yaksha Wrote:I'm always amazed by how caught up he is with the times. For a 64 year old man, Wilson still knows how things go... I feel as if I'm being played, as if the man we're reading isn't even half the age he reports; there's no denying it, Wilson isn't by any means your usual old man. And I hope we can look forward to many more years, and I can only hope I'm as much fun when I'm in my sixties.

yaksha Wrote:So yeah, new member, figured I'd start things off with a bang. I read The Tomb about a month ago, and I've pretty much zoomed through the series to date. I usually laze through books, take a week or so to finish it. About the only authors I read quickly are King and Koontz. And then I found Wilson. I was first recommended by my mother, and let me say I haven't regretted it yet.

Let me start off simple. Some people think it might be an insult to read through a book quickly. I usually prefer it if I really like the author. It's so very easy to miss subtle things on your first read, so I do my best to finish it as quickly as I can, and then come back when I'm free, to really appreciate the complex stuff. If I take forever to finish a book, then I spend more time on the plot than on the good stuff. And with Wilson's nuanced books, there's no way I'm going to get everything on one read.

So far, I've been thoroughly impressed. Repairman Jack has drawn me in, for all the good reasons. Just as Wilson said in his article about King; I'm a mutant, and proud of it. I've always voraciously sought horror flicks and books, and I take every chance I can to watch the classics; Dracula,The Blob...Needless to say, I got hooked after just a bit. The Otherness, our good friend R, and even The Lady, have instilled me with nothing but a sense of wonder at such a finely crafted world, with such great influences.

More than just the story itself, I've been constantly impressed by the author. Wilson is staggeringly good, not just at writing a story, but at being thorough. He clearly does his research with the guns, among other things(if not him, we do). He's quite good at detailing things so they flow smoothly, and so things make sense. Even manages to keep a character like Jack firmly rooted in the real and the possible, against such an unreal enemy. I've always loved people that could stay real, when it's so easy to 'cheat'; to give Jack something besides his tenacity and his contacts, to make him clearly a cut above the rest.

And, even more than his writing, his sheer personality. I'm always amazed by how caught up he is with the times. For a 64 year old man, Wilson still knows how things go. Clearly he's accustomed to the internet, or he wouldn't be here. He's shockingly good at making even the most passing moments of young, saggy-pantsed teenagers in his literature convincing. Every time he makes use of younger characters, from his con-men in All The Rage to his young, "Balls in your mouth" Kickers of Bloodlines, I feel as if I'm being played, as if the man we're reading isn't even half the age he reports; there's no denying it, Wilson isn't by any means your usual old man. And I hope we can look forward to many more years, and I can only hope I'm as much fun when I'm in my sixties.

This drink's on me, guys. Here's to plenty more, both beers and books. :cheers:

yaksha Wrote:So yeah, new member, figured I'd start things off with a bang. I read The Tomb about a month ago, and I've pretty much zoomed through the series to date. I usually laze through books, take a week or so to finish it. About the only authors I read quickly are King and Koontz. And then I found Wilson. I was first recommended by my mother, and let me say I haven't regretted it yet.

Let me start off simple. Some people think it might be an insult to read through a book quickly. I usually prefer it if I really like the author. It's so very easy to miss subtle things on your first read, so I do my best to finish it as quickly as I can, and then come back when I'm free, to really appreciate the complex stuff. If I take forever to finish a book, then I spend more time on the plot than on the good stuff. And with Wilson's nuanced books, there's no way I'm going to get everything on one read.

So far, I've been thoroughly impressed. Repairman Jack has drawn me in, for all the good reasons. Just as Wilson said in his article about King; I'm a mutant, and proud of it. I've always voraciously sought horror flicks and books, and I take every chance I can to watch the classics; Dracula,The Blob...Needless to say, I got hooked after just a bit. The Otherness, our good friend R, and even The Lady, have instilled me with nothing but a sense of wonder at such a finely crafted world, with such great influences.

More than just the story itself, I've been constantly impressed by the author. Wilson is staggeringly good, not just at writing a story, but at being thorough. He clearly does his research with the guns, among other things(if not him, we do). He's quite good at detailing things so they flow smoothly, and so things make sense. Even manages to keep a character like Jack firmly rooted in the real and the possible, against such an unreal enemy. I've always loved people that could stay real, when it's so easy to 'cheat'; to give Jack something besides his tenacity and his contacts, to make him clearly a cut above the rest.

And, even more than his writing, his sheer personality. I'm always amazed by how caught up he is with the times. For a 64 year old man, Wilson still knows how things go. Clearly he's accustomed to the internet, or he wouldn't be here. He's shockingly good at making even the most passing moments of young, saggy-pantsed teenagers in his literature convincing. Every time he makes use of younger characters, from his con-men in All The Rage to his young, "Balls in your mouth" Kickers of Bloodlines, I feel as if I'm being played, as if the man we're reading isn't even half the age he reports; there's no denying it, Wilson isn't by any means your usual old man. And I hope we can look forward to many more years, and I can only hope I'm as much fun when I'm in my sixties.

This drink's on me, guys. Here's to plenty more, both beers and books. :cheers:

Pleiades Wrote:Welcome to the board yaksha... Hey, just a minute! Are you saying that over 60 is OLD? It's only old if you let it be. I'm 60 and still run most every day, go backpacking, camping, canoeing, do 100 sit ups and 80 push ups a day, going rafting on the Green river in Utah next month... And I AIN'T OLD! Save this ill-informed message until you're 60 and see how wrong you are.

Now, you whippersnapper, turn down that music, and get off my lawn - I need a nap.

Ken Valentine Wrote:Where are you starting on the Green River? Moab? Or farther north?

Ken - started running the Green River through Dinosaur National Monument in 1961 - V.

yaksha Wrote:So glad to see all these guys welcoming the new guy. Makes me feel welcome.

Yeah, I've always found it a little annoying when people make excessive use of slang, or try to act like they're hip when they're clearly just posing. FPW at least manages to make it convincing, uses it sparingly enough, and even lampshades it often enough that I have no doubt he's heard these things said before.

And I'm working on grabbing some of the other ones; closest library moved a day or two ago, so I've been roaming around town trying to find another one that I can start making regular visits to.

And I am curious about what happens after Rasalom got beat; does the Otherness just give up, or what? I'd like to see a couple books where we find out who the new Adversary is, or what else the Otherness is planning to get what it needs.

Pleiades Wrote:Ken, we put in near Sand Wash and take out at Green River. We're using World Wide River Expeditions. Someone else is handling the details - so I may be wrong about the start and end points.

Quote: After the rafting, we spend 2 nights in Arches national Park. We leave on July 7 - can't wait.