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4 votes
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Foreboding discovery of a main character’s past - in-depth book discussion and recommendations request
Hoping to generate discussion and have a few books recommended that have some of the following characteristics: foreboding discovery of a main character’s past a plot conflict that with a focus...
Hoping to generate discussion and have a few books recommended that have some of the following characteristics:
- foreboding discovery of a main character’s past
- a plot conflict that with a focus other than war or physical/political fighting
- preferable plot conflict examples: exploration, escape, grand heist, obtaining wisdom, treasure hunt
- undercurrent of a great unused power or magic that has been long lost
btw, I’m borrowing this format from r/Fantasy
Books I have liked:
Joe Abercrombie’s The First Law series
Samantha Shannon The Priory of the Orange Tree
Michael Crichton The Eaters of the Dead
Lara Prior-Palmer (non-fiction) Rough Magic
Arthur C. Clarke (sci-fi) Rendezvous with Rama
Neal Stephenson (sci-fi) Anathem
Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive seriesTraits like prose, characters, or settings you most enjoy:
Settings within the wilderness, crypts, large buildings/structures, caverns are all great.Series vs. standalone preference:
No real preference, but longer is better I suppose.Tone preference (lighthearted, grimdark, etc):
No strong preference, but mystical, ancient, and dark comes to mind.Complexity/depth level:
Preferably on the more intricate side.Thank you, let’s chat!
5 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
13 votes -
Coming soon to the public domain in 2022
13 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
6 votes -
Something in the Air - an ode to radio
4 votes -
Mel Brooks writes it all down - The comedian will publish his memoirs at the age of ninety-five, and is at work on “History of the World, Part II”
9 votes -
US libraries report spike in organised attempts to ban books in schools
18 votes -
Five books I loved reading this year
11 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
9 votes -
Brian Herbert on Dune: ‘My father could see into the future'
6 votes -
Bill Nighy stars as the voice of Terry Pratchett
7 votes -
‘I think we should throw those books in a fire’: Movement builds on right to target books
17 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
12 votes -
What if everything you learned about human history is wrong?
5 votes -
How to save the novel - self-censorship and problematic language in modern fiction
4 votes -
To break a book: Bibliophiles as book enemies
4 votes -
Spooky books or short stories?
I often re-read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow around Halloween time. If you haven't read the original (published in 1819), it's a really fun read, with great descriptions of (obviously somewhat...
I often re-read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow around Halloween time. If you haven't read the original (published in 1819), it's a really fun read, with great descriptions of (obviously somewhat fictionalized) life in a town on the banks of the Hudson River in 1790.
What other short stories or books would you recommend for the Halloween season?
7 votes -
Welcome to Arrakis - Dune lore explained
8 votes -
Trader Joe wrote a memoir - The book is a sort of “Kitchen Confidential” for the grocery business, but without the drugs or rage
4 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
9 votes -
Science and sci-fi memorabilia booming at auction
3 votes -
In celebration of No Time To Die releasing next week, what are your favorite Bond books?
No Time To Die recently had it's world premiere. This concludes the Daniel Craig saga. I have liked the majority of these films. I have never read any of the Bond books, and I kind of want to read...
No Time To Die recently had it's world premiere. This concludes the Daniel Craig saga. I have liked the majority of these films. I have never read any of the Bond books, and I kind of want to read some of them. Which ones are your favorites?
8 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
5 votes -
Abdulrazak Gurnah wins the 2021 Nobel prize in literature
6 votes -
New York Public Library ends all late fees
23 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
17 votes -
Recommend me books with a twist (with a twist)
I'm interested in reading some books with good plot twists and would love some recommendations. BUT WAIT THERE'S A TWIST Knowing that a twist is coming can inhibit its effectiveness, so I also...
I'm interested in reading some books with good plot twists and would love some recommendations.
BUT WAIT THERE'S A TWIST
Knowing that a twist is coming can inhibit its effectiveness, so I also want some recommendations in this thread that do not have twists. This means that I or anyone else consulting this thread for recommendations won't necessarily know if the given book we've chosen has a twist or not, which helps keep us on our toes.
21 votes -
A story about living in nature and the value of culture captures the spirit of Finland – Lizzie Enfield explores the remarkable legacy of 'Seitsemän veljestä'
9 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
9 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
13 votes -
Batman main writer steps away from DC to start indie comic line at Substack
5 votes -
Printer jam: Serious supply issues disrupt the book industry’s 2020 fall season
4 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
9 votes -
Why is young adult fiction the defining literary genre of the last two decades? What does its popularity say about modern American life?
20 votes -
Did Twitter break young adult fiction?
10 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
8 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
6 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
8 votes -
What are some great LGBT speculative fiction?
Speculative fiction contains elements that don't exist in reality. It includes genres such as science fiction, fantasy, and supernatural horror. A producer friend is looking for stories with a...
Speculative fiction contains elements that don't exist in reality. It includes genres such as science fiction, fantasy, and supernatural horror.
A producer friend is looking for stories with a focus on LGBT issues. As someone with a predilection for speculative fiction, it would be great to read/watch some speculative stories that deal with issues in that area. I am aware of some stories with LGBT characters, but gender and LGBT issues are generally not the main themes. I'd love to get suggestions for movies, TV shows, and books (especially short stories) that deal with those issues in a proper and inventive way.
As usual, Wikipedia has an extensive list on the subject, but I was hoping to get some more personal suggestions from the Tildes crowd.
Thanks!
7 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
11 votes -
The protagonist problem
13 votes -
Science fiction that presents immortality in a good light?
It seems incredibly common in works of science fiction that touch upon technological immortality to focus on every possible way that such a technology could go wrong, create problems, or worsen...
It seems incredibly common in works of science fiction that touch upon technological immortality to focus on every possible way that such a technology could go wrong, create problems, or worsen social dynamics.
Among the negative outcomes that have attained trope levels of frequency, off the top of my head, I can name the following:
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Immortality becomes available only to the ultra-wealthy, allowing them even more power to abuse everyone else, leading immortal people to be antagonists in a pretty generic dystopian plot.
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Immortality subtly twists the morality of its beneficiaries, causing them to lose sight of "the real meaning of life" according to the author's worldview, and the protagonist usually fights for society to recognize how important death and endings are
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Immortality causes people to go insane, become monsters, or otherwise utterly lose their humanity (this is more of an extreme version of case #2, but I feel it's distinct in the way a story plays out)
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Immortality ultimately leads to the extinction of the human species due either to biological effects of the immortality technology in question, or due to cultural/societal shifts that lead people to stop reproducing
I'm sure there are many others that I'd recall if prompted, but my point is that I don't think I can name any science fiction that involves immortality technology that doesn't also decry it as ultimately a harmful development.
Are there any works of science fiction that any of you can think of that do more to celebrate the idea or look forward to it with some optimism?
16 votes -
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What are some best anti-capitalist books?
I'd like to learn more about the history of the anticapitalist thought. I have read Eduardo Galeano's two works, Open Veins of Latin America, and Upside Down. Thanks in advance.
21 votes -
What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
10 votes -
Announcing Headstamp Publishing's new Kickstarter book | Pistols of the Warlords: Chinese domestic handguns, 1911 - 1949
6 votes -
Can anyone recommend a good collection of Greek mythology for children?
When I was a kid I loved the stories of ancient Greek mythology and I think my daughter would enjoy them too. What are some good collections for a 7-year-old? Her name is Ariadne, so I’d be...
When I was a kid I loved the stories of ancient Greek mythology and I think my daughter would enjoy them too. What are some good collections for a 7-year-old? Her name is Ariadne, so I’d be especially interested in ones that feature that character as more than a footnote (though preferably the less traumatizing versions of those particular stories).
14 votes -
What are your favorite short stories?
What are some of the best, most influential, memorable, or otherwise impactful short stories that you've read throughout your life? If possible, please link to a PDF or other text so that we can...
What are some of the best, most influential, memorable, or otherwise impactful short stories that you've read throughout your life? If possible, please link to a PDF or other text so that we can enjoy it too.
21 votes -
Charles I's travelling library
4 votes -
Any self-help/motivational books that don't focus on an individualistic perspective?
Just wanted to preface this by saying that I don't know much about self-help lit and do not mean to offend anyone who enjoys it as a genre. I've been talking to a friend of mine who primarily...
Just wanted to preface this by saying that I don't know much about self-help lit and do not mean to offend anyone who enjoys it as a genre.
I've been talking to a friend of mine who primarily reads self-help literature (a genre I've never really delved into), and what struck me was the highly materialistic/individualistic focus that a number of these books seem to have (most being focused on becoming an entrepreneur who drives a Lamborghini and retires by 40 living off of their crypto/stocks/real estate investments). The failure of the individual to achieve these goals can apparently be overcome through positive thinking, changing one's mindset, etc, and the focus seems to be largely on material goods and the general definition of "American-style" success. My general feeling is that a large part of self-help as a genre is focused on the failings of the individual rather than societal ills (or, the Jordan Peterson style of motivational thinking), and that got me wondering if anybody had some books that differ from the mold somewhat, possibly talking about improving yourself not only as an individual but also as part of the community, perhaps offering some sort of a leftist perspective that touches upon commodity fetishism, etc.
If anyone had any suggestions, I'd love to take a look at them.
15 votes