Books, books, books...

[Murdoc]

Thanks Gabbo, read the description on them and sound exactly what I was looking for.

edit: wait, there's science fiction literature classes now?

[ThunderPeel2001]

The Forever War is pretty goddamn awesome, and is apparently Ridley Scott's next film.

Also, I've found that working my way through the SF Masterworks series has been a great way to get introduced to some excellent SF.

[Scrobbs]

The forever war is totally nuts. Really shows up the futility of a war, especially one conducted through time.

It was one of thse ones that you pick up from a charity shop on the off chance, and in that rarest of rare events, turned out to be a good one!

Nice to know Ridley Scott is doing it. Gives me confidence.

[Murdoc]

Nice to know Ridley Scott is doing it. Gives me confidence.

Could we get 1980's Ridley Scott to direct it?

[Gabbo]

Thanks Gabbo, read the description on them and sound exactly what I was looking for.

edit: wait, there's science fiction literature classes now?

You're welcome, hope you enjoy.

There is at a places that put emphasis on humanities/the fine arts .

[ysbreker]

Ah, sorry, I got the idea implanted from one of the thumbs cast where they were talking about Moon then off on classic scifi stuff. So basically no space opera; also I can't recall if I've even read a "classic scifi" novel, but anything along the lines of Solarice, Moon, 2001, bladerunner, metropolis, etc..

I suppose this could just be a question for the thumbs of what comes to mind when they think of their greate classic, or retro scifi fictions, but curious if anyone else has some suggestions too.

I really like all of Alastair Reynolds work. It is mostly space opera but with a solaris/moon/bladerunner feel to it. I think you'll like century rain in particular.

[Murdoc]

Thanks ysbreker, DanJW, thunderpeel, and any future responders(Ill still be reading the thread, just dont want to spam, lol)

I think I have too many books now, lol. Was checking out that SF Masterworks and was surprised to see the last scifi novel I read was on there; The Dispossessed, it was pretty cool and I enjoyed it a lot, if anyone wanted to check something like that out.

[Thyroid]

I want to tell you about this book. I read it a few years ago, thought it was in "so bad it's good" territory, read its sequel and decided to never, ever read a book by that same writer again. I re-read some passages yesterday, and yes: the guy is in a special calibre, one thought to be exclusively inhabited by the IGN writers. Let us see if you can guess what this book is. Don't skip to the end. You'll be surprised.

The book opens-up with this beautiful yet ass-kickin' princess carrying something that is very, very valuable to the evil Empire (yep, it's just called "the Empire"). She is attacked by the King's soldiers, led by his right-hand man, but manages to send away this valuable object before she's captured.

The story then jumps to introduce a young man, an orphan with a mysterious past, who lives with his aunt and uncle on a farm. He accidentally receives this object, which causes the Empire's soldiers to come to his farm. While he isn't there, they burn the farm down and kill his aunt and uncle.

He's saved by the town storyteller, who is actually not some homeless hobo but a wise, old man, and really the last member of a once-great organization that practiced a forgotten but powerful art, with specially selected and trained members. As they travel, the revenge-seeking boy is taught in the arts of these peace-keeping warriors; he is even given his dead father's sword.

At night, the boy has visions of this princess trapped in a castle. She weeps a single tear.

Along the way, the old man is killed by the King's right hand man, the boy becomes better at the thing he's learning, meets a rebel, enlists the rebel for help to save the princess, has this huge battle where he destroys something valuable to the empire (against all odds!), goes out to meet another master of the art, a retired, disabled dude in a faraway place.

Crazy trivia:

- Yep. The King and his right-hand man did, in fact, kill all members of the ancient organization.

- Yep. The boy and his party do, in fact, join-up with the rebels to take down the empire. And yep, they do have some success in book one; they do lose in book two; and, well, I assume they win in the third book, I really don't care.

- Yep. The Empire does have this big, evil guy, although he's killed off in the first book. Only to be replaced in the second.

- Yep. "I am your [relative]," says Evil Guy (in book two).

- Yep. There's a lot, lot more to it this delightful plagiarism than I care or wsh to remember. A quick scan of some anti-this-book sites reveals as much.

And yep, the book is Eragon, by the misunderstood genius that is Christopher Paolini.

Now, for some excerpts:

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

The book begins:

PROLOGUE: SHADE OF FEAR

Wind howled through the night, carrying a scent that would change the world. A tall Shade lifted his head and sniffed the air. He looked human except for his crimson hair and maroon eyes.

He blinked in surprise. The message had been correct: they were here. Or was it a trap?

He weighed the odds, then said icily, “Spread out; hide behind trees and bushes. Stop whoever is coming . . . or die.”

Woah. You can't top that. That's miles better than Star Wars.

This part is during an interrogation. Eragon, in prison, suspects that this Shade (the equivalent of Darth Vader in this story) is drugging his water. He wants to find-out Eragon's "true name," aka the gateway into his soul.

A broad-shouldered man rushed into the cell, sword in hand. “What is it, my lord?” he asked, alarmed.

“Put that toy away,” instructed the Shade. He turned to Eragon and said in a deadly quiet voice, “The boy hasn’t been drinking his water. Why is that?”

“I talked with the jailer earlier. Every bowl and plate was scraped clean.”

“Very well,” said the Shade, mollified. “But make sure that he starts drinking again.” He leaned toward the captain and murmured into his ear. Eragon caught the last few words, “. . . extra dose, just in case.” The captain nodded. The Shade returned his attention to Eragon. “We will talk again tomorrow when I am not so pressed for time. You should

know, I have an endless fascination for names. I will greatly enjoy discussing yours inmuch greater detail.”

The way he said it gave Eragon a sinking feeling.

Your frothing demand for this book increases. Wait till you read the descriptions of the rocks on the side of the road. Fucking poetry, right there.

But, I will refrain. I'll provide a taste of the action instead - a swivel, if you will - a taste I hope your heart can handle, for it is even on the same level of the poetry about the rocks! Steel yourself, before you feast your eyes on...

The Urgal sneered. “His name does not deserve to be given to one as low as yourself. He rules the sky and holds dominance over the earth. You are no more than a stray ant to him. Yet he has decreed that you shall be brought before him, alive. Take heart that you have become worthy of such notice!”

“I’ll never go with you nor any of my enemies!” declared Eragon, thinking of Yazuac. “Whether you serve Shade, Urgal, or some twisted fiend I’ve not heard of, I have no wish to parley with him.”

“That is a grave mistake,” growled the Urgal, showing his fangs. “There is no way to escape him. Eventually you will stand before our master. If you resist, he will fill your days with agony.”

Eragon wondered who had the power to bring the Urgals under one banner.

Was there a third great force loose in the land—along with the Empire and the Varden? “Keep your offer and tell your master that the crows can eat his entrails for all I care!”

Oh. My. God. Tim Schafer, you suck.

By its nature, fantasy draws upon archetypes -- less enchanted readers might call them stereotypes -- of heroes and villains, magic and magical creatures. Some writers, like Ursula K. Le Guin and Anne McCaffrey, use exquisite prose. Others, like J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling, create reverberating plots that twist and dive with a dramatic flexibility that is like swordsmanship or dance.

Paolini does not yet have these strengths. He often slips into clichéd descriptions -- ''His tanned skin rippled with lean muscles'' -- or

B-movie dialogue: '' 'Boy!' roared Brom. 'You demand answers with an insolence rarely seen.' '' His prose can be awkward and gangly: ''Things that had been permanent and unquestionable were suddenly thrown into doubt. Eventually he had learned to live with it, but he always had a nagging suspicion that he had not been good enough for his mother. I'm sure there was a good reason for what she did; I only wish I knew what it was.''

The plot stumbles and jerks along, with gaps in logic and characters dropped, then suddenly remembered, or new ones invented at the last minute. And yet, as Beatrix Potter wrote, ''Genius -- like murder -- will out.'' ''Eragon,'' for all its flaws, is an authentic work of great talent.

My mind is blown, like a fucking egg from the IGN fucking shotgun.

Edited December 4, 2009 by Kroms

[Nachimir]

Shocking :0

I want to tell you about this book. I read it a few years ago, thought it was in "so bad it's good" territory, read its sequel and decided to never, ever read a book by that same writer again. I re-read some passages yesterday, and yes: the guy is in a special calibre, one thought to be exclusively inhabited by the IGN writers. Let us see if you can guess what this book is. Don't skip to the end. You'll be surprised.

With just this paragraph, I thought you were talking about Dan Brown though

[Thyroid]

Haha. This guy makes Brown look like fucking Thomas Pynchon by comparison.

Edit: I just read a bit of Angels and Demons. Brown's terrible, but he doesn't hold a candle to Paolini. This sentence, off of a review from Amazon, should explain it: "P.S. - I haven't seen anyone else comment on this particular name theft, so I thought I'd mention it. You know the Bid'duam? Turn it around and what do you get: Muad'dib. Frank Herbert alone could sue the kid for plaigarism; I'd hate to see what the Tolkien estate would do if they got word."

Edited November 13, 2009 by Kroms

[strangelingo]

Things like Paolini freak me out. It's like something bad happened to the world about time when first Harry Potter got released and a parallel universe was created where things like Eragons, Browns and Twilights can occupy bestseller lists, sitting next to *actual books*. Gaaah.

[Scrobbs]

Just read 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' - superb book. Read it in two sittings.

[Thyroid]

I'm reading The Princess Bride, which manages to both satirize swashbuckling adventures and be a good example of the genre. It's funny, it's interesting, the story is great and the characters are people you'd probably enjoy hanging out with. That's a lot more praise than I dish-out to most things.

The word that comes to mind - and I hate this goddamn word, but it fits - is "kickass". It is a kickass book. I try reading a page or two before falling asleep (I have had no time to read lately), and end up going through 30.

I bought The Girl Next Door (Jack Ketchum) and Miami Blues (Charles Willeford) recently, and I plan to read them during winter break. Looking forward to it.

This thread is pretty stagnant, by the way.

[toblix]

Okay, a while back I got some Dean Koontz books because someone recommended them, I don't know who. The books I got were Odd Thomas, Forever Odd (the sequel) and Intensity. I just read Intensity and it was absolutely awful. Have I been had? Is Dean Koontz a horrible author, or did I just happen to get his one horrible book.

[DanJW]

Maybe you should check out the whole bunch of Koontz, to be sure.

...

Sorry

[ThunderPeel2001]

Okay, a while back I got some Dean Koontz books because someone recommended them, I don't know who. The books I got were Odd Thomas, Forever Odd (the sequel) and Intensity. I just read Intensity and it was absolutely awful. Have I been had? Is Dean Koontz a horrible author, or did I just happen to get his one horrible book.

I personally wouldn't rate Koontz as anything other than a moderate Stephen King clone... and we all know how hit and miss Mr. King is. The only author I've heard consistently good things about in the "horror" realm is Clive Barker... but that whole genre isn't really my cup of tea, and I'm sure I've heard negative things about his more recent work.

Edited January 4, 2010 by ThunderPeel2001

[Thyroid]

I've heard Koontz is rather hit and miss. I borrowed the novel Dark Rivers of the Heart a while ago and read the first 50 pages; they were enjoyable. I've heard Velocity is good. But I've also heard that his new novel (whatever it's called) is kind of shit.

Peter Straub's novel lost boy lost girl isn't particularly scary, but it's a great overview of what works in horror and why it appeals to people. His The Hellfire Club is OK.

Jack Ketchum is a good horror writer, though he rarely writes about the supernatural and casts humans as his monsters. I've read the novels The Lost (quite good), Off Season (gory, very offputting, will probably make you a vegeterian), and Red (not bad; more of a thriller). I've also read his novellas Old Flames (very good), Right 2 Life (excellent), and The Passenger (pretty good, a little far-fetched). Finally, I read his short story "Winter's Child" (excellent). I still have The Girl Next Door and Trine to read.

I've heard Bentley Little is good.

[Murdoc]

Just finished Filthy Lucre on the flight home this holiday. I thought it was pretty interesting take on captalism and the economy. The themes are a bit repetative of the guys last book(The Rebel Sell, also very good).

If your interested in the subject matter it's worth checking out, I really enjoy the writing style as it's informative to a simpleton like me with added humor. I don't really agree with his views on everything, but it does create some decent conversations.

http://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Lucre-Economics-People-Capitalism/dp/1554683955/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262627002&sr=1-1-spell

[Nappi]

Since my last post, I have read Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49 as well as Kurt Vonnegut's The Sirens of Titan and Timequake. All of them were good, although Timequake is probably my least favourite of Vonnegut's novels. Just finished George Orwell's Animal farm as well. Very interesting little book.

I got a bunch of nice books for Christmas (some of which I actually bought myself). It will take forever for me to finish all those but I'm not complaining. I really enjoy reading for a change.

I also like the Finnish cover for God Bless You Mr. Rosewater:

[JonCole]

Really enjoying David Sedaris's When You Are Engulfed in Flames via an Audible audiobook - he's absolutely hilarious. Heard him first on This American Life, plan to pick up more of his books in the future.

Just started Reading the OED (Oxford English Dictionary), which is a pretty crazy book about a guy who read the whole damn thing. He talks about how he actually got through it as well as highlighting a lot of the really arcane, practically unusable words that still managed to hang onto a little bit of life in this 150 lb dictionary. Eager to see how it shapes up as I go along, because it sorta seems like it might get old by the end.

[toblix]

Jack Ketchum is a good horror writer, though he rarely writes about the supernatural and casts humans as his monsters.

I've always enjoyed the more non-supernatural aspects of horror stories. I remember this book I read once about some kid living alone in a huge mansion or something like that, receiving threatening letters from a scary guy who always seems to know what the kid's planning to do and where he's planning to hide, etc. I remember being extremely disappointed when, towards the end of the book it turns out there was some magic force in play. Having read a lot of Stephen King, I also enjoy the stuff about people just talking and doing stuff -- be it horrory stuff or not -- more than evil forces, ghosts, what have you. Off the top of my head I remember really liking From a Buick 8 and Rose Madder, mainly because it wasn't just a magic-fest, but had scary stuff happening to "normal" people. God, this post sucks.

Thanks for the meaty reply, though! I'll be sure to add some of your recommendations to my next Amazon order.

[Thyroid]

OK, but I should mention that Right 2 Life usually comes with Old Flames, that The Passenger was stuffed in with The Lost, "Winter Child" with Off Season and that it's not called Trine but Triage. I'm an idiot. Triage is really a compilation, novellas/short stories by three writers based on the same idea (one work by each of the writers).

All this talking about Ketchum's work's made me want to read more of his stuff, hmm. They're quick snacks, great while they last but leaving you wanting more - in a good way.

Edited January 5, 2010 by Kroms

[miffy495]

Just finished Filthy Lucre on the flight home this holiday. I thought it was pretty interesting take on captalism and the economy. The themes are a bit repetative of the guys last book(The Rebel Sell, also very good).

If your interested in the subject matter it's worth checking out, I really enjoy the writing style as it's informative to a simpleton like me with added humor. I don't really agree with his views on everything, but it does create some decent conversations.

http://www.amazon.com/Filthy-Lucre-Economics-People-Capitalism/dp/1554683955/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262627002&sr=1-1-spell

I read Rebel Sell back when it came out and really liked it. I was still in High School then and just starting to get into sociology and cultural studies kinds of books. I may need to look into this.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Currently reading Easy Riders, Raging Bulls by Peter Biskind. A smutty account of how all my filmic heroes are actually raving nutcases (at least that's what I've taken from it so far). Dennis Hopper is a raving, insecure, violent lunatic (or at least was) -- not that he is a filmic hero of mine or anything, but the excesses reported in this book are well... unbelievable. Crazy times. Still, I'm getting my head around just accepting these people for who they (were?) and enjoying their work.

I hope I still respect Scorcese by the end of it.

[Sombre]

I've ordered Catcher in the Rye and The Laughing Man from my universities library after watching Stand Alone Complex. And I have the Epic of Gilgamesh and On Stranger Tides on my desk

Yes!