Books

[Tadao]

So, we were told to talk about books in here.

Some of my favorites writers are

Pratchett
Steinbeck
Douglas Adams
Hunter Thompson
Crichton

I really like reading Mythology stories. Doesn't matter what country they come from.

[MLE]

♥ Heinlein ♥

[Cfr5]

I like Crichton a lot too. For Christmas I got Next, which I started reading the other day. My copy of Eaters of the Dead mysteriously vanished. I was planning on re-reading it until it turned out to not exist anymore.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

Abolish reading.

[Cfr5]

Obviously it's a form of vanity.

[AChimp]

I used to read a lot of Crichton, but now I find his books are just really annoying. All of the fake science talk just gets on my nerves, and so does the pointless random inserts whenever one of the characters starts reading from a monitor or magazine:


Bob looked at the monitor. It said:

11001001110011100111010011001011001011
11001001110011100111010011001011001011
11001001110011100111010011001011001011
11001001110011100111010011001011001011
11001001110011100111010011001011001011


Jurassic Park and Sphere are still pretty awesome, though. :(

[Cfr5]

That made me think of a few quotes from 24: "The binary strings are caught in a loop matrix." and "I machine coded a binary matrix..."

[Tadao]

I haven't read a Chrichton that I didn't like. I have seen movies of his and prime time dramas that suck. Like what was the one with the monkey in the jungle called? The talking Ape called Amy? In the book, the ape knew sign language and only one of the team members knew sign language, so there was a secret relationship there. But in the movie the ape had a gadget on her arm that spoke the words she was signing so that everyone could hear. But I understand why he did that.

I like that his books and his movies from books are nothing like each other.

Are you saying that Eaters of the the Dead is no longer available to the public, or you just can't find yours?

[Cfr5]

I never saw the movie version of Congo but that sounds pretty bullshitty. Was it also changed to have absolutely nothing to do with collecting diamonds? I just finished reading Timeline again before reading the new book I got, and from what I've heard, it's a very good thing that I never bothered watching that movie.

And I just can't find my book that I definitely had. It must've turned into Rising Sun somehow because I apparently have two copies of that now.

[Tadao]

Yeah Congo sucked bad. It was a long time ago that I saw it, so I don't remeber what it was about, but I do remember that the book and the movie are way different stories. Have you seen the movie for eaters of the dead? It was called... um... Fuck, I forgot. It was a good movie though.

I have heard that he writes books and screenplays different for a reason. He feels that a book is better read a certain way, while visuals need to take imore of an importance in movies. That would explain why his books have more feelings involved while the movie has lots more action.

[Kulturkampf]

My favorite authors:

Oscar Wilde
Kahlil Gibran
James Michener

[Cfr5]

If I recall, Eaters of the Dead was The Thirteenth Warrior. I did see that one and it appeared to be closer to the book than the other movie/book combos. But I've neither read the book nor seen the movie in a long time and can't remember details. I gave up on looking for my book though.

And of course the different formats make sense. I'm not gonna bother adding more to that statement.

[Tadao]

I hate him for creating the hit tv shoe "ER" though.

I never did get into Oscar Wilde but I did like "Portrait of Owen M." I think he wrote that.

I have a hard time with books on Philosophy. Like say, "The art and zen of motorcycle repair". I really liked it and it was well written, but reading about things that I already agree with and believe in bores me.

[AChimp]

Eaters of the Dead was also a good one. It's was republished as Thirteenth Warrior after the movie was released... it wasn't a bad Viking movie, either, I thought.

The Sphere movie was balls. Congo was good if you already know it's a bad movie and can laugh at the whole thing.

"STOP EATING MY SESAME SEED CAKE!" :lol

[Spruce Moose]

I like Ray Bradbury. And Ken Follett seems good, thoguh all I've read of his is "Eye of the Needle".

[Fathom Zero]

I read the screenplay for Twister and it was way way more different to the movie version.

[Sethomas]

Well, as long as it had reference to Bill Paxton's unnecessary groping of Helen Hunt in the end scene where they're strapped to the well, I'm sure it was awesome.

[Fathom Zero]

He was really submissive and she was very aggressive in the screenplay, which I thought was weird because he doesn't say much and gives in to her arguments a lot.

[Sethomas]

Well, I guess this is the appropriate place. My younger sister sent me her literature class's reading list for the semester, asking if I had anything on it. I thought it was a terrible selection, and she explained that the TA who made the list is Turkish. Seeing that one of the good books on it was Slaughterhouse-Five, I told her to probe him on why he chose to use that work of Vonnegut instead of Bluebeard. The idea was for her to keep asking questions while recording the class discussion, so that eventually he reveals himself to be racist against Armenians and she can report him and he loses his visa and gets deported. That'd be swift justice for his inclusion of "Fight Club", I'm sure.

[Tadao]

Keep this thread here hidden from fan boys please.

[Asila]

Pratchett
Douglas Adams

I think I love you a little.

I'll bounce between fantasy/sci-fi, mystery, and specific non-fiction. I just finished reading this book called "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" which is all about punctuation, and I'm such a nerd for loving that book as much as I did. Besides that I love the really old british mysteries written by, say, Doyle or Christie or Marsh.

I'm at the stage now with the Foundation series by Asimov, where I'm eyeing the books in a semi-threatening manner, which is prelude to the actual reading.

[Tadao]

That sounds interesting, I can't even begin to think what a book about punctuation would be like. Douglas did a few side books about a detective called Dirk Gently. Those were great, and I suggest picking those up at the library if you haven't read them yet. Adams and Pratchett totally ruined reading for me. My scifi now has to be extremely funny and mind warpingly witty. I like British humor. It's a nice break from American satire. Have you read the whole collection of Sherlock Holmes? That is a real good read.

[Asila]

Have you read the whole collection of Sherlock Holmes?

You're kidding, right? I lived and breathed Holmes for about 10 years of my life; the only reason I haven't read a story about him recently is because I've read every single thing done by any author so many times that I have them memorized. Speaking of Holmes and non-Doyle writers: don't pick up anything by Laurie R. King ever, as she's the very epitome of a Mary Sue.

And yes, I have the Dirk Gently books. Pratchett, at least, spoiled me for fantasy: I can't read any of the so-called 'serious' fantasy books now without rolling my eyes a bit. Gaiman didn't help (ooh, I met him once at a book signing). (I have an ex-boyfriend that tried to get me into the most depressing fantasy I've ever read in my entire life--some series written by Robin Hobbe. I about killed myself afterwards). Speaking of british humour, the punctuation book was written by a british woman, and had that perfect mixture of humour and fact... which is probably why I loved it so much.

[Tadao]

Some other good mystery writer (at least in my mind) is Lawerence Sanders and The guy who wrote the American Indian ones... I forget his name. Currently I'm reading Mario Puzo's The Fourth K. But I haven't been reading lately. I haven't wanted to do much lately. Must be the winter blues.

[Fathom Zero]

If you like mysteries, try Mickey Spillane, Dashiell Hammet, or Max Allen Collins' work.

[Kilgore Cod]

My favorites are:

Douglas Adams
Kurt Vonnegut
Terry Pratchett
Robert A. Heinlein
Philip K. Dick

I also like this guy named A. Lee Martinez. He only has 3 books out now but he's already shown to hold his own against stuff by Pratchett or Adams.

[J. Tithonus Pednaud]

Um...those are authors, not books.

[Esuohlim]

How many people here like George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series?

Because I've been putting off starting A Game of Thrones for almost a year because I'm afraid it'll be really really gay :(

[terrva]

I just started on readin' Terror by Night, Classic Ghost and Horror Stories by Ambrose Bierce. Pretty good stuff.

[Fathom Zero]

I also the The Fourth Estate.

[Fat_Hippo]

Um...those are authors, not books.

In case you didn't notice, most people have been listing authors, and not books in this thread. I'm sure a list like that would be WAY too big for many people here.

I really like Ken Follett (so to the guy who mentioned him before, I recommend his other works), also Terry Pratchett (who is hard not to love), Walter Moers (think something along the lines of german Terry Pratchett, but less satirical) , R.A. Salvatore (though I wish he'd write something not about Drizzt, since it's getting kinda tedious). Michael Crichton is pretty cool, and I recently read the Riverworld series by Philip Jose Farmer, which I can only recommend.

[Pub Lover]

But Drizzt is a Drow that lives above ground and gets his friends killed & then feels bad about it! :eek

Salvatore's Cleric Quintet is the worst fantasy story arc that I have ever subjected myself too. Also, needs more jokes.

[Fat_Hippo]

Salvatore's Cleric Quintet is the worst fantasy story arc that I have ever subjected myself too. Also, needs more jokes.

Meh, I thought it was pretty good actually. Really, I just mentioned him 'cause he got me into fantasy which got me in to CRPGs, so I thought he deserved mentioning, seeing how I owe a lot to him from that standpoint.

[executioneer]

man i did like salvatores stuff when i was a teen despite all the ridiculous mary sues he tends to put in there :(

[Pub Lover]

Meh, I thought it was pretty good actually.

Thinking on it I have read worse, but I appriciated it more because I was 16 & below & plain didn't know. For example there is one that I remember where this ginger haired boy gets a silver steak of hair from fighting some great evil & becomes a super warrior wizard thing & I really liked it, but now I can't think of it with out neon cliché signs exploding in my head.

Also, Willie is spot on with the too many Mary-Sues. :x

[executioneer]

ps if i ever, ever say mary sue again plz jab me in the eyes

[Pub Lover]

Oh man, Willie, I was just about to introduce you to a great girl called Mary Sue & she was perfect for you. Nevermind now. :(

[El Oh El]

i liked the first three hitchhikers books but i couldn't get into the later ones.

[executioneer]

Oh man, Willie, I was just about to introduce you to a great girl called Mary Sue & she was perfect for you. Nevermind now. :(

does she like guys who have recently had their eyes poked