God exists. That is self-evident. The real question is his nature. In many respects he has to be at the least uncaring and at worst evil. However, the existence of love, forgiveness and beauty in the world means that there is goodness in him also. Are there any books/religious traditions that explore God's moral ambiguity?
>>24786610That's just because indians breed a lot, not because Hinduism is as widely influencial as Christianity
>>24787032
>>247866101.3 billion scat worshippers aren't human.
>>24786176>hishehimThe reason that God created Atom first is because its a chick. That God was just using one of many Pen Name personas as intermediary. To say otherwise, as a catholic/christian/etc, would imply God is gay. Do you really think a male god would make a man first? Not a single chance. A male God would have made Ever first.In the case you're not a SUBscriber to the above religions, let us take a different point of view to as well address you: Is it more a masculine or feminine a thing to observe, to inspect from a celestial vantage point? Think about whether or not it is a feminine thing for a powerful demigod or higher level being to go about staring and spying upon things?......It is almost wholeheartedly a feminine affair. Masculine entities of such power levels self substantiate and participate directly in terrestrial affairs. They interact in person with a manifested avatar. They dominate. They do not touch gently and gracefully and elegantly from the clouds as females do.What a closeted species you've been. HA. Buncha gayligions ya got here monkeys, what a wonder you've gotten this far. But it is quite comfy, isn't it? Anyway, feel free to enjoy these continual investigations and believing whatever you want about the..... moral ambiguity........ of beings far beyond. So very strange
>>24786693I could’ve sworn I had a smuggie just for this.
Unemployement: The book
>>24787008>analyticYou might as well huff starter fluid.
>>24786620>Hegel is just wrongHow?>Thankfully, the world has gotten over him.It definitely hasnt but ok. The current rising global superpowers entire political ideology is just down wind from him and half the old liberal class think their gaybutt sex ideology is the end of history.
>>24783785I fucking hate Hegel so much>>24786620No it hasn't. We need to kill him
>>24787008>without realizing ityou mean without collapsing into the dumbest possible explanation that (you) think is the end all be all.
>>24787085What do you think is dumb about it? But let’s be frank whatever you say I’ll say you haven’t read hard enough, that’s the idealist MO. You smell like an accelerationist.
Is it good?Im just looking for something good. I read most of the classics already, I just wanna fall into something you know. Or I might read War and Peace. Whats the last good book you read that was a fine and pleasant read throughout?
>>24786340It felt like the book form of Oscar bait. I found it annoyingly insincere.
>>24786340I loved it, but I also read David Copperfield when I was in middle school so it struck my nostalgia pretty hard.The ending is a little rushed though. I wish it had more of an epilogue.
i couldnt bare reading any further after the young childhood part ends and his highschool years start. what i read felt incongruent and most importantly uninteresting. maybe i didnt read enough, its structured as if its a slow burn leading some where but my gut told me it wasnt worth any more time.
>>24786340why not just read the original book? i don't understand these re-telllings
>>24786479>It felt like the book form of Oscar bait.It's called Pulitzer bait, and it worked
Satanic panic edition. Old >>24736100
I’m still pretty early on but so far I like this better than Between Two Fires. Maybe I’m just more into vampires in 1970s New York than I’m into medieval France with a child Joan of Arc stand in.
>>24783779sounds interesting! Thanks anon
>>24782148It's incredibly good, I'd put it in my top 5 of all time. The sequel, Echophraxia, is pretty good
Just finished Malpertuis, very goodCurrently reading The Elementals by Michael McDowell and am enjoying it greatly.What spooky book should I read next? I'm behind in my October reading so I'm trying to catch up and chug through some horror novels.
>>24782401Hex fucking sucks
tis this year’s nobel winner? lmao who fell asleep on the keyboard while naming him
Gross
>>24785427>work is le pessimistic therefore it's le goodWhen will this meme die?
>>24786628I have no pronouns and I expect everyone to refer to me with proper nouns only.
nouns are a meme
>>24786728Okay, Faggot.
Tropical Beach EditionFAQ:>What is worldbuilding?Worldbuilding is the process of creating entire fictional worlds from scratch, all while considering the logistics of these worlds to make them as believable as possible. Worldbuilding asks questions about the setting of a world, and then answers them, often in great detail. Most people use it as a means of creating a setting or the scenery for a story.>"Isn't there a Worldbuilding general in >>>/tg/ already?"Yes, there is. However, that general is focused on the creation of fictional worlds for the intended purpose of playing TTRPG campaigns. Here you can discuss worldbuilding projects that are not meant to be used for a roleplaying setting, but for novels, videogames, or any other kind of creative project.>"Can I discuss the setting of my campaign here, though?"If you want to, but it would probably be better to discuss it on >>>/tg/ . We don't allow the discussion of TTRPG mechanics, however. If you want to discuss stats or which D&D edition is best, this is not the place.>"Can I talk about an existing fictional setting that is not mine?"Yes, of course you can!>"Does worldbuilding need to be about fantasy and elves?"Worldbuilding, as already stated above, and contrary to what many believe, does not inherently imply blatantly copying Tolkien. In fact, there are many science-fiction setting out there, and even entire alternative history settings which do not possess supernatural elements at all. Any kind of science fiction book has an implied setting at least, which involves a certain degree of worldbuilding put into it.Old Thread: >>24667235
Do you have ghosts in your story?
God these threads are shit.All anyone does is posts bumps, vaguely gesture towards their story they'll never write, or ask question in hopes othe problems do the leg work for them.Or worse some pedantic asshole comes and says "that is le derivative"
>>24785810I just wanted to post that Sadako pic
>>24786736You could've posted that anywhere else and gotten more traction.
Do you write your worldbuilding documents like a wiki or more like an instruction manual for yourself?
>fascism is le...bad?
>>24786020>>24786072You didn't read them. The only book that can deserves this criticism is Solenoid.
>>24786941>implying Pynchon is a chud
Real N-words know that awards in the humanities almost always reward mediocrity and conformism rather than quality. Winning too many awards is a sign of an unoriginal, cowardly, establishment-approved author.
>>24786970You mean niggers?
>>24786861Heinlein Starship Troopers
Icebreaker: what are your favourite commentaries/secondary sources for understanding Plato?Robin Waterfield's The First Philosophers is something I find myself going back to every time a really get into a dialogue. Even though Plato is never really the focus of the book at any point, its really good for contextualising his philosophy alongside what had gone before. Not only does it help one distinguish what might be original ideas from mere developments or rearticulations of already existing ones, but its also useful for clarifying some of the more esoteric references. Take Phaedo for instance, the dialogue ends with the hemlock working its way through Socrates: >[the man administering Socrates the poison] felt it himself and said that when the cold reached his heart he would be goneAccording to Philolaus:>there are four sources of a rational creature - brain, heart, navel and genitals […] Head for thought, heart for soul…Therefore, there implication by Plato here is that Socrates' soul left his body at the point the cold reached his heartPrevious Thread: >>24705276 Recent Plato-related threads: >>24746113 (Will studying Plato give me wisdom on the nature of the soul?)>>24745236 (Academic consensus on Plato's metaphysics/epistemology?)>>24732342 (how does the physical world relate to the world of Forms?)>>24728045 (why did Medieval Christians prefer Aristotle over Plato?)
>>24784383Either download a few and compare them or just go with Loeb.>understand the allegory of the cave Start reading from the chapter right before the allegory. I think the allegory was at the start of chapter 6 so start with 5.
>>24768639choose wisely >that insipid windbag Proclus>I have here referred to Proclus because in him this procedure becomes specially clear through the frank audacity with which he carries it out. But in Plato also we find some examples of this kind, though not so glaring; and in general the philosophical literature of all ages affords a multitude of instances of the same thing. That of our own time is rich in them. Consider, for example, the writings of the school of Schelling, and observe the constructions that are built up out of abstractions like finite and infinite—being, non-being, other being—activity, hindrance, product—determining, being determined, determinateness—limit, limiting, being limited—unity, plurality, multiplicity—identity, diversity, indifference—thinking, being, essence, &c. Not only does all that has been said above hold good of constructions out of such materials, but because an infinite amount can be thought through such wide abstractions, only very little indeed can be thought in them; they are empty husks. But thus the matter of the whole philosophising becomes astonishingly trifling and paltry, and hence arises that unutterable and excruciating tediousness which is characteristic of all such writings. If indeed I now chose to call to mind the way in which Hegel and his companions have abused such wide and empty abstractions, I should have to fear that both the reader and I myself would be ill; for the most nauseous tediousness hangs over the empty word-juggling of this loathsome philophaster.t. Schopenhauer>in Proclus we have the culminating point of the Neo-Platonic philosophy; this method in philosophy is carried into later times, continuing even through the whole of the Middle Ages. […] Although the Neo-Platonic school ceased to exist outwardly, ideas of the Neo-Platonists, and specially the philosophy of Proclus, were long maintained and preserved in the Church.t. HegelHegel is not the german Aristoteles but the german Proclus.t. Feuerbach (meant as Kompliment, kek)
>>24785000the Eleusinian Mysteries were a cult dedicated to the gods of Persephone and Demeter. People would become initiated into the cult in return for promise of favourable treatment in the underworld. Regarding psychedelic experiences, no one seems to know for sure, although I've heard there are theories that say such. I do know however that similar things have been said of the Oracle of Delphi who it is suspected would inhale hallucinogenic gases before delivering her prophecy. Plato referenced the mysteries quite a few times throughout his works and Socrates shows a certain degree of reverence towards their teachings, even if he doesn't claim to fully understand them.I admit I don't have the most comprehensive knowledge on this subject (hence why I want to read into them more) but other smart anons on this thread might be able to chip in with some deeper insight
>>24785000The Eleusinian Mysteries were a kind of immortality cult devoted to Demeter, and based somewhat off of the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. Details are scarce because speaking openly about them was punishable by death, but one can infer pretty easily the connection between what Demeter stands for (the cycle of natural birth, death, and rebirth of the seasons and crops) and the expectation of being granted an immortal soul. It used to be somewhat exclusive, but it started taking on broader groups of initiates during the 5th and 4th centuries. There was apparently a kind of procession of initiates to the cult site, with some kind of visual spectacle of the things in Hades being acted out, followed by entering a dark temple where one would see a flash of light revealing a stalk of grain.As for psychedelics, it's not well established. Ergot has been found at one site conducting Mysteries away from Eleusis, but nothing from Eleusis itself, nor other Mystery sites that would establish it as an intended component. It's known from what brief descriptions exist that the initiates drank kykeon, which is mentioned in the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, but it probably would've just been a mix of wine and barley, and kykeon is made fun of by both Aristophanes and Theophrastus as a drink the poor use to get drunk, so it doesn't seem to be notable for being anything other than boozy.I went over some of the ways the Mysteries come up in Plato at >>24772713.
>>24785286
>went to buy classic 1980s fantasy paperbacks >stuff that often have a 50 cent stamp from book stores>"That will be $80 + fee + shipping + tip + tariffs"Hipsters have destroyed the vintage book market and have made it impossible for us actual collectors to buy them at the proper price. They are now charging obscene amounts of money for disposable fantasy trash market novels. Stuff that used to sell for 50 cents in used book stores, they are now demanding between $50-$100 per book because of all the youtube 'book haul' hipsters.
>>24786441Look at /mu/. You can compare threads on the archive to now. It used to be the home of hipster culture on 4chan. That culture is completely dead.
Holy wah wah wah shut up you fag my god
>>24786454>we should all be celebrating getting absolutely cucked
Hipsterdom is so thoroughly dead that I can't even find the old "hipster is a meaningless perjorative" copypasta on the archive any more
>OP raging because he can't consume pulp fantasy anymoreThose hipsters are doing you a favour, and youdon't even realise it.
Especially if they are not banal choices like 1984, Animal Farm, Brave New World, etc; so we could all discover some interesting books we might never have heard of.I'll start: 1) Civilization and Capitalism: The Structure of Everyday Life: 15-th18th century - Fernarnd Braudel. 2) Epitaph of a Small Winner - Machado de Assis3) The Luneburg Variation - Paolo Maurensig4) Earth: An Intimate History - Richard Fortey5) River of Darkness - Buddy Levy
>>24786395>1) Italian Journey - Goethe>5) American Pastoral - RothPlease make threads on these during or after reading them.
>>24786536Will do, Anon. Italian Journey is actually up next on the docket after I finish my current book.What's funny is that, actually, THAT book in particular I'm reading kind of for research. I've been at work on a very big story for a while, and my protagonists have gradually been journeying around the world, starting from the Southeast of North America. They're about to make it to Italy, and when I was in the planning stages of that leg of their journey, I remembered Goethe's Italian Journey and thought it would be fun for my protagonists to basically retrace Goethe's route through the peninsula.So, of course, I'll need to know that route, so I'm going to read the book.
>>24782510Nope. That's just an INTP
>>24786395Carlyle has an essay on Cagliostro worth checking out before Italian Journey (Goethe was interested in the C phenomenon and actually met up with his family when on his travels)
>>24786561that's just pseudoscience
"Frustration" editionPrevious: >>24766768/wg/ AUTHORS & FLASH FICTION: https://pastebin.com/ruwQj7xQRESOURCES & RECOMMENDATIONS: https://pastebin.com/nFxdiQvCPlease limit excerpts to one post.Give advice as much as you receive it to the best of your ability.Follow prompts made below and discuss written works for practice; contribute and you shall receive.If you have not performed a cursory proofread, do not expect to be treated kindly. Edit your work for spelling and grammar before posting.Violent shills, relentless shill-spammers, and grounds keeping prose, should be ignored and reported.(And maybe double-space your WIPs to allow edits if you want 'em.)Simple guides on writing:Comment too long. Click here to view the full text.
>>24785959No. This is a family friendly story.
>>24785594Any time I try this I end up being unable to think about anything OTHER than cumming until I do.
>>24782946I had A.I. to rewrite this. AI is simply better. That said, if I told AI to write a medieval bachelorette scene, it does worse.
>>24787022What prompt for the rewrite did you use?
>>24787051i just told Gemini to rewrite it
How do you respond without sounding mad?
I don't respond, and that's what nobody else did.
>>24787027I give the tiny fish an open ended short response prompt, and if he impresses or interests me with it I give him the scale, if not, I do not.However, I might occasionally feel charitable and give it anyways (I will still inform him that his writing did not impress me).
by Pynchon, so I imagine someone here is actually reading it, and not just faking an opinion based on hearsay or a glance at paragraph one.After a slow opening few pages, I'm getting into the good stuff - Germans versus Italians in the depresion era, radioactive cheese substitute, the origins of the FBI. It doesn't go for extended description, but it's funny, and the metaphors are pointed in cool directions.
>>24785361I’m going to start with Inherent Vice to see if Pynchon is for me, then I’ll try this one.
>>24785517I'd say pretty likely. Every nation was casting around for a leader who could drag it out of the Depression. A lot of hopes were pinned on Hitler at the time.
>>24786923I'm sure there are many things that surpass your understanding.
>>24786980women
>>24786883I don't read (I'm on chapter five)
Which e-reader do you have /lit/? Are you happy with it? Is it complicated to get books to it?I am thinking about the Kobo Libra but it seems like getting books onto it is an extremely convoluted process that involves Calibre, KOreader, some plugins, and I don't even know what. And then I looked into Calibre and the first thing I see about it is that it doesn't let you put books in your own folders and it copies your entire library according to its folder scheme. Is there a better library program and a better reader or a better overall experience that isn't like installing Linux? At this point from what I've read I think I should just continue buying actual paper books because this all just sounds like an extreme annoyance. Or maybe I just need to install a good reader program on Windows. What's a good Windows program to read books in like ComicRack for comics?
>>24777830>getting books onto it is an extremely convoluted processI just copy and paste the books I download with IRC.
>>24786152Why not just watch the movie?
>>24786164The movie changed a lot.They are both good in different ways. >>24786164
>>24786164For one example, one of them starts with doing séances, pretending to speak to the dead. The other annoyed that he pretends that they are real phenomena instead of magic storms the stage to reveal the trickery and in the scuffly the wife/assistant has a fall and a miscarriage.Their early sabotages of each other are a lot more corny. They are more like the nerdy obsessive people that magicians are, and less bowie-like rock stars that everybody thinks are cool.
>>24777945It's developed by a jeet, what did you expect?
>book flops>movie flopsPynch isn't having a good week.
>>24786856America is the laughing stock of the world. I feel sorry for you guys
>>24786831>>24786856(To be precise, the Trumpism propaganda machine is manufacturing the idea that everything is Antifa because Trump is trying to use 'antifa' as an excuse to solidify his power. I listen to Sean hannity, Glenn Beck, and so on on the radio every day and you eventually start to realize that these people are literally paid actors whose sole job is to suck trump's cock on run whatever narrative the administration tells them to. I imagine there is a massive propaganda machine being secretly funded by the trump administration and billionaires who support it that extends not just to these radio shows and podcasts but to twitter, facebook, other streaming platforms, and so on)
>>24786722I'm sorry, but you, sir, are a piece of shit. Sexual trauma is not something to exploit. It's men like you who give the rest of us a bad name. You're the reason libtards came up with "toxic masculinity" and drag the rest of us with your bullshit.
>>24786229I wouldn’t say the book flopped, I will point out that when I walked in B&N they had it off on a side shelf rather than on a table which I found genuinely offensive.
>>24786273>As I understand it, this is also just the cost of making the movie and usually an extra 10-25 mil needs factored into advertising and distribution costs.Thats way too low on marketing, rule of thumb for big budget films is budget times 2-2.5 to recoup advertising and factor in the theaters’ cut. Now there wasn’t as much advertising for this but I’d still say a fairly conservative estimate would be half the budget so 63 or so. 180 would likely turn a small profit, 200 would make it a success.
