MobileRead August 2015 Special Run-Off Vote

[WT Sharpe]

August 2015 Mobile Read Book Club Special Run-Off Vote

Since this month's vote resulted in a tie, we are having a Special Run-Off Vote between the two leading candidates. I will not vote in this poll unless my vote is needed to break a tie. This poll will be open for 3 days, and all MobileRead members are invited to participate. This is a visible, multiple-choice poll.

We will start the discussion thread for this book on August 20th. Please select from the following two Choices:

• Dhalgren by Samuel R Delany
Amazon UK / Amazon US / Kobo

Spoiler:

From Goodreads:

In Dhalgren, perhaps one of the most profound and bestselling science fiction novels of all time, Samuel R. Delany has produced a novel "to stand with the best American fiction of the 1970s" (Jonathan Lethem).

Bellona is a city at the dead center of the United States. Something has happened there…. The population has fled. Madmen and criminals wander the streets. Strange portents appear in the cloud-covered sky. And into this disaster zone comes a young man–poet, lover, and adventurer–known only as the Kid. Tackling questions of race, gender, and sexuality, Dhalgren is a literary marvel and groundbreaking work of American magical realism.

• The Martian by Andy Weir
Goodreads / Amazon Au / Amazon Ca / Amazon UK / Amazon US / Audible US

Spoiler:

From Goodreads:

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

[caleb72]

I want to read both, but Dhalgren is a little big for me this time around. The Martian is already on my TBR list for this year, so the choice was clear.

[din155]

I have already read The Martian twice and would like to read something new for the book club.

[WT Sharpe]

The nominations for the 2016 categories are now taking place.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=263622

[Dazrin]

Dhalgren is the winner by a single vote!

I have updated the Book Club Selections list and will provide a link on or around the 20th when the discussion thread starts.

[WT Sharpe]

It's a massive book for a short month because of the run-off. I may look for the audiobook.

[BenG]

I don't know that an audiobook would be practical.

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

It's a massive book for a short month because of the run-off. I may look for the audiobook.

Sadly, not available from Audible US. Might be available with some travel. Meanwhile, it IS available on Amazon as a Kindle Unlimited book, so I just borrowed it. Need to buckle down and get reading!

[kennyc]

I started slowly re-reading it a few months ago....will crank it up and look forward to the discussion!

[BenG]

It will be interesting to compare reading it at 19 in 1974 and reading it at 60.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by BenG

It will be interesting to compare reading it at 19 in 1974 and reading it at 60.

I've reread it (very few books do I ever reread btw) a few times over about that same period and find - at least for me - that it holds up quite well.

[John F]

Just started it and realized I've read this before.

[BenG]

I still have my original paperback.

I also have the book from the kindle store. In the paperback, Part 7 has two columns on each page representing the left and right pages of a notebook where someone filled out the right hand pages and went back and wrote in the left hand pages (or perhaps it was a different person on the left).

The digital book has the contents of one column followed by the second column in a different font and separated by horizontal rules.
The ebook doesn't really explain this (it's fairly obvious in the paperback) but that's what it's supposed to represent.

[ccowie]

I too have that paperback and I remember lugging it around with me for weeks till I finished reading it. For me that was about 1983. I'm looking forward to seeing how my reading experience compares as well.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by BenG

I still have my original paperback.

I also have the book from the kindle store. In the paperback, Part 7 has two columns on each page representing the left and right pages of a notebook where someone filled out the right hand pages and went back and wrote in the left hand pages (or perhaps it was a different person on the left).

The digital book has the contents of one column followed by the second column in a different font and separated by horizontal rules.
The ebook doesn't really explain this (it's fairly obvious in the paperback) but that's what it's supposed to represent.

Got my original paperback as well.

Just took a look at Part VII on my Kindle Fire -- thats potentially very confusing even with the line separates and various fonts.