Category: Aa

Signal to Noise — Alastair Reynolds

By 5t4n5

Signal to Noise -- Alastair ReynoldsAvailable in the collection, Zima Blue and Other Stories.

Alastair wrote a love story: awwwwwww.

And . . . . . . it’s rather good.

Although . . . . . . i’m not really a fan of all this parallel universe nonsense, because it is nonsense, just like flat earth nonsense.

But . . . . . . done right, like Alastair can, you can find some good stories in a parallel universe as long as you ignore all the nonsense bits.

All that aside . . . . . . next up in Alastair’s bibliographic timeline is The Six Directions of Space, which i’ll be eagerly devouring in the next week or so.

Alastair’s Page

#scifi #alastairreynolds

Cardiff Afterlife — Alastair Reynolds

By 5t4n5

Cardiff Afterlife -- Alastair ReynoldsAvailable in the collection, Zima Blue and Other Stories.

Oh dear, just when i thought it was safe to read Alastair again he had to go and start writing parallel universe nonsense stories once more.

Oh please someone assure me that this is the last of Alastair’s delusions that parallel universe stories are any good, or that the theory holds any water at all. Seriously, it’s just utter twaddle.

Anyway, next up in Alastair’s publishings will be Terminal World, let’s hope that isn’t more parallel stuff twaddle nonsense.

Alastair’s Page

#scifi #alastairreynolds

The Book of Dreams — Nina George

By 5t4n5

The Book of Dreams -- Nina GeorgeThis was not what i was expecting.

Having read Nina’s previous two books and totally loved them, i just grabbed this with a quick glance at the cover art and title and set about reading it thinking i was going to have a similarly uplifting story about dreams.   Well that thought soon got put out to pasture.

Instead, we are taken into the intensive care ward of a coma hospital, and the dreams are those that people living in comas may, or may not, have.

Which does sound a little grim, but it turned out just as good, but in a rather different way, as Nina’s last two books: so well worth reading, all three of them.

And i already have Nina’s next book, The Little French Village of Book Lovers — Nina George, which i look forward to diving into in the not too distant future.

Bye for now.

Nina’s Page

#ninageorge

Before We Say Goodbye — Toshikazu Kawaguchi

By 5t4n5

Before We Say Goodbye -- Toshikazu KawaguchiThe fourth book from this rather enjoyable series: at least it had been rather enjoyable up to this book.   But i’m beginning to feel that Toshikazu is beginning to get a bit repetitive and the cafe is beginning to become a little stale.

I think that Toshikazu is simply rushing out books and not really making any effort to create something new and interesting, which is a shame.   I really feel that what this series needs is for Toshikazu to just put it down for a while and not come back to it until he has something new and interesting to bring to the cafe.

That’s my thoughts on the matter, it really doesn’t need to be ruined to meet a deadline, either with the publisher or with Toshikazu’s bank account.

Bye for now.

Toshikazu’s Page

#scifi #japan #toshikazukawaguchi

Lily58 Keyboard Typing Progress 30 WPM

By 5t4n5

On day 3 of my Lily58 adventure i managed to surpass 30 wpm . . .

Lily58 Keyboard Typing Progress 30 WPM

Hopefully the rest of the bits i need to finish the keyboard will arrive tomorrow.   I had to return one part from Amazon because it arrived in a used and broken state and the replacement is due to arrive tomorrow as well.   Fingers crossed the remaining stuff will all arrive good and dandy.

Bye for now!!!

#5t4n5 #colemakdh #mechanicalkeyboards #monkeytype #lily58 #keebs

Lily58 Keyboard Typing Progress Day 1

By 5t4n5

So yesterday i finished building a Lily58 keyboard from a kit that i bought from Mechboards (more on that in another post as i haven’t totally finished it yet), and on my first few goes on Monkeytype i managed a whopping 24.78 wpm . . .

Lily58 Keyboard Typing Progress Day 1

So, considering that it’s quite a drastic change of keyboard style, i’m more than happy only losing 6.6 wpm.   I’m thinking there’s a lot of potential for the future in this keyboard.

I shall write a whole post about my build experience as soon as i’ve finalised the build: i’m currently waiting on a few bits to finish it to my liking.

Bye for now!!!

#5t4n5 #colemakdh #mechanicalkeyboards #lily58 #monkeytype #keebs

A Fire Born of Exile — Aliette de Bodard

By 5t4n5

A Fire Born of Exile -- Aliette de BodardAnother super good story from Aliette’s Xuya universe.   I’m thinking this is probably the longest one so far: it’ll certainly keep you occupied for a good while.

Our protagonist, and her mindship friend, have both come back from the dead (that’s the exile bit) hell set on revenge against those who executed them.   But revenge isn’t quite as straight forward as they would like it to be.

If you haven’t read any Xuya stories yet then get yourself over to Aliette’s “all things Xuya page” and find out where to start and what it’s all about.   Basically, it’s just really good sci-fi, from a really good writer, with a wonderful Asian flavour to it all.

Aliette’s Page

#scifi #aliettedebodard

Colemak DH Progress: 30 WPM

By 5t4n5

On day thirteen of my Colemak DH journey i managed to break through the 30 wpm barrier all the way up to 31.35 wpm . . .

I’d like to say ‘Next update at 40 wpm’, but i’m hopefully changing keyboard again in the next couple of days to a Lily58, which, i think, is going to put me right back to the beginning again.   Ho hum, i’m sure it’ll all be worth it in the end.

Bye for now!!!

#5t4n5 #colemakdh #mechanicalkeyboards #monkeytype #keebs