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Need recommendations for short stories of a specific type, that I'll probably fail pretty badly in describing. But essentially it's where, when you're done reading it, you marvel at how perfect the ending is, how it is the only possible ending, yet you never saw it coming. I'm thinking of stories like "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick, or "The Dead Past" by Asimov. "The Nine Billion Names of God" by Clarke is one that tries to do this but is less successful in my opinion (maybe because in this case I saw the end coming). And to clarify, it doesn't have to be science fiction. If you can think of any short story writers who excel at this type of story, don't hesitate to recommend them no matter the genre.
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Apr 9, 2011 03:22
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Patrovsky posted:Try All You Zombies, by Heinlen Should have added that if it's a big name in sf, I've probably read it. Good suggestion though! DirtyRobot posted:The Last Question by Isaac Asimov e: Other examples might be the P.G. Wodehouse Jeeves stories, where everything seems truly screwed up at the end until Jeeves comes up with the perfect solution that he's had lying in wait all along. I guess even Sherlock Holmes stories would count, though mysteries aren't quite what I'm looking for. regulargonzalez fucked around with this message at 18:30 on Apr 9, 2011 |
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Apr 9, 2011 18:27
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katka posted:I was wondering if anyone could help me remember the name of a book I wanted to read. It was about a group of aliens that were bad at fighting wars uplifting humanity because we're such a violent species to fight another alien race for them. I'm sure that I gave a horrible description of the book, but I'm hoping someone here can help me. Might try here: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2704537
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Apr 9, 2011 18:32
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Can anyone give me recommendations for books set in a "carny" setting, ala Stephen King's Joyland or Dean Koonz's Twilight Eyes? I guess Water for Elephants as well, although that's technically a circus.
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Aug 1, 2013 07:29
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RC and Moon Pie posted:Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes. Ah I've read that, but it's been 20 years or so. Time for a reread I'm thinking. Thanks!
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Aug 1, 2013 07:49
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Thx for all the recommendations, folksBrainamp posted:Need a birthday present for a friend. Can kind goons recommend anything starring a female protagonist that doesn't fall in love with the first guy/girl she meets who is her own age or something. She isn't a fan of books with a heavy focus on romance. Preferably sci-fi or fantasy I think. The Kushiel's Legacy series might just be perfect. First book is Kushiel's Dart, and a description makes it sound pretty tawdry but it is actually very elegant and well written. Basically, an alt-history of Europe where religious figures and their teachings were interpreted differently than in our world, with very light magic and a female protagonist who is trained in S&M (with a secondary training in spycraft). See, I told you it sounds tawdry, but it's honestly good. It's certainly not romance per se, and focuses much less on the actual details of sex than, say, GRRM. I'd say the best description of it is Game of Thrones if it was told entirely through Maergery Tyrell's perspective, or maybe Dune crossed with The Name of the Rose.
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Aug 2, 2013 02:19
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Echo Cian posted:I picked this up on a friend's recommendation and put it down a few chapters in because it opened with an extended backstory with no end in sight, and absolutely everything was sex. If you like that sort of thing, great, but I might as well have been reading porn. It does have a dense intro (and the entire book is densely written, reminds me in style of Umberto Eco) but it's not nearly as titillating as 50 Shades of Grey, and is certainly much better written and plotted. It's sexy in the same way Lady Chatterly's Lover is -- that book just has the advantage of being firmly set in the mental mindspace of "classic" so it's ok for it to have sex in it. The main character, throughout the 500 some pages, has sex about as many times as James Bond does in a 90 minute movie. If that's offputting to some people, then I mean fine, but it's a very well written and plotted story.
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Aug 2, 2013 07:07
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Dr Scoofles posted:Are there any good horror books where than main focus is a totally awesome creepy house or location? I loved the house parts of House of Leaves so so much and have also read The Haunting of Hill House by S.Jackson which I also enjoyed. I next tried Hell House by R.Matheson and I hated it, it's the kind of awful schlock I would try to avoid like the plague. I think I put it down when the ghost got a hard on and kept touching up the hot assistant. Maybe the best example in recent memory is the short story (not the film) Room 1408 by Stephen King. He really does a great job of being very subtle in how the room infects the protagonist. No other examples are coming to mind, unfortunately.
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Aug 3, 2013 11:01
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Dr Scoofles posted:I just read this and it's brilliant, exactly the sort of thing I was looking for, thank you! Fantastically creepy and to me I imagined that the room was throbbing and growing around Michael like a cancerous tumour that ravaged his body and mind, leaving him for the rest of his life a frail survivor. Mission accomplished, this story freaked me out. Glad you liked it! My favorite thing is that even on a reread, it's impossible to pinpoint exactly where the room starts to infect him. He's having normal thoughts, then slightly random but still relatable thoughts, one thought leading fairly naturally to the next, and then all of a sudden you're like "Wow, this is seriously hosed up, when did that happen?" For content, since in your op you stated creepy locations / settings and not necessarily the house itself being haunted, I'll recommend the Henry James novella The Turn of the Screw
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Aug 6, 2013 00:13
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tliil posted:I need some good books where the protagonist is an unapologetic murderer, scoundrel, and criminal. Anti-hero or pure villain, I'm not particular. I just wanna root for some bad guys. If not-self-aware of their terribleness, The Collector is really good.
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Aug 13, 2013 00:17
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Fremry posted:I'm about to come to the end of the books I bought cheaply on Kindle, and I'm trying to decide what to read next. Here's a short list of recent stuff. I love reading Project Gutenberg books on Kindle -- can't beat free, and it's a great excuse to read classics I've always skipped. Two of the best books I've ever read I discovered this way: Dostoevsky's The Idiot (which had always carried that intimidating 'russian lit' aura but it's actually extremely readable in the Proj Gutenberg translation and incredibly compelling) and The Count of Monte Christo (again, fantastic translation that hits just the perfect sweet spot between historical flavor and modern tastes in prose readability). They're very different books -- Count of Monte Christo is like the best heist movie you've ever seen; no depth, but loads of fun. The Idiot is very thoughtful and funny and sad, and just a wonderful work of literature. Not sci-fi of course, but you said you're open to anything. regulargonzalez fucked around with this message at 19:31 on Aug 28, 2013 |
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Aug 28, 2013 19:25
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Eau de MacGowan posted:I've been meaning to try a Bukowski novel for some time and I got nothing to read at the minute - which is his best? Post Office is a great place to start.
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Sep 3, 2013 18:12
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Safari Disco Lion posted:So having read Bridge of Birds and absolutely loving it, I'm in the mood for more books set in China, ancient or otherwise. Not necessarily fantasy like Bridge of Birds, maybe some novels based on or adapted from Chinese mythology, or really just good books about China period so long as they're not too difficult of a read since I have plenty of those and want some good easy stuff I can just zone out with before I go to bed. Tai-Pan isn't a difficult read per se, but it's very long and plot heavy. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a lightweight but compelling story about growing up as a girl in 1800s China.
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Sep 4, 2013 17:48
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BlazinLow305 posted:I posted a few weeks ago in the Scifi/Fantasy thread for a recommendation and didn't get too many replies so I'll try again here. I'll try and keep it short and succinct - I'm looking for a sci-fi series, probably more along the lines of space opera seeing as I like space ships, multiple characters and a bigger setting. Military sci-fi is good as well. I generally would like to avoid any gimmicks, for instance space vampires or whatever in that one Hamilton series, although I enjoyed the rest of his stuff. I've read Revelation Space series, Honor series, Peter Hamilton's stuff and enjoyed those. I couldn't get through Lost Fleet, Bank's Culture stuff seemed okay from what I read, but I'm looking for a more serialized series rather than a completely separate story each book. I read the first Cordelia Vorkosigen book, I liked it, but I put the second one down since it seemed to be mostly politics on a single planet. Haven't tried Miles yet. I feel disgusting even recommending this, but Piers Anthony - Bio of a Space Tyrant e: slightly better: Stephen Donaldson - The Gap Cycle
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Sep 9, 2013 04:12
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BodineWilson posted:The thetans are whispering the following to me: Don't read this. And that's coming from someone who recommended Piers Anthony. Mission Earth is the shittiest series of all time. Even if you like the first couple books (like I did when I was 13 or something and read them), by book 4 or 5 you loving despise the level of shittitude they embody.
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Sep 10, 2013 04:49
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specklebang posted:I used to adore Vonnegut and these are my favorites. Your mileage may vary. Good list and I'd concur, and roughly in that order. Cat's Cradle annoys me because of a couple basic science facts he gets completely wrong, but it's still good. The Sirens of Titan is perhaps my favorite Vonnegut, but his writing style isn't as developed as in his later works. I'd also add Bluebeard to my list of Essential Vonnegut.
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Sep 18, 2013 06:55
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Looking for time travel books, but ones that involve a person / people from another time coming to our time. Ideally the main protagonist is not the time traveller.
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Sep 19, 2013 07:50
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BigHead posted:Hey. I'm looking for more books. (it's legit good though) Also, the unabridged Gulag Archipelago. I've only read the abridged (which is still quite long) and it was really good.
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Sep 22, 2013 18:34
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^^ No idea, I just read whichever was at the bookstore. Didn't even know there were competing translations.Skrill.exe posted:What are some other books that would fit into the bucket of post-modern detective stories? I've read the Spade and Marlowe books but I enjoy the more modern resurgence of books like The Name of the Rose, Motherless Brooklyn, and The New York Trilogy. Books that actively draw attention to the fact that they're detective stories and deconstruct the genre. It's a short story rather than a novel, but Umney's Last Case by Stephen King would be an excellent fit Sandwolf posted:Are there any books that accidentally tell another story than what is advertised? KInda like Exit Through the Gift Shop. Starts out as one thing, but ends up with a total different bent. House of Leaves is the first example that springs to mind, although it does tell the story that is advertised -- the reader just becomes aware that it also tells others, one of which is what I would consider the 'main' story. regulargonzalez fucked around with this message at 11:07 on Sep 23, 2013 |
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Sep 23, 2013 10:57
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Looking for a certain type of apocalyptic book. Not post-apocalyptic but a book set at least partly / mostly in the period where poo poo is hitting the fan. The Stand, for instance, covers the beginning and the period after everyone who is going to die has died, but doesn't really cover society as it is in the process of disintegrating (probably because, in that book, the process is too quick). Something like The Road if it covered the first couple months of whatever the disaster was, instead of being set an indeterminate amount of time later. So, obviously a more drawn out disaster than a virus that kills everyone it infects within 48 hours or a nuclear war immediately wiping out 90% of humanity.
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Sep 23, 2013 16:23
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Thanks for the recommendations, started The Passage. It's good so far, though it feels a bit like a slightly better-written Dean Koontz book.
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Sep 23, 2013 22:19
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Sandwolf posted:I would definitely recommend World War Z, the first two sections sound very much like what he's looking for. I've tried reading it before ... I didn't like the presentation. I know this makes me a terrible person. @specklebang -- thanks, that looks perfect
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Sep 24, 2013 00:14
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Thanks again for the recommendations, working my way through them. I'm also looking for books that cover the history of the middle east, either in large scale from around the years 0-1000 or a more narrow scope of what day-to-day life was like, especially in the latter half of that period.
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Sep 25, 2013 23:40
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Xandu posted:Volume 1 of Venture of Islam covers the latter part of that time range, but obviously mostly through the lens of Islam. Either is fine, as long as the fiction is grounded in some historical research. Thanks for the recommendation!
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Sep 26, 2013 00:24
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jacksonchan posted:A bit late, but I have a couple of recommendations that fit pretty close to what you are describing: Thanks! Circle Nine posted:
One of the few books to really creep me out is House of Leaves
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Oct 3, 2013 06:45
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I'm looking to read about ten books this month and I'm wanting to make them all spooky halloween/autumn themed books, but aside from Bradbury's stuff I'm having trouble finding good things to add to the list. I've read most of the classic horror stuff (sleepy hollow, hill house, dracula, etc) as well. Any recommendations for some nice spooky October reading?
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TopherCStone posted:I was just reading this Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rider_Waite_Tarot_deck inspired partly by the cards in Persona 4 Rosemary's Baby is the only book I can think of like that. There's loads of films with this general theme but I'm coming up short in the book department. I'm assuming you don't want urban horror stuff like Dresden Files? e: The River of No Return regulargonzalez fucked around with this message at 06:56 on Oct 7, 2013 |
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Oct 7, 2013 06:52
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savinhill posted:Cults, and especially Jim Jones, always fascinated me, I'm going to check this one out. On that note, does anyone have any recommendations for any good fiction where a cult is central to the plot? Much better are Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco and The Magus by John Fowles, but those are more secret societyish than cult. But they're both fantastic books. Comedy /r/atheism answer: The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco
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Oct 14, 2013 05:43
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WastedJoker posted:Can anyone recommend books which are: The Tommyknockers by Stephen King Short stories: Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell I Am the Doorway by Stephen King The Mist by Stephen King (novella) Beachworld by Stephen King quote:Mankind having to deal with aliens for the first time The first book of Larry Niven's Known Space series, World of Ptavvs Contact by Carl Sagan, kinda (one way communication, so it's not "dealing with them" per se) Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells It's a short story, but First Contact by Murray Leinster is a really superlative example. Probably not in the vein you're looking for but technically fits the qualifications: The Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs Mission: Earth by L. Ron Hubbard (don't read these books) Kinda fits: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein e: I'm also going to add Shogun here because it fits the theme really well, even though it's not about outer space type aliens. Really great read in the historical fiction genre where Japan is as alien a culture to the protagonist as any tentacled green alien would be to modern day people. e2: quote:Humans exploring distant planets The Wellworld series, kinda regulargonzalez fucked around with this message at 12:08 on Oct 16, 2013 |
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Oct 16, 2013 12:03
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mcustic posted:Don't worry, he's actually Richard Chamberlain. While this is true, I'll be damned if I don't have 70s era Sean Connery in mind every time I read it.
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Oct 16, 2013 18:19
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sleepness posted:Hi book goons, As others have said, Bukowski (start with Post Office imo) Bleak and depressing (and funny) sans drug / alcohol abuse would net you Kurt Vonnegut Alternatively, Dostoyevsky (which are free for your kindle!), Celine, Zola (these two may or may not be for free on Kindle, haven't checked). Though as a warning, they will be rather more literary in style than Palahniuk. e: Thomas Wolfe's 'Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test' reads a bit like a proto-Hunter S. Thompson e2: maybe Jack Kerouac, but he might be a bit too hippy in outlook for what you're aiming for regulargonzalez fucked around with this message at 23:27 on Oct 17, 2013 |
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Oct 17, 2013 23:22
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Transistor Rhythm posted:This is hard to articulate, but are there any books with mysteries that are never solved by the characters or overtly explained to the reader, but where enough of the pieces of the puzzle are contained in the text for the reader to figure them out? I don't even necessarily mean mystery novels, but simply major unknowns that a close reading could actually deduce the truth with enough critical thought. This question was inspired a bit by that cracked article about crazy fan theories that actually make sense more than anything. I like the idea of authors giving enough evidential material in there but making the reader work for it more than just uber-creative fanwank. The Magus by John Fowles, although not only is the answer to the mystery an example of fridge logic, so is a question central to the purpose of the book's conflict. Being intentionally vague here as discovering the book through reading it is one of its great pleasures. Don't spoil yourself on any of it by looking it up ahead of time.
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Oct 26, 2013 07:15
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Ignited posted:So, fun fact: I actually scored a date by reading Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar and writing a critique on it, including my own personal observations. The girl was so blown away that she agreed to see me after that, and we've gone on a few dates. Without directly asking her, I'm looking to find more books that may be in the realm of books she'd enjoy - for me to read and eventually decide whether or not to loan them to her. Betcha she likes DH Lawrence Also Virginia Wolfe
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Nov 2, 2013 07:32
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Transistor Rhythm posted:She's either in ninth grade English, or hasn't really read books since ninth grade English. Roughly 1/3 of the books on that list are indeed crap 1/3 are just kinda there, I have no strong feelings about them And the last third are legit good books. Bad list, written by someone who thinks they are far smarter than they are.
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Nov 4, 2013 20:48
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Rurik posted:I'm interested about something in which the character develops as a person. I feel I'm in period of personal growth in my life myself and this kind of reading interests me. Overcoming one's flaws, becoming better, that kind of stuff. Something inspirational and not depressive. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Disregard the hippy-dippy title and connotation, it's legit good and covers exactly what you're looking for.
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Nov 7, 2013 19:15
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Larrymer posted:Hi goons, I'm looking for some fiction/fantasy book recommendations. I like trilogies because it seems less daunting, but I'm not opposed to a longer series if it's worth reading. Stand alone books are cool, too. I don't think you'll like either Wheel of Time or Malazan, based on your lists and stated preferences. I'd recommend Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever. First trilogy only -- it wraps up nicely and is completely self-contained. The later books are dull and not very good. e: Just saw sci-fi is ok too. I recommend the Foundation series. Limited cast of characters, some really interesting ideas and twists, just a compelling story. There are two ways of reading it, in my opinion -- either you can stick to just the Foundation series in which case the reading order would be: Foundation Foundation and Empire Second Foundation Foundation's Edge Foundation and Earth Asimov Foundation preludes (optional and only read if you're desperate for more) non-Asimov Foundation preludes (ditto) The more ambitious way is to interleave relevant Robot novels in there. At first you won't see why, but they reflect on some of the things that happen in the Foundation series in an interesting way. This reading order would be: Foundation Foundation and Empire Second Foundation The Naked Sun The Caves of Steel Robots and Empire The Stars Like Dust Foundation's Edge The Currents of Space Foundation and Earth (As above re: Foundation preludes) No matter what, don't read the preludes until after the main series, if at all, or some twists will be spoiled. regulargonzalez fucked around with this message at 23:17 on Nov 15, 2013 |
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Nov 15, 2013 23:11
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Raspberry Bang posted:I'm looking for some fiction that's both weird and clever. Like a really "out there" idea for a book. I guess in the same vein as Chuck Palahnuik, Catherine Dunn (mainly Geek Love), and Mark Z. Danielewski to name a few. I think you'll like The Magus by John Fowles. Kurt Vonnegut is an obvious next step from Palahniuk. Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five are the most famous, but The Sirens of Titan and Blackbeard are my favorites. But those may be better after you're familiar with his work. And those former two maybe fit the "out there" request better. e: maybe Blindness by Jose Saramago. Definitely had lots of "wow, is Saramago really going there? Yep, guess he is" moments. regulargonzalez fucked around with this message at 07:35 on Nov 18, 2013 |
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Nov 18, 2013 07:29
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One posted:This past year I have really been blown away by the awesomeness of 3 authors. Roger Zelazny, Gene Wolfe, and Jack Vance. I've enjoyed almost everything I've read from them (which is quite a bit at this point). I'm wondering if there is some equally awesome sci-fi/fantasy author that would sort of fit in this group that maybe I've overlooked. I can't believe I hadn't even heard of Vance or Zelazny until earlier in the year. Probably my favorite lesser-known science fiction author is Theodore Sturgeon. He was most prolific in the short story form but has some novels as well. His stories are really great, the best of which have that rare quality of an ending that is absolutely perfect and the only way the story could end while simultaneously taking you by surprise (We Can Remember It For You Wholesale being an excellent example. It was later very very loosely adapted into the movie Total Recall. And telling you that does not ruin the ending of the story).
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Nov 19, 2013 06:49
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funkybottoms posted:Um, that's PKD, buddy. Haha, goddamn you're right. Theodore Sturgeon is still good though 
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Nov 19, 2013 10:54
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Ela posted:Ok so my boyfriend has stolen my kindle to read the Dune series (Or well, at least the first 5 of it). It's going to take him some time, so I would love it if someone could recommend an absolutely gigantic book for me to go and buy. If you want long, have I got the series for you: The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (and later, Brandon Sanderson). 13 or 14 books, most of which are pretty good. Particularly at the beginning and end. First book is The Eye of the World. Other possibilities: Malazan Book of the Fallen by Stephen Erikson. Some people hate the writing style, and the first book is often considered the weakest, at least the first time through the series. The series in general is kind of love it or hate it. It's dark and gritty but also (imo) kind of Dragonball Z'ish with power levels going over 9000!!! A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. Unfinished, but very long nevertheless. Dense and, particularly early on, is something of a deconstruction of fantasy tropes, in the best possible way. Best read after you're sick of the "humble peasant with band of unlikely heroes, aided by mysterious mentor, takes on the greatest evil in the universe" style of fantasy since none of that exists. Very dark, gritty, realistic, depressing. Some of the greatest characters in the fantasy oeuvre. I'm quite fond of this series and it's currently a popular HBO show. The Black Company by Glen Cook. 9 books, though the first three are a standalone trilogy and are generally considered the best. Kind of the predecessor to today's trend of dark gritty fantasy. Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen Donaldson. 3 trilogies so it's long, but tbqh only the first trilogy would get my recommendation. Harry Potter. At this point in time, you're either someone who has already read them and loved them, or has resisted the hype either because they're "kids books" or just because they seem overhyped. Just read them, they're legit good and while the first couple are kids books, by the end the series has grown beyond a simple Young Adult label. The Xanth series by Piers Anthony. A million books long. Don't read these. But if you must, stop after the first three. But seriously, don't read these. The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind. I'd read Xanth before I read these. Skip this series. Included for the sake of completeness.
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Nov 20, 2013 13:33
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Transistor Rhythm posted:Here's a request: I'm a real sucker for "real life is stranger than fiction" stories, narratives that reveal that the world around us is often more interesting and bizarre than sci-fi. Like, y'know, everything about Scientology,, or the fact that one of the white-coated guys that got us to the moon was also a crazy sex magick guy who, among other things, was trying to bring about the birth of the antichrist and the end of the world, or that Chile tried to run their entire economy off of a primitive computer AI system in the seventies, complete with a "Star Trek"-like control room. Although the general gist of the story is universally known due to cultural osmosis, I'll recommend Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi, the lead prosecutor in the Manson case. It's a great examination of just how insane the beliefs of Manson and co. were, and with some weird spooky poo poo that makes it seem like Bugliosi almost believes Manson has supernatural powers. It's also a very interesting read ... but man were the details of the Manson family and the case weird as hell.
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Nov 21, 2013 03:09
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