OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retorical)
 

I'm currently reading what I presume is the latest Flinx and Pip book, Flinx's Folly. I also have a bag and a half of mostly hardbacks from the library; just finished rereading The Raven Ring by Patricia C. Wrede, also finished R.A. Salvatore's latest Drizzt book (Which has a suprising twist at the end that will be after some spoiler space) and one by Martha Wells called Wizard Hunters, moving from the career of her illustrious crime lord/sometimes hero and his sometimes drug-addicted sorceror friend to his daughter...(Uh, I'll skip the rest of the intro here except to say that if you like dark humor, intelligent heroes and light somewhere off in the tunnel, even if the tunnel is stinky and filled with sewer water crawling with slimey and squishy things, you'll like this series) as an invasion pumels the nation of Ill-Rien.

I also finished a book of short stories called Swords and Sorcerors (Or maybe Sorceries) (Not to be confused with the simalairly-named anthology editied by Marion Zimmer Bradley (At least, I think it's she)), which includes, among other things, an excerpt from the book 'The Princess Bride'. I didn't even know there was a book.

Twelve spoilers, then the snerk, then eight more spoilers.

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Drizzt does not, in fact, kill the big bad.

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Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retorical)
 

hey man at what age does Wizard Hunters take place in? like wizardry or is there tech like guns and space or what:-d?

The best series is "song of ice and fire" first book is game of thrones really really great and the perseptive is one the greatest:-)

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

About 1800s to early 1900s for technology. Magic is real in the books and has about as much effect as technology. Magical creatures also have a definitive effect.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Sounds Interesting.

I'm just starting the third and final installment of the K-PAX Trillogy by Gene Brewer. After seeing the film I managed to pick up all 3 in one book for less than £10. (And that was in Major Corporate expensive bookstores!)

I highly recommend this book, If you thought the film was good, then you'll love the way they've expanded it, although in the second book the focus slowly shifts away from Prot. The way it's been set out and portrayed, and the character development, is almost flawless. This is the "Firefly/SG1" of my bookshelf. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retorical)
 

Yes. The movie is based on an english translation of an italian fairy tale from the middle ages that the translator found hidden in an old bookshop http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif (Had trouble with that introduction myself, till I realise of course that he's just having you on)

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

I am reading about the French Secret Service. Very interesting.

I tried to read guns, germs and steel but the style was rahter dry

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Currently recommending -

Quicksilver (Neal Stephenson) - fiction
Thick book, quite interesting, though
First of three, the other two are out in HB

Mister Monday (Garth Nix) - children's fiction
Fun fantastical adventure, first of seven :O books
but short, next two are out already.

Founding Brothers (Ellis) - historical
Short essays on the various founding fathers of the US
He also wrote a new Washington book and Ameican Sphinx
about Jefferson

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Flinx's Folly was good. However, it was a transitional book, so not much happened and if you havn't read the series you're probably going to be lost. The series, however, is well worth reading and starts with 'For the love of Mother-Not'.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Brotherhood of war series.
Dirk Pitt series.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Um...Info?

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retorical)
 

"Mutineers' Moon" by David Weber.

So far its a good, relatively near-future Sci-Fi type of book. Apart from being a good Sci-Fi book, it puts out a neat alternate explanation for how humanity came to exist on the Earth. Though that's not the main plot in any way.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

You can get the entire trilogy as an e-book on Baen; 'Empire From the Ashes'.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

I did not not know this. Thanks Narf.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

THe BEST SERIES is Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin. The first book is Games of thrones, and it has the persucitive in a great way and everything is great. Very well planed out and its GREAT. MUST mUST MUST READ

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Thanks for the info Narf http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/laugh.gif

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

I think that the novels that Harry Turtledove writes are interesting. He likes to write books on alternate history. I'm currently reading "In The Presence of Mine Enemies". And so far, it's pretty good.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Read "Guns of the South". By far my favourite. I do like Harry Turtledove, although I haven't forced myself to read his latest works. I enjoy alternate history however he does go on...and on...and on.
eg. in one of his universes he has a book set 20 years after the Confederate States wins the civil war. Then a trilogy 30 years after that which covers world war 1, then he does the depression, now he is doing ww2 all in the same universe. Its as bad as his neverending series on aliens attacking earth during ww2.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

The princess bride : S. Morgenstern's classic tale of true love and high adventure : the "good parts" version, abridged / by William Goldman

Would there be an unabridged version, or is that only humor?

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retorical)
 

Highly recommending:

Cryptonomicon (Neal Stephenson, as well)

Great read, but monstrously thick like Quicksilver. Currently plowing my way through The Da Vinci Code (and it's getting boooring) then going to read Quicksilver.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

I'm starting to go through Quicksilver as well, but it's monstrously thick like you said.

The obligatory reads for Stephenson are Snow Crash and Diamond Age though.

And yeah, I'm back again. Mindi managed to restore my account. Apparently two other people were also affected. I wonder who.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Just finished reading that book about a month ago. Pretty good. I wish he'd had gone into more detail of how the Nazi's won the war, instead of just little bits of info along the way. I would recommend this book. I've read his Guns of the South, and the one about the second civil war (can't remember the title right now). I got most of the books in that series, and will probably start reading them soon.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Humor, my cheese eating friend. It's only the one novel, which is also the script. Goldman is one of the only writers able to get away with serving up a script in novel form and actually have it considered.

Right now I'm reading "The Dream and the Tomb," a big thick monster of a narrative about the Crusades. History book. For fun. I'm getting old.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

http://www.uchronia.net/bib.cgi/labe...=turtgreatw#01

as I said it does go on. 10 books so far.

Edit: oh, and an explanation of "In the presence of Mine Enemies"

http://www.uchronia.net/bib.cgi/labe...?id=turtinthep

Counterfactual history is my favourite Genre and I check Uchronia every day.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Currently reading:

Galileo's Daughter - nonfiction, historical
The history of the astronomer/mathematician and his correspondence with his daughter who was in a convent.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Humor. The book is great, one of my favorites. Ditto, the movie.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Thanks for the answers.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Currently, I'm reading Robin Cook's Invasion. I know it's been made into a mini-series that occassionally pops up on sci-fi channel, but I still haven't seen it. So I'll read the book and maybe one of these days I'll be able to see the show.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Hi Everyone!

Anyone read any of China Mievilles books - i.e Perdido Street Station, The Scar, The Iron Council. Highly recommended technological fantasy with a touch of politics.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

OK Here's a question? David Webber, paticularly the Honor Harrington books. Are the first two representative of the entire series?

Because I like the writing style, but the actual plot grates slightly. I think it just comes down to a main character who is never ever wrong and is doing an audition of universe's most perfect person. I did enjoy the two on the Baen free library but.. I don't know I just got the feeling that the rest of the series would be a bit formulaic. Any comments?

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Take my opinion with a grain of salt as i´m a big fan of Honor Harrington, but i alway tought the best books in the sereis were the first one (On Basilisk Station) and the one entitled "The Flag in Exile" (I can´t remember if it is the fourth or fifth of the series), another very good one is the "Echoes of Honor", and while the first 3 novels are a little "formulaic" in nature, from the fourth onwards you have very different plots from a novel to the next.... but don´t expect for Honor Harrington attitude to change, as in all the books she is like the perfect hero...

I myself love the Honor Harrington books, i read all the 10 books of the series, and started to read the subseries based in the same universe, i heartly recommend the series to anyone ...

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

I got to around book 6 or so. It is a bit formulaic and after a while I want to slap her in the head. She is NEVER wrong. If she has a disagreement about anything (military strategy, politics, etc.) with anyone, not matter how long they have been in the military or political field, she is always, always right. Her nobility and self sacrifice help to like her, but her constant.... "rightness", even if she IS right, is grating. No one is that right. But I did enjoy the first 6 books, but I didn't finish the last one I got and won't read another.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

To participate in the original thread:

I just finished "Speaker for the Dead" - Orson Scott Card's sequel to my favorite SciFi book ever, "Ender's Game". I was told that "Speaker for the Dead" was better than "Ender's Game". Um, not imho. "Jane" was cool. The porquinhos were interesting, but it really didn't have the same draw to me.

I'm still trying to finish "Histories" by Herodotus. The story is really dragging through the Greek / Babylonian war. I'm 2/3 of the way through, I'll probably finish by the summer. The introduction even warns you that the first half of his book is the better part, but the 2nd siege of Babylon was worth reading...

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

I have to say that Card's "Speaker for the Dead" is a must read for anybody who is interested in SE... Good background, good fodder for military strategy.

I'm currently re-reading Niven's "Mote in God's Eye," and am very surprised on how it works for a SE setting (ie: ships use warp points at the edges of the system). That and the author spins a really-good yarn about a first contact scenario. I'd highly recommend this book to anybody who has found SE(series) to be an enjoyable game, this will be an enjoyable read.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Mote was good. Its sequel was good too. "Well look at that, the horse DID learn to sing..."

But "Speaker" as military strategy? There wasn't any military period. Did we read the same book? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Honor is hardly "always right".

Right most of the time, sure.

But she is not "always right". SPOILERS:

Point in case: second book she tries to kill prisoners. Fourth book: She looses her temper (in a long-time bad mood rather than murderous rampage way) to kill someone else.



On another topic, I wish this forum had spoiler tags...

And I strongly recomend anything by David Weber, and most of Orson Scott Card (I haven't read his "religious" works like Sarah, but his Ender's Game and Shadow quadriligies are good, as is his homecoming / seventh son series).

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

I'm not kidding. Speaker for the dead (or was it Enders game? can't recall exactly) is on a list of books recommended for professional military reading within the USMC due to its strategic warfare conceptual discussion. (at least it was about 3 years ago last time I saw the list)

Edit: Out of curiosity I looked it up: Enders Game and Starship troopers are both still on the list. The former for training concepts, the latter for its tactical concepts. They are considered easy / light reading on the subjects.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

The novel actually came quite a few years (18 or so, I think) before it was finally made into a movie, and was not merely written as a screenplay.

In the DVD extras, there is an interview with William Goldman where he tells the story about his efforts to get the book made into a movie. Fortunately, the movie ended up following the book fairly closely, to its (and our) benefit. The book is definitely worth reading in its own right.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Finished "Ilium" by D.Simmons. Not so epoch-making as his "Hyperion Songs", but still a good reading. But I'm affraid that dirty Greeks will win in a war for mankind in "Olympos". It would be a very predictible ending.

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Ok, Ender's Game makes sense at tactical strategy.

PS: you might do others a favor and edit out the ending to Enders Game in your last post...... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/image...es/biggrin.gif

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

Done and Done!

Re: OT: Time for another thread on books? (Retori
 

The Ender's Shadow books are quite good, following Bean, Petra et al.

I would recommend these as they seem to follow in the vein of Ender's Game more than the actual sequels (Speaker, Xenocide) do..