All the Literature and Reading Stuff...

[Malcador]

Read Old Man's War first out of that list. But stop after that. Also read Kloos' series (Lines of Departure is the first? ) but that becomes lame military fiction pretty quick.

[injurai]

Wheel of Time is a lot of reading. It's like eating a box full of peanut butter sandwiches. It great if you really like peanut butter sandwiches. The first seven books were good. Then is lost it's way for a while. Then is gets back on track for a pretty good finish. All the loose ends get tied up except for one.

 

Malazan sucked. It's not about anything. It's a book of subplots.

 

Old Man's War was OK. Well, book one was OK. Book two less so. It was out of gas by book 3. Don't bother with book 4. He just re-wrote book 3 from a different characters perspective. Obviously Scalzi signed a 4 book deal but only had enough creative juice for 3. More like 2.5 really.

 

Some of the folks around here said good things about Black Company. I've never read it. The other's I'm afraid I don't know.

 

People that get a few books into Malazan seem to really adore it. I hear the beginning just tosses you in the deep end though. I guess the series was started off of years worth of world building for dnd campaigns.

 

Scalzi seems divisive, but I figure I might as well figure out for myself. I've had more recommendations than dissenters. I like the pitch for his new series, but I thought I might as well give his first series a shot first considering the new series is a long ways off.

 

The Black Company starts off quite well, if you like your Fantasy with a certain Vietnam War element. Although when you get down to it, it should technically be considered more a linked set of shorter series. The Books of the North (a trilogy), The Books of the South (a duology), and the Books of the Glittering Stone (a quartet) plus a spin off stand-alone story. The whole thing covers about 30-40 years of the mercenary company.

 

In regards to the Wheel of Time - Personally, I really loved the majority of t he series. As has been mentioned the middle few books start to stretch and slow down some. Part of it is the abundance of characters and sub-plots and how it shows the ripple effects of actions taken. Which, your mileage may vary. Most fantasy stories seem to treat the main party as if they're in a bubble. They act, but the world only changes in specific manner to their actions, they move on and the world goes back to what it was. The Wheel of Time expands on so much of the consequences of the initial actions, and pretty much compounds it as the story goes on. So by the last few books there is a LOT going on and a lot of characters reacting and acting to various events. To me, it felt like a much more living, breathing world than most other series I've read.

 

Cosmere - Again this is an odd one. Basically Sanderson has said all of his various series are set in this fictional universe. They don't really cross-over, each series is stand-alone to read. So it's better to take Elantris, Mistborn, Warbreaker etc on their individual series merits rather than go through them en-masse.

 

I didn't know that about The Black Company, that would actually make it easier to consume that series with a few nice gaps for breaks. Maybe I'll save that for winter when things are feeling dark and grim. I'm liking the sound of the 3 primary arcs though.

 

Cosmere was the first series I was considering when looking for something long to get into. It being ongoing wasn't a big deal since it seems he's tied up segments of it. Especially Mistborn. I'm a bit more inclined to read Stormlight Archives but I figured I'd just tackle the whole of the Cosmere in release order. But then I saw he finished off some beloved series and did a good job at it. So I started looking at the Wheel of Time as maybe the next read. I guess if I burn out during the middle that's fine, and can always come back.

[Amentep]

Thomas Covenant... eh, it's one of those that can impress me on a certain literary level, but storywise it left me fairly repulsed.

 

There's also a certain degree of repetition in the Thomas Covenant books.  I never completed them because after the umpteenth time Covenant ran the words "Leper! Outcast! Unclean!" through his mind while doubting himself (or similar; I read this years ago) I just couldn't take more of it.  Not that it isn't true to life, I guess, but it just grated after awhile.

 

YMMV, of course.

[Gromnir]

 

Thomas Covenant... eh, it's one of those that can impress me on a certain literary level, but storywise it left me fairly repulsed.

 

There's also a certain degree of repetition in the Thomas Covenant books.  I never completed them because after the umpteenth time Covenant ran the words "Leper! Outcast! Unclean!" through his mind while doubting himself (or similar; I read this years ago) I just couldn't take more of it.  Not that it isn't true to life, I guess, but it just grated after awhile.

 

YMMV, of course.

 

 

the thomas covenant character is unique.  contrary to the belief o' many, there is no inherent qualitative boon resulting from unique.  

 

*shrug*

 

am admitted finding more appreciation o' the first three covenant novels as we get older. typical we rage at bloated multi volume works which include three or more +300 page books which cannot stand alone as meaningful and complete stories.  yeah, each volume coulda' benefited from considerable additional editing, but am thinking all three novels were necessary.  

 

not gonna try and change anybody's mind 'bout donaldson's covenant books particular as we got loads o' complaints 'bout the novels.  even so, we put 'em in our extreme limited catalog o' must-read fantasy works. 

 

HA! Good Fun!

[injurai]

What else is in Gromnir's must reads?

[Gromnir]

What else is in Gromnir's must reads?

will limit to fantasy and will avoid the argument as to whether stuff such as the bible, gilgamesh and beowulf count as fantasy.  am also avoiding collections of short stories, so no fritz leiber or rudyard kipling as much as they deserve a place on the list for their short tales. am also ignoring graphic novels, a few o' which deserve a place on such a list.

 

the hour of the dragon- robert e. howard

little, big- john crowley

the wizard of earthsea- ursula k. leguin

peace & the wizard knight- gene wolfe 

the chronicles of amber- roger zelazny

grendel- john gardner

the phantom tollbooth- norton juster

a swiftly tilting planet- madeleine l'engle

the graveyard book and neverwhere- neil gaiman

the stealer of souls & stormbringer- michael moor****

the dragon waiting- john m. ford

the hobbit- j.r.r. tolkien

his dark materials- philip pullman

outside the dog museum- jonathan carroll

alice in wonderland- lewis carroll

westmark- lloyd alexander

the forgotten beasts of eld- patricia a. mckillip

the once and future king- t.h. white

 

...

 

and the aforementioned covenant books (first three) by donaldson.

 

guilty pleasure addition: legend- david gemmell

 

is a few particular notables missing from our list which tend to be on every other such list, but am having no patience for bad prose and reflexive additions. c.s. lewis' narnia books also deserve recognition, but am finding it difficult to include 'em on our must-read list as is almost brutal christian allegory which many readers is gonna justifiably find to be punishing rather than entertaining.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Raithe]

I always favour Lewis' Screwtape Letters to his Narnia chronicles.

[Gromnir]

as an aside, our list purposeful avoided a few novels typical classified as magical realism.  am not certain why metamorphosis, one hundred years of solitude and beloved has been deemed to be magical realism 'stead o' fantasy, but such is the silly academic's world in which we live.  we chose to avoid confusion by withholding a half dozen or so novels o' magical realism 'cause such works were unlikely to be found in the fantasy section o' the local or internet bookstore.

 

...

 

utilizing Gromnir's definitions o' the fantastic, we woulda also included moby **** as a work o' fantasy.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[injurai]

I guess you picked up on my current inclination towards fantasy. o' course sci-fi was in there as well. The examples probably tend towards science fantasy with maybe one of them being hard scifi. But I was indeed leaning towards the fantasy for my next read and figured, while I was posing such a quesiton, I would also poll opinion on scifi. But Gromnir is too keen for this one.

 

Har! Cheers Mate!

[Gromnir]

the genre labels vex us.

 

*shrug*

 

sci-fi is covering such disparate novels as to be an almost meaningless descriptor.  however, unlike the ordinary fantasy author, a real sci-fi writer will do his/her best horatio cocles impersonation in defense o' a meaningless label.  am not doubting isaac asimov would, if still living, break a nearby beer bottle and go for your throat with the shattered remains if you suggested "sci-fi" were a pointless genre.

 

we could list quality sci-fi, but then we would feel compelled to distinguish the hard science from science fantasy.  dystopian is frequent sci-fi, but while fahrenheit 451 might qualify as sci-fi, it can't happen here likely does not... but what 'bout the man in the high castle?  a canticle for leibowitz is post-apocalyptic, so is kinda sci-fi, though am pretty sure it would fail mr. asimov's test regarding what sorta novel qualifies as teh rehul sci-fi. 

 

*shrug*

 

more important, am realizing we neglected a bradbury novel when posting our must read fantasy list: something wicked this way comes.  apologies. 

 

 

not a great film, but ok.  

 

HA! Good Fun!

[injurai]

Something Wicked This Way Comes is fantastic and it took me a while to realize that. It was required reading so I naturally had a sort of a attitude against it going on. I may also have a knee jerk reaction in the negative direction against anything carny related. The book really made any derivative work in that style worthless and that's saying something,

[Amentep]

To be fair, it was - I think the fifth Covenant novel that began to annoy me and the sixth that drove me off. I did like the original trilogy pretty well, but have never went back to reread.

[Guard Dog]

.

 

...

 

utilizing Gromnir's definitions o' the fantastic, we woulda also included moby **** as a work o' fantasy.

 

HA! Good Fun!

I enjoyed the story of Moby **** (if not all of the book) immensely. But with Fedallah and his role in the book, tempering a harpoon in blood, and a few other things,  yeah it checks off a few of the fantasy boxes. I found the true story of the Essex to be even more compelling. Sperm whales attacking and damaging whaling boats and ships was pretty common. But that was a bloody big one to sink a ship. And of course what came next was the most compelling part of all. 

[Raithe]

On the somewhat literature related element:

 

 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/black-tide-rising-film#/    - A licensed proof of concept film bringing author John Ringo's "Black Tide Rising" universe to life.

 

 

Short Summary

This film will be made by and for the fans.  When we say fans we include current and future fans:

• Three military veterans came together to form RMB Productions.  Two Navy veterans, Richard Rosenthal and Brett Lynch, one Air Force veteran, Mike Lermon.
• We are taking on this project because we immediately fell in love with the passion and in depth research into the plausibility of a zombie apocalypse.    
• Unfortunately, similar projects made by major studios or networks are usually watered down, losing the original feel and story-line.  The importance of making our project this way is this..it allows us to properly capture the essence of the characters and universe that John Ringo so masterfully crafted on the written page.

What We Need & What You Get

• We are looking to raise $525,000 at a minimum to have this film made the way we want it and the way it should.  The challenge with making a film like this is that it will require more post production then most other film genres.
• We have packed in the perks for this campaign because we want every contributor to feel like a member of Wolf Squadron, and truly be a part of it, from beginning to end!
• If for some reason we don't raise the funds needed, we will be giving the funds back as this is not the type of project that one should do halfway.  This is not a student film, and we don't want to dishonor the legacy of the franchise by making a sub-par product.

The Impact

What matters most in your favorite films and TV shows?  Amazing effects and expertly choreographed action sequences thrill us, but at the end of the day it’s a well-crafted story that captures our imaginations and brings us back for more. It’s often true that the best stories on screen first came to life on the pages of our favorite books, and there’s no better author in the realm of Science Fiction than New York Times Bestselling author John Ringo

Risks & Challenges

Our first challenge was getting the rights to work with the Black Tide Rising universe. RMB Productions, working with Baen Publishing and author John Ringo, has taken an option on the Black Tide Rising Books Under A Graveyard Sky, To Sail A Darkling Sea, Islands of Rage & Hope, Strands of Sorrow, and The Black Tide Rising Anthology. Our first challenge has been overcome.

Our next challenge is raising the monies needed to produce a proof of concept film piece, that can be used to market our concept to distributors and financial investors who will bring John Ringo’s Black Tide Rising series to the screen as episodic TV. The concept film piece will be the Welcome To Wolf Squadron Video; this will tell the beginning of the Black Tide Rising story that dedicated fans already know, and quickly introduce new fans!

What's the fun part? Shooting the Welcome To Wolf Squadron Video itself which allows us to bring Faith, Sophia, Steve and Stacey Smith and the other Black Tide Rising characters to life.

What will be some of our challenges during shooting? The at-sea footage and the fight scenes. Fortunately for RMB Productions, we have access to an extremely talented roster of film and TV people who work here in Georgia to help us make this the best shoot ever. Georgia has great locations, such as Savannah and Tybee Island, for shooting the at sea and beach landing scenes  

• Even if you can't contribute, you can help by getting the work out on social media to your friends. Help us make some noise about this project!

• You can use the Indiegogo share tools!

What Do The Fans Have to Say?

• From Lee, Wolf Squadron backer in Georgia.

"Why does BTR need to become an episodic series?

           -Because it would be “Lighting a Candle.”

"Roughly speaking, why do we need to see BTR after all the other stuff that's out there?"

-Because nobody has gotten it right yet! What really would happen if the lights went out and Zeds stalked the land?  Humanity would do what it has always done:  To paraphrase Clint Eastwood’s quote from the movie Heartbreak Ridge and the unofficial motto of the Marine Corps, Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome! 

- Somewhere among the survivors, there would be people who had the American spirit, “Land of the Free, Home of the Brave” and “Go Big or Go Home.”  As the jacket to book 4 says, “The Struggle To Reclaim Civilization Continues.”  I simply don’t believe anything has given tribute to the sense of duty a real American would have.  If there is ever a post-apocalypse gathering of a group of Americans, somewhere in there will be dreamers who want America back because of all it stands for, leaders who will bring out the best in the survivors, and strong people ready to do violence to get America back and bring the rest of the world with it.  BTR needs to get out there to show how real Americans would do it.  

Welcome to Wolf Squadron!"

[SonicMage117]

On lunch breaks I've been delving a bit into HP Lovecraft - Sunless Sea inspires me.

 

I find HP's mind to be... unique and interesting. He's like a schizophrenic Jules Verne in a way

[Guard Dog]

Happy 200th Birthday to Henry David Thoreau.

 

Thoreau was jailed for refusing to pay taxes to the government for its endorsement of slavery and the Mexican-American war, Ralph Waldo Emerson visited him in jail and asked, “Henry, what are you doing in there?” Thoreau replied, “Waldo, the question is what are you doing out there?”

[HoonDing]

Not paying taxes because the government does bad stuff, hmmmm. Guess nobody ever pays taxes then.

[SonicMage117]

I noticed that my free e-books are now missing. I revently got 10 books free with/for my phone but can't seem to find them. If anyone has any experience with e-books on android....

[Gfted1]

Which app are you using, Nook? At least for iOS, e-books are put into the app library where they were purchased. So in my case, they are all in a little faux library in my Nook app.

[Gromnir]

Not paying taxes because the government does bad stuff, hmmmm. Guess nobody ever pays taxes then.

keep in mind thoreau did not see injustice in the government incarcerating him for refusing to pay taxes.  thoreau understood there were consequences to his actions.  is gonna be few folks with the kinda commitment and resolve displayed by mr. thoreau.  

 

HA! Good Fun!

[SonicMage117]

Which app are you using, Nook? At least for iOS, e-books are put into the app library where they were purchased. So in my case, they are all in a little faux library in my Nook app.

All it says it "Google Play Books"

[injurai]

In the Play Books app you should be able to navigate to your library (down at the bottom.)

[SonicMage117]

In the Play Books app you should be able to navigate to your library (down at the bottom.)

Ahh...Looks like I may have accidently deleted them somehow or maybe someone else did without knowing. Seems I must download them one by one.

 

Thanks guys for the help!

[Guard Dog]

Now reading this:

 

In 1944 25 German POWs tunneled out of an Arizona internment camp and tried to reach Mexico. All were recaptured but they gave it a hell of a run. 

[majestic]

Started reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen series:

 

 

Only about 3.2 million words left to read. Bit daunting with the thousands of characters and all, but at least the series finished. Unlike someone else's whose TV adaptation is the only closure we'll ever get. /bitter