What Are You Reading

[Harp]

I'm afraid I'd have to disagree with you on that one...

I can hear my Christian Brother lit instructor bray like a Moocow right now!

 

[JazzBaby]

I can hear my Christian Brother lit instructor bray like a Moocow right now!

Joyce is a massive pain in the...head

 

[Harp]

Joyce is a massive pain in the...head

O, Milly Bloom, you are my darling....

James Joyce
Ulysses

 

[Dr Doran]

Does anyone have good recommendations for science fiction/fantasy? I have some major catching up to do.

I don't read much of those genre at this point, but here are, in my lights, the high points of speculative fiction as I remember from when read more of it 20 years ago. Maybe you have read these but I'll write them down anyway. These are not only based on excellent ideas worth thinking about and bearing on the human condition but are also examples of superb prose artistry which is not always common in this genre or many others.

1. H. G. Wells: The Time Machine. Still my favorite of the genre. Besides the social commentary, the long-range look at human civilization and at life, the descriptions are beautiful. The last bits when the protagonist goes into the far far future and the earth has stopped turning are some of the most wistful, sad things I have ever read. The two film versions didn't do much for me, although I liked the first one better.

2. Gene Wolfe: Book of the New Sun. There are five books in the series. The first is called The Shadow of the Torturer. It takes place on Earth millions of years in the future; technology has risen and fallen again and the earth is now in a decadent medieval state. Wolfe is a crypto-Catholic and it shows in exceptionally rich symbolism and philosophical speculation throughout. The writing is extremely fine for this genre. I could write a book about these books off the top of my head. It is all too complicated to explain, but basically a boy raised in the almost-obsolete guild of state torturers (the "Seekers for Truth and Penitence," ha ha) gets involved in high-level politics and intrigue with revolutionaries, aristocrats, and finally with the very top levels of governance. Wolfe was steeped in Thucydides, Xenophon, and Livy and it shows when you read him. This is absolutely top of the line although the fourth book is draggy due to editorial decisions.

3. Ursula LeGuin: The Left Hand of Darkness. A planet in which the humans on it have been engineered in some distant past so that there is only one gender which can act as father or mother. An envoy from a "League of Worlds," the Ekumen, tries to get first one of the planet's nations, a monarchy, then the other, a communist state, to agree to join this league and becomes a pawn in each nation's politics. The book is a deconstruction of gender in general; it's also superbly written. Ironically LeGuin does not adopt the currently popular notion that all observable gender differences in the human species are socially constructed: biology matters here.

4. Harlan Ellison: "I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream." A short story, unlike the other things on this list. The bleakest and most horrifying thing I have read in my life. Four people are kept alive for many, many years by an insane omnipotent omniscient supercomputer who has destroyed the rest of the human race and keeps these four alive only to torture them because it hates humanity. This one will stay with you forever.

5. H. P. Lovecraft: anything really, but the Shadow Out of Innsmouth is my favorite. I cannot describe this stuff -- if you haven't read it, I envy you because you have something hideous but wonderful in front of you. It's alien horror. His writing is purple at times but terribly enjoyable and at least erudite. It's more freakish than Poe.

 

[PADDY]

Bring on the Empty Horses (David Niven)

About life in Hollywood in the 30's and 40's.

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

Does anyone have good recommendations for science fiction/fantasy? I have some major catching up to do.

Have you read George R. R. Martin? He's really the best epic fantasy writer out there at the moment. I thoroughly enjoyed the Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch and now am waiting impatiently for the next in the series. Other fantasy authors to check out might be Steven Erikson though I found the first one very tough going. I hear it picks up!

For SF, China Mieville is very good, as is Neal Asher and others I could probably think of when I've not gone blank!

 

[Orgetorix]

Does anyone have good recommendations for science fiction/fantasy? I have some major catching up to do.

Here are a few that come to mind:

Modern scifi/fantasy:
You must check out Timothy Zahn. Just about anything by him; though he's been getting better and better over the years. He's most famous for his Star Wars novels (which are excellent), but his other stuff is great as well. You might start with The Icarus Hunt.

The His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman is very well written. May be either brilliant or frightening, depending on your religious beliefs, or just entertaining if you aren't religious; but it's worth reading in any case.

Harry Turtledove has become known for his alternative-history fiction, but many of his works touch sci-fi and fantasy as well. I think he's quite a good writer.


Classic scifi/fantasy:
Many of Arthur C. Clarke's books are quite good. I found the Space Odyssey series strange in places, but enjoyable, as is the Rama series.

Frank Herbert's original Dune is excellent. The sequels he wrote get progressively weirder and less appealing to me, but the original is great. The modern spinoffs by Herbert's son and Kevin Anderson are entertaiing, but don't have the stature of the original.

Hard to imagine anyone interested in fantasy hasn't read The Lord Of The Rings, but if you haven't, do so. Maybe the greatest fantasy work ever. Tolkien's other works (The Hobbit, The Silmarillion) are also fantastic.

 

[Jovan]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Here are a few that come to mind:



The His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman is very well written. May be either brilliant or frightening, depending on your religious beliefs, or just entertaining if you aren't religious; but it's worth reading in any case.



Frank Herbert's original Dune is excellent. The sequels he wrote get progressively weirder and less appealing to me, but the original is great. The modern spinoffs by Herbert's son and Kevin Anderson are entertaiing, but don't have the stature of the original.

I second both of these recommendations...for some reason Pullman isn't nearly as well known here as he is in the UK. I read them while I was living there...

 

[Barry]

Graphic Novels, again...

This time it's Pin-Up Vol. 2 by

Pin-Up

ps: Since the comic book is called "pin-up" there might be some racy cartoons on this site.

Barry

 

[Lancealot]

Anything, really. I need to get back into the habit of reading. I think my brain has shrunken over the past few years. I guess in particular any Star Wars EU books that are good I'd consider reading.

Have you read any of the New Jedi Order Star Wars books?

 

[Jovan]

I started reading Vector Prime but got bored with it. Maybe I should try reading through it all.

 

[Lancealot]

I started reading Vector Prime but got bored with it. Maybe I should try reading through it all.

Be ready for a shock.

 

[Rosie]

I am reading Jambalaya : The Natural Woman's Book or Personal Charms and Practical Rituals and Finding Soul on the Path of Orisa.

 

[Jovan]

Be ready for a shock.

You don't think it's already been spoiled for me? That's probably why I don't read it with as much enthusiasm as I do other EU books. It's one of those things, like the end of The Matrix Reloaded, that everyone feels it's okay to discuss openly to the uninitiated.

 

[Lancealot]

You don't think it's already been spoiled for me? That's probably why I don't read it with as much enthusiasm as I do other EU books. It's one of those things, like the end of The Matrix Reloaded, that everyone feels it's okay to discuss openly to the uninitiated.

I hate it got spoiled for you. When I got to it I wanted to throw the book across the room, I just couldn't believe what happened.

I know it drives me crazy when I here about a twist ending that way. You would think people would have more self control.

 

[Orgetorix]

I hate it got spoiled for you. When I got to it I wanted to throw the book across the room, I just couldn't believe what happened.

I know it drives me crazy when I here about a twist ending that way. You would think people would have more self control.

Giving the writers and editors of the NJO series the benefit of the doubt, though, it was arguably a necessary thing to do.

Yes, it's frustrating--and I, too, am sorry it got spoiled for you--but if you stick with the NJO books I think you'll enjoy it.

 

[Lancealot]

Giving the writers and editors of the NJO series the benefit of the doubt, though, it was arguably a necessary thing to do.

Yes, it's frustrating--and I, too, am sorry it got spoiled for you--but if you stick with the NJO books I think you'll enjoy it.

Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the series. I was just so in shock when I read it the first time. I too think it was needed, it showed that the series was more high stakes. You always picked up the next book not knowing what was going to happen or who it was going to happen to.

 

[Harp]

Immortal Poems of the English Language; edited by Oscar Williams.

 

[Dr Doran]

Here are a few that come to mind:
Frank Herbert's original Dune is excellent. The sequels he wrote get progressively weirder and less appealing to me, but the original is great. The modern spinoffs by Herbert's son and Kevin Anderson are entertaiing, but don't have the stature of the original.

Hard to imagine anyone interested in fantasy hasn't read The Lord Of The Rings, but if you haven't, do so. Maybe the greatest fantasy work ever. Tolkien's other works (The Hobbit, The Silmarillion) are also fantastic.

I second the motion on Dune. However, something never clicked for me on The Lord of the Rings. I must be the only person on the planet. It was never my cup of tea. (Is there anyone else who feels this way? If so, speak up! I don't want to be alone.) I think it is because long after Tolkien's death, LotR was taken as inspiration for a game called Dungeons and Dragons and I met, amidst all the real charmers who played it, so many gawkward types in the early- and mid-1980s who absolutely obsessively played it and kept yapping, in front of girls, about their "20th level half-elf fighter/magic-user/thief with gauntlets of invisibility" that I developed an allergy to all Western European fantastical folklore (i.e. wizards, elves, spells, etc.) as well as a thin tolerance for prophecies and "you are the long-awaited destined savior"-type plots.

I realize that this is not at all fair, and it smacks of the person who automatically associated Duke Ellington's sublime music with cartoons and thus could not take it seriously; but there is nothing I can do about it. I guess I am handicapped. So SUE me.