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Tophat665 · 10-26-2004, 08:11 PM

The first two non picture books I ever read were:

Jeffrey Archer's Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, about four very different fellows who get taken in by a stock swindle and decide to take the money back through fraud, to the exact penny. Good, if not partuicularly challenging book. I still pull it out and reread it once in a while.

Michael Crichton's Congo, and excellent book. While I can't rave about Crichton's overall genius, He surely has written some winners: Eaters Of The Dead in particular, I happened across at just the right time. I had just finished a book that discussed the first record of the Vikings - damned if I can remember what book that was - and here's Crichton taking that record as a starting point ant turning it into Beowulf. Brilliant. Then there was The Great Train Robbery Which is one of the better executed "caper" books out there, and of course, the first Jurassic Park, a book which has had it's brilliance diminished by the success of multiple movies.

More recently, I read Dave Barry's two fiction books, the second of which I picked up as a remainder and can't remember the title of - good, but not great. The First, however, Big Trouble is perfect. If you like Barry's over the top way with metaphor, then imagine that executed in characterization, plot and setting. It's like a Carl Hiassin or Elmore Leonard book, but with Dave Barry's unmistakeable voice. And the ending is absolutely spot on perfect. One of the best final paragraphs I've ever read in any book by anyone.

Other good pop fiction: Caleb Caar The Alienist; Richard Adams, Watership Down; Rita Mae Brown Venus Envy, Neal Stephenson The Big U (He's not just science fiction); and Tom Powers, Declare (The life and Times of Kim Philby, historically correct insofar as it is documented, but with some seriously twisted things going on between the pages of the record - Highly recommended.)

And of course a shout out to Ol' Steve King. Yes, The Stand is brilliant. I found Carrie suprisingly good. I would argue that The Running Man is actually one of the first works in the Cyberpunk sub-genre of science fiction. I just finished the Dark Tower series, and I don't know what to say about it. Spoiler: I'd love to read the version that the Stephen King in the keystone world wrote. I enjoyed it, after a fashion, but it did strange things to my head. I guess the way I'd look at it is, like Anne Rice's, Stephen King's head is a nice place to visit, but I am damn glad I don't live there.

10-26-2004, 08:11 PM	#8 (permalink)
Tophat665 Minion of the scaléd ones Location: Northeast Jesusland	The first two non picture books I ever read were: Jeffrey Archer's <i>Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less</i>, about four very different fellows who get taken in by a stock swindle and decide to take the money back through fraud, to the exact penny. Good, if not partuicularly challenging book. I still pull it out and reread it once in a while. Michael Crichton's <i>Congo</i>, and excellent book. While I can't rave about Crichton's overall genius, He surely has written some winners: <i>Eaters Of The Dead</i> in particular, I happened across at just the right time. I had just finished a book that discussed the first record of the Vikings - damned if I can remember what book that was - and here's Crichton taking that record as a starting point ant turning it into Beowulf. Brilliant. Then there was <i>The Great Train Robbery</i> Which is one of the better executed "caper" books out there, and of course, the first <i>Jurassic Park</i>, a book which has had it's brilliance diminished by the success of multiple movies. More recently, I read Dave Barry's two fiction books, the second of which I picked up as a remainder and can't remember the title of - good, but not great. The First, however, <i>Big Trouble</i> is perfect. If you like Barry's over the top way with metaphor, then imagine that executed in characterization, plot and setting. It's like a Carl Hiassin or Elmore Leonard book, but with Dave Barry's unmistakeable voice. And the ending is absolutely spot on perfect. One of the best final paragraphs I've ever read in any book by anyone. Other good pop fiction: Caleb Caar <i>The Alienist</i>; Richard Adams, <i>Watership Down</i>; Rita Mae Brown <i>Venus Envy</i>, Neal Stephenson <i>The Big U</i> (He's not just science fiction); and Tom Powers, <i>Declare</i> (The life and Times of Kim Philby, historically correct insofar as it is documented, but with some seriously twisted things going on between the pages of the record - Highly recommended.) And of course a shout out to Ol' Steve King. Yes, <i>The Stand</i> is brilliant. I found <i>Carrie</i> suprisingly good. I would argue that <i>The Running Man</i> is actually one of the first works in the Cyberpunk sub-genre of science fiction. I just finished the Dark Tower series, and I don't know what to say about it. Spoiler: I'd love to read the version that the Stephen King in the keystone world wrote. I enjoyed it, after a fashion, but it did strange things to my head. I guess the way I'd look at it is, like Anne Rice's, Stephen King's head is a nice place to visit, but I am damn glad I don't live there. __________________ Light a man a fire, and he will be warm while it burns. Set a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life.