Re: Anathem
On Sun, 7 Dec 2008, John Williams wrote: > On Sun, Dec 7, 2008 at 6:50 AM, Julia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Oh, and all those different words & terms? One of them is *much* better >> than our term, IMO. (But I think that's around page 620 or so.) >> >> And my favorite quote of the book is on page 320. :) > > I've already given away my copy. So what is the term and the quote you > are referring to? You can add spoiler space if necessary... Sent offlist for now. Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Anathem
On Sun, Dec 7, 2008 at 6:50 AM, Julia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Oh, and all those different words & terms? One of them is *much* better > than our term, IMO. (But I think that's around page 620 or so.) > > And my favorite quote of the book is on page 320. :) I've already given away my copy. So what is the term and the quote you are referring to? You can add spoiler space if necessary... ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Anathem
Julia wrote: > I'm not Doug, but I think treating yourself to a copy is an excellent > idea! I'll defer to Julia as she's finished it and I'm still working on the first half, but if you liked Cryptonomicon and the Baroque Cycle I'm pretty sure you'll like this one. Welcome to the list! Doug ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Anathem
On Sun, 7 Dec 2008, Martin Lewis wrote: > On Sun, Dec 7, 2008 at 2:50 PM, Julia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >>> So has any one finished? >>> >>> I'm about 250 in and so far; very good. >> >> It takes a few turns, but when you get to the end, you realize that's >> where it was headed all along. > > Yes, lots of big stuff still to happen. Lots. And the last turn is *very* close to the end. >> And my favorite quote of the book is on page 320. :) > > Obviously, I had to look this up. Protractor? Yep. :) That's right up there with the Zulus in _The Diamond Age_, IMO. Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Anathem
I'm not Doug, but I think treating yourself to a copy is an excellent
idea!
Julia
On Sun, 7 Dec 2008, Danny O'Dare wrote:
> Hi Doug,
>
> So what are your impressions of the book? I'm a big NS fan, but haven't got
> "Anathem" yet. However, I'm thinking of treating myself for Xmas - a good
> idea, yes?
>
> Cheers,
>
> DANNY
>
> 2008/12/7 Doug Pensinger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
>> So has any one finished?
>>
>> I'm about 250 in and so far; very good.
>>
>> Doug
>> ___
>> http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "It has been reported that Tanuki fell from the sky using his scrotum as a
> parachute" -- Tom Robbins ('Villa Incognito').
> ___
> http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
>
___
http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Anathem
On Sun, Dec 7, 2008 at 2:50 PM, Julia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> So has any one finished? >> >> I'm about 250 in and so far; very good. > > It takes a few turns, but when you get to the end, you realize that's > where it was headed all along. Yes, lots of big stuff still to happen. > And my favorite quote of the book is on page 320. :) Obviously, I had to look this up. Protractor? Martin ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Anathem
Hi Doug,
So what are your impressions of the book? I'm a big NS fan, but haven't got
"Anathem" yet. However, I'm thinking of treating myself for Xmas - a good
idea, yes?
Cheers,
DANNY
2008/12/7 Doug Pensinger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> So has any one finished?
>
> I'm about 250 in and so far; very good.
>
> Doug
> ___
> http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
>
--
"It has been reported that Tanuki fell from the sky using his scrotum as a
parachute" -- Tom Robbins ('Villa Incognito').
___
http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Anathem
On Sat, 6 Dec 2008, Doug Pensinger wrote: > So has any one finished? > > I'm about 250 in and so far; very good. > > Doug Yes. It totally rocks. It takes a few turns, but when you get to the end, you realize that's where it was headed all along. Oh, and all those different words & terms? One of them is *much* better than our term, IMO. (But I think that's around page 620 or so.) And my favorite quote of the book is on page 320. :) Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Anathem
So has any one finished? I'm about 250 in and so far; very good. Doug ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: xkcd, was Re: Anathem
On Fri, 3 Oct 2008, Ronn! Blankenship wrote: > At 08:01 AM Friday 10/3/2008, Claes Wallin wrote: > >> XKCD, that infinite source of wisdom, has also commented on the vocabulary: >> >> http://www.xkcd.com/483/ > > > Many on this list will be interested in the preceding cartoon, too. And I pretty much live the following cartoon (I installed Bejeweled on my phone last month. That's all I need for games right now. It's using up battery power at a terrific rate when I'm playing, but I'm not burning through Kakuro books at anywhere near the rate I was.) Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
xkcd, was Re: Anathem
At 08:01 AM Friday 10/3/2008, Claes Wallin wrote: >XKCD, that infinite source of wisdom, has also commented on the vocabulary: > >http://www.xkcd.com/483/ Many on this list will be interested in the preceding cartoon, too. . . . ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Anathem
John Williams wrote: > Julia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >> Well, maybe I'll look at it and weigh it (and I could do that in >> more than one way!) and at least think about it. > > It definitely gets better. I'm on page 235 and I can't put it down. > The first 80 pages were tough going for me, with long descriptive > passages in Stephenson's invented vocabulary, but now that I have > gotten used to the vocabulary, and some action and mystery has > started, it has me hooked. XKCD, that infinite source of wisdom, has also commented on the vocabulary: http://www.xkcd.com/483/ I haven't read Anathem, but I'd say he pulled it off well in Snow Crash, so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt. Besides, language _will_ evolve when new phenomena and concepts are discovered/invented. I'd say modern authors are better at handling this, rather calling a new concept a "car" or "auto" than "horseless, automotive carriage". Instead, they will let the meaning become clear through context or even by constructing the word well, so that the etymology becomes clear on sight. Snow Crash is an excellent example, since much of the terminology is intuitive to a reader 17 years later, I guess partly due to the culture assimilating his terminology (e.g. "metaverse"), but also due to a certain degree of prescience. /c ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Anathem
Jon Louis Mann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > tell us something about it, then. what is it about, who is the author? Anathem (I mistyped Anathema before) is by Neal Stephenson. I mentioned it before, you can read a passage I posted in reply to Julia last week. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Anathem
On Sat, 13 Sep 2008, John Williams wrote: > Julia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >> Well, maybe I'll look at it and weigh it (and I could do that in more than >> one way!) and at least think about it. > > It definitely gets better. I'm on page 235 and I can't put it down. The first > 80 pages were tough going for me, with long descriptive passages in > Stephenson's invented vocabulary, but now that I have gotten used to > the vocabulary, and some action and mystery has started, it has me > hooked. Here's a sample that doesn't give anything away and gives a > flavor for the book (also chosen because it has less jargon than most > passages): > > We had to run across the meadow. Cord had left her big tool-harness > behind at the machine hall, only to reveal a smaller, vestlike one that > I guessed held the stuff she'd not be without under any circumstances. > When we broke into a run, she clanked and jounced for a few paces until > she cinched down some straps, and then she was able to keep pace with us > as we rushed through the clover. OK, you had me at that. I'd rather give the business to a vendor at FenCon at this point, but if it weren't for that, I'd be all over amazon today. Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Anathem
Julia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Well, maybe I'll look at it and weigh it (and I could do that in more than > one way!) and at least think about it. It definitely gets better. I'm on page 235 and I can't put it down. The first 80 pages were tough going for me, with long descriptive passages in Stephenson's invented vocabulary, but now that I have gotten used to the vocabulary, and some action and mystery has started, it has me hooked. Here's a sample that doesn't give anything away and gives a flavor for the book (also chosen because it has less jargon than most passages): We had to run across the meadow. Cord had left her big tool-harness behind at the machine hall, only to reveal a smaller, vestlike one that I guessed held the stuff she'd not be without under any circumstances. When we broke into a run, she clanked and jounced for a few paces until she cinched down some straps, and then she was able to keep pace with us as we rushed through the clover. Our meadow had been colonized by Saeculars who were having midday picnics. Some were even grilling meat. They watched us run by as if our being late were a performance for their amusement. Children were chivvied forward for a better view. Adults trained speelycaptors on us and laughed out loud to see us caring so much. We came in the meadow door, ran up stairs into a wardroom where stacks of dusty pews and altars were shoved against the walls, and nearly tripped over Lio and Arsibalt. Lio was sitting on the floor with his legs doubled under him. Arsibalt sat on a short bench, knees far apart, leaning forward so that the blood streaming from his nostrils would puddle neatly on the floor. Lio's lip was puffy and bleeding. The flesh around his left eye was ochre, suggesting it would be black tomorrow. He was staring into a dim corner of the room. Arsibalt let out a shuddering moan, as if he'd been sobbing, and was just now managing it. "Fight?" I asked Lio nodded. "Between the two of you or --" Lio shook his head. "We were set upon!" Arsibalt proclaimed, shouting at his blood-puddle. "Intra or extra?" Jesry demanded. "Extramuros. We were en route to my pater's basilica. I wished only to learn whether he would speak to me. A vehicle drove by once, twice, thrice. It circled us like a lowering raptor. Four men emerged. One had his arm in a sling; he looked on and cheered the other three." Jesry and I both looked at Lio, who took our meaning immediately. "Useless. Useless," he said. "What was useless?" Cord asked. The sound of her voice caused Arsibalt to look up. Lio was not the sort to care that we had a visitor -- but he did answer her question. "My vlor. All of the Vale-lore I have ever studied." "It can't have been that bad!" Jesry exclaimed. Which was funny since, over the years, no one had been more persistent than Jesry in telling Lio how useless his vlor was. By way of an answer Lio rolled to his feet, glided over, grasped the edge of Jesry's hood, and yanked it down over his face. Not only was Jesry now blind, but because of how the bolt was wound around his body, it interfered with his arms and made it surprisingly difficult for him to expose his face again. Lio gave him the tiniest of nudges and he lost his balance so badly that I had to hug him and force him upright. "That's what they did to you?" I asked. Lio nodded. "Tilt your head back, not forward," Cord was saying to Arsibalt. "There's a vein up here." She pointed to the bridge of her nose. "Pinch it. That's right. My name is Cord, I am a sib of...Erasmas." "Enchanted," Arsibalt said, muffled by his hand, as he had taken Cord's advice. "I am Arsibalt, bastard of the local Bazian arch-prelate, if you can believe such a thing." "The bleeding is slowing down, I think," Cord said. From one of her pockets she had drawn out a pair of purple wads which unfolded to gloves of some stretchy membranous stuff. She wiggled her hands into them. I was baffled for a few moments, then realized that this was a precaution against infection: something I never would have thought of. "Fortunately, my blood supply is simply enormous, because of my size," Arsibalt pointed out, "otherwise, I fear I should exsanguinate." Some of Cord's pockets were narrow and tall and ranked in neat rows. From two of these she drew out blunt plugs of white fibrous stuff, about the size of her little finger, with strings trailing from them. "What on earth [sic] are those?" Arsibalt wanted to know. "Blood soaker-uppers," Cord said, "one for each nostril, if you would like." She gave them over into Arsibalt's gory hands, and watched, a little bit nervous and a little bit fascinated, as Arsibalt gingerly put them in. Lio, Jesry, and I looked on speechless. Suur Ala came in with an armload of rags, most of which she threw on the floor to cover the blood-puddle. She and Cord used the rest to wipe the bloof off Arsibalt's lips and chins. The whole time they were appra
Anathem
A few links Stephenson fans might be interested in: http://www.longnow.org/anathem/ and [ http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/AuthorsOnAir/TheBeyond/2008/09/04/Discussion-with-Neal-Stephenson ] Doug ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
