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Are there any good Star Wars books at all or are those just the least terrible?
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Feb 15, 2010 22:36
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unleash the unicorn posted:Are there any good Star Wars books at all or are those just the least terrible? For certain definitions of "good", yes. If you're going in expecting a cool sci fi story set in the Star Wars universe, you won't be disappointed.
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Feb 15, 2010 22:45
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Zahn's are actually pretty good in general, I'd say. It has been probably 10 years at least since I read them, but I can't recall anything bad about them, unlike Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy trilogy which makes the Star Wars prequel movies look like Oscar material by comparison. Edit: Fixed title error. Encryptic fucked around with this message at 01:36 on Feb 16, 2010 |
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Feb 15, 2010 22:46
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I just finished Neuromancer and I really enjoyed it. I went and got Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive and now I'm wondering what else I should pick up thats in the same vein?
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Feb 16, 2010 01:08
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^^^ Kevin J. Anderson wrote the Jedi Academy series. Not the New Jedi Order, which was written mostly by a different author for every book, except in certain cases of 3 book sets.unleash the unicorn posted:Are there any good Star Wars books at all or are those just the least terrible? The New Jedi Order is 19 books of mostly good material. Vector Prime is the first in the series. gently caress the haters. The Jedi Academy series with Kyp Durron and the Sun Crusher is also decent. The books are Jedi Search, Dark Apprentice and Champions of the Force. Keep in mind I read these back in... middle school? I'd also say that the Dhamon Saga of Dragonlance was one of the better stories in that setting, too. Again, middle school. Bummey fucked around with this message at 01:11 on Feb 16, 2010 |
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Feb 16, 2010 01:09
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Bummey posted:Over in the worst thread of The Book Barn I was reminded of Atlas Shrugged. For all its flaws and horrible preaching philosophy, it is a story about the fall of society. I like stories about the fall of society. Can anyone recommend some books that deal with this subject? Preferably not ones that come about because of some sort of mutually assured destruction war, but internal strife and sabotage, general incompetence, etc. Hate to bump this, but for a new page I'm gonna do it anyway! edit: and double post in the process 
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Feb 16, 2010 01:11
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Bummey posted:^^^ Kevin J. Anderson wrote the Jedi Academy series. Not the New Jedi Order, which was written mostly by a different author for every book, except in certain cases of 3 book sets. Yeah, my bad - I fixed the title in my original post. I read the Jedi Academy trilogy about the same time you did and thought it was good back then, but in retrospect after reading it more recently, it's pretty crappy, especially all the stuff with Han and Leia's kids. The general ideas (the Sun Crusher, Luke trying to start a Jedi academy) are mostly decent, but Anderson's execution sucks. Encryptic fucked around with this message at 01:49 on Feb 16, 2010 |
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Feb 16, 2010 01:42
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Team Black Zion posted:If you haven't already read a Peoples History of the United States by Howard Zinn, it's the most important critical look at American history and politics (with an emphasis on greed and corruption) that you will probably ever read. It doesn't start in the contemporary era, though, it builds from the birth of America and then works its way upwards. If you want a book where every page will make you mad as hell at capitalism then that would be it. It's actually pretty superficial and ideologically driven compared to much more well-researched, theorized, and scholarly Marxist, post-Marxist, and critical theory texts.
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Feb 16, 2010 02:54
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ONE TWO THREE TIMES TWO TO THE SIX/JONESING FOR YOUR FIX OF THAT LIMP BIZKIT MIX
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7 y.o. bitch posted:It's actually pretty superficial and ideologically driven compared to much more well-researched, theorized, and scholarly Marxist, post-Marxist, and critical theory texts. Anything you'd recommend?
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Feb 16, 2010 03:55
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Yes, I would be happy to expand my knowledge of the subject, any recommendations would be appreciated.
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Feb 16, 2010 04:22
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Team Black Zion posted:Yes, I would be happy to expand my knowledge of the subject, any recommendations would be appreciated. Are you talking about Marxism/Crit Theory in general, or specifically regarding a survey of American history?
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Feb 16, 2010 04:24
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Either.
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Feb 16, 2010 05:18
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Let's just say this: all national histories are plagued with ideological biases that leave major flaws. That said, Paul Johnson's complrehensive A History of the American People is also flawed. It is ambitious, sprawling, tendentious, and drove me crazy in many ways on every page. It is probably the best all-in-one history of the USA, which may or may not be saying much, but unless you're looking for more specialised material, you should probably start with this one. The Zinn book will taste like a refreshing ice cream sundae after Johnson's meat and potatoes book, but you can't live on deserts.
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Feb 16, 2010 05:26
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Vormav posted:Well, I was going to recommend David Brin's The Postman, but it doesn't match your description quite as well. I mean, the first part is pretty close, but then it gets more into a Fallout type scenario in the second part (i.e. less of a "lone wolf struggling to survive" story and more of a "rebuild society in the aftermath of an apocalypse" story). But since you've already read The Road, I'll throw it out there. It's a good yarn and worth a read. Thanks, I'll give it a try! 
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Feb 16, 2010 13:57
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I'm looking for a tech thriller to break in my Kindle. Something similar to Crichton when he was really in his prime - I'd like a real page turner but it obviously doesn't have to be some kind of literary masterpiece. I tried Douglas Preston's Impact and Crichton's Pirate Latitudes but I was underwhelmed by both novels. Thanks for any recommendations.
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Feb 16, 2010 16:27
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I want to read a Cormac McCarthy book next? What should I start with? I think I remember posters here saying to start with certain ones before moving onto his greater works. Otherwise I'm just gonna start with The Road.
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Feb 16, 2010 16:48
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7 y.o. bitch posted:it's so hard to find good fantasy that doesn't silence women's voices and remove their autonomy! I'm sure you know what I'm "Tolkien" about The Jirel of Joiry stories by C. L. Moore would fit the bill, although they are of the "Weird Tales" sword-and-sorcery, rather than Tolkienian, variety of fantasy. There's also The Mists of Avalon, which is a feminist take on Arthurian fantasy (it sucks). criptozoid fucked around with this message at 19:05 on Feb 16, 2010 |
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Feb 16, 2010 18:52
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BelgianSandwich posted:I want to read a Cormac McCarthy book next? The Road is probably his most accessible work, though The Border Trilogy and No Country For Old Men are also pretty easy to read from what I recall. Blood Meridian and Suttree are the best books I've read by him, though they're not the easiest to get into.
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Feb 16, 2010 19:33
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Sorry in advance for the wall of text. I wrote this response when I had better things to be doing. 7 y.o. bitch posted:Hi guys, I'm looking for a book that takes on misogyny and patriarchal oppression from a Tolkienien standpoint, it's so hard to find good fantasy that doesn't silence women's voices and remove their autonomy! I'm sure you know what I'm "Tolkien" about I should really ask my wife about this and post her response; this kind of thing is her passion. She really enjoys FF but only reads stuff with strong female protagonists. She's not even especially feminist or anything. I guess, like a lot of people reading popular fiction, she’s just looking for heroes she can identify with. She also dislikes the self-indulgent sex scenes that seem common among FF authors male & female alike. For that reason she tends toward YA books which some people dismiss out of hand. Off the top of my head, I know she’d enthusiastically recommend The Alanna Series by Tamora Pierce (favorites from her childhood) and The Obernewtyn Chronicles by Isobelle Carmody which she’s been reading recently. She’s also read and liked books by Mary Brown and is very keen on the series that starts with Resenting the Hero by Moira J. Moore Of these, I’ve read a bit of everything but Resenting the Hero. In general, the missus has great taste regarding quality of writing and depth of world/characters no matter what genre she reads and that’s reflected in this selection. Obviously, though, your mileage may vary. Alana is straight up FF – swords, magic, and whatnot. They’re defiantly YA or kids books but highly enjoyable (I read the first two in my early twenties and found them plenty engaging). It also specifically addresses misogyny as the primary issue of the plot revolves around social mores which insist that women can’t train to be knights. Obernewtyn is FF-like set in a feudal society that rose up after the (presumably nuclear) apocalypse. I didn’t read far enough to know for sure, but I strongly suspect that it was our earth or as close as makes no difference. I found the first book a bit slow going but I liked the world and characters it established. It seemed like the payoff was coming in the second book but I’m easily distracted and haven’t finished that yet. This one didn’t seem to address feminism overtly, the hero just happens to be a girl. (Who’s hated/hunted for reasons other than her sex.) Mary Brown is a bit lighter, tending toward humorous FF. It’s not outright comedy though, just a bit more whimsical in tone. Her first book, The Unlikely Ones, is really fun. The heroine is a pudgy, arguably unattractive girl who has the misfortune of being the village whore’s daughter. She’s very practical, stalwart and immediately – immensely – likable. All I know about Resenting the Hero is that Mrs. Plum loves them. So much so, she takes the unusual step of buying them new as they’re released. (That’s a huge recommendation. She works at a library, is irritatingly patient most of the time, and generally disdains spending money on anything other than food and drink.) I gather they tend toward comedy as well. None of these are quite Tolkenian, I don’t know where else you’d find depth like that. On the other hand, much as I like and respect Tolkien, I’d say all of these are much more readable and the worlds are well constructed, if not quite as painstakingly researched & detailed. The characters are much more realistic (though, I gather that Tolkien meant to present archetypes rather than proper people) and, of course, the woman’s point of view gets at least equal billing. criptozoid posted:There's also The Mists of Avalon, which is a feminist take on Arthurian fantasy (it sucks). Yikes? To be fair, I only know Marion Zimmer Bradley by name but isn’t that like recommending Anne McCaffery? It did make me wonder if you or anyone else here was familiar with Mary Stewart, who wrote an Arthur (actually, apparently a Merlin) series in the 70’s starting with The Crystal Cave. Don’t know if they’re feminist or not, I just keep seeing them around. Which reminds me: If you like Arthurian legend and, again, don’t mind YA books, I can’t recommend Gerald Morris highly enough. His Camelot series starts with A Squire’s Tale and is just wonderful. Not expressly feminist, he tends to focus on the minor character from major stories. Several of his protagonists are spunky, independent, intelligent young women and generally the sexes are treated equally. E: OK, so, I showed this post to my wife. She chided me a bit for missing the "Tolkien" part of the request with these recommendations (Obernewtyn coming closest). She said she got bored with the Hero series and drifted away from it  . She does like all of these, she's just a bit shy about her tastes and not sure they fit the bill. She said she could come up with a list ("Honey, I've read so much over the years") but her first recommendation was The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon. She loved this one and, apparently, it's closer in epic scale to Tolkein while having been written by a woman and featuring a female protagonist. She seemed keen on the fact that Moon was actually in the military so all of the military stuff is very realistic seeming.
King Plum the Nth fucked around with this message at 08:24 on Feb 17, 2010 |
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Feb 16, 2010 20:37
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King Plum the Nth posted:It did make me wonder if you or anyone else here was familiar with Mary Stewart, who wrote an Arthur (actually, apparently a Merlin) series in the 70’s starting with The Crystal Cave. Don’t know if they’re feminist or not, I just keep seeing them around. I read the Merlin trilogy (actually, there's a 4th book as well but it focuses on Mordred and the death of Arthur, with Merlin only playing a supporting role) last summer and it was rather good - basically a retelling of the Merlin/Arthur legend with a bit more of a historical feel to it. Not really a feminist work, though. I read Mists of Avalon years ago and it was OK - interesting interpretation of the mythos, but not particularly memorable. Encryptic fucked around with this message at 21:56 on Feb 16, 2010 |
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Feb 16, 2010 21:53
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7 y.o. bitch posted:Are you talking about Marxism/Crit Theory in general, or specifically regarding a survey of American history? Please go back to that cavernous pit of scoff formerly known as Phiz.
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Feb 17, 2010 19:44
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Just got done reading all of Anthony Bourdain, I do love his work but I would love to read more about the culinary arts. Where is a good place to begin?
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Feb 18, 2010 02:39
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Flaggy posted:Just got done reading all of Anthony Bourdain, I do love his work but I would love to read more about the culinary arts. Where is a good place to begin? How to Cook a Wolf by M F K Fisher. Really, anything she wrote is gold but if you only read one this is the one. There's a lot of story telling among the recipes, not quite a narrative cookbook but it can almost be read that way. It's a fascinating read because she's talking about cooking well on a budget and getting back to basics. Which is all trendy now but this was published in 1942; she's writing for an audience limited by wartime rationing. So it's a neat read on multiple levels: good practical cooking advice & recipes, kitchen/home economic theory, history, anthropology, etc. It's seriously good poo poo and ought to be in the foundation of any well rounded cook's development.
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Feb 18, 2010 07:06
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While I'm here, I apologize for the bump but I'm bummed and surprised that TBB didn't jump all over my earlier request. Can anybody recommend me some metal sci-fi? To expand: I'm enthralled by the 1970's and enjoyed the film Heavy Metal. So think of the music, the themes, the film, the comics. Think of ideology that stemmed from that era: Judge Dread, V for Vendetta (from the 80's, I know, but it feels born of the spirit of disaffection I associate with the 70's), punk music. Think of Britain. Think of the glut of sci-fi that inundated every medium in the 70's but I'm not limiting my search to sci-fi. Mystery, weird fiction, pulp of that decade. I'm not sure I've ever read quite what I"m looking for. Some spiritual examples would be the works of Donald Goines, the Continental Op stories by Dashiell Hammett, Crooked Little Vein by Warren Ellis. I'm really looking for anything that could be suggested by some combination or all of these sources and which will encourage the reader to go "gently caress ya!!!!" and pump his fist from time to time. Anybody?
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Feb 18, 2010 07:25
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King Plum the Nth posted:She said she could come up with a list ("Honey, I've read so much over the years") but her first recommendation was The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon. She loved this one and, apparently, it's closer in epic scale to Tolkein while having been written by a woman and featuring a female protagonist. She seemed keen on the fact that Moon was actually in the military so all of the military stuff is very realistic seeming. Seconding the recommendation for Deed of Paksenarrion - loving excellent series, nice heroic arc from "farmer's daughter" to "amazing (yet still plausible) badass". Paks is probably my favorite female protagonist.
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Feb 19, 2010 01:16
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King Plum the Nth posted:E: Thanks man! I really appreciate it! I was actually asking for my SO, who's a vegan hipster chick who has a hard-on for Joanna Newsom, so the Tolkien part was really super important! Nai haryuvalyë melwa rë!
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Feb 19, 2010 02:38
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7 y.o. bitch posted:Thanks man! I really appreciate it! I was actually asking for my SO, who's a vegan hipster chick who has a hard-on for Joanna Newsom, so the Tolkien part was really super important! Nai haryuvalyë melwa rë! Troll makes a silly —for him, that is— request, receives a surprisingly informative answer, makes some dumb remark, returns to PHIZ with the feeling of a job well done and none the wiser. Why would 7 yob have to ask about fantasy in the first place, trolls are already magical creatures anyway. Here's a bit of troll-related female fantasy empowerment: Jack Vance posted:Saint Uldine attempted the baptism of a troll in the waters of Black Meira Tarn. She was indefatigable; he raped her four times during her efforts, until at last she despaired. In due course she gave birth to four imps. The last of these, Ignaldus, became father to the eery knight Sir Sacrontine who could not sleep of nights until he had killed a Christian. Saint Uldine’s other children were Drathe, Alleia and Bazille.*
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Feb 19, 2010 16:04
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An anynone recommend a translation of the illiad that they like or is particularly well reviewed ? Reading for pleasure not necessarily academics, if that changes your vote at all.
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Feb 19, 2010 17:54
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cereal eater posted:An anynone recommend a translation of the illiad that they like or is particularly well reviewed ? Reading for pleasure not necessarily academics, if that changes your vote at all. There's a thread that discusses this very issue, actually. http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3256544 Summary of the basic consensus is this: If you're reading for academic purposes, Lattimore is the translation you want. Reading for fun, Robert Fagles'.
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Feb 19, 2010 19:16
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Could someone recommend me some plays that work well read? The only playwrights I have any deeper familiarity with are Shakespeare and Strindberg.
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Feb 19, 2010 23:06
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Fodder Cannon posted:Could someone recommend me some plays that work well read? The only playwrights I have any deeper familiarity with are Shakespeare and Strindberg. If you feel like reading some dark comedy, try The Pillowman , by Martin McDonagh. If you want a new take on an old story, try Derek Walcott's Odyssey: A Stage Version. If you want to laugh your rear end off and wonder what the hell was wrong with the ancient Greeks, try Lysistrata, by Aristophanes. I don't even really like reading plays, and enjoyed these three immensely.
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Feb 20, 2010 01:19
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7 y.o. bitch posted:Thanks man! I really appreciate it! I was actually asking for my SO, who's a vegan hipster chick who has a hard-on for Joanna Newsom, so the Tolkien part was really super important! Nai haryuvalyë melwa rë! I'm sorry to hear your SO won't eat meet. That's a hell of a way to go through life.
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Feb 20, 2010 01:42
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I want a book, obviously... genre, author, fiction, non-fiction, everything but the type of story is irrelevant. The only thing that matters to be me that it is generally about a character who has everything going for him and because of something he did (or even BETTER, what I really want... something he THINKS he did that he convinces himself is so bad and he just goes away and everybody around him who cares about him is left wondering and worrying) loses it all and is alone and left with nothing. I'm not really interested in whether or not he gains it all back. That's the best way I could describe the type of book I am looking for. Is that way too specific, or do y'all got something I could read?
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Feb 20, 2010 12:44
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Regicide posted:I want a book, obviously... genre, author, fiction, non-fiction, everything but the type of story is irrelevant. The only thing that matters to be me that it is generally about a character who has everything going for him and because of something he did (or even BETTER, what I really want... something he THINKS he did that he convinces himself is so bad and he just goes away and everybody around him who cares about him is left wondering and worrying) loses it all and is alone and left with nothing. I'm not really interested in whether or not he gains it all back. I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but you could try Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe. A rich, succesful bond trader's life pretty much falls apart after an incident where he accidentally strikes an inner city youth with his car.
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Feb 20, 2010 16:13
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ArmadilloConspiracy posted:If you feel like reading some dark comedy, try The Pillowman , by Martin McDonagh. Perfect, thank you.
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Feb 20, 2010 16:59
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Where should one start with William Faulkner?
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Feb 21, 2010 11:21
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voland posted:Where should one start with William Faulkner? Anywhere, I started with The Sound and The Fury and was none the worse off for it. Just like with most any book, if you put in the time, focus, enjoyment, and emotion, it isn't nearly as difficult as people make it out to be. And considering how it's the best American novel of the 20th century, it'd be good to read anyway.
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Feb 21, 2010 15:38
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Hi, I really enjoyed David Mitchell's Sci-Fi style stuff, "Number 9 Dream", "Cloud Atlas", is there anything similar to this anyone can recommend? I've read most of the standard stuff, Erikson to Murakami etc..
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Feb 22, 2010 01:45
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Fodder Cannon posted:Could someone recommend me some plays that work well read? The only playwrights I have any deeper familiarity with are Shakespeare and Strindberg. I think Bernard Shaw is good; the plays are generally lively and his character descriptions are often as much worth reading as his dialogue. One character in his Widowers' Houses is described as "fidgety, touchy, and constitutionally ridiculous in uncompassionate eyes." They're very different but I never enjoyed Aristophanes as much as I did Euripedes, particularly Rex Warner's translation of Medea. If you've read Shakespeare, you should at least read Marlowe's Doctor Faustus and Thomas Kyd's Spanish Tragedy. I have a soft spot for Webster though; his Duchess of Malfi is worth reading for Bosola alone. While you're at it, Ben Jonson is great; I started with Volpone, which is broadly funny in a way that hasn't dated to the point of incomprehensibility. If you do read Jonson, I don't recommend you pursue the Roman plays that will inevitably be mentioned in footnotes.
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Feb 22, 2010 05:03
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Flaggy posted:Just got done reading all of Anthony Bourdain, I do love his work but I would love to read more about the culinary arts. Where is a good place to begin? If you liked Bourdain's writings on kitchen life, I'd recommend you check out Heat by Bill Buford.
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Feb 22, 2010 10:17
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