Heartland

Misha Glenny: McMafia. Crime without frontiers.

bought a copy of this from ba car boot sale today for 50p. to my delight when i opened the front cover there was the late iain m. bank's autograph.

Ooh you lucky bugger!

I got my first Iain M Banks book second hand for 50p (mine was Consider Phlebas) but no signature.

I'm rereading Look to Windward myself at the moment, having recently finished Alan Moore's Lost Girls. Crikey.

markfiend wrote:Alan Moore's Lost Girls. Crikey.

Is it any good? I've nearly picked it up a few times but never taken the plunge..

Yeah. Really good.

Very porny at some points (well, most points actually) and also very disturbing at many points as well.

I'll certainly never be able to look at any of the Alice, Oz or Peter Pan books in the same way again.

markfiend wrote:Ooh you lucky bugger!

I got my first Iain M Banks book second hand for 50p (mine was Consider Phlebas) but no signature.

Consider Phlebas was the first Iain M Banks book i read, having already read several Iain Banks books. his sci-fi novels -specifically his The Culture novels- are undoubtedly the best wrtten sci-fi i have come across.

markfiend wrote:I'm rereading Look to Windward myself at the moment, having recently finished Alan Moore's Lost Girls. Crikey.

Alan Moore was on bbc news 24's "hard talk" talking about Lost Girls. sounds hardcore...in more ways than one. always a pleasure to hear him talk anyways.

Funny, I read all the Iain M stuff before any of his non-SF books. Agreed, he's miles ahead of almost anyone else. China Mieville has written some pretty awesome stuff, but his books aren't as out-and-out space-opera as Banks (at least as far as I've read).

Lost Girls is very hardcore. To the point where I would be nervous about having it in the house if I were ever busted; you never know what some malicious copper might try to pin on you, and in today's climate they might even make it stick. Still, I'm sure Mr Moore could be persuaded to be first witness for the defence.

I'm going to this next month, so I'm half tempted to take Lost Girls along to see if I can get it signed... and I'm definitely taking my copy of Prog 317 featuring DR & Quinch Have Fun on Earth...

that looks wicked. my turn to "lucky bugger" you (if you'll forgive the phrase!)
don't know what i'd take along for him to sign as most of the stuff i've got by him is in graphic novel/trade paperback form (and therefore unfortunately pretty well-thumbed-maybe a swamp thing american gothic rarity) but your dr & quinch 2000ad is a good one.
(altogether): "Alan Moore knows the score!"

thanks

Yeah the issue with taking Lost Girls is that it weighs an absolute ton...

V for Vendetta and into the... GROOVY!

markfiend wrote:Yeah. Really good.

Very porny at some points (well, most points actually) and also very disturbing at many points as well.

I'll certainly never be able to look at any of the Alice, Oz or Peter Pan books in the same way again.

I almost bought it yesterday but realised Xmas is coming and I like the idea of an unfortunate relative buying it for me without realising what it is

Cracking book, Big Si. I got few other by this author.

Currently reading; and it's definitely imaginative, educational, and hilarious:

rien wrote:Currently reading; and it's definitely imaginative, educational, and hilarious:

Good stuff

Bartek wrote:Cracking book, Big Si. I got few other by this author.

Thanks Bart, it was a birthday present from my elder Sister. I've almost finished it after only a few days and am surprised at some of the bizarre behaviour carried out by "those in charge" of 'Soviet Czechoslovakia' which still has repercussions to this day.

Next -

Big Si wrote:
Next -

On my "to read" list as well, as I usually enjoy Maconie's books even if he does tend to come across as trying just a bit too hard. Have just finished another lists book, Dave Roberts' 32 Programmes, which is a must for footie fans and was billed as the new Fever Pitch when it came out.

Big Si wrote:

Bartek wrote:Cracking book, Big Si. I got few other by this author.

Thanks Bart, it was a birthday present from my elder Sister. I've almost finished it after only a few days and am surprised at some of the bizarre behaviour carried out by "those in charge" of 'Soviet Czechoslovakia' which still has repercussions to this day.

i've got a book -not to hand unfortunately- that i bought from the museum of communism in prague thats a depressing yet interesting read. in fact the museum of communism itself i highly recommend -worth the relatively high entrance fee and definitely worth spending most of a day in if you have the time. proper fucked up how they-the state- turned kids against parents, neigbours against neighbours and family against family in their paranoia. made me cry.

This author is well know for his love for Czech, few wrote few books about this country. Gottland it's nice walk through last century, but he also wrote one about more times, title could be, roughly translated, "Make yourself a paradise" or "Make your own paradise".

eastmidswhizzkid wrote:

Big Si wrote:

Bartek wrote:Cracking book, Big Si. I got few other by this author.

Thanks Bart, it was a birthday present from my elder Sister. I've almost finished it after only a few days and am surprised at some of the bizarre behaviour carried out by "those in charge" of 'Soviet Czechoslovakia' which still has repercussions to this day.

i've got a book -not to hand unfortunately- that i bought from the museum of communism in prague thats a depressing yet interesting read. in fact the museum of communism itself i highly recommend -worth the relatively high entrance fee and definitely worth spending most of a day in if you have the time. proper fucked up how they-the state- turned kids against parents, neigbours against neighbours and family against family in their paranoia. made me cry.

Near Wenceslas Square ? It'll be 12 years ago when I last went in. The Military Museum in another part of the City was very good. They've got a T34 outside the entrance and details about how the Czech Veterans of WWII that fought with the Allies were imprisoned on their return! 'Dark Blue World' is about that too (this US Trailer is terrible - http://youtu.be/TKjR1V-Dg14 , the Czech one is much more like the movie itself - http://youtu.be/-2-tNNn7j9o)

Big Si wrote:

eastmidswhizzkid wrote:

Big Si wrote: Thanks Bart, it was a birthday present from my elder Sister. I've almost finished it after only a few days and am surprised at some of the bizarre behaviour carried out by "those in charge" of 'Soviet Czechoslovakia' which still has repercussions to this day.

i've got a book -not to hand unfortunately- that i bought from the museum of communism in prague thats a depressing yet interesting read. in fact the museum of communism itself i highly recommend -worth the relatively high entrance fee and definitely worth spending most of a day in if you have the time. proper fucked up how they-the state- turned kids against parents, neigbours against neighbours and family against family in their paranoia. made me cry.

Near Wenceslas Square ? It'll be 12 years ago when I last went in.

that's the one -just round the corner from the James Joyce bar (if you're british it's near impossible to visit prague without being directed there). to my horror/shock it's 13 years since i went there- the summer of 2001 just before 9/11. how time flies...

Second time and just as awesome

Thought I'd just give this a quick read, and ended up inhaling 18 issues within two days. It's brilliant.

(and for the record: I don't particularly like Star Wars. It gets likened to Star Wars, but it's like... actually good.)

Agh that didn't go well.

this