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Post by rsdean on Dec 2, 2021 14:09:17 GMT -6
Reading Howard in scans of Weird Tales is admirably purist. . My most recent go at Conan was in the Del Rey trade paperback editions, which are at least cleaned up of pastiches and rewritten stories from other periods, and organized in publication order.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Dec 2, 2021 18:45:01 GMT -6
Reading some history about the fall of the Roman Empire. Stilicho: The Vandal Who Saved Romeby Ian Hughes Alaric the Goth: An Outsider's History of the Fall of Romeby Douglas Boin Interesting aside, in Mary Stewart's books about Merlin and King Arthur, Excalibur is the sword of Constantine III
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2021 8:31:44 GMT -6
Reading Howard in scans of Weird Tales is admirably purist. . My most recent go at Conan was in the Del Rey trade paperback editions, which are at least cleaned up of pastiches and rewritten stories from other periods, and organized in publication order. I'm still kind of sour about the sub-par, typo ridden Conan book I got from The Castanea Group a while back. Love the stories, hate the presentation in this edition I own. Should have expected that at the low price point, though. I shunned a more costly leather-bound compilation in favor of the inexpensive one, and got what I paid for.
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Post by retrorob on Dec 19, 2021 17:03:37 GMT -6
I've just finished Henry Kuttner's Elak of Atlantis and Prince Raynor stories. It's a really decent sword & sorcery! I'm surprised that they weren't mentioned by Gygax in Appendix N. Kuttner managed, unlike many others, not to clone Conan, while owing a lot to REH, HPL and possibly CAS. I guess Kuttner's stories were influential to some extent, especially for Wagner and Moorcock. I liked Raynor more than Elak, and it's a shame that only 2 novelettes were written.
I'm also done with Paul Anderson's "The Broken Sword" - a great novel and very cruel and tragic, just like nordic sagas. I've found it better than "Three Hearts and Three Lions".
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oldskolgmr
Level 3 Conjurer
Can the Cleric heal me? What? Alright, the Clerk will have to do.
Posts: 99
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Post by oldskolgmr on Dec 21, 2021 21:23:41 GMT -6
It appears I am a little late to the conversation, but this is my recent (six months) (re)read list:
First read of Books one and two of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe (Clarke's Third Law, science indistinguishable from magic is given a dense and awesome treatment). I'm stuck at the end of book three.
First read of Mammoth by John Varley (I usually like Varley, however this is skippable). For a good Varley series read Titan, Wizard, and Demon (the text can be very NSFW, though).
First read of Two R.E. Howard's Kull short stories, which I liked.
First read of Two R. E. H. Solomon Kane short stories, which I thought were Okay.
Reread of Two of Dennis Schmidt's Kensho books, I don't think many people would like them.
Reread of Roger Zelazny's Amber series, books one thru six. I probably won't bother rereading six through ten. Lord of Light is still my favorite book by Zelazny, with This Immortal following.
First read of Steven Brust's, The Viscount of Adrilankha series, which I really enjoyed!
Next up is Steven Brust's The Baron of Magister Valley, and (I hope) the end of Book Three of the New Sun.
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Post by tdenmark on Dec 22, 2021 13:00:46 GMT -6
Got about halfway through Apache Devil and finding it kind of boring really. I took a break and reread Treasure Island. There is a reason it's a classic, what a great adventure. Still as thrilling as when I read it as a kid.
In the meantime I picked up Barsoom: Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Martian Vision. It is full of analysis and breakdowns of ERB's Mars books, some of it interesting some of it humdrum. There has been some useful stuff in there for my Princess of the Red Planet adventure.
Still need to finish the Complete Elric, it's my bedside book and I've been savoring it one story at a time.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2021 9:56:38 GMT -6
I got sidetracked from my Greek Classics again by the original six Dune books. No regrets there.
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Post by tdenmark on Dec 25, 2021 12:20:10 GMT -6
I got sidetracked from my Greek Classics again by the original six Dune books. No regrets there. Rereading the original 6 Dune books is never the wrong decision. Even Dune Messiah gets better with multiple readings.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 25, 2021 12:46:44 GMT -6
I got sidetracked from my Greek Classics again by the original six Dune books. No regrets there. Rereading the original 6 Dune books is never the wrong decision. Even Dune Messiah gets better with multiple readings. Last time I read them was over 27 years ago so they seem new again.
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oldskolgmr
Level 3 Conjurer
Can the Cleric heal me? What? Alright, the Clerk will have to do.
Posts: 99
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Post by oldskolgmr on Dec 27, 2021 17:35:54 GMT -6
Well, I couldn't make much of a dent in The Book of The New Sun. The Baron of Magister Valley has yet to really grab me. I have read Nnedi Okorafor's first Binti short story (I lucked into the collected edition at the used bookstore). I've read Lagoon, also by Nnedi Okorafor in the past. I found that very enjoyable. I also read Metamorphosis Alpha - Deluxe collector's edition. What a rich setting. tdenmark , I have read ERB's Mar's series. I wasn't able to get into it as a reread, however. @ampleframework , I recently reread Dune (before the latest Movie), but I found it not quite as subtle as I recalled. I would like to try rereading Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, and Emperor of Dune. I loved the idea of Leto II's Golden Path as Frank Herbert used in the later books. I really liked a (now out of print) book The Dune Encyclopedia by Dr. Willis E. McNelly. I think it was a fan work.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Dec 29, 2021 17:10:47 GMT -6
Listening to the old 1982 Blade Runner soundtrack by Vangelis
Has anyone ever read "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep"? Is it worth reading? Is it enjoyable?
I've never read it.
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Post by tombowings on Dec 30, 2021 2:09:15 GMT -6
Listening to the old 1982 Blade Runner soundtrack by Vangelis Has anyone ever read "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep"? Is it worth reading? Is it enjoyable? I've never read it. I read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep a few years back. I enjoyed it and recommend the book if you're interest in the theme.
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Parzival
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Is a little Stir Crazy this year...
Posts: 347
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Post by Parzival on Dec 31, 2021 0:44:25 GMT -6
Christmas reading additions: The Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner— apparently the final book in the Eugenides series (aka The Queen’s Thief series). Her ability to weave a complex tale with twists you won’t see coming (though you could— you just won’t) makes me look forward to this title. One of my favorite fantasy authors, whom I cannot recommend enough! Boundless by Jack Campbell. Yet another entry in his Lost Fleet series/universe. Campbell is one of the few authors who treats spaceship combat in a highly realistic manner, while telling an enjoyable story. Winds of Wrath by Taylor Anderson— the final book in the Destroyermen series, featuring the crew of a WWII US destroyer (and some allies and enemies) swept into an alternate Earth where a sea-going empire of intelligent carnivorous dinosaurs threaten a loose confederation of intelligent lemurs. They may no longer be in their war, but they’re still in one, and their very survival is at stake. It ain’t Shakespeare, but it’s a lot of fun.
Currently I’m reading the rules for Top Secret S.I.— another Christmas acquisition.
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Post by Otto Harkaman on Jan 3, 2022 10:00:14 GMT -6
Listening to the old 1982 Blade Runner soundtrack by Vangelis Has anyone ever read "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep"? Is it worth reading? Is it enjoyable? I've never read it. I read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep a few years back. I enjoyed it and recommend the book if you're interest in the theme. I guess I am into about a fifth of the book, I had tried to read it long ago but put it down after the first couple pages because it wasn't the movie. I am finding it pretty interesting now since I had no expectation it was the movie. Also helped reading a bit about Philip K. Dick himself.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2022 10:08:48 GMT -6
In the middle of my Dune saga re-read (original six only) and I'm increasingly of the opinion that this series is actually about Duncan Idaho's journey.
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Post by tombowings on Jan 3, 2022 10:13:49 GMT -6
I guess I am into about a fifth of the book, I had tried to read it long ago but put it down after the first couple pages because it wasn't the movie. I am finding it pretty interesting now since I had no expectation it was the movie. Also helped reading a bit about Philip K. Dick himself. That makes sense, I've never seen Blade Runner. I didn't come into the book with any expectations.
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flightcommander
Level 6 Magician
"I become drunk as circumstances dictate."
Posts: 370
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Post by flightcommander on Jan 3, 2022 20:08:06 GMT -6
Has anyone ever read "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep"? Is it worth reading? Is it enjoyable? Wow, yeah. It's quite different from the film in some of the particulars; it takes place in San Francisco instead of Los Angeles for one, and I used to frequently pass by the actual Mission District SFPD station mentioned in the book. There's also a religious angle that isn't really in the film. Totally worth reading. I also recommend "Through a Scanner Darkly". I think PKD's sense of humor was lost on a lot of people but there are scenes in both of these texts that are hilarious, kind of at odds with the adaptations.
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flightcommander
Level 6 Magician
"I become drunk as circumstances dictate."
Posts: 370
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Post by flightcommander on Jan 3, 2022 20:16:55 GMT -6
Also, I just finished "Game Wizards" by increment (hawt) and "1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed (Revised)" (wow) by Eric Cline. Currently digging into "Underland" by Robert Macfarlane; the prose is utter trash, almost unreadable, but the ideas and details are enough to keep me going; should've been a 20-page essay instead of a 400+ page book.
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Post by scottenkainen on Jan 3, 2022 20:17:31 GMT -6
Meanwhile, I just finished Jeff Smith's Tuki trade paperback, and working on Paul McCartney's The Lyrics...
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ThrorII
Level 4 Theurgist
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Post by ThrorII on Jan 4, 2022 19:00:59 GMT -6
"The Earps Invade Southern California" by DeHaas and Chaput. A historical book about the Earps, the Soldier's Home, and Prohibition in Santa Monica and Sawtelle.
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Post by stevemitchell on Jan 10, 2022 13:13:17 GMT -6
End of the Trail by Louis L’Amour. A third volume of previously unpublished stories by L’Amour, including a rare humorous story featuring Tell Sacket.
Tales of the Lovecraft Mythos edited by Robert M. Price. A big anthology of Cthulhu Mythos stories by various authors, mostly drawn from the pulp magazines of the 1930s and 40s.
Dracula’s Guest by Bram Stoker. A collection of Stoker’s weird tales, somewhat of a mixed bag in terms of quality, but I’ve always liked the title story.
Primal Sources: Essays on H. P. Lovecraft by S. T. Joshi. As usual, Mr. Joshi drills deep into Lovecraft’s life, thought, and work.
Niall of the Far Travels by Gardner F. Fox. Ten tales of Fox’s last sword-and-sorcery hero, all originally published in early issues of The Dragon magazine.
The House of the Worm by Gary Myers. A collection of stories set in Lovecraft’s Dream World.
Stalin’s Curse by Robert Gellatrey. Not a full bio of Stalin—this focuses on his role in Russian and European history from the outbreak of World War II to his death in 1953. Very well written, but depressing reading, to be sure.
Mustang Man by Louis L’Amour. Nolan Sackett appeared briefly in two previous L’Amour books, Mojave Crossing and The Sackett Brand. He receives his own novel here, tangling with several groups of bad guys out in the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico, with a lost treasure of gold as the McGuffin. Last seen on a wagon heading for Santa Fe, with the girl and the gold beside him.
Chancy by Louis L’Amour. Mr. Chancy joins a cattle drive from Texas to Kansas, then takes another herd of cattle from Kansas to Wyoming. Along the way, he meets Wild Bill Hickock, battles rustlers and killers, and, of course, wins the girl. A good read.
Indo-European Origins by William G. Davey. Another attempt to locate the original homeland of the earliest Indo-European speakers, and explain why (and when) they began to fragment into their later linguistic successors and spread across Europe and Asia.
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Post by retrorob on Feb 3, 2022 3:05:50 GMT -6
Poul Anderson - Three Hearts & Three Lions (first version, "Fantasy & Science Fiction" 1953). The whole text was divided into two parts. For now I've finished the 1st one. Up to this point it seems to be the same as the novel version. When I'm done, I'll post the list of changes in the appropriate thread.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2022 19:21:42 GMT -6
"God Emperor of Dune" was really something else. I'm impressed at how each of Frank Herbert's novels within the same universe are so tonally different from one another while rehashing similar themes and characters. About to start "Heretics of Dune" now.
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Post by ochrejelly on Feb 28, 2022 21:06:34 GMT -6
I recently read all of the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories in publication order. While I really enjoyed reading them this way, I found flipping around through different books very annoying. I’d like to read the Elric stories soon and I’m wondering if it’s worth it to read them in publication order, and whether there’s an easy way to do that?
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Post by geoffrey on Mar 1, 2022 11:52:14 GMT -6
I recently read all of the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories in publication order. While I really enjoyed reading them this way, I found flipping around through different books very annoying. I’d like to read the Elric stories soon and I’m wondering if it’s worth it to read them in publication order, and whether there’s an easy way to do that? I own and treasure this volume, which collects in order the first five Elric stories that Moorcock wrote:
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Post by Finarvyn on Mar 2, 2022 4:48:32 GMT -6
I recently read all of the Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories in publication order. While I really enjoyed reading them this way, I found flipping around through different books very annoying. I’d like to read the Elric stories soon and I’m wondering if it’s worth it to read them in publication order, and whether there’s an easy way to do that? I own and treasure this volume, which collects in order the first five Elric stories that Moorcock wrote: My favorite "Stealer of Souls" is the more recent trade paperback (2008) with the John Picacio artwork. www.amazon.com/Elric-Stealer-Chronicles-Emperor-Melnibon%C3%A9/dp/0345498623It's supposed to be the original text of the original short stories as written in the 1960's, so I assume that the text matches the edition you own, geoffrey .
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Post by ochrejelly on Mar 2, 2022 10:43:05 GMT -6
Thanks, I’ll try and track down that lancer copy. I can’t bear to look at the art on that newer one ever again haha.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2022 15:24:09 GMT -6
Almost done with Chapterhouse: Dune. I've been very impressed with the progression of the worldbuilding in this entire series. Nothing is stagnant. The universe in book 6 seems like a natural progression from the earlier books, but it's a progression nonetheless. The world of Dune evolves and changes with the centuries. It's not like other major Sci-Fi series where the same old organizations and conflicts seem to last for 10,000 year periods. Some of the major players early on (The Harkonnens and Corrinos) have fallen entirely by the wayside, whereas others like the Honored Matres and the Tleilaxu became more prominent. I feel like the throughline of the entire saga is "what does it mean to be a human?" and the Butlerian Jihad and Orange Catholic Bible play into every single story, if only in the background. Basically, what does it mean to disfigure the Human soul? That's some heavy subject matter, and it never really gets fully resolved. You're left with more questions than answers.
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Post by plethon on Apr 10, 2022 17:36:29 GMT -6
Yesterday I received a paperback copy of Seven Footprints to Satan by A. Merritt in the mail. I read the first 100 pages in one night, staying up till two AM. I wanted to read the whole thing but I have been under the weather this past week and finally crashed.. It's good for many reasons but the indoor environment is very inspiring for potential dungeons. I never imagined a dungeon where rooms are almost entirely connected by elevators. Basically every single exit anywhere in 'Satan's' chateau is a secret panel leading to yet another elevator, which opens directly into other rooms with more elevators, etc. There are numerous instances in the book which could be easily considered 'gaze' attacks, with a psionic feel, but it sort of leaves it open (at least by page 100) if it's really 'psychic powers,' or just strong suggestion, charisma, context, bluffing, etc, in the way REH does a lot too. I've been thinking for a while about modern settings for old school D&D campaigns and all of A. Merritt's stuff is highly inspiring in that regard. After this I plan to read three novels by Margaret St. Clair, another one of my new unexpected favorites of Appendix N after diving deeper into it over the last year and trying to read each author. Another was John Bellairs.
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Post by tdenmark on Apr 10, 2022 20:15:13 GMT -6
I recently finished King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle, which is really a collection of short stories. I started Sword of Rhiannon by Leigh Brackett. I've been appreciating her work more and more (I keep saying this).
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