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I have recently run out of reading material. I'm not a huge reader, I often won't read for several weeks in a row then finish a book in a week or two.
I largely prefer sci-fi and fantasy books. I am not much of a fan of modern era (setting) books. Unless someone knows a book that has a story similar to the game Hitman: Blood Money 
Recently (This year) I have read Jack Whyte's Arthurian and Templar series, I read all of A Song of Ice and Fire, and The Inheritance Cycle.
In times gone by, the series that really stick to my head were Redwall, the Potter Series, and Artemis Fowl. (Bet no-one can guess my age now )
+ Show Spoiler +
Do not read this unless you want to enter the realm of half forgoten-ness.
I remember one book, very long, that had some strange story line to it. I doubt anyone will be able to follow me, because I don't remember the name of the book let alone the characters.
The main character was a tribal fellow, immensely powerful but not magical in any way. The setting was some post-apocalyptic medieval fantasy mix where cities swept away by sand storms and abandoned. He meets a witch-doctor person thing that he does not trust but unwillingly begins to adventure with her.
Damn I can't remember much at all. I just remember liking that book a lot, yet I can't remember anything about it.
I do not shy away from a book with difficult language, or a book that is very long. If the story engages me at all in the first few chapters I will demolish it within a few weeks.
Some people have recommended Stephen King to read, but the amount of books he has written is astounding and I do not think I would know where to start.
Anyone want to point me in a good direction?
 
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Millenium series is very nice. Its 3 books written by a swedish author talking revolving around crime fighting and brutality towards women
girl with the dragon tattoo
girl that played with fire
girl that kicked the hornets nest
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Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy if you haven't already.
Also I enjoyed the Black Magician Trilogy.
If you want a book that will make you think, Godel, Escher, Bach: An eternal golden braid.
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The Black Magician Trilogy sounds interesting.
After GEB. o.o
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If you want a very compelling story that is currently being written that is both as entertaining as pure fiction and deep as a nonfiction title pick up Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood.
I devoured this book and its relatively unrelated sequel in a few weeks, despite hating reading outside of my requirements for classes. I had to read the first for class over a month but I was looking forward to reading it. At any depth of "reading into the story" the novel is quite good. The characters are real and complex, the faceless future it portrays is very telling of our current trends, and searches into the heart of being human as well.
Its a series that isn't complete yet, just so you know.
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The king killer trilogy sounds right up your alley. First book is called "The name of the wind".
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I think you would really enjoy "The magic goes away" books by Larry Niven / Jerry Pournel.
It consist of several short stories and two books (The burning city, Burning tower and a 3rd book called Burning mountain is currently being written). The short stories are all collected in the The Magic Goes Away Collection and deal with a time before the setting of the books.
The setting is California several thousand years ago in which a world has to deal with the fact that the source for their magic (mana) is slowly disappearing. For instance there are unicorns in this world but when they go towards places low on mana they slowly loose their horn and become regular horses.
The two books can be read independently as each follows it's own story arc but deal with the same characters. They are among my favorites and the cooperation of Larry Niven / Jerry Pournel has yet to disappoint me. The short stories are entertaining but not as good as the books.
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DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNE
I recently finished Dune a few months ago. Honestly, it was kinda hard to get into during the first few chapters since it throws a lot of weird terms and names at you right from the start, but the story really picks up and gets gripping once everyone lands on Arrakis. It's a legendary book and hugely influential in the science fiction genre (Tatooine = Arrakis), and I personally enjoyed thoroughly.
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The Trial And Death Of Socrates - Dialogues By Plato
One of the greatest things I have ever read in my life.
It isn't sci fi or fantasty, technically non-fiction. But wow the wisdom within the words is incredible. You could almost imagine it as fantasy ^.^
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I'm telling you right now, just pick up The Hunger Games and read them! I was a little skeptical at first as to why everyone was raving about them but they really are just a good read for anyone of any age :/ I just finished the third one and I loved the series!! Aside for that I would STRONGLY and I mean STRONGLY recommend reading Ender's Game if you haven't already. It has won many awards and was written some many years ago but still to this day is a great book!
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Haruki Murakami - Norwegian Wood(TLers made me read this, I'm passing on the suggestion!)
Richard Dawkins - The Greatest Show on Earth(absolutely not fiction though)
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Well, as mentioned before, The Black Magician trilogy is great. The Chronicles of Amber is also a great fantasy series. If you can find it, then Moira trilogy by Henri Loevenbruck was great as well imo.
The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel takes places in modern times, but there are lots of historical figures and traveling to weird places.
For sci-fi, again if you can find it, I'd recommend When the gods died.
And last, but not least The Last Legion by Valerio Massimo Manfredi, it's based on historic facts, but still is sci-fi.
As for the book which you can't remember in the spoilers, it tends to remind me Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian/Hyborian ages.
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The Malazan Book of the Fallen - it's a truly epic fantasy tale with tons of characters that are all memorable/unique and all play important parts in the story, whether they are gods or mortals. I'd write a big review on it, but this author has done a far better job describing it than I could.
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I enjoy and would recommend the following:
the "Cloak and Dagger" series by Anne Lesley Groell (good luck finding these though, I swear I have the only copies in a 700-mile radius) edit: here's a link
the "Wheel of Time" series by Robert Jordan, currently being finished by Brandon Sanderson
other series by Brandon Sanderson, including the "Stormlight Archive", which currently only has one book completed
and yes, Dune.
e: the book in your spoiler sounds like a Conan the Barbarian book. Robert E. Howard is one of the more well known authors of these but Robert Jordan also wrote some, as did other authors.
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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.
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Hah! I have fond memories of those 3 series too, and you like both Sci-fi and Fantasy so I will recommend my favourite authors from both (my two favourite authors actually).
If you are feeling like an epic fantasy read, I would recommend The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. There are 13 books in the series with the last one on the way and they are all huge, approx 700-1000 words, so it's a large time investment but it is certainly worth it.
If you are looking for Sci-fi and shorter reads, I would recommend anything by Philip K Dick, I have read about 7 of his books so far, and have enjoyed them all for different reasons. They can be hard to understand or follow sometimes, mostly because of the style in which he writes just the general mind-fucks he likes to create. You would be hard pressed to ever predict what is about to happen though, which is part of what makes them so entertaining.
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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.
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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.
Brave New World is an extremely exceptional book! i would highly recommend it  especially if youre willing to analyze the deep meanings in it
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On March 11 2012 18:15 Steveling wrote: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. 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, 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.
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.
And there's no reason why you can't have a book that does both. For the OP, try Neuromancer. I also should get to tracking down other books by Gibson, but haven't had time to do much reading for fun :/
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On March 11 2012 18:22 LlamaNamedOsama wrote:Show nested quote +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.
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piers anthony and dragon lance books.
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I recommend 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami! Has a great plot which involves an alternate reality, a mysterious sinister cult, and much more. People seem to either can't stand it or end up not being able to put it down, and I was one of the latter. Also enjoyed Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman and City & the City by China Mieville. One fantasy/sci-fi series that I've seen recommended a lot is the First Law series by Joe Abercromie, you might want to give it a try.
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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.
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.
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On March 11 2012 18:57 dAPhREAk wrote:Show nested quote +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.
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If you are into fantasy, you gotta read Death Gate Cycle. It is an amazing series, one that I've read numerous times. It is a 7 book series, so it's gonna keep you occupied for quite a while. The best thing about the series is that it's supposed to be the diaries and the personal notes the protagonist have collected, so at the end of each book there are detailed descriptions and sometimes songs, drawings and explanations regarding the realm where the series take place. It feels so immersive that way.
The series has amazing characters, such as Hugh the Hand, my personal favourite. The basic story of the series is that there are two very powerful races of wizards, Sartans and Patryns. After a period of war with each other, Sartans think that the best way to deal with the issue is to shatter the realm into four sub realms, Fire, Water, Earth and Air. They also create a "correction center" as they call, which is actually a prison for their enemies, Patyrns. Then they disappear mysteriously, and the prison, called the Labyrinth, starts to brutally murder the Patryns, for generations. This brews a deep hatred towards Sartans. Eventually, some Patyrns start to escape, and then they settle at the city next to the Labyrinth, called Nexus. The Patyrn Lord Xar, sends Haplo, his spy, into each sub world for a scouting mission, to find out about what Sartans are doing, and to prepare the worlds for the Patryn conquest. That's the basic story. It is amazingly immersive, I'm sure you'll love it if you're into fantasy books.
Another recommendation, is The New Jedi Order series from the Star Wars Expanded Universe. There are something like 20 books, so it's a long read, but worth it. It brings a new, different enemy against the New Republic, and things get heated quite wildly.
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lagmaster
United States374 Posts
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.
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@Steveling I'm 16. I don't read between the lines for epiphanies and cleverly hidden code. I read to keep myself entertained on the train/bus.
I don't know what you would mean by having a low cultural level. Does it mean that I am a general dumbass? If that is so, I think that everyone thinks that people who don't see things the way they do, are dumbasses. Don't get think my way? Fine.
If I want to learn something, I'll read a book with that topic. Not a novel that I have to study, cross reference, make notes on, and spend my waking days thinking about to even find the hidden message in the first place.
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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.
I could get behind what you're saying if you suggested people should be reading more actual educative (non-fiction) material.
If you're suggesting other fiction of any sort, then your argument is extremely flawed to begin with. Fiction in general has little real value when it comes to education, and often emphasizes very biased philosophical and political views and incomplete and often inaccurate descriptions of the setting/environment.
There's no inherent greater value in reading classical novels. There's value in studying classical novels and literature in general, which is something entirely different, and not something that everybody is interested in doing or needs to spend their time doing.
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On March 11 2012 19:50 Talin wrote:Show nested quote +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. I could get behind what you're saying if you suggested people should be reading more actual educative (non-fiction) material. If you're suggesting other fiction of any sort, then your argument is extremely flawed to begin with. Fiction in general has little real value when it comes to education, and often emphasizes very biased philosophical and political views and incomplete and often inaccurate descriptions of the setting/environment. There's no inherent greater value in reading classical novels. There's value in studying classical novels and literature in general, which is something entirely different, and not something that everybody is interested in doing or needs to spend their time doing.
Maybe I will make a blog about that subject(how cheap art influences our lives) but let's not derail this thread anymore.
If you wanna discuss further pm me.
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I would personally recommend Iain Banks' "The wasp factory", a story about a mildly disturbed 16-year old child.
He also writes excellent science fiction under the pen name Iain M Banks and if you want to read one of those I think "The player of games" is a good story to start with.
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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.
I could talk about the great writers or their works for days on end.
But if you think bragging rights or intellectual enrichment are their sole purpose, you are gravely mistaken.
Those works are studied because after many years we have concluded those to be the best works of those generations. By studying them intensely you gather a greater understanding for writing and what makes good writing good and bad writing bad.
People like yourself tend to confuse the educational value that those books have in that regard, with some hidden vault of knowledge that springs open if you simply let your eyes slide past the words or read one facebook post about how deep it is.
Those works are popular for a good reason, but to pretend that they breed intelligence displays the opposite of intelligence.
So no, not everyone should spend all their time, or even any time, reading these older works. If you have a deep passion for literature it is a good way to gain a deeper understanding. This, not just because of the quality of the works, but also the depth of the analyses that one can find.
Suggesting one should always go and read the old classics is silly and already displays a lack of understaning of their purpose. In a way you have let your eyes roll past the words, but you failed to read the books. Perhaps the thought of being clever was proving too much of a distraction for you, causing you to miss out on the books themselves.
It is akin to suggesting to everyone who asks for a good movie, to go and watch Citizen Kane.
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Don't know why you are personally attacking me zalz, anyway your post is based on falce leaps of logic, you are assuming things I didn't say, you are offtopic and Citizen Kane is a fucking good movie, xP.
I will only respond to pms from here on, so please refrain from quoting me, so I don't have to make these silly posts, Q_Q.
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On March 11 2012 15:53 Thaniri wrote:
I do not shy away from a book with difficult language, or a book that is very long. If the story engages me at all in the first few chapters I will demolish it within a few weeks.
Based solely on this and disregarding everything else you've said.. I'd say you should try out Infinite Jest. It's written by some guy who commited suicide last year or so. Not sci-fi nor fantasy though.
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If you want to read some fantasy stuff you have never ever read before, then I recommend you: "The city of dreaming books" of Walter Moers. But only read this if you really like books.
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Go for some Jasper Fforde, that guy has some of the craziest imagination i know of. Probably best to start with the Thursday Next series, since it's got most books in it so far, and you are going to want to read more as soon as you are finished
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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!
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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...
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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
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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 
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damn meant to edit
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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sword of truth series is pretty good 13 books long though
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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
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I am interested in the same kinds of books as you, it seems, so this thread is a good resource for me. <3
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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.
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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"
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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
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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?
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Hey Nostradamus, awesome book. I recommend it to everyone.
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EPT
