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And this stuff is why I love either super creative science fiction or travelogues (and the formers are hard to find). You can try to imagine a brand new world

And this stuff is why I love either super creative science fiction or travelogues (and the formers are hard to find). You can try to imagine a brand new world or simply try to re-live our real and past world. To me that is even more amazing, as it often can be the door to understanding some things of today's cultures and/or discover lost little worlds. Currently I'm going through this book of a guy who cycled across Central Asia and in Japan. The guy is sometimes quite direct in his writing (unlike other writers) but it's so interesting to experience the world of just 100-200 years ago through the lens of one living there. I truly recommend it.

decimalenough 2y ago
Can you share the name & author of the book? I'll plug Wilfred Thesiger's Arabian Sands as an extraordinary deep dive into a world that's entirely disappeared in our lifetimes: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/825419.Arabian_Sands https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/825419.Arabian_Sands
- imp0cat 2y ago
  https://www.japanbiking.com/tours-2/previous-tours/thomas-stevens-1884/ https://www.japanbiking.com/tours-2/previous-tours/thomas-st... Both books (not just Japan, he cycled around the world): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1710 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1710
mc3301 2y ago
Is it "Around the world on a bicycle"? I, too, would like to know the name of this book. Sounds interesting!
- xandrius 2y ago
  Thomas Stevens, really an interesting character. He sometimes makes sweeping generalisations, which makes his writing even more real and not filtered.
  - damnitbuilds 2y ago
    One suspects "Bloody hell, car drivers are selfish bastards" sprung from his lips a couple of times.
Cthulhu_ 2y ago
Some video games try and do the former; I play too much FFXIV and a recurring theme there is that you go to a new area and you get the tourist's experience, tour the area, view the sights, meet the locals, figure out the local history and culture, etc. Sure, it's kind of superficial, usually based on human civilizations / design trends / etc; that is: * Heavensward: Europe / traditional knights and castles and church stuffs * Stormblood: East-Asia / Japan, clearly a favorite thing to work on from the developers * Shadowbringers: is actually pretty independent * Endwalker: Rome / Greece on the one side, India on the other, philosophical existential crises in the late game (that part is actually really good, they invented multiple (7-8 or so?) different civilizations who all achieved some kind of immortality and pursued the meaning of life, ending up disillusioned) * Dawntrail (latest): south & mesoamerica on the one side, cyberpunk sci-fi on the other
- xandrius 2y ago
  Yeah, I saw that concept but I always feel like I'm supposed to be 6 years old to enjoy the interactions and the dialogue (both in FFXIV and FFXV). Also the "tourist moment" felt too much the canned tourist experience where everything is perfect, clean and everyone nice. Instead travelogues are not that, they are not about being perfect or beautiful, it's about the places and people being as they are, however they are. Didn't try all ths games you mentioned, I will take a look. Thanks!
lproven 2y ago
> this book of a guy who cycled across Central Asia and in Japan Go on, give us a clue. Title, author, even language...?

decimalenough 2y ago

Can you share the name & author of the book? I'll plug Wilfred Thesiger's Arabian Sands as an extraordinary deep dive into a world that's entirely disappeared in our lifetimes: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/825419.Arabian_Sands https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/825419.Arabian_Sands

imp0cat 2y ago
https://www.japanbiking.com/tours-2/previous-tours/thomas-stevens-1884/ https://www.japanbiking.com/tours-2/previous-tours/thomas-st... Both books (not just Japan, he cycled around the world): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1710 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1710

mc3301 2y ago

Is it "Around the world on a bicycle"? I, too, would like to know the name of this book. Sounds interesting!

xandrius 2y ago
Thomas Stevens, really an interesting character. He sometimes makes sweeping generalisations, which makes his writing even more real and not filtered.
- damnitbuilds 2y ago
  One suspects "Bloody hell, car drivers are selfish bastards" sprung from his lips a couple of times.

Cthulhu_ 2y ago

Some video games try and do the former; I play too much FFXIV and a recurring theme there is that you go to a new area and you get the tourist's experience, tour the area, view the sights, meet the locals, figure out the local history and culture, etc. Sure, it's kind of superficial, usually based on human civilizations / design trends / etc; that is: * Heavensward: Europe / traditional knights and castles and church stuffs * Stormblood: East-Asia / Japan, clearly a favorite thing to work on from the developers * Shadowbringers: is actually pretty independent * Endwalker: Rome / Greece on the one side, India on the other, philosophical existential crises in the late game (that part is actually really good, they invented multiple (7-8 or so?) different civilizations who all achieved some kind of immortality and pursued the meaning of life, ending up disillusioned) * Dawntrail (latest): south & mesoamerica on the one side, cyberpunk sci-fi on the other

xandrius 2y ago
Yeah, I saw that concept but I always feel like I'm supposed to be 6 years old to enjoy the interactions and the dialogue (both in FFXIV and FFXV). Also the "tourist moment" felt too much the canned tourist experience where everything is perfect, clean and everyone nice. Instead travelogues are not that, they are not about being perfect or beautiful, it's about the places and people being as they are, however they are. Didn't try all ths games you mentioned, I will take a look. Thanks!

lproven 2y ago

> this book of a guy who cycled across Central Asia and in Japan Go on, give us a clue. Title, author, even language...?