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Post by Tchalvak on Jun 15, 2006 21:15:09 GMT -5
The Core Rulebooks of Life:
Douglas Adams: Humerous Sci-Fi: The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy + everything that follows. and
Terry Pratchett: Humerous Sword-and-Sorcery: The Colour of Magic + everything else that he ever wrote. Ever.
Alan Dean Foster is indeed a good author, yeah. Never read C.S. Lewis' Sci-Fi, 'cause I figured that it was going to be Christian-Preachy or something, but I'll have to remember to check 'em out. Hmmm, and I've heard the name Eric Van Lustbader somewhere else too, what else did he write?
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Post by murmkuma on Jun 16, 2006 0:46:12 GMT -5
torinaga told me actually to tel you about a series, i forget which one i'll have to ask. hes reading one about like time travelling vampires or somethin. also I know he suggests the wheel of time i think....i'll have to get back to ya. Both you an tori are really into the series's. I personally also found john grisham to be a good writer... if your into law.
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Post by suavisimo on Jun 16, 2006 9:48:39 GMT -5
Ya know, i'm so sick of C.S. Lewis being deemed preachy about Christianity. Especially considering that the allegory (albeit pretty damn close) they claim is in the Chronicles of Narnia series, was written at a time when C.S Lewis WAS NOT a christian!!!
The author even said that the books are written as fantasy novels, to be read under the covers with a flashlight at night. That's how I first read them, and I didn't think anything of the similarities between the story of Christ and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
Sorry to go off topic, but christ sake, just enjoy the books!
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Post by thevirginmonkey on Jun 18, 2006 3:53:12 GMT -5
Well for my favorite fiction, here's the short list:
1984 by George Orwell Dune by Frank Herbert American Gods by Neil Gaiman Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke Belarus by Lee Hogan Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C.S. Lewis Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos by H. P. Lovecraft Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata (Illustrator)
I should note that Death Note is a manga. I really don't consider myself to be much of a comic book or manga person on any level, but Death Note is... well... freaking amazing. There are also a few other books that I could throw on there, but I'm not completely sure what you would or wouldn't like stylistically speaking (for instance Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut is good, but also relatively quirky as far as writing styles go.)
Well, anyway, I hope the list is helpful... I might add more if I think of anything else.
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Post by Tchalvak on Jun 18, 2006 10:15:38 GMT -5
Oh yeah, I have to second the "Neil Gaiman" stuff. I read anything with his name on it, these days.
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Post by rihochan on Jun 24, 2006 1:58:43 GMT -5
I'll just suggest an author... Michelle West. Start off with Hunter's Oath and Hunter's Death, they are the first duology in her world. If you like those two, you should continue in that world by reading the Sun Sword series... I will warn you that her books are very dark and incredibly complex. Only read her books if you have a good memory for details.
If you want some lighter fare... I would suggest the Tiger and Del novels by Jennifer Roberson. They are about the travels of a sexist sword-dancer from a desert land, and a revenge-crazed female sword-singer from the mountains.
One more series you might find interesting are the FitzChivalry books by Robin Hobb.
By the way, Stephen King sucks!
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Post by rihochan on Jun 24, 2006 2:07:18 GMT -5
I have read literally hundreds of fantasy novels, and I have to say C.S. Lewis and Tolkien are two of my least favorites. Tolkien because he is overrated and Lewis because I consider his writing style to be somewhat... infantile. Lustabader has a tendency towards Celtic-style fantasy that I found fascinating when I was first starting out, but I quickly lost interest in it as my tastes got more jaded. If I had a single author who is my absolute favorite it would be David Eddings. He is one of the few authors who can get me to laugh outright while I am reading. His sense of humor has a tendency towards poking fun at cultural tendencies and human nature that consistently delights me.
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Post by murmkuma on Jun 24, 2006 11:51:04 GMT -5
i have to say that i agree with you on most things rhiochan, but King is the man. I'm an intelligent human being, While reading The Stand i got so wrapped up in the story i was actually scared to go out and get milk. From then on I was hooked.
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Post by Tchalvak on Jun 24, 2006 13:05:03 GMT -5
David Eddings is excellent, for the first two series or so, then you start noticing the same characters with different names. The "Tiger and Del" books by Jennifer Robinson are indeed good. With her I suspect it's because of the dialog. Which reminds me, the -king- of dialog is Orson Scott Card. As a result of his mastery of dialog, anything he writes is pure chocolate. I recommend 'em all.
In defense of Tolkien, I don't think that he's "Overrated" at all. He was a pioneer who built a very detailed and comprehensive world. It's just that as a result, everyone copied him. And copied him. And copied him. And now by the time you actually get around to reading his stuff, from which all the rest of the similar stuff was derived, it seems trite and overdone because of what other people made -from- it. *shrugs*
C.S.Lewis, on the other hand, probably is talkin' down to the reader. Especially with his masked allegory/metaphor/whatever it is.
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Post by Tchalvak on Jun 25, 2006 11:16:34 GMT -5
I first read all the C.S.Lewis books when I was very young, too young to think much about how the author's religion would influence the story, or too literally minded to consider that Narnia as an allegory to Christian belief. Later (mostly after having read "the screwtape letters") it became obvious. Point is, when you discover that a good story that you read was actually a subtle commentary that God is good, God is great and that Satan is out to get you (or is that just other religions?) (see the horrible demon that is Tash, god of the Calormenes: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tash_%28fiction%29)you feel like you were slipped a religious mickey. So like I said, masked allegory. It's not that it's simple, it's that he purposefully layered his story to have a more complex underlying religious commentary. I like the stories, but disagree with much of the messages that lie beneath. This has made me want to reread the Voyage of the Dawn Treader books, it's been so long since I read 'em. P.S. Lewis was definately a reconvert to Christianity by the time he got around to writing the Chronicles of Narnia.
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Post by rihochan on Jun 27, 2006 11:52:51 GMT -5
*sighs* I don't see why any of you are bringing up the most irrelevant of all topics, 'religion'. Nicholas, he probably didn't mean anything against Christianity except that Christians (and I am one) have a tendency to shove their beliefs in other people's faces. I personally believe that 'religion' in general is one of the greatest crimes ever committed against humanity.
You are probably wondering how I can be Christian and despise religion at the same time. It is because I reject any and all organized activities of Christianity and I keep my religion in my home where it belongs, not out for everyone to see what a 'good' person I am. Every time religion becomes organized it causes trouble, it becomes an excuse for atrocities that are in no way condoned by the moral codes of the belief system on which it was based. The Crusades, the Inquisition, and the problems with the radical Muslims. These are all things that were brought about by the warping effects of religion.
I say keep your spiritual beliefs to yourself unless they are solicited by another person, and that still doesn't give you the right to shove it in the face of innocent bystanders. By the way, I consider belief in science and evolution over spirituality to be just as much a religion, and I also consider it to have many of the same dangers. Sorry for being a hypocrite and preaching to you...
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Post by murmkuma on Jun 27, 2006 18:27:21 GMT -5
Torinaga suggests these ones:
wheel of time
necroscope
asian saga :shogun series
and another one I can't remember right now, I'll ask him again.
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Post by rihochan on Jun 28, 2006 2:37:29 GMT -5
I will note something about Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. At the rate he is going the likelihood the series will be ended before his death is astronomically low, so I would suggest staying away if at all possible. There are at least three years in between each book. I loved that series until I figured out he didn't intend to bring it to a close at all. It is one of those series that has just gone on too long.
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Post by rihochan on Jun 28, 2006 2:47:23 GMT -5
David Eddings Patricia Bray David Drake (The Lord of the Isles series) Marion Zimmer Bradley (her Darkover novels anyway) CJ Cherryh (A singular talent for creating interesting alien cultures) Jacqueline Carey (her Phedre books are really good) David Gemmell (This guy has a talent for creating heroes) Kathrine Kerr (Celtic fantasy at its finest.... unfortunately she hasn't finished the Deverry novels...) Anne Bishop (The Dark Jewels Trilogy in particular... very dark, very sensual) Glen Cook (Novels of the Black Company...) Stephen Erikson (Unbelievably famous in the UK, and the creator of one of the single most fascinating fantasy worlds I have ever seen. Malazan Book of the Fallen)
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Post by Tchalvak on Jun 28, 2006 10:54:08 GMT -5
Re: Wheel of Time: Eh, who says a series has to come to an end to be enjoyable. Sometimes I like picking up a book and reading it from some random page in the center. Not that I'd get myself invested in the unending thing that seems to be the wheel of time series either.
What was it that was so good about the fantasy world of the Stephen Erikson author that you mentioned?
Oh, and rihochan, the view of religion that you mentioned pretty much comes to the same conclusions as mine. "Religion" (if one can call a belief held as a private choice that) is best as a personal thing given/spread/illuminated only to those that ask for it. When the goal of converting others comes into play is where it all goes horribly wrong.
Yessir, Religion and Politics, two topics that you can always rely upon to cause heated discussion. So, how about them elections, eh? Eh?
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Post by rihochan on Jun 28, 2006 15:48:33 GMT -5
It is hard to say why I love Stephen Erikson's Malaz world so much, but maybe it is because it is a world that gives you the feeling of ancient majesty. A world where terrible gods who were once men walk the world, and new gods are born from the most unlikely of men. A world where atrocity is common, and ancient races are making their last grasping for power under the manipulation of a crippled, mad god. It is fascinating to ME because it is so well-concieved.
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Post by rihochan on Jul 7, 2006 2:35:41 GMT -5
Wow, I heard they re-released Into the Dark Lands, but I thought it was just a rumor. I've been trying to find a copy of that for practically forever.
I do have one more suggestion, if you don't mind socio-political type fantasy. Jennifer Fallon's Second Sons books are a good read. It talks of a subject that seems to be somewhat dear to the hearts of middle-ground people like myself. Mainly, the corrupting effects a combination of fear and religion can have on a perfectly healthy society, and the means of dismantling an ingrained system of belief that creates fanatical converts by the thousands. This particular series is somewhat graphic at times, it tries to shock you with betrayals, atrocities, and political scheming hiding behind a pious front.
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Post by rihochan on Jul 7, 2006 2:45:57 GMT -5
*sighs* On another note, I've been contemplating the meaning of 'shoving it people's faces'. First, I see nothing wrong with rational conversation involving religion. Second, a description of rational conversation is calmly listening to the other's beliefs without refuting or confirming their reality and expecting them to do the same. Unfortunately, with beliefs like that people tend to become over-emotional and filled with 'righteous fervor' whether they are on one side or another, or simply somewhere in between.
In my mind 'shoving it in people's faces' is comprised of three things:
Evangelizing to people who show no interest whatsoever.
Denunciations of behaviour patterns of people outside the belief system in question in a public forum (online or offline)
Using religion as a banner to make yourself look better.
This isn't complete, but I figured it does pretty well for a definition for an over-used saying.
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Post by firesword on Aug 10, 2006 22:03:29 GMT -5
I'm currently reading through Les Misérables, but I normally read mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, biography or historic novels.
When I was little I was obsessed with Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, those 50-some books still collect dust on the top of my self. I also read all of Tamora Pierces' old books a few years ago.
In other topic, I shall just say not a thing and keep my mouth shut.
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