Nicolas D.

Diamond Age with the roles reversed

Revisado: 07-16-24

I liked this book. Good writing and good reading.
It is a hero’s journey of an innocent character rising above their birth right with the help of a guide. Not as much science fiction as it is a fairy tale.
It would be an excellent book for readers who prefer more story and less violence in their adventures. Readers who prefer fighting and war may not like it as much as I do.

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I liked it. Good for Gamers like me.

Revisado: 07-23-22

I liked that this third person narrative is clearly written. The action sequences are described well. The protagonist’s fight scenes are narrated move by move, in the way that satisfies a video gamer like me.
The reader does a good job of creating unique voices for the characters. He really helps bring out the fun.
I like that the story involves “leveling up” in a video game. I identify with the characters, and when they progress in the game it makes me happy. Weird, I know.
The story is okay. It’s hard to tell where it’s going, much like playing a free roam video game. The author writes clearly, and the book is edited well. I’ve listened to the series. While they’re not deep they are fun. Perfect for lawn mowing or barn work.
I think the author has an original style with a lot of potential. I’d like to see more.

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Historical science fails.

Revisado: 10-14-21

I'm almost done with this audio book, and it wasn't what I expected.
I thought it would be about wild scientific concepts. It's mostly a review of historical science failures that went on to cause horrible environmental damage or mass suffering.
I'm sure some people will like it, but I didn't.

The reader is great, but the content was not-fun.

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Magic, princesses and a 1960's attitude.

Revisado: 09-22-20

This fantasy book is a tongue in cheek tribute to John Carter of Mars written in a casual first-person style.
It's a rambling soap opera with a weak and unmemorable story.
While the writing is dull, It has several elements used later by other writers (rodents of unusual size, and a Dragon Ball like "capsule" device, to mention two.)
The ending is just another period at the end of a sentence.

Some of Heinlein's books painfully dull.
Some of his books are painfully racist, misogynist and morally empty.
Some of his books have Science Fiction devices that inspire new genres.
This book is all three.

Some of Heinlein's books pioneered the clean American Science Fiction writing style, like The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
Some of his books inspire us to do better people, and are great adventures, like Starship Troopers.
Some of his books are uncomfortable commentaries on our current society, like Friday.
This book is none of those.

The characters feel like they were created by Heinlein, but the writing doesn't seem like his.
You may want to read it just to fill out your Heinlein library, or if you're a Fantasy reader.

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This is a story?

Revisado: 09-26-18

This is unlike any other book I've read. It's not a story, but a narrative of a video game player's progression through a fictional online game. It begins IRL, in real life, but once the narrative moves to describing the game it never leaves. Issues with the real life protagonist are never resolved, and the story arch is limited to "leveling up" the protagonist's avatar.

That being said, it's an enjoyable listen. If you like playing video games and leveling up, then this book might be a perfect weekend's entertainment for you. It's like playing a game on automatic pilot.

But if you crave a rich story with fully developed characters, tensions and resolutions, and drama that builds to a satisfying climax get Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa or Shogun by James Clavell instead.

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interesting information from the corporate side

Revisado: 08-03-17

A nice old fashioned view, with a happy end. Everything will work out, and radioactive isotopes aren't so bad after a couple of years. YAY!
I really enjoy reading global histories written from a specific perspective. It's a fun and informative listen with just enough chemistry to lecture you to sleep at night. The lecturer is enthusiastic and we'll spoken.

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Air fresheners will be to provided.

Revisado: 02-08-17

There was some time to kill on both ends, but I mostly loved it. This book is more organized than redshirts, more fun than ghost brigade, more bodily excretion than an Archie comic. Scalzi reads okay, way better than Tom Robbins at reading.

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Great show, so-so audio quality.

Revisado: 08-26-16

What did you like best about Dragnet: Old Time Radio - 379 Episodes? What did you like least?

I like the story and the original production. It's kinda innocent and sweet for a murder and crime book. The detectives are honorable and the criminals get their due.

What other book might you compare Dragnet: Old Time Radio - 379 Episodes to and why?

It's not like other Audible books I've listened to. It is like a True Detective magazine from the 60's. The show is a lot like the video game "LA Noire," but it is exactly like the Dragnet tv show. Friday's partner Ben Romero has a voice and personality like Butters on South Park.

Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?

Ben Romero. I imagine him as a 42 year old Butters Scotch. You gotta hear him!

Could you see Dragnet: Old Time Radio - 379 Episodes being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

...it's been done.

Any additional comments?

The audio quality is bad in parts. In some chapters, it "get's stuck" repeating the same few seconds for a minute or so like a broken record. It gets distracting.

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Rainbows End meets Starship Troopers! Good!

Revisado: 08-05-12

What did you love best about Old Man's War?

This is an inspiring book for an old man to read! John Scalzi's light handed and humorous handling of some popular scifi concepts combined with his original and well-thought-through ideas make this well written book an easy joy to listen to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

John Perry, the protagonist. He is a perfect accidental hero with qualities that create a bond of human experience between him and the reader.

What does William Dufris bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice interpretations of the characters were spot-on. His voices are their voices to me now. Great inflection; it is easy to hear the punctuation in his reading.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It is laugh out loud funny in places.

Any additional comments?

Fun stuff. Good writer and clean editing.

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Dark fun! Tropical steampunk with a touch of Kafka

Revisado: 08-05-12

Would you listen to Pump Six and Other Stories again? Why?

I would listen to a few of the stories again because I enjoyed the unique flavor of Bacigalupi's future world and his organic technology. His characters are often so removed from the builders of their society that technology, religion and philosophy are a single concept to them. I like that part a lot. Nothing beats a good-hearted stoic faced with an unsolvable dilemma for character building.

Other stories are too violent for me, and I would not listen to them again.

What did you like best about this story?

The freshness of the writing combined with his mix of fun-and-new scientific concepts.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The gore and violence grossed me out at times. Some passages seemed like they were from a writing workshop to explore trauma rather than written for publication.

Any additional comments?

Fun, rough, new. Definitely of a voice and style which is his own.

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esto le resultó útil a 2 personas