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Book geeks are here!

CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
in Off-Topic
Ok, @Metalloman posted a picture of his Elric of Melibone books, which reminded me I always wanted to make a discussion about books, so, here it is!
image
That's my Michael Moorcock's books collection, from left to right and to to bottom (in rows): The Vengeance of the Rose, the Knight of the Swords, the Trilogy of the Swords (The Knight of the Swords + The Queen of the Swords (aka the Lady of the Swords) + the King of the Swords (aka the Lord of the Swords) all in one), The Jewel in the Skull.
The Fortress of the Pearl, Stormbringer, the Curse of the Black Blade, the Vanishing Tower, The Weird of the White Wolf and the Sailor of the Seas of Destiny.
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Comments

  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    I can only assume no Thieves' World readers around?

    *grumble*
  • ErgErg Member Posts: 1,756

    Moorcock rocks. Figuratively and literally:
    Wikipedia said:

    Moorcock wrote the lyrics to three album tracks by the American band Blue Öyster Cult: "Black Blade", referring to the sword Stormbringer in the Elric books, "Veteran of the Psychic Wars", showing us Elric's emotions at a critical point of his story (this song may also refer to the "Warriors at the Edge of Time", which figure heavily in Moorcock's novels about John Daker; at one point his novel The Dragon in the Sword they call themselves the "veterans of a thousand psychic wars"), and "The Great Sun Jester", about his friend, the poet Bill Butler, who died of a drug overdose. Moorcock has performed live with BÖC (in 1987 at the Atlanta, GA Dragon Con Convention) and Hawkwind.

  • dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
    edited September 2014
    I was an avid reader of Moorcroft, the Hawkmoon books being my favourites, and although the Forgotten Realms books were out at the same time they were US imports (easily spotted because the page edges were bright yellow for some reason) and therefore hellishly expensive so I only got around to reading Thieves World much, much later.
    My introduction to 'fantasy' writing was a children's book called 'The Wierdstone of Brisingamen' by Alan Garner, a very immersive book drawing heavily on folklore, and from there it was a simple step to The Hobbit and then of course LOTR.

    BTW an almost forgotten little gem of a book is 'Lud-in-the-Mist' by Hope Mirrlees, first published in 1926 and well worth a read if you can get your hands on a copy.
    Post edited by dunbar on
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    My introduction to fantasy was the first book in Corum's first trilogy, The Knight of the Swords, and I was just 10 when I read it, not sure how my parents gave me that book (which was my mom's, even if she never read it, so it's the first edition in spanish, printed in 1976) :p
  • MetallomanMetalloman Member, Moderator, Translator (NDA) Posts: 3,975
    edited September 2014
    You have been lucky, you know? :)
  • MetallomanMetalloman Member, Moderator, Translator (NDA) Posts: 3,975
    It looks like people here didn't understand that this thread is about all fantasy books, and not just Moorcock's ones. ;)
    This or no one else wants to talk about books, eheheh...XP
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    I tried in vain to bring up the legendary anthologies of Thieves' World, but to no avail!
  • MetallomanMetalloman Member, Moderator, Translator (NDA) Posts: 3,975
    Why don't you try to tell us something about these books?
    Maybe some general info about who's the author, the years in where they were published, and something about the setting and plot. :)
  • ErgErg Member Posts: 1,756
    edited September 2014
    First of all, I'm not a geek, but a nerd which is close (see the image under the spoiler tag for the difference), so I should be fine here too :)

    image

    Second, I have a question for the OP, @CrevsDaak, and @Metalloman:
    Metalloman said:

    It looks like people here didn't understand that this thread is about all fantasy books, and not just Moorcock's ones. ;)

    Is this thread only about fantasy or sci-fi books are OK too? Sci-fi is geeky/nerdy too :)
  • MetallomanMetalloman Member, Moderator, Translator (NDA) Posts: 3,975
    Man, you're talking to a Herbert and Asimov fan, here, @Erg, so for me it's TOTALLY fine, but the OP is @CrevsDaak‌ so he has to tell. ;p
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    @Erg I also consider myself a nerd (being into programming, Baldur's Gate and a person who dislike living in society), so no problems with that nor with including other genres.

    I also like realism and sci-fi is another genre I love. I've read lots of Asimov's tales and some of Bradbury's books, besides the Dreaming Crystals (by IDKwho Sturgeon, I'll see if I can get the name on a moment I am not so sleepy), which, IMO is the best example of fantasy+sci-fi on the real world (also puts a heavy critic to both society and it's antagonist).
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    Has anyone read Robin Hobb? I remember reading these as a teen and loving them. Apparently the universe has expanded since with 4 more series. Time for a revisit, perhaps.

    "The Farseer Trilogy
    The Farseer Trilogy follows the life of FitzChivalry Farseer (Fitz), a trained assassin, in a kingdom called The Six Duchies while his uncle, Prince Verity, attempts to wage war on the Red-Ship Raiders from The OutIslands who are attacking the shores of the kingdom by turning the people of the Six Duchies into Forged ones; still alive, but without any emotion or soul. Meanwhile Prince Regal's jealousy and the indulgence of his own selfish whims threatens to destroy The Six Duchies.

    Assassin's Apprentice (1995)
    Royal Assassin (1996)
    Assassin's Quest (1997)"
  • dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
    edited September 2014
    I'm glad that this thread has spasmed back to life as so much of my reading has been influenced by other peoples recommendations or different takes on certain books. I particularly like the way that reading can take you on a journey that often strays from the original path you set on.

    Which takes me (rather clumsily) to a book which doesn't really fit into any genre but could (so loosely that it's almost coming apart) be called fantasy: Namely "The Raw Shark Texts" by Steven Hall (pub. 2007) which has been dismissed as a cult book by some critics but one which I found very thought-provoking. Has anyone else read this, and if so what did you think about it?

    @booinyoureyes Thanks for the heads-up about the Dresden Files, I'll give them a read.
    @FinneousPJ agree with you about the Farseer trilogy, the Tawny Man trilogy which follows it is a bit darker and also links in to the Liveship Traders trilogy which I didn't like as much but that was due to my taste rather than any deficiency on the part of the author.
    Post edited by dunbar on
  • ErgErg Member Posts: 1,756
    edited September 2014
    @booinyoureyes, The Dresden Files series was already on my to read list, but after what you wrote I'm even more convinced that I should read it.

    In fact, few weeks ago I read a story by Jim Butcher that had as protagonist the female apprentice of Henry Dresden (he does not appear in the story), and I've enjoyed it a lot.

    The story was part of the anthology "Dangerous Women", that I recommend as it is overall very good. It contains stories spanning several different genres (sci-fi, fantasy, horror, western, historical, mistery, etc.)

    I was mainly drawn to it by the novella of George R. Martin taking place in the same universe of a Song of Ice and Fire, but 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones in a period in which there was still plenty of dragons and they were used routinely as weapons in the struggle for the Iron Throne.

    However, I liked most of the other stories too. The one from Jim Butcher is one of my personal favourites in this anthology.

    image
    Post edited by Erg on
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    @Erg‌ all you need to know is that Jim Butcher is second on the billing, after only George RR Martin!

    Don't give away too much about Dresden's apprentice though, it is a MAJOR spoiler!
  • SouthpawSouthpaw Member Posts: 2,026
    Jim Butcher...interesting. I'll put that onto my wishlist/to-read-list. Right behind G.R.R.Martin, who is on next..

    Personally, I'd forego Terry Pratchett (who would need his own forum and I am sure there already is one out there) What about Neil Gaiman or Clive Barker? Any fans here?
  • dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
    @booinyoureyes I've just started reading an urban fantasy book set in contemporary London called "Fated" by Benedict Jacka where the protagonist (a mage) states "I've even heard of one guy in Chicago who advertises in the phone book under 'Wizard', though that's probably an urban legend."
    A nice little 'in joke' methinks.
  • DreadKhanDreadKhan Member Posts: 3,857
    Curious, what author got you initially hooked into fantasy/scifi books? For me its a toss up between George Lucas and David Eddings. I really loved the movie Willow as a kid, and read some,of the books related to it. I read all the Star Wars novels and source books until the Vong showed up, that I was less into, though I admit I enjoyed the arrival book,overall, just felt it 'wasnt Star Wars', dunno why.

    David Eddings though really sold fantasy for me though, to the point of rarely reading scifi. I totally loved the Sparhawk books (Elenium and Tamuli), though I suppose I havent read them in a decade or more. Heh, I think my favourite band at he time even had a song about Sparhawk's exile. Halycon Days by Tea Party... really cool song, and seemed uncannily referencing it. Worth listening or reading the lyrics if you read The Elenium. Crawling towards the sound! Zomg!
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    @dunbar‌ that is awesome!

    @DreadKhan‌ for me it was actually Stackpole, Zahn and Salvatore. My first fantasy series was the X-Wing series, followed by the Zahn Star Wars books and the Salvatore Drizzt novels (Started with Homeland, which is still probably my favorite).
  • rufus_hobartrufus_hobart Member Posts: 490
    Southpaw said:


    What about Neil Gaiman or Clive Barker? Any fans here?

    I'm a huge Neil Gaiman fan, his mix of humour and horror feels very Bristish to me and is very appealing. His work on Sandman is terrific, and i loved Good Omens, American Gods and Neverwhere, and in particular The Graveyard Book.

    Clive Barker I was into a lot as a teenager, reading the Books of Blood, Weaveworld and in particular Imajica, but I haven;t read all that much of him since!
  • SouthpawSouthpaw Member Posts: 2,026
    Sandman is great. Just around 80% through Good Omens. Otherwise I liked Neverwhere the most.
    What got me to sci-fi?
    Frank Herbert and his Dune saga I guess.
    What got me to fantasy?
    Mr. J.R.R.Tolkien with his Hobbit and subsequently LOTR. (Many years ago, so books. Not movies.)
  • FinneousPJFinneousPJ Member Posts: 6,455
    @dunbar Darker sounds great. I'll have to read them, then.

    @DreadKhan I think my first was Eddings as well. Before that I was mostly into thrillers and war books.
  • dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
    Food for thought: "The Dice Man" by Luke Rhinehart. I read it back in the early seventies, before I started playing DnD, and I'm still not sure whether I'm enlightened or mentally scarred as a result!
  • mch202mch202 Member Posts: 1,455
    I was looking for something light to read, so I started to read a classic for the first time:

    "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" by Douglas Adams

    Right now I'm at book 1 out of 5, sentences like "almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea" are pure brilliancy!

    After that I will probably move to what @booinyoureyes recommended, sounds interesting!


  • SouthpawSouthpaw Member Posts: 2,026
    "The ships hung on the sky, exactly the same way bricks don't"
  • CrevsDaakCrevsDaak Member Posts: 7,155
    @DreadKhan‌ if you want to read sci-fi I'd recommend reading Fahrenheit 451, The Illustrated Man, Martian Chronicles (this one is from where @mlnevese‌ got his martian origin :p) and probably I'm missing some others that are pretty good, too.
  • dunbardunbar Member Posts: 1,603
    edited September 2014
    An interesting thought that's just occurred to me is that 'The Dice Man' which I mentioned earlier (and is about making real-life decisions based on a dice roll) was published in 1971, some three years before DnD.
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