paizo.com Recent Posts in What books are you currently reading?paizo.com Recent Posts in What books are you currently reading?2024-03-11T13:15:28Z2024-03-11T13:15:28ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Bjørn Røyrvikhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102712024-03-13T22:24:50Z2024-03-11T13:15:26Z<p>"A voyage to Arcturus" was a memorable book which has made me think about it quite a bit than any fantasy or SF story I have read for a number of years. It's a bit dated in some aspects, but still I heartily recommend it unless you dislike any form of allegorical story.</p>
<p>Cleansing the palate with the complete opposite type of story: some Conan stories. They areally are peak sword and sorcery.</p>"A voyage to Arcturus" was a memorable book which has made me think about it quite a bit than any fantasy or SF story I have read for a number of years. It's a bit dated in some aspects, but still I heartily recommend it unless you dislike any form of allegorical story.
Cleansing the palate with the complete opposite type of story: some Conan stories. They areally are peak sword and sorcery.Bjørn Røyrvik2024-03-11T13:15:26ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Dragonchess Playerhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102702024-03-07T13:25:26Z2024-03-05T23:19:42Z<div class="messageboard-quotee">Quark Blast wrote:</div><blockquote><p> On the positive side:
</p>
Parkinson's cover art is, as my dad sometimes says when being annoying, mad dope. Maybe that sold a few copies of the books as well. </blockquote><p>Keith Parkinson is a <b>fabulous</b> artist.
<p>I suspect that the cover ("Minions of Splugorth") and interior art pages (like the "red borg") for the RIFTS rulebook was also a major selling point back in the day ("Wow... This looks <i>interesting!</i>").</p>Quark Blast wrote:On the positive side:
Parkinson's cover art is, as my dad sometimes says when being annoying, mad dope. Maybe that sold a few copies of the books as well.
Keith Parkinson is a fabulous artist. I suspect that the cover ("Minions of Splugorth") and interior art pages (like the "red borg") for the RIFTS rulebook was also a major selling point back in the day ("Wow... This looks interesting!").Dragonchess Player2024-03-05T23:19:42ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Quark Blasthttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102692024-03-05T04:40:47Z2024-03-05T04:27:08Z<p>Good feedback on Goodkind. Thanks everyone!</p>
<div class="messageboard-quotee">Dragonchess Player wrote:</div><blockquote>You may also get annoyed with his "Richard Rahl always makes the 'right' choice, even if there is no way he would know about it" deus ex machina.</blockquote><p>Well, I didn't finish the book but I could see that things regularly tricked Richard's way. Magic was weird too - very Vancian - and also seemed to work just the way the plot needed it to at the moment.
<p>One other complaint I forgot to mention:
<br />
There were names like D'Hara, Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, Darken Rahl and Kahlan. Then there are names like Richard and Samuel and a female red dragon named.... <span class=tiny><i>wait for it.... </span></i> Scarlet. So he either ripped off the former names from somewhere I'm unfamiliar with or he had good days and bad days when coming up with character names. </p>
<p>On the positive side:
<br />
Parkinson's cover art is, as my dad sometimes says when being annoying, mad dope. Maybe that sold a few copies of the books as well.</p>Good feedback on Goodkind. Thanks everyone!
Dragonchess Player wrote:You may also get annoyed with his "Richard Rahl always makes the 'right' choice, even if there is no way he would know about it" deus ex machina.
Well, I didn't finish the book but I could see that things regularly tricked Richard's way. Magic was weird too - very Vancian - and also seemed to work just the way the plot needed it to at the moment. One other complaint I forgot to mention:
There were names like D'Hara,...Quark Blast2024-03-05T04:27:08ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Thomas Seitzhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102682024-03-05T01:30:48Z2024-03-05T01:20:33Z<p>Okay Jonathan. Sorry. But it's cool about Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series. I enjoyed that.</p>Okay Jonathan. Sorry. But it's cool about Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series. I enjoyed that.Thomas Seitz2024-03-05T01:20:33ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Jonathan Morgantini (Community and Social Media Specialist)https://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102672024-03-04T23:40:47Z2024-03-04T23:31:20Z<p>Lets please be careful about IRL politics getting in ;). Your book opinions are complete fair game of course. What I read depends on my mood. Currently I think I'm working on Malazan Book of the Fallen, The Dresden Files, The Joe Ledger books, and something else im sure im forgetting.</p>Lets please be careful about IRL politics getting in ;). Your book opinions are complete fair game of course. What I read depends on my mood. Currently I think I'm working on Malazan Book of the Fallen, The Dresden Files, The Joe Ledger books, and something else im sure im forgetting.Jonathan Morgantini (Community and Social Media Specialist)2024-03-04T23:31:20ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Thomas Seitzhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102662024-03-04T22:00:48Z2024-03-04T21:48:56Z<p>Yeah well wealth and power to make rules seems like a terrible way to live...but I guess it works for them.</p>Yeah well wealth and power to make rules seems like a terrible way to live...but I guess it works for them.Thomas Seitz2024-03-04T21:48:56ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Dragonchess Playerhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102652024-03-05T20:15:15Z2024-03-04T17:05:23Z<p>My biggest issue with Objectivism, as commonly applied by many so-called libertarians, is that it basically reduces to Plato's <i>Republic</i> based on inherited wealth rather than nobility/royalty. The "reason" and "moral values" are often used as a smokescreen for The Golden Rule ("whoever holds the gold makes the rules").</p>My biggest issue with Objectivism, as commonly applied by many so-called libertarians, is that it basically reduces to Plato's Republic based on inherited wealth rather than nobility/royalty. The "reason" and "moral values" are often used as a smokescreen for The Golden Rule ("whoever holds the gold makes the rules").Dragonchess Player2024-03-04T17:05:23ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Thomas Seitzhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102642024-03-05T18:16:28Z2024-03-03T00:47:35Z<p>I just couldn't deal with his love for Objectivism and using THAT as the basis for his books. </p>
<p>The other stuff wasn't great either but...yeah.</p>I just couldn't deal with his love for Objectivism and using THAT as the basis for his books.
The other stuff wasn't great either but...yeah.Thomas Seitz2024-03-03T00:47:35ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Dragonchess Playerhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102632024-03-05T18:16:18Z2024-03-02T12:38:21Z<p>Re: Sword of Truth by Goodkind</p>
<p>Tolkien isn't the only "ripoff" (although I'd probably use "obviously inspired by, with just enough changes to avoid lawsuits") in the series (similar to Terry Brooks' early Shannara novels): The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson, The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, etc.</p>
<p>You may also get annoyed with his "Richard Rahl always makes the 'right' choice, even if there is no way he would know about it" deus ex machina. I also got fed up with Goodkind's apparent S&M fetish blatantly appearing in the writing (seriously, handle it like Guy Gavriel Kay instead of throwing it in our faces).</p>
<p>Part of the popularity may have been the resurgence of the anti-hero and part may have been from the titillation factor from the sexual content.</p>Re: Sword of Truth by Goodkind
Tolkien isn't the only "ripoff" (although I'd probably use "obviously inspired by, with just enough changes to avoid lawsuits") in the series (similar to Terry Brooks' early Shannara novels): The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson, The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan, etc.
You may also get annoyed with his "Richard Rahl always makes the 'right' choice, even if there is no way he would know about it" deus ex machina. I also got fed up with...Dragonchess Player2024-03-02T12:38:21ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?thejeffhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102622024-02-26T15:50:47Z2024-02-26T15:39:37Z<p>I haven't read Goodkind, but I think some of the popularity is from various libertarians hyping it up because of his Objectivist takes. </p>
<p>I've also heard some claim that the writing gets better after the first couple books - until later on the political preaching gets even more dominant.</p>I haven't read Goodkind, but I think some of the popularity is from various libertarians hyping it up because of his Objectivist takes.
I've also heard some claim that the writing gets better after the first couple books - until later on the political preaching gets even more dominant.thejeff2024-02-26T15:39:37ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Bjørn Røyrvikhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102612024-02-26T12:50:47Z2024-02-26T12:39:42Z<p>I have heard nothing but bad stuff about the Sword of Truth. I suspect much of its popularity was due partially due to people not being as critical of horrible behavior when it came out and mostly because there was not a lot of competition in the epic fantasy market. </p>
<p>"Battle of the Linguist Mages" was OK. Sparkly in the extreme, with a soundtrack that gave me a headache just reading about it. Minimal linguistics unless there was some very subtle stuff hidden among the blatantly obvious and often wrong stuff. A romance subplot that felt very rushed and unconvincing. It's strongest bit was the existential threats and fun idea of VRMMORPG skills being directly translatable to RL combat proficiency.
<br />
Not sure I would recommend it, despite Charlie Stross doing so.</p>
<p>Just barely started on <b>A Voyage to Arcturus</b>, which starts off pretty good.</p>I have heard nothing but bad stuff about the Sword of Truth. I suspect much of its popularity was due partially due to people not being as critical of horrible behavior when it came out and mostly because there was not a lot of competition in the epic fantasy market.
"Battle of the Linguist Mages" was OK. Sparkly in the extreme, with a soundtrack that gave me a headache just reading about it. Minimal linguistics unless there was some very subtle stuff hidden among the blatantly obvious and...Bjørn Røyrvik2024-02-26T12:39:42ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Quark Blasthttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102602024-02-20T03:00:46Z2024-02-20T02:46:06Z<p>So as to not dredge up a 14 year old thread on the subject I'll just state here: </p>
<p>By far most 'classic' SciFi series were published before my time and I hardly have enough time to read them all. So I took a little time and crawled the Internet to take a gander at a large number of "Best of all-time" lists various entities had published. Culling from those got me a short list of perhaps a hundred books/series. </p>
<p>Starting with the Sword of Truth (<i>Terry Goodkind</i>).... and I must say it was a rough start. How the ####! did this author make so many lists? His evil characters are deeply sadistic with motivations verging on the comically putrid. Even the "good guys" act alarmingly vindictive and seem perversely motivated. That, and every adult (<span class=tiny>"good guys" and bad</span>), in every instance, come off as creepers when they have conversation with minors. Oh, and the character Samuel - how did he not get sued by the Tolkien estate for that patent ripoff of Gollum? Nope, I'm done with this series before finishing the first book. </p>
<p>On to the Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I've seen the TV series - all two abortive seasons - but I won't hold that against the book until I read it anyway.</p>So as to not dredge up a 14 year old thread on the subject I'll just state here:
By far most 'classic' SciFi series were published before my time and I hardly have enough time to read them all. So I took a little time and crawled the Internet to take a gander at a large number of "Best of all-time" lists various entities had published. Culling from those got me a short list of perhaps a hundred books/series.
Starting with the Sword of Truth (Terry Goodkind).... and I must say it was a rough...Quark Blast2024-02-20T02:46:06ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Aberzombiehttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102592024-02-18T22:00:49Z2024-02-18T21:53:37Z<p>I paused my reading of Rom to delve into Howard Chaykin’s Time Squared Omnibus. Now that’s done just in time to start on my just delivered copy of Brian Lumley’s The Best of the Rest.</p>I paused my reading of Rom to delve into Howard Chaykin’s Time Squared Omnibus. Now that’s done just in time to start on my just delivered copy of Brian Lumley’s The Best of the Rest.Aberzombie2024-02-18T21:53:37ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Aberzombiehttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102582024-02-15T13:20:47Z2024-02-15T13:14:03Z<p>Currently working my way through the Rom Omnibus, Volume 1.</p>Currently working my way through the Rom Omnibus, Volume 1.Aberzombie2024-02-15T13:14:03ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Limeylongearshttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102572024-02-14T22:50:46Z2024-02-14T22:45:52Z<p>I would strongly recommend it.</p>I would strongly recommend it.Limeylongears2024-02-14T22:45:52ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Bjørn Røyrvikhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102562024-02-14T06:35:23Z2024-02-14T06:26:05Z<p>I have "A voyage to Arcturus" on my shelf and for the life of me I cannot remember if I've read it or not. Maybe I'll have to read it once I'm done with the SparkleDungeon-crawler.</p>I have "A voyage to Arcturus" on my shelf and for the life of me I cannot remember if I've read it or not. Maybe I'll have to read it once I'm done with the SparkleDungeon-crawler.Bjørn Røyrvik2024-02-14T06:26:05ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Limeylongearshttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102552024-02-13T20:30:48Z2024-02-13T20:19:33Z<p>I thought I might read 'Being And Nothingness' by Jean-Paul Sartre, and thereby get Bigge Braine, but it's bamboozled me thoroughly, and I've had to give up on it, choosing to read a book about ninjas instead, and 'A Voyage To Arcturus' by David Lindsey. The latter's quite something.</p>I thought I might read 'Being And Nothingness' by Jean-Paul Sartre, and thereby get Bigge Braine, but it's bamboozled me thoroughly, and I've had to give up on it, choosing to read a book about ninjas instead, and 'A Voyage To Arcturus' by David Lindsey. The latter's quite something.Limeylongears2024-02-13T20:19:33ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Bjørn Røyrvikhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102542024-02-13T17:00:48Z2024-02-13T16:57:27Z<p>Driftglass was a mixed bag. Some of the stories were good, some rather pointless and felt as though they ended abruptly without any real point or resolution. </p>
<p>On to Scotto Moore's <b>Battle of the Linguist Mages</b>. There had better be some hardcore linguistics in this one.</p>Driftglass was a mixed bag. Some of the stories were good, some rather pointless and felt as though they ended abruptly without any real point or resolution.
On to Scotto Moore's Battle of the Linguist Mages. There had better be some hardcore linguistics in this one.Bjørn Røyrvik2024-02-13T16:57:27ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Fumarolehttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102532024-02-01T16:50:48Z2024-02-01T16:39:12Z<p>I just started <i>So You Want To Be A Gamemaster</i> by Justin Alexander after it was recommended by Professor Dungeon Master. It's pretty good so far, and even though I have been a GM for more than thirty years, I am still finding some good tips in there. I would recommend it to any GM, but especially to new or aspiring GMs.</p>I just started So You Want To Be A Gamemaster by Justin Alexander after it was recommended by Professor Dungeon Master. It's pretty good so far, and even though I have been a GM for more than thirty years, I am still finding some good tips in there. I would recommend it to any GM, but especially to new or aspiring GMs.Fumarole2024-02-01T16:39:12ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Bjørn Røyrvikhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102522024-02-01T13:20:46Z2024-02-01T13:10:21Z<p>Good on ya.</p>
<p>I too got most of my Who from the novelizations, and Dicks is the name I remember, along with Malcolm Hulke. Can't say I ever noticed much difference because I either read the stories or watched them, basically never getting both. When I did all I noticed was the novels being shorter so they cut out stuff. Actual changes are something I'll have to look for. Sounds like a good excuse to reread and watch some classic Who.</p>Good on ya.
I too got most of my Who from the novelizations, and Dicks is the name I remember, along with Malcolm Hulke. Can't say I ever noticed much difference because I either read the stories or watched them, basically never getting both. When I did all I noticed was the novels being shorter so they cut out stuff. Actual changes are something I'll have to look for. Sounds like a good excuse to reread and watch some classic Who.Bjørn Røyrvik2024-02-01T13:10:21ZRe: Forums: Books: What books are you currently reading?Aaron Bitmanhttps://paizo.com/threads/rzs2gmcl&page=206?What-books-are-you-currently-reading#102512024-02-01T16:33:58Z2024-02-01T09:31:24Z<p>I'm finally reading a book which I first wanted - badly - to read over 30 years ago.</p>
<p>Back in the twentieth century, I was a big <i>Doctor Who</i> fan. To this day, I've never been crazier about any other TV show. And I wasn't content only to watch; for those times when I couldn't watch TV or video, I collected over 100 novelizations of the original <i>Doctor Who</i> television serials and read all of those that I got. I read the vast majority of them many, many times, in fact. Terrance Dicks wrote over a third of those that I got (and still have). I liked the way Dicks stayed faithful to the original stories, providing the closest thing I could get to watching the original without actually watching TV/video. It seemed to me like only occasionally would he deviate slightly from the original script (sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse).</p>
<p>And more than any of the other <i>Doctor Who</i> books, I wanted to collect novelizations of the missing stories. Many <i>Doctor Who</i> serials (that is, multi-episode stories, each one of which would typically have one corresponding novelization) from the 1960s were missing some of its episodes, the British Broadcasting Corporation having purged them. And my State's public TV station did not show any <i>Doctor Who</i> serial that was missing any episodes (with the exception of <i>Invasion of the Dinosaurs</i>). So the best way to find out about what happened in those stories was the novelizations. And there was just one missing story whose novelization I couldn't find at any of my local stores: <i>The Abominable Snowmen</i>. I tried asking and writing to people, looking for some way to order it by mail, but nothing worked out. It was especially frustrating as I read <i>The Web of Fear</i> multiple times; I generally avoid reading a sequel before the original.</p>
<p>Also, in VHS format, I got a hold of the surviving episodes of the serials I didn't see on TV. At least, I got all of those episodes I COULD get on VHS at the time. That included episode 2 of <i>The Abominable Snowmen</i>. But all I could get for the other 5 episodes was a brief, vague summary that didn't make for fun reading.</p>
<p>After about a decade, I grew tired of <i>Doctor Who</i> and stopped reading and watching it. About a decade after that, I grew un-tired enough to read a few of my old novelizations. By that time, I had started ordering old books through Amazon from third-party sellers. But whenever I looked for <i>The Abominable Snowmen</i>, I only found copies being offered for insanely high prices. I thought that maybe they were rare by that time, and I despaired of ever getting a copy.</p>
<p>Later, I started getting a craving to see - or read the novelization of - <i>The Sunmakers</i>, which was in the minority group of those <i>Doctor Who</i> novelizations (of the 1963-1989 series) that I had never gotten. But again, when I looked on Amazon, I found only prohibitively expensive copies.</p>
<p>But later still, I heard about ThriftBooks.com, from which, last year, I ordered <i>The Sunmakers</i> as novelized by Terrance Dicks. I figured: Great! Dicks always stays true to the original!</p>
<p>Well, maybe not. Granted, I haven't seen the TV serial in roughly 30 years, but as I read the book, I felt pretty sure that the dialogue had many differences between the TV serial and the book. I seem to remember more eloquent lines in the televised version. I still had fun reading it, especially because I had forgotten a lot of the plot points and action scenes. But I can't feel certain that the plot and action are exactly the same as in the original, since I know that the dialogue isn't.</p>
<p>This year, I finally got Dicks' novelization of <i>The Abominable Snowmen</i> from AbeBooks.com! Again, thank you Aberzombie for telling me about that site. I feel fortunate to get this opportunity to read it, after all these years. But while I read the part that adapts the second episode, I felt certain that the dialogue in the novel is different from the televised version, even more so than in <i>The Sunmakers</i>. And I also felt pretty sure that the action happened a little differently. Maybe Dicks was drawing from the original script. Maybe the director, or someone, changed the televised version to make it fit the show's limited budget. Maybe the differences in the book are a GOOD thing.</p>
<p>In any case, I'm glad of the chance to read it at all.</p>I'm finally reading a book which I first wanted - badly - to read over 30 years ago.
Back in the twentieth century, I was a big Doctor Who fan. To this day, I've never been crazier about any other TV show. And I wasn't content only to watch; for those times when I couldn't watch TV or video, I collected over 100 novelizations of the original Doctor Who television serials and read all of those that I got. I read the vast majority of them many, many times, in fact. Terrance Dicks wrote over a...Aaron Bitman2024-02-01T09:31:24Z