Books

[Walsingham]

Hay guise, I'm in a British Historical Fiction course right now and am wondering if anyone could lighten my load by lending a hand. The situation is like this; we've talked about Robert Cornwell a couple of times, but there has not been an actual class about the author yet(we've looked into Walter Scott, Jones, Howard, Follet, etc) and I'd like to recitfy the situation by making a brief intro about the author, followed by a class about a short story of my choice. The problem is that I can't come up with a short story by him that I've actually read. I admit to my complete lack of knowledge over the Sharpe series, so I keep hoping someone here at the boards recalls a shorty story by the author, generally in the 30-60 pages range that I could use. Supposedly there's one or two Sharpe ones, but I've only read the Saxon series and Arthur series so far.

 

Help an academian in need!

 

If I may suggest an alternative, George MacDonald Frasier. He is perhaps less obvious, and far more colourful. His fictional works concern the anti-hero Flashman who in turn was a fictional character taken from the classic Tom Brown's school days.

 

G MacD also wrote his own semi-autobiography in 'Quartered Safe Out Here' which is a historical account of his time fighting with 14th Army in Burma during WW2.

 

Therefore, G MacD is not only the author of far more racy books, but you could contrast his true and fictional creations. I think you should find it hard NOT to be able to write reams about him.

[Musopticon?]

Hay guise, I'm in a British Historical Fiction course right now and am wondering if anyone could lighten my load by lending a hand. The situation is like this; we've talked about Robert Cornwell a couple of times, but there has not been an actual class about the author yet(we've looked into Walter Scott, Jones, Howard, Follet, etc) and I'd like to recitfy the situation by making a brief intro about the author, followed by a class about a short story of my choice. The problem is that I can't come up with a short story by him that I've actually read. I admit to my complete lack of knowledge over the Sharpe series, so I keep hoping someone here at the boards recalls a shorty story by the author, generally in the 30-60 pages range that I could use. Supposedly there's one or two Sharpe ones, but I've only read the Saxon series and Arthur series so far.

 

Help an academian in need!

 

If I may suggest an alternative, George MacDonald Frasier. He is perhaps less obvious, and far more colourful. His fictional works concern the anti-hero Flashman who in turn was a fictional character taken from the classic Tom Brown's school days.

 

G MacD also wrote his own semi-autobiography in 'Quartered Safe Out Here' which is a historical account of his time fighting with 14th Army in Burma during WW2.

 

Therefore, G MacD is not only the author of far more racy books, but you could contrast his true and fictional creations. I think you should find it hard NOT to be able to write reams about him.

Hahhah, I would pick him, but we already had a class(well, half a class) about Frasier and Flashman!

 

I'm actually reading the first book now, it's actually very well researched and as far from nationalistic, a trait that often springs up in historical fiction, as possible. And Afghanistan during the late Imperial period an interesting premise to say the least.

 

Thanks though.

[Musopticon?]

I've read every Sharpe series book, as well as the Authurian, the Saxons, and the Holy Grail stuff. But I honestly haven't seen any short stories out there by Cornwell. A few of the Sharpe books are short, I think under 200 pages.

 

(Isn't it Bernard Cornwell, not Robert? Might be a regional publishing thing though, maybe he goes by both.)

 

Looks like there are a couple

 

http://www.amazon.com/Sharpes-Christmas-St...e/dp/0972222014

 

http://www.amazon.com/Sharpes-Skirmish-Ric...d_bxgy_b_text_c

 

I haven't read them, so can't verify if they are any good. None of his books are really rubbish, though, so I imagine they are worth a gander.

You're a godsend! Thanks a lot, I'll see to them.

[Stephen Amber]

Been gaming a bit too much to get any reading done, but I still intend on finishing Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle"(which pretty much sums up the city of chicago) and Poul Andeson's "Boat of a Million Years"(seams like this one has a strong highlander vibe to it) before winter is over.

[Enoch]

Eh. The Jungle was a thinly-disguised bit of socialist propaganda that nobody would remember if it hadn't also happened to be one of the immediate causes of some much-needed regulation of industrial food processing.

 

 

Currently reading James Ellroy's The Big Nowhere.

[Calax]

I just finished the "Arthas" book. It's basically a novelization of Warcraft Three, from the perspective of Arthas. The book makes the change between Paladin to serve the light and his people and Lord Death Knight SIGNIFICANTLY more jarring than the game makes it feel becuase the book makes it seem like he goes to icecrown and BOOM DK. As soon as he's a DK he enjoys being a lord of the slaughter, where as in the game, I always felt like he was just being prideful and envious which caught him in the Lich Kings trap, then had a bit of an issue after he killed dear old dad. He then took a 2 month hiatus where he basically forced himself to loose his humanity before becoming the DK he is in the Undead Campaign.

 

They do discuss how he's still got the human side, but it's so incredibly over played (literally the last 1/3rd of the book, 90% of his acts that we'd consider horrible always send some sort of emotion through him, of regret, or memory of jaina, whatever) that you get bored. I mean I understand that they're trying to tie it to a string of FRIGGIN SWEET quests in WoW's Icecrown zone that have you running around as the Lich king doing various things because he literally ripped out his heart and tossed it aside, but come ON!

 

Also the book is just flat out depressing. I mean I like darker things (see my constant love affair with Glenn Cook) but this is just... to much. I mean the author goes into long discussions on how Arthas is either uncaring or taking joy in the slaughter of the other characters. And while this is ok if it's a backup character, or the main villian in the book (which I suppose he is) but having it come from the person who's perspective you're seeing it from just doesn't feel right. It's better than Richard "I love Rhonin so much he's gonna fight the gods one day" Knaak but not by much.

[Rosbjerg]

Bought 3 books this week, but 2 of them Danish.. The last one however, was Max Brooks' "World War Z", a really interesting book. There's not plot per say, it's simply filled with dozens of personal records of what happened to the survivors of a Zombie Apocalypse.

[Walsingham]

Hahhah, I would pick him, but we already had a class(well, half a class) about Frasier and Flashman!

 

I'm actually reading the first book now, it's actually very well researched and as far from nationalistic, a trait that often springs up in historical fiction, as possible. And Afghanistan during the late Imperial period an interesting premise to say the least.

 

Thanks though.

 

Cool.

[Raithe]

Just finished off Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy... Entertaining read, some original aspects thrown in. Although I do think book 1 (Mistborn) was the best of the three...

[I want teh kotor 3]

I read Anthem the other day. Very, very good.

 

Next on the list is Common Sense, and then Fountainhead.

[cronicler]

Need advice. I am craving for science fiction again. Something big / grand like space opera or a detective noir story of some kind if possible. (Then again I wouldn't say no to a well crafted fantasy either.) Just don't spam commissioned books like most warhammer vomits please. Can anyone recomend obscure / new authors if you know? Thanks in advance guys and gals.

[Oner]

LX-IR? Shadowrun detective story.

[Raithe]

Try the Liaden Universe books by Steve Miller and Sharon Lee.. space opera with some fun dialogue..

Described by certain criticts as "a cross between Star Wars and Pride and Prejudice".

 

Michelle Sagara has a series, Cast in Shadow, Cast in Courtlight, Cast in Secret, which have an interesting mix of fantasy and detective/mystery thrown in together with mysterious powers in the background.

 

Also, if you can still find them Deborah Doyle and James D Macdonalad did the Mageworlds series, which is a quite good space opera collection. A mixture of roguish adventure, hunting a parents assassin, high political shennanigans, conspiracy, set with the potential for a galactic wide war in the background..

Edited February 28, 2010 by Raithe

[Vilhelm]

Currently reading Veins of Ice by Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurdardottir. It's a quite exciting thriller, but I don't think it's been translated to English yet.

 

Also reading through Changing the Game: How Video Games Are Transforming the Future of Business. Exciting material!

[Hurlshort]

I picked up a few books yesterday-

 

1- the new Willie Mays book

 

2-the second Dragon Age book

 

3- book 4 of Gail Martin's Summoner series, a solid fantasy read

[V.Kinrad]

Just finished Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami; loved it from the first few lines. This is an excellent novel and I plan on reading other Murakami novels next

[Raithe]

"To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband's dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor."

 

Now that's a fun opening line to a book. Silent in the Grave, regency era mystery/detective style. Entertaining read with some humerous twists. Makes me think what might have been produced if Jane Austen had been writing Sherlock Holmes..

[cronicler]

Thanks Raithe, I will give them a try (wonder which one will turn up first? I loves book hunting)

[Raithe]

Having a yen for urban fantasy. Currently working through Yasmine Galenorn's Otherworld series...

 

Although it strikes me that an awful lot of urban fantasy is written by female authors and gets labelled as "romance".

After reading so many, I have to say, the same sort of stories, with the same character interaction, written by a guy.. would never get classed as a "romance".

 

It's kind of interesting how publishers decide to "fix" certain genres like that... Or is it just the "anti-fantasy" snobbery that goes on a lot?

[Guard Dog]

Now reading Autobiography of Red Cloud: War Leader of the Oglalas . It's not actually an autobiography since it was told third hand but at least the author did know Red Cloud. Out of all the indian tribes I find the Lakota Sioux and Seminoles to be by far the most fascinating.

[Hurlshort]

I finished the second Dragon Age book, The Calling. It was ok, not as solid as the first one. It answered a few questions.

 

I might be the only loser who read both and played the games here, but what is the deal

with the kid Maric had with Fiona? That isn't supposed to be Alistair, I assume. Which means Maric slept with other women?

I don't know, it just seemed altogether odd.

 

I did like the Architect. Bit of a lame ending, but Gaider develops characters well enough to keep me reading.

[Purkake]

Almost done with A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. I finally got into it and it's really good.

[Calax]

Almost done with A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. I finally got into it and it's really good.

Yeah, they kinda drag to a point don't they?

[Raithe]

I got into the start of A Game of Thrones.. read the first 4 or 5 books. But I found the last two I read were like hammering my head into a wall and I just forced myself to finish them. So I gave up on the series. Might try again in a few years mayhaps...

 

Enjoyed Baen's eARC copy to get hold of "Mouse and Dragon" by Sharon Lee And Steve Miller. A nice space opera continuation there...

[Purkake]

Almost done with A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. I finally got into it and it's really good.

Yeah, they kinda drag to a point don't they?

Yup, but things are finally happening, so I'm happy.