New Sci-Fi Book- Knife References

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Regarding 'All Tomorrow's Parties'...
Look away if you want total surprise when you read the book, but I suspect this will merely pique the interest of the knife-aware reader.

I caught the following knife references:
* an tanto described in detail
* a damascus blade made from a forged motorcycle chain!?!
* ceramic auto
* spyderco style V-sharpener built into a desk!
* a folding hatchet of some sort

I find his depiction of technology to be highly detailed and accurate, and his description of knived in this book is non exception. the only thing that ****s me is his persistent misspelling of 'brazed' as 'braised'. The idea of a braised bicycle frame doesn't really tickle my tastebuds.

So, how far-fetched would it be to forge a knife from a motorbike chain?

tim
 
Hi Tim,

Don't forget the mention of the Randall Model 15 "Airman" and the OSS Lapel Dagger that the watch dealer had.
wink.gif


JK
 
Gentlemen,

Wow! What a thread! To answer Tim's questions, several makers are forging knives from motorcycle chains now. Had one go through my posession last year. I wish I could have held onto it (Harley chains are particularly in demand with some.)

As far as reading goes, I had to chuckle that I've actually had enough time to waste to read several on Paracelsus' first list. I've read Heidegger, but to that I added Gadamer and my latest favorite, Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin. Only reccommended to those with interests as wacky and esoteric as mine.

As far as the sci-fi genre goes, I'm surprised nobody mentinoned Gene Wolfe of the Urth of the New Sun series. Some of the most powerful sci-fi I've read. Besides that, I loved seeing so many William Gibson fans! I also love Brin (bought Glory Season for my Mom for Christmas).

Once again, I'm humbled by the company I keep.

Matt

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Waxes Eloquent, Leader of the Terrible Ironic Horde and Sarcastic Brain Spewer
 
Just one more note: I'm glad other people liked "Mirrorshades". Besides Gibson's work, that one was seminal to my personal development as a writer/brain spewer.

Matt

[This message has been edited by Waxes Eloquent (edited 22 December 1999).]
 
Waxy..its not SciFi but I'd recommend "Dirty White Boys" by Stephen Hunter, once you read it you'll never forget it.He also wrote "Point of Impact" and "The Master Sniper", both also excellent. SBWOSS


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Jake Evans.. Member of the HORDE
 
Cyberpunk SFs are good, speculative fictions are great, but my favorite is Space Operas. I wonder why no forumites or knifekhut SF fans have mentioned E.E.'Doc' Smith. I remember how I desired a spaceaxe which Vanbuskirk(spl?) wielded in hyperspace tube when I was a kid.

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\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
 
WrongFriend: Alright! The Lensman series, its been a while since I read them. You are right, plenty of hand-to-hand work in those.

I would also recommend the "Nights Dawn" trilogy by Peter F. Hamilton
1. The Reality Dysfunction
2. The Neutronium Alchemist
3. The Naked God
 
Originally posted by Jake Evans:
Waxy..its not SciFi but I'd recommend "Dirty White Boys" by Stephen Hunter, once you read it you'll never forget it.He also wrote "Point of Impact" and "The Master Sniper", both also excellent. SBWOSS
Click to expand...
That's the exact book that I am reading right now. I've also read Point of impact and Master Sniper.
I've also read Cryptonomicon and Snowcrash. With my limted understanding of crypto I could not pick out any flaws his descriptions. It's funny, because that book has Perl Script for a strong crypto system it is illegal to export it in the electronic form under the ITAR/EAR restrictions.


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Joshua, aka Feneris,'Destroyer of Whisky' of the Terrible Ironic Horde
But doom'd and devoted by vassal and lord.
MacGregor has still both his heart and his sword!
-MacGregor's Gathering, Sir Walter Scott
 
Feneris, definitely read Diamond Age if you like Stephensons other work. My favorite, so far.

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
 
What! No mention of "Tunnel in the Sky" by Heinlein? tsk, tsk. Give me a "Lady Macbeth" anyday!

Al
 
Ok everyone. I want to try again. This time I am posting a list of some of my favorite Science Fiction Writers. Not Opinion. Not Science Fact. Not Nature writing. Not Philosophy (well, just a little). Not literary fiction. I selected just four of my most loved writers. I don’t want to take up too much bandwidth, so I have listed these authors along with a short description of what I like about their writing and a few of my favorite works. If anywants to talk about these titles more, feel free to ask. I don't think anyone has listed any of these authors yet:

Paul di Filippo: Short stories. Very funny. Very inventive. Biological Science Fiction.

Ribofunk
The Steampunk Trilogy

Dan Simmons: Fantastic storytelling, time travel, cybernetic worlds, religion, anthropology, and horror. The Hyperion pair are really fantastic and inventive. Dan Simmons create multiple new and imaginative worlds and links them through cyber-hyper-space

Hyperion
Fall of Hyperion
Carrion Comfort

Stanislaw Lem: Philosophy, word play, irony, satirism, wacky humor.

The Cyberiad: Fables for the Cybernetic Age
His Master's Voice
Return from the Stars

Philip K. Dick: probably my favorite SF writer. Never read one I didn't like and learn from. Fun to read but deals with serious philosophical, religious, and moral issues: What is the Mind? Do we have free will? How do you know what is Real from what is Imaginary? What is the Meaning of Existance? A Few Selections in no particular order:

The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch
Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said
The Transmigration of Timothy Archer
A Scanner Darkly
The Divine Invasion
The Man in the High Castle
Valis
Ubik
Confessions of a Crap Artist
Now Wait for Last Year
The World Jones Made
The Game-Players of Titan
We Can Build You
The Maze of Death
Martian Time-Slip

I've read All of these in the last fifteen years (although some titles are older). Hope some of you check out a few of these if you haven't read these guys already. Di Filippo in particular in very Current.

I also want to mention Christopher Moore again. I don't know if I can characterize his writing as SF, but it's close. Chris likes to poke fun and satirize different literary genres like Horror and New Age fiction. Please look at: Blood Sucking Fiends (a love story), Practical Demonkeeping, Coyote Blue (the Trickster God plays with a man's life), the Island of the Sequined Love Nun (laughed so hard I cried), and the Lust Lizard of Melancholoy Cave. I love Chris Moore's writing for pure escapism, LOL humor, and inventive storytelling. Warning, some humorous sexual content (I like that sometimes, but some don't). I will read everything he ever writes. Promise.

Paracelsus


[This message has been edited by Paracelsus (edited 23 December 1999).]
 
Paracelsus, nice to see another Christopher Moore fan, they are hard to find in Aust. but I have read "Practical Demonkeeping" and "Island of the Sequined Love Nun" (laughed so hard with this one I just about fell out of bed). I get 'em from amazon.com and will be ordering a few more in the next month or so.

This is getting scary, we both like the same movie and now the same author.

X-files type stuff
smile.gif


[This message has been edited by Andre Simpson (edited 24 December 1999).]
 
I forgot to recommend "Dune"! with all the
krisknives from sandworm's teeth, and you cannot resheath it if without bloodshed of yours or other one's, as a Fremen granny said.

Most impressive knife scene in my SF history, a knife duel at the climax!

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\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
 
Don't forget that if you buy books from Amazon, link in through the Bladeforums Store. I believe they get a cut. (See, I included some knife content as well
wink.gif
).

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
 
Has anyone besides myself and Martin from The Simpsons read any Alfred Bester?

I recall one episode when he expounded on the "ABC's of Science Fiction. Asimov, Bester and Clarke."

Millhouse: “What about Bradbury?”

Martin (tersely): “I’m aware of his work.”

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
 
Oops! I forgot to include 'knife content'. Dan Simmons Hyperion series includes a Great Monster who is traveling backward through time. He is called 'the Shrike' and is covered with sharp pointy things and keeps reappearing and grabbing folks to impale them on himself and a sharp pointy metal 'tree'. You'll have to read Both books to find out Why.

Chris Moore's 'Island of the Sequined Love Nun features some nasty Yakuza mobsters who are Very well armed. And the hero has a very important body part amost completely severed by sharp metal in the first chapter (ouch!). Coyote Blue is about Native Americans in the modern world (sort of), lots of knife references. And the beautiful red-haired Vampire in Blood Sucking Fiends carries her knives in her Mouth.

Philip K Dicks's fiction cuts like a razor right to the heart of the matter. He always manages to slice and dice some of my preconceptions and carve up my brain like lettuce for tossed salad.

I'll also toss in Fred Saberhagen's Book of Swords Trilogy. Not exactly SF, more fantasy, but you've got Norse mythology, knives and swords, bad guys, and heroes Everywhere.

Paracelsus

[This message has been edited by Paracelsus (edited 24 December 1999).]
 
And with that, let's move this thread to the Community Center as it's gotten waaaaaaaaaay off topic here..

Spark

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Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com

Insert witty quip here
 
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