You've dropped some good ideas Richard. Thanks!

It sounds like an interesting read although it's an open ended... nice to hear you speak of how you've created this video as well, that was pretty insightful too.

Good stuff Vintage. I enjoyed this video very much! Very informative and instructional. And a great book review to boot!

@vintagesf

25 күн бұрын

Love learning from your videos!

Books written back then were written with different assumptions, especially SF stories. Experimental narratives were much more common, as in the assumptions about the craft of writing were based on a different paradigm.

Very interesting review, combined with an equally interesting look at how you did it. That book and its author never really piqued my interest, but your review certainly has. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and process.

@vintagesf

25 күн бұрын

Sometimes books that I don’t get along with become some of my most fun videos.

Great little 'behind the scenes' video! 👍 Off topic, but I wanted to post here - as you are Canadian - a tip-of-the-hat to the recent passing of Alice Munro at the age of 92. Not only one of Canada's best writers, but easily *one of the world's finest short story writers ever.* 🤗

@vintagesf

25 күн бұрын

Yes. She was, and her writing continues to be, a national treasure.

this was fascinating to hear how you usually go about reviews and then the book itself. and what a sopranos style finale -- thanks

@vintagesf

25 күн бұрын

You know ... that comparison to a Soprano's style ending is appropriate. We just don't know what happens.

That sweater is a nice TOS command gold

@vintagesf

25 күн бұрын

It was a gift from my son who thought it made me look like Captain Kirk.

@meesalikeu

25 күн бұрын

i was going to say ...!

Thanks for explaining your process, that was interesting. I also sometimes search KZread if I'm unsure about the pronunciation of an author's name, especially if it's from a language I'm not familiar with.

@vintagesf

26 күн бұрын

Sometimes the language I’m not familiar with is English. 😕

@bartsbookspace9798

25 күн бұрын

@@vintagesf😂

I will comment later!

@joebrooks4448

25 күн бұрын

isfdb has been helpful, no doubt! The Russians, particularly under Soviet Marxism, have been interfering with global elections for about 100 years. It has been well known since the 1930s. However, the 2016 US election rumor has been thoroughly disproven, and the Russians did no more than their usual harassment of both US platforms. What has been proven is the disastrous results of the US Congress' Telecommunications Act of 1996. Which circumvented existing anti monopoly laws and creating media consolidation. Allowing 3000 independent media outlets to be acquired by 6 trans national corporations. Roughly 90% of the media in the US. Creating a monopoly of monolithic news, with little or no opposing viewpoints. Pravda, essentially. You describe the election manipulations pretty well! I do not think any one politician is responsible? They are just employees. Look to the donor class of mega transnational corporations. Consider The Dutch West India and British East and West India corporations in comparison to current players in the global dominance arena. Mao did not call himself "The Chairman" for no reason! The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard and the writings of Canadian Marshall McLuhan were required reading at my High School. Wikipedia has a good page on McLuhan's thoughts on media. Pretty much clairvoyant, as is Packard. Brave New World (drugs for mind control), Nineteen Eighty-Four, Animal Farm, and a lot of SF delves into this topic, as we all know. For a more recent SF comparison and contrast of political ideology, Simmons' Flashback is Orwellian blunt, as compared to a van Vogtian or apparently a Purdom, think about it novel. Great video, a lot going on.

Very interesting to hear your process Richard. To the extent that I do reviews these days, I tend to default more to describing the plot, and less on what i really think of it, what it reminds me of etc etc. I think you're right, the latter is more interesting. 👍🚀🤖👽📚🎬

@vintagesf

25 күн бұрын

I think teasing the plot is important but I like to think about the underlying themes.

Great video, as always! I tried to rate the books, but I've ended up just saying I either do or don't recommend them. At the end of the year I'll put them in order of my least favorite to my favorite, so that is where the real rating happens!

@vintagesf

24 күн бұрын

Rating is a tough one, especially if upon further reflection I think I rated it too high or too low. I do think viewers like ratings because it gives them a read on my reaction. The more they watch, the better they understand how their preferences match mine.

This was great. I always forget about the ISFDB. Thanks for reminding me. I just used it to look up what my copy of The Long Tomorrow by Leigh Brackett is. It is the 1956 SFBC edition. I knew it was old but I didn't know it was that old.

@vintagesf

23 күн бұрын

It really is a wonderful resource. ‘The Long Tomorrow’ is a book I want to get to sooner than later. I have European Mennonite in my background so I’m always interested in these community stories.

@JosephReadsBooks

23 күн бұрын

@@vintagesf I think you will enjoy it!

Hi Richard. How would you say you assess a novel in terms of the relatively obscure books and/or authors ? For instance if this particular novel had been written by, say, Heinlein or Bester would you consider it with different eyes? I'm always nervous about reading stuff by unfamiliar names so I just wondered what your attitude is.

@vintagesf

25 күн бұрын

Sometimes a known author is harder to review. Preconceived expectations or reputations can bias the reading experience. I like to read a book ‘cold’ and then research the author, context and perhaps other reviews or articles. This actually works best with an author I’m unfamiliar with.

Ace had a history of butchering books if they were not the right length. Harlan Ellison reported Ace cut about 1/3 of Doris Piserchia's first book, Mr Justice. This was a damn shame because it was fascinating up to that point. This also reminds me of the truly nothing ending of the silent classic, Metropolis. Fritz Lang was way over budget, and it ended mostly unresolved. I really enjoyed this 'how I do reviews' episode. If I were actively running a KZread channel, I would be using a similar procedure and resources.

@vintagesf

25 күн бұрын

I wonder if Purdom's novel was sliced and diced.

@vilstef6988

25 күн бұрын

@vintagesf With the nothing ending you're reporting, it seems rather likely!

@niriop

25 күн бұрын

Ace wanted to cut like 40% out of Philip K. Dick’s Time Out of Joint and have him expand the war sections of the novel. It was the leverage he needed to get a better publisher, and that most brilliant work was published more or less intact by Lippincott.

@vintagesf

25 күн бұрын

@@niriop I think I may see if I can find anything about Ace's editing practices. This sounds like an interesting topic.