novels, short stories, comics etc - anything you are reading
share your thoughts
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novels, short stories, comics etc - anything you are reading
share your thoughts
Ursula K. Le Guin - 'The Word for World is Forest'
Le Guin, who died in 2018, is the critical darling of scifi in academia. more like : she's the only one discussed in academic circles. I have no idea why exactly. a lot of SF is great.
anyway, this short novel right here (100 pages), was written in 1972 and was a comment on the Vietnam war, just like that other scifi classic 'The Forever War' (1974) by Joe Haldeman
where in 'The Forever War' the humans and aliens at war with each other are more or less evenly matched, the human colonizers of an alien planet far outdo the local occupants, who are about a meter tall each and are non aggressive - at the start. the story is a reflection on how creatures change when they go against their own nature to protect their species, how the aggression changes them
in 'The Forever War' the parallels with the Vietnam war are how the war seemingly never ends and what the real cause of the conflict is (only revealed at the end of the novel)
in 'The Word for World is Forest' the parallel is how humans (Americans) supposedly outmatch aliens (Vietnamese) and how the gradual power shift changes both parties (mostly the aliens)
I haven't finished this book yet but it's a good read so far
some other novels by Le Guin I can recommend that I've actually read are 'The Left Hand of Darkness', 'The Lathe of Heaven' and 'The Dispossessed'. all four Le Guin novels have won several SF award. she's also famous for her Earth Sea novels, which can be read by children too, they were like the Harry Potter books of their time (seventies). haven't read those
btw I would recommend 'The Forever War' too, especially if you like action packed plots and time jumps
a cheap way of buying SF is the series 'SF Masterworks' by Gollancz. they're about $8 a book and their titles are ALL quality.
here's the list : https://www.worldswithoutend.com/lis...asterworks.asp
I expected more from this Le Guin novel, I'll try and finish it since it's only 100 pages
Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poetry. some good stuff in there. I am not familiar with her husband's poetry
Peter Straub, The Hellfire Club. OK book, some better editing would have made much better. One of those books with numerous storylines that should have focused on some of the more interesting aspects.
^^gonna read the synopsis online, see if it appeals to me. I don't know the author.
those Barrettt Browning poems are accessible and relaxing, I'm enjoying them so far. I read a few sonnets a day, it makes me slow down for 20 minutes or so. It's been ages since I read any poetry
EDIT : Straub should be up my alley, I enjoy thrillers
The Hunger by Alma Katsu. A Supernatural reimaging of the donner party incident. This would proably translate to film quite well. The orginal history is an interesting read also.
Sounds very intriguing. I read a lot of supernatural stuff. Incidentally I only first heard about the Donner party when making a post on cannibalism earlier this weekQuote:
Originally Posted by b-dolo
Straub is best known for his book Ghost Story. That is what lead me to Hellfire Club. Ghost Story is good but I read so long ago all I remember is that I liked and couldn't give you any info beyond that. Looks like it is in line for a re-read.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hal Incandenza
Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury.
There is a animated movie I recall watching years ago.
there's one by Bradbury I don't know. I'll have to keep an eye out
Adam Carrola "Not Taco Bell Material." This book is hilarious. Any middle aged man could relate to the plight presented on this book. I'm a fanboy of Carolla though, so thoughts are favorably skewed. This is my 2nd read of this, the first time since its initial release.
First time reading them or repeat reading?
T. Coraghessan Boyle. His short stories are entertaining, some of them hilarious even.
Suggestions for thriller or comedic theme genre? Will be going back to library soon. Its been over a year now since I have been.
As for comedic short stories T. Coraghessan Boyle. I'm reading his collected short stories now. Not all of them are hits but at the very least they are entertaining. Some examples : a Lassie parody, a man suspects his scientist wife of having a fling with her monkey study object etc
Not all of them are comedy, I just finished one where it rains blood from the sky (literally, I mean) and it was quite sickening, but in a good way ha
He has novels out too but I'm not familiar with them.
A thriller author I enjoy is Robert Harris. Fast paced, good world building. Some of his books have a historic setting, others an alternative history setting. His books are real good page turners.
Thanks. I haven't been to the library in over a year because of everything being shut down. It opened up a few months back, but it is frequented by transients so I have stayed away. Plan on going soon though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hal Incandenza
Thanks. Local library opened up a few months back. I am looking forward to going back soon with some good recommendations.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hal Incandenza
Good to hear the library's open again.
Another thriller author I enjoy is Nelson DeMille. He has a ton of books out. I read about 5 of them. The only one I didn't enjoy too much was 'Spencerville'. I loved the other ones. Not really sure if this is the kind of author libraries stock. I bought my copies second hand.
I will definitely check out all your suggestions. Going to wait a just a little longer wait go back library. Purchased hummingbird by Jude Angelini online. Going to read that first. Should be classic.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hal Incandenza
What was that book you got your user name from again? I going to library today. Going to see if it available.
'Infinite Jest' by David Foster Wallace
I did end up reading through this. Some really high points, but also some times it really drags. I almost feel this is one that needs to be reread a time or two to fully comprehend. It is solid B for me, there is a classic tale in the novel. It needed to be even more edited to make it a better read, just my personal opinion though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hal Incandenza
I totally see what you mean. it is excessive with some of the story lines and the endless end notesQuote:
Originally Posted by b-dolo
I bet some publishers would have shaved off another 100 pages at least
I dug up this fun fact for you and me :
"If you think Infinite Jest – at 1,100-odd pages – is a long book, be advised that it started longer. Wallace wrote to a friend that “the fucker’s cut by 600 pages from the first version”. He proofread the book, according to DT Max’s fine biography Every Love Story Is a Ghost Story, “with loose pages of Infinite Jest spread out in front of him, watching the movie Beethoven over and over again on a TV/VCR combo from Rent-A-Center”. He claimed, variously, to have caught 47,000 and 712,000 typos. Beethoven is a film about a St Bernard dog."
Another 600 pages. That would be something else to have an unedited version.
I don't think I could make it through the full version even though it's my favorite book. there's gotta be a good reason those pages were scrapped. plot lines were probably condensed and maybe some plot lines were axed
Who is Alex Trebek? A biography.
^^interesting bio?
I'm trying to read an anthology of short stories of writers who were invited to write an E.A. Poe like story. so far it's pretty okay. it's called "Poe in the polders" (it's Dutch and Belgian writers, hence the title, there are a lot of polders in Flanders and the Netherlands)
I got an amazing offer of a lot novels, anthologies, short stories in magazines by Belgian crime writer Georges Simenon (he created the Maigret character - there's a new Maigret movie in cinemas now btw), $110 for the whole lot. as an absolute figure it's kind of expensive for me right now but as an offer it's really a steal. it also includes long biographical portraits and interviews from magazines you can't find on your own. it's a collector friend who is selling his doubles
Simenon is really 'a fast read', just like Agatha Christie, but with much more psychological depth to the characters and their relationships
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Simenon
Short stories by Kate Chopin from the 1890s. The stories are set near and sometimes in New Orleans. The stories themselves are okay but not spectacular, I enjoy the setting, the mixture of French and English too.
Just finished reading Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. I would recommend it, entertaining dark humor. Any ever read this?
I have read several of his novels but not that one. I see I have at it home along with about 5 of his other novels, 2 of whom I read. I should get back to doing some reading lol. In fact I might start with 'Breakfast of Champions' and let you know whether I liked it. I always prefer reading if I can discuss what I'm reading with someone IRL or online
The Lost by Jonathan Aycliffe
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes.
Cormac Mccarthy recently released his first novels in over 15 years. I'm hoping to getting them read over Christmas break.
^^ good author
R.A. Lafferty, humorous SF
So how was Cormac Mccarthy, b-dolo?
I'm mostly reading Dutch SF now. Books to review & short stories to enjoy. My next read is a book by 7 Dutch authors. They all wrote a lengthy short story that can be read separately but is placed in the universe of a book they are each working on. It's a cool concept and they've been getting good press. I'm supposed to review it for a magazine.
O. Henry's short stories and E.R. Burrough's John Carter/Mars series. And I'm reading Edgar Wallace detective novels and short stories.
O. Henry is okay, has a way with words but when you read a lot of his stories some get repetitive.
The John Carter series has not aged all that well. It is very basic science fiction with not much in the way of nuce wording. I read a couple chapters in bed every few nights.
Edgar Wallace is pretty good. Nice narrative drive. He dictated full novels in 3 days lol. In the early 30s he doctored scripts in Hollywood btw. He was working on 'King Kong' when he died suddenly of undiagnosed diabetes.
I've got some Stephen Crane and other stuff (all short story collections) coming in at bottom prices.
On Friday I'm going to the grand opening night for a new literary magazine ('In Tenebris') about the fantastic genre that a few of my friends are involved with on both the publishing and the writing side. A turn out of 50 to 100 people would be nice. The magazine will be printed in 250 copies only. It is presented as a book, kind of like an anthology, and will be published every six months.
I got that review published in an official print magazine.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rev Jones
'Outwitting the devil' by Napoleon Hill. He was a self help guru from the first half of the 20th century. In this book he 'interviews' the devil to show people how inner boundaries like fear hold you back
Tank Girl -King-, The Maxx