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Can someone tell me how to start with Clive Barker? All I know about him is that he's horror and has at least two series of books. I've read the first two books in his Abarat series, but none of his books that meant for adults.
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Aug 12, 2010 21:27
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FortCastle posted:Which books in the Ender's Game series are worth reading after Ender's Game? I'm considering Speaker for the Dead next, is that the next logical step in the series? Skip to the Ender's Shadow stuff. The direct sequels to Ender's Game (Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, etc.) get...really loving weird. Or just stop with Ender's Game. That's what I wish I'd have done. quote:Can someone tell me how to start with Clive Barker? The Books of Blood, a collection of his short stories, is a pretty good place to start.
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Aug 12, 2010 21:38
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FortCastle posted:Which books in the Ender's Game series are worth reading after Ender's Game? I'm considering Speaker for the Dead next, is that the next logical step in the series? If you really liked the child soldier stuff, then go with that Shadow series, basically the same story as Enders game, but from someone else's perspective. Speaker for the Dead is really good but has a much different idea and feel than Enders Game. I'd still recommend it.
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Aug 12, 2010 21:39
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Cobweb Heart posted:Can someone tell me how to start with Clive Barker? All I know about him is that he's horror and has at least two series of books. The Books of Blood was aforementioned and while some of the stories vary in writing quality, they're pretty decent and enjoyable so I'd doubly recommend that you start there. After that, I would consider reading his novella The Hellbound Heart, which was the inspiration for his film Hellraiser. Other great novels that I can think of on the top of my head are Weaveworld, The Great and Secret Show, The Damnation Game (which is wicked messed up) Imajica and Cabal, which was adapted into his film Nightbreed. Also, even though it isn't an adult book, The Thief of Always is really really fun and well written.
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Aug 12, 2010 23:20
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FortCastle posted:Which books in the Ender's Game series are worth reading after Ender's Game? I'm considering Speaker for the Dead next, is that the next logical step in the series? Speaker for the Dead is next, and it is flavor-wise a completely different animal. That being said, I thought it was excellent, even better than Ender's Game. If you want more child-soldier material, there is a parallel novel to Ender's Game following Bean called Ender's Shadow. Quality goes down a bit, the coincidences are snnoying, there's multiple retcons, but its not terrible. Besides that, though, you really have to be able to suspend your disbelief and be willing to tolerate strange deviations from the original plot and feel of the story. It gets a deeper and deeper philosophical bent as you go. Oh, and for God's sake, avoid Ender in Exile. What trash.
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Aug 12, 2010 23:44
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I don't really know what genre this is considered, but what do you guys recommend I read if I like stories like 1408 or The Jaunt. Science fiction with a touch of H.P. Lovecraft? I like this type of horror rather than ghosts, blood and bones, if you know what I mean. Something more abstract. I know 1408 was inspired by Lovecraft, and I like that aspect that there is something we don't understand that haunts us. What I like about The Jaunt is the idea of being stuck in an infinite prison, something I can't really fathom. These types of horror stories really interest me and I was wondering if there was anything else like this. Doesn't have to be a short story, and doesn't necessarily have to be by Lovecraft or King. Thanks!
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Aug 13, 2010 01:21
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professor muthafukkah posted:I don't really know what genre this is considered, but what do you guys recommend I read if I like stories like 1408 or The Jaunt. Science fiction with a touch of H.P. Lovecraft? You'd probably dig Jeffrey Thomas' Punktown short stories and maybe the novels (I can't vouch for them, having not read them yet). Punktown and Voices From Punktown are both on Amazon. His collection Unholy Dimensions also has a fair number of short stories that fit the general description of "science fiction with a touch of H.P. Lovecraft."
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Aug 13, 2010 01:45
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delicious beef posted:I've just finished Ubik, looking for some Philip K. Dick recommendations. So far I've read Man in the High Castle, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, A Scanner Darkly and Flow My Tears. Oh, and the Minority Report short story collection. What should I pick up next? I don't know how helpful this really is, but I've read all of those (as well as Martian Time-Slip) and I plan on reading either Valis or The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch the next time I feel in the mood for Dick. I'm under the impression that Valis is stranger, if that makes it any easier to decide.
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Aug 13, 2010 01:59
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What are some good, and not too scholarly, books about the history of Communism? I don't really know much about the differences between Marx, Lenin, and all those dudes. Stuff about socialism is okay too.
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Aug 13, 2010 07:23
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Cobweb Heart posted:Can someone tell me how to start with Clive Barker? All I know about him is that he's horror and has at least two series of books. The Damnation Game isn't a bad start.
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Aug 13, 2010 10:06
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professor muthafukkah posted:I don't really know what genre this is considered, but what do you guys recommend I read if I like stories like 1408 or The Jaunt. Science fiction with a touch of H.P. Lovecraft? Dan Simmons who is now better known as a Science Fiction author (Hyperion etc) used to write horror and some of his stuff might be along the lines fo what you are looking for. Carrion Comfort and Song of Kali are probably the best known, the latter probably closer to what you're looking for. Carion Comfort is more Stephen Kingish, but I really like it. A couple of others that come to mind are The 37th Mandala by Marc Laidlaw, which is fantastic and a modern horror classic in my opinion. It might be hard to get hold of now. Laidlaw is now better known for being an in-house writer/designer for Valve and worked on the half-life games amongst others (and there are some places where his touch is obvious, especially in HL2)... which is kind of a shame because he's a seriously good author. Also, because I just mentioned it in the Australian literature thread Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay. Certainly not ovetly horror, but a really sinister and creepy atmospheric mystery with hints towards the supernatural.
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Aug 13, 2010 10:52
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appropriatemetaphor posted:What are some good, and not too scholarly, books about the history of Communism? I don't really know much about the differences between Marx, Lenin, and all those dudes. Stuff about socialism is okay too. Leslie Holmes's Communism: A Very Short Introduction is probably the best thing for you, since it's written by an expert in the field and covers a wide range of material in discrete sections. The "further reading" in the back will also be invaluable. It's probably the most unbiased beginning source you'll get, considering the subject. A lot of "histories of Communism" tend to mix theory, people, and political policy up rather indiscriminately, so it can be very tough going for someone new to it, especially if they don't know in particular what sorts of subjects relating to Communism/Socialism/Marxism they want to get into (for example, history of theory in general, within specific nations, political policy, "horrors of communism" type stuff, communism and capitalism, Marxism and the humanities/social sciences, etc etc.). If you just want to read up on Marxism in general, marxists.org is a great resource.
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Aug 13, 2010 15:13
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ONE TWO THREE TIMES TWO TO THE SIX/JONESING FOR YOUR FIX OF THAT LIMP BIZKIT MIX
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Cobweb Heart posted:Can someone tell me how to start with Clive Barker? All I know about him is that he's horror and has at least two series of books. Abarat is a great way for you to get started, I would suggest getting ahold of Hellbound Heart as it's short enough that you won't have to struggle to finish it. As has been said the Books of Blood are great for giving a sampling of Clives work, albeit with varying degrees of success. One thing that hasn't been suggested, and I know they're hard to find, but Clive has to collections of plays that he wrote when he was in his theatre troupe, Incarnations and Forms of Heaven. FoH was actually the very first thing of Clives that I read and haven't looked back since. *edit: Just so that people don't think I didn't read your post, I meant to say that seeing as how you've read Abarat you're off to a good start.
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Aug 14, 2010 01:54
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Thanks for the help with Barker, guys. I'll look for Books of Blood and Hellbound Heart. And The Damnation Game, because I love wicked messed up books.
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Aug 14, 2010 07:11
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Cobweb Heart posted:Thanks for the help with Barker, guys. I'll look for Books of Blood and Hellbound Heart. And The Damnation Game, because I love wicked messed up books. I forgot about The Hellbound Heart. It is probably my favorite Barker book, but it's really short... in fact, I think I read it cover to cover drunk in a bubble bath once.
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Aug 14, 2010 07:22
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I know he's been mentioned in this thread before but I'm throwing his name out again because he is hands down my favorite author. Anything by Gene Wolfe is worth reading. But if you're looking for a stand alone novel I would recommend "Pirate Freedom". It's got everything a story about pirates needs. Love, battles, incredible depth and detail about everyday life in the Caribbean, and the rape of young men while on sea.
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Aug 14, 2010 20:01
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Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha and Narcissus and Goldmund are two of my favorite novels. I enjoy the big-picture, meaning of life depth of those stories as they seem to transcend even the time/place they are set in. Though I guess the goal of all masterful literature is to do that to some degree. Recommend other authors with similar themes/ideas? Or if I liked these two, which Hesse should I read next?
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Aug 14, 2010 20:29
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7 y.o. bitch posted:Leslie Holmes's Communism: A Very Short Introduction is probably the best thing for you, since it's written by an expert in the field and covers a wide range of material in discrete sections. The "further reading" in the back will also be invaluable. It's probably the most unbiased beginning source you'll get, considering the subject. A lot of "histories of Communism" tend to mix theory, people, and political policy up rather indiscriminately, so it can be very tough going for someone new to it, especially if they don't know in particular what sorts of subjects relating to Communism/Socialism/Marxism they want to get into (for example, history of theory in general, within specific nations, political policy, "horrors of communism" type stuff, communism and capitalism, Marxism and the humanities/social sciences, etc etc.). Yeah that sounds right up my alley. Of course it has to be one of the few in that series that my library doesn't have, buying books  .
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Aug 14, 2010 20:43
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I've gradually become more interested in fantasy so I'm looking for a novel or series to introduce me to a genre that I haven't really read into much (I've mostly just read science fiction and non-fiction for the past several years). What would you recommend for someone just starting Stephen King, someone who's work I admit I'm not familiar with at all? I heard The Dark Tower is a great fantasy series, but really, recommend me anything good to start with this author. Also, any opinion of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, which I've also labeled as a possibility?
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Aug 14, 2010 22:57
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Haeleus posted:Also, any opinion of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, which I've also labeled as a possibility? Dunno if you're trolling a bit here, but. He's great, the series has three books left and he's not a fast writer, so you'll be waiting a while to finish. Joe Abercrombie's pretty good as well, and China Mieville's Bas-Lag books are fantasy with other stuff mixed in, weird and fun. The Malazan books also have a good reputation, but I haven't read them.
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Aug 15, 2010 00:04
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Grand Fromage posted:Dunno if you're trolling a bit here, but. He's great, the series has three books left and he's not a fast writer, so you'll be waiting a while to finish. Joe Abercrombie's pretty good as well, and China Mieville's Bas-Lag books are fantasy with other stuff mixed in, weird and fun. The Malazan books also have a good reputation, but I haven't read them. No, not trolling at all, just clueless really. Thanks for the suggestions, I'll definitely check up on them.
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Aug 15, 2010 00:43
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Haeleus posted:I've gradually become more interested in fantasy so I'm looking for a novel or series to introduce me to a genre that I haven't really read into much (I've mostly just read science fiction and non-fiction for the past several years). What would you recommend for someone just starting Stephen King, someone who's work I admit I'm not familiar with at all? I heard The Dark Tower is a great fantasy series, but really, recommend me anything good to start with this author. Lots of questions there. When it comes to fantasy series, you need to ask yourself if you're alright waiting years, maybe even decades, for a series to finish. If you are, then jumping on with something like GRRM or Brandon Sanderson's new series (the first book comes out at the end of the month) is a fine way to get started. If you're more impatient, you'll want to look at series that are finished, or nearly so. Joe Abercrombie was already mentioned, and that's my personal top recommendation, as well as Erikson's Malazan books. The Wheel of Time is something of a contentious issue amongst fantasy fans; you either love it or hate it, but it's almost done now so if you're looking to kill a lot of time, it's not a terrible way to go. And just to cover all the goon favorites, I'll toss in a recommendation for Jim Butcher, either his Dresden Files series (urban fantasy, won't be done for 10+ years) or his Codex Alera series (more traditional fantasy, already finished). As for Stephen King... Man, you can jump in just about anywhere, depending on your tastes. The Dark Tower series is his magnum opus, but it's universally agreed that it took a big hit in quality after either the third or fourth book (which depends on who you ask). That said, I think most would agree it's still worth reading if you're a fan of Stephen King. To answer that question, I suggest you start with one (or all) of the following: 'Salem's Lot, The Shining, The Eyes of the Dragon, Night Shift, or Skeleton Crew. Those are the high points of his career, and the first four Dark Tower books fit easily with that group in terms of quality (gently caress you guys, I like Wizard and Glass). For your last question, my personal recommendation is to steer clear of GRRM until the last book is published. It's a quality series, but it's getting to the point now where there's a real possibility he'll never finish it (either from lack of interest or death).
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Aug 15, 2010 02:14
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TBH you'd be better off just reading Fevre Dream than any of ASOIAF. All the GRRM characterisation and slow-building-dread goodness with none of the waiting a decade for the next book crap. I actually picked A Game of Thrones up last year, and knowing what I know now I just can't make myself read through it, it seems pretty good, but no matter how good the series gets, what's the point? Fantasy is a massive field, but go through the solid recommendations above (my girlfriend's favourite King novel's are pretty much that list plus Misery), avoid The Name of The Wind and The Lies of Locke Lamorra (other never-to-be-finished sagas) and supplement that big old clump of (mostly) Serious fantasy with some Christopher Moore (start with Practical Demonkeeping) Terry Pratchett (start with Small Gods) and I'd recommend sitting down with the Earthsea quartet by Ursula Le Guin and reading the first three then deface the fourth and pretend it doesn't exist. Also, if you can force yourself through LOTR (do yourself a favour, skip the songs and ditch most of book 1) you should, not because it's good -or even enjoyable- but because it's interesting to then see how the good authors you've been recommended took these ideas and carried them forward. Or inverted them. Or ignored them and did something better.
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Aug 15, 2010 02:43
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Alright, thanks to all of you for your recommendations. Time to visit the library.Evfedu posted:Also, if you can force yourself through LOTR (do yourself a favour, skip the songs and ditch most of book 1) you should, not because it's good -or even enjoyable- but because it's interesting to then see how the good authors you've been recommended took these ideas and carried them forward. Or inverted them. Or ignored them and did something better. I definitely considered the LOTR series; something that I actually started reading years ago but stopped somewhere through the 2nd book (I guess it just didn't hold my interest or maybe I couldn't stand the writing, I don't know), so maybe I'll give it another go.
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Aug 15, 2010 03:20
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endlessmug posted:Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha and Narcissus and Goldmund are two of my favorite novels. I enjoy the big-picture, meaning of life depth of those stories as they seem to transcend even the time/place they are set in. Though I guess the goal of all masterful literature is to do that to some degree. Recommend other authors with similar themes/ideas? Or if I liked these two, which Hesse should I read next? Das Glasperlenspiel (The Glass Bead Game).
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Aug 15, 2010 12:34
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Haeleus posted:I definitely considered the LOTR series; something that I actually started reading years ago but stopped somewhere through the 2nd book (I guess it just didn't hold my interest or maybe I couldn't stand the writing, I don't know), so maybe I'll give it another go. The story in LOTR is good but the writing can be a slog. Don't even bother trying The Silmarillion unless you're hardcore.
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Aug 15, 2010 22:51
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Underflow posted:Das Glasperlenspiel (The Glass Bead Game). Yeah, this. Also you might enjoy Mann - The Magic Mountain especially.
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Aug 15, 2010 23:53
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Grand Fromage posted:The story in LOTR is good but the writing can be a slog. Don't even bother trying The Silmarillion unless you're hardcore. I find it's easier to read if you imagine that it's an English translation of some old Norse legend. It works especially well if you have the red fake leather version.
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Aug 16, 2010 01:34
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appropriatemetaphor posted:I find it's easier to read if you imagine that it's an English translation of some old Norse legend. It works especially well if you have the red fake leather version. Has anybody read any of Tolkien's translations? I saw this at a used bookstore the other day. It looked interesting, although I'd never heard of it before.
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Aug 16, 2010 04:41
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appropriatemetaphor posted:I find it's easier to read if you imagine that it's an English translation of some old Norse legend. It works especially well if you have the red fake leather version. Which is practically Tolkien's writing style anyway. The Children of Húrin could EASILY be passed off as an Old Norse Edda translated into English.
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Aug 16, 2010 16:30
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Thanks Underflow, I'd heard that was his masterwork. I'll check it out. What about other authors?
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Aug 16, 2010 19:02
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I'm looking for a recommendation on books like ASoiaF and Malazan. I'm not interested in the Wheel of Time which I know is along the same vein. E: I'm searching for similar recommendations as I'm SURE there are some in this thread, but figured I'd toss this here for any quick shots. E2: I've picked up the first 3 books of the Temeraire series as per a prior recommendation. MarshallX fucked around with this message at 20:48 on Aug 16, 2010 |
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Aug 16, 2010 20:19
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MarshallX posted:I'm looking for a recommendation on books like ASoiaF and Malazan. I'm not interested in the Wheel of Time which I know is along the same vein. I'm halfway into and really enjoying the First Law trilogy, which is frequently recommended in this forum.
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Aug 16, 2010 20:54
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I know it isn't the heaviest series, but are the James Bond books worth reading? I bought a couple and they were alright, except the two (Moonraker and Casino Royale) both ending more or less the same way (Bond rolls his car, villain captures them, he escapes somehow). Otherwise the inbetween was mostly enjoyable.
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Aug 17, 2010 17:38
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What would people consider to be the best place to start with Cormac McCarthy? I was thinking of reading the Border Trilogy, but if there is something better/more representative I'd like to know.
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Aug 17, 2010 23:45
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So we all know dystopian cyber-punk settings with their illegal implants and grimy alleyways. I'm curious though; is there such a thing as utopian cyber-"punk" or positive near-future sci-fi? Where those implants are used to correct defects and those alleyways are cleaned by friendly sweeper-bots? I'm not sure what type of narrative conflict could arise in such a setting, but I wouldn't mind reading something that shows the positive potential of technology rather than its potential for evil. Something in the near-future, perhaps possible in our lifetimes. Edit: "Cyberprep" is apparently the term. Jive One fucked around with this message at 03:19 on Aug 18, 2010 |
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Aug 18, 2010 03:10
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Jive One posted:So we all know dystopian cyber-punk settings with their illegal implants and grimy alleyways. I'm curious though; is there such a thing as utopian cyber-"punk" or positive near-future sci-fi? Where those implants are used to correct defects and those alleyways are cleaned by friendly sweeper-bots? Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age is kinda like that, I guess. There are some dystopian things going on, but the main story idea is positive and creative. It's also really good. (It starts out seeming like an extremely cheesy version of the dystopian thing, but quickly turns awesome and very different and unique.)
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Aug 18, 2010 03:27
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endlessmug posted:What about other authors? People who read Hesse tend to read Camus as part of the same thing they're going through. If Nabokov wasn't already recommended in some oversight by the Nabokov automatic recommendation crew, then probably him too. You might also like Kerouac's Dharma Bums. And it's reaching a bit, but maybe Simone Weil, if you're not just looking for novels. I've only read Gravity and Grace; she seemed like a neat lady. Don't read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
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Aug 18, 2010 03:28
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I tried to get through as many pages as I could to find some suggestions without posting but the task was just too daunting. So here goes: Looking to getting my next book referred to me by Goons. My recent books are in sequential order from most recent to older: The Old Man and the Sea by Hemmingway, A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, and The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart. Basically a collection of books that have very little to do with another but really were all fascinating in their own way. My favorite being The Dice Man. That was a really great read. Some other books that I have read in the last few years that really got me going was Crime and Punishment, 1984, Brave New World, and The Count of Monte Cristo. What I am looking for is any book (or list of books, as I would prefer) that would be recommended to go with any of these books. I am not crazily particular, and really have no theme as you can see except for what I could call "great" literary works, but you can just throw ideas out there. Help me out Goons!
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Aug 18, 2010 21:29
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4 or 5 people have independently recommended me Cotzee in the past week, what's the way thing to start with?
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Aug 20, 2010 00:06
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