Return of the Book Thread

[sidereal]

Steven Erikson is actually writing novels faster than I can read them.  So until he stops and/or dies, I'm stuck.

[Chenghiz]

Steven Erikson is actually writing novels faster than I can read them.  So until he stops and/or dies, I'm stuck.

This is a pretty good situation to be in.

I've been reading a ton lately, the last few were Anna Karenina , Ilium, Foucault's Pendulum and House of Chains. I really should keep a list of them or something - I can't keep track - but I'm trying to balance the scifi and fantasy with Literature. Currently I'm reading Olympos.

[FatuousTwat]

Uhhh... I read a few books since my last post, lets see if I can remember them.

Oh I read the first Felix Castor book, was ok.
I'm half done with Toll the Hounds.
A couple of SciFi anthologies... I think that is about it.

I was not a fan of the first Felix Castor book,  and then the end kind of redeemed it for me.  Definitely the next two books are better.

I wasn't put off by the first one or anything, I just didn't think it stood up to other books I've read in the same kind of genre.

I'll have to read the next couple.

[Johny Cee]

So...  The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss has been one of the big buzz fantasy debuts in the last year or so,  and now a sample chapter from the upcoming sequal is out on the internets:  http://www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/

[Salamok]

So...  The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss has been one of the big buzz fantasy debuts in the last year or so,  and now a sample chapter from the upcoming sequal is out on the internets:  http://www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/

The opening sentence on amazon for the 1st book reads like an entry in an "it was a dark and stormy night" contest.  Have you read the 1st one and was it any good?

[FatuousTwat]

The first one is really good.

[Johny Cee]

So...  The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss has been one of the big buzz fantasy debuts in the last year or so,  and now a sample chapter from the upcoming sequal is out on the internets:  http://www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/

The opening sentence on amazon for the 1st book reads like an entry in an "it was a dark and stormy night" contest.  Have you read the 1st one and was it any good?

Yah,  it was a great read.  It's not breaking any new ground,  but probably the best executed traditional epic fantasy in quite a few years.  The buzz quote going around was an editor called it:  "The best debut fantasy novel in twenty years."

It's basically an incredibly readable and well-executed take on standard epic fantasy tropes.

Edit:

I liked it alot,  and I'm a huge fan of folks that fuck with typical fantasy like Cook, Wolfe, etc.

[bhodi]

I hope you like groaners! Here's a list of the winners of the 2008 Edible Book Festival.

[schild]

Can someone explain to me the appeal of the following two authors:

David Sedaris
Haruki Murakami

[pants]

Just finished the second-latest Raymond E. Feist Riftwar book - 'Into a Dark Realm'.  Meh.  I was a big fan of Magician and the other 2 early books - but its now pretty obvious that he really only has 1 plot, and each series of books is a rehasing of that.  'Evil God/Demon/Necromancer wants to take over/destroy the world(s).  Group of spunky young boys come of age and help to save the world from a mundane threat, while Pug and his assorted hangers-on go to the 7th plane of weirdness and stop extra-planar demons from eating Midkemia.' 

Course, by making the most popular characters (Pug and Tomas) super-powerful demigods by the end of the first series (a darkness at sethanon), he kinda painted himself into a corner. 

Still, according to Wikipedia he has planned the next 5 books, which will finalise the Riftwar series.  So it may be interesting to read the last one to see how he finishes it all.  Thats assuming he doesn't die on us or something.

[Raging Turtle]

Can someone explain to me the appeal of the following two authors:

David Sedaris
Haruki Murakami

I haven't read any Murakami, but Sedaris is generally excellent.  What have you read by him?  His books are mostly personal stories from his own life - not everyone's thing.  This thread seems to prefer more escapist fare.

His newer stuff such as "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" and "When You Are Engulfed in Flames" are a lot harder to get into if you haven't read anything else by him.  One of his earlier books, "Me Talk Pretty One Day" is fantastically written as well as being one of the funniest books I've ever read, and when people are singing his praises that's generally the book they're talking about. 

[Draegan]

A friend of mine gave me "A Drink Before the War" by Dennis Lehane.  Can anyone comment?

[Chenghiz]

I'm partway through Gravity's Rainbow and I'm really confused. Someone please tell me truthfully that it all makes sense in the end. I really enjoy it but I really do wish it was all more cohesive.

[apocrypha]

I'm partway through Gravity's Rainbow and I'm really confused. Someone please tell me truthfully that it all makes sense in the end. I really enjoy it but I really do wish it was all more cohesive.

I got about 1/4 way through it 10 years ago, then put it down and never yet got round to going back and trying again... 

[murdoc]

Just finished Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley

Thought it was quite a decent book. It was a rpetty good start to a trilogy and actually has me interested in where he's going with it.

[apocrypha]

Just finished Polity Agent by Neal Asher (not linking cos I can't be arsed and it was shit anyway). It was shit. Terrible writing, leaden plot, needlessly confusing and stupid author decided that humanity of the eleventy hundredth century would still use yards and inches ffs.

Of course, as I finished it I turned it over and looked at the front cover and noticed that it said "Fouth book in the Agent Cormac series" which would explain why it was very confusing at first 

Still shit though.

[JWIV]

After much pestering by my wife, I snagged a copy of Trinity by Leon Uris at the local library and took it with me to jury duty.   Um.

It's good, but I'm not sure the phrase one sided even begins to encompass the novel. 

[FatuousTwat]

Just bought "...and their memory was a bitter tree..." about done with it, and all gotta say is, BOOBIES.

Also bought the 25 annual years best sci-fi, and got a rock and mineral book from DK for Christmas.

[HaemishM]

Finished reading the Young Stalin book, and I'm almost done with David Brin's The Postman. No, I haven't seen the Costner movie (which I'm to understand is balls). I am enjoying the hell out of this book without even having to put aside some of the very '80's tropes like the feminism and survivalist tracts. I could see this being made into a decent movie - just not with Costner.

[Ironwood]

I loved The Postman.

Watching the Costner movie was like watching a favourite puppy getting skinned alive and then boiled.

Don't do it.

[Johny Cee]

Just bought "...and their memory was a bitter tree..." about done with it, and all gotta say is, BOOBIES.

Also bought the 25 annual years best sci-fi, and got a rock and mineral book from DK for Christmas.

I've almost purchased "...and their memory" a couple times.  A sweet hardcover of the good Conan and Howard stories would be delicious,  but I've already bought most of the Howard trade paperback omnibuses so it would be a little redundant.


Started rereading Deadhouse Gates.  W-O-W,  Erickson has fallen off his game with the last couple of novels.

[murdoc]

Finally finished Reaper's Gale. That book was tough to slog through. Someone else in this thread said that Erickson needs an editor and I couldn't agree more. Sad thing is, the last 5th of the book was interesting and things moved at a better pace and it was enough so that I'm somewhat interested in reading the next in the series. Still, pages and pages and pages of nothing does not make an interesting read.

[WayAbvPar]

Currently speeding through The Wandering Hill  by Larry McMurtry. It is the 2nd in new-ish series. Very light and easy to speed through. Next up-

Bloody Confused!: A Clueless American Sportswriter Seeks Solace in English Soccer

A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East

Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror

[Johny Cee]

Finally finished Reaper's Gale. That book was tough to slog through. Someone else in this thread said that Erickson needs an editor and I couldn't agree more. Sad thing is, the last 5th of the book was interesting and things moved at a better pace and it was enough so that I'm somewhat interested in reading the next in the series. Still, pages and pages and pages of nothing does not make an interesting read.

This describes Toll the Hounds, as well.  Good conclusion,  good last couple hundred pages, but you have to wade through the beginning.

[Sky]

A sweet hardcover of the good Conan and Howard stories would be delicious,  but I've already bought most of the Howard trade paperback omnibuses so it would be a little redundant.

I just got a book of Howard horror tales and a trade omnibus of the early Conan tales. Also have his Kane stuff I need to reread when I finish the Parker stuff (which has gotten pretty good in the third book). Also picked up a hardcover B&N collection of ALL the Lovecraft stories, unabridged. Last one in the stack, had to buy it.

As I've said before, I mostly read non-fic. I got a basement waterproofing book and Warren Haynes slide guitar method for xmas and the other book I bought with the Lovecraft was on preparing garden beds using the author's theory (wider, deeper rows).

They've got a few newer trades of Elric, but I think I've got the original six in two forms packed away somewhere, and I'm not sure there was anything new in the trade versions. He might have broken them out in an unabridged version different from the old paperbacks, though.

[Murgos]

I would just like to take this moment to give a big Fuck You to David Gerrold.

Sure you wrote Encounter at Far Point and the Tribbles TOS episode but WHEN THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING TO FINISH THE WAR AGAINST THE CHTORR?

I think I have been waiting for the next book for ~20 years.

[FatuousTwat]

They've got a few newer trades of Elric, but I think I've got the original six in two forms packed away somewhere, and I'm not sure there was anything new in the trade versions. He might have broken them out in an unabridged version different from the old paperbacks, though.

I was going to buy the Elric saga last year, but never got around to it. So I remember to buy it this year, go to B&N, and they had split the previous book they had (with all of them together) into a bunch of books, each one for around the same price as the single one. BS.

[Reg]

I would just like to take this moment to give a big Fuck You to David Gerrold.

Sure you wrote Encounter at Far Point and the Tribbles TOS episode but WHEN THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING TO FINISH THE WAR AGAINST THE CHTORR?

I think I have been waiting for the next book for ~20 years.

Ha, me too. The first 3 (or was it 4?) books aren't actually in print anymore are they?  Could Gerrold's publisher possibly be that cruel?

[Stormwaltz]

WHEN THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING TO FINISH THE WAR AGAINST THE CHTORR?

Jesus fuck, he still hasn't finished those?

I read them when I was in high school. Seventeen years ago.

[Righ]

They've got a few newer trades of Elric, but I think I've got the original six in two forms packed away somewhere, and I'm not sure there was anything new in the trade versions. He might have broken them out in an unabridged version different from the old paperbacks, though.

I was going to buy the Elric saga last year, but never got around to it. So I remember to buy it this year, go to B&N, and they had split the previous book they had (with all of them together) into a bunch of books, each one for around the same price as the single one. BS.

That's not entirely correct. Hang in here, and I'll give you a rough, simplistic explanation. The previous US omnibus editions published by White Wolf were called "Elric: Song of the Black Sword" which consisted of :

    * Elric of Melniboné (novel, 1972)
    * The Fortress of the Pearl (novel, 1989)
    * The Sailor on the Seas of Fate (fix-up novel, derived from the Hawkmoon novel "The Quest for Tanelorn", 1976)
    * The Dreaming City (novella, 1961)
    * While the Gods Laugh (short story, 1961)
    * The Singing Citadel (novella, 1970)

and "Elric: The Stealer of Souls", consisting of:

    * The Sleeping Sorceress (fix up novel, first part derived from the Corum novel "The King of the Swords", 1972)
    * The Revenge of the Rose (novel, 1991)
    * The Stealer of Souls (short story, 1962)
    * Kings in Darkness (short story, 1962)
    * The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams (short story, 1962)
    * Stormbringer (fix-up novel comprised of edited versions of "Dead God's Homecoming", "Black Sword's Brothers", "Sad Giant's Shield" and "Doomed Lord's Passing", 1977)


The three new Del Rey omnibus editions published to date are:

"Elric: The Stealer of Souls" which consists of the stories:

    * The Dreaming City
    * While the Gods Laugh
    * The Stealer of Souls
    * Kings in Darkness
    * The Flame Bringers (aka The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams)
    * Dead God's Homecoming
    * Black Sword's Brothers
    * Sad Giant's Shield
    * Doomed Lord's Passing

The first five of these were originally published in book form as "The Stealer of Souls", the remaining four were published in abridged form as "Stormbinger", although later versions of the latter collected more complete (and revised) versions.

"Elric: To Rescue Tanelorn" which consists of:

    * The Eternal Champion
    * To Rescue Tanelorn...
    * The Last Enchantment (aka Jesting with Chaos)
    * The Greater Conqueror
    * Master of Chaos (aka Earl Aubec)
    * Phase 1
    * The Singing Citadel
    * The Jade Man's Eyes
    * The Stone Thing
    * Elric at the End of Time
    * The Black Blade's Song (aka The White Wolf's Song and The Black Blade’s Summoning)
    * Crimson Eyes
    * Sir Milk-and-Blood
    * The Roaming Forest

"Elric: The Sleeping Sorceress"

    * The Sleeping Sorceress
    * And So The  Great Emperor Received His Education
    * Elric Of Melnibone
    * Aspects of Fantasy
    * Elric Of Melnibone: Introduction to the Graphical Adaptation
    * El Cid and Elric: Under The Influence!
    * Origins

So... if you just want the first six books that were published... you'll have to buy the first six books - Moorcock edited them since then, and so the subsequent editions are revised, both in content and in some cases re-edited and partially re-written. The last omnibus books collected much of the Elric saga in something close to the supposed story timeline, but had a few omissions. The latest ones collect more, but the later stories haven't been published yet - there's more to come - the fourth Del Rey omnibus (Elric: Lord Elric) has been announced for March publication. This time, they are in the order they were written (which is actually better) and there are illustrations, commentary and articles about the series.

Whichever editions you want, they're pretty much all readily available from used booksellers online. You should be able to find the White Wolf omnibus editions via Amazon Marketplace pretty cheaply if that's what you want.

I meant to pick up the new ones. I have all the other editions going back to the original first editions, and most of the magazines that they were originally published in. And that's less than 10% of my Moorcock collection. Sad, huh?

Longer, and more complete details of what books have what here.

[FatuousTwat]

TL;DR



J/K thanks for the info. :) Sounds about as complicated as trying to get all the Conan books in order.

[Johny Cee]

They've got a few newer trades of Elric, but I think I've got the original six in two forms packed away somewhere, and I'm not sure there was anything new in the trade versions. He might have broken them out in an unabridged version different from the old paperbacks, though.

I was going to buy the Elric saga last year, but never got around to it. So I remember to buy it this year, go to B&N, and they had split the previous book they had (with all of them together) into a bunch of books, each one for around the same price as the single one. BS.

That's not entirely correct. Hang in here, and I'll give you a rough, simplistic explanation. The previous US omnibus editions published by White Wolf were called "Elric: Song of the Black Sword" which consisted of :

    * Elric of Melniboné (novel, 1972)
    * The Fortress of the Pearl (novel, 1989)
    * The Sailor on the Seas of Fate (fix-up novel, derived from the Hawkmoon novel "The Quest for Tanelorn", 1976)
    * The Dreaming City (novella, 1961)
    * While the Gods Laugh (short story, 1961)
    * The Singing Citadel (novella, 1970)

and "Elric: The Stealer of Souls", consisting of:

    * The Sleeping Sorceress (fix up novel, first part derived from the Corum novel "The King of the Swords", 1972)
    * The Revenge of the Rose (novel, 1991)
    * The Stealer of Souls (short story, 1962)
    * Kings in Darkness (short story, 1962)
    * The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams (short story, 1962)
    * Stormbringer (fix-up novel comprised of edited versions of "Dead God's Homecoming", "Black Sword's Brothers", "Sad Giant's Shield" and "Doomed Lord's Passing", 1977)


The three new Del Rey omnibus editions published to date are:

"Elric: The Stealer of Souls" which consists of the stories:

    * The Dreaming City
    * While the Gods Laugh
    * The Stealer of Souls
    * Kings in Darkness
    * The Flame Bringers (aka The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams)
    * Dead God's Homecoming
    * Black Sword's Brothers
    * Sad Giant's Shield
    * Doomed Lord's Passing

The first five of these were originally published in book form as "The Stealer of Souls", the remaining four were published in abridged form as "Stormbinger", although later versions of the latter collected more complete (and revised) versions.

"Elric: To Rescue Tanelorn" which consists of:

    * The Eternal Champion
    * To Rescue Tanelorn...
    * The Last Enchantment (aka Jesting with Chaos)
    * The Greater Conqueror
    * Master of Chaos (aka Earl Aubec)
    * Phase 1
    * The Singing Citadel
    * The Jade Man's Eyes
    * The Stone Thing
    * Elric at the End of Time
    * The Black Blade's Song (aka The White Wolf's Song and The Black Blade’s Summoning)
    * Crimson Eyes
    * Sir Milk-and-Blood
    * The Roaming Forest

"Elric: The Sleeping Sorceress"

    * The Sleeping Sorceress
    * And So The  Great Emperor Received His Education
    * Elric Of Melnibone
    * Aspects of Fantasy
    * Elric Of Melnibone: Introduction to the Graphical Adaptation
    * El Cid and Elric: Under The Influence!
    * Origins

So... if you just want the first six books that were published... you'll have to buy the first six books - Moorcock edited them since then, and so the subsequent editions are revised, both in content and in some cases re-edited and partially re-written. The last omnibus books collected much of the Elric saga in something close to the supposed story timeline, but had a few omissions. The latest ones collect more, but the later stories haven't been published yet - there's more to come - the fourth Del Rey omnibus (Elric: Lord Elric) has been announced for March publication. This time, they are in the order they were written (which is actually better) and there are illustrations, commentary and articles about the series.

Whichever editions you want, they're pretty much all readily available from used booksellers online. You should be able to find the White Wolf omnibus editions via Amazon Marketplace pretty cheaply if that's what you want.

I meant to pick up the new ones. I have all the other editions going back to the original first editions, and most of the magazines that they were originally published in. And that's less than 10% of my Moorcock collection. Sad, huh?

Longer, and more complete details of what books have what here.

Psycho.  Righ used to join our WAR TS group for BGs and never speak.  Beware!


The new Elric collections include a bunch of unrelated shit.  I've purchased and read "To Rescue Tanelorn",  and that includes a number of non-Elric stories (a Jerry Cornelious story, a couple of present/future Elric stories, a couple Von Beck stories that might actually be Elric stories but it gets fucking confusing because Moorcock has retconned Elric canon a number of times... yeah).

Moorcock did some great shit,  but he's spent the last 30+ years milking Elric and the Eternal Champion mystique.


I'd go looking for the Elric omnibus that came out a few years ago on ebay or amazon (under the used section).  That would give you the "core" Elric mythology in a better format.  Everything after is pretty variable in quality (example:  The Dreamthief's Daughter [2000ish?] was excellent,  Skrayling Tree was shit and I couldn't finish it, and The White Wolf's Son was alright.)

[Sky]

Cool, I wasn't sure if it was rehashed material I already had or reworked, or extra stories or what. I used to be a huge Elric freak when I was a kid. Probably my most worn novels until I came across the Black Company and Lovecraft. I've really got to get some shelves for my library so I can start unpacking my boxes of books. Then get the books I have on shelves at my mother's house. Then empty the shelves of books I have stashed at the library. Then allow my fiancee to move in some books.

We like books.

[FatuousTwat]

Fuck... I'm worried about my local library. It flooded, but I have no idea to what extent.

Update: The news has said a foot. Oh man. 

[Righ]

Moorcock did some great shit,  but he's spent the last 30+ years milking Elric and the Eternal Champion mystique.

That's perhaps a touch unfair. He primarily used Elric as a way to finance his other, less popular writing or more often the magazines he ran such as New Worlds. Can't say I blame him. Publishers and readers are always demanding more Elric stories, while brilliant books such as "Gloriana, or The Unfulfill'd Queen" or "Mother London" have won both critical praise and awards but never attracted the same level of sales.

I'd go looking for the Elric omnibus that came out a few years ago on ebay or amazon (under the used section).  That would give you the "core" Elric mythology in a better format.  Everything after is pretty variable in quality (example:  The Dreamthief's Daughter [2000ish?] was excellent,  Skrayling Tree was shit and I couldn't finish it, and The White Wolf's Son was alright.)

Agreed. None of those recent books are in the new omnibus editions in any case. I would typically recommend used copies of the last omnibus editions too, but it depends what you have access to or whether you feel the need to have the stories that were excluded. If you've got a local used bookstore or charity shop that sells books, frequent yard sales, go to SF conventions or keep your eyes peeled for people auctioning off multiple books online, you can probably score all the 70s DAW mass market paperbacks for much less. Probably not as cheaply as I did, but nothing costs 1980s money any more. :)