Posts: 97
Threads: 1
Joined: Mar 2003
I suppose this is very off topic, but I figured that people who like Diablo might have similar tastes when it comes to reading material. Anyway, two books I've read recently that I really recommend to just about anybody who enjoys reading are:
Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood (she of The Handmaid's Tale fame). She's got some really interesting ideas about Genetic Engineering run amok in the near future, but there's a lot more to it than that. This is one of those books that make me really want to join a book club in order to have someone to ponder over it with.
Jennifer Government, by Max Barry. Another dystopian near-future (I seem to be reading a lot of these lately), but this one describes a world overrun by Marketing as opposed to Science.
The odd thing about both these novels is that in today's world of instant information dissemination, both books seem a little dated even though they were just published this month. It's as if culture is changing faster than is possible to document, and some day books will be entirely replaced by blogs (or whatever the natural progression is). Hmm, I can imagine a future where everyone produces content with no one to consume it.
Oh, and if you're into fantasy, you've got to pick up Philip Pullman's His Dark Material's trilogy. It isn't exactly recent, but it's timeless (hmmm) and absolutely necessary as a balance to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
So, what's on your nightstands?
Posts: 512
Threads: 27
Joined: Feb 2003
05-17-2003, 07:48 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-17-2003, 07:51 AM by Thecla.)
Tsk tsk Isolde, aren't you supposed to be too busy coding to have any time to read, not to mention starting a hory old ot thread on good books? Well, you should be.
For (perhaps not so well known) fantasy novels, I'd recommend Barry Hughart's books on ancient China ("Bridge of Birds", "The Story of the Stone", and "Eight Skilled Gentlemen"), with Number Ten Ox playing Watson to Master Li's Holmes, as they track down assorted godesses and demons. And in a completely different direction, I just enjoyed reading Nick Hornby's very funny and true to life novel "High Fidelity".
[Edited to correct spelling.]
Posts: 97
Threads: 1
Joined: Mar 2003
05-17-2003, 09:43 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-17-2003, 09:44 AM by Isolde.)
No, I really shouldn't be coding right now (at least not for D2, though I do have other projects but they aren't time critical atm). It would be bad to be adding code at this point... actually, I pretty much stopped coding (D2) at least two months ago, and no major code (anything longer than a couple of lines) has gone in since December.
Number 10 Ox sounds really really familiar, but I don't remember reading the book. Anyway, I just ordered "Bridge of Birds" and look forward to reading it :)
Speaking of mystery novels set in China (albeit modern China in this case), "Death of a Red Heroine" by Qui Xialong is great.
Posts: 109
Threads: 25
Joined: May 2003
I don't really read that much but I think im going to try 1 or 2 books out of the diablo range. Has anyone actualy read any of these books ?
Posts: 35
Threads: 4
Joined: Apr 2003
Right now, I'm reading "All the names" (direct translation of the swedish title) by Jose Saramago. I've also read "The Blindness" and "The year Richardo Reis dies" by him, and all I can say is that this guy is a worthy awardee of the Nobel Price.
Ben Elton is a favourite, too.
As for fantasy. I enjoyed the first three books about Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson.
Posts: 953
Threads: 75
Joined: Feb 2003
I'm currently reading Sara Douglass' "The Wayfarer Redemption". It's the first of a series of 6 books. I'm pretty impressed with it so far. I've also read Terry Goodkind's books lately, and found them worth the read.
~Not all who wander are lost...~
Posts: 742
Threads: 21
Joined: Feb 2003
Hail Mirajj,
Er... Wayfarer Redemption is a trillogy (I own all her books - she's my favourite author). I hope you have not thought the Axis Trillogy is a part of the Wayfarer Redemption Trillogy, as it comes some time *before* the events of the latter; reading them out of order would ruin the Axis Trillogy.
I would strongly recommend checking out The Crucible if you like her writing though: as much as I enjoyed Axis, this trillogy is FAR better. Her stand-alone tales are also quite enjoyable :D
May the wind pick up your heels and your sword strike true.
Posts: 953
Threads: 75
Joined: Feb 2003
...my experience with Douglass is limited to the Redemption book. The friend who suggested I check it out told me that there were six books in the series. He may have been misinformed, or counted all 6 as one series (he's a nice fellow, but a tad slow at times, ;) )
Thanks for the heads up, though. I'm interested in Douglass' work so far.
~Not all who wander are lost...~
Posts: 5,138
Threads: 299
Joined: Feb 2003
I think it might be some genetic issue with me, but everytime I see a book thread I have to plug Tad William's. He has an excellent epic fantasy trilogy (a trilogy only because he said it was going to be a trilogy), that he refers to a Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. The books are The Dragonbone Chair, Stone of Farewell, and To Green Angel Tower. They are excellent epic fantasy. In someways I like them better than Tolkien.
His latest series is Otherland, a four book set consisting of The City of Golden Shadow, River of Blue Flame, Mountain of Black Glass, and Sea of Silver Light. It has been over a year since I read any of them, and I can still picture the characters and anticipate how they would react in a given situation, they were that well defined. It is some very excellent science fiction (this is why I can actually call him my favorite author, he has written two of my favorite series in my two favorite categories.
He is getting into some interesting digital works as well, pioneering some new horizons for writing that a lot of traditional authors might not be equiped to venture on right now, but looks to be a glimpse of where things might be heading with human storytelling. He is well worth any reader checking out.
---
It's all just zeroes and ones and duct tape in the end.
Posts: 426
Threads: 26
Joined: Feb 2003
Ender's Game,
Ender's Shadow,
Speaker for the Dead,
Xenocide,
and the other ones (even though I haven't read them) in that series by Orson Scott Card.
Absolutely GREAT! I've read Ender's Game 3-4 times now, in less than...6-7 months. Great book, just had to keep coming back to it.
Also, the Shannara books. You know, the Sword of Shannara, and.... Oh darn it, morning memory lapse.
ummm.....
David Eddings writes some okay books, and.... Aw, I give up. No use trying to remember like this.
I'll probably post again later.
Posts: 73
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2003
Some authors and books I want to plug:
Fantasy:
"The Years of Rice and Salt" by Kim Stanley Robinson, set in a world where the plague extinguished the European countries. It follows the lifes of a group of people through the time in their various reincarnations in short stories.
"The Malazan Book of the Fallen" by Steven Erikson. Quite unknown in the US, because it is only availiable through Canada there, but hughely popular everywhere else. A ten-book-series. Set in a high-fantasy world full of war between mortals and gods. Lots of magic and lots of history. Very well written and epic in scope.
"A Song of Ice and Fire" by George RR Martin. Probably the best Fantasy author today. His stories come alive through their characters, who are a lot deeper than what you usually get. A book full of politics and intrigue set in a Medival, low-magic, low-fantasy world.
"The Monarchies of God" by Paul Kearny. Also Fantasy, also great stuff. The setting is europesque Renaissance. 4 books, finished series.
"The War of the Flowers" by Tad Williams. A modern fairy tale, where the fairy world has evolved into our time. Quite dark setting, with a fairy world resembling ours a lot with war, politics, intrigue and back-dealing/back-stabbing.
"Discworld" by Terry Pratchett. Hard to imagine that there are people not knowing the Discworld. Great fun, great ideas and very intelligent writing and very philosophical at times. If you are down, there is nothing better than to flee to the Discworld for a few hours. 28 books and counting.
"Sandman", "Neverwhere", "Stardust", "American Gods", "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman. Dark Fantasy/Horror, with Sandman his best work (Comic). Great ideas and good writing.
"Sarantium", "Lions of Al-Rasan", "Fionvar Tapisery" by Guy Gavriel Kay. Very poetic stuff set in a world resembling our Medival world (Sarantium is Byzanz, Al-Rasan is set in Spain during the Reconquista).
Science-Fiction:
"Snow Crash", "Diamond Age", "Cryptominicon" and some others by Neal Stephenson. Not-too-hard-SF with great ideas.
"CULTURE" by Ian (M) Banks, an epic space opera where mankind in only some small unimportant live form under billions.
Real-world-stuff:
"1688" by John E. Wills. Small snippets of the world in the year 1688.
"Aubrey/Maturin"-series by Patrick O'Brian. Set during the Napoleonic war it tells the live of Captain Jack Aubrey, Royal Navy and Stephen Maturin. Sea-faring-novels, but with characters and historical accuracy of a Jane Austen novel. The books have a certain positive style, which makes them such a fun to read.
I have now two weeks of holidays and 70 books to read... ;)
Posts: 29
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2003
Hi,
Quote:"CULTURE" by Ian (M) Banks, an epic space opera where mankind in only some small unimportant live form under billions.
since I am a great fan of Iain (M.) Banks' books I am wondering if there is a new Banks book called "Culture" or if you just were talking about his novels dealing with "The Culture".
Most of his books are a great read for being both - very entertaining and intellectually stimulating. On his level this is quite a rare combination...
Bye,
ergates
Posts: 512
Threads: 27
Joined: Feb 2003
Quote:Speaking of mystery novels set in China (albeit modern China in this case), "Death of a Red Heroine" by Qui Xialong is great.
Yup, I enjoyed that book a lot too -- very interesting (and, I think, pretty accurate) background on the massive changes going on in China recently (though who knows what the SARS disaster will bring...)
For mysteries, if you haven't read them, I also really recommend Michael Dibdin's Aurelio Zen series ("Ratking" etc); almost like Raymond Chandler, but with a convincingly corrupt Italian setting instead of LA.
p.s. I was just pulling your leg about the coding.;)
Posts: 472
Threads: 12
Joined: Feb 2003
Wow, what a surprise, nearly all the authors mentioned in this thread have a place on my bookshelf. Guess gamers might think a little alike...
A few not mentioned:
Glen Cook: His fantasy novels are full of well thought out uses of magic. He also has a great fantasy detective series, Garret PI. It includes alot of humor, as well as both fantasy elements and more standard mystery fare.
David Gemmel: He writes mainly Heroic Fantasy, and his style is superb. He is skillful in drawing you into the world of the heroes, as if you were there among these 'larger than life' people.
Posts: 742
Threads: 21
Joined: Feb 2003
Hail Mirajj,
As I said, The Wayfarer Redemption is a Trillogy (Redemption is a book by Leon Uris by the way :P), not a book: check the actual title ;) The Axis Trillogy is Battleaxe, Enchanter and Starman; the Wayfarer Redemption Trillogy is Sinner, Pilgrim and Crusader.
May the wind pick up your heels and your sword strike true.
Posts: 957
Threads: 21
Joined: Feb 2003
The only book I've read in the last 6 months that I would recommend to Lurkers is:
"The Origins of Order, self organisation and selection in evolution", Stuart A Kuaffman (Oxford University Press 1993)
I wish I had read this book while I was still at secondary school, I think my life would have been different... I am now thinking of doing mathematical biology after the finance degree.
Brief overview: Evolution as taught in schools and universities does not work, too many unlikely events (powers of mutation over-emphasized etc.). And it explains an alternative/expanded version that has fewer problems. Covers evolution at different scales(first life, cellular level, system level)
Posts: 32
Threads: 2
Joined: Feb 2003
Well, as of late I've been digging into tons of Roger Zelazny novels, as well as a good amount of Robert Anton Wilson. The Chronicles of Amber snagged me on Zelazny, and I've been addicted since. As for R.A.W., I don't think I've ever read so much strangeness in my life. :P
Posts: 5,138
Threads: 299
Joined: Feb 2003
If you haven't finished the Amber series yet, I will warn you that you might be a little saddened by the fact that he died before he finished the story.
---
It's all just zeroes and ones and duct tape in the end.
Posts: 993
Threads: 79
Joined: Feb 2003
05-18-2003, 02:29 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-18-2003, 02:30 AM by WarLocke.)
Posts: 2,304
Threads: 266
Joined: Feb 2003
05-18-2003, 04:59 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-18-2003, 05:07 AM by swirly.)
To Elric and anyone else talking about the assorted Sara Douglass Novels
I think the confusion here stims from the way the novels are being released. You see Sara Douglass is an Australian writer and has already released all 6 books there and maybe other places as well. I can only assume that they are released there in the format that Elric said. Here in the states only "The Wayfarer Redemption", "Enchanter" and "Starman" have been released in softback and probably only one of the others in hardback. They are also being released differently apparently since we have a book called "The Wayfarer Redemption". Also "Enchanter" says on the cover "Book Two of The Wayfarer Redemption" and "Starman" says "Book Three of The Wayfarer Redemption". I have the books sitting in front of me as I type this just so I am sure of these things.
So I'm guessing that originally they were published as 2 seperate trilogies and then are now being republished here in the states as one series. As to which is the correct format I really can't say. I've known some authors have published novels initially in a format that they didn't prefer just cause it is how their publisher wanted to do it. A sample of this would be Dennis L. McKiernan's "The Iron Tower" (which btw is the author/novel I would recommend). Initially it was published as three seperate (rather thin in my opinion) books. A couple of years ago he was able to republish it as he always wanted it published in a one book format. My point with this is that I do not know if Sara Douglass originally wanted two trilogies and then now the publishers are changing things on her, or if the publishers changed things initially and then now she is able to publish it as she wishes it to be. Of course its entirely possible there is even another reason for the differences. I just don't know. : ) She does apparently have a website though which may have some information about this. I haven't looked yet myself. but the address as stated in the novels is: www.saradouglass.com
edit: The website says that " In the USA The Axis Trilogy and The Wayfarer Redemption will be published by Tor as one series, The Wayfarer Redemption, encompassing all six books." So it would seem that it was a choice made by the publisher, though I would hope that they got her blessing first. : )
|
