I used to read the Forgotten Realms novels, but damn, that feels like a lifetime ago.
If you ever read the Avatar trilogy you can watch as Cyric, before he ascended/descended (in)to godhood and the mantle ofgod of murder, is slowly destroyed piece by piece, or you could argue that what he became in the end merely mirrored his own subconscious all along (which I don’t buy for a second - he was clearly the product of his environment).
When heroes fall. I’m just addicted to the whole theme, because there are so few heroes in life, and here it’s so easy to see why.
Lord of the Rings – I’d recommend this trilogy to anyone with an interest in medieval fantasy. You just need to bear in mind what the ring actually represents in the author’s mind. To Tolkien, the ring represented “the machine” and it’s not hard to see why nothing can resist the power it offers.
“It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing”.
But I have to ask you guys who are into sci-fi why you’d prefer to read it and not watch it instead? There is only so much the human mind can visualize.
“With all due respect chaplain, I don’t think our ‘maker’ wants to hear from me right now, because he knows I’m gonna go out into that sky in this plane and remove one of his creations from his universe…”
Or how about Starship Troopers? The original novel was somewhat different, and yet, the film delivers the theme in a much more approachable way from a growth point of view (kids hesitantly venturing into adulthood together).
I need to read more sci-fi whose themes are centered on morality clashing with science, which is such a common theme in life, don’t you think?
I’ve been meaning to read some of Neil Gaiman’s work. I’ve flicked through a few of the graphic novels and they look interesting.
I recently read through the His Dark Materials trilogy. The first book is great (it’s like a Harry Potter story, but much darker), and the second book isn’t bad either. Unfortunately the third book feels a lot like an excuse for the author to push his views onto readers. A story should be told in a way that lets the reader make up his own mind IMO.
At the moment I’ve just started on the first book in the Prince of Nothing trilogy called The Darkness That Comes Before. It seems interesting so far, although there’s a lot of hard to pronounce fantasy names in it which is making reading it slow.
[quote=“Solo Wing Dragon”]I’ve been meaning to read some of Neil Gaiman’s work. I’ve flicked through a few of the graphic novels and they look interesting.
I recently read through the His Dark Materials trilogy. The first book is great (it’s like a Harry Potter story, but much darker), and the second book isn’t bad either. Unfortunately the third book feels a lot like an excuse for the author to push his views onto readers. A story should be told in a way that lets the reader make up his own mind IMO.
At the moment I’ve just started on the first book in the Prince of Nothing trilogy called The Darkness That Comes Before. It seems interesting so far, although there’s a lot of hard to pronounce fantasy names in it which is making reading it slow.[/quote]
If you want to look into Neil’s work, I’d recommend starting with Smoke and Mirrors. It’s a collection of short stories, but it really shows the diversity of his writing style.
I’ve wanted to read His Dark Materials for a while - I haven’t seen the Golden Compass, and I want to read the books first. I really liked Pan’s Labyrinth, and TGC was released shortly afterwards, so I was enticed by the shiny pretty dark fantasy. I admit, I’m not a Harry Potter fan at all. I read the first book and I didn’t care for it. Reminded me too much of Roald Dahl’s work.
I’ll look into The Darkness That Comes Before when I’m through with these books. I realise that I’m beginning to accumulate books I have yet to read, which is a good thing. =)
Grant Morrison is amazing, I have a pretty large number of issues of The Invisibles but not all of them. As a note, he was highly influenced by The Illuminatus! Trilogy (amongst other things).
Next stop of nerddom: stop pretending your comics are “graphic novels”.
Oh! I forgot to mention The Highest Tide. I really like this one, too. It’s not fantasy, but it’s still a fun read. Sort of a coming of age story about a 13 year old boy living in Olympia who has an interest in the sea and its wildlife. Has a lot of nautical stuff in it.
I was never much into books but I read a few I enjoyed in the army, Perhaps they’re shit or considered copycats for more serious readers. But then again perhaps not.
Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield. A truly amazing book about the same events as the 300 movie. This is what the movie should have been based on instead of some weird comic book. It’s got a much more realistic look at the events with some very interesting twists introduced right from the start. I don’t think I want to spoil it because even the nature of the main character is rather original (or it seems so to me). Look up reviews if you don’t mind spoilers. Of course, it’s about a lot more than decapitating Persians so don’t dismiss it just because of its theme. A true Epos.
I really liked The Loop by Nicholas Evans. I loved the main character so much I was tempted to skip pages dealing with other things just to get back to her. The book has its flaws but overall it’s a great (if by now cliched) story with good characters. Look it up.
I liked Illuminati by Dan Brown. It’s known as Angels & Demons in the UK (I got that version to practice the language even) and it’s supposed to be a sort of prequel of The Da Vinci Code which I haven’t read. I didn’t like any of the characters so much but the actual plot was a well done thrill.
I’m currently reading The Shakespeare Secret by J.L. Carrell. So far it seems to be a good mystery in the style of Illuminati. The main character is decently likable so far.
I also read The Silmarillion but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who doesn’t consider himself a Tolkien fanboy (even though I don’t consider myself one). Quite confusing and disjointed in some parts but also a very interesting, if tiring, look at different heroes and parts of Middle Earth history.
Gah! So much reading to do and so little time in which to do it! It’s a pity that when forced between choosing between reading or gaming, I know what I’d choose. I’d rather interact in the experience than be relegated to a mere observer.
I keep wondering if reading will eventually die because of that.
[quote=“Geoffrey Duke”]Gah! So much reading to do and so little time in which to do it! It’s a pity that when forced between choosing between reading or gaming, I know what I’d choose. I’d rather interact in the experience than be relegated to a mere observer.
I keep wondering if reading will eventually die because of that.[/quote]
After a century of movies, books are still here to stay. I’m sure it will be the same with games.
Anyway, after a millennia, I’m actually reading something. LOTR : Fellowship of the Ring, no less. I used to read so much as a kid and now I can’t finish most books. I decided to stick with FOTR, though, since I heard it starts slow but gets better. It’s picking up although I can’t see the point in describing in such detail a mere trip through a forest or a plain. The dialogues and character development seem to be quite good though, so far.
I never understood the whole Movies VS Books VS Games debates, other than the fact all three media can be used to tell a tale, they do not share enough criteria to make them comparable.
For example you can’t critique a movie on its use of descriptive writing (well, normal movies anyway, the Prologue on Star Wars movies doesn’t count).
Nor critique a Book on its use of clever camera angles or well fitting background music.
Anyway, on topic… I actually do not read much, if at all (speaking fiction here… I of course read factual books).
I’m responding now just because the anguish is fresh… I picked up A Game of Thrones and have read though most of it. I have greatly enjoyed it to a point, the writing pulls me into the place and the characters’ lives most effectively, and the pacing is wonderful… but perhaps because the attachment was so effective initially, some things that don’t gel for me have become a real barrier to any further enjoyment.
The author keeps the recurring suspense and general narrative tension at a very consistent level, but it’s almost too clever for it’s own good. When the situation contrivances are so routine and even bordering on recycled; then that tension feels more and more artificial all the time. I can’t forgive getting jerked around, not once I can’t forget it’s happening anymore at least.
I really liked Ned, but at this point I can’t relate to his sense of honor, it’s largely arbitrary to me. And his predicaments are beginning to look like Batman being trapped over and over, and then escaping in an equally contrived fashion. So I just don’t seem to like Ned anymore…
Perhaps we should make an A Song of Ice and Fire topic. I feel compelled to respond to your post, but I don’t want to spoil anything.
All I can say is… keep reading for now and let me know what you think of the first book once you’ve finished it. Things start to get quite interesting towards the end.
This isn’t a sci-fi or fantasy novel as the thread’s focused on up to now, but on a reccomendations thread I’m bound to mention the late, great George Macdonald Fraser’s Mr American.
You’ll all know Macdonald Fraser by his Flashman novels of high adventure across the battlefields (and the bedrooms…!) of the 19th century. Those are glorious, uproarious books in and of themselves and ones which I’d heartily reccomend, but Flashman is famous and everyone’s heard of him already. Macdonald Fraser never wrote a dud, so some attention should be given to his other works too.
Mr American tells the tale of an American gold prospector in the 1900s. After decades of hacking away at mud and stone, he makes his lucky strike and his fortune; but with no relatives, friends, or other ties left in America, he makes the decision to seek out the closest thing that he may relate to - a journey to Edwardian England to uncover his family’s roots.
What follows is, without qualification (and without hyperbole), the most moving novel that I’ve yet read. Heartfelt in its emotions, keen in its observations, unstinting in its detail and vivid in its realisation, it’s not (yet) a literary classic but no other book has made me laugh, cry, gasp, roar, scowl or smile so much. It truly captivated me, and finishing it caused long minutes of sombre reflection on the regret of its end. Immeasurably profound, I’d say that it’s required reading for everyone.
Heh, hopefully I’m a wee bit more comprehensible now than I was back then! I’ve looked back at some of my old verbiage and I can only apologise profusely for all of the overblown twaddle I forced you all to trudge through. I’ve grown out of the “why use one word when nineteen will do?” phase since then. :anjou_embarassed:
Haha, you still have a way with prose, whether it’s a simple passage or a veritable epic
Won’t go into too much detail, but I read Outlander (Dianna Gabaldon), American Gods (Neil Gaiman), and Childhood’s End (Arthur C. Clarke) over the summer. Would recommend all 3 books, though the first 2 with caveats.
Outlander is, at its core, a romance novel. The main female and male protagonists are Mary Sue/Gary Stu level of unbelievable at times, but the setting is handled extremely well and there is something about the adventure that can potentially keep you within its grip… that is, of course, if you can get past the first 100 or so pages of relatively uneventful and mind-numbingly boring text
American Gods - I enjoyed thoroughly. However, I have to warn you that it is a very, very dour book. Everything reads in tones of grey and brown. That being said, I have always enjoyed Gaiman’s prose and the fiction of the book was right up my alley.
Childhood’s End was, well, fantastic. Extremely bitter sweet, but it definitely lived up to the hype that surrounds it.
Next up: Song of Fire and Ice (no, I haven’t read it yet and yes, I know it’s a sin), Force Unleashed (I’d heard great things about the story int he game, but the game is boring as hell), and Anathem (Neil Stephenson).
Yes, welcome back Robert. I’ll get to your Emerald Dragon topic at some point in the future. Excuse my lack of posts here for the time being while I’m on my travels.
The Darkness that comes before is a slow start but it is definitely worth the effort. It just keeps building up, getting better and better.
Can’t wait for the story to be continued in January.
I see it has been mentioned and i can only recommend them.
To me it’s the best in fantasy i have ever seen.
The only books that managed to make me read them 6 times.
[quote=“Kheel”]R. Scott Bakker’s Prince of Nothing Trilogy
The Darkness that comes before is a slow start but it is definitely worth the effort. It just keeps building up, getting better and better.
Can’t wait for the story to be continued in January.
I see it has been mentioned and i can only recommend them.
To me it’s the best in fantasy i have ever seen.
The only books that managed to make me read them 6 times.[/quote]
I mean to get back to reading this series. The start has been a little slow, but the world certainly doesn’t seem to be shallow.
This an essay that the author wrote, which reflects his philosphies concerning the genre. If you agree with what that essay there you absolutely have to read the series and prepare to be knocked off your feet.
