February 23, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Grant Fritchey (2/23/2009)
I'm a sucker for Arthur too, but man... that book.
I don't know what it was about it. One of my friends loved it to bits.
Maybe the blatant feminism. MZB's not subtle about that when she writes
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
February 23, 2009 at 1:29 pm
She Who Must Be Obeyed
You either read H. Rider Haggard or Rumpole....
Gail, yes the Illuminatus Trilogy is worth reading, although written in the early seventies and geared towards the mindset of the sixties. Not as well known as the Hitchhiker's Guide, but still the source of a lot of geekdom. It also got turned into a really fun card game.
fnord Io, io Eris... Hail Discordia fnord
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Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain. -- Friedrich Schiller
Stop, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down. -- Stephen Stills
February 23, 2009 at 1:29 pm
GilaMonster (2/23/2009)
I don't know what it was about it. One of my friends loved it to bits.Maybe the blatant feminism. MZB's not subtle about that when she writes
[font="Verdana"]Heh. Some of the Darkover stuff is almost anti-feminist. I think she was trying to get into the head space of a very blatantly female dominated culture.
Speaking of which, Sherri S. Tepper, anyone? Gate to Womens' Country was one I couldn't finish. Some of her books are just absolutely brilliant though. The True Game got me hooked.
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February 23, 2009 at 1:31 pm
GilaMonster (2/23/2009)
One series I'm really enjoying at the moment (not Sci-Fi) is the "Dresden files" by Jim Butcher. It's about a modern-day wizard living in Chicago. Butcher's other series "Codex Alarea" is also very good.
I met Jim Butcher this weekend at ConDFW. He seems to be a really nice guy with a great sense of humor. In one of the panels I asked him who his favorite authors are, and he mentioned Lois McMaster Bujold, which I thought was nice - since I first heard of him as a recommendation from members of the official Bujold mailing list.
-Marianne
February 23, 2009 at 1:35 pm
One for Bruce, because the author is either a Kiwi or an Ozzie... I can't remember which. If it's an ozzie, please don't be offended.
Jennifer Government, by Max Barry
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Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain. -- Friedrich Schiller
Stop, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down. -- Stephen Stills
February 23, 2009 at 1:36 pm
[font="Verdana"]Ah, Bujold. 😀 There are a couple of her books I just love to re-read.
Okay, plug time. For those of you who don't already know about it, check out Baen Publishing. In particular, check out their free library. If you haven't read any David Weber and you like military SF/space opera, that's a good place to start.
Bring back E.E. "Doc" Smith, that's all I can say.
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February 23, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Kit G (2/23/2009)
I haven't been reading new authors very much recently. I've become unwilling to spend 8 bucks on a book I may or may not like. But I want to get a Kindle. Perhaps with the free previews of books I'll start to find authors I'm more willing to risk my money on and increase my reading.
Check out Baen's free library. It's a great way to check out new sci fi authors
-Marianne
February 23, 2009 at 1:39 pm
And one for the Arthurians... The Wicked Day, by Mary Stewart.
Like Poul Anderson's "The Broken Sword", this was a book that I wondered how on earth the author could end it, because it never seemed to go in the direction that I knew it MUST go. Naieve of me....
__________________________________________________
Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain. -- Friedrich Schiller
Stop, children, what's that sound? Everybody look what's going down. -- Stephen Stills
February 23, 2009 at 1:41 pm
The Lensman books will always be my favorite space opera. Stalwart heroes, consumately evil bad guys, daring escapes, epic space battles...
What more could you want out of a fantasy life?
February 23, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Bob Hovious (2/23/2009)
One for Bruce, because the author is either a Kiwi or an Ozzie... I can't remember which. If it's an ozzie, please don't be offended.Jennifer Government, by Max Barry
[font="Verdana"]
Never even heard of it! But Google is my friend. 😀
He's Australian. I'll have to keep an eye out for it.
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February 23, 2009 at 1:44 pm
For those of you who are Zelazny fans and may have read "Lord of Light" and/or "Creatures of Light and Darkness", I'd recommend Steven Brust's "To Reign in Hell". Just another religious pantheon re-worked...
February 23, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Bob Hovious (2/23/2009)
And one for the Arthurians... The Wicked Day, by Mary Stewart.
[font="Verdana"]The Crystal Cave, The Hollow Hills, The Last Enchantment. 😀
All four are brilliant. But I said that already.
One thing I will say about The Wicked Day: Mordred has for so long been the classic villian that it was interesting to read a book where he is quite the opposite.
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February 23, 2009 at 1:48 pm
The Kindle is great. I've been blogging quite a bit on them here: http://qa.sqlservercentral.com/blogs/steve_jones/archive/tags/Kindle/default.aspx, more coming all the time.
Brian Kelley is getting one soon(http://qa.sqlservercentral.com/blogs/brian_kelley/archive/2009/02/21/looking-forward-to-getting-my-kindle-2.aspx), and I'm anxious to see what he thinks. I have a blog on sample releasing tomorrow.
It is a bit pricey, it's US only, but it is great. I have found that I spend more on books now, but it's a hobby, and I can justify most of it to my wife (usually)
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February 23, 2009 at 1:50 pm
David Webb (2/23/2009)
For those of you who are Zelazny fans I'd recommend Steven Brust's "To Reign in Hell".
[font="Verdana"]Brust is a big favourite of mine. But I resent any time he spends away from writing Taltos. 😀
Freedom and Necessity, Steven Brust and Emma Bull. A story told entirely in letters between characters. It's a fun read. 😀 Very reminiscent of Samuel R Delany.
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February 23, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Bruce W Cassidy (2/23/2009)
Grant Fritchey (2/23/2009)
Kit G (2/23/2009)
But then, most of the time, movies made from book suck. Unless we are talking about Phillip K Dick stories, then it is the other way around, the books suck, but the movies are great.BLASPHEMER!
Talking down PKD is just not allowed.
[font="Verdana"]Do you read Michael Moorcock by any chance? Another "whacked out of his brain" author.
I've read everything Philip K Dick published (including the short stories), but some of it is a brains-leaking-out-ears struggle, particularly VALIS. I mean, when the protagonist of the novel is a pseudonym for the author? Sheesh.
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Ah, well, to each his own. With Phillip K Dick, I saw the movie Blade Runner when it first came out in theaters and loved the movie (yes, I like the version with the voice over better than the version without). I decided to read the book the movie was based on because of my general theory that the book is better than the movie. I just couldn't get into "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" I read the whole thing, but just couldn't get into it. I tried a few of his other books, same thing.
I like some of Michael Moorcock's stuff. The Elric series is my favorite but some of his other stuff... yeah... sometimes ya just gotta ask... what is the author smoking? Some of his Eternal Champion stuff is just too odd-ball for me. Kudos to those who can read it, I'm just not one of them.
-- Kit
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