The Book Thread
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Nuclear replied on Tue Mar 18, 2008 @ 10:15pm |
 Coolness: 2604005 | Name good books people might have not heard of... And discuss them if you feel like it.
BOOK 1: A Stranger In A Strange Land 
Stranger in a Strange Land is a best-selling 1961 Hugo Award-winning science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein. It tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a human raised by Martians on the planet Mars, upon his return to Earth in early adulthood. The novel explores his interaction with — and eventual transformation of — Earth culture. The novel's title refers to the Biblical Book of Exodus.[1] According to Heinlein in Grumbles from the Grave, the novel's working title was The Heretic. Several later editions of the book have promoted it as "The most famous Science Fiction Novel ever written."[2] --- Valentine Michael Smith is the son of two of the eight astronauts of an ill-fated first human expedition to the planet Mars. Orphaned when the crew died (the full story of how this happened is not portrayed, but his parents were unambiguously murdered by his mother's husband, who later committed suicide), Smith is raised in the culture of the native inhabitants of the planet, beings whose minds live in another world (compare Waldo). The story portrays Valentine Michael Smith's adaptation to, and understanding of, humans and their culture, which is portrayed as an amplified version of consumerist and media-driven 20th-century America. More Info: [ en.wikipedia.org ] Church of All Worlds: [ www.caw.org ] |
| I'm feeling nuclear right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» regimental911 replied on Tue Mar 18, 2008 @ 10:16pm |
 Coolness: 134290 | Fish
Jt Parsell |
| I'm feeling one ton soldiers right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Screwhead replied on Tue Mar 18, 2008 @ 11:19pm |
 Coolness: 685610 | Everything William Gibson has written (on his own; The Diffrence Engien with Bruce Sterling was CRAP); Specifically the Sprawl trilogy (Neuromancer, Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive) which is the origin of Cyberpunk.
They're all good really (though I haven't read the latest, Spook Country, yet) Sprawl Trilogy: Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive Bridge Trilogy: Virtual Light, Idoru, All Tomorrow's Parties and his recent set of books: Patern Recognition and Spook Country (even though I haven't read Spook Country yet, there's no way it can't be as amazing as the rest of his work) |
| I'm feeling the no pussy blues right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» DCRn replied on Wed Mar 19, 2008 @ 12:30am |
 Coolness: 158255 | The Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelazny.
It starts like a thriller, then goes completely weird, ends up being medieval for a while and then totally goes cyberpunk. It's hard to properly explains but it's a mind trip! If on a Winter's Night, a Traveler by Italo Calvino. Wikipedia explains it like this: This book is about a reader trying to read a book called If on a winter's night a traveler. It's... very special. The reader (and YOU, yes YOU) end up on a quest to find the missing passages of the book you're reading, which have been changed by other passages which strangely fit the story. It's a mind puzzle and it's beautifully developed. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Genius kids are used by the military to prepare against an alien invasion. The book is normal "military lifestyle versus kid growing up" until the last fourth, where it goes trough a very, very, very surprising twist. American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Probably my top favorite. Shadow, a tough man out of jail, meets Mr.Wednesday who offers him a job as a bodyguard. Shadow then discovers that reality is not all that it seems and he will find out what happens to Gods when they are forgotten. It's such an amazing tale, especially for the mythology nuts. It's a raw, brutal take on past religions, set in dirty, decrepit American ghettos and bizarre locations. |
| I'm feeling margarinalized right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» fishead replied on Wed Mar 19, 2008 @ 12:36am |
 Coolness: 75690 | Originally Posted By SCREWHEAD
Everything William Gibson has written (on his own; The Diffrence Engien with Bruce Sterling was CRAP); Specifically the Sprawl trilogy (Neuromancer, Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive) which is the origin of Cyberpunk. They're all good really (though I haven't read the latest, Spook Country, yet) Sprawl Trilogy: Neuromancer, Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive Bridge Trilogy: Virtual Light, Idoru, All Tomorrow's Parties and his recent set of books: Patern Recognition and Spook Country (even though I haven't read Spook Country yet, there's no way it can't be as amazing as the rest of his work) I really liked Burning Chrome, although that's a collection of short stories... Maldoror by Lautreamont takes a bit of work to get into, but once you're in... it gets pretty intense... surrealist writing from the 1870's that somehow seems to combine aspects of Nietzche and Lovecraft (and predates both of them!)... Trout Fishing In America by Richard Brautigan. Just fucking read the book... brilliant and bizarre. Beautiful Losers by Leonard Cohen. There's an entire chapter detailing a rimjob fantasy... how can anyone live a complete life without reading that? |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Mico replied on Wed Mar 19, 2008 @ 1:34am |
 Coolness: 150480 | That's funny that mention that one Noah, because one of my friends had recommended it to me not too long ago. He told me "Mico, you're the kind of person who could appreciate this shit." So yeah, after feeling flattered, I've put it on my list.
Invisible Monsters is a novel by Chuck Palahniuk, published in 1999. It is his third novel to be published, though it was his second written novel (after the unpublished Insomnia: If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Already). The novel was originally supposed to be Palahniuk's first novel to be published, but it was rejected by the publisher for being too disturbing. After the success of his novel Fight Club, Invisible Monsters was given a second chance, and a revised version of it was published. --- The story follows three characters including the narrator as they travel across North America. The story constantly jumps around to different points in the narrator's life. Initially the only named character is Brandy Alexander, with the other two characters living under assumed identities. The story is narrated by Daisy St. Patience, a name given to her by Brandy Alexander. Over the course of the novel, the narrator reveals the events that led up to her current situation. She was a beautiful young fashion model until she became the victim of an accident that left her disfigured and unable to speak. During her stay in the hospital the narrator meets Brandy Alexander, who encourages Daisy to use her tragedy to completely change the way she lives her life. The narrator hits the road with Brandy and her two-timing ex-boyfriend in search for a brand-new past, present and future. "If I can’t be beautiful, I want to be invisible." |
| I'm feeling cool right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» JasonBeastly replied on Wed Mar 19, 2008 @ 1:53am |
 Coolness: 76730 | I'm currently reading the Anthony Bourdain's crazy cooking memoirs, Kitchen Confidential. This book is great, goes into a lot of detail about how it is working in a high-paced kitchen, sort of advice for up-and-coming chefs or anyone interested in understanding "the underbelly of the food industry". Really engrossing and informative.
Before that I was delving through an anthology of Philip K. Dick stories including The Minority Report, which is a much shorter story than the movie ever was. There are some really amazing stories in here. Personal favourites are Autofac, which is a very realistic post-apocalyptic tale where automatic factories or autofacs are depleting the last of the world's resources and a group of people tries to figure out how to disable the system, and the Reconstructed M, which is a bizarre story about a morphing robot that frames people for murders it commits. Typical Dick. Heh hehe heh. I said dick. |
| I'm feeling virulent right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Smurf replied on Wed Mar 19, 2008 @ 7:23am |
 Coolness: 43020 | For those that like fantasy (I dont enjoy it much, but this i found very good), the rift wars saga by Raymond. E. Feist
You mentioned Heinlein, so i'd say any of his books is worth a read, not just stranger in a strange land. The moon is a harsh mistress is a pretty good one too. Well, like i said, any of his books. 100 years of solitude (i just translated the title from spanish, not sure if its exactly that) from Gabriel Garcia Marquez most of what Van Vogt wrote. It was mentionned but i'll mention it again: Ender's game. Definitly the #1 sci-fi book i would recommend to anyone not into sci-fi as a good start. And this is only if you got some time and love sci-fi: Perry Rhodan saga. I'm saying if you got time, because there are 235+ books (and yes, its a continuous story). Its cheap pulp writing, but its highly entertaining. In its original language (german) there are 2000+ books. The translation goes slower than the creation. To really enjoy the series someone has to start at the beginning tho, but the books are made so you can start anywhere. |
| I'm feeling booooored right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Trey replied on Wed Mar 19, 2008 @ 9:38am |
 Coolness: 102785 | I have lots books in my little library and I like nearly all of them. So I’ll suggest the ones that I’m currently reading now. Yes, I’m simultaneously reading them at the same time. To balance the thread, I’ll stick to non-fiction.
The ETHNIC CLEANSING of PALESTINE: by Ilan Pappe, an Israeli Historian. It’s about the Alnakba. “Around a million people were expelled from their homes at gunpoint, civilians were massacred, and hundreds of Palestinian villages destroyed.” It talks about Israel systematic slow ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians over the span of 6 decades. BTW, the author is coming to Concordia U. on March 25th @ 19:00. Religion Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Thought: by Pascal Boyer. One of the toughest books I’ve ever read. It is about evolutionary biology and cognitive psychology. Basically, the author talks about how the thought process works and how religious concepts are easily accepted by human beings. A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000-323 BC: by Marc Van De Mieroop. From the first city-state, Uruk (about 200 km south-east of Baghdad ) to the Persia Empire. Civilisation certainly didn’t start with the Greeks. The World without us: by Alan Weisman What would happen if all humans disappear suddenly? Which of our accomplishments would survive? I suggest to scope out the video documentary, Aftermath: Population Zero, first. If you like it, then check out the book. The London Underworld in the Victorian Period by Henry Mayhew and others. Actual testimonies and first person accounts of the vices of 19th century London. The book is divided by Beggars, Thieves and Prostitutes. The whores’ section is the best part of the book. Gentleman pimpin’ at its best. The Great War for Civilisation, the conquest of the Middle East: by Robert Fisk Anytime of you dumb fucks who perceived himself as an “intellectual” and fancy that they think they know about Islam and geo-politiks, I am going to throw this 1 200 pages book at you ( with everything else I know also). If you’re interested in World Politics, if you’re tired of Western Corporate sponsor medias, then you can start with this book. Easy read. ----fin |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» cvxn replied on Wed Mar 19, 2008 @ 9:47am |
 Coolness: 178665 | nice thread, me taking notes ;) |
| I'm feeling -__- right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» raisinlove replied on Wed Mar 19, 2008 @ 1:25pm |
 Coolness: 62970 | I'm a post-apop fan. Here are my recommendations for post-nuclear regressed society fun:
Creepy book about new christian fundamentalists who raise human cattle for consumption 
This is the first in a series of 7 books about the new societies that have arisen out of the chaos 1000 years from now... |
| I'm feeling assaulting the world right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» M-A-X replied on Wed Mar 19, 2008 @ 9:50pm |
 Coolness: 121655 | Book 1:
A Path Where No Man Thought: Nuclear Winter and the End of the Arms Race(1990) by Carl Sagan, Richard Turco 
Totally my kind of book ;-) Talking about the effects of a nuclear war more exacly the aftermath...THE NUCLEAR WINTER! MOuahahaha High-altitude dust particles and smoke generated by even a "limited" nuclear war could plunge the Earth into cold and darkness. The ensuing "nuclear winter," as Sagan and Turco first predicted in the early 1980s, would bring famine, radioactive fallout, depletion of stratospheric ozone and an influx of lethal solar ultraviolet radiation. In an important, hope-giving report, the eminent astronomer and atmospheric scientist team up to refute critics of the nuclear winter hypothesis, and to spell out in greater detail what the environmental and social consequences of such an apocalypse might be. Nuclear winter makes it likely that "nearly all Americans will die" in a central exchange of missiles between the two superpowers, the authors stress. Their detailed proposals for reducing arsenals to achieve a "minimum sufficient deterrance" make this a book that neither concerned citizens nor policymakers can ignore. And the most awesome of this, you can get it as low as 0,39$ at [ Amazon.com ] |
| I'm feeling supa fail! right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» DrGonzo replied on Thu Apr 10, 2008 @ 11:53am |
 Coolness: 265975 | bump |
| I'm feeling the switchblade right now.. | |
| Good [+2]Toggle ReplyLink» Holly_Golightly replied on Thu Apr 10, 2008 @ 12:17pm |
 Coolness: 158755 | the road by cormac mccarthy.
a lots of people have read that book since it has been publish in 2006. i was very reluctant first because the book have made his way to the oprah book club. i finally gave it a shot when the book came to my hands as a gift. i read it at night and finish it after 3 day. it's a short novel. i would be surprise you haven't hear from the story but maybe there is still some curious : it is set in a future post apocalypse america. almost all humans seem to have died. a father and his son try to survived and reach the cost. the father and the son don't have an identity and few clues indicate the states were they are travelling. it's a really inspiring journey and it feels so realistic. i think it never happened to me before but i finished the book crying. 1 small critic: more gore! more gore! yeah that would have been awesome. |
| I'm feeling hitched right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» raisinlove replied on Thu Apr 10, 2008 @ 12:21pm |
| Coolness: 62970 | of course I've read The Road, it's right up my alley :) |
| I'm feeling renewed right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Holly_Golightly replied on Thu Apr 10, 2008 @ 1:02pm |
| Coolness: 158755 | 0_o? |
| I'm feeling hitched right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» raisinlove replied on Thu Apr 10, 2008 @ 2:32pm |
| Coolness: 62970 | just saying it's cool you mentioned this book, I'm a sucker for post-apop fiction... |
| I'm feeling renewed right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» v.2-1 replied on Thu Apr 10, 2008 @ 4:09pm |
 Coolness: 159140 | Reading hurts my brain. |
| I'm feeling in the past but right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Holly_Golightly replied on Thu Apr 10, 2008 @ 4:33pm |
| Coolness: 158755 | it shouldn't. |
| I'm feeling hitched right now.. | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» v.2-1 replied on Thu Apr 10, 2008 @ 6:13pm |
| Coolness: 159140 | Ouch. |
| I'm feeling in the past but right now.. | |
The Book Thread
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