Any Science Fiction recommendations? Looking for novels which are more philosophical in nature and less techy (not sure if thats a word)
Books The BOOK thread
- Thread starter Livvie
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Currently reading Jurassic Park which, although not the sort of book I typically go for, is proving way more interesting than I anticipated.
I'm not massively well-read in the genre but, as above, I'm reading Dune at the minute and it's one of the best sci-fi stories I've come across. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, is also a personal favourite.
I also really enjoyed most of Ian M Banks' work, but especially The Player of Games, which was excellent.
If the film is anything to go by, Solaris (Stanislaw Lem) would be exactly what you're looking for.
The left hand of darkness by Ursula Le Guin. And maybe also the word for world is forest.
Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi.
Three Body Problem is the go-to for this type of request IMO. Also Hyperion and The Quantum Thief. Those are the best three sci-fi I have read.
Finished We Have Always Lived in the Castle today. I enjoyed it and it had a nice style, but the twist (I guess it was meant to be a twist) wasn't that surprising, and it fizzled out a bit I thought. Still enjoyable, but perhaps not as good as I had expected based on hearing about it from other people.
Finished Jurassic Park. It got less interesting in the last third, as the T-Rex kept turning up and Malcolm had less stuff to say. End was pretty shite, or I was just ready to move on at that point, but Hammond’s fate was still a highlight.
Was considering giving The Lost World a go but doubt I’ll bother now. Maybe Congo instead.
Was considering giving The Lost World a go but doubt I’ll bother now. Maybe Congo instead.
I read Congo years ago and my teenage self thought it was brilliant.
Good to know. For now though, I’ve just started The Stand by Stephen King. Hopefully it’s as epic as I’ve heard.
She by H. Rider Haggard is proving awful. A real Victorian school boy's wet dream.
Both Congo and Lost World scored low on Goodreads. I bought the paperback version of Lost World years ago and enjoyed it, but was surprised to find it dull on an attempted reread.
Your Face Tomorrow Vol 1 was brilliant. Looking forward to Vol 2 and 3.
Currently reading V. by Pynchon. Really enjoying it. His style is so unique.
Currently reading V. by Pynchon. Really enjoying it. His style is so unique.
I guess the widespread isolation will at least help people reach some reading targets for the year.
Currently reading Circe, and it's great so far.
Currently reading Circe, and it's great so far.
Bought a book on Stargazing the other day to read at work.
I'm thinking I might be exhausting the supply of readable 200-300 page books in order to meet a stupid arbitrary target already.It’s rightfully regarded as a Stephen King favorite.
Unfortunately, people who haven’t read it (or heard the audiobook) look at me like I’m crazy when I say in my redneck accent, ‘M-O-O-N now that spells trouble’.
Just finished Dodgers by Bill Beverly - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dodgers-Bi...ers&qid=1584349524&smid=A1G3UP32AZJ14F&sr=8-1
When I finish books I normally pass them on to my mum as we both read a lot of crime/ thriller ones but this one is a bit different and I can't see it being her cup of tea.
I really enjoyed it and I'm happy to post FOC (through work
) if anyone wants it and trusts me! Just DM me and I'll send, will save you a fiver and it's a good read.
When I finish books I normally pass them on to my mum as we both read a lot of crime/ thriller ones but this one is a bit different and I can't see it being her cup of tea.
I really enjoyed it and I'm happy to post FOC (through work
) if anyone wants it and trusts me! Just DM me and I'll send, will save you a fiver and it's a good read.Reading The Women by Naomi Alderman right now - it's excellent and well worth checking out. Seems to be written with a Netflix style adaptation in mind.
About to start The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age
Wolf Hall is actually really funny at times. Was reading yesterday about grumpy old warhorse Duke of Norfolk, and how he grabbed his niece Anne (Boleyn) by the wrist and insisted on dancing with her; Mantel made it sound as if Norfolk's dreadful dad-dancing was like someone stamping a fire out with their feet, while Anne was thrown around like a knackered swan with a broken wing.
The only thing I've read by her is The Giant, O'Brien, which I was OK, but felt too much like a gentle Sunday evening BBC comedy drama (except for one C bomb).
I've started reading John Irving's The Hotel New Hampshire and that is darkly funny.
Haven't read that one, mate. Will take a look soonish.
I'm still reading my Complete Sherlock Holmes book.
Do you ever read a book and think, this is good but I'm having a hard time wanting to finish it?
I'm having that issue with The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.
I'm having that issue with The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.
Why don't you just intersperse the odd Holmes story with other stuff to space them out a bit? I loved those books as a kid.
The trouble with most Holmes collections is that the publishers usually insist on including underwhelming, throwaway Holmes stories (The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, for example) amongst the gems.
Who says I haven't? I just don't report everything here.
Moby Dick, part genius - part borefest.
Yup. I was reading a really good crime fiction book a few years ago but used 3 summers to finish it
I'm done with it now and have no clue why I wasted so much time reading it.As with many classic novels, I find that the criticism is frequently more interesting than the books:
OK, calm down.
Yeah, keep yer deerstalker on.
According to my Guide to being a Pretentious Twit, everything's a metaphor.
Definitely this too. Never finished it.
There are far too many digressions in it. Obviously, Melville thought these to be important but - unlike us - he was obsessed with his subject.
I’m in the process of writing my first book. Really exciting journey, doubt it will be my last.
Indeed. At first I thought that it would be one of my favourite novels. The way in which Queequeg and Ishmael become acquainted is brilliant. The prose is poetic and the characters are Dickensian in how eccentric and engaging they are. Sadly it veers off course too often into technical lectures about cetology whilst you're thinking 'what's Queequeg up to?'
Nice. Fiction?
Nah, more a ‘self-help’ type if you like. I’ll post more updates as things develop.