What are you reading ?

[Silvershadow]

Well, I'm finally done reading McLendon's Syndrome (I would normally have been done a week ago, but I got distracted writing my own fiction...) I suppose I will now be tackling that small collection of SW novels I have sitting in my room... and the sequel to McLendon's Syndrome when I get my hands on it. (I forget what it's called...)

 

This was a most entertaining book, and contains what is probably the best ironic line uttered by a main character I've ever read: "You have obviously been reading too much science fiction!"

 

Gold!

 

That book was honestly very witty, and combines everything from sci-fi to murder mystery to vampires to war to comedy. In fact, I was getting funny looks in the subway yesterday when I came across a passage where I just couldn't stop laughing.

 

I would definitely recommend this one to a friend. (Well, unless said friend happens to be my best friend, who hates sci-fi.)

 

[Cantousent]

Stupid Card. I won't ruin Xenocide for those who have yet to read it, but I'm greatly disappointed by what Card's done with the Ender series. I've already found the Bean line sadly lacking. Entertaining, no doubt, but lacking in substance. The Ender line has gone from the promise of the first two books into all sorts of nonsense in the third. Like the Bean line, it's entertaining, but lacking. ...Or perhaps he showed a remarkable lack of restraint and reached beyond the extent of his abilities.

 

At any rate, I'll finish the last two books, one for Ender and one for Bean. Maybe Card's abilities will extend as far as he has reached. Who knows?

[OLD SKOOL WHEELMAN]

I have that as my literature book  <_<    :'(

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Run. Just run far, far away.

 

Actually I read all the S. E. Hinton books when I was a kid. I thought they were great books. I wouldn

[Ellester]

I liked that statement...maybe I should sig it...I do need a sig...any suggestions?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

From the lack of responses I would take it as a hint that maybe you should think of something wittier. You ruined the thread with this immature response, and as a result, no one has contributed to it in 3 days. I would gather you

[Dark Moth]

I'm reading "The Waste Lands: The Dark Tower III" by Stephen King. It's actually quite good, considering most of his books are very sssssllllllllllloooooooooowwwwwwww. It's part three of sevevn books in a series. So far, it's pretty interesting. It's kind of like "The Odyssey" and "The Lord of the Rings" set in a modern, American style epic!

 

The 3 characters have just killed a giant, 70 foot, 3-4 thousand year old cyborg bear. Pretty neat stuff.

 

I'm supposed to read "Tuesdays with Morrie" for school, but I think I'm going to wait until July. Anyone ever read it? I hear it's really good.

 

Oh, and Old Skool Wheelman, lay off the immature, unfunny remarks. Too many threads are closed because of that kind of crap.

[Darth Flatus]

OSW was giving a circuitous, illustrative yet cynical review of the book, he wasnt being immature.

 

My guess for nobody replying for three days is that nobody had anything new to say on the matter.

[Kaftan Barlast]

I hear reading fantasy books causes suppurating eyesockets.

[Darth Launch]

I'm reading the back of a shampoo bottle

 

DL

[Kaftan Barlast]

Dont shower with your laptop, Launch. It might seem practical at first but its really not a good idea.

[Darth Launch]

But I like to multi-task

 

DL

[Guest Fishboot]

I'm surprised a conversation about books in a nerdy venue hasn't sparked any "Robert Jordan must die!" responses.

 

I just re-read the first three "A Song of Ice and Fire" books by George R.R. Martin in anticipation of the fourth one, which mostly have bad generic fantasy names that I'd be embarrassed to rattle off. It's a gritty, thusfar lowish magic fantasy series with point-of-view chapters. So far it's a very good series, although it has a good chance of disintegrating into mediocrity as more volumes are added like most other long genre series.

 

 

 

 

 

Tug braid, smooth skirt, describe dress, men are so woolheaded, smooth skirt, [insert other character] would know what to do; he/she understands women/men, smooth skirt, tug braid, tug braid, woolheaded...

[Darth Flatus]

you heard wrong. That happens when you listen to swedish music... cept its your ears that suppurate :D

[metadigital]

I hear reading fantasy books causes suppurating eyesockets.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You should stop listening, then.

[Reveilled]

I'm surprised a conversation about books in a nerdy venue hasn't sparked any "Robert Jordan must die!" responses.

 

I just re-read the first three "A Song of Ice and Fire" books by George R.R. Martin in anticipation of the fourth one, which mostly have bad generic fantasy names that I'd be embarrassed to rattle off. It's a gritty, thusfar lowish magic fantasy series with point-of-view chapters. So far it's a very good series, although it has a good chance of disintegrating into mediocrity as more volumes are added like most other long genre series.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Oh...I remember something about that Jordan guy. He had a series called Wheel of Time, right? Where in the last book not only did time not actually progress over the course of its one and a half inch thickness, in some ways it actually moved backwards? And nothing happened in that book other than one character taking a bath?

 

Something like that, anyway. I remember that from a several hundred word long rant on a forum I used to go to. Never read them, though, and I don't think I will.

[Guest Fishboot]

Oh...I remember something about that Jordan guy.  He had a series called Wheel of Time, right?  Where in the last book not only did time not actually progress over the course of its one and a half inch thickness, in some ways it actually moved backwards?  And nothing happened in that book other than one character taking a bath?

Something like that. I actually stopped reading the series a few books back when I realized I was missing nothing by skimming. If anyone likes to read snarky internet-style rant criticism, find out the title of whatever the latest Wheel of Time book is, then look up the reader reviews on Amazon.com. The best of those reviews are hilarious beams of pure disgust for Jordan.

[metadigital]

Just look up the author ...

[Walsingham]

Don't talk to em about bad sci-fi until you have read both 'Night of the Giant Crabs' and 'Revenge of the Giant Crabs'. I was obliged to read both of these while convalescing in a Southeast Asian guesthouse from stomach problems. I completely forgot my stomach problems in the face of what I believe to be the most terrifyingly bad fiction ever written. Suppurating eyesockets would have been a godsend.

 

And, yeah, maybe I have read too much Clancy. I liked George R.R. Martin, and think he made a good editor of the 'Wildcard' series. So linking to my above statement you can see I'm not so fussy about what I read.

 

And, on the subject of good authors, I'd recommend the 'Budayeen' series (by George Alec effinger) for anyone thinking of running a mid-east cyberpunk campaign, or anyone who likes private eye novels. I'm just in the process now of re-reading 'Exile Kiss', having given up on the Tolkein I was reading earlier.

[metadigital]

I must have better luck with travelling: I picked up Anthony Trollope's The Way We Live Now and didn't get stomache problems on my journey through Indonesia ... Great book, I highly recommend it, especially if you think the modern entrepreneurs and their disingenuous and Machiavellian tactics are new to the twentieth century ...

[Silvershadow]

Don't talk to em about bad sci-fi until you have read both 'Night of the Giant Crabs' and 'Revenge of the Giant Crabs'. I was obliged to read both of these while convalescing in a Southeast Asian guesthouse from stomach problems. I completely forgot my stomach problems in the face of what I believe to be the most terrifyingly bad fiction ever written. Suppurating eyesockets would have been a godsend.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

See, now I'm starting to feel compelled to hunt those books down and read them just to see how bad they really are.

[metadigital]

Life is too short for such misadventure, Silver

[LordRahl33]

THE SWORD OF TRUTH series by Terry Goodking is one of the best fantasy series, if not the best, that I have ever read. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. the first novel in the series is called Wizard's First Rule

[Calax]

"am i a witch or am i a warlock"

[Archmonarch]

I'm surprised a conversation about books in a nerdy venue hasn't sparked any "Robert Jordan must die!" responses.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

My Rant against Robert Jordan :D

 

THE SWORD OF TRUTH series by Terry Goodking is one of the best fantasy series, if not the best, that I have ever read. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy. the first novel in the series is called Wizard's First Rule

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

First of all, his name is Terry Goodkind. Second of all, while I do enjoy his writing, I find the fact that almost all of the female characters (especially ones that play a pivotal role) are raped or sexually assaulted in some way both disturbing and adolescent. Granted, I havent read his last several books. It seems in the last one, the female lead disappears and suddenly no one remembers her except the male lead. I think Goodkind, like Jordan, has run out of ideas and continues his story simply to make money off a well known name.

[Guest Fishboot]

Second of all, while I do enjoy his writing, I find the fact that almost all of the female characters (especially ones that play a pivotal role) are raped or sexually assaulted in some way both disturbing and adolescent.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I have the same problem with the Song of Ice and Fire series.

None of the prominent female characters have been raped so far, but it's a common act among the bestial type males and at least one sympathetic protagonist is a rapist (with extenuating circumstances)

. But if you're going to show a feudal patriarchal and warlike society it's hard to avoid rape without violating verisimilitude. It makes me uncomfortable, though. On top of that prostitution both direct and subtle is also very common. There's kind of a fine line between cryptomisogyny and sincere grittiness.

[Silvershadow]