Books?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

[maximilian]

Some of the writers of some great books imo
Isac Asimov (The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, etc etc)
Clifford D. Simak (Way Station)
Frank Herbert (Dune books)
Tolkien
David Eddings (The Belgariad and the Mallorean)
Jack L. Chalker (The Well of Souls books)
Joe Haldeman (The Forever War)
Stephen Donaldson (the chronicles of Thomas Covenant, first was better I thought)
Robert A. Heinlein (Starman Jones, The Star Beast, The Puppet Mastes)
Robert Silverberg (Up The Line)
I think I'm going to read the Manchurian Candidate soon...right now my reading time's filled with economics books for school,

 

[Eno_Mun]

1984, George Orwell.

 

[FlatteningOfEmotions]

Right now I'm reading Coldheart Canyon by Clive Barker.

I'd also recommend the Books of Blood volumes by Clive, as well.

George Carlin's two books are excellent. Everyone should read at least one of them.

Cannibal Killers by Moria Martingale is also a killer (no pun intended) non-fiction about serial killers who eat their victims.

 

[bondcfh007]

"Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Best Book Ever.

 

[no country for old wainds]

'The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant' is definitely a better fantasy novel than Lord of the Rings. Far, far better. Stephen Donaldson is an incredible writer.

 

[The Evil Toucan]

Catcher In the Rye and Franny & Zooey - Salinger
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

 

[Ra-kot]

Not many of ya seem to read classics...only a few mentioned. Many of the classics books aint easy to read, but give an incredible vision about history and mankind- thats why they became classics. You loosing much of inner depth by not reading...films cant compare to books, to real good books!

 

[Lethe78]

Am I the only one here who loves John Grisham?

 

[IanDork107]

Sewer, Gas, and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy by Matt Ruff. You may have to go out of your way to find it, but it's fantasy done right, with tons of satire.

 

[speed]

Damn everyone around here likes fantasy and sci fi- the two genres I loathe- oh well.

For a timely read with SARS running amok- try The Plague by Albert Camus- it is a wonderful book about a town in North Africa getting the plague- and what happens psycholigically, emotionally, and spiritually to those in the town when the town is quarantined.

I strongly second the Dostoevskii suggestion- my fave writer ever. I would also suggest anything by Graham Greene, Hermann Hesse, and Bely- and there are so many others too. Interestingly I just read a short story by De Sade- called a Dialogue between a priest and a dying man- very contemporary -and free from the sexual excesses of his other works.

I like Kafka's writing style-its so modern and free from the linguistic and punctuation restrictions that so many writers have been incarcerated by. I just finished The Castle and his short stories a few weeks ago- still its not for everyone.

Ive been reading some philosophical writings by Mikhail Bakhtin- quite interesting if one ever wishes to be a writer or an artist.

 

[Reanna]

another good author is Terry Goodkind he has a sword of truth series it's another fantasy but it's a pretty good read.

I was just about to mention that series. I have only read the first book so far, but loved it.

I also like Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series and Merry Gentry series, sort of erotic Fantasy-scifi i guess it would be considered.

Poppy Z. Brite is also an author that i really like, along with Chuck Palahniuk.

About a month ago i read "Prozac Nation" by Elizabeth Wurtzel and loved it...

For those of you that mentioned Dostoevsky: which book would you suggest i start with? Quite a few people have reccomended him to me, but never any certain books...

 

[speed]

If you wish to read Dostoevskii- here is a list of his three most important.

Notes from the Underground- the first book of existentialism- a must read- short profound.

The Brothers Karamazov- his greatest novel- polyphonic many different characters- all written with a sort of independence from the author- the key to this book, is that the characters exist for themselves- and not for the author.

Crime and Punishment- another great- examines and in a way condemns Nietszchian philosophy before Nietszche even started writing.

The devils- or the possessed is my personal fave- also polyphonic in nature but it is the hardest read- basically a novel loosely based on the proto bolshevists.

Really anything by Doestoevskii is good- and he did not write a huge amount- so one can read all of his works- and if you do read any of his works you will discover just how revolutionary his writing was.

 

[Reanna]

thank you

 

[Ra-kot]

@speed: I suggest ya to read something from another genious russian writer: Mikhail Bulgakov if ya havent done so yet.

Much easier to read than Dostoevskii with incredible amount of "black" humour and depth!

 

[speed]

I know of Bulgakov- what work of his do you suggest I should read?

 

[Pieless]

My favorite book at the time is probably Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five".

Other favorites: The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams(Ok so the last book isn't as good, I still enjoyed the entire series.)
1984
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

The book I am currently reading: Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk.

 

[Reanna]

i also forgot to list Jeff Noon, he writes some strange science fiction... drug related alot, but not average drugs...

 

[manuelgv]

I don't think Notes from the underground could be considered a fully existential book.It has a lot of things that existentialism novels used after it,but it reflects more some of the crisis people go thru and how they decide to shut down in themselves because of them.

 

[speed]

Which is existentialism is it not? Personal crisis and questioning of ones existence. If anything it speaks more to the essence of life and existentialism , than later novels by such people as Sartre.