Hard Light Productions Forums
Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: kasperl on October 30, 2005, 12:04:36 pm
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Ok, I'll be going to Oxford next week, and I will be raiding bookstores. Does anyone have any suggestions for English language books? Science fiction, detectives, and historical stuff are good, but any book that comes with special recommendations can be on the list.
I'm already looking for
- Discworld (Terry Pratchett), anything but part 1
- Anything by Asimov, except for I, Robot
- The latest Falco (Lindsey Davis)
- Dune Messiah (Frank Herbert)
- Honorverse books (David Weber)
- Anything from Orwell, except for 1984.
- Starship Troopers (Robert Heinlein)
- Neuromancer (William Gibson)
- Necromancer (Gordon R. Dickson)
- A Game of Thrones (George R. R. Martin)
- Hitchikers guide to Galaxy [and other books by same author] (Douglas Adams)
- Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)
- Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion (Dan Simmons)
- Inspector John Rebus series (First book: Knots and Crosses) (Ian Rankin)
- Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (Arthur C. Clarke)
- Lord of the Flies (William G. Golding)
- War of the Worlds (H.G.Wells)
(The red is stuff recommended by others, so I can always use more comments on those books.)
I already have:
- Discworld, The colour of Magic (Pratchett)
- I, Robot (Asimov)
- The entire Falco series, but the last one (Davis)
- Dune (Herbert)
- 1984 (Orwell)
I do not like:
- Anything by Arundathi Roy
- Anything with an overtone of idealism, that uses too many adverbs and adjectives. (See comment on Roy)
If you know a good series, I would love to know the first title, the thinnest title (weight, we're flying), and the best title according to your taste.
If anyone has any special requests, I can look out for certain titles, and either hand them over in London next year, or someone can send me a self-adressed envelope with postage money or something like that.
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The books are hardly thin, but I can never see a thread like this without recommending George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. Exceptionally good fantasy series that's high on realism and light on the "fantasy" parts, at least at first. It can be gritty and gruesome at times, but I absolutely love it. First volume is "A Game of Thrones."
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I recommend: X-Wing series by Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, and the Hitchhiker books by Douglas Adams.
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Originally posted by redsniper
I recommend: X-Wing series by Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, and the Hitchhiker books by Douglas Adams.
How could I forget HHG2G....
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The Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card. The last two books aren't that great, but the first two, especially the first, are amazing. The "Shadow" series, also of the same universe, and also by him, are also quite good.
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As further responses: I don't mind gritty and grim, those can be good points, actually. I'll definetily keep an eye out for those. Ender's Game looks like one of those books you just have to have read, and the HHG2G is something I've been meaning to read for a year or so.
I'm not too much of a Star Wars fan, though.
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The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons. There are four books in the series, the first one is Hyperion.
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FP: That seems a good thing to read, too. Added to the list (tm)
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Detective; anything in the Rebus series by Ian Rankin.
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Originally posted by aldo_14
Detective; anything in the Rebus series by Ian Rankin.
Is it a good thing to start with the first book, or isn't that necesary/usefull?
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Originally posted by kasperl
How could I forget HHG2G....
I would also recommend the Dirk Gently books: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul. They're Douglas Adams through and through.
Aside from that...uh, I don't suppose you're into graphic novels and such?
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Rictor: Not really, no.
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Brave New World is good. It's really ****ed up, but it's a great story.
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Originally posted by kasperl
Is it a good thing to start with the first book, or isn't that necesary/usefull?
Nah, not really.
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If you like stuff without adjectives and adverbs, then try Hemingway.
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Yes but I don't think he included existentialist modernism in his list of genres.
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If you've read The God of Small Things from Roy, you know what I mean with 'too many'.
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King Leopold's Ghost. It's historical, but it's entertaining, if not a little angerring at some points.
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http://www.ccel.org/c/chesterton/thursday/thursday.html
Anyone remember all those excerpts in Deus Ex? It turns out that this is actually a real book and a very good one at that. I'm reading it now.
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I thought Deus Ex = Foucalt's Pendulum.
That's what the word on the...y'know, street is.
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Hey, if you like Heinlein, I strongly recommend 'Stranger in a Strange Land' (it's quite different from Starship Troopers however).
For historical books that are fairly 'modern' try some war novels by Alistar Maclean.
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I'm obliged to pimp Lord of the Rings, if you haven't already read it (start with The Hobbit for good measure). If you've just seen the movies, then you really owe it to yourself to read the original.
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I recommend anything Philip K. Dick. - Minority Report for example.
Most of his works are novellas - though he wrote a fair share of full fledged books too.
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I hope you realize just what you're getting yourself into with Discworld, as there are currently about 28 books in the series.
Anyhow, some authors to check out (won't bother listing all the books)
Alistair Reynolds
Richard Morgan
Vernor Vinge
Charles Stross
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I have to agree wiht Mongoose
on his post.
If you allready read LOTR then I reccomend Silmarilion.
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I don't recommend the Silmarillion. Christopher Tolkien is a horrible, horrible writer.
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uhm, hate to break it to you, but The Silmarillion was written exclusively by J.R.R Tolkien. He just never got around to publishing it, so Christopher Tolkien took all of the material and polished it up into a releaseable version. At best, he did the job of an editor, which every writer has anyway.
With that said, it's not for everyone. Lengthwise it's maybe 1/10 of the LOTR books, but has ten times as much "stuff" (plot, characters, events and so on.) It's also far more epic. Some like it better, some like it worse.
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The Silmarillion saves the Lord of the Rings form being merely good fantasy and elevates it to the heights of literary genius. Without the Silmarillion, LotR is just another fairy tale. With the Silmarillion, LotR is a convincing, well explored, and extremely carefully built world. As for the writing in the Silmarillion... well, I suggest LISTENING to it, rather than reading it. On paper its flow is excellent, but read aloud it is lyrical and enchanting.
Oh, and anything by Greg Bear, Gregory Benford, and David Brin,
Now, Alistair Reynolds. Read his stuff. And read Robert Reed's stuff too. And Iain Banks' stuff. Its all the same stuff told in different ways (at least in my opinion).
Also A Song of Ice and Fire as already mentioned is probably the nearest thing you'll find to the utter completeness and solidity of the Lord of the Rings. You've been warned that they're brutal, but I don't think that's warning enough. Do not become attached to anyone. Martin is a murderous bastard.
Oh and anything by the Killer Bs: David Brin, Gregory Benford and Greg Bear.
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Arthur C Clarke's and Stephen Braxton's Time's Eye is pretty good.
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HHGTTG!
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Xenocide?
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Detective stuff, I would recommend anything by Dick Francis.
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Teaching kids to read makes the terrorists win.
Because when you open a young mind to reading, everybody wins.
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If your are looking for a good Fanatasy series, The Runelords by David Farland is amazing.
As for science fiction, Patriarch's Hope by David Feintuch is a good, realistic science fiction.
Joe Haldeman writes some pretty interesting stuff too.
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Originally posted by Rictor
uhm, hate to break it to you, but The Silmarillion was written exclusively by J.R.R Tolkien. He just never got around to publishing it, so Christopher Tolkien took all of the material and polished it up into a releaseable version. At best, he did the job of an editor, which every writer has anyway.
With that said, it's not for everyone. Lengthwise it's maybe 1/10 of the LOTR books, but has ten times as much "stuff" (plot, characters, events and so on.) It's also far more epic. Some like it better, some like it worse.
He compiled it from his father's notes, which were not in publishable form, and he did a rather horrible job at it.
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Originally posted by mikhael
Also A Song of Ice and Fire as already mentioned is probably the nearest thing you'll find to the utter completeness and solidity of the Lord of the Rings. You've been warned that they're brutal, but I don't think that's warning enough. Do not become attached to anyone. Martin is a murderous bastard.
Indeed. Martin is the Tomino (read=creator of Mobile Suit Gundam) of fantasy. I have a love/hate thing going on with that. Mostly love. While it pains me to see some of my favorite characters bite the dust, it so reinforces the simple fact that no one is garunteed to live. There is no "plot armor" in this series, or at least, it's done in a realistic way.
But I swear to god, if he kills Tyrion Lannister there will be BLOOD in the streets!
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Originally posted by mikhael
Oh, and anything by Greg Bear...
Seconded. Also, anything by Timothy Zahn; although he's written the best SW books, he has far more general sci-fi books under his hat. In particular, the Conqueror series, the Cobra series, Warhorse, Manta's Gift, Angelmass, and Triplet stood out.
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Lord of the Flies? I hated the book. I hate to read it in one of my english classes in high school.
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Originally posted by Grey Wolf
He compiled it from his father's notes, which were not in publishable form, and he did a rather horrible job at it.
He did a decent job. You may not like it becouse of it's more historical stlye compared to LOTR but that was how it was concived.
That said, while there can be claims that he coukd have done a better job (putting some more recent notes, or the forging of hte rings, meeting of Galadriel and Ceremnbior, etc... - there's a LOT of stuff that still isn't published), given the fact that tolkien had thousands of notes and texts scattered around on small pieces of paper, getting it all togeter is a BIG piece of work...
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Thus spoke the prophecy of Mandos, which he declared in Valmar at the judgment of the Gods, and the rumour of it was whispered among all the Elves of the West: when the world is old and the Powers grow weary, then Morgoth shall come back through the Door out of the Timeless Night; and he shall destroy the Sun and the Moon, but Eärendel shall come upon him as a white flame and drive him from the airs. Then shall the last battle be gathered on the fields of Valinor. In that day Tulkas shall strive with Melko, and on his right shall stand Fionwë and on his left Túrin Turambar, son of Húrin, Conqueror of Fate; and it shall be the black sword of Túrin that deals unto Melko his death and final end; and so shall the Children of Húrin and all men be avenged.
Thereafter shall the Silmarils be recovered out of sea and earth and air; for Earendil shall descend and yield up that flame that he hath had in keeping. Then Fëanor shall bear the Three and yield their fire to rekindle the Two Trees, and a great light shall come forth; and the Mountains of Valinor shall be levelled, so that the light goes out over all the world. In that light the Gods will again grow young, and the Elves awake and all their dead arise, and the purpose of Ilúvatar be fulfilled concerning them. But of Men in that day the prophecy speaks not, save of Túrin only, and him it names among the Gods.
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Sie quete apaken Mandosto i eques Valmaresse námanen Valaron, ar navillor so lussane nar imíka ilye Eldar Númeno: íre Ambar yeryuva ar Valar lumbe nauvar, Moringotto ter' i Ando atatúluva i Lúmelóra Morniello, ar Anar Isilye askatuva, mal Earendil eryenna úrwea ninque tuluva ar niruvas i fanyarello. San Mahtale Métima hostuva i palúrissen Valinóro. Enyáre Tulkas ohtuva Melkon, ar sen foryasse euva Eonwe, ar hyaryasse Túrin Turambar, yondo Húrino, Apaityamo Umbarto, ar erye nauva morímakil Túrinwa ya tulyuva Moringotto qualmenn' ar métima mettanna, ar sie híni Húrino ar ilye atani atakarne nauvar.
Silmarilli nantaluvar airello, kemello, ar menello; an Earendil untuluva ar i náre ya tirne auantuva. San Feanáro pantuva i Nelde ar lavuva urunta entintien i Aldu, ar altakále kaluva, ar i oronti Valinóro láratuva, sie i kále pole palu ilya Ambarello. Kalmanen tana Valar envinyante nauvar, quendi koivuvar, ar ilye hessantar amortuvar, ar i selma Ilúvataro tien nauva telyaina. Mal atánion auresse tan' apaken ume quete, hequa Túrin, ar erye as Valar esta.
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I'm going to third Alastair Reynolds.
The first one of his is Revelation Space - although IMO his first two books aren't much good (though that's probably because I don't like hard SF, not necessarily because they're bad). Diamond Dogs is a short story, and easily one of his best works - on the other hand his best full length novel in my opinion is Redemption Ark.
If you like detective stuff though, you might want to read Century Rain of his - kind of a crime noir sci fi thingy.
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Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
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I already read LOTR, in Dutch though. Can't be arsed reading it again until I have more time.
I will be getting anything from Pratchett I can lay a hand on.
I will do more research on the other authors, and complete the list tommorow. Thanks for all the suggestions.