BOOKS!

[fohat.digs]

"Ready Player 1" was a good book. I am a little old for it, being a child of the 1950s and 1960s, since I did not engage with the arcade game world at all.

I think that it will age a lot better than something like "Wyrm" by Fabi, which enjoyed a brief surge when it was "of its time" but then all but vanished afterwards.

PS - wait until you are older than the sitting President .....

[Krogenar]

Question for the book readers: "Name a book that should be made into a film, but hasn't yet."

For me, it would be Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser books by Fritz Leiber. All this high fantasy from Tolkien needs to take a break. Bring on the low, slumming fantasy.

[fohat.digs]

Your Lieber books were an excellent, if short-lived comic series in the mid-1970s, drawn by either Chaykin or Kaluta, if I remember correctly.

"Lord of Light" by Zelazny, which was the "fake" movie in the real story of Argo, would be a fine choice, now, but would have surely been pretty cheesy back then, in the late-1970s.

That one certainly makes my shortest short list of best books of all time.

[Aseral]

I'm reading "Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" these days and it's very good!

[CPTBadAss]

I'm really into sci-fi, fantasy, and non-fiction stuff (mainly sociology stuff). Currently I'm reading Damned by Chuck Palahniuk and Brightness Reef by David Brin. I recently finished all the released books of A Song of Fire and Ice (Game of Thrones is Book 1 of that series) by George RR Martin.

I have a Kindle that I really like but for me, nothing beats reading an actual book. e-Ink is acceptable but reading on an ipad/tablet/computer screen hurts my eyes so much.

[noisyturtle]

Aww Demik, Oscar Wao is an incredible book, I read it 2 years ago. Inspiring funny sometimes sad. Great pick there for sure. Right now I'm reading The Ax by Donald E. Westlake.

[codymaust]

Most of my reading is technical, either for work or for the sake of keeping up with new trends

Other than that, I am halfway through John von Neumann's "The Computer and the Brain"

I greatly prefer the experience of a physical book, although the Kindle is nice sometimes.

[Krogenar]

"Lord of Light" by Zelazny, which was the "fake" movie in the real story of Argo, would be a fine choice, now, but would have surely been pretty cheesy back then, in the late-1970s.

That one certainly makes my shortest short list of best books of all time.

Giving Lord of Light a try, on the basis of your recommendation. The plot seems pretty awesome. It would make a great b-movie just from the synopsis, LOL!

[poxeclipse]

I love books: to read and to smell them.
When I have nothing to do,  I grab again One Hundred Years of Solitude,  by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
I love Kafka: The Trial, The Castle, The Metamorphosis.  I've read only English and French translations, for I don't know German.

[dorkvader]

Books I've read recently, and liked


Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour bookstore. I really liked this one! The cover is glow in the dark, too.


The art of racing in the rain. I ususally hate dog books, but this was pretty good.
---
Right now I'm "still" reading through book2 of a song of ice & fire. It's good, but it takes the plot forever to happen, and when it does, it's super quick and glossed over (Specifically on this second grievance, I'm referring to the deaths of two characters, happens 3/4 of the way through "a clash of kings". WTF!)

Ready player one is on my to-read list, I'm also finishing up discworld. I have maurice leblanc (YEAH!), doyle and o henry on tap from gutenberg, and I think I have 2-3 dead tree discworld books I've not read yet.

I've been leaning my personalized signed copies of The name of the wind and the wise man's fear (Rothfuss is probably my favourite author, but he takes ages to write a book. 10 years for the first, and 4 years for the second) to friends (Yes, I have friends. I blame it on "dorks" being cool now), and they loved them.

I can't wait for Sanderson's upcoming "The Rithmatist". I have liked him ever since Elantris was new.

[Krogenar]

Your Lieber books were an excellent, if short-lived comic series in the mid-1970s, drawn by either Chaykin or Kaluta, if I remember correctly.

"Lord of Light" by Zelazny, which was the "fake" movie in the real story of Argo, would be a fine choice, now, but would have surely been pretty cheesy back then, in the late-1970s.

That one certainly makes my shortest short list of best books of all time.

Just finished lord of light.... Awesome book. Thanks for the suggestion. Don't see how they could ever film it without three movies and massive amounts of CGI.

[elton5354]

Not really a book but...

[fohat.digs]

Just finished lord of light.... Awesome book. Thanks for the suggestion. Don't see how they could ever film it without three movies and massive amounts of CGI.

If the story simply ran in proper chronological order, it would be and easier story to tell, and for the audience to follow.

[fohat.digs]

Just finished lord of light.... Awesome book. Thanks for the suggestion. Don't see how they could ever film it without three movies and massive amounts of CGI.

If the story simply ran in proper chronological order, it would be an easier story to tell, and for the audience to follow.

[Krogenar]

Just finished lord of light.... Awesome book. Thanks for the suggestion. Don't see how they could ever film it without three movies and massive amounts of CGI.

If the story simply ran in proper chronological order, it would be and easier story to tell, and for the audience to follow.

Yes, it would be easier to film, but I kind of liked how they drew Sam down out of the atmosphere and he had this entire backstory that was slowly revealed. Were there any sequels?

[fohat.digs]

Not really. "Creatures of Light and Darkness" came next but was not as compelling.

After that, he concentrated on "Amber" for several years, and it was great fantasy, but not SF.

I always liked "This Immortal", "Isle of the Dead", and "Doorways in the Sand" but there were no other "Lords ..."

[jwaz]

Just picked up "The Man in the High Castle" by PKD. Liking it so far, pretty weird alt history stuff.

[Krogenar]

Not really. "Creatures of Light and Darkness" came next but was not as compelling.

After that, he concentrated on "Amber" for several years, and it was great fantasy, but not SF.

I always liked "This Immortal", "Isle of the Dead", and "Doorways in the Sand" but there were no other "Lords ..."

I will check out the others, fohat. Maybe I found another author to explore. Oh, I don't know if you're into superheroic fantasy/sci-fi, but if you are, try out 'Soon I Will Be Invincible' by Austin Grossman. It's a little bit like Venture Bros. (but less absurd) as told from the perspective of a supervillain, Dr. Impossible, who suffers from Malign Hypercognition Disorder -- he's an evil supergenius. It's a very fun read.

[fohat.digs]

Just picked up "The Man in the High Castle" by PKD. Liking it so far, pretty weird alt history stuff.

Philip K D!ck (the censor won't let me type his real name!) is one of my favorites, but there is not really a "best" book - the entire body of his work is fascinating.

He churned out books by the dozens through the late-50s and early-60s, with lots of hits and misses. Hollywood has done an excellent job of presenting his work, although never faithfully, contrary to the way it usually happens.

His final set, the "Valis trilogy" is arguably his best, although you do him a disfavor by starting there.

[fohat.digs]

I will check out the others, fohat. Maybe I found another author to explore. Oh, I don't know if you're into superheroic fantasy/sci-fi, but if you are, try out 'Soon I Will Be Invincible' by Austin Grossman. It's a little bit like Venture Bros. (but less absurd) as told from the perspective of a supervillain, Dr. Impossible, who suffers from Malign Hypercognition Disorder -- he's an evil supergenius. It's a very fun read.
[/quote]

Will add to the list.

[CPTBadAss]

I just read Starship Troopers like Robert Heinlein, really awesome

[jwaz]

Just picked up "The Man in the High Castle" by PKD. Liking it so far, pretty weird alt history stuff.

Philip K D!ck (the censor won't let me type his real name!) is one of my favorites, but there is not really a "best" book - the entire body of his work is fascinating.

He churned out books by the dozens through the late-50s and early-60s, with lots of hits and misses. Hollywood has done an excellent job of presenting his work, although never faithfully, contrary to the way it usually happens.

His final set, the "Valis trilogy" is arguably his best, although you do him a disfavor by starting there.

I've heard good things about Valis and the only other book of his I read was Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. I saw the Exegesis of PKD for sale, that looks like an epic read. A bit much for me though.

[Krogenar]

Just picked up "The Man in the High Castle" by PKD. Liking it so far, pretty weird alt history stuff.

PKD is all around awesome. I read somewhere that he's had more stories made into television and film than almost any other science fiction writer, hands down. And most of those movies are pretty good, in my opinion.

[Krogenar]

I just read Starship Troopers like Robert Heinlein, really awesome

Oh yeah, that's a great one. I didn't like the film version, however -- they made it into some kind of WWII farce. Heinlein's political ideas in that novel are ... well, novel. In the future, everyone has the right to join the military in some capacity for a two year term. Your prize at the end of that two year stint? The knowledge that you served your country (or humanity) and ... you earn the right to vote.

So in the world of 'Starship Troopers' there are citizens (who can vote, and who are all veterans, though not all have been in combat) and the rest are ... I dunno, residents? Wards of the state? They have rights, etc. and they live good lives, etc., but they don't have the right to vote. The only people who get to vote are the people willing to give up two years of their life in service to the military.

I recall that in the novel the main character decides to join the military because one of his teachers (a veteran) instills in him the desire for voting. His parents beg him not to go, remarking that voting isn't really all that important. It just seems to me a very novel (and untried) approach to voting rights.