The Cabs live just a couple years before they split:
They had come along way by that point, as had industrial music. The band that manipulated tape loops and instruments they could barely play in order to piss people off had turned into a duo that still combined sampled sounds and instruments they could play much better to make a somewhat different (and danceable) statement. Enjoy the rest of your work week.
Let’s keep the music playing and the taps flowing. Unwind, relax, and let’s see what the next day brings.
A Cabaret drink for a Cabaret band.
As the bartender said, bottoms up!
Hey! I’m looking for a recommendation for an SF book. You pulled ‘Blindsight’ out of your hat, so I’m wondering if I can ask …
You can always ask. It turns out I’m a big science fiction fan, but I’m mostly into science fiction on film and TV these days. That written, I can give you a couple of recommendations. The most recent Hugo Award nominee I’ve read is “Leviathan Wakes” by James S. A. Corey. It became the first season-and-a-half of “The Expanse” on SyFy, which won Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) at the Hugo Awards this year. If you like Larry Niven’s Known Space stories, you’ll love this book and especially the TV adaptation.
The next newest book I’d recommend is “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson. Amazon is making it into a series and I’m looking forward to it. The book was a lot of fun and a TV show done with enough resources should be a visual treat.
That’s it as far as books from the last 25 years I’ve actually read that I’d recommend. After that, I offer you three options — older books from the 1970s and 1980s that I’ve actually read, newer books whose movie and TV adaptations I’ve watched, and critically acclaimed books I think I should read. In the first category, I’d recommend “The Martian” by Andy Weir. In the second, “Ringworld” by Larry Niven. That’s also being made into a miniseries by Amazon. In the third, “Redshirts” by John Scalzi.
Thanks!
Have you read any Kim Stanley Robinson? I just read his New York 2140. I’d be interested to hear what you think. Gets satisfyingly political at one point!
I actually have a more specific question, though. An odd one. Can you think of any military sf that takes place largely on Earth? TV/movie/novel. I can think of lots of sf that does, but it’s not military. Or military stuff but not on Earth. Combining the two … I’m stuck.
The Book of Phoenix?
Ender’s Game?
I’m far more fantasy that SyFy, so my tastes run to that.
So…
Red Sister
Goblin Emperor
If you prefer SyFy then
Binti
.
Thanks! I actually liked Ender’s Game, back in the day, but politics ruins everything, I won’t read Card anymore. (Never read the Book of Phoenix, though it’s been sort of in my field of vision. I’ll check it out.)
You’re welcome. Glad that you found my suggestions helpful. Now to your new requests.
“Have you read any Kim Stanley Robinson?”
Robinson is in the same category as Scalzi — someone I would like to read. I did read a chapter out of “Red Mars” at a bookstore in 2000 or so and thought it was good. I just didn’t think it was good enough to buy at the time (I was buying more non-fiction then). The fans and writers like his work, particularly the Mars trilogy, with “Red Mars” nominated for a Hugo and winning a Nebula, “Green Mars” reversing its prequel’s accomplishments by winning the Hugo and being nominated for a Nebula, and “Blue Mars” winning a second Hugo. “The Wild Shore” and “The Years of Rice and Salt” have also been nominated for Hugos and “2312” won a Nebula as well as being nominated for a Hugo.
“Can you think of any military sf that takes place largely on Earth? TV/movie/novel.”
I’m glad you expanded the request to media; it makes my task easier. My top recommendation for TV is “Falling Skies,” an alien invasion series that finished airing on TNT in 2015. In that post, I also mention “Defiance,” which also finished airing in 2015, this time on SyFy. I characterized as “‘Babylon 5’ on Earth.” The latter was less about war and more about diplomacy and intrigue, but it has military SF elements. If you want your military SF straight and in the near future, I recommend “The Last Ship,” still being broadcast on TNT. It’s based on a William Brinkley novel about a U.S. destroyer crew trying to stop a pandemic. They succeed, but not before 80% of humanity dies from the plague.
For movies, I recommend “Edge of Tomorrow,” which is based on a Japanese light novel called “All You Need Is Kill.” It stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt and it takes place during an alien invasion of Earth. I also recommend both the novel “Mockingjay” and its two-part movie adaptation. Yes, it’s a Hunger Games book, but it’s also the first novel listed on Wikipedia’s Military SF page. Most of the books and series listed in that entry take place in space, but a good search might find some that have action on Earth.
I also know some of the Bolo short stories involving tanks with AI take place on Earth. You might check some of them out.
I can’t get into the Mars trilogy! I’ve tried. The New York one was easier for me. I suspect I’m not technologically knowledgeable enough to really enjoy Mars.
I’ll definitely check out Falling Skies, Defiance, and the Last Ship–thanks.
Interesting point about Mockingjay, too. Hm.
A lot going on at the moment. Glad to see some conversation going on. That does remind me – I’ll put up my next foto flog next Friday. Was going to earlier this month, but that sort of got away from me.
The Fat Man died today. The second line is going to be epic.
RIP Fats.