Books, Books, Books

[rwenzori]

If you enjoyed Catch-22 you may also like 1984

Thanks for the suggestion. Another one I read way back. A bit too overtly political IIRC, and nothing like Catch-22 sadly ( but then nothing is LOL! ).

Any James McClure fans around? Good KZN stuff with Kramer & Zondi.

[BigAl-sa]

If you enjoyed Catch-22 you may also like 1984

...and if you enjoyed 1984, you may also enjoy David Karp's One

[I've made my first Wikipedia entries with One and Rick Wakeman's 1984 on the Nineteen Eighty Four page ]

[chiskop]

I'm not sure that Hawkins is all that smart - take away his wheelchair and he probably wouldn't make the grade in most physics departments in SA.

Rofl.

Any James McClure fans around? Good KZN stuff with Kramer & Zondi.

Yep - rwenzori we seem to have scarily similar tastes.

[Cara]

@BigAl ... I'd have to say Orwell ... don't know Wakeman (see on Wiki he's a musician?)

Thanks for recommendations re John Wyndham novels.

Edit: thanks for 1984 wiki link regarding Wakeman (it's all falling into place now )

[Cara]

Found a cute fact on Wiki about Catch-22:

A magazine excerpt from the novel was originally published as Catch-18, but Heller's agent, Candida Donadio, requested that it change the title of the novel so it would not be confused with another recently published World War II novel, Leon Uris's Mila 18. The number 18 has special meaning in Judaism (it means life in Gematria) and was relevant to early drafts of the novel which had a somewhat greater Jewish emphasis.

Strange to think that this well used phrase could've just as easily been Catch-18 ... somehow doesn't have the same ring.

[BigAl-sa]

@BigAl ... I'd have to say Orwell ... don't know Wakeman (see on Wiki he's a musician?)

Thanks for recommendations re John Wyndham novels.

Edit: thanks for 1984 wiki link regarding Wakeman (it's all falling into place now )

You had me worried for a mo re: Rick Wakeman

Strawbs, Yes

or maybe those predate you a bit

[rwenzori]

You had me worried for a mo re: Rick Wakeman

Strawbs, Yes

or maybe those predate you a bit

My Gosh! Love it! You don't get me, I'm part of the union!

Yep - rwenzori we seem to have scarily similar tastes.

So it seems!

[Cara]

I'd love to wing it here and say I just needed my memory jogged about Wakeman but I had no clue the guy existed until you mentioned him ... sorry to burst your bubble, I can see you're a big fan

[BigAl-sa]

@Cara

[Garyvdh]

http://www.skorks.com/2008/09/10-mor...otter-or-lotr/

I received a massive response to my previous post that attempted to showcase some less well-known and under-appreciated fantasy series. Infact I received so many great comments with people recommending their favourite series that I decided to create a definitive list of great fantasy series (stay tuned for that one, it is coming in the next few weeks). But since it is a pretty big job to compile such a list (I already have well over 80 series on the list and it is still growing), I thought I would create this little list of 10 MORE under-appreciated fantasy series in the meantime.

This list incorporates some of the great suggestions made by readers in the comments on my previous post. These are excellent fantasy series that I, for one, enjoyed tremendously and yet most of these still went unmentioned in the comments to my previous post, despite the fact that it received tens of thousands of visitors with people recommending dozens of great series. This should give you an idea of how under-appreciated these series are.

Once again this list will not include, Robert Jordan’s “Wheel of Time” or Martin’s “Song of Ice and Fire” (you will have to wait for the definitive list to see these) since they have received more than their fair share of spotlight. Without rambling on for too much longer, here is the list of 10 more fantasy series you may not have heard of....

[Pr⊕phet]

well i can vote on death gate cycle was really good, as in reallly good !!!!1

[Garyvdh]

well i can vote on death gate cycle was really good, as in reallly good !!!!1

Death Gate Cycle!!!! = awesome. I enjoyed it. I have the audio books as well.

[Garyvdh]

http://www.princeofnothing.com/

"[R. Scott Bakker is a] class act like George R. R. Martin, or his fellow Canadians Steven Erikson and Guy Gavriel Kay. He gets right away from the 'downtrodden youth becoming king' aspect of epic fantasy in his very impressive first novel... But he also reminds us of the out-and-out strangeness that fantasy can engender, in a way no one has since Clark Ashton Smith. No clunky analogy of medieval Europe here. Odd, fascinating characters in a world full of trouble and sorcery."

--10 Authors to Watch, SFX Magazine

[bwana]

Despite all my thoughts to the contrary I've just installed an ebook reader on my phone and it's no at all an unpleasant way to read. Just started Robinson Crusoe again and I've got A Christmas Carol queued up to read to the kids.

[Garyvdh]

Despite all my thoughts to the contrary I've just installed an ebook reader on my phone and it's no at all an unpleasant way to read. Just started Robinson Crusoe again and I've got A Christmas Carol queued up to read to the kids.

I must agree! MobiReader on your cellphone is simply fabulous and I have rediscovered many a good book reading this way. I re-read Christmas Carol last December! Excellent. Let me know if you want to swap e-books!