xkcd

by **BurningLed** » Sun Dec 05, 2010 6:48 pm UTC

I can vouch for Guards! Guards!. Best deconstruction of the "Faceless Mook" trope ever. Really wonderful if you ever wondered what happens to the castle guard the "hero" knocks carelessly into a wall.

by **Unbeliever** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 4:03 pm UTC

BurningLed wrote:I can vouch for Guards! Guards!. Best deconstruction of the "Faceless Mook" trope ever. Really wonderful if you ever wondered what happens to the castle guard the "hero" knocks carelessly into a wall.

Ditto.

by **Herra Monologi** » Fri Dec 10, 2010 1:52 pm UTC

Aldarion wrote:Also, while I'm at it, there's another book I'd like to read (if it exists). There's the common plot about a modern-day loser who dreams of Olden Times, when there were Knights and Swords and Adventure and Beautiful Princesses and Bravery and Many Other capital-Letter Words. In the course of the book (or film) the loser somehow winds up in those Olden Times, where he really stops being a loser, learns to use a Sword, meets up with some Knights, has some Adventures, displays Bravery, wins himself a Beautiful Princess and so on, and then returns to the present filled with confidence and starts a new life. I'm sure you've read a book or two with such a plot, and definitely seen a couple of movies. But I'd like to see a variation on this plot: the loser winds up in the Olden times, but quickly finds out that Swords are heavy, Knights are more drunk and sweaty that daring and shiny, Adventure equals "something that can get you killed easily" rather than "an exciting way to alleviate boredom", and that being in the Olden Times really doesn't make it any easier to display Bravery. Also, he finds out that Princesses, believe it or not, aren't easily available, and that - oh, the horror! - most of them dare not to be Beautiful. The book doesn't have a happy end at all. The emphasis is really on this — it's not that he realizes that his dream world is not as perfect as he thought and then manages to get over it, but exactly the opposite — he doesn't get over it and has all his [day]dreams shattered.

Did someone write such a book? Thanks in advance.

Mark Twain - A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court? Hilarious book with a nice sarcastic point of view.

I like Alexandre Dumas. The count of Monte Cristo is absolutely my favourite book. Last summer I finally read Three musketeers and it's sequel. I also have read C.S Forrester's Hornblower saga and I just read Austin's Pride and Prejudice. So can you recommend some good historically fiction? I would really appreciate if it should take place in France or Russia. (I tried to read Captain Alatriste novels but they were just light and boring)

by **McCaber** » Fri Dec 31, 2010 6:43 am UTC

Herra Monologi wrote:I like Alexandre Dumas. The count of Monte Cristo is absolutely my favourite book. Last summer I finally read Three musketeers and it's sequel. I also have read C.S Forrester's Hornblower saga and I just read Austin's Pride and Prejudice. So can you recommend some good historically fiction? I would really appreciate if it should take place in France or Russia. (I tried to read Captain Alatriste novels but they were just light and boring)

Neal Stephenson's Baroque Cycle is delicious. Set all over Europe between 1650 and 1714, it's one of the best-researched fiction books I've ever read, as well as being a very engaging read.

by **HiFranc** » Fri Dec 31, 2010 7:28 pm UTC

I have various recommendations:

Serious:

Society of the Mind by Eric L Harry
A Bill Gate's like figure calls in a psychologist to help trouble shoot his main computer. I like it because it looks at AI in a realistic fashion.

Adventure:

The Soprano Sorceress by LE Modessitt Jr
An academic in the field of Music finds herself on another world where those who can sing can perform magic. I like it because the world feels real.

Comic fantasy:

Mort by Terry Pratchett
Death hires an apprentice who is at an age when chasing girls is more important than work.

Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett
The patrician is found unconscious. At the same time the head of the city watch has to deal with the murder of a priest. We see the challenges of policing in a multi-vital city.

The Portable Door by Tom Holt
Probably Tom Holt's best work. Two young people are taken on at a London firm. The work seems boring but it's a job. Discoveries are made and strange possibilities come to life. Sorry to be so oblique but I don't want to spoil it.

Young Adult:

The City Who Fought by Anne McCaffrey and SM Stirling
I would advise reading The Ship Who Sang or Partnership first
Pirates approach a space station that is controlled by a brain. I like it because it doesn't glorify war.

by **emceng** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 6:54 pm UTC

Herra Monologi wrote:
Aldarion wrote:Also, while I'm at it, there's another book I'd like to read (if it exists). There's the common plot about a modern-day loser who dreams of Olden Times, when there were Knights and Swords and Adventure and Beautiful Princesses and Bravery and Many Other capital-Letter Words. In the course of the book (or film) the loser somehow winds up in those Olden Times, where he really stops being a loser, learns to use a Sword, meets up with some Knights, has some Adventures, displays Bravery, wins himself a Beautiful Princess and so on, and then returns to the present filled with confidence and starts a new life. I'm sure you've read a book or two with such a plot, and definitely seen a couple of movies. But I'd like to see a variation on this plot: the loser winds up in the Olden times, but quickly finds out that Swords are heavy, Knights are more drunk and sweaty that daring and shiny, Adventure equals "something that can get you killed easily" rather than "an exciting way to alleviate boredom", and that being in the Olden Times really doesn't make it any easier to display Bravery. Also, he finds out that Princesses, believe it or not, aren't easily available, and that - oh, the horror! - most of them dare not to be Beautiful. The book doesn't have a happy end at all. The emphasis is really on this — it's not that he realizes that his dream world is not as perfect as he thought and then manages to get over it, but exactly the opposite — he doesn't get over it and has all his [day]dreams shattered.

Did someone write such a book? Thanks in advance.

Mark Twain - A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court? Hilarious book with a nice sarcastic point of view.

I like Alexandre Dumas. The count of Monte Cristo is absolutely my favourite book. Last summer I finally read Three musketeers and it's sequel. I also have read C.S Forrester's Hornblower saga and I just read Austin's Pride and Prejudice. So can you recommend some good historically fiction? I would really appreciate if it should take place in France or Russia. (I tried to read Captain Alatriste novels but they were just light and boring)

Sorry to see this so late, but I have some recommendations. If you liked Hornblower, try Julian Stockwin's Kydd series or the Master and Commander series by Patrick O'Brian. M&C is older and more in the mindset of that era, but both are entertaining. Sorry, both series are based on the British navy.

I would also second the Baroque cycle, but be prepared - it's about 1800-2000 pages, and not easy reading.

by **dbsmith** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:51 pm UTC

Ok so i would love any book similar to either of these 2:

Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates - Tom Robbins
The GoneAway World - Nick Harkaway

I guess i like stories with lots of wit throughout, but still a dramatic story of some sort. And yes, I've read Terry Pratchett.
So....recommend me a book please!

by **fr00t** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:07 pm UTC

Interested in philosophical/heavy or humorous/light scifi I haven't heard of. The aforementioned Greg Egan is a prime example but I want more. Ringworld and Red Dwarf are good examples from the other end of the spectrum.

Some self help books: particularly for conversation. I've read the ubiquitous "How to Talk to Anybody, Anytime" and "How to win friends and influence people" but I'm interested in a more rigorous, specific, technique based approach. Any other self-help books are also welcome.

Also, and this might be too specific, but some palmistry/handwriting analysis/magic/psychic reading (or cold reading) how-to books that don't take themselves seriously and instead focus on the theatrical and entertaining aspects... hard to explain but I know exactly what I want; I just can't find it.

by **PAstrychef** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 3:48 am UTC

dbsmith wrote:Ok so i would love any book similar to either of these 2:

Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates - Tom Robbins
The GoneAway World - Nick Harkaway

I guess i like stories with lots of wit throughout, but still a dramatic story of some sort. And yes, I've read Terry Pratchett.
So....recommend me a book please!

Try some John Crowley, either Aegypt or Little, Big.

by **Kewangji** » Sat Feb 19, 2011 2:10 pm UTC

I need to read steampunk! I think steampunk with very serious overtones and bloodstains would work best. If you know good steampunk set in Russia, I would also love to read that.

by **bigglesworth** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 12:35 am UTC

Have you read China Mieville's Bas Lag novels? They fit that exactly.

by **Kewangji** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 9:14 am UTC

bigglesworth wrote:Have you read China Mieville's Bas Lag novels? They fit that exactly.

I read Perdido Street Station and hated it, I'm afraid.

by **Bufo_periglenes** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:03 pm UTC

I'm interested in books which do a good job of portraying the differentness of foreign or alien cultures. I'm open to any genres, periods, styles. Short stories, poetry, or comics are welcome too.
Thanks!

by **Mambo4** » Fri May 06, 2011 9:32 pm UTC

Any Neal Stephenson-like suggestions?

Things I like about Stephenson, in order:
-big esoteric philosophical or scientific ideas thouroughly explored
-sarcastic amusing social critique
-a small dose of pulpy swashbuckling

I liked Anathem and Cryptonomicon above his other works, found Quicksilver slow, if that helps.

by **Metaphysician** » Thu May 12, 2011 5:34 am UTC

I'm looking for something interesting to read. I have a pretty wide range in tastes but I think right now I'm just looking for stuff in the fantasy or pulpy sci-fi type of setting. Books I've enjoyed that can serve as a reference point are.

Song of Ice and Fire
Snow Crash, The Cryptonomicon and Anathem
The Lies of Locke Lamora
The Black Company series

I'm looking for suggestions along those lines.

by **Kewangji** » Thu May 12, 2011 8:26 am UTC

I assume you've read Red Seas Under Red Skies?

For pulpy sci-fi, check out Philip K. Dick.

by **bigglesworth** » Thu May 12, 2011 8:41 am UTC

Mambo4 wrote:-big esoteric philosophical or scientific ideas thouroughly explored
-sarcastic amusing social critique
-a small dose of pulpy swashbuckling

Try Richard Morgan, it's definitely sci-fi but given the specific things you said I think you'd enjoy them.

by **Metaphysician** » Thu May 12, 2011 6:50 pm UTC

Kewangji wrote:I assume you've read Red Seas Under Red Skies?

For pulpy sci-fi, check out Philip K. Dick.

Yes I have read "Red Seas Under Red Skies" which I loved. I've heard a lot of good things about Philip K. Dick so maybe it's time I check him out.

by **CombustibleLemons** » Thu May 19, 2011 8:50 pm UTC

can anyone recomend a turtledove series to start i'v read all the books in the southern victory series and need a new one

by **Pandafaust** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:26 pm UTC

Hopefully a quick one: I recently read 'Three Men in a Boat" by Jerome k. Jerome (no idea why I haven't read it before) and loved it, but on looking through a few other books & short stories of his I had hanging around on my e-book reader I found that most didn't really have the same style. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy them - in fact I nearly started crying whilst reading the 'John Ingerfield' story, which would have been pretty embarrassing as I was reading it in my lunch break at work and get enough dodgy looks/comments there already. For reference I've just started on 'Paul Kelver' but only got a couple of pages in before having to womble off.

In essence, therefore - any recommendations for similar stories to 'Three Men in a Boat'? If it's also by Mr. Jerome that would be even better :-)

by **AvatarIII** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:31 am UTC

Bufo_periglenes wrote:I'm interested in books which do a good job of portraying the differentness of foreign or alien cultures. I'm open to any genres, periods, styles. Short stories, poetry, or comics are welcome too.
Thanks!

The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin which i have read recently instantly springs to mind, it's about a guy who is a member of an exiled Anarchist/co-operative society, who is a great physisict and visits the more technologically advanced country that his society was exiled from, whis is kind of hyper-capitalist, right wing, big gap between rich and poor, women are subservient etc, place. portraying the differences between the 2 societies is pretty much the main point of the book.

by **emceng** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 2:49 pm UTC

I am looking for more books like Homicide:Life on the Streets. It is a non-fiction account of the workings of a homicide detective unit in Baltimore for one year. The TV show was based on it. Show was good, book was excellent, and enlightening. Amazon book recommendations have not been very helpful. Anyone have a suggestion?

by **Nineteener** » Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:30 pm UTC

I've recently finished just about every Stephen King and Dean Koontz book available. Can anyone recommend any authors similar to them?

Also, I'd like to toss out the duo Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I think they're great when writing together.

by **PAstrychef** » Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:05 am UTC

You might well enjoy John Connolly's series about a guy named Charlie Parker, who starts off as an ex-cop with problems and becomes rather more complicated as the series goes on. Great writing and a fair amount of the inexplicable and creepy.

by **AvatarIII** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:24 am UTC

perhaps some Dan Simmons?

by **bigglesworth** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:29 am UTC

Pandafaust wrote:In essence, therefore - any recommendations for similar stories to 'Three Men in a Boat'? If it's also by Mr. Jerome that would be even better

He also wrote http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Men_on_the_Bummel, which oddly enough is not erotic gay fiction but a similar story to Three Men in a Boat.

by **KestrelLowing** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 4:16 pm UTC

So, I need some good recommendations that are good enough to buy the book (I won't have libraries available for about a month in a week or two).

I typically read fantasy and sci-fi - often more on the fluff side, but I definitely appreciate a good 'thinking' book. I haven't really run into any awesome books lately, but what I enjoyed when I was younger (and still enjoy) were the Wind on Fire Trilogy by William Nicholson, most of Tamora Pierce's books, Anne Mccaffrey (specifically her dragonriders), Ender's Game and related (although I like Ender's Game the most), most of Garth Nix (Lirael was my favorite), So You Want to be a Wizard, Inkheat trilogy, and many other standard YA sci-fi and fantasy. I didn't enjoy Eragon as much as I would have expected (I generally like the epic coming of age story) but it was ok.

I didn't enjoy Sword of Shannara (didn't even finish it - very unusual for me), I'm not a huge fan of the 'hard sci-fi' like Asimov, and most things that are more 'urban' don't interest me as much. I read Dune but honestly wasn't all that interested (it was fine, but it wasn't as good as everyone makes it out to be). 1984 was ok, as was Slaugherhouse V.

What's sad is I'm 21, and I still haven't found really good books for my intellectual level. I think I need to stop reading fluff, but all the non-fluff stuff I read wasn't terribly interesting to me.

I think I'm going to try the Fire and Ice books, but as the books aren't out yet, and there are many of them, I don't want to buy them.

So, basically I'm looking for a good sci-fi/fantasy book that's awesome enough to buy that perhaps is a standalone or part of a small (trilogy) series.

by **Adam H** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 6:45 pm UTC

Two suggestions for Kestrel: The Once and Future King, and Battlefield Earth. Good, interesting, semi-non-fluff. The Once and Future King is the loftier of the two, but it's more interesting than Dune and 1984, IMO.

Also, the standard sci-fi/fantasy: Lord of the Ring, Discworld, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Wheel of Time. Just in case you haven't read them already... I get the feeling everyone on this forum has read those...

And rest assured, you'll also like Song of Ice and Fire.

by **no-genius** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 10:55 pm UTC

Mambo4 wrote:Any Neal Stephenson-like suggestions?

Things I like about Stephenson, in order:
-big esoteric philosophical or scientific ideas thoroughly explored
-sarcastic amusing social critique
-a small dose of pulpy swashbuckling

I liked Anathem and Cryptonomicon above his other works, found Quicksilver slow, if that helps.

It doesn't have much swashbuckling, but I think Infinite Jest (by David Foster Wallace) covers the first two - or at least the 2^nd one. It's about students in a tennis academy that take loads of drugs, and recovering alcoholics/ drug addicts in a half-way house, and some terrorists who're trying to get hold of a film so entertaining (and their word for films/ tv shows is 'entertainment') that once you've seen it, all you want to do is watch it again and again. It's nearly 1,000 pages, plus about 100 pages of endnotes, so not exactly an easy read (and it's only vaguely sci-fi), but some of it was really funny. I'm basically reading everything he wrote.
And maybe the Illuminatus! trilogy, which has all that, plus mindfucky conspiracies and weird sex thrown in (sometimes both at the same time).

emceng wrote:I am looking for more books like Homicide:Life on the Streets. It is a non-fiction account of the workings of a homicide detective unit in Baltimore for one year. The TV show was based on it. Show was good, book was excellent, and enlightening. Amazon book recommendations have not been very helpful. Anyone have a suggestion?

Well, there is The Corner. I found it harder to get into than Homicide..., but that might've been fatigue (and I guess following the same characters is a lot more depressing than seeing them turn up as murders)
But if you want more stuff about cops, I'm new to the genre myself.

by **PAstrychef** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:07 pm UTC

Kestrel-
Have you tried Ursula LeGuin? Not just the Earthsea books, but also things like The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed. Sarah Zettle has some good stuff out too, especially A Sorcerer's Treason and Kingdom of Cages.
If you can visit a library book sale you can usually find paperbacks for 50 cents, at which price you can heave them aside if you don't like them.

by **Eseell** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 11:13 pm UTC

Kestrel, you might also try The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein, Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke, and the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. They seem like the sort of "thinky but entertaining" books that you might enjoy. In more recent fiction, Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicles, which begin with The Name of the Wind, remind me of almost a fantasy Ender's Game and I enjoyed them quite a bit as well.

Edited to add: The book Starship Troopers and the movie Starship Troopers are so dissimilar that the only thing they share is a title. Don't let the movie put you off, if you've seen it.

by **emceng** » Mon Aug 15, 2011 1:28 pm UTC

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good history of the abolition movement in Europe? I have been reading some novels set in Napoleonic era Britian. Part of it is talking about slavery, and I am wondering why/when it was abolished on the continent(particularly France), with maybe some info about Britian as well.

by **AvatarIII** » Mon Aug 15, 2011 1:51 pm UTC

KestrelLowing wrote:I typically read fantasy and sci-fi - often more on the fluff side, but I definitely appreciate a good 'thinking' book. I haven't really run into any awesome books lately, but what I enjoyed when I was younger (and still enjoy) were the Wind on Fire Trilogy by William Nicholson, most of Tamora Pierce's books, Anne Mccaffrey (specifically her dragonriders), Ender's Game and related (although I like Ender's Game the most), most of Garth Nix (Lirael was my favorite), So You Want to be a Wizard, Inkheat trilogy, and many other standard YA sci-fi and fantasy. I didn't enjoy Eragon as much as I would have expected (I generally like the epic coming of age story) but it was ok.

So, basically I'm looking for a good sci-fi/fantasy book that's awesome enough to buy that perhaps is a standalone or part of a small (trilogy) series.

bolded for similarity to my Girlfriend's taste in books, Lirael is actually one of her favourites, although she actually liked Eragon.

have you looked into Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next books? or perhaps some Neil Gaiman,
you could also try some things like Frederik Pohl's Gateway, or perhaps Peter F Hamilton's Void Trilogy, (that alternates between quite hard SF, and a sort of SF based High Fantasy tale between chapters.) and it's Preceeding Commonwealth books, which also have a touch of Fantasy to then, although with that you are talking 5 books of ~700-800 pages each all told.

by **manictheatrefan** » Sat Aug 20, 2011 7:29 am UTC

Can anyone recommend any novels about bisexual teenagers? (I've read plenty of YA novels with gay protagonists and am wondering where all the bi ones are hiding.)

Thanks in advance

by **Zarq** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 8:04 pm UTC

Are any of the Star Wars books worth reading? Comics/graphic novels too.

by **Eseell** » Mon Sep 05, 2011 1:24 am UTC

The X-Wing series by Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston, The Republic Commando/Imperial Commando series by Karen Traviss, and the Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn are all very good, if you're a fan. The other books are of variable quality from fucking terrible to pretty good. I like the new Legacy graphic novel series they're doing, but I'm not sure how much sense it makes if you didn't read a lot of the rest of the expanded universe. The older Dark Empire novels were good, and the Sith War series which are available now as Omnibus collections were excellent, and set the stage for the Old Republic era fiction, if you're into that.

by **Metaphysician** » Tue Sep 27, 2011 7:57 pm UTC

Zarq wrote:Are any of the Star Wars books worth reading? Comics/graphic novels too.

I'd highly recommend the following in order.

X-Wing Series (Rogue Squadron-Solo Command)
The Courtship of Princess Leia
The Thrawn Trilogy (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command)
X-Wing Series (Isard's Revenge)
Jedi Academy Trilogy (Jedi Search, Dark Apprentice, Champions of the Force)
Children of the Jedi
Darksaber
Planet of Twilight
X-Wing Series (Star Fighters of Adumar)
The Corellian Trilogy (Ambush at Corellia, Assault at Selonia, Showdown at Centerpoint)
The Hand of Thrawn Duology (Specter of the Past, Vision of the Future)
New Jedi Order Series
Dark Nest Trilogy
Legacy of the Force Series
Fate of the Jedi Series

This is the core of the Extended Universe, all of the books you should read for all the important events, skipping a couple of books and series that aren't as relevant and are just poorly written. I left out the Young Jedi Knights series as those are really geared toward a younger audience, however I did read them and do recommend reading them if you want the full picture of all the relationships between the new era Jedi before they make their debut on the scene in New Jedi Order.

by **cemper93** » Fri Nov 25, 2011 9:24 pm UTC

Over the last few months, I have often felt too busy to actually get down to any reading. I do somewhat think that this is related to the books that I tried to read: right now I'm reading Thomas Pynchon's absolutely weird novel Gravity's Rainbow, which is great and all, but which is really challenging to read, especially because I made the mistake of reading it in English (I'm a German native speaker). I read like the first 250 pages, but now I just don't understand anything at all anymore because I didn't want to concentrate.

So, what I'd like you to recommend to me is a book that's so awfully simple that it's inane. I don't want anything that makes me think, broadens my horizons, has dozens of seemingly completely unrelated site-plots, does deep character development stuff on hundreds of different persons or is difficult in any other possible way. On the other hand, I don't want a book that goes on my nerves either, neither in its general chauvinist attitude, which unfortunately many fantasy novels have (both low and high fantasy, although low fantasy is often even more horrid) nor in its labored attempt of bringing in some moral elements.

I generally like fantasy novels, but I do like to read a good sci-fi here and then, too. Bonus points if I can buy the book for <5€ at amazon, because I don't actually want a book that's worth more than this price.

by **Kewangji** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 11:14 am UTC

cemper93: I found Animal Farm by Orwell very easy to read. All I can think of right now, unfortunately.

by **Zarq** » Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:20 pm UTC

Ever since I was little I've been interested in mythology. My main focus back then was Greek, but they all interest me. Does anyone know any good non-fiction books concerning the subject? Greek, Roman, Norse, Chinese, Egyptian, ... it doesn't matter.

If you know any good fiction books that have a solid grounding in mythology you can mention those too. No need to mention American Gods though.

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