December's here! And you're reading....?

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AE35Unit said:
Cos a guy wins awards doesnt mean I'm gonna like his stuff! good doesnt always equal good you know what I mean?
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Just because a book is good doesn't mean that it's to your taste. There are a lot of good books out there that I don't like.

However, at the moment, I'm reading P. N. Elrod's Cold Streets, the 10th book in her series about Jack Fleming, Vampire detective in Chicago in the late 1930s. Not necessarily a good book, but an enjoyable read.
 
AE35Unit said:
Cos a guy wins awards doesnt mean I'm gonna like his stuff! good doesnt always equal good you know what I mean?
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Heh i think the same but back in the day when you beat Heinlein,ACC,Vance and co for the awards its more respectable. Not like today when some writers win every year.


He is an original SF writer, not too wierd if you read PKD.
 
I finished A Clockwork Orange. Great book and well ahead of it's time. I haven't seen the movie for years, though do believe the movie omitted the most important part of the book, which was the final chapter.

I'm thinking of reading Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas. I might also pick up one of my unread PKD novels as well.
 
Diggler said:
I finished A Clockwork Orange. Great book and well ahead of it's time. I haven't seen the movie for years, though do believe the movie omitted the most important part of the book, which was the final chapter.
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That could be, as that final chapter was not included in any edition of the novel, as far as I know. I vaguely recall there being some controversy about it once it was added.....
 
Turns out, the US version of the novel had the final chapter removed. Kubrick had read the US version, and when notified of the missing chapter, didn't feel it was necessary to add it into the film. I really do not understand why they chose to remove it? It, for me, was the most crucial part of the book!
 
Interesting. I haven't read the book in nearly two decades, but I didn't recall that being the case. Not the first time such has happened, though. As for why they removed it... well, there were some peculiar decisions along that line being made at that time, especially with books which were seen as science fiction or "futuristic", even if from the mainstream. Of course, one of the most notorious examples is what happened with Ballard's The Atrocity Exhibition in its first U.S. printing....

The Atrocity Exhibition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In addition to reading the information on the book's publication here, check out the link under the "Chapter Titles" section for the fourteenth chapter, which notes that Doubleday's higher-ups were so offended that they pulped the first edition....
 
I find this illogical that writing, being the greatest form of "freedom of speech", would be censored and/or destroyed by the companies promoting it? But hey, no offense to the Americans, this seems to be a common occurrence, when it comes to US politics and views.
 
j. d. worthington said:
Interesting. I haven't read the book in nearly two decades, but I didn't recall that being the case. Not the first time such has happened, though. As for why they removed it... well, there were some peculiar decisions along that line being made at that time, especially with books which were seen as science fiction or "futuristic", even if from the mainstream. Of course, one of the most notorious examples is what happened with Ballard's The Atrocity Exhibition in its first U.S. printing....

The Atrocity Exhibition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In addition to reading the information on the book's publication here, check out the link under the "Chapter Titles" section for the fourteenth chapter, which notes that Doubleday's higher-ups were so offended that they pulped the first edition....
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Ah so its not actually a novel, which i thought it was!
" collection of "condensed novels" (actually destructured short stories and experimental pieces)"

some interesting story titles there too!
 
Connavar said:
He is an original SF writer, not too wierd if you read PKD.
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Well most of PKD that I have read has beeen a bit weird! In fact the only novel I've actually enjoyed so far is his Flow My Tears the Policeman said which is brilliant! He must have stayed off the drugs for that one ;)
 
Try one of Zelazny most rated SF books and see if he is for you. I tried him because he has a big rep as classic SF writer from those days despite he was very young when he became famous,died at 58.


I have started reading The Getaway by Jim Thompson.
 
Connavar said:
Try one of Zelazny most rated SF books and see if he is for you. I tried him because he has a big rep as classic SF writer from those days despite he was very young when he became famous,died at 58.
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Well I have Lord of Light on my shelf,part of the SF Masterworks,will read that some day
 
AE35Unit said:
Well I have Lord of Light on my shelf,part of the SF Masterworks,will read that some day
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That is one of the few books that always, always makes any kind of "Top X" list I produce.

As well as being a fairly action-packed story with some great set pieces it contains some great writing in Zelazny's unique, terse, allusion rich style.
 
Hypnos164 said:
That is one of the few books that always, always makes any kind of "Top X" list I produce.

As well as being a fairly action-packed story with some great set pieces it contains some great writing in Zelazny's unique, terse, allusion rich style.
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Couldn't agree more. Zelazny remains one of the reasons I love the genre so much; one of my all-time favourite writers, and Lord of Light is a fabulous read.
 
I was recommended Zelazny by a few people here, so I got the Amber chronicles. Found it massively boring and couldn't finish it!

Still reading Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb. I feel like I've been reading it forever. Also reading Across the Wall by Garth Nix.
 
AE35Unit said:
No that series doesnt appeal to me either cos its fantasy and at the moment I only want to read hard space based SF
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Although it is fantasy, it is like no other fantasy series you have read. I avoid fanasy series like the plague these days, anything longer than a trilogy is a no-no but this was an exception because it was so good. Indeed, if an SF fan was looking for a fantasy recommendation that they might be likely to enjoy, Amber would be a top contender.

I'm flabergasted when I hear people say they couldn't get into it or it was boring. I've rarely encountered a book more instantly accessible, more exciting right from the get-go than this one.
 
Mouse said:
I was recommended Zelazny by a few people here, so I got the Amber chronicles. Found it massively boring and couldn't finish it!

Still reading Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb. I feel like I've been reading it forever. Also reading Across the Wall by Garth Nix.
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Try his Lord of Light or Damnation Alley and see if one of those appeals. I've got the Amber Chronicles for a reread and did have trouble getting into it so I put it aside for a while.
 
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