[acesn8s]

Malaclypse, on 28 March 2013 - 08:40 PM, said:

acesn8s, on 28 March 2013 - 08:11 PM, said:

Malaclypse, on 27 March 2013 - 08:43 PM, said:

Death of Kings by Cornwell, 6th and last book of the Warrior Chronicles - very good series. Uhtred is pretty awesome. Next will be Tad Williams' Dirty Streets of Heaven, hoping for something on the level of Otherland, which I loved apart from the ending - that was a story that could have gone on forever, maybe any ending would have been lame...

I would say Death of Kings is the latest book, not the last.

DSoH is William's take on Dresden Files, with Angels and Demons instead of Wizards.

Really? That's cool - after a bit of a break I could totally go for some more Uhtred.

Regarding DSoH, I'm hoping it's at least as good as the Dresden books as I've invoked a personal moratorium on Jim Butcher's books after attempting the Codex Alera, not sure how long it will last.

I devoured DSoH. I really liked it, and I haven't read a William's book since To Green Angel Tower was first released.

[Kruppe's snacky cakes]

worrywort, on 28 March 2013 - 09:15 PM, said:

Kruppe, on 28 March 2013 - 05:01 PM, said:

Abyss, on 27 March 2013 - 08:49 PM, said:

The movie was crap, as with the vast majority of King tv and film projects, STAND BY ME, SHAWSHANK and GREEN MILE aside.
Read the book and you'll see the difference.

One of my problems is that I grew up watching Stephen King movies. While several were decent, the only one that inspired me to pick up the book was IT. Now that I'm an adult with a large backlog of unread books, it's very hard to motivate myself to read a book if I've already seen the (mediocre) movie version.

Also, the thing I've noticed (and not liked) about King's writing is that it is very stream-of-consciousness. It always feels like he starts and ends a book with no outline or plan for where he's going and then turns in the first draft for publication. I will soon begin book 3 of Dark Tower...and maybe he does a better job of tying things together here...but the first 2 books were just par for the course - too much meandering, things happen because they happen.

Books 3 and 4 are by far the best in the series, IMO, so I hope you enjoy them. Also, Shawshank can eat it. Switch it with Creepshow!

Yes, I've heard later books are better than the first 2, which is the only reason I'm continuing. (Well, that and I keep finding them as bargain books.)

I keep trying King... I've got The Waste Lands, Duma Key, and Under The Dome all queued up as near-future reads. Something besides IT will click at some point, hopefully.

Creepshow...that's one I don't remember seeing...even though it sounds like the perfect VHS rental fodder my cousin and I would have been into back when we were preteeny boppers. I don't know if your recommendation is serious or sarcastic, but it's a "sleeper hit" according to wikipedia and it starts on IFC in about 80 minutes, so DVR set!

[amphibian]

This might be controversial, but King's best book is "On Writing".

He's pretty decent, but he did bodge the Dark Tower towards the end because he wanted to get the books out, rather than do them right.

The Tommyknockers was good, the one with the farting weasels was good (forgot the title), Misery was good, the Dragon's Eye and Salem's Lot are good. But his most important works to read are The Stand and the Dark Tower books.

[Ukjent]

Just done with Wooding's the Black Lung Captain and are now all out of books, always a bummer.

[Salt-Man Z]

Graablick, on 29 March 2013 - 04:35 PM, said:

now all out of books

I--I don't understand the thing you just said.

[T77]

Finished Last Argument of Kings by Abercrombie recently and really enjoyed it. The first book I struggled with, only with the advice from this forum did I finish it. The second book was a bit better, but I was still on the fence about Abercrombie. Having liked this book I will read more of his works.

[Kruppe's snacky cakes]

amphibian, on 29 March 2013 - 03:32 PM, said:

This might be controversial, but King's best book is "On Writing".

I've actually read, and enjoyed, that one. (And therefore I know my accusation that King publishes first drafts is incorrect. It just seems that way...)

Salt-Man Z, on 29 March 2013 - 04:52 PM, said:

Graablick, on 29 March 2013 - 04:35 PM, said:

now all out of books

I--I don't understand the thing you just said.

It means Graablick has read every book ever written and now must wait for people to write more. That is my goal also. I've got a ways to go.

 Corbis-42-15607469.jpg (22K)
Number of downloads: 0

[Morgoth]

So I finished Existence by David Brin and feel pretty happy about the experience. There were parts of the book, around the mid point especially, that felt like they dragged a little too much, but it was well worth going through with it. I love it when sci fi focus on exploring concepts, ideas, philosophy tied to our ever expanding technology and potential, and Existence certainly scratched that itch.

Though I wish he would have stayed with Seeker a little longer. That part felt rushed.

Still, if you like hard sci fi and contact novels, this is for you.

[Morgoth]

... and I finished The fifty Year Sword by Mark Z. Danielewski. The perfect story for a stormy easter evening.

However, the book is not something I would recommend for someone not already familiar with Danielewski's somewhat unconventional approach to writing.

[Ukjent]

Reading Tom Clancy's Dead or Alive. But I'm not that impressed by what i have been reading until now, Red Strom was way better.

[Abyss]

Graablick, on 02 April 2013 - 08:28 AM, said:

Reading Tom Clancy's Dead or Alive. But I'm not that impressed by what i have been reading until now, Red Strom was way better.

Clancy's early stuff, RED STORM included, is massively better than pretty much everything since the late 90s. Barely even a fair comparison.


Have been reading an anthology call FUTURE LOVECRAFT... it's a collection of short stories based on the Lovecraft mythos with future settings. I've never heard of any of the authors before... a couple are quite good,
notably In the Hall of the Yellow King by Peter Rawlik, which does a brilliant job of displaying how diplomacy and war between Old Ones would go, and Venice Burning A. C. Wise, which is just frankly brilliant altho the Cthulu elements are barely there... most are mediocre and predictable, some are just not good, many are retellings of well known Lovecraftian stories with spaceships instead of ships (altho i hasten to add better than a lot of the crap that gets thrown into urban fantasy atnhols by heavily published authors laterly). There is also some poetry. I'll refrain from comment on those parts. That said I find i'm enjoying it overall, if only to revisit some of the Lovecraft concepts that are always a hoot.

That said the book is HUGE so i've taken a break and started Clines' EX-HEROES 2: EX-PATRIOTS, which is good fun so far. Kind of great to see these characters again... the ones that survived the first book, anyways.

[Ceda Cicero]

Finished Before They Are Hanged today. Headed out in about 2 minutes to pick up Last Argument of Kings. I can't say that Abercrombie blows me away when I sit back and really put the pieces together in my head, but damn if he doesn't have a way of getting his hooks in and keeping you turning the page.

[Spoilsport Stonny]

Going on vacation tomorrow and picked up the first Dresden book to read while I'm there. Because of many on this board, I'm looking forward to it.

[Abyss]

Ceda Cicero, on 02 April 2013 - 03:45 PM, said:

Finished Before They Are Hanged today. Headed out in about 2 minutes to pick up Last Argument of Kings. I can't say that Abercrombie blows me away when I sit back and really put the pieces together in my head, but damn if he doesn't have a way of getting his hooks in and keeping you turning the page.

HANGED is a solid conclusion to the trilo, but i found he only really hit his stride with the semi-standalones that followed, which are leaps and bounds better than the trilo imnsho.

Relatedly i just finished RED COUNTRY and loved it. Will comment in the ded-thread, but while BEST SERVED remains my fave of his, this was an awesome book.

Spoilsport Stonny, on 02 April 2013 - 04:09 PM, said:

Going on vacation tomorrow and picked up the first Dresden book to read while I'm there. Because of many on this board, I'm looking forward to it.

...all together now....

THE DRESDENCRACK

IT GROWZ!!!

IT GROWZEZ!!!!!!

[Kruppe's snacky cakes]

Abyss, on 02 April 2013 - 03:18 PM, said:

Graablick, on 02 April 2013 - 08:28 AM, said:

Reading Tom Clancy's Dead or Alive. But I'm not that impressed by what i have been reading until now, Red Strom was way better.

Clancy's early stuff, RED STORM included, is massively better than pretty much everything since the late 90s. Barely even a fair comparison.

I've read and enjoyed Clancy's Jack Ryan series up to and including Red Rabbit. But you're right, there is a dramatic drop in quality after Rainbow Six (1999). I think a lot of his post-2000 books are collaborations with poorer authors. The Jack Ryan Jr. series is not worth the paper it's printed on. Anyone who needs a Clancy fix should just reread one of the earlier Ryan novels.

[Macros]

Struggling to get into Lionheart, I forget the authors name (it may be a lady author) its just.bombarding me with names of kings, counts, countesses, duchesses and queens with little.plot advancement so far (granted in not too far in)

[Ukjent]

Kruppe, on 02 April 2013 - 08:55 PM, said:

Abyss, on 02 April 2013 - 03:18 PM, said:

Graablick, on 02 April 2013 - 08:28 AM, said:

Reading Tom Clancy's Dead or Alive. But I'm not that impressed by what i have been reading until now, Red Strom was way better.

Clancy's early stuff, RED STORM included, is massively better than pretty much everything since the late 90s. Barely even a fair comparison.

I've read and enjoyed Clancy's Jack Ryan series up to and including Red Rabbit. But you're right, there is a dramatic drop in quality after Rainbow Six (1999). I think a lot of his post-2000 books are collaborations with poorer authors. The Jack Ryan Jr. series is not worth the paper it's printed on. Anyone who needs a Clancy fix should just reread one of the earlier Ryan novels.

The book is shit, thin I just will take the buss downtown and buy the rest of Codex alea(?) instead.

[Serenity]

I'm finally reading The Lies of Locke Lamora. It had been on my shelf so long it had sprouted roots.

[Abyss]

Graablick, on 03 April 2013 - 10:42 AM, said:

Kruppe, on 02 April 2013 - 08:55 PM, said:

Abyss, on 02 April 2013 - 03:18 PM, said:

Graablick, on 02 April 2013 - 08:28 AM, said:

Reading Tom Clancy's Dead or Alive. But I'm not that impressed by what i have been reading until now, Red Strom was way better.

Clancy's early stuff, RED STORM included, is massively better than pretty much everything since the late 90s. Barely even a fair comparison.

I've read and enjoyed Clancy's Jack Ryan series up to and including Red Rabbit. But you're right, there is a dramatic drop in quality after Rainbow Six (1999). I think a lot of his post-2000 books are collaborations with poorer authors. The Jack Ryan Jr. series is not worth the paper it's printed on. Anyone who needs a Clancy fix should just reread one of the earlier Ryan novels.

The book is shit, thin I just will take the buss downtown and buy the rest of Codex alea(?) instead.

That may be your safest course of action.

@Kruppe - I agree... personally i thought Clancy hit his high point with EXECUTIVE ORDER, which was brilliant and built beautifully on everything written to that point. R6 was good (not great, but entertaining). WITHOUT REMORSE was actually pretty amaziong too. But I read THE BEAR AND THE DRAGON (which wasn't a co-write but i found incredibly weak even so) and i knew it was time for me to abandon ship and i've never looked back.

[Ukjent]

I think Without Remorse was my favorite when I were younger, who can't enjoy a former spec ops killing narcodealers.

and now over to Cursor's fury!

This post has been edited by Graablick: 03 April 2013 - 02:33 PM