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Good stories (and books)

Thu 04 Dec, 2008 7:55 am

Linked from posting.php?mode=quote&f=9&p=11386

Son of a Beach wrote:Yeah, the movies were good entertainment, but simplified what is probably the second-best faery story of all time, into just a fairy-tale.


What rates as number one for you?

Re: Good stories (and books)

Thu 04 Dec, 2008 8:27 am

I'll leave that as an exercise for the reader. I agree with Tolkien in what he said was the best faerie story of all time in his essay "On Faerie Stories" (or "On Fairy Stories" depending on who you listen to). :-)

If you want to read it, it's in the book "Tree and Leaf", and also in one of his other books, I can't remember the name of.

Re: Good stories (and books)

Thu 04 Dec, 2008 9:56 am

I am a big fantasy fiction reader. I just got into David Gemmell after hearing my brother rave about him for the last ten years. Druss is an awesome character.

Re: Good stories (and books)

Thu 04 Dec, 2008 9:13 pm

For some interesting stories of a different nature grab a copy of Frog Call by Greg French.
Its a Tasmanian book and has a lot of differing chapters, some about fishing ,some about life,the universe and everything

FF

Re: Good stories (and books)

Fri 05 Dec, 2008 7:01 am

flyfisher wrote:For some interesting stories of a different nature grab a copy of Frog Call by Greg French.
Its a Tasmanian book and has a lot of differing chapters, some about fishing ,some about life,the universe and everything

FF


I second this one. I'm not particularly into fishing, but absolutely loved this book of short stories from his life and experiences in Tasmania. I haven't read his next book yet (Artificial), but have been assured that it is also excellent by the person who lent me Frog Call.

Re: Good stories (and books)

Mon 08 Dec, 2008 10:12 am

Good stories, and books?

I'm not that much of a fantasy fan like you guys. More sci-fi (as long as it's proper sci-fi, with an emphasis on the sci, rather than just being nonsense-fi). Currently reading through Sir Issac Asimovs books. I'll be a while.

I'm a picky reader though, so I'm glad to have found such a prolific writer to keep me amused for a while.

L8r.

Re: Good stories (and books)

Mon 08 Dec, 2008 8:30 pm

I have been reading the foundation series lately. Have you tried Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game in particular)

Re: Good stories (and books)

Tue 09 Dec, 2008 7:07 am

Speculator wrote:Good stories, and books?

I'm not that much of a fantasy fan like you guys. More sci-fi (as long as it's proper sci-fi, with an emphasis on the sci, rather than just being nonsense-fi). Currently reading through Sir Issac Asimovs books. I'll be a while.

I'm a picky reader though, so I'm glad to have found such a prolific writer to keep me amused for a while.

L8r.


aha... you've just given me an idea for a christmas prezzie for one of my family overseas... off to amazon...

Re: Good stories (and books)

Tue 09 Dec, 2008 12:20 pm

Kainas wrote:I have been reading the foundation series lately. Have you tried Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game in particular)


No I haven't, but I've just looked Card up, and i sounds like he's written some interesting stuff, and won some awards too. I'll keep him in mind.

Thanks! :)

Re: Good stories (and books)

Tue 09 Dec, 2008 3:47 pm

He writes sci-fi but his focus is on societies, and futuristic social conventions, attitudes, ways of living.

Re: Good stories (and books)

Thu 11 Dec, 2008 12:57 pm

Son of a Beach wrote:I'll leave that as an exercise for the reader. I agree with Tolkien in what he said was the best faerie story of all time in his essay "On Faerie Stories" (or "On Fairy Stories" depending on who you listen to). :-)

If you want to read it, it's in the book "Tree and Leaf", and also in one of his other books, I can't remember the name of.

Nik, you are the first person in 30+ years that I have heard mention this book of Tolkein's and his essay "On Faerie Stories". I first read it in the mid 1970's and have a well aged paperback version - the gem "Leaf by Niggle" I have just read again (prompted by your post) after perhaps a 15 year gap, and the richness of the allegory exceeded all my previous memories of it - amazing stuff!

Re: Good stories (and books)

Thu 11 Dec, 2008 2:45 pm

Kainas wrote:Leaf by Niggle" I have just read again (prompted by your post) after perhaps a 15 year gap, and the richness of the allegory exceeded all my previous memories of it - amazing stuff!


I have to agree with Tas-man. I must dig up my copy for another review...

Tony Robinson

Re: Good stories (and books)

Fri 12 Dec, 2008 7:04 am

A couple that I can highly recommend are:

"Gallipoli Diaries " by Jonathon King, even people who aren't interested in military history would enjoy this one
In short, its written in diary form, covering every day, with notes added by the author and using excerpts from diary's written by soldiers who were there.

Also Kokoda and Tobruk written by Peter Fitzsimons. They are both history accounts you could call them...but their written in "Novel" form to keep it all moving along.

Also anything by Clive Cussler is a good read, for a change of pace.

Re: Good stories (and books)

Sat 13 Dec, 2008 12:33 am

Oh lord- I got stuck in the Master and Commander series, all 21 volumes, by Patrick O'Brien. I've put them down for the moment, but have read the series three times in the last four years. Then it's the Hornblower series, the collected works of Raymond Chandler, and back to Patrick O'Brien. I used to read heaps of things, but I think I'm getting obsessive, or lazy.
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