Literature Discussion Megathread

Started by midnighttowboy, 2012 Sep 30, 22:36:45

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midnighttowboy

Hey, you know what's awesome? Books! The written word is the greatest invention humanity ever created, with the exception of the chocolate chip cookies and colorful miniature equines. So, I wanted to make a thread to talk about some good reads, or even some bad reads, if that's something you want to talk about.

I'll start us off with a recommendation: The Foundation Series, by Isaac Asimov. The first book is about a Galactic Empire in what is thought to be a golden age, until a man named Hari Seldon uses a science called Pyschohistory to discover that the empire will collapse, and thirty thousand years of dark ages will occur. But, he says he can shorten that to only a thousand years, if he is allowed to create an encyclopedia of galactic knowledge.

Thus, the Foundation is born, in the far end of the galaxy. Asimov is able to mix intrigue and sci-fi to create a thrilling series of books, set over the thousand years of darkness. His greatest achievement is making some of the best and smartest characters I've ever seen, his whole series a work admiring the virtues of intellect and cleverness.

Also, there is spaceships. That's something.

So, do you have books you'd recommend? Questions to ask? Random nonsense to talk about? Come on down!
I write stuff. sometimes it's pony related.

Also, Twilight is best pony.

Chishio Kunrin

Um... I quite like works by Edgar Allen Poe. Let's see if I can remember correctly what I've read from him. I've read The Raven, The Pit and the Pendulum, A Tell-Tale Heart, Masque of the Red Death, and The Cask of Amontillado.

"(Ticktock, time is running out) What are you doing now?
I don't know where you are, don't even know your name.
They think I'm crazy, my heartbeat goes up..."

the dark gods

Yay literature megathread!
Anyway for my recommendation , 1984.
Otherwise known as THE book, it's the most classic dystopian novel in the history of anything, and also the most depressing one ever. Essentially their is a group called "The party", aka the only political party in the land. They control the world and basically have one desire, to gain power, how do you prove you have power? By making people suffer. Their entire goal is to make everyones lives miserable, the inter circles (high ups in the party) living conditions are only slightly above those that they oppress. And under threat of torture, everyone goes by what the say, even if it's things like "Congratulations citizen, your chocolate ration has increased from 20 grams to 10!", and they would believe it, because if not, theirs Room 101 (the origin of room 101 is this book, basically torture room were you face your own fear until you break). The story involves a inner party member suddenly doubting his beliefs in the party, and wanting to join a secret underground rebellion group that may or may not exist.
I can't really say anything else without giving away spoilers, but it's a must read book, considering it's one of the single most depressing things in all of fiction, it has to be since it's the codifier for classic dystopia.
thank you Sky Sketch

midnighttowboy

Mr. Poe isn't bad, although I only read The Cask of Amontillado, The Raven, A Tell-Tale Heart, and Murder in the Rue Morgue. I only remember Murder in the Rue Morgue because of the twist, which I won't spoil because I'm not a jerk.

And I've heard that, Dark Gods. I know everyone I talk to whose read 1984 found it incredibly depressing. I never read it, since I kind of spoiled myself with what happens, and I'm a giant sissy who doesn't like super depressing things.
I write stuff. sometimes it's pony related.

Also, Twilight is best pony.

Rissian

2012 Sep 30, 23:56:10 #4 Last Edit: 2012 Oct 01, 00:12:14 by Trege
I can't really remember most of the books I've read, but I do remember reading Wishbone books I loved them when I used to read them as a kid I borrowed them from the library but I can't remember all of the story it's been so long since I've read any of the Wishbone books. I think one took place in a museum and another one in the town. If I read books too long my eyes bother me.

But a flat screen computer monitor doesn't affect my eyes at all for some reason.  :l

the dark gods

Quote from: midnighttowboy on 2012 Sep 30, 23:49:09
Mr. Poe isn't bad, although I only read The Cask of Amontillado, The Raven, A Tell-Tale Heart, and Murder in the Rue Morgue. I only remember Murder in the Rue Morgue because of the twist, which I won't spoil because I'm not a jerk.

And I've heard that, Dark Gods. I know everyone I talk to whose read 1984 found it incredibly depressing. I never read it, since I kind of spoiled myself with what happens, and I'm a giant sissy who doesn't like super depressing things.

Shame, most of the stuff I read is grimdark. Then again a notable amount of my favorite books are villain protagonist ones, so that's just me.
Though some books I heard of (haven't found em in a price cheap enough for me yet) are the Discworld novels, they're very soft hearted, and also from the snippets I read, are hilarious beyond belief.
thank you Sky Sketch

Parasprite

I quite liked the Inkheart trilogy and I'm currently reading All Quiet on the Western Dront. It really is a VERY tragic book.  D: I, like many others, also enjoy the works of Edgar Allan Poe.  ^-^

Poets Corner

Poe is wonderful. My first forays into verse were in a lot of ways indebted to him. I love his verse as well his short fiction-- Cask and The Red Death still get me.

From Poe, I actually went to Lovecraft! Lovecraft's short fiction is very reminiscent of Poe's (the gentleman narrator who tries to remain detached and often fails, the whole "telling you the story long afterward", the whole madness grimdark thing) only turned up to eleven and from the perspective of someone who's far more grounded in a more modern mindset.

(Anybody like Latin? I fell in love with Virgil after having to use him in a long paper.)


King. Stephen King, heavens paved with gold, yes. Lisey's Story is actually one of the lesser known ones, and I highly recommend it. It's got the horror down, but at its heart the books is really less about horror and more about married life. He's kind of reflecting (in a obviously fictional way) on his own life/marriage. The story is obviously fictional, but the insights aren't necessarily.

The streets are empty. Wind skims the voids keeping neighbors apart, as if grazing the hollow of a cut reed, or say, a plundered mailbox. A familiar note is produced. It's the one Desolation plays to keep its instrument in tune.

Little Judas

The works of Tolkien are my favourite. The Silmarillion itself is a mere masterpiece.
Although The Hobbit is more of a children's book, I've read it multiple times at all ages.
Off course when talking about Tolkien, one cannot forget The Lord of the Rings, it's his
most famous work, due to the movies of course.
The Children of Húrin is sadly a book I don't posses.

Recently I saw a site where I found a few of Lovecraft's short stories.
Thanks to Julius for my OC. (see the avatar)

Let it fly in the breeze and get caught in the trees, Give a home to the fleas, in my hair
A home for fleas, a hive for the buzzing bees, A nest for birds, there ain't no words
For the beauty, splendor, the wonder of my hair

Poets Corner

The Shadow Over Innsmouth, the Dunwich Horror, and the Call of Cthulhu are all great short fiction. At The Mountains of Madness is a short novel of his that is rather awesome.

Tolkien! I can't believe I didn't say that.

I've probably read LotR... 4 times? Maybe. Wow, but it is one of the greatest things ever. Evereverever.
Silmarillion and Hurin are both great.
The streets are empty. Wind skims the voids keeping neighbors apart, as if grazing the hollow of a cut reed, or say, a plundered mailbox. A familiar note is produced. It's the one Desolation plays to keep its instrument in tune.

the dark gods

Another great book is Hyperion. Essentially a sci-fi book about a group of seven people who are going to a planet called Hyperion to get to this place called the Time Tombs. The are going since everyone in the group is related to Hyperion, and the Church of shrike wants to time tombs to open, since it's important to their religion. The majority of the story isn't the pilgrimage itself, but rather each of the characters story and why they're related to Hyperion, if only somewhat relative. Each story has one other thing similar in them, the appearance of The Shrike (the being the church worships), a mysterious thing made of blades that just sort of appears and acts like a horror villain.

The 7 characters are Lenar Hoyt, a Christian priest who was trying to find another priest who was exiled to Hyperion for saying some heretical ideas about Christianity. Next one is Fedmahn Kassad, a member of FORCE the military forces who after being stranded on Hyperion, destroys a Ouster (alien invaders from beyond the galaxy) force with time-hax. Then their is Martin Silenus, a poet who after becoming a sell out travels to Hyperion to work on stuff he feels is actually good rather then cash making, his just so happens to come when the Shrike starts massacring everyone on the planet. Then their is Sol Weintraub, who's daughter while on a collage expedition in the time tombs is attacked by the Shrike and gets a disease that de-ages her mentally and physically by 2 days at the end of every day, his story is most him and his wife coping with the effects of their daughter getting reverse Alzheimer. Next one is Het Masteen, star-ship captain, can't say anything about him without spoilers. Then their is Brawne Lamia a detective who's final client was a cyborg who was meant to go to Hyperion, but he had a minor mind wipe that erased why he need to go their, this is the only story without the shrike being involved any way at all. The last character is the consul ( name not given in the book, he's always refereed as the consul), he tells the tale of his grand parents and how they fall each other, the grandfather being a colonizer for the galactic government and the grandmother being a planetary local, after she dies, the grandfather realizes tourist would destroy the eco-system as a prophesy that was mentioned before says, so out of despair starts a war between the planetary locals, and galactic government, the galactic government stomps them easily, the consul himself is forbid from going the war by his grand-father. I can't go into any more detail about his story without some large spoilers, the shrike is only mentioned in this story, but never actually appears. The story ends on the groups just before entering the time tombs.

I can tell you the end because Hyperion isn't a full story, its part of the "Hyperion Cantos" and Hyperion has  a sequel "Fall of Hyperion", which I have sadly yet to reads, which is why Hyperion ends on a cliff-hanger. Their are two more sequel "Endymion" and "The rise of Endymion", but fans seem to not like the book, as it delves to much into the Shrike and his reasons, and it makes him far less mysterious and threatening.
thank you Sky Sketch

Poets Corner

Oh, I now about those!

Have you read his book Ilium??

I read it on vacation once and it is a book I've never forgotten. I'd never encountered anything quite as captivating as what Simmons can conjure!
The streets are empty. Wind skims the voids keeping neighbors apart, as if grazing the hollow of a cut reed, or say, a plundered mailbox. A familiar note is produced. It's the one Desolation plays to keep its instrument in tune.

the dark gods

Quote from: Poets Corner on 2012 Oct 01, 21:16:20
Oh, I now about those!

Have you read his book Ilium??

I read it on vacation once and it is a book I've never forgotten. I'd never encountered anything quite as captivating as what Simmons can conjure!

No I haven't, what's it about?
thank you Sky Sketch

midnighttowboy

I have a copy of Hyperion but I haven't really gotten around to reading it yet. I started reading Neuromancer, which is pretty good.
I write stuff. sometimes it's pony related.

Also, Twilight is best pony.

Poets Corner

Quote from: the dark gods on 2012 Oct 01, 21:26:09
Quote from: Poets Corner on 2012 Oct 01, 21:16:20
Oh, I now about those!

Have you read his book Ilium??

I read it on vacation once and it is a book I've never forgotten. I'd never encountered anything quite as captivating as what Simmons can conjure!

No I haven't, what's it about?


That is ludicrously hard to answer. :C

Basically, we're talking bazillions of years into a posthuman future.... in which the Trojan war has started up again on the plains of Mars. The heroes of Ilium and Achaea fight it out on the rust red plains whilst a resurrected scholar observes at the behest of interested posthumans who pose as the Olympians... who themselves are refugees from some nameless terror back home on Earth which still lives.


It is a convuluted book.
The streets are empty. Wind skims the voids keeping neighbors apart, as if grazing the hollow of a cut reed, or say, a plundered mailbox. A familiar note is produced. It's the one Desolation plays to keep its instrument in tune.

ChocolateRain

Quote from: midnighttowboy on 2012 Sep 30, 22:36:45
I'll start us off with a recommendation: The Foundation Series, by Isaac Asimov. The first book is about a Galactic Empire in what is thought to be a golden age, until a man named Hari Seldon uses a science called Pyschohistory to discover that the empire will collapse, and thirty thousand years of dark ages will occur. But, he says he can shorten that to only a thousand years, if he is allowed to create an encyclopedia of galactic knowledge.

Thus, the Foundation is born, in the far end of the galaxy. Asimov is able to mix intrigue and sci-fi to create a thrilling series of books, set over the thousand years of darkness. His greatest achievement is making some of the best and smartest characters I've ever seen, his whole series a work admiring the virtues of intellect and cleverness.

Also, there is spaceships. That's something.

So, do you have books you'd recommend? Questions to ask? Random nonsense to talk about? Come on down!


I read the thread title and instantly wanted to recommend the Foundation series too... Those are really really really great books. Although I strongly recommend reading those in order as you otherwise won't get a whole lot of references. Sadly I haven't read all of those and also didn't read them in order.

The ones I most enjoyed for now are the ones with stories around Elijah Baley and Daneel Olivaw. What I first didn't expect with those was the scifi / detective story mix which I know find fits pretty well together. The other thing that's great is that in the books even over centuries your favorite characters reappear (and that in a kind of "natural" way). :D

All work and no candy makes Choco a dull colt!
deviantArt

Poets Corner

Hm. You guys are kind of making me want to read Foundation. I've got it on my bookshelf, all shiny and pretty and new-- three books in one! Just never opened it.
The streets are empty. Wind skims the voids keeping neighbors apart, as if grazing the hollow of a cut reed, or say, a plundered mailbox. A familiar note is produced. It's the one Desolation plays to keep its instrument in tune.

ChocolateRain

Quote from: Poets Corner on 2012 Oct 02, 14:09:51
Hm. You guys are kind of making me want to read Foundation. I've got it on my bookshelf, all shiny and pretty and new-- three books in one! Just never opened it.


That one is great... But as I said you really should start at the beginning of the series to get all the references. Not that I'm saying you cannot enjoy it otherwise (you really can, it's a great book even for itself)... I think you get the point. The problem though is that at least in Germany a big part of the Foundation books isn't being printed anymore and so hard to get...

All work and no candy makes Choco a dull colt!
deviantArt

Little Judas

The Inheritance-Cycle is also quite fun to read.
If you saw the movie of Eragon in any way forget about it, this instant.
People often say Film Adaptation are bad but in this case it's the honest truth.
Then with your mind cleared of that abominations start enjoying the four books.
Thanks to Julius for my OC. (see the avatar)

Let it fly in the breeze and get caught in the trees, Give a home to the fleas, in my hair
A home for fleas, a hive for the buzzing bees, A nest for birds, there ain't no words
For the beauty, splendor, the wonder of my hair

the dark gods

Quote from: Poets Corner on 2012 Oct 02, 12:54:10
Quote from: the dark gods on 2012 Oct 01, 21:26:09
Quote from: Poets Corner on 2012 Oct 01, 21:16:20
Oh, I now about those!

Have you read his book Ilium??

I read it on vacation once and it is a book I've never forgotten. I'd never encountered anything quite as captivating as what Simmons can conjure!

No I haven't, what's it about?


That is ludicrously hard to answer. :C

Basically, we're talking bazillions of years into a posthuman future.... in which the Trojan war has started up again on the plains of Mars. The heroes of Ilium and Achaea fight it out on the rust red plains whilst a resurrected scholar observes at the behest of interested posthumans who pose as the Olympians... who themselves are refugees from some nameless terror back home on Earth which still lives.


It is a convuluted book.

Sounds interesting, might give it a try, of course theirs going to be a wait, have to finish the book I currently reading, the 2 omnibus long series I ordered, then deside if I want to read this, or finish the Hyperion series first.

Anyway another book! Death Trooper, the famous Star Wars zombie book. What more can I say, zombie virus spreads on Imperial prison ship, lots of people get infected, some of the crew and some of the prisoners become the zombie survivalists protagonists, and I can't really say much more without spoilers.
thank you Sky Sketch

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