Kant is a difficult read indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if the english translation is actually more accessible than the original German texts I had to read. Never ending sentences and consequent use of academic terminology. I think I got most of his moral philosophy but my memory is full of holes. Anyways, the categorical imperative is a pointless attempt to justify christian moralism imo.

Thanks for the feedback, guys.

I have to say that's a wonderful rec. McCarthy is brilliant, and blood meridian is violent disturbing and profound it will stick with you for days upon finishing. The judge character is just perfectly fucked up in every way.

I thoroughly third Blood Meridian; it's my favorite book, very violent and graphic, but McCarthy's language is just, well, wonderfull.

I'll also mention The Kindly Ones by Littel that fits Markov's request. It's about an SS officer in the Sonderkommandos behind the Wehrmacht lines on the Eastern Front and filled with graphic details both psychological (he has personal issues concerning homosexuality and incest as well as broader psychological issues from the whole, you know, exterminating people thingamajing) and of course a lot of gore, what with him being an SS officer and all. Finally a lot of 'philosofical' thoughts justificating his and the Nazi's work.

I've been reading the The Rise and Fall of Third Reich by William L. Shirer, which is an accessible, edifying, though biased, narrative of WW2. I think it was one of the first books of its kind to be published after the war, when resentment against Germany was still strong, so the author's condescension while talking about ordinary german people can become rather tiresome after a while.

Anyone know of any similar books worth reading? I'm going to start Winston Churchill's History of World War 2 next and then focus on narrower parts of WW2 military history, as I'm new to the subject and need to get a better overview of it first.

I realise I am rather late to the game, but I can never resist commenting when Kant-related posts are made on here, so I'd just like to add my voice to those commending megalowho for the summary; that is pretty much the gist of it in my view, too, so well played!

This is a long question and a long reply, so I'm using spoiler tags to reduce the size of my post and only inflict having to read all of what I'm rambling about on people who want to read it...

Thanks, Calusari.



This made me laugh - the caricatures, I mean. And I agree. I'm glad to say I'm slowly getting over my aversion to Continental philosophy - I'll probably start by taking a look at the existentialists eventually, or at least Heidegger. I'm wrapping up my MA now and hoping to start a PhD next fall, but it seems very unlikely that I'll seriously delve into anything but analytic philosophy in my formal studies.

I increasingly tend to think that one should regret one's inability (due to restrictions of time and personal interest) to study every major philosopher. I want to say that any philosopher to whom some people have dedicated entire scholarly careers has to be interesting on some level; or at least, it'd probably be impossible to make the case that their scholars have basically wasted their time.

Personally, the deeper into philosophy I go the more I like Buddhism (and forms of philosophy like existentialism that can stress life/the moment). I question the wisdom of endless categorization and analytic/linguistic thought. That said, I'm not a philosophy major. I've taken intro and logic, a class on esoteric platonism (Gnosticism, Hermeneutics, alchemy etc), a class on Nietzsche, and done some independent research, but I'm no expert.

But I do enjoy "jnana yoga" and I enjoy trying to attain balance between thinking and doing.

I definitely agree. It's always nice to discover that there are philosophers with great insights whose work one hasn't encountered yet, yet it is depressing to think that there are so many ideas out there that are simply beyond reach (because of time and finitude) while others who have engaged with them adore them so much that they devote their lives to studying them.
This is especially so once someone really interested in a particular thinker or issue explains (or tries to, as much as explaining one's passion is possible) their interest. Recently, for example, I've attended a couple of seminars about the one area of philosophy that I could never engage with, logic - one was by a friend presenting his completed thesis, another by one of the senior researchers in the department; both made me realise how profoundly interesting this field can be, how it could be possible to devote one's life to it, and how much I regretted not knowing more about the thinkers they mentioned.



That's really interesting, and is one of those many areas about which I know far too little. I took one subject that was basically a short overview of about half a dozen Eastern philosophies (Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Tao, etc), with a little bit of comparative philosophy (those schools vis a vis Heidegger & Nietzsche, who were both influenced by Taoism and forms of Buddhism). I vaguely regret not taking more subjects like this, especially as the uni is known for its researchers in this regard (it used to offer about half a dozen subjects delving into specific Eastern schools of thought; a friend is actually doing his PhD in comparing Zen and phenomenology), but it's never quite engaged me as much as other areas.

Any recommendations for post-apocalyptic fiction?

"Dawn" by Octavia Butler comes to mind.

I Am Legend if you want a fun, quick read. I suppose someone will pop up and mention The Road, while I couldn't stand the effin' thing, who knows, you might like it, seeing as how you didn't specify much in your post.

Not strictly being post-apocalyptic, "The Doomed City" and "Roadside Picnic" by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky come to mind.

2033 is the only post-apocalyptic novel I remember reading. It's fun and explores a lot of cool "what if" ideas, but don't expect anything deep (pun unintended).

(I'm not sure if it is a right place to ask this question but I did not find anything better).
Anyway, could anyone recommend me several british and french realistic prose writers of ~1900-1960 period? I'm already familiar with the works of A.Bennet, J.Galsworthy, A.France, R.Rolland, J.Renard, G.Duhamel and P. Hériat but I want more. Most of the textbooks on history of literature concentrate their attention on different modernist works (Joyce, Woolf, Proust, etc. etc.) and tend to ignore most of the realistic works but I know for a fact that there were a lot of non-avantgarde writers during that period. I have no particular interest in neither modernist or philosophical books a-la Sartre and just looking for a plain old realism.

Canticle for Leibowitz is a post-apocalyptic epic.

Perhaps try "Oryx and Crake" and "The Year of the Flood", by Margaret Atwood - while the latter is a sequel to the former, they can be read separately, too; both feature great characters and engaging, consistent world-building. Set in a not-quite-distant-enough future marked by rampant and rather surreal genetic experimentation, Houellebecq-ian carnality, and truly odd religions, these books present a sophisticated and somewhat philosophical take on the whole 'doom by rampant progress' scenario, less concerned with how its characters can survive than with the question of whether (and why) their lives are even worth continuing. The narrative switches between different times (before, during and after the apocalyptic events) and characters (including those who bring about said apocalypse) without being obviously 'clever' about it, so that you end up with a sweeping view of events and their possible meaning without even realising it.

I haven't read it yet, but Dying Earth by Jack Vance. The author is excellent, though his merciless irony might take you unawares. His Lyonesse series was one of the only pieces of literature to ever have shocked me.

I enjoyed both of those books, however in the first one it bugged me a little as to how off-base her characterization of the protagonist was during his teenage years - teenage boys just aren't that emotionally mature when it comes to romance.

Though I wouldn't know directly, I can imagine; he did seem a bit too good to be true at times, though the description of him from another character's perspective in the second book altered that impression a bit - that made it seem a little more as though he had a somewhat unreliable view of his own actions (in contrast to the impact they actually had). I do agree, though - Atwood's portrayals of all the characters in their youth was a bit odd and unrealistic, even considering the distance of the setting.

I haven't read the novel in question, or anything else by Atwood for that matter, but I don't consider a character's unlikely characterisation to be a valid basis for criticism - having not read the book, I don't know if he's thoroughly, impossibly unrealistic, or that not only his personality is off-base, but also his success in everything he parttakes (Mary-Sue), especially the latter being more than a valid reason for criticism - as even I have known people whose unending goodness of personality defies all standards of adolescent males. To be sure, such a character in a novel requires a decent counterpoint to serve as a point of contrast and thus emphasise the former's peculiarities of character. If the author's seeming ignorance of a teenage boy's thoughts bothered you, by using such a counterpoint character, the author lets the readers know that this character is intended to be portrayed as an exceptional personality.

Definitely no 'Mary-Sue' here. No one's saying these weren't good books anyway, it's more of a minor element that might bother some readers and, even though I didn't mind much, I can certainly see where that view might be coming from... It's a little aside, that's all.

Thanks for the recs, guys. Prior to the responses I went and picked up Lucifer's Hammer and Alas, Babylon, but now I'll have more to check out when I'm finished!

AHH! I love Lucifer's Hammer a great, fun, awesome little book.

I should have stopped reading there. It's silly to criticize a criticism of something you haven't even read.

Perhaps I should've mentioned that my post wasn't 100% directed at your comment or that particular novel - your criticising an unlikely seeming character simply got me thinking.

Yes you were.

If you didn't stop reading at that point, though, I'm surprised my intentions were that unclear to you. Your mentioning a teenager character's emotional maturity being unbelievable reminded me of certain people I know, and that unusual, peculiar types do exist. It all boils down to the author's portrayal of such characters - whether characters with unusual traits are portrayed as entirely normal, or if it's implied that they are indeed strange. I absolutely wasn't criticising or defending the book, but merely musing something that this made me think about.

Anyone here read Umberto Eco's Baudolino? I recently got a neat paperback copy of it from my family and am definitely curious about it. The Name of the Rose was a novel I enjoyed immensely and I'm really looking forward to digging into another of Eco's medieval explorations.

I haven't read that one, but if you're already a fan of Eco then you definitely need to read Foucault's Pendulum if you haven't. It's not set in the middle ages, but the subject matter deals extensively with it, specifically the Templars. It's a fantastic look at how conspiracy theories work and the psychology behind them.

Sounds interesting... To be fair, The Name of the Rose is the only Eco novel I'm familiar with, so it's hard to say I'm a fan of his per se, but still, I'd like to check it out. I also have his The Island of the Day Before on the shelf. Will probably have to wait until I finish Wolfe's The Book of the Long Sun in any case. I read the first book, Nightside the Long Sun, a couple years ago, and now picking up the tome again to recommence I feel I need to read it again to properly experience the story . Not that it would be anything but a pleasure to re-read, but I'm not a man with much reading time and it's a bit painful thinking about retreading that much ground. Urrg. Methinks I will have to make do with a skim job, though even writing that makes me feel kind of dirty.

Ugh. I need to stop reading stuff about German nihilists. I'm currently reading a book called Nietzsche's Machiavellian Politics. The author is basically making a point about the fine line between the distinction of morality and politics, and uses a comparison between Nietzsche and Machiavelli as an example. It's fairly interesting if not a little dry.

Huh, I could have sworn I replied to the Eco conversation. Guess I was too drunk to submit.

Read part of NotR, enjoyed it, he's a masterful writer and thinker. Wanted to read other things though. Eventually I'm gonna open Foucault's Pendulum, probably more my kind of topic having read and enjoyed Illuminatus Trilogy.

I can vouch for Foucault's Pendulum, great read. Abominatrix talks about it a little bit in the OP of this thread.

Any recommendations for non-fiction focusing on World War I? Not looking for anything too specific, just something interesting you guys may have read pertaining to the war.

a bit late for the post apocalyptic issue but maybe you, Dragunov, are still interested...

Surely it depends on what kind of post-apocal. books you personally like to read. I myself love it a bit more
when it takes another turn than "depressive" (in lack of a better term) like "The Road", "I Am Legend" etc.
So maybe the following are of interest to you:

"Damnation Alley" by Roger Zelazny
Sometime after a nuclear apocalypse, there are two nations left in the former U.S. (perhaps in the world);
the nations of California and Boston. All the rest is a wasteland of radioactivity, mutant beasts, super storms
and violent gangs, known as Damnation Alley. Word comes that a plague has struck Boston.
California sends a group of their best drivers across Damnation Alley to deliver vaccine.
To lead this group, they shanghai Hell Tanner: criminal, the last Hell's Angel and the best damned driver they have.

"Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse" by Victor Gischler
Mortimer Tate was a recently divorced insurance salesman when he holed up in a cave on top of a mountain
in Tennessee and rode out the end of the world. Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse begins nine years later,
when he emerges into a bizarre landscape filled with hollow reminders of an America that no longer exists.
The highways are lined with abandoned automobiles; electricity is generated by indentured servants pedaling
stationary bicycles.
What little civilization remains revolves around Joey Armageddon's Sassy A-Go-Go strip clubs, where the beer is
cold, the lap dancers are hot, and the bouncers are armed with M16s.
Accompanied by his cowboy sidekick Buffalo Bill, the gorgeous stripper Sheila, and the mountain man Ted,
Mortimer journeys to the lost city of Atlanta -- and a showdown that might determine the fate of humanity.

and I can't recommend the "Dark Future" novels by Kim Newman enough. Fantastic reads!!!!! It's not post-apocalyptic per
classic definition but def. has the kind of atmosphere.
Imagine Mad Max meeting Lovecraft with many sarcastic and ironic nods towards a possible future (ok, written
from an eighties point of view how the 90s would have looked like). You can read about the setting a bit here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Future#World

Regarding the WW1 request. I can't help you out with non-fiction books about but I just finished reading this one here
and I just have to share it as it's fantastic stuff (second book of the series was ordered yesterday )
However it is very detailled and as far as I can say very close in the descriptions of the "life" (haha) in the trenches.
It is kind of a read when you mix "All Quiet on the Western Front" with the great scifi of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

"Black Hand Gang" by Pat Kelleher
Here's sth about the story:
As the lads of the 13th Pennine Fusiliers are charging towards their destiny on the battlefield of Harcourt Woods,
something weird happens. They fall unconscious, and when they wake, they, a Sopwith Strutter, the "Ivanhoe",
one of the first British tanks and her crew, and the Harcourt battlefield have been transported to another, possibly parallel planet.
The Germans are gone, but there are worse perils waiting for them. There are man-sized, man-hunting insects, poisonous flora,
man-eating flora, and man-sized jackalesque creatures that find people's warm innards mighty tasty. And then they find that
the planet has native aborigine tribes, one of which is led by Naparandwe (Napoo) and call themselves Free Urmens,
and they are at war with the Khungarri, an insectoid race that has built hive-cities, and who capture Urmen to be used as slaves.

This pic gives a good feel for the atmosphere;


edit:
a non-fiction WW1 book just crossed my mind. have a try with this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_of_Steel

Awesome recommendations! Each one of those sound like something I could definitely get into, thank you! Off to Amazon...

AHHHHH. I talked about this book like eight pages ago. One of my absolute favorites, a haunting, beautifully written and engaging story that truly humanizes the Nazis as individuals, instead of a collective group. Ugh, so damn good. The imagery is incredible, the story moves like lightning.

Huh, I couldn't find what you've written about it, but I agree, it's a great story. Definitely worth a re-read from me sometime soon. I have the English translation on the shelf, read it in Danish some time back.

you're welcome Here's another (sorry, again no non-fiction) "WW1 meets occult" thing I read a few years back and enjoyed:

"The Judas Cross" by Charles Sheffield

"As the armies of the Kaiser advance through France, a secret war for the possession of an ancient artifact said to
contain the soul of Judas Iscariot comes to a critical point in the chateau of the Marquis Villette (the cross's current
guardian). While the Germans seek to acquire the item, the cross begins to exercise its own subtle corruptive influence over its safekeeper. "

Oh, and as to post apocalyptic books - the "Endworld" and the "Deathlands" series are also quite good to read every now and then.
Here's some more information about both series:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endworld
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathlands

Btw - are you also interested in "WW2 meets occult" stuff? Have a few books I could recommend then... Just let me know...

The Judas Cross sounds good too! And yes, WW2 is cool too. The reason I asked for WW1 is because I'm getting very anxious for the Sacriphyx LP to be released, and their lyrics are more or less based on WW1.

Thanks again!