Books Whats everyone reading atm?

[throdgrain]

Most of those sword and sorcery stories are a bit cak if you ask me, like it's been done before one million times

Mind you I expect thats not a problem for the target audience. At 14 most kids have not seen all the predecessors, so it seems new.

 

[Ch3tan]

You are such a grumpy old fart Throd

Read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time on the train yesterday, don't believe it took me so long to get round to it. It's very very good.

Going to finish Otherland and then move on the the hefty Shantaram: Amazon.co.uk: Gregory David Roberts: Books

 

[Jupitus]

My friend suggested I read the brilliant and epic story of The Fifth Sorceress by Robert Newcomb - five chapters in I realise the joke was on me Reading the back of shampoo bottles whilst lying in the bath this morning was more of a literary treat...

I'll get started on Magician, instead.

I remember you

 

[Bahumat]

My friend suggested I read the brilliant and epic story of The Fifth Sorceress by Robert Newcomb - five chapters in I realise the joke was on me Reading the back of shampoo bottles whilst lying in the bath this morning was more of a literary treat...

I'll get started on Magician, instead.

If it's the Raymond E Feist trilogy, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The first book is a little slow to get going, but I think it's well worth it.

 

[DaGaffer]

Most of those sword and sorcery stories are a bit cak if you ask me, like it's been done before one million times

Mind you I expect thats not a problem for the target audience. At 14 most kids have not seen all the predecessors, so it seems new.

Every time I see people on here going on about Terry Brooks or Robert Jordan my heart sinks a bit. I'm not a fantasy hater, but a lot of it is really derivative. Read a bit of Fritz Leiber or Micheal Moorcock if Tolkein isn't enough for you, then you're done.

 

[throdgrain]

I'm sorry Ch3t

I agree Gaff, I read all the Moorcock books as a dope-fuelled teenager, they were good in thier way, particularly the Elric ones, but now thats done many times over.

I'm re-reading Time To Hunt at the moment by Stephen Hunter, good ol Bob Lee Swagger, now there's a hero to identify with!

 

[TdC]

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

that's awesome. read it ages ago, it's a really nifty book

 

[Wazzerphuk]

As you can see by some of my comments in this thread, it also disheartens me to see people reading generic fantasy shite. They really don't know what they're missing by being so focused on one limited genre.

 

[nath]

As you can see by some of my comments in this thread, it also disheartens me to see people reading generic fantasy shite. They really don't know what they're missing by being so focused on one limited genre.

lol

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

Just got my paws on The Temporal Void by Peter F. Hamilton. Got a couple of books to get through before this gets its turn but I've really been looking forward to this. Cheers to Shaeffer for the impromptu prezzy

Every time I see people on here going on about Terry Brooks or Robert Jordan my heart sinks a bit. I'm not a fantasy hater, but a lot of it is really derivative. Read a bit of Fritz Leiber or Micheal Moorcock if Tolkein isn't enough for you, then you're done.

I greatly dislike Terry Brooks product. Its like fantasy for wet people who don't want to get involved in what they read.

However, I don't think fantasy stops at a few authors. Rarely see people rabbiting about Jack Vance and his Dying Earth stories yet he was greatly influential as a certain Gary Gygax would testify if he was still alive.

I'm not the greatest fan of fantasy but I do enjoy it from time to time. I enjoyed the D & D feel of Magician and such

 

[Bym]

If it's the Raymond E Feist trilogy, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The first book is a little slow to get going, but I think it's well worth it.

That's the one - have had the trilogy for ages but never got around to reading it.

I don't stick to one genre, just read whatever my friends recommend or whatever is on 'special' in Waterstones, hence never having realised that Robert Newcomb is shit! Although I am a Pratchett fan, admittedly

 

[Helme]

I personally don't get the superiority some people get from looking down at fantasy while they are reading airport fiction themself

To each their own.

 

[Bym]

I remember you

And I, you In fact most of you, amazed you are still around! The last time I was on was after he who shall not be named caused (more) trouble, life is much quieter these days!

On topic, just ordered Grunts by Mary Gentle - I hear it makes light reading after heavier fantasy (and plenty of black humour, just my thing).

 

[Deebs]

Just finished the Simon Scarrow books about Roman life, the two main characters are Cato and Macro. Loved them. Well worth a read

 

[TdC]

Jack Vance and his Dying Earth stories

read everything he'd done up to then by the time I was 16. Loved the Demon Princes series and Cugel, and the Marizipan things. Vance is a true, true visionary. It's amazing when you read his books, especially considering when most of them were written. Hard to believe he's 94 now 0o

 

[Wazzerphuk]

lol

Do explain sir!

I personally don't get the superiority some people get from looking down at fantasy while they are reading airport fiction themself

To each their own.

Who's reading airport fiction?

 

[nath]

Do explain sir!

It's funny when you try to act superior .

 

[cHodAX]

Just got my paws on The Temporal Void by Peter F. Hamilton. Got a couple of books to get through before this gets its turn but I've really been looking forward to this. Cheers to Shaeffer for the impromptu prezzy

Love Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga but I am really stuggling with the Void books, they are set a couple of thousand years later but they have a completely different feel. Got the first two books but haven't managed beyond page 50 of book one so far, I was hoping for more of the same and it very much isn't.

 

[cHodAX]

Can get the 5 book 'Fragile and Distant Suns' collection by Poul Anderson for 79p in kindle ebook format, brilliant!

Fragile and Distant Suns: A Poul Anderson Collection (Five Poul Anderson stories in one volume!) eBook: Poul Anderson: Amazon.co.uk: Books

 

[Zenith.UK]

I see Eddings hasn't had a mention for a few years.
The Belgariad and Malloreon books are great fun and an easy read. In many ways I see the derivation from the works of Tolkien, but it's done in a style that puts a smile on your face.

Julian May hasn't had a mention for quite some time as well. She's my favourite author for her Saga of the Exiles series, the Galactic Milieu series as well as her attempt at "James Bond" in the Rampart Worlds books.

 

[DaGaffer]

Who's reading airport fiction?

He's probably having a pop at me because I'm reading The Millenium Trilogy. Which I pointed out I resisted for ages because of precisely that connotation.

 

[Roo Stercogburn]

Love Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga but I am really stuggling with the Void books, they are set a couple of thousand years later but they have a completely different feel. Got the first two books but haven't managed beyond page 50 of book one so far, I was hoping for more of the same and it very much isn't.

Hamilton is a bit guilty of taking too long to get to the meat of a story. The background detail is great, the feel of each universe he creates is great... he just takes about 100 pages to long to really reel you in. I often feel his books suffer from a bit too much detail and perhaps too large a cast of characters. The first two Void books definately suffer from this but once they get going they're great

 

[Rulke]

Sword of truth series has some good ideas but the writing leaves a lot to be desired. The first 2-3 are maybe worth reading but I'd stop there.

I don't think I've recommended Name of the Wind for a few pages so just thought I'd mention it again

 

[Wazzerphuk]

It's funny when you try to act superior .

Yes, having an English degree and liking literature is being superior?

 

[nath]

Yes, having an English degree and liking literature is being superior?

No it's not, but then that's not what I was suggesting - and you're not an idiot, so you know that.

 

[mr.Blacky]

I am truelly surprised..

nobody mentioned Michael Cobley, seeds of earth and the orphaned worlds, 2 books and its a proper space opera.

 

[Shagrat]

read everything he'd done up to then by the time I was 16. Loved the Demon Princes series and Cugel, and the Marizipan things. Vance is a true, true visionary. It's amazing when you read his books, especially considering when most of them were written. Hard to believe he's 94 now 0o

Couldnt agree more. Noone has written greater fantasy novels than the Dying Earth stories of Cugel and Rhialto. The descriptions of the spells and the deceit of all the wizards is unsurpassed in the genre.

I really loved the Lyonesse books as well, again brilliantly written..

The guy is leagues ahead of brooks/eddings and all the other tolkein wannabes.

 

[inactionman]

I am truelly surprised..

nobody mentioned Michael Cobley, seeds of earth and the orphaned worlds, 2 books and its a proper space opera.

I tried reading his fantasy, it was truely terrible! Avoided his sci-fi purely on that experience!

 

[Helme]

Sword of truth series has some good ideas but the writing leaves a lot to be desired. The first 2-3 are maybe worth reading but I'd stop there.

I managed to finish the second one, and holy wow. It seems like this guys only way to threaten female characters is with rape. Kahlan has nearly been raped(but dramatically escaped after only being groped for abit) 3 times in the second book, this after being nearly raped twice in the first and fondled a few times.

It's just really tiring, whats more is that the world threatening disaster of the first book is almost completly forgotten in the quest for the next big dangerous thing only the main character can stop. It's fantasy at it's worst, this might have been excusable with some sort of foreshadowing but there really isn't any of that at all.

Also, I really didn't enjoy the obvious ripoffs Goodkind did on Wheel of Time, it's almost laughable how similar they are in some cases.

--

Going to begin reading Joe Abercrombie's trilogy, hopefully it'll be good stuff this time and will hold me over until Towers of Midnight.

 

[Raven]

People can read what the fuck they like. Most people read a wide variety of books from the pretentious toss to the escapism fantasy stuff. A book doesn't have to make you think and sometimes its quite relaxing to read something that isn't trying too hard.