Mark W. Tiedemann

Random books from my shelf

Public Notes

• more notes (68)

• 

  says
• 

  threadnsong says

  So . . . what do you think of Musicophilia? It is one of the books waiting to be added to my shelf, and I would be intrigued by your opinion of it, even thus far.

  Posted 3 months ago. ( send a note )

• 

  Dog Lover - very limited time online for the foreseeable future says

  Whew! Relieves my mind. I was wonderin' how steampunk showed up!
  
  Here are the books in the series so far - the final and #3 I think is to come out this year but I could be misremembering and won't take the time to check it now.
  
  http://www.shelfari.com/series/Orthogonal
  
  DL

  Posted 5 months ago. ( send a note )

• 

  Dog Lover - very limited time online for the foreseeable future says

  Very interesting interpretation of this particular book. I didn't at all put it in the steam-punk category. What attracted me was the emphasis on the pure science factor. There was one review comment that just sold it to me - "Recommended reading for actuaries and readers who think Steven Hawking's material is too simple." LOL!
  
  I'd never encountered Egan before but his books are more expensive for Kindle (due, no doubt, to the Australian oddities in legal copyright/protectionism issues) than I am willing to pay. However, for this specific book, the mention of so much diagramming and technical explanations make it unlikely to be easily used by the eInk models that I own anyway so I ordered the hardcover version.
  
  His other titles tend to have reviews that express admiration for his handling of the more social/personal issues in the novels. If well done, that means a lot to me in SF. What I do not want is "fantasy" (not my thing) or simply romance, etc. placed in future or technological scenarios. (Unless they are clearly marked as such.)
  
  Thanks for the feedback.
  
  DL

  Posted 5 months ago. ( send a note )

• 

  Dog Lover - very limited time online for the foreseeable future says

  Greetings!
  
  I've just discovered this - http://www.shelfari.com/books/21925805/The-Clockwork-Rocket and ordered it today. Due to my vision/health issues I doubt I'll read it any time soon. However, the description and the reviews (really above par for Amazon books reviews, IMMHO, where quality of the reviews themselves are concerned) drove me to purchase.
  
  Are you familiar with this author?
  
  DL

  Posted 5 months ago. ( send a note )

• 

  threadnsong says

  I liked your mini-review of Bill O's "Lincoln" on the Sci-Fi reading group, and I also like your description of yourself. Your adding books from memory is one I've found to be a good one; less clutter and pile of books on my desk. There are enough piles of books around my house next to my various reading areas!
  
  Carry on . . .

  Posted 6 months ago. ( send a note )

• 

  ScoLgo says

  Ah, so you do retain the rights to most of your writings then? That's a good thing! Hope things are going well with your new agent. I hope she is able to do good things for you.

  Posted 6 months ago. ( send a note )

• 

  ScoLgo says

  Hi Mark,
  I started to type this up in the group but didn't want to veer the topic completely off course.
  
  Your answer regarding e-publishing of Asimov-universe books makes great sense. What about with one of your novels that is not part of someone else's "universe"? Do you yourself own the rights to 'Compass Reach' for instance? Or does someone else make the decisions there?
  
  I wonder if up & coming novelists are in the same basic boat as recording artists in the music industry? If offered a recording contract, these (usually) young artists sign away the rights to the music they themselves have created - all in the hopes of hitting it 'big'. Then they find out that, in addition to no longer owning their music, they also owe back all the 'front money' used for recording, promotion, etc. It's not unusual for most bands/artists to end up owing more than they can ever hope to pay back. How does all that work in publishing?

  Posted 6 months ago. ( send a note )

• 

  Michael E says

  Glad you liked the Patrick O'Brian. Careful you don't get hooked, because the 19 more books in the series could keep you pretty tied up for awhile!
  
  A friend at Goodreads was shocked I had never read Zelanzy, and I was surprised you dipped back into his well for a couple earlier in the summer. Would be glad to hear which one or ones wold help me plug that gap.
  
  I remembered you liked Embassytown as much as I did, so I was wondering whether you thought is should have got at least one award and not come in second to Walton for both the Nebula and Hugo.

  Posted 10 months ago. ( send a note )

• 

  BookCrazy - VERY limited time online for the foreseeable future says

  Great! - I now "follow" you as Book Crazy. Now, I think you have to follow me so that I can invite you to that group. (PITA, isn't it?) I really hate the "tracking" part of this friendship thing so I won't do that with my DL member name. Sorry for the convoluted method of getting you to the group.
  
  BTW - this may not be a good thing for my wallet! I just bought The Parisians based on your posting to the SF group!
  
  BCakaDL

  Posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )

• 

  BookCrazy - VERY limited time online for the foreseeable future says

  Great! - I now "follow" you as Book Crazy. Now, I think you have to follow me so that I can invite you to that group. (PITA, isn't it?) I really hate the "tracking" part of this friendship thing so I won't do that with my DL member name. Sorry for the convoluted method of getting you to the group.
  
  BTW - this may not be a good thing for my wallet! I just bought The Parisians based on your posting to the SF group!
  
  BCakaDL

  Posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )

• 

  Dog Lover - very limited time online for the foreseeable future says

  Yo -
  
  I have always appreciated your reviews. I don't use the "friends" (follow/follower) thing but, instead, have set up a very small private group where we share reviews. Interested? It tends to be only a list - we don't discuss the books very often but it does more easily alert us to when a member has posted a review.
  
  If you are interested, I, in my Book Crazy librarian persona will do that follower/follow thing with you and invite you to that group.
  
  Let me know.
  
  Thanks,
  
  DLakaBC

  Posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )

• 

  Otis Farmer says

  Hello Mark,
  
  Hope you are well! Shelfari is a community for readers to connect with other readers and writers to connect with other writers, to share and learn from each other.
  
  As you well know it is important for writers to create an environment and a journey that will entice a reader to eagerly step into that world and join the adventure. The challenge for a "new kid on the block" in the literary world, such as myself, is to find people that are willing to give their work a chance.
  
  May I ask, "Have you ever been inspired by someone the world considered uninspiring? If so, then how about a wild ride through history, myth, legend and lore? You will learn secrets of Westminster Abbey and Stonehenge in a story inspired by an amazing real person."
  
  That's right, a real person, the most unlikely fellow to ever conceive in such an adventure. I would like very much for you to get to know this fine young man and why he had such a profound influence in my life.
  
  My name is Otis Farmer, and I would like to invite you to take an exciting and enlightening journey in my new book, Merlyn And The Mortal's Curse, a fantasy novel where Merlyn is forced to travel to the present in order to save mankind. He must take a reluctant, modern lad back to pre-Camelot, where their action packed adventures take them around the world, through time and a dimensions. If the Shelfari link below is not active, then please copy and paste the link into your browser:
  
  http://www.shelfari.com/books/26937690/Merlyn-And-The-Mortals-Curse
  
  Below is a link to the book in the Kindle Bookstore so you can preview the story and read the Dedication to the person that inspired me. Once you are on the page, click on the "Click to Look Inside tab over the cover art and you will be able to read the Dedication and thirty or so pages free:
  
  http://www.amazon.com/Merlyn-And-Mortals-Curse-ebook/dp/B0061FZSQY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1332563163&sr=1-1
  
  Thank you for your valuable time and consideration! I hope you will join Merlyn and Lance, and that you will enjoy your adventure with them.
  
  Kindest regards,
  
  Otis Farmer

  Posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )

• 

  J M Leitch says

  And I said that I didn't want to be pushy and ended up pushing the Post button twice! So sorry...

  Posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )

• 

  J M Leitch says

  I don't want to be pushy, but I know you write sci-fi and I just wanted to let you know that my sci-fi thriller is free to download on Kindle [http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0073M876M] on Thu, Fri & Sat this week. Just in case you fancy reading an offering from a new author. The website is [http://www.thezulenigma.com].

  Posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )

• 

  Michael E says

  Greatly appreciated your review of Embassytown. Nice way of capturing the essence of its ideas. I found it a superb read too, but I had a harder time pinning down its key virtues in a review.

  Posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )

• 

  Jerry M says

  Have you read any E. L. Doctorow? I am reading Homer & Langley and it's amazing. His writing is comparable to Cormac McCarthy (less violent, though) and to Phillip Roth (less acerbis as well).

  Posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )

• 

  Jerry M says

  No, paperback, small size, not the tradepaperback. It was a good deal, and prob would have passed it up had we not talked about him a few days ago.

  Posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )

• 

  Jerry M says

  Went out to a local library in the area, they have a Friends of the Library Bookstore. This place was no bigger than a broom closet it seemed, but they did have Wilbur Smith's The Diamond Hunters for fifty cents. Couldn't pass that up.

  Posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )

• 

  mark s says

  yep:)

  Posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )

• 

  mark s says

  got your pm, tried to respond. However to send the info was blocked by my work.

  Posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )