Anyone else familiar with these great titles? ... by Karnejj

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

Anyone else familiar with these great titles? ...

POSTED BY: KARNEJJ
UPDATED: Tuesday, January 3, 2006 19:21
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Saturday, December 31, 2005 3:16 PM

If you haven't heard of these, they are great sci-fi/fantasy titles.

An old Japanese cartoon series was edited into a movie form called "Gaiking" (Japanese: Daiku Maryu). No one I know of has ever heard of it. My brother is rather partial to a related show called "Grandizer."

Two books by Vernor Vinge are grand and sweeping in scale, but absolutely awesome stories. "A Fire Upon the Deep" and "A Deepness in the Sky." The 2nd book would probably make a spectacular movie (or three).

Another book called "Armor" by John Steakley. It's kinda like "Starship Troopers," except focusing more on the perspective of a single soldier and not so much as the battles. Not sure if I'd recommend it, but maybe someone else remembers the book, "A Wrinkle in Time" (Madeleine L'Engle) better than I do.

Although, not as unknown, the fairly recent movie "Impostor" passed along with very little fanfare. I rather liked it... Am I alone on that one?

I haven't seen the movie yet, but the books of the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series are hilarious to read. I'm not sure if the humor can really be captured by a movie, as most of it is in the narratives, but the books are great reads. You just can't put things into movies like: "He inched up the hallway, as if he'd rather be yarding his way down it."

Also, the movie sequel to The Wizard of Oz, "Return to Oz," doesn't seem to get much mention.

I also recommend the entire "Chronicle of Narnia" series of books although it's been quite a while since I read them.

Not sci-fi or fantasy .. but another great movie I don't hear much about is a comedy called "Joe Dirt." This is probably David Spade's best movie ever.

Anyone else have any little-known titles they'd recommend. Or ... comments on any of these?

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Saturday, December 31, 2005 3:24 PM

OMELET

"A Wrinkle in Time" is a wonderful story that I first read in school. I'm not to sure about the Hitchhiker's Gide to the Galaxy movie. It got many bad reviews and people who acutually saw it told me that it wasn't as good as the book. I really did forget all about A Wrinkle, but I did remember that I did enjoy it.

Jayne: Are you saying River's a witch?
Wash: Yes, Jayne, she's a witch. She's had congress with the Beast.
Jayne: She's in Congress?
Wash: How did your brain even learn human speech? I'm just so curious!

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Saturday, December 31, 2005 5:49 PM

GLOBLABSURDITY

Just started reading the Narnia series to my kids at bedtime. It's an amazing read and I should have read these when I was a kid--sure did miss out!
I read A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet--years ago and they were wonderful--but like Omelet--can't remember too much about them other than I quite enjoyed them.
I loved the absurdity of Douglas Adams Hitchhiker series and aim to re-read the books someday soon. Thought the movie was enjoyable--but there's nothing like the book (see below).Ha!
I highly recommend the Dune series by Frank Herbert--although I haven't read the new ones the are being written since he passed away. Anybody have any comments on those--are they worth the read?
Just received two Neil Gaiman books for the holidays--Neverwhere and Stardust. They came highly recommended for visual and fantastical elements--through words of course--ha! Also the film MirrorMask by Neil Gaiman will be released on DVD in Feb. '06. Google and check out the trailer for this if you get a chance--amazing visionary elements. Absolutely can't wait to see it.
Cheers!

*Never judge a book by it's movie*
*The heart is an artist that paints over what profoundly disturbs it, leaving on the canvas a less dark,less sharp version of the truth*--D.Koontz (Forever Odd)

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Saturday, December 31, 2005 8:13 PM

SLAYER730

Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere is amazing! And the BBC movie version of the book is awesome. The Marquis de Carabas is perfection!!! I even know someone who went to acting school with the girl that plays Door (and, incidentally, she plays Kate in A Knight's Tale opposite Alan Tudyk).

I would highly recommend Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series. It takes the archetypes of Death, Time, Fate, War, Nature, Evil, and Good, and makes them into "jobs" that are passed on from person to person. Never have I read a series of books that are better interwoven throughout.

And, of course, Stephen King's Dark Tower series. Chock full of goooooodness from beginning to end.

I'd have to recommend Christopher Golden's The Shadow Saga series. Peter Octavian is one of the coolest vampires ever written. Really, anything by Christopher Golden is worth reading.

Ok, ok - I could go on forever. So I'm stopping here with the sheer force of my willlllll... *topples over*

P.S. globlabsurdity, did you notice that we have the same signature? Great minds and all...

***Never judge a book by its movie***

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Sunday, January 1, 2006 8:54 AM

KARNEJJ

Funny how all of us only have hazy recollections of good feelings about "A Wrinkle in Time"

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Sunday, January 1, 2006 10:53 AM

SERYN

The ones that I always have to reccomend on threads like these are the books by Jasper FForde -The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, The Well of Lost Plots and Something Rotten, they feature a character called Thursday Next, a 'LitraTec' kind of a police inspector specialising in literature, which is a lot more interesting than it sounds considering the likes of Shakespeare, Milton and Keats are more popular than your average mega-watt rockband is in this reality. So she ends up, over the course of the series, juggling her time-cop father, mad-professor uncle, her mostly eradicated husband, a depressed Hamlet, car-racing Mrs Havisham (er yeah, the books take place half in the 'real' world, half inside books) and her rather dimwitted but lovely pet dodo, whilst chasing down rogue Bookworld characters, fighting against a massive big-brother style corporation called Goliath and fixing the ending to Jayne Eyre.

They are the sort of books that you can't read in public because of the uncontrollable snorting laughter.

I'd actually love to see either Joss or Terry Gilliam take them on, they could be incredible films.

Theres also the books by Micheal Marshall Smith, Spares being the book that they should have filmed instead of The Island. But they are not for the faint hearted, they get quite gruesome sometimes.

Same with China Mieville.

If you liked Neverwhere try 'American Gods'- its so good I can't describe it.

And I absolutely love Return To Oz, almost more than I like the original, if thats not blasphemy.

Waffling done.

-------------------------------------------
"She's a mite whimsical in the brainpan."

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Sunday, January 1, 2006 12:20 PM

DEMENTEDYAM

my three favorites:

Stephen King's Dark Tower series
Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series
Brandon Sanderson's Elantris

Elantris is a must read: one of the best fantasy novels to come out in a long, long time.

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Sunday, January 1, 2006 5:36 PM

GLOBLABSURDITY

I am in bliss! Furiously copying down these author & book recommendations. I am a sponge where books are concerned--lol. I read so many--sometimes I forget what I've read and end up buying the same book twice--argh! Please tell me I'm not the only one. Thanks to all of you, as I'm in constant search for new additions to my collections.
Having been on an Anne Rice marathon for about a month now--I'm grateful to Slayer730 for the Christopher Golden nod. Someone told me that I should read "a Christopher somebodies vampire novels--think his last name is Pike." Yesterday I searched Borders for this fella's books and came up with only one still in print--and it had nothing to do with vampires. Now I know who to look for! Yippee! Oh, and I promise I didn't intentionally steal your signature--hehe. It is so true--is it not?! I mean--every film version of Dean Koontz books are *groan* hidious. So distressing.
Happy New Years--Cheers!

*Never judge a book by it's movie*
*The heart is an artist that paints over what profoundly disturbs it, leaving on the canvas a less dark,less sharp version of the truth*--D.Koontz (Forever Odd)

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Sunday, January 1, 2006 5:58 PM

UNREGISTEREDCOMPANION

Favorite novels....

The Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn
(First in a series of 6)

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
(excellent series)

Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
(9 books in this series so far)

The Belgariad by David Eddings
(2 volumes)

The Fifth Ring by Mitchell Graham

~~~~~
"Funny and sexy. You have no idea. And you never will."

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Sunday, January 1, 2006 6:13 PM

DEMENTEDYAM

Quote:
Originally posted by UnregisteredCompanion:
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
(excellent series)

Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
(9 books in this series so far)

The Belgariad by David Eddings
(2 volumes)

the first I wholeheartedly agree with. excellent series. (both branches of it)

the second: not so much. the series is really a downhill trip, and i would not reccomend reading more than you can put up with in the hope that it gets better, because it won't. i really started to tire of the repetition and the contrivances get exponentially worse through the series, so up to 4 or so is about as far as I can reccoment on good conscience. the first two or three read, by all means. they're excellent books. just don't be suprised when you can't slog your way through the later ones.

Eddings is touch-and-go for me. one of my freinds tried to get me to read a few books of his, but only one I really found to my liking (don't know if that was the one that was reccomended or not, can't remember the title)

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Sunday, January 1, 2006 9:56 PM

RCAT

I agree w/ the comments about 'Neverwhere', fantastic. If you're a fan of Bladerunner you'll like Richard Morgan's 'Altered Carbon', good hard-boiled sci-fi. I enjoyed China Mieville's 'Perdido Street Station'. Oh, and Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy (starting w/ 'The Golden Compass') was a really fun read.

Some people juggle geese!
-Wash

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Sunday, January 1, 2006 10:44 PM

QUOTHTHERAVEN

THE SEQUEL TO CHAINFIRE IS COMING OUT IN APRIL! ORGASM!

Also, I am reading "A Game of Thrones" by R. R. Martin, and it's rocking my world in ways I did not think possible.

Finally, for those with the attention span for it, "Gormenghast" by Mervyn Peake is one of the greatest books ever written.

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Sunday, January 1, 2006 11:25 PM

SERYN

I completely forgot Altered Carbon, theres a sequel out now as awell.

The other ones I found I had to mention Was Ian (M) Banks - pretty epic sci-fi, and a very scientific mind, so big on technology, yet still manages decent characters, brilliant. His Sci-fi books are published with the M, his thrillers with out, but all are well worth reading.

Then theres 'Johnathan Strange and Mr Norrel' which i'm only halfway through, but its so good.

Yes, my notebook is full of list of books now!We need a list of films next.

-------------------------------------------
"She's a mite whimsical in the brainpan."

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Monday, January 2, 2006 5:42 AM

KARNEJJ

Quote:
Originally posted by seryn:
The other ones I found I had to mention Was Ian (M) Banks - pretty epic sci-fi, and a very scientific mind, so big on technology, yet still manages decent characters, brilliant.

Oooh.. sounds like Vernor Vinge .. and I've been hungry for more books of that type for forever. Keep em coming guys!

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Monday, January 2, 2006 6:01 AM

THERON

I don't usually have much to say that hasn't already been posted by others, so I usually just wind up lurking around. However I have 2 of my favorites that no one has mentioned yet.

The Black Company by Glen Cook, really good fantasy series that I have read and reread for years.

The Uplift series by David Brin, awsome sci-fi grounded in real science without turning into star trek technobabble. This guy consults for NASA and speaks around the world on a great many scientific subjects.

Mal "Define interesting?"

Wash "Oh God, oh God we're all going to die."

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Monday, January 2, 2006 6:27 AM

MAL4PREZ

Good call about Wrinkle in Time - I should revisit that. I remember liking it a lot. There was a weird brain with pulsing lights around it, and all the kids doing jump rope with the same timing... right? Been a while.

So how about the Hyperion/Endymion series? I LOVE those books. So interesting on so many levels, probably so favorite sci-fi read ever!

Ask Dr. Science ... he knows more than you do.
"I have a Master's degree ... in science!"

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Monday, January 2, 2006 6:41 AM

UNREGISTEREDCOMPANION

The UPLIFT SERIES!

How could I have forgotten that one!

There is a quote in one of the books that sticks in my mind...

"A mind that's afraid to toy with the ridiculous will never come up with the brilliantly original"

I printed that one out and have it hanging on my office wall.

I can't recommend the series enough.

I also like David Brin's novel Earth. If you can ignore the tree hugger aspect of it (basically "oh god oh god, the environment's going to die"), it has some very interesting concepts.

He also wrote "The Postman". Just remember never to judge a book by its movie :)

~~~~~
"Funny and sexy. You have no idea. And you never will."

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Monday, January 2, 2006 12:38 PM

KARNEJJ

As for movies ... maybe SpaceCamp? That one started my fascination with space way back when.

I loved "Pete's Dragon" when I was a kid too, and would highly recommend it for parents.

Don't get me started on my list of the better-known must-see classics!

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Monday, January 2, 2006 12:45 PM

SERYN

Flight of the Navigator started my obsession with space craft and stuff.

And Labyrinth my obsession with men in tight pants, though of course, I didn't know it then...

-------------------------------------------
"She's a mite whimsical in the brainpan."

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Monday, January 2, 2006 12:50 PM

SERYN

oo, whilst we're recommending movies, I found this while looking for a book on Terry Gilliam (Dreams and Nightmares - or, 'How Brothers Grimm went down the pan')

But it looks really interesting, theres a trailer on the site, along with interview with Gilliam etc,

http://www.tidelandthemovie.com/

I kinda like the line 'the squirrals made it seem less lonely'

-------------------------------------------
"She's a mite whimsical in the brainpan."

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Monday, January 2, 2006 12:56 PM

ZISKER

Kim Stanley's Red Mars trilogy was pretty good (if rather wordy) - but my favorite will always be Bradbury. Martian Chronicles is incredible and I can't wait for the new version of Fahrenheit 451 that's supposedly in production (for real this time) given that I wasn't a fan of the previous version.

I, Robot by Asimov.
Ringworld by Niven.
Doomsday Book by Willis.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein might particularly appeal to Browncoats as it deals with a revolution and has a definate sense of place/time and character.

God, I love Science Fiction.

In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and is widely regarded as a bad move. - Douglas Adams

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Tuesday, January 3, 2006 7:21 PM

KARNEJJ

Bump!

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