h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm about half way through "Foundation and Empire" by Isaac Asimov. Read it straight after "Foundation" which suprised me by being A) very good and B)nothing like I expected. I rather like all the political intrigue (and all the space ships and stuff are pretty incidental really)

There is a (respectable) theory that al Qaeeda were influenced by Asimov. One translation of al Q is 'The Foundation'.

The Iliad. I keep getting annoyed because it uses the same phrases all the time, though I guess being composed as an oral poem, Homer proably wanted to keep things simple! The other thing is that in the middle of battle, whenever anyone is killed, the other person starts taking off their armour. Only about twice have they had to stop becasue it would be too dangerous. In the middle of a battle!

And What If, which is a cllection of essays (but is very accessible) about how things would be different if various turning points in history had either not occured, or occured differently.

Both recommended.

Surely the whole Psychohistory theory in Foundation is based around the idea that violent intervention is useless - it never works in any of the sub-stories. I hardly see Al Qua'eda attempting to dominate the west by trading and economics. What does this theory say?

Surely the whole Psychohistory theory in Foundation is based around the idea that small scale violent intervention is useless - it never works in any of the sub-stories. I hardly see Al Qua'eda attempting to dominate the west by trading and economics. What does this theory say?

Grr, double post, that's annoying.

the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy trilogy of four by the late great douglas adams for the first time and its brilliant i didnt think it would live up to the hype but it has so far anyway.

I think, moose, is the idea that the class of young Saudis behind al Q grew up at a time when SF was popular and influential, and they absorbed it along with many other western influences. Also, they see their brand of Wahabism as a 'rational' alternative to the discord in the world (I'm not saying I agree with them!!)

I heard about it via a radio interview and a couple of newspaper columns by Giles Foden, who wrote the novel 'Zanzibar' about the US embassy bombings. I think, though, that he was reporting on someone else's ideas.

Don't you mean trilogy of five?

I remember a time when there were only 4, and available in one paperback. Our DNA virgin may have got hold of an old copy.

So now you know what we're on about, eh, himura?
(Is that right? Or is that your surname/family name?)

just a prefix, himura is fine.

i realised there was five in the trilogy (what a mad notion) thanks for all the fish (which to show off a bit now im reading the book refers to what the second most intelligent species on earth dolphins, tried to tell the people but was misconcepted as a extremelly complicated quadruple backflip through a hoop while whistling the star spangled banner <or summit to that effect&gt and it being payday i can afford it so ill have all five yipee

I think this theory about Al Quaeda is fairly unlikely, Edward, as I tend to wonder if there is any such entity! But the sf idea is interesting...

I'm re-reading Chronicles of Narnia, Lion Witch and Wardrobe

I just started reading: "I Have Landed" by Stephen J. Gould

so far it's great!

just replying to Edward's post about the Ragged Trousered... , Paul Foot and the painter.

A lot of the point of the book, from what I gather from the introduction and the small part i've read, is that it should be a manual on how to bodge, because that's how the wages were kept down (by using labourers rather than craftsmen) and how the profits were kept high (using 3 coats of thinnded down paint where 5 had been contracted)

anyhooo

Finished, last night, the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time.

All I can say is that everyone should read this, it's absolutely fantastic.

How accurate is the view inside the head of the boy, Christopher?

Currently reading 'Pompei' by Robert Harris.

Only about 100 pages in as yet but hooked by the details of the aquaduct system and the sense of impending doom.

I heard a radio adaptation of Pompeii on the BBC WS at the beginning of the year - awesome! I have the book on my "to read" list...
Currently, I am reading 'Actual Innocence' by the guys who run the Innocence Project (see my Edited Guide Entry at A666164. (Advertising a bit there.) A very disturbing book...

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time is great. I listened to it as an audibook on holiday. Christoper is such an orignal narrator, seeing things from his POV is fascinating!

This weekend haveing been the 100th anniversary of Graham Greene's birth, I've been spurred to read some of his that I haven't got around to yet. Of the many I've already read, some of my favourites have been (in no particular order):

The Human Factor
The Comedians
Our Man in Havana
The Heart of the Matter
The Captain and the Enemy
Travels with My Aunt.