What about literature

[Gintaras]

Does anyone like to read books(not PC related)?

Last 10 years I haven't read any single book except Bill Reilley's "O'Reilley Factor".

But I used to read books before.
My favorite writers:
Erich Maria Remarque
Kurt Vonnegut- I'd like to read some of his books in english, so far I've read in lithuanian and russian.
Guy de Maupassant- French writter.

Hermann Hesse- I've read his "Steppenwolf", was enough to claim him as fav.

[Orcmonkey]

Nope.

[Kubie]

Hi Gintaras,
Use to read books all the time. But I've got thyroid eye trouble and can't read the printed page much anymore.
Carl

[Mr N8]

Just tool up reading Tom Clancy in the last year. I've now read Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Red Storm Rising. Red Storm is by far the best of the 3. Half.com supports my Clancy habit! Picked each harcover book for under $2.00 + ship. Anyway, I also read my Bible prettu regularly. Currently, I'm reading the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe, and some Emily Dickensen stuff too. Adios!

NAte

[M. A. Dockter]

*digs head out of computer code*

What's a book?

[Statica]

Am a fairly extensive reader .. with anything I can get my hands on .. given the contraints of time.

My favourite authors are Rushdie and Wodehouse.

[Prew]

Originally posted by n8peterson Just tool up reading Tom Clancy in the last year. I've now read Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Red Storm Rising. Red Storm is by far the best of the 3. NAte

Red Storm is excellent- for other Clancy books try Rainbow Six- very good book(this is the book the PC games are based on). Clancy's latest book isn't that good.

I just read The Idiot by Dostoyesky for the second time (one of the best books ever written- but then I'm biased towards Dostoyesky)-- now it time to read some pulp fiction (just bought the new King and Koontz books)

[shecky981]

two authors i can't get enough of:

Douglas Coupland (Generation X, microserfs, Girlfriend in a Coma, All Families are Psychotic)

Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club, Choke, Invisible Monsters, Survivor)

will and have read everything by them many times over.

[LawyerRon]

Speaking of Hermann Hesse, his novel "Demian" was one of my favorites. I also enjoyed the writings of Calos Castenada (A Separate Reality) and Alan Watts (The Book).

[Pythagorean]

The Stranger-Albert Camus
The Sheltering Sky-Paul Bowles

Nonfiction:
The Code Book-Simon Singh (_not_ about computer code, its about cryptographers and cryptanalysts from ancient to modern times, incredible!)
Journey through Genius:The Great Theorems of Mathematics-Dunham

[Demosthenes]

It is rather funny. People get older, have much more time, yet are always the first to run out of time.

Kurt Vonnegut: Well worth the reading if you can stand him, huh?
Guy de Maupassant: I only ever read his short stories, never saw any books by him.

Here are some books more readable than most code:
C.S.Friedman: Black Sun Rising and This Alien Shore.
Douglas Adams: Hitchhiker's Guide, a must read everyone will tell you
??: Imagining Argentina, forget the exact style of writing, but it is wild.
??: The Little Prince, short, but a book to follow and which every adult should be required to read. A shame I cannot remember the Frenchman's name.

Respectfully,

Demosthenes

[DDeRek]

Just got through reading Jack Londons "The Sea Wolf", very interesting, especially if you're struggling with existential philosophy. Nobody mentioned Clive Barker! That guy is the trippyiest(don't try to look it up!)author I've ever read! Where's our resident author Kassia's input on this topic? Somebody conjure up that wickedly attractive spirit of the northern latitudes.

[old dog]

with 2 kids ages 8 & 3 i'm lucky to get to read the newspaper. LOL

[Nuclear Krusader]

*digs head out of computer code* What's a book?

It stores information like a disc, but you don't need your mouse to access that info.

I'm an avid reader. My favs are fantasy and sci-fi. I'm trying to be a writter too, I'm working on a fantasy novel right now.

[DragonNOA1]

Killer Angels by Shaara

Great book about Gettysburg

[Kassia]

Wow, my favorite topic! Thanks for the invite and the awesome compliment, DDeReK!! (blush, blush).

When I'm not writing my own stuff, I'll read pretty much anything that keeps my butt glued to the chair, and the midnight oil burning late into the night. Off the top of my head, a few of my fav authors are Tom Clancy, Patricia Cornwell and Michael Crichton.

The research for my own work takes me into a huge variety of topics. My latest project had me learning about Piper Cub airplanes, Pharmaceutical fraud (involving drugs with deadly side-effects) and survival techniques in the wilderness. I read a lot! LOL. It's also real nice to see another writer in the midsts. Best of luck to you, Nuclear Krusader.

[DDeRek]

You're very welcome, Kassia. I knew you'd enjoy the topic and us technoguys need the artistic/intellectual influence, keeps us balanced. Obviously you are a freelance writer to be covering such a broad range of topics. How do you select your subjects? It seems as though you lean towards investigative journalism. That is a very (brain searches vocabulary data banks, cross references "MacBeth" for some reason, ah-ha!) AMBITIOUS field. Do you see yourself as a reporter? Who are your influences? Have you had anything published?

[Kassia]

Hey DDeReK,

Actually, I write fiction....all those topics are in my latest novel. Yes, I am published, but I'm branching out into novel length fiction now. I've finished my first novel and I've sent it into a publisher...fingers crossed that they accept it. Story ideas come to me at any time. I see or read something that sparks an idea...and it just snowballs from there.

[DDeRek]

That's great! A real artist! I love it! I have to admire someone with both the focus and the imagination to put together novel length fiction. Once I tried to develop a mythological fantasy set in a Celtic pantheon, but I only got as far as, well I kind of outlined the characters and a basic plot and lost interest. Writing the dialog came really hard for me. Hmm, Piper Cubs, deadly Rx, and survivial in the woods, huh? Sounds like a thriller! If the publishers have any sense they'll give you a shot. And we should expect the first novel on the shelves when? I'm sure you have heard of Web Publishing. Have you ever considered trying it? It seems like a pretty good idea. Lots of times I sit down to check my e-mail if for no other reason than to kill some time, what better time to present someone with a story thet they might like to read?

[Kassia]

Hey again, DDeReK,

Yes, I will definitely look at e-publishing if the other doesn't pan out. And thanks for the great vote of confidence! Writing dialogue can be difficult. I find that reading it aloud is a great way to see if it sounds realistic. It should sound just like a normal conversation. Being associated with other authors is also a great inspiration...keeps the creative juices flowing. Your story idea is very intriguing, DDeRek. Sometimes the research, characterization, and outline of the story can truly be exhausting, but when you get down to the story...the fun begins.

[mc2phat]

My fiction interests the last couple of years include the following authors/titles: anything by Nelson DeMille (Lion's Game is excellent, and lately has become current); Gregory McDonald (Fletch Series); and Elmore Leonard. Pronto, Mr. Majestyk, Maximum Bob, Get Shorty, The Big Bounce; I'm reading Pagan Babies now.

[mc2phat]

NF: Anything by Stephen Ambrose. I finished Citizen Soldiers a couple months ago, great read for the (WWII) history buff.

[DDeRek]

Hey mc2phat, isn't Elmore Leonard the guy that does the first person crime novels? That's a really unique style. When I first started reading him("White Jazz") I was like, "What is this guy doing?", but when I realized the immediacy of his style, I kinda got into it. He's just, "BAM", in your face, and doesn't pull any punches! What is "Lions Game" about?

Hey Kassia, so the research and development of a story is the hard part for you, huh? I'm just the opposite. I can plan it out(well, I did once), but when it comes down to actually writing the stuff, I develop a kind of stage fright and nothing seems good enough. It's the same with music. I find it difficult to play for other people. You vocalize your dialog. Have you ever considered roleplaying characters in developing a novel? It seems like a natural extension of the idea. Of course, then it would be a collaboration. Have you ever considered a joint venture?

[mc2phat]

DDeRek,

here's a link on the DeMille book:
http://www.nelsondemille.net/lion.htm

[DDeRek]

OK, yeah. That sounds pretty good. Hey! You've probably already read it, but if you like that, you'd like Dean Koonts, "Dark Rivers of the Heart", too.

[Kassia]

Hey DDeReK,

There are times when I feel that my reseach isn't good enough, or quite right...one problem can be conflicting research. I think some research material can be a matter of perspective really...someone sees something, writes it down. Another sees the same incident, but from a different angle, feels differently about the players involved, or the cause...resulting in a whole new concept. Collecting research on the internet is both great and a pain...being that sometimes you may feel dubious about the source. You have to wonder...is this guy really a lawyer, pilot, etc? Or just someone with an opinion. I definitely believe that fiction needs to be as realistic as possible, but it is fiction. Look at the blockbuster movies...how many times have you walked out of a theatre thinking..."man, that was way out there", but you still loved it. And have I thought about a collaboration?? Sure, but that's not always easy...two minds....two opinions...two schedules...LOL. The two would have to work very well together. Whew!! Get me started and I just go on and on...LOL.

[DDeRek]

Hey Kassia, welcome to the party. You make some very good points. All of our judgements are subjective. I try to remember that in everything I do, but it's very difficult. Of course nothing worth doing is ever easy. I think I'm getting up my nerve to tackle it again. It's been on the back burner for two years now. I don't know. I've got such a full schedule right now, maybe when I finish school. Hey, I've got English Comp. coming up this summer. Maybe I can figure out a way to work on it for an assignment. Get a grade and make progress on the overall project at the same time. Speaking of schedules, what part of Canada are you in? You guys are freezing your butts off up there. I was born in Wisconsin, so I can relate, but I'm down here in nice warm MS now. When it gets below 30 it's COLD! Ha-ha! How and when do YOU find time to write?

[Kassia]

DDeReK,

That's great! I wish you all the best in your writing venture. And hey, if you can get a grade out of it, all the better.... I live in central Canada...in the province of Manitoba...and yeah, it's pretty darn cold...LOL. We've got a nice base of snow, with more coming regularily. But at least it's not -30C right now. We've been pretty fortunate in that department...here's hoping it lasts...LOL. As to a schedule...any and every moment I can.

[freptide]

I have a few favorites to list:

'Phantoms' by Dean Koontz (F)

'The Clinton Chronicles' by Pat Matrisciana (NF)

'Circle Of Intrigue' by Texe Marrs (NF)

'America's Secret Establishment' by Antony Sutton (NF)

'The Screwtape Letters' By C.S. Lewis (F)

'This Present Darkness' by Frank Perretti (F)


and any book written by Jim Keith (NF)

[Paul Victorey]

When I have the time to read (i.e. when school's not in session) I read all the time. I read a lot of fantasy (Tolkien is my favorite) and a lot of philosophy and modern fiction. I've been reading Thomas Pynchon most recently -- a fantastic writer, but rather hard to read; I read V with the help of a companion which explained his 1,000,000,001 allusions, which helped a lot. I'm now trying Gravity's Rainbow without any companion, I'll see how that works.

I started reading at age three and a half, and I've read tens of thousands of books since, I'd imagine. If you saw my room, you'd know I was into reading and electronics; along with tons of electronic gadgets, you could find somewhere between 100 and 200 books in my room, and there would be few that I haven't read at least once.

Some miscellaneous favorite works of mine:

Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
The Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkien
The Thief of Always - Clive Barker
V - Thomas Pynchon
The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Thus Spoke Zarathustra - Friedrich Nietzsche
The Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card