10/13/2012

1. PROLOGUE
   
   Aaron explains the meaning of "Jamoke". Some jamoke wrote some books about
   wool. Sound pretty medieval. Any good lol meeting starts with a trip to Urban
   Dictionary.
   
   
2. Matt - ORC STAIN - James Stokoe
   
   
   1. verdict: ++
      
   2. review:
      
      Canadian comic book renaissance man - writing, drawing, inking, everything.
      Apparently the indie comic book business model is changing. All about the orc
      roots & culture. Genitals are used as currency. Aaron wants to know if there
      are sexy orcs. I guess there are these poison thrower spitter sexy orcs. Also
      love nymphs. Not set in middle earth at all. Pretty awesome detailed, yet
      messy stylized art. Gross fun book.
      
   
   
3. Chris & Adam - RP1 - Ernest
   
   
   1. verdict: Chris: -, Adam: +?
      
   2. review:
      
      In his opinion it has all the excitement of someone talking about playing a
      video game for the first time. A volume of first paragraphs of wikipedia
      pages. Discusses the plot. Chris is reminded that gunters gotta gunt. "It's
      just so dumb." Chris & Adam thought none of it was tongue-in-cheek. (ed: They
      know they are not down with the New Sincerity.) Fandom validation fantasy.
      (ed: duh) Chris admits he liked the last thirty pages.
      
   
   
4. Chris - Darth Vader & Son - Jeffrey Brown
   
   
   1. verdict: +
      
   2. review:
      
      Super cute. Local author.. pretty awesome.
      
   
   
5. Chris - Acacia & The Otherlands - David Anthony Durham
   
   
   1. verdict: +
      
   2. review:
      
      Trad fantasy. Two continents where one is mysterious. Awesome but slow start.
      Everyone's on some soma to keep everyone peaceful. Dark & sinister drug/human
      trafficking. Sets up as a rebellion about to launch against the empire. In
      the aftermath told from the perspective of the four children of the czar,
      scattered to the four corners of the earth. Character heavy epic drama. Second
      book has the heart of darkness big reveal stuff about the other continent and
      the slavery stuff.
      
   
   
6. Chad - Paolo Baciagalupi - The Alchemist
   
   
   1. verdict: +
      
   2. review:
      
      Fantasy novella with a cute global warming allegory going on. Desperate
      idealistic alchemist is trying to devise an engine to combat the evil poisonous
      bramble that's covering the world as a result of people's magic use. His
      inventions are turned to nefarious purposes by the authorities.
      
   
   
7. Megan - HERB WITCH & HERB WIFE - Elizabeth McCoy
   
   
   1. verdict: +
      
   2. review:
      
      A foray into the world of Kindle self-published novel recommendations.
      Alchemical witch with her wicked potionous intrigues. There's a love potion #9
      angle. Maybe a sort of Aladdin angle too. Something wrong with her eyes,
      people flinching and shit. Dog vomit eyes. Political guild intrigues among
      the herb witches as well.
      
   
   
8. Adam - Dark Tower BOOK 3/4 Wizard of Glass? - Stephen King
   
   
   1. verdict: +
      
   2. review:
      
      Getting metaphysical. Gunslinger on a mission. Awesome weird questions about
      whether you're in another dimension or the far far far future. Not so druggy.
      Way more linear, not as imagist. Is this series his "Hobbit"? Book 4 is
      basically more backstory. Good middle of the road between candy and something
      too draggy. Not as crazy encyclopediac. Still trying to find the dark tower.
      
   
   
9. Jeff - Rise of Endymion - Dan Simmons
   
   
   1. verdict: ++
      
   2. review:
      
      Last Hyperion book. Hegemony culture using farcast portals to travel all over
      like in Portal. Datasphere gives everyone the life of plenty & convenience.
      Everything they have is given to them by the cluster of sentient AIs called the
      TECHNOCORE. The Shrike is out to confront everyone's expectations. The
      pilgrims are trying to find him, they relate their experiences. They arrive at
      the time-tombs. Things happen and hegemony collapses. There is a new way of
      becoming immortal by accepting the cross. The new eclesiastical order rules.
      Raul Endymion and Media travel around while being followed by the PAX MILITARIA.
      Lots of stuff about St. Louis, and a huge hard-on for Keats.
      
   
   
10. Aaron - The Last Policeman - Ben H Winters
    
    
    1. verdict: +
       
    2. review:
       
       Ebook edition. Meteor gonna hit the earth. Lots of suicide and drugs and
       stuff. This guy loves his job, cares about justice in the face of the end of
       the world. Suicide in McDonalds. Something's kinda fishy. Conspiracies
       abound. Disappointing because the murder plot is anticlimactic. Guy starts
       riding his bike alot.
       
    
    
11. Chad - Empty Space - M John Harrison
    
    
    1. verdict: +++
       
    2. review:
       
       Up there with the best fantasy/scifi. After Tolkien, Dune, maybe the best.
       For fans of David Lynch, Pynchon. Anna Kearney, The Assistant, and the crew of
       the Nova Swing bop around the universe & 2030 London. There is an Aleph.
       There is a woman lying on an allotropic carbon deck embedded in a research tool
       the size of a dwarf brown star at the edge of the Tract. There's something
       wrong with her cheekbones, she's fallen, she's in the future & the past.