I never understood people not wanting to falsify their identity on the internet....

I can. Although, why my mum named me 'Rune', I'll never know.

Scandinavian heritage!

"The Incredibly Cuddlebacked Misadventures of Peppy "Pepswitch" Switchback McMackerberger, and his misfit crew who, while facing challenges in society by being awkward outcasts get by because they have each other...featuring Mark Wahlberg."

I'm on shrooms and this is funny as hell to me, though I know I'll feel differently on the morrow, so I apologize for my stupidity in advance.

oooh!! or Stalingrad. That would be cool. I grew this great mustache a few weeks ago and my friend told me I looked like a cross between a confederate general and Stalin. lulz were had by all.

I lol'd.

Mushrooms. Ahhh the sweet sweet disgusting-tasting nectar of the gods.


Actually I suspect his name is Christopher Todhunter.

Pic? You gotta have a pic!!

It's Wulf Corbett - 'Wulf' was already taken, the system doesn't allow spaces, and WulfCorbett is too long to type. If I was to change my screen name, I'd capitalise the C, as I originally meant to. However, Wulf is my name, on the internet, on my payroll, and to all who know me.

No thanks, I'm full - besides, I think I'm allergic.
Dang. Wulf is an awesome first name. o.o

I thought you were kidding about not using a screenname. Bleah.

I keep getting email from Germany...

Damn, I just shaved last week, so no pic this time, but if there is one thing I can do right its facial hair, so when I'm too lazy to shave over winter break I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures. Some people said I looked like Frank Zappa as well, which made me feel awesome, but in an undeserving way, cause Frank is the best.

You can imagine my doofy giddiness when I first saw a post by you. I went on a ramble in the favorite book thread (http://www.gog.com/en/forum/general/favourite_books/post237) about the Budayeen series. You're probably the first person I've come in contact with that actually knows the series, so I'm happy you chose it as your username. :D

Marhaba, CalamityRanger. Where y'at? ;-)

The great thing about that trilogy, besides the muscular prose, lean storytelling, vivid setting, and strong cast, of course, was how well its aged for a 20-year-old series. Science fiction, particularly cyberpunk, has a problem of becoming passé as our future catches up with its past-future vicissitude, often in embarrassingly short order, as our gains in personal, and portable, computing and networking surpass the quaint visions of a late 20th-century fictioneer, who often thinks in terms of maximization rather than miniaturization, where the true evolution occurs. I thought the clip-in "belt phones" where quite prescient, as well as the strong emphasis on biohacking with the personality and ability modules, "moddies" and "daddies." The lingo of the Budayeen is unique to its own creation, thus never is in danger of becoming out-of-date, even more so than a William Gibson glossary. Actually the invented technology never dwarfs the story and the people therein, and more blends in the background as a social impetus (much like real life, amirite?), so in that way I think it succeeds as it is convincing, instead of bludgeoning readers with it, like holding up a big THIS IS THE FUTURE billboard.

Effinger died too young. Just talking about it makes me want to drag them off my shelf once again. When will we have a new Marid Audran novel to continue the thread of intrigue with Friedlander Bey and Reda Abu Adil under the neon glow of "Chiriga's"?

Tomorrow, with the apricots, I imagine.

I dunno, I made this user name up ages ago and haven't been able to think of anything better. I would like to but have no ideas :P. I guess I could change it to 'evilguy' without numbers or just 'evil' as most people shorten it to.

Ohh goodness, I couldn't agree more. Effinger had a way of fusing cyberpunk with other things that just made it feel natural. I love the genre, always will but sometimes I feel the authors throw in technobabble just to make it sound OVERLY COMPLEX AND AWESOME. Effinger though... The Budayeen books feel pretty believeable to me, because the tech isn't really overhyped up for 5 whole pages, it all just kind of flows to the point where you could believe this tech actually being a possibility. Even the parts in WGF when it's being told about what the various drugs Marid is taking do to effect him, it's all truly believeable.

The series is probably the only book series I can think of off the top of my head that actually caused me to dream about the world. I personally don't dream very often, so it tells me that it got right into my subconscious. I know A Fire in the Sun and Exile's Kiss kind of seem to get the "Oooh not as good as the first book" syndrome that other sequels get, but I personally couldn't disagree more. Yes WGF has the most brutal and quite amazing ending I've seen in a long time, but the progress of the world and Marid as a character really shines throughout all three books. He basically goes from an unwilling contractor if you will in WGF, to finally accepting his place in Papa's world and the Budayeen as more than just a hussler by the end of Exile's Kiss.

I haven't read Budayeen Nights just yet. I've held off for a long time on reading it, namely because I know when it's done, that's the last I'll ever see of the world and that breaks my heart. :( I know I read a while ago that George's wife was pondering completing the last full Budayeen book that he started before his death and since from what I understand she worked rather closely with him on the series so I certainly wouldn't mind her taking the reigns and going with it if it means the series can get a real completion.

It is so nice finally being able to talk about my favorite series with someone. :D Thank you for this.