July's Jubilant Joust At New Books

[Quick Ben]

About to start the Courts of Chaos by Zelazny, the last book in the Corwin series. Gotta love all the political intrigue and the conspiracies in the series Simple but effective. Am looking forward to the conclusion.

Dunno what to read after that, because I am a somewhat newbie to fantasy I still have all the classics like Eddings, Hobbs, Feist etc waiting plus the newer series like the First Law but at the same time the Malazan Empire is calling too as I took a break after MoI so don't know whether to start on HoC or go for some old classics.

Anyone wanna give me a tip ?

 

[Connavar]

Is that you're first Bond, Conn? Because you'll find that he's like that all the way through the original Fleming series.

The films were seduced by the dark side of stunts, explosions, gadgets and action, and very often the only thing they have in common with the books are the name of the film and the chief characters. Bond in the books is a Cold War spy, but in the movies he's practically a super-hero: and I much prefer Fleming's original vision of 007.

Yep my first Bond.

I like the books version much more too. Never big fan of movies except some of them cause of the actors.

Must say i have more respect for Daniel Craig now. He captured well the cold,stoic Bond well. He wasnt the constantly smiling fool of a player

 

[AE35Unit]

I've just read, for the first time, H.G.Wells's War of the Worlds.

You know after all this time and despite I have it in an omnibus of wells classic stories i've never read this or The Time Machine!

 

[j d worthington]

Well, I've wrapped up the Lankhmar books. Finished Swords and Ice Magic this morning. I understand there's another book of later Lankhmar stories, but I'm not in a great rush to read it -- I thought the pieces in this last book (written 1973-1977) were the weakest of the whole series (the rest of which was written 1939-1970[?]).

Yes, there's one other collection, The Knight and the Knave of Swords; it's one that tends to have more of a mixed reaction than the others, though. And on Swords and Ice Magic... I've always thought "The Frost Monstreme and "Rime Isle" showed Leiber at the very top of his form, myself....

You know after all this time and despite I have it in an omnibus of wells classic stories i've never read this or The Time Machine!

You really should give them a whirl; they are both excellent reads, very enjoyable; and each is rather slender, to boot....

 

[Durandal]

Yes, there's one other collection, The Knight and the Knave of Swords; it's one that tends to have more of a mixed reaction than the others, though. And on Swords and Ice Magic... I've always thought "The Frost Monstreme and "Rime Isle" showed Leiber at the very top of his form, myself....

Interesting... I wonder if my disenchantment with the last volume was simply burnout -- reading all six books back-to-back, even though they're slim, might've led to me feeling that way. Now that I think back on it, the ideas presented in "Rime Isle" were pretty fantastic...

I'll go back for a re-read in a year or so.

 

[Connavar]

I have started reading Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds and it is a good read.

I wonder if it will keep looking this good to me when im finishing the book. Too many books of the subgenre in modern SF has been a letdown.

Its promising that it hooked me in from the start.

 

[nj1]

Started Sean Russel's The One Kingdom (Swan War trilogy). So far it's quite good.

I've got that book and I've never got round to reading it. In fact I don't remember where I got it from or how long it's been in my collection

Finished reading Alexander by Steven Pressfield (ok but not the best, the usual epic battle scenes but too much info)

Currently reading and nearly finished Michael Moorcocks fantasy masterworks (17) on Elric. Some interesting theories but don't really like the style.

 

[Talysia]

On to Terry Pratchett's Making Money.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick.

 

[Allegra]

Credit to you Hoopy for bringing up Devil's Dictionary! Now I got it and am reading it and you have no idea (surely you do) how much I'm enjoying it! Just quote a couple -

Saint, n. A dead sinner revised and edited.

Politics, n.pl. A means of livelihood affectedly the more degraded portion of our criminal classes.

 

[HoopyFrood]

It is fantastic, indeed; I'm glad you're enjoying it too. It made me laugh out loud many times. I haven't quite finished it, so I've got more of those witty sections to enjoy when I get back to it.

 

[j d worthington]

Have finally had a chance to finish that first selection of Stevenson's tales -- a mixed bag, for me. His mannerisms sometimes get on my nerves; other times he uses them sparingly and well, so that they enhance the feel of the tale. And at times even a story which wasn't to my particular taste contained some excellent prose and had its own charm. I'd still put "Thrawn Janet" at the very top, with Jekyll and Hyde and "The Body Snatcher" on about the same level as a fairly close second; and "Will o' the Mill" was an unexpected pleasure....

 

[Ursa major]

I must say, I'm a fan of the Devil's Dictionary. Another example (to encourage others to get the book):

Present, n. That part of eternity dividing the domain of disappointment from the realm of hope.
​

 

[Hilarious Joke]

I really, really like that quote Ursa.

 

[AE35Unit]

I like the quote on the back of The Dark Light Years by Aldiss.
Civilisation is defined as the distance mankind puts between himself and his excreta.

 

[HoopyFrood]

I've decided (much to Lenny's delight, I'm sure) to return to the Malazan series. So it's House of Chains by Erikson for me.

 

[Quick Ben]

Ditto.

Finished the Corwin cycle last night and its back to Malazan and House of Chains.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

I must say, I'm a fan of the Devil's Dictionary. Another example (to encourage others to get the book):

Present, n. That part of eternity dividing the domain of disappointment from the realm of hope.​

Ah Ursa it's good however, It doesn't say which way round the two parts are.

I prefer:-

Present, n. The instance of time between events you want to forget and the disappointments still to come.

Still the book shows promise I may give it a whirl if I can squeeze it in. In the.....

 

[woodsman]

I think I may well join you there, TEIN.

Finished Le Guins - The Birthday of the World and started in on Shadowmarch by Tad Williams, which is reading well after 100 or so pages.

 

[elvet]

I'm rereading Lies of Locke Lamora to reaquaint myself with the characters before moving on to Red Skies. The enjoyment of the book is definitely overshadowed by knowing what going to happen. It takes away from the initial light hearted tone of the story. This is one of the few times that I'm not as able to savor a second read.

Spoiler

I'm almost cringing as it leads up to the demise of Locke's compatriots. Maybe I'll just speed over that part.