Here's a thread to tell people about great books nobody reads

[quote name='shadow9689']Favorite book : Anything Michael Crichton writes. Andromeda Strain, and that new one that came out 2 years ago, forgot the name of it.[/quote]

Prey?
 
Even though Steven King is a well know and a well read author I think the Dark Tower series is way under rated . It's probably my favorite books of all time !
 
[quote name='TheGunslinger6']Even though Steven King is a well know and a well read author I think the Dark Tower series is way under rated . It's probably my favorite books of all time ![/quote]

Did you like the conclusion?
 
[quote name='"dopa345"'][quote name='javeryh']Going off a different track though, does anyone read any history? I often find it more interesting than most fiction. Robert K. Massie's books on Russian history, "Peter the Great, His Life and World" and "Nicholas and Alexandria" are both excellent reads with plots more compelling than fiction.[/quote]

There's a great book - "What if?" about wars that could have turned the other way (includes the Revolutionary war and everyone's favorite, WW2)
Fascinating historical reading, even if you aren't a big war buff.

There's great historical fiction (books about war) in Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" and "Tides of War", the guy knows his classical history and he makes it so damn interesting. Don't bother with his "Legend of Bagger Vance" though, that book is a WASTE OF TIME.
 
[quote name='dtcarson'][quote name='woobacca'][quote name='dtcarson']That Hyperion series was pretty good. The Shrike did kick much ass :)
A couple of my all-time favorites are:
Stranger in a Strange Land [unedited version] - R Heinlein
Gaea trilogy-Titan, Wizard, Demon--John Varley [actually, all of his stuff, and Heinlein's, is good]
Bio of a Space Tyrant- Piers Anthony
[/quote]
oh yeah the gaea trilogy - i would guess that this series is not very well known, but good stuff! what else has john varley written?[/quote]

Not a whole lot.
Steel Beach [one of the most attention-getting opening lines in science fiction: '"The penis will be obsolete within 5 years"], The Golden Globe, Red Thunder [last year], Ophiuchi Hotline and Millenium [like the movie about time-traveling rescue people]. A couple more novels I can't recall, and a lot short stories. He's not real prolific, at least as novels go, but I've enjoyed everything I've read by him. Here's a [slightly out of date] bibliography. http://isfdb.tamu.edu/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?John_Varley[/quote]

Varley is really a short story guy at heart. He wrote 'Millenium' only grudgingly when Hollywood drove a truck load of money up to his house. "I'm not made of stone!" The horrible novel was originally an excellent short story that would have been perfect as a Twilight Zone episode. You can tell how much he hated doing that novel version from the way he literally brought in God at the end to wrap things up. The literary equivalent of a temper tantrum.

'Ender's Game' was also a much better novella but Card got the idea for a whole truck load of book derived from it so he wrote a long dull novel to set that up. It is a shaggy dog story and that doesn't lend itself to length.
 
The "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Philip Pullman is one of the best series I have read. (Golden Compass is the first book). For anyone who digs Harry Potter or Earthsea or teh Narnia books, you should really check this out.

Also:
Anything at all by Jonathan Lethem, Philip K. Dick, Samuel Delaney, Ursula K. LeGuin, David Sedaris.

A People's History of America by Howard Zinn is my all-time favorite non-fiction book.

And as far as the DaVinci Code goes, I thought it was one of the worst written books I've ever read. I recommend it to anyone who wants to laugh their asses off at cheap and lazy characterization, and horridly over-written prose.
 
[quote name='jlarlee'][quote name='shadow9689']Favorite book : Anything Michael Crichton writes. Andromeda Strain, and that new one that came out 2 years ago, forgot the name of it.[/quote]

Prey?[/quote]
There you go!
That was it, prey!
It was the one with the technology in the desert and stuffs like that.
 
[quote name='poormojo']The "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Philip Pullman is one of the best series I have read. (Golden Compass is the first book). For anyone who digs Harry Potter or Earthsea or teh Narnia books, you should really check this out.

Also:
Anything at all by Jonathan Lethem, Philip K. Dick, Samuel Delaney, Ursula K. LeGuin, David Sedaris.

A People's History of America by Howard Zinn is my all-time favorite non-fiction book.

And as far as the DaVinci Code goes, I thought it was one of the worst written books I've ever read. I recommend it to anyone who wants to laugh their asses off at cheap and lazy characterization, and horridly over-written prose.[/quote]

If you think Howard Zinn writes non-fiction you should really enjoy this 19th Century novelist named KArl MArx.
 
[quote name='hiccupleftovers']Well if you're into anything sci-fi, then you should read anything and everything written by Timothy Zahn. He creates interesting characters that keep you on the edge of you seat that you must continue to read until you have finished. He pens impressive dialogue as well.[/quote]

Strangely enough, Zahn is who got me interested in reading... Being a diehard Star Wars fan (before Lucas decided to anally rape my favorite childhood movies), I picked up his Thrawn Trilogy (Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, Star Wars: Dark Force Rising, and Star Wars: Last Command) and was sucked into Zahn's descriptive prose. After that it was all over, couldn't stop putting down good books. It was my gateway drug into Heinlein (I've read pretty much everything of his - Stranger in a Strange Land, I Will Fear No Evil, Starship Troopers, etc.), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, etc.), Tom Clancy, Anne Rice, John Grisham, Phil K. Dick, and a host of other great authors
 
If you think Howard Zinn writes non-fiction you should really enjoy this 19th Century novelist named KArl MArx.
Click to expand...

I do enjoy Karl Marx. I've read the Communist Manifesto and chunks of Das Kapital. But I like Kropotkin better.
 
I have to put my $0.02 in for Douglas Adams, both HHGTTG and Dirk Gently series of books, as well as Tom Clancy, Robert Heinlein, and lord knows what else on my bookcase I need to look through and go post titles of up here.

And thanks to jlarlee, I'm going to track down the books that created my namesake before I knew it had a namesake.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']I have to put my $0.02 in for Douglas Adams, both HHGTTG and Dirk Gently series of books, as well as Tom Clancy, Robert Heinlein, and lord knows what else on my bookcase I need to look through and go post titles of up here.

And thanks to jlarlee, I'm going to track down the books that created my namesake before I knew it had a namesake.[/quote]

Yea if you end up liking it you should turn your avatar into an actual shrike. The art of him was quite bad ass
 
[quote name='dopa345'][quote name='javeryh']I just finished The DaVinci Code byt Dan Brown since it gets so much hype and it was pretty good - I think at least part of its populaity comes from the fact that it has heavy religious themes and paints Catholics and evil nut jobs.[/quote]

If you thought Da Vinci Code is anti-Catholic (I thought it was a great read though BTW), the prior book in the series, which I also heartily recommend, "Angels and Demons" is even more so.[/quote]

I'd second Angels and Demons. I'm liking it a lot so far, and actually interested me only a few pages in to not want to put it down.
 
[quote name='The Gifuto'][quote name='poormojo']"Hyperion" is a retelling of Chaurcer's Canterbury Tale, right? I tried reading it, but couldn't get into it.

Has anyone read George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" series? I'm just starting the second book, and I'm loving the series.[/quote]

I've read the first 2 books of the "Game of Thrones". Both were excellents reads. I have really enjoyed how the story and characters are progressing. I'm kicking around the idea of starting the 3rd, now that the 4th one finally was released (hardcover). Hopefully this series won't turn out like the Wheel of Time (long, drawn-out, with no end in sight).

EDIT: The series is actually titled "A Song of Ice and Fire"[/quote]

A Song of Fire and Ice is a great series that's far too overlooked and I highly suggest as well. Also anyone interested in this series should check out the graphic novel called The Hedge Knight, technically not a book I suppose but a good time nonetheless.
 
hmm, some that I have read...

The Eye of the Needle- Ken Follet
Ender's Game- Orson Scott Card
Sirens of Titan- Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
 
Anybody mention George R. R. Martin yet? If not, he NEEDS to be mentioned.

Some of the best fantasy being written right now.

Dave Duncan's pretty good too, but not quite the same scale. We're talking 400 page books versus 1000 page books, with Martin being the writer of the bigger ones.
 
[quote name='jaykrue'][quote name='hiccupleftovers']Well if you're into anything sci-fi, then you should read anything and everything written by Timothy Zahn. He creates interesting characters that keep you on the edge of you seat that you must continue to read until you have finished. He pens impressive dialogue as well.[/quote]

Strangely enough, Zahn is who got me interested in reading... Being a diehard Star Wars fan (before Lucas decided to anally rape my favorite childhood movies), I picked up his Thrawn Trilogy (Star Wars: Heir to the Empire, Star Wars: Dark Force Rising, and Star Wars: Last Command) and was sucked into Zahn's descriptive prose. After that it was all over, couldn't stop putting down good books. It was my gateway drug into Heinlein (I've read pretty much everything of his - Stranger in a Strange Land, I Will Fear No Evil, Starship Troopers, etc.), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, etc.), Tom Clancy, Anne Rice, John Grisham, Phil K. Dick, and a host of other great authors[/quote]

Strange, you sound exactly like me. He is the one that got me interested in reading in the first place. I was fed up with the literature that was being suggested and provided by my school, so my uncle recommended the Star Wars novels and in particular the Thrawn trilogy by Zahn. Such an amazing book with such vivid and interesting characters. I love how he formulated Grand Admiral Thrawn as not being able to understand the Force but yet still be able to command a fight and have everything thought out. I have read nearly every one of his works outside of Star Wars fiction as well like the Conqueror's trilogy. His books never seem to long but rather always seem to be too short, leaving you wanting more. He is by far my favorite author. He is as you put, "my gateway drug" and was for me as well. I have read Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Isaac Aasimov, just countless authors. I cannot thank him and my uncle enough for introducing me to him and his works and for opening me too good literature instead of what they provide us in today's schools.

Now although he is one of the perenial (sp) authors that most speak of, his pressence seems to be waning as time goes on but I would like to mention frank Herbert and the Dune series. Such an awesome series. A must read for any fan of the art of sci-fi.
 
[quote name='"fragmanslayer"']The Dark Tower Series is also one of my current "must finish reading as soon as I have time and money to get the rest of the books" reading list.[/quote]

They currently have the paperback versions at costco through the wolves of calla. They are about $10 a book.

I recommend fast food nation as well. It is like a modern version of the jungle.
 
i don't want to quote all of that Star wars stuff. But is there any resource on what order the SW books should be read? I have always wanted to get into them but I wanted to read them in a decnt order
 
[quote name='Duo_Maxwell'][quote name='The Gifuto'][quote name='poormojo']"Hyperion" is a retelling of Chaurcer's Canterbury Tale, right? I tried reading it, but couldn't get into it.

Has anyone read George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" series? I'm just starting the second book, and I'm loving the series.[/quote]

I've read the first 2 books of the "Game of Thrones". Both were excellents reads. I have really enjoyed how the story and characters are progressing. I'm kicking around the idea of starting the 3rd, now that the 4th one finally was released (hardcover). Hopefully this series won't turn out like the Wheel of Time (long, drawn-out, with no end in sight).

EDIT: The series is actually titled "A Song of Ice and Fire"[/quote]

A Song of Fire and Ice is a great series that's far too overlooked and I highly suggest as well. Also anyone interested in this series should check out the graphic novel called The Hedge Knight, technically not a book I suppose but a good time nonetheless.[/quote]

I'm about halfway done with "A Storm of Swords" (Book 3) and I'm absolutely loving the series. Can't wait for the fourth book.

I had read Jordon's first "Wheel of Time" book and it became a chore to read it. I was really disappointed and have no intention on pursuing the rest of the series.

Edit: Book 4 of "A Song of Fire and Ice" has not been released yet (as someone mentioned it had). It's slated for July 26, 2005, according to Amazon.com. Looks like I'll be busy reading both Harry Potter and this series!
 
this is a cool thread i'm interested to see what scifi fantasy type books are good out there since when i'm in the bookstore i just look at the pretty fantasy art covers and never know whats a good read. Some pics of covers and links to your choices for cheap would be cool to look at????
 
For non-fiction I always recommend John Hersey's "Hiroshima". It's an amazing book of first hand accounts of the bomb dropped in WWII.
 
Dragonlance Chronicles, followed by Drangonlance Legends. Both are excellent series, Chronicles can get a bit boring at times, but Legends was quite enjoyable all the way through.

Also, it may be a bit on the kiddie side, but I've enjoyed the Redwall Books by Brian Jacques. They are fantasy books with all the characters as animals.
 
[quote name='Duo_Maxwell'][quote name='The Gifuto'][quote name='poormojo']"Hyperion" is a retelling of Chaurcer's Canterbury Tale, right? I tried reading it, but couldn't get into it.

Has anyone read George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" series? I'm just starting the second book, and I'm loving the series.[/quote]

I've read the first 2 books of the "Game of Thrones". Both were excellents reads. I have really enjoyed how the story and characters are progressing. I'm kicking around the idea of starting the 3rd, now that the 4th one finally was released (hardcover). Hopefully this series won't turn out like the Wheel of Time (long, drawn-out, with no end in sight).

EDIT: The series is actually titled "A Song of Ice and Fire"[/quote]

A Song of Fire and Ice is a great series that's far too overlooked and I highly suggest as well. Also anyone interested in this series should check out the graphic novel called The Hedge Knight, technically not a book I suppose but a good time nonetheless.[/quote]

Great series, but the problem isn't that its overlooked its that the fucking author hasn't gotten his act together and finished the 4th book, the delays on that thing have been ridiculous, until that book comes out he'll stay under the radar.
 
[quote name='hiccupleftovers']Now although he is one of the perenial (sp) authors that most speak of, his pressence seems to be waning as time goes on but I would like to mention frank Herbert and the Dune series. Such an awesome series. A must read for any fan of the art of sci-fi.[/quote]

Not to mention the sci-fi/real world parallels

Spice = Oil (IE necessary for travel)

Spice can be found plentifully in the desert

"In Arabic the term for freedom fighters is fedayin. Herbert gave the Fremen freedom fighters of Dune the name Fedaykin. He called their struggle against oppression a jihad, long before the average American was familiar with this particular usage of the term"

http://www.uuse.org/past_services/2004/07/25_DreamingDune.asp

I read this and "The Haj" a few years back in high school. It got me thinking about the Mid-East alot earlier then the average American.

If nothing else, see "Lawrence of Arabia" Fantastic movie, and you'll probably find it has an interesting perspective given our struggles in the mid-east these days.
 
[quote name='bfg9k']I have to mention "the chronicles of narnia" by cs lewis. They are intended for children but if you don't have a problem with reading the harry potter books, then give them a try.
[/quote]

Great books, I read them as a kid but I bet I could enjoy them even today. Very imaginative reads!

I also enjoyed "The wizard of earth-sea" (scifi specials notwithstanding)
 
[quote name='zionoverfire'][quote name='Duo_Maxwell'][quote name='The Gifuto'][quote name='poormojo']"Hyperion" is a retelling of Chaurcer's Canterbury Tale, right? I tried reading it, but couldn't get into it.

Has anyone read George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" series? I'm just starting the second book, and I'm loving the series.[/quote]

I've read the first 2 books of the "Game of Thrones". Both were excellents reads. I have really enjoyed how the story and characters are progressing. I'm kicking around the idea of starting the 3rd, now that the 4th one finally was released (hardcover). Hopefully this series won't turn out like the Wheel of Time (long, drawn-out, with no end in sight).

EDIT: The series is actually titled "A Song of Ice and Fire"[/quote]

A Song of Fire and Ice is a great series that's far too overlooked and I highly suggest as well. Also anyone interested in this series should check out the graphic novel called The Hedge Knight, technically not a book I suppose but a good time nonetheless.[/quote]

Great series, but the problem isn't that its overlooked its that the shaq-fuing author hasn't gotten his act together and finished the 4th book, the delays on that thing have been ridiculous, until that book comes out he'll stay under the radar.[/quote]

Actual;y if you include The Hedge Knight that is 4, doesn't matter anyhow as the 4th book, A feast for the Crows is nearly done, it'll be out this summer. Also a couple of his other works were quite decent, particularly Fevre Dream.
 
[quote name='Duo_Maxwell'][quote name='zionoverfire'][quote name='Duo_Maxwell'][quote name='The Gifuto'][quote name='poormojo']"Hyperion" is a retelling of Chaurcer's Canterbury Tale, right? I tried reading it, but couldn't get into it.

Has anyone read George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones" series? I'm just starting the second book, and I'm loving the series.[/quote]

I've read the first 2 books of the "Game of Thrones". Both were excellents reads. I have really enjoyed how the story and characters are progressing. I'm kicking around the idea of starting the 3rd, now that the 4th one finally was released (hardcover). Hopefully this series won't turn out like the Wheel of Time (long, drawn-out, with no end in sight).

EDIT: The series is actually titled "A Song of Ice and Fire"[/quote]

A Song of Fire and Ice is a great series that's far too overlooked and I highly suggest as well. Also anyone interested in this series should check out the graphic novel called The Hedge Knight, technically not a book I suppose but a good time nonetheless.[/quote]

Great series, but the problem isn't that its overlooked its that the shaq-fuing author hasn't gotten his act together and finished the 4th book, the delays on that thing have been ridiculous, until that book comes out he'll stay under the radar.[/quote]

Actual;y if you include The Hedge Knight that is 4, doesn't matter anyhow as the 4th book, A feast for the Crows is nearly done, it'll be out this summer. Also a couple of his other works were quite decent, particularly Fevre Dream.[/quote]

The hedge Kinght doesn't count, the main story isn't progressied. Same reason why people hated A New Spring since it was a wheel of Time prequel ont teh sequel. Anyhow fest of Crows is coming out this summer hopefully but after a pushback from Feb after a pushback from Oct. I hope they finally just release the damn thing. His excuess of I'm taking my time to write a worthy sequel is getting really really old. In fact I'm not sure I'll even bother to buy the new one since its been over a year since I read the first 3, I just don't care about the series anymore.
 
[quote name='Squirms']Dragonlance Chronicles, followed by Drangonlance Legends. Both are excellent series, Chronicles can get a bit boring at times, but Legends was quite enjoyable all the way through.
[/quote]

I found the opposite. I really enjoyed Chronicles (was my fav trilogy for many years), but found Legends a bit slower and less interesting.
 
There are some excellent books in the thread, some of what I am going to add have already been mentioned, but deserved to be posted again:
Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Foucault's Pendulum - Umberto Eco
Snowcrash - Neil Stephenson
Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
Homicide - David Simon
The Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
 
[quote name='"camoor"'][quote name='dopa345'][quote name='javeryh']Going off a different track though, does anyone read any history? I often find it more interesting than most fiction. Robert K. Massie's books on Russian history, "Peter the Great, His Life and World" and "Nicholas and Alexandria" are both excellent reads with plots more compelling than fiction.[/quote]

There's a great book - "What if?" about wars that could have turned the other way (includes the Revolutionary war and everyone's favorite, WW2)
Fascinating historical reading, even if you aren't a big war buff.

There's great historical fiction (books about war) in Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" and "Tides of War", the guy knows his classical history and he makes it so damn interesting. Don't bother with his "Legend of Bagger Vance" though, that book is a WASTE OF TIME.[/quote]

I've read "Hitler Victorious" two or three times. A collection of short stories, mostly by scifi authors, about, well, you guess. But the stories aren't all scifi/fantasy except for that key concept.
 
[quote name='Elrod']There are some excellent books in the thread, some of what I am going to add have already been mentioned, but deserved to be posted again:
Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Foucault's Pendulum - Umberto Eco
Snowcrash - Neil Stephenson
Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman
Homicide - David Simon
The Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut[/quote]

Have you read "In the Name of the Rose" by Eco. Also a good one!
 
[quote name='camoor']Have you read "In the Name of the Rose" by Eco. Also a good one![/quote]

Indeed. I have read a bit of Eco's work. He is a fantastic writer.
 
Fear and Loathing in las vegas and Hells Angels by hunter s thompson I loved both the books...lately been reading star wars books
 
"The Beach" is a supercool book that I'm sure most of the ppl here would enjoy. The main character is obsessed with videogames, after all (so you dont get the wrong idea, its set on a remote Thai island full of Europeans)
 
Okay, here are some more:

253 by Geoff Ryman (very odd layout to this book: each page is about a different person on a subway train, and each page tells you what the person looks like, what they are thinking about, and how they are related to anyone else on the train. Very cool stuff.)

Perdido Street Station and The Scar by China Mieville (beautifully written pulpy adventure alternate world magic/technology side by side hoo-hah.) Though Id avoid The Iron Council

the Cyberiad by Stanislaw Lem (robot retelling 1001 arabian nights)

Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem (detective with Tourette's syndrome has to figure out who killed his best friend)

The Baroque Trilogy by Neal Stephenson (Stephenson's quasi-retelling of Lord of the Rings, set in 17th century England. Extremely fun and smart.)
 
I know it's already been said, by someone, but the Gap Series by Stephen R. Donaldson is great sci-fi. That and the Thomas Covenant series are the best examples I've ever seen of the anti-hero.

Tad Williams' Otherworld series is also great. Very cool to get a look at the future of MMORPGs.

As for George R. R. Martin taking forever, I felt the same way too the second time his release date got pushed back. Then I thought of Robert Jordan and the mess he's made of the Wheel of Time series. I can wait as long as it takes...
 
Just started reading "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" (which in my head is always "Dr. Strange & Jonathan Norrell" lol) and it is quite impressive so far.

Anyone else reading this?
 
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