Public Domain e-Book PERFECT for us

[Altair]

I just stumbled across this public domain science-fiction book from 1963 for free download: Pagan Passions

http://www.feedbooks.com/book/1963/pagan-passions

And the description is positively delicious:

"The Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece and Rome had returned to Earth -- with all their awesome powers intact. Overnight, Earth was transformed. War on any scale was outlawed, along with boom-and-bust economic cycles, and prudery. No change was more startling than the face of New York, where the Empire State Building became the Tower of Zeus.

"In this totally altered world, William Forrester is an acolyte of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, and a teacher of history. Only Maya Wilson, one of his students and a worshipper of Venus, Goddess of Love, had a different sort of grading in mind. Maya is the first of the many Trials of Forrester, every bit as mighty and perilous as the Labors of Hercules. In love with Gerda Symes (like him, a devotee of Athena and a frequenter of the great Temple of Pallas Athena -- formerly known as the 42nd Street Library) and dedicated to the pleasures of the mind -- Forrester falls under the soft, compelling pressure of soft, compelling devotees of Venus and Bacchus. He's going to be in need of all the strength that he and his Goddess, the beautiful and intellectual Athena, can muster!

"Into this sensuous strife stride the Temple Myrmidons -- religious cops sworn to obey orders without question or hesitation -- with a pickup order for William Forrester. Where he is taken, what happens to him, and the truly fantastic discoveries he makes about himself and the Gods and Goddesses ... here are the ingredients that make up this science fiction novel of suspense, intrigue, mystery and danger!"

Anyone interested in possibly doing a group read of this?

[RandallS]

I just stumbled across this public domain science-fiction book from 1963 for free download: Pagan Passions

http://www.feedbooks.com/book/1963/pagan-passions

I remember reading this book long ago (when I was hunting up and reading everything Randall Garrett had written). As I recall, it's not great, but readable and enjoyable SF.

[Aisling]

Anyone interested in possibly doing a group read of this?

I'm game for a little light reading.

[PerditaPickle]

Anyone interested in possibly doing a group read of this?

For me, it'd depend on when you were thinking of.  I do most of my non-bedtime reading on the train (providing I've not forgotten to charge my phone up or left it at home), so it takes me a while to make my way all the way through anything.  But as long as that wasn't too big of an issue, then yeah I think I'd be game.

[SunflowerP]

I remember reading this book long ago (when I was hunting up and reading everything Randall Garrett had written). As I recall, it's not great, but readable and enjoyable SF.

He at least was knowledgeable about the WMT, paganism, and so on, which is a plus. (I'm not such a fan as to hunt up everything he ever wrote, but his Lord Darcy stories are particular favorites of mine and live on my 'Craft/paganism-relevant fiction' shelf - I'm not expecting that level of writerly craftsmanship here, but there's lots of room to fall short of that mark and still be readable.)

I took one look at the cover pic and thought, 'Aha, an instance of that thing I've heard was common, a genre writer picking up some extra cash writing erotica!' So if that's not (generic) your thing, you might prefer to give it a pass.

I'm not really up for taking active part on a group read, but I do plan to read it, and will be interested in others' more active responses.

Sunflower

[RandallS]

I took one look at the cover pic and thought, 'Aha, an instance of that thing I've heard was common, a genre writer picking up some extra cash writing erotica!' So if that's not (generic) your thing, you might prefer to give it a pass.

As I recall, by today's standards, the erotica is pretty tame.

[Altair]

As I recall, by today's standards, the erotica is pretty tame.

I'm up to chapter 8, and yeah, the erotica is liberally distributed but tame. One has to accept a few things about the era (early 1960s; think Mad Men) in which it was written:

1. The erotica has a distinctly heterosexual male perspective
2. Thus far it's blithely ethnocentric (the gods are of only one kind--Greco-Roman--and those are presumed to be universal; among other elements that fail to reflect diversity)

That said, it's a fairly easy read and less clunky than I expected (though it still has its stumbles). The fact that I've cruised to chapter 8 already suggests I'm reasonably engaged by it. Certainly some fun and unexpected stuff!