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Author or series you enjoy reading?
Thrakk
Member Posts: 1,226
For me it's just Jack Kerouac books. Very descriptive books with cool personalitys that are uniquely portrayed. It's basically all non-fiction with fiction elements in writing style and I dig the scenarios he would get himself into. Hanging out with car theifs, smoking tea, and crazy partys with mad beat people. The dialog is kinda surreal, and the actions that many real life figures in his book take are interesting to say the least.
Comments
I'm a huge fan of C.S. Forester's Hornblower series.
I also like the Harry Potter books.
I don't care much for Tom Wolfe's politics, but I enjoy his prose.
Early Tom Clancy before he got locked into forumula was a good guilty pleasure beach read. Especially Hunt for Red October. I had a first edition of it but loaned it to a Marine Major when I was on TDY in Honduras and never got it back. Drat. At least it was in good hands!
CH, Jedi, Commando, Smuggler, BH, Scout, Doctor, Chef, BE...yeah, lots of SWG time invested.
Once a denizen of Ahazi
Issac Asimov, The Foundation Series.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_series
I'm a scifi nut, and with down time at my job books are required.
I like Harry Turtledove's alternate history stuff. His Worldwar and Colonization series are great. A lizard species invades Earth during WWII. Well worth it.
Niven's Known Space, mainly the Ringworld books, but reading his short stories first helps Ringworld make more sense. His co-op work with Pournelle in Footfall is great, and the Mote in Gods Eye and the Gripping Hand is top notch.
I read a lot of the Warhammer 40,000 novels. Dan Abnett is the best writer they have. The Eisenhorn Trilogy and the Ravenor books are some of thebest examples of why the 40K mythos is so popular.
Allen Dean Foster writes alot, but I liked the Damned trilogy. It was hard for me to find the books, and you must read them in order. Basicly, humans get involved in a 2 sided interstellar war, and we are killing machines. Even a grandmother can tear an alien apart with her bare hands.
The Dune books by Herbert are my favorite. I started with the originals, but the new stuff by his son and Anderson arn't bad, though the writing style is different. I'd suggest starting with the originals, then the books that conclude the series, Sandworms of Dune is the final, then go back and read the prequels.
All the above writers have alot more stories, but those I listed I feel are the best.
Richard Laymon is the shit. He was a mid-list horror novelist that all the other horror writers respected before he died in 2001. Dropped dead in his mid 50's of a massive heart attack. Damn shame because he makes King and Koontz look like the soft-core, two-bit hacks they are.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Laymon
Over 60 short stories and 30 novels. I've read all the novels.
I like Scott Orson Card and his books... other than that, I don''t really have a preference for an author, although I did read a lot of Stephen King when I was young.
Ayn Rand, Harlan Ellison, Robert Anton Wilson, Robert Heinlein, Nichael Moorcock, H.P. Lovecraft, Alexandre Dumas, Tolstoy, Doestoyevsky, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Jules Verne, Orwell, Richard Adams, Ken Macleod, Kurt Vonnegut, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, George R.R. Martin, Christoper Moore -- that's a good start.
fishermage.blogspot.com
I will have to check him out. I am a horror fan. Another you may want to check out.
http://www.brianlumley.com/books/necroscope/
I really like John Sandford's "Prey" series.
http://www.johnsandford.org/books.html
Horray!
A topic that has nothing to do with the American Election.
On topic i do like the series of books done by Raymond E Feist. Dont know why but i tend to find Fantasy novels to be easier to read and relax with and his series has a pretty good story running through it.
Another great example of Moore's Law. Give people access to that much space (developers and users alike) and they'll find uses for it that you can never imagine. "640K ought to be enough for anybody" - Bill Gates 1981
Bob Ong... mostly filipino authors..
the good thing with Filipino literature is that it is more about what's around you... and it also makes sense to a way that, you might think twice on whether you wanna go out in your home or such.
Iain M Banks - Culture series
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The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species.
China Mieville's - Perdido Street Station, The Scar, and Iron Council Somthing line the city serries.
Interesting serries based in a steampunk-magic-like world. There aren't many cliches used in the book making them a very interesting read and one where it falls under fantasy and science fiction at the same time.
I find it amazing that by 2020 first world countries will be competing to get immigrants.
Great thread. Just the other day I was looking for a good series or a few good books to get off Amazon. Unfortunately I couldn't find any good suggestions and got the next two books in the Dark Elf/Drow series. I like the series, but it can be a little simple.
I've read almost all of Orson Scott Card but I have to admit he isn't the greatest writer. A lot of his stuff is pretty forgettable, and when I go back and think about the stuff I remember it all seems kind of... convoluted. I think his best series was the 5 book "Memory of Earth" series. I liked the Ender's Game series and the Bean series, but "Memory of Earth" is still the better one in my opinion.
One writer not mentioned here that I have read quite a lot of is Matthew Reilly. His stuff isn't too complex but he knows how to write great action. His books are always just fun to read. His first, "Contest", involves a a Galactic Mortal Combat tournament held in the New York Library.
The first three books of the the Dune series by Frank Herbert. The rest sort of lost me since it became more and more disconnected from the main story and characters of the first three. Tolkien's The Lord of the Ring's and The Hobbit and Azimov's Foundation trilogy.
Dune series,stare wars series,Hobit but lately i have be ingulfed in the David flynn.
His latest book ::The temple at the center of time.
Trade in material assumptions for spiritual facts and make permanent progress.
CJ Cherryh and Edgar Rice Burroughs are probably two of my faves and James A Michner and Louis La'Mour.
Wow...well this is a great thread.
Already heard mention of Richard Laymon, I agree, a great writer. I've only read Bite and Traveling Vampire Show by him, I of course plan to pick up more in the future.
Brian Keene is another great horror writer, a whole new spin on zombies with his The Rising/City of the Dead books. Also, his horror novels seem to all interconnect.
Kim Harrison's The Hollows series is a great modern day era of a fantasy. Witches, vampires, Wares, Pixies, Humans all living in the world together in modern day Cincinnati.
Anything by Jack Ketchum. Another really great horror writer. If you want to read some sick shit, Off Season is...well you just won't be sleeping for a while.
Edward Lee, horror writer. His Infernal series is pretty cool, takes place in hell, which is actually a city larger than all the cities on earth put together.
Now for some non-horror
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers is one of my favorites, a Vietnam war novel
Douglas Adams. If you don't know what he's written...die.
Orson Scott Card. Only couple of his I've actually read were Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow. Both fantastic books. I just heard that the series gets worse from then on.
I've read and for the most part enjoyed every damn Star Wars book, post RotJ. Darth Bane series is pretty good too.
Willam C Dietz. His Legion of the Damned series is fun. Death Day and Earth Rise duology is also good.
Arthur C Clarks Rama series.
Timmothy Zahns Icarus Hunt, Star Wars books, Conquerors series.
Big Michael Crichton fan, though I didn't care for Airframe and Next
Barb and J.C. Hindee's Noble Dead series is a great read.
Kevin J. Anderson's Hidden Empire series.
Gail Z Martin's Summoner duology is great.....not just saying that because she was actually one my teachers in colloege;)
I think this list of mine is long enough, I'd go on for way too long if I continue.
I've only started reading books by choice about 5 years ago and even then they're few and far between. I like the stuff R.A. Salvatore does because it's not overly descriptive and it just works for me. I've also picked up a few Robert E. Howard books because I'm a big Conan fan and I have a ton of comic books. I picked up the "Best of Robert E. Howard Vol. 1 & 2" and really liked what I read. Really shows how he viewed the world in the 30's. I find it quite interesting.
I'm thinking about picking up some other authors just to see what they're about but I want to find a single book that is not part of some trilogy but is a stand alone work. That way if I like what I read I can get other books that might be part of a bigger series but if I don't I can finish the book and leave it at that.
No required quests! And if I decide I want to be an assassin-cartographer-dancer-pastry chef who lives only to stalk and kill interior decorators, then that's who I want to be, even if it takes me four years to max all the skills and everyone else thinks I'm freaking nuts. -Madimorga-
Clive Cussler. If you read his old books, once you start you won't stop.
I will have to check him out. I am a horror fan. Another you may want to check out.
http://www.brianlumley.com/books/necroscope/
I really like John Sandford's "Prey" series.
http://www.johnsandford.org/books.html
They both seem alright. Thanks. Just started reading some Edward Lee lately after getting through Laymon's novels. My Laymon fix got so bad I would pay 30 dollars on eBay for a used paperback printed in England back in 1982- befcause some of his stuff is that hard to find.
Come to find out, his daughter is going to be reprinting his work to make them available at affordable prices. She also has a his manuscripts and she's splicing in things that were edited out to tailor her father's original intents. I think that's pretty cool.
Anyhow I just remembered something. There's an entire series of Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday The 13th books published by, I believe, Black Flame. It's a mixed bag of authors. Nancy Kilpatrick was definitely the worst of the bunch, she did a couple Jason X books. The Nightmare series is the better one because books don't need to rely on special FX to create Kruger's dream worlds. Some of the Nightmare books are REALLY good.
So if you're into that stuff- it's all good, but don't say I didn't warn you about Nancy Kilpatrick.
I love the Harry Potter series! That was the first novel I've ever read and really enjoyed. I'm not reading anything particular at the moment, though...
Terry Pratchett, Terry Goodkind and Ayn Rand.
Just authors: J.R.R. Tolkien, Patrica McKillip, Roger Zelazny, Steven Brust, George R.R. Martin, Glen Cook, C.J. Cherryh, Jack Vance, Jenny Wurts, C.S. Lewis, Stephen Donaldson, Gene Wolfe.
I have read much, and in some cases all, of the works of the above authors. I've read books from many other authors, of course, but the one's I've listed above are among the most consistantly excellent authors that I know.
Author: Edward Paul Abbey -
Desert Solitaire is regarded as one of the finest nature narratives in American literature, and has been compared to Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac and Thoreau's Walden.
Grown men do not need leaders.
Edward Abbey
Series: Doc Savage
is a fictional character, one of the pulp heroes of the 1930s and 1940s. He was created by writer Lester Dent.
Doc Savage's Code
Let us strive every moment of our lives to make ourselves better and better to the best of our abilities so that all may profit by it. Let us think of the right and lend our assistance to all who may need it, with no regard for anything but justice. Let us take what comes with a smile, without loss of courage. Let us be considerate of our country, our fellow citizens, and our associates in everything we say and do. Let us do right to all - and wrong no man.
While I don't care for most fantasy books, has anyone read Jack Chalkar? I have read most of his books and enjoyed them. Only problem is he seems to follow the same formula in his books. If you have read him you know what I mean.
My Absolute favorite books.
Ken Follett "Pillars of the Earth" Try it out.....I think you will like. Medieval historical fiction. And, kind of a sequel to Pillars is "World Without End"
Robert MacCammon "Swan Song" Apocalyptic horror.
Dan Simmons "Carrion Comfort" Mind controlers...(vampires?)
1st three "Necroscope" books by Brian Lumley....which I already mentioned.
Stephen King......about 1/3 to 1/2 of his books are great. The Stand, It, Salams Lot...
Vince Flynn (all of his books)...The modern day Clancy since Clancy has faded into crap.
Overrated...Cormac Macarthy. WOW! was "The Road" the most boring book I ever read, If you can read that kind of crap! Push shopping cart down road, find something, repeat. Oops I spoiled it for everyone.
PS...Harry Potter are great books too. Can't believe they are labeled childrens books.
It's funny you should mention the Road. I decided to read through it again while waiting for my Drow Series books to arrive from Amazon and I think I have found a whole new appreciation for it. I admit that I was also a little disappointed with the book the first time I read it through. His writing style is almost like he wrote it as a diary first, then turned the diary into a novel by removing the entry dates and "Dear Diary" stuff. However, when a writer can turn something as dull as coming across some old cans of food a major "page turner" he is displaying some genius. I found myself unable to put it down at 1am when I had to be up for work in just a few hours. I appreciate a book that can be so damn real and yet so damn entertaining. I wouldn't want all my books to read like "The Road", but I found it a very unique experience the first time and now I am appreciating what makes it unique the second time around.