Readout

[pasithea]

So. Lately I've somehow been hanging around online with all these insanely cool people and they make references to all these books they've read that are really thought provoking and I'm like totally here in the dark when it comes to good fiction.

One of my New Year's resolutions was 'read something other than a textbook or manual', and while 'Booru mata mata mata' may meet the letter of the resolution, it doesn't meet the spirit of it.

So... Suggest books for me to read! (Reading order determined by available time and what I find at the second-hand bookshop)

Now is the part where confess shame in my lack of fiction reading. The last sci-fi/fantasy type stuff that I can clearly remember reading are the 'Bill the Galactic Hero' series when I was in the hospital almost six years ago, and in all honesty I haven't read much more than that (in the way of sci-fi) since ~1990. I've read most of the 'great classics', but hardly any of the classics of sci-fi or fantasy. So hit me with basics and help me patch this hole before someone finds out I'm ignorant! @_@

Comments

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Friz Leiber's Lankhmar books. Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser have lovely interplay; it's a shame most fantasy goes the epic Tolkien route instead of this quieter, nastier direction.

Damn near anything by Michael Swanwyck. Especially Vaccuum Flowers, Iron Dragon's Daughter, and Stations of the Tide.

Tim Powers, On Stranger Tides, The Stress Of Her Regard.

Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea, The Illuminatus! Trilogy. Best if you just dedicate a whole weekend without distraction to reading this one; it's better in absurd megadoses.

Vernor Vinge, A Fire Upon The Deep.

Iain M. Banks, Use of Weapons, Feersum Endjinn, Against A Dark Background.

Lord Dunsanay, The King of Elfland's Daughter

I'd swear I did an LJ entry like this a long while back but I can't find it.

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

I'd swear I did an LJ entry like this a long while back but I can't find it

Aha!