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| 16 OCT 2002 at 7:57pm |
Armand1880Sorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 223
Joined: 14 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Two Words...Anne Rice
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| 16 OCT 2002 at 8:12pm |
JonasKyratzesSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 280
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Another book everyone should read is The Trigger, by Arthur C. Clarke and Michael Kube-McDowell. It's a sci-fi book about guns, technology and society. Brilliant, very deep, great thriller, and really makes you think.
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| 18 OCT 2002 at 8:29pm |
AdsoIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 16
Joined: 12 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I just finished Alan Furst's "Blood of Victory". The title comes from a French statesman from the 1940's who described oil as "the blood of victory" and the need to keep Nazi Germany from having an endless supply of it. Sound familiar to events today? Since you're reading that book on the Thrid Reich, Jonas, you might really enjoy Alan Furst.
He is a great, thoughtful author, and his books focus on the early years of WWII. The protagonist is usually a "ordinary" man from somewhere in Europe who lives in Paris and is compelled to spy on the Nazi's by agents from England. He takes you all over Europe, the Balkans and the Soviet Union but Paris is always "home". I love that since I lived there for a while and he really knows that city.
He never takes you al the way to the end of the war and you never know what will happen to the characters you've come to know and care about. That helps to enhance the chaotic experience of war.
This was his 7th book and if you haven't read him, he's so very worth it, IMHO.
Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.&&&&Sir Winston Churchill
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| 18 OCT 2002 at 10:43pm |
JudySpace Cadet
Posts : 173
Joined: 17 FEB 2009
Status : Offline | Just finished Desperation by Stephen King and From the Corner of His Eye by Dean Koontz. Am currently reading The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton and Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red by Joyce Reardon.
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| 19 OCT 2002 at 8:29am |
JonasKyratzesSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 280
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I bought From The Corner Of His Eye a few months ago, but I didn't finish it. I was in a bad period of my life (wow, as if there were that many good ones) and the beginning disturbed me too much to go on reading.
Was it any good? I rather like Koontz, so I might read it one of these days.
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| 19 OCT 2002 at 10:59am |
JudySpace Cadet
Posts : 173
Joined: 17 FEB 2009
Status : Offline | Jonas, From the Corner of His Eye was a GREAT book. Please give it another chance. You won't be disappointed.
Stephen King is my favorite author, but Dean Koontz is right up there with him.
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| 19 OCT 2002 at 11:16am |
JonasKyratzesSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 280
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Originally Posted By Judy (19 OCT 2002 10:58am)
Jonas, From the Corner of His Eye was a GREAT book. Please give it another chance. You won't be disappointed.
Stephen King is my favorite author, but Dean Koontz is right up there with him.
OK, I will give it another try. It sounded like a very interesting book.
Have you read Ticktock by Koontz? It's propably his weirdest book, but it's very enjoyable.
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| 19 OCT 2002 at 11:41am |
JudySpace Cadet
Posts : 173
Joined: 17 FEB 2009
Status : Offline | Yes, I read Tick Tock quite a few years ago. Thanks for reminding me. It's due for a re-read.
Do you like Stephen King? I have all his books. I read them one right after the other and when I'm done, I start them all over again. I think the man is brilliant!
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| 19 OCT 2002 at 10:25pm |
JonasKyratzesSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 280
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I've read a lot of his books, although not all of them. I agree that he's a fantastic writer. It's sad that most people think he's a guy who keeps writing one cheap horror novel after the other. His books are not only very scary, but they also have a lot of depth, a lot more than many other books in fact.
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| 20 OCT 2002 at 11:57am |
JoYSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 208
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I started reading Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, just to see which movie is the better adaption, Manhunter or the new Anthony Hopkins "I wanna play Lecter again" one.
JoY
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| 24 OCT 2002 at 8:09am |
MichalNGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 7058
Joined: 14 SEP 2003
Status : Online | The last book I read was Terry Pratchett's "Only You Can Save Mankind". It's actually a book about a computer game (not an adventure though)! I've also read over 25 Discworld novels (not recently) so I guess I'm a Pratchett addict. It is interesting that Pratchett is (or was until recently) virtually unknown in the US while he is hugely popular in the UK and most of continental Europe.
Before that I read "The Midden" by Tom Sharpe, another Brit. Hilarious and very acidic. Not at all nice to Thatcherites.
Before that I read "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman (Brit-turned-American). I read a couple of other Gaiman's books but I liked Stardust best (and the "Smoke and Mirrors" short stories). For those who don't know, Stardust is a fairy tale but decidedly not for children. Very imaginative, very well written. I seem to remember hearing something about Gaiman working on a game but the details elude me now. Or was it a movie?
If you haven't read "Good Omens" by Pratchett & Gaiman, do yourself a favor and read it. You'll be glad you did. Very funny and at the same time quite insightful. "The Apocalypse has never been funnier", to quote the book cover.
Another of my favourite authors is Douglas Adams (yet another Brit?!?). Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy is famous but I quite liked the Dirk Gently novels as well. The Starship Titanic adventure was weird to say the least but the book (written by Terry Jones) was pretty good.
For fans of GK3 I can recommend "Foucault's Pendulum" by Umberto Eco (not a Brit). Everything you wanted to know about secret societies but were afraid to ask. With a twist.
I also recently read two fantasy books which have close ties to adventures/RPGs: "Shannara" by Terry Brooks (there is an adventure of the same name) and "Krondor - Tear of the Gods" by Raymond E. Feist which is a book version of the RPG "Return to Krondor" (which Feist worked on).
That's about it. I don't read much these days. Too much gaming.
I forgot my sig.
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| 24 OCT 2002 at 9:19am |
alkis21Schattenjger
Posts : 2112
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: GR
Status : Offline | Speaking of Koontz, I'm currently reading 'False Memory'. It's pretty good, but the idea (mind control) is basically a rip-off of one of his older books (don't remember the title). I also read 'One door away from heaven' last month which was a lot better.
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| 24 OCT 2002 at 9:48pm |
| Deleted User | angela's ashes.
ive read the sequal first and then i read the first episode. i think the sequal was more interesting than the first one.
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| 28 OCT 2002 at 2:38pm |
sennebecGuild Master
Posts : 3334
Joined: 15 NOV 2004
Location: US, maine
Status : Offline | i've just finished john saul's "the homing"....kinda weird
and "the thief lord" by cornelia funke....great children's adventure set in venice that any adult would enjoy
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| 1 NOV 2002 at 8:07pm |
| Deleted User | Love Stephen King, love Terry Pratchett, love Douglas Adams (obviously). Jeffery Deaver is one of the few mystery writers that manages to fool me through a whole book, though I figured out his latest (The Stone Monkey) before I was halfway through.
I just read Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. A funny classic?! I had to try it. It kicked @$$.
Reading a lot of Carl Hiaasen lately. The guy cracks me up.
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| 2 NOV 2002 at 11:46am |
SCiVPrivate Detective
Posts : 671
Joined: 22 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I just finished reading "Black House" by Stephen King and Peter Straub, which is a great book and sequel to "The Talisman". It also has some ties to the "ark Tower" series by Stephen King.
Currently reading "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, which has a nice story and is very funny indeed. I've read the entire Discworld series as well in the last year, they're all great books, Terry has a great sense of humor.
And I just ordered "Millennium Rising" by Jane Jensen, which hopefully will arrive sometime next week. I haven't read anything by her yet, played and loved the GK adventures ofcourse.
Playing: World of Warcraft / Monkey Island SE&&Reading: Worldwar: Upsetting the Balance - Harry Turtledove&&Watching: Repo! The Genetic Opera
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| 2 NOV 2002 at 12:41pm |
Agustín CordesGuild Master
Posts : 5696
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: AR, Buenos Aires
Status : Offline | Recently I've read "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson, an amazing short novel of great power. I found absolutely stunning how Matheson managed to give a convincent scientific explanation of vampires.
Another one was "1984" by George Orwell and I don't understand why I took so long to pick it. I loved it though I don't know if I'll ever read it again; I was depressed for whole week. But its the best book I've read, bar none (sorry Tolkien!).
I'm planning to read "Good Omens" so I can watch the movie by Gilliam
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| 2 NOV 2002 at 6:14pm |
MichalNGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 7058
Joined: 14 SEP 2003
Status : Online | Rael, if you liked "1984", maybe you should try "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley.
And yes, be sure to read "Good Omens". It is hilarious
I forgot my sig.
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| 2 NOV 2002 at 7:40pm |
Agustín CordesGuild Master
Posts : 5696
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: AR, Buenos Aires
Status : Offline | Rael, if you liked "1984", maybe you should try "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley.
Yes, I'm in the middle of it. I hope I'll finish it when I have the time (I'm roaming too much in the net ).
Its a great book also but I found "1984" a more sensitive story. I felt more connected with Winston.
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| 4 NOV 2002 at 2:26am |
RavensbreedSpace Cadet
Posts : 156
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Originally Posted By Rael (2 NOV 2002 12:40pm)
I'm planning to read "Good Omens" so I can watch the movie by Gilliam
I thought that the movie had been cancelled, or do you know something I don't?
Just started to read (so I don't know if it's good yet) Legacy of Dune: The Butlerian Jihad by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Have high hopes based on their previous Prelude to Dune novels. This one takes place 10 millennia before the original Dune novel. Its about humanity about to start a Holy War against the tyrannous (and potentially genocidal) rule of think machines. It's doubly interesting because one of the heroes is Xavier Harkonnen (brave and noble), ancestor of the villan Baron Vladimar Harkonnen (twisted and cruel) from Dune. I always thought the all Harkonnen's were genetically evil. Should be interesting to see what happened.
Some people are like a slinky. They might not be good for anything, but its fun to watch them tumble down stairs. &&
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| 8 NOV 2002 at 1:58pm |
RavensbreedSpace Cadet
Posts : 156
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Put aside the Bulterian Jihad so I could read Nightwatch, the new Discworld novel. An excellent book. And next week I'll get Mr Pratchett to sign it.
Some people are like a slinky. They might not be good for anything, but its fun to watch them tumble down stairs. &&
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| 8 NOV 2002 at 2:50pm |
| Deleted User | OMG, the censoring software is insane! How about checking for space before and/or after the offending words?
The funny thing is, I didn't even realize N i g h t w a t c h contained a naughty word until I saw that... Doesn't that mean the censoring software works in exactly the opposite of the intended way?
I just finished "arkness, take my hand" by Dennis Lehane. It was great.
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| 9 NOV 2002 at 12:55pm |
RavensbreedSpace Cadet
Posts : 156
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Status : Online | Took me a few seconds to realize what the rude word I'd written was. . Just plain crazy. Don't think I'll bother to modify my old post, instead I'll leave it as an example of over zealous Thought Policing.
Some people are like a slinky. They might not be good for anything, but its fun to watch them tumble down stairs. &&
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| 10 NOV 2002 at 3:46am |
MichalNGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 7058
Joined: 14 SEP 2003
Status : Online | All this filter software does is give the word "thingy" a very bad name
I forgot my sig.
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