TSF Book Club
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[quote name='NTA' timestamp='1366952733' post='361892']<br />
Bought the book through Google Books and just polished it off now.<br />
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I actually got a bit more emotional about this one given the finality of the content for some characters. Overall though it was a good read.<br />
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Now let us never speak of this again.<br />
[/quote]<br />
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I'm confused... is that an endorsement of the final book!!? I've been trying to work out if I should read that ones written after 'his' passing. -
Fiction: I'm probably late to this party, but after watching Jack Reacher I've decided to read Killing Floor by Lee Child. Half way through and I think I'll read the other half.
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'Dune' Frank Herbert.<br />
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Sorry - what an overblown bunch of baloney.<br />
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I suspect my nerd sci-fi brain expired somewhere around 1982 - which is when I read it the first time. I found it hard going then but this time I just found it boring.<br />
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I know it's "a classic" and one [i]should [/i]like it and rave about it's significance, but my advice: Avoid. -
The 100 year-old man who climbed out the window and disappeared - by Jonas Jonasson.<br />
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Imagine Forrest Gump meets a 100 year-old man who climbed out a window and disappeared. Very funny especially the bit where he meets Kim Jung il. Also involves an elephant. 8.5/10 -
I just finished reading all 10 of the "Malazan Book of the Fallen" series back to back.<br />
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Firstly, fuck me what an undertaking. That is a serious body of writing Mr Erikson has put together. That's 10 very sizeable paperbacks, with untold characters and story arcs, and all running at kind of the same time. I don't know how long it has taken me to finish.<br />
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Secondly. Brilliant. Hands down best story i have ever read. He may have ruined other fantasy work for me now, as there will always be a comparison. Right from the start of "Gardens of the Moon" where you jump into the story (the first time i read it i thought i had missed a book, there is no scene-setting like with most series, it is straight into the middle of developed characters with the story already up and running), through all 10 as he obviously decides which bits of the massive world he has created to focus on, it's all go all of the time.<br />
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There is a shit load to keep up with, so many characters, so many different stories. And, not all of these are tied up at the end. If, halfway through you are thinking "i hope we find out how this ends for these people" prepare to be disappointed. It does flow, and by the end it is obvious what the main story was throughout the books, it's just early on it is pretty hard to see, and what i thought was the main story arc was pretty much not (and wasn't "resolved").<br />
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But, for all that, i fucking loved it. And will read it again, one day, when i have a spare year. It will make more sense the 2nd time i think. -
[spoiler]Whiskyjack & Trull, fark me - those were rough. But just a sign of how awesome the characters were. Love it when a book raises emotions like that [/spoiler]<br />
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M4L - prepare for an on-going love affair bro. I'm in my 5th re-read of the series and still running into new stuff that I missed. Erickson is my fantasy equivalent of Iain M Banks or Peter Hamilton - top notch writers (sucks that Banks will soon be passing, sigh). -
I thought the last one wasn't that long out? I guess you read the earlier ones a couple of times. i think i have read the first 4 twice now.<br />
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agree with your spoiler as well, the first especially came as a bit of a shock.<br />
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[spoiler] He killed off a few pretty decent characters along the way, but i was never as shocked as when he suddenly killed of Rake and Hood (even thought Hood came back). WTF?<br />
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Few untied ends as well. What the fuck happened to the Empire? it kinda alluded to Laseen and Tayschren being dead, and those Rebel dicks taking over, but that just got shunted away (i thought that was the gist of the whole fucking story about 6 books in). What happened to Karsa? did he just get over wanting to fuck everybody up? WTF was up with that sick god thing around Pale? Did that get resolved? why was it even in the story?<br />
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jesus, now that i think about it, there was a heap left unresolved. I don't really care, it's nice for a fantasy story to not end everything happily ever after. Still, he could write 2 more books with that material! [/spoiler] -
have been on the look out for a new book, will give #1 a crack!
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Gardens of the Moon TR. It's the shit (well, in my, and paekak's eyes anyway). As i said, don't be surprised if you are a quarter of a way through, and wondering if it really is the first book.
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I absolutely loved the Malazan series but half way through there was a gap of a couple of years between books and when I got the next in the series I just could not make any sense of what was going on. It's as if I had missed a whole book. I got them out of the library and so didn't have them to refer to and I didn't want to read Wiki or similar and spoil the surprise.<br />
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So Idecided to read from the beginning again, but just haven't got round to it. Definitely on my list tho. I'm just finishing Void trilogy having read it back to back w Commonwealth Saga (in about 3 weeks) so Malazan will be easy after that. -
[quote name='mariner4life' timestamp='1369970946' post='368966']<br />
I thought the last one wasn't that long out? I guess you read the earlier ones a couple of times. i think i have read the first 4 twice now.<br />
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agree with your spoiler as well, the first especially came as a bit of a shock.<br />
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[spoiler] He killed off a few pretty decent characters along the way, but i was never as shocked as when he suddenly killed of Rake and Hood (even thought Hood came back). WTF?<br />
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Few untied ends as well. What the fuck happened to the Empire? it kinda alluded to Laseen and Tayschren being dead, and those Rebel dicks taking over, but that just got shunted away (i thought that was the gist of the whole fucking story about 6 books in). What happened to Karsa? did he just get over wanting to fuck everybody up? WTF was up with that sick god thing around Pale? Did that get resolved? why was it even in the story?<br />
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jesus, now that i think about it, there was a heap left unresolved. I don't really care, it's nice for a fantasy story to not end everything happily ever after. Still, he could write 2 more books with that material! [/spoiler]<br />
[/quote]<br />
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Yeah did a re-read of 1-8, then 1-9, then twice through 1-10 once that last book was out. I tend to re-read books quite a bit and expect to come back to this series many times in the future. <br />
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I've been picking up the books by Erikson's mate Cameron Esslemont (co-creator of the Malazan world). He's not at Erickson's level but that isn't anything to be ashamed of. IMO Return of the Crimson Guard is his best by far and worth checking out.<br />
[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Cameron_Esslemont"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Cameron_Esslemont[/url]<br />
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I strongly recommend the [color=#000000][font=sans-serif][size=3]Bauchelain and Korbal Broach books as well. Delightfully twisted and they are great characters. Poor Mancy ha ha[/size][/font][/color]<br />
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[font="sans-serif"][color="#000000"][size=3]Forge of Darkness - first book in the[/size][/color][/font] Kharkanas trilogy is excellent too. Next one is due in 2014 so a bit of a wait... stink! -
Roller Ball Murder by William Harrison.<br />
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A short story originally written for Esquire magazine that of course, the film [i]Rollerball [/i]is based on.<br />
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Only 7 pages long (well I think it is, I found it online) but a fun read and I assume was based on the growing demand for pro sports like the NFL (along with all the corporate sponsorship, media, money, women etc). 7/10 -
New book from Conn Igguldon out called The Blood Of Gods , follows on in the emperor series after the murder of Julius Ceasar . I bought it a couple of days ago . Haven't read it yet as I am rushing through the book I am on but can't wait to get to it . I think he is easily my favourite writer .
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Just finished Dan Brown's latest book Inferno. Robert Langdon wakes up in a hospital in Italy and as usual has to decipher clues through art. Same, same but still a fun read - finished the book in days. Brown has his critics but the man knows how to put a good story together. 7.5/10
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[quote name='Cactus Jack' timestamp='1371859482' post='373765']<br />
New book from Conn Igguldon out called The Blood Of Gods , follows on in the emperor series after the murder of Julius Ceasar . I bought it a couple of days ago . Haven't read it yet as I am rushing through the book I am on but can't wait to get to it . I think he is easily my favourite writer .<br />
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Bought it and finished it in 2 days. He is probably my favourite author as well.<br />
Can anyone suggest any similar authors of Historical fiction? I've read all Bernard Cornwells books and need to find a new author to get excited about. -
[quote name='SammyC' timestamp='1372129235' post='374807']<br />
Bought it and finished it in 2 days. He is probably my favourite author as well.<br />
Can anyone suggest any similar authors of Historical fiction? I've read all Bernard Cornwells books and need to find a new author to get excited about.<br />
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This isn't historical fiction but if you like Conn Igguldon you should try Glyn Illiffe . He is currently on the fourth book of the series that started with King Of Ithaca , The Gates Of Troy and Armour Of Archilles . Superb series so far and well worth reading . -
[quote name='SammyC' timestamp='1372129235' post='374807']<br />
Bought it and finished it in 2 days. He is probably my favourite author as well.<br />
Can anyone suggest any similar authors of Historical fiction? I've read all Bernard Cornwells books and need to find a new author to get excited about.<br />
[/quote]<br />
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Simon Scarrow's 'Eagle' Series set in the Roman armies is quite good. See http://catoandmacro.com/<br />
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I like Nigel Tranter's historical Scotland stories.<br />
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Obviously there are lots of them so pick an era and read away. Some are more political and historical than others but you cant go wrong with the Bruce trilogy (although also read the two just before that period "lord of the Isles' and 'Wallace') http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_novels_by_Nigel_Tranter_set_between_1286_and_1603,<br />
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The McGregor Trilogy is good too http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_novels_by_Nigel_Tranter_set_after_1603
