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Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 12:56 am
by kd7mvs
For those of us of the appropriate generation, The Five Chinese Brothers is a very familier story.

After all, it was read on Captain Kangaroo many times.

As I said, you have to be of the appropriate generation.

Although having just checked Wikipedia, it ran for a good many years after I stopped watching it circa 1966, when I entered first grade. I had no idea it ran until partway through 1984.

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:44 pm
by Wolfee
Only the 1st book is an ebook, the other 2 are around in paperback. Chris Clarmonts The High Frontier trilogy. Excellent, but a wee bit dated.

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2018 5:20 am
by kd7mvs
EDIT: Replaced "Atlantis" with "Lemuria"; hey, I get them confused, OK?

Kinda surprised no one has mentioned this one yet.
http://www.baen.com/princess-holy-aura.html
Baen Books released it last December. Available in hardcover and eBook.

Cthulhu Mythos, Mahou Shoujo, and supreme sacrifice to "Do The Right Thing."

Since the Fall of Lemuria, periodically the Stars Come Into Alignment, and Those From Beyond attempt to gain entry into our universe, via Earth.

The Apocalypse Maidens were created as the last ditch defense of Lemuria. The Magic was such that it continues to function down through the ages, locating The Heart that is Sought, the Courage that is needed, the Will that is eternal, to become the First of the Apocalypse Maidens, around whom the other four will gather.

So far, each time they have been created anew by the Magic, and have succeeded in sealing The Portal prior to Azathoth manifesting in our world.

There is a Vessel for this Magic, the one who does the Seeking, the lone survivor of Lemuria maintained by the Magic for this purpose.

Long since he has come to question the ethics of asking a fourteen-year-old girl to be the first Apocalypse Maiden. After all, his own daughter volunteered to be the very first one. He has no control over who the others will be, but the first, he selects.

The greater the sacrifice involved, the stronger the Apocalypse Maiden.

So, this time, he seeks one who has the age, maturity, wisdom, and compassion required to truly make such a sacrifice.

Stephen Russ isn't so sure he should feel complimented about being selected. Although he'd already shown by his actions that his heart was in the right place, he really wasn't into the idea of becoming a fourteen-year-old girl, which would happen if he became Mystic Galaxy Defender Princess Holy Aura.

Sure, it would only last until they Sealed the Portal, after which the World would be as if there had been no attempted Incursion [well, anyone who was killed by those attempting entry would remain dead...], but still, he was comfortable in his gender, and had no desire to be female, let alone a Freshman in High School.

But when push came to shove, when it was a choice between becoming Princess Holy Aura or letting innocents die, it turned out to be no choice at all. You did what you had to do, after all.
Spoiler
Show
Those From Outside, however, are patient. For the Apocalypse Maidens need fail but once, and they win.

Consider the ethics of constantly delaying the inevitable, rather than seeking to finish things once and for all time...

Once you take the high road, such things must be considered...

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2018 7:14 pm
by crxbnt
kd7mvs:

Guess what I picked up yesterday to read? It wasn't so much a choice as what was available where I was. And I was shocked and surprised to discover that this is very good and NOTHING like I expected. I second the reccomendation.

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2018 6:41 am
by kd7mvs
Yep.

Ryk put a lot of thought into it.

Yes, it's full of tropes, but he analyzed them in depth, and does some amazing things with them as a result.

Some of it is just humor, such as when the first two Apocalypse maidens have defeated the baddie, are walking away, comment that now that it's dead they can relax for a moment, and then without even thinking twirl around and blast the monster as it approaches them, finally putting an end to it. With follow up words to the effect of "What? You honestly thought we didn't see that coming? There isn't a slasher film out there where the monster doesn't come back for a final attack after they think they've defeated it!"; like I said, he's studied the tropes.

Given the underlying, overtly expressed, fact that the power of both sides in the conflict is increased by the general belief in the memes they embody, there was just no way that the monster wouldn't make a final attack after they thought it was defeated.

And it really is focused on Doing the Right Thing.

Not taking the easy route, but really thinking about what the ethical thing to do is.

That there really is a standard by which your actions can be judged, no matter what the situation.

Granted, sometimes it's a choice between not such a good choice and a really lousy choice, but that's still an ethical choice that matters.

And that there are things that are worth doing, without regard to what you have to personally sacrifice to accomplish it. Because there are times when the good of the many does outweigh the good of the one. And, there are times when the good of the one is of sufficient importance to those who know them, that they are willing to sacrifice themselves for that one.

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2018 2:29 am
by dragonman
Has anyone ventured here:
https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Science_ ... Bookshelf)
Copious quantities of oldies.

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 4:47 pm
by kyli
So I just read a fairly good story on SOL (I got the link to the story from this thread) that drew me in and had me loving the characters from the first chapter. I also have this problem where I get too emotionally attached to characters in a story that I love. That's why I hate books where the author kills off too many or very important characters. It has me thinking about the story all day and and stuck in a state of melancholy until I find a way to get my mind off of it. And this is what happened. The author seemed to have trouble writing or advancing the plot or something so he went ahead and killed the second most important character, and also my favorite character. So, getting to my point, what I am looking for is a light-hearted story with a good plot and great characters to get my bloody mind off this story as fast as possible. I'm hoping you guys can help with that.

PS - I prefer Sci-Fi

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 6:52 am
by GBLW
kyli wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 4:47 pm So I just read a fairly good story on SOL (I got the link to the story from this thread) that drew me in and had me loving the characters from the first chapter. I also have this problem where I get too emotionally attached to characters in a story that I love. That's why I hate books where the author kills off too many or very important characters. It has me thinking about the story all day and and stuck in a state of melancholy until I find a way to get my mind off of it. And this is what happened. The author seemed to have trouble writing or advancing the plot or something so he went ahead and killed the second most important character, and also my favorite character. So, getting to my point, what I am looking for is a light-hearted story with a good plot and great characters to get my bloody mind off this story as fast as possible. I'm hoping you guys can help with that.

PS - I prefer Sci-Fi
I've run into stories of that sort usually when I've also become bored with writing my own tales or if my pinkies are acting up due to arthritis.
I have a remedy that usually works for me though - I go looking in the fan fiction archive and scan a few tales until I find something that rings my chimes.
One author that I have often read is a gal named "Slytherinsal" because she writes a good tale and at one time she was quite prolific
Here's the link to the first of her "Pern" fanfics (And there are several) - https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6593028/1/ ... agonchoice

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 7:02 pm
by kyli
I'll check it out. I usually avoid fan fiction though. Will I have to read the Pern series in order to understand whats happening or can i read this as stand alone?

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 9:28 am
by GBLW
if you've read any of the Pern stories, you'll be fine - only the fanfic author doesn't like AM's science or the ending of the Pern series, she has an "alternate" view.

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2018 9:14 am
by Wolfee
I just read the first 5 books in the Cradle series by Will Wight. Pretty darn good. Available on kindle unlimited.

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2018 4:30 pm
by drowsy19
The Damned and Cursed series of books by Glenn Bullion are very good.

A Practical Guide to Evil is also very enjoyable

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2018 3:30 am
by boballab
Have two recommendations:

1. If you like MilSF with large mecha involved there is the Revelations Cycle by Mark Wandrey and Chris Kennedy:
https://www.amazon.com/Cartwrights-Cava ... +cavaliers

2. If you like Post Apoc medical thrillers crossed with some action adventure there is the Pandemic series by Bobby Akart:
https://www.amazon.com/Pandemic-Beginni ... obby+akart

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2018 3:43 am
by Wolfee
Glen Stewart just published the first book in his follow up trilogy to his Duchy of Terra Trilogy. Tis a good read!

First Trilogy: https://www.glynnstewart.com/universe/duchy-of-terra/


Start of the 2nd: https://www.glynnstewart.com/books/darkness-beyond/

Re: Links to Good Reading (Part 2)

Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2018 5:52 am
by artreus
Hello,
i usually bookmark stories i want to read in the future, when i have time,
guess what, the future arrived, and the link is dead .
anyone know if https://www.fictionpress.com/s/2695797/ ... ng-The-End
(www.fictionpress.com/s/2695797/1/SORD-Begining-The-End ) is hosted anywhere else,
if so, where ? google is no help to me