Popular fiction - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

poopermcgraw · 10-26-2004, 04:01 PM

It seems to me that most people on the internet want to espouse their grand literary tastes in artsy-fartsy books, or political books. But where do we talk about the popular fiction? I'm talking about Michael Chrichton, John Grisham, Steven King (for me anyway) and I know there's a whole bunch of books on the bestseller list that I usually don't even look twice at yet are probably at least as entertaining. So please, discuss some books you've tried out recently and thought was interesting. Could be old books or new. P.S. For the love of god, no Harry Potter plz.

To start, Steven King's Dreamcatcher. I like Steven King because all of his books and even short stories have great characterization without even realizing it. It adds depth, definitely. But forget that writing analysis shiat, cmon who likes those shitweasels! I mean, I was scared to fart after reading that book. And hey, the movie was totally different but not bad for the first half or so.

djtestudo · 10-26-2004, 04:06 PM

Michael Crichton = god

Even though his last couple books have become more and more written as screenplays (see: Prey), I love most of his stuff.

Mephisto2 · 10-26-2004, 04:32 PM

Where do you talk about popular fiction?

Well, right here on the Entertainment Board!

I used to read a lot of popular fiction, and a lot of SF in particular, but I gave it up because I used to get frustrated. I find 90% of it just junk. Having said that, there are some authors of fictional work that I like.

I used to like King, but I haven't read anything of his for ages. Nice easy to read and digest prose. Interesting dialogue and ideas. Some repetition, but that's normal. I read DreamCatcher, but honestly can't remember anything about it. My favourite King books were The Stand (isn't it everyone's?!) and Salem's Lot. I can't stand his Dark Tower nonesense. Tried the first one and it was utter crap. I couldn't even get past the first third. What the Hell was he on about?!

I especially like the crime fiction of James Ellroy (who wrote LA Confidential). Excellent, very "gritty" work. Elmore Leonard is OK, but I've only read one of his books. I'd like to check out "Get Shorty".

A recent fiction book that I read was "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime". It's written from the point of view of an autistic child. Highly recommended.

Mr Mephisto

poopermcgraw · 10-26-2004, 04:56 PM

Heh that sounds like the Sherlock Holmes story. But yes, Michael Chrichton is great. You're right on about Prey though, it seemed diminished next his other works. I pretty much read everything except Eater of the Dead. He has an autobiography called Travels. Pretty interesting stuff.

As for sci-fi, I kinda viewed that as separate. Kinda like how it gets its own section in the bookstore.

For Chrichton-lovers, there are similar books from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs, called Relic and Mount Dragon. Pseudo-scientific stuff...pretty good.

docbungle · 10-26-2004, 05:50 PM

I really, REALLY liked The Descent, by Jeff Long. There is a world beneath the earth's surface inhabitted by....well...read the book. Good stuff.

jonjon42 · 10-26-2004, 07:05 PM

love most Chuck Palahniuk books favorites are Survivor and Fight Club

Mephisto2 · 10-26-2004, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by docbungle

I really, REALLY liked The Descent, by Jeff Long. There is a world beneath the earth's surface inhabitted by....well...read the book. Good stuff.

Sounds interesting.

I'll check it out.

Mr Mephisto

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.

djtestudo · 10-26-2004, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tophat665

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.

Tricky Business. Good book; not as good as Big Trouble though.

And Eaters of the Dead is a fantastic book once you get past the first 25-30 pages or so.

I used to read a lot of Dale Brown too, but I weened myself off of it once it got a little too unbelievable.

tokaok · 10-26-2004, 08:25 PM

personnaly i caved into the hype over "Da Vinci Code" i must say i liked it, tho it became a lil repetive in the last third. it was a nice saturday afternoon read

DonnieBoy · 10-26-2004, 09:29 PM

I'm with you I have always preferred to read a great Horror/Mystery/Fantasy novel, rather than some book that would make my head hurt. My favorites are of course Stephen King (currently reading Dark Tower VII & Bag of Bones is my favorite), Dean Koontz ( I loved Odd Thomas and The Fear Nothing/Seize the Night books), Michael Chrichton (liked Jurrasic Park and Timeline) and the likes...

Lately I have been getting back into fantasy novels which I kinda got away from since I got outta high school. I just finished the Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelzanzy. I have also been getting into Alternative History/Universe books.

I have been reading SK since I was in middle school and have reread every book he has written at least once many over and over. They are a fast and enjoyable read. I always have a spare paperback of some SK book in the car incase I finish reading whatever I am into at the time, its right there in my emergency kit.. jumper cables, flashlight and yep that beat up copy of IT or Tommyknockers!

DB

Tophat665 · 10-27-2004, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djtestudo

Tricky Business. Good book; not as good as Big Trouble though.

Yep, that's the one. He didn't make the characters anywhere near as fun as Big Trouble, but you've gotta love the gassy, vegan, dealer.

Quote:

And Eaters of the Dead is a fantastic book once you get past the first 25-30 pages or so.

It's those first 25-30 pages that come straight from the real life main character. I wish I could remember the guy's name, but he was a real person who's writings about meeting the vikings on the Don are the first ever record and, eventually, gave Russia its name. Crichton says he couldn't tell you any more where he started changing the document.

espi · 10-27-2004, 08:41 AM

I used to really like Stephen King when I was in elementary and junior high, but I stopped reading his books after Gerald's Game, which was positively awful. I figured he had run out of ideas and had started just slapping together whatever gross-out scenes he could think of around a thin plot. Oh, I did get another Steven King book as a gift in high school, something about seeing peoples auras, I don't remember liking it very much, but I don't remember hating it, either. (Although, it was really long).

I really like Michael Chabon, especially The Adventures of Kavalier and Klay, which is a story about two boys growing up in New York during the golden age of comic books. They start their own comic: The Escapist, and it makes it big, and it deals with their lives and their inability to seperate themselves from their comics. (I'm really over simplifying it, but it's great. I think it even won the Pulitzer the year it was published). My wife couldn't put this one down during our honeymoon.

I also like A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genious by David Eggers. Don't let the pretentious title fool you, it's an excellent book. It's an autobiography about David (the editor of McSweeney's) after both his parents die a few months apart and he takes his sister and younger brother to San Francisco to live. It's very fast paced, very funny, and very heartbreaking. Everyone I know that's read it loves it. Although, it's tough getting past the first chapter because it's pretty sad.

The last book I'll recommend is Empire Falls by Richard Russo. This book is great: it's about a small manufacturing town in Maine after the last textile plant has been closed. You'll go through this booking thinking "man, this is a great book, but nothing ever happens", then BAM, it happens. I stayed up reading until about 3:00 AM once "it" happened. HBO is currently making a movie from the book, but I'm not sure what of it's production status.

poopermcgraw · 10-27-2004, 07:11 PM

Espi - AHWOSG was great yes, but I hardly remember it anymore. I read it maybe several years ago. Odd for a good book eh? Anyone else have this phenomenon? Also that book about auras is called Insomnia, I think. Odd book with old people who can't sleep as it's main characters, but turned out to be decent, if long.

espi · 10-28-2004, 08:39 AM

Yep, Insomnia, that was the book. Based on what other's are saying in this thread, I'll have to pick up Dreamcatcher when I'm ready to start my next book. That could be awhile though, I'm currently about 375 pages into The Confusion by Neal Stephenson, which means I probably won't have it done before Christmas. Man, I remember the old days when I could read an 800 page book in a little under two weeks, damn you The Daily Show and Adult Swim!

LeviticusMky · 10-31-2004, 12:09 AM

Can't say I enjoy Crichton or Senor King.

I second the motion on Neal Stephenson; "Cryptonomicon" is easily one of the best books I have ever read. His three new ones surrounding baroque Europe are fascinating too.

Next, my new favorite; Neil Gaiman. "American Gods" "Neverwhere" and "Stardust" are all fantastic books.

Finally, a classic; Frank Herbert's "DUNE" Even if you don't like SciFi, I think you'll like this book.

10-26-2004, 04:01 PM	#1 (permalink)
poopermcgraw Upright	Popular fiction It seems to me that most people on the internet want to espouse their grand literary tastes in artsy-fartsy books, or political books. But where do we talk about the popular fiction? I'm talking about Michael Chrichton, John Grisham, Steven King (for me anyway) and I know there's a whole bunch of books on the bestseller list that I usually don't even look twice at yet are probably at least as entertaining. So please, discuss some books you've tried out recently and thought was interesting. Could be old books or new. P.S. For the love of god, no Harry Potter plz. To start, Steven King's Dreamcatcher. I like Steven King because all of his books and even short stories have great characterization without even realizing it. It adds depth, definitely. But forget that writing analysis shiat, cmon who likes those shitweasels! I mean, I was scared to fart after reading that book. And hey, the movie was totally different but not bad for the first half or so. __________________ Bye.

10-26-2004, 04:06 PM	#2 (permalink)
djtestudo Baltimoron Location: Beeeeeautiful Bel Air, MD	Michael Crichton = god Even though his last couple books have become more and more written as screenplays (see: Prey), I love most of his stuff. __________________ "Final thought: I just rented Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine. Frankly, it was the worst sports movie I've ever seen." --Peter Schmuck, The (Baltimore) Sun

10-26-2004, 04:56 PM	#4 (permalink)
poopermcgraw Upright	Heh that sounds like the Sherlock Holmes story. But yes, Michael Chrichton is great. You're right on about Prey though, it seemed diminished next his other works. I pretty much read everything except Eater of the Dead. He has an autobiography called Travels. Pretty interesting stuff. As for sci-fi, I kinda viewed that as separate. Kinda like how it gets its own section in the bookstore. For Chrichton-lovers, there are similar books from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Childs, called Relic and Mount Dragon. Pseudo-scientific stuff...pretty good. __________________ Bye.

10-26-2004, 05:50 PM	#5 (permalink)
docbungle It's all downhill from here Location: Denver	I really, REALLY liked The Descent, by Jeff Long. There is a world beneath the earth's surface inhabitted by....well...read the book. Good stuff. __________________ Bad Luck City

10-26-2004, 07:05 PM	#6 (permalink)
jonjon42 Psycho Location: inside my own mind	love most Chuck Palahniuk books favorites are Survivor and Fight Club __________________ A damn dirty hippie without the dirty part....

10-26-2004, 04:32 PM	#3 (permalink)
Mephisto2 Junkie	Where do you talk about popular fiction? Well, right here on the Entertainment Board! I used to read a lot of popular fiction, and a lot of SF in particular, but I gave it up because I used to get frustrated. I find 90% of it just junk. Having said that, there are some authors of fictional work that I like. I used to like King, but I haven't read anything of his for ages. Nice easy to read and digest prose. Interesting dialogue and ideas. Some repetition, but that's normal. I read DreamCatcher, but honestly can't remember anything about it. My favourite King books were The Stand (isn't it everyone's?!) and Salem's Lot. I can't stand his Dark Tower nonesense. Tried the first one and it was utter crap. I couldn't even get past the first third. What the Hell was he on about?! I especially like the crime fiction of James Ellroy (who wrote LA Confidential). Excellent, very "gritty" work. Elmore Leonard is OK, but I've only read one of his books. I'd like to check out "Get Shorty". A recent fiction book that I read was "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime". It's written from the point of view of an autistic child. Highly recommended. Mr Mephisto

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.

10-26-2004, 08:25 PM	#10 (permalink)
tokaok Crazy Location: Canada	personnaly i caved into the hype over "Da Vinci Code" i must say i liked it, tho it became a lil repetive in the last third. it was a nice saturday afternoon read

10-26-2004, 09:29 PM	#11 (permalink)
DonnieBoy Insane	I'm with you I have always preferred to read a great Horror/Mystery/Fantasy novel, rather than some book that would make my head hurt. My favorites are of course Stephen King (currently reading Dark Tower VII & Bag of Bones is my favorite), Dean Koontz ( I loved Odd Thomas and The Fear Nothing/Seize the Night books), Michael Chrichton (liked Jurrasic Park and Timeline) and the likes... Lately I have been getting back into fantasy novels which I kinda got away from since I got outta high school. I just finished the Amber Chronicles by Roger Zelzanzy. I have also been getting into Alternative History/Universe books. I have been reading SK since I was in middle school and have reread every book he has written at least once many over and over. They are a fast and enjoyable read. I always have a spare paperback of some SK book in the car incase I finish reading whatever I am into at the time, its right there in my emergency kit.. jumper cables, flashlight and yep that beat up copy of IT or Tommyknockers! DB

10-27-2004, 08:41 AM	#13 (permalink)
espi Crazy Location: This is not my beautiful house	I used to really like Stephen King when I was in elementary and junior high, but I stopped reading his books after Gerald's Game, which was positively awful. I figured he had run out of ideas and had started just slapping together whatever gross-out scenes he could think of around a thin plot. Oh, I did get another Steven King book as a gift in high school, something about seeing peoples auras, I don't remember liking it very much, but I don't remember hating it, either. (Although, it was really long). I really like Michael Chabon, especially The Adventures of Kavalier and Klay, which is a story about two boys growing up in New York during the golden age of comic books. They start their own comic: The Escapist, and it makes it big, and it deals with their lives and their inability to seperate themselves from their comics. (I'm really over simplifying it, but it's great. I think it even won the Pulitzer the year it was published). My wife couldn't put this one down during our honeymoon. I also like A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genious by David Eggers. Don't let the pretentious title fool you, it's an excellent book. It's an autobiography about David (the editor of McSweeney's) after both his parents die a few months apart and he takes his sister and younger brother to San Francisco to live. It's very fast paced, very funny, and very heartbreaking. Everyone I know that's read it loves it. Although, it's tough getting past the first chapter because it's pretty sad. The last book I'll recommend is Empire Falls by Richard Russo. This book is great: it's about a small manufacturing town in Maine after the last textile plant has been closed. You'll go through this booking thinking "man, this is a great book, but nothing ever happens", then BAM, it happens. I stayed up reading until about 3:00 AM once "it" happened. HBO is currently making a movie from the book, but I'm not sure what of it's production status. __________________ If it weren't for my horse, I never would've spent that year in college.

10-27-2004, 07:11 PM	#14 (permalink)
poopermcgraw Upright	Espi - AHWOSG was great yes, but I hardly remember it anymore. I read it maybe several years ago. Odd for a good book eh? Anyone else have this phenomenon? Also that book about auras is called Insomnia, I think. Odd book with old people who can't sleep as it's main characters, but turned out to be decent, if long. __________________ Bye.

10-28-2004, 08:39 AM	#15 (permalink)
espi Crazy Location: This is not my beautiful house	Yep, Insomnia, that was the book. Based on what other's are saying in this thread, I'll have to pick up Dreamcatcher when I'm ready to start my next book. That could be awhile though, I'm currently about 375 pages into The Confusion by Neal Stephenson, which means I probably won't have it done before Christmas. Man, I remember the old days when I could read an 800 page book in a little under two weeks, damn you The Daily Show and Adult Swim! __________________ If it weren't for my horse, I never would've spent that year in college.

10-31-2004, 12:09 AM	#16 (permalink)
LeviticusMky Crazy Location: Minnesota	Can't say I enjoy Crichton or Senor King. I second the motion on Neal Stephenson; "Cryptonomicon" is easily one of the best books I have ever read. His three new ones surrounding baroque Europe are fascinating too. Next, my new favorite; Neil Gaiman. "American Gods" "Neverwhere" and "Stardust" are all fantastic books. Finally, a classic; Frank Herbert's "DUNE" Even if you don't like SciFi, I think you'll like this book.