What are you reading?

[Ticklish9's]

Reading...

MN - Flatland was indeed a classic, and I continue to find myself wishing I had any kind of mathematical ability. Alas, much of my early education was entrusted to the government, and so went to waste. 🙂

Slacker - War Against Azalin was a good one, though to my mind no Ravenloft boook can compare to the first, with Jander Sunstar. And I just recently finished the Death Gate Cycle for my second time, once I discovered my neighbor had the entire series (I owned the books once but gave them to my school library, in the hopes that young kids like me would, in the future, actually find well written, imaginative books even the midst of public education).

Strel - Asimov and Heinlein remain kings of Sci Fi, though they are not without some promising challangers, most notably Peter F. Hamilton. I discovered his writing at an airport, since I have the disturbing and financially untenable habit of buying random works of Science Fiction in the hopes of discovering the next Tolkien. It paid of in spades, however, as I found Hamilton's writing to be some of the best I've ever had the opportunity to experience. If he ever becomes as prolific as Asimov, he may well be ranked among such lords of Sci-Fi someday.

I tend towards very hard science fiction most of the time (my grandpa is a nuclear physicist, after all🙂 ) and of course, I enjoy a good work of tickling fiction at times. 🙂

Oops, almost forgot - The H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, and of course, Orwell.

 

[SmileyTkls]

I'm a mystery fan, as well as sci-fi, so I've been reading a lot of Robert B. Parker books, like Family Honor and Small Vices (a Spenser for Hire book, and The Genesis Wave (Star Trek). I'm also hoping to read some of the alternate history books around, about how things might've been in the world. I'd like to think there are always...possibilites. ;-)

Smiley

 

[qjakal]

Good Thread...

Nice idea...picking up some suggestions of where to wander next. I tend to reread rather than be disappointed continually by inferior authors. I'll add a few of the highly mentioned books to my list, and i hope some others will do the same...especially my poor forgotten ee doc Smith. thanx guys! Q

 

[CurtWild]

foxtrot....calvin and hobbes.as far as real books,anything by
stephen king.....my favorite book is the catcher in the rye

 

[quinn65]

Just finished Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" as a re-read after many years (even better the 2nd time) and am following it up with another re-read of the sequel "Lila."

Here's another vote for Orson Scott Card. I'm also a big fan of John Irving, Pat Conroy, Stephen King, and Greg Iles.

 

[Strelnikov]

Biscuit

I agree about Scott Card. Have you ever met him? Ever hear his act, "The Secular Humanist Revival"? He's an interesting guy.

Strelnikov

 

[tkrexx]

Sterling A. Lanier wrote a book years ago that I still hold dearly to my heart and mind...a book the RPG game AD&D was partially based on. "HIERO'S JOURNEY." Also a book titled "ATON," tho I can't for the life of me recall the author. Michael Moorcock is also a favorite, but not only in the author sense, but in the musical sense. He is a member of the UK band "Hawkwind," and if any of you have kids, "Mockingbird" is one song that will haunt you for life. Mr. Moorcock, by the way, is an official Druid. Of all authors, Louis L'amour wrote an historically accurate book about a descendant of the Druids in his masterpiece "The Walking Drum."...and you thought he only wrote westerns.

Rxx

 

[darkfeather666]

current reading

just reading a biography on John Keats; my favourite english romantic poet.😀
Next up I've gotta a load of chinese poetry now that I'm living in China for a year.
As an addenda, hello to whoever is reading this. I'm fresh fish 😉
Good to meetcha 🙂

 

[Strelnikov]

Welcome...

...to our house, darkfeather666. Make yourself at home - beer's in the fridge. Always happy to see another Australian here.

Strelnikov

 

[Shem the Penman]

Another Moorcock fan, cool...

Just wanted to mention that Sterling Lanier also did a sequel to Hiero's Journey -- titled The Unforsaken Hiero. Though I believe the game based on those books was Gamma World, an early "post-holocaust" RPG. And if you like those books, you'll probably also enjoy Paul O. Williams's Pelbar books -- The Breaking of Northwall et al.

As for Aton -- a quick search on abebooks.com turns up a book by that name written by Irving Greenfield. Never heard of him, though. Abebooks.com is a great resource for finding used and out of print books, incidentally -- much better than Amazon, I've found.

 

[tkrexx]

Shem...Thanx for the info concerning "The Unforsaken Hiero." I had no idea there was a sequel. Now I shall not rest 'til I own it.

BTW, in the credits of the original AD&D DM's guide, credit is given to "Hiero's Journey" for the indepth explanation of the use of psionics. I remember Gamma World, but never played it.

Thx also for the info on "Aton." It's a cool blend of fact and speculation concerning the first transitions from stone-age to metal-age, and the consequences on the lives of the cro-magnons living at the time. The coolest part was that there was no mention of geography, or race...It literally could have happened anywhere.

Rxx

 

[Strelnikov]

Biscuit...

Sorry for the delay in responding - work has been interfering with my online time lately.

Re. Scott Card, I've crossed paths with him at several Science Fiction Conventions. That's where I heard the "Secular Humanist Revival" - it was a program event that he did. Organizers even handed out little hand fans with funeral home adverts on them, like country churches used to have before Air Conditioning. As I recall, he came up with the act about the same time as Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Bakker crashed and burned.

Strelnikov

 

[qjakal]

Actually, the only things I've read lately are these strange books they have to help toilet train your kid....lol

 

[Strelnikov]

Including a nifty little number called "Everybody Poops"...which should have been a scratch=and-sniff book.

Strelnikov

 

[dvnc]

What am I reading? King's followup to It, "Dreamcatcher". I agree wit' Ayla, too, that it's mind candy. Delicious, though. I've another of his to read, the one cowritten wit' Straub, and a stack of books to catch up with. I read slower than before, it seems. The pile has a wide array of writers and topics, varying from such candy as these, to philosophical topics, to computer-related stuff, and a mind-wise read or two.

My favorite? The Fellowship of the Ring, by JRR Tolkein. Been my fav since I was a boy. Read it 7 times as a kid. I like a wide variety of reading, but that's still the one I like best. As many could easily guess, I love a group best.

More change donated,

dvnc

 

[Ayla ny]

dvnc, Dreamcatcher was a great read! he almost lost me when he switched tracks in the middle of the book but I was so glad I hung in there. the idea of all of the boxes being memories... wow! love the way that man's mind works. he makes his characters so real. I am always sad to see them go when the book ends (altho they do have a way of popping up in other books lol). can't wait to read Black House.

 

[dvnc]

Agreed. His characterizations are wonderful, and he's bold enough to allow some really cool folk to pass away. Tires me to read authors that can't conceive of seeing a good character die. Good people DO die, after all. *sigh*

The memory metaphors were particularly interesting. Only other author that comes to mind for such great metaphors is Thomas Harris, in Hannibal. Detested how Starling was played in that book, but dug his metaphoristic use of Hannibal's memory, and how that madman perceived it.

Black House is next for me, too. Too bad you're on that coast. I'd invite ya over t'slack at my place and read. Somehow, I always dig that. My roomie and I have taken t'slackin' about, readin' in the livin' room. Then again, at my place, it gets rather cold, even by real standards (from the Sierras and farther east), and we have t'stoke up the wood stove. Mmm. I'm actually lookin' forward to months of that.

Where are the women like you, into good reads and tickling? *sigh* I'm just glad to know you exist, darlin'. Hope for the future, y'know? I'll be thinkin' o' ya now, when I read those books. 😉

dvnc

 

[Shem the Penman]

I wasn't crazy about Ender's Shadow, though I'm not sure why -- perhaps the way it made Ender seemingly irrelevant in his own story. Shadow of the Hegemon hit me more favorably, though -- it filled in a part of Card's future history that I'd always been curious about.

 

[Ayla ny]

I plan on digging out my copy of The Talisman and rereading it (again lol) before I get to Black House. so much happens in that book and it's been years! if he ever gets back to the Dark Tower series I am going to have a ton of reading to do!

I didn't know that The Silence of the Lambs was originally a book. I'm going to have to look for that. it was such a good movie (shiver) and the book is ALWAYS better!

winter is made for a fire, a descent wine, a good book and a blanky! lol 🙂

 

[hawkikim]

Reading, a lost art

It gratifies me no end to see this kind of thread. I hang around people every day who don't read much at all. Reading is one of the most wonderful ways to escape the ordinary day-to-day stuff!!

I read a lot, but there have been a few authors and books that have really affected me. I read a lot of new stuff, but I also re-read the ones that really got to me. A couple of examples:

ISHMAEL by Daniel Quinn. While some of what he espouses is a little odd, it DID make me look at how I live in this world in a different way.

THE VISION, by Tom Brown Jr. He's an outdoorsman, tracker & has helped the FBI on occasion to track down bad guys. They just filmed a movie based on one of his cases, with Tommy Lee Jones & Benecio Del Toro (they called it "The Hunted", or "The Hunter" I believe). The Vision is about his quest for spiritual guidance, and his involvment with Native American philosophies.

Then,there are some authors who I'll read just because it's by them:

Anything by Thomas Harris. Red Dragon....Silence of the Lambs...what a thrilling pair of books.

Stephen King, for the reasons a lot of you have already mentioned.

Mari Sandoz, I'm a sucker for tales of the Old West, told by folks who actually were there.

OK, I've rambled enough. Time to fire up the woodstove & finish the next chapter of "Cold Mountain". Shall we discuss movies next???

Kim 😉

 

[Strelnikov]

A Canticle For Leibowitz

Author was Walter H. Miller, Jr.

Strelnikov

 

[dvnc]

Bad Biscuit! Bad! 😉 I'm just wonderin' what's gonna happen when you, Ayla and evilqueen are ever in the same room. I like ya, man, but you're on yer own, then. Y'can't fight back, either, 'cause I'm growin' sweet on Ayla. shh. Don't tell anyone.

dvnc
who has an annoyin' uncle named Art, oddly enough

 

[dvnc]

Aw, c'mon, Biscuit. I won't let 'em break anything on ya. Surely a tickling or two wouldn't kill ya?

Regardless, brother, I do look forward to eventually meetin' ya. I can picture the conversation whirlin' at wild speeds. 😉

dvnc

 

[dvnc]

yeah, some book about biker queens kicking biscuits
and Ayla painting wine wi' some guy named Grigio...

No, wait, that's not it.

One day, I hope to read a book about us. Hope it's cheerful, too.

dvnc

 

[Flatfoot]

In some of my other posts, many would be able to determine that I am obviously a DRAGONLANCE fan. I just finished reading Dragons of a Fallen Sun and Dragons of a Lost Star, and I'm eagerly awaiting Dragons of a Vanished Moon, with as much patience as possible (Which isn't much.). Thank goodness Weis and Hickman saved the Fifth Age from the crap it had turned into.

As far as literature, I like negative-futuristic-utopian literature (ie. Brave New World, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, etc.), as well as The Divine Comedy.