Unofficial Forum Reading List

Norm, I don't know why you threw Spillane in with Hammet and Chandler- other than a kind of type cast, they have nothing in common. Maybe you could call Spillane an impaired reader's version of Chandler. I'm sorry for my harshness, folks. But I'm pleased to see some of your selections follow along my own. Did Wambaugh write something called the Black Marble. ???

Anyway, what I really found amusing is that the Moon is a Harsh Mistress is not only the Best Heinlein, imho (nothing like a little initializing!) as it avoided the down-right wincing silliness of most of his stuff, but is is indeed worth metioning with the best of SF. You must read The Faded Sun trilogy by Cherryh. (sic?) I'll read Vaches (if I haven't already) and see what he's about. I stopped reading fiction about 15 years ago now.



munk
 
Hollowdweller, Dick's late books I guess had some of this gnostic stuff in them...especially Transmigration of Timothy Archer. Dick was brilliant and I am re-reading him in entirety.

As for Steinbeck, East of Eden is one of my all-time favorite books, I think it is his greatest work.

Let's not forget Huckleberry Finn...a brilliant book, no?

Lawrence Block is terrific, especially his Matthew Scudder series. I think his best works top Robert Parker by a longshot.
 
munk said:
Norm, I don't know why you threw Spillane in with Hammet and Chandler- other than a kind of type cast, they have nothing in common. Maybe you could call Spillane an impaired reader's version of Chandler. I'm sorry for my harshness, folks. But I'm pleased to see some of your selections follow along my own. Did Wambaugh write something called the Black Marble. ???
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I don't think Spillane writes very well.

Wambaugh wronge Black Marble, yes. I have read almost all his books and many are good, a few great. They all run together right now. Slightly OT, but The New Centurions was a really good movie. The book was great, and written while he was still with the LAPD riding around in patrol cars.
 
cognitivefun said:
Hollowdweller, Dick's late books I guess had some of this gnostic stuff in them...especially Transmigration of Timothy Archer. Dick was brilliant and I am re-reading him in entirety.
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There are several excellent articles on him and his experiences in the back issues of GNOSIS magazine. I think you can maybe get them or read them online at www.lumen.org
 
Phillip Dick was one of the great writers of the 20th century. Also his titles are the bomb. His best IMHO, from memory:

Man in the High Castle

VALIS

Transmigration of Timothy Archer

Ubik

Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said

The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch

Radio Free Albemuth




Another great writer nobody's mentioned is Arturo Perez-Riverte, especially his novel Club Dumas. Should be very interesting reading for you. Look it up on Amazon...it's that type of modern story interwoven with history and Three Musketeers and alchemy...outstanding writer, I read all of his books and they are all very good. Flanders Panel is a mystery with a historic painting in the theme, and chess...all good.

Nobody has mentioned spy novels. I love Len Deighton and have read all his books, also John Gardner. A newer author is Alan Furst and his books are exceptionally well-written.

If you want a novel that is nothing short of engrossing and where you really learn something, read The Company, a novel of the CIA, by David Littell. I couldn't put this down and was very sorry when I had finished it.
 
hollowdweller said:
Cognitive,

speaking of Nag Hammadi and VALIS by Phillip K Dick did you know that he had some sort of a religious experience and incorporated a lot of the ideas of the Gnostics into his writing?
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Big fan of the Nag Hammadi library, and a huge fan of Dick. I'm a big ol' Dick fan--can't get enough Dick! Wait, that just sounds wrong... :D

Pick up a copy of In Pursuit of Valis if you can find one--excerpts from Dick's exegesis. Powerful stuff.
 
I think Dick is the bomb. I've got probably 25-30 Dick novels. Have to be careful not to read him all the time though--I'm already a little crazy--Dick makes me even crazier. He wasn't the most stable fellow in the world.

Did you know they're making an animated movie of A Scanner Darkly? I can't wait, though unfortunately, Keanu Reeves plays Arctor. I guess he won't have much trouble portraying the organic brain damage at least :rolleyes:
 
An Oblique Approach by David Drake, great series.

The Bolo series by Keith Laumer.

All the old Solomon Kane stories by R. E. Howard have just been collected in an illustrated trade paperback. Some of the attitudes are archaic, but it is the stuff I grew up on.

Patrick O'Brian's books, all 20+ of them. Avast there!

Dies the Fire by Stirling. Grim and thought provoking.

1632 by Eric Flint
 
munk said:
Yes, Zelazny's Amber series. I don't recall a satisfying conclusion, and a lot of repeat besides, but he gives you a good place to settle into and takes care of the reader along the way.
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I can't believe that I forgot this gem. If you buy the whole shebang, you'll have a solid week or so of good reading. I enjoy a plot twist as much as the next guy but they're doubly satisfying when they actually make sense in the end. Zelazny shines here.

And no, Munk, I'm not going to mention the ending. Read it again. You deserve it. :)
 
Josh Feltman said:
Did you know they're making an animated movie of A Scanner Darkly? I can't wait, though unfortunately, Keanu Reeves plays Arctor. I guess he won't have much trouble portraying the organic brain damage at least :rolleyes:
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forgot that one...another masterpiece...Keanu Reeves is horrible...
 
David Brin is anothe excellant SF author. My favorite is 'Sundiver', followed by 'Uplift War'. Very good alien contact themes.

I liked the first Amber series a lot. Didn't think much of the second.

Light ghost stories (a genre often overlooked in knife circles): 'The Far Traveler' by Manning Coles. Love it.

'The Cosmic Computer' (also published as 'Junkyard Planet'), by H. Beam Piper. Appeals to the young boy in all of us.

Spy stories: one of the best, most unconventional is 'The Spy Who Spoke Porpoise' by Philip Wylie. Set in Hawaii, very different.

SF again: Tim Powers, 'The Anubis Gates'. Different take on time travel.

Mystery: Any of the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes novels by Laurie R. King.

Enjoy the Perez-Reverte books a lot. 'The Fencing Master' was make into a pretty good move. Spanish, subtitled.
 
Hollow Dweller and Josh both mentioned the NHL. (NOT the National Hockey League Bruise), anyone else have any comments about it? It's on the list to be read, but I want to get the rest of the Woodwright books first...
 
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