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The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Started by walkerp, September 02, 2008, 11:43:37 AM

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walkerp

September 02, 2008, 11:43:37 AM
My sister just passed this book on to me and I read it in a day (9 hours of travel time).  A fantastic read and totally deserving of the Pulitzer prize it won (which I know of because a sticker says so on the cover).

But holy shit there is some hardcore geekery in this book!  I mean hardcore.  The title character is a Dominican nerd and the author has either done an amazing amount of research or truly knows his stuff.  I mean he drops names and terms like FGU's PsiWorld, Aftermath!, 4d10, John Christopher, goes into detail about the ending of the Watchmen, quotes Tolkien in footnotes, rips on Magic the Gathering.  I was blown away by some of the references.  There is also a lot of spanish and Dominican slang thrown around (a lot of which I don't know).  I can't imagine what the non-geeks out there reading this stuff must be thinking when they come across references about how many hit points a character (not a PC, but a character in the book) has left when he gets the shit kicked out of him by the Dominican secret police.  It's jaw-droppingly awesome.

It's a great book but I also think it represents the next phase in geek chick.  We're moving up, people!  :)
"The difference between being fascinated with RPGs and being fascinated with the RPG industry is akin to the difference between being fascinated with sex and being fascinated with masturbation. Not that there\'s anything wrong with jerking off, but don\'t fool yourself into thinking you\'re getting laid." —Aos

KenHR

#1
September 02, 2008, 12:01:43 PM
Oh, this is so going on the wishlist now.  Thanks for the recommendation.
For fuck\'s sake, these are games, people.

And no one gives a fuck about your ignore list.


Gompan
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walkerp

#2
September 02, 2008, 09:20:06 PM
I'm surprised this has flown under our radar, really.
"The difference between being fascinated with RPGs and being fascinated with the RPG industry is akin to the difference between being fascinated with sex and being fascinated with masturbation. Not that there\'s anything wrong with jerking off, but don\'t fool yourself into thinking you\'re getting laid." —Aos

Werekoala

#3
September 02, 2008, 09:21:55 PM
I forgot about PsiWorld.

I liked PsiWorld.
Lan Astaslem


"It's rpg.net The population there would call the Second Coming of Jesus Christ a hate crime." - thedungeondelver

droog

#4
September 02, 2008, 09:34:41 PM
Quote from: Werekoala;243437I forgot about PsiWorld.
Wrong thread?
The past lives on in your front room
The poor still weak the rich still rule
History lives in the books at home
The books at home

Gang of Four
[/size]

Werekoala

#5
September 02, 2008, 09:48:59 PM
Quote from: walkerp;243095I mean he drops names and terms like FGU's PsiWorld...

Er, not really.
Lan Astaslem


"It's rpg.net The population there would call the Second Coming of Jesus Christ a hate crime." - thedungeondelver

droog

#6
September 02, 2008, 09:53:24 PM
Oh, okay.
The past lives on in your front room
The poor still weak the rich still rule
History lives in the books at home
The books at home

Gang of Four
[/size]

walkerp

#7
September 02, 2008, 09:58:56 PM
That's what I'm talking about.  This guy dredges up some obscure gaming shit.  In a Pulitzer Prize winning novel!

Was PsiWorld the one that had the vertical ad in Dragon with the guy holding his palms next to his head, sending out a PsiBlast?
"The difference between being fascinated with RPGs and being fascinated with the RPG industry is akin to the difference between being fascinated with sex and being fascinated with masturbation. Not that there\'s anything wrong with jerking off, but don\'t fool yourself into thinking you\'re getting laid." —Aos

Werekoala

#8
September 02, 2008, 10:04:57 PM
Yeah, and it was on the back of the box, too. I've still got that thing somewhere ...
Lan Astaslem


"It's rpg.net The population there would call the Second Coming of Jesus Christ a hate crime." - thedungeondelver

Spike

#9
September 03, 2008, 03:11:25 PM
I actually read a review of this on another, non-gaming (or particularly geek friendly actually... they are self professed elitist snobs who have repeatedly disdained comic books as a medium....fuckers...) a few months back.  

Still doesn't sound like my sort of read.  Geeky insider cred does not 'turn me on'. Then again, aside from gaming I'm a failure as a geek.
For you the day you found a minor error in a Post by Spike and forced him to admit it, it was the greatest day of your internet life.  For me it was... Tuesday.

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walkerp

#10
September 03, 2008, 04:49:19 PM
It's also just a great book.  Made me laugh out loud several times, once when I really couldn't stop while waiting for a plane. I think the people around me thought I was crazy.  You learn a good chunk of Dominican history.
"The difference between being fascinated with RPGs and being fascinated with the RPG industry is akin to the difference between being fascinated with sex and being fascinated with masturbation. Not that there\'s anything wrong with jerking off, but don\'t fool yourself into thinking you\'re getting laid." —Aos

walkerp

#11
September 03, 2008, 04:51:18 PM
Am I now spam?

I just posted something and it looks like I did, but my post doesn't show up.  

Weird.

Anyway, aside from the geek cred, this is just a great book.
"The difference between being fascinated with RPGs and being fascinated with the RPG industry is akin to the difference between being fascinated with sex and being fascinated with masturbation. Not that there\'s anything wrong with jerking off, but don\'t fool yourself into thinking you\'re getting laid." —Aos

Engine

#12
September 03, 2008, 04:51:53 PM
The author was interviewed charitably on the Colbert Report, and discusses some of his own geek cred; the interview is online here.
When you\'re a bankrupt ideology pursuing a bankrupt strategy, the only move you\'ve got is the dick one.

walkerp

#13
September 03, 2008, 06:48:15 PM
Thanks for the link Engine, but holy shit was that the worst interview ever.  How do Americans put up with garbage like that?  5 and a half minutes long and Colbert allows him like 4 phrases.  Pathetic.

And Diaz is a great speaker and has some really interesting things to say about history, dictatorship and writing.  You can hear an example of it here:

http://www.kwls.org/lit/podcasts/2008/01/junot_diaz_january_18_2008.cfm
"The difference between being fascinated with RPGs and being fascinated with the RPG industry is akin to the difference between being fascinated with sex and being fascinated with masturbation. Not that there\'s anything wrong with jerking off, but don\'t fool yourself into thinking you\'re getting laid." —Aos

Koltar

#14
September 03, 2008, 09:42:00 PM
Dude, we get it .

 You REALLY like this book - and its cool , it really is.

 Nice to see you enthusiastic about it.

I think you have intrigued enough of us, that now many of us will try to find it.

 Good job.

 Well done, mission accomplished.


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