bune wrote:Almost done with Stranger in a Strange Land.
Whoa. Whoa. Fucking whoa. "Nine times out of ten, if a girl gets raped, it's partly her fault."
There's some backward-ass thinking going on in the book to be sure, and I understand it's because of the time period, but Holy Hey-Zeus. What the hell is this.
I read somewhere that the first 2/3 of the book was written before the last 1/3 and this certainly shows. There were good ideas and now it's a cult. OK then.
Still inexhaustibly wealthy, and now free to travel, Smith becomes a celebrity and is feted by the Earth's elite. He investigates many religions, including the Fosterite Church of the New Revelation, a populist megachurch wherein sexuality, gambling, alcohol consumption, and similar activities are allowed, even encouraged, and only considered "sinning" when not under church auspices. The Church of the New Revelation is organized in a complexity of initiatory levels: an outer circle, open to the public; a middle circle of ordinary members who support the church financially; and an inner circle of the "eternally saved" — attractive, highly sexed men and women, who serve as clergy and recruit new members. The Church owns many politicians and takes violent action against those who oppose it. Smith also has a brief career as a magician in a carnival, where he and Gillian befriend the show's tattooed lady, an "eternally saved" Fosterite named Patricia Paiwonski.
Yeah, maybe I should check out the edited version eventually.
I was not a big fan of this book. I wanted to like Heinlein, i really did, but it was just too big of a cultural/generational divide for me to cross.
I tried one other book of his after this one, and believe i accidentally left it in a burger king half finished. I don't even remember which book.
I can see that.
So the cult turned into a sex cult. And the main character is hinted - heavily hinted - to be Michael. As in the Archangel. And I get that it's a satire of organized religion but it's also a little Dear Penthouse in the way it's handled.
Starship Troopers was a great read, though I wonder how much of that was because I was in the military and could see where he was coming from in it.
Son of Retro Pulp Tales by Joe R. Lansdale
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke
03/50 Movies
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
The Dark Tower (2017)
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Not a fan of the Lore book. It felt like I was reading something that shouldn't have been written down and it was due to the fact that it was transcribed podcast episodes. A lot of the chapters just started and stopped and you felt like something was missing, like some research or maybe a couple pages. Not a fan.
And I swear I've watched a movie since the other day but I'll be arsed to remember what it is.
Son of Retro Pulp Tales by Joe R. Lansdale
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke
A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Hope Larson
03/50 Movies
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
The Dark Tower (2017)
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Read the Wrinkle in Time graphic novel and just from the trailers you can see they changed a few things. Like the Mrs's. Can't wait to see what Aunt Beast looks like, that'll be interesting.
