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Robot_Rumpus posted:Any recommendations for science fiction horror? I would even consider Rendezvous with Rama as a slight sci-fi horror. Thanks. The Black Corridor by Michael Moorcock
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Jan 4, 2012 23:45
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Robot_Rumpus posted:Any recommendations for science fiction horror? I would even consider Rendezvous with Rama as a slight sci-fi horror. Thanks. The Strain trilogy was pretty great. It's a vampire story that is pretty science-fiction based. It reads somewhere between a zombie and a vampire story, where the outbreak has been meticulously planned out in advance. I thought it was very well plotted, and pretty cinematic. At times, it felt like it was definitely written with the idea of turning it into a movie in a sort of annoying way, but usually, the cinematic qualities just added to the storytelling.
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Jan 5, 2012 03:26
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Anyone know of a good history of the East India Company? Or a history of England's involvement in India, if that isn't just the same thing. Also, how about a book on the history of tea? Conduit for Sale! fucked around with this message at 18:08 on Jan 5, 2012 |
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Jan 5, 2012 16:37
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Is there a version of The Hobbit suitable for reading to a three-year old? The regular version doesn't hold his interest, so I'm hoping there's an abridged version with lots of big pictures somewhere.
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Jan 5, 2012 20:44
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I'm looking for dark, well-written fiction (I know that's an absurdly broad category). I'm not too picky about the subject matter and am open to any suggestions. The only thing I'm not really interested in is sci-fi. My favorite 3 books that I finished recently are Blood Meridian, For Whom The Bell Tolls and The Tin Drum. I'm currently reading Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese and am enjoying it. Any ideas? Bonus points if there is a Kindle edition!
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Jan 6, 2012 03:48
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Conduit for Sale! posted:Anyone know of a good history of the East India Company? The Honourable Company: A History of the English East India Company by John Keay
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Jan 6, 2012 03:54
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AARP LARPer fucked around with this message at 01:13 on Jan 22, 2016 |
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Jan 6, 2012 05:50
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Oxford Comma posted:Is there a version of The Hobbit suitable for reading to a three-year old? The regular version doesn't hold his interest, so I'm hoping there's an abridged version with lots of big pictures somewhere. You might try this one which is the version I loved as a kid. I was about 8 when I first read it though; three might be a little young. Not in print, but it looks like there's several copies available through abebooks. Speaking of abebooks, I also found this one there which is apparently an abbreviated version with a read-along record.
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Jan 6, 2012 11:00
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Wiener Pee Mouth posted:I'm looking for dark, well-written fiction (I know that's an absurdly broad category). I'm not too picky about the subject matter and am open to any suggestions. The only thing I'm not really interested in is sci-fi. Pretty much any Stewart O'Nan- his stuff isn't in the same category of "dark" as Cormac McCarthy, but dude can write. I like Songs for the Missing best. Speaking of McCarthy, Matthew F Jones' A Single Shot is reminiscent of one of his stories, although the writing style is not. Ron Currie, Jr's Everything Matters! shares a few themes with The Tin Drum (although it reminds me more of Vonnegut than anything else) and, for an unrelated recommendation, Katherine Dunn's Geek Love is among the more hosed-up things I've read.
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Jan 6, 2012 13:10
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Can anyone reccomend me some solid Central African history books/writers? I've just finished two works on Rwanda and am currently working through Turner's two Zaire/Congo books. I'm specifically looking for books on Zimbabwe, Uganda, and the Sudan Civil War. Although that's getting into northern Africa I know. Also looking for biographies of Amin, Mobutu and Mugabe.
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Jan 7, 2012 01:08
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Wiener Pee Mouth posted:I'm looking for dark, well-written fiction (I know that's an absurdly broad category). I'm not too picky about the subject matter and am open to any suggestions. The only thing I'm not really interested in is sci-fi. Just off the top of my head: Lightening on the Sun by Robert Bingham[ The Spy Who Came in from the Cold by John le Carre Less Than Zero by Brett Easton Ellis American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis The LA Quartet by James Ellroy Appointment in Samarra by John O'Hara
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Jan 7, 2012 02:33
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While a quick search has shown a lot of people here don't like him, I was wondering if anyone had any Harry Turtledove recommendations? I'm currently reading his Worldwar series since I really liked the premise and I wasjust wondering where to go from here.
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Jan 8, 2012 16:09
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Are there any books like Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything but about philosophy? Something funny and (correctly) assuming the reader has essentially zero starting knowledge about the subject?
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Jan 8, 2012 20:54
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I just got a Kindle as a late Christmas present and I was wondering which Kindle version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms any of you would recommend. I understand that not all of the translations are that good, so if anyone knows anything about the various translations (and which is available to the Kindle), that would be great.
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Jan 8, 2012 23:32
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pancreatic cancer posted:Are there any books like Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything but about philosophy? Something funny and (correctly) assuming the reader has essentially zero starting knowledge about the subject?
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Jan 8, 2012 23:36
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NikkolasKing posted:While a quick search has shown a lot of people here don't like him, I was wondering if anyone had any Harry Turtledove recommendations? I'm currently reading his Worldwar series since I really liked the premise and I wasjust wondering where to go from here. I enjoyed his "Timeline-191" series...to a point. Start with How Few Remain, about the CSA winning the US Civil War and a second war between the two that follows shortly after. Then the 3 Great War books are set in the same universe, showing how a Confederate victory in the Civil War would have changed how World War I played out. I'd give up after that, though, the inter-war and WW2 books are just the actual histories of those periods except Turtledove says "Confederate" instead of "German."
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Jan 9, 2012 07:23
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NikkolasKing posted:While a quick search has shown a lot of people here don't like him, I was wondering if anyone had any Harry Turtledove recommendations? I'm currently reading his Worldwar series since I really liked the premise and I wasjust wondering where to go from here. I like Turtledove, I recommend Guns of the South, Skinheads go back in time and give Ak-47's to the confederates, hilarity ensues. edit: Also realize Turtledove comes off as a Lee apologist, but you aren't reading these kinds of books for any kind of learning purposes anyway. Defenestrategy fucked around with this message at 16:17 on Jan 9, 2012 |
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Jan 9, 2012 16:11
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Can anyone recommend me a good book about Richard Nixon's presidency? I don't mind if it's a full bio but I'd like to be more focused about his time as president, his triumphs and failures and the watergate scandal. I'm non-american but I've got curiosity about it.
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Jan 10, 2012 00:13
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Congo Jack posted:Can anyone recommend me a good book about Richard Nixon's presidency? I don't mind if it's a full bio but I'd like to be more focused about his time as president, his triumphs and failures and the watergate scandal. Nixonland's a good read.
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Jan 10, 2012 00:20
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Nixonland is great, but it's pretty wide-ranging: it's more about the cultural landscape that Nixon operated in over his time in politics, and how he reacted to and shaped it. If you're looking for a more focused biography, I recommend President Nixon: Alone in the White House by Richard Reeves.
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Jan 10, 2012 02:02
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Is there anything similar to American Gods but not as dull? I feel like it did so little with its premise.
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Jan 10, 2012 03:12
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UltimoDragonQuest posted:Is there anything similar to American Gods but not as dull? You might like Kraken by China Miéville, which is a crazy apocalyptic comedy with similar themes to American Gods. (I liked it a lot, but I might be biased because he's my favourite author. Either way, it's not as good as his Bas-Lag trilogy). Here's the blurb for Kraken: blurb posted:With this outrageous new novel, China Miéville has written one of the strangest, funniest, and flat-out scariest books you will read this—or any other—year. The London that comes to life in Kraken is a weird metropolis awash in secret currents of myth and magic, where criminals, police, cultists, and wizards are locked in a war to bring about—or prevent—the End of All Things.
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Jan 10, 2012 05:12
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Anyone read Yann Martel's latest novel: http://www.amazon.com/Beatrice-Virgil-Novel-Yann-Martel/dp/0812981545/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1326237525&sr=8-3 ? Is it any good?
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Jan 11, 2012 00:22
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PureRok posted:I just got a Kindle as a late Christmas present and I was wondering which Kindle version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms any of you would recommend. Moss Roberts' translation is technically considered the "best" but the Brewitt-Taylor translation, which I think is the only one available in e-book form, is really good as well. Basically don't worry about getting the Taylor translation over the Roberts one. By the way, I STRONGLY recommend buying this edition of 1001 Nights if you're at all interested in non-western literture. The publisher that made it, Mobile Reference, is an all-around great source for complete works of authors in general.
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Jan 11, 2012 00:33
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dokmo posted:Nixonland is great, but it's pretty wide-ranging: it's more about the cultural landscape that Nixon operated in over his time in politics, and how he reacted to and shaped it. If you're looking for a more focused biography, I recommend President Nixon: Alone in the White House by Richard Reeves. How are these books by way of bias? Are they pretty honest and not to opinionated?
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Jan 11, 2012 17:37
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Any political/economical thrillers out there? I'm looking for scandal, preferably non-fiction but I'll definitely do fiction if it's good. I'm already familiar with the workings of the 2008 housing bust and credit default swaps, as well as Watergate, but something along those lines would be great.
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Jan 12, 2012 05:47
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coleman francis posted:How are these books by way of bias? Are they pretty honest and not to opinionated? I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that. Both of those books are evidence-based, but have strong arguments to make (Nixonland in particular has a thesis that relies heavily on the author's interpretation of broad sweeps of history). There is a polemical element in every book about Nixon, but I believe both of these books are honest interpretations of the evidence.
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Jan 12, 2012 05:57
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dokmo posted:I'm not entirely sure what you mean by that. Both of those books are evidence-based, but have strong arguments to make (Nixonland in particular has a thesis that relies heavily on the author's interpretation of broad sweeps of history). There is a polemical element in every book about Nixon, but I believe both of these books are honest interpretations of the evidence. Sorry I was vague. This answers my question though, thanks!
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Jan 12, 2012 16:33
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Does anyone have any suggestions for stories about adventure, exploration and discovery of the like? For a lack of a suitable example in literature (excuse me for using anime and video games as an example), something like Kino no Tabi and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles that place heavy emphasis on discovery and world building. I have a book here called The Edge of the World of the Terra Incognita series by Kevin Anderson that sounded like what I wanted based off of the blurb on the back, but I'd like to know if you guys know of any other books that I'm asking for.
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Jan 13, 2012 01:18
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pandaK posted:Does anyone have any suggestions for stories about adventure, exploration and discovery of the like? For a lack of a suitable example in literature (excuse me for using anime and video games as an example), something like Kino no Tabi and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles that place heavy emphasis on discovery and world building. You mean something like Columbus's logs from his four voyages or the memoirs of a conquistador?
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Jan 13, 2012 02:07
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barkingclam posted:You mean something like Columbus's logs from his four voyages or the memoirs of a conquistador? I'd like something more in the realms of fantasy.
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Jan 13, 2012 02:27
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I'm looking for an author I can sink into and so far my favorite by far is Bukowski. I also enjoyed some of Augusten Burroughs' stuff along with Douglas Coupland's Generation X and Bret Easton Ellis. I have always been a fan of stories where the writer does not focus on details like how the room's walls feel, the color of her eyes, how the air tasted, etc. I just want the story, and Bukowski is amazing for that. I suppose I'm into memoirs and debauchery after looking at that small authors list. I've been told that Hemmingway is a good bridge from Bukowski and someone else mentioned Henry Miller earlier in the thread. Any others are greatly appreciated
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Jan 13, 2012 03:44
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BIZORT posted:I'm looking for an author I can sink into and so far my favorite by far is Bukowski. I also enjoyed some of Augusten Burroughs' stuff along with Douglas Coupland's Generation X and Bret Easton Ellis. I have always been a fan of stories where the writer does not focus on details like how the room's walls feel, the color of her eyes, how the air tasted, etc. I just want the story, and Bukowski is amazing for that. I suppose I'm into memoirs and debauchery after looking at that small authors list. I've been told that Hemmingway is a good bridge from Bukowski and someone else mentioned Henry Miller earlier in the thread. Any others are greatly appreciated Raymond Carver.
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Jan 13, 2012 16:22
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BIZORT posted:I'm looking for an author I can sink into and so far my favorite by far is Bukowski. I also enjoyed some of Augusten Burroughs' stuff along with Douglas Coupland's Generation X and Bret Easton Ellis. I have always been a fan of stories where the writer does not focus on details like how the room's walls feel, the color of her eyes, how the air tasted, etc. I just want the story, and Bukowski is amazing for that. I suppose I'm into memoirs and debauchery after looking at that small authors list. I've been told that Hemmingway is a good bridge from Bukowski and someone else mentioned Henry Miller earlier in the thread. Any others are greatly appreciated I'd say anything by Henry James would suit you. Just kidding. Henry Miller is a decent recommendation, most people either love him or hate him. Check out Tropic of Cancer, you'll know whether you like Miller or not about 50 pages into the book. You may also like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning by Alan Sillitoe, The Rum Diary by Hunter S Thompson and Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk if you haven't read it already. The Ginger Man by JP Donleavy is another love it or hate it kind of book. Also consider Nathanial West (he only wrote like 4 books and they're all pretty short, basically novellas), Jack Kerouac and Graham Greene. A bit less debauchery but all good writers. I also really liked this book: http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Hour-Amateurs-Sucks-Doesnt/dp/B003H4RE4Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326473167&sr=8-1 but I was already a fan of his blog, so YMMV.
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Jan 13, 2012 17:46
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Anybody know a good book about John Brown?
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Jan 15, 2012 00:30
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DrGonzo90 posted:Anyone read Yann Martel's latest novel: http://www.amazon.com/Beatrice-Virgil-Novel-Yann-Martel/dp/0812981545/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1326237525&sr=8-3 ? Is it any good? seconding this request.
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Jan 15, 2012 04:45
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Anyone know of any half-way decent novelization's of movies or video games (actual books built on the movie/game, not the other way around)? I'd know they were out there, but hadn't really ever bothered to read one. However, on my last flight someone left a copy of the novelization of the latest Star Trek movie in the seat pocket, so I went for it. It got me interested enough that I'm curious as to what else is out there worth reading? I tried to do some scouting via search engines, but apparently a lot of idiots out there consider a "novelization" to include material in the same "universe" as the original but not actually related to the source (or prequel/sequels to the source).
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Jan 15, 2012 06:15
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I've heard the novelization of Dante's Inferno is a good read, much better than the game
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Jan 15, 2012 16:13
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barkingclam posted:I've heard the novelization of Dante's Inferno is a good read, much better than the game Is this a joke or is there really a novelization of the video game Dante's Inferno?
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Jan 15, 2012 16:44
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Conduit for Sale! posted:Is this a joke or is there really a novelization of the video game Dante's Inferno? No joke. 
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