Great fiction books

[Blackmarch]

On 7/21/2016 at 6:27 PM, Sunday21 said:

Do you have a good fiction book or books to recommend? I just read Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines series. The first book is entitled Pines. It is science fiction/thriller. Nontechnical. A few bad words. No sex. Minimum violence. Very griping. 

Jodi Taylor wrote a very funny time travel series called the St. Mary's Chronicles. A few too many bad words. A bit of sex, but spaced out so you can see it coming and skip it.

Pg Wodehouse. Very funny, series about a man and his butler. No sex. No violence. Great descriptions.

any suggestions?

 

 

A romance of the dimensions, also titled Flatlander. A story of a polygon that lived in a two dimensional plane who encounters a sphere and whose eyes are opened to the existance of three dimensions, and then proceeds to try to share his experience with friends and contacts but recieves persecution and ridicule in return.

[Jamie123]

24 minutes ago, Blackmarch said:

A romance of the dimensions, also titled Flatlander. A story of a polygon that lived in a two dimensional plane who encounters a sphere and whose eyes are opened to the existance of three dimensions, and then proceeds to try to share his experience with friends and contacts but recieves persecution and ridicule in return.

The book is called "Flatland" and it is by Edwin Abbott. And yes it is a great book! 

[Jamie123]

Another very thought-provoking book is "The Man Who Was Thursday" by G.K. Chesterton. It starts as a spy thriller, but it soon goes....well, into very strange territory indeed. I shan't say any more, otherwise it will spoil it for you.

[Hemisphere]

I can recommend flatout classics. they are usually devoid of swearing and most often, they still contain a wonderful command of the english language. 

In that case : Starship Troopers, Stranger in a strange land by Robert A. Heinlein are exceptional. The Dune series carries a lot of interesting content in terms of agency and the pursuit of immortality. And the Tales of the Otori ( beginning with Across the Nightingale floor ) by Leanne Hearne make fine reading. Also BOLO! from David Weber is something I enjoyed deeply. 

With my recommendations. Enjoy!

[Backroads]

5 minutes ago, Hemisphere said:

I can recommend flatout classics. they are usually devoid of swearing and most often, they still contain a wonderful command of the english language. 

In that case : Starship Troopers, Stranger in a strange land by Robert A. Heinlein are exceptional. The Dune series carries a lot of interesting content in terms of agency and the pursuit of immortality. And the Tales of the Otori ( beginning with Across the Nightingale floor ) by Leanne Hearne make fine reading. Also BOLO! from David Weber is something I enjoyed deeply. 

With my recommendations. Enjoy!

I'm on a bit of a Heinlein kick right now. If you like old-school sci-fi done right, he's the man.

[Hemisphere]

Nothing about Heinlein. Frank Herbert however beats Tolkien in terms of divine epic with a 4 x 4 with nine inch nails and scatters his bones into a glue factory when it comes to well written long term stories. 

Though one must say, recent "sci fi" has been wanting. Orson Scott Card made a wonderful piece with Enders game, but what followed was ... like an appendix. ready to be removed

Edited August 2, 2016 by Hemisphere

[tesuji]

10 minutes ago, Hemisphere said:

Nothing about Heinlein. Frank Herbert however beats Tolkien in terms of divine epic with a 4 x 4 with nine inch nails and scatters it´s bones into a glue factory when it comes to well written long term stories. 

Though one must say, recent "sci fi" has been wanting. Orson Scott Card made a wonderful piece with Enders game, but what followed was ... like an appendix. ready to be removed

I think I disagree with everything you've said

I think Heinlein is great, although can feel a bit dated.

OK, Herbert's Dune and Tolkien are both first-rate. But they're different genres, so why argue - just read them both.

Tons of great recent sci fi in recent years, although maybe not as much to my taste as when Heinlein was writing. But check out the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebula_Award_for_Best_Novel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Award_for_Best_Novel

One that stands out is Spin by Robert Charles Wilson. Wow.

If you (like me) love space sci fi, check out:

Leviathan Wakes, James S. A. Corey
Ancillary Justice, Ann Leckie

Lots of others too.

 

[Hemisphere]

I can appreciate your disagreement as I think it still a matter of taste. I have read both and I find Tolkien simply wanting.

See, Heinlein is in my Eyes someone who excels pointing out human virtue and fallacy. Especially in Starship Troopers ( which is in essence actually a very good political essay ) and the Moon is a Harsh mistress. I don´t think these topics are dated and if they are, they shouldn´t . As for Herbert vs Tolkien. First of there is foolish people but not stupid people in Dune. I like that. The faith of a million world does not hang in the threads by the mercy of insecure glutton that just has the good fortune to have his almost superhuman gardener with him. In Dune, there is clear motifs and people who actually can´t afford to whine. And Herbert did not waste 20 years making up a fictional language. I want to add that I find his ideas of orcish siegework is quite wanting.Or the strategies of Saruman. Granted that the man was a scholar and not a military commander but one has to give him Kudo´s for trying.

And to crown my personal opinion, one did not have to read through 40 pages of meaningless hobbit chronology before the story begins, with Herbert that is. =P  

 

I do have the Ancillary Justice on my Ipad. I just recently finished Bolo! by david weber and the trouble with humans also by him. excellent read. I can also recommend the 1632 series by eric flint =) if one is into alternative histories. 

 

however I will look forward to your recommendation of the ancillary justice. 

Edited August 2, 2016 by Hemisphere

[tesuji]

16 minutes ago, Hemisphere said:

I can appreciate your disagreement as I think it still a matter of taste. I have read both and I find Tolkien simply wanting.

See, Heinlein is in my Eyes someone who excels pointing out human virtue and fallacy. Especially in Starship Troopers ( which is in essence actually a very good political essay ) and the Moon is a Harsh mistress. I don´t think these topics are dated and if they are, they shouldn´t . As for Herbert vs Tolkien. First of there is foolish people but not stupid people in Dune. I like that. The faith of a million world does not hang in the threads by the mercy of insecure glutton that just has the good fortune to have his almost superhuman gardener with him. In Dune, there is clear motifs and people who actually can´t afford to whine. And Herbert did not waste 20 years making up a fictional language. I want to add that I find his ideas of orcish siegework is quite wanting.Or the strategies of Saruman. Granted that the man was a scholar and not a military commander but one has to give him Kudo´s for trying.

And to crown my personal opinion, one did not have to read through 40 pages of meaningless hobbit chronology before the story begins, with Herbert that is. =P  

I do have the Ancillary Justice on my Ipad. I just recently finished Bolo! by david weber and the trouble with humans also by him. excellent read. I can also recommend the 1632 series by eric flint =) if one is into alternative histories. 

however I will look forward to your recommendation of the ancillary justice. 

Also read the original Bolo short stories by Keith Laumer, if you haven't.

https://www.amazon.com/Bolo-Keith-Laumer/dp/0441069975/

I hope you like AJ. And check out the Corey books too, if you haven't.

[Hemisphere]

I am actually on it, but between exams and a move this is a dangerous disctraction for me =)

[lonetree]

On 7/21/2016 at 3:34 PM, MormonGator said:

 LOL! That's awesome.

Yes, I always thought that Young's quote "To mind your own business incorporates the whole duty of man.” would be a great quote to print on a large mug to brandish in the staffroom.

Edited August 3, 2016 by lonetree

[lonetree]

Here's one.

I lost my paperback copy from the '80s, and when my hardback's binding broke apart(dropped it), I ordered another pb identical to the one I bought in 85(below)

Edited August 7, 2016 by lonetree

[UtahTexan]

"To Kill a Mockingbird" inspired me to become an attorney.

 

[Guest MormonGator]

23 hours ago, lonetree said:

Here's one.

I lost my paperback copy from the '80s, and when my hardback's binding broke apart(dropped it), I ordered another pb identical to the one I bought in 85(below)

That's one of those books that  I've only heard good things about. 

[Guest MormonGator]

8 minutes ago, UtahTexan said:

"To Kill a Mockingbird" inspired me to become an attorney.

 

What do you think of the sequel? 

[Guest]

14 minutes ago, UtahTexan said:

"To Kill a Mockingbird" inspired me to become an attorney.

 

My late dad's favorite.

[lonetree]

4 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

That's one of those books that  I've only heard good things about. 

It certainly bears rereading from time to time. There are chunks of Latin in it that are fun to look up as well. If the reader gets impatient, there's also 'The Key To The Name Of The Rose', Haft, White and White. U. Of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, 1999.

[UtahTexan]

14 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

What do you think of the sequel? 

it was actually written first...though published last......was not a fan of it...it was ok.

[LeSellers]

Two of the best books I've ever read are children's tales, one in French and the other in Italian.

Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince — it's more'n passable in English, but wonderful in French) really deserves to be on  everyone's gotta read this list.

The same is true of the original Italian Pinocchio. Like all of Disney's "adaptations", the studio really weakened the story, and modified it so much that it's barely worth the celluloid of the master, much less all the copies. (Pinocchio kills Jiminey Cricket within minutes of meeting him. And that is an important plot line.)

In any case, even in translation, you should read these stories, at least to your children.

Lehi

Edited August 8, 2016 by LeSellers

[Backroads]

1 hour ago, LeSellers said:

Two of the best books I've ever read are children's tales, one in French and the other in Italian.

Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince — it's more'n passable in English, but wonderful in French) really deserves to be on  everyone's gotta read this list.

The same is true of the original Italian Pinocchio. Like all of Disney's "adaptations", the studio really weakened the story, and modified it so much that it's barely worth the celluloid of the master, much less all the copies. (Pinocchio kills Jiminey Cricket within minutes of meeting him. And that is an important plot line.)

In any case, even in translation, you should read these stories, at least to your children.

Lehi

The original Pinnochio ended midway--publisher demanded the story be continued.

I watched the movie of The Little Prince the other night. I enjoyed it and thought the first half a lovely tribute to the book, though the second act, while enjoyable and entertaining, seemed to be in its own little world where connection to the rest of the story was a minor detail to be ignored.

[Blackmarch]

On 8/2/2016 at 5:00 PM, Backroads said:

I'm on a bit of a Heinlein kick right now. If you like old-school sci-fi done right, he's the man.

earlier heinlein, anyways.

[Blackmarch]

I would also recommend "Expedition" by Douglas Barlowe. It's somewhat similar to the dinotopia bopks in that its an genre art portfolio basically set to the tune of a diary... in this case a zoologist/artist who is on an expedition to the fourth planet in a system named the darwin system.  Fun story, and very very excellent art. (Barlowe was one of the guys recruited to help design Pandoran creatures in the movie Avatar).

[Guest MormonGator]

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby is another great book. I've had more than one person say I am just like the main character and I can totally see the comparisons. 

Edited August 16, 2016 by MormonGator

[mordorbund]

On 7/20/2016 at 10:54 PM, zil said:

If you want spy novels, let me know and I'll make a list, but I only know the good, old ones (cold-war style), where the spy was the main character rather than a ship / plane / whatever.  One exception: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman - fabulous, raged G, you can read just 1 (the one I named is the first) , but there's a whole series, short books, about a little old widow who accidentally becomes a spy.

I had to pick this up since I taught my kids that "Grandma is a spy". My brother heard them repeat the phrase while they were playing with Legos and I don't think he's looked at my kids or his mom the same way since.

The book is the novel equivalent of a "popcorn flick". I enjoyed it but I probably won't read it again.

Thanks for the recommendation.

[zil]

4 minutes ago, mordorbund said:

The book is the novel equivalent of a "popcorn flick". I enjoyed it but I probably won't read it again.

Yes, they're very "light".  They get better, IMO (which only makes sense, practice-makes-perfect and all).  But they're not for everyone.  Every now and then there's a gem of a quote - but not nearly so many as Ursula LeGuin's books.