English. And I just did a bit of metareading, ‘reading about’ and the author suggested a search engine accompanying the reader. Well… not sure I want go such lengths.
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Oh I totally understand.
You have just described how I felt the first time I read Neuromancer.
“That sentence (or even entire paragraph) made no sense to me”
X pages later
“Oh, that’s what it meant”
I found the trick with a lot of his writing is to just push on and hope it all comes together and makes sense later.
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James Joyce would’ve totally recommended the same thing if they were around back then.
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Did you watch the TV series first? Did that help or hinder? I know when plots deviate significantly it can hinder understanding as things you expect to happen do not or in a totally different way.
I did not.
I will say the show starts rather straightforward, gets confusing, and then becomes understandable again as it gets to the end of the season.
There is definitely a sense of acting like the audience already knows the backstory without telling them, for it to be drip fed as time progresses, being used.
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It is a shame it was cancelled after just one season… maybe that is the reason, a bit too ‘cerebral’ for a lot of viewers?
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Beyond the simple math of “not enough viewers” it’s hard to know. Not only do you have to ask people that started watching and never finished, you need to ask those who decided NOT to watch from the get go…
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finished When Thunder Rolled.
I knew it was going to be good. I knew it from the moment I have read the prologue in a preview of Ed’s second book Palace Cobra long time ago.
but I didnt expect it to be THIS GOOD!
cant put finger on it but Ed’s art of pointing out the ‘sons-of-a-bi_ch’ in a not rude and not angry way is just so great to witness.
I consider Ed my friend now 
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Working my way through the works of Field Marshal Lord Slim. Between the wars he struggled to pay his childrens school fees so turned to writing (anonomously). Both fiction and factual. His thoughts on leadership are issued to all British army officers when commisioned.
Only three Japanese armies were totally destroyed in WW2. One by Marshal Zhukov in Manchuria. The other two were destroyed by Bill Slim. India and Burma. Prior to these victories he kept his army intact during the longest retreat ever conducted by our army. Our greatest modern General and up there with the Duke of Marlborough and Wellington. He was the only Indian Army officer to become Chief of the Imperial General Staff. He is credited with most of the ideas that led to NATO.
His writing is delightful, skilled and informative. Even his account of his dealings with the taxman are highly amusing. Much of it available free on Kindle. Currently on “The General wondered why, and other short stories”
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Following up on the Spearheard book about tanks by Adam Makos, I just finished up A Higher Calling by the same author. I recommend both books, but perhaps this one, about WW2 aviation, is more interesting here. 
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Even as tired and low as I can be - OMG this book…
is an absolute page turner… just as that book on anti-gravity : I can’t put it down.
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I have been pretty sick the last couple of months, so I’ve been reading A LOT of books about Jesus. Currently reading “Jesus The Christ” By Talmage.
However, I am EAGERLY awaiting T.R. Matsons new book and Movers new Sci-Fi book.
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Just finished reading, on the recommendation of a friend.
Even though I got definite ‘Despicable Me’ vibes from it, when I got to where our ‘hero’ had arrived at the volcano lair and met the dolphins I had to stop reading… and wipe away the tears of laughter before continuing.
Recommended if you are after some light uplifting comedy and/or a cat lover. 
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Oh man! I loved everything Mr. Scalzi wrote!
Adding it to my list!
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Will be reading more of his books for sure
And. Because I have had a bit of time on my hands over the past few days, and because I really dig Scalzi’s writing style (he is a sarcastic SOB… I like him), and because they are Novella length, I have now read ‘Old Man’s War’ and ‘The Ghost Brigades’.
Some of the best anti-war fiction (and not just sci-fi) I have read. It was actually quite cathartic in a lot of ways.
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That was a great series. It’s been a while, so probably would enjoy it a second time through.
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A third for Old Man’s War, it was excellent.
Were they making a film of that one?
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