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Author Topic: What are you reading?  (Read 34075 times)

Offline joshuaslater

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #30 on: October 19, 2005, 09:57:11 AM »
Yes, my friends break my balls for reading them, saying they're written at about a fifth grade reading level, but all scathing criticism aside, I'll still buy them, read, and enjoy, guilty pleasure or no. 

Thanks for the applause.  The latest Warhammer book I've read is that "Guardians of the Forest".  It was just okay. 

I still have to score the last two books in Fritz Leiber's Swords novels.   
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Offline Catinator

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #31 on: October 20, 2005, 06:00:15 AM »
At the moment I`m reading the Lovecraft Omnibus Book 1 "At the mountains of Madness". I read it a long time ago but I was quite impressed with his early novels too..

                 Greetings,

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Offline Veez

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #32 on: October 21, 2005, 05:27:58 AM »
I'll step up to the plate and fire back that WOT is a fine series for those who don't expect answers at the end of the novel each time.  It is a long war and takes a long time to unravel.  The characters are multi-facted and each has his or her own motivations, something conflicting.  There is also much deeper meaning such as the paralles between the energies used by the two sexes and the relationships between men and women.  The best way to read them is one after another and no separated by actual years; the plot is too complex and you spend too much time trying to figure out who is who.  I will agree that they have slowed under their own momentup but the author has indicated that they will begin to accelerate again.

I have also recently read James Harriot's semi-autobiographies about his life as a British Vet in the 1930's, quite a bit of Dan Abnett (most recently Ravenor and Double Eagle), The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy (also by Lewis) The Dune pre-quels (not up to the standard of the original by any stretch of the imagination), a bit of John Ringo, and Excavation by James Rollins (not a great work but it passed the time).  Generation Kill is also quite good, as is the CH-46E NATOPS (the flow of the emergency procedures is smooth but to the point, I also reccomend the section on the emergency throttle).  It would be nice to see some new MC/WZ books but you guys already have too much on your plate and frankly if it isn't going to be done right, don't do it (that means not hiring Stackpoole again who I am boycotting for political and artistic reasons).



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Offline joshuaslater

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #33 on: October 21, 2005, 06:24:51 AM »
It's funny Veez, 'cause as much as I find flaws in the Wheel of Time, I'm still going through the fifth book!  Talk about mixed emotions.  There's still enough to hold my interest, which is what I put in the beginning of this thread, but I understand how some readers might not be able to stand it.  So while I can see both sides of the criticism, I think I'll just keep on keepin' on.  I gotta find out where this story goes, in the same way I'm a sucker for the fluff (excellent fluff) of Chronopia. 

Veez--who is Stackpoole?  You don't have to go into your reasons for boycott.  I just was curious where this person's name appears.  Is it a Warzone thang?  I haven't delved into Warzone yet....only a matter of time.  Cheers.
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Offline Veez

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #34 on: October 21, 2005, 11:10:25 PM »
Bear in mind that I may be spelling his name wrong but Michael Stackpole (poole? dang it!) got his start doing the Battletech novels (at least that's were he hit the big time) and they were fantastic; epic, well written, etc.  He also a phonominal trilogy for Dark Conspiracy.  He knocked out a couple of orginal works that were so-so.  He is relevant to MC in that he wrote the third novel in the trilogy which was good up until the end where he cheesed out.  I will admint it is the best of the three; the first was awful, the second passable.  I think that marked the beginning of his decline because after that all his works started to blend together (main character has amnesia, never makes mistakes, etc.).

Though I will not retract my position on WOT I will admit that they grow ponderous at times but if you push through you will find them worth reading.  Usually you find more on the second reading that you missed or glossed over the first go around.

I love the WZ fluff; what I like about Chronopia is that it is not the blatant Tolken rip-off that drives the other systems.  Yes you have elves and dwarves and their is a strong influence but the creaters were not afraid to go their own direction. 

To end on a high note, I will reccomend The Fionnovar Trilogy by Guy Gavirel Kay.  Good, solid epic fantasy.  His other works are good as well but I think he peaked out early.
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Offline joshuaslater

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #35 on: October 25, 2005, 05:52:00 AM »
Veez--you nailed down what I like about Chronopia.  The Elves don't sing like the smurfs, the Orcs and Goblins are a smart civilization, and the Dwarves don't look and behave like John Rhys-Davies.  I loved reading Tolkien, mind, and it propelled my roleplaying experience as a youth, but this fantasy setting rocks!

P.S. I'm halfway through book five of WOT.  What I see people not liking is the bits of Tolkien that were borrowed.  The whole first book reminded me of Frodo and Company being chased by the black riders.  The storyline is deep, and if it wasn't somewhat engaging, I wouldn't have made it this far.  Thanks for the encouragement.  Cheers.
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Offline Jibbajabbawocky

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #36 on: November 03, 2005, 12:13:37 PM »
Hmm..... lets see...

Within the last 2 months, I've read the first 3 Rogue Warrior books by Dick Marchinko, which are great quasi-biographical stories of his time in the Navy SEALS and after (the first was an actual auto-biography, and is damn fine)

I finished reading Rainbow Six, which I quite enjoyed, even though it dragged in the middle. (I love Tom Clancy, but I will admit his books can get a bit long winded)

I read the Dune prequal trilogy, and thought it was pretty good.

I read the first 2 Trollslayer books, and damn, I love them. :)

Hmm..... apart from that, I read about 6 or so Destroyer novels, which are nice, quick, and damn good fun.

Now I need to start on the Foundation Trilogy, and the last Flashman book...
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Offline Firefly

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #37 on: November 04, 2005, 08:44:53 PM »
Found this thread and thought I would drop in my two cents...

I am hip deep in reading the Warhammer, Malus Darkblade book.  My next book will probably be Harry Turtledove's Settling Accounts: Return Engagement.  I read his alternate history, In the Balance and was hooked.  I also have a pile of 40k novels I should try and work my way through.

Props to the Troll Slayer fans!!

If anyone is looking for a really good SciFi book (IMO) pick up John Steakley's Armor.
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Offline joshuaslater

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #38 on: November 05, 2005, 08:13:59 AM »
I've heard great things about Armor.  'Have to read it.  Malus Darkblade was a fun read.  Great anti-hero.  Cheers.
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Offline masherking

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #39 on: November 09, 2005, 10:58:32 AM »
Armor is very good book.
loved it from start to finish.

you should total read it.

-steve
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Offline Anomander_Rake

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #40 on: November 09, 2005, 01:03:55 PM »
Quote from: Veez on October 21, 2005, 11:10:25 PM
......  I think that marked the beginning of his decline because after that all his works started to blend together (main character has amnesia, never makes mistakes, etc.). .........

I guess you haven't read any of his books lately?  ;)

Anyway, the first books I read in SciFi/Fantasy, besides R.A. Salvatore, haven been the Stackpole Books... altough I've never read his Star Wars-Novels, I can't see anything of this decline...

Perhaps I'm not that objective about his books, the is one of my most-liked authors, but I haven't read a book of him in the last years that had been as bad as you say. I would say he hasn't even reached his climax...but I could be not objective enough...

just my two cents...

Anomander Rake
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Offline Wolfshade

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #41 on: November 12, 2005, 02:15:59 AM »
  Just finished Game of Thrones ( I'm hooked), big Stackpole fan also, Abnetts Gaunts' Ghosts series is a fave read as well as the Trollslayer series by King. 
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Offline Veez

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #42 on: November 12, 2005, 03:18:30 AM »
Have read him recently.

Common threads:


Amnesia - lost track of how many times this plot device has been used
1st Person Main Characters - never make mistakes
Mecha - can't get away from it, even in his fantasy novels
Can't give a bad guy a decent name to save his life (the Ice Queen, the Chaos Lord?  Please!)

Dark Glory War followed this threat for the most part.  The Trilogy that followed broke from it a little.
Frankly he peaked at the Dark Conspiracy trilogy.
My dissapointment is born of previous hope.  Maybe I'll give his new trilogy a whirl for old times sake but I am not optomistic.
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Edwebley

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #43 on: November 14, 2005, 09:23:45 AM »
Welp, I wish I had time to re-read the WoT series. I stopped reading them at about book 7, I just got tired af trying to remember all the extraneous plots that keep going on from book to book. Now Im hearing the latest installment is actually decent. So I have forgotten all previous events so I need to rehash the good books at least. What I mean from that is that the first 5 are pretty decent if you dont mind the borrowing, but it can get to be a strain to carry on after that.

Right now Im reading Napoleon Bonaparte by Alan Schom. Its a pretty comprehensive work about "the little bugger", as he is described by some of his advisaries.

Before that I zipped through Revenge of the Sith. The book is remarkably better than the movie.

Ed
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Offline joshuaslater

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Re: What are you reading?
« Reply #44 on: November 14, 2005, 09:59:10 AM »
I'm dyin' over here!  I am exasperated.  Book five is half way read, and I stopped to read two Warhammer novels.  'Haven't spun the wheel again yet.  Sigh.
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