The book thread

[Hazen]

In the same vein as the movie thread, if you are an avid/casual reader, or a member of the Intelligentsia/Literati, post your recommendations/comments here.







Edit: Oops I hit the modify button instead of 'reply'. :-[

[Lord Muck oGentry]

Here is a delight:

http://greatsfandf.com/AUTHORS/ErnestBramah.php

But let us pass to matters of almost equal importance...

[Lord Muck oGentry]

Namely:

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/kyril-bonfiglioli/

[median]

Mmm have to think deep on that one.
By the way, Hazen, is your image the album sleeve of Abominog (Uriah Heap)

[Hazen]

By the way, Hazen, is your image the album sleeve of Abominog (Uriah Heap)


It is indeed, full marks to you.

[tkingdoll]

I'm currently re-reading my entire back catalogue of James Bond novels, I'm an uberfan.

My favourite contemporary author at the moment is David Eggers, he's superb. I don't read a huge amount of modern literature though, unless comics and graphic novels count O0

[Admin]

or a member of the Intelligentsia/Literati

:ponder:

I think I'll leave my critique of Enid Blyton's Round the Clock Stories 'til later then!

I got it for coming top of the class in Easter 1973 8) ;D

Apart from that. I read all things skeptical and scientific, although I'm just starting reading up on parapsychology.

[Mongrel]

I tend towards reading more technical stuff at work, often referencing other stuff to understand the original documents :p I vary between Pharmaceutical bits (Job) and items that are referenced here and at the JREF (when I get bored at job)
Leisure reading is mainly light fantasy and Sci-Fi, although I do occasionallyhave a hankerin' for outrageous action\adventure that's easily satisfied by Matthew Reilly (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index=books-uk&field-author=Reilly%2C%20Matthew/026-1562425-7427632) :)

[median]

I've sort of gone off reading fiction now but if I do I tend to re-read a lot of early sci-fi. I like the no-nonsense delivery of HG Wells and Jules Verne. I have a great love of the Sherlock Holmes stories even though Conan Doyle nicked a lot of the deductive stuff from Poe's M. Auguste Dupin.

Read Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy. Kind of religious allegory aimed at young adults but hey I liked it.

Recently got a copy (lost/borrowed 3 already) of Martin Caidin's Cyborg.

By the way tkingdoll, please please tell me..in any of the novels does anyone say
'Ah I've been expecting you Mr Bond'?

Just curious

[Hazen]

The OP should have read 'whether you're an avid/casual' etc.

My last read: Hemingway's 'The Old Man And The Sea', for which, IIRC, he received the Nobel prize for literature - and justly deserved, I reckon. Great story.

The only other work of his that I've read thus far was 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' which I didn't particularly rate since it was, for the most part, a romance/love story but does have some interesting insights into the complicated situations that made up the Spanish civil war.

[Hazen]

I don't read a huge amount of modern literature though, unless comics and graphic novels count


Someone on the JREF forum posted a thread called 'Is Motorhead Art?', to which someone else replied with a quote from Andy Warhol: 'Art is anything you point to and say: This is art'.
In the same spirit, I wouldn't discount comic strips/cartoon stories from being literature. (I used to be a regular reader of 'The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers' and '2000 AD').

[median]

Hazen

You are a person after my own heart!

I was brought up on 2000AD and as for Fat Freedy et al...well what can I say? :D
Just brought some GNs from Amazon recently (Indigo Prime, Bad Company) Also some Captain Britain (Alan's Moore and Davis)

Certainly I agree, the graphic novel or comic is definitely worthy of the titles of art and literature. ;D

[Lord Muck oGentry]

Oh. Um, I've got quite a large collection of 2000 ADs going back years. My favourite character is Zenith, but they may not be able to bring him back, as he seems to be ageing in real time, and must be about ready for his pension now.

Any fans of Devlin Waugh out there? You've got to admire a man who was stripped of his Olympic medal in flower arranging for abuse of anabolic steroids. :)

[tkingdoll]

Zenith? Aw, c'mon, it's gotta be Slaine!

[Lord Muck oGentry]

Zenith? Aw, c'mon, it's gotta be Slaine!


Hmmm...dunno. Some of the jokes are good ( " We don't wear armour. It implies that you're frightened of getting hurt.") But I've never warmed to the character. Reminds me of Garth.

[Hazen]

2000 AD wise:
The last ones I had seen, Judge Anderson had just been encased in Boing(tm) following the Shamballa episode (awesome artwork, too), PJ Maybe had become a member of the Yess family (What I did on my holidays...)

I recently read somewhere that a film version of 'Rogue Trooper' is in the making

[Mongrel]

Well there's a Rogue Trooper game out currently, plays OK on the PC considering it's a console 'port. It starts with Rogue being dropped onto Nu Earth and into the Quartz Zone Massacre, then your mates die and you've got to nab their BioChips (Gunnar, Bagman and Helm).

The official site is here (http://www.eidos.co.uk/gss/roguetrooper/)

As for my favourite 2000AD strips, I'm picking two, both occasional appearances. DR & Quinch and Bradley both of them are based on silly, anarchic humour. Other favourites include the classic Judge Dredd stories such as the Cursed Earth saga, the Chopper sets (got a bit silly after they finished the Oz one though) and favourable mentions to Ace trucking, Robo Hunter, Harlem Heroes and Slaine - except the Bisley stuff.

Other comics, although I haven't collected for ages. The Preacher, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Excalibur (pre issue 90), Hellblazer and Sandman

[tkingdoll]

Mongrel, anything Alan Moore is superb, I recommend getting the Top Ten comics, they are just as good as LOEG.

[Hazen]

I was brought up on 2000AD and as for Fat Freedy et al...well what can I say?

Hi, Median and welcome!

Good to know somebody else out there will get the Norbert the Nark/Rodney Richpigge jokes!

[Mongrel]

Mongrel, anything Alan Moore is superb, I recommend getting the Top Ten comics, they are just as good as LOEG.


Yeah, looking back at his extensive Comic bibliography a lot of the 200AD stuff I loved was by him. I missed a lot of his 'mature' stuff as I went cold turkey on comics mid 90s, for numerous reasons (money, local comic shop got burnt down and one too many bloody Wolverine spin off among others :P). I'm also a tentative on starting up another collection given how quickly I know I'd start piling up back issues and subscriptions that I really can't afford :(

Still that's what friends who have comic collcetions are for :)

[median]

Good to know somebody else out there will get the Norbert the Nark/Rodney Richpigge jokes!

Definitely

I also liked Smutley Scumbag's How to become an Artist

The FFF Bros I think heavily influenced Cheech and Chong