# slightly different roast on an old chestnut



## j d worthington (Jun 9, 2006)

Okay, I've not seen anything quite like this here -- though close:

We've probably all run across that old chestnut of: "If you were stranded on a desert island, what (pick a number, usually 5 or less) books would you want to have with you?" Given the zealotry ... er, um, _passion_,  for reading of this bunch, I think we'd all go looney-tunes if we had to pick 5 books alone.

So I'm going to make it a little bit easier, or harder, depending on how you look at it: Given that you could have the complete works of, what five _writers_ would you want to have on an EXTENDED stay in such a place? Keep in mind, you _may_ never leave, so pick something that you wouldn't end up wanting to launch at the gulls to up your meat supply.

And, no, I'm not going to start this one off -- I'll enter mine later.....


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## Nesacat (Jun 9, 2006)

It's not easy .... not easy at all given pile of 'books-to-be-read'. Does this include stories only found in anhtologies (then the anthology could be included ) ?

Alright ... this is what pops to mind right now but I'll no doubt kick myself and desperately want to change everything as soon an I hit the 'submit' button

H.P. Lovecraft
J.R.R. Tolkien
Neil Gaiman
Michael Moorcock
Clive Barker


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## littlemissattitude (Jun 9, 2006)

Okay.  The disclaimer is that any list I make is contingent on the mood I'm in when I make the list.  Also, I'm stipulating (because you didn't, j. d.) that the writers can be either fiction or non-fiction writers.

1.  Kage Baker - her output is not that high, but I can read and enjoy her novels and short stories over and over again.  This is proven, because I have already done so.

2.  Tim Powers - I've loved what I've read of his work, and there's a lot that I haven't read yet, so if I had a collection of all his works, I'd have some stuff along that was new to me, which is all to the good.

3.  Faye Kellerman - for my mystery fix.  I've read and reread her books as well and enjoyed them greatly.  Even though I would already know the solutions to the mysteries, these are books I can enjoy for the characterizations and the interplay between the characters.

4.  Stephen Jay Gould - there is so much in his collected essays that they bear re-reading very well.  Also, I haven't read his last book, the big, thick one all about evolution, so that would be something else that I could approach when I was tired of re-reading other books.

5.  Will Durant - while I'm aware that his multi-volume history of civilization is rather out-dated and quite biased in places (he was quite anti-papist, from what I have read of his work), this is still a solid history that would take quite a while to work through.  I love history enough that I would have fun with these books.

One question, though.  Are we restricted to reading, or can we also have paper and writing implements to make up our own stories? *need smilie with halo"


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## j d worthington (Jun 9, 2006)

My original response post just got et, so let's try this again:

I should have specified: Yes, both are allowable; and, since I'm the boss here (wasn't Lovecraft's phrase "lord of a visible world"? ), I'll allow the writing materials too.

Durant, eh? I started that set but only got through the first volume when my life went up the chute, and hasn't settled down quite yet. My uderstanding is that he is biassed, but not entirely so; and yes, while we've learned a lot since he and Ariel (didn't she work with him on the later volumes?) did these, nonetheless you learn a heck of a lot and they're among the most clear and enjoyable way to cover so much ground -- not to mention that just lifting any of the earlier volumes is enough to keep you in trim! 

Nesacat: I've got more to say about your list later; but for now, two things: 1) I like; 2) are you including their nonfiction or just fiction? (If nonfiction, with Moorcock and Lovecraft that's gonna add a whole new bookcase!)


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## Nesacat (Jun 9, 2006)

j.d. ... including both fiction and non-fiction definitely. Like very much reading Lovecraft's correspondence for instance and Joshi's books  re Lovecraft


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## Thadlerian (Jun 9, 2006)

Nesacat said:
			
		

> H.P. Lovecraft


Are you sure that'll be a good idea? You know, those nights down south tend to get very dark...


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## Nesacat (Jun 9, 2006)

Thadlerian said:
			
		

> Are you sure that'll be a good idea? You know, those nights down south tend to get very dark...



That's the whole idea ... sleep days anyway  South??


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## Thadlerian (Jun 9, 2006)

I always assume desert islands to be in the tropical zone.


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## Nesacat (Jun 9, 2006)

But, but, but I'd like mine to be on the Plateau of Leng or on the shores of the Lake of Hali or somewhere in the cold wastes where Ithaqua the Wind Walker wanders.

Nights are blazing hot right now ... the sun is just setting and it's like this huge red fire ball right now and the moon's been coming up all big and bloody recently as well ... curious skies we've been having.


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## Brys (Jun 9, 2006)

That's incredibly difficult - I'll try:
Mervyn Peake
Graham Joyce
Steven Erikson
Michael Moorcock
Philip K Dick

- The last two are incredibly prolific, so it means I'd have a lot of quality books to read.


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## littlemissattitude (Jun 9, 2006)

j. d. worthington said:
			
		

> Durant, eh? I started that set but only got through the first volume when my life went up the chute, and hasn't settled down quite yet. My uderstanding is that he is biassed, but not entirely so; and yes, while we've learned a lot since he and Ariel (didn't she work with him on the later volumes?) did these, nonetheless you learn a heck of a lot and they're among the most clear and enjoyable way to cover so much ground -- not to mention that just lifting any of the earlier volumes is enough to keep you in trim!



Certainly, Ariel did work with him on the later volumes, but I decided for technical reasons to list just his name because I didn't want to exclude the volumes only he wrote by listing her name as well.

And thanks for the ruling on writing materials.  As a compulsive writer as well as a compulsive reader, being without those would make the place sheer Hades even with all those books to read.


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## j d worthington (Jun 9, 2006)

Check.

Well, I promised a list myself, so here goes:

Lovecraft
Moorcock
Ellison
Tolkien
Hawthorne

I'd like to include some women in there as well as some other male writers of whom I'm particularly fond, but 5 is the limit, and these are not only personal favorites and generally prolific, but also meaty.


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## CarlottaVonUberwald (Jun 9, 2006)

Terry pratchet
Anne mcaffrey
Orson scott card
Ian rankin
Tom holt

oh god
i wanna take robert rankin to


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## j d worthington (Jun 9, 2006)

CarlottaVonUberwald said:
			
		

> oh god
> i wanna take robert rankin to


 
Only five per island; you want more real estate, maybe we can negotiate....


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## CarlottaVonUberwald (Jun 9, 2006)

i'll smuggle them in.....they'll see the word rankin and assume there the same


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## j d worthington (Jun 9, 2006)

Now, wait a minute, who's setting up these rules, huh????


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## CarlottaVonUberwald (Jun 9, 2006)

*cries* fine .......i'll leave ian rankin at home...but i'lll cry


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## j d worthington (Jun 9, 2006)

CarlottaVonUberwald said:
			
		

> *cries* fine .......i'll leave ian rankin at home...but i'lll cry


Oh, bloody hell; never could stand tears... *hands her a hankie* Fine, bring your Rankin ... but just for that, you've got to share 'em with a roomie!


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## CarlottaVonUberwald (Jun 9, 2006)

*sniff * can i pick who?


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## Snowdog (Jun 9, 2006)

1. Roger Zelazny. He's written quite a few books and I know from experience that I can re-read them a lot of times.

2. Isaac Asimov. prolific and varied output.

3. Michael Moorcock, even more prolific.

4. Fred Pohl, just because he's written two of my all-time top ten SF novels.

5. Agatha Christie, because she wrote a huge number of books, and while I've only read a couple they were quite enjoyable and it would give me something new to read and something to actually think about while I starve to death.

While I love Tolkien, he just hasn't written enough to take, and I know most of his stuff off by heart anyway.


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## j d worthington (Jun 9, 2006)

*heaves heavy sigh, rolls eyes* Yes, I suppose so. Picky, picky, picky...


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## CarlottaVonUberwald (Jun 9, 2006)

hehe

and agatha christie is a good choice but i have many of her stories commited to memory  good taste though


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## j d worthington (Jun 9, 2006)

Snowdog said:
			
		

> While I love Tolkien, he just hasn't written enough to take, and I know most of his stuff off by heart anyway.


 
You _sure_ about that? What with the History of Middle Earth, and all his work on philology, linguistics, etc? There's a hefty bookcase worth, at any rate.

As for the others: again, if we're including non-fiction (you didn't specify, but so far most have), Ike is 'way ahead of Mike (er, um, let me rephrase that...)

And as for Asimov -- if you had _all_ his books, you might need another island -- that man was *prolific!!!!* (including books he edited, somewhere in the neigborhood of 400?)

Just to be certain I know how much to charge for this, you understand. 

Nicely varied selection.


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## chrispenycate (Jun 9, 2006)

I'm working on the problem. If a particular author has done a lot of collaborations, do I get to keep the entire books or end upwith numerous half volumes? And I expect the paper to be waterproof and inedible to termites (or their local equivalent on my island (there was one particularly prolific author I was considering so as to have a lifetime's supply of toilet paper, or possibly build a hut out of; there are practical considerations to living on a desert island too)


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## j d worthington (Jun 9, 2006)

chrispenycate said:
			
		

> I'm working on the problem. If a particular author has done a lot of collaborations, do I get to keep the entire books or end upwith numerous half volumes?


 
You realize that at this rate, we might well end up with the Great Library of Alexandria....



			
				chrispenycate said:
			
		

> (there was one particularly prolific author I was considering so as to have a lifetime's supply of toilet paper, or possibly build a hut out of; there are practical considerations to living on a desert island too)


 
I can't help but wonder which one that is -- I have a little list of those who fit that description, too.....


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## nixie (Jun 9, 2006)

Erikson...

Bakker...

Feist...

now I'm struggling theres is so many authors I read and enjoy its so hard to choice, and so many that I want to read.How can you possibly pick 5.I'll pick two who are on my to buy pile

L E Modesitt Jnr

Fritz Lieber

Hope I've made right choice


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## j d worthington (Jun 9, 2006)

Some interesting choices, indeed. And if you've not read Leiber ... you're in for a treat. As Ellison said, the man has "a blatant love affair with the English language", or something to that effect. Also a fairly prolifit writer, and his books repay many, many readings.


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## Snowdog (Jun 9, 2006)

j. d. worthington said:
			
		

> You _sure_ about that? What with the History of Middle Earth, and all his work on philology, linguistics, etc? There's a hefty bookcase worth, at any rate.
> 
> As for the others: again, if we're including non-fiction (you didn't specify, but so far most have), Ike is 'way ahead of Mike (er, um, let me rephrase that...)
> 
> ...



I bow to your obviously greater knowledge. Actually I have a couple of Asimov's non-fiction books, and they're great reads, but I just didn't think of them  But that's good, I'll have that much more to read 

As for Tolkien's History Of Middle Earth, I confess I didn't count them and am not totally convinced they should be counted, being, as someone unkindly put it, the result of a rummage through Tolkien's waste basket. (finds tin hat and ducks behind sofa). I did own most of them at one time, and even managed to read the first couple. The Book of Lost Tales was good though.


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## j d worthington (Jun 10, 2006)

Snowdog: if you're revisiting this and you don't like my long posts, you may want to skip to the last line; if you're a glutton for punishment, read on...




			
				Snowdog said:
			
		

> As for Tolkien's History Of Middle Earth, I confess I didn't count them and am not totally convinced they should be counted, being, as someone unkindly put it, the result of a rummage through Tolkien's waste basket. (finds tin hat and ducks behind sofa). I did own most of them at one time, and even managed to read the first couple. The Book of Lost Tales was good though.


 
I don't know if I'd don that tin hat yet (now an iron cap with leather padding might work better) -- these books aren't for everyone; however, they certainly weren't "a rummage through Tolkien's waste basket". He himself didn't intend them for publication as they stand, but they weren't ideas he junked or felt were not worthwhile. They were ideas or versions he was building on and never finished, in many cases -- in some cases (the LotR volumes, for instance) these were the original versions that he revised (sometimes quite heavily), but they put a different spin on some things, expand on some things in the novel he simply had neither time nor space for, but which give a better and deeper understanding of his world, etc. Even the multiple versions of some of the tales included in "final" form in The Silmarillion have their own magic to them. The parts that most people would find difficult are those where Tolkien is exploring the languages and their histories in depth, or when he gets into some of the intricate webs of philosophy/theology in the works -- or when he, following his concepts of the Middle Earth books as traditions handed down through time, actually wrote chunks of these in early Anglo-Saxon. That can be heavy going, and one must have patience to put up with it. For myself, I found that I began to appreciate more and more the sheer historical profundity that this gave not only to these books, but to his work as a whole, giving me an entirely new perspective on things I thought I knew like the back of my hand. In the end, I suppose because when I approached these books it was with a certain feeling they were going to be hard slogging and dry as dust, I came away with a large fondness for them and a greater respect than ever for Tolkien. To be blunt, I think anyone who went to these lengths was, in modern terms anyway, mad as a hatter -- but I'd be much poorer, I think, had he not been.

Still, and despite the fact that some of his most beautiful writing is contained in these books, these are not for everyone, and I wouldn't wish them on anyone who was there simply for the story. But if you enjoy intricacies of thought as well as text, these books definitely have them, and if you are into that sort of thing, I'd say approach them with an open mind and you'll find quite a lot to like. If not -- no, these aren't the things to have on that island.

As for Asimov -- I know that he put out *Opus 100*, *200* and *300*, but I don't know if they ever put out *400*, as he died before quite reaching that point -- with a whole lot of manuscripts lined up waiting to be published (including the final volume of his autiobiography *I, Asimov*, which is a rather touching book itself); so they may have put one out posthumously. At the end of each of these volumes (which went through multiple printings, so a pb copy may not be difficult to come by) there's a list of each book in that hundred, with publisher and date, if you'd like to just see the scope of his writing (with the exception of Lovecraftian horror -- and he may have touched on that somewhere, though given his views on HPL I doubt it -- I don't think there's much of anything that man didn't write!) And some of these books are tremendously long (his guides to Shakespeare and the Bible, for instance) -- almost the length of this response.  So if you take his nonfiction, non-sf fiction, etc. along (and, I suppose, if you're taking all of Asimov's books, that would include the anthologies, one of which -- *Before the Golden Age* -- is close to 1000 pages -- 970-something, I think -- of rather small print) it's enough to keep you busy for longer than Crusoe was on his little paradise.

Which is 'way more information than you wanted, I'm wagering. I natter. It's a personal flaw, I know, but I've learned to live with it. *sigh* Anyway -- if you choose all this from Ike, you'd be taken care of for a very long time.

Anyway, I like the diversity of your choices. I'm always curious about such things, it seems.


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## Culhwch (Jun 10, 2006)

So do we get parachute drops of our chosen author's new works?

I'd go for:

George RR Martin
Neil Gaiman
Bernard Cornwell
Terry Pratchett
Bill Bryson

I was tempted to put Harper Lee in there, but as her entire works span a modest couple hundred pages (though _what_ a couple hundred pages...), I switched for Pratchett. I was also tempted to take Raymond E. Feist's works with me, as well, for kindling...


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## j d worthington (Jun 10, 2006)

Seem to be very divergent opinions on Feist around here.....


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## Nesacat (Jun 10, 2006)

now if we were all stranded on the same desert island we could merge selections, especially seeing as quite a few crop up regularly .... that would mean lots and lots more books


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## Snowdog (Jun 10, 2006)

j.d., I did read your entire post, and with interest!

It's certainly the case that Tolkien created more background material for his world than perhaps any other author, that I know of at any rate. But I imagine that many authors do this to some extent, though this material usually doesn't get published.

That's not to say it shouldn't be. For the Tolkien scholer, as well as ardent fans, I'm sure it was very welcome, but it remains true that the material wasn't meant for publication in the form it was, was either rough drafts of unfinished work or discarded first (second, third, etc) drafts of published works; or else pure background material that J.R.R didn't intend to see the light of day.

As such, I wonder whether those books aren't more properly attributable to Christopher Tolkien, rather than the master himself.

Just my opinion, and not strongly held at that, certainly not strongly enough to argue it beyond this point


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## Frozeninja (Jun 10, 2006)

Only five? ...Hmm...

Steven Erikson
George R.R. Martin

Right there go the easy choices. *ponders rest*

J.R.R Tolkien
Gene Wolfe
Janny Wurts

There we go .... Finally got a list of five.


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## j d worthington (Jun 10, 2006)

Snowdog said:
			
		

> Just my opinion, and not strongly held at that, certainly not strongly enough to argue it beyond this point


 
No? Damn....

And Frozeninja: See, this is why I picked five _writers_. Just think what a pain it'd be to narrow it down to five _books_!


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## Frozeninja (Jun 10, 2006)

Trying to pick my five favourite books out of my collection may just kill me


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## j d worthington (Jun 10, 2006)

Frozeninja said:
			
		

> Trying to pick my five favourite books out of my collection may just kill me


"May"? My contention is it just "can't be did!"


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## murphy (Jun 10, 2006)

Okay, this is hard, by my choices would be:

C. J. Cherryh
Janny Wurts
David Weber
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (They are team that always writes together)
C. S. Friedman


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## Tau Zero (Jun 10, 2006)

Man, that wasn't easy.  I even surprised myself by what i finally decided upon.

Jack Chalker
Michael Moorcock
Philip Jose Farmer
Doris Piserchia
Roger Zelazny

I don't have evrything by these authors, but my personal collection adds up to 180 books.  Not a bad start.


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## Snowdog (Jun 10, 2006)

j. d. worthington said:
			
		

> No? Damn....
> 
> And Frozeninja: See, this is why I picked five _writers_. Just think what a pain it'd be to narrow it down to five _books_!



I reckon I could do a top ten - that is, ten SF and ten fantasy, because, while I've read a lot of great books, there are just a few that stand out a bit more for some reason, that are a bit more loved or that stick in the memory that bit longer.

But I'm sure that's one subject that has been done before...


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## Lirineth (Jun 11, 2006)

Although the offer, at first sight, seems generous (5 authors) lets be fair, couldn’t you at least have said 10? Anyway, just make sure you pack ‘everything’ they wrote, OK?

So, be as it may, lets get on with it

Ray Bradbury 
Shakespeare
Anne Rice
J K Rowland
Storm Constantine

And last but not least, 5 days latter since you post this question, we still are clueless as to what are you taking. 

Sorry, just one more thing, please make sure the editions are the ones with a not too small font size, many thanks.


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## j d worthington (Jun 11, 2006)

Lirineth said:
			
		

> And last but not least, 5 days latter since you post this question, we still are clueless as to what are you taking.




Actually, mine are in post #12 in the thread -- but I didn't do my usual long ramble, so that may be why it hadn't been noticed.





> Sorry, just one more thing, please make sure the editions are the ones with a not too small font size, many thanks.


 
I hear you. Over the last year or so I've picked up quite a few books from 1800 on; and my question is, considering that for most of that time they were using candle, coal-oil lamps, gas standards, etc.: How in the heck did they read most of these??? I kid you not, a fair number are in 8 or even 6 point type!!! I've got a Bible in 6 point type! No wonder so many Victorian heroines were always fainting -- not only were they wearing those blasted corsets tight enough to rearrange their internal organs while having to deal with the heat from the gas standards in the middle of summer in order to see at night -- think of the eyestrain!!!


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## sonofstan (Jun 12, 2006)

A tough question, but it would have to be:

Terry Pratchett
Raymond.e.feist
Brian Lumley
Anne Rice
Simon R Green


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## j d worthington (Jun 12, 2006)

Ah, a Lumley fan, eh? Preferences on that? His fans seem to be largely in two camps: his straight horror and Lovecraftian stories, and his Necroscope and more violent work. I'm curious if you're in one camp or the other, or straddle both....


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## sonofstan (Jun 12, 2006)

I have only read one Lumely book apart from the necroscope series but i cant remember its's name. It was a book of short stories. I'm sure the title had the word deep in it but it was years ago that i read it. I really enjoyed all the necroscope books but before i choose a camp i will need to read all his other work.


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## j d worthington (Jun 12, 2006)

That should keep you busy for a while. By the way, there's a 3-volume set of some of his short fiction (much of it long o.p.) coming out soon from, I think, Midnight House: From the Vaults is the overall title of the set; but they're not cheap. $75 US apiece, I believe.... There's more on these (as well as the new Necroscope book) on his website

As for the title: Would it have been *Return of the Deep Ones*? That's a short novel (or novelette) with some shorter works included, as I recall.


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## j d worthington (Jun 12, 2006)

Tau Zero: Nice set of items there. Glad to see someone mention Phil Farmer; he seems to be in something of an eclipse these days. Also Doris Piserchia; there were some interesting reads! The people around here have such wonderfully diverse taste.....


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## sonofstan (Jun 12, 2006)

*Return of the deep ones*. Yes that was the one. Thanks for that and thanks also for the info on his other books


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## Nesacat (Jun 12, 2006)

Have you read Lumley's Titus Crow books?


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## iansales (Jun 12, 2006)

Not an easy task... I've picked authors whose books are rich and deep enough I think to bear multiple rereadings. Except for Heyer, who's there for when I get depressed at being stuck on a desert island 

* Lawrence Durrell
* John Crowley
* Frank Herbert
* Kim Stanley Robinson
* Georgette Heyer


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## hypocriticHarkonnen (Jun 12, 2006)

Dang. 5 authors. Complete works. Getting stranded. Boy, at the rate I read these books I'd go mad within a month or two of being stuck >but then again since I live in a tropical area it wouldn't be half as bad, hehehehe, it's like i never left home<

J.R.R.Tolkien
C. Funke
E. Colfer
C. Paolini
N. Bantock


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## j d worthington (Jun 12, 2006)

hypocriticHarkonnen said:
			
		

> but then again since I live in a tropical area it wouldn't be half as bad, hehehehe, it's like i never left home


 
Did I say anything a a _tropical_ island??? 

Durrell -- I'd say the _Alexandria Quartet_ and *Bitter Lemons* would count as a bookshelf on their own, in most cases.... meaty stuff, indeed.

Nice lists, people. Keep 'em comin'....


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## Tau Zero (Jun 13, 2006)

j. d. worthington said:
			
		

> Tau Zero: Nice set of items there. Glad to see someone mention Phil Farmer; he seems to be in something of an eclipse these days. Also Doris Piserchia; there were some interesting reads! The people around here have such wonderfully diverse taste.....


 
Well, you've got to remember that Farmer is 88 year old.  

As for Piserchia, how i wish she'd written more!  I read in an online interview that she stopped writing to take care of sick family members and didn't start up again.  Such a shame.


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## j d worthington (Jun 13, 2006)

Tau Zero said:
			
		

> Well, you've got to remember that Farmer is 88 year old.
> 
> As for Piserchia, how i wish she'd written more!  I read in an online interview that she stopped writing to take care of sick family members and didn't start up again.  Such a shame.


My god, the man's still around??? I thought he'd joined the silent majority. Is he still writing? I've been so out of touch with sf for quite a while, I'd somehow got the idea he'd passed on. That's great news! (As long as he's doing well; I'd hate for him to be in poor health.) Now, there was a man who caused more buzz than a baseball-bat-whacked hornet's nest (*The Lovers*, *A Barnstormer in Oz*, "Riders of the Purple Wage", *Strange Relations*....)

I'd always wondered what happened to Piserchia; that _is_ a pity. But then, I'd like to have seen a lot more from Pamela Zoline, too. Well, in such cases, we should treasure what we've got -- and hammer at the publishers to make sure it stays in print!


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## j d worthington (Jun 13, 2006)

hypocriticHarkonnen said:
			
		

> J.R.R.Tolkien
> C. Funke
> E. Colfer
> C. Paolini
> N. Bantock


 
I've got to admit, on these, I've not read any except Tolkien; how would you describe their work? Paolini I'm aware of, but the others I'm drawing a blank on *hangs head in shame*. What are some titles?


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## Nesacat (Jun 13, 2006)

I like Cornelia Funke very much. She's written a whole bunch of books in German but only a few have been translated into English. I started with Thief Lord which I picked up out of curiousity and liked it very much. Sort of an Oliver Twist tale with a twist. _The Thief Lord_ was compelling not just because of its original tale, but  every single one of Funke’s characters in it, whether young or old, was crafted  with the precision of a marble sculptor. Not only are her orphans hardly your  average Dickens’s “Please, sir, may I have some more” types, but her bumbling  detective, Victor Getz, as well as the other grown-ups that we come across, wind  up being superbly well-rounded, and, in Victor’s case, kind-hearted, lonely for  love, and really quite brilliant. 

Then came Inkheart and Inkspell ... two of a trilogy that are absolutely wonderful. Books about books and very memorable characters. There's a child who packs books before anything else if she has to travel ... books are memories, they remind you of the time and place in which they were read. There's her father who mends books for a living and who stopped telling her stories when her mother 'vanishes'. 

Basically, Meggie, a twelve-year old book lover has spent her childhood with her father Mo,  an expert earning his living traveling the countryside repairing and caring for  books. A hidden past of trouble shows up outside of their windows one night in  the form of a man named Dustfinger, a man who is not of  this world. Mo has a hidden talent where, if he reads a story aloud, he  can actually bring characters to life out of the book, Dustfinger being one of  them, stolen unhappily from the world he had always known. Not only does this  create problems for the displaced Dustfinger, a kindly fire-eater/juggler who  misses the fairies and trolls he had once befriended, but in place of stealing  one character from the book, something from Mo’s world is sucked in…his wife. To make things worse, not only was Dustfinger brought to life, but  also the villainous Capricorn, a man so evil his heart was said to be made of  ink.

And there's Dragon Rider which is a stand alone book.

j.d.  Inkheart and Inkspell are beautiful books. The covers have lovely art. One is all red and the other is all blue.

Colfer did the Artemis Fowl books and a bunch of others which are pretty good too. I like Artemis Fowl as a character and the the spin Colfer has on the world of faery.

Ummm okay ... I think that's way long enough already.


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## sonofstan (Jun 13, 2006)

Nesacat said:
			
		

> Have you read Lumley's Titus Crow books?


 
No, i ordered one from Amazon once but it never came


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## j d worthington (Jun 13, 2006)

Have you a copy of the *Brian Lumley Companion*? It's a little out of date by now, but would help tremendously in tracking down things you may not have.


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## sonofstan (Jun 13, 2006)

j. d. worthington said:
			
		

> Have you a copy of the *Brian Lumley Companion*? It's a little out of date by now, but would help tremendously in tracking down things you may not have.


 

Unfortunately as i'm travelling at the moment i cant really keep many books with me. I have already had to abandon some in Thailand, but the upside is that so do all the other travellers so there are a lot of discarded books in the hostel. I recently found The Isac Asimov chronicles, Isac asimovs Camelot and Dune chapterhouse but i have not read any other Dune books so i'm not sure if i'll read that one.
My mother also likes Brian Lumely books so i will e-mail her the title of the above book and hopefully it will be waiting for me when i get home. Cheers j.d.


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## Nesacat (Jun 13, 2006)

sonofstan said:
			
		

> No, i ordered one from Amazon once but it never came



The books are pretty good and add a whole new dimension to the Mythos. I hope you manage to find them and read them. Have fun exploring Lumley. 

Have a habit of leaving books in hotels when I travel too, and always hope they get found by someone who'll care for them.


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## Cobolt (Jun 13, 2006)

This one makes you think....

Arthur C Clarke
Micheal Moorcock
Tad Williams
James Herbert
Robert Heinlein


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## hypocriticHarkonnen (Jun 13, 2006)

j.d. hehe, was thinkin 'bout somethin like 'cast away'...i guess i misread  

whoah, looks like Nesacat answered for me anyway. I've so far read only Inkheart and Inkspell by Cornelia Funke, but since I've heard a lot of people recommend it, I'll prolly read Thief Lord one of these days. 

I agree with Nesacat on, well, basically almost everything she posted >thumbs-up<. Not only are the plot and characters in Inkheart and Inkspell very interesting, but I like the way the author includes quotes from different novels on the beginning of each chapter. I highly recommend those two. 

Nick Bantock meanwhile has done the Griffin and Sabine series. Beautiful, simply exquisite artwork, I must say. I forgot what it's called, the books having been written in letter form, so you could see postcards and letters as the two characters communicate with each other. It's quite lovely, really! Sometimes I forget I'm reading it and I just stare at the page and the lovely, lovely artwork! 

.....And, heh, I like Artemis Fowl. 

Arrrr...there's too much to say about these authors that I can't possibly type them here!!!!  

PS need I even explain why tolkien is in the list?


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## j d worthington (Jun 13, 2006)

Cobolt -- another fine spread, that. Glad to see the people around here (even individually) have such eclectic taste. Gives me more hope for the field currently than I've had for a while.

Ahh. Thank you for recalling a wonderful memory. I didn't own, but saw and was able to flip through, though not read, the Griffin and Sabine series. *YES!* Beautiful books. Wish like the devil I had 'em! Anyone who hasn't seen these should really try to track them down; especially anyone interested in books that are not only full of, but _ARE_, beautiful art. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reminding me!!!


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## Nesacat (Jun 14, 2006)

The Griffin and Sabine books are wonderful .... bought the whole set of them last year and they are a joy to read. Every page is like a surprise with it's envelopes and postcards and all those different stamps. Thank you for reminding me too, since mine are in a box in storage.


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## Taltos (Jun 14, 2006)

My list would be (for now and mostly because this is SF/fantasy site):

Bujold - can bring me back to reading even if I'm really depressed
Glen Cook
Asimov 
H. L. Oldie - a duo of Ukrainian writers, although I'd have to have a complete myhtology encyclopedia of the world along as well to understand from where they have borrowed ideas each time. 

for the fifth - still undecided although have thought about this for some days - one of the following: James Herriot, Dick Francis, Roger Zelazny - oh welll I'll have to decide when the time comes


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## j d worthington (Jun 14, 2006)

Well, it doesn't have to be sf/f, by any means.


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## hypocriticHarkonnen (Jun 14, 2006)

If you like the Griffin and Sabine series, try the Forgetting Room...

and you guys are welcome ;D


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## Nesacat (Jun 15, 2006)

The Forgetting Room? What are those about?


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## Prefx (Jun 15, 2006)

Hmm. Hard choice.

Dan Simmons,
Tolkien
George Martin
Chuck Palahniuk 
S. King


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## hypocriticHarkonnen (Jun 15, 2006)

The Forgetting Room is just one book (unfortunately, the copy I read was someone else’s and I had limited time so I rushed through it), about a man who goes back to his Spanish grandfather’s home after the grandfather died. There, the man found strange clues left behind by his grandfather.


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