What are some good motivating books that encourage self-improvement that aren't self help?
It can be fiction, non-fiction, or religious.
pic somewhat related.
As A Man Thinketh by James Allen
it technically is "self-help" i guess, but it's like some real next level shit, it'll hit you hard
Great Expectations
>>9999245
Ride the Tiger.
Has there been a novel (or novels) that contained video games as major plot point without it being represented in an abstract manner like Enders Game, or without the novel becoming a self congratulatory circle jerk like Ready Player One?
Is it possible to make an engaging and resonant novel commenting video games/gaming culture without being a pop culture man child?
>>9999095
The Legend of the Ten Elemental Masters, although it's more of a deconstruction.
>>9999095
The Diamond Age springs to mind, if you count the "ractives" as video games.
And most lit-rpg, if you're into that kind of thing.
>>9999095
>resonant novel commenting video games/gaming culture without being a pop culture man child?
you seem to be implying that video games have any value beyond being pop culture for man-children.
they don't.
Why does /lit/ hate Bukowski so much?
>>9999000
not pretentious enough
What's to like?
>>9999039
He's funny and his stories are great documents of the times we live in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRc6mHS9PjE
Sounds a bit like 2017.
RIP. One of the greats of science fiction.
https://www.jerrypournelle.com/chaosmanor/well-wishing/
>>9998928
Whats the pool on GRRM's heart exploding by the end of the year
What's you favorite pournelle book? I like Oath of Fealty. High justice is pretty good too
>>9999052
Janissaries is my favorite. RIP old man
>bugs... easy on the carrots
Rewrite this sentence in the style of an author you like. Other anons try to guess the author
>>9998595
lol ye it was funny for a few moments now please fuck off
>>9998610
>ye
Shakespeare
>>9998595
Do English degrees get you anywhere?
Ive been writing all my life but never considered a career in it until recently...idc what i write I just like writing and being creative...also self taught japanese and could probably learn and easier language also if need be.
What shall i do?
I also love writing sonic fanfiction..
I have a BA and an MA in English. They are useless, but you will get to read a lot of good books. If you want to write you need to read and write A LOT. Read classics and modern lit, prose and poetry, novels and short stories. Anything you can find, especially books you wouldn't normally read
>>9998530
This is great advice. I'll add, OP, that you need to ignore the hundreds of people who will tell you to quit, or "write on the side" while working 40 hour weeks, and just do what you love. If you're decent at writing you'll find freelance work or even a steady writing gig, especially in a market where people are complete and utter degenerates with regard to writing ability.
You may also want to consider a Creative Writing degree.
How old is too old to start the path of /lit/?
Is 22 too old?
>>9998295
no age is too old
but the fact that you're asking this on a mongolian throat singing imageboard probably means you're a dilettante looking for the next transient interest. you'll probably dabble in literature for like a year before moving on to the next pastime
>>9998295
>path of /lit/?
>/pol/
what is the path of/lit/?
I talked to a friend and she recommended me Zizek (She mentioned that he's a communist and a bit 'extreme', but still easy to read, then Nietzche's essays/papers, then Nietzche's books, and end my 'foundation' with Kieregard and Lacan.
Is that sound? While I do trust her and her recommendations, I feel like Zizek being a Lacanist makes me have to understand Lacan before Zizek, but at the same time almost every philosopher 'based himself' on older ones, until Socrates, and it would be impossible for me to just go through every old philosopher in order to get to the new ones.
Are her recommendations good for building a foundation on the topic?
Also, I'm reading Zizek's "How to read Lacan" because since he bases off of Lacan, I think I should get my Lacan basics first. Anyway, after reading for a bit I decided to watch an interview of him.... What the fuck... How can someone who SEEMS so crazy understand so much about philosophy and how to act? (In How to Read Lacan he explains unspoken english rules to not be rude and such) I'm assuming he's self conscious about how fucking insane he acts/sounds.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y8_RRaZW5X3xwztjZ4p0XeRplqebYwpmuNNpaN_TkgM/mobilebasic?pli=1
start with the greeks
>>9998193
Don't bother reading Lacan, it's typical meaningless French poststructuralist garbage. Zizek is at his best in his economic analysis when he's not using Lacan.
What's some good sadist-lit? I'm tired of de Sade and Octave Mirbeau.
>>9997921
IJ but the author was the sadist
>>9999161
Lawl
>>9997921
Lee Edward's "Header" and "Header 2". kind of like if Chuck Tingle collaborated with Hannibal Lector under the tutelage of Joe R Lansdale.
Guys I'm scared.
What if the Bible is actually true? The things in this book in particular have spooked me.
If it worries you become a Christian, It can't hurt trying.
>>9997823
I know you're just forcing a shitty meme but I'm just going to pretend that you're sincere out of the minuscule hope that an actual discussion might ensue.
What spooked you in particular? The imagery?
You should be afraid, if you haven't made reconciliation with God.
There's still time.
>both used to be Marxists
>both later became neoconservatives ranting about islamic terrorism threatening western culture
Why are these two supposed to be arch-rivals again?
>>9997247
>both later became neoconservatives ranting about islamic terrorism threatening western culture
So they both became retarded?
>Peter
>a neo-con
>literature
kys op
What's the distinction? How are they delineated from each other? Pls explain in easy terms so my dumb brain can comprehendo
Andrew Cutrofellow wrote a book on the matter. You should just read that instead of listening to adolescent frogposters.
https://philosophynow.org/issues/74/Analytic_versus_Continental_Philosophy
>>9996916
Analytic is by far the superior tradition, concerned with such deep philosophical questions as the nature of abstract objects, time, mind, modality, free will and determinism, knowledge, and the epistemic status of the sciences. All progress in philosophy that has been made has been made by analytic philosophers.
Continentals jerk each other off over stupid shit like foucaltian analysis of the lacanian psychoanalysis of your political penchant for deterritorializing yourself by sucking huge amounts of cock. They love their jargon and most of them are charlatans with nothing of interest to say. Steer clear
Is there an equivalent for American culture? Something steeped in the history, culture, and themes characteristic to the US?
>>9996621
>>9996615
There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs.
Super heros perhaps?
What are you implying? Amerindian and early settler myths turned into an epic? I've read that some Amerindians are not fond of such a thing.
if you could force every western person to read one book, what would it be?
Mein Kampf
The one I recently finished desu.
My diary, desu
Stirner's views on property do little more than justify petty theft. If I had a time machine, I'd use it just to rob Max of his milk shop
>>9995869
Real life already did that for you. I'd tell you to steal his wife but he was infamously a cuckold in reality too
>>9995869
>Stirner's philosophy was just an excuse for teenagers to be edgy
What else is new?
I want to go back in time and make stirner my sexual subordinate