What are you reading

[Black_Angkar]

Thanks! I now realised that I passed on it because of the price and the fact that I already have the Ritter Verlag books on the boys from Vienna.

There seems to be a increased amount of books published about the Actionists these day. Have you read the Ritter Verlag edition of Günter Brus "Irrwisch"? I only have an version in german, and I don't know german but I understand some and I MOSTLY bought it for the illustrations. Which of course, are quite self-explainatory...

I leafed through it while in Berlin earlier these year. In a way I think I have enough with the early Ritter books about WA and their Schwarzkogler book.

Ok. I'm quite into it even though I can't make any meaningful context of the text. The illustrations are, as said, good stand alone. I like the way it connects with his other work of the same era, yet is not part of the live documentation which is far more common to encounter. It was nice seeing some of the photos "firsthand" in Berlin though... I need to check out the Schwartzkoggler book. Is it good?

[Strömkarlen]

It is very good and expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/Rudolf-Schwarzkogler-Leben-German-Edition/dp/3854151039/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341565043&sr=8-1&keywords=schwarzkogler

[ConcreteMascara]

Thanks to Arkhe and Black Angkar for the Gene Wolfe mention. I don't know his work, but after reading about him and the Book of the New Sun series, I had to get a copy. Anxiously awaiting it in the mail, since no local book store had a copy. I've been hungry for a new sci-fi author to read for a while now.

[ARKHE]

Thanks to Arkhe and Black Angkar for the Gene Wolfe mention. I don't know his work, but after reading about him and the Book of the New Sun series, I had to get a copy. Anxiously awaiting it in the mail, since no local book store had a copy. I've been hungry for a new sci-fi author to read for a while now.

You're welcome. What's fascinating about Book of the New Sun is that it more or less is a fantasy series - swords, incredibly dark medieval atmospheres, supernatural beings and whatnot - but technically, it's still SF. You should also check out his debut, The Fifth Head of Cerberus. Three novellas set on the same planet, from different perspectives. Very intelligent book.

Anyone here into Samuel R Delany's SF works? Suppose he's mainly enjoyed around here for Hogg, but just like JG Ballard, his SF works are spectacular. Delany is much more working in the space opera tradition, which Ballard had nothing to do with of course. Very intense stuff, like with Wolfe you can never be too sure of what's really going on.

[martialgodmask]

Picked up an English translation of The Koran for 99p at the weekend, on a whim. Should be interesting.

[ghoulson]

ÄLDREOMSORGEN I ÖVRE KÅGEDALEN / FÖRENSLIGANDET AV DET EGENTLIGA VÄSTERBOTTEN (Nikanor Teratologen)
A reason for me to read these books for the fifth time or something.... the first and second books of Teratologen have been published in luxerous clothbound hardcover book with excellent illustrations by Andreas Kalliaridis (same person responsible for the Brainbombs website btw). I think it's about time that people here check out the translation of the first book; "Assisted Living". It is the ultimate reading for power electronics fanatics.
I regret a bit that I gave away my copy of "Hebbershålsapokryferna" to ClauDEDI of Ain Soph... but in the end of the book they sing "Cuore Nero" - very beautiful song in weirdest context ever.

[Black_Angkar]

ÄLDREOMSORGEN I ÖVRE KÅGEDALEN / FÖRENSLIGANDET AV DET EGENTLIGA VÄSTERBOTTEN (Nikanor Teratologen)
A reason for me to read these books for the fifth time or something.... the first and second books of Teratologen have been published in luxerous clothbound hardcover book with excellent illustrations by Andreas Kalliaridis (same person responsible for the Brainbombs website btw). I think it's about time that people here check out the translation of the first book; "Assisted Living". It is the ultimate reading for power electronics fanatics.
I regret a bit that I gave away my copy of "Hebbershålsapokryferna" to ClauDEDI of Ain Soph... but in the end of the book they sing "Cuore Nero" - very beautiful song in weirdest context ever.

Been some time since I read them the last time. I suppose one must call them among the most important swedish books ever. At least for me personally. I have not read the translated version, but I must imagine translation changes the overall effect of the book, since the endless flow of untranslatable dialect was part of the original's extreme effectivity? The over the top cruelty, perversion and violence mixed with the virtous litterary skill, the extreme sense of detail and layers of reference makes it perhaps the "worst" books coming from Sweden. I would have to call it surrealist more than anything else. I have a hard time thinking of any other book that comes close.

[ARKHE]

Ghoulson, Angkar, have you read the Norwegian translation? Stig Saeterbakken did it, if I'm not mistaken. Looking forward to reading Förensligandet... again, it's been out of print for quite some time hasn't it? The should translate Att hata allt mänskligt liv, that one is extremely intense. Nothing in dialect either so it shouldn't be that hard.

[Black_Angkar]

I haver only read the swedish translations, I haven't been able to gather energy enough to actually read it in any other language considering how perfect the swedish version is. I suppose it would be interesting for comparative reasons, and that it wouldn't be much more difficult than the "swedish" used in large parts of the book... I have on the other hand, not read "Att hata allt mänskligt liv" yet, there just haven't been time(opportunity, though it's been on my to read-list since its publication.

[H.H*D.H]

Finished today Murakami's book 1Q84 and it certainly is his weakest work to date. Or at least weakest from the ones I have read which are in order, A wild sheep chase, Kafka on the shore and Norwegian wood. I expected so much from this work and my expectations grew as I read the first 300 pages but when I got to the second book it simply fell flat on it's ass and couldn't get up. The set-up for the story was interesting, a real mystery brewing with many possibilities for a descent, good or great story but it seems Murakami threw all these possibilities away to detail the minutae of the characters lives, going over again and again the same things he wrote about for thirty times before. The problems deepen as I read foward and saw how little substance the whole work had. Characters came into play having interesting characterics, another set of possibilities but then they disappeared with little to no explanation from the story leaving the feeling that they were just paper dolls and hat no real meaning or impact to the story, a poor cut-out supporting cast for one of the worst love stories I have ever had to endure. In the end, there were nothing that really would make anyone want to read the work in full. 924 pages to slough through where one can witness a beginnings for extremely interesting stories that just wither out and die like last flames on dying bonfire, 924 pages full of padding, worthless descriptions of worthless situations in worthless characters worthless lives. You have completely failed as an author when the main characters of your work are less interesting than the supporting cast and when the story you write is less interesting than the unwritteng stories happening in the background. It feels like Murakami began writing knowing just what he wanted to tell but for some reason decided that he needed a novel that is almost thousand pages long, just like Dostoyevski and Tolstoy and thus decided to pad a story which would have been good in 200 - 300 pages with annoying repetition, worthless minutae and boring story.

I read that some review said that 1Q94 was Murakami's magnum opus. It isn't because it worst mess of words he has put out. As far as I'm concerned his magnum opus is 'A wild cheep chase'. Don't even think about wasting your time with this.

[online prowler]

ÄLDREOMSORGEN I ÖVRE KÅGEDALEN / FÖRENSLIGANDET AV DET EGENTLIGA VÄSTERBOTTEN (Nikanor Teratologen)
A reason for me to read these books for the fifth time or something.... the first and second books of Teratologen have been published in luxerous clothbound hardcover book with excellent illustrations by Andreas Kalliaridis (same person responsible for the Brainbombs website btw). I think it's about time that people here check out the translation of the first book; "Assisted Living". It is the ultimate reading for power electronics fanatics.
I regret a bit that I gave away my copy of "Hebbershålsapokryferna" to ClauDEDI of Ain Soph... but in the end of the book they sing "Cuore Nero" - very beautiful song in weirdest context ever.

This series is on my read list. I'd like to harbor the Swedish edition, but I have been told it is written in such an obscure Swedish dialect that at times it can be difficult to follow. Stig Sæterbakken translated the first two books to Norwegian. The first Eldreomsorgen.. is translated into Hamar (northeast city a bit north of Oslo) dialect, and is completely sold out. Impossible to get in any antiquarian or at  http://antikvariat.net/ as well. Sæterbakken completed the second book before he died last year. It should be in the shelfs sometime this fall, probably in very, very short circulation. Might have to pick up the Swedish editions when next time in Svea.... Read excerpts of the books mentioned here and there, and it builds promise ..

[Black_Angkar]

"Divine Invasions: A Life Of Philip K. Dick" has been taking up my free time lately, that guy was both fucking nuts and on to something.

I love his works. As you say both conspiratory and trulyfull of insight. I think this genre of conspiracy scifi is great, one of the best. I especially enjoy VALIS. The empire never ended.

[hsv]

"Divine Invasions: A Life Of Philip K. Dick" has been taking up my free time lately, that guy was both fucking nuts and on to something.

Is the book good, or is it mostly the subject matter that's interesting? I'm a huge fan of PKD.

Currently reading Heliopolis by Ernst Jünger. I finished On the marble cliffs a while back and really enjoyed it, this one is a bit tougher to get through. I feel like I've seen Jünger referenced a hundred times in these circles so it was high time to read something of his.

[ARKHE]

This series is on my read list. I'd like to harbor the Swedish edition, but I have been told it is written in such an obscure Swedish dialect that at times it can be difficult to follow. Stig Sæterbakken translated the first two books to Norwegian. The first Eldreomsorgen.. is translated into Hamar (northeast city a bit north of Oslo) dialect, and is completely sold out. Impossible to get in any antiquarian or at  http://antikvariat.net/ as well. Sæterbakken completed the second book before he died last year. It should be in the shelfs sometime this fall, probably in very, very short circulation. Might have to pick up the Swedish editions when next time in Svea.... Read excerpts of the books mentioned here and there, and it builds promise ..

Go for the Swedish edition, it has a huge appendix translating most of the incomprehensible (to everyone outside of Kågedalen) words & the more obscure cultural/historical references. Educating and arousing at the same time.

Anyone read that "50 shades of grey"? Saw it at work today, thought I might go at it... someone predicted that it soon would be the most top selling book ever after the Bible & Mao's little red book. Everything I've heard & read about it sounds atrocious, would be interesting to see what the fuzz is about.

Read Deborah Curtis' book about Ian Curtis, after seeing Control when it came out. Poorly written (though some of it might be caused by the translation, but after all she's not a writer) and not really interesting. Ian Curtis comes off as an even bigger self-absorbed, pretentious and dependent little annoying cunt than in the movie. Good reading while travelling though. Most interesting part of the book was the unpublished/unused lyrics & poems, at least if you're into Joy Division in any way.

Some weeks before I've been reading Thomas Karlsson's treatise on kliffoth and Goetian magic. Don't know if it has been translated from Swedish. Even if standing outside the realm of "dark magic" (Karlsson is the founder and leader of Dragon Rouge), it's interesting with it's take on Kabbalah and the dark sides of it and Jewish mysticism. His book on runes was more interesting and relevant for me personally though. His acadmic career shines through at times, though the incantations reek of his pompous Therion lyrics.

[RyanWreck]

I have been studying for my certification test, so I've been going over CEH Certified Ethical Hacker All-in-One Exam Guide for the last 2 weeks. There is no way I could read anything else right now. When I got my Security+ and LPI (Linux) certs I didn't even have the exam guides and passed by a hair so I am hoping this will be a breeze.