I’m no authority on prose, but overly descriptive and flowery writing immediately makes me want to stop reading.
“The luster of pure rage in the creatures eyes was unmistakable”
As you said, absolutes are a bad idea. Writing that draws attention to itself breaks immersion and ruins the flow. Everything doesn’t have to be as sparse as Hemingway, but let the reader build it in their own minds.
Double Entry: How the Merchants of Venice Created Modern Finance. (Jane Gleason-White).
It’s an interesting look at the huge role of accounting systems in developments that led to the renaissance, and later all of finance and commerce in the modern world.
The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How it Changed Science, Cities and the Modern World (Steven Johnson)
Fascinating story of an amateur scientist in 1850’s London who was able to successfully deduce the source of a cholera outbreak that was ripping through the city. Extremely interesting how he and his assistant went about solving the puzzle.
The first college I attended made its students read well-known classical and modern philosophers. I had to read Nietzsche. Depending on who you read about his works, his philosophy summarizes the contemporary age.
The next step after existentialism is nihilism. I would say the West is, more or less, at the nihilist stage right now from culture to work/finance.
Yeah it's looney. Looking at places to live for when I move back to America and I'm shocked by how much it is. When I was in university we rented a big three bedroom apartment for $900 a month. That's laughable now.
In case you are interested in other existentialist philosophers and their effect on modern society, this is from an article, "The narrative of Old-World nihilism cascading down from Kant to Nietzsche to the existentialists to the American academy to an eleventh grader in Hardwick, Vermont while arguably true is misleading, for the source of nihilism in the New World is not philosophical reflection but democratic equality and personal freedom."
I’m no authority on prose, but overly descriptive and flowery writing immediately makes me want to stop reading.
“The luster of pure rage in the creatures eyes was unmistakable”
As you said, absolutes are a bad idea. Writing that draws attention to itself breaks immersion and ruins the flow. Everything doesn’t have to be as sparse as Hemingway, but let the reader build it in their own minds.
My attempt:
“There was rage in the creature’s eyes”
Your attempt is a hell of a lot better than the original, that's for sure! Unmistakable and pure are dangerous words that can easily be misused.
Have you been reading anything good lately?
Two good reads:
Double Entry: How the Merchants of Venice Created Modern Finance. (Jane Gleason-White).
It’s an interesting look at the huge role of accounting systems in developments that led to the renaissance, and later all of finance and commerce in the modern world.
The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How it Changed Science, Cities and the Modern World (Steven Johnson)
Fascinating story of an amateur scientist in 1850’s London who was able to successfully deduce the source of a cholera outbreak that was ripping through the city. Extremely interesting how he and his assistant went about solving the puzzle.
Double Entry, I've heard of that! But it wasn't on my list. Just added it though, thanks for the recommendation.
The Ghost Map sounds cool too.
Cheers for those.
The first college I attended made its students read well-known classical and modern philosophers. I had to read Nietzsche. Depending on who you read about his works, his philosophy summarizes the contemporary age.
The next step after existentialism is nihilism. I would say the West is, more or less, at the nihilist stage right now from culture to work/finance.
Nihilism does seem accurate. Nothing matters, who gives af, etc. We don't have a vision to live for.
It is especially hard now since the cost of housing has gone up 50%.
Yeah it's looney. Looking at places to live for when I move back to America and I'm shocked by how much it is. When I was in university we rented a big three bedroom apartment for $900 a month. That's laughable now.
In case you are interested in other existentialist philosophers and their effect on modern society, this is from an article, "The narrative of Old-World nihilism cascading down from Kant to Nietzsche to the existentialists to the American academy to an eleventh grader in Hardwick, Vermont while arguably true is misleading, for the source of nihilism in the New World is not philosophical reflection but democratic equality and personal freedom."
https://theimaginativeconservative.org/2016/08/nihilism-american-style-george-stanciu.html
Cool, I'll check it out. Thanks for that.
He saved all of the aliens in Project Hail Mary not just one.
That is actually a great point... Still, to risk earth for that?