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[Maklershed]

Wait, what?

I should point out - I mean it ended at 50% through the kindle book timeline or whatever its called .. not 50% through the book. But still, I like to prepare myself for the ending. I slow down my reading a bit more and let everything sink in. And often times I get a tingling feeling when I finish a good book. (I'm weird I know)

 

[bengraven]

Tales of the Dying Earth is not actually science fiction (perhaps only in the sense that in the far, far, very far future magic is indistinguishable from science). You don't see that many SF books about wizards, sorcery and monsters, do you? The reason why there are some SF elements is that Vance wrote these stories for SF pulps and because in 1950 there was no thing like a separate fantasy genre. His first Dying Earth stories were written before the publication of The Lord of the Rings. This is proto-fantasy and this is why it straddles genres. It rightly belongs in Gollancz' Fantasy Masterworks series. The US cover is simply deceiving.

Tales of the Dying Earth is an omnibus, it also contains The Eyes of the Overworld and the picaresque novels Cugel's Saga and Rhialto the Marvelous. The whole collection is enormous value for money for fantasy fans.

The best thing about the books is Vance's humorous writing style, but he's also great at world building, making up wonderful names and creating intricate societies with odd customs. You can't go wrong with any of his books.

Allow me to also add that these are incredibly fantastic novels.

Cugel, who is the star of two of the tetralogy, is a fucking bastard, but brilliant. Think of your typical fantasy henchman and add in a dose of Flashman's intelligence, charm, and also really really bad luck.

I still haven't read Rhialto yet. Just because I refuse to let this all be over, having already read the first three books and the Tales of Dying Earth. Rhialto will be for a truly bad period in my life, when I need a smile on my face.

Also, Martin is right - Vance makes the absolute best character names.

The London Underworld in the Victorian Period: Authentic First-Person Accounts by Beggars, Thieves and Prostitutes by Henry Mayhew

Honestly, I love this stuff. Casual racism and 18th-century social sciences! But at least it knows what it's doing

Oh wow, this would be like pure porn for me. It looks similar to an old west saloon book I picked up from the library recently.

 

[Jintor]

Oh wow, this would be like pure porn for me. It looks similar to an old west saloon book I picked up from the library recently.

It's really great. Dialogue and accounts is almost verbatim so a lot of slang and cadences included. Also a shitload of racism, but that's a given.

Jewssssssssssssssssssss

Jewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwsssssssssssssssss

every three pages, blame something on the jews

 

[TestMonkey]

Yeah, my post count was far worse months back.
Only recently I stopped lurking on GAF and making at least some effort to post more on various threads. (I'm not yet brave enough to get into heated discussions on Gaming GAF)

And back to topic (kind of):

Heard mixed reviews of this book but it was on a top 3 list of fantasy books to read.
Anyone read it and thought it was amazing?

I thought it was amazing. Throws you in the deep end immediately and doesn't pull punches. Really drew me into the series and the book gains depth the more you learn about the world.

 

[Maklershed]

Cugel, who is the star of two of the tetralogy, is a fucking bastard, but brilliant. Think of your typical fantasy henchman and add in a dose of Flashman's intelligence, charm, and also really really bad luck.

This reminds me, I watched Sherlock Holmes 2 the other day (which was even better than 1 imo) and I kept thinking the whole way through the movie what a great Flashman Jude Law would make. Hell he almost plays Flashman as Dr Watson, he's just a little more courageous/honorable than he should be.

Jewssssssssssssssssssss

Jewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwsssssssssssssssss

every three pages, blame something on the jews

The Juwes are the men that will not be blamed for nothing.

 

[BlazingDarkness]

 

[BrokenFiction]

Just finished the latest James Enge / Morlock the Maker book. This time Enge is crafting a trilogy specifically instead of stringing a few novels together. It is a prequel story, showing how Morlock became 'Morlock'. It's definitely a good read, and I can't wait for the next two books. I'd probably call it just a hair below The Wolf Age in terms of my favorites that he's written but it's well worth it. He's one of my favorites and an unsung author who deserves more reads.

 

[Mumei]

Tales of the Dying Earth is not actually science fiction (perhaps only in the sense that in the far, far, very far future magic is indistinguishable from science). You don't see that many SF books about wizards, sorcery and monsters, do you? The reason why there are some SF elements is that Vance wrote these stories for SF pulps and because in 1950 there was no thing like a separate fantasy genre. His first Dying Earth stories were written before the publication of The Lord of the Rings. This is proto-fantasy and this is why it straddles genres. It rightly belongs in Gollancz' Fantasy Masterworks series. The US cover is simply deceiving.

I have been thinking about Vance since reading Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun series, since I learned how much of an influence Vance was.

 

[Silas Lang]

Currently reading The Awakening, Leaves of Grass, and The Analects.

Spoiler

Taking a bunch of lit classes.

 

[not psycho]

Now I'm reading this for English:

Reading the first short story, it's at least "readable" unlike One Hundred Years of Solitude.
So I'm OK with it so far.

Hmm I loved One Hundred Years of Solitude, but couldn't get into Borges. I later found out it could have been a bad translation I read though, I should try again.

Just checked out The Nonexistent Knight & The Cloven Viscount by Italo Calvino so that's up next to read. Plus some Nero Wolfe mysteries, which are basically the literary equivalent of pringles.

 

[Krowley]

Finished this on a plane. Boy, was I mad that I couldn't buy the second book right away. Cliffhanger-central!


Hyperion by Dan Simmons

As good as everyone else made it out to be. I only gave it 4 stars because I wish they could have revealed more about

Spoiler

the Time Tombs

in the first book. Is the second book just as good? Better? Worse? Am I going to be disappointed?

I think it is much better, and it should satisfy cravings you had when reading the first. The way it's structured, the first two books are really like one long novel. I haven't read the second two yet.

 

[Angst]

http://www.jackvance.com/ebooks/shop/?q22_category_filter=lyonesse

BTW You really should read Vance's Tales of the Dying Earth stories first, it's what he's most famous for. The books have been a major source of inspiration for a lot of people, in particular Gene Wolfe.

No Kindle edition available

 

[ymmv]

No Kindle edition available

Next best thing: http://www.jackvance.com/ebooks/shop/?q22_category_filter=dying

Vance's site doesn't offer all 4 books however, and they're renamed, too, it seems.

BTW It really is Vance's site. He's 96 years old now. His last book was an autobiography which he published three years ago. There's an interview with him in the August issue of Locus.

 

[Keen]

Reading the new Jack Reacher novel, A Wanted Man by Lee Child. And I bought Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton

 

[neocoder]

Enjoy reading home improvement type books. Currently reading:

Building A Shed

Built-ins

Taunton Press (Fine Homebuilding) puts out a lot of good quality stuff. Built-ins & trim molding are a good way to really make a house stand out.

 

[Maklershed]

And I bought Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton

This is out in stores where you live? Its not available in the US until 9/27 on Kindle.

 

[Keen]

This is out in stores where you live? Its not available in the US until 9/27 on Kindle.

Of course!

 

[Ledsen]

I've always admired how well you guys in this thread read, and I've recently begun building a reading habit not too long ago and with some success. But when I finish a book, I feel like like I could have read the book so much more thoroughly. I've searched comprehension strategies on Google, and come up with the basic gist that you have to be an active reader, doing things such as predicting, stopping to summarize, activating prior knowledge, etc. Recently, I've taken to writing in the margins and underlining in my books.

I just want to ask y'all if you do these things automatically while you read? Or if you have any personal things that you do to help your understanding of the books that you read?

I usually don't do anything that doesn't come naturally. Occasionally I will google some discussions on a book if I feel like the author's intent flew over my head.

 

[Mifune]

I think it is much better, and it should satisfy cravings you had when reading the first. The way it's structured, the first two books are really like one long novel. I haven't read the second two yet.

Not many people will agree with you on this, but I do. Okay, maybe I don't feel it's much better, but I definitely liked it more.

 

[bengraven]

I've been looking for this book for over 10 years, since dropping it back in 2001.

Now I think I'm both ready for the moody setting and excited for the tech and atmosphere, so when I saw it on the library shelves this afternoon it was a no-brainer.

 

[BanShunsaku]

Still making my way through Under The Dome.

Man, some nasty stuff going on in there.

 

[Grenouille]

reading The Left Hand of Darkness
I'm halfway through. The plot hasn't been all that entertaining so far, but I do like the world and civilization described.

 

[t-ramp]

Has anyone read any of Adam Hall's (aka Elleson Trevor) Quiller books? The Quiller Memorandum showed up a couple years ago at the assisted living facility I work at and I've read it a couple times since. I just brought it home to read it again. It's a slick spy story and I've wanted to pick up some of the sequels but haven't yet.

 

[Mackenzie 92]

Reading the new Jack Reacher novel, A Wanted Man by Lee Child. And I bought Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton

man... my pre-order still says dec 26 for the US :'(

 

[mambadragon]

I just finished A Visit from the Goon Squad and really loved it.

So... I've decided to try reading Infinite Jest. I kind of picked it up not knowing what I was getting into, then read the prologue which led me to check some commentary and realized I'm getting into a huge read. I want to try to do it, and I actually am writing some notes as I read to try to keep everything clear. Wish me luck.

 

[Mumei]

reading The Left Hand of Darkness
I'm halfway through. The plot hasn't been all that entertaining so far, but I do like the world and civilization described.

I felt the same way. I also really liked the prose. I thought it was... almost elegant? I am not sure if that's the best way to put it.

 

[Manik]

Yeah, my post count was far worse months back.
Only recently I stopped lurking on GAF and making at least some effort to post more on various threads. (I'm not yet brave enough to get into heated discussions on Gaming GAF)

And back to topic (kind of):

Heard mixed reviews of this book but it was on a top 3 list of fantasy books to read.
Anyone read it and thought it was amazing?

I wasn't a massive fan of the first book, but the second onwards are amazing (up to Book 6 so far). The best advice I can give you is to at least make it as far as the end of Book 2 (Deadhouse Gates) before you give up on the series.

And it only gets better after that.



On a personal note - I've just finished

Museum of the Weird - Amelia Gray

A short story collection which was.. Ok.. I guess. There were a couple of standout stories in there, but oftentimes I found the rest of them just a little *too* short. I've not been overly impressed with the last few short story collections I've read, so maybe the format just isn't for me. But then I adored Scorch Atlas by Blake Butler. So maybe I'm just reading the wrong ones at the minute!

Have now moved onto -

Having finished Midnight Tides and as per Wertzone's recommended reading order. Love the writing style so far, feels very different from Erikson's prose.

 

[sparky2112]

Having finished Midnight Tides and as per Wertzone's recommended reading order. Love the writing style so far, feels very different from Erikson's prose.

Is that the first one he wrote? Because I think popular opinion is he gets better with each book.

 

[Manik]

Is that the first one he wrote? Because I think popular opinion is he gets better with each book.

It's the first by Ian Esselmont, yep. Looking forward to reading more of his, in that case - I'm very much enjoying this one. It's a lot shorter than I'm used to with the main Erikson novels and I think it provides a nice breather, to have something a little more compact and straightforward.

 

[Keen]

Is that the first one he wrote? Because I think popular opinion is he gets better with each book.

In general, except Orb, Sceptre, Throne, his latest, which is pretty damn bad. Although, I guess, more from a story perspective than a prose one.

 

[Keen]

man... my pre-order still says dec 26 for the US :'(

We usually get stuff pretty early, Dance with Dragons for example, broke release date by about a week.

 

[teruterubozu]

reading The Left Hand of Darkness
I'm halfway through. The plot hasn't been all that entertaining so far, but I do like the world and civilization described.

I felt the same way. I also really liked the prose. I thought it was... almost elegant? I am not sure if that's the best way to put it.

I love that book. The prose is, as you say, very elegant and poetic. My mind was blown away by the story -

Spoiler

the grim & bleak van ride, the harsh trek through the snowy regions, the intense and heart-wrenching tale of friendship - WOW.

I also like Le Guin's The Lathe of Heaven, her ode to Philip K. Dick.

 

[FnordChan]

I recently finished Dragon Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, which is the, oh, 15th or so novel in their long running Liaden series. The Liaden novels have generally been space opera with a heavy dose of romance, but the recent cycle of books following Theo Waitley have moved things over more towards the coming of age side of the column. That doesn't mean the romantic angle is out of the picture - things are still more than a little bit Georgette Heyer in space - but it's not at the top of the agenda, which is busy moving forward ongoing plot threads involving mysterious space ships, the Department of the Interior, and helping resolve the fate of several characters who are currently in the tick of the action. As a great fan of the Liaden novels I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with everyone and seeing the ongoing storyline progress. So, if you're thinking "Would I enjoy this series fifteen books in?" the answer as far as I'm concerned is a definite yes; anyone who feels the need for some Regency space opera can start with the omnibus The Agent Gambit.

I also continued my Harry Harrison remembrance with The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge (1970) and The Stainless Steel Rat Saves The World (1972). Harrison didn't return to the universe of galactic master criminal Slippery Jim diGriz, but I'm certainly glad he did, as the early Stainless Steel Rat novels are all tremendous fun, even if diGriz is somewhat on the side of the good guys at this point. For his Revenge the Rat has to investigate a military world that's apparently achieving the impossible act of creating a galactic empire, whiel in Saves The World our hero does just that in an only moderately convoluted time travel adventure. In the midst of all the action there's plenty of time for diGriz to engage cheerful grifting, smoking fine cigars, drinking reasonably fine libations, and generally being awesome all around. Cyan, if you dug the first novel in the series I'd absolutely recommend these two as well. And, while diminishing returns kick in not long after these novels, I'm probably going to read at least another couple of of the Rat's adventures before long.

Finally, I stayed up late last night to finish The Reverse of the Medal, the 11th novel in Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series. Having gone through a half dozen of these novels so far this year, obviously I'm enjoying the hell out of them, but this book was particularly gripping. There's an incredibly tense chase at sea, poor Aubrey getting himself into even hotter water than usual on land, moments of despair and triumph, the advancement of several major ongoing plot threads, and, by the end, some major changes for our heroes. This was an astonishingly good novel.

If I'd had the twelfth Aubrey/Maturin novel on hand I probably would have jumped right into it this morning, but instead I've just started The Alienist by Caleb Carr. I'm only a few pages in and so far all I really know about the novel is that it's a mystery about a serial killer in New York City at the end of the 19th Century and that it's going to involve Teddy Roosevelt. Bully!

FnordChan

 

[JeTmAn81]

Anybody reading the new Michael Chabon joint?

I'm still finishing up the Hunger Games books but I've got it on order from the library.

 

[Mumei]

If I'd had the twelfth Aubrey/Maturin novel on hand I probably would have jumped right into it this morning, but instead I've just started The Alienist by Caleb Carr. I'm only a few pages in and so far all I really know about the novel is that it's a mystery about a serial killer in New York City at the end of the 19th Century and that it's going to involve Teddy Roosevelt. Bully!

FnordChan

After having it sit on my bookshelf for something like seven or eight years, I finally read this last year. I enjoyed it for the most part, though I still thought it had this inescapable feeling of "trying too hard." I am not really sure I can quantify what I mean by that, exactly, but it's the phrase that first comes to mind.

 

[JMizzlin]

Reading Rules of Attraction at the moment and it's becoming apparent (after Imperial Bedrooms and Less Than Zero) that Bret Easton Ellis just rewrites the same book. American Psycho was fantastic but these past few have been so repetitive with such terrible characters - thankfully his writing is so unique and immersive.

Hopefully Lunar Park is amazing.

 

[FnordChan]

After having it sit on my bookshelf for something like seven or eight years, I finally read this last year. I enjoyed it for the most part, though I still thought it had this inescapable feeling of "trying too hard." I am not really sure I can quantify what I mean by that, exactly, but it's the phrase that first comes to mind.

Hrm. I'm not sure how I feel about tackling 500 pages of "trying too hard" right this minute, but at least it sounds like you enjoyed the book overall. If I'm having trouble getting into the novel I may consider banishing it back to the to-read pile for a while. Thanks for the heads up!

FnordChan

 

[Mumei]

Hrm. I'm not sure how I feel about tackling 500 pages of "trying too hard" right this minute, but at least it sounds like you enjoyed the book overall. If I'm having trouble getting into the novel I may consider banishing it back to the to-read pile for a while. Thanks for the heads up!

FnordChan

Oh, don't let me discourage you. I just meant that, using Goodreads parlance, it was more of a 3/5 for me than a 4/5 or 5/5.

 

[JeTmAn81]

Hrm. I'm not sure how I feel about tackling 500 pages of "trying too hard" right this minute, but at least it sounds like you enjoyed the book overall. If I'm having trouble getting into the novel I may consider banishing it back to the to-read pile for a while. Thanks for the heads up!

FnordChan

Apropos of nothing, but why do you sign your posts?

 

[FnordChan]

Oh, don't let me discourage you. I just meant that, using Goodreads parlance, it was more of a 3/5 for me than a 4/5 or 5/5.

I can dig it. In this case, I recently got a copy of Cthulhu by Gaslight, so I'm particularly in the mood for some Victorian era horror and am optimistic that I'll get into The Alienist in short order. If nothing else, I'm visiting NYC this weekend so it seems like an appropriate book to bring along.

Apropos of nothing, but why do you sign your posts?

I've been doing it compulsively for ages, so while there's no particularly good reason for it, hey, why stop now?

Alternately, to help drag this back into the realm of the reading thread, obviously my mind was suitably warped by exposure to the Principia Discordia and the Illuminatus Trilogy at a young, impressionable age. Now you see before you a broken wreck of a man, forced by a mental tic to repeat his name as often as possible, whether in real life or online. Fortunately, my standing on the street corners and shouting generally goes unremarked, especially thanks to the popularity of bluetooth headsets. Online, however, I have no such excuse. Even now, I cannot post even the briefest comment or aside without being compelled to reiterate, yet again, that I am

FnordChan

 

[HamPster PamPster]

I started reading The Magicians. I'm only a few chapters in but so far its very good. That said I imagine I'll be sick of Quentin (and the book) by the end. Maybe I'm a "hopeless romantic" but I hate how making something "real" means making the main character depressed and unlikable. I hope this isn't going to be to fantasy what Eva was to giant robots

 

[Screaming_Gremlin]

I started reading The Magicians. I'm only a few chapters in but so far its very good. That said I imagine I'll be sick of Quentin (and the book) by the end. Maybe I'm a "hopeless romantic" but I hate how making something "real" means making the main character depressed and unlikable. I hope this isn't going to be to fantasy what Eva was to giant robots

I read this a few months ago. I liked the first half of the book when they were at school, but pretty much hated the last half of the book. Although it seems to be a pretty much love/hate reaction and a lot of people had the exact opposite opinion to the book than I did. One of my biggest issues is what you mentioned about the characters being unlikable. While a book doesn't have to have a likable main character for me to think it is good, this has gone to such an extreme, where I hated just about every character, that it pretty much killed any enjoyment I had.

 

[Puckmarin]

Just finished:

and loved it.

Any suggestions for books like it?

I was thinking of starting my first David Foster Wallace and diving in the deep end with Infinite Jest. Opinions?

 

[Monroeski]

Any suggestions for books like it?

If On A Winter's Night A Traveler by Italo Calvino is supposed to be very similar. I think maybe I heard Cloud Atlas was inspired by it?

 

[Mumei]

If On A Winter's Night A Traveler by Italo Calvino is supposed to be very similar. I think maybe I heard Cloud Atlas was inspired by it?

I have not read Cloud Atlas, but I strongly recommend If on a winter's night a traveler on its own merits!

 

[Puckmarin]

Next book is a toss up between:

and:

Care to list the pros and cons or each or convince me why I should read one before the other?

 

[Trent Strong]

I read Bukowski's Ham on Rye, Post Office and Factotum all back to back, and while I enjoyed them all, they're all so similar that I it felt like I was reading one long book, and by the time I got to Factotum I was already getting a little tired of the same style that they all have. I think I would have enjoyed Post Office and Factotum more if I put a month or so in between them. Something similar happened when I read a bunch of Murakami back to back. Oh well. I ordered Infinite Jest on Amazon while half asleep and now I'm regretting it. It's probably too long, too post modern and too intellectual for me to be able to handle. I guess I'll give it a go though.

 

[Futureman]

so I'm putting together a web series w/ some friends right now. I'm looking for any kind of recommended reading or viewing that deals with the distinction between reality and fantasy, Real World vs. Dream World. Anything really.... short essays and articles are probably better, but I'm also open to fiction, non-fiction, psychological examation of people dealing with this.

 

[Futureman]

just started reading "The Water Method Man" by Irving.

I'm dumb, so I don't get why in the opening paragraph he says it's ironic that the best urologist in town is French.

 

[UpperCaseN]

Just finished:

and loved it.

My wife is reading this in preparation for the movie. I do not intend on reading it, my book and game backlog is too massive. Can you tell me, did your copy have entire passages written in French with no English translation? Is this explained and is it worthwhile to have those pages translated? I tried to google it and didn't really find any answers