What are you currently reading?

[GBVenkman]

I decided that I'd like to be completely nosy and ask. So, what are you, the general posters of PnPgames.com, reading? (Yes, you! And no, manuals don't count! )

At the moment I'm reading simultaniously:~
Darkness and Light (Preludes 2; Dragonlance Saga)

Stone and Steel (Book 5, Preludes Dragonlance Saga.) Because I'm a doorknob of a kender, and got bored 5 pages into it and skipped over it to read book 6. Books 1-4 and 6 took me about a week to finish, nearly a book and half a day.

Dark Water by Koji Suzuki (Last of the Ring Cycle, I think?) I loved Ring and Spiral.I highly suggest Ring and Spiral-for those who like twisted suspense/paranormal. They're both more insane than all of the movies combined. I have both of them available on my bookcrossing shelf, if anyone would like to trade. I would also be up to doing a Book Spiral/Ray with all three once I was done with Dark Water.

I don't read fantasy or sci fi much.

I'm reading brave new world at the moment.. I guess it is sci fi.

[shilar]

I'm still down with Tales of MU http://www.talesofmu.com/story/
just be warned if you start you will not stop.

[cplmac]

Just finished book five of the Meetings Sextent series from Dragonlance.

[agoraderek]

right now im reading druid's sword, by sara douglass. last book of the troy game series. next up is confessor, by terry goodkind, last book in the sword of truth series.

after that, im going to read some tom wolfe, then some graham greene.

then back to the fantasy stuff...

[tesral]

I just had an urge to go back over my favorite parts of Dragonsong. So I did.

[RivenNookRavenClaw]

I am reading a couple of things right now.

Peterson's guide to Graduate Schools (alright that was me being a smart a** so I'll stop)

I just finished Robin Hobbs Forest Mage trilogy.

I read Mercedes Lackey thing about a mermaid, a fortunate fool and their romance, love that woman.

I read some Louis MacMaster Bujold, reread some of her Miles Vorsogian universe...including Ethan of Athos and think her Curse of Chalion universe is awesome and even better the book I just finished which is the conclusion on the Sharing Knife Trilogy...'like Oh My God, it was fer sure the most romantic thing EVER!"

I am trying to stay away from too much military sci-fi right now so David Weber and L.E. Modesitt to name a few are off my Barnes and Noble light reading list right now... the last thing I need is more encouragement to avoid romantic entanglements and those guys, do that.

Anyway other then that the new 2008 Linux bible with the DVD Rom including all the flavours of linus are all I need right now.

[RivenNookRavenClaw]

I just had an urge to go back over my favorite parts of Dragonsong. So I did.

Awesome! I love Anne McCaffery... I like her Crystal Singer stuff alot...especially how her heroine trumps all that amnesia that aflicts all the crystal singers and gets her guy back at the end.

What can I say...I am a stupid romantic.

I believe DragonSong was the one in which the harpers of pern get some air time but for the life of me I am not sure that was the one in which the boy learns how to do drums or something else entirely. There are too many Pern Books (mock sigh) But 'All the Weyrs of Pern' is still fun in my mind.

I just bought the Illuminatus trilogy, I'll read it seriously as soon as I've finished the Amber cycle which I've read for something like the fourth time.

That triogy is scary funny...ties right into 'Principia Discordia: How I met the goddess and what I did with her when I found her.'

I honestly couldn't read the whole trilogy.

As far as Zelazny and Amber goes...I cannot read the original books with Corwin often engough but the Merlin cycle is not my cup of tea. I mean really, that boy just never grows up! Can't get a date, doesn't learn to trust his girlfriend with is amber secret even when she goes out and becomes a real sorceress and as for the rest well...I don't want to spoil it but seriously why in the world did he get that ring at the end of that series anyway!?

I probably would have enjoyed the Sword of Shannara, if I hadn't been so familiar with the plot line already. I only got about halfway through the Elfstones before I had to put the book down and move on to something else for a while. I still haven't come back to it. I'd have to agree with your assessment that the character interactions are a bit stilted and wooden. I especially am not awestruck by the enigmatic druid as I think Brooks was hoping for.

As to Hyperion, it is a tough read. Or at least it was for me..

ARG! ARG ARG! (like a pirate in pain) Not Terry Brooks, "drowning noises of pirate that can't swim)

That said, yeah I loved elf stones but I was about 14 when I first read it and that whole unrequitted virginal love with the tree made me cry as for the Sword of Shananana....yeah gad! Reminds me of Terry Pratchett and the witches talking about how to spell "bannana" when in the world do you stop spelling Shanaranana anyway and when will he stop writing those books anyway!?

Aw well there is "headology" for you only women that are witches (again referencing Terry Pratchett's Discworld" will EVER understand why Terry Brooks still sells.

I don't read fantasy or sci fi much.

I'm reading brave new world at the moment.. I guess it is sci fi.

I consider it to be so although I was once at a Stony Brook convention and a know it all old fossil said that and 1984 are clearly not sci-fi...he added that the only sci-fi novel ever written that is worth reading is Flowers for Algernon...

(making faces at the memory of the guy)

You might try "The Stars My Destination" by I think Bester...

very old classic sci-fi...based on the Count of Monte Cristo revenge theme but about somebody really nasty at first that becomes somebody maybe decent at the end.

[boulet]

That triogy is scary funny...ties right into 'Principia Discordia: How I met the goddess and what I did with her when I found her.'

I honestly couldn't read the whole trilogy.

As far as Zelazny and Amber goes...I cannot read the original books with Corwin often engough but the Merlin cycle is not my cup of tea. I mean really, that boy just never grows up! Can't get a date, doesn't learn to trust his girlfriend with is amber secret even when she goes out and becomes a real sorceress and as for the rest well...I don't want to spoil it but seriously why in the world did he get that ring at the end of that series anyway!?

Still haven't had the opportunity to start Illuminatus and the oppressing heat didn't help that's for sure.

About Merlin cycle, I can't deny that he's careless and sloppy. I understand how you didn't care for the character. The tyga "guardian angel" is quite annoying too. And Zelazny had trouble keeping a decent flow in his plot in general. Anyway, if it was only for the acid trip in Lewis Carol inspired shadows, or the extra informations about the Court of Chaos and sorcery, it would still be worth reading. I guess it's the GM enjoying new material part of me who's talking.

[RivenNookRavenClaw]

Still haven't had the opportunity to start Illuminatus and the oppressing heat didn't help that's for sure.

About Merlin cycle, I can't deny that he's careless and sloppy. I understand how you didn't care for the character. The tyga "guardian angel" is quite annoying too. And Zelazny had trouble keeping a decent flow in his plot in general. Anyway, if it was only for the acid trip in Lewis Carol inspired shadows, or the extra informations about the Court of Chaos and sorcery, it would still be worth reading. I guess it's the GM enjoying new material part of me who's talking.

There are great parts to that cycle, I read the whole thing. Its just I was always hoping that Mr. Zelazny would live long even to give us Corwin back, Corwin having to deal with Merlin his son.

I mean as far as I am concerned Merlin building that trump computer, is directly responsible for the new pattern chaos war not to mention being an enabler of the new stain on the primal pattern inflicted by his friend "Luke" and furthermore is refusal to walk Corwin's pattern was completely destabilizing...


I always though Merlin always acted as his mother's son. That in the end he was still the crack in amber...His mom walked that pattern when she was pregnant with him in the Corwin cycle and I just think that that boy despite his own free will and choices was just bringing everything towards ruin.

What I wouldn't have given to see Corwin get back into action and along the way somehow find Deirdre among the shadows...yeah yeah so that's a bit incestous but I feel the belonged together, Corwin and Deirdre 'lady of sorrow.'

[boulet]

I always though Merlin always acted as his mother's son. That in the end he was still the crack in amber...His mom walked that pattern when she was pregnant with him in the Corwin cycle and I just think that that boy despite his own free will and choices was just bringing everything towards ruin.

Well it's funny you mention incest, because I'd say that Merlin has a lot in common with Oedipus. Especially in the way he's quite subjected to the prophecy Dara threw at the face of Corwin when she walked the pattern. There's quite a lot of freudian undertones to the whole story one might say. Well I feel for the poor guy in his struggle against destiny, even if he's the sucker most of the time. Fate is inescapable like in good old Greek tragedy.

[RivenNookRavenClaw]

Well it's funny you mention incest, because I'd say that Merlin has a lot in common with Oedipus. Especially in the way he's quite subjected to the prophecy Dara threw at the face of Corwin when she walked the pattern. There's quite a lot of freudian undertones to the whole story one might say. Well I feel for the poor guy in his struggle against destiny, even if he's the sucker most of the time. Fate is inescapable like in good old Greek tragedy.

Yes it is rather like a Greek Tragedy but the question becomes for me "If we act with reckless disregard for others...are we to be pitied?"

Merlin, as portrayed is incredibly smart, powerful, and sexy. As far as I can see he has everything and yet the most basic points seem to escape the lad's notice.

When Random, King of Amber starts to ask Merlin some rather basic questions about this "Ghost Wheel" Merlin has created I cannot at that point from my current age have any sympathy for the character.

I mean do you remember the dialog because as best I cant recollect it goes something like this

Random: "So Ghost Wheel can gather energy"

Merlin: "Oh yes it needs to so it can power the trump gates."

Random: "And how much energy can it gather?"

Merlin: "Well the longer it manifests the more it does that is why it is crakling with what looks like electricy."

Random: "Can that energy hurt people?"

Merlin: "Well, Ghost Wheel has safety protocols so that it won't do that."

Rnadom: "Could you override those protocols and tell ghost wheel to manifest somewhere gather engough energy to kill someone have it do that!?"

Merlin: "Ummm...I never thought of that...er...hum..er...I guess so."

To me that is no longer Oedipus Rex, there Oedipus is caught in the grip of fate and he does lose his temper, kill his own father and all the rest but Merlin is never portrayed that way, as far as I can see.

Instead he acts CLUELESS. Its like there is a part of his brain missing...the resolution I wanted to see that was his mom had implanted a chaos spell inside his brain that acted like some malignant demon in his mind making sure all his goodness turned to chaotic disasters.

Not that I have anything against Dara, how could I (looking innocent) I mean I know nothing about her...I don't think anybody does.

That creature was talking to the Logrus and pretending to be Brand's daughter back in the original series.

[agoraderek]

Still haven't had the opportunity to start Illuminatus and the oppressing heat didn't help that's for sure.

About Merlin cycle, I can't deny that he's careless and sloppy. I understand how you didn't care for the character. The tyga "guardian angel" is quite annoying too. And Zelazny had trouble keeping a decent flow in his plot in general. Anyway, if it was only for the acid trip in Lewis Carol inspired shadows, or the extra informations about the Court of Chaos and sorcery, it would still be worth reading. I guess it's the GM enjoying new material part of me who's talking.

you must read illuminatus. that was some crazy [mmmm].

[tesral]

Awesome! I love Anne McCaffery... I like her Crystal Singer stuff alot...especially how her heroine trumps all that amnesia that aflicts all the crystal singers and gets her guy back at the end.

What can I say...I am a stupid romantic.

I believe DragonSong was the one in which the harpers of pern get some air time but for the life of me I am not sure that was the one in which the boy learns how to do drums or something else entirely. There are too many Pern Books (mock sigh) But 'All the Weyrs of Pern' is still fun in my mind.

I'm a helpless romantic myself. I have the Crystal Singer stuff, most of the "Ship Who" books, including The Ship Who Sang in hardcover (signed).

The Harperhall series. Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums (Which is about Pemiur.)

I have the hardcovers the main series up through The White Dragon signed. The first two harper hall books signed. All the Pern books have pride of place on my book shelf.

The People of Pern The printer did a lousy job, I've seen some of Robin Wood's original art, it is much better than the book. The Dragon Lover's Guide to Pern. And The Atlas of Pern, I bought that one and really could not afford it at the time.

[RivenNookRavenClaw]

I have the hardcovers the main series up through The White Dragon signed. The first two harper hall books signed. All the Pern books have pride of place on my book shelf.

The People of Pern The printer did a lousy job, I've seen some of Robin Wood's original art, it is much better than the book. The Dragon Lover's Guide to Pern. And The Atlas of Pern, I bought that one and really could not afford it at the time.

I read the white dragon in Grade School probably four or fifth grade. I didn't understand it really, all we were supposed to do was read books, which I wasn't too good at first. But after the second time I loved it.

That time jumping stuff although essential to the Pern Universe to my mind was always a potential big problem but that is Anne MacCaffery, somehow she manages to pull off the most outrageous mixtures of science fiction mixed with fantasy and have it be totally human, and totally logical.

Why the White Dragon and his Rider does not fix every problem to ever afflict is still a bit mysterious to me but then again I figure the Dragon with the brain the size of a nice big hummer must understand when to obey the Star Trek "Temporal Prime Directive. > Thou Shall Not interfere in the time stream; unless you are Kate Mulgrew of the StarShip Voyager in which case you must weekly even if there is nothing the surrounding parsecs of space."

[nijineko]

i enjoyed the pern series. i liked how she kept it more "fantasy" by keeping the whole physics of time travel and ramifications to a minimum impact. in her hands it just becomes a story tool. and she uses it pretty effectively. ^^

since i last posted i have re-read the stainless steel rat series plus about 10-15 more books by harrison. read 'howl's moving castle'. read a few other random books, and am now rereading as many andre norton books as i can find. i've reread about 25-30 of hers as of this posting so far. ^^

currently rereading her beast master series.