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Whats everyone reading?

Started by Paul faplad Finch, 30 March, 2009, 10:04:36 PM

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Mike Gloady

GO GODPLETON!  YOU ARE OUR GOD.

Pratchett?  First four letters are bang on, never did anything for me.  Sorry.  I feel the same about Douglas Adams.  I just wish I had trusted my instincts on both writers and left it at just the one book.  That's brain-space I could be using for other things....
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Tjm86

one thing I've always loved about this site is the diversity of taste .... that plus the blatantly obvious bating that goes on!
;)

Kerrin


James Stacey

Whats with the Pratchett hating ? He's one of the most original fantasy writers out there. Save the hate for plagerising hacks like JK Rowling.
Having said that reading the new Pratchett book 'Unseen academicals' at the moment and whilst written to his usual standard (which I consider good) it aint grabbing me at the mo. Nation was wonderful though and I'd reccomend it to anyone.

worldshown

Agreed. I'm about half way through Nation at the moment and whilst it is quite a departure from the Discworld stuff, I am enjoying it.

Unseen Academicals can wait 'til paperback.

Paul faplad Finch

Quote from: James S on 21 October, 2009, 02:16:50 PM
Whats with the Pratchett hating ? He's one of the most original fantasy writers out there. Save the hate for plagerising hacks like JK Rowling.

With you all the way on the Pratchett defense but can't really go along with describing Rowling in those terms. To not like her work is one thing but plagiarising  hack seems a tad extreme.
It doesn't mean that round my way
Pessimism is Realism - Optimism is Insanity
The Impossible Quest
Musings Of A Nobody
Stuff I've Read

starscape

I'm another who can't stand Pratchett.  Love Douglas Adams but Pratchett is too much...um...'I'm middle aged but proud to be a Live Action Role Player' about it...if you know what I mean (probably not).

I, Cosh

Quote from: superherostore.co.uk on 18 October, 2009, 09:38:48 PMBookswise, read the latest Thomas Covenant 'Runes of the Earth'. I'd heard bad things about it but I really enjoyed it. As good as any of his other Covenant books (which are tremendous.)

In fact, I was so impressed I've been hunting for some more of similar quality but ended up re-reading a bunch of Moorcock, with some Tarzan thrown in.  Can't stand the likes of Robert(?) Jordan or David Eddings-type where it's straight fantasy without the emotion but if anyone's got any other suggestions (Gene Wolfe would be another favourite), let me know.
I sort of enjoyed the first Covenant books. Despite being far too long and unbelievably badly written, there is something engaging about having a total shitbag protagonist, although I think making him an unapologetic rapist was possibly a step too far.

I do like Eddings first fantasy books but haven't read anything since then. Some others you may like, although there's a good chance you've already read them. Raymond Feist's alright: the Servant of the Empire ones in particular have a refreshing lack of the sort of cloying, homespun morality which plagues the genre.

George RR Martin's Song of Fire and Ice series is great, but you may want to wait until sometime around 2017 to make sure he doesn't die before finishing it. Again the individual books are far too long and teeth-grindingly repetitive at times, but there are a whole host of wonderfully vivid and nasty characters engaged in a sprawling plot that twists and turns in the most unexpected ways.
We never really die.

I, Cosh

#578
whoops. double post.

Might as well add that I can't be bothered with Pratchett either. Don't thing he's shit as such, just over-rated and nowhere near as clever as he thinks he is. Something you can't really say about Pynchon.
We never really die.

Paul faplad Finch

A Song Of Ice And Fire is officially my faourite ongoing series of the moment but the wait between books is absolutely ridiculous.  I've taken to reading the whole thing again whe a new one comes out.  Funnily enough, this has yet to seem a chore, despite the length of them.

I actually cottoned on to this series cos I had a conversation with my local librarian, who recomended them as something to fill the time between Dark Tower books. Shortly before King found his groove and Martin slowed to a crawl. Oh well.
It doesn't mean that round my way
Pessimism is Realism - Optimism is Insanity
The Impossible Quest
Musings Of A Nobody
Stuff I've Read

Richmond Clements

QuoteSave the hate for plagerising hacks like JK Rowling.

Ummm, you don't like her, fair enough, but accusing a writer of plagiarism is a pretty fucking serious thing.

radiator

Unbelievably I'm still working my way through the enormous stack of 2000ad graphic novels I picked up for £2/£2.50 a pop at that cheapy book shop - with loads still left to go. Currently reading Sinister Dexter: Murder 101 - most of which is stuff I've never read before.

Also just got the new Charlie Brooker book, The Hell Of It All which will serve me well on the tube. I stopped reading The Guardian regularly a few years ago so the columns collected in this book are nearly all new to me - bliss!

Mike Gloady

Agreed, that's a hell of an accusation,not to mention unproven.  

I'm very confused that you say that because I've literally no idea where you'd get that from.  
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Dark Jimbo

I adore Song of Ice and Fire but I've not read the last two. I'd rather just wait now 'til the whole thing's been finished, or I keep losing track of stuff between books.
@jamesfeistdraws

James Stacey

Quote from: Mike Gloady on 22 October, 2009, 12:16:55 PM
Agreed, that's a hell of an accusation,not to mention unproven.  

I'm very confused that you say that because I've literally no idea where you'd get that from.  
Maybe pagerising is a tad over the top (although there have been cases brought against her, I don't think anything has been proven) Will "deeply, deeply unoriginal with every concept" do ?