spag
I am a leaf on the wind
Maybe I should try that Drake book next. I'm not digging Armor at all so far. The writing seems really amateurish or something. Having a hard time getting into his style.
Now Reading...
- Thread starter Rakosh
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Pellaz
Tigron of Immanion
In that military-SF genre, if you haven't read Weber's On Basilisk Station, I recommend it whole-heartedly. The first of his Honor Harrington series, and it's one of my faves.
jhallum
Computer guy
lol at 'Mil-porn.' So far, there's been nothing like 'porn' at all.....
Sometimes the military details can get a little smothering, though.
The porn aspect used to explain the heavy action components of the genre. However, when John Ringo released Ghost, that's when it became mil-porn. What's the male equivalent of a Mary Sue?
Finished Reaper's Gale which unfortunately catches me up with the Erikson books. Now the hated read-and-wait-a-year cycle starts.
I need another multi-charactered, multiple storyline series. Terry Brooks has been recommended to me, but I know nothing of his work. Any input?
NR: Child of a Dead God - Barb & J.C. Hendee.
I need another multi-charactered, multiple storyline series. Terry Brooks has been recommended to me, but I know nothing of his work. Any input?
NR: Child of a Dead God - Barb & J.C. Hendee.
Finished Michael Crichton's Next.
Its an interesting book, but its much more of commentary on biogenetics, then it is a story. While there are fictional characters and drama, there are often long breaks between those instances. However, it was thought provoking enough that it was worth reading.
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Magius. I think that Terry Brooks is a piss poor writer. However, I've heard that he improves over time with Shannara for a bit, and then gets worse again. However, I did like the first book in the Word & Void series (which I only just now found out that its basically a prequel for Shannara).
I'm not sure what to recommend to you.
Its an interesting book, but its much more of commentary on biogenetics, then it is a story. While there are fictional characters and drama, there are often long breaks between those instances. However, it was thought provoking enough that it was worth reading.
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Magius. I think that Terry Brooks is a piss poor writer. However, I've heard that he improves over time with Shannara for a bit, and then gets worse again. However, I did like the first book in the Word & Void series (which I only just now found out that its basically a prequel for Shannara).
I'm not sure what to recommend to you.
metalprof
Ken Luther
I hope those two sentences are not directly related! If someone recommended Brooks to you as a holdover fix between the next Steven Erikson or George Martin, then that person should be flogged about the head with a hardback of Atlas Shrugged.
Now, I'm reading a Brooks novel right now, so don't take that paragraph as hatred toward the guy, it's just a matter of calling an apple an apple and not an orange. Brooks is pretty much cookie cutter fantasy. His best work, IMO, is the early Elfstones of Shannara and Wishsong of Shannara, and his more recent series The Word and the Void. His most despised work is probably his first, Sword of Shannara, since it's borderline (some would say not even borderline) plagiarism of the Tolkien story structure. He has another series called The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara which is kind of interesting in that he has his fantasy characters exploring an area of their world in which remnants of some old technology still exists.
I used to recommend Greg Keyes series Kingdom of Thorn and Bone, and it does have multiple characters in multiple storylines with a good deal of political stuff thrown in. But the fourth and final volume of that series was such a letdown that I can't recommend the series as much now.
Ken
jhallum
Computer guy
Toll the Hounds is out in the UK. You could pay ~$40 like me for the new one early. ;-)
MTA that Ian Carleton Esselmont has two books set in the Erikson work: Return of the Crimson Guard, and Night of Knives. I've read Night of Knives (picked it up in Canada) and it's pretty good. It's a story of the night that Surly attacked Kallanved and Dancer in Malaz City and became Emperor herself, from the POV of another character. Worth reading if you like the series.
dcowboys311
Member
I have a few books coming in the mail that I'm looking forward to reading. The ones I'm most anxious for are Acid Dreams and Blood Meridian. Anyone read either of those?
Yippee38
Living the dream!
Have you read "The Iron Tower Trilogy" by Dennis McKiernen? It is the biggest Tolkien rip-off I've ever read. It's so bad that at times I get the two stories confused.
Pellaz
Tigron of Immanion
It was a blantant pastiche, make no mistake. Blech. It turned me off Brooks forever.
The only other as-blatant example I can think of is Glen Cook's Swordbearer, which bears such a strong resemblance to Michael Moorcock's Elric that I can't believe lawyers weren't called in. It's kept me from reading any of his Black Company books, which is a shame since I've heard they're great. Glen himself is a nice chap; he frequently is a bookseller at Southeastern conventions.
Yippee38
Living the dream!
You should be ashamed!
I think you would find those books don't really bear much similarity to anything you've read before. That's even more true of The Instrumentalities of the Night books.Heh. Brooks was just recommended reading, not necessarily a match to what I am looking for.
I'll look into those. Thanks.
A Good and Happy Child - Justin Evans
Mental problems or demonic possession...? I'm only 50 pages in, but it's already a little unsettling and the writing is very good. It was a Washington Post Best Book of 2007...I hope it holds up until the end.
Mental problems or demonic possession...? I'm only 50 pages in, but it's already a little unsettling and the writing is very good. It was a Washington Post Best Book of 2007...I hope it holds up until the end.
What is funny is that a few years ago, McKiernan tried to sue someone for infringement of ideas.
Yippee38
Living the dream!
That is damn funny.
Even though it's a rip off, I still really liked the series. He writes well.
Pellaz
Tigron of Immanion
NR: David Weber and John Ringo, March Upcountry
I somehow managed to read the 3rd book in this series first, duh, so I acquired the first two and am now reading the first. I have the final volume on order.
As a literary side note, I must say it was a real pleasure to finally meet Michelle Belanger (vampire author...in the more literal sense) and also Chelsea Quinn Yarbro at Dragon*Con two weekends ago.
--And also to meet Sherrilyn Kenyon -- albeit briefly -- again. I think she may have opened some eyes at the Dragon*Con office when it comes to author popularity in these more media-crazed times.
I somehow managed to read the 3rd book in this series first, duh, so I acquired the first two and am now reading the first. I have the final volume on order.
As a literary side note, I must say it was a real pleasure to finally meet Michelle Belanger (vampire author...in the more literal sense) and also Chelsea Quinn Yarbro at Dragon*Con two weekends ago.
--And also to meet Sherrilyn Kenyon -- albeit briefly -- again. I think she may have opened some eyes at the Dragon*Con office when it comes to author popularity in these more media-crazed times.
Diabolik
Member
"The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases In A World Out of Balance" by Laurie Garrett. It is a historical look at all the deadly virus's that has struck mankind from Ebola to AIDs to Manchupo to Yellow Fever to all sorts of funny little microbes.
Deadly virus's are kind of a small hobby of mine.
Deadly virus's are kind of a small hobby of mine.
Pellaz
Tigron of Immanion
"Drop that Erlenmeyer flask, Stewie Griffin, and come out of the lab with your hands UP!"
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