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Hieronymous Alloy posted:How about books that are depressing? Because good lord I will never read Farewell to Arms or The End of the Affair ever again I don't think that would quitecut it. He's the chap from CineD who's ceaselessly looking for as close to snuff as possible. I'd recommend William S. Burroughs and JG Ballard, I guess?
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Apr 23, 2015 13:19
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Schurik posted:I'm getting back into reading after 6 or 7 years of not being able to focus due to various circumstances, and I'd appreciate some general ideas on where to start/continue. I love me some Pratchett and Adams, got a bit into RR Martin, never turn down some King, on the literary side I'm into Dostoevsky, Sartre and Hesse, and when it somes to genre fiction in general I love character-based sci-fi and all types of fantasy. There's a bunch more but I thought I'd generalize heavily and list some stuff everyone knows. I speak german fluently so anything goes there, too. Just throw some of your favorites my way, I'm open to anything. Character based sci-fi: The Golden Globe by John Varley, fairly light-hearted romp about a conman/actor trying to get from Pluto to Luna for a starring role as King Lear while pursued by an unkillable hitman. Best narratorial voice ever. Reminds me of Pratchett in the sense that he has a deep understanding of what makes people tick. Also the first two Hyperion books by Dan Simmons. For character-based/literary fantasy I'd recommend Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, widely agreed to be one of the best fantasy novels of the last 15 years, and I've just recently read and loved the first two Gormenghast books by Mervyn Peake - really, really unique and "literary," for want of a better word. If you never turn down King and haven't read everything he's written, then here's my opinion on his best books as someone who thinks he's extremely talented and capable of both brilliant novels and utter trash: The Long Walk, The Mist, the beginning of the Dark Tower series before it all goes downhill (but it's still worth reading just for those first few books).
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Apr 23, 2015 14:00
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Mr. Squishy posted:I don't think that would quitecut it. He's the chap from CineD who's ceaselessly looking for as close to snuff as possible. My reputation precedes me. As long as I'm book shopping, might as well ask for some more recommendations. What are some horror-ish psychedelic books? Like...if Electric Wizard were to write a book. If movies like Suspiria or [b]Videodrome[b] were books...maybe a bit more pulpy? If Electric Wizard were to write a book...that would be what I'm looking for.
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Apr 23, 2015 14:13
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Kvlt! posted:I'm having kind of a hard time articulating the type of book I'm looking for. No Longer Human, The Book of Disquiet, The Clown, Hunger, arguably Confessions of a Mask edit: Doctor Glas, too ulvir fucked around with this message at 14:37 on Apr 23, 2015 |
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Apr 23, 2015 14:35
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ulvir posted:No Longer Human, The Book of Disquiet, The Clown, Hunger, arguably Confessions of a Mask You hit the nail on the head. Thank you!
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Apr 23, 2015 14:43
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I'm putting Blindsight out there.
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Apr 24, 2015 06:11
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I'm very interested in psychology and psychiatry and the concept of isolation, language acquisition, and "culture shock". I wonder if there's any works that mesh these things. Failing that, what about treating the individual subjects? Thanks
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Apr 24, 2015 15:31
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I can ask for non-fiction as well, right? I'm looking for an introductory, catch-all guide to history of literature. I read a lot, and a lot of very varied things. I want something to help me put those things in context. My ideal history of literature would focus less on literary movements and more on what specific innovations in technique, form and storytelling appeared when and by whom, and how different important authors related to these innovations. It would preferably deal with world literature, not a specific region, and encompass all epochs. I'm aware that's a lot to ask, so I'm willing to check out something that doesn't go into too much detail. Or, alternatively, a longer, more academic work with a broader scope (like a Copleston for literature, maybe). Does anyone know anything of the sort?
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Apr 24, 2015 18:13
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Check out HarOld Bloom
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Apr 25, 2015 09:44
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Neukoln19 posted:I'm very interested in psychology and psychiatry and the concept of isolation, language acquisition, and "culture shock". I wonder if there's any works that mesh these things. Failing that, what about treating the individual subjects? Concerning isolation and language acquisition, you might be interested in studies of feral children. Perhaps start by checking out the Wikipedia articles on Genie and Victor of Aveyron and see if they're along the lines of what you're looking for. If so, the Further Reading sections have several articles and books to choose from.
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Apr 25, 2015 14:09
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Klaus88 posted:Anyone know any good zombie books available on kindle? Preferably devoid of long winded, right-wing rants about how immigrants are at the root of all of America's ills. elbow posted:Zone One by Colson Whitehead is a good one too. Seconding this. I think Zone One is amazing. It's almost like McCarthy's The Road, in that a literary-fiction guy takes on a genre work, making it almost unrelentingly bleak with awesome language use: Zone One awesomeness posted:Mark Spitz had met plenty of the divine-retribution folks over the months. This was their moment; they were umbrella salesmen standing outside a subway entrance in a downpour. The human race deserved the plague, we brought it on ourselves for poisoning the planet, for the Death of God, the calculated brutalities of the global economic system, for driving primordial species to extinction: the entire collapse of values as evidenced by everything from nuclear fission to reality television to alternate side of the street parking. Mark Spitz could only endure these harangues for a minute or two before he split. It was boring.The plague was the plague. You were wearing galoshes, or you weren't. I also think it's a great examination of what happens when the apocalypse becomes "mundane", and when arrogance starts to seep into post-apocalyptic thought and action.
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Apr 25, 2015 20:55
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Are there any good fantasy novels not set in a European-like world (like ASOIAF, LOTR, etc.)? I've read good things about Throne of the Crescent Moon, but I'm interested in other options too
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Apr 26, 2015 00:16
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radlum posted:Are there any good fantasy novels not set in a European-like world (like ASOIAF, LOTR, etc.)? I've read good things about Throne of the Crescent Moon, but I'm interested in other options too Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart. Guy Gavriel Kay's _Under Heaven_ isn't bad. Depending on what you mean by "european" his Lions of Al-Rassan might qualify and it's excellent (basically set in a fantasy version of Moorish Spain during the reconquista, so it has a very arabic feel). Past that it sorta depends on what sort of fantasy you want. Urban fantasy is its whole genre and is set in modern cities (usually London, for some reason). Some authors like China Mieville write "New Weird" and it's all steampunk and poo poo. Then there's sci-fi like Zelazny's Lord of Light where all the technology is so advanced it's not just magic but actual religion (specifically hindu and buddhist). Hieronymous Alloy fucked around with this message at 00:34 on Apr 26, 2015 |
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Apr 26, 2015 00:27
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freebooter posted:
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Apr 26, 2015 04:30
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Kvlt! posted:My reputation precedes me. Try either All Heads Turn When The Hunt Goes By or Son of the Endless Night by John Farris
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Apr 26, 2015 05:06
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radlum posted:Are there any good fantasy novels not set in a European-like world (like ASOIAF, LOTR, etc.)? I've read good things about Throne of the Crescent Moon, but I'm interested in other options too City Of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett takes place in a country that's reminiscent of Russia, with many of the characters being from an India-alike. It's also a pretty good book. If you can stand books that are absolutely crushingly depressing, Robin Hobb's Soldier's Son trilogy is set somewhere similar to the US in the 1800s; it's good, but it will pretty much destroy any faith in humanity you might have had. Par for the course with Robin Hobb, really. (I will mention but not actually recommend Orson Scott Card's Alvin Maker books, set in a similar place and time period; the concept is neat and some of the writing is pretty good but a) Orson Scott Card b) uuuuuugh c) the series quickly stagnates and goes absolutely nowhere for book after book after book. Still, if you find the style of old Pecos Bill/Paul Bunyan/Daniel Boone stories to be interesting, I guess it might be worth a look.) I guess there's also the fantasy-Japan Tales of the Otori books, but I'm sort of iffy on actually recommending those; I thought Across The Nightingale Floor was decent but I also thought the series went downhill after that.
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Apr 26, 2015 07:17
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I'm looking for history books about Japan, but not all the samurai/WW2/anime books that are coming up in my searching. I want something about the post-war transformation, from the 50s through the 70s/80s. I've found a couple for the immediate post-war occupation era but I am interested in something about the changes during the boom times and I am not finding much. E: Also while economics and the explosion of Japanese industry is obviously a huge deal I'm not looking for an economics book. Cultural history that also deals with the business environment would be great. Grand Fromage fucked around with this message at 11:50 on Apr 26, 2015 |
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Apr 26, 2015 11:47
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Novels about love that are geared toward/equally enjoyed by men? I want to read a good story about people who meet and fall in love, but it has to be well-written, not some Romance Novel. Time-Traveler's Wife is one of my favorite books. In terms of quality, consider Hornby the minimum ok level. blue squares fucked around with this message at 18:55 on Apr 26, 2015 |
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Apr 26, 2015 16:05
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blue squares posted:Novels about love that are geared toward/equally enjoyed by men? I want to read a good story about people who meet and fall in love, but it has to be well-written, not some Romance Novel. Time-Traveler's Wife is one of my favorite books. The Constant Gardener is surprisingly good this way.
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Apr 26, 2015 21:30
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blue squares posted:Novels about love that are geared toward/equally enjoyed by men? I want to read a good story about people who meet and fall in love, but it has to be well-written, not some Romance Novel. Time-Traveler's Wife is one of my favorite books. The End of the Affair
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Apr 27, 2015 00:20
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I am looking for a book to learn about architecture, urbanism, or both(with pictures ideally !). I know next to about both these things but they've always fascinated me.
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Apr 27, 2015 03:03
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Marcoux posted:I am looking for a book to learn about architecture, urbanism, or both(with pictures ideally !). I know next to about both these things The BLDGBLOG book that came out a few years ago is pretty interesting, although it isn't a primer - more a collection of cool things related to built environments.
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Apr 27, 2015 03:13
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tuyop posted:The Constant Gardener is surprisingly good this way.
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Apr 27, 2015 05:49
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anilEhilated posted:As long as you're aware it's pretty horrible in all other ways. I read it when I was like, 15, so this may be correct.
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Apr 27, 2015 13:21
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blue squares posted:Novels about love that are geared toward/equally enjoyed by men? I want to read a good story about people who meet and fall in love, but it has to be well-written, not some Romance Novel. Time-Traveler's Wife is one of my favorite books. A Sport and a Pastime by James Salter is mindblowingly great Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 14:23 on Apr 27, 2015 |
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Apr 27, 2015 14:14
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Mechafunkzilla posted:A Sport and a Pastime by James Salter is mindblowingly great This looks intriguing, thank you! End of the Affair is also on my list. I went to my local independent bookstore and asked the same question and was immediately directed to The Rosie Project, which is a pretty fun story so far. It's about a genetics professor with Asperger's Syndrome who decides he should be married, so he starts The Wife Project: a lengthy questionnaire to determine the suitability of potential mates. He meets a woman named Rosie who is unfit in every way, but gets drawn into her search for her biological father. I assume they fall in love by the end of the book. The writing is above average and funny, though I can see the Asperger's thing getting annoying by the end of the book.
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Apr 27, 2015 16:49
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Is there a thread about funny books?
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Apr 29, 2015 00:27
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AARP LARPer fucked around with this message at 01:20 on Jan 22, 2016 |
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Apr 30, 2015 04:03
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This is a bit of weird request, but I'm looking for some hardcover books that I can put on a marble table I own. My theme at the moment is 'old stuff'. I've got this in the center at the moment, but the table's long enough I can get two more books for the sides. Does anyone know of older literature or philosophy (e.g. Plato or Confucius) with really pretty front covers? I want them to be as much for looks as for legitimate reading.
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May 1, 2015 02:12
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I need a palate cleanser from some of the serious/heavy literature I've been consuming lately. Any ideas for female led spy/action/thriller stuff in the vein of the tv shows Orphan Black, Alias, Fringe. A tinge of sci fi is great and even preferred but not corny vampire erotica drivel. (PS I've only just started watching Orphan Black so please don't spoil anything.)
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May 1, 2015 03:08
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frenchnewwave posted:I need a palate cleanser from some of the serious/heavy literature I've been consuming lately. Any ideas for female led spy/action/thriller stuff in the vein of the tv shows Orphan Black, Alias, Fringe. A tinge of sci fi is great and even preferred but not corny vampire erotica drivel. If you don't mind going old school, you might enjoy Peter O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise books, which are pulpy spy adventures with one of fiction's more rear end-kicking female heroes.
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May 1, 2015 04:53
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The Science of Suck posted:Is there a thread about funny books? no, but ppl will post in it if you make one. i'll just make a post after post about Švejk.
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May 1, 2015 07:00
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frenchnewwave posted:I need a palate cleanser from some of the serious/heavy literature I've been consuming lately. Any ideas for female led spy/action/thriller stuff in the vein of the tv shows Orphan Black, Alias, Fringe. A tinge of sci fi is great and even preferred but not corny vampire erotica drivel. The Rook may be right in your wheelhouse: quote:Myfanwy Thomas awakes in a London park surrounded by dead bodies. With her memory gone, her only hope of survival is to trust the instructions left in her pocket by her former self. She quickly learns that she is a Rook, a high-level operative in a secret agency that protects the world from supernatural threats. But there is a mole inside the organization and this person wants her dead.
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May 1, 2015 16:05
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The Science of Suck posted:Is there a thread about funny books? I don't know if there's a thread but PG Wodehouse's stuff is laugh out loud funny (at least to me), especially the Bertie and Jeeves stuff. Rollofthedice posted:This is a bit of weird request, but I'm looking for some hardcover books that I can put on a marble table I own. My theme at the moment is 'old stuff'. I've got this in the center at the moment, but the table's long enough I can get two more books for the sides. Does anyone know of older literature or philosophy (e.g. Plato or Confucius) with really pretty front covers? I want them to be as much for looks as for legitimate reading. If you just want old books that look cool, estate/rummage sales or eBay are probably your best bet unless you get lucky at a thrift store or are willing to splash some money at a rare/antique book shop. If you're good with lovely, new, hard bound books (and are willing to spend a chunk of money), Penguins Hardcover Classics series are really nice and well designed. frenchnewwave posted:I need a palate cleanser from some of the serious/heavy literature I've been consuming lately. Any ideas for female led spy/action/thriller stuff in the vein of the tv shows Orphan Black, Alias, Fringe. A tinge of sci fi is great and even preferred but not corny vampire erotica drivel. I haven't read it yet but have HL Huang's Zero Sum Game on my on-deck list and it might fit the bill.
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May 1, 2015 18:32
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Kvlt! posted:I'm having kind of a hard time articulating the type of book I'm looking for. Xasthur as a book? Coming right up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Chants_de_Maldoror http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%80_rebours
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May 1, 2015 18:53
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Lawen posted:If you just want old books that look cool, estate/rummage sales or eBay are probably your best bet unless you get lucky at a thrift store or are willing to splash some money at a rare/antique book shop. If you're good with lovely, new, hard bound books (and are willing to spend a chunk of money), Penguins Hardcover Classics series are really nice and well designed. Sorry - to clarify, I didn't mean old books physically, just pretty hardcover editions of stuff like Plato, Aristotle, Shakespeare, Charlotte Bronte, etc. I didn't know that Penguin made such nice looking editions, thanks for pointing me there!
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May 1, 2015 23:07
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Shitshow posted:The Rook may be right in your wheelhouse: quote:
Thanks! Downloaded samples of both these books.
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May 2, 2015 00:14
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Rollofthedice posted:Sorry - to clarify, I didn't mean old books physically, just pretty hardcover editions of stuff like Plato, Aristotle, Shakespeare, Charlotte Bronte, etc. I didn't know that Penguin made such nice looking editions, thanks for pointing me there! The Folio Society makes some beautiful covers as well.
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May 2, 2015 09:18
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I'm looking for a really good book on mythology/folklore, preferably from various different cultures. I want to read the stories primarily but analysis of them would also be something I'm interested in. I remember having a huge hardcover book as kid with all kinds of stories of stuff like King Midas, gremlins, domovoi, kappas, Loki etc with sweet pictures. Something like that would be ideal but anything you guys can recommend on the subject would be great.
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May 2, 2015 18:12
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Pwnstar posted:I'm looking for a really good book on mythology/folklore, preferably from various different cultures. I want to read the stories primarily but analysis of them would also be something I'm interested in. I remember having a huge hardcover book as kid with all kinds of stories of stuff like King Midas, gremlins, domovoi, kappas, Loki etc with sweet pictures. Something like that would be ideal but anything you guys can recommend on the subject would be great. "Best Loved Folktales from Around the World" edited by Joanna Cole is a really good collection of world wide folktales and includes things that are often hard to find, like Irish Fenian cycle, Native America and African folk tales, etc. It doesn't have analysis though. For analysis of folk tales I've had a hard time finding good volumes. They tend to be either "In this story the boulder symbolizes a bad thing and/or a penis" etc. The best alternative is probably something like Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces, that just has theory without applying it to a particular story.
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May 2, 2015 19:10
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