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So I just finished The Color of Magic today by Pratchett and I was really disappointed after reading Good Omens which was fantastic I expected a little more. I know Color of Magic was his first book, so I'm left thinking he gets better than that. Is there a book where he hits his stride that I should look at or is it all pretty much the same?
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Jan 18, 2010 02:53
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CommunistMojo posted:So I just finished The Color of Magic today by Pratchett and I was really disappointed after reading Good Omens which was fantastic I expected a little more. I know Color of Magic was his first book, so I'm left thinking he gets better than that. Is there a book where he hits his stride that I should look at or is it all pretty much the same? It definitely gets better. The first two books are very different than the rest of the series. I suggest Guards, Guards or Mort as a first book: they've got more of the what you probably enjoyed in Good Omens. There's a handy reading order chart that gives you a rough idea of the order the books go in http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/the-discworld-reading-order-guide-1-5.jpg If you want to read the witches series I suggest skipping equal rites and going onto Wyrd Sisters. The later Rincewind books get better, so if you like the other series you can probably skip to Sourcery without missing too much
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Jan 18, 2010 03:52
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Could I get a good suggestion for a sci fi book focused on something like alien archeology? Not like Indiana Jones in space, but more investigative. I've already read all of Niven's stuff. Thanks!
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Jan 18, 2010 10:34
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Bozart posted:Could I get a good suggestion for a sci fi book focused on something like alien archeology? Not like Indiana Jones in space, but more investigative. I've already read all of Niven's stuff. Thanks! Omnilingual by H. Beam Piper. Here's a review.
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Jan 18, 2010 16:00
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Bozart posted:Could I get a good suggestion for a sci fi book focused on something like alien archeology? Not like Indiana Jones in space, but more investigative. I've already read all of Niven's stuff. Thanks! from a few pages back: General Washington posted:Hey goons, I was wondering if anyone had a recommendation for any books containing a mixture of mythology and science fiction. I hate to make the comparison but if anyone is a fan of the show "Lost", then that is what I'm interested in. Any books or novels(or even comic books)with a combination of sci-fi, random ancient mythology and maybe even time travel I'd be heavily interested in. Chronic Reagan fucked around with this message at 21:18 on Jan 18, 2010 |
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Jan 18, 2010 20:14
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Joshtafari posted:Jack McDevitt's 'Alex Benedict' books - A Talent for War, Polaris, Seeker and The Devil's Eye. The main character is an archeologist or relic hunter who looks for artifacts in space. I've only read Seeker, which was entertaining, if not great. The archeology in the book was not so much alien, but rather factions of humanity lost to time as people moved out beyond Earth. There's also his "Academy Series", which seems to have a pretty similar theme. Although in Engines of God the artifacts are definitely alien.
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Jan 18, 2010 22:24
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The Grand Judabuddha posted:It definitely gets better. The first two books are very different than the rest of the series. I suggest Guards, Guards or Mort as a first book: they've got more of the what you probably enjoyed in Good Omens. I remember hearing that Pratchett personally recommends Guards! Guards! as the best book to start with.
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Jan 19, 2010 04:18
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Bozart posted:Could I get a good suggestion for a sci fi book focused on something like alien archeology? Not like Indiana Jones in space, but more investigative. I've already read all of Niven's stuff. Thanks! Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds. It deals with the investigation of the suspicious number of dead alien civilizations being found by humanity
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Jan 19, 2010 06:13
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I'm looking for science fiction/fantasy that plays on or draws from existing myths, urban legends, and wacky conspiracy theories, but that somehow weaves something not retarded out of them. By "not retarded", I (obviously) don't mean of high literary value, just well-written and entertaining without being insulting. To give you a better example of what I mean, I think the concept that the Earth is hollow and that there are hidden civilizations below the depths is just awesome. I even find some of the really ridiculous conspiracy theories that come out of this (Hitler escaped into an "opening" under the Antarctic after WW2, in a UFO, no less) pretty drat entertaining. Basically, I want someone to take absurd concepts like you find in cryptozoology, insane conspiracy theories like the Hollow Earth, Illuminati, etc, as well as legends and myths drawn from history, and somehow turn them into an enjoyable, pulpy, sci-fi adventure novel.
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Jan 20, 2010 07:39
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nemesis_hub posted:I'm looking for science fiction/fantasy that plays on or draws from existing myths, urban legends, and wacky conspiracy theories, but that somehow weaves something not retarded out of them... Tim Powers! From wikipedia: "Powers's novels are "secret histories": he uses actual, documented historical events featuring famous people, but shows another view of them in which occult or supernatural factors heavily influence the motivations and actions of the characters..Typically, Powers strictly adheres to established historical facts. He reads extensively on a given subject, and the plot develops as Powers notes inconsistencies, gaps and curious data..." The Anubis Gates and On Stranger Tides are good introductions to him. Time travel, the fountain of youth, voodoo, millennial battles between secret magical sects. He has fast, pulpy pacing while remaining highly evocative and atmospheric. I like him a lot.
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Jan 20, 2010 09:45
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Team Black Zion posted:Tim Powers! From wikipedia: "Powers's novels are "secret histories": he uses actual, documented historical events featuring famous people, but shows another view of them in which occult or supernatural factors heavily influence the motivations and actions of the characters..Typically, Powers strictly adheres to established historical facts. He reads extensively on a given subject, and the plot develops as Powers notes inconsistencies, gaps and curious data..." I second this. Tim Powers is amazing.
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Jan 21, 2010 00:08
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Recommend me some good mystery/detective/thriller novels. Like any genre fiction, I know 90% of it is schlock, but there's got to be some good ones out there that make excellent use of the form.
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Jan 21, 2010 06:48
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Just finished The Crying Of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon. I'd like to read similar eloquent shorter novels that aren't Joyce-hard to read for a non-native English reader. Pynchon's descriptions and humor makes for a really fun read imo, and it would be great to read more of this kind. Suggestions?
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Jan 21, 2010 17:56
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SaviourX posted:Recommend me some good mystery/detective/thriller novels. Like any genre fiction, I know 90% of it is schlock, but there's got to be some good ones out there that make excellent use of the form. This thread makes me feel like a broken record sometimes. Dashiel Hammett and Raymond Chandler, any/all of their stuff. James Ellroy, The Big Nowhere is as good of a place to start as any. James Crumley, The Last Good Kiss. All his stuff is good but nothing comes close to that one, I just re-read it and it's loving gorgeous. Jim Thompson, The Killer Inside Me, The Grifters, The Getaway, or pretty much any other one you pick up. I've posted about all these guys in this thread before so check my old posts here for more info.
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Jan 21, 2010 18:22
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SaviourX posted:Recommend me some good mystery/detective/thriller novels. Like any genre fiction, I know 90% of it is schlock, but there's got to be some good ones out there that make excellent use of the form. Richard Stark's Parker series. Parker is a heister, and the books all revolve around some caper that goes disastrously wrong. The charm here is that Stark revolutionised the genre by writing in a total amoral way -- there is no justice in Parker's universe, just a kind of craftsman's code of getting the job done right. The books vary in quality, but Stark's writing is so unique that any book you start with will blow your mind. Really. (The first book, The Hunter, is my favourite.) Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series. Tightly plotted police procedurals. Bosch is a loner, and part of the tension in these books comes from having him deal with the machinery of the LAPD from the inside, not always comfortably. Dark and gritty, but not in that mannered James Ellroy way. The mid series books are the best, but really, all of them are excellent. Robert B Parker's Spenser series. Revolutionised crime fiction in the 70s the same way Stark's Parker series did in the 60s. Spenser is a dramatic re-imagining of the classic Private Investigator archetype: he is tough (of course), but also very funny and emotional. The first ten or so books are great -- there is nothing else like them in the genre.
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Jan 21, 2010 18:30
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Ballsworthy posted:This thread makes me feel like a broken record sometimes. I will ask you in a couple pages to make you feel like you're indispensable 
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Jan 21, 2010 18:44
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Awesome, thanks dudes.
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Jan 22, 2010 00:30
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Looking for some good science books. Just finished Carl Sagan's Demon Haunted World which was pretty good but, in my case, kind of preaching to the choir. I have his Cosmos as well. I've read Dawkins too (Selfish Gene), as well as Hawkins, but all of these were pretty general. I'm ready for some more hardcore stuff - I've studied most sciences at a medium level (a lot of undergraduate university classes) and I'm most fluent in physics and biology. I don't really want to read anything on evolution since it's probably the subject I know most about. Stuff about vaccines might be good, or awesome physics theories. I studied engineering so I don't have any problems with math here and there.
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Jan 22, 2010 01:27
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Cosinetta posted:Looking for some good science books. Just finished Carl Sagan's Demon Haunted World which was pretty good but, in my case, kind of preaching to the choir. I have his Cosmos as well. I've read Dawkins too (Selfish Gene), as well as Hawkins, but all of these were pretty general. I'm ready for some more hardcore stuff - I've studied most sciences at a medium level (a lot of undergraduate university classes) and I'm most fluent in physics and biology. I don't really want to read anything on evolution since it's probably the subject I know most about. Stuff about vaccines might be good, or awesome physics theories. I studied engineering so I don't have any problems with math here and there. A Short History of Nearly Everything isn't hardcore in the slightest, but it's a great overview of a wide variety of science and serves as a great jumping off point for further reading.
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Jan 22, 2010 04:27
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Cosinetta posted:Looking for some good science books. Just finished Carl Sagan's Demon Haunted World which was pretty good but, in my case, kind of preaching to the choir. I have his Cosmos as well. I've read Dawkins too (Selfish Gene), as well as Hawkins, but all of these were pretty general. I'm ready for some more hardcore stuff - I've studied most sciences at a medium level (a lot of undergraduate university classes) and I'm most fluent in physics and biology. I don't really want to read anything on evolution since it's probably the subject I know most about. Stuff about vaccines might be good, or awesome physics theories. I studied engineering so I don't have any problems with math here and there. I'd bump this thread for you but then you'd have to look for it on page 1 instead of page 4 and that might prove difficult http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3228183
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Jan 22, 2010 09:29
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rasser posted:I'd bump this thread for you but then you'd have to look for it on page 1 instead of page 4 and that might prove difficult  Well I feel dumb now. I had seen that thread before too! Well now it's bookmarked, thanks!
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Jan 22, 2010 16:35
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This is for a gift. The person in question loves: Orson Scott Card Octavia Butler John Twelve Hawks (has only read the Traveler trilogy as far as I know) Post-apocalyptic books (has read The Road, World War Z, Lucifer's Hammer) Vampire Books (Sunshine, Twilight [I know, I know, I don't question, I just gift), Octavia Butler's vampire book) That's generally what she likes (but she's also raved about some lake monster mystery book that didn't actually have a monster it in, among a million other books). I know she's read plenty of old school science fiction (Asimov, P.K. Dick, Starship Troopers, etc) and she can't stand fantasy stuff, despite me gushing over Raymond E. Feist's stuff. Can anyone give me some suggestions? I'm looking for that perfect book she'll zoom through like she did with the Traveler books.
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Jan 22, 2010 23:05
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For vampire novels Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles were leaps and bounds better than Twilight as long as you avoid everything after the 5th and the novels focused on individual characters that aren't Louis and Lestat.
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Jan 23, 2010 00:28
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dokmo posted:Richard Stark's Parker series. Parker is a heister, and the books all revolve around some caper that goes disastrously wrong. The charm here is that Stark revolutionised the genre by writing in a total amoral way -- there is no justice in Parker's universe, just a kind of craftsman's code of getting the job done right. The books vary in quality, but Stark's writing is so unique that any book you start with will blow your mind. Really. (The first book, The Hunter, is my favourite.) I'd also add Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer series. He's considered the successor to Raymond Chandler by most critics, and his books are great.
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Jan 24, 2010 07:14
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Does anyone know of a good, comprehensive book on Alan Lomax? At its best, it would cover both his folklorist and ethnomusicological pursuits as well as biographical details. Or alternatively, two separate books -- one on his musicological pursuits and one for biography -- that are detailed would be fine too.
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Jan 25, 2010 15:50
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I'm sure this would have already been asked somewhere in this thread, but I've been keeping a copy of Sherlock Holmes and a collection of Edgar Allen Poe's short stories by my bed lately and have found myself getting into the habit of going to bed, reading a story and then falling asleep (which is much healthier than my normal pattern of staying on the internet / watching dvds until my eyes start hurting enough for me to pass out). So basically I'm looking for good collections of short stories (preferably in the mystery / horror genre, but I'm open to all suggestions) that might be good to go to bed with. Regression posted:2) A history of Europe - not dry, but not silly either (again, I'm a polisci graduate student), with a focus on political, economic, and military matters rather than cultural stuff. I'm looking for something general, so I'm interested in the entire continent. Timewise I'm thinking mostly of 500-1700, but a book covering post-Roman until modern would also be fine. To be more specific of something I want to learn more about : The Habsburg empire, how was it ruled, what did it do, why, relations with the rest of Europe, etc. Again, focus on economics, politics, and military stuff. Try Europe: A History by Norman Davies. At 1400 pages it's hardly a light read, but it's written in an engaging style and much of the detail that doesn't directly affect the narrative comes in independent boxes of text that you can skip (along with the first and last 300 pages) if you just want the broad outline of major political events from 500-1700, but it really is worth the time to read the whole thing.
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Jan 25, 2010 17:10
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Blurred posted:Try Europe: A History by Norman Davies. At 1400 pages it's hardly a light read, but it's written in an engaging style and much of the detail that doesn't directly affect the narrative comes in independent boxes of text that you can skip (along with the first and last 300 pages) if you just want the broad outline of major political events from 500-1700, but it really is worth the time to read the whole thing. I want to second this. One of the great things in the book is its balanced approach to easter europe (I think the author is Polish), which goes to show how biased standard European histories are balanced towards the western states.
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Jan 25, 2010 18:07
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Blurred posted:I'm sure this would have already been asked somewhere in this thread, but I've been keeping a copy of Sherlock Holmes and a collection of Edgar Allen Poe's short stories by my bed lately and have found myself getting into the habit of going to bed, reading a story and then falling asleep (which is much healthier than my normal pattern of staying on the internet / watching dvds until my eyes start hurting enough for me to pass out). So basically I'm looking for good collections of short stories (preferably in the mystery / horror genre, but I'm open to all suggestions) that might be good to go to bed with. Try John Collier's Fancies and Goodnights, very Twilight Zone/Hitchcock with a killer sense of humor. For straight horror, The Dark Descent is a massive anthology that has the best of the best of the 20th century horror stories and is a very worthwhile purchase.
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Jan 25, 2010 18:14
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My wife loves to read but never knows what to get, so I pick out books for her by going to border's and looking at the popular paperbacks. I have proven to be pretty good at this. She started using the kindle app on her iPod touch though, so this is no longer an option for me. I tried browsing on Amazon but I dunno, I just have better luck finding stuff in person, so I figured I would try here. One thing she likes are fascinating medical case studies, like the stuff by Oliver Sacks (Anthropologist on Mars, the Man who mistook his wife for a hat). She also likes memoirs and autobiographies. Not like princess Diana or famous person stuff like that, but instead true tales of average people growing up in either adverse circumstances or just interesting tales. Examples: Blankets, Persepolis, My Lobotomy, The Glass Castle: A Memoir, Running With Scissors. As far as fiction, she liked The Secret Life of Bees, and She's Come Undone. Any recommendations? I would like to give her a read next list of 5 or so books.
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Jan 25, 2010 19:39
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The Ninth Layer posted:It's not modern or urban fantasy but if you liked the Dresden Files, check out Jhereg by Steven Brust. It follows a guy named Vlad Taltos who works as an assassin in an fantasy equivalent of the Mafia. The writing is better than Butcher's but it has the same light-hearted noir feel to it. You can find the first three books together in The Book of Jhereg. To be honest, I thought, based on the description, that this was gonna suck, but hey, I asked the Book Barn for suggestions, who am I to not heed their advice? So I got the Book of Jhereg... and like it so much that I just bought Taltos and Athyra. Thanks for an excellent recommendation The Ninth Layer, it pretty much hits on the head exactly what I asked for, pulpy but fun and not pulpy in the typical 'lovely' way, but actually pretty good books.
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Jan 26, 2010 02:46
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Ok so this request is a bit vague but here we go. A female friend of mine is going to be spending about 6 months in jail for getting her 3rd DUI. I need recommendations for some books to send her while she is in the clink. She likes David Sedaris and Anthony Bourdain so maybe something along that vein. Bonus points go to books that might help her to realize what a ridiculous alcoholic she has become.
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Jan 26, 2010 09:30
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Scoe posted:Ok so this request is a bit vague but here we go. A female friend of mine is going to be spending about 6 months in jail for getting her 3rd DUI. I need recommendations for some books to send her while she is in the clink. She likes David Sedaris and Anthony Bourdain so maybe something along that vein. Bonus points go to books that might help her to realize what a ridiculous alcoholic she has become. Charles Bukowski. Ultimate fiction for hosed-up lushes. "I don't like jail, they got the wrong kind of bars in there.”
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Jan 26, 2010 09:38
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Scoe posted:Bonus points go to books that might help her to realize what a ridiculous alcoholic she has become.
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Jan 26, 2010 21:24
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Blurred posted:I'm sure this would have already been asked somewhere in this thread, but I've been keeping a copy of Sherlock Holmes and a collection of Edgar Allen Poe's short stories by my bed lately and have found myself getting into the habit of going to bed, reading a story and then falling asleep (which is much healthier than my normal pattern of staying on the internet / watching dvds until my eyes start hurting enough for me to pass out). So basically I'm looking for good collections of short stories (preferably in the mystery / horror genre, but I'm open to all suggestions) that might be good to go to bed with. If you like Poe I would get the Collected Works of MR James. He was an English academic writing from the 1910-30s' who, like Poe, was not afraid to use a lot of classical allusions in his ghost stories. They're beautifully written, not gory, but psychologically disturbing. I can't recommend them highly enough. The short story "Oh Whistle & I'll Come to You, My Lad" is especially nasty. If you like Holmes, and aren't afraid of a spot of Catholic religious doctrine mixed with your mysteries you could do worse than check out the Father Brown stories by GK Chesterton. Very readable, very thoughtful short mystery stories, all centred around the titular Father Brown, who is a very engaging main character. If you want more modern stuff, try 20th Century Ghosts, by Joe Hill (Stephen Kings' son!). It's a mix of horror & normal short stories. It's one of the best collections I've read recently, he's a talented dude.
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Jan 26, 2010 22:27
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nemesis_hub posted:I'm looking for science fiction/fantasy that plays on or draws from existing myths, urban legends, and wacky conspiracy theories, but that somehow weaves something not retarded out of them.
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Jan 26, 2010 22:44
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Beep Street posted:She has plenty of time to reflect upon how ridiculous the situation has become. Personally I was stuck in prison I'd want to read uplifting stuff by people who went through even worse than me. I suggest you get your friend a copy of A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown. It is a memoir by an ex-crack addict who ends up totally rising out of her lovely existance and becoming a lawyer. Good call, that is going on the list.
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Jan 27, 2010 08:43
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I've been really enjoying Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy - just finished up the third - and am looking for more Swedish/Scandinavian crime fiction. I read a Henning Mankell book a while back but didn't like it too much, but have heard good things about Åsa Larsson and Håkan Nesser - any thoughts?
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Jan 27, 2010 17:52
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Blurred posted:I'm sure this would have already been asked somewhere in this thread, but I've been keeping a copy of Sherlock Holmes and a collection of Edgar Allen Poe's short stories by my bed lately and have found myself getting into the habit of going to bed, reading a story and then falling asleep (which is much healthier than my normal pattern of staying on the internet / watching dvds until my eyes start hurting enough for me to pass out). So basically I'm looking for good collections of short stories (preferably in the mystery / horror genre, but I'm open to all suggestions) that might be good to go to bed with. Can't go wrong with H.P. Lovecraft. I have an anthology of his that I read before I went to bed. Loved it. Can't find the one I have on here, but I don't imagine they are much different, assuming they have most of the popular ones. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=h.p.+lovecraft&x=10&y=23 If you want to see if you'll like his stuff, check out "At the Mountains of Madness", I like that one (you can find it online for free, it's fallen into public domain)quote:I am forced into speech because men of science have refused to follow my advice without knowing why. It is altogether against my will that I tell my reasons for opposing this contemplated invasion of the antarctic - with its vast fossil hunt and its wholesale boring and melting of the ancient ice caps. And I am the more reluctant because my warning may be in vain. Oddity fucked around with this message at 00:41 on Jan 28, 2010 |
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Jan 28, 2010 00:38
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I'm looking for some reading about a hippie's transcendence from the lifestyle of a hippie to a well rounded human being, along the lines of stories of ones youthful hippie days to thought processes the character went through that aren't radical changes in lifestyle but how the character moved on to a successful lifestyle; moral dilemmas, friends dying, finding true happiness in life, etc. would be topics I would like to see throughout. Anything out there like this, fiction or non?
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Jan 28, 2010 03:15
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What are your favorite NYRB Classics?
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Jan 28, 2010 03:42
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