The Fiction Thread

[Yog Sothoth]

Someone else brought up Stephen King in another thread, and it got me thinking about fiction in general... What fictional works have you recently read that you think are exceptional, and what did you like about them?

The last book(s) I finished were the Illuminatus trilogy, by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea. For those who are not familiar with the books, it's about conspiracy theories and is a really crazy read since the narrative jumps around from character to character and different periods in time, sometimes in mid-sentence!

Before that, I'd read Tad Williams' Otherland books, of which there are four... I really loved these books, as they tell a cyber-punk story of epic proportions, with an intricate, multi-layered plot line and a cast of numerous principle characters...

 

[ChocoCake]

I like a lot of fiction, there isn't much that I don't like. I like most of the well-known authors, and I like authors who try and bring originality to their story. I'm actually look for a new novel/series to start into, since I just finished the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (original).

The last book(s) I finished were the Illuminatus trilogy, by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea. For those who are not familiar with the books, it's about conspiracy theories and is a really crazy read since the narrative jumps around from character to character and different periods in time, sometimes in mid-sentence!

Are those the novels about a guy named Mitch Rapp? Or something like that?

 

[Yog Sothoth]

The last book(s) I finished were the Illuminatus trilogy, by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea. For those who are not familiar with the books, it's about conspiracy theories and is a really crazy read since the narrative jumps around from character to character and different periods in time, sometimes in mid-sentence!

Are those the novels about a guy named Mitch Rapp? Or something like that?

No sorry, there's not a character with that name or anything similar in Illuminatus... the principal characters are Saul Goodman, Simon Moon, Hagbard Celine and George Dorn to name a few, but no Mitch Rapp...

 

[ChocoCake]

No sorry, there's not a character with that name or anything similar in Illuminatus... the principal characters are Saul Goodman, Simon Moon, Hagbard Celine and George Dorn to name a few, but no Mitch Rapp...

Oh, because it sounded similar to something my friend said he was reading.

 

[ThePoodonkis]

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and all its sequels, by Douglas Adams.
Anthem by Ayn Rand.
Both are quite good.

 

[Yog Sothoth]

No sorry, there's not a character with that name or anything similar in Illuminatus... the principal characters are Saul Goodman, Simon Moon, Hagbard Celine and George Dorn to name a few, but no Mitch Rapp...

Oh, because it sounded similar to something my friend said he was reading.

A search on Wikipedia brought up this [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Rapp]. He's a character in a series of books by Vince Flynn, the first one is titled Term Limits.

 

[Lazy Lemon]

I'm reading Watchmen at the moment and it deserves every bit of praise it gets. The amount of symbolism and the way things tie together is just amazing. Also, the characters are extraordinarily deep and realistic.
The film looks like it's going to suck though. I don't see how it could work as anything other than a graphic novel.
I hate hollywood.

 

[ChocoCake]

A search on Wikipedia brought up this [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Rapp]. He's a character in a series of books by Vince Flynn, the first one is titled Term Limits.

Thanks for saving me the effort.

I'm reading Watchmen at the moment and it deserves every bit of praise it gets. The amount of symbolism and the way things tie together is just amazing. Also, the characters are extraordinarily deep and realistic.
The film looks like it's going to suck though. I don't see how it could work as anything other than a graphic novel.
I hate hollywood.

Very good novel indeed. Hollywood could pull off a very good adaptation, however, since it is directed by somebody who cares for the whole graphic novel genre. Also, the whole graphic part of it should help the whole production team make it as close to the novel as they want.

 

[curlycrouton]

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (no, not that David Mitchell).

It is imperative that you read this book. You must read this book. You must read it.

It'll change your sense of what a true classic is.

 

[Yog Sothoth]

I'm reading Watchmen at the moment and it deserves every bit of praise it gets. The amount of symbolism and the way things tie together is just amazing. Also, the characters are extraordinarily deep and realistic.
The film looks like it's going to suck though. I don't see how it could work as anything other than a graphic novel.
I hate hollywood.

Yes, Watchmen is definitely great stuff... I think the film will be good, despite Hollywood's propensity for raping beloved fiction...

 

[Yog Sothoth]

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (no, not that David Mitchell).

It is imperative that you read this book. You must read this book. You must read it.

It'll change your sense of what a true classic is.

Looks interesting.... I'll check it out...

 

[dangerousdave_42]

currently rereading the Song of ice and fire series by George R.R martian best books ever

 

[fedpayne]

I'm currently reading Catcher in the Rye...if you need an explanation as to how awesome it is, get out. The character development and immersion were top notch.

I was going to come on here and rave about JD Salinger because I've just finished Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters, and I think it tipped him into my all time personal favourite number one author, just ahead of Raymond Chandler. Then Hemingway.

EDIT: Liking it despite probably being made to study it in school gets you friended.

 

[captain awesome 12]

I love Ayn Rand, especially Atlas Shrugged and the Fountainhead. Michael Crichton is also one of my favorites, with Prey being one of my favorite books of all time.

 

[Adam Jenson]

I like Dan Brown, though I don't think the Da Vinci Code deserved all the hype it got.

 

[SniperWolf427]

I recently finished reading A Clockwork Orange because I hadn't already done so after watching the movie seven-hundred million times. Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration, but I have seen it quite a bit.

The book was so much better that it almost causes me to frown on what I thought was a film masterpiece. But I suppose that the books generally are better than the films, so it shouldn't come as too much of a suprise.

 

[wewontdie11]

Last book I read was Pet Cemetery by Stephen King. Bloody good horror story. Took me a while to finish but I enjoyed it.

 

[xitel]

Personally, my favorite recently was the War of The Spider Queen series, by several authors. It was a great series, and it was all about the Drow.

 

[Yog Sothoth]

Personally, my favorite recently was the War of The Spider Queen series, by several authors. It was a great series, and it was all about the Drow.

My friend is reading that series now and speaks highly of it as well... I'll have to take a look...