Maybe be a weird question, but do you have any books that you'd recommend that fit the vibe of your LD hobby? I recently read Children of the Neon Bamboo, and it took me to the late 80's/early 90s world of movies and music, when watching a movie with your buddies/family on a particular night was a real treat, an event. What books would you recommend for more of that vibe?

Thanks

I can’t say I know of any good books about watching TV but after much procrastination I’m finally nearing the end of Patrick Stewart’s autobiography which does take me a back a bit since I saw all that stuff like Dune and Encounter at Farpoint when it was new. I can recommend this book to anyone who has even the slightest interest in the man. He’s a super classy guy. The book is totally stress free and every page is enjoyable.

I don't know about books but I'd recommend the song TV Party by Black Flag.

A lot of what I read is pulpy mid-century sci-fi because I love that era's vision of the future. I do wonder if that same interest in books is what led to me enjoying laserdiscs. I never grew up with a laserdisc player (born in '83), so it's something that always felt very futuristic to me; a technology out of it's time.
Other than that, late 80s/early 90s slice of life manga also puts me in that same headspace since almost all my LDs are anime from that era.

I just looked up this book and I'm gonna have to check it out. Sounds like a lot of fun!

Yep, the ultimate slice of life manga/anime that puts me in the '80s is Maison Ikkoku. The details in the background inside the boarding house and on the streets really immerse you, especially if you've lived in Japan. I actually lived for a year in the neighborhood that MI's location was modelled on, Higashikurume. I looked for the inspiration for the building but it either never existed or was demolished by 2001 when I was there.

That thought reminds me of Denai Shojo Ai. Yota has a high-end VCR in his bedroom.

Are there any pre-2K anime anyone can think of that has an LD player in use or in the background? I can't think of any right now..

I reccomend "READY PLAYER ONE".
A highly enjoyable read full of 80' nostalgia. While the movie visuals were cutting edge, the novel is much preferred due to more cerebral imagery and fuller body of story.
Truly a book one finds hard to put down.
Ernest Cline hit this yarn out of the ball park with me.
Perhaps due to the fact that Dungeons & Dragons, the band Rush, and Kaiju played heavy roles therein.
I resonated with the struggle of the protagonist and the army of antagonists having lived through the hype and pomp commonly referred to cleverly with Cline's pulse of 70's, 80's, and into the 90's trends and social tendency.

In contrast, READY PLAYER TWO did not resonate as fervently with me. Still entertaining, however not as enjoyable as the first peek into Clines craft.

I cannot reccomend READY PLAYER ONE highly enough.
Again, movie was epic visually, however the story is not reflected anywhere near how fantastically suspenseful and enjoyable read wise.

Check it out. Can read in an afternoon or two if your smitten !

Cheers to the membership !