Amount

Recommended Non-Genre Reading

11 Feb 2005 04:40 #79 by argonaut
Recommended Non-Genre Reading was created by argonaut
Since we have forums for music and (non-genre) movie recommendations, how about one for books?

NOTE: AK's site (I don't have the exact address offhand) has a section on genre-related fiction ... worth checking out!

I'll start the ball rolling:

I'm guessing that most of us enjoy fantasy and science fiction in general; here are three of my favorite authors:

FRITZ LEIBER: IMHO, one of the greatest fantasists of the 20th century. His many stories and novels range from horror to "mainstream" SF to sword-and-sorcery. (Sword-and-sorcery isn't quite my cup of tea, but his tales of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser are masterpieces.) You can usually find some Leiber titles in any secondhand-book store with a decent SF section.

FREDRIC BROWN: Another prolific and largely out-of-print author. Clever plot devices and a humorous touch; master of the "short-short." A fat collection of all his short fiction (FROM THESE ASHES) has been issued by a small publisher (I ordered my copy through amazon.com). He also wrote mysteries; for a truly off-beat and enjoyable mystery, try to locate a copy of NIGHT OF THE JABBERWOCK.

LORD DUNSANY: One of the originators of modern fantasy. His style is ornate but evocative. For a long time, available only in anthologies that tended to include the same dozen or so (admittedly worthy) stories -- more of his work is seeing the light of day again. His Jorkens stories (tall tales from the autocrat of the Billiards Club) have FINALLY come back into print. Again, go to amazon.com -- the books are a little pricey, but worth every penny!

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • argonaut
  • argonaut's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Elite Member
  • Elite Member
More
10 Aug 2005 03:27 #2054 by Rasa
Replied by Rasa on topic Re: Recommended Non-Genre Reading

NOTE: AK's site (I don't have the exact address offhand) has a section on genre-related fiction ... worth checking out!

julievelor.infinitybridge.com/books.html

Definitely worth checking out!

Apocalypse Troll and some of the Honor Harrington books are currently available as free downloads at the website for Baen books...
www.baen.com/library/

As for recommended reading that's not genre-related...

Dan Brown has some great tales if you enjoy numbers, codes, and mysteries. I enjoyed Digital Fortress more than The Da Vinci Code

Jeffrey Archer is another of my favorites. I loved First Among Equals.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
24 Aug 2005 05:33 #2220 by argonaut
Replied by argonaut on topic Who Loves Short-Shorts?
Reading the Workshop 2.1 stories got me thinking about some of the masters of the "short-short." Anyone who wants to see what a skilled and imaginative writer can accomplish with 1,000 words should check out these authors:

John Collier: His collection Fancies and Goodnights has been reissued in paperback. "The Chaser" and "Thus I Refute Beelzy" are brilliant short-shorts.

Saki [pen name of H. H. Munro]: His stories (mostly short-shorts) will appeal to the cynic in you. Try "The Story-Teller" -- I've read it more times than I can count, but it still makes me chuckle.

I recommended Fredric Brown and Lord Dunsany in a previous post. Both of them crafted memorable stories using only a few hundred words -- as did Ernest Hemingway in "Hills Like White Elephants" and "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place."

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • argonaut
  • argonaut's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Elite Member
  • Elite Member
More
24 Aug 2005 15:04 #2227 by argonaut
Replied by argonaut on topic Re: Recommended Non-Genre Reading
"The Chaser" -- web.csuchico.edu/~ah24/chaser.htm

"The Story-Teller" -- www.readbookonline/readOnLine/392/

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • argonaut
  • argonaut's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Elite Member
  • Elite Member
More
24 Aug 2005 16:01 #2228 by argonaut
Replied by argonaut on topic Re: Recommended Non-Genre Reading
Sorry -- You can read "The Story-Teller" at www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/392/

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • argonaut
  • argonaut's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Elite Member
  • Elite Member
More
17 Oct 2005 04:10 #3089 by MackTheMouse2
Replied by MackTheMouse2 on topic "Garrett, Confidential Investigator"
Glen Cook's Garrett series is an exceptional set of low-fantasy and the gritty detective combined. Definitely very noir- with sultry babes at the start (or end, or in the middle) of every case. Contacts in the city's underworld, the separation of the rich upper class and the lowly street thugs. Toss in elves, magic, an ongoing war in the contested midlands between kingdoms, and... man, I just can't hype this guy's writing enough.

Sweet Silver Blues
Cold Copper Tears
Red Iron Nights
Dread Brass Shadows

there's a lot of these books (around a dozen, I think), but make sure to read them in order. It's so much better seeing how each case follows the others.

He also is responsible for writing the Black Company saga, of mercenaries in service to the Dark Lord (and Lady), the guys who get jobs done for the bad guys... until they outlive their usefulness, and decide to try and quit. While stuck in the middle of the people they just left, and the forces of light that are still attacking...

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
20 Mar 2008 17:40 #11947 by julievelor
Replied by julievelor on topic Re: Recommended Non-Genre Reading
Anybody read Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber? If you have, ask yourself this question: What if the PICA hadn't had the capability to reconfigure gender?

If you haven't yet read the book, keep the question in mind as you read the book.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

More
Time to create page: 0.062 seconds