Reader Question Day #2
Kallinikos writes:
What do you use for an ereader?
A Kindle third-generation model (now renamed the Kindle keyboard) without 3G, since it was cheaper. I also have a Toshiba Thrive tablet with the Kindle app, but I mostly use that for field-testing Android applications for clients.
I like dedicated eInk ereaders, but I’m ambivalent about tablets, since it’s so very difficult to get real work done on a tablet. However, they are sometimes quite useful – I had no need to print off my lecture notes for class, since I could simply read them off the tablet.
Manwe writes:
I see you read a Gemmell book, I like him as well, but I never read the one you mentioned (Knights of Dark Renown), is it worth my time?
Oh, yes, indeed it is. I haven’t read all of Gemmell’s books (yet), but I’ve liked all the ones I read, and I think “Knights of Dark Renown” is one of his best. He hits all his usual themes – the corruption of power, the necessity of physical courage, the possibility of redemption – and turns them up to 11. Plus there’s evil wizards and battle golems and vampires (and not the sparkly kind, either).
Several dozen Google searches to my site ask:
what is premise hunger games
“The Hunger Games” is a YA dystopian SF novel set in a future when the oppressive government of the Capitol rules over 12 Districts with an iron fist. To help keep the Districts in line, every year the Capitol holds the “Hunger Games”, a cross between a Roman gladiatorial combat and a reality TV show. Two teenagers from each District are forced to come to the Capitol, and then fight each other to the death on national TV.
“The Hunger Games” is an extremely dark book, sort of a cross between “All Quiet On The Western Front” and “The Truman Show”, but with more rayguns and other scifi doodads. Still, I would recommend it. Especially since it might help teach its readers to regard the moronic talking heads on modern TV with cynicism. There’s nothing the slightest bit realistic about reality TV.
That’s Reader Question Day for this week. If you have a question, leave it in the comments or send an email to jmcontact at jonathanmoeller.com, and I’ll answer it next week.
-JM
With such a high recommendation from you, I just put “Knights of Dark Renown” on my Amazon list! After all it does have non-sparkly vampires in it, so how bad can it be? But this only brings up two more questions, all related to Gemmell.
1) Before you read “Knights of Dark Renown”, what was your favorite Gemmell book? Most fans pick “Legend” I think.
2) As mentioned before I like Gemmell, but there are still some works of his that I have not read yet. Maybe you have though?! Specifically the Rigante series. Any good, or have you not read them?
1.) Hero in the Shadows.
2.) I’ve read the first Rigante book and thought it excellent, but I haven’t gotten to the other ones yet.
Thank you
1) Have not read “Hero” yet, I still have several more drenai novels left untill that one!
2) Rigante looked good, and now that I have a reliable second opinion on it, I think I may just have to get it.