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StrixNebulosa posted:I poked my head in here to ask for a super-indulgent rec: I want to read about hyper-competent characters being competent and possibly being lauded for it. I don't care what the genre is, fiction or non-fiction, I want to see someone being REALLY GOOD at something and showing off. Winning at competitive knitting, disarming bombs, any subject, I just want to read about it. Captain Monkey posted:Andy Weir's The Martian. I have never read more page turning competence porn of the engineering / language variety than Andy Weir's "The Martian" and "Project Hail Mary."
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Jul 5, 2021 19:34
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Fate Accomplice posted:I have never read more page turning competence porn of the engineering / language variety than Andy Weir's "The Martian" and "Project Hail Mary." I wonder if The Player of Games by Ian Banks would scratch a similar itch.
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Jul 5, 2021 20:03
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tuyop posted:I wonder if The Player of Games by Ian Banks would scratch a similar itch. Player really annoyed me. Thought it was the characters, but it turns out I just don't like ian m banks writing style.
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Jul 5, 2021 20:32
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Zekky posted:Scifi stuff I feel remiss for but mentioning this in my first response, but: The long way to a small, angry planet
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Jul 6, 2021 00:42
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tuyop posted:I wonder if The Player of Games by Ian Banks would scratch a similar itch. Probably not. I loved the Martian and couldn’t finish Player of Games.
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Jul 6, 2021 02:25
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I am currently in the mood for any kind of fiction by actual Native American / First Nation authors - historical fiction, contemporary fiction, sci-fi or fantasy, etc. Books that I’ve already read: The Night Watchman by Louis Erdrich Blasphemy: New and Selected Stories, by Sherman Alexie The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, by Sherman Alexie There There, by Tommy Orange I already have bought copies of Erdrich’s The Last Report on the Miracle at Little No Horse and The Round House, so even though I’m probably fairly set already, I just wanted to see if there were any titles I could keep an eye out for.
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Jul 6, 2021 17:43
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Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko is a classic
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Jul 6, 2021 17:46
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IBroughttheFunk posted:I am currently in the mood for any kind of fiction by actual Native American / First Nation authors - historical fiction, contemporary fiction, sci-fi or fantasy, etc. Rebecca Roanhorse writes sci-fi and urban fantasy, I haven't read her most recent books but her Sixth World books are pretty good if you're okay with fun, action-y fantasy. They're sort of a post-climate-apocalypse modern fantasy centered mostly around Dine characters. If horror is an option, Stephen Graham Jones has tons of stuff out there. The Only Good Indians follows a handful of Blackfeet characters. Heavy content warning for violence though, including to animals. I haven't read it myself but Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese has been recommended to me a number of times.
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Jul 6, 2021 18:16
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IBroughttheFunk posted:I am currently in the mood for any kind of fiction by actual Native American / First Nation authors - historical fiction, contemporary fiction, sci-fi or fantasy, etc. I just bought a copy of Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson, which was profiled in last year's Canada Reads competition e. its YA from a few years ago but The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline was highly regarded as I recall (have not read it myself yet) Bilirubin fucked around with this message at 20:32 on Jul 6, 2021 |
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Jul 6, 2021 20:27
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BioTech posted:Mao's Great Famine Gonna flip this back around on you; would you recommend this? Came across it forever ago, but never got off my rear end about it. Is it readable by a layman?
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Jul 6, 2021 21:13
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IBroughttheFunk posted:I am currently in the mood for any kind of fiction by actual Native American / First Nation authors - historical fiction, contemporary fiction, sci-fi or fantasy, etc. Keeper ‘n Me by Richard Wagamese is a really good Ojibwe story of coming of age/identity in modern Canadian Indigenous contexts.
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Jul 7, 2021 03:37
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Magnetic North posted:Gonna flip this back around on you; would you recommend this? Came across it forever ago, but never got off my rear end about it. Is it readable by a layman? Absolutely, it is well-written and explains the policies and their detrimental effects in a clear way. It is the first and only book I've ever read on the subject, but I had no difficulty following any of it. Note that it looks at some of the horrors of this period at a very personal level as well, there are stories from people about what happened to their village and family during this period. These are incredibly depressing, especially considering the scale of it all, so it can be very unpleasant to read at times.
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Jul 7, 2021 07:46
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GorfZaplen posted:Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko is a classic I almost can't believe I haven't known about Leslie Marmon Silko until now. I work at an academic library and found we had a copy of Ceremony on our shelves. I'm excited to start it today! MockingQuantum posted:Rebecca Roanhorse writes sci-fi and urban fantasy, I haven't read her most recent books but her Sixth World books are pretty good if you're okay with fun, action-y fantasy. They're sort of a post-climate-apocalypse modern fantasy centered mostly around Dine characters. Thanks for putting Roanhorse back on my radar. I have heard good things about Black Sun as well as Trail of Lightning and the other Sixth World books. Also, I snagged The Only Good Indians for my Kindle recently on sale too. MockingQuantum posted:I haven't read it myself but Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese has been recommended to me a number of times. tuyop posted:Keeper ‘n Me by Richard Wagamese is a really good Ojibwe story of coming of age/identity in modern Canadian Indigenous contexts. Also going to give Wagamese a good look now too! Bilirubin posted:I just bought a copy of Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson, which was profiled in last year's Canada Reads competition These are also going on my to-reads list. The Marrow Thieves came up a few times yesterday while doing some of my own research on possible next-reads. Thanks so much, everyone! This looks like a fantastic collection.
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Jul 7, 2021 13:57
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Right now I'm reading House of Leaves and when I finish it I'll want more of it. So I'm looking for a scary book. No gory stuff but a tiny bit of gore is fine if it supports the story. I'm mostly looking to experience some deep dread and claustrophobia, preferably in a big house where you could get lost in. Shadows in the dark, unsettling noises at night, etc... Bonus points if it's about a group of people trying to get through the night and/or location, but that's optional. Paranormal stuff is fine but not necessary. vvv I saw the Netflix series. I realize it's probably not a good comparison to the book, but I find it hard to read a book after I've seen its movie or series version sadly. So maybe I'm looking for some lesser known books. John F Bennett fucked around with this message at 17:48 on Jul 7, 2021 |
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Jul 7, 2021 17:35
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John F Bennett posted:Right now I'm reading House of Leaves and when I finish it I'll want more of it.
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Jul 7, 2021 17:46
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John F Bennett posted:Right now I'm reading House of Leaves and when I finish it I'll want more of it. The netflix show is nothing like the book at all. There's nothing in common with it, besides the name, and it's exactly what you're asking for. Also, The Shining, unless you don't think you can read that after the movie, even though they are also very different. And maybe Slade House by David Mitchell. And Hell House by Richard Matheson. Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Jul 7, 2021 |
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Jul 7, 2021 18:06
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The Stephen King short story 1408 is exactly what you're looking for and one of the very best things he's ever written. It's so well crafted and constructed.
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Jul 7, 2021 19:39
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John F Bennett posted:Right now I'm reading House of Leaves and when I finish it I'll want more of it. I'll second what Franchescanado says, Haunting of Hill House is this exactly, and bears very little resemblance to the Netflix series other than the names that are used. It's probably one of the best examples of exactly what you're talking about here. Besides that, and the suggestions already given (which are all great and I second them all), these spring to mind: Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand The Woman in Black by Susan Hill is basically this idea but doesn't have a ton of depth to the story and I wasn't a huge fan, so mentioning it mostly for completeness House of Small Shadows by Adam Nevill (caveat to this one, Nevill sometimes gets gory though I can't remember for certain whether there are any bad moments in this one, someone who has read it more recently might be able to say for sure) possibly The Elementals by Malcolm McDowell. It doesn't take place inside a big house but centers around a location with strange goings-on and it had a particularly haunting and claustrophobic feel to me. The Grip of It by Jac Jemc also doesn't have a huge house involved but it takes place largely in a home, and definitely ticks the dread and claustrophobia boxes joke(?) answers would be "The Fall of the House of Usher" and House on the Borderlands though I'm not sure either is actually what you're looking for.
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Jul 7, 2021 19:53
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Thanks guys, for the spooky tips! A lot of stuff to add on my list.Franchescanado posted:The netflix show is nothing like the book at all. There's nothing in common with it, besides the name, and it's exactly what you're asking for. Guess I need to let go of this reluctance to read the original work after having seen the movie/show that is based on it. Thanks! Added to the list.
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Jul 8, 2021 09:39
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John F Bennett posted:Thanks guys, for the spooky tips! A lot of stuff to add on my list. The book is almost always better. I can think of, like, three exceptions where the film is better than the book. (Jaws, Jurassic Park, and The Last Picture Show)
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Jul 8, 2021 12:39
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Franchescanado posted:The book is almost always better. I can think of, like, three exceptions where the film is better than the book. (Jaws, Jurassic Park, and The Last Picture Show) Starship Troopers for sure. Tons of arguable ones as well, but that one for sure at least.
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Jul 8, 2021 13:31
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John F Bennett posted:Right now I'm reading House of Leaves and when I finish it I'll want more of it. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager maybe? I'd like some recommendations on action-y books with some government conspiracy theory poo poo in them. Just some light fun summer reading. Maybe something along the Gray Man series or Orphan X but preferably with some government hiding weird poo poo theories woven into it. Suggestions?
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Jul 8, 2021 15:45
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Clayton Bigsby posted:Home Before Dark by Riley Sager maybe? The Gone World is the conspiracy from the inside. This is not a spoiler since it’s revealed at the very beginning: the world is coming to an end and every time government agents travel forward in time it gets closer. It’s a fun read, although somewhat gory and cruel at times. I enjoyed it and I believe it qualifies as light.
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Jul 8, 2021 15:55
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Take the plunge! Okay! posted:The Gone World is the conspiracy from the inside. This is not a spoiler since it’s revealed at the very beginning: the world is coming to an end and every time government agents travel forward in time it gets closer. It’s a fun read, although somewhat gory and cruel at times. I enjoyed it and I believe it qualifies as light. I had this one my reading list already so will definitely pick it up, thank you! About to park "Airliner Down" by John Etzil that somehow has a 4.3 rating on Goodreads yet is total garbage.
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Jul 8, 2021 15:59
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Clayton Bigsby posted:About to park "Airliner Down" by John Etzil that somehow has a 4.3 rating on Goodreads yet is total garbage.
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Jul 8, 2021 16:43
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I mean, technically 
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Jul 8, 2021 16:46
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Take the plunge! Okay! posted:The Gone World is the conspiracy from the inside. This is not a spoiler since it’s revealed at the very beginning: the world is coming to an end and every time government agents travel forward in time it gets closer. It’s a fun read, although somewhat gory and cruel at times. I enjoyed it and I believe it qualifies as light. That sounds so similar to The First 15 Lives of Harry August, although there's not much government conspiracy in that book.
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Jul 8, 2021 17:06
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Clayton Bigsby posted:Home Before Dark by Riley Sager maybe? I keep recommending him, but Firestarter by Stephen King fits.
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Jul 8, 2021 17:23
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Franchescanado posted:I keep recommending him, but Firestarter by Stephen King fits. Yeah Firestarter is a great rec for that.
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Jul 8, 2021 21:17
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What's a book about the environment for a person who found "The Uninhabitable Earth" to be unreasonably optimistic? e: that sounds like a winner, thanks COPE 27 fucked around with this message at 21:09 on Jul 13, 2021 |
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Jul 10, 2021 19:33
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“Going Dark” Edit: the one by Guy McPherson
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Jul 11, 2021 22:09
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I'd love a "lets bootstrap society with engineering and technical know-how" style book. Can be time displaced, marooned, rebuilding after disaster / apocalypse, just needs to have some interesting problem solving. Destiny's Crucible and the Destroyermen series sort of scratched that itch, but I'd like some alternative recommendations.
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Jul 13, 2021 23:02
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space kobold posted:I'd love a "lets bootstrap society with engineering and technical know-how" style book. Can be time displaced, marooned, rebuilding after disaster / apocalypse, just needs to have some interesting problem solving. The 1632 series?
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Jul 13, 2021 23:31
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space kobold posted:I'd love a "lets bootstrap society with engineering and technical know-how" style book. Can be time displaced, marooned, rebuilding after disaster / apocalypse, just needs to have some interesting problem solving. Semiosis, maybe Children of Time, there’s another book I read years ago about people crash landed on a planet populated by two (or three?) headed dogs with a medieval society. That book sounds like it would work for you and was excellent.
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Jul 13, 2021 23:32
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tuyop posted:there’s another book I read years ago about people crash landed on a planet populated by two (or three?) headed dogs with a medieval society. That book sounds like it would work for you and was excellent. Fire Upon The Deep by Vernor Vinge
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Jul 14, 2021 00:28
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space kobold posted:I'd love a "lets bootstrap society with engineering and technical know-how" style book. These are the nonfiction versions: "How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B2LNVBY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 "The Knowledge: How to Rebuild our World from Scratch" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H4EM594/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
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Jul 14, 2021 02:24
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I just finished The Ten-Cent Plague about the rise and fall of horror comics in the 40s and 50s and loved it. I also loved Shock Value about the rise of a new generation of horror filmmakers in 60s and 70s New Hollywood and how they pushed horror to new levels. I also watched a documentary about the censorship of DTV horror in Britain in the 80s called Video Nasties. I might be a bit burnt out on horror history (might!) but I really enjoy that intersection between history and pop culture, getting really in depth with the figures and politics behind the scenes. I'm big on movies so that seems like an obvious area, though I'm not really a music guy so I'm not particularly interested in anything in that arena. But is there anything else that pops to mind that might tap that same itch? It doesn't even have to be anything particularly nerdy. I have Seduction: Sex, Lies, and Stardom in Howard Hughes' Hollywood that I might jump into, but wanted to see if there's anything else that someone might recommend. Open to tangentially-related suggestions, too!
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Jul 14, 2021 14:15
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The Pirates and the Mouse by Bob Levin is about a copyright lawsuit between Disney and a group of cartoonists who deliberately provoked them to make a point
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Jul 14, 2021 16:19
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feedmyleg posted:I just finished The Ten-Cent Plague about the rise and fall of horror comics in the 40s and 50s and loved it. I also loved Shock Value about the rise of a new generation of horror filmmakers in 60s and 70s New Hollywood and how they pushed horror to new levels. I also watched a documentary about the censorship of DTV horror in Britain in the 80s called Video Nasties. Film: Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War Pictures At A Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-Rock 'N Roll Generation Saved Hollywood Best. Movie. Year. Ever.: How 1999 Blew Up The Big Screen A Long Time Ago, In A Cutting Room Far, Far Away: My Fifty Years Editing Hollywood Hits by Paul Hirsch The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke and the Making of a Masterpiece The Devil's Candy: The Anatomy of a Hollywood Fiasco Hollywood Animal: A Memoir by Joe Eszterhas Video Games: Blood, Sweat and Pixels: The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry
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Jul 14, 2021 16:32
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I rather liked William Goldman (aka "the guy who wrote The Princess Bride")'s memoirs. Try his Adventures in the Screen Trade.
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Jul 14, 2021 20:24
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