SMBC Comics Forum

Excellent series, can't believe I had forgotten about it. Especially considering as how it's on my yearly rotation of books! Personally, I would name my theoretical child either Random or Dworkin.

Had my sister been born a boy, she would have been named Bleys. True story.

I remember reading and loving Animorphs back when I was in grade 6, but I think those would be sci-fi. Thinking back I don't remember them all that well, just that I hated the ending, but liked the rest of it.

I've never read an not liked anything by Terry Pratchett, but I'm still making my way through his stuff. I've read the City Watch books, and Reaperman so far. I've got Small Gods sitting on my bookshelf right now waiting for me to finish the term to start reading.

I've read American Gods by Neil Gaiman and I want to read more of his stuff. I've seen Coraline and Stardust, and now I want to read the books they were based off of. I'm told I'm getting Coraline for my birthday along with Anansi Boys (the sequel to American Gods), in late April though!

My other favourite Fantasy books include:
The Harry Potter Books (of course)
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (because I'm a sucker for a well written fairy tale)
Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


Someone asked about science fiction too. I haven't read too much, but stuff that i have read and enjoyed include:
War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
the Lark Light series by Phillip Reeve (I think steampunk counts as science fiction)
The Chryslids by John Wyndham

smiley_cow wrote:fairy tale

Don't mind me, stickler passing through!

Edminster wrote:Excellent series, can't believe I had forgotten about it. Especially considering as how it's on my yearly rotation of books! Personally, I would name my theoretical child either Random or Dworkin.

Had my sister been born a boy, she would have been named Bleys. True story.

Do you mean that you read The Great Book of Amber every year? Tell me what you mean by your "yearly rotation."
That series is full of great names. Random and Bleys are both awesome. I have even considered naming my boy Benedict, yet I feel he would never fill the shoes of such a truly bad ass character.

The Animorphs series really helped me get into reading. I still think the concept is truly awesome. Imagine being able to turn into a bear and go on a rampage. Too good.

mountainmage wrote:

smiley_cow wrote:fairy tale

Don't mind me, stickler passing through!

Fixed it.

I'm going to blame that on the four hours of sleep I got last night.

Also no worries, I'd rather be told. It's like having something in your teeth, everyone else is going to know anyways, you might as well.

ChooChooTrain wrote:Do you mean that you read The Great Book of Amber every year? Tell me what you mean by your "yearly rotation."
That series is full of great names. Random and Bleys are both awesome. I have even considered naming my boy Benedict, yet I feel he would never fill the shoes of such a truly bad ass character.

I don't own the Great Book compilation, but I do have every single novel that comprises it. So, I read through them during the Rotation. As for what that is, it's what I call my quarter-tonne of books that I read through each year. Unfortunately they're all in storage as I am trying to find a more permanent location to live, so I get to read whatever books are in the local Library to tide me over.

ChooChooTrain wrote:The Animorphs series really helped me get into reading. I still think the concept is truly awesome. Imagine being able to turn into a bear and go on a rampage. Too good.

Yeah, turning into a bear is all well and good, but it's when you turn into a hawk for over the time limit you get crazy stuff to happen. Heck, you get your very own Deus ex Machina to help you out! Honestly, I'd rather have that any day.

Robert Rankin, (They came and ate us, Sprouts of wrath, etc - borderline sci-fi but more gothic than techy)
Alan Dean Foster, (Spellsinger)

an honourable mention would be Good Omens, (Pratchett and Gaiman collaboration) - the story is as perfectly balanced as the protagonists...

rustypup wrote: an honourable mention would be Good Omens, (Pratchett and Gaiman collaboration) - the story is as perfectly balanced as the protagonists...

Agreed. A fantastic book. The portrayal of the Horsemen is awesome, and I love two main characters (I forget their names, the angel and demon).
And it is funny at points.

Wasn't Dogma (the film) loosely based off of Good Omens? I really like that movie.

Anyone heard of Janny Wurts?
She co-wrote the Emprire Trilogy with Raymond E. Feist as part of his Riftwar series. (Magician etc.)

She has her own series that she's been writing since the late 80's (I'm dying for the next book):
The Wars of Light and Shadow. Every time I try to sum the story up I go on for ages because the
book is so multi-faceted, so I won't do that here.

What I will do is post the titles of the books in reading order, as the series changes name* a couple of times.
1. Curse of the Mistwraith
2. Ships of Merior
3. Warhost of Vastmark
4. Fugitive Prince
5. Grand Conspiracy
6. Peril's Gate
7. Traitor's Knot
8. Stormed Fortress
9. Initiate's Trial **
10. Destiny's Conflict **
11. Song of the Mysteries **

Arc 1 = Curse of the Mistwraith
Arc 2 = Ships of Merior, Warhost of Vastmark
Arc 3 = Fugitive Prince, Grand Conspiracy, Peril's Gate, Traitor's Knot, Stormed Fortress
Arc 4 = Initiate's Trial, Destiny's Conflict
Arc 5 = Song of the Mysteries

* Arcs 1 & 2 form the first trilogy, and go under the series title "Wars of Light and Shadow"
Arc 3 goes under the sub-series title "Alliance of Light" - this is part of the WoLaS series, but under its own sub-title.
Arc 4 - same as Arc 3, but will be called "Sword of the Canon"
Arc 5 - so far as I know and the last thing she told me about this is that Arc 5 will be a single novel and won't have a sub-title.

** Yet to be written.

mountainmage wrote:Wasn't Dogma (the film) loosely based off of Good Omens? I really like that movie.

I don't believe so. I've actually never even heard the comparison.
I used to be on the VA webboard (Kevin Smith's) and I hadn't heard anything about it at all. Inspiration is a possibility, but I doubt that as well. Apparently Smith had been stewing on Dogma since before Clerks (which still leaves the opportunity for inspiration, but a much shorter window).
Any similarities they have are vague at best.
Good Omens is about the antichrist, how he was supposed to be raised a certain way and ultimately destroy the earth. An angel and a demon who have been on earth for centuries have grown attached to the world and don't want to see it happen. Basically a mix-up at birth causes the antichrist to be raised like any other kid. The book then focusses on the child inadvertently finding his powers, and the angel and demon trying to track him down for heaven/hell. A few other characters become involved, including 4 bikers who are the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse, who are really interesting characters.
You can see that the similarities are sparse.
Though your mention of the movie makes me want to see it again, if for nothing else than the Affleck/Damon scene in the parking garage and most of Jason Lee's scenes.

<How could i forget?!...>

Tom Holt, (Paint your Dragon, Ye Gods, Grailblazers)...

also:
Tad Williams, (War of the Flowers, Otherland)
Ian Irvine, (Well of Echoes)
China Mieville, (Iron Council, King Rat)

Laneth wrote:Anyone heard of Janny Wurts

sounds familiar... given that collection, will definitely keep an eye open...

I really like the Lord Of The Rings (I know, very original). There is another series I follow called A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R. R. Martin. Also, The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, very good stuff there. Not finished with Martin's stuff but I did finish LOTR and The Dark Tower, both were great.

Oh yes, and I would like to add the Lone Wolf series to that. Though they are not really novels, but a series of choose your own adventures books from around the late eighties, only the first 20 of them are available in the US. You can find the others on Amazon or Ebay, though they are usually quite expensive if they are in good condition.

I'm such a big LoTR fan that I'm reading the history of middle earth as well.

Currently, I'm on number 5. Also, I've read the Hobbit, the Silmarillion, and The Children of Húrin.

NomadKJH wrote:I really like the Lord Of The Rings (I know, very original). There is another series I follow called A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R. R. Martin. Also, The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, very good stuff there. Not finished with Martin's stuff but I did finish LOTR and The Dark Tower, both were great.

Oh yes, and I would like to add the Lone Wolf series to that. Though they are not really novels, but a series of choose your own adventures books from around the late eighties, only the first 20 of them are available in the US. You can find the others on Amazon or Ebay, though they are usually quite expensive if they are in good condition.

You can't finish The Dark Tower. Well, not with the alternate "ending", at any rate.