.
Maybe you can advise me. I read Consider Phlebas, and I didn't like it at all. I rarely like war fiction. Is Phlebas typical of the whole Culture series, or are the other books a different kind of story? Thank you.
Banks often used conflict as a plot device, but (from memory) only Consider Phlebas and Use of Weapons include much actual warfare.
You could try The Player of Games (my personal favourite) or The Hydrogen Sonata, which has a fairly peaceful storyline. And The State of the Art - a collection of short SF stories - is very good too.
Re: Ask HN: Which book have you re-read recently?
#213Seveneves by Neal Stephenson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seveneves One of the few books, that when I'm finished, I just want to turn it over a start again. Covers a wide range of important and relevant topics in technology, biology/genetics, ethics. My only problem is it is too short! Could easily have been a triology like the Baroque Cycle (another favorite) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Baroque_Cycle
It very clearly was set up to be the first of a series.
Except by all accounts it wasn't and there are no plans to continue it.
Re: Ask HN: Which book have you re-read recently?
#214The Machine That Changed The World
Good Prose
Titan
Re: Ask HN: Which book have you re-read recently?
#215Earlier quoted context omitted.
It very clearly was set up to be the first of a series.
Except by all accounts it wasn't and there are no plans to continue it.
by all accounts
Oh really? Please share one such account. Because this is a statement from Stephenson himself:
There’s nothing currently in the works. A lot depends on what happens in the next few months, how people respond to the book, if there’s any interest in doing media adaptations
That's pretty clear it depends on how well it sells, whether film rights get bought and how that goes, etc.
Re: Ask HN: Which book have you re-read recently?
#216Earlier quoted context omitted.
Except by all accounts it wasn't and there are no plans to continue it.
by all accounts Oh really? Please share one such account. Because this is a statement from Stephenson himself: There’s nothing currently in the works. A lot depends on what happens in the next few months, how people respond to the book, if there’s any interest in doing media adaptations That's pretty clear it depends on how well it sells, whether film rights get bought and how that goes, etc.
> There’s nothing currently in the works.
That seems clear enough.
Re: Ask HN: Which book have you re-read recently?
#217The Hard thing About Hard Things, but Ben Horowitz. Before that was The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen. I've been on a business book kick lately, but currently took a break and am reading Amy Schumer's book for kicks.
Re: Ask HN: Which book have you re-read recently?
#218Not books as such, but I have re-read a fair number of Shakespeare's plays since about Christmas.
Re: Ask HN: Which book have you re-read recently?
#219The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life https://www.amazon.com/Subtle-Art-Not-Giving-Counterintuitiv...
I actually just started reading this book last week. So far it is a really good read.
Re: Ask HN: Which book have you re-read recently?
#220I just reread _On Writing Well_ by William Zinsser -- a book with a lot of great advice for writing non-fiction (creative mostly, but also technical and business writing).
It's a little dated, but a lot of what he says is timeless.
About a year ago I reread Faulkner's _As I Lay Dying_ which is one of my favorite books. I can't explain why, but I think about it often.