Guerrilla Marketing for the Internet

Finished a couple days ago.

Neverwhere

Finished Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, who is becoming one of my favorite authors. He doesn't let his political views get in the way of telling a good yarn.

Sun of Suns

Yeah I know I said I wouldn't read anymore of this guy's books, but it was free. Free, I tell you!
Sun of Suns by Karl Schroeder.

Spin

Finished reading Spin by Charles Robert Wilson.

While I enjoyed it, when I read books like this, it always puts me in a strange state of mind. You have this feeling that behind the story, this is actually a subtle piece of proselytization. The author seems so sure of his view of the universe, it's like reading his personal version of a bible or manifesto.

I wonder how authors like him, and others, can be this sure. At what point did they agree to only look at the universe one way. What made them adopt this way of thinking as their personal truth?

Then I wonder if they are this sure in real life?

I wonder if this is just a desperately grasped at answer for a mind that can't conceive of anything except a mechanical universe in reaction to poorly understood or explained belief. I wonder at what point did they choose to think of themselves and mankind as supreme. I wonder at what point they decided to remove possibilities and narrow their mind.

They put up characters who believe in nothing as heroes, and portray characters who believe in anything as deluded and irrational. Which I think must echo their own lack of understanding, and a desire to do battle against the remnants of belief that they thought they had cut out, only to find it lurking in some hidden trunk of their mind.

I find it sad that they can't conceive of someone with both belief and empirical thought.

I hope that I am wrong. And I hope for a melding.

Old Man's War

I got Old Man's War by John Scalzi free from Tor. com a while back when they were just launching their site, and actually read his short story on their website first. It made me appreciate his writing and I'm glad I read this book. It's like a faster more accessible version of Forever War by Joe Haldemon, with some good characterization thrown in. If I hadn't gotten if for free I would have paid money to read it.

Playing for Keeps

I read Playing for Keeps by Mur lafferty, which you can download for free at her website. It's a funny take on people who aren't quite super enough to be super heroes, but somehow that doesn't stop them from saving the day. There are some great lines in there, but I won't spoil the fun. Go read it!

Don't Doubt

There's a little book that I've had for years called Don't Worry Make Money, that I've read several times. It's a whole bunch of small one or two page points to help you succeed. It's stated focus is on helping you make more money, but I often find it helps in other parts of my life as well.

Just this morning I picked it up and it opened to a page about doubt. It was one of those, "Man, I really needed to read this right now!" moments.

I've been doubting my talent and self-worth lately, due to my on going phobia of stagnation, and this little bit of advice was just what I needed.

Basically, it compares your real life to your dreams. It talks about how we never doubt our abilities in our dreams, if we're flying in our dreams, we never doubt that we can, and if we are strong, or rich, or intelligent, we never doubt it. So it asks why we doubt our abilities in the real world?

Doubting your abilities serves no good purpose, and merely holds us back.

So, Ive decided to not doubt, and just do.