The Bug by Ellen Ullman 1547
Never Rock Fila writes "On the front page of tomorrow's New York Times Book Review, a slightly breathless but overdue enthusiastic review of Ellen Ullman's new novel, The Bug. The review acknowledges that 'Ullman has already established herself as an indispensable voice out of the world of technology' -- if you haven't read her first book, a memoir, Close to the Machine, read that too -- and it's nice to see a mainstream publication like the Times, the gold standard of book reviews as I understand it, giving such prominent and positive attention to a novel by a former 'software engineer' that's all about getting inside the mind of a programmer, even concluding 'If more contemporary novels delivered news this relevant and wise they'd have to stop declaring the death of the novel.' The reviewer, one Benjamin Anastas, has the chops to develop a sustained comparison to Mary Shelley, to legitimately place the 1984 computer programmers at the center of the novel among 'all the best characters in fiction,' and to declare the book 'thrilling and intellectually fearless.'"
Solution to the NYT registration thing... (Score:5, Insightful)
read it, liked it (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Solution to the NYT registration thing... (Score:5, Insightful)
If Slashdot starts using the Google partner tag, then NYT and Google will evntually shut it off - checking referers, etc.
Re:B & N instead (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Wow. (Score:5, Insightful)
cryptonomicon wasn't any more 'intelligent' than other books, it just had its basis in a geekfriendly subject
the majority of novelists do a substanial amount of research about the state of their subject in real life. Writer's spend a decent amount of time in libraries.
I dont find Farscape to be all that more entertaining than American Idol. Its called personal preference, taste.
The Slashdot crowd really reminds me of the punkish segment of population. Rebel and Yell. The system sucks, damn the system, damn the man, damn the sheep. Lets all dye our hair green. In the end, you aren't much different. You only seem different if you focus soley on those areas where you do differ so much.
Maybe the technocratic elitist themes in Cryptonomicon are true....
Re:B & N instead (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't.
If you want to make a difference, write your congressperson
I do. Hillary Clinton doesn't write back to any of her constituents who I've spoken to.
be politically active
I am.
join a movement
I have.
a lot more effective than this kneejerk boycott crap
It's hardly kneejerk and every little bit helps.