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If you want to see what espionage really is like, The Looking Glass War by Le Carré should be on your list
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Dec 3, 2022 11:08
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A fair chunk of the Master and Commander books by Patrick O'Brian deals with espionage of one sort or another.
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Dec 3, 2022 13:54
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For Le Carré that focuses more on diplomats try Agent Running in the Field or Tailor of Panama. For Le Carré that's about possibly retired spies and local fixtures, try Silverview.
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Dec 4, 2022 17:57
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You might also like Timothy Garton Ash's The File. It's a nonfiction memoir by a British correspondent who requested his Stasi file after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Lots of interesting stuff about how they operated as a state police + how they interacted with journalists, diplomats, foreigners etc.
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Dec 4, 2022 17:58
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Anyone have recommendations for non fiction that takes place in greece, or even fantasy inspired by greek mythology, for someone that has already read Song of Achilles and Circe?
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Dec 4, 2022 23:31
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bltzn posted:Anyone have recommendations for non fiction that takes place in greece, or even fantasy inspired by greek mythology, for someone that has already read Song of Achilles and Circe? If historical fiction fits in this category, then anything by Mary Renault. Literally anything. Start with The King Must Die
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Dec 5, 2022 00:08
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:If historical fiction fits in this category, then anything by Mary Renault. Literally anything. Start with The King Must Die Harry Turtledove also did 5 books of Grecian historial fiction, starting with "Over the Wine Dark Sea" (first 4 books under H N Turtletaub): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenic_Traders
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Dec 5, 2022 01:37
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imo the best ancient Greek historical fiction comes from Mary Renault (the GOAT of historical fiction in general in my eyes, kudos to Hieronymous for getting me into her work, tho man its sad when you finally run out) and Alfred Duggan (wrote a solid novel about Demetrius the Besieger among others). Think Thomas C Holt has some good ones too, though the latter two deal more in Rome typically. Robert Graves is fantastic though most of his stuff deals with Rome. I did recently read his novel Homer's Daughter tho and that is set in ancient ancient near mythical Greece, also deals with a lot of mythology of course. Def recommend.
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Dec 5, 2022 01:46
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bltzn posted:Anyone have recommendations for non fiction that takes place in greece, or even fantasy inspired by greek mythology, for someone that has already read Song of Achilles and Circe? Expedition to Disaster: The Athenian Mission to Sicily 415 BC by Philip Matyszak is a great little history of an extremely dumb war.
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Dec 5, 2022 02:49
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Thanks for the recommendations but also I'm an idiot I meant to say fiction, not fiction!!
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Dec 5, 2022 19:39
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bltzn posted:Thanks for the recommendations but also I'm an idiot I meant to say fiction, not fiction!! Thanks for clarifying that
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Dec 6, 2022 00:48
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bltzn posted:Anyone have recommendations for non fiction that takes place in greece, or even fantasy inspired by greek mythology, for someone that has already read Song of Achilles and Circe? there's John Cowper Powys' Atlantis, which is about the elderly Odysseus going on his final voyage and presumably having conversations with leaves like every other JCP book
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Dec 6, 2022 10:53
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i'm looking for a rec for a Christmas present for my brother. His favorite book is Between Two Fires, he's a big fan of fantasy but less traditional wizards and elves and dragons style and more "realistic" style (though that doesn't mean it can't have magic or creatures etc). He also likes the Black Company series if that helps. Bonus points if it's a series but one-off books are great too.
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Dec 7, 2022 19:28
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Kvlt! posted:i'm looking for a rec for a Christmas present for my brother. His favorite book is Between Two Fires, he's a big fan of fantasy but less traditional wizards and elves and dragons style and more "realistic" style (though that doesn't mean it can't have magic or creatures etc). He also likes the Black Company series if that helps. A good low fantasy series is Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu. It's about a modern day Japanese pub whose front door opens into a Germanic medieval fantasy world. The various people of the fantasy city stop by and their troubles are lessened by the delicious food and cold beer that's unlike anything they've ever had before. There are no elves or dragons, but there is a witch (who mainly just seems to be a classic folk healer with herbs and stuff) and mention of a kraken. It also does get a bit into the economics and trade of the fantasy world Heterogenia Linguistico is another good option. It's about a linguist who travels into a part of the world inhabited by various kinds of beastmen, in an attempt to learn their languages and cultures. Gripweed fucked around with this message at 19:39 on Dec 7, 2022 |
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Dec 7, 2022 19:36
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Gripweed posted:A good low fantasy series is Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu. It's about a modern day Japanese pub whose front door opens into a Germanic medieval fantasy world. The various people of the fantasy city stop by and their troubles are lessened by the delicious food and cold beer that's unlike anything they've ever had before. There are no elves or dragons, but there is a witch (who mainly just seems to be a classic folk healer with herbs and stuff) and mention of a kraken. It also does get a bit into the economics and trade of the fantasy world Greatly appreciate the suggestion! Looking it up I'm not quite sure if that would be right for him, he definitely likes a fair amount of action and darker storylines (though I didn't put that in my op, I should have). I should also clarify I'm looking just for novels not graphic novels or manga
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Dec 7, 2022 19:40
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Sorry, I only know manga.
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Dec 7, 2022 20:03
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no need to be sorry i appreciate the suggestions!
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Dec 7, 2022 20:10
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Kvlt! posted:i'm looking for a rec for a Christmas present for my brother. His favorite book is Between Two Fires, he's a big fan of fantasy but less traditional wizards and elves and dragons style and more "realistic" style (though that doesn't mean it can't have magic or creatures etc). He also likes the Black Company series if that helps.
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Dec 7, 2022 20:17
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Kvlt! posted:i'm looking for a rec for a Christmas present for my brother. His favorite book is Between Two Fires, he's a big fan of fantasy but less traditional wizards and elves and dragons style and more "realistic" style (though that doesn't mean it can't have magic or creatures etc). He also likes the Black Company series if that helps. The Traitor Son series by Miles Cameron hits some of the same notes as Between Two Fires, though it's much more fantastical. The author seems to be a big medieval nerd so the non-magical things have a good feeling of authenticity - the armour, combat, travel etc. It's dark and violent.
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Dec 7, 2022 20:22
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anilEhilated posted:Maybe the Witcher books? i know he likes the games so ill def check these out ty! Chas McGill posted:The Traitor Son series by Miles Cameron hits some of the same notes as Between Two Fires, though it's much more fantastical. The author seems to be a big medieval nerd so the non-magical things have a good feeling of authenticity - the armour, combat, travel etc. It's dark and violent. These look right up his alley im def gonna get him the first one, ty!
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Dec 7, 2022 20:27
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Kvlt! posted:i'm looking for a rec for a Christmas present for my brother. His favorite book is Between Two Fires, he's a big fan of fantasy but less traditional wizards and elves and dragons style and more "realistic" style (though that doesn't mean it can't have magic or creatures etc). He also likes the Black Company series if that helps. I haven't read Between Two Fires, but I have read Black Company. He might like Malazan Book of the Fallen if he's okay with a very long series
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Dec 7, 2022 20:34
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Elyv posted:I haven't read Between Two Fires, but I have read Black Company. He might like Malazan Book of the Fallen if he's okay with a very long series Another possible suggestion that occured to me are the Low Town books by Daniel Polansky. Basically crime novels set in a fantasy city, very page turn-y.
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Dec 7, 2022 21:02
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Kvlt! posted:i'm looking for a rec for a Christmas present for my brother. His favorite book is Between Two Fires, he's a big fan of fantasy but less traditional wizards and elves and dragons style and more "realistic" style (though that doesn't mean it can't have magic or creatures etc). He also likes the Black Company series if that helps. I recommend The Goblin Emperor and it's sequels.
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Dec 7, 2022 21:24
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Kvlt! posted:i'm looking for a rec for a Christmas present for my brother. His favorite book is Between Two Fires, he's a big fan of fantasy but less traditional wizards and elves and dragons style and more "realistic" style (though that doesn't mean it can't have magic or creatures etc). He also likes the Black Company series if that helps. I recommend The Night-Bird's Feather by Jenna Moran, which is extremely good, part of a series, and very much non-traditional. I don't know if I would call it "realistic" but correct jam-making techniques are a major element.
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Dec 7, 2022 22:03
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Kvlt! posted:i'm looking for a rec for a Christmas present for my brother. His favorite book is Between Two Fires, he's a big fan of fantasy but less traditional wizards and elves and dragons style and more "realistic" style (though that doesn't mean it can't have magic or creatures etc). He also likes the Black Company series if that helps. It kinda seems too obvious, but Joe Abercrombie's First Law series seems to be exactly what you want, but it's so well known I'm guessing maybe he's already read all that?
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Dec 8, 2022 03:41
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Kvlt! posted:i'm looking for a rec for a Christmas present for my brother. His favorite book is Between Two Fires, he's a big fan of fantasy but less traditional wizards and elves and dragons style and more "realistic" style (though that doesn't mean it can't have magic or creatures etc). He also likes the Black Company series if that helps. The Drenai books by David Gemmell might suit him.
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Dec 8, 2022 04:45
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tons of great stuff here everyone, thank you so much. His birthday is shortly after Christmas so now I've got Christmas and birthday presents for him!
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Dec 8, 2022 18:18
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maybe a longshot: anybody have recommendations for books on film theory? could be analyzing a specific work, or going through a movement, or just an introduction to the topic, whatever you've got. i just want to learn to read movies better
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Dec 8, 2022 20:46
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SEX HAVER 40000 posted:maybe a longshot: anybody have recommendations for books on film theory? could be analyzing a specific work, or going through a movement, or just an introduction to the topic, whatever you've got. i just want to learn to read movies better David Bordwell and Kitstin Thompson's books and blog are a good starting point for understanding how film technique, technology, and form shape our experiences watching. http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/
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Dec 8, 2022 22:11
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Looking for detective/mystery novels set in non-english speaking countries and preferably not in Europe. I really enjoyed Keigo Higashino's stuff, for example. Bonus if the "foreign" (to me) setting plays a big role in the novel.
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Dec 9, 2022 01:54
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I really enjoyed Abir Mukherjee's series of novels set in India from about 1920 onwards. The setting absolutely plays a significant role in many of the stories, and they're just overall well written and fun mysteries.
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Dec 9, 2022 04:28
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Chas McGill posted:Looking for detective/mystery novels set in non-english speaking countries and preferably not in Europe. I really enjoyed Keigo Higashino's stuff, for example. Bonus if the "foreign" (to me) setting plays a big role in the novel. The Name of the Rose is set in a medieval Italian monastery, and leans very hard into the setting. Dense as gently caress, though. The Judge Dee novels are famous, although I haven't read them myself. Haystack fucked around with this message at 04:43 on Dec 9, 2022 |
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Dec 9, 2022 04:34
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Chas McGill posted:Looking for detective/mystery novels set in non-english speaking countries and preferably not in Europe. I really enjoyed Keigo Higashino's stuff, for example. Bonus if the "foreign" (to me) setting plays a big role in the novel. No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series is set in Botswana and is top notch (if you like them theres tons of to, at least 20)
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Dec 9, 2022 04:52
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I have a sort of odd request: please recommend to me your favorite books under 300 pages.
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Dec 9, 2022 15:29
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hallo spacedog posted:I have a sort of odd request: please recommend to me your favorite books under 300 pages. Anything by Italo Calvino. If I had to pick one, The Nonexistent Knight.
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Dec 9, 2022 15:52
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Ficciones by Borges
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Dec 9, 2022 15:55
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hallo spacedog posted:I have a sort of odd request: please recommend to me your favorite books under 300 pages. Anything by Cesar Aira. I also think all of Kafka falls under this.
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Dec 9, 2022 16:16
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Haystack posted:I recommend The Goblin Emperor and it's sequels. this book is literally all elves
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Dec 9, 2022 16:37
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hallo spacedog posted:I have a sort of odd request: please recommend to me your favorite books under 300 pages. Slowness
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Dec 9, 2022 19:18
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White Noise is my favourite book and it’s 330 pages, maybe you could find a small print version that cuts it down. Otherwise off the top of my head, Gunslinger
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Dec 9, 2022 20:37
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