Stephen King's 'On Writing.' It's part bio, part best-of-class advice on writing your own stories and improving your game as a writer. It's a brief book, and filled with an absolute minimum of...
It's part bio, part best-of-class advice on writing your own stories and improving your game as a writer. It's a brief book, and filled with an absolute minimum of bullshit. Honestly, I think it's near the top of the list for the best books King has ever written.
edit: I'll throw in another uplifting little scifi novella that very few people will know about. I'd say it's ~30 minutes of reading. I think I posted it here several days back during the initial alpha signup. ;)
I have to mention Ray Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing. Its a book full of great stories and great advices. Quite brilliant. Curious enough, even though I like some of his short stories, and...
I have to mention Ray Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing. Its a book full of great stories and great advices. Quite brilliant.
Curious enough, even though I like some of his short stories, and love his passion and love of literature, his talks and his all persona, besides the Art of Writing I only read one of his novels... The infamous Fahrenheit 451. I was so eager to read it. After I finally bought it, I immediatly went to a coffe shop, order a beer and sat down to read it.
I couldn't believe what I was reading. I ordered a second beer. And still couldn't believe it. The book sucks.
It was such a disapointment that I couldn't bring myself to try another one of his books. I hated it with all my guts. It was badly written. It had flat cardboard characters, and childlike dialog. It was a mess.
Of the entire book what I liked more was the story he tells (in Zen in the Art of Writing) about his time writing the book.
Does anyone feel the same with Fahrenheit 451?
I can see how you'd feel that way. XD It's a very different writing style than is popular right now. I enjoyed 451. Bradbury's point was slowly developed over the course of the book. The only...
I can see how you'd feel that way. XD It's a very different writing style than is popular right now. I enjoyed 451. Bradbury's point was slowly developed over the course of the book. The only blatantly developed character was the society the protagonist lived in. The protagonist himself was left open ended to make people question things more.
I'm curious now; did you enjoy or hate Philip K Dick's Do Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?
I still haven't read it. I only read a couple of his short stories. I don't have a lot of SF in my bag. 1984 and Brave New World were my first ones. Then some Iain Banks and the beautiful...
I still haven't read it. I only read a couple of his short stories. I don't have a lot of SF in my bag. 1984 and Brave New World were my first ones. Then some Iain Banks and the beautiful Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin, and little more. Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. But I think they're more fantasy then SF.
As for SF, I like it when I read it, but I don't usually go looking for it.
Give me some humour or some dirty realism, give me something that will make me think, change my perspective, question my thoughts, anything that can rock my boat, really, and give me a cold beer in a summer afternoon, and I'll be a happy boy!
I'm sure that there's plenty of SF like this. I'm open to sugestions. Make me happy.
Sounds like Snowcrash is right up your alley. XD Let's see. I enjoy humor more than gritty realism and space opera more than society reconstruction... Not sure if any of these will suit you! But...
Sounds like Snowcrash is right up your alley. XD
Let's see. I enjoy humor more than gritty realism and space opera more than society reconstruction... Not sure if any of these will suit you! But here goes-
Old Man's War by John Scalzi or The Forever War by Joe Halderman
Or if you've ever watched Star Trek and laughed, Red Shirts by John Scalzi
The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
Kiln People by David Brin (This is a risky one. It's got plot holes and if I were editing it it would bleed. But interesting ideas and a tart sense of humour...that it has. Same goes for Uplift War.)
Falling Free or The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMasters Bujold
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
On the beer front, I'll have to buy you some if we're ever in the same city. My computer doesn't seem to want to digitize it. :(
I haven't seen him mentioned yet so I'll throw my favorite author out there. Brandon Sanderson if you want a good fiction books (close to fantasy but not always). If you want a nice long Epic you...
I haven't seen him mentioned yet so I'll throw my favorite author out there. Brandon Sanderson if you want a good fiction books (close to fantasy but not always).
If you want a nice long Epic you can't go wrong with the Stormlight Archives. Something closer to comic book heroes The Breaker series is amazing. A good intro to his universes would the Mistborn series. If you don't want a series he also has books but I'll recommend Warbreaker. He even has a comic book series that I haven't read so can't comment on much.
Basically this guy is a god like author IMO and I don't know how he manages it. He was also selected to finish The Wheel of Time series but I can't get through the first book of that so don't know how well he did.
Brandon Sanderson is great. If you haven't, make sure you read his short story "The Emperor's Soul". It's a quick read (and you don't need to have read any of the other Elantris books), but I...
Brandon Sanderson is great. If you haven't, make sure you read his short story "The Emperor's Soul". It's a quick read (and you don't need to have read any of the other Elantris books), but I really enjoyed it.
I was honestly a bit disappointed with Words of Radiance (second book of The Stormlight Archive). It was still definitely good overall, but I think he may have been writing too much young-adult fiction in between the two books. Something about the writing (and especially the dialogue) in the second one was just a little bit "off", it was too simplistic or something. It made me feel a little weird through the whole book.
I can see where you're coming from. I agree after books like the Red Rising series you can definitely feel Sanderson making stuff more younger teen friendly at times.
I can see where you're coming from. I agree after books like the Red Rising series you can definitely feel Sanderson making stuff more younger teen friendly at times.
I loved Emperor's Soul. For me, it's his best piece of writing. He builds amazing worlds, and magic systems, but I am all about character, and I generally find his characters one dimensional. His...
I loved Emperor's Soul. For me, it's his best piece of writing. He builds amazing worlds, and magic systems, but I am all about character, and I generally find his characters one dimensional. His characters in Emperor's Soul are probably his best for me.
I've yet to find a book as whimsical and funny as hitchhikers. Didn't like the ending though, too depressing. On a side note, apparently Elon Musk wants to name his first ship to go to mars the...
I've yet to find a book as whimsical and funny as hitchhikers. Didn't like the ending though, too depressing.
On a side note, apparently Elon Musk wants to name his first ship to go to mars the "heart of gold".
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet I love historical fiction and this is one the best in the genre that I've read. It's a really interesting time period/location that I knew nothing about, the...
I love historical fiction and this is one the best in the genre that I've read. It's a really interesting time period/location that I knew nothing about, the story is extremely interesting, and the characters really come to life. I found myself pretty attached to the protagonist by the end. The author is the same guy who wrote Cloud Atlas, which as you may know, was popularized as a movie but is itself another great book.
Simon Sinek's "Leaders Eat Last" and "Start With Why" are absolutely incredible books on how to be an effective leader that have been very helpful to me. The books have a lot of good information,...
Simon Sinek's "Leaders Eat Last" and "Start With Why" are absolutely incredible books on how to be an effective leader that have been very helpful to me.
The books have a lot of good information, but they're presented primarily as inspirational pieces meant to convince you of a new way of thinking about people and business, and they lend themselves well to reading once and passing on to a friend or co-worker.
I'm about to start reading "King of Ashes" by Raymond E. Feist. I really liked the Riftwar series though I disliked how the final book ended, so i'm hoping a new set of books in a new universe...
I'm about to start reading "King of Ashes" by Raymond E. Feist.
I really liked the Riftwar series though I disliked how the final book ended, so i'm hoping a new set of books in a new universe will be a fresh start for him.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5510571-wetware Wetware: A Computer in Every Living Cell. An accessible (without sacrificing too much) look at the almost robotic life of small organisms.
Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change by William R. Catton (1982) It's an incredibly well written and sobering explanation of the human predicament. I have no background in...
It's an incredibly well written and sobering explanation of the human predicament. I have no background in science or ecology, but Catton explains the core concepts and various data for understanding the notion of overshoot an its implications extremely well. I was a bit blindsided by the fact this was written in the eighties. If scientists and ecologists have had perspectives like this for this long, it doesn't speak well for our collective ability to change our current trajectory.
Recommending a book is crazy hard for me. There are so many good ones out there. And my mind always wants to tailor the recommendation to the requestor. But for some that I really enjoy(ed):...
Recommending a book is crazy hard for me. There are so many good ones out there. And my mind always wants to tailor the recommendation to the requestor.
But for some that I really enjoy(ed):
Anything written by Lois McMasters Bujold for her putting her protagonists through the wringer and the interesting ways they come through it. Usually has rock solid characters and excellent pacing.
Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson for a unique construct of the online and offline existence with a wicked sense of humor.
The Amulet if Samarkand series by Jonathan Stroud for dragging me breathlessly through a series - never quite sure if I like or hate Nathanial, but twisting my heart into a pretzel at the end of each book.
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. Although a graphic novel rather than traditional fiction, it is exciting, fun, and a little poignant with a mix of the Monkey King tale and modern cultural identity.
...I better stop now. If I recommend all the ones I like I'll be here all day. TT_TT
Snowcrash is one of my all time favorite books and Cyberpunk in general is my favorite genre. It's amazing how close Stephenson got to completely nailing what the future of the web might be like....
Snowcrash is one of my all time favorite books and Cyberpunk in general is my favorite genre. It's amazing how close Stephenson got to completely nailing what the future of the web might be like. With commercial VR and social media we are edging ever closer to the real life Metaverse.
I have not, though I am a fan of Mr. Doctorow's work with the EFF, I am a bit embarrassed to admit I haven't read any of his books. Is it worth a read? I am just finishing up the non-fiction The...
I have not, though I am a fan of Mr. Doctorow's work with the EFF, I am a bit embarrassed to admit I haven't read any of his books. Is it worth a read? I am just finishing up the non-fiction The Authoritarians by Dr. Bob Altemeyer but I am almost done with it and given how friggin' depressing it is I could use something fun and fictional next.
I enjoyed it very much. It's a quick read; the writing is fluid and deals with complex situations simply...but not so simple as to lose the underlying issues. It's a little dated now, but many of...
I enjoyed it very much. It's a quick read; the writing is fluid and deals with complex situations simply...but not so simple as to lose the underlying issues. It's a little dated now, but many of the ideas are still recognizable in their current form.
I believe Doctorow put it out under creative commons, so it's available for free. If you enjoy it you can always pay for a copy later. :)
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is one of my favorite books I've read in a while. It's the first part of a trilogy (that I have doubts about ever being finished) but it stands on its own...
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is one of my favorite books I've read in a while. It's the first part of a trilogy (that I have doubts about ever being finished) but it stands on its own pretty well. My wife and I read it at the same time and both enjoyed it thoroughly.
Yes, yes, this is has become a classic in fantasy circles. Absolutely some of the most enjoyable world-building in a fantasy novel. The writing its self is beautiful and flows in interesting ways,...
Yes, yes, this is has become a classic in fantasy circles. Absolutely some of the most enjoyable world-building in a fantasy novel. The writing its self is beautiful and flows in interesting ways, the characters are a lot of fun and the story moves at a great pace. Particularly in book 2, some of the Felurian/Fae Realm stuff is just... ugh, so good.
It's a bit of a shame that Rothfuss has gotten to be, ah, a little grumpy with his fans. I guess it's par for the course when you have a successful and beloved series, but it's still been sad to watch him enjoy talking to fans about the books less and less.
Yeah, I can understand a little grumpiness when you only ever hear one question. I still have no idea how he plans to wrap this story up in only one more book though.
Yeah, I can understand a little grumpiness when you only ever hear one question. I still have no idea how he plans to wrap this story up in only one more book though.
Not exactly books, but web serials: (I'd link but mobile) -Worm by Wildbow (Superhero deconstruction) The story where Taylor Hebert attempts to become a superhero. She sucks at it. Story is dark,...
Not exactly books, but web serials: (I'd link but mobile)
-Worm by Wildbow (Superhero deconstruction)
The story where Taylor Hebert attempts to become a superhero. She sucks at it. Story is dark, but I enjoyed it greatly.
-A Practical Guide to Evil by ErraticErrata (Fantasy where tropes are real)
Catherine Foundling becomes part of the fight between Good and Evil, by earning the Name of Squire. Capitalized for a reason. Names and Roles matter, as do stories.
-Heretical Edge by Cerulean (Urban Fantasy Super High School Monster Hunting Mistery I have no idea what's the proper genre)
Felicity Chambers gets invited to Crossroads Academy, where she learns that the supernatural exists, and Heretics exist to keep humanity safe from it.
Main difference between Webfiction and a book is that Webfiction is continuously written. This means no waiting 5 years between 2 books, but waiting 3-4 days for a chapter can be hard when it ends on a cliffhanger.
Also they are free, and can hold your attention for quite a while. Worm is done at 1.6 Million words, which is longer than Harry Potter and Lord of The Rings combined.
Any of the Michael J Sullivan Riyria Revelations if you like fantasy A very interesting read that really feels like a labour of love by the author, especially since he has crowed funded a number...
Any of the Michael J Sullivan Riyria Revelations if you like fantasy
A very interesting read that really feels like a labour of love by the author, especially since he has crowed funded a number of his releases.
Recently found Max Tegmark's Our Mathematical Universe It is a good summary of the history of the models of our universe and at the end include a rather interesting idea of what could be a true...
Recently found Max Tegmark's Our Mathematical Universe It is a good summary of the history of the models of our universe and at the end include a rather interesting idea of what could be a true nature of it even though I'm a bit sceptical of the final conclusions.
My favourite genre of books is definitely sf/f, but neither of my two oft-recommended books fit there! The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk, which I honestly just feel is one of the best fiction books...
My favourite genre of books is definitely sf/f, but neither of my two oft-recommended books fit there!
The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk, which I honestly just feel is one of the best fiction books ever. It captures a time and a place and a headspace so perfectly.
And The Food Lab by Kenji López-Alt, which will change the way you approach food and cooking, making both a richer experience. (for me, this sea change actually came from the modernist cuisine books, but they're like $600 and weigh 50lbs and you don't own any of the equipment used in them. The Food Lab is much more accessible and digestible.)
I have that one too (because I have a thing for cookbooks), though I feel it's maybe a little more molecular gastronomy focused - I'd recommend it to someone who is already pretty interested in...
I have that one too (because I have a thing for cookbooks), though I feel it's maybe a little more molecular gastronomy focused - I'd recommend it to someone who is already pretty interested in cooking for sure though!
And, the little waterproof recipe compendium that came with that book is one of my favourite things ever!
Well if you have a bio and physics lab near to you that helps a lot :) Fortunately, when I was building a biohack lab at FabLab Budapest I had a good access to materials required for the task of...
Well if you have a bio and physics lab near to you that helps a lot :) Fortunately, when I was building a biohack lab at FabLab Budapest I had a good access to materials required for the task of the Original modernist. A Home version is a bit lighter on this regards. But I mostly use it for improving a bit of my day-by-day techniques instead of following all the rules and processes. We kind of collect cookbooks with my girlfriend so I can relate.
I think it's a good time to read True Believer by Eric Hoffer. Discourses by Epictetus. It's a tough read, but it's a classic of stoic philosophy. Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah...
I think it's a good time to read True Believer by Eric Hoffer.
Discourses by Epictetus. It's a tough read, but it's a classic of stoic philosophy.
There's a long list of fiction that basically follows the science fiction classics. I grew up reading Robert Heinlein, but his stuff hasn't aged as well as some. Still, Stranger in a Strange Land influenced me a lot, but it seems to be one of those books that can hit you at the right time in your life but leave you cold if you're too young or too old.
Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat by R.G. Grant is an absolutely fantastic book if you're interested in military history. I checked it out of the local library constantly.
The Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Briain, starting with Master and Commander. It's a truly amazing series if you like historical fiction, or specifically, books heavily featuring old ships....
The Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Briain, starting with Master and Commander.
It's a truly amazing series if you like historical fiction, or specifically, books heavily featuring old ships. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that the only reason I picked the first book up was because Nick Offerman was asked in an interview what his favorite book or series was and he answered with this one. Since then I've read 14 of the 20 books in the series.
I'm going to get drowned here, but Finnegan's Wake will always, to me, be the greatest book ever written. It's a dark behemoth that repels all but the most dedicated reader, but take the time to...
I'm going to get drowned here, but Finnegan's Wake will always, to me, be the greatest book ever written. It's a dark behemoth that repels all but the most dedicated reader, but take the time to leap into its murky depths and you'll find perhaps the greatest look into the human mind since Ulysses (and likely moreso). A linguist could spend a lifetime analysing a single of its pages, and to hear the words being spoken is an everlasting joy. Joyce was likely the most incredible author to have published to date, and if one day any work even rivals half of what the Wake is, then we'll be living in a special time.
The Fall Revolution series (The Star Fraction, The Stone Canal, The Cassini Division, The Sky Road) by Ken McLeod. One thought-provoking idea chases the next one, detailed characters, emotional...
The Fall Revolution series (The Star Fraction, The Stone Canal, The Cassini Division, The Sky Road) by Ken McLeod. One thought-provoking idea chases the next one, detailed characters, emotional storyline, lots of unexpected turnings and small surprises. You should probably have a soft spot for socialist utopias, though!
The Stranger by Albert Camus. If you have not yet understood how subjective perception is and how bizarre our moral beliefs can be, do read this book.
White Light by Rudy Rucker if you ever wondered how it feels to check in to Hilbert's Hotel, or if you are interested in mathematics in general and infinity in particular.
Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst A mixture of biology, psychology, sociology, neurobiology and other subjects to explain why we behave the way we do. Kind of a heavy reading,...
A mixture of biology, psychology, sociology, neurobiology and other subjects to explain why we behave the way we do. Kind of a heavy reading, but I really enjoyed it.
The Ginger Man by J.P. Donleavy All you need if you're looking for a damn funny story with mad, crazy people in it. And damn, damn, damn, if isn't a wild WILD WILD book. "Take deeds Away. Play...
The Ginger Man by J.P. Donleavy
All you need if you're looking for a damn funny story with mad, crazy people in it. And damn, damn, damn, if isn't a wild WILD WILD book.
Stephen King's 'On Writing.'
It's part bio, part best-of-class advice on writing your own stories and improving your game as a writer. It's a brief book, and filled with an absolute minimum of bullshit. Honestly, I think it's near the top of the list for the best books King has ever written.
edit: I'll throw in another uplifting little scifi novella that very few people will know about. I'd say it's ~30 minutes of reading. I think I posted it here several days back during the initial alpha signup. ;)
Wow, I didn't know about the accident and how badly it affected his life.
King details the entire event on a second-by-second basis in that book. It seemed to him he'd entered one of his own stories.
One of the best non-fiction books I've read.
I have to mention Ray Bradbury's Zen in the Art of Writing. Its a book full of great stories and great advices. Quite brilliant.
Curious enough, even though I like some of his short stories, and love his passion and love of literature, his talks and his all persona, besides the Art of Writing I only read one of his novels... The infamous Fahrenheit 451. I was so eager to read it. After I finally bought it, I immediatly went to a coffe shop, order a beer and sat down to read it.
I couldn't believe what I was reading. I ordered a second beer. And still couldn't believe it. The book sucks.
It was such a disapointment that I couldn't bring myself to try another one of his books. I hated it with all my guts. It was badly written. It had flat cardboard characters, and childlike dialog. It was a mess.
Of the entire book what I liked more was the story he tells (in Zen in the Art of Writing) about his time writing the book.
Does anyone feel the same with Fahrenheit 451?
I can see how you'd feel that way. XD It's a very different writing style than is popular right now. I enjoyed 451. Bradbury's point was slowly developed over the course of the book. The only blatantly developed character was the society the protagonist lived in. The protagonist himself was left open ended to make people question things more.
I'm curious now; did you enjoy or hate Philip K Dick's Do Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?
I still haven't read it. I only read a couple of his short stories. I don't have a lot of SF in my bag. 1984 and Brave New World were my first ones. Then some Iain Banks and the beautiful Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin, and little more. Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. But I think they're more fantasy then SF.
As for SF, I like it when I read it, but I don't usually go looking for it.
Give me some humour or some dirty realism, give me something that will make me think, change my perspective, question my thoughts, anything that can rock my boat, really, and give me a cold beer in a summer afternoon, and I'll be a happy boy!
I'm sure that there's plenty of SF like this. I'm open to sugestions. Make me happy.
Sounds like Snowcrash is right up your alley. XD
Let's see. I enjoy humor more than gritty realism and space opera more than society reconstruction... Not sure if any of these will suit you! But here goes-
Old Man's War by John Scalzi or The Forever War by Joe Halderman
Or if you've ever watched Star Trek and laughed, Red Shirts by John Scalzi
The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein
Kiln People by David Brin (This is a risky one. It's got plot holes and if I were editing it it would bleed. But interesting ideas and a tart sense of humour...that it has. Same goes for Uplift War.)
Falling Free or The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMasters Bujold
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
On the beer front, I'll have to buy you some if we're ever in the same city. My computer doesn't seem to want to digitize it. :(
I haven't seen him mentioned yet so I'll throw my favorite author out there. Brandon Sanderson if you want a good fiction books (close to fantasy but not always).
If you want a nice long Epic you can't go wrong with the Stormlight Archives. Something closer to comic book heroes The Breaker series is amazing. A good intro to his universes would the Mistborn series. If you don't want a series he also has books but I'll recommend Warbreaker. He even has a comic book series that I haven't read so can't comment on much.
Basically this guy is a god like author IMO and I don't know how he manages it. He was also selected to finish The Wheel of Time series but I can't get through the first book of that so don't know how well he did.
Brandon Sanderson is great. If you haven't, make sure you read his short story "The Emperor's Soul". It's a quick read (and you don't need to have read any of the other Elantris books), but I really enjoyed it.
I was honestly a bit disappointed with Words of Radiance (second book of The Stormlight Archive). It was still definitely good overall, but I think he may have been writing too much young-adult fiction in between the two books. Something about the writing (and especially the dialogue) in the second one was just a little bit "off", it was too simplistic or something. It made me feel a little weird through the whole book.
I can see where you're coming from. I agree after books like the Red Rising series you can definitely feel Sanderson making stuff more younger teen friendly at times.
I loved Emperor's Soul. For me, it's his best piece of writing. He builds amazing worlds, and magic systems, but I am all about character, and I generally find his characters one dimensional. His characters in Emperor's Soul are probably his best for me.
Ya the amount of books he puts out is absolutely insane. I mean I've been waiting for the final installment of The Kingkiller Chronicle since 2011 :(.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
I feel like I learned a lot about how to approach life from that book.
I too often try to throw myself to the ground and miss. I love this book!
I've yet to find a book as whimsical and funny as hitchhikers. Didn't like the ending though, too depressing.
On a side note, apparently Elon Musk wants to name his first ship to go to mars the "heart of gold".
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet
I love historical fiction and this is one the best in the genre that I've read. It's a really interesting time period/location that I knew nothing about, the story is extremely interesting, and the characters really come to life. I found myself pretty attached to the protagonist by the end. The author is the same guy who wrote Cloud Atlas, which as you may know, was popularized as a movie but is itself another great book.
Woah this seems good. I'll put it on my list.
Simon Sinek's "Leaders Eat Last" and "Start With Why" are absolutely incredible books on how to be an effective leader that have been very helpful to me.
The books have a lot of good information, but they're presented primarily as inspirational pieces meant to convince you of a new way of thinking about people and business, and they lend themselves well to reading once and passing on to a friend or co-worker.
I'm about to start reading "King of Ashes" by Raymond E. Feist.
I really liked the Riftwar series though I disliked how the final book ended, so i'm hoping a new set of books in a new universe will be a fresh start for him.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5510571-wetware
Wetware: A Computer in Every Living Cell. An accessible (without sacrificing too much) look at the almost robotic life of small organisms.
I am definitely going to read this one. Let's just say it's directly, exceptionally related to my writing interests.
Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change by William R. Catton (1982)
It's an incredibly well written and sobering explanation of the human predicament. I have no background in science or ecology, but Catton explains the core concepts and various data for understanding the notion of overshoot an its implications extremely well. I was a bit blindsided by the fact this was written in the eighties. If scientists and ecologists have had perspectives like this for this long, it doesn't speak well for our collective ability to change our current trajectory.
Recommending a book is crazy hard for me. There are so many good ones out there. And my mind always wants to tailor the recommendation to the requestor.
But for some that I really enjoy(ed):
Anything written by Lois McMasters Bujold for her putting her protagonists through the wringer and the interesting ways they come through it. Usually has rock solid characters and excellent pacing.
Snowcrash by Neal Stephenson for a unique construct of the online and offline existence with a wicked sense of humor.
The Amulet if Samarkand series by Jonathan Stroud for dragging me breathlessly through a series - never quite sure if I like or hate Nathanial, but twisting my heart into a pretzel at the end of each book.
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. Although a graphic novel rather than traditional fiction, it is exciting, fun, and a little poignant with a mix of the Monkey King tale and modern cultural identity.
...I better stop now. If I recommend all the ones I like I'll be here all day. TT_TT
Snowcrash is one of my all time favorite books and Cyberpunk in general is my favorite genre. It's amazing how close Stephenson got to completely nailing what the future of the web might be like. With commercial VR and social media we are edging ever closer to the real life Metaverse.
Have you read For The Win by Cory Doctorow? I'm interested in your take on the gaming world politics in it. :)
I have not, though I am a fan of Mr. Doctorow's work with the EFF, I am a bit embarrassed to admit I haven't read any of his books. Is it worth a read? I am just finishing up the non-fiction The Authoritarians by Dr. Bob Altemeyer but I am almost done with it and given how friggin' depressing it is I could use something fun and fictional next.
I enjoyed it very much. It's a quick read; the writing is fluid and deals with complex situations simply...but not so simple as to lose the underlying issues. It's a little dated now, but many of the ideas are still recognizable in their current form.
I believe Doctorow put it out under creative commons, so it's available for free. If you enjoy it you can always pay for a copy later. :)
Cool... added it to my reading list. A quick read after The Authoritarians will be a nice change of pace. Thanks for the recommendation!
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is one of my favorite books I've read in a while. It's the first part of a trilogy (that I have doubts about ever being finished) but it stands on its own pretty well. My wife and I read it at the same time and both enjoyed it thoroughly.
Yes, yes, this is has become a classic in fantasy circles. Absolutely some of the most enjoyable world-building in a fantasy novel. The writing its self is beautiful and flows in interesting ways, the characters are a lot of fun and the story moves at a great pace. Particularly in book 2, some of the Felurian/Fae Realm stuff is just... ugh, so good.
It's a bit of a shame that Rothfuss has gotten to be, ah, a little grumpy with his fans. I guess it's par for the course when you have a successful and beloved series, but it's still been sad to watch him enjoy talking to fans about the books less and less.
Yeah, I can understand a little grumpiness when you only ever hear one question. I still have no idea how he plans to wrap this story up in only one more book though.
Not exactly books, but web serials: (I'd link but mobile)
-Worm by Wildbow (Superhero deconstruction)
The story where Taylor Hebert attempts to become a superhero. She sucks at it. Story is dark, but I enjoyed it greatly.
-A Practical Guide to Evil by ErraticErrata (Fantasy where tropes are real)
Catherine Foundling becomes part of the fight between Good and Evil, by earning the Name of Squire. Capitalized for a reason. Names and Roles matter, as do stories.
-Heretical Edge by Cerulean (Urban Fantasy Super High School Monster Hunting Mistery I have no idea what's the proper genre)
Felicity Chambers gets invited to Crossroads Academy, where she learns that the supernatural exists, and Heretics exist to keep humanity safe from it.
Main difference between Webfiction and a book is that Webfiction is continuously written. This means no waiting 5 years between 2 books, but waiting 3-4 days for a chapter can be hard when it ends on a cliffhanger.
Also they are free, and can hold your attention for quite a while. Worm is done at 1.6 Million words, which is longer than Harry Potter and Lord of The Rings combined.
Any of the Michael J Sullivan Riyria Revelations if you like fantasy
A very interesting read that really feels like a labour of love by the author, especially since he has crowed funded a number of his releases.
The Stench of Honolulu by Jack Handy, of SNL fame. Quite literally the funniest book I've ever read.
Recently found Max Tegmark's Our Mathematical Universe It is a good summary of the history of the models of our universe and at the end include a rather interesting idea of what could be a true nature of it even though I'm a bit sceptical of the final conclusions.
One book that I will always recommend is The Count of Monte Cristo (unabridged). It's such a great story and one of my all time favorite books.
The Little Prince. I just loved everything about it and it's super short for anyone that just wants to kill an hour or two.
My favourite genre of books is definitely sf/f, but neither of my two oft-recommended books fit there!
The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk, which I honestly just feel is one of the best fiction books ever. It captures a time and a place and a headspace so perfectly.
And The Food Lab by Kenji López-Alt, which will change the way you approach food and cooking, making both a richer experience. (for me, this sea change actually came from the modernist cuisine books, but they're like $600 and weigh 50lbs and you don't own any of the equipment used in them. The Food Lab is much more accessible and digestible.)
The Modernist Cuisine has a 'Home' version as well which is a bit more accessible but indeed the Food Lab is great!
I have that one too (because I have a thing for cookbooks), though I feel it's maybe a little more molecular gastronomy focused - I'd recommend it to someone who is already pretty interested in cooking for sure though!
And, the little waterproof recipe compendium that came with that book is one of my favourite things ever!
Well if you have a bio and physics lab near to you that helps a lot :) Fortunately, when I was building a biohack lab at FabLab Budapest I had a good access to materials required for the task of the Original modernist. A Home version is a bit lighter on this regards. But I mostly use it for improving a bit of my day-by-day techniques instead of following all the rules and processes. We kind of collect cookbooks with my girlfriend so I can relate.
um, fun! Did you ever centrifuge anything for cooking?
I think it's a good time to read True Believer by Eric Hoffer.
Discourses by Epictetus. It's a tough read, but it's a classic of stoic philosophy.
Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah had a big influence on me.
There's a long list of fiction that basically follows the science fiction classics. I grew up reading Robert Heinlein, but his stuff hasn't aged as well as some. Still, Stranger in a Strange Land influenced me a lot, but it seems to be one of those books that can hit you at the right time in your life but leave you cold if you're too young or too old.
Battle: A Visual Journey Through 5,000 Years of Combat by R.G. Grant is an absolutely fantastic book if you're interested in military history. I checked it out of the local library constantly.
The Aubrey-Maturin series by Patrick O'Briain, starting with Master and Commander.
It's a truly amazing series if you like historical fiction, or specifically, books heavily featuring old ships. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that the only reason I picked the first book up was because Nick Offerman was asked in an interview what his favorite book or series was and he answered with this one. Since then I've read 14 of the 20 books in the series.
The Time Travellers Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. Not the film!
The book is amazingly written though and one of my favourites.
I'm going to get drowned here, but Finnegan's Wake will always, to me, be the greatest book ever written. It's a dark behemoth that repels all but the most dedicated reader, but take the time to leap into its murky depths and you'll find perhaps the greatest look into the human mind since Ulysses (and likely moreso). A linguist could spend a lifetime analysing a single of its pages, and to hear the words being spoken is an everlasting joy. Joyce was likely the most incredible author to have published to date, and if one day any work even rivals half of what the Wake is, then we'll be living in a special time.
The Fall Revolution series (The Star Fraction, The Stone Canal, The Cassini Division, The Sky Road) by Ken McLeod. One thought-provoking idea chases the next one, detailed characters, emotional storyline, lots of unexpected turnings and small surprises. You should probably have a soft spot for socialist utopias, though!
The Stranger by Albert Camus. If you have not yet understood how subjective perception is and how bizarre our moral beliefs can be, do read this book.
White Light by Rudy Rucker if you ever wondered how it feels to check in to Hilbert's Hotel, or if you are interested in mathematics in general and infinity in particular.
Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst
A mixture of biology, psychology, sociology, neurobiology and other subjects to explain why we behave the way we do. Kind of a heavy reading, but I really enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed Reincarnation Blues. Quick, easy, thoughtful and humorous.
The Ginger Man by J.P. Donleavy
All you need if you're looking for a damn funny story with mad, crazy people in it. And damn, damn, damn, if isn't a wild WILD WILD book.
"Take deeds
Away.
Play music
please."