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[Statulos]

Out of curiosity, any other Chuck Palahniuk reader over here?

Modifié par Statulos, 28 février 2010 - 04:44 .

[Mr.Skar]

-Anything by Gene Wolfe. Seriously, you can't go wrong with this guy. One of the authors that, as a writer, I am not only impressed by but also intimidated by. Pick a book and go.



-The Gunslinger by Stephen King. The rest of the series doesn't compare, and his other books haven't grabbed me in quite the same way.



-Dune by Frank Herbert. To date one of the few books I have read more than once.



-Fight Club by Chuch Palahniuk (never know if I spell his last name right). Most of his other books are shock for shock's sake. This one is still his best imo.



-Haruki Murakami. I suggest starting with The Elephant Vanishes, a surreal collection of short stories and moving on from there. He mixes some near sci-fi strangeness with sharp writing.



-Michael Moorcock. Reshaped the way sword and sorcery heroes are portrayed. His Elric stories are being reprinted by Del Rey, currently up to volume five.



-The Game of Rat and Dragon, an excellent short story by Cordwainer Smith. You could probably find this on the internet for free.



This list can go on. Some of the things that could go on here are waiting for their particular series to end.

[Statulos]

If Baudrillard wrote half well as Palahniuk, terms as hyperreality would be of comon use. Exagerated? Sure! But non the less, interesting.

Personaly the one I like most is Diary.

[Amberyl Ravenclaw]

Gr4ntus wrote...

Currently reading "Major Problems in American History: Volume 2" for my college course (lol). I swear it is even worse than the four Twilight books I read a few months ago.

In what way is it boring? I'm curious because as a history major, I'm on a perpetual hunt for good casebooks and teaching material that can add to the student's experience without being a turnoff. If at all your course is similar to mine (with emphasis on the whitewashing and sanitization of high school American history), I would suggest that you read James Loewen's Lies My Teacher Told Me if you haven't already been assigned it for class. Loewen's writing is more anecdotal and personal than the usual dry-as-a-bone history textbook, and it makes things so much easier to read IMHO. 

Back to the original question about "literature". I have many favorite books, but above all I'd love to have these sitting on my bookshelf for years to come:

1. Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
2. The Earthsea Quartet by Ursula LeGuin
3. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
4. Maus by Art Spiegelman
5. The Essential Dykes To Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel

Also, the late J.G. Ballard is fast becoming one of my favorite authors. Someone also mentioned Haruki Murakami. I've only read one of the man's books, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, but I was sufficiently impressed by his writing to rank him high up on the list of writers-to-follow. I suppose stylistic absurdism / surrealism and the horrors of the human condition are themes which I find strongly intriguing, which is probably why my 'list of favorites' includes all those authors and is depressing in its entirety. Atwood / Spiegelman / Ballard / Murakami combined - you can't possibly get a bleaker vision of humanity than that.

If we are talking "non-fiction" as well as "fiction", by the way, the list expands even further.

Modifié par Amberyl Ravenclaw, 28 février 2010 - 05:43 .

[Panderfringe]

Mr.Skar wrote...

-Anything by Gene Wolfe. Seriously, you can't go wrong with this guy. One of the authors that, as a writer, I am not only impressed by but also intimidated by. Pick a book and go.

You too? Sweet, I am not alone.

Though I have to say, his Wizard Knight books aren't half as awesome as Book of the New Sun.

[Zaikor]

The Catcher in the Rye

Crime and Punishment

1984

Animal Farm

[Mr.Skar]

Panderfringe wrote...

Mr.Skar wrote...

-Anything by Gene Wolfe. Seriously, you can't go wrong with this guy. One of the authors that, as a writer, I am not only impressed by but also intimidated by. Pick a book and go.

You too? Sweet, I am not alone.

Though I have to say, his Wizard Knight books aren't half as awesome as Book of the New Sun.

Agreed, but they are some good fantasy. Not many books can take the "kid from the real world transported to fantasy land" deal and make it interesting. It is, in my experience, a good taste of Gene Wolfe for folks who read more traditional fantasy. From there the average reader I introduce to the Wizard Knight books gets hungry for more Wolfe. Book of the New Sun is a really  hard work to beat though.

Statulos (didn't get that close of a look at your name man, sorry if I got it a little off), Diary is really good as well, but it doesn't carry that same punch that Fight Club does. It's a trip though, and well worth the read. If I had to pick a second favorite Palahniuk book it would definitely be Diary.

EDIT: Amberyl, Murakami is definitely an author that should be followed. He has a large body of work that I haven't worked all the way through yet (I was introduced to his stories 2 semesters ago or so).  But I consume story, so I eventually will. Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is the next book of his I have on "The List".

Modifié par Mr.Skar, 28 février 2010 - 07:43 .

[Noilly Prat]

 I also really dig Gore Vidal's historical fiction stuff. Of all the books I've read in the past few years, Burr is probably one of my favorites.

[Eleinehmm]

Amberyl Ravenclaw wrote...


1. Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
2. The Earthsea Quartet by Ursula LeGuin
3. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
4. Maus by Art Spiegelman
5. The Essential Dykes To Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel

This ! Except probably the fourth part of The Earthsea cycle.

Modifié par Eleinehmm, 28 février 2010 - 09:32 .

[SleeplessInSigil]

Statulos wrote...

Out of curiosity, any other Chuck Palahniuk reader over here?

You do not talk about FIGHT CLUB!

One of my favorites, both the book and the film.  <3

[Loerwyn]

MrHimuraChan wrote...
Really disturbing but REALLY good (and never gets old)

Tried "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin? It's the book that (somewhat heavily) inspired Nineteen Eighty-Four

[Dark Lilith]

A Killing Sound wrote...

I second the Stainless Steel Rat series. Easily the most enertaining series I've read.

without a doubt a must have for any reader or collector of fine stories.

[whiteraider]

Lord of The Rings - J.R.R Tolkien

Dune - Frank Herbert

Book of the New Sun - Gene Wolf

The Man In the High Castle - Philip K. Dick

Lord of Light - Roger Zelanzny



And currently anything by Alistair Renyolds, Charles Stross or Neal Asher...

For light fantasy anything by Michael Moorcock...

For space opera, Harry Harrison, E.E. Doc. Smith & Robert Heinlein

[Loerwyn]

Mr.Skar wrote...
-The Gunslinger by Stephen King. The rest of the series doesn't compare, and his other books haven't grabbed me in quite the same way.

This struck me as quite odd, no offense. The Gunslinger is a bunch of short stories held together with blu tac and string whereas the other books in the series are novels.
I got 6 Shannara books from my nan today (need 2 more to complete one of the "series", and not sure how many I need to complete the other), so yay.

[_- Songlian -]

Sa Seba wrote...

- everything Oscar Wilde

Songlian approves. (+10) He's my favorite author.

[Mr.Skar]

OnlyShallow89 wrote...

Mr.Skar wrote...
-The Gunslinger by Stephen King. The rest of the series doesn't compare, and his other books haven't grabbed me in quite the same way.

This struck me as quite odd, no offense. The Gunslinger is a bunch of short stories held together with blu tac and string whereas the other books in the series are novels.
I got 6 Shannara books from my nan today (need 2 more to complete one of the "series", and not sure how many I need to complete the other), so yay.

No offense taken. Thing is, The Gunslinger is better than the last few books in the series by far. Whether one is a novel or not isn't part of it, The Gunslinger is just the most interesting excursion into that particular world that King took. It had just enough western and weird in it to make it stand out and like I said earlier, it's the best of the series. Not that the middle novels aren't any good, because they're worth the read (if anything just to see where the series goes) but the first one is too good imo.

[Statulos]

MrHimuraChan wrote...

Zaikor wrote...

The Catcher in the Rye
Crime and Punishment
1984
Animal Farm

Really disturbing but REALLY good (and never gets old)

Orwell is one of my faves too and 1984 is great, but personaly, I think Homage to Catalonia is better. Because there you can find what pushed Orwell to write Animal Farm or 1984.

In the end it´s a Dystopian narration so, I´m in.

[Loerwyn]

Mr.Skar wrote...
No offense taken. Thing is, The Gunslinger is better than the last few books in the series by far. Whether one is a novel or not isn't part of it, The Gunslinger is just the most interesting excursion into that particular world that King took. It had just enough western and weird in it to make it stand out and like I said earlier, it's the best of the series. Not that the middle novels aren't any good, because they're worth the read (if anything just to see where the series goes) but the first one is too good imo.

I've got just #7 to read now, and for some reason I just can't be bothered so I'm getting through some other books that I want to read (I've a terrible habit of buying books and not reading them, or starting them and never finishing). Currently wading through the first few chapters of "A Game of Thrones".

[Dark Lilith]

whiteraider wrote...

Lord of The Rings - J.R.R Tolkien
Dune - Frank Herbert
Book of the New Sun - Gene Wolf
The Man In the High Castle - Philip K. Dick
Lord of Light - Roger Zelanzny

And currently anything by Alistair Renyolds, Charles Stross or Neal Asher...
For light fantasy anything by Michael Moorcock...
For space opera, Harry Harrison, E.E. Doc. Smith & Robert Heinlein

how could I forget LOR. I have a hard bound original edition of it

[Mr.Skar]

OnlyShallow89 wrote...

Mr.Skar wrote...
No offense taken. Thing is, The Gunslinger is better than the last few books in the series by far. Whether one is a novel or not isn't part of it, The Gunslinger is just the most interesting excursion into that particular world that King took. It had just enough western and weird in it to make it stand out and like I said earlier, it's the best of the series. Not that the middle novels aren't any good, because they're worth the read (if anything just to see where the series goes) but the first one is too good imo.

I've got just #7 to read now, and for some reason I just can't be bothered so I'm getting through some other books that I want to read (I've a terrible habit of buying books and not reading them, or starting them and never finishing). Currently wading through the first few chapters of "A Game of Thrones".

Yeah, book 7 is a little on the weak side. To be honest I just read it to finish off the series. It seems we have similar problems when it comes to books, as I often find myself just not caring about where certain stories go. Good choice with A Game of Thrones, that is a strong work. Surprised the hell out of me the first time I read it. I thought I was in for some traditional epic fantasy when I first picked it up in high school. I can't wait for George R. R. Martin to finish the next book in the series.

[Loerwyn]

I'd like to finish The Dark Tower (book and series) but I got a little "burnt out" even though there was quite a gap between my reads. I read 1-3 in a relatively short time (start of last year), then I moved onto 4 which took a while. 5 I did half of and then stopped reading and then earlier this year I finished 5 and went straight into 6.

I've got a hardback limited edition, numbered & signed copy of A Feast For Crows, hehe.

AGoT is something that's been sat on my shelf a few months now but I've not read, and I do want to read ASoIaF so I might as well start now.

[A Killing Sound]

Ah the Dark Tower. Stephen King is good for two things, creating an awesome setup, then putting a lame ending to his novels. I liked most of the Dark Tower, but book four and seven didn't cut it for me.

Point in case to Stephen King's lame ending theory:  Cell.  Such a great start, then it gets worse, and worse....

On a side note:  Has anyone else read Harry Harrison, or Joe Haldeman's "The Forever War"?

Modifié par A Killing Sound, 28 février 2010 - 11:46 .

[schalafi]

Margaret Weis/Tracy Hickman's Deathgate Series

Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere

Kate Elliot's Jaron Series

George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones Series (if he ever finishes it)