tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post3195612588681383004..comments2024-03-26T01:52:45.563-07:00Comments on Fred's Place: Frank Herbert: The Exploits of Jorj X. McKie, Saboteur Extraordinary Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-12653209591251144702017-07-08T08:01:48.340-07:002017-07-08T08:01:48.340-07:00CyberKitten,
Pete Hamill is the only familiar nam...CyberKitten,<br /><br />Pete Hamill is the only familiar name, but I don't know why. I must have read something by him, but I lost a lot of files way back when, so I can't go back too far.Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-64050617144730939732017-07-08T01:36:15.305-07:002017-07-08T01:36:15.305-07:00The more modern books are:
Little Girl Lost by Ri...The more modern books are:<br /><br />Little Girl Lost by Richard Aleas (2004)<br />Songs of Innocence by Richard Aleas (2007)<br />The Guns of Heaven by Pete Hamil (1983)<br />Deadly Beloved by Max Allan Collins (2007)CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-46358066059374128102017-07-07T13:33:22.568-07:002017-07-07T13:33:22.568-07:00CyberKitten,
Who are the modern writers?CyberKitten,<br /><br />Who are the modern writers?Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-52660303057935354722017-07-07T13:24:37.118-07:002017-07-07T13:24:37.118-07:00They're all books in the Hard Case Crime serie...They're all books in the Hard Case Crime series - a mix of modern and classic 'Noir' novels. The classics tend to be pretty good. The modern ones are very hit & miss.CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-89069412044200729962017-07-07T09:41:57.112-07:002017-07-07T09:41:57.112-07:00CyberKitten,
Haven't read any of them. Inter...CyberKitten,<br /><br />Haven't read any of them. Interesting. Lawrence Block and Cornell Woolrich are the only authors on your list that I have read. Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-69425875847579158112017-07-06T13:18:49.067-07:002017-07-06T13:18:49.067-07:00It's 10 books - 5 modern and 5 classic. The cl...It's 10 books - 5 modern and 5 classic. The classics are:<br /><br />Stop This Man! by Peter Rabe (1955)<br />Nightwalker by Donald Hamilton (1954)<br />Fright by Cornell Woolrich (1950)<br />Blackmailer by George Axelrod (1952)<br />Lucky at Cards by Lawrence Block (1964)CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-64359557516381652152017-07-06T06:57:09.723-07:002017-07-06T06:57:09.723-07:00Brian,
Yes, he was a very creative writer.
I...Brian,<br /><br />Yes, he was a very creative writer. <br /><br />I've been intrigued by that idea, for before reading Whipping Star, I had accepted the conventional wisdom that a faster, more efficient government was to be desired. I'm not exactly on the other side now, but I no longer unquestioningly accept the value of a fast, efficient government.Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-41000007230284346092017-07-06T02:51:02.007-07:002017-07-06T02:51:02.007-07:00Herbert had such a fertile imagination. Though it ...Herbert had such a fertile imagination. Though it has been a long time since I have read The Dosadi Experiment or Whipping Star both books seem fresh in my mind. <br /><br />I think that when it comes to big organizations, sometimes a little gum in the machinery, slowing things down can be a benefit. This sometimes I wish that there was a Sabotage Corps around. Brian Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15139559400312336791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-11210587234436679232017-07-05T16:47:49.815-07:002017-07-05T16:47:49.815-07:00Mudpuddle,
The whipping scenes are incredibly bri...Mudpuddle,<br /><br />The whipping scenes are incredibly brief: the portal in the beachball opens, an arm reaches through, the whip flashes, the arm and the whip withdraw, the portal closes. That's it. It happens so quickly that those who are there to stop it are unable to and it's over before anybody can move. Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-69891914977769560112017-07-05T16:41:28.075-07:002017-07-05T16:41:28.075-07:00Yes, CK, I'm also curious.Yes, CK, I'm also curious.<br />RTDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17113953356514605424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-43780696898861539262017-07-05T16:39:44.983-07:002017-07-05T16:39:44.983-07:00CyberKitten,
Who's in your batch of "Har...CyberKitten,<br /><br />Who's in your batch of "Hard Boiled Crime novels"?Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-86407344212848272122017-07-05T16:37:52.062-07:002017-07-05T16:37:52.062-07:00CyberKitten,
Yes, definitely, a very necessary ev...CyberKitten,<br /><br />Yes, definitely, a very necessary evil, the lesser of two evils. Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-88971189650520939862017-07-05T16:30:41.629-07:002017-07-05T16:30:41.629-07:00"corridors of entropy" i thought about ..."corridors of entropy" i thought about this for quite a while; still wonder if it actually means anything, tho... it's an amusing and euphonic phrase; my favorite kind...<br /> Mrs. M read both the novels serially some time ago and tried to get me to read them but i didn't partly i thin because i was into something else and partly because of my feelings about torture.... she like them a lot, tho...Mudpuddlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17194891656971454279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-82043672922657275622017-07-05T16:27:04.627-07:002017-07-05T16:27:04.627-07:00RT: i laugh out loud at "both necessary and ...RT: i laugh out loud at "both necessary and evil" you do have a knack for putting the gist of a concept into a very few words...Mudpuddlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17194891656971454279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-29709842904755762662017-07-05T14:00:38.947-07:002017-07-05T14:00:38.947-07:00Not 100% sure I've read Whipping Star. I *prob...Not 100% sure I've read Whipping Star. I *probably* have [muses]. I might schedule it in after my upcoming batch of Hard Boiled Crime novels......CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-79443279856551124022017-07-05T13:55:02.417-07:002017-07-05T13:55:02.417-07:00Although I'm not a huge fan of Government (hav...Although I'm not a huge fan of Government (having Anarchist leanings) I do believe that we are a LOT better off with a government than without one. You only have to look at places where governments have spectacularly failed to know what that would be like. It's a true nightmare....CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-43029980134127433782017-07-05T11:21:40.678-07:002017-07-05T11:21:40.678-07:00CyberKitten,
Whipping Star had been on Mount TBR ...CyberKitten,<br /><br />Whipping Star had been on Mount TBR for a long time, so I decided finally to read it. Now, having been reminded of The Dosadi Experiment, I really itching to dust if off and do it again.Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-60807048694184421042017-07-05T11:16:13.832-07:002017-07-05T11:16:13.832-07:00R.T.,
Yes, that would appear to be the case, evil...R.T.,<br /><br />Yes, that would appear to be the case, evil but necessary. No, I don't think he would say lifeforms are both necessary and evil. They are necessary but they wouldn't have to be evil, although it seems that there will be some who are evil.<br /><br />I also wonder about the Caleban and Caliban, but so far I haven't been able to come up with any linkage.<br /><br />I believe your problem, if any, with SF is due more to unfamiliarity with the assumptions, themes and terminology than to it being beyond your grasp. Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-12169821451579210672017-07-05T11:09:34.241-07:002017-07-05T11:09:34.241-07:00Sharon,
Chuckle. . . Well, it could be worse.
If...Sharon,<br /><br />Chuckle. . . Well, it could be worse.<br /><br />If he doesn't have this one, then I would suggest _The Dosadi Experiment_, as it has the same leading character, and I think it's a better book.<br />Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-41340753986892698522017-07-05T10:35:53.382-07:002017-07-05T10:35:53.382-07:00Like you 'The Dosadi Experiment' is one of...Like you 'The Dosadi Experiment' is one of my all time fave reads so thanks for the memories. I just *loved* the idea of BuSab and all it stood for. I might just have break a long habit and to re-read it..... CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-37787073760075826712017-07-05T10:29:30.909-07:002017-07-05T10:29:30.909-07:00It sounds like Herbert argues that government is a...It sounds like Herbert argues that government is a necessary evil, meaning government is both necessary and evil. Is he also suggesting that intelligent lifeforms are both necessary and evil? I guess I'm not very adept at unpacking all the suggestions within the Herbert excerpt and your interesting discussion. But I do wonder about governments, Calebans (Calibans?), and the reasons I always feel as though S/F is far beyond my intellectual grasp. RTDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17113953356514605424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-59248211979080063902017-07-05T09:36:21.751-07:002017-07-05T09:36:21.751-07:00The storyline sounds very interesting indeed, alth...The storyline sounds very interesting indeed, although I shudder at the thought of life being reduced to the efficiency of the DMV.<br /><br />Sounds like Mliss Abnethe needs a sound whipping herself. I'm now going to rummage through my husbands part of our library and see if he has this book.<br /><br />Oh, and I agree with you about this attempt at creating "complex" characters by giving them "tragic" pasts. Some people are mean because they like to be mean and will continue to be mean as long as they can.Sharon Wilfonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17466621290140789056noreply@blogger.com