Thanks for recommending The Master and Margarita, ivi. I just borrowed it from my local library and it’s great so far. The translation to my native language was supposed to be good too, although I can never be sure. To study Russian is a neat idea. Hm.
I am a huge fan of the His Dark Materials-trilogy myself, thus my nick, although I think Lyra is a finer character. I just wasn’t feminim enough to take her name though.
And, no, it’s not very complex literature at all, and I am always careful to recommended it as it might disappoint those who want something challenging. After all it was written for, amongst others, children. But you will find depth, and I seriously encourage people to at least check it out. And hurry, in a couple of years you might be seeing a movie based on the first part, but without the depth and charm and intelligence created by Pullman. Aye, I’m a bit pessimistic perhaps, but I can’t stand all these fantasy books being made into films. Can’t they come up with something new?
I just finished reading “Ishmael” by Daniel Quinn. I think a lot of you would like it.
I also love the hitchikers guide to the galaxy books (and Dirk Gently ones) and his dark materials trilogy. Thanks for recommending Ender’s game, but I thought Speaker for the dead (the 2nd one) was a lot better.
Well, the name-picking should mainly be about being able to relate to those characters. But this isn’t; Lord Asriel just sounded right, although I am no way like him. He’s a fantastic character though.
Ooh, here’s another great one. I read this just a couple of days ago. It’s called “The Dream Merchant” by Isabel somebody (can’t remember her surname). Not so much about dreams as the title would have you believe, but it still touches on it.
Otherwise this is a very difficult book to describe, aside from the fact that it’s very long and gets better as it goes on. Very vaguely, it’s about a boy who gets hired by a company to sell merchandise in the dream world.
Oh and yes! This makes me remind of Paul Auster’s books: “Mister Vertigo”, where a boy is teached how to fly. And “In the Country of Last Things” (I’m not sure of the original title, it’s the story of a girl who searches his brother in a devastated and surreal city).
I’m about to read “Robots”. So far i have read from Foundation series:
Foundation
Foundation and Empire
Second Foundation
Foundation’s Edge
Prelude to Foundation - must read after (at least 3 first) Foundation books. Gives nice surprise ;o)
So, yes, it’s worth of reading! Although i don’t like much e-books, but i try soon to read his Robot series, because as far as i know it gives overview how Foundation happened.
No one’s mentioned Philip K. Dick? I’m surprised, he is an excellent sci-fi writer, plenty of short stories and novels, he was very prolific and is now much better know and respected than back when he was alive and writing.
As for H.P. Lovecraft stories I’d agree with all of Basilus West’s recommendations, ‘The Colour Out Of Space’ is probably the scariest book i’ve ever read. But i’d also highly recommend ‘The Rats In The Walls’ as one of my top H.P. Lovecraft stories.
Also, ‘Days’ by James Lovegrove is a pretty good sci-fi novel about a future ‘gigastore’ (the logical conclusion of the supermarket/superstore etc) from which people buy absolutley everything they need. But the actual story follows the lives of a security guard and the brothers who own the store.
And lastly, all of the Red Dwarf novels are excellent, especially if you are a fan of the show.
I’m almost finished a book called Teach Yourself to Dream by David Fontana, it’s about all types of dreams, lucid, OBE, etc…
I just started a book called The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It’s pretty old many may have already read it. I like it because it’s humurous. Just something fun to read. They made a movie out of it that is coming out real soon.
I’d like to recommend Perdido Street Station and the Scar, both by China Mieville. Fantasy books, but those into LotR etc may be interested to see his different take on fantasy. His world is in an industrial age with trains and early guns, no elves or dragons to be seen (his races are much more unusual eg. cactus people). Also, whereas Tolkien concentrated more on geography and languages etc. when creating Middle Earth, whereas Mieville has thought more about the political structure of his world as the basis.
The Seventh Son of a Seventh Son series from Orson Scott Card (the guy who brought you the “Ender” series) was very good, several books in the series, I’d call it historical fantasy, has to do with magical powers that almost everyone has called “knacks”, native american magic, the devolopment of a perfect society, and it all takes place in colinial America. Not really extreme books, won’t make you look at life a new way, but I found them very entertaining.
Also my favorite book would have to be Sophie’s World, probably because I haven’t read enough books. Anyways its about the history of philosophy-- sort of. There’s another part of the story which really changes it from a history book to an amazing novel. I highly reccomend this book.
i love reading - but i hate when books end sighs
i get into a great book, and then it is over - just like that.
i’ve read all the books i own, some great, some decent, and some really crappy that i read only because i had to know what happened at the end.
anyways… does anyone have any recomendations for a good read? im all out of books, and do not know what to venture out into next…
my favourite authors are dan brown, bova, mccaffrey, frank herbert, cervantes, hugo and twain…
I reccomend the Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman. They aren’t your standard cliche’d fantasy story, matter- of- factly the witty flawed heroes and storyline are quite a departure from the whole “kill the dragon, save the princess” trash I’ve been unwittingly putting up with all these years. I warn you: they are like potato chips. Betcha can’t read just one.
My favourite book of all time would have to be Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. Yes, it’s big. Yes, it’s philisophical. But it’s extremely well written and, if you let it, will change the way you think about the world.
Also, if you’re into fantasy, I second the suggestion of Terry Pratchett. Especially Sourcery, it’s one of his best, if not the best.
Wow, I just finished the first story of the second book of Clive Barker’s Horror short story collection The Books Of Blood. That is, even though it’s from the 80s, everything that makes you freak out, the scariest thing ever, a mix of Saw, The Exorcist, Halloween and Stephen King, the guy is unbelievable.
hmm… I need to read more…
He’s a fantastic character though.
The descriptions, the story, the innovations to literature… It’s definately worth reading!