The Soldier / Neal Asher

The Soldier

(Rise of the Jain #1)

by Neal Asher

copyright 2018

read in October 2018

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

High tech possibly "hard" science fiction. Remember Clarke's "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" ? The Soldier's technology may as well be magic. Exciting for a while, ultimately annoying.

Okay, given the state of technology imagined in this book, the ideas are amazing. But not fascinating. Every entity is all-powerful and invincible -- until it meets another even more powerful entity. As OTT as but more detailed than Doc Smith.

Unfortunately there is very little room for humanity. This is super-powered humanity of the future, fair enough. Except that the AIs seem to have more "human feelings" than the humans. And the AIs are certainly not human. What this means is, there are no characters who gain my sympathy.

This is a story of a far future and very violent universe. Believable, nasty, not at all pleasant. Sudden death -- and technological resurrection -- are everywhere. Except, perhaps, on the planets where entire populations are destroyed as the planet itself is destroyed. The author gives barely a thought to those billions of civilian casualties.

The violence itself is not a problem. The technology is not a problem. What is a problem, is the space given to descriptions of the technology in use. Imaginative ? Yes. Realistic extrapolations of current ideas ? Possibly. Waving of magic wands ? May as well be.

There is a lot of extremely high tech. A scale of millions of years, across an entire galaxy -- at least. What is missing, is a character with whom I can sympathise. Human or alien or AI, I need someone who I hope will survive to the end of the series. I have the feeling that very few major characters will *really* die... but I don't really care enough about them, to care.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"If money won't make you happy, you won't like poverty either." … Ginger Meggs

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

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cafe: 300 acres, Wembley golf course

cafe: 300 acres, Wembley golf course

14 Oct 2018

Definitely not hipster... Customers appear to be older western suburbs family groups. Surprisingly uncrowded for a Sunday morning. Perhaps due to the difficulty of finding the café in the middle of the golf course.

Parking is at a premium -- lots of people are there for the golf. I also have the feeling (an unsubstantiated impression) that our fellow diners are there because they are club golfers. As a non-golfer non-member I feel somewhat out of place.

It's a cold and windy day, we eat indoors, a very pleasant space. Somewhat upmarket. Our cake -- factory standard -- is old. Yesterday's at best. Cool coffee (as I like it) in sensibly large cups.

What sets this café apart is the view. From indoors we can see trees. On a finer day, outside offers views of the course itself, we check it out, very pleasant indeed.

There is a casual takeaway area outside, with a variety of views. For a pleasant picnic-style lunch, on a better day, that is where I would eat.

I rate this café as a very standard 2 out of 3. Visit once for the experience. Repeat visits if you also play golf at this course.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"If money won't make you happy, you won't like poverty either." … Ginger Meggs

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

cafe: Some-Day, Wembley

cafe: Some-Day, Wembley

13 Oct 2018

Western suburbs hipster. Crowded, friendly, loud. With an (entirely unproven) impression that customers live in the area.

Crowded ! We had passed by last week -- and passed on by. Customers spilling out the door onto the footpath. Filling the available tables on the corner of a busy street. The same today but we park -- quite close by -- and look inside. A "share table" for four in the inside corner, we sit, do not need to share.

Loud. Not noisy. Music from a speaker above our heads, talk talk talk across the small indoor space, loud but we can easily hear ourselves speak. Cheerfully loud.

Only one visible tattoo, no weird hair. The staff standard is loose short shorts on slender people. All cheerful.

We try a decorated doughnut. Not the Royal Show style doughnut -- light, warm, freshly fried -- but the mass produced, larger, more solid variety. The type that is bought in bulk then, presumably, decorated on site. Tasty, very sweet, one shared is plenty.

Coffee is not too hot -- and not too big. In fact, coffee cups are small. Coffee for connoisseurs rather than for people with an actual thirst.

We spill back out onto the street. Customers are still arriving.

Rated two out of three. A pleasant experience but nothing to convince us to be regulars. Unless we move house to be within walking distance.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"If money won't make you happy, you won't like poverty either." … Ginger Meggs

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

The Last Quarrel / Duncan Lay

The Last Quarrel

(Arbalester 1 of 3)

by Duncan Lay

fantasy

copyright 2015

read in October 2018

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

My first comment is: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK.

Okay, rated at 6/10 which is not bad. But it is the first of a trilogy -- and I can find no mention of that fact anywhere in the book. Which really annoys me. Do you already have the complete trilogy ? Fine, read it. If you only have book one -- be warned: nothing actually happens.

There is a host of characters. Four with some depth, the rest are 2D stereotypes. Of the four: one is an inspiring hero who falls for every trick and trap set by the baddies. This hero is an idiot.

His wife has issues, realistic issues. Which she puts aside in order to make promises; she has no idea how to make good on those promises. Their son is a wimp who has -- apparently -- potential. Everyone ignores that potential in order to teach him how to kill.

The fourth interesting character is another idiot, constantly shouting, Look at me ! look at me ! I've found the baddies ! Which causes no end of embarrassment.

I rather like these four. Despite their inherent idiocies.

The story itself is enjoyable -- but slow. With plenty of plot threads which -- I guess -- will eventually all join up.

The blurb says that the author "writes on the train", to and from his day job. I could easily believe that he gets on the train, forgets what he has previously written, so starts a new thread.

Now we get to the real problem with this book: absolutely nothing is finished.

There is no attempt to make this a standalone book. Major characters are guilty of murder, imprisoned, dead, at sea, out of sight for several chapters. Some cliffhangers but mostly just, to be continued. A real book has beginning, middle and end. This book just has a lot of beginnings.

Okay, it's easy to read and quite enjoyable. Yet the final impression is, What the hell ?!

If you have the complete trilogy, fine. Otherwise, read a book which has an actual ending.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"It's a funny kind of month, October. For the really keen footy fan it's when you discover that your wife left you, months ago." … Denis Norden had it as "cricket"
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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

cafe: The Hardware Store, Scarborough

cafe: The Hardware Store, Scarborough

Definitely hipster ! with the hardware theme applied as various tools attached to brick walls with the plaster scraped off. One area has plaster removed to leave the shape of an exposed brick Australia. Very clever :-)

We share a sticky sweet slice, caramel with a claim of peanut paste. Caramel... salted ? Interesting, very nice, not necessarily to be repeated. One slice is plenty for two of us.

Single source coffee is available, I'm not sure if all coffee is that single source. Good coffee anyway.

The customers really do make us feel out of place... Young, hip. Tradies, office workers. Just... all giving a hip impression. The two women next to us talk in a style which -- without hearing clear words -- makes me think, empty headed, self centred, unthinking. I hope I'm wrong, it's just an impression :-)

Outside the shop... is even more hip. Saturday morning, cars & enormous 4WDs lining up for the one or two parking spots. (We park out back -- plenty of spots but only one is vacant.) People walking by are -- I notice the women -- well dressed, big breasted, in an important hurry. There is no feeling of casual non-work day here. Perhaps it is quieter mid-week.

There are half a dozen seats free when we arrive, two dozen free as we leave. It is a busy time but service is not slow. With smiles.

Rated 2 out of 3: we enjoy the experience but not enough to go out of our way to return.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"It's a funny kind of month, October. For the really keen footy fan it's when you discover that your wife left you, months ago." … Denis Norden had it as "cricket"===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

cafe: Satchmo Cafe, North Perth

cafe: Satchmo Cafe, North Perth

Is this café really "hipster" ?

Sure, there are some interesting hair styles. And definitely tattoos. Yet the café appears to be in a café... That is, it is not in a repurposed shop. The walls are smooth finished plaster. The entire place seems to be neat... established... well set up.

Complete with a Satchmo theme. Several stashes of LPs. You know, vinyl records. Suitable Satchmo-style music. Independent of the LPs, I suspect :-) "Soul" written on the menu... And that is the thing: This is a soul café. It may or may not be hipster.

Coffee is excellent. Lots of choice of type though no separation by bean source. Limited selection of cakes, though that suits the hipster emphasis on brunch rather than coffee & cake.

Our cake is delicious. Nicely warmed, soft and fluffy. I realise that "coffee cake" -- like "tea cake" is to be eaten with coffee, there is no coffee flavour. Learn something every day :-) We're told that the muffin is also delicious.

True to the hipster claim, close parking is crowded. Not to worry, a near empty supermarket carpark is across the road. Also as expected, it is crowded with both dine-in and takeaway crowds. And unfortunately, very noisy. No sound dampening, conversation is difficult.

Rated 2 out of 3: well worth the visit but lacking the undefinable extra which would bring us back as regulars.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"It's a funny kind of month, October. For the really keen footy fan it's when you discover that your wife left you, months ago." … Denis Norden had it as "cricket"===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

cafe: Hamptons / City Beach

café: Hamptons / City Beach / 02sep18

We are following a list of "hipster cafés", for coffee & cake & review. This café is on the list -- but we were there for a family dinner. There was a preference for "dinner food" -- several of us choosing fish & chips. We did not really look for any hipster offerings. Anyway:

This is Fathers Day, close parking is at a premium. Easy parking is several carparks away but still close. Inside -- given the day -- is teeming. But not overwhelming.

This is a new café in a new building: definitely outside the hipster norm. There is plenty of family chat (our own family chatting, that is), little time for evaluation. I don't remember any "hipster" food, though it was probably there.

I leap straight to sharing a plate of fish & chips and an entrée of garlic prawns. The prawns are excellent, on a bed of rice which is sharp rather than spicy: delicious. The fish & chips are also delicious -- with a fish which does not go solid in the time it takes to eat it.

We share a nice dessert and coffee is good.

I'll rate this as 2 out of 3: we enjoyed it. But this does not evaluate the café as a hipster provider of our standard coffee & cake.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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"Out of my mind, please leave a message." … Ginger Meggs

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)