In Need of Some New Reading

[deckpunk]

I'll second the recommendations for Joe Abercrombies "first law trilogy" and two stand alone novels, as well as Jim Butchers "Dresden Files." I cannot recomend these two authors enough.

Alternatively, if you are just looking for a bit of light humor, try either "Ghost/Aliens" by Trey Hamburger (which is a brilliant parody of those god awful ghost/ufo hunting shows and books) or "Everything is going to kill everybody" by Robert Brockway(easily the most informative, terrifying and funny book I've read in ages). In terms of humor these titles do not grace the heights attained by Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett but they are fun and do show that Americans can write a funny story.

I could keep throwing out book titles... so I will.

"The Rum Diary" by Hunter S. Thompson. Everyone raves about "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", and why shouldn't they? Its great. I love it and pretty much every other thing by HST. But a common complaint among critics of HST is his overall 'gonzo' writing style; which consists of very loose plot with a fleeting hold on reality saturated in drug diatribe and rambling shambling insanity. Fine, I say but have you read "The Rum Diary"? Thompson was a journalist, and so he wrote articles which were gathered in to collections which were released as books. "The Rum Diary" is the only 'novel' he ever wrote and its easily one of my favorites.

Also the following books by Kurt Vonnegut - "Slaughterhouse 5, Cats Cradle, Sirens of Titan, Breakfast of Champions". (Read anything by Vonnegut and your life will be enriched. He is my favorite sf writer.)

Anything by Neil Gaiman... seriously anything. "Neverwhere", "Anansi Boys" or "American Gods", it doesn't matter its all great.

One more and then I'll stop I swear!

"Moby Dick" by Hermen Melville. Contrary to its misleading title this book is in fact NOT about the penis of techno musician Moby, its about a Whale. All joking aside I know the book is as famous as famous can be but it is also one of the great works of literature that NO ONE EVER READS! I only read it last year and I regret not reading it sooner. It's beautiful. Language like this is not used anymore so I'll leave you with my two favorite quotes from the book.

"to the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hates sake I spit my last breath at thee."


"He piled upon the whale's white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his heart's hot shell upon it."

 

[DrgoFx]

Uh, hmm...Well I have something I can offer to you under your credentials:

Larklight:
Told from the perspective of the younger brother of two siblings who live in an alternate universe where Issac Newton invented space travel, along with his discovery of gravity, inventing artificial gravity. These siblings live in a space mansion with their father, an astronomical biologist and due to their distance from Earth, rarely leave their home. One day they're visited by a Mr. Webster who happens to raid their home in the most Sir-like fashion and the kids escape alone where they are soon saved by a group of space pirates lead by the infamous Captain Jack. The story is incredibly light-hearted and humorous, the technology is designed in such amazing ways and all the aliens and creatures are quite imaginative. The book includes illustrations of scenes occasionally, but more so diagrams of the machinery and life forms. It's definitely an interesting read, and one of my favorites.

On the other hand, there is my favorite book of all time which is a bit more serious than you may like, and lacks a lot of fantasy and science fiction. It's more of a murder mystery and it surrounds the idea of the near-future concept of cloning.

Genesis Alpha:
In modern day, cloning can only be done via birth, so you can't instantly clone a person and have them be the same age or so, but same DNA for sure. In the book, a boy named Max is suffering from an illness and requires a bone marrow transplant for is exact DNA. One of the doctors who is a friend of the Mother suggests and offers cloning their son to save his life, and thus their second son Joshua is born. Josh and Max grow up together and having the same DNA tend to like a lot of the same things, including a game they both play called Genesis Alpha and use it to keep in touch while Max is in College. In the middle of their game, though, Max is arrested by the police and accused of murder. This tears the family apart and the only piece of evidence that can prove whether or not Max is innocent is in Genesis Alpha. I love this book to death and I wish more people would read because it really shows someone of an early age forced to grow up and learn life's hardest lessons early.

The first one is for your fantasy and comedic experience, the second is a bit more serious and grounded in reality. Take your pick.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

*Raises hand*

I've got a great book about the history of-

*reads OP*

[HEADING=2]Oh...[/HEADING]

Wish I could help but my history with books has been focused on weird Science Fiction, Fantasy and Non-Fiction. Don't know anything related to what you're looking for. Sorry.

 

[ohnoitsabear]

Well, you've read everything in "The Hitchhiker's Guide", but have you read "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Service"?

No?

THEN DO THAT.

First, do what this person says. Then read the sequel "The Long, Dark Teatime of the Soul". All you need to know is that these books are similar in style to the Hitchhiker's guide series, and that they're just as good.

As far as other suggestions go, I would recommend the book "John Dies at the End" by David Wong. It's unique and it's hilarious. Read it.

Also, if you liked the movie Fight Club, I would strongly recommend reading the book (yes, it was a book first). It is much better than the movie, and this is coming from someone that saw the movie first, and normally prefers movies to books. It's worth reading for the unique narrative style alone.