Greetings, Escapists. I am a voracious reader, and this topic was inspired by my last trip to Books-a-Million. My question is, have you ever found a really good book in a discount bin or a library discard pile or any other cheap-as-free location? I shall start with a few of my favorites.
God's Demon: by Wayne Barlowe. I found this one on a discount rack outside of Books-a-Million for a measly $2.00, and it is easily one of the best books I've ever read. It's about how the demon lord Sargatanas, after living in Hell for a few millenia, begins to feel guilty about rebelling against God and formulates a crazy scheme to win God's forgiveness. With a score of interesting characters and a rich, complex plot, Wayne Barlowe paints a fresh vision of Hell as a fascinating fantasy setting.
A Voyage to Arcturus: by David Lindsay. I had heard of this book, and wanted to read it, but I had certainly not expected to find it in a used book store for only $.50. In this story, our protagonist, a man named Maskull, travels to the planet Tormance orbiting the star system Arcturus where he encounters a host of bizzare and sometimes frightening people and places that all serve as allegory for competing philosophies (or something like that).
The Last Days of Krypton: by Kevin J. Anderson. Yes, that Krypton. I found it on a bargain rack in Books-a-Million for only $4.00, impressive enough for a large, hardbound book (indeed, I wonder if binding and paper itself cost $4.00). In this story, the author takes something were all vaguely familiar with (the destruction of Krypton, Superman's home planet) and weaves a compelling and highly relevant fantasy novel from depicting the events that lead up to the cataclysm and the fabled launch of the infant Kal-El into space.
The Magic Goes Away: by Larry Niven. I actually found this one in a dusty storeroom in my father's house. This tale tells of an ancient Earth where magic is real, but the mana required to use it is a limited resource and is nearly depleted worldwide (analogy for the oil crisis, no doubt). To ameliorate this, a band of aging wizards set out to restore the world's mana to full potency by awakening the last living god.
God's Demon: by Wayne Barlowe. I found this one on a discount rack outside of Books-a-Million for a measly $2.00, and it is easily one of the best books I've ever read. It's about how the demon lord Sargatanas, after living in Hell for a few millenia, begins to feel guilty about rebelling against God and formulates a crazy scheme to win God's forgiveness. With a score of interesting characters and a rich, complex plot, Wayne Barlowe paints a fresh vision of Hell as a fascinating fantasy setting.
A Voyage to Arcturus: by David Lindsay. I had heard of this book, and wanted to read it, but I had certainly not expected to find it in a used book store for only $.50. In this story, our protagonist, a man named Maskull, travels to the planet Tormance orbiting the star system Arcturus where he encounters a host of bizzare and sometimes frightening people and places that all serve as allegory for competing philosophies (or something like that).
The Last Days of Krypton: by Kevin J. Anderson. Yes, that Krypton. I found it on a bargain rack in Books-a-Million for only $4.00, impressive enough for a large, hardbound book (indeed, I wonder if binding and paper itself cost $4.00). In this story, the author takes something were all vaguely familiar with (the destruction of Krypton, Superman's home planet) and weaves a compelling and highly relevant fantasy novel from depicting the events that lead up to the cataclysm and the fabled launch of the infant Kal-El into space.
The Magic Goes Away: by Larry Niven. I actually found this one in a dusty storeroom in my father's house. This tale tells of an ancient Earth where magic is real, but the mana required to use it is a limited resource and is nearly depleted worldwide (analogy for the oil crisis, no doubt). To ameliorate this, a band of aging wizards set out to restore the world's mana to full potency by awakening the last living god.
