Books

[Rushy]

I'm reading the Red Dwarf novelisation ("Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers"). It's very impressive. Half of the book takes place before the show even starts, detailing the events that led to Lister joining the Jupiter Mining Corporation. There's a lot more worldbuilding, and the episodes are seamlessly woven together. Some even take place at the same time.

My favourite parts of the book involve Lister exploring the ship, and trying to keep it functioning after the crew are dead. The descriptions of him spending months trying to get Cat and Kryten to mine ore for him are hilarious.

[rabidtictac]

I read The Man In The Iron Mask. Technically, it's not so much a discreet novel as a part of the ongoing adventures of D'Artagnan and his three bros. But it's still fucking great. This is the last hurrah for the Four, as they approach old age and the termination of their journeys. You probably have already absorbed the plot via osmosis from popular culture, but it's about a coup attempt. Aramis discovers a possible replacement for King Louis XIV, and decides to throw in his fortunes with the usurper. The other three Musketeers, who have all become important and respected men in their own estates, are swept up in the plan on one side or the other. I don't think it's as good as The Count of Monte Cristo, but Dumas' dialogue positively pops off the page. It's an entertaining and satisfying read from start to finish.

I'm now off to track down the various other translations and books of the Three Musketeers. I read abridged versions when I was a kid, and saw movies or tv shows, but of course none of that translates the majesty of Dumas' prose. Not a single one of The Count of Monte Cristo's adaptations is satisfactory, in my opinion. As far as I can recall, I've seen all of them and dismissed each as unworthy relative to the book. It seems reasonable to infer the same will hold true for all of the novels of D'Artagnan, which encompass some 6 or so loosely-collected works in translation. No idea how the books were collected in original French. Dumas did much of his writing for serial publications and I believe that was how he wrote The Three Musketeers (all of the stories of them.)

[VoiceOfReasonPast]

Everything worth reading started out in (proto-)pulp magazines.

And technically the Musketeer Saga is comprised of 3 books, but the last one - with the Iron Mask - tends to get split up into multiple volumes.

[Old Black Man]

Rereading Armor by John Steakley, definitely a classic for me.

[Kugelfisch]

I've never read any of the Musketeer novels, not seen any movie of the stories. I think I should rectify that this year.

[rabidtictac]

Rereading Armor by John Steakley, definitely a classic for me.

Absolutely. Fucking 10 out of 10. Every science fiction fan has to read that one at least once. Starship Troopers and Armor are the two giants that define powered armor fiction for me. The dual protagonist setup shouldn't work as well as it does, but it's brilliant.

[Old Black Man]

Rereading Armor by John Steakley, definitely a classic for me.

Absolutely. Fucking 10 out of 10. Every science fiction fan has to read that one at least once. Starship Troopers and Armor are the two giants that define powered armor fiction for me. The dual protagonist setup shouldn't work as well as it does, but it's brilliant.

Thank you! Yeah Armor is a great book about the psychological effects of war in a science fiction setting, and the setup you mentioned really pays off in the end. Definitely a good pairing with Starship Troopers.

[Kugelfisch]

Sounds great! I guess I'll read it over Easter.

[Old Black Man]

Let me know what you think. Going back to the musketeer books I’ve never read those either, kinda curious now.

[Kugelfisch]

Tomorrow it's supposed to be nice outside. If so, I'll chill on the balcony and have a read.