Patrick Curtin |
The Elfish Gene: Dungeons, Dragons and Growing Up Strange, by Mark Barrowcliffe
This book is hilarious. It should be required reading for every young player. Sadly, it should have been required reading for yours truly, age nine, circa 1984...
Ironically, I can just hear the average young, modern player: "He keeps saying 'dice' when he obviously means 'die'--this guy is a n00b."
That book was painfully hilarious.
Tharen the Damned |
Just Finished "Emperor of Dreams" (a collection of stories) by Clark Ashton Smith.
Still reading "Dust of Dreams" by Steven Erikson
Starting soon:
"Tales from the dying Earth" by Jack Vance.
"Solomon Kane" (got a book with the complete collection) by Robert E. Howard
"Bauchelain and Korbal Broach" by Steven Erikson
Seabyrn |
Tales of the Dying Earth - very very good!
As I'm reading it it's bringing me back to the very old days of D&D, it's fun to read it as a campaign journal of sorts, and to try to spot it's influence on adventure design - for example, a powerful magician sends you on a quest :)
(I don't think I've spotted "party members meet in a tavern" though)
Patrick Curtin |
Rereading Nancy Collins' Midnight Blue: Sonja Blue collection. A classic in the vampire genre, Collins' writings were one of the inspirations for the World of Darkness. In fact, White Wolf ended up publishing this collection. Her punk vampire is an excellent spin on the tired vampire trope, and there are a million concepts anyone running a VtM game could yoink.
Cat-thulhu |
Rereading books 1 and 2 of the Abarat by Clive Barker (always liked his stuff, the strangeness appeals and fuels much of my D&D when I DM -along with Lovecraft), Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett (an all time favourite author) and The Light of Burning Shadows by Chris evans.
James Keegan |
Finished Memories of Ice and it was really good. Erikson treads a fine line around the things I hate in epic fantasy novels and manages to make it work. I just wish I hadn't read a review of the next book that spoiled the ending before I finished.
Now I'm looking for something else to read; I like to take a break from series after each book or so.
The Eldritch Mr. Shiny |
Recently finished:
- Lobster Johnson: The Satan Factory by Thomas E. Sniegoski
- Lobster Johnson: Iron Prometheus (graphic novel) by Mike Mignola and Jason Armstrong
- Abe Sapien: The Drowning (graphic novel) by Mike Mignola and Jason Shawn Alexander
- The Monster of Florence / Il Mostro di Firenze by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi
- Broken Summers by Henry Rollins
Currently reading:
- Eye Scream by Henry Rollins
- 300 (graphic novel) by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley
- Raymond Pettibon: The Pages Which Contain Truth Are Blank by Luca Beatrice
Up next:
- Smile, You're Traveling by Henry Rollins
- The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
- King Rat by China Mieville
Aberzombie |
Tonight, I'll be starting Peter & Max: A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham. For those unfamiliar with the world of comics, Bill Willingham currently writes the Fables comic for DC.
Seabyrn |
I just finished "A game of thrones" I liked it alot really and will be picking up the rest of the series
You won't be disappointed! They actually get better I think - book 3 is my favorite so far - which for me was surprising considering how brilliantly good I thought the first was.
jjaamm |
seekerofshadowlight wrote:I just finished "A game of thrones" I liked it alot really and will be picking up the rest of the seriesYou won't be disappointed! They actually get better I think - book 3 is my favorite so far - which for me was surprising considering how brilliantly good I thought the first was.
I havnt read 4 yet. enjoyed the books though. would get mad when he would switch characters every chapter, till id get into that one and than switch. loved and hated 3 though. I sometimes invest to much emotionally into a book.
[
reading Midnight Tides. book 5 of Steven Erikson's " Tale of the malazan book of thew fallen"
waiting for all there to come out before finishing Jordan's " wheel of time". love these, have read a few times.
Seabyrn |
Seabyrn wrote:seekerofshadowlight wrote:I just finished "A game of thrones" I liked it alot really and will be picking up the rest of the seriesYou won't be disappointed! They actually get better I think - book 3 is my favorite so far - which for me was surprising considering how brilliantly good I thought the first was.I havnt read 4 yet. enjoyed the books though. would get mad when he would switch characters every chapter, till id get into that one and than switch. loved and hated 3 though. I sometimes invest to much emotionally into a book.
I liked book 4 - it's a bit slower than the first three, but it was still very good. I've heard some people say they didn't enjoy it much (don't listen to them, just read it!).
Aberzombie |
Tonight, I'll be starting Peter & Max: A Fables Novel by Bill Willingham. For those unfamiliar with the world of comics, Bill Willingham currently writes the Fables comic for DC.
Didn't take long - finished on Monday. It was really good. A very interesting story, if a bit disjointed in the timeline. If you're not a fan of the comic book series, this is still a self-contained story that doesn't require any background info, except perhaps a familiarity with old stories and nursery rhymes.
Lucifer Draconus II |
I'm re-reading RA Salvatore's Icewind Dale trilogy. I'm almost finished with 'Streams of Silver'. I'll take a brake after 'Halfling's Gem' & read Richard K. Morgan's ' The steel Remains' before reading more of RA Salvatore's 'Drizzit' novels.Drizzit is one of my favorite Characters. I'm not sure how many more FR novels I'll be able to read since I'm not big on the changes to the setting.
Patrick Curtin |
Rereading the Probability Broach and The American Zone by L. Neil Smith. Gonzo Libertarian utopia fiction, kinda corny, but lots of fun for those of us who sympathize with the Minarchist cause.
Paul Watson |
Just finished Madouc by Jack Vance.
Currently reading Cape Storm by Rachel Caine.
When that's done I'll be reading Sam and Max by Bill Willingham, and then either Ship of Ishtar or The Simulacra by Phillip K Dick depending on how fast my current order gets here.
Paul McCarthy |
Recently finished Michael Connelly's The Brass Verdict which didn't measure up to The Lincoln Lawyer by half. Also finished Stephen King's Just After Sunset which was disappointing as well after Everything's Eventual. Currently reading Heartsick by Chelsea Cain with a woman serial-killer in the mould of Hannibal Lecter. A fast, easy read so far and looks to be enjoyable.
Patrick Curtin |
Just started rereading H. Beam Piper's classic Complete Paratime book. This series of short stories were my introduction to the subgenre of alternate history, one of my favorites.
Mark Moreland Director of Brand Strategy |
Though my schedule has quickly gotten too full to have a lot of time for leisure reading, I'm currently working my way through Anne Rice's Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana. I was underwhelmed by the first in the series, but thought I'd give it a second chance. I enjoy fictional/historical depictions of the life of Christ and have found some in the past to be incredible spiritual journeys (namely The Last Temptation of Christ). Sadly, it seems this one is just as bereft of spirituality as was Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ.
Jit |
I'd like to thank the common cold, it's really helped me catch up on my reading:)
"Dead Until Dark:" by Charlaine Harris. Its ...boring, HBO does it better.
"Long price quartet", 1-3, by Daniel Abraham. Interesting, actions have consequences and magic is a double-edged sword.
"The bodies left behind", by Jeffrey Deaver. Twists and turns.
Pathfinder - "The Bastard of Erebus"- Sean. R. Reynolds. 'Nuff said.
"World Without End", by Ken Follet- Did he just rewrite "The Pillars of the Earth" and set it 200 years later?
"Metamorphosis and Other Stories" , by Franz Kafka. The world is mad and I have a hundred little legs.
"The Science fiction handbook", by M. Keith Booker and Anne-Marie Thomas.- Informative.
Just started "Echoes from the Dead " Johan Teorin.
Tarren Dei RPG Superstar 2009 Top 8 |
Patrick Curtin |
Edited for you.
Awww. Man you must be surly at yer new school Shinedown!
Anyway, let's get off the teasing Shiny tangent. Because I am a history buff, I picked up A World Lit Only By Fire By William Manchester the other day. I am sorry to say it looks like I wasted my money. I guess this book was meant to be a popularization of medieval history, but the author didn't do a lot of fact checking. In the very first pages he talks about how the Catholic Church 'co-opted' many of the pagan celebrations, then goes on to assert that the day of Christ's birth was changed from Jan. 6th to December 25th 'Apparently at random.'
insert buzzer noise here.
In fact, this was another example of the early church taking over a popular holiday, in that case, Mithras' birthday (also Dec. 25th). Reading the reviews at Amazon, I guess this is one of many factual errors this author makes. I don't think I'll finish this one, I can't stand people who don't do a little fact checking, especially in history.
Bill Lumberg |
The Eldritch Mr. Shiny wrote:Edited for you.Awww. Man you must be surly at yer new school Shinedown!
Anyway, let's get off the teasing Shiny tangent. Because I am a history buff, I picked up A World Lit Only By Fire By William Manchester the other day. I am sorry to say it looks like I wasted my money. I guess this book was meant to be a popularization of medieval history, but the author didn't do a lot of fact checking. In the very first pages he talks about how the Catholic Church 'co-opted' many of the pagan celebrations, then goes on to assert that the day of Christ's birth was changed from Jan. 6th to December 25th 'Apparently at random.'
insert buzzer noise here.
In fact, this was another example of the early church taking over a popular holiday, in that case, Mithras' birthday (also Dec. 25th). Reading the reviews at Amazon, I guess this is one of many factual errors this author makes. I don't think I'll finish this one, I can't stand people who don't do a little fact checking, especially in history.
If I am not mistaken, that was Manchester's last book. It was over 10 years ago that I read it. I don't remember much of it other than it was written as a non-scholarly work. Perhaps because Manchester wrote my favorite book, The Arms of Krupp, I am not as objective as I should be in critiquing his work. However, I must admit it did seem to meander at times. If you can treat the book as leisurely read you might enjoy it.
Patrick Curtin |
If I am not mistaken, that was Manchester's last book. It was over 10 years ago that I read it. I don't remember much of it other than it was written as a non-scholarly work. Perhaps because Manchester wrote my favorite book, The Arms of Krupp, I am not as objective as I should be in critiquing his work. However, I must admit it did seem to meander at times. If you can treat the book as leisurely read you might enjoy it.
Thanks Bill. I might stick with it, because I'll never remember to return it. Stuff like that gets me though. How was The Arms of Krupp? I assume a novel on the well-known German manufacturing company?