I've just read Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut, as I'm trying to work my way through the Dystopia classics. Not what I expected, but quite interesting. I can't really say I liked his writing style but I was compelled by the idea that everyone reading it will probably have a different idea as to how the main character came about his story.
The gist is that of a man travelling backwards and forwards through his own life (I suspect Quantum Leap may have been roughly based on this), including his time as a POW in Dresden during the second world war and several other key events that I won't go into.
I was expecting Dystopia in the 1984 or Brave New World sense, whereas I saw this as more of a man's insight into depression (although that's my conjecture on how he constructed the story).
Wasn't really my thing, but it's a modern classic and and I'm always glad when I've read influential novels.
Recommended Reading
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FatherJack
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My Mum always scolded me as a kid when I "wasted my money" on the occasional copy of the Beano and as a result, I think up until about two years ago I had a very dismissive attitude towards comics, graphic novels and manga.
Apart from a brief hiatus in the late 80s with seven Viz comics and four annuals, I largely had a derisory view of the medium - partly the implied "dirtiness" my mother had instilled, but partly the ridiculous view that I wasn't quite that geeky. Forbidden Planet had a separate section for comics, which I haughtily never set foot in, as I perused (and indeed purchased) anime, Star Trek videos, magazines and toys in the main shop.
As a result I only have knowledge of the various Marvel/DC superheroes, etc through either their cartoon or game-related adventures and found myself enjoying immensely all the "birth of" stories that have been popular in feature films of late, even not having any knowledge of where that story originally came from. It's perhaps also why things like Heroes and (to a lesser degree) Unbreakable are so engaging for me - as I'm there from the start to see it all, without the gap in my knowledge I feel when watching a Batman or Spiderman movie.
What finally did it for me though, was anime. I loved the Azumanga Daioh anime to bits and wanted more. The clue's rather in the name, and I asked for and got the four manga as a Christmas gift in '05, not expecting much.
I was rather startled on reading it at how well it worked. I laughed a lot, sympathised with the characters when things went bad and altogether totally surprised myself at just how involving the media I'd been dismissing for years actually was. Over too quickly, true - but involving: very yes.
There was genius at work that these still images and characters came to life in the same way to that I'd grown to love in the anime - yet it was all still there in the manga - but actually better, in a way.
Haven't looked back since then, but in a sort of homage to my Mum, who still calls them my "Picture Books", here are my favourite purchases in pictorial format:
(also Free Collars Kingdom which I forgot to get a pic of)
I wasn't planning to include reviews unless specifically asked, as even amongst us lot, this is rather a niche interest, but I just kind of wanted to open the door that our recommended reading can also include a bit of looking at pictures, too.
Apart from a brief hiatus in the late 80s with seven Viz comics and four annuals, I largely had a derisory view of the medium - partly the implied "dirtiness" my mother had instilled, but partly the ridiculous view that I wasn't quite that geeky. Forbidden Planet had a separate section for comics, which I haughtily never set foot in, as I perused (and indeed purchased) anime, Star Trek videos, magazines and toys in the main shop.
As a result I only have knowledge of the various Marvel/DC superheroes, etc through either their cartoon or game-related adventures and found myself enjoying immensely all the "birth of" stories that have been popular in feature films of late, even not having any knowledge of where that story originally came from. It's perhaps also why things like Heroes and (to a lesser degree) Unbreakable are so engaging for me - as I'm there from the start to see it all, without the gap in my knowledge I feel when watching a Batman or Spiderman movie.
What finally did it for me though, was anime. I loved the Azumanga Daioh anime to bits and wanted more. The clue's rather in the name, and I asked for and got the four manga as a Christmas gift in '05, not expecting much.
I was rather startled on reading it at how well it worked. I laughed a lot, sympathised with the characters when things went bad and altogether totally surprised myself at just how involving the media I'd been dismissing for years actually was. Over too quickly, true - but involving: very yes.
There was genius at work that these still images and characters came to life in the same way to that I'd grown to love in the anime - yet it was all still there in the manga - but actually better, in a way.
Haven't looked back since then, but in a sort of homage to my Mum, who still calls them my "Picture Books", here are my favourite purchases in pictorial format:
(also Free Collars Kingdom which I forgot to get a pic of)
I wasn't planning to include reviews unless specifically asked, as even amongst us lot, this is rather a niche interest, but I just kind of wanted to open the door that our recommended reading can also include a bit of looking at pictures, too.
Last edited by FatherJack on August 26th, 2008, 18:48, edited 1 time in total.
Due to the fact that I read them lots as a kid, I'm a big fan of Calvin and Hobbes. I still dream of making one of Calvin's snowmen at some point. Not sure how much they'd appeal if they were introduced to me for the first time now, but I love them.
Only other picture-based stuff I've read really are Far Side books, of which I have a couple. The Pre-history of the Far Side is great, and includes a whole chapter of drawings that were pulled or never published because they crossed the line. Unsurprisingly, that chapter is my favourite.
Not actually read any graphic novels as such, but thought I'd throw it in anyway.
Oh, and I had a Beano subscription as a kid, and got Buster Annuals for presents for a few years.
Only other picture-based stuff I've read really are Far Side books, of which I have a couple. The Pre-history of the Far Side is great, and includes a whole chapter of drawings that were pulled or never published because they crossed the line. Unsurprisingly, that chapter is my favourite.
Not actually read any graphic novels as such, but thought I'd throw it in anyway.
Oh, and I had a Beano subscription as a kid, and got Buster Annuals for presents for a few years.
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bomberesque
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ooooh, graphic novels :D
I haven't read many and those that I have were recommended by my best mate and reading recommendation Guru Dave Murry, who appears to have read everything that was ever written. Thus I have enjoyed every GN that I've read. They are...
The Sandman series (Neil Gaiman) - fantastic stuff about the lord of Dreams and his twisted family. in 10 parts so needs some commitment
From Hell (Alan Moore) - tells the story of Jack the ripper and his pursuers. Made into a not-bad-but-not-as-good-as-the-book movie a few yeas back
V for Vendetta (Alan Moore) - you'll have heard of this by now a modern dystopian tale evoking Guy Faulks as a hero
Watchmen (also Alan Moore) - about superheros, but not very good ones. Not comedy though, called "the first great humane act in superhero comics" by one critic. If I knew more about superhero comics then I expect I'd be able to confirm this.
Transmetropolitan (Warren Ellis) - absolutely insane story about the rantings and ramblings of my own personal hero; journalist Spider Jerusalem. I've only read the first few of these and they're great. Dave tells me that they tail off a bit later on.
I haven't read many and those that I have were recommended by my best mate and reading recommendation Guru Dave Murry, who appears to have read everything that was ever written. Thus I have enjoyed every GN that I've read. They are...
The Sandman series (Neil Gaiman) - fantastic stuff about the lord of Dreams and his twisted family. in 10 parts so needs some commitment
From Hell (Alan Moore) - tells the story of Jack the ripper and his pursuers. Made into a not-bad-but-not-as-good-as-the-book movie a few yeas back
V for Vendetta (Alan Moore) - you'll have heard of this by now a modern dystopian tale evoking Guy Faulks as a hero
Watchmen (also Alan Moore) - about superheros, but not very good ones. Not comedy though, called "the first great humane act in superhero comics" by one critic. If I knew more about superhero comics then I expect I'd be able to confirm this.
Transmetropolitan (Warren Ellis) - absolutely insane story about the rantings and ramblings of my own personal hero; journalist Spider Jerusalem. I've only read the first few of these and they're great. Dave tells me that they tail off a bit later on.
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Joose
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bomberesque wrote:Watchmen (also Alan Moore) - about superheros, but not very good ones. Not comedy though, called "the first great humane act in superhero comics" by one critic. If I knew more about superhero comics then I expect I'd be able to confirm this.
I think whats meant by that is its the first time in a graphic novel or comic that the superheroes had more to them than just superpowers and a cape.
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, theres currently two books in this series, but there are fairly strong rumours of a third coming soon. They are the books that the film was based on, so similar themes, but an arseload better. Mr Hyde is one of the best characters ever.
The Eternals, Gaimen book set in the marvel universe, about a bunch of god like giants that eat people and the guys they left behind to look after the world. Bloody odd, but interesting.
Top 10, another Alan Moore title, about a team of policemen in a city where *everyone* is a superhero, down to the taxi driver in a batmobile to the guy who cooks hotdogs with his heat vision. Mad as spoons, and utterly wonderfull.
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Sheriff Fatman
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Roman Totale
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Stuff what I read on holiday
A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon
This was lent to me by a friend, and I was initially a little dubious - it's written by the guy who did Curious Incident of the Dog thing (a book which I have pointedly avoided for years now in the belief that it's responsible for the rise in "self-diagnosed Aspergers").
Anyway, it's a fantastic book that centres around George - a man who believes he is suffering from cancer and starts to have a nervous breakdown. Events develop around the news that his daughter is to get married for the second time to someone he doesn't like, his wife is having an affair with an old work colleague of his, and his son is having problems with his boyfriend.
Spares - Michael Marshall Smith
Recommended by Sheriff, this is the second book of Smith's I've read after Only Forward.
Basic plot of Spares is that there are farms where clones of the rich and famous are kept to be used as spare parts. Hero of the book decides to rescue them and things develop from there. If the plot so far sounds similar to the film 'The Island', that's because Speilberg bought the rights to it, waited for the rights to lapse, then made a shit film without paying anything to the author. Twat.
Anyway, I say the "basic plot" because it spirals wildly into another plot about three quarters of the way through. Although I enjoyed the book, that is a criticism that I had of his previous work - a few too many deus ex machinas and condensed flashbacks.
I also re-read Neverwhere, which is awesome, and The Green Mile which is fantastic.
A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon
This was lent to me by a friend, and I was initially a little dubious - it's written by the guy who did Curious Incident of the Dog thing (a book which I have pointedly avoided for years now in the belief that it's responsible for the rise in "self-diagnosed Aspergers").
Anyway, it's a fantastic book that centres around George - a man who believes he is suffering from cancer and starts to have a nervous breakdown. Events develop around the news that his daughter is to get married for the second time to someone he doesn't like, his wife is having an affair with an old work colleague of his, and his son is having problems with his boyfriend.
Spares - Michael Marshall Smith
Recommended by Sheriff, this is the second book of Smith's I've read after Only Forward.
Basic plot of Spares is that there are farms where clones of the rich and famous are kept to be used as spare parts. Hero of the book decides to rescue them and things develop from there. If the plot so far sounds similar to the film 'The Island', that's because Speilberg bought the rights to it, waited for the rights to lapse, then made a shit film without paying anything to the author. Twat.
Anyway, I say the "basic plot" because it spirals wildly into another plot about three quarters of the way through. Although I enjoyed the book, that is a criticism that I had of his previous work - a few too many deus ex machinas and condensed flashbacks.
I also re-read Neverwhere, which is awesome, and The Green Mile which is fantastic.
I keep forgetting to post about the last book I read,
Plague of the Dead - Z.A. Recht
It's a pretty standard zombie story, which is no bad thing as most I've read try to do something special and end up diluting the zombie bit. It follows two groups of survivors - one is the remains of a military unit who were trying to stop the spread in the middle east and who made it back to the US on a warship with a group of refugees, the other is a pair of escapees from the NSA and a rogue agent. The former is far more interesting, with a nice character dynamic between the military types trying to adjust to not having orders to follow (or give) any more, and the multinational refugees who keep bubbling to the surface of the plot with interesting stories and skills.
The book is the first in a series, and despite quite enjoying it I still haven't been inspired to buy the next one. This is likely to be because I've got about four other books piled up to read first though.
In all, not very cerebral, but a fast paced, action packed story.
Plague of the Dead - Z.A. Recht
It's a pretty standard zombie story, which is no bad thing as most I've read try to do something special and end up diluting the zombie bit. It follows two groups of survivors - one is the remains of a military unit who were trying to stop the spread in the middle east and who made it back to the US on a warship with a group of refugees, the other is a pair of escapees from the NSA and a rogue agent. The former is far more interesting, with a nice character dynamic between the military types trying to adjust to not having orders to follow (or give) any more, and the multinational refugees who keep bubbling to the surface of the plot with interesting stories and skills.
The book is the first in a series, and despite quite enjoying it I still haven't been inspired to buy the next one. This is likely to be because I've got about four other books piled up to read first though.
In all, not very cerebral, but a fast paced, action packed story.
Last edited by Dog Pants on July 5th, 2008, 10:27, edited 1 time in total.
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Sheriff Fatman
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Roman Totale wrote:Anyway, I say the "basic plot" because it spirals wildly into another plot about three quarters of the way through. Although I enjoyed the book, that is a criticism that I had of his previous work - a few too many deus ex machinas and condensed flashbacks.
Aye, it's particularly bad in Spares. Stick with him though, "One of Us" is my favourite of the lot. It rambles less and has more cats
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Roman Totale
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Somme Mud - E.P.F. Lynch
Mrs Pants bought me this from Tesco because it looked interesting and was on offer. I was a little sceptical - although I'm a bit of a military history buff, the First World War is often a bit dry, as most was limited to the trenches (or at least most literature is), and generally military history books are a bit clinical and top-heavy. This looked more like my sort of thing though, a true account of the life of an infantryman in the trenches, taken from his diaries. I was still a little sceptical though.
How wrong I was. Starting from his departure from Australia, and taking the reader through his very detailed experiences of the war, the transcribed diaries of 'Nulla' Lynch are fascinating, funny and horrifying in equal measures. The transition from fresh recruit to hardened soldier is very apparent, and the dry, grim sense of humour of the Aussie troops is both irrepressable and extremely witty. The battles are detailed and told with a kind of resigned determination that seems to have been common in the trenches. The time behind the lines are full of amusing anecdotes. When Armistice Day finally came I was amazed that the man had survived, as he has so many near death experiences I lost count.
Five out of five (mud) pies.
Mrs Pants bought me this from Tesco because it looked interesting and was on offer. I was a little sceptical - although I'm a bit of a military history buff, the First World War is often a bit dry, as most was limited to the trenches (or at least most literature is), and generally military history books are a bit clinical and top-heavy. This looked more like my sort of thing though, a true account of the life of an infantryman in the trenches, taken from his diaries. I was still a little sceptical though.
How wrong I was. Starting from his departure from Australia, and taking the reader through his very detailed experiences of the war, the transcribed diaries of 'Nulla' Lynch are fascinating, funny and horrifying in equal measures. The transition from fresh recruit to hardened soldier is very apparent, and the dry, grim sense of humour of the Aussie troops is both irrepressable and extremely witty. The battles are detailed and told with a kind of resigned determination that seems to have been common in the trenches. The time behind the lines are full of amusing anecdotes. When Armistice Day finally came I was amazed that the man had survived, as he has so many near death experiences I lost count.
Five out of five (mud) pies.
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nunoncastors
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I'm currently chugging through the Bleach Mangas which, while ridiculous, are quite fun. Especially as I think I've just about got my head around the Japanese mindset, it's making my forays into their Manga and literature much more satisfying.
Bookwise, I'm doing this at the moment.
The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde - It's all very... well, it's a classic example of Gothic Horror isn't it? And there's an interesting take on hedonism and aestheticism, but I've found the homoerotic tone running through it smacks of an author justifying it to himself, which is fair enough I suppose. Still, it is rather good, if somewhat Faustian, and I'd recommend it to anyone who secretly wishes they were a Dandy :p
The Prose Edda and The Poetic Edda - Norse mythology, Ragnarok! Vikings! Probably not for anyone who found the tone and style of The lord of the Rings either boring or difficult, but it's got a shed-load of giant slaying and plenty of boozing if that's your thing.
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons - 'tis a parody of rural novels that portray simple country life as some sort of idyll. It's aged a bit since it was written in the thirties, but it's ok as something to read on the toilet.
Bookwise, I'm doing this at the moment.
The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde - It's all very... well, it's a classic example of Gothic Horror isn't it? And there's an interesting take on hedonism and aestheticism, but I've found the homoerotic tone running through it smacks of an author justifying it to himself, which is fair enough I suppose. Still, it is rather good, if somewhat Faustian, and I'd recommend it to anyone who secretly wishes they were a Dandy :p
The Prose Edda and The Poetic Edda - Norse mythology, Ragnarok! Vikings! Probably not for anyone who found the tone and style of The lord of the Rings either boring or difficult, but it's got a shed-load of giant slaying and plenty of boozing if that's your thing.
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons - 'tis a parody of rural novels that portray simple country life as some sort of idyll. It's aged a bit since it was written in the thirties, but it's ok as something to read on the toilet.
I just finished reading the Emperor Series by Conin Iggulden, who also wrote the Dangerous Book for Boys, which gives him plus points. The story of Julius Caesar from childhood to his death is a bit slow to get going but picks up half way through the first book and then carries it well through to the end, which ultimately is a bit of an anti-climax, but if you know your history then that's to be expected really. Worth a read, but probably wouldn't read it again.
My Tank Is Fight! - Zack Parsons
I've just about finished this, and it's made for rather amusing reading. A not very serious look at crazy inventions from the Second World War, including gigantic tanks, amphibious submarines and Nazi space stations. From the beginning it makes no apologies about not being too bothered about historic accuracy, although each entry has a description of the thinking behind the ideas and the real life development history. What makes the book interesting is that the author projects the inventions into fictional service and gives a brief narrative of their hypothetical progress and a short story of a character's encounters with them.
Certainly not a deep book, but amusing for those of us with a curious interest in crazy inventions.
I've just about finished this, and it's made for rather amusing reading. A not very serious look at crazy inventions from the Second World War, including gigantic tanks, amphibious submarines and Nazi space stations. From the beginning it makes no apologies about not being too bothered about historic accuracy, although each entry has a description of the thinking behind the ideas and the real life development history. What makes the book interesting is that the author projects the inventions into fictional service and gives a brief narrative of their hypothetical progress and a short story of a character's encounters with them.
Certainly not a deep book, but amusing for those of us with a curious interest in crazy inventions.
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Dr. kitteny berk
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I'll have to get me a copy of that.-
Roman Totale
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nunoncastors wrote:The Prose Edda and The Poetic Edda - Norse mythology, Ragnarok! Vikings! Probably not for anyone who found the tone and style of The lord of the Rings either boring or difficult, but it's got a shed-load of giant slaying and plenty of boozing if that's your thing.
I can also recommend Egil's Saga and Njal's Saga if you're into that sort of thing.
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nunoncastors
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Mr. Johnson
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Still pondering on wether it is worth making a comic book thread, so for now i'll just put this here:
Hellboy
Picked them all up when i was in America, since they're hard to find here in Belgium. What made me consider buying them was mostly Mike Mignola's art, wich i believe is very unique in the American comic book landscape, wich i mostly avoid because i don't like buying comics that are basically fabricated instead of drawn, printed on flimsy paper and that you can read through in 10 minutes. Not to mention pretty expensive for what they're worth. But enough ranting about that, let's get back on track.
i didn't expect much story-wise, but was muchly surprised when i discovered it was more a collection of short stories (with a larger main story woven inbetween) based on folklore, lovecraftian stuff and other kinds of legends and tales, some of wich i recognized, and i'm a sucker for that kind of stuff, so i liked it. alot. The art, as i mentioned before is a bit special and may not cater to everyone's taste, but what does? (aside from bacon) The writing isn't brilliant, but it's a pleasant read if you like folklore and the other stuff i mentioned above. It really is worth buying the collected volumes, since they not only come in a sturdier paperback, but they also have added sketches and old stories reworked in colour (that said, he only uses about 2-3 colours per panel) and often longer.
If i had to rate it, i'd give it a 9/10. I love it that much.
Hellboy
Picked them all up when i was in America, since they're hard to find here in Belgium. What made me consider buying them was mostly Mike Mignola's art, wich i believe is very unique in the American comic book landscape, wich i mostly avoid because i don't like buying comics that are basically fabricated instead of drawn, printed on flimsy paper and that you can read through in 10 minutes. Not to mention pretty expensive for what they're worth. But enough ranting about that, let's get back on track.
i didn't expect much story-wise, but was muchly surprised when i discovered it was more a collection of short stories (with a larger main story woven inbetween) based on folklore, lovecraftian stuff and other kinds of legends and tales, some of wich i recognized, and i'm a sucker for that kind of stuff, so i liked it. alot. The art, as i mentioned before is a bit special and may not cater to everyone's taste, but what does? (aside from bacon) The writing isn't brilliant, but it's a pleasant read if you like folklore and the other stuff i mentioned above. It really is worth buying the collected volumes, since they not only come in a sturdier paperback, but they also have added sketches and old stories reworked in colour (that said, he only uses about 2-3 colours per panel) and often longer.
If i had to rate it, i'd give it a 9/10. I love it that much.