SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

I'll take the eidetic memory and keep my sleep. I'd give you a run for your money Allison. :)

Eidetic memory, easy.

Ha! Not for the extra 5 hours I'd be awake a day! I kid. I think a coalition of all the perfect memories and the vampires would be exactly the sort of global tyranny to run things.

LOL! Agreed.

First order of business would be a list of required reading for the global citizenry.

Shit, I already remember too damn much. Mostly when I'm trying to get some sleep. So, the second. But I reserve the right to sleep more if I wanna.

If you are functional with three hours would that mean that with six hours you’d be phenomenal? Cause I’d love THAT option!!

Jen wrote: "LOL! Agreed.

First order of business would be a list of required reading for the global citizenry."

Yes, make sure you remember that, I'm gonna take my new nap, let's reconvene in your tomorrow.

And definitely I think this allows us to choose to sleep more. Or, at least lie in bed more, and I'm also pro-that.

Haha I would choose magic and quests, Roshar, fully truthful answer and functional on 3 hours sleep!

I was going to go with eidetic memory based on my imperfect understanding of what that meant. But, after doing some very brief research to make sure I knew what I was signing up for, it sounds like I’d get much more out of an extra 3-4 hours each day. So, that’s my choice -- fully functional with only three hours of sleep.

Phillip wrote: "Would you rather have an eidetic memory or be fully functional with only three hours of sleep every night?"

Three hours of sleep. I like re-discovering things so the eidetic memory could be a bummer. Plus there are those embarrassing moments in life that I prefer be able to fade away.

But if I could have all that extra time while other people were sleeping? That would be amazing! So much more time for reading and other leisure activities uninterrupted! Realistically, there are already days that I willingly sacrifice sleep, knowing that I'm going to be a mess the next day, and it's totally worth it.

Would you rather be the last of your species on a planet whose chemicals make you seem godlike, or an actual god of some obscure domain surrounded by completely deranged family?

(If the former, what would be your "kryptonite?" If the latter, what domain do you think you'd be god of?)

I would be part of the completely deranged family.

The latter sounds like The Chronicles of Amber. :)

Deranged Family. Definitely. Less lonely and more amusing.

Margaret wrote: "The latter sounds like The Chronicles of Amber. :)"

My first thought was the Endless, but Amber works, too. ^_^

***

I'd take the deranged family. Being the last of your species just sounds so sad...

Even though, speaking of Superman, other Kryptonians pop up, like, ALL the time.

I'd rather be godlike. I guess my kryptonite would be cheese. Fun fact, every single human who consumed cheese in 1492 is now dead. 100% fatality.

haha

Would you rather have spent hours and hours preparing a huge meal and found out not only did you not have enough, some people didn't get enough of one dish, or made so much that you'll have to eat this again for multiple meals a day for a week or more?

I have no problem with eating the same thing for days on end as long as it tastes good. I always find myself wishing I'd made multiple pans of stuffing rather than one 'cause I like it so much. The turkey, on the other hand, I wouldn't want to have for days on end.

Actually I dice up turkey, add it to the stuffing, add a bit of gravy and rebake (it's delicious) especially when I've used sourdough or rye bread and mushrooms in the stuffing

I freeze leftover turkey and have a quick source of lean cooked meat for later. I definitely would rather make too much.

False choice, in my estimation. Depending on the dish, most leftovers can be stored, frozen, and re-used creatively; they don't have to all be eaten up within a few days. Give me the leftovers anytime!

Would you rather read a book that had amazing characters and unexpected plot twists, but it has grammar and typo issues multiple times on every page (to the point you're constantly pulled out of the story)

or

Read a book that is a pillar of prose and perfection, but the story is a derivative of countless books that have gone before it in the genre. So much so, the ending is easily predictable?

neither - I can't handle typos at all

Hard choice...

But I'd go with the derivative book. I've read a lot of books which were pretty damn predictable, but with some good writing and characters I can still enjoy them.

That many typos and grammar issues would drive me to distraction, though.

As a professional proofreader, I'll take Book #1 and say, "Hah! A new customer!" ;)

Second option. A big portion of why I read is how words are used. I love the way authors can create clever phrases or paint beautiful pictures with various combinations of 26 letters. I don't care if it's the same story I've read a thousand times if it's written in a lovely manner. You can just tell when an author really loves language.

Typos drive me insane because they seem careless. Rationally, I know that isn't true. I can manage three typos in a four line text message. I can't imagine trying to be typo free in a novel length book. I just get stuck on them and feel like the author/publisher didn't give the book the time and care that the reader, and the story, deserve.

Hmm, have the first one read to me? ;)

here's the worst type laden book I've ever seen:

from the US version of Black Unicorn

"The first thing Tanaquil saw almost every morning on wakingwas her mother's face. But that was because a painting of Tanaquil's mother, the sorceress Jaive, hung opposite the bed. The paintingof Jaive had a great bush of scarlet hair in which various jewels,plants, implements and other small animals she used inher researches were caught"

Three sentences and 4 errors:

wakingwas
paintingof
jewels,plants (missing the space after the comma)
inher

Almost every other sentence has two words without a space between them

This is a book I was glad (initially) to get a digital version of, but I seriously couldn't read it, especially since it also had a jagged right edge

and this was from a mainstream publisher

Jemppu wrote: "Hmm, have the first one read to me? ;)"

Ha! Perfect answer.

I think I'd go with the derivative-but-good-prose book.

The first. English is not my first language (I make grammatical mistakes all the time) and I am used to fanfictions that often have those problems.

Magic and Quests, of course! Living in a world where we can create and dream and see in and out of reality is what makes us truly human ^_^

And besides, with magic at our disposal, we would find a way to make life easier and better for ourselves and everyone. Running water and technology, is in fact, a product of magic. Those ideas were born from something deep within ^_^

Would you rather relive 2018 exactly as it happened or skip to 2020 with memories of 2019 implanted in your brain?

Phillip wrote: "Would you rather relive 2018 exactly as it happened or skip to 2020 with memories of 2019 implanted in your brain?"

That is a great one. I have to say skip me on to 2020 and hope I did good things this year. I even had a good year, but I couldn't handle repeating everything.

I'm not missing another year, hopefully ever, least of all one I've just spent a year anticipating. Bring on the implant - and hope it's realistic enough.

Miss me with this year. (This is a really good one though)

2018 was maybe the worst year of my life but missing my girls’ 5th year....

2018 was stressful, but I wouldn't miss retiring, moving and getting settled again. I'll go for none of the above

Yep, 2018 kind of sucked for me too but we have too little time amongst the living and I wouldn't want to skip any of it. Although....if I don't have to listen to our current president for a year, that might change my mind, I just wouldn't want the memories.

Absolutely NO reliving 2018.

@Rachel, @Gabi, aww, rats. I do hope this proves a better one <3

@Hank, I'm not too sure you *have* a president at the moment. The office appears it's under some surreal invasion currently.

Oof. There's a lot of big stuff I'm looking forward to this year, but I guess I'd skip it because there is no way in hell I would ever voluntarily re-live 2018.

@hank, I'm not too sure you *have* a president at the moment. The office appears it's under some surreal invasion at the moment."

Oooh, I like that theory! Like a greenhouse gas parasite has taken over his mind so that we pump more in or maybe his hair is actually an alien who has taken control or... -fill in your best sci-fi conspiracy here-

Hank wrote: "
@hank, I'm not too sure you *have* a president at the moment. The office appears it's under some surreal invasion at the moment."

Oooh, I like that theory! Like a greenhouse gas parasite has take..."

Lololol if someone could get a good sci-fi story out of this presidency that would probably be the best thing to come of it.

I like it, Hank. Straight out of Dr. Who!

Well, I mean, after the actual experience, memories are really all you have anyway... so, would it feel like I'd actually experienced the things I have memories of?

I don't want to miss the experience of Italy, which is planned for this year... but I might pick it over reliving a year...

Gabi wrote: "Absolutely NO reliving 2018."

Ditto.

Well to be fair if I chose the skip option I wouldn't very well know I had done it if I have 2019 memories implanted, right?

That said, no re-living 2018. It was an entirely forgettable year for a bunch of reasons not all related to the fact our government was infiltrated by an enemy nation and half of our country couldn't be more pleased about that fact.

In honor of Valentine's Day.

Would you rather be a never-been-kissed, dateless virgin until age 50, but then get a storybook happily ever after romance that lasts thirty years

or

Move from relationship to realtionship (1-3 years in length) starting in high school. None are terrible, but none are fantastic. Just a series of romances that fizzle out?

Oh jeez. If I have a group of close friends who are very affectionate and offer to go to weddings and such with me, maybe the first would be tolerable. I'd probably pick the second though.

Allison wrote: "Oh jeez. If I have a group of close friends who are very affectionate and offer to go to weddings and such with me, maybe the first would be tolerable. I'd probably pick the second though."

Quality vs Quantity becomes a lot harder when that much patience is involved.