The Cyberiad is very different from Solaris (to the extent that it's hard to believe the same man wrote both books) - ie, a series of humorous, philosophical parables charting the rivalry between two robots, one always trying to be more inventive than the other.

Cathbad Wrote:
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> The Cyberiad is very different from Solaris (to
> the extent that it's hard to believe the same man
> wrote both books) - ie, a series of humorous,
> philosophical parables charting the rivalry
> between two robots, one always trying to be more
> inventive than the other.

You liked it? I have a few others on pdf: Eden, The Invincible, and The Star Diaries. Perhaps you are enthusiastic about one or more of these?

I've actually only - I think - around three Lem books. Solaris, The Cyberiad, and a collection of mock reviews (in essence, interesting ideas that Lem decided not to follow through on). I read Solaris a long time ago, but would say that liking Solaris doesn't necessarily mean you'll like The Cyberiad, which is blackly comic. Personally, I loved it.

This being, as I take it, an omnium-gatherum thread, I thought it appropriate to mention a favorite short novel, The Young Visiters, by Daisy Ashford. For goodness' sake skip the introduction by J. M. Barrie and begin here:

[archive.org]

The only thing you need to know from Barrie's preface is that it's presented as the work of Daisy Ashford, who wrote the novel at age nine. It is what used to be called, I believe, a silver fork novel, that is, a story of romance set among the relatively wealthy in England.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 26 Jan 21 | 01:29PM by Dale Nelson.

"...wrote the novel at age nine..."

I once saw a preserved two-headed calf at a carnival, and I also saw Jake, the Alligator Man, but...

;^)

--Sawfish

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"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
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I stayed a night or two at a monastery in Oregon many years ago. The monks had a small "museum." One of the monks of former days, it seems, had taken an interest in taxidermy, and I recall a stuffed snake that looked rather like a cane.

In fact this monastery also had a two-headed calf.

[www.atlasobscura.com]

Dale Nelson Wrote:
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> I stayed a night or two at a monastery in Oregon
> many years ago. The monks had a small "museum."
> One of the monks of former days, it seems, had
> taken an interest in taxidermy, and I recall a
> stuffed snake that looked rather like a cane.

Speaking of cane, I have just purchased a wooden cane and am eagerly waiting for it to arrive in the mail. It is of multi-use; I am not in direct need of it for walking, but may well be as I get older. Foremost it is meant as a weapon for self-defense. Excellent for blocking, striking, and the crook of the crown can be used for hooking and pulling around neck and legs. It is the only weapon that is fully legal to bring along, everywhere you go around the World, even aboard flights. Although you should not say that it is for self-defence, but rather a walking cane, a mobility aid device. They are not permitted to question or deny you that right. However if you say it is for self-defense, they may take it from you.

Thanks for the tip. I have been thinking about getting a cane for similar reasons, though it's more loose dogs that concern me than bipeds.

Dale Nelson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One of the monks of former days, it seems, had
> taken an interest in taxidermy, and I recall a
> stuffed snake that looked rather like a cane.

Canes that transform into serpents must be a classic element in fantasy literature, although I do not recall specific examples right now.

Dale Nelson Wrote:
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> Thanks for the tip. I have been thinking about
> getting a cane for similar reasons, though it's
> more loose dogs that concern me than bipeds.

Or bears perhaps up where you live? Although a pepper spray would probably be safer. But it is a myth that bears attack humans, unless cornered. We are not part of their food source.

Some dogs might be a problem. Though having dangerous dogs on the loose is criminal. I have never encountered such a situation myself. On the other hand, I avoid bad neighborhoods, primarily because I can't stand the ugliness of it. A happy dog running up to me poses no problem for me, quite the contrary.
If you strike down a dog, you will likely have a whole flock of bipeds going after you. :/

A basic move to learn with the cane, is to swing it fast in controlled twirls by your side, and in figure eights from side to side, and above your head. That will keep away most threats, holding them at distance.

Re dogs. Experience has taught me that it's often enough to stoop down (as if you were picking up a stone) to deter most dogs.

Cathbad Wrote:
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> Re dogs. Experience has taught me that it's often
> enough to stoop down (as if you were picking up a
> stone) to deter most dogs.


Hence one of my revolving sigfiles...

"It is Pointless, and endless trouble, to cast a stone at every dog
that barks at you."

--Sawfish

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"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In addition to conventional canes, there are a number of canes on the market that have concealed blades. There are even a few that have single-shot firearms--.410 gauge shotguns and the like.

There are umbrellas with some of these capabilities, too. Plus useful in the rain.

And the old stand-by, the Asp baton. Basically a 2-foot piece of re-bar, when expanded.

Weaponry is deeply in the genes, I think, ever since knuckle-dragging days.

--Sawfish

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The food at the new restaurant is awful, but at least the portions are large."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cathbad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Re dogs. Experience has taught me that it's often
> enough to stoop down (as if you were picking up a
> stone) to deter most dogs.


My experience is that if I stoop down, dogs come running up to me, wagging their tail and eager for me to throw.