Tips And Then Bed
on 12/02/2014 at 12:37 AM
I will certainly check out your authors as it appears we have a few in common now, such as Koontz and Patterson. Although I really like Koontz earlier works.
My first exposure to reading fiction was Robert A. Heinlein. Some of his books are a little weird and “deep” into some hippie type thiniking, but his early stuff is the root of science fiction. I see a bit of Heinlien in almost all modern sci-fi writers today. My favorites include “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” (tnstaafl), “Tunnel in the Sky”, and “Orphans of the Sky”, which of course, I do recommend.
Another one, which even surprised me, is “Battlefield Earth” by L. Ron Hubbard. It is the only book of his I have read, as the author puts me off for some reason. I will say it was the BEST story I have read, and the WORST movie I have ever seen. The two are not even close. I highly recommend the book. It is big, but I felt keep excellent pace to the point I could not put it down. I think if you like sci-fi and read this, you will agree.
Others are Harry Harrison, the Stainless Steel Rat series. Timothy Zahn, before he got into Star Wars (Cobra Series and Blackcollar).
I will shut up now...as I have given more than my two cents.
I use to say I don’t read fiction until I realize that I do.
I have read the Bones (Kathy Reichs series, the Rizzoli & Isles series - Tess Gerritson [she has an MD] also does a Medical mystery series (so to speak, not same characters in all books) - I’ve read those and there is a local (OH) mystery writer Lisa Black - characters too close to Bones, but middling to good series. Sadly I’ve read them all - keep waiting for the newest books - although Ms Gerritson wrote one - that was off her track - I was not impressed. For true crime - I love Ann Rule
Yes, I go for Nicholas Sparks drivel. What can I say, I’m a sucker for love trumps all. No matter how similar the books are.
Read a few Steven King - sadly it seems that the sucky books (the Green Mile) are made into outstanding movies and the good books are crappy movies.
For your outage - we now have a lantern with mini-lanterns on the out side - give great light - and carry for all one and all. Since we bought that and the weather warning gizmo - haven’t needed either! The last outage that was longer than a few minutes - was 4 days (2009).
Good Omens? Terry Pratchett? Doesn’t sound like a Discworld novel I’ve read.
Larry Nivens’ Ringworld is great. The partnership of Louis Wu and Speaker-To-Animals has to be the most unlikely partnership in sci-fi history.
You left out Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series. That has to be to sci-fi what Star Trek TOS was for TV.
Wilbur Smith is on my ‘to read’ list. Got all of his Egyptian books. No time to read them.
S. M. Stirling. A modern ‘must-read’ author. You have to read his ‘Change’, ‘Emberverse’, and ‘Nantucket’ series. All somewhat interrelated. Just came out with the third generation of the ‘Emberverse’ series.
Harry Turtledove: Where to start? Try his World War series followed by the Colonization series. Seems the alien invasion caught us in the middle of WWII. The first wave of aliens got their @sses handed to them. They did conquer some territory. Nice spaceships but weapons weren’t that far advanced. Especially since they thought they’d be facing medieval armored kights.
Eric Flint: The ‘Grantville’ books. Grantville, West Virginia is transported back to 1631 Thuringia in the Germanies. Right in the middle of the 30-year War. First in the series is ‘1632’. Second is ‘1633’. They have to deal with Adolphus Gustavus (Swedish king), Tilly, Wallenstein, Cardinal Richeliue, Charles 1st (English king) and assorted other historical characters like Rubens (famous painter and diplomat), Oliver Cromwell (who never gets to be the Lord-Protector now.) etc.
My additions to Drew’s list. For more on these authors/books/series I recommend http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk Go there, type the author’s name and you will find a list of books.
Just for fun:
Stephen Brust just came out with his 14th Vlad Taltos book. An awesome series. I like it just for how Brust weaves his Hungarian recipes throughout the books. Vlad started as a wannabe chef in Dad’s tavern/inn. Seems good food puts your target at ease when you are an assassin.
Simon R. Green has returned to his roots with a new ‘Blue Moon’ book. I don’t recall when Hawk and Fischer ever had a chance to raise children. Must have done it because this is the ‘Next Generation’ in the Forest Kingdom series. Not read it yet but have the audiobook.
If you haven’t read ‘Blue Moon Rising’, Prince Rupert (aka ‘Hawk’) sets out on a quest to rescue a princess (aka Fischer) from a dragon. In actuality, the Prince first meets a gay male unicorn, rescues the dragon from the princess, returns to the kingdom (dragon, princess, and unicorn in tow) in time to defeat the Demon King. Took awhile to return. The dragon is old and near-sighted and can barely fly. The princess can’t ride the unicorn (only virgins can ride unicorns. Somewhat embarrassing for Prince Rupert who can ride the unicorn.)
By the end of the book Prince Rupert can’t ride a unicorn either. Princesses are good for something. Beats me how a unicorn would know!
Glen Cook: The Black Company series. Military fantasy at its finest. Also try his Garrett P. I. books. (Private Investigator) His partner shares his home. His partner has been dead longer than Garrett’s been alive. Did I mention his partner isn’t human? Last known speciman of his race. He’s dead, Garrett.
Christopher, the best Pratchett isn’t always on Diskworld. Good Omens is his seminal work, now in it’s 23rd printing or something crazy like that. The kid’s books Johnny and the Bomb and Johnny and the Dead are marvelous, and Nation is an excellent read.
I found a Harry Turtledove on the street. The Center Can Not Hold I think it was called. Obvious part of some multi-book series, but on it’s own the book kinda sucked. Some sort of alternate world where the Civil War changed ... but the writing just wasn’t there for me. Hope the rest of his stuff is far better, cuz as a standalone, Center sucks.
I’m certain I’ve read some Stirling stuff. Just none that really made it onto my “old friends” bookshelf. I’ve gone through Sci-Fi and out the other side it seems. It used to be all I read, from The Majipoor Chronicles to the Book Of Swords (and anything Saberhagen) to the Earthsea triology ... hundreds of paperbacks later, and somehow I put it behind me. Ah, I remember why now: I got sick of every author penning never ending stories. 14 books in the series and the tale still isn’t told. Dude, find some closure. Hit the Refresh button and find a new story. Enough already ya greedy bastige. Yet here I am, waiting for my next annual dose of the measly 10 episodes of TV’s Game of Thrones.
I went through all the Clive Cussler books, and all the guy adventure mil-tale ones too. Dale Brown, WEB Griffin, Tom Clancy, etc. Should have just stuck with Horatio Hornblower and Sharp’s Rifles which capture the spirit of the genre without all the techno-doodad crap.
True crime - Ann Rule. How could I forget her? I also used to read that endless series by Patricia Cormwall whose character is the lady ME Kay Scarpetta. Good crime mysteries, but they just got darker and darker and darker, so I walked away. Sue Grafton shows up here once in a while, along with Jonathan Kellerman, and Nevada Barr who writes about her lady park ranger who solves all the murders. And that other female police chief from Bisbee Arizona ... Joanna Brady novels featuring Anna Pigeon.
I’ve tried the “bodice ripper” romances, but they just don’t work for me. Guess I was expecting far more eros and got too much clothing description instead. Still, Steele’s Message From Nam was a much heavier and involving book than I ever expected, but her other stuff wasn’t like that one at all.
"The Center Cannot Hold” is the second book of Harry Turtledove’s American Empire series. Again, http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk is a wonderful resource for info about authors and books. Turtledove does specialize in alternate history. I still like his World War and Colonization series. In the World War series the aliens invade us during WWII. Expecting the medieval amoured knights their recon ships reported, they were shocked to find our military tech about evenly matched. A generation later, the Colonization series finds the aliens shocked that their military didn’t prevail. We have to learn to live together.
I did forget to mention as the best current sci-fi the “Lost Fleet” series by Jack Campbell (aka John G. Hemry who is a very recent friend on my Facebook page. We have corresponded. He particularly liked my description of the ATT tech’s visit!) He combines the idea of an ancient hero (say Arthur) who will return to save the nation, with Xenophon’s reality of ‘the Long Retreat’ from behind enemy lines. Look that one up. It’s history. Some call it the ‘March of the 10,000’. Greek mercenaries behind enemy lines upon the death of Alexander. Their leaders cut down via treachery. They just elected new leaders, Xenophon amongst them, and fought their way back to Greece. Xenophon wrote it all up.
It’s called Anabasis (/əˈnæbəsɪs/; Greek: Ἀνάβασις [anábasis] “An Ascent"/"Going Up")[1] is the most famous work, in seven books, of the Greek professional soldier and writer Xenophon.[2] The journey it narrates is his best known accomplishment and “one of the great adventures in human history,” as Will Durant expressed the common assessment.[3]
Available for free at http://www.gutenberg.org
As for Steven Brust’s 14th Vlad Taltos book, can’t be any worse than ERB’s Tarzan or John Carter books. The ‘Doc Savage’ books by numerous house authors. Or the Deathlands series, which is up to #120+ by James Axler — a ‘house name’ used by several authors. You might not be surprised that the ultimate company that owns the Deathlands rights is ... Harlequin Romance.
Then you have the 20 book series of Cadfael by the late Ellis Peters. Cadfael is a medieval monk, a former Crusader trying to repent of his sins as a crusader by being a monk. He keeps getting called to solve crimes. Mostly murders.
14 books in the series and the tale still isn’t told.
The tale is never-ending Drew. Oh sure, there’s always a life-or-age-changing story like The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. Or the Arthur and Charlemaign legends. But for us little people the story never ends. These are stories of the daily struggles and challenges of:
ensigns who become great captains
private investigators who always have something to investigate. (I would throw in the Nancy Drew books and the Hardy Boy books.)
a guy whose parents were killed as a babe and was raised by gorillas.I almost forgot L. E. Modesitt, Jr. He writes the Recluse fantasy series. He doesn’t write much about a particular character, he writes about the history of Recluce, through the then living character’s view. That series is up to #18.
To sdkar: Heinlein is wonderful. His book “Time Enough For Love” and the Bible are the two books that have influenced me the most. “Starship Troopers” being a close third. But Starship Troopers just codified my libertarian leanings. The other two influenced my entire philosophical thought.
I’ve left out all the supernatural book series.
Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter up to #21)
Charlaine Harris (writes the Sookie Stackhouse books on which the TV show ‘True Blood’ is based. Up to #13.5)
Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy (6 books) and Succubus Blues (5 books))
Chloe Neill (Chicagoland Vampires. Up to #11. I’ve the first seven.)I’m starting to like this thread. I don’t get to talk about my literary likes and dislikes much.
Drew, I do have ‘Johnny and the Bomb’. You say it’s worth reading? Third book in his ‘Johnny Maxwell’ series. The other two are “Only You Can Save Mankind”, and “Johnny and the Dead.” Not read any of them. I also have his ‘non-fiction’ The World of Poo. Not read that either though I think I will send it to my nieces. They can read it to my great-nieces or -nephews.
Mom was an only child. Family was simple then. Until both sisters started procreating, then their kids started procreating. Jesu Christi! When will the madness stop!
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