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Wheat Loaf posted:I recently rewatched the film adaptation of The Assassination Bureau (I haven't read the novel - I'm not conversant with Jack London so if it is worth reading please let me know). It has a secret society, a daring suffragette reporter, a plot to assassinate the crowned heads of Europe and also the President of France (it's set in 1910) and a showdown involving a zeppelin. I was wondering if anyone can recommend any adventure novels which have a similar sort of vibe, or alternatively homages to/pastiches of that kind of storytelling. Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope; Master of the World, Into the Niger Bend, and City in the Sahara by Jules Verne; War in the Air by HG Wells; Raffles the Amateur Cracksman by E. W. Hornung.
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Oct 30, 2018 16:36
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Zenda I have read; I have also read its less-celebrated sequel, which is usually ignored because it's too much of a downer. I will look into the other suggestions as well.
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Oct 30, 2018 17:47
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If you want a pastiche of that kind of novel (and many others), check out Pynchon’s Against the Day
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Oct 30, 2018 18:08
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Wheat Loaf posted:Zenda I have read; I have also read its less-celebrated sequel, which is usually ignored because it's too much of a downer. I will look into the other suggestions as well. Rupert of Hentzau is sad.
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Oct 30, 2018 18:09
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Take the plunge! Okay! posted:If you want a pastiche of that kind of novel (and many others), check out Pynchon’s Against the Day Currently reading this; its very good so far.
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Oct 30, 2018 21:08
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I've only ever tried one Pynchon novel but I can't remember if it was Against the Day or Gravity's Rainbow. It was many years ago and I was determined to challenge myself so I tried either one or the other of those and Naked Lunch, but they were too sophisticated for me at the time, so I settled for Nineteen Eighty-Four, which I hadn't yet read at the time and was far more digestible.
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Oct 30, 2018 22:23
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Pynchon's my favorite author. Sure, he's intelligent and sophisticated and a lot of the ideas will go over your head on the first few reads, but you also get some of the funniest writing in the English language, some of the most unforgettable characters, and amazingly insightful passages. Sure, he's going to create a math equation that's unsolvable and throw that in the story, but then you also get a stoner romp about a guy in a pig suit trying to steal a bag of hash from behind enemy lines or a gross-out gag about British chocolates filled with mayonnaise. With Pynchon, you get it all. edit: Like there's an awesome action-packed scene where a group of heroes steal a Red Cross ambulance to get away from enemies, but the drivers are too worried about getting bumps of cocaine to keep their buzz going. It's hilarious. But most people don't even get past the giant octopus Grigori who's been condition to attack pretty women as a secret weapon because the first "chapter" throws so many characters and settings at them. Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 22:33 on Oct 30, 2018 |
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Oct 30, 2018 22:29
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If you want to read something spooky tonight, Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident is $1.20 on Kindle today
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Oct 31, 2018 11:03
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Wheat Loaf posted:I recently rewatched the film adaptation of The Assassination Bureau (I haven't read the novel - I'm not conversant with Jack London so if it is worth reading please let me know). It has a secret society, a daring suffragette reporter, a plot to assassinate the crowned heads of Europe and also the President of France (it's set in 1910) and a showdown involving a zeppelin. I was wondering if anyone can recommend any adventure novels which have a similar sort of vibe, or alternatively homages to/pastiches of that kind of storytelling. K. W. Jeter's Infernal Devices and Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart series (The Ruby in the Smoke, Shadow in the North, The Tiger in the Well, The Tin Princess) might suit you.
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Oct 31, 2018 14:24
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Also The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss
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Oct 31, 2018 16:25
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Wheat Loaf posted:I recently rewatched the film adaptation of The Assassination Bureau (I haven't read the novel - I'm not conversant with Jack London so if it is worth reading please let me know). It has a secret society, a daring suffragette reporter, a plot to assassinate the crowned heads of Europe and also the President of France (it's set in 1910) and a showdown involving a zeppelin. I was wondering if anyone can recommend any adventure novels which have a similar sort of vibe, or alternatively homages to/pastiches of that kind of storytelling. They're comics, but Tintin is extremely dope.
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Oct 31, 2018 16:51
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A lot of Historical fiction imo is never as good as simply going back to the source/inspiration. Albert Campion series https://www.goodreads.com/series/55933-albert-campion Lord peter wimsey series https://www.goodreads.com/series/42773-lord-peter-wimsey
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Oct 31, 2018 17:22
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I do like Lord Peter Wimsey. I've only read the first five or so. I keep meaning to pick them back up as well.
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Oct 31, 2018 17:58
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Wheat Loaf posted:I do like Lord Peter Wimsey. I've only read the first five or so. I keep meaning to pick them back up as well. They go downhill in quality unfortunately. It's a stop when you feel like it they don't get better series, unless you're really attached to the characters and want the whole character arc.
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Oct 31, 2018 18:00
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:They go downhill in quality unfortunately. It's a stop when you feel like it they don't get better series, unless you're really attached to the characters and want the whole character arc. I've actually not really read many Golden Age detective authors. A couple of Poirots here and there and the first half dozen or so Peter Wimseys, as I mentioned; doesn't Sayers essentially write herself into the series as Lord Peter's girlfriend at some stage? I've never read an Allignham or a Marsh either. As I've mentioned, my favourite is Rex Stout because he splits the difference. He's got a softboiled detective for his narrator; I sometimes like Archie more than I like Wolfe. I sometimes wonder about Sayers. A devoutly religious woman whose most celebrated fiction began as Sexton Blake fanfics and eventually ended up being about her ideal man to the extent that she inserted herself into the action so she could jump his bones. If she was writing today she'd probably have been doing sparkly vampires, wouldn't she? :p
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Oct 31, 2018 18:24
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Yup. I remember reading some literary analysis of Sayers -- by a Big Name author, forget who, maybe Nobokov? Who argued that her fiction suffered because she could have been Great Writer but was ashamed to be writing pulp. She also wrote the original "My Goodness? A Guinness!" Ad campaign.
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Oct 31, 2018 18:32
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I have a soft spot for Patricia Wentworth myself. She has a series about a detective called miss silver, which I always think of as the golden age equivalent of my nan’s books about nurses. Very formulaic and yet, she can really do a build up and make you really hate a character and want them dead like no other author.
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Oct 31, 2018 20:10
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:I remember reading some literary analysis of Sayers -- by a Big Name author, forget who, maybe Nobokov? Who argued that her fiction suffered because she could have been Great Writer but was ashamed to be writing pulp. I remember reading about how Nabakov corresponded with an American writer and literary critic (I think it might have been Edmund Wilson) who shared his disdain for detective fiction; Nabakov sent him the one English detective novel he felt came close to being good literature, which I believe was The Nine Tailors, and was a bit put out when Wilson replied, "No, it's trash as well," because his view was that crime fiction which delved into the psychology of the criminal was something worthwhile but thought detective fiction which was all plot wasn't worth the paper it's printed on. Anyway, while I'm briefly on the topic, having finished them recently for the first time, I think I rate The Lady In the Lake and The Little Sister above The Big Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely.
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Oct 31, 2018 21:06
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Wheat Loaf posted:I've actually not really read many Golden Age detective authors. A couple of Poirots here and there and the first half dozen or so Peter Wimseys, as I mentioned; doesn't Sayers essentially write herself into the series as Lord Peter's girlfriend at some stage? I've never read an Allignham or a Marsh either. As I've mentioned, my favourite is Rex Stout because he splits the difference. He's got a softboiled detective for his narrator; I sometimes like Archie more than I like Wolfe. My favorite from that era is John Dickson Carr. He's much more interested in creating puzzles, but his detectives (Dr. Gideon Fell, Sir Henry Merrivale) have enough personality to make them fun to read about. Merrivale in particular often feels like a character from Wodehouse who's wandered into a murder mystery. Ellery Queen is pretty good too, although I prefer the earlier books where Ellery was more of a snobbish Philo Vance knockoff.
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Oct 31, 2018 21:12
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Never agree with Nobakev when it comes to opinions about other writers. He had a very particular way of reading books. Otoh, I'm sure he'd be able to offer a good rant about audiobooks.
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Oct 31, 2018 21:56
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Oh Jesus, the nine tailors is a dreadful example of detective fiction and one of the weakest most annoying ones in the series. It’s exactly the kind of novel I would expect a pretentious arse who knows nothing about the genre to pick as an example.
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Nov 1, 2018 16:45
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I’ve always wanted to read Stephen King. Where do I start?
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Nov 1, 2018 19:21
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Himuro posted:I’ve always wanted to read Stephen King. Where do I start? Read IT to see if you like him. If you do, I'd move on to The Stand, then pretty much whatever. Only jump into the Dark Tower series if it turns out you REALLY like him, since it's a lot of books that, imo, aren't as good as his standalone entries.
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Nov 1, 2018 19:30
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It is 1100 pages. I’m not sure that’s the best place to start?
Jupiter Jazz fucked around with this message at 19:38 on Nov 1, 2018 |
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Nov 1, 2018 19:35
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Himuro posted:I’ve always wanted to read Stephen King. Where do I start? Pharmaskittle posted:Read IT to see if you like him. If you do, I'd move on to The Stand, then pretty much whatever. Only jump into the Dark Tower series if it turns out you REALLY like him, since it's a lot of books that, imo, aren't as good as his standalone entries. I dunno, IT has a couple of scenes that are pretty batshit for someone new to King, so I'd probably reverse that order personally. Basically, though, most of the "best of" King novels are safe starting points, so you can kind of pick which ever interests you. The Shining for a somewhat traditional supernatural horror, 'Salem's Lot for vampires, The Stand for an apocalyptic tale, etc. Pet Sematary, Misery, and The Dead Zone are also good first King novels. Alternatively, check out some of his short stories. He's arguably a much stronger short writer. I can't remember the names of any of the standouts off the top of my head though. And yeah, don't start out with Dark Tower. Dark Tower is especially tough because even the first DT novel isn't gonna be a great indicator of whether or not you'll enjoy the rest.
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Nov 1, 2018 19:37
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I’m most familiar with The Shining. I know about the controversy of King not liking the film so I’ll start there. There’s also the Seasons book that has Shawshank Redemption in it.
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Nov 1, 2018 19:39
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Himuro posted:I’ve always wanted to read Stephen King. Where do I start? Just kidding, read his short story collections too.
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Nov 1, 2018 19:40
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Himuro posted:I’ve always wanted to read Stephen King. Where do I start? Lot of questionable responses to this. Read either The Shining or 'Salem's Lot if you want to start with a novel, or Night Shift or Skeleton Crew if you want short stories.
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Nov 1, 2018 19:42
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Ornamented Death posted:Lot of questionable responses to this. this is the answer, yeah
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Nov 1, 2018 19:44
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Himuro posted:It is 1100 pages. I’m not sure that’s the best place to start? Lol that's so much longer than I remembered. My reasoning was that they're both very good, but that The Stand was way too long to recommend as a starter. Apparently I had the lengths backward! I agree that his short stories are pretty good across the board, if you like that kind of thing.
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Nov 1, 2018 19:50
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Ornamented Death posted:Lot of questionable responses to this. Nailed it. The Long Walk is also a good start.
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Nov 1, 2018 19:54
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Everyone’s got their favourites. I think Pet Sematery is one of his best novels and The Long Walk is one of the best short stories.
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Nov 1, 2018 19:58
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Ornamented Death posted:Lot of questionable responses to this. Yeah this is better than my suggestion, I forgot how much of a doorstopper The Stand is as well.
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Nov 1, 2018 20:06
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Ah man I got to laugh,  I’ve literally waited years to find other golden age readers in the book barn, no point in starting a megathread like wot Steven King has for the very few of us, and my goodreads goon buddies all like sci-fi, now all hope is lost 
learnincurve fucked around with this message at 20:08 on Nov 1, 2018 |
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Nov 1, 2018 20:06
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learnincurve posted:Ah man I got to laugh, I don’t understand.
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Nov 1, 2018 20:27
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Goons tend not to read the same books as I am a bit of an expert in, for a number of perfectly valid reasons that I completly understand, in the most part because a vast number of works have been out of print since the 1960s. So it was a nice suprise to be able to pan the nine tailors on the internet for once.
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Nov 1, 2018 20:55
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learnincurve posted:Ah man I got to laugh, I thought about starting a crime / detective fiction thread back when I read Blood On the Moon by James Ellroy because I had Some Thoughts about it. The moment passed, though. I don't know if I'd really have a great deal to say about it beyond, "I liked this or that Sherlock Holmes story," or recapping my fascination with the phenomenon of Sexton Blake (i.e. how he went from being one of most popular fictional detectives in Britain to completely and utterly forgotten) for the millionth time. I'm in the process of starting The Long Goodbye for the first time, for what it's worth. I think The Lady In the Lake and The Little Sister were better than The Big Sleep and Farewell, My Lovely so I'll be interested in seeing if Chandler can top both of them. I understand this is widely considered his best novel.
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Nov 1, 2018 21:39
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Yeh they tend to be really easy to recommend but hard to actually discuss, mostly because they are so formulaic. Old experienced Detective/eccentric young WW1 scarred detective/Plucky Young Man Who Happened To Be At The Party investigate village murder/country house murder/city murder of a bright young thing/old rich person. What differentiates them all is how well they are written and if the author has a sense of humour. British Library are slowly releasing formally out of print golden age books (and they have a deal with kindle and kindle unlimited) and I’m absolutely obsessed with them, some are clearly out of print for a reason, but there are some gems.
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Nov 1, 2018 22:02
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I’m looking for a list of fantasy novels that present themselves as historian accounts of the fictional world (complete with footnotes) This is to prove a point to someone who thinks it is unconventional for fantasy novels to present themselves thus. I already have LOtR/the Silmarillion Jack Vance’s Lyonesse Trilogy But these well-known examples aren’t being accepted as sufficient proof of what is a standard convention of fantasy literature and the top of my head is coming up short.
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Nov 1, 2018 22:57
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You could argue that Night Watch by Pratchett is a historical account of the discworld and it has footnotes in spades. I don’t think you can get more mainstream than that.
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Nov 1, 2018 23:06
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