What did you just read?

Intrinsic · Wednesday at 1:09 AM

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS said:
What did you like about the book? I haven’t seen the movie (nor plan to). But I am always up for new Scifi novel suggestions

Hmm Solaris is a hard one to pin down. It is very heavy with philosophical arguments and themes around what constitutes life and consciousness, as the scientists try to define what Solaris is…

Well, if you aren’t familiar with the source novel or either film version, maybe that’s a good place to start. A planet is discovered some interstellar distance from Earth, unlike anything science has known or can define. Scientists have been visiting and studying Solaris for about 100 years and still have no method to define what the planet is, or why it is, or why it reacts the way it does. It’s a totally alien thing. Entire fields have developed and ditrying to define it.

Kelvin is our protagonist, a psychologist, who arrives as part of a late generation expedition to the planet and to see how things are going with the crew. There are only a few other characters.

I think it is amazing bc the book isn’t about the science and explaining Solaris as it is sort of just used as this giant force to bring out so much emotion. Loss and Guilt. Love and Humanity. But there is also this crazy science history side that we get also. The book feels split into back and forth chapters of “character struggle” and “science download.” And they both serve to play off each other.

It is cosmic SciFi but at the same time so personal and intimate.

Sorry, it is difficult because I’m not great at explaining stuff like this and reviewing books haha. I’m 110% sure that a whole bunch of people out there probably hate it and find it pretentious and droll or self indulgent. Maybe it just hit me at the right time in life that I resonated with like all of it, and it has lasted all these years.

The movies are worth checking into, but again very devisive. The 1972 Tarkovsky film is almost a Kubrick 2001 style with slow lingering shots and quietness. Long sequences and visuals. But more emotional and spiritual in a sense. Then the Soderbergh 2002 version is different and focuses very heavily on Kelvin’s love and relationship with his dead wife, and that loss. But it really drives home the emotional part of the novel, that Tarkovsky’s didn’t quite do. So that’s why I say they complement each other.

It isn’t incredibly long. You could do it in a couple of nights probably. Just make sure you get the new translation. I could ramble on and on about why I like it and never make any real sense.

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS · Wednesday at 12:28 PM

Intrinsic said:
Hmm Solaris is a hard one to pin down. It is very heavy with philosophical arguments and themes around what constitutes life and consciousness, as the scientists try to define what Solaris is…

Well, if you aren’t familiar with the source novel or either film version, maybe that’s a good place to start. A planet is discovered some interstellar distance from Earth, unlike anything science has known or can define. Scientists have been visiting and studying Solaris for about 100 years and still have no method to define what the planet is, or why it is, or why it reacts the way it does. It’s a totally alien thing. Entire fields have developed and ditrying to define it.

Kelvin is our protagonist, a psychologist, who arrives as part of a late generation expedition to the planet and to see how things are going with the crew. There are only a few other characters.

I think it is amazing bc the book isn’t about the science and explaining Solaris as it is sort of just used as this giant force to bring out so much emotion. Loss and Guilt. Love and Humanity. But there is also this crazy science history side that we get also. The book feels split into back and forth chapters of “character struggle” and “science download.” And they both serve to play off each other.

It is cosmic SciFi but at the same time so personal and intimate.

Sorry, it is difficult because I’m not great at explaining stuff like this and reviewing books haha. I’m 110% sure that a whole bunch of people out there probably hate it and find it pretentious and droll or self indulgent. Maybe it just hit me at the right time in life that I resonated with like all of it, and it has lasted all these years.

The movies are worth checking into, but again very devisive. The 1972 Tarkovsky film is almost a Kubrick 2001 style with slow lingering shots and quietness. Long sequences and visuals. But more emotional and spiritual in a sense. Then the Soderbergh 2002 version is different and focuses very heavily on Kelvin’s love and relationship with his dead wife, and that loss. But it really drives home the emotional part of the novel, that Tarkovsky’s didn’t quite do. So that’s why I say they complement each other.

It isn’t incredibly long. You could do it in a couple of nights probably. Just make sure you get the new translation. I could ramble on and on about why I like it and never make any real sense.

Nice! That reminds me of Asimov's final book Nemesis (1993). I won't go into spoilers, but it has a similar vibe to it.

Ukerric · Wednesday at 12:53 PM

Intrinsic said:
Solaris by Stanislaw Lem.

That version was not a direct from Polish effort and was instead translated from a French edition of Solaris.

So, you got a translation of my copy of Solaris? (translated in 1966 by Jean-Michel Jasienko)

(tried to join a pic of the book - I still have - but my fuckin' iphone shows normal pictures, but sends blurred ones)

*EDIT* Found a pic of the book spine:

Intrinsic · Wednesday at 1:04 PM

Ukerric said:
So, you got a translation of my copy of Solaris? (translated in 1966 by Jean-Michel Jasienko)

(tried to join a pic of the book - I still have - but my fuckin' iphone shows normal pictures, but sends blurred ones)

That's a good question. Did some looking at it appears that Jasienko's version was also based on the French text and not the original Polish. Which definitely seems strange given that Jasienko is Polish, but he was a part of a large Polish post WWII intellectual community living in France. So the easiest copy he had to work off of was a French translation by Jean-Michel Jasienski.

This print edition is based on the 2011 (eBook and Audiobook) translation by Bill Johnson, direct Polish to English.

Kind of crazy.

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS · Wednesday at 2:52 PM

I can only seem to find the 2002 published novel. Can someone link me the 2024 one to order in physical novel in USA?

Intrinsic · Wednesday at 3:59 PM

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS said:
I can only seem to find the 2002 published novel. Can someone link me the 2024 one to order in physical novel in USA?

The 2024 physical novel was a limited run done by Conversation Tree Press, the ones I posted above (Solaris by Stanisław Lem). It is the only current print version of the 2011 translation. The 2011 translation was first available in eBook and Audiobook only in 2014 (Amazon.com: Solaris eBook : Lem, Stanislaw, Johnston, Bill: Kindle Store). But I think I remember from your prior posting that you don't do eBooks.

I'll sell you my Solaris CE (the pink / purple one) for $400 so you can have a print copy of the updated translation. But I'm keeping the Deluxe edition.

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS · Wednesday at 5:13 PM

Intrinsic said:
The 2024 physical novel was a limited run done by Conversation Tree Press, the ones I posted above (Solaris by Stanisław Lem). It is the only current print version of the 2011 translation. The 2011 translation was first available in eBook and Audiobook only in 2014 (Amazon.com: Solaris eBook : Lem, Stanislaw, Johnston, Bill: Kindle Store). But I think I remember from your prior posting that you don't do eBooks.

I'll sell you my Solaris CE (the pink / purple one) for $400 so you can have a print copy of the updated translation. But I'm keeping the Deluxe edition.

I appreciate the offer. I might try the e-book. I've tried many e-books but have only completed one: After (2021) by Dr Bruce Greyson. Otherwise, I just don't love them. Mostly because I spend about 9 hours a day on my work computer, and then I write usually from 1-2 hours at night, so the last thing I want to do is spent more time in front of a screen reading. Reading a physical book is a nice little break for my eyes (I have night mode on everything, and use blue-light-deflecting glasses).

I have my copy of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe coming in today from thriftbooks.com. Great little online thrift bookshop. Very cheap prices and dirt cheap shipping. I just re-read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy last week. My first read took 2-days back in 2016. This time when I read it I took about a week and I forgot almost all of it, so it was similar to a new experience for me. Still holds up really well! This time I noticed a handful of typos but didn't bother my experience. Just something I notice more now-a-days. If I like the sequel, then I may pick up the third one in the series and Detective Dirk Gently. I'm trying NOT to buy the whole series outright and then just never finish it. Because I have done that a few times lol. Ill buy all 9 books of something, read the first 7 over the course of a year or two, and then never finish the last two, etc.

Has anyone read Dirk Gently by Douglas Adams?

Intrinsic · Wednesday at 6:10 PM

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS said:
I appreciate the offer. I might try the e-book. I've tried many e-books but have only completed one: After (2021) by Dr Bruce Greyson. Otherwise, I just don't love them. Mostly because I spend about 9 hours a day on my work computer, and then I write usually from 1-2 hours at night, so the last thing I want to do is spent more time in front of a screen reading. Reading a physical book is a nice little break for my eyes (I have night mode on everything, and use blue-light-deflecting glasses).

I have my copy of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe coming in today from thriftbooks.com. Great little online thrift bookshop. Very cheap prices and dirt cheap shipping. I just re-read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy last week. My first read took 2-days back in 2016. This time when I read it I took about a week and I forgot almost all of it, so it was similar to a new experience for me. Still holds up really well! This time I noticed a handful of typos but didn't bother my experience. Just something I notice more now-a-days. If I like the sequel, then I may pick up the third one in the series and Detective Dirk Gently. I'm trying NOT to buy the whole series outright and then just never finish it. Because I have done that a few times lol. Ill buy all 9 books of something, read the first 7 over the course of a year or two, and then never finish the last two, etc.

Has anyone read Dirk Gently by Douglas Adams?

Yeah I get what you mean about the ebooks. I don’t find e-ink to put as much stress on my eyes as a normal computer screen, but it is a balance. Too dark and I strain to see it, too bright and it is like shining a flashlight in my eye. Wife is super sensitive to light when she sleeps so once I crawl in bed the Kindle / Kobo is the only real option.

I loved Hitchhiker’s Guide. Curious King did a special edition I’m holding out for before buying another copy.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Editions - Curious King

Got your DM, will respond later tonight.

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS · Wednesday at 8:57 PM

That version looks rad!

I'm considering buying a Kindle White now. I have only tried to read e-books on my phone or on my iPad which is hella harsh LED. I think the e-ink is softer on the kindle whites, I've heard. Albeit the books are a little more expensive than buying them as a thrift, which is ... odd.

Thrift physical books are usually $4-6
E-books of classics (dead authors) are like $10-14 still, plus advertisements.

I think the issue I had on my ipad reading was also the screen glare, but I think the Kindle white doesnt have that somehow. Not sure. Still thinking about it. I mostly read dead authors, so it feels weird giving their IP $10-15 when I can just thrift it for $5 including shipping. Like I got most the Tom Clancy books for $4 each. Thick ol' hard covers. And I do have a lot of pirated epubs, but apparently those wont work on kindle for some reason. I dont pirate living authors, though.

Intrinsic · Wednesday at 9:28 PM

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS said:
That version looks rad!

I'm considering buying a Kindle White now. I have only tried to read e-books on my phone or on my iPad which is hella harsh LED. I think the e-ink is softer on the kindle whites, I've heard. Albeit the books are a little more expensive than buying them as a thrift, which is ... odd.

Thrift physical books are usually $4-6
E-books of classics (dead authors) are like $10-14 still, plus advertisements.

I think the issue I had on my ipad reading was also the screen glare, but I think the Kindle white doesnt have that somehow. Not sure. Still thinking about it. I mostly read dead authors, so it feels weird giving their IP $10-15 when I can just thrift it for $5 including shipping. Like I got most the Tom Clancy books for $4 each. Thick ol' hard covers. And I do have a lot of pirated epubs, but apparently those wont work on kindle for some reason. I dont pirate living authors, though.

I swapped to Kobo because Amazon just changed policy of letting you offload the books from your Kindle. Previously you could sync it to your computer and download / upload your .pdf or .kindles whatever, but no more. So fuck them.

Amazon Kindle removes download feature of purchased books - Consumer Rights Wiki

consumerrights.wiki

The Kobo still lets me do that. Just finished Solaris, Tigana, The Devils, and am 50% finished with Assassin’s Apprentice and can barely tell any difference between this and any of the 4 or 5 Kindles I’ve had. Clara BW just the cheap one.

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS · Wednesday at 10:18 PM

Intrinsic said:
I swapped to Kobo because Amazon just changed policy of letting you offload the books from your Kindle. Previously you could sync it to your computer and download / upload your .pdf or .kindles whatever, but no more. So fuck them.

Amazon Kindle removes download feature of purchased books - Consumer Rights Wiki

consumerrights.wiki

The Kobo still lets me do that. Just finished Solaris, Tigana, The Devils, and am 50% finished with Assassin’s Apprentice and can barely tell any difference between this and any of the 4 or 5 Kindles I’ve had. Clara BW just the cheap one.

Oh shit. Can I upload any epub to Kobo then?

Void · Thursday at 10:12 PM

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS said:
Has anyone read Dirk Gently by Douglas Adams?

I read them years ago when they came out. I enjoyed them, but take the wackiness of HHG and turn it up to 11. As well as the British-ness. I distinctly remember thinking there was some straight up whack shit in those books. While I liked them, and read them all, and wouldn't say they are bad by any means, I would rather reread the entire HHG series multiple times before I ever reread Dirk Gently.

As far as Kindles and such, there is absolutely no screen glare on them, and unless you have an ancient one you can customize the brightness and even the tint to something more yellowish, which apparently helps with eye strain as well. I absolutely love reading on my Kindle. I held off for years because I've kept every single book I ever bought (now just taking up space), and finally switched over more than 10 years ago. And while you might not find everything you want on it, Kindle Unlimited for a $10-ish monthly fee is well worth it if you read a lot. Older authors and classics can be harder to find there, but you can still always just buy the ebook version.

The policy about downloading purchased books doesn't really bother me because I hardly ever buy any, I just pirate them and send them to my Kindle. A huge number of them are ones I've got physically sitting in these boxes, I just don't want to dig through them to find them, and I want to be able to read no matter where I am (like the shitter at work, the Kindle app on my phone syncs my progress with all my other devices that have Kindle, so I just open it up, hit Sync to Furthest Read, and I'm good to go while I poop). That convenience alone is worth it to me.

I get it, I love books, I love the smell of a new book, I used to love browsing for a new book in the bookstore. One of my fondest memories is picking up The Black Company in B. Dalton back in the mid 80s and opening it to a random page to see if it was worth getting and it being the part where Raven kills his ex-wife and her lover, and then after reading that book desperately trying to get my Mom to drive me all over town to find the other two in the series. Now with ebooks, particularly KU, none of that is exciting anymore. But it is vastly more convenient.

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS · Friday at 10:19 AM

Void said:
I read them years ago when they came out. I enjoyed them, but take the wackiness of HHG and turn it up to 11.

As far as Kindles and such, there is absolutely no screen glare on them, and unless you have an ancient one

The policy about downloading purchased books doesn't really bother me because I hardly ever buy any, I just pirate them and send them to my Kindle.

Compared to what I normally read (mostly mil fiction like Clancy, Mark Greaney, Larry Bond, etc, HGG is already maximum wackiness lol. I can't imagine it being even more wacky. I did own a kindle back in 2016 but it had the glare issue, so I ended up giving it to a friend to use as a baby monitor.

I did buy a Kindle Paperwhite and tried to send a few pirated epubs to it but it wouldnt read them. I think I'll probably go with a Kobo to prevent that, if I do.

Intrinsic · Friday at 4:02 PM

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS said:
Compared to what I normally read (mostly mil fiction like Clancy, Mark Greaney, Larry Bond, etc, HGG is already maximum wackiness lol. I can't imagine it being even more wacky. I did own a kindle back in 2016 but it had the glare issue, so I ended up giving it to a friend to use as a baby monitor.

I did buy a Kindle Paperwhite and tried to send a few pirated epubs to it but it wouldnt read them. I think I'll probably go with a Kobo to prevent that, if I do.

I do think Void is right, pushing ePub to your Kindle shouldn't be an issue. You may have to do it via USB though.

Void · Friday at 4:23 PM

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS said:
Compared to what I normally read (mostly mil fiction like Clancy, Mark Greaney, Larry Bond, etc, HGG is already maximum wackiness lol. I can't imagine it being even more wacky. I did own a kindle back in 2016 but it had the glare issue, so I ended up giving it to a friend to use as a baby monitor.

I did buy a Kindle Paperwhite and tried to send a few pirated epubs to it but it wouldnt read them. I think I'll probably go with a Kobo to prevent that, if I do.

I would have to look to see the exact method because I've had it set up for well over a decade, but I convert everything via Calibre and then have the program send them to my kindle email address (you can find it on Amazon somewhere). You have to whitelist the email address you are sending from in the same area, otherwise anyone could send you shit straight to your kindle and then Amazon's Whispersync would be overloaded. If you don't whitelist, it won't work.

Or do it over USB, but I typically find just sending it to the email vastly easier. If you did all of the above and it still doesn't work, try using Calibre to "convert" the epub you have to epub again, often times it is in an old format that has issues with the Kindle reading them.

I have sent literally thousands of pirated books to myself and various friends, so I can promise you it works. Used to be .mobi but the last few years .epub has worked just the same.

Kajiimagi · Friday at 8:38 PM

Void said:
I would have to look to see the exact method because I've had it set up for well over a decade, but I convert everything via Calibre and then have the program send them to my kindle email address (you can find it on Amazon somewhere). You have to whitelist the email address you are sending from in the same area, otherwise anyone could send you shit straight to your kindle and then Amazon's Whispersync would be overloaded. If you don't whitelist, it won't work.

Or do it over USB, but I typically find just sending it to the email vastly easier. If you did all of the above and it still doesn't work, try using Calibre to "convert" the epub you have to epub again, often times it is in an old format that has issues with the Kindle reading them.

I have sent literally thousands of pirated books to myself and various friends, so I can promise you it works. Used to be .mobi but the last few years .epub has worked just the same.

I read via a regular Samsung tablet. I use a throwaway google drive to load epub or mobi files into Moon Reader Pro + (it can read either format). Rarely any more I will need to reformat something via Calibre.

Void · Friday at 9:55 PM

Kajiimagi said:
I read via a regular Samsung tablet. I use a throwaway google drive to load epub or mobi files into Moon Reader Pro + (it can read either format). Rarely any more I will need to reformat something via Calibre.

Yeah there are a million ways to do it if you aren't using a Kindle. I prefer the e-ink though, particularly with dark mode, so Kindle it is.

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS · 2025-09-06T00:20:32-0400

Void said:
I would have to look to see the exact method because I've had it set up for well over a decade, but I convert everything via Calibre and then have the program send them to my kindle

I've read that Calibre strips DMR automatically from any epub, so that's probably what does permits it to run on your kindle white.

I appreciate it, fellas. I am leaning towards the Kobo Clara BW. Now waiting to see if it goes on sale. $140 isn't a bad price, either, but if it went on sale in a month for $99, I could wait, etc. I need to find a way to track sales history. I'm sure there's some plug-in that does that.

Likewise, if any of yall who are into scifi want to ever read my first novel, I'd be happy to send you the epub (for free). Currently sitting at 4.8/5 stars (54 reviews) on the Amazons. I'm just happy people are reading my work tbh.

Void · 2025-09-07T01:18:51-0400

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS said:
I've read that Calibre strips DMR automatically from any epub, so that's probably what does permits it to run on your kindle white.

I appreciate it, fellas. I am leaning towards the Kobo Clara BW. Now waiting to see if it goes on sale. $140 isn't a bad price, either, but if it went on sale in a month for $99, I could wait, etc. I need to find a way to track sales history. I'm sure there's some plug-in that does that.

Likewise, if any of yall who are into scifi want to ever read my first novel, I'd be happy to send you the epub (for free). Currently sitting at 4.8/5 stars (54 reviews) on the Amazons. I'm just happy people are reading my work tbh.

I'd love to read it. I've read just about every other author that has shown themselves here on FoH, and enjoyed almost all of them. Send me a DM with whatever you need, please.

INTHEMIDSTOFLIONS · 2025-09-07T01:38:30-0400

Void said:
I'd love to read it. I've read just about every other author that has shown themselves here on FoH, and enjoyed almost all of them. Send me a DM with whatever you need, please.

Sent!

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