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What's a good starting place for V. S. Naipaul? He's someone I've been interested in recently, but I've never read anything by.
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Dec 20, 2012 23:48
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Is there anything else out there that comes close to as good as Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun? I know I'm probably asking for an impossible recommendation here since it has both excellent writing and a fairly unique setting for science fiction. I'm open to other genres.
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Dec 22, 2012 18:01
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voting third party posted:Is there anything else out there that comes close to as good as Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun? I know I'm probably asking for an impossible recommendation here since it has both excellent writing and a fairly unique setting for science fiction. I'm open to other genres. I am not familiar with this book (never did get around to reading it), so let me ask what elements you are interested in. For example, if you thought it had a superlative job of world-building, you might try Brian Aldiss' Helliconia series, which begins with Helliconia Spring. I liked the first book in the series best because of the fascinating way Spring unfolded on the planet. If you enjoyed the character development, almost anything by CJ Cherryh would work, but especially Cyteen, which features an amazing setting and the fascinating characters. There's a CJ Cherryh thread that talks about more of her work, you might find some of those interesting.
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Dec 22, 2012 18:24
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voting third party posted:Is there anything else out there that comes close to as good as Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun? I know I'm probably asking for an impossible recommendation here since it has both excellent writing and a fairly unique setting for science fiction. I'm open to other genres. There's very little out there that compares to Gene Wolfe other than Gene Wolfe's other books; he's a really unique writer. If you want other "Dying Earth" genre books, there's The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson or the Cudgel the Clever stories by Jack Vance. Parts of The Night Land are written extremely well.
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Dec 22, 2012 18:57
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voting third party posted:Is there anything else out there that comes close to as good as Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun? I know I'm probably asking for an impossible recommendation here since it has both excellent writing and a fairly unique setting for science fiction. I'm open to other genres. Wolfe's Latro series (Soldier of the Mist/Soldier of Arete/Soldier of Sidon) is crazy good. It's set in Second Persian War-era Greece (mostly, Sidon is set in Egypt).
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Dec 22, 2012 23:22
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Im looking for an overview of science for the layperson. I have almost no background in biology, ecology, etc. Whats a good overview? Ive heard of the bill bryson book but ive also heard that has some errors.
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Dec 23, 2012 03:25
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hobbez posted:Im looking for an overview of science for the layperson. I have almost no background in biology, ecology, etc. Whats a good overview? Ive heard of the bill bryson book but ive also heard that has some errors. I thought this book was really good. The errors don't seem that numerous or important to me. You can do much worse than this.
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Dec 23, 2012 03:46
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dokmo posted:I thought this book was really good. The errors don't seem that numerous or important to me. You can do much worse than this. Well maybe thats worth revisiting then! Thanks.
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Dec 23, 2012 03:58
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screenwritersblues posted:I just finished Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon. Are there any other books that use music as a background plot device or is that it. Try Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem. It has music and also comic books (and the two main characters are named Dylan and Mingus). You kind of have to read Chronic City by Lethem afterward, too. That's more about books, street art, and film, but you'll like it if you enjoy Fortress. Rison fucked around with this message at 10:12 on Dec 23, 2012 |
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Dec 23, 2012 10:09
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hobbez posted:Im looking for an overview of science for the layperson. I have almost no background in biology, ecology, etc. Whats a good overview? Ive heard of the bill bryson book but ive also heard that has some errors. Bhodi fucked around with this message at 17:06 on Dec 23, 2012 |
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Dec 23, 2012 17:03
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Thanks for the suggestions, those all sound like they're worth checking out.John McCain posted:Wolfe's Latro series (Soldier of the Mist/Soldier of Arete/Soldier of Sidon) is crazy good. It's set in Second Persian War-era Greece (mostly, Sidon is set in Egypt). Woah, I thought I had read everything Wolfe had written, how did I miss this one? Thanks for pointing it out. hobbez posted:Well maybe thats worth revisiting then! Thanks. If you're unfamiliar with physics, there's also always Stephen Hawking's classic A Brief History of Time. It was also written specifically for nonscientists, and though it's getting older now I'm sure the basics are still accurate. voting third party fucked around with this message at 18:10 on Dec 23, 2012 |
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Dec 23, 2012 17:50
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I received a bumper bounty of Amazon vouchers for Christmas. I want to load my Kindle full of good stuff. I'd appreciate some recommendations, both fiction and non-fiction. The last books I read were Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, Born to Kvetch by Michael Wex, Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes and Murakami's Norwegian Wood. I liked them all. I enjoy many things, but especially these authors: Terry Pratchett, and am up to date. Michael Lewis Geoffrey Eugenides and Michael Franzen, and if there are other authors who are as good as these two, point them out. Haruki Murakami Kim Stanley Robinson, and again, recommend me some good sci fi. I would like to get some tips on good literary fiction and the cream of science fiction, be it modern or classic, and non-fiction that isn't science based. Thanks in advance!
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Dec 26, 2012 01:30
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Robert_Deadford posted:Kim Stanley Robinson, and again, recommend me some good sci fi. I don't think David Marusek gets enough love around here. For non-fiction, I seem to be bringing it up a lot lately, but John Vaillant's The Tiger is really great.
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Dec 26, 2012 02:33
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Robert_Deadford posted:I would like to get some tips on good literary fiction and the cream of science fiction, be it modern or classic, and non-fiction that isn't science based. Try Michael Chabon - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay or his recent book - Telegraph Avenue. For sci-fi, check out any Peter F Hamilton books. The Night's Dawn Trilogy is a good starting place. Less 'sciencey' than Robinson, but lots of good space opera and future society stuff.
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Dec 26, 2012 02:47
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Robert_Deadford posted:I received a bumper bounty of Amazon vouchers for Christmas. I want to load my Kindle full of good stuff. I'd appreciate some recommendations, both fiction and non-fiction. The last books I read were Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, Born to Kvetch by Michael Wex, Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes and Murakami's Norwegian Wood. I liked them all. I enjoy many things, but especially these authors: Anything in particular you're looking for with regards to non-fiction? There's such a wide range of topics even excluding science and everyone has such varying tastes I feel a little weird recommending anything. Military and espionage non-fiction makes up most of the n-f that I read, so with that in mind, Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden, about the Battle of Mogadishu (the movie was based on this book) is my favorite military non-fiction tied with Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell, about a Navy SEAL team's capture/kill mission on a Taliban bomb-maker that goes horribly wrong, written by the only SEAL from the original team to come back alive. I'm also currently reading Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan by Shrabani Basu, about a young Indian woman who was posted by the British Special Operations Executive into France as a radio operator to assist the French resistance against the Nazis in WWII, and while I haven't finished it yet it's pretty well on track to become my favorite non-fiction book, and maybe my favorite book period. So I'd recommend that as well. Hope this helps! Punished Chuck fucked around with this message at 04:20 on Dec 26, 2012 |
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Dec 26, 2012 02:49
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V for Vegas posted:For sci-fi, check out any Peter F Hamilton books. The Night's Dawn Trilogy is a good starting place. Less 'sciencey' than Robinson, but lots of good space opera and future society stuff. Off the top of my head I'd recommend C.J. Cherryh's Faded Sun, Alliance-Union, Chanur, and Foreigner series, Iain M. Banks's Culture series, C.S. Friedman's This Alien Shore and In Conquest Born, Randolph Lalonde's Spinward Fringe series, Alastair Reynolds's Revelation Space series, and Asher's Agent Cormac series as good SF ahead of Hamilton. I like Hamilton, but his books in general (and Night's Dawn in particular) seem to have issues with endings.
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Dec 26, 2012 05:37
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For non fic, I enjoyed Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. Whenever I'm having a bad day, I think about how the man in this book made it through living hell. I think they are making a movie too, and I enjoy watching film adaptations to see if they do the book justice. Keith Richards' autobiography was fun. A bit rambly, but what would you expect.
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Dec 26, 2012 10:11
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Robert_Deadford posted:I received a bumper bounty of Amazon vouchers for Christmas. I want to load my Kindle full of good stuff. I'd appreciate some recommendations, both fiction and non-fiction. The last books I read were Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, Born to Kvetch by Michael Wex, Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes and Murakami's Norwegian Wood. I liked them all. I enjoy many things, but especially these authors: I really liked The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. It might have been the best thing I read all of last year and I wouldn't hesitate to but him next to Franzen and Eugenides. Richard Ford's Canada is good too. For non-fiction, if you've never read anything by John McPhee, try picking up this sampler from his first 12 books. He's right in the same class as Michael Lewis.
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Dec 26, 2012 15:30
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barkingclam posted:I really liked The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. It might have been the best thing I read all of last year and I wouldn't hesitate to but him next to Franzen and Eugenides. Richard Ford's Canada is good too. The Art of Fielding has to be one of the better books that I read in a few years. It's not really a book about baseball, it's a book that revolves around baseball.
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Dec 26, 2012 18:57
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Believe me, I won't have any problems with any baseball references. I am one of the small percentage of Brits who enjoy baseball. Thanks fir all the recommendations so far, there's some books I will be picking up from the ones listed. Keep the suggestions coming!
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Dec 27, 2012 01:22
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About me: I'm currently writing my dissertation, and I recently decided that I need to read for fun again because for the past 6 years I've only been "work reading". As a kid, I read lots of fantasy and sci-fi. I was into Salvatore and Niven's Ringworld books, as well as a smattering of semi-fantasy Narnia-knockoff Christian crap. I also liked many of the "historical" Forgotten Realms books like Evermeet. As of now, I am about 100 pages away from finishing Friedman's Coldfire Trilogy and I love it to little tiny pieces. I'm really into the setting (so much so that I'm designing an Erna D&D campaign setting), and I dig the moral ambiguity, the great characters, and the dark but occasionally funny atmosphere. I love it so much that I am procrastinating at reading the last bit because I don't want it to be over.  I want to have a new book series waiting for me when I finish Crown of Shadows. I've looked back at some of the previous recommendations that are similar to Coldfire and it seems like the Vlad Taltos and Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series are both frequently recommended, although the former is criticized for setting underdevelopment while the latter is criticized for excruciating detail and a slow pace. I've also considered the Farseer Trilogy but have heard complaints that the characters suck and it's a total downer. Help save me from my paralyzing indecision!
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Dec 27, 2012 03:47
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Panicked Spathi posted:Help save me from my paralyzing indecision! I've read the Farseer books and some Vlad Taltos books, and they aren't really in the same vein as Coldfire. That said, I'm having trouble coming up with anything that is because it's my favorite fantasy series, ever, and in my mind, nothing compares. You'd probably be well-served looking into Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence. GRRM might also scratch that itch, but by the time you finish A Dance With Dragons you'll probably just be pissed off and come yell at me. Glen Cook's Black Company books, at least the first arc, is also worth checking out. Ornamented Death fucked around with this message at 04:32 on Dec 27, 2012 |
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Dec 27, 2012 04:30
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Panicked Spathi posted:As of now, I am about 100 pages away from finishing Friedman's Coldfire Trilogy and I love it to little tiny pieces. I'm really into the setting (so much so that I'm designing an Erna D&D campaign setting), and I dig the moral ambiguity, the great characters, and the dark but occasionally funny atmosphere. I love it so much that I am procrastinating at reading the last bit because I don't want it to be over. Well, you could always read more Friedman while you try to figure out what to read next - In Conquest Born, This Alien Shore, and The Madness Season are all excellent, albeit quite different from Coldfire (and all science fiction). I'm honestly not sure what I'd recommend as a followup to Coldfire. The Black Company and the Vlad Taltos books are good, and I can think of a lot of other fantasy I'd recommend in general, but nothing "like Coldfire". I do know that Friedman recently finished another fantasy trilogy, Magister, which I haven't had a chance to read yet. That might be worth a look.
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Dec 27, 2012 04:47
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Thanks for the recommendations. I think I'm being so indecisive because I'm back reading fiction after a long hiatus and have forgotten how in some regards - I tend to approach it like I approach reading scientific articles. Anyhow, I think I need to give up on the "like Coldfire" quest and just get into something else. On a related note, does anyone have an opinion on Dominion?
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Dec 27, 2012 18:37
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Looking for some non-fiction books about societies before the 1900s. Specifically interested in the average lifestyle of people living in Renaissance, Medieval, and Victorian eras. Also interested in pre-gun warfare, or times before the widespread use of the gun at least. Types of weapons used, how they were used, tactics used, strategy used in various conflicts. More interested in small-scale combat than in the reasons behind conflicts between nations. Also don't want any of these books to be dry, don't want them to read like textbooks. Books with a little personality are preferred. Also they should be available on kindle if possible, don't care too much about illustrations.
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Dec 27, 2012 19:28
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Floofykins posted:Also interested in pre-gun warfare, or times before the widespread use of the gun at least. Types of weapons used, how they were used, tactics used, strategy used in various conflicts. More interested in small-scale combat than in the reasons behind conflicts between nations. Also don't want any of these books to be dry, don't want them to read like textbooks. Books with a little personality are preferred.
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Dec 27, 2012 19:44
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Floofykins posted:Looking for some non-fiction books about societies before the 1900s. Specifically interested in the average lifestyle of people living in Renaissance, Medieval, and Victorian eras. Boom: 3 bucks on kindle. There are lots of these types of books (last two are free at archive.org), but the best ones I have ever read are the "Life in a ..." series by Frances Gies and Joseph Gies and Ian Mortimer's The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century—Mortimer (a serious academic) also has a similar book about Elizabethan England, that I haven't read yet.
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Dec 27, 2012 19:52
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I am looking for something with "Men in Black*" as the protagonists anyone got any recommendations? *Government agents/bureaucrats who have to deal with aliens/demons/et al. Panicked Spathi posted:I dig the moral ambiguity, the great characters, and the dark but occasionally funny atmosphere "The Lies of Locke Lamora" by Scott Lynch fits this. Defenestrategy fucked around with this message at 20:18 on Dec 27, 2012 |
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Dec 27, 2012 20:15
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Floofykins posted:Looking for some non-fiction books about societies before the 1900s. Specifically interested in the average lifestyle of people living in Renaissance, Medieval, and Victorian eras.
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Dec 27, 2012 20:34
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KildarX posted:I am looking for something with "Men in Black*" as the protagonists anyone got any recommendations? Charles Stross' Laundry Files books.
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Dec 28, 2012 01:01
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dokmo posted:non fiction recommendations... Any good books about the Russo Japanese war you might know of?
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Dec 28, 2012 04:09
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Ulio posted:Any good books about the Russo Japanese war you might know of? The only one I've read is The Fleet That Had To Die by Richard Hough, which was a pleasant, non-academic account. It must be pretty dated today (written originally in in 1959, updated ten years later), but it was an enjoyable enough read. There don't appear to be many histories of the war that aren't more technical military histories. A friend suggests The Tsar's Last Armada: The Epic Voyage to the Battle of Tsushima by Constantine Pleshakov.
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Dec 28, 2012 06:36
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What would be the best book to read for improving my ability to write? Anything that focuses on making the writing convey information easily. On the subject of self help books, is there any largely accepted books on improving how to interact with people you disagree with? I have read How to Win Friends & Influence People and enjoyed it immensely but would love to see if there is anything else like it out there.
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Dec 29, 2012 20:36
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So I just finished This is How You Lose Her By Junot Diaz, I thought it was amazing the way he wrote and worded everything. He used such simple wording to describe some of the most intense feelings one can have, and described them so well! Does anyone else have any books that dive into that world of depression associated with a break up?? Thanks for the help.
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Dec 29, 2012 21:51
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dokmo posted:The only one I've read is The Fleet That Had To Die by Richard Hough, which was a pleasant, non-academic account. It must be pretty dated today (written originally in in 1959, updated ten years later), but it was an enjoyable enough read. There don't appear to be many histories of the war that aren't more technical military histories. A friend suggests The Tsar's Last Armada: The Epic Voyage to the Battle of Tsushima by Constantine Pleshakov. As usual great suggestions going to dig into those soon.
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Dec 29, 2012 22:22
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Ingenium posted:What would be the best book to read for improving my ability to write? Anything that focuses on making the writing convey information easily. I swear by Stunk and White's Elements of Style. I learned more about writing from that book than I did in J-School.
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Dec 29, 2012 23:05
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Panicked Spathi posted:...and I dig the moral ambiguity, the great characters, and the dark but occasionally funny atmosphere. I'll suggest Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick. I just finished it and although it took me a few chapters to get into it, once I did I was hooked for those very reasons.
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Dec 30, 2012 06:13
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casual poster posted:Does anyone else have any books that dive into that world of depression associated with a break up?? Thanks for the help. If you haven't read it, Nick Hornby's High Fidelity is probably the standard of break-up lit, although he isn't half the writer Diaz is (also I hate Hornby).
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Dec 30, 2012 08:00
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Ingenium posted:What would be the best book to read for improving my ability to write? Anything that focuses on making the writing convey information easily. A great book on how fiction conveys information is James Wood's How Fiction Works.
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Dec 30, 2012 13:30
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dream owl posted:If you haven't read it, Nick Hornby's High Fidelity is probably the standard of break-up lit, although he isn't half the writer Diaz is (also I hate Hornby). I got this as a present some years ago and it's just been sitting on my shelf. I guess I'll give this a shot, thanks!
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Dec 30, 2012 16:47
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