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February: Fiasco by Stanisław Lem
March: We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse #1) by Dennis Taylor
Discuss Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson in the comments below.
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein was published in 1966:
The book popularized the acronym TANSTAAFL ("There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"), and helped popularize the constructed language Loglan, which is used in the story for precise human-computer interaction. The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations credits this novel with the first printed appearance of the phrase "There's no free lunch", although the phrase and its abbreviation considerably predate the novel.
The virtual assistant Mycroft is named after a computer system from the novel.
Previously: Announcement post • Mars, Ho! • Foundation • The Three-Body Problem
(Score: 5, Funny) by Snotnose on Sunday January 06 2019, @12:02AM (4 children)
I remember back when I was a wee lad with mom taking me to the library, me with a kids card. I snuck out one day to the adult sections, where I found some Good Stuff. Was checking the books out, looking at the librarian, hoping she didn't say anything to mom, and mom, hoping she didn't say anything to the librarian. Hate to say, but with 20/20 on top of 50 years hindsight mom wasn't paying attention or she would have shit. Sorry mom, that's the way you were.
I was about 8 years old at the time. It was the La Mesa library, long before they tore it down to build a new building (a friend's dad produced plays there, he died of a heart attack after the old one was torn down but before the new one was built. The new building didn't have a stage).
Oh yeah, I'd discovered dad's stash of Science Fiction a few months earlier. Top shelf, hall closet, under blankets? Sorry dad. I read them 1 at a time, left to right. I made sure to fluff the books so there was no obvious missing book. Again, I was maybe 8 at the time.
Fast forward to me, 20/21. Read a Heinlein book with TANSTAAFL in it, thought "turkey stole that from Niven". Then read the copyright page, realized wasn't as well read on early science fiction as I thought
The moral? There is none. I've had to pee for 30 minutes, but the cat is snoring in my lap and I'm liking the music on my stereo.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 2) by RedBear on Sunday January 06 2019, @12:17AM (2 children)
LOL. Cats: The primary cause of bladder disorders since forever.
Sorry SN, I don’t want to read TMIAHM again, I’m still sad-face inside from when I read it nearly 30 years ago. Then again, it made for an interesting storyline in... which was it, Number of the Beast or The Cat Who Walks Through Walls? I think the latter.
I was seven when I wandered out of the children’s section and stumbled on a science fiction anthology of some kind. I don’t think I ever went back to the children’s books.
¯\_ʕ◔.◔ʔ_/¯ LOL. I dunno. I'm just a bear.
... Peace out. Got bear stuff to do. 彡ʕ⌐■.■ʔ
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 06 2019, @06:19AM (1 child)
Rescuing Adam Selene was part of The Cat Who Walks Through Walls. Pixel (the cat) was not prominently featured in spite of the title.
The rescue comes up just as tangentially in To Sail Beyond the Sunset.
I can't speak to The Number of the Beast as I have not yet read it.
(Score: 2) by RedBear on Sunday January 06 2019, @08:01AM
Oh, that’s right. I was trying to remember the title of that other closely related book. My mistake. I guess it’s been too long.
Number of the Beast is a cute sci-fi adventure, and far less of a downer than things like Glory Road or The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. I highly recommend it if you ever liked anything by Heinlein.
¯\_ʕ◔.◔ʔ_/¯ LOL. I dunno. I'm just a bear.
... Peace out. Got bear stuff to do. 彡ʕ⌐■.■ʔ
(Score: 2) by Snotnose on Tuesday January 08 2019, @12:56AM
+5 funny, I love my peeps :) Background: More than a little drunk at the time, really wanted to pee, did not want to disturb the cat, and I've found a radio station on Pluto I really like (not a Pluto plug, they don't remember what I was watching last night; current show (Death Note or somesuch, adult anime) takes 32 down arrows, 3 right, then I get to guess which ep I finished last night. This is not user friendly, don't ask how many times I had to look for it until the magic button push sequence got me where I wanted to be.
Then again, the cat is snoring in my lap and I'm listening to the radio station. Which I really really like. I should drink more, I don't have to pee.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.