OT...great books

[Narrew]

Originally posted by tesco samoa:
has anyone read robin hobb ?

Or

Vernor Vinge


I hear a fire upon the deep and A deepness in the sky is very good...

Yes, I liked both authors.

Robin Hobbs has 3 trilogies. Read them in order, ie first trilogy then the next. Very well written, I really related to the main characters.

Farseer Trilogy
Live Ship Trilogy
Fool Trilogy

As far as Vernor, just plain great writing...

[gregebowman]

For those who love alternate history, just finished reading Harry Turtledove's Guns of the South. A group goes back in time and introduces AK-47's to the South. Very interesting. Now I'm reading his How Few Remain, about a second battle between the states. It's not a sequel, either, to the first book I mentioned.

[Randallw]

"Guns of the South" is one of my favourite books, and perhaps my favourite Turtledove book. Its sicence fiction with a quirky idea (give assault rifles to the confederacy) but it develops the idea beyond simply having the confederacy massacre the north. It explores the effects on the world, the confederacy aren't a bunch of slave owners persecuting blacks (well they did, but they aren't like the AWB romatically thought they were) and Robert E Lee does a lot of thinking. If you are just starting "How few remain" you may find it a bit hard when you progress to the Trilogy after that, then the Trilogy after that, etc. I like Turtledove but when he extends the plot he really extends the plot. I like GotS because its a good idea in 1 book, unlike "World of Darkness" which takes a slightly intriguing idea (WW2 as Fantasy) and takes it through all 6 years (and 6 books). I quit in boredom after the 3rd book (I think).

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Eric Flint's 1632 series. Also, 1633, 1634: The Galileo Affair, an anthology: Ring Of Fire, The Grantville Gazette, currently two of those, going up to four at Last projected count. And, it keeps getting better, partly because David Weber got in there in 1633. http://www.baen.com/library/0671319728/0671319728.htm

Eric Flint also does the Belisarius series, also time-travel, loosely scripted by David Drake. Definitally R-rated, but possibly worth reading. (not very often). http://www.baen.com/library/0671878654/0671878654.htm

David Weber's Path Of The Fury. Contains no backwards time travel, but it does have power armor, space battles, a fury, a cyborg-soldier, a secret agent, two kinds of aliens, a dastardly plot, and an intelligent ai. No preview or free Version.

Hey, how many people have picked up a new book because of a recommendation here?

[ August 05, 2004, 01:14: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]

[Randallw]

Its not a novel but today I picked up Bruce Campbell's (Ash from Evil dead) book. Like many people I used to romance about becoming a famous actor and getting the glamourous lifestyle. Read this book and you will be cured of any illusions you may have about movie making. Certainly getting famous and rich is great, but the actual movie stuff is far from glamourous.

[gregebowman]

Originally posted by Randallw:
Its not a novel but today I picked up Bruce Campbell's (Ash from Evil dead) book. Like many people I used to romance about becoming a famous actor and getting the glamourous lifestyle. Read this book and you will be cured of any illusions you may have about movie making. Certainly getting famous and rich is great, but the actual movie stuff is far from glamourous.

Especially for those actors who do their own stunts. I can't recall how many times I've heard over the past few years about such and such an actor/actress who sprained ankles, or twisted stuff or worse from doing their own stunts. Heck, Toby Maguire almost didn't do Spiderman 2 due a back injury from doing Seabiscuit. But I think that 17 million dollar paycheck helped cure him (hehe, I wish I could get that kind of cure for my ailments).

Narf, I do have 1634, but haven't had teh chance to read it yet. too many books, not enough time.

Randallw, I'm trying to read Turtledove's alternative war series, but I'm having trouble finding a couple of the books. When I can find them, I'll read the rest of the series.

[Randallw]

Originally posted by gregebowman:
Heck, Toby Maguire almost didn't do Spiderman 2 due a back injury from doing Seabiscuit. But I think that 17 million dollar paycheck helped cure him (hehe, I wish I could get that kind of cure for my ailments).

After one of the times Peter Parker falls off a building he limps off crying

"my back, my back"
They put that bit in as a joke.

[gregebowman]

Randallw said:
"Guns of the South" is one of my favourite books, and perhaps my favourite Turtledove book. Its sicence fiction with a quirky idea (give assault rifles to the confederacy) but it develops the idea beyond simply having the confederacy massacre the north. It explores the effects on the world, the confederacy aren't a bunch of slave owners persecuting blacks (well they did, but they aren't like the AWB romatically thought they were) and Robert E Lee does a lot of thinking. If you are just starting "How few remain" you may find it a bit hard when you progress to the Trilogy after that, then the Trilogy after that, etc. I like Turtledove but when he extends the plot he really extends the plot. I like GotS because its a good idea in 1 book, unlike "World of Darkness" which takes a slightly intriguing idea (WW2 as Fantasy) and takes it through all 6 years (and 6 books). I quit in boredom after the 3rd book (I think).

Finished reading How Few Remain, and was able to pick up a couple more of the books in that series. The only one I can't find right now is Victorious Opposition. I can get it from the Sci-Fi book club, but I don't want to pay that much for it. The next time I'm over at Waldenbooks, I'll check them out. Also, how many books are in the World War series? I picked up 4 of them, but they're sealed in pLastic wrap and I haven't opened them up yet. That sounds like it might be a good read too.

Speaking of good reads, I'm currently reading Deception Point by Dan Brown, the same author who wrote the DaVinci Code. So far, it's a pretty good book. Can't wait to see how everything turns out.

[Phoenix-D]

There are four in the Worldwar series, and three (currently?) in the sequel series Second Contact.

[Randallw]

There will be a final single novel to finish the whole series.