"A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer" Simulated by GPT-4 • Hacker News Board

Re: "A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer" Simulated by GPT-4

#161

Post by slothtrop » Thu, Oct 19, 2023, 2:56 PM UTC

geophile wrote: post #160

slothtrop wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can write off swaths of books and entire genres by asking "what is the point" but that aside even if someone offered an answer would it change the way you feel about it? No.

I'm fine if a story doesn't have a point, or if it leaves things unresolved. The problem with Stephenson (for me) is that the book is written as if it is leading to some shattering conclusion, and then it just doesn't. It fizzles right at the point that you are about to discover the long (because it's Stephenson) sought resolution. I would have preferred the Diamond Age if it just was about that world, but without al…

Novels with a meandering world-building focus (e.g. LotR) are like a polar opposite and the most boring genre fiction in existence.

> as if it is leading to some shattering conclusion, and then it just doesn't

This sounds like another way of saying the story was fast-paced and engaging, and you didn't find the conclusion to feel like a "climax" with explosions. That's ok (notwithstanding that there was a big fight and all), but I think in "idea-driven" books like this it's just as well to leave things ending either strangely / unexpectedly, slightly unresolved or whatever. It's hard to put a bow on a story that can't really have a happy ending. Weird stories should have weird endings.

Re: "A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer" Simulated by GPT-4

#162

Post by Doxin » Fri, Oct 20, 2023, 12:57 PM UTC

gibspaulding wrote: post #70

bjelkeman-again wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, it was a bit meh. But the book is so good I forgive the ending.

I barely remember the actual story in cryptonomicon, but his tangents on who fucked who in Greek mythology, how to eat cereal with a beard, how to assemble a Linux distro with such an obtuse user interface as to defeat Van Eck Phreaking, or Plato's cave are absolute gold.

I've forgotten most of the content of cryptonomicon -- I should re-read it -- but that "abandon shit" joke will probably never leave my brain.

Re: "A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer" Simulated by GPT-4

#163

Post by bjelkeman-again » Sat, Oct 21, 2023, 6:19 AM UTC

mrmlz wrote: post #142

gibspaulding wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I barely remember the actual story in cryptonomicon, but his tangents on who fucked who in Greek mythology, how to eat cereal with a beard, how to assemble a Linux distro with such an obtuse user interface as to defeat Van Eck Phreaking, or Plato's cave are absolute gold.

I learned so many random bits of information from that book.. Just the amount of work that goes into laying underwater fiber! He wrote a article about it later (or before?) https://www.wired.com/1996/12/ffglass/ Great read!

That was a really thick issue of Wired. I still have it.