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I would like a good, maybe short series of books in the scifi or fantasy genre. Is there any like, several book series that is not a 1000 page tome each, maybe not military-scifi? Something that's kind of like Star Trek or something campy and cool? One example I liked a lot was the Axiom series by Tim Pratt (new book this October!), or John Scalzi's "Old Man War" series (I still have to finish Zoe's Tale, but Zoe is so boring of a character). I also recently read The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson, which was a nice short romp. I also enjoyed (still need to finish the last two books) of The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. I also enjoyed Wesley Chu's Time Salvager series. Any suggestions would be appreciated. GreenBuckanneer fucked around with this message at 16:42 on Jun 1, 2019 |
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Jun 1, 2019 16:40
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The Hooded Swan series by Brian Stableford sounds like what you want.
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Jun 1, 2019 17:12
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C. J. Cherryh's Alliance-Union books. Merchanter's Luck is a good place to start. Edit: Stephen Leigh's The Crystal Memory isn't part of a series but is very similar to the Alliance-Union books and is worth checking out if you enjoy them. Sham bam bamina! fucked around with this message at 18:04 on Jun 1, 2019 |
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Jun 1, 2019 17:52
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GreenBuckanneer posted:I would like a good, maybe short series of books in the scifi or fantasy genre. You might enjoy Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series. Yeah, it's kinda military SF, but it's not militaristic.
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Jun 2, 2019 01:37
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GreenBuckanneer posted:I would like a good, maybe short series of books in the scifi or fantasy genre. Oh man you want the Bobiverse then. Those are the most afternoon in a hammock books.
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Jun 2, 2019 02:00
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GreenBuckanneer posted:I would like a good, maybe short series of books in the scifi or fantasy genre. I like Red Rising although it's a little militaryish in some of the later books. Also I'll always recommend Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series
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Jun 2, 2019 03:12
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I'm looking for good audiobooks to learn a bit during my work commute. My interest are (beginner-level / amateur level) programming, coding, wine, self-improvement, science and general knowledge. Examples of books I like are the Wine Bible,the Drunkard's Walk (a book about how statistics influence our lives) and Why We Sleep (about sleeping and its importance and how to improve it)
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Jun 2, 2019 20:34
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Can someone recommend an unsettling book? I just read The Vegetarian by Han Kang. I thought it was good but it was really weird/unsettling to read.
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Jun 18, 2019 10:23
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succ posted:Can someone recommend an unsettling book? The Other Side by Alfred Kubin, Night by Bilge Karasu.
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Jun 18, 2019 13:15
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Yoko Ogawa's stuff is unsettling in a somewhat similar way to the Vegetarian
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Jun 18, 2019 13:50
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Can I get some recommendations for works with a strong identity with Ireland and/or Scotland? I’m open to literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry. I’ve already got James Joyce and Irvine Welsh on my bookshelf.
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Jun 19, 2019 15:13
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Any preference when it comes to period? Are you looking for a portrayal of Irish culture, or an impression of Irish writing in general? In the case of the latter: Being Various: New Irish Short Stories, edited by Lucy Caldwell, is a recently-released anthology which includes 24 short stories by contemporary Irish authors. Other than that: Amongst Women by John McGahern is an obvious classic, as are The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien, The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen and At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien; Colm Tóibín's Brooklyn is based on the common phenomenon of young people leaving Ireland for the US; I quite enjoyed Danny Denton's debut The Earlie King & the Kid in Yellow, but that's set in a fictional dystopian Ireland of the future and isn't necessarily "Irish" in the sense I think you're looking for; then there's stuff like Mike McCormack's Solar Bones, All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan and a whole host of other recent good to great novels, but those two also don't necessarily revolve around an Irish identity as much as they are simply set in Ireland. note: I've not read all of these myself, the ones I haven't are on definitely my to-read stack though (for when I finally get time to read for leisure  ). Anyhow, there's a bunch. I'm a sucker for Irish literature. Not very familiar with Scottish works though. Oh! Also, Granta #135 is a few years old now, but it'd probably make for an amazing starting point in your search.e: there's also The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers, edited by Sinéad Gleeson (which I only came across thanks to your post, so thanks! Does mean I don't know much about it, though). Lex Neville fucked around with this message at 16:31 on Jun 19, 2019 |
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Jun 19, 2019 16:26
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Franchescanado posted:Can I get some recommendations for works with a strong identity with Ireland and/or Scotland? I’m open to literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Lady Gregory's Gods and Fighting Men[/i] is a good start for Irish mythology if you want that. Seamus Heaney is the modern Celtic poet par excellence. For Scottish literature, probably Sir Walter Scott? I mean, it's in the name. Rob Roy is better as a movie. I forced my way through a shitload of Walter Scott novels decades ago and honestly the only one I actually enjoyed was Ivanhoe, because Robin Hood. Otherwise, way to leave out the Welsh, the Forgotten Celts! Seriously though, read the Mabinogion, the Irish are heavily involved. Also I normally only recommend this in fantasy threads but Evangeline Walton wrote an excellent historical novel version of the Mabinogion under the same title, basically doing for welsh myth (not really separable from Irish myth) what Mary Renault did for greek mythology. Technically, Lord Dunsany was also an Irish (anglo-Irish) writer, and you can see the celtic influence in a lot of his stuff. Tolkien on the Celts: quote:I do know Celtic things (many in their original languages Irish and Welsh), and feel for them a certain distaste: largely for their fundamental unreason. They have a bright colour, but are like a broken stained glass window reassembled without design. They are in fact 'mad' as your reader says – but I don't believe I am.
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Jun 19, 2019 17:03
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If you like Irvine Welsh and want to extend all this to Wales Niall Griffiths is in a similar vein. Less about the absolute highs and lows of drugs and more about enduring poverty and displacement of being an outcast. It's very page-turner like Welsh, but deals with the reality of society's cast offs. I prefer him to Welsh, who has a banging soundtrack to all his novels, with Griffiths more having an aspiring producer with equipment bought out of a car's boot in the pub car-park.
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Jun 19, 2019 17:22
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Lex Neville posted:Any preference when it comes to period? Are you looking for a portrayal of Irish culture, or an impression of Irish writing in general? Either/or. It's an open-ended request for a reason, I'm open to either as long as the setting is one or the other or the author is a notable person from Ireland or Scotland. The requests so far have been excellent! Thank you both. Mrenda posted:If you like Irvine Welsh and want to extend all this to Wales Niall Griffiths is in a similar vein. Less about the absolute highs and lows of drugs and more about enduring poverty and displacement of being an outcast. It's very page-turner like Welsh, but deals with the reality of society's cast offs. I prefer him to Welsh, who has a banging soundtrack to all his novels, with Griffiths more having an aspiring producer with equipment bought out of a car's boot in the pub car-park. I'll check Griffiths out based on this, but I'm going on a trip to Ireland and Scotland soon and I just like reading different things related to trips I have to take. Wales, sadly, is not a part of this trip.
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Jun 19, 2019 18:02
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I shamefully forgot Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle 
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Jun 19, 2019 18:34
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Lex Neville posted:I shamefully forgot Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle In my own asking, I also forgot about Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett* and Laurence Sterne, though I don't see the latter touted for being Irish, despite being born there. *but I also didn't mention I was open to plays
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Jun 19, 2019 19:42
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If you're open to plays, then yeah Beckett is good though the majority of his plays were written when he was in France and were much more influenced by French artistic movements so I'm not sure they're what you're looking for. For other Irish playwrights, try Brian Friel (The Faith Healer, Translations, Dancing at Lughnasa), Sean O'Casey (Juno and the Paycock), Conor McPherson (The Seafarer), or for something completely different, Martin McDonagh (The Connemara trilogy). Works in parentheses aren't necessarily their best or anything, just plays I liked and that are either set in Ireland or have a heavy Irish literary influence. You could also try Brendan Behan or Frank McGuinness, though I haven't read either personally.
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Jun 19, 2019 20:07
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MockingQuantum posted:If you're open to plays, then yeah Beckett is good though the majority of his plays were written when he was in France and were much more influenced by French artistic movements so I'm not sure they're what you're looking for. Very cool. Thank you!
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Jun 19, 2019 22:03
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All of Yeats is deeply Irish, from a folklore bent early on, to a nationalist bent later. I'd leaf through his "Collected Poems" as he is very much greater than the sum of his parts.
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Jun 19, 2019 22:47
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burns, stevenson, taht one gideon fell which is in scotland
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Jun 20, 2019 00:31
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edit: the case of the constant suicides
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Jun 20, 2019 00:31
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the scots translation of spleen de paris i found in a feminist bookstore in edinburgh
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Jun 20, 2019 00:32
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Franchescanado posted:Can I get some recommendations for works with a strong identity with Ireland and/or Scotland? I’m open to literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Flann O'Brien, Alaisdair Gray, Lewis Grassic Gibbon
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Jun 20, 2019 01:51
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Franchescanado posted:In my own asking, I also forgot about Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett* and Laurence Sterne, though I don't see the latter touted for being Irish, despite being born there. Beckett's novels own anyway even if you don't care about plays.
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Jun 20, 2019 01:53
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Can't embed this image, so. https://imgur.com/a/ak5KrAq I've recently bought [b]Black Leopard Red Wolf Left hand of darkness Roadside Picnic Sword & Citadel North American Lake Monsters Stories of your life by Chiang And not pictured Tolkien's Children of Turin & Unfinished Tales[/b I'd like recommendations that someone that chose those books would enjoy but aren't exactly more of the same. Something less pure sci fi/fantasy maybe, but not non fiction. Also, for some reason I ended up in the Peloponnesian war wikipedia page. After reading the Silmarillion I could try and read something set on the real world. Is there a middle point between ancient historians and something 100% pop history?
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Jun 20, 2019 02:38
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Mr. Nemo posted:Can't embed this image, so. https://imgur.com/a/ak5KrAq That reads much like my reading list so far for this year. Roadside Picnic and Lake Monsters are amazing, and Left Hand of Darkness a classic that I should reread again soon (I reread Dispossessed in the past year). So I guess check out my books on Goodreads? https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/61729436 Mind you, it's a dog's breakfast genre and theme wise but everything is striking me as interesting these days quote:Also, for some reason I ended up in the Peloponnesian war wikipedia page. After reading the Silmarillion I could try and read something set on the real world. Is there a middle point between ancient historians and something 100% pop history? Read the ancient historians. History of the Peloponnesian War is a classic.
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Jun 20, 2019 03:16
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Mr. Nemo posted:Also, for some reason I ended up in the Peloponnesian war wikipedia page. After reading the Silmarillion I could try and read something set on the real world. Is there a middle point between ancient historians and something 100% pop history? You've probably read it but as far as ancient historians go, Xenophon's March of the Ten Thousand is easy and fun. anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 08:32 on Jun 20, 2019 |
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Jun 20, 2019 08:28
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A human heart posted:Alaisdair Gray Which would you recommend first? One of his novels, like Lanark: A Life In Four Books, or a short story collection? Mr. Nemo posted:Can't embed this image, so. https://imgur.com/a/ak5KrAq Jorge Luis Borges (Collected Fictions for all his prose; Labyrinths or Ficciones if you want a shorter collection) Flannery O'Connor (The Complete Short Stores for it all; A Good Man Is Hard To Find for a shorter collection) Etgar Keret (any of his collections) George Saunders Pale Fire by Nabakov CestMoi posted:stevenson I've read Treasure Island and Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. Anything specific you'd recommend? Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 14:21 on Jun 20, 2019 |
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Jun 20, 2019 14:07
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Franchescanado posted:Which would you recommend first? One of his novels, like Lanark: A Life In Four Books, or a short story collection? Lanark is the one I read and its generally thought to be his best iirc
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Jun 20, 2019 14:28
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go for short stories with stevenson like new arabian nights
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Jun 20, 2019 16:20
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A human heart posted:Lanark is the one I read and its generally thought to be his best iirc CestMoi posted:go for short stories with stevenson like new arabian nights Thank you both, Lit friends.
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Jun 20, 2019 16:26
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Franchescanado posted:Which would you recommend first? One of his novels, like Lanark: A Life In Four Books, or a short story collection? I'm from Argentina, so I've already read Borges, and if any of the other recommendations are any near as good as him I'll be very happy. Although I don't see how you got from my post to him. Soldier of the mist sounds quite good! Fine, I'll dive into some ancient history, apparently that book is a cornerstone of western literature, so that's something! Thanks all for the recommendations, that was quick
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Jun 20, 2019 22:45
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Mr. Nemo posted:I'm from Argentina, so I've already read Borges, and if any of the other recommendations are any near as good as him I'll be very happy. Although I don't see how you got from my post to him. At least two of the books listed deal with trying to understand absurdity through a grounded logic, and how people deal with that or fail to comprehend it. A few others are written by authors who intend for their reader to be invested in exploring the negative space and putting work into it. So I gave you more stories that provide that reading experience but also are fun and entertaining in their own right.
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Jun 20, 2019 22:55
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Mr. Nemo posted:I'd like recommendations that someone that chose those books would enjoy but aren't exactly more of the same. Something less pure sci fi/fantasy maybe, but not non fiction.
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Jun 20, 2019 22:56
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Mr. Nemo posted:Can't embed this image, so. https://imgur.com/a/ak5KrAq THE DICTIONARY OF THE KHAZARS BY MILORAD PAVIC
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Jun 20, 2019 23:13
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Hey everyone, I'm looking for something in the thriller/crime genre (a genre I've read basically nothing of), the only requirement is that it should have a strong female protagonist. Any recommendations?
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Jun 22, 2019 03:09
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Looking for more horror like Nathan Ballingrud. Vaguely Lovecraftian takes on traditional horror tropes with flawed protagonists. I’ve read Wounds and North American Lake Monsters and thought they were both great.
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Jun 22, 2019 03:18
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Azran posted:Hey everyone, I'm looking for something in the thriller/crime genre (a genre I've read basically nothing of), the only requirement is that it should have a strong female protagonist. Any recommendations? Terribly obvious, but Silence of the Lambs
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Jun 22, 2019 04:17
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^^ I have not read it in 20+ years but it was a great book. So are the pre / post quels but I don't think they have female leads. More recently "Sharp objects" - Gillian Flynn was amazing (so was the HBO miniseries made based on it) Maybe "Girl with a Dragon tattoo"? Good page turning thriller with a strong female even if they are not necessarily the lead protagonist.
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Jun 22, 2019 05:16
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