Due to your last video I have purchased and received Tolkiens Beowulf this week. Can’t wait to read it. It’ll be my first Tolkien book I’ve read. Have a great weekend!
Sounds interesting Steve. Love the man against nature as well. I grew up on Jack London novels. I Also love true adventure. I was wondering how the logistics worked on moving the population of this planet to another? My favorite futuristic movie would be Soylent Green. Seems more plausible. Cheers Ron
Hi Steve. Antietam in my Rossi tonight. I was an avid Sci-Fi reader in my younger days. A.C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama was one of my favorites. I was reminded of it when Oumuamua made its recent visit to our solar system a few years ago, but very few people understood the reference. Asimov, Bradbury, and Clarke were my ABCs of Sci-Fi, and I read everything I could find by them, (including a couple of Asimov's textbooks on Physics). Another favorite Sci-Fi author that nobody's ever heard of is Ron Goulart, who wrote Sci-Fi with a comic twist. One of the few authors that made me actually laugh out loud as I was reading!
I know the ABCs, but do not know Goulart. Will have to check him out. The only author who has made me laugh out loud is P.G. Wodehouse, author of the Jeeves & Wooster books.
Of all the things digital media can do, what you described is not among them. If I could, I think I would get an air freshener for my car that smelled of old books.
@@PerkinsPipes just not into all this technology of today. Have been retired for last 10 years. Love to read but rarely find time to. Always something with this old house that needs my attention.
Rendezvous with Rama is an awesome book. I was unable to put it down. I don't know if it was a time of life issue or some other reason but it altered the way I think about our minuscule place in the universe and also the possibilities for our own future.
I had read some Clarke in the past, but never Rendezvous with Rama until quite recently. It was absolutely wonderful, and now I hear a film is being made of it.
The Martian was brilliantly written and genuinely funny. Weir made the situation feel incredibly realistic, and the pacing never let my attention drift. Man vs Wild: In this dynamic, it's easy to be hopeful for man, as the conflict is often viewed as an "unfair" fight. Nature, vast and indifferent, may seem like a passive antagonist. Yet, when we take a closer look, the struggle becomes deeper. Consider the story of Job-if we stripped away the biblical commentary on the spiritual realm, it might have appeared as a purely "man vs wild" battle. Job’s suffering, set against the backdrop of a chaotic and uncaring world, feels like a raw, human confrontation with the forces of nature. Though one could argue that in Man vs Wild, there is always a clear antagonist, man at the mercy of deeper forces. Behind the wild, the True Protagonist operates, reminding us that man is never entirely in control of his fate. Man vs Man: When crafted skillfully, this conflict can leave readers torn, uncertain of who the true "good guy" is. After all, there has only ever been One Purely Good Man. I think of The Count of Monte Cristo, where we sometimes find ourselves questioning Dantès’ choices. Although his actions are driven by "justified anger" and a thirst for justice, they blur the lines between right and wrong. Though hard to say I wouldn’t have made the same decisions in his place. A writer who I believe does justice to many of these existential questions is Cormac McCarthy. In The Road (Man vs Wild), No Country for Old Men (Man vs Man vs "Man" or Wild), Blood Meridian (Man vs Wild... and some Man), etc. McCarthy masterfully explores these conflicts. What he does exceptionally well is ask the deeper question: Is man truly any different from the wild? Where do the boundaries between man and nature lie-and why?
Thank you so much for dropping by with such thoughtful comments. I need to read McCarthy, but haven't gotten around to him yet. I love what you said about well crafted "man vs. man" and the ambiguity over the good and the bad, which of course mimics life. And you are correct as well about the One Purely Good Man.
I never read a book if i have seen the movie first. I find seeing the movie gives me a visual impression that distorts my precptiom of the world I am deliving into. By not seen the movie my mind is free to build a world in my mind. Also a movie does not always convey the auther's intent.
I think any serious reader will say the same. Not only is there more that can be conveyed by writing, but each person gets to form his or her own mental images. Now, I will say that when I read The Martian, there were certainly scenes that came to mind from the movie, but there was so much more in the book that was not in the movie that my mind was free to invent its own landscape.
Steve! Love the pipe! It looks like a great sitter! Love the topic! I have definitely watched The Martian. I tried to read the book and got about halfway through (I already knew what was going to happen!) I have also read the Rendevouz with Rama series...all great books! I love the whole concept of Man being alone...(maybe because as we get older, we can definitely understand it and associate with it more and more). One thing i will mention, as you definitely like the man vs. nature AND man vs. himself...have you seen a survival series called Alone...? I don't particularly like survival shows or reality shows, but to me, Alone is one of the best out there! It is usually on the History channel if I'm not mistaken but you can stream it on probably more than just that. It is about 10 survivors who are put out in some of the harshest areas and they have no contact with any of the other contestants or any concept of how long they are going to be out there. It truly is man vs. nature and man vs. himself...some of the ones that have to call it quits can be truly heartbreaking because of the struggles they are going through just within themselves! Check that out if you haven't already! (And, just as a side note, I'm not sure if it was the light or what, but it looked like your beard was a little grayer in the video! 🤷♂️😉) AND, at 13:34, there seemed like there was a glitch in The Matrix! Just having a little fun with ya! You do such a great job with these videos...!!! Have a GREAT weekend!
I have heard of Alone, but had never really explored it to see what it is was about. Your description is intriguing. As for more salt than pepper in the beard, all I can say is that as a high school teacher, I'm surprised there is any pepper left at all! And I saw that glitch as well. I won't worry about it unless it turns into déjà vu of a black cat! LOL!
@@tacpowers The movie was mostly based on the Beowulf story, with some significant differences, but I don't think the Tolkien version had anything to do with it. There is a rather sharp division between the first half or two-thirds of the poem and the remainder, and the film tried to bridge that gap with some of the details it added.
I've read The Martian, listened to the audiobook version (that's since been taken down), and watched the movie multiple times. I very much enjoyed the story and the overall writing. I tend to have a bit of a difficult time reading something in first person POV, but The Martian worked fine for me. I have Project Hail Mary on kindle but haven't gotten around to reading it. I'm trying to get more into older writing. The first on the docket is A Princess of Mars.
Nice chat
Due to your last video I have purchased and received Tolkiens Beowulf this week. Can’t wait to read it. It’ll be my first Tolkien book I’ve read. Have a great weekend!
I am so glad to hear that! Let me know what you think.
Andy Weir is an amazing author! I love his books
Sounds interesting Steve. Love the man against nature as well. I grew up on Jack London novels. I Also love true adventure. I was wondering how the logistics worked on moving the population of this planet to another? My favorite futuristic movie would be Soylent Green. Seems more plausible. Cheers Ron
Hi Steve. Antietam in my Rossi tonight. I was an avid Sci-Fi reader in my younger days. A.C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama was one of my favorites. I was reminded of it when Oumuamua made its recent visit to our solar system a few years ago, but very few people understood the reference. Asimov, Bradbury, and Clarke were my ABCs of Sci-Fi, and I read everything I could find by them, (including a couple of Asimov's textbooks on Physics). Another favorite Sci-Fi author that nobody's ever heard of is Ron Goulart, who wrote Sci-Fi with a comic twist. One of the few authors that made me actually laugh out loud as I was reading!
I know the ABCs, but do not know Goulart. Will have to check him out. The only author who has made me laugh out loud is P.G. Wodehouse, author of the Jeeves & Wooster books.
Will not read books on phone, love the thrill of turning pages and the smell of an old book.
Of all the things digital media can do, what you described is not among them. If I could, I think I would get an air freshener for my car that smelled of old books.
@@PerkinsPipes just not into all this technology of today. Have been retired for last 10 years. Love to read but rarely find time to. Always something with this old house that needs my attention.
I really liked the Martian. I believe I will have to check out these books
Good to see you today, taking a break from prepping to paint. Peterson St. Patrick's with Early Morning Pipe.
Mmmm...both the pipe and tobacco sound like a good combination!
Rendezvous with Rama is an awesome book. I was unable to put it down. I don't know if it was a time of life issue or some other reason but it altered the way I think about our minuscule place in the universe and also the possibilities for our own future.
I had read some Clarke in the past, but never Rendezvous with Rama until quite recently. It was absolutely wonderful, and now I hear a film is being made of it.
The Martian was brilliantly written and genuinely funny. Weir made the situation feel incredibly realistic, and the pacing never let my attention drift.
Man vs Wild: In this dynamic, it's easy to be hopeful for man, as the conflict is often viewed as an "unfair" fight. Nature, vast and indifferent, may seem like a passive antagonist. Yet, when we take a closer look, the struggle becomes deeper. Consider the story of Job-if we stripped away the biblical commentary on the spiritual realm, it might have appeared as a purely "man vs wild" battle. Job’s suffering, set against the backdrop of a chaotic and uncaring world, feels like a raw, human confrontation with the forces of nature.
Though one could argue that in Man vs Wild, there is always a clear antagonist, man at the mercy of deeper forces. Behind the wild, the True Protagonist operates, reminding us that man is never entirely in control of his fate.
Man vs Man: When crafted skillfully, this conflict can leave readers torn, uncertain of who the true "good guy" is. After all, there has only ever been One Purely Good Man. I think of The Count of Monte Cristo, where we sometimes find ourselves questioning Dantès’ choices. Although his actions are driven by "justified anger" and a thirst for justice, they blur the lines between right and wrong. Though hard to say I wouldn’t have made the same decisions in his place.
A writer who I believe does justice to many of these existential questions is Cormac McCarthy. In The Road (Man vs Wild), No Country for Old Men (Man vs Man vs "Man" or Wild), Blood Meridian (Man vs Wild... and some Man), etc. McCarthy masterfully explores these conflicts.
What he does exceptionally well is ask the deeper question: Is man truly any different from the wild? Where do the boundaries between man and nature lie-and why?
Thank you so much for dropping by with such thoughtful comments. I need to read McCarthy, but haven't gotten around to him yet.
I love what you said about well crafted "man vs. man" and the ambiguity over the good and the bad, which of course mimics life. And you are correct as well about the One Purely Good Man.
I never read a book if i have seen the movie first. I find seeing the movie gives me a visual impression that distorts my precptiom of the world I am deliving into. By not seen the movie my mind is free to build a world in my mind. Also a movie does not always convey the auther's intent.
I think any serious reader will say the same. Not only is there more that can be conveyed by writing, but each person gets to form his or her own mental images. Now, I will say that when I read The Martian, there were certainly scenes that came to mind from the movie, but there was so much more in the book that was not in the movie that my mind was free to invent its own landscape.
One of my more recent favorite Science Fiction books is DISCOVERY by Karina Fabian.
@@gkseeton Thanks for the recommendation!
I have not read any of his books but you have piqued my interest. I am going to read Hail Mary. Thanks for the video.
Enjoy! And let me know what you think!
@@PerkinsPipes I will!
Steve! Love the pipe! It looks like a great sitter! Love the topic! I have definitely watched The Martian. I tried to read the book and got about halfway through (I already knew what was going to happen!) I have also read the Rendevouz with Rama series...all great books! I love the whole concept of Man being alone...(maybe because as we get older, we can definitely understand it and associate with it more and more). One thing i will mention, as you definitely like the man vs. nature AND man vs. himself...have you seen a survival series called Alone...? I don't particularly like survival shows or reality shows, but to me, Alone is one of the best out there! It is usually on the History channel if I'm not mistaken but you can stream it on probably more than just that. It is about 10 survivors who are put out in some of the harshest areas and they have no contact with any of the other contestants or any concept of how long they are going to be out there. It truly is man vs. nature and man vs. himself...some of the ones that have to call it quits can be truly heartbreaking because of the struggles they are going through just within themselves! Check that out if you haven't already! (And, just as a side note, I'm not sure if it was the light or what, but it looked like your beard was a little grayer in the video! 🤷♂️😉) AND, at 13:34, there seemed like there was a glitch in The Matrix! Just having a little fun with ya! You do such a great job with these videos...!!! Have a GREAT weekend!
Also, is that Beowolf from Tolkien the one that they made the movie from in 2007?
I have heard of Alone, but had never really explored it to see what it is was about. Your description is intriguing.
As for more salt than pepper in the beard, all I can say is that as a high school teacher, I'm surprised there is any pepper left at all! And I saw that glitch as well. I won't worry about it unless it turns into déjà vu of a black cat! LOL!
@@tacpowers The movie was mostly based on the Beowulf story, with some significant differences, but I don't think the Tolkien version had anything to do with it. There is a rather sharp division between the first half or two-thirds of the poem and the remainder, and the film tried to bridge that gap with some of the details it added.
I've read The Martian, listened to the audiobook version (that's since been taken down), and watched the movie multiple times. I very much enjoyed the story and the overall writing. I tend to have a bit of a difficult time reading something in first person POV, but The Martian worked fine for me. I have Project Hail Mary on kindle but haven't gotten around to reading it. I'm trying to get more into older writing. The first on the docket is A Princess of Mars.
Hmmm...I'm not familiar with that last one. Who wrote it?
@@PerkinsPipes It was published in the early 1900's by Edgar Rice Burroughs. He was also known as the creator of Tarzan.