- Posts: 16929
- Thank you received: 10375
Bugs: Recent Topics Paging, Uploading Images & Preview (11 Dec 2020)
Recent Topics paging, uploading images and preview bugs require a patch which has not yet been released.
What PLAYER ONES are you READYING?
- Michael Barnes
- Offline
- Mountebank
- HYPOCRITE
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
I read the book on a road trip. I was assumed and entertained. It wasn't great, but I didn't find it offensive.
My coworker said the same thing. "Read it on vacation. It was okay."
I think we've kicked RPO around before. I'm not all that nostalgic for 300-baud modems, cassette tapes, and the Cold War, so I might not be its target audience.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Michael Barnes
- Offline
- Mountebank
- HYPOCRITE
- Posts: 16929
- Thank you received: 10375
A friend of my wife had an 80s-themed birthday party a few months ago. It was a costume thing. I thought, well shit, I'll just wear my painted leather jacket that I actually wore in the 80s. It has the Misfits "Die, Die My Darling" thing painted on the back and some other logos (Killing Joke, Germs, Dead Kennedys, Adicts, Subhumans, CRASS, Christian Death, The Damned, etc.). I had a friend paint it for me in 1988, and I sort of affectionately call it my "letterman jacket". So we go to this party, and of course it's all of these folks dressed in these extreme, exaggerated, cartoon 1980s costumes. And I'm just thinking "this is NOT what it was like in the 80s, no one dressed like this shit." But then this camera operator (it was a film biz thing) from Brazil comes up to me and says "now THAT is like what I wore in the 80s". I felt so vindicated. So we talked about punk rock all night.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
I sort of hated the book, and I like all kinds of trash as long as it has a resemblance of a story arch.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Posts: 785
- Thank you received: 802
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Legomancer
- Topic Author
- Offline
- D10
- Dave Lartigue
- Posts: 2944
- Thank you received: 3873
Lord knows I've read some shitty books in my life and have a soft spot for some weak-ass nonsense, but this is just...holy cow.
I was curious as to what people on BGG were saying about the upcoming movie and I can't find any discussion of it at all, which I thought was weird.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Colorcrayons
- Offline
- D8
- Wiz-Warrior
- Posts: 1693
- Thank you received: 1703
Da Bid Dabid wrote: I think its the worst book I've ever read. Finished because it was for sci fi book club and I wanted to eviscerate it to the fullest. Everyone hated it, but somehow they claim "The Difference Engine" was worse (was read before I joined).
As a fan of the difference engine, I cannot possibly see how that was worse than RPO. Gibson and Sterling worse than Cline... They would need some seriously in depth qualifying analysis to back up that pretty god damned wild assertion.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- ChristopherMD
- Offline
- Road Warrior
- Posts: 5225
- Thank you received: 3758
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
Still admiring that shit sandwich review. Goddamn, get on my level.
Yeah, I hated it. The point is made above a couple of times:
What I've come away with is that the criticism of RPO is limited to "just a list of references" and "lol this sucks" because there is seemingly nothing more to say about it. There's nothing else there. The plot really is just a delivery system of "remember this?" with nothing animating it. None of the items referenced are analyzed or appraised, they are simply summoned and dismissed. In fact, the emphasis seems to always be on rote repetition, memorization, and mechanical mastery, nothing more. No meaning is ascribed to any of these things.
I resent its success, which is weird, because I am all for other folks doing well. If you want a rock-solid 80s good time for nerds, watch SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD. I know you were all busy at THE EXPENDABLES when it came out and laid a fat stinky turd at the box office, but watch it now and love it.
Jeb
RATING: Awesome
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
I lived with a lot of fear in the 80s from the cold war and nuclear annihilation. I don't hate the 80s though. I had a good time by and by and there'a lot of cool stuff that came out of the era. I think being inspired by the 80s to create something new is good and fine. However, to me, RPO doesn't appear to do that. Instead of creating anything it, so far in my read, just lists successful and cool stuff _other_ people created while being devoid of any artist merit itself.
How did the book blow up anyway? Did it get good reviews anywhere? Who was praising it?
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Black Barney
- Offline
- D20
- 10k Club
- Posts: 10045
- Thank you received: 3553
But I really liked when Iron Giant showed up. That tugged on my heartstrings and then I felt kind of mad that they used that image to evoke a feeling when it's not The Iron Giant I'm watching here.
I'll wait for reviews. I'm sort of expecting another A.I. type of movie. Something with some really great moments but really long and drawn out.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
jeb wrote: I know you were all busy at THE EXPENDABLES when it came out a laid a fat stinky turd at the box office
Hey, wait. Wasn't The Expendables itself an 80s throwback flick?
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Colorcrayons
- Offline
- D8
- Wiz-Warrior
- Posts: 1693
- Thank you received: 1703
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.