|
On March 11 2012 19:29 lagmaster wrote:
I suggest:
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfus
It's not too long (though I like the longer books) and it's not too short and I thought both it and the 2nd book were great.
I recommend these two, the name of the wind and wise man's fear are 2 amazing books. If you're a fantasy fan than you just have to check them out!
|
You might want to try JG Ballard's short stories. Although I'm not sure if they're quite up your alley, they have some sci-fi elements along with futuristic and psychological themes. At any rate, he's a great writer and definitely worth your time.
On March 11 2012 18:01 Catch]22 wrote:
How about you stop taking all these advices for teens and adolescent books and start reading adult books like Brave New World, Lolita, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1987, We any other actual good books for adults.
Isn't that 1984? Unless there was a book called 1987 that I haven't seen yet...
|
The Stars My Destination, by Alfred Bester Think The Count of Monte Cristo in the future. It's an excellent novel, and it's not terribly long either.
Snow Crash, by Neil Stephenson Dear god if you like Sci-Fi it is a cardinal sin not to read this book. Stephenson crafts an absolutely incredible (and surprisingly believable) future and he'll pretty much have you hooked, and chuckling to yourself at his cynical jibes at modern society, by page 5.
Neuromancer, by William Gibson An absolutely incredible Cyberpunk novel that starts off a fairly interesting trilogy.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein A really interesting novel that deals with the rebellion of the mostly forced colonists of the Moon (We sent all our criminals up there =O) against the oppressive Earth. Heinlein also explores a number of social, political, economic, and even philosophical ideas. It's my favorite novel by far and I recommend it highly! =D
|
Snow Crash and Ender's Game are definitely worth a read, although the rest of the Ender series get's a bit dull after the great first book. How about the Mars Novels for some classic sci fi? - A Princess of Mars (before watching the film John Carter as it probably butchers it)
And of course get the HP Lovecraft omnibus', surprised I haven't seen anyone recommend him.
On March 11 2012 22:28 Roe wrote:You might want to try JG Ballard's short stories. Although I'm not sure if they're quite up your alley, they have some sci-fi elements along with futuristic and psychological themes. At any rate, he's a great writer and definitely worth your time. Show nested quote +On March 11 2012 18:01 Catch]22 wrote:
How about you stop taking all these advices for teens and adolescent books and start reading adult books like Brave New World, Lolita, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1987, We any other actual good books for adults. Isn't that 1984? Unless there was a book called 1987 that I haven't seen yet...
Yeah or recommend Catch 22. A couple of pretentious types in this thread 
|
damn meant to edit
|
On March 11 2012 19:17 Steveling wrote:Show nested quote +On March 11 2012 18:57 dAPhREAk wrote:On March 11 2012 18:54 Steveling wrote:On March 11 2012 18:22 LlamaNamedOsama wrote:On March 11 2012 18:15 Steveling wrote:On March 11 2012 18:01 Catch]22 wrote:
How about you stop taking all these advices for teens and adolescent books and start reading adult books like Brave New World, Lolita, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1987, We any other actual good books for adults. I was gonna flame the trashy fantasy/scifi "literature" but then I read this post so I'm just gonna quote it. Here it is again, On March 11 2012 18:01 Catch]22 wrote:
How about you stop taking all these advices for teens and adolescent books and start reading adult books like Brave New World, Lolita, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1987, We any other actual good books for adults. Hey, nothing wrong with an enjoying read. Sure, the classic novels are well-written and deep, but every book spins a different yarn of imagination, and the world of reading should not be confined to those who must deem every line a somber iteration of profound and ambiguous moral meaning. Sometimes, the imaginatino yearns for an adventure story. Don't get me wrong, I understand that. What I extremely dislike is that there are young people who only read these fantasy/scifi/whatever books. They are wasting precious reading time while they could be educating themselves and opening new horizons. Reading exclucively these kind of books is mind numbing imo. yeah. i dont agree. i am an adult and i read sci-fi, fantasy books. its for enjoyment purposes. i like to get lost in my book and relax (not have to think about what im reading). if i wanted to read the "adult" books, which i did in college for classes, i would feel like im getting home from work only to have to work again. That's how bad that kind of entertainment is for us, it makes you lazy mentally. I have heard many times the "I just wanna have some fun and not stress myself" excuse before and it's from people with low cultural level as a common trait. Anyway, sry if I come off as a wise ass.
yes, i am very mentally lazy when im reading the books. sometimes i have to read the pages multiple times because my mind drifts. i intend it to be so, because i want to relax. not everything has to be work. after a hard day's work, i don't want to go home and work more. =)
low cultural level? really? not everyone has to be doing something educational at every point of their day to to have "culture."
but, to each their own.
|
On March 11 2012 23:01 Kasha_Not_Kesha wrote:
The Stars My Destination, by Alfred Bester Think The Count of Monte Cristo in the future. It's an excellent novel, and it's not terribly long either.
Snow Crash, by Neil Stephenson Dear god if you like Sci-Fi it is a cardinal sin not to read this book. Stephenson crafts an absolutely incredible (and surprisingly believable) future and he'll pretty much have you hooked, and chuckling to yourself at his cynical jibes at modern society, by page 5.
Neuromancer, by William Gibson An absolutely incredible Cyberpunk novel that starts off a fairly interesting trilogy.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein A really interesting novel that deals with the rebellion of the mostly forced colonists of the Moon (We sent all our criminals up there =O) against the oppressive Earth. Heinlein also explores a number of social, political, economic, and even philosophical ideas. It's my favorite novel by far and I recommend it highly! =D
These are four of the best science fiction novels ever written. You can take it from me, I'm supposed to be an expert on this.
edit: sorry, four of the best NOVELS ever written.
|
I’m not a big fan of fantasy/ sci-fi myself, but I read a book a couple of years ago that I liked a lot. It’s called Oryx and Crake and takes place in an apocalyptic-ish sci-fi world. The setting isn’t exactly Star Wars, but rather a not that distant future, where genetic engineering plays an important role. The author, Margret Atwood, apparently prefers the labels “speculative fiction” over sci-fi.
The book is divided in two timelines; through flashbacks it tells the story of the protagonist’s childhood while simultaneously telling the story of his struggles in an abandoned world. It becomes increasingly clear how his previous life is interlinked with the collapse of civilization, which ultimately ties the two timelines together. It is not overly long and I have heard nothing but good responses from others who have read it. In other words: highly recommended!
There is also a stand alone sequel called The Year of the Flood, which I haven’t read. Anyone here who has? Is it as good as Oryx and Crake?
|
On March 11 2012 18:54 Steveling wrote:Show nested quote +On March 11 2012 18:22 LlamaNamedOsama wrote:On March 11 2012 18:15 Steveling wrote:On March 11 2012 18:01 Catch]22 wrote:
How about you stop taking all these advices for teens and adolescent books and start reading adult books like Brave New World, Lolita, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1987, We any other actual good books for adults. I was gonna flame the trashy fantasy/scifi "literature" but then I read this post so I'm just gonna quote it. Here it is again, On March 11 2012 18:01 Catch]22 wrote:
How about you stop taking all these advices for teens and adolescent books and start reading adult books like Brave New World, Lolita, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1987, We any other actual good books for adults. Hey, nothing wrong with an enjoying read. Sure, the classic novels are well-written and deep, but every book spins a different yarn of imagination, and the world of reading should not be confined to those who must deem every line a somber iteration of profound and ambiguous moral meaning. Sometimes, the imaginatino yearns for an adventure story. Don't get me wrong, I understand that. What I extremely dislike is that there are young people who only read these fantasy/scifi/whatever books. They are wasting precious reading time while they could be educating themselves and opening new horizons. Reading exclucively these kind of books is mind numbing imo.
You forget that in today's day and age, it's altogether rare that people will read books, period. Even if we assume that a person reads only those types of books, there is huge benefit to doing so. Again, you are incorrect in assuming that they are "wasting" their time reading these books by assuming that these "classics" are the only route to "educating" or "opening new horizons." As I stated in my last post very clearly, the emphasis is on imagination. As wonderful as Faulkner's writing is, his characterization of the messed up lives of the Compsons, while deep, doesn't enrich my imagination to worlds of magic and new realities, but narrows its focus to the inexplicable mystery of sadness in our present reality. Both have their merits, and at different times and different moments, a person's mind will yearn for a different message to pursue in their reading. Maybe when I'm doleful and in my later years, I'll appreciate The Sound and the Fury more, but right now, I've enjoyed Eragon more for the possibilities and imagination that it inspires, for example. The mind cannot be numbed when, by virtue of its very act, reading forces the imagination to be exercised, especially concerning the subjects of fantasy and science fiction.
There is also this false dichotomy you continue to draw between these two categories, assuming that people "reading exclusively [fantasy/science fiction books" is mind numbing. That is false. A person who reads exclusively fantasy and science fiction will still encounter Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, William Gibson, Ray Bradbury, T.H. White, and countless other classic tales that are both fantastic tales of enjoyment that carry deep meaning.
|
On March 11 2012 18:48 VTArlock wrote:
ENDERS GAME!!!
I second this a million times. After that, read Ender's Shadow. I've read them both probably 10 times each, favorite books ever.
|
sword of truth series is pretty good 13 books long though
|
On March 12 2012 07:48 Denzil wrote:
sword of truth series is pretty good 13 books long though
And then you find out he's this nutcase Randian and stop caring.
edit: they are pretty good though :O
|
I am interested in the same kinds of books as you, it seems, so this thread is a good resource for me. <3
|
On March 11 2012 23:01 Kasha_Not_Kesha wrote:
The Stars My Destination, by Alfred Bester Think The Count of Monte Cristo in the future. It's an excellent novel, and it's not terribly long either.
Snow Crash, by Neil Stephenson Dear god if you like Sci-Fi it is a cardinal sin not to read this book. Stephenson crafts an absolutely incredible (and surprisingly believable) future and he'll pretty much have you hooked, and chuckling to yourself at his cynical jibes at modern society, by page 5.
Neuromancer, by William Gibson An absolutely incredible Cyberpunk novel that starts off a fairly interesting trilogy.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein A really interesting novel that deals with the rebellion of the mostly forced colonists of the Moon (We sent all our criminals up there =O) against the oppressive Earth. Heinlein also explores a number of social, political, economic, and even philosophical ideas. It's my favorite novel by far and I recommend it highly! =D
Maybe I'm weird, but I only got about 100 pages into Snow Crash before giving up on it. Not my kind of book at all. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is definitely my favorite Heinlein novel though. 
|
Stephen kings "The Tommyknockers" is somewhat Sci-fi inspired otherwise I would recommend "Salem's lot", "It", "Duma Key" or "Bag of bones" check them out and choose the one who sounds more interesting.
Or if you want a techno thriller Daniel Suarez "Deamon" & "Freedom"
|
I can't believe it hasn't been posted yet. Maybe it has and I just missed it. I wasn't the type to read novels/books very often, mostly because I didn't find them stimulating. However, when I picked up Homeland by R. A. Salvatore, I couldn't put it down and the books after that in the series were much the same way. So, I recommend you read Homeland, the first book in the dark elf trilogy, and the first of 12 or 13 in the legend of drizzt. All the books so far, and I'm on five or six, have been amazing.Here's a quick wiki link to the dark elf trilogy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Elf_Trilogy
|
|
|
On March 12 2012 11:55 ShadowDrgn wrote:Show nested quote +On March 11 2012 23:01 Kasha_Not_Kesha wrote:
The Stars My Destination, by Alfred Bester Think The Count of Monte Cristo in the future. It's an excellent novel, and it's not terribly long either.
Snow Crash, by Neil Stephenson Dear god if you like Sci-Fi it is a cardinal sin not to read this book. Stephenson crafts an absolutely incredible (and surprisingly believable) future and he'll pretty much have you hooked, and chuckling to yourself at his cynical jibes at modern society, by page 5.
Neuromancer, by William Gibson An absolutely incredible Cyberpunk novel that starts off a fairly interesting trilogy.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein A really interesting novel that deals with the rebellion of the mostly forced colonists of the Moon (We sent all our criminals up there =O) against the oppressive Earth. Heinlein also explores a number of social, political, economic, and even philosophical ideas. It's my favorite novel by far and I recommend it highly! =D Maybe I'm weird, but I only got about 100 pages into Snow Crash before giving up on it. Not my kind of book at all. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is definitely my favorite Heinlein novel though.
WHAT! Why?
|
Hey Nostradamus, awesome book. I recommend it to everyone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT
