Cloud Atlas has been sitting on my shelves for a couple of years now, waiting to be read. Maybe I should try it soon.
Meanwhile, having finished Asimov, I have been reading A Princess of Landover by Terry Brooks. It has been quite a few years since I read the original Landover books, but I still enjoyed it. I am currently reading Amerika by Kafka.
Cloud Atlas has been sitting on my shelves for a couple of years now, waiting to be read. Maybe I should try it soon.
Meanwhile, having finished Asimov, I have been reading A Princess of Landover by Terry Brooks. It has been quite a few years since I read the original Landover books, but I still enjoyed it. I am currently reading Amerika by Kafka.
My goodness, it has been ages since I've heard someone mention Terry Brooks! I used to be quite the avid reader of his Shannara series.
The Knight of the Word series was pretty well done, and gave the origin story of Shannara.
Interesting story there as well: My grandmother was on the same multi-week guided tour with him (I forget where exactly, I believe it was China). When she returned she asked if I had ever heard of a "Nice fellow named Terry Brooks."
1
Cyndarinused Flamethrower! It was super effective.
edited November 2012
World War Z for the seventh time. Before that was Monster Island, and before that was Day by Day, and Armageddon: Origin to Exile.
Doing my zillionth re-read of the Kushiel series by Jacqueline Carey. I am in love with her way with words, it's just so...beautiful. I love this bastard language we call English.
Anybody have excellent sci-fi recommendations? I'm interested in something contemporary, but I wouldn't mind picking up a classic, either. My all-time favorites are Dune, Red Mars, and Blindsight.
Anybody have excellent sci-fi recommendations? I'm interested in something contemporary, but I wouldn't mind picking up a classic, either. My all-time favorites are Dune, Red Mars, and Blindsight.
Some of my favourites are Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Rama by Arthur C. Clark and The Chrysalids by John Wyndham. All pretty well known sci-fi novels but I thought I'd share just in case you hadn't heard of them.
Edit: Also, I am currently reading Water Witch by Cynthia Felice and Connie Willis.
Anybody have excellent sci-fi recommendations? I'm interested in something contemporary, but I wouldn't mind picking up a classic, either. My all-time favorites are Dune, Red Mars, and Blindsight.
I have a particular fondness for the Barsoom novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs, though truth be told, I've only read the first book, A Princess of Mars.
@Daraius I'd suggest Neuromancer [William Gibson] and Snowcrash [Neal Stephenson]. And if pressed for time you can't go [too] wrong with a short story by Lovecraft [calling him horror is a misnomer if any].
.oO---~---Oo.
"Perfect. Please move quickly to the next post, as the effects of
prolonged exposure to the signature are not part of this test."
Anybody have excellent sci-fi recommendations? I'm interested in something contemporary, but I wouldn't mind picking up a classic, either. My all-time favorites are Dune, Red Mars, and Blindsight.
I haven't read much Sci-Fi but I really enjoyed Asimov, so I would have to recommend him. His Foundation series was excellent and the murder mystery style Sci-Fi of the first three Robot series novels was well done. His short story collections such as iRobot would be a good intro. Aside from some character names and the three laws... the Will Smith film bears no relation. Wikipedia sums it up nicely - "the premise of a robot uprising and of robots acting collectively as a direct threat of humanity appears nowhere in Asimov's writings, and indeed Asimov stated explicitly that his robot stories were written as a direct antithesis to this idea"
@Haqikah Already consumed and thoroughly enjoyed the first two series, but I'll check out The Chrysalids for sure.
@Shikari I'm on board for pretty much anything Mars-related.
@Maellio Neuromancer always seems to pop up when I'm trying to find something excellent to read. I guess it's time to give it a try! I've always been curious about Lovecraft, too. Seems to be pretty important to cultural literacy in general.
@Caffrey I really liked The Foundation set, too. The whole concept of psychohistory was great. I'll be sure to look into the robot novels.
Just finished the first volume of Saga. It has spaceships, robots, bounty hunters, dinosaur penises, magic, ghosts, and furries. Plus the art and story are really cool.
My Kindle arrived last week, so in my down time, I've been learning the art and politics of statecraft from Machiavelli's The Prince. When that turns dry, I read a few pages of Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness or the short story Wool by Hugh Howrey. I'm about halfway through each of them.
I recently read Bosnia: A Short History, continuing now with Kosovo: A Short History. After that I think I am finally going to finish The Dispossessed.
Also, The Conquest of Bread, Everything is Illuminated, Das Kapital (never going to finish that, ever), Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution, Harry Potter (rereading, of course), Lord of the Rings (again, re-reading), Forklædt som Nazist, An Anarchist FAQ (1+2) and Black Flags and Windmills.
Anybody have excellent sci-fi recommendations? I'm interested in something contemporary, but I wouldn't mind picking up a classic, either. My all-time favorites are Dune, Red Mars, and Blindsight.
You should try checking out The Dispossessed at some point, written by Ursula K. Le Guin. It's not that long so it should not take you very long to digest it.
Here are some links to sites hosting the full text for free if you are the kind of person who does not mind reading from a computer screen (personally I prefer paper):
I wonder if anyone else is reading poetry lately. I've been reading Lucifer at the Starlite by Kim Addonizio, as well as Makeshift Instructions for Vigilant Girls by Erika Meitner. Cate Marvin's World's Tallest Disaster is also enjoyable, as is Erica Dawson's Big-Eyed Afraid.
The shining by Stephen King Alice in wonderland: Through the looking-glass from by Lewis Carroll City by Alessandro Baricco aaaand Twenty thousand leagues under the sea by Jules Verne (for the umpteenth time)
I recently read His Dark Materials at the urging of a friend. They were interesting, but to say I was let down by the ending would be an understatement. Talk about a suspenseful build up ending in... nothing exciting.
As the series was his childhood favourite, I've been considering re-reading one of mine (the Dark Is Rising Sequence).
Actually I think that was the point. Obviously the series was heavily anti-organized religion, and Pullman is an outspoken as an atheist. The plot progression was something of the ultimate metaphor for life. But still... panserbjørne.
Someone said I absolutely had to read El Rastro de tu Sangre en la Nieve, so I'm working my way through Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I have the original text and an English translation, (along with the actually bilingual friend who demanded I read this), so it's interesting all around, both the work and the way I'm reading it.
Other than that, I got a new kindle for christmas and have been busy filling it up with lots of great stories that cost <$5. Pretty great. Welcoming recs!
Someone said I absolutely had to read El Rastro de tu Sangre en la Nieve, so I'm working my way through Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I have the original text and an English translation, (along with the actually bilingual friend who demanded I read this), so it's interesting all around, both the work and the way I'm reading it.
As a spanish speaker I can tell you that I am proud of our Latin American literature, but by the Gods I can't handle realism and magic realism. Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and other Russian writers are so hard for me to read, Garcia Marquez is no better.
It's kind of sad, considering that most of the hispanic literature around that is so famous (Isabel Allende, Laura Ezquivel) does not appeal to me.
Anyways.
Currently reading, book 2 of the Circle of Magic series by Tamorah Pierce. My girlfriend convinced me to read it. After I finish that I will finish an abundance of Katherines by John Green (nerdfighters)
I found Garcia Marquez really interesting when I studied some of his works as part of my BA.
Have finished a whole pile of things since last posting, including a novella called 'Everything's Cool' by Justin Carroll which you should read if you like bleak, dystopian mindscrewing. It's not usually my sort of thing but I enjoyed it regardless.
I go back and forth about Foucault. (...sorry) Actually I find it really difficult to read "hard philosophy," and give props to anyone who has the tolerance for it. For me, fiction is a better medium when it comes to hearing truths about the world. I do like the concept of madness as genius, but I know I'd never be able to get through it.
@orti An Abundance of Katherines has been on my maybe-to-read list for a while. Let me know how it goes? I'm slightly depressed to realize that I have apparently aged beyond appreciation of some YA.
@Tacita I couldn't do the Outlander series. Something just didn't click for me there. At first I was excited because I thought maybe I would get something like the Dragon Knight books, only with a female protagonist, but alas. I think writing romantic heroines that aren't irritating has to be one of the hardest things to do. Interesting book club name.
I haven't had time for much recreational reading recently as I'm mostly reading for my degrees these days. Le sigh. The last two literary works I can remember are Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood and Welcome to Everytown by Julian Baggini, which I read in August. While it's difficult to believe that I didn't read anything as a pastime in the autumn, it must be so as I can't remember a single title. What a horrifying thought.
However, I used to read a lot of fantasy at one point, from the obligatory Pratchetts and Gaimans to the likes of Michael Moorcock, whose work I adore. I also like early modern literature as well as classics, of which I own a modest but well-treasured selection.
So. Seeing that I'll have to redeem myself from the bottomless pit of ignorance I find myself in, I'd like to ask for suggestions! On the basis of this thread I'll definitely find myself a copy of the Cloud Atlas.
@orti An Abundance of Katherines has been on my maybe-to-read list for a while. Let me know how it goes? I'm slightly depressed to realize that I have apparently aged beyond appreciation of some YA.
I read Looking for Alaska. It was good and I really ennjoy the way John Green writes.. I just can relate to it, even tho I'm in my mid 20s
Comments
Meanwhile, having finished Asimov, I have been reading A Princess of Landover by Terry Brooks. It has been quite a few years since I read the original Landover books, but I still enjoyed it. I am currently reading Amerika by Kafka.
My goodness, it has been ages since I've heard someone mention Terry Brooks! I used to be quite the avid reader of his Shannara series.
The Knight of the Word series was pretty well done, and gave the origin story of Shannara.
Interesting story there as well: My grandmother was on the same multi-week guided tour with him (I forget where exactly, I believe it was China). When she returned she asked if I had ever heard of a "Nice fellow named Terry Brooks."
Estarra the Eternal says, "Give Shevat the floor please."
Edit: Also, I am currently reading Water Witch by Cynthia Felice and Connie Willis.
I have a particular fondness for the Barsoom novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs, though truth be told, I've only read the first book, A Princess of Mars.
NARF!
I haven't read much Sci-Fi but I really enjoyed Asimov, so I would have to recommend him. His Foundation series was excellent and the murder mystery style Sci-Fi of the first three Robot series novels was well done. His short story collections such as iRobot would be a good intro. Aside from some character names and the three laws... the Will Smith film bears no relation. Wikipedia sums it up nicely - "the premise of a robot uprising and of robots acting collectively as a direct threat of humanity appears nowhere in Asimov's writings, and indeed Asimov stated explicitly that his robot stories were written as a direct antithesis to this idea"
@Shikari I'm on board for pretty much anything Mars-related.
@Maellio Neuromancer always seems to pop up when I'm trying to find something excellent to read. I guess it's time to give it a try! I've always been curious about Lovecraft, too. Seems to be pretty important to cultural literacy in general.
@Caffrey I really liked The Foundation set, too. The whole concept of psychohistory was great. I'll be sure to look into the robot novels.
Thanks all!
Estarra the Eternal says, "Give Shevat the floor please."
Estarra the Eternal says, "Give Shevat the floor please."
Also, The Conquest of Bread, Everything is Illuminated, Das Kapital (never going to finish that, ever), Mutual Aid: A Factor of Evolution, Harry Potter (rereading, of course), Lord of the Rings (again, re-reading), Forklædt som Nazist, An Anarchist FAQ (1+2) and Black Flags and Windmills.
Here is an Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Dispossessed-Ursula-K-Guin/dp/0061054887
Here are some links to sites hosting the full text for free if you are the kind of person who does not mind reading from a computer screen (personally I prefer paper):
http://libcom.org/library/dispossessed-ursula-le-guin
http://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/ursula-k-le-guin-the-dispossessed
The shining by Stephen King
Alice in wonderland: Through the looking-glass from by Lewis Carroll
City by Alessandro Baricco
aaaand Twenty thousand leagues under the sea by Jules Verne (for the umpteenth time)
Someone said I absolutely had to read El Rastro de tu Sangre en la Nieve, so I'm working my way through Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I have the original text and an English translation, (along with the actually bilingual friend who demanded I read this), so it's interesting all around, both the work and the way I'm reading it.
Other than that, I got a new kindle for christmas and have been busy filling it up with lots of great stories that cost <$5. Pretty great. Welcoming recs!
Vive l'apostrophe!
As a spanish speaker I can tell you that I am proud of our Latin American literature, but by the Gods I can't handle realism and magic realism. Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and other Russian writers are so hard for me to read, Garcia Marquez is no better.
It's kind of sad, considering that most of the hispanic literature around that is so famous (Isabel Allende, Laura Ezquivel) does not appeal to me.
Anyways.
Currently reading, book 2 of the Circle of Magic series by Tamorah Pierce. My girlfriend convinced me to read it. After I finish that I will finish an abundance of Katherines by John Green (nerdfighters)
If those names mean anything to you, you'll know I need some hugs.
Not heard of the middle two, but I thought Foucault's Madness and Civilization was quite interesting.
Also, although it was some time ago now, I do remember enjoying reading Jane Eyre.
So, potential hugs, but only for the middle two. :P
@orti An Abundance of Katherines has been on my maybe-to-read list for a while. Let me know how it goes? I'm slightly depressed to realize that I have apparently aged beyond appreciation of some YA.
@Tacita I couldn't do the Outlander series. Something just didn't click for me there. At first I was excited because I thought maybe I would get something like the Dragon Knight books, only with a female protagonist, but alas. I think writing romantic heroines that aren't irritating has to be one of the hardest things to do. Interesting book club name.
Vive l'apostrophe!
However, I used to read a lot of fantasy at one point, from the obligatory Pratchetts and Gaimans to the likes of Michael Moorcock, whose work I adore. I also like early modern literature as well as classics, of which I own a modest but well-treasured selection.
So. Seeing that I'll have to redeem myself from the bottomless pit of ignorance I find myself in, I'd like to ask for suggestions! On the basis of this thread I'll definitely find myself a copy of the Cloud Atlas.