Book suggestions?

[a sad cow]

First off, for the band, do you have a recommended reading list?

Secondly, for the fans, do any songs remind you of a book you have and/or are currently reading? For instance, I would pair Force Feedback with The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein. Thoughts?

[machinaeFREAK]

No idea if this is a serious thread or not, but w/e.

I can recommend everything by Fredric Brown (he's my favourite author at the moment), although I don't really listen to music while reading it.
But I guess something spacey such as God is an Astronaut would fit.

[a sad cow]

I suppose I don't spend enough time on this forum to understand your joke threads, but I was indeed serious. As deep as the lyrics go, I don't doubt that there are many more connections to be made, whether they were designed by the band or not.

[gaijin]

Henlein, Hitchens, Pratchett, Reynolds, Hobb, Adams.. just pick a book. It's bound to be interesting. The one you should talk books with in the band is Jonne, but he's not around. We've got similar tastes though, even if he tends to lean more to the less 'heavy' subject matters.

Anyway, nice thought. When it comes to themes througout machinae-lyrics, some songs have decidedly Orwellian tones to 'em, but other than that... well. Not sure.

[machinaeFREAK]

The reason I thought it was not a serious thread is because the question is very direct No problem ofcourse.

I've not read much lately, but I do recommend the creepypasta on the SCP wiki and their forum. While reading I find Muse, especially the song Fury, very fitting.

I don't listen to Masu alot while reading, I like it more when I'm gaming.

[a sad cow]

I was aiming for a lyrics perspective. I can't listen to music and read unless it's internet...

I'm adding books to my stack of books to read. I figure when the stack is taller than I am, maybe I'll start reducing it. Recently I just purchased Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five as well as 1984 by George Orwell (already read but it needs to be in my collection). Also Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's Animal Farm. I've seen the movie for Brave New World but I figure it does about as much justice to the book as Starship Troopers the movie did to its book. I'd also recommend Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle.

[WilllemNL]

Are you looking for books that have a certain theme / subject that fit the music of MaSu? If so, I can't really help you.

If you know Dutch, you should 1000% make sure you read 'De Engelenmaker' by Stefan Brijs. If you don't mind reading translated novels, you should read 'The Angel Maker' by Stefan Brijs. It's one of the best books I have ever read. It's about a doctor who has 3 identical sons and named them after the archangels. The children never come outside and the townspeople suspect the father from testing upon them. Insane book!

For English literature... if you're into fantasy and haven't caught up with Game of Thrones yet. Uh, do so!

For other English literature, you should really check out Alice in Wonderland / Through the Looking Glass. Moby Dick is awesome as well.

[Caranfin]

Book suggestions are kind of hard to give unless you know the style of book to suggest, really. As for music similar to Machinae's music I can't but echo Gaijin's comment about the Orwellian themes.

Anyway, a conversation on another forum got me interested in any good steampunk literature. I'm talking actual steampunk here; a focus on class struggle and the horrors of a society where the working classes have been reduced to nothing but tools, not the literary equivalent of slapping some cogs on a top hat and calling it "steampunk".

[WilllemNL]

not the literary equivalent of slapping some cogs on a top hat and calling it "steampunk".

Ha, well said!

[Caranfin]

I believe this Kate Beaton comic is appropriate here:


Anyway, so far I've heard good things about this book, and others by the same author, as well as conflicting reviews of The Difference Engine. Is anyone familiar with these?

[evilcandybag]

I haven't read the Difference Engine, but anything touched by William Gibson tends to be pure gold.

[Tolkki]

For English literature... if you're into fantasy and haven't caught up with Game of Thrones yet. Uh, do so!

I highly approve with this. Even if you don't like fantasy I would still suggest that you atleast try to read them for fantasy is in a minor role in those books.