Ron MilesWebsite Owner  Commander In Chief Posts:864  
| 9/2/2010 12:14 AM |
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This is the official thread for comments on Deathlands #97 - Playfair's Axiom
The bibliography page is located HERE
You can submit your own review HERE
Be warned, this thread may contain spoilers for the book. "Sadly then I knew the answer. All her life she was a dancer, but no one ever played the song she knew." - The Residents
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The Phantom Basic Member Posts:219 
| 1/30/2011 6:52 PM |
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Thumbing through this book, it does not seem to be a Boot, Polotta or Rogers novel.
Comparing it to Victor Milan's writing, my best guess is it is written by him. Although with the influx of newer writers in the GE stable in the last couple years, it could be anyone with Milan's style of writing.
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KerrickBasic Member Posts:322 
| 2/1/2011 1:39 AM |
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Are you sure you're posting in the right thread? This book isn't supposed to be out until March.
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The PhantomBasic Member Posts:219
| 2/1/2011 3:05 AM |
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The publishing date is only the month it comes out in stores, like Kmart. Books can be ordered from GE directly, or come in the bi-monthly shipments, which can be obtained two or three months before the publish date.
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Ron MilesWebsite Owner Commander In Chief Posts:864
| 2/1/2011 8:28 AM |
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Yup. My copy of Playfair's Axiom came in the mail about a week ago.
"Sadly then I knew the answer. All her life she was a dancer, but no one ever played the song she knew." - The Residents
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KerrickBasic Member Posts:322
| 2/20/2011 12:07 PM |
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Wow... so you can give us an advance review of how good/bad it is? Milan hasn't written a DL book in 5 years... I wonder if he's gotten any better?
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KerrickBasic Member Posts:322
| 3/16/2011 11:43 AM |
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Just finished it. It's one of the better books I've read lately; I'd give it a solid 8.
There were a few minor things (aren't there always?): Doc's LeMat seems to have gone from nine barrels to one, and Mildred (who's lived in Deathlands for several years now) reverted to her predark self when it came to "this is how we do things in Deathlands" (it's hard to explain without spoilers, but you'll see when you read it).
The plot, likewise, follows the "party becomes indebted to the local baron and must perform a service to get free" thing that's become far too common lately, but for all that, it's still pretty good - lots of action, interesting characters, and unique use of DL muties.
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)3az )3aziahBritish Bloke  Veteran Member Posts:1060 
| 3/16/2011 2:42 PM |
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Ron's DL book list tells us it a VM book -his third so far.
=============================== Billy Fish: He wants to know if we are gods.
Peachy Carnehan: Not gods - Englishmen. The next best thing.
Please check out my FLICKR photos
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KerrickBasic Member Posts:322
| 3/20/2011 5:51 PM |
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After writing up the summary, I was impressed once again by the sheer amount of action. I've never read any of his DL or OL books, but I have read some of his Battletech books (a long time ago), and I enjoyed them immensely. This one reminds me of those - a couple plot twists, lots of action, and various factions competing against each other.
There were a couple odd things he tossed in that were never developed; I wonder if he plans to do something with them later:
* A rumored cannie cult - something far more evil than the normal cannies - that engages in blood rituals, human sacrifice, and darker things. From the description, it's huge.
* At one point, the companions spot a rider on a horse. It's dark and the rider's wearing a hooded cloak, so they can't make out any details; they hide, and he(?) rides on past without appearing to have seen them. It gets nothing more than a couple paragraphs and probably wouldn't be noteworthy, except that the tone of the encounter makes the reader think it's something Not Right.
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Grantbo New Member Posts:46
| 4/2/2011 10:54 PM |
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Finished the book today and liked it very much. The plot, organization and progression were all very good. The characters weren't out of place and seemed to do what you'd think they should do.
The descriptions of the environment in which they traveled were all excellent. Some of the details were really well thought out. Like when the guards gave them water and towels while they sat in the jail. This kind of details shows that the author knows that no toilet paper exists.
I found only one minor error: when in a fight the enemy's UZI emptied it's mag and the bolt locked back. Unfortunately, the UZI doesn't have that capability. When the last shot is fired it still cycles over an empty chamber.
I liked the hints at the great menaces like in the stadium and later the horse that seems to represent death.
I like it. You will to. |
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KerrickBasic Member Posts:322
| 4/5/2011 3:44 PM |
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Little bit of info: there actually is a Playfair's Axiom. Playfair was a mathmetician, and he came up with [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playfair's_axiom]
an alternative to Euclide's Fifth Postulate[/url]. I'm not sure what this actually has to do with the plot of the book, though...
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| 4/14/2011 1:15 AM |
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Hi everyone, I'm new to this but I am a DL fan. Learning new things bout the book. I did not know that different authors wrote different books. That explains alot for me. Just finished blood harvest and I thought it was great! The few before though not so hot. Particularly "the prophecy" how did 3 different tribes see the same holusination? Great to find somewhere to talk to other fans about this! Does anyone think Trader will ever make a return?
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KerrickBasic Member Posts:322
| 4/16/2011 11:31 AM |
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Given that Ryan and Trader didn't part on the best of terms the last time (and given that Straub implied that Trader was, in fact, dead), it's unlikely he'll be back.
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)3az )3aziahBritish Bloke Veteran Member Posts:1060
| 4/16/2011 2:49 PM |
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BUT...
Given that continuity is not something DL is known for these days, anything could happen...
=============================== Billy Fish: He wants to know if we are gods.
Peachy Carnehan: Not gods - Englishmen. The next best thing.
Please check out my FLICKR photos
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Wordsmith-repriseFreelance Editor Basic Member Posts:150
| 4/17/2011 12:23 PM |
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I don't believe we'll be seeing Trader again, unless someone writes a flashback scene or two, which might not be a bad idea.
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)3az )3aziahBritish Bloke Veteran Member Posts:1060
| 4/18/2011 1:57 PM |
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Flashbacks would be good -perhaps along the lines of "Times Nomads" or perhaps a whole book set in the dream world of a Mat-trans jump with the tale being told from each of the groups point of view. Start the tale with them entering the Mat-Trans and end it with them stepping out at the other end ready to pick up the next book along...
=============================== Billy Fish: He wants to know if we are gods.
Peachy Carnehan: Not gods - Englishmen. The next best thing.
Please check out my FLICKR photos
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KerrickBasic Member Posts:322
| 4/19/2011 11:47 AM |
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An entire book of flashbacks? Interesting... Kind of like Encounter. Or... make it a "dream sequence" - they step out of the mat-trans, thinking they're in a new redoubt, and find Trader.
This actually dovetails with an idea I had for a book (not that I'd ever write it)... something dealing with a subproject of the Totality Concept - psionics. It's well known that both the US and USSR employed clairvoyants in the 60s and 70s and did studies into various forms of mental powers; psionics has made several appearances in the books (Kaa), so why hasn't anyone done it for the TC?
The characters arrive in a new redoubt, the home of Project Mnemosyne. They're captured, drugged and hooked up to machines (or whatever), and the psychics delve into their minds, creating a dream using their own memories so they can glean information (who they are, what they're doing, how they know about the gates, etc.). Krysty, of course, eventually discovers flaws in the dream, realizes they're being mind-raped, and gets free, then frees the others.
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)3az )3aziahBritish Bloke Veteran Member Posts:1060
| 4/19/2011 7:05 PM |
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Posted By Kerrick on 19 Apr 2011 11:47 AM
Krysty...realizes they're being mind-raped...
I bet there are quite a few DL trolls that have mind raped Krysty over the years -OOPS!!!! =============================== Billy Fish: He wants to know if we are gods.
Peachy Carnehan: Not gods - Englishmen. The next best thing.
Please check out my FLICKR photos
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)3az )3aziahBritish Bloke Veteran Member Posts:1060
| 4/19/2011 7:15 PM |
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Posted By Kerrick on 19 Apr 2011 11:47 AM
An entire book of flashbacks? Interesting...
Yes, but only one story line told in several chapters from the view point of each character. Time Nomads is still one of my favorite DL books and I have always wanted them to do more of the same kind. I also posted a long time ago of another idea that takes the story line many years into the future whaen all the main characters are in there old age sat around a fire telling tales to there grand kids. It would cut out the continuity problem as each book would begin with "... Do you remember Ryan when we jumped into that redoubt in Arsehole Nebraska (or where ever)..." and end with "... OK kids thats enough scary stuff for tonight, its now time for bed. Maybe tomorrow Uncle Jak will tell you another tale..."    =============================== Billy Fish: He wants to know if we are gods.
Peachy Carnehan: Not gods - Englishmen. The next best thing.
Please check out my FLICKR photos
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KerrickBasic Member Posts:322
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