|
Post by edwin on Mar 9, 2012 16:10:58 GMT
Ah Matthew we weren't all bad. The recent case where Spanish claims to a hoard of coins were upheld by an ignorant Florida judge neglected the fact that the gold for these was stolen in horrendous conditions from South America.
But that is the rule of law which more than any other nation we did establish. Got rid of blood feuds which still apply in a lot of other countries more than a thousand years ago. Women are equal in law etc. Both local and national civil service employees are incorruptible and we don't need tanks warming up in barracks when we have an election.
One doesn't need to apologise for the past but it ain't that bad.
|
|
|
Post by Matthew on Mar 9, 2012 17:25:05 GMT
I am not being that judgemental (or at least I like to think I am not) but just looking at history and how things are today.
And for me our corruption is in someways worse than other countrys. Daft as it might sound at least in places like Nigeria and Italy corruption is actually rather 'honest' in someways because its open to anybody who has the money.
Where as here in the UK, our corruption seems to be based on the social class of the person involved.
Some moron takes a gun into a bank and runs away with a few thousand and the justice system that catches him and then locks him away is incorruptible. No question about that.
But some other moron who trades worthless mortgage secured debt bonds to the tune of billions, knowing full well that the whole thing is nothing more than a glorified ponzi scheme and who pockets millions based on nothing more than an illusion of profits, gets away scott free. And is encouraged to do it all over again because they bung the political parties some money when its all going well.
I dont see myself as being of the right or the left but events of the last few years have left me convinced that our system is corrupt in a way that makes what happens in other countries almost seem quaint by comparison.
|
|
|
Post by edwin on Mar 9, 2012 17:40:15 GMT
Our record is no worse than anybody else's and I see no reason to apologise if we were rather better at it than anybody else.
The fact that some do get away with it is the rule of law in action anything else is arbitrary justice. Try looking at some appalling case in America of injustice and say we are worse.
|
|
|
Post by tankgirl on Mar 10, 2012 18:05:39 GMT
I personally think it's a great shame that Russian and British governments can't sort out their differences. Character wise, Russians and Brits have more in common than one might think and would make a great team. I hope that once there's more good Russian fiction available in English (today's fiction, as I don't mean any of that classical pre-war stuff we'll be able to understand each other better. Hopefully, Alex Bobl's books will contribute somewhat to this process so that English-speaking readers can finally see that Russians, too, possess infinite quantities of honour, spirit, courage and love. (Gets off the soap box, singing, I hope that Russians love their children tooooooo...)
|
|
|
Post by edwin on Mar 10, 2012 19:17:53 GMT
Hopefully, Alex Bobl's books will contribute somewhat to this process so that English-speaking readers can finally see that Russians, too, possess infinite quantities of honour, spirit, courage and love. (Gets off the soap box, singing, I hope that Russians love their children tooooooo...) Absolutely no doubt of that. With all that was going on between the two countries you still honoured the men of the Arctic Convoys for example.
|
|
|
Post by tankgirl on Mar 10, 2012 20:16:17 GMT
Absolutely no doubt of that. With all that was going on between the two countries you still honoured the men of the Arctic Convoys for example. Oh, absolutely! They're an unforgettable part of our - both Russian and British - history. No amount of sleazy politicians can take it away. Russians have a huge respect and gratitude for the Convoy people. There're children's books about it in Russia - I remember reading one or two when I was a child.
|
|
|
Post by Matthew on Mar 15, 2012 17:03:32 GMT
Oh, absolutely! They're an unforgettable part of our - both Russian and British - history. No amount of sleazy politicians can take it away. Russians have a huge respect and gratitude for the Convoy people. There're children's books about it in Russia - I remember reading one or two when I was a child. Nothing but love in my heart for my Russian brothers and sisters. Just feel a genuine sense of sadness for what has happened to the Russian people since the downfall of communism. I am sure that life is perhaps better in many ways and you have more freedom but I also think that you have experienced your natural wealth and resources being stolen from you.
|
|
|
Post by tankgirl on Mar 18, 2012 12:51:15 GMT
Nothing but love in my heart for my Russian brothers and sisters. Just feel a genuine sense of sadness for what has happened to the Russian people since the downfall of communism. I am sure that life is perhaps better in many ways and you have more freedom but I also think that you have experienced your natural wealth and resources being stolen from you. Cheers Matthew! I really appreciate it. Talking about Alex Bobl, he's just posted a few little extracts from Technotma novels, with illustrations depicting his PA vehicles. I take it, being an ex military he must have given it some thought, so here's the link, let me know what you think: boblak.blogspot.fr/2012/03/dark-times-vehicles.htmlThat's one of his post-apocalyptic vehicles:
|
|
|
Post by tankgirl on Mar 25, 2012 20:31:38 GMT
|
|
|
Post by edwin on Mar 25, 2012 22:26:07 GMT
Reminds me a lot of the classic Science Fiction of the 1960's when it is Corporations more than Governments that rule. Often published by Michael Joseph or Gollancz they were my favourites then and this one has made a very good start.
|
|
|
Post by tankgirl on Mar 28, 2012 20:45:09 GMT
Thank you very much, Edwin! I hope other readers will like it, too, because there's an agreement to publish it in English this summer.
|
|
|
Post by tankgirl on May 3, 2012 17:22:30 GMT
Talking about Russian post-apoc fiction... some of the Dark Times (TechnoTma) books are now available in German on Amazon (available for pre-order) and with any luck, the English versions should follow, although not before the end of this year. I don't think there're many German speakers here but here're the links seeing as it's the author's thread, anyway TechnoTma: Password Eternity (the Germans renamed the books!): www.amazon.de/Tekhnotma-Dunkelheit-Roman-Aleksei-Bobl/dp/345352926X/ TechnoTma: The Wasteland Clanswww.amazon.de/Tekhnotma-Das-wüste-Land-Roman/dp/3453529278/In theory, they (the German publisher) should translate the rest of the books, but they'll probably want to see how these do first.
|
|
|
Post by Matthew on May 3, 2012 18:06:09 GMT
Great cover art on those ! They look fantastic.
Interesting they went for German translations. Is there much of a market for post-apoc in Germany ?
|
|
|
Post by tankgirl on May 4, 2012 11:31:05 GMT
Yes, the first cover reminds me of a Terminator poster or other, but that's not a bad thing, either From what the author said in his blog, "the German book market is second to USA alone" ( boblak.blogspot.fr/2012/05/german-translations-of-technotma-books.html), so he probably implies that they have more or less the same genre breakdown. I had no idea their market was so big: I'd think the British book market would be second. Mind you, Germany is a big country...
|
|
|
Post by tankgirl on Jun 15, 2012 17:00:28 GMT
Hi guys, There's a video trailer on YouTube now, made after Alex Bobl's latest novel MemoriaA Corporation of Lies. . The book will be available on Amazon in about two weeks' time. Have a look if you have a moment and tell him what you think: youtu.be/mRUOjWCO5FE
|
|