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 Posted: Mon Apr 23, 2007 5:29 pm
Avoiding Drama.
This one may seem like common sense to some people, however these are usually the same people who think that the Ten Commandments are common sense despite all the evidence (called "crime") that these things are not human nature.
Anywho, this one's actually very underrated, as any high school environment will show. In fact, I may be the only person I know who actually succeeds in (much less makes an effort to) avoid it in my own life. Seriously, this is a lot of fun. I don't think I've ever laughed harder than I do at other people's drama, and that's something you can only properly do if you don't have any of your own.
So get rid of it.
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 2:41 pm
While we are on the subject of books, I'll throw my own two cents in:
First of all, I'm a total Harry Potter nut, the books are better than the movies, and you won't get spoilers out of me... *cough*Toshimi, you're lazy.*cough* If you haven't read them and don't hate the theory, read them... the whole series is good.
Second of all, I had to read this for summer reading last year and, amazingly for summer reading fodder, loved it...
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (sorry, it's a slightly uncommon book, so I figured you'd want the author's name.) is really good, but don't read it if you hate sad endings.
And I might just have to check out some of the reads you all suggested.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:07 am
Two Books (Series really) for you. The first is the Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov. Mankind recommends that you begin with the title book Foundation and read the others in the order that they were written:
The Original Trilogy:
Foundation
Foundation and Empire
Second Foundation
The Sequels:
Foundation's Edge
Foundation and Earth
The Prequels:
Prelude to Foundation
Forward the Foundation
In the Original Trilogy, Asimov describes a decaying empire 30000 years in the future in which a brilliant man name Hari Seldon has mathematically calculated the best possible future for humanity and attempts to employ these equations in order to save humanity from 10000 years of absolute destruction and chaos. The sequels follow an exiled foundation councilman named Golan Trevize in his search for the mythical second foundation which he thinks is orchestrating the entire galaxy to its whims. In his quest he finds something more terrifyingly powerful. Then he searches through dystopian planet after dystopian planet for the even more mythical original planet of Humanity Earth where he will find the answer to life the universe and everything (it is not, in fact, 42). The prequels chronicle Hari Seldon's quest to save the failing empire through his mathematical formula, his years spent fleeing the terrifyingly powerful first minster of the Empire Eto Demerzel, with the help of the enigmatically powerful Chetter Hummin. They tell of his rise to intergalactic fame and power, as he takes Demerzel's position as first minister. Finally we get to see how all of this was put in to play in the first place, and it is not at all how you might expect. The second series, and Nevi will thank me for this, is The Dune Chronicles by Frank Herbert. These Six books tell the story of the mysterious desert planet, Dune, its vital role in the Empire, its miraculous transformation into a lush seat of power for a God among men, and its inevitable return to the vital desert which produces the one material the entire Galaxy depends on. I cannot tell you much more about this without giving away anything, but if you have a chance to watch the '80's movie version (Featuring Sting! Yes, that Sting!) Do it, it's terrifyingly hilarious in its complete failure to be a halfway decent movie. I recommend these stories because, upon their completion, you will realize that George Lucas is a complete hack. Plus they are absolutely fantastic in their story telling abilities. You have just been given more than 3000 pages of the greatest science fiction ever penned. You know what to do. Put down Harry Potter and get lost in something real.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:43 pm
YES! I am not the only one who sees the genious of Frank Herbert!
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 1:46 pm
No indeed, as a matter of fact recent estimates say that somewhere around 12 million people see the genius of Frank Herbert.
At least that's how many times the original Dune novel has been sold.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 1:49 pm
muahahaha.... our forces are growing!
I even have found "I am the Kwizats Haderaech" shirts online!
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:36 pm
Ah, I've been thinking about reading 'Dune' for a bit now, since my Chemistry teacher mentioned it. And Asimov's pretty awesome too, in theory, I've never gotten to read some of his work...
Right now I have to finish reading The Scarlet Letter. *grumble* I'm not a big fan so far...
By the way, I also HIGHLY recommend another Hawthorne work, the short story "Doctor Heidegger's Experiment". It's an interestingly-premised story.
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Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2007 9:09 pm
Wait, you mean Heidegger from ff7?
By the way, for those of us who are video game inclined, Final Fantasy 7 maintains its position as hands-down, the greatest rpg video game ever made. I strongly recommend this multi-disc playstation game, or if you can find a copy that works and have a version older than ME, the release of the game for Microsoft Windows.
This game has the best plot I have seen in any of its like. and if there's one thing I know, it's plot.
I'll check out this enigmatic short story of Hawthorne's, though, but only for my love of FF7.
By the way, if you want a short story with one hell of a interesting premise read The Lottery by Shirley Jackson.
If you ever want to write something that will chill readers to the bone, this is a good reference. Eeeeerie!
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Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 2:58 pm
Mankind Unmitigated Wait, you mean Heidegger from ff7? By the way, for those of us who are video game inclined, Final Fantasy 7 maintains its position as hands-down, the greatest rpg video game ever made. I strongly recommend this multi-disc playstation game, or if you can find a copy that works and have a version older than ME, the release of the game for Microsoft Windows. This game has the best plot I have seen in any of its like. and if there's one thing I know, it's plot. I'll check out this enigmatic short story of Hawthorne's, though, but only for my love of FF7. By the way, if you want a short story with one hell of a interesting premise read The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. If you ever want to write something that will chill readers to the bone, this is a good reference. Eeeeerie! Ok... and this was written long before FF7, MU...
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Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 7:56 am
This week, on Mankind Recommends; Webcomics! Shlock Mercenary: With its brilliant science fiction knowledge, fantastically cynical humor, and 2000+ comic strong archive (seven days a week for 7 years, not a single one missed), this is a fantastic read. How can you go wrong with the comic which spawned the Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pirates? Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire: This comic started off with quick quips and incredibly good puns, but since has moved into one of the best fantasy plots you can find online. While a part of me wants to move back to cheap humor, the rest of me is waiting in great anticipation to see what happens next. Besides, if I need cheap humor, I'll just read: Penny Arcade: These guys can make any innocent thing horrible, and anything horrible incredibly hilarious. Reading this Monday-Wednesday-Friday updated comic is sure to broaden your horizons, if only by increasing you vocabulary in the colorful sense of the word. That's about all I can do right now, but stay tuned for more comics. Only on Mankind Recommends.
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