Long Day, Book Meme.
I was out the door at 05:45 this morning, and back in said door at 19:33 this evening. Don’t look for scintillating prose from me right now. However, I will accept Zendo Deb’s open invitation, and borrow her Book Meme. (Hell, if you’re not a regular reader of her site – and why not? – peruse everything on her front page while you’re at it.)
1) A book that changed my life: The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol. I. This is the book that made me a SciFi nerd, and is probably in large part responsible for me being an engineer.
2) A book I’ve read more than once: Robert Anson Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress – the book most responsible for my political outlook. I’d have used this one in answer to item 1, but if I hadn’t read the Hall of Fame, I’d probably have never started reading Heinlein. I’ve read this a dozen times at a minimum. It’s not unusual for me to read a book more than once, but this one holds the record for me.
3) A book I’d take to a desert island: The Foxfire Book. Well, you did say “desert island.” I’d like to survive the experience.
4) A book that made me laugh: And wince, and grimace, and get pissed off. P.J. O’Rourke’s Parliament of Whores. Pretty much anything by P.J. works for me, from laugh-out-loud to throw-it-across-the-room. Runner-up, Scott Adams’ The Dilbert Principle.
5) A book that made me cry: Flowers for Algernon. Actually, the original short-story which is included in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame.
6) A book I wish had been written: One explaining the Theory of Everything that includes detailed plans on how to build a functional interstellar faster-than-light drive and a shield to protect the vessle it powers.
Perhaps someone is working on it right now. Hey, I can dream!
7) A book that should never have been written: Battlefield Earth (No link. On purpose!) God, that was abysmally bad. L. Ron Hubbard should have been hung for that dreck. Close second, Dahlgren by Samuel R. Delaney. I want the time I wasted on these pieces of excrement back.
8) A book I’m currently reading: Honor: A History by James Bowman. I’m about halfway through it. I don’t agree with everything he says (just most of it), but it’s damned interesting, well researched, and well written. I recommend it strongly based on what I’ve read so far.
9) A book I’m planning to read: When they finally release it in the U.S., A Land Fit for Criminals by David Frasier. If you want to read a review of it, Theodore Dalrymple has one in the Summer, 2006 issue of City Journal. I can’t wait to read what Tim Lambert has to say about it.
10) Five people I’ll send these questions on to: As Deb put it, “Since I don’t do that, feel free to join in.”
I did. Make yourself welcome to join us.