Otherland

P

Pip-Boy2k

First time out of the vault
I am a huge fan of the fantasy genre of literature. Recently, I was delited to pick up a daunting series entitled Otherland written By Tad Williams (the author of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn).

I think you guys would like it, it's sort of like The Matrix but much, much more indepth and dynamic. I am not going to say anything else about the series as it would potentially ruin it for anyone interested in reading it, I'll let you discover the rest on your own.

The series is as follow:
Book 1: City of Golden Shadow
Book 2: River of Blue Fire
Book 3: Mountain of Black Glass
Book 4: Sea of Silver Light

Happy reading!
 
I'm not much in the fantasy genre anymore, especially not new books. Most new literature stinks to high heaven, it's almost as bad as classic Dutch literature (we Dutch might've been good sailors, but we were horrible writers).

Used to read stuff like the Sword of Truth and Circle of Something-or-other. Amusing stuff, kind of kitchen-novellish.

You know what I'm reading now? Poe, good old Edgar. I never thought I'd meet an American author the equal of the British top, but he comes pretty close. What penmanship, what perambulations! Fantastic.

Ha!
 
I haven't really read any Poe, but I recently read a translation of Dante's: Inferno, it made me wish I could speak, or at least read Italian. The english adaptation lacks the necessary poetic wordplay I'd imagine the Italian counterpart has.

Ah well, as a great man once said

"I only speak two languages, English and bad English!"


Cheers!
 
I've only read the Green Angel Tower Books (part one and part two) by Tad Williams and, since I couldn't find the other two beginning books, I was almost completely lost. However, from what I could piece together, it was a fairly enjoyable read.

I, too, am no longer a fan of the fantasy. I used to read fantasy nonstop when I was in like, fifth or sixth grade, but now I can't stand it. Most of the books I tried to read turned out to be horrendously melodramatic and it seemed that every fantasy writer was too much of a romantic. I've read the Shannara books by Terry Brooks and it was enjoyable when I was young but I'm afraid my literary palate expands further than that. I guess Tolkien is all I can stomach. That, and Raymond E. Fiest's books.

Same with science fiction, too. I'm afraid I had developped a love affair with the Star Wars books. Yeah, I'm sorry to admit, that there are fifty Star Wars novels lining my bookcase. Don't get me wrong, they *were* good books but not the newer ones. Some people just take too many liberties with the Star Wars universe (ahem, R.A. Salvatore killing off Chewbacca). The science fiction series that just killed that genre for me was the Deathstalker Saga by Simon R. Green. The stories are riddled with the cheapest, most unoriginal names (Owen Deathstalker, Hazel d,Ark, Tobias Moon, Kid Death, Half-A-Man, etc.). And, I'm telling you, at least half of the main characters have been killed but somehow are brought back to life by the most bullshit reasons (such as cloning or robotic reconstruction). Green is trying too hard to get his readers attached to his characters with melodramatic scenes of a character dying with heroic last words, only to have that character suddenly rise up alive and well. Oh, and his characters seemed to have developped super powers and use them at every opportunity to trounch on their enemies. Yeah, SF is dead for me but I'm still a fan of Ike Asimov (and its a goddamn pity that he is dead).

Enough ranting.
 
Gunslinger said:
I, too, am no longer a fan of the fantasy. I used to read fantasy nonstop when I was in like, fifth or sixth grade, but now I can't stand it. Most of the books I tried to read turned out to be horrendously melodramatic and it seemed that every fantasy writer was too much of a romantic.
Click to expand...

Ugh, no kidding, reviewing the Sword of Truth series now, I can only come to the conclusion it's truly horrible. Every book is structured the same; "hero can't get girl, hero defeats bad guy, hero gets girl by incredibly cheap plot twist". Most fantasy novels are horribly romantic and terribly predictable, and generally horribly written.

Of course, the genre indeed has its greats, like Tolkien.

Gunslinger said:
Same with science fiction, too. I'm afraid I had developped a love affair with the Star Wars books.,
Click to expand...

Never developed a love for sci-fi pulp, but don't underestimate the value of the genre, it actually has some brilliant works, like Ender's Game, Dune, Day of the Triffids...Oh, and Fallout fan-fics!
 
You guys have pretty much nailed it to a tee. But if you sift through all the literary bullshit, eventually you stumble upon the real good reads. Otherland, as I may have mentioned, was one such series.

Another series in the sci-fi genre you guys may take a liking to (if you enjoy the dry humor of the FO easter eggs as I did), was The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It pokes fun of everything that is science-fiction and fantasy with pleasing results.
 
the last good book i read was 'choke' by chuck palahniuk (the dude that wrote 'fight club'). its damn good, you guys should check it out
 
I just finished a couple of weeks ago The Jungle book by Kipling.
Way better than the disney version.

One book that i really loved and went thru within three days was The empire of Ice. I don`t remember who wrote it, but it was a damn good book.
 
Pip-Boy2k said:
Another series in the sci-fi genre you guys may take a liking to (if you enjoy the dry humor of the FO easter eggs as I did), was The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It pokes fun of everything that is science-fiction and fantasy with pleasing results.
Click to expand...

I agree. I've read every book in the series at least twice, and it's still funny. I've also read one and a half books from the other series the author (Douglas Adams) wrote, the Dirk Gently series. It's SF/Comedy too.
 
My ptoblem is that i read tolkiens books first so i compare every other book with LOTR and ofcourse they loose.

Hey khaqrn try reading harry potter, it is a good read and i trully recomend it.

The shanara books are disgustingly bad, the feist books is well i don't like them, they are so predictable also i don't like that way he writes, he should have been a professor in languages and used 13 years on his books then they would have been perfect. I do the wheel of time books right now, good start, but the wheel seem to slow down and stop in mud or something. The books don't move forward. Also he has the guts to pretend he rule the world tolkien started to reaveal, wich is wrong tolkien still rule supreme in the fantasy genre, noone on the side and noone above.

If you want funny fantasy books, read all the terry pratchett books the first oneas are the best. You will cry while reading these books because they are so funny, alle the books involving rincewind is good, read them in english and you will die laughing.
 
I disagree on your ideas of the Feist books. Sure, the first few books are predictable because Feist has just started wetting his feet in his profession. But as you read on, you can tell that the level of his writing expands. And if you go into his books with the mindset of a thought-involving novel, such as Orwell's Animal Farm, than of course you will be disappointed. However, Feist delivers what his books promise: a delightful medieval romp.

But later, on you'll discover the genius of Feist's world. The Kingdom of Isles and the politics between other Kingdoms (Kesh and Queg) are truly believable; they've got their own plots and motives. The setting isn't outlandish with unicorns and prancing satyrs and the like; sure there are mythical creatures but at least they are *original*. Feist has done at least some studying on ethics customs of the time period. The plots are involving and deal with trying problems of the time: a bastard of the King who stands in line of succession, a politcal figure assassinated, and the like.

But what impresses me the most about Feist is the expansive writing on sword fighting and magic. When he writes action, its like calligraphy; every action you can see in your mind. It's not like, "Sir Lamorak slew three knights at the point of his blade" it's like, "James parried the first blow with the edge of his rapier then rejoined, locking the hilt of his enemy's broadsword with the basket of the rapier". Then there's his explanation of magic and the gods. I don't want to ruin it for possible readers but you'll like the ideas.

You'll begin to love the characters, also. Jimmy the Hand, a prominent thief, who'll later become one of the most powerful men in Krondor. Arutha, Prince of Krondor, renowned for his pragmatism and his military prowess. Pug, the enigmatic magician. After reading the series, you'll get emotionally attached to characters, as most good authors strive for.

So don't judge a book on what it isn't meant to deliver but on its own merits.
 
Loxley said:
My ptoblem is that i read tolkiens books first so i compare every other book with LOTR and ofcourse they loose.
Click to expand...

Tolkien is allright, but while the man has amasing imaginative powers, his literary powers are falling short.

Hey khaqrn try reading harry potter, it is a good read and i trully recomend it.
Click to expand...

I did during boringly long English classes, for lack of better to do, I read the first two and stopped halfway through the second, because the classes turned to Shakespeare and became interesting.

The stories are imaginative and funny. The writing is boring, predictable and very, very bad. The books themselves have little value, though they make nice stories.

Last books I finished: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (forgot the writer), Watership Down by Richard Adams (again, one of my favourites, incredible literary talent) and Dickens' Oliver Twist (not as good as the other ones)

I'm currently reading Homeros' Odyssee. Allways good stuff.
 
Well as far i'm concerned LOTR is the best book ever, never read anything better.

I hate pug and that other swordfhigting friend of his if that counts as getting conected with the characters the it is okay. LOTR makes the hairs on my back stand upp because it is sooo good, ive read it like 18 times or something, not too much these lasr years but still.

I might try reading shakespeare but if he is anythig like Ibsen i'm out.
 
Loxley said:
I might try reading shakespeare but if he is anythig like Ibsen i'm out.
Click to expand...

Shakespeare is allright, I finished a Midsummer Night's Dream a while back, 's really funny. But it's not the kind of stuff you read, really, it's more the kind of stuff you listen to.

When reading it, I think you have to read some lines out loud just to get the feeling right.

You know who's a great author? F.M. Dostojewisky (Doustouvski). I read the Brother Karamazow and Guilt & Penance by him...Genius, pure, pure genius.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top