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The Judging Eye

RymRym
edited February 2009 in Everything Else
The Judging Eye has shipped. The good people of UPS are currently working to deliver it unto me.

I'd better actually read A Farewell to Arms before it gets here...
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Comments

  • KieyKiey
    My copy should arrive tomorrow I think, but I'm probably going to hold off on reading it until I go out to GDC. I think it'll make a good airplane ride book.
  • IlmarinenIlmarinen
    I ordered it from the Canadian Amazon, so I've had it for a while. I'm waiting for my sister to give me my copy of The Darkness that Comes Before back so I can re-read before I start it.
  • AlexAlex
    The day of judgement has arrived. Going by the first page, it's everything we hoped for.
  • RymRym
    I may have this read by the weekend.
  • WalkerWalker
    edited February 2009
    Hopefully the library will have a copy of this book by the time I finish Anathem. It'll probably be a while, but the amount of time it usually takes me to finish an 800+ page book varies wildly, so it's a possibility.
    Post edited by Walker on
  • RymRym
    So, has anyone else (outside of the crew) finished this yet? We have much to discuss. Much.
  • JoeLamerJoeLamer
    edited February 2009
    I read my copy a week ago. It was just awesome!
    Post edited by JoeLamer on
  • Luke BurrageLuke Burrage
    I still have the Warrior Prophet sitting unread...
  • RymRym
    edited February 2009
    Points (of awesome):
    • Cleric is quite a character, and I think I like him.
    • The implications of the "sin" the Nonmen committed, coupled with the more direct "history" provided at the end of the book, make me wonder just what is going on outside of the world.
    • I'm much more inclined to trust the Great Ordeal/Thousandfold Thought than I am to trust the "White Luck Warrior." Why would the gods fight against that which strives to prevent them from being shut out of the world?
    • That scary old lady is scary.
    • "Doom if you find me broken."
    • So they've trekked through the Mines of Moria, where the Nonmen dug too deep (well, buried too many people).
    • I see Chorae in a whole different light now.
    • What is Kellhus thinking this whole time? It was infuriating to no longer have any insight into this thoughts.
    • Cleric is the man, and that bears repeating.
    On the meta side, I've realized now just what Bakker was doing with his proper noun gobbeldegook in the early parts of the earlier books. Clever girl. More on this later.
    Post edited by Rym on
  • RochelleRochelle
    I still have the Warrior Prophet sitting unread...
    Same here. I thought about picking it up, but I want to reread Watchmen before it comes out. >.>
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    We reserved a copy at Borders before it was released, and it still isn't there. I am going to buy it at Barnes and Noble today instead. *angry growl*
  • SailSail
    That was pretty crazy when everybody committed suicide at the end.
  • RymRym
    That was pretty crazy when everybody committed suicide at the end.
    Twice.

    Even better was when it turned out that the consult were Nazis from real-world earth in 1943.
  • AprecheApreche
    We reserved a copy at Borders before it was released, and it still isn't there. I am going to buy it at Barnes and Noble today instead. *angry growl*
    This is why Amazon.com exists. Brick and mortar is dead.
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    We reserved a copy at Borders before it was released, and it still isn't there. I am going to buy it at Barnes and Noble today instead. *angry growl*
    This is why Amazon.com exists. Brick and mortar is dead.
    I didn't want to pay shipping.
  • AprecheApreche
    edited February 2009
    I didn't want to pay shipping.
    The cover price of the book is $26.95. The Amazon.com price is $17.79. That's a savings of $9.16. The cost of shipping, assuming you do not have Amazon prime, and you don't order anything else on Amazon besides that one book, and you pick the cheapest shipping option is $3.99. That's a savings of $5.17. That does not include the additional savings in your time having to drive the bookstore, use gas, look for the book, get them to order it for you, etc. It's a guarantee that the book you want will magically appear on your doorstep in a few days. Better yet, if you make lists of things you want, and order them in groups form Amazon, you get free shipping even if you don't have Amazon prime.

    Brick and mortar retail is dead.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    edited February 2009
    Borders was offering the pre-order price without shipping costs. It was all good. I have ordered books through them and had them delivered to the store to avoid shipping, too. I have their membership card and have earned points for free books and received great coupons. Moreover, their staff has made some great recommendations for gifts and "if you like this author, then you will like ____" which have always been excellent. This is the first time I have ever experienced a problem, and with all the business I do there, that is not a bad ratio of success to failure. I split my buying between used book stores, amazon and Borders. Online shopping isn't always the best deal.
    This all or nothing attitude is just so ignorant.
    Post edited by Kate Monster on
  • AprecheApreche
    edited February 2009
    Borders was offering the pre-order price without shipping costs. It was all good. I have ordered books through them and had them delivered to the store to avoid shipping, too. I have their membership card and have earned points for free books and received great coupons. Moreover, their staff has made some great recommendations for gifts and "if you like this author, then you will like ____" which have always been excellent. This is the first time I have ever experienced a problem, and with all the business I do there, that is not a bad ratio of success to failure. I split my buying between used book stores, amazon and Borders. Online shopping isn't always the best deal.
    This all or nothing attitude is just so ignorant.
    It's not all or nothing. It's math. What exactly is this "pre-order price" that Borders is offering? Give me a number. How much does the membership card cost? How much time have you spent driving back and forth to the book store? How much time do you spend walking around the book store? How much time waiting in line at the checkout? How much gas used?

    My time is way way more valuable than my money. Even if the prices for things were exactly the same, and Amazon still made me pay shipping on top of it, it's still a better deal than the book store because of the time factor.

    Also, Amazon, Netflix, and the rest of the Internets have what amount to almost perfect recommendation systems. Amazon or Listal have a better idea of what book to buy me than my family does. I very often go to Amazon.com and see recommendations for things I learned about recently, and already want. If it's reading my mind like that, you know it's the real deal.

    Also, no brick and mortar retail store can ever compete with the selection of an online store, especially not Amazon. Amazon stocks everything. If it exists, they have it. The same is simply not possible for a physical store. If you care about mainstream things, that will never be a problem. If you are a fain of niche things, retail is almost guaranteed to fail you, as it has in this case.

    Lastly. Amazon sells a lot more stuff than just books and media. Where else can you order two books, a video game, and then add a frying pan to the cart to qualify for free shipping? You may say that an all or nothing attitude is ignorant. The fact is that if you go all in to Amazon, the benefits of it stack upon one another, and it gets even better. The fact that you don't go all in on it, and get free shipping on pretty much every order, is the only reason why retail is still able to compete with it for your money.

    Also, I thought you like living in the woods, and hate people. Shouldn't then the ability to avoid going out in public where there are people be worth the cost of shipping?
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    edited February 2009
    Membership Card = Free
    Pre-Order Price = $19.95
    The store is next to the place where I buy groceries, gas = 0
    Time walking around the bookstore = Enjoyment (I actually like it, I see a lot that I would not find online, because I wouldn't know to go looking for it)
    Since they can order anything that Amazon offers, and there are no shipping costs if you pick it up in store, there selection is equal to Amazon if you are buying new books instead of used.
    Like I said, I am not anti-Amazon. It just isn't always my default choice for buying everything. I look online first (including websites for brick and mortar stores) then I compare costs and decide.
    Not everything on Amazon.com qualifies for free shipping, nor do I always want to wait for three months to have enough to get free shipping. Often, I only want one item for months at a time.
    I like living in small towns. I still have to go grocery shopping. If a brick and mortar store that offers good prices and service (like quality recommendations and a nice atmosphere to sit and read a chapter of something before I buy it) is located near the grocery store, then I would consider shopping there.
    EDIT: For items other than books, many brick and mortar stores are necessary such as clothing stores (so you can try things on) or grocery stores (so you can tell the quality of the produce).
    Post edited by Kate Monster on
  • Luke BurrageLuke Burrage
    I use the second hand bookshop round the corner. There I pay one euro fifty for each book I read, as long as I take them back when I'm done. If they don't have the book I go round the corner again and buy it new from the science fiction and fantasy bookshop. Then I trade the books I've bought new in to the second hand bookshop for free borrowing of more books. It works out that I pay maybe 10 euros for every four books I read.

    If Amazon could give me that service, I'd agree with you that Brick and Mortar Stores are Dead. Meanwhile, I'll enjoy pursuing shelves of local shops.
  • AprecheApreche
    I will admit that the book store being next to the grocery store, where I still can't avoid going, is an advantage. However, if I lived in the city I could get groceries delivered, and wouldn't need gas.

    When I said Amazon's selection was bigger, I was mostly referring to the fact that they sell basically everything in the known universe.
    Not everything on Amazon.com qualifies for free shipping, nor do I always want to wait for three months to have enough to get free shipping. Often, I only want one item for months at a time.
    We have said time and time again that there is more available content to consume than there is time to consume it. Thus, there is no rush for anything. A book, especially, is just as good if you read it now as if you read it many years from now. I am not in a rush for anything. There are comics I've pre-ordered from DCBS that took over a year to actually arrive on my doorstep. It's not DCBS' fault. It's because publishers solicit books way in advance, and then have delays. I've never lost any sleep over it.
  • AprecheApreche
    edited February 2009
    I use the second hand bookshop round the corner. There I pay one euro fifty for each book I read, as long as I take them back when I'm done. If they don't have the book I go round the corner again and buy it new from the science fiction and fantasy bookshop. Then I trade the books I've bought new in to the second hand bookshop for free borrowing of more books. It works out that I pay maybe 10 euros for every four books I read.
    You are lucky and happen to live near a secondhand bookshop and a sci-fi and fantasy bookshop. That is the advantage of being in a major city. That is a good option for people who are lucky enough to live in such close proximity to such specialty shops. The vast majority of people do not have anything like that. They've got a 20 minute drive to Borders or B&N;, and that's it. Amazon is available to everybody with a mailbox.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    edited February 2009
    I will admit that the book store being next to the grocery store, where I still can't avoid going, is an advantage. However, if I lived in the city I could get groceries delivered, and wouldn't need gas.

    When I said Amazon's selection was bigger, I was mostly referring to the fact that they sell basically everything in the known universe.
    Not everything on Amazon.com qualifies for free shipping, nor do I always want to wait for three months to have enough to get free shipping. Often, I only want one item for months at a time.
    We have said time and time again that there is more available content to consume than there is time to consume it. Thus, there is no rush for anything. A book, especially, is just as good if you read it now as if you read it many years from now. I am not in a rush for anything. There are comics I've pre-ordered from DCBS that took over a year to actually arrive on my doorstep. It's not DCBS' fault. It's because publishers solicit books way in advance, and then have delays. I've never lost any sleep over it.
    Yes, but I do not always have infinite time to read books. If I have time and I want to read something and there is a book available in stores that I want to read, why read something I am less interested in or have already read just because I have it or it is at the library? Unlike you and Rym, I do not have a lot of "fun money" to spend on tons of entertainment at any given time. If I have the money, it is a good price, I have the time and the interest why wait? EDIT: I would never have groceries delivered; I like to pick out my own produce and look around the store for new/special items to liven up my diet.
    Post edited by Kate Monster on
  • ninjarabbininjarabbi
    There I pay one euro fifty for each book I read, as long as I take them back when I'm done.
    You know, they have these places called libraries where you can borrow books for free.
  • AprecheApreche
    EDIT: I would never have groceries delivered; I like to pick out my own produce and look around the store for new/special items to liven up my diet.
    When you have groceries delivered, you can always examine the produce when it arrives, and reject it if you don't like it. Most grocery deliveries actually end up giving the better produce to the people who get delivery as a result. Also, shopping for groceries takes an incredibly long time. They aren't going to give you rotten produce, so even if it means having slightly not the best produce, if it means saving an hour a week, it's worth it. Also, because I don't have to personally go get it, I can get a greater number of smaller deliveries. That will go a long way towards preventing food waste while simultaneously preventing the situation where I don't have something I need.

    Amazon, speak of the devil, actually has a pretty good system for non-perishable grocery items. Let's say you know that you use 24 rolls of toilet paper every 3 months. You can go on Amazon and subscribe to toilet paper. They will automatically send you 24 rolls every three months. If you do this for enough things, you can get to the point where you only need to go out for actual perishables. The only reason I don't use this service is because you first have to go through the work of figuring out how much you use.
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    edited February 2009
    EDIT: I would never have groceries delivered; I like to pick out my own produce and look around the store for new/special items to liven up my diet.
    When you have groceries delivered, you can always examine the produce when it arrives, and reject it if you don't like it. Most grocery deliveries actually end up giving the better produce to the people who get delivery as a result. Also, shopping for groceries takes an incredibly long time. They aren't going to give you rotten produce, so even if it means having slightly not the best produce, if it means saving an hour a week, it's worth it. Also, because I don't have to personally go get it, I can get a greater number of smaller deliveries. That will go a long way towards preventing food waste while simultaneously preventing the situation where I don't have something I need.

    Amazon, speak of the devil, actually has a pretty good system for non-perishable grocery items. Let's say you know that you use 24 rolls of toilet paper every 3 months. You can go on Amazon and subscribe to toilet paper. They will automatically send you 24 rolls every three months. If you do this for enough things, you can get to the point where you only need to go out for actual perishables. The only reason I don't use this service is because you first have to go through the work of figuring out how much you use.
    But how much for shipping/delivery and can you use coupons through them? I actually like grocery shopping as long as the store is not overly crowded.
    Post edited by Kate Monster on
  • AprecheApreche
    But how much for shipping/delivery and can you use coupons through them? I actually like grocery shopping as long as the store is overly crowded.
    I don't use coupons, so that's not an issue for me. Also, in the city there are a very large number of different places to get grocery delivery. They all work differently.
  • Kate MonsterKate Monster
    It is nice that they provide that service for people that want it/need it. I just doubt I ever will. I like having options and competition. Going straight to Amazon 100% of the time, waiting for bulk orders, and having groceries delivered may work great for someone's lifestyle and not so well for someone else. Brick and mortar stores are not always my first choice, but I like having them available and there are enough people that feel the same way that they are not "dead". They need to restructure, keep competitive, offer services to maintain viable business. Some are doing just that. Like I said, it isn't an all or nothing situation.
  • Luke BurrageLuke Burrage
    There I pay one euro fifty for each book I read, as long as I take them back when I'm done.
    You know, they have these places called libraries where you can borrow books for free.
    I'm a native English speaker and like to read books in that language. Turns out that I live in Berlin, and the libraries round here stock books that are mainly printed in German. On top of that, I mainly read science fiction books, and when I lived in England I would often finish every single science fiction novel they had, and would have to start ordering new titles. Thirdly, I like reading old science fiction as much as releases from the last decade. Most libraries don't stock old science fiction novels, and the bookshop round the corner specializes in exactly that kind of thing.

    Now, you may have been making a joke, but the point that we are trying to make in this thread is that there isn't ONE solution that is good for everyone.

    Amazon might be amazing for people in America who don't live in cities, who have more money than time, and who don't mind waiting for books to arrive.

    But I'm different. I live in Germany, so would have to pay international shipping for most books I'd like to read, live in a city with numerous book outlets, all of which I'm willing to cycle up to 30 minutes to visit to pursue the bookshelves, the closest one I pretty much use for free by trading new titles (I don't like cluttering up my home with books I won't read again for years), I have plenty of time, and being self employed I can take out as much time for both reading and shopping that I want, and I'm often traveling so want to pick up books last minute before I leave, often in airports. Sure, I have an Amazon account, but I don't think I've used it in years.

    The world is large. Brick and mortar stores will be around for a long time yet.
  • RymRym
    Amazon might be amazing for people in America who don't live in cities, who have more money than time, and who don't mind waiting for books to arrive.
    Actually, Amazon shipped The Judging Eye before it was sold in stores, such that it arrived on my doorstep on the day of the release. It was also cheaper than in the bookstore: $18 with no tax or shipping.
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