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diff --git a/content-org/brain-rot.org b/content-org/brain-rot.org index 9e935a2..c1b3066 100644 --- a/content-org/brain-rot.org +++ b/content-org/brain-rot.org @@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ #+HUGO_SECTION: -* Brain rot :@brainrot: +* jBrain rot :@brainrot: :PROPERTIES: :EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot" :EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-r img-c rating image @@ -628,309 +628,6 @@ They are, in very small doses. Oshii certainly did! -** Witcher -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: fantasy/witcher -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-wicher" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot-wicher" -:END: - -*** DONE Time of Contempt (Andrzej Sapkowski, 1995) -CLOSED: [2024-03-24 Sun 22:27] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: time-of-contempt -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of the second book in the Witcher saga -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-r rating -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/blog/2024/andrzej-sapkowskis-time-of-contempt //brain-rot/witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-time-of-contempt/) -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.5 -:END: - -It's a stain of my honor - I am a Pole, but I've never read The Saga. -It's not that I've never read any of The Witcher, but somehow I always stopped after the short stories. -Last year I've decided to finally fix this. -I am a proud nerd for crying out loud! - -#+attr_shortcode: 3.5 "sapkowski-time-of-contemt.jpg" -#+begin_rating -The classic cover -#+end_rating - -/Time of Contempt/ is the second part of The Witcher Saga, but it's also the 4th book about Geralt and his world. -Let's ignore the short stories for a second and let's talk about this book in context of The Saga. -Here it suffers from being the middle child: Andrzej is developing the characters and story, but it lacks a impactful begging and an end. -I haven't felt like that after finishing the /Blood of Elves,/ as it had a /begging/ and the ending was emotional. -Geralt reunited with Ciri. -The story is clearly not over, but we have a kind of closure. -We know she is safe and ready for what's coming next. - -Here? -Here we have no beginning as it follows the last book. -It was to be expected. -But I fail to notice anything new created here. -Yes, we've got /amazing/ development of Ciri (I can't wait what how her blood heritage will screw over everyone), but nothing more. -It just moves from scene to scene[fn:st], not spending any meaningful time anywhere. -After 300 pages of this, it ends with Ciri joining some random group. -I guess I will get to know them in /Baptism of Fire/, but I am not yet there. -Are they good? -Are they cool? -Who the hell they even are? -For me it was a huge let down. - -But the biggest thing missing in The Saga is humour. -Both, /Sword of Destiny/ and /Last Wish/ were hilarious. -It was not on Pratchett's level of humor, but Geralt was amazing when it came to deadpan. -Moreover, I have no idea how well it translated to other languages, as it was based on Polish humour, but: -the books were written for Polish reader who was expected to know /Szewczyk Dratewka,/ and therefore the way Geralt dealt with dragon was a funny refernce. -But this aspect is now completely missingm[fn:enemy-mine], but it was what made the short stories for me. - -The biggest problem for me however was the fact I saw two seasons of The Witcher TV Series[fn:netflix]. -It was terrible and had nothing to do with the book (luckily for me!), but the TV versions of Ciri and Yennefer were irritating at best. -Their book counterparts are not like that - Ciri is extremely cool and Yen is, well, not so bad - but the visual image is etched in my brain. -I finally start to have a separate personnas for them, but it was difficult. -Yes, to some extent Netflix ruined the books for me. - -I was never a fan of /fantasy/, as I always preferred /SciFi/. -Give me a blaster or give me death[fn:rand]! -If I found /Time of Contempt/ as a random book, I would not care for the rest of the series. -It was ok, but nothing to write home about. -Sapkowski has a great style and I very much want more, but he has not told anything interesting here. -I will continue reading The Witcher, but mostly because it *is* The Witcher. - -I liked reading /Blood of Elves/ much more. - -I give it 3.5/5. - -[fn:rand] If you get the refence know, that I am no longer that type of a person. -[fn:enemy-mine] We've got *huge* reference to /Enemy Mine/ in the single best part of the book, but it's not funny at all. -Sad, scary - sure; but not funny. Just like the movie. -[fn:st] ... /No one had a chance to interrupt/. -/It was really quite hypnotic/. -[fn:netflix] And not an episode more. -It was already too much. - - -*** DONE Baptism of Fire (Andrzej Sapkowski, 1996) -CLOSED: [2024-04-25 Thu 16:27] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: andrzej-sapkowskis-baptism-of-fire -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of the third book in the Witcher saga -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: rating -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/brain-rot/witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-baptism-of-fire/) -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.25 -:END: - - -/Baptism of Fire/ is the third novel in the /Witcher/ saga. -While I had not that positive reaction to /Time of Contempt/[fn:toc], this time I loved every page. - -We start where we left last time: Ciri joins Rats in the middle of nowhere, while Geralt tries to find her. -Reads like every novel in the series. -Andrzej seems to have a template for a book at this point. - -But I *loved* this book. -And it comes to who is it about. -Yes, we've got Ciri. -Yes, we've got Yennefer. -They exist, but we spend almost the entirety of the book with Geralt, Jaskier and a band of mischiefs who form a fellowship. -We've got Milva, an archer. -We've also got Zoltanm, a dwarf. -And we've also got Regis, a vampire. - -#+attr_shortcode: 4.25 "sapkowski-baptism-of-fire.jpg" -#+begin_rating -The classic cover -#+end_rating -Having spent quality time with an interesting, diverse crowd made it very enable ride. -They even joke sitting by fire! -I think lack of such interactions is why I disliked the last book. -It was full of Ciri, Yennefer and other sorceresses while Geralt was ignored most of the time. -And sorceresses are so up-tight and irritating, so it was not what I would call a nice time. -Also, here, whenever the action moved to, either Rats or mages, my enjoyment went down significantly. - -I don't know why, as I generally don't read fantasy. -Maybe they are written poorly? -I don't know the standards. -For sure the female characters here have nothing to show compared to /Game of Thrones/'s ones. -It is very hard to write powerful characters who are also female. -Most of the time, they are male characters in skanky clothes. -R.R. Martin was able to create menacing woman, who were still woman. -Sapkowski? -Not so much. -And they are not even funny! - -They look as a poor rendition of older hits. -As an example, the sorceresses have a multi-generational plan to mix genomes from selected people in order to create a very specific being. -It's /Dune/, but while Bene Gesrit so much more involved, twisted and multidimensional, here it comes out of nowhere (I think?) and disappoints. - -But let's ignore the woman for a moment, and we've got ourselves an awesome little book. -I loved how, in one introduction to a chapter, we see the same legend told from both sides - Humans and Elves. -This is where /Witcher/ shines. -It's a great commentary about racism and hatred. -No wonder it comes from Poland, with our complex history. -It's as subtle as a bulldozer, but it's not that type of story. -It's obvious, blunt and takes no prisoners. -History is never easy, there is never a clear split between the good and bad guys. -Most likely everything you know is wrong, as it was written by victors. -This is the overarching theme in the /Witcher/. -Even a vampire may be a good person! - -So, for me Witcher is a moral series /dressed/ as fantasy. -The magic system is barely there, no one explains /how/ Witchers work. -And I think it's a plus. -The meat of the story is not diluted by mechanics of the world. -The fact that we've got that lovable bunch here is just icing on the cake. - -Also, the ending here is much better. -I finished my review of /Time of Contempt/ assuming that I will get to know the Rats in the follow-up. -I didn't know anything about them (nor I cared about them), but I assumed they will be the focus. -I was wrong. -I still have no idea who they are outside superfluous facts the short burst of their story the book has. -I /know/ Regis and I want to spend more time with him. - -So, I left very satisfied. -I found charm and a lot of substance. -I hope that Ciri's plot will develop in interesting ways, as her teenage rebellion may be the end of me. - -[fn:toc] vide [[/brain-rot/witcher/andrzej-sapkowskis-time-of-contempt/][my review]] - - -*** DONE Tower of the Swallow (Andrzej Sapkowski, 1997) -CLOSED: [2024-05-25 Sat 22:11] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: andrzej-sapkowskis-tower-of-swallow -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of the 4th book in the Witcher saga -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: rating -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.25 -:END: - -It's hard to overestimate how popular the Witcher books were amongst polish youth in the 90s. -Everyone talked about it, the books were borrowed everywhere[fn:nerds]. -And yet I have never read it. -Now, in 2024, I am so close to no longer being a /bad Pole/. - -/The Tower of Swallow/ starts with throwing out the window everything I was expecting after reading /Baptism of Fire/. -Rats? Nope. -Mages? Some. -Ciri? Lots. -Geralt? Lots. -Sapkowski's craft improves with every book and I could not be happier. - -Let's start with the bad. -This book ignores most social commentary, which is a huge letdown. -With each passing book there's less and less of that. -Instead, we're getting better story, characters become more interesting and the story is actually gripping. -They are /better/ stories, but /worse/ books. -If it wasn't for the huge increase in quality of the story, I'd be disappointed and my day would be ruined. - -Now, the good. - -First thing that may surprise the reader: chronology is also thrown out the window. -We learn most of the story from Ciri's gossip /after/ it happened. -Guess Sapkowski became a bit bored with winning all the awards by just being there, so he tried to make it more difficult. -At first, I though that this will remove all the suspense - we know that Ciri will survive, but it fits the story. -It's not about if she gets through, but rather who she will be afterwards. - -And this is the second thing. -/Tower of Swallow/ aimes at different audience, I guess? -Not only is it not about social commentary, not only is not about things Witchers do, but it is no longer an adventure story (for a huge chunk of the text). -Ciri is having a very terrible time here. -She is captured, tortured and abused. -And even though Sapkowski makes it very clear that no sexual abuse is happening, it's still far from what I would expect. -#+attr_shortcode: 4.25 "sapkowski-tower-of-swallow.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -The character of Ciri is also changing. -She is (rightfully) angry, spiteful and thirst for vengeance. -Basically, a teenager with a sword. - -The books becomes more and more gruesome. -Now, I love edgy stuff so every time Sapkowski describes mutilation, I am all for it. -It is, however, a stark change from the early Witcher stories. -We've got no humor, no fun. -Just pain and suffering. -Even Geralt at one point says that he is no longer a Witcher hunting monsters. -It's a completely different story. -And even if it's less adult oriented, with all the subtext removed - but it's more serious at the same. -The stake are higher, the risks are bigger. -I dig it. - -But the biggest problem at this point is CD Projekt. -We've got the games which take place /after/ the books. -We know that all the destruction, that everyone is talking about, will not have real consequences. -But even if this makes the entire series a bit pointless, it is still a pleasure to read. - -[fn:nerds] at least amongst us, nerds. - - -*** DONE Lady of the Lake (Andrzej Sapkowski, 1999) -CLOSED: [2024-06-15 Sat 22:06] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: andrzej-sapkowskis-lady-of-the-lake -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of the last book in the Witcher saga -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image covers/sapkowski-lady-of-the-lake.jpg -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: rating -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.75 -:END: - - -I had a /blast/ with the Witcher saga. -There were ups, there were downs. -But all in all, it was great. -I have now finished the *most important* Polish series of books[fn:fight], and therefore I no longer feel like a bad pole. -Unfortunately, I did not like the last volume. -My biggest gripe with /Lady of the Lake/ is that it's not an ending, but rather loosely-connected series of endings. - -It starts with Ciri talking with Galahad from King's Arthur court, so yeah. -There's a wild ride in front of us. - -The first significant chunk of the book is a continuation of Ciri's torment. -Everybody wants to either impregnate, take body parts, or simply kill her. -I know life was terrible for her since she got disconnected with Geralt. -I get that it's kind of /the point/ - she is not treated as a person but rather as a (depending on who is on the other site) force or part of a bigger plan. -But come one, give her /some/ break! -At this point I just wanted her to get a break, sit back, and relax. - -This happens (because it needs to), but only in one of the 25 endings that follow. -We've getting an ending of the war plot, a dedicated subplot dedicated to love affair's of Dandelion, yet another plan to get Ciri's DNA, and so on. -It doesn't feel like Sapkowski had a plan to finish every plot he opened, so he just makes a series of endings. -If I hadn't been reading a dead-tree version, I would have assumed that the story will end in a few pages after /every freaking such semi-ending/. - -But at the same time I enjoyed every story from /Lady of the Lake/. -Sapkowski is at top of his game. -He may go overboard with non-linear story telling, but once I /yet again/ understood when I was, I was having a blast. -It's all here: the story, the characters, the style. - -Taking look at the saga as whole, I was expecting something completely different. -It started as a series of funny stories, but most of the saga is dead serious. -I was expecting a lot of the Witcher's huntsm, however through most of the saga, Geralt is solely focused on finding Ciri and has no time for monsters. -I was expecting a lot of nods to Polish reader, and while there were /some/, the books take place in their own world[fn:netflix]. - -Every book is different, author changes the dynamic and puts focus on a different place. -Sapkowski learns from each book and tries (and then mostly succeeds) to correct mistakes with the next one. - -#+attr_shortcode: 3.75 "sapkowski-lady-of-the-lake.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -But, like with the previous one, tension is removed by the knowledge that the games take place /after/ the saga. -We know that main characters will live, because we meet them in the game. -And even if we don't care about computer games, it's impossible to not see some random picture and as a result spoil the book. -We know that Ciri will not reign fire and destruction upon the world. -Sapkowski may never approve of the story CD Projekt came out with and not treat is a /part/of the cannon, but the fact stands: we know that the world still exist. - -It's a strange situation, where the world knows the books from the games, but the saga is lessened by their very existence. -However, even with knowing that the story is, ultimately, pointless, the saga is well worth a read. -I'd say it's great. -And the last volume I am attacking here is still /good fun/, just not good as an ending of such great saga. - -[fn:fight] Yes, I said it. -No Nobel, but it's the most known piece of Polish culture. -Fight me. - -[fn:netflix] I blame witch-hunt after the Netflix series dropped. -Seems most of the die hard fans never read the saga. - ** Persona :PROPERTIES: @@ -1239,91 +936,6 @@ Those were simpler times. -** Discworld -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: fantasy/discworld -:END: - -*** DONE Interesting Times (Terry Pratchett, 1995) -CLOSED: [2024-02-13 Tue 21:06] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: interesting-times -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract A very short review -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-r rating -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot-fantasy" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :aliases '(/blog/2024/interesting-times/ /brain-rot/discworld/interesting-times/) -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3.75 -:END: - -Cover blurp: -#+begin_quote -Mighty Battles! Revolution! Death! War! (and his sons Terror and Panic, and daughter Clancy). - -The oldest and most inscrutable empire on the Discworld is in turmoil, brought about by the revolutionary treatise What I Did On My Holidays. Workers are uniting, with nothing to lose but their water buffaloes. Warlords are struggling for power. War (and Clancy) are spreading through the ancient cities. - -And all that stands in the way of terrible doom for eveyone is: - -Rincewind the Wizard, who can't even spell the word 'wizard' ... - -Cohen the barbarian hero, five foot tall in his surgical sandals, who has had a lifetime's experience of not dying ... - -...and a very special butterfly. -#+end_quote - -#+attr_shortcode: 3.75 "pratchett-interesting-times.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -I am, what one could call, an old school /nerd/. -All I care about are old operating systems, ancient editors and old SCIFI[fn:manga] -Ah, and some text based game where you are a cute "@". -/Of course/ I like Pratchett. - -I started reading him /years/ ago in the only way acceptable - chronological[fn:wrong]. -And I had a few years long pause. -Now, after a series of reading /only/ technical books I am returning to fiction. - -/[[https://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/books/interesting-times/][Interesting Times]]/ is an ok-level Pratchett book. -It's not close to his best, it's not close to his worst[fn:worst]. - -This time Rincewind has to travel to Counterweight Continent and help a rebellion. -There he reconnects with old acquaintances - Twoflower, and Cohen to Barbarian. - -The problem is that there is not much more. -We've got a lot of Chinese things, which is new. -But the story itself is extremely straight-forward. -Nothing memorable happens. -I finished it 2 days ago, and already I would have a problem recollecting any standing out moment. -I still remember moments from other /Discworld/ books a decade after I read them! - -But Terry's writing makes me not care and just enjoy the journey. -He is able to make a boring story interesting, and his characters are always great. -I was reading the book while putting my son to sleep, and I almost gave him a heart attack with a laughter attack. -This alone makes it worth it! - -Not the best place to start with //Discworld// (the best is, of course, /Colour of Magic/) but as n-th book in the series it's very enjoyable. - -I give it a =3.75/5=. - -**** Meta -- Read as EPUB on Onyx Boox Note Air 2. -- Read in Polish translation -- Next up: back to Andrzej Sapkowski's with "Time of Contempt". I am not a good pole, having not read the entire saga. I promise to do it before my 40th birthday[fn:fort] - - -[fn:wrong] It's ok to disagree, just like it's ok to be wrong. -[fn:worst] Being a bad Pratchett's book still means being a very good one. -Most authors would love to reach the level of one of those at least once. -[fn:fort] Which is closer that I expected -[fn:manga] And manga&anime, but that's beside the point. -Not American comics though. -Never cared about those, and it seems I never will. - - - - - - ** Dragon Ball :PROPERTIES: :EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: anime/dragon-ball @@ -1905,54 +1517,6 @@ CLOSED: [2024-04-14 Sun 18:10] Dune #+end_menu - -*** DONE Heaven Makers (Frank Herbert, 1967) -CLOSED: [2024-06-19 Wed 12:06] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: heaven-makers-1967 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My review of an early Frank Herbert novel -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image covers/herbert-heaven-makers.jpg -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3 -:END: - -Chems are a race of aliens being who learned technology allowing them to live forever. -With everlasting life comes boredom. -To mitigate it, they watch and record lives and history of /lesser/ races, one which being humanity. -They can not intervene, but current team foreseeing operation on Earth may have broken this rule. -Therefore, Kelexel is sent to investigate if this is the case, but he is pretending to be just a tourist. - -At the same time we are observing humans whose lives are being recorded and (maybe) manipulated. - -/Heaven Makers/ is a 1967 novel written by Frank Herbert about an immortal race of space beings who treat humanity as a toy. -OK, there's more to that, but it all boils to this - it's a simple story which gives no indications that just a few years before Herbert published /Dune/. - -Let's get this out of the way: /Heaven Makers/ is not a great book. -It's not bad, by any means. -The plot is decent, the twists are cool, the characters are (mostly) OK. -It's not insulting, but it's never great. -It's also short, so all the underdeveloped or missed parts of the book never develop into real frustration. - -#+attr_shortcode: 3.0 "herbert-heaven-makers.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -And while I have enjoyed reading it over the course of 2 evening[fn:slow] and would not call the time /wasted/, I'm afraid in a year I'll have very little recollection of the events that I've witnessed. -If anything, it reminded me that I really need to watch /Twilight Zone/. -/Heaven Makers/ is very much like an episode of that type a show. -We've got an interesting question (what would you do with eternity?) with added twist (what if you are the victim of such creatures) developed into a full story. - -One thing reader needs to keep in mind is the age to this book. -Your life being subjected to constant surveillance was something not only seen as scary, but also incomprehensible. -We're now treating is as entertainment (/Big Brother/) or even a way of living. -As always, SciFi comes with a twisted idea and warns us about it. -What we do with it? -Of course! -Let's build our lives around it! - -If /Heaven Makers/ finds a way in your hands, sure - it's a nice read. -But I would not propose people actively search for it. - -[fn:slow] I am a slow reader *** DONE Running Man (1987) CLOSED: [2024-06-24 Mon 23:45] :PROPERTIES: @@ -2161,148 +1725,6 @@ Anyway, a masterpiece. I encourage everyone to at least /try/ to experience it. -*** DONE Hard to be a God (Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, 1964) -CLOSED: [2024-07-07 Sun 22:41] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: hard-to-be-a-god-strugatsky-1964 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract A short review of an absolut marvel of a book -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image covers/hard-to-be-a-god-book.jpg -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.5 -:END: - -I remember, back in high school when we were tasked with reading /The Master and Margarita/. -Teenage me loved this book about devil and demonic stuff. -Then they told us that all of that /cool/ stuff is just a cover to hide the real meaning of the book: commentary on the Soviet Union and communism[fn:teen]. - -#+attr_shortcode: 4.5 "hard-to-be-a-god-book.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -/Hard to be a God/ is a novel by the famous Strugatsky brothers. -In the undefined future, humans are capable of space travel. -A group of scientists in sent to an alien planet to observe and report back. -The planet is populated by beings living in a society that reminds us of the Middle Ages. -However, the power shifts and a violent, hateful revolution starts taking place. -Intelligentsia is killed by angry crowd, and Don Reba getting more and more powerful. -That alien world is going into revolution. -Coincidentaly, this is how communism overtook Russia. - -This is a hard book to get through. -The subject is very dark, and the form doesn't make it any easier. -One of the biggest problems here is: should observers interfere -The reader /wants/ a gun-blazing ride on Don Reba, but would it be ethical? -The observers have guns and flying machines. -They are able to crush anyone. -But this would only lead to more bloodshed and a circle of violence. - -Which is another interesting aspect of this book - mediation on human condition. -Violence is /inherent/ to human race. -We see it all the time, and the writers put a mirror to our faces. -How many wars were fought not for survival, but for power? -World War I was called "The Great War" and was supposed to be the last war. -Humanity saw the absolute worse it can do, definitely we will learn from it. -We know how it ended. - -/Hard to be God/ is, most definitely, an intelligent SciFi novel. - -But I was not invested emotionally. -It's not visceral book. -It is disgusting, but you comprehand it more with your mind than heart. - -At the same time, it's an easy read. -You could think that with this subject matter, the book would be offputting, but it's not. -I /had/ problems following names at some point, as every male character tends to be Don freaking something, but that's all. -It's an ejoyable read, if you don't focus on what's it actually about. - -But when you do start thinking about the meaning, it becomes a completely different beast. -Authors don't spare the viewer. -There is a scene, where two young adepts are talking about torture methods, like it was nothing. -It' almost funny, if it wasn't so real. - -/Hard to be a God/ is a short book, which is a great but challenging piece of art. -I'd call it a masterpiece, if I were emotionally invested. -As it stands now, it's closer to /Gulag Archipelago/ in a form of story. -Highly recommended, even if this would be your first encounter with Russian speculative fiction. - ---- - -Movies based on /Hard to be a God/ are also amazing! - -[fn:teen] Teenage me hated that, but as I mentioned occasionally, he wasn't very bright. - - -*** DONE Roadside Picnic (Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, 1972) -CLOSED: [2024-07-15 Mon 21:35] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: roadside-picnic-1972 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract A short review of an absolute marvel of a book -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image covers/roadside-picnic.jpg -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4.5 -:END: - -/Roadside Picnic/ has a very particular heritage. -There is a book. -It was then made into a movie, which took the last 30 pages and went its own way. It's great. -Then they made it into a game, which takes some ideas for the basic premise, and then the authors went their own way, creating an antithesis of the book. I've been told it's good. -But this time: the novel. - -In the near future, aliens have landed on Earth. -No one knows why, but they came and went without much ado. -Their landing site is now called /the zone/. -Before leaving, the aliens left some artifacts. -We don't know what they are, but there is the promise of giant leaps for mankind. -Therefore, a new occupation is born: - /stalkers/, who venture into the zone and try ans retrieve some alien leftovers. -The zone is dangerous, and stalkers often lose their lives upon making the smallest mistakes. - -But /Roadside Picnic/ is not a book about that. -It's depressing and full of commentary on humanity. -Very often, people call it the best book by the Strugatsky brothers, and who am I to disagree? - -But it is not a book about aliens, or the zone. -Those things exist, but first contact went and gone. -Stalkers are not the heroes of humanity, they are expendable criminals. -We think we may someday understand what happened, but we may as well not. -The aliens visited Earth, but most likely haven't found anything of interest. -What people are dying for, what may change the entire planet, may be nothing but some trash left on the side of the road. - -The cosmos is not something to explore or conquer. -It's vast, and our planet is insignificant. - -And this is what the book is about. -The Zone occupies very small portion of the novel, it's just means to an end. -Red, the main hero, is just trying to make a living. -He is not shy about drinking, visiting a bordello or cheating on his wife. -At the same time, he is not shown as an evil person, because his existence doesn't matter. -Even though he is one of the most experienced stalkers, his death would mean nothing. - -#+attr_shortcode: 4.5 "roadside-picnic.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -The novel is also much less adventurous than one could expect, knowing the movie or the games. -We spend just a handful of pages in the Zone, the rest happens in the nearby town. -/Roadside Picnic/ is beautiful as anti-SiFi story. -Everything we were taught to believe by western SciFi, the authors ignore. -There is nothing /there/ for us. -We are /nothing/. -Space exploration? -Meeting aliens? -We don't even have any hopes or dreams left. - -But this makes the novel timeless. -Our entertainment is no longer optimistic. -We are not going into /Star Trek/, we missed that ship. -Maybe hope in our insignificance is better than thinking we are our own worst enemy? - -/Roadside Picnic/ gets my high recommendation. -Similarly to /[[/brain-rot/eastern-block-scifi/hard-to-be-a-god-strugatsky-1964/][Hard to be God]]/, the reader may breeze through it. -It's short, and it's easy to read. -But then we reach the last pages, where the weight of the story is passed us. - -There was to be an American TV series based on /Roadside/. -All that we got was [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dts0rjp5V8][trailer]] which clearly shows, that it is impossible to make an Americanized version. -In it, a shot of people saluting the stalker is shown, which is a complete antithesis of what the Stugatsky brothers are telling us. - ** European SciFi :PROPERTIES: @@ -2799,112 +2221,6 @@ You wage wars, murder, cheat, lie to us and try to make us believe it's for our :EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :menu_order name :END: -*** DONE Fantasy -CLOSED: [2024-04-14 Sun 18:10] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU: :menu "brain-rot" :weight 2000 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract The Witcher series -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-r menu menu-info -:END: - - -#+attr_shortcode: "brain-rot-fantasy" -#+begin_menu -Witcher -#+end_menu - - -*** DONE Witcher (Andrzej Sapkowski, 1990-2018) -CLOSED: [2024-04-14 Sun 18:10] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract The Witcher series -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-r menu menu-info -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: fantasy/witcher -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU_OVERRIDE: :post "series" -:END: - - -#+attr_shortcode: "brain-rot-wicher" -#+begin_menu -Witcher -#+end_menu - -*** DONE Chronicles of Amber (Roger Zelazny, 1970-1991) -CLOSED: [2024-04-14 Sun 18:10] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: _index -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER: :primary_menu "brain-rot" -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract The Chronicles of Amber series -:EXPORT_HUGO_PAIRED_SHORTCODES: img-r menu menu-info -:EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: fantasy/chronicles-of-amber -:EXPORT_HUGO_MENU_OVERRIDE: :post "series" -:END: - -#+attr_shortcode: "brain-rot-fantasy-amber" -#+begin_menu -Witcher -#+end_menu - -*** DONE Good Omens (Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, 1990) -CLOSED: [2024-08-31 Sat 21:47] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: good-omens-1990 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My short revoew -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 3 -:END: - - -But in the dark days o 1990, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman decided to co-write a book - /Good Omens/, which itself will be a parody of the /Omen/ horror movie. -It was quite the popular movie back then, but nowadays, it may be a bit forgotten. - -Pratchett & Gaiman seem like a great combo. -The first one is a great story /teller/, while the later tend to provide better /stories/. -They are also both imaginable authors of speculative fiction. - -The general idea of the story of the book follows the one from the movie: due to Satanist -shenanigans, the antichrist is born to a family in power. -The end of times in near. -But, unlike the movie, it is not to be stopped by a detective but by an unlikely pair of an angel and a daemon. -None of them want to see the apocalypse, so they join forces to stop the antichrist - who turns out to be quite a nice kid. - -For me, a computer nerd, the process of writing such a book is fascinating. -It's 1990, so no cooperative tooling exists yet, therefore Terry and Neil had to send diskettes to each other. -How cool is that! - -#+begin_quote -I think this is an honest account of the process of writing Good Omens. -It was fairly easy to keep track of because of the way we sent disks to one another, and because I was Keeper of the Official Master Copy, I can say that I wrote a bit over two thirds of Good Omens. --- Terry Pratchett -#+end_quote - -and it shows. -/Good Omens/ does not read like a joint venture, it's distinctly Pratchett. -You get Gaiman's love for the macabre and over-convoluted story, but if he were removed the cover, I would have never guessed. -There is a scene of mass shooting, which is something fitting /American Gods/ but it's written like we're in Ankh-Morpork. - -It's not part of the /Discworld/ world, but on the surface it could have easily been. -The humour is there, the seemingly unrelated descriptions which turns out to be an introduction to related thingies and so on. -But the world of /Discworld/ is far more interesting, crazier. -In that series, we've got an insane world and insane characters which try to remain sane. -/Good Omen/ however happens in our, boring world and most of the characters are "normal", but they act insane. - -#+attr_shortcode: 3.0 "good-omens.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating - -Nevertheless, since it's got two authors, it is a bit on the longer side. -Just enough to overstay its welcome by just a bit. -Pratchett is a master of the word and characters, but his stories he tell are rarely interesting - and I was never a fan of Gaiman. -I didn't find what is told here much interesting, I was not curious how they will stop the apocalypse. -Nothing unexpected happened. -If it was 2/3 of the current size, if some of the crust was removed, it would be a better book, as the general idea is very cool. -But even in current state, it's very enjoyable and well worth the read /if/ you love Pratchetts style. - ** Modern Games :PROPERTIES: :EXPORT_HUGO_SECTION: modern-games/ @@ -3357,177 +2673,15 @@ Not bad for a 6 hour game. :EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :primary_menu "brain-rot-fantasy-amber" :END: -*** DONE Nine Princes in Amber (Roger Zelazny, 1970) -CLOSED: [2024-07-22 Mon 23:21] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: nine-princes-in-amber -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract The fastest fantasy book in the wild west -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image covers/nine-princes-in-amber.jpg -:END: - -That's one confusing novel. - -Corwin wakes up in a hospital in New York with amnesia. -But the cover of the book has castles and swords![fn:cover] -Well, as it turns out Corwin is one of nine princes of Amber, the greatest city that has ever been. -It is medieval-Europe, but it is said to be the greatest, so who am I to argue? -He will need to get back there and fight for the crown with his siblings. - -That's the basic premise. -What threw me off the guard (except of starting in modern-day NY) is the pace. -I'm no fantasy know-it-all, but it appears that this genre likes to take it's sweet time. -Authors describe every tree by every road[fn:tolkien]. -They love to build their worlds, lore, characters. -Zelazny doesn't care about any of that. -A huge battle where 20 000 people die? A paragraph seems like a proper length. -Magic system? Yeah, let's throw a few sentences here and there. -The main character background, looks and goals? Let's not bother. -This is a short book (my version had just over 200 pages), but with standard wordiness, it could be a thousand pages long leather-bound brick, that would serve as a nice weapon. - -#+attr_shortcode: 4 "nine-princes-in-amber.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating - -This also means that /Nine Princes in Amber/ is extremely shallow. -There is nothing underneath - just a few awful characters, a few OK, and our Corwin. -If there is any subtext, I must have missed it. -And yet, I loved it. -It's pulp, but it goes /so fast/ that I never got tired of it. -It went /so fast/ that I had no time to get bored or lost[fn:tolkien]. -Guess that's why /The Chronicles of Amber/ is one of the most popular Fantasy sagas out there. -It is inoffensive, not challenging in any way, but it's cool. -It knows it, and doesn't pretend it. - -I enjoyed it for what it is. -It's the greatest mindless fun I've had in ages. -It's not /hardcore/ fantasy, and this may be why I liked it so much as I did. -If anything, it's /Magnum P.I./ of the genre. - -[fn:cover] or whatever your edition has -[fn:tolkien] hello Tolkien - -*** DONE Guns of Avalon (Roger Zelazny, 1972) -CLOSED: [2024-08-31 Sat 22:25] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: guns-of-avalon-1971 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My short review -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image covers/guns-of-avalon.jpg -:END: - -The fastest fantasy in the wild west continues where we left off. -Corwin escaped his prison, and armed with newly regrown eyes, is ready for his revenge. - -/[[/fantasy/chronicles-of-amber/][Chronicles of Amber]]/ are like nothing I've ever read. -Mostly because I've never been into fantasy, but still. -At no point of /Guns of Avalon/ nor of /[[/fantasy/chronicles-of-amber/nine-princes-in-amber/][Nine Princes in Amber]]/ have I felt that I'm reading a published book. -It's rather what I would imagine as a synopsis of the book that one sends to an agent would look like. - -#+attr_shortcode: 4 "guns-of-avalon.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating - -Characters? Screw them, they only serve a purpose. -The world? Screw it, let's create it as we go. -Magic system? I am sure not even Zelazny has any idea how it works at this point. -But at the same time, I can't stop reading it. -From outside, those two books I've finished sound like pulp. -I should hate it. -But there is so much going on, and those things happen fast. -Corwin's goal this time is to buy carbines from the Royal Air Force and retake Amber. -Yup - this magical being, from an eternal family, who is able to travel between dimensions[fn:shadows], whose eyes just regrown, is planning to retake a magical land using firearms. -And somehow it all makes sense. -/Guns/ serve as a direct continuation of the first book, but the ending paints a different route the series seems to be heading. -I am very much invested and I interested what's going to happen. -I should hate this book, but I love it. - -Zelazny, you were a strange writer indeed. -This series reads like a creation of some D&D infused teen, and yet I can't put it away. - -[fn:shadows] or whatever Shadows are - -*** DONE Sign of the Unicorn (Roger Zelazny, 1975) -CLOSED: [2024-09-07 Sat 22:14] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: sign-of-the-unicorn-1975 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My short review -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image covers/sign-of-the-unicorn.jpg -:END: - -We are halfway through the Corwin's saga, and Zelazny decides to step up the game. -Sign of the Unicorn is much slower than the previous ones, which is a welcome change. -But it also marks the point when Roger finally convinced me that he understands the word he creates. - -After the battle with his brother, Corwin is faced with a murder of a yet /another/ brother. -This does not lead to a run through the Shadows to buy nukes as I would have expected. -In fact, most of this volume is spent talking. -We have a mystery, the family secrets are coming out. -It's a wholly different experience than what we've had before. - -#+attr_shortcode: 4 "sign-of-the-unicorn.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -We've got intrigue, we've got drama, we've got betrayal. -We even learn who stands behind Corwin's accident, which happened before the start of /[[/fantasy/chronicles-of-amber/nine-princes-in-amber/][Nine Princess...]]/. - -This may the best book of /[[/fantasy/chronicles-of-amber/][Chronicles of Amber]]/ yet because Zelazny seems to address most of the downsides the earlier books had. -Characters became actual persons now, with motivation and aspirations. -In fact, the world building is sidestepping for character building, and I, for one, am fully for this. - -As a result, the stakes are also different. -We assumed that all of the /Black Road/ problems resulted from Corwin's curse, but now we learn that there are multiple layers below that. -In fact, a lot of what we thought we knew turns out to be wrong. - -The only downside I see, at leat at this point, is that everyone important is either Corwin's relative or acquaintance. -I get that if you got your position of power purely from the family, the same family will be the centre of your life, but /come on!/. -I want to get to know someone else! - -So, volume three of /[[/fantasy/chronicles-of-amber/][Chronicles of Amber]]/ looks more of a correction from the author, than a direct continuation. - -*** DONE Hand of Oberon (Roger Zelazny, 1976) -CLOSED: [2024-09-22 Sun 22:42] -:PROPERTIES: -:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: hand-of-oberon-1976 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :abstract My short review -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :rating 4 -:EXPORT_HUGO_CUSTOM_FRONT_MATTER+: :image /covers/hand-of-oberon.jpg -:END: - -The plot thickens! -We end where we left of: turns out that Amber is the home of the original Pattern, which is badly damaged, and we need to fix it. - -I think I start to understand why I find /[[/fantasy/chronicles-of-amber/][Chronicles]]/ so particular, yet I can't put it away. -The volumes here are not distinct parts with an an beginning and an end. -It's closer to modern-day TV, where you get an interesting hook at the beginning, the middle is ok-ish, but the end makes you hungry for the next episode. -As much as I hate that /binge-watching/ formula, I have nothing against it here. -Fantasy books rarely make anyone rich, but a man's got to eat. -The length of each volume here also doesn't make it any worse, as they all about 200 pages long. -Brandon Sanderson's signature is longer than that. - -#+attr_shortcode: 4 "hand-of-oberon.jpg" -#+begin_rating -Cover -#+end_rating -Story wise, /Hand of Oberon/ is more of the same: scheming of Corwin's family and deepening the world. -The world is not redefined again, but we're once again getting something surprising. -However, since it's the 4th book, it comes a bit predictable[fn:exp]. -While I was not expecting the Avalon not to be /the real/ Avalon in the /[[/fantasy/chronicles-of-amber/sign-of-the-unicorn-1975/][Sign of the Unicorn]]/, here the surprise came both, less unexpected and a bit and less important. -But we will see in the next book. -All in all, while I had /loads/ of fun, /Hand of Oberon/ is only the 4th book of the series. -If you've read it until this point, you'll have a blast one more time. -I surely had! -Now, this one of the first /fantasy series/ I've read but, I am surprised by the stability of quality. -While Zelazny has made some changes to the formula since /[[/fantasy/chronicles-of-amber/nine-princes-in-amber/][Nine Princess...]]/, they were not significant enough to have any impact on my joy. I like the later volumes more than the first two, mostly due to the slower pace, but I have the same level of satisfaction. -I've got one last chapter of Corwin's story and I can't wait! -[fn:exp] make that "very" if you read a lot of such stories +* TODO +- Moskwa +- monkey 2 +- poniedzialek zaczyna sie w... +- internet's own boy +- |