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Post by makofan on Jan 1, 2008 19:37:28 GMT -6
Zelazny/Moorcock/Tolkien were my most influential
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Thorulfr
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 264
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Post by Thorulfr on Jan 2, 2008 12:08:03 GMT -6
Steven Brust, Elizabeth Moon, and Raymond Heist all come to mind, just for starters. Heist? <narrowly avoids a keyboard kill> As a major Tekumel fan, I should exalt you for that, but it is making fun of a published author....ohhh, the dilemma. I'll just add a few as my own list, since many of the standards (Tolkien, Elizabeth Moon, Three Harts and Three Lions) have already been mentioned, and I don't want to wade into the short-story fray (Howard/Carter/DeCamp; Lieber; Lovecraft; et. al.): Man of Gold by MAR Barker. As a self-admitted Tekumel fan, how could it not be on the list? Sorcerer's Son by Phillis Eisenstein. An interesting take on magic and elementals that I would like to adapt, but it would probably make Magic Users too powerful at low levels. Master of the Five Magics by Lyndon Hardy (I've read the first sequal, but did not like as much as the first) A VERY interesting take on magic. As an ex-physics major, the 'Maxwell's Demon' reference toward the end was amusing, but a little out-of-place in a fantasy novel. The Saga of the Volsungs by anonymous, though a good translation is by Jesse Byock - an early version of the tale that became the Niebilungenlied, and eventually set to music by Richard Wagner as the Ring Cycle. White Plume Mountain, Descent into the Depths of the Earth, and Queen of the Demonweb Pits by Paul Kidd Greyhawk tie-ins, novelizations of the classic dungeon-crawls by the deliciously warped Aussie Paul Kidd. White Plume Mountain includes the absolute best use of Green Slime I've ever seen, and can only imagine the howls of frustration from a Dungeon Master. (and I'm a not-so-closet fan of Enid, the gynosphynx) Magician by Raymond Feist - the OTHER Tekumel novel... ;o) I'll save the last two for later, unless you want to ding me for Hobbit and Three Harts...
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Post by Falconer on Jan 3, 2008 7:45:31 GMT -6
1. The Book of Lost Tales - J.R.R. Tolkien 2. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien 3. The Worm Ouroboros - E.R. Eddison 4. A Princess of Mars - Edgar Rice Burroughs 5. The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath - H.P. Lovecraft 6. The Last Battle - C.S. Lewis 7. The Broken Sword - Poul Anderson 8. The High Crusade - Poul Anderson 9. The Eyes of the Overworld - Jack Vance 10. A Storm of Swords - George R.R. Martin
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Post by foster1941 on Jan 3, 2008 11:47:53 GMT -6
Trying to order these by preference would require too much effort, so here's an alphabetical-by-author listing of ten favorites.
The Broken Sword - Poul Anderson The Face in the Frost - John Bellairs The King of Elfland's Daughter - Lord Dunsany The Gates of Creation - Philip Jose Farmer (could just as easily be A Private Cosmos) The Ship of Ishtar - A. Merritt (could just as easily be Dwellers in the Mirage) The Blue Star - Fletcher Pratt Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J.K. Rowling The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien The Eyes of the Overworld - Jack Vance The Citadel of the Autarch - Gene Wolfe (I think; I read this and The Sword of the Lictor back to back and have trouble remembering which scenes took place in which book; I suppose I could cheat and list the omnibus volume Sword and Citadel...)
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Thorulfr
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 264
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Post by Thorulfr on Jan 3, 2008 13:11:33 GMT -6
The Citadel of the Autarch - Gene Wolfe (I think; I read this and The Sword of the Lictor back to back and have trouble remembering which scenes took place in which book; I suppose I could cheat and list the omnibus volume Sword and Citadel...) I've read the first two, but got sidetracked and haven't gotten to the latter books - are they even better than the first half of the series? (And, if we wanted to open yet another can of worms, should this series be more properly considered 'science fiction', rather than 'fantasy'? They struck me as being like the Dune series in that they both take place in a sci-fi universe, but so far into the future that the technology is seriously pushing the edges of Clarke's Law.)
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Post by foster1941 on Jan 3, 2008 13:46:34 GMT -6
The Citadel of the Autarch - Gene Wolfe (I think; I read this and The Sword of the Lictor back to back and have trouble remembering which scenes took place in which book; I suppose I could cheat and list the omnibus volume Sword and Citadel...) I've read the first two, but got sidetracked and haven't gotten to the latter books - are they even better than the first half of the series? (And, if we wanted to open yet another can of worms, should this series be more properly considered 'science fiction', rather than 'fantasy'? They struck me as being like the Dune series in that they both take place in a sci-fi universe, but so far into the future that the technology is seriously pushing the edges of Clarke's Law.) I read the first two several years ago and the second two recently so I can't do a true side-by-side comparison, but my vague/gut feeling is that I liked the second two better than the first two (which is saying something, as I liked the first two very much). As for sf vs fantasy, that's not a distinction I'm too strict about. Most/everything in the Book of the New Sun is justified via ultra-advanced science rather than actual magic, but the "feel" of the series is much more fantasy than sf in my mind (whereas Dune feels more sf).
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Post by dwayanu on Jan 3, 2008 15:15:36 GMT -6
Wolfe's Book of the New Sun would definitely be on my list. How well it works as SF is not so important a distinction as in (e.g.) Star Wars. Perhaps even more than with Vance's Dying Earth (or much Merritt or Lovecraft), an SF fan can accept Wolfe's "fantastic" as "sufficiently advanced technology" about as easily as one accepts "warp drive" for the sake of a good story. It's a book that "works" (or does not) on its own terms. I found in particular that I got swept vividly into its world, a quality that IMO distinguishes a species among the very best of both fantasy and SF (Tolkien's Middle-Earth being another example).
The Face in the Frost is one that may depend almost wholly on that effect (rather than on lucid plotting or character development). If one gets drawn into it, it is an experience.
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Post by brumbar on Jan 9, 2008 6:55:25 GMT -6
I have a real problem coming up with a top ten book list as it is very hard for me to differantiate a book from a series. Example is the Simirilian, the Hobbit And LOTR. To me this is one set that i read from start to finish when I re-read them. Same with the Amber series, The Belgariad, etc.
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Post by codeman123 on Jul 17, 2008 18:41:27 GMT -6
to be honest i really hate most fantasy literature... most is just really lame.. to me anyways..
but as far as literature that inspires my games... anything by Phillip K. Dick.. Robert E. Howards storys... Frank Herberts books.. Tolkien.. William Burroughs..
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akiyama
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 103
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Post by akiyama on Aug 7, 2008 5:58:40 GMT -6
I think China Mieville (Perdido Street Station) played RPGs, and I know Charles Stross (The Atrocity Archives) used to play D&D.
I've always thought, reading the Harry Potter books, that J. K. Rowling must have played D&D at least once in her life. But I've never heard that that's the case.
Okay, my favourite fantasy novels . . . in no particular order.
Alice's Adventures Underground and Through the Looking Glass Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner Animal Farm The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings The Eyes of the Overworld Watership Down
I have to admit, I've never read much adult fantasy. Most of the fantasy novels I've started haven't held my attention. Since getting back into a D&D mood, though, I have read and enjoyed Clark Ashton Smith and I'm planning to read Fritz Leiber.
Has anyone here ever read The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers? It's a children's book, but quite amusing.
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Post by bigjackbrass on Aug 7, 2008 7:26:28 GMT -6
Like several others here I find it difficult to choose just ten, particularly in any meaningful order; and of course so many of my favourites have already been mentioned. The Hobbit, of course; various Vance and a multitude of Moorcock (I have three shelves bowing under the weight of his books alone).
One more recent title which impressed me was Heroes Die by Matthew Woodring Stover, a dark and at times rather brutal fantasy story with a science-fiction twist and lots to say about morality and the nature of entertainment. It also presents an absolutely superb idea for a game, playing actors transported to a "fantasy" world whose exploits are shown in our world as action adventures. Mr Stover is apparently working on the third in the series, but he's not the most prolific of authors, it would appear.
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Post by redpriest on Aug 7, 2008 9:54:34 GMT -6
Presented in the order I thought of them .. more or less.
Tales of Zothique, Necronomicon Press compilation, Clark Ashton Smith The Book of Hyperborea, Necronomicon Press compilation, Clark Ashton Smith Conan, Del Rey compilations, Robert E. Howard Black Company, Glen Cook A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula LeGuin The Morgaine Cycle, compilation, C.J.Cherryh Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath, H.P. Lovecraft Swords and/against/in whatever, compilations, Fritz Leiber The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien The Illuminatus Trilogy, Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson
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terrex
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 108
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Post by terrex on Aug 7, 2008 16:26:23 GMT -6
Including the epic poems of old, here are some of my favorites:
Epic of Gilgamesh Illiad, Homer Odyssey, Homer Beowulf Lord of the Rings + Hobbit, J.R.R Tolkien Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis Dying Earth, Jack Vance Elric Saga, Michael Moorcock Wizard of Earthsea Trilogy (NOT including Tehanu!), Ursula K. LeGuin
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Post by greyharp on Aug 7, 2008 17:31:39 GMT -6
In no particular order and feeling no guilt for including trilogies (when they are a single story) or REH's Conan stories, which are now available in a single volume:
1. Lotr, Tolkien 2. The Hobbit, Tolkien 3. The Tombs of Atuan, Ursula Le Guin 4. Death’s Master, Tanith Lee 5. Gnomes, Wil Huygen & Rien Poortvliet 6. Fungus the Bogeyman, Raymond Briggs 7. Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak 8. REH’s Conan stories 9. Duncton Wood, William Horwood 10. Merlin Trilogy, Mary Stewart
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Post by foster1941 on Aug 7, 2008 17:53:13 GMT -6
Since posting my list upthread I've read Dunsany's The Charwoman's Shadow, which I liked even better than TKoED, so I'd modify the list to switch those two. I feel looking at the list like there's other things I've read recently that should replace one or two more of those titles, but I can't think of what they are at the moment -- I'll have to take a look through the "recently read" pile when I get home tonight to remind myself...
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Post by vladtolenkov on Nov 23, 2008 4:33:23 GMT -6
My favorite fantasy novel is probable The War Hound & the World's Pain by Michael Moorcock. I'm also a big fan of many of his other novels. I'd also count Wolfe's New Sun and Zelazny's Amber Series as additional favorites.
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Post by welleran on Mar 17, 2009 7:48:04 GMT -6
Tough call, especially discounting short stories!
(In no particular order, aside from LOTR being #1):
1. Lord of the Rings by JRRT 2. Well at the World's End by William Morris 3. The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson 4. Gerfalcon by Leslie Barringer 5. The Worm Ourobouros by ER Eddison 6. King Solomon's Mines by H Rider Haggard 7. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K LeGuin 8. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis 9. Phantastes by George MacDonald 10. Tros of Samothrace by Talbot Mundy
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Post by welleran on Mar 17, 2009 7:59:40 GMT -6
Oh yeah, Honorable Mention goes to Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2009 15:32:47 GMT -6
In no particular order:
A Game of Thrones - Martin The Swords Trilogy - Moorcock The Hobbit - Tolkien Lankmar: Swords and Deviltry - Leiber Conan Short Stories - Howard The Gunslinger - Stephen King Tales of the Dying Earth - Vance Lovecraft
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Post by waysoftheearth on Mar 29, 2009 0:08:37 GMT -6
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the superb Assassin's Apprentice series by Robin Hobb, or any of her other books, The Liveship Traders, and the Reindeer People spring to mind.
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Post by Red Baron on Feb 27, 2024 20:33:19 GMT -6
My personal favorites (for Fantasy):
1. The Hobbit 2. Lyonesse Trilogy 3. The Worm Ouroboros 4. Swords Against Death 5. The Color of Magic & The Light Fantastic
A lot of my favorite "D&D" books I wouldn't really consider fantasy though!
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Post by doublejig2 on Feb 27, 2024 21:20:13 GMT -6
Tolkien, RE Howard, Leiber, KE Wagner, Moorcock, HP Lovecraft, CA Smith, Le Guin in no particular order, but Tolkien first.
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Post by makofan on Mar 7, 2024 21:52:57 GMT -6
If I had to re-do my list from 2007, I would kick off the Belgariad, replace it with Mistress of Mistresses by ER Eddison, and replace Kay's Tigana with his book Under Heaven
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rayotus
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 122
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Post by rayotus on Mar 8, 2024 10:36:10 GMT -6
A quick attempt at compiling everyone's suggestions. I may have missed some and the count is a little subjective. For instance, one person named a bunch of works in the same series by an author - I just listed the series and put the count at 1. Another example is that many people said The Hobbt, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. In the latter two instances, I counted them under the book listed first. Sorted by author/title, tab delimited.
Title Author Count Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner A. A. Milne The Ship of Ishtar Abraham Merritt Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern) Anne McCaffrey Bridge of Birds Barry Hughart Redwall Brian Jacques The Morgaine Cycle C. J. Cherryh The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia) C. S. Lewis 4 The Popul Vuh Charles River Editors (sic) Tales of Zothique Clark Ashton Smith The Book of Hyperborea Clark Ashton Smith The Belgariad David Eddings The Diamond Throne et al (Elenium) David Eddings The Cave of Socrates Dennis L. McKiernan The Dark Tide (Iron Tower Trilogy) Dennis L. McKiernan The Eye of the Hunter (Mithgar) Dennis L. McKiernan Mistress of Mistresses E. R. Eddison The Worm Ouroboros E. R. Eddison 3 A Princess of Mars et al (Barsoom) Edgar Rice Burroughs 2 Tarzan Edgar Rice Burroughs The Blue Star Fletcher Pratt Swords Against … (Lankhmar series) Fritz Leiber 3 Shadow of the Torturer et al (New Sun) Gene Wolf 2 Phantastes George MacDonald Animal Farm George Orwell A Game of Thrones et al (Song of Ice and Fire) George R. R. Martin 3 The Black Company Glen Cook 5 Under Heaven Guy Gavriel Kay The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath et al H. P. Lovecraft 4 King Solomon's Mines H. Rider Haggard The Odyssey & The Illiad Homer Lud in the Mist Hope Mirrlees Grey Star the Wizard (Lone Wolf) Ian Page Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone et al J. K. Rowling 4 The Book of Lost Tales J. R. R. Tolkien The Hobbit J. R. R. Tolkien 13 The Lord of the Rings J. R. R. Tolkien 9 The Silmarillion J. R. R. Tolkien 2 Lyonesse Trilogy Jack Vance The Blue World Jack Vance The Dying Earth et al Jack Vance 9 Summer Knight (Dresden Files) Jim Butcher 2 Flight from the Dark (Lone Wolf) Joe Dever The Sleeping Dragon (Guardians of the Flame) Joel Rosenberg The Face in the Frost John Bellairs The Traveller in Black John Brunner Darkness Weaves Karle Wagner Wizard of Seattle Kay Hooper Wizard of Oz L. Frank Baum The Intergalactic Viagens (Krishna) Novels L. Sprague de Camp Gerfalcon Leslie Barringer Alice's Adventures Underground and Through the Looking Glass Lewis Carroll The Charwoman's Shadow Lord Dunsany Master of the Five Magics Lyndon Hardy Man of Gold M. A. R. Barker The Pastel City M. John Harrison Lost in Translation Margaret Ball The Merlin Trilogy Mary Stewart Where the Wild Things Are Maurice Sendak Elric of Melnibone et al Michael Moorcock 3 The Swords Trilogy Michael Moorcock 2 The War Hound & The World's Pain Michael Moorcock In Yana, the Touch of Undying Michael Shea Neverwhere Neil Gaiman Caught in Crystal Patricia Wrede Sorcery and Cecelia Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer White Plume Mountain (and other Greyhawk tie-ins) Paul Kidd 2 The Gates of Creation Philip Jose Farmer Sorcerer's Son Phillis Eisenstein The Broken Sword Poul Anderson 3 The High Crusade Poul Anderson Three Hearts and Three Lion Poul Anderson 4 Any of the Mythago books by (Mythago Woods, etc.) R. Holdstock Fungus the Bogeyman Raymond Briggs The Legend of Huma Richard A. Knaak Watership Down Richard Adams 3 Conan … Robert E. Howard 6 Savage Tales of Solomon Kane Robert E. Howard Glory Road Robert Heinlein The Illuminatus Trilogy Robert Shea & Anton Wilson Jack of Shadows Roger Zelazny 2 Lord of Light Roger Zelazny Nine Princes in Amber et al Roger Zelazny 4 Magician Ryamond Feist Jherig et al (Vlad Taltos series) Stephen Brust 3 The Gunslinger Stephen King The Dark is Rising (Susan Cooper) Susan Cooper Tros of Samothrace Talbot Mundy Night's Master (Flat Earth) Tanith Lee 2 The Sword of Shannara Terry Brooks The Color of Magic et al (Discworld) Terry Pratchett The Saga of the Volsungs Trans. Jesse Byock Beowulf Unknown The Epic of Gilgamesh Unknown A Wizard of Earthsea (trilogy) Ursula K. Leguin 5 Dragons of Autumn Twilight et al Weis/Hickman 2 Gnomes Wil Huygen & Rien Poortvliet 2 Duncton Wood William Horwood The Well at the World's End William Morris
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rayotus
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 122
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Post by rayotus on Mar 8, 2024 10:37:54 GMT -6
Those with 2 or more votes, in descending order of popularity:
The Hobbit J. R. R. Tolkien 13 The Lord of the Rings J. R. R. Tolkien 9 The Dying Earth et al Jack Vance 9 Conan … Robert E. Howard 6Conan … Robert E. Howard 6 The Black Company Glen Cook 5 A Wizard of Earthsea (trilogy) Ursula K. Leguin 5 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia) C. S. Lewis 4 The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath et al H. P. Lovecraft 4 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone et al J. K. Rowling 4 Three Hearts and Three Lion Poul Anderson 4 Nine Princes in Amber et al Roger Zelazny 4 The Worm Ouroboros E. R. Eddison 3 Swords Against … (Lankhmar series) Fritz Leiber 3 A Game of Thrones et al (Song of Ice and Fire) George R. R. Martin 3 Elric of Melnibone et al Michael Moorcock 3 The Broken Sword Poul Anderson 3 Watership Down Richard Adams 3 Jherig et al (Vlad Taltos series) Stephen Brust 3 A Princess of Mars et al (Barsoom) Edgar Rice Burroughs 2 Shadow of the Torturer et al (New Sun) Gene Wolf 2 The Silmarillion J. R. R. Tolkien 2 Summer Knight (Dresden Files) Jim Butcher 2 The Swords Trilogy Michael Moorcock 2 White Plume Mountain (and other Greyhawk tie-ins) Paul Kidd 2 Jack of Shadows Roger Zelazny 2 Night's Master (Flat Earth) Tanith Lee 2 Dragons of Autumn Twilight et al Weis/Hickman 2 Gnomes Wil Huygen & Rien Poortvliet 2
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rayotus
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 122
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Post by rayotus on Mar 8, 2024 10:39:40 GMT -6
P. S. A few suggestions I just left off. Philip K. Dick with no titles, for instance. That's not fantasy by anyone's definition is it? I mean, I LOVE PKD, but it's science fiction and when there is not title given it just didn't seem to fit. Another one is a book I couldn't even find when searching the title or the author, so I saved people the frustration.
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Post by tdenmark on Mar 8, 2024 11:08:30 GMT -6
A quick attempt at compiling everyone's suggestions. I may have missed some and the count is a little subjective. For instance, one person named a bunch of works in the same series by an author - I just listed the series and put the count at 1. Another example is that many people said The Hobbt, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. In the latter two instances, I counted them under the book listed first. Sorted by author/title, tab delimited. Title Author Count Wizard of Oz L. Frank Baum All the Oz books by L. Frank Baum are fantastic. Especially as inspiration for D&D adventures. Wizard of Oz, though the most famous, isn't even the best one.
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Post by makofan on Mar 8, 2024 15:35:39 GMT -6
Amazing work, and a pretty good list of reading
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