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Pence wrote:
in light of the current AI writing controversy I've dug out my ancient copy of Fritz Leiber's 'The Silver Eggheads'. He coined the term "word wooz" for the product of the mechanical writing 'brains.'
I might have to try and dig out my old copy. It's a very long time since I would last have read that. I know I have a copy somewhere in the stacks.
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I am sure I have a copy etched in papyrus hidden somewhere! 😉
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In the end, it proved quicker and easier to grab an e-copy from the Beast of Bezos.
But it is also in its way a reinforcement of exactly why I maintain the physical reference library I have accumulated over the years - I did not expect a book such as this to be so readily available in e-form in this day and age.
I also used the shopping 'trip' to pick up a copy of a Hunter S Thompson volume that I need to re-read this year. I'm sure you can guess which one.
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I recently learned about a thing called bookshop.org, from which you can order books and they will support your local independent bookstore, thus cutting out Amazon. Delivery is not so fast, but it seems like a good alternative. Also thanks to my amazing daughter I’ve been using Libby, the online library system, as much as possible. Can’t always get what you want when you want it but a good starting place. I got a NY Public library card on line, without having to go into the physical library, and it all works very nicely
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I love that idea of supporting local bookstores and cutting out Amazon. It’s rare that I need a book super quickly
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Great idea. Sadly, it appears to be US or UK only. at the moment.
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I finished Needle by Linda Nagata. I enjoyed it overall and will read the next in sequence but it seemed to take an inordinately long time to get through it, by my usual standards.
I went straight on to Ann Leckie's Translation State but it's not grabbing me yet. I might have to put it aside for a while and find something lighter as a palate cleanser. What else have I got in The Stack right now that"s not too serious?
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I am putting aside more books than ever these days, and I should do even more of it. I’m finding that if I persevere with something that isn’t grabbing me, I’ll spend fruitless time not finishing it when I could have read something else that was right for the moment.
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starexplorer wrote:
I am putting aside more books than ever these days, and I should do even more of it. I’m finding that if I persevere with something that isn’t grabbing me, I’ll spend fruitless time not finishing it when I could have read something else that was right for the moment.
I hear you, Star. I really should get more brutally honest with myself and get better at doing this.
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I just finished a reread of the Ancillary trilogy, inspired by my reread of Translation State- I wanted to refresh myself as to the background etc. It blew me away- even better than I remembered. I did enjoy Translation State, but it is a lesser work than the trilogy. I liked it a lot better the second time, though. And it adds great Preseger context to the trilogy.