Bibliophiles of Loathing discussion

Discuss!

I've recently read this book and I really enjoyed it.
If you love KoL for the references, you'll love this. If you love the 80s for all it was (as far as video games, music, books etc goes), you'll love this.

My biggest complaint is that the references went a bit overboard at times, often listing 10ish when 3 would have done.

I enjoyed it for the most part, though some things did bother me. For example, while I liked the story itself I didn't necessarily care for the writing style. It seemed suitable for a younger audience (save for some vulgarities some parentals may not care for) but I wonder... would a younger audience care even a little bit about the world of Atari? While I was born in the 80s and know mostly what they are talking about, I was perhaps a little too young to revere it the way this universe does, but I feel like even the 80sness isn't consistent. They uber-love the 80s... except for new things that are also deemed hip. So they are down with Joust... and Firefly and the Matrix, it seems odd. If you are going to obsess with an era, why not stick with it?

Also, I wish there was more outside the virtual word. I would like to know what the real word is like more so, and why they are escaping it. Sure we get glimpses, but I'd like to feel it. One example, so Parzival's Aunt and neighbor and everyone blow up, and he doesn't seem to care. He also doesn't go to the police. Are there no police to go to? Are they corrupt or inept? I would have liked to see a scene where he was trying to deal with it instead of him just being like, oh well, gotta go!

Also, this is nitpicky and stupid of me I know, but how do these people memorize every single thing from the 80s. It takes singular dedication to be good at certain things but yet they seem to have a plethora of movies LITERALLY memorized line for line, and actual perfection of multiple games achieved. I don't know if there are enough hours in a day to dedicate to doing all this. Yeah sure, it's fictional but I couldn't help thinking this.

Anyway, it does a good way of expressing the escapism of video games into an uber extreme. Both the good and the bad sides.

Oh oh oh I just thought of another thing that bugged me. Ogden was watching people the whole time and was trying to protect the integrity of the game and thus NEW that the sixers murdered an entire trailer park community as well as a gamer and did nothing about it? He was just like, heh heh, well we'll get back at them by having some one else win the contest!

Anyway, liked the story except the juvenile tone (which may fit with the characters but rubbed me the wrong way) and some nit picky stuff about the world.

I read this book first closer to when it came out when I saw it sitting on the library shelf. I knew nothing about it beforehand, and I loved reading it. It was one of those books that I blew through in a weekend because I was so engrossed.

It went similarly the second time. I thoroughly enjoyed all the references, and I got more this time, not only cause I remember seeing them from the first reading, but I've taken in a little bit more of the 80s in the intervening period.

And because I enjoyed it so much, I just want to counter some of your complaints, Shaun.

So they are down with Joust... and Firefly and the Matrix, it seems odd.
They uber-love the 80s because they have to. To win the Egg Hunt, they need all the 80s, but they also probably just normally enjoy the new stuff. Also, some of that might be from Halliday. Just cause he was obsessed with the 80s doesn't mean he never watched new movies or tv shows.


He also doesn't go to the police. Are there no police to go to? Are they corrupt or inept?
A massive corporation just tracked his location via his OASIS account, and managed to explode his house, killing dozens of people, without anyone noticing beforehand. What would stop them from finding him in protective custody, if he even made it that far? I don't find his distrust of the police that far-fetched. The fact that he actually manages to hide does push the boundary of likelihood, but it's a dystopian future! Anything goes!


how do these people memorize every single thing from the 80s
It is literally their jobs. They spend literally all day watching tv, and movies, playing these games, reading gunter forums. And they do it all with the intention of learning and knowing these movies, not just pure enjoyment.

Ogden was watching people... and thus KNEW... did nothing about it?
We don't know that he was aware of that explosion.

I admit a lot of the book stretches suspension of disbelief, but I know that my suspension is super strong. I'm here for a story. If I wanted reality, I'd read non-fiction. However, non-fiction is boring.

So, yeah, fun-times story. I enjoyed myself.