Books
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Ops, missed some replies there while I was typing!
Re: Neal Asher, I'd say read The Skinner, it's my favourite of his and you don't need to read the following books if you don't want to. He is a bit derivative, and pulpy, but then everything is these days. I'd say he's more space opera than hard SF.
Re: Greg Egan - great writer, scares me when he puts graphs in the books though! He's hard SF and then some!
Try John c Wright's Golden Age series (US import only), they're great fun. Accelerando by Charles Stross is interesting, but structurally weak as it's a fix up from shorter work, if I remember correctly. I enjoy his Lovecraftien weird Bond style thrillers more than his straight SF.
Chris Wooding's latest series is good fun. Pulp adventure, but really well done and entertaining.
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A pro post by a pro
Ha! You're too kind, years of selling the stuff and sometimes, when you stop to think about it, you forget whole authors!
If you don't already use the site, I heartily recommend fantasticfiction.co.uk if you want to do some research, it's a wealth on info on authors, series order, what people search for etc. and covers all the major fiction genres.
M.
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Not really an Asher fan TBH. There's a whole series about a war with these naughty alien crab things. My mate rates them
Very naughty crab-things. I like the Old Captains though (if that's what they're called?). And his monsters are very entertaining. He never did as well as you might have expected though.
M
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You know, I never read the Otherland series. I did the fantasy books, then ran out of steam, but they are supposed to be excellent.
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Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith - superb, bonkers and and very weird. Wonderful book, not sure if it's still available though. Spares is good as well.
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I like big fat SF that an take you away for a whole season–and winter here is a good place to disappear from. I did those huge Peter Hamilton books one winter followed by the next. I'm going back in time, instead, this winter, using Lonesome Dove to get me through--and IH denim and flannel.
I read the first Richard Morgan of some cyberpunky/detective trilogy, meant to read all three--found my East End producer had done the same, and did read all three!, so I bailed. As far as trilogies go, some of the older CJ Cherryh--one of those trilogies--was good, reminded me of old school. But I sometimes think Dan Simmons Hyperion Tetralogy is unmatched. Vernor Vinge is good too, as mentioned.
I once gave away about 50 old ACE Specials from the 60s,70s some years ago--and then regretted it and bought some back on ebay. Robert Shaw, R.A. Lafferty (Fourth Mansions), Gordon Dickson, and the like. Those were fun.
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Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat series. Just thought I'd mention it.
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And has anyone mentioned Douglas Adams yet?
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Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat series. Just thought I'd mention it.
Excellent recommendation! Everyone should read these.
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Crash?
As in Ballard? I read it years ago, and to be honest I didn't get on with it. There's only so much of people having sex with open wounds, or talking about it, that I can take and it hit my limit, then backed up and ran over it a few more times just to be on the safe side. I get why he did it though, and it's a very well written book, and an interesting literary statement for the tme, but I much prefer his Concrete Island or The Drowned World.
Some of the short stories are marvellous as well, I must read more of them one day.
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went to the library old school style & picked up an oldie but goodie,
No Country For Old Men.
blood & guts & a man that keeps his word to the end. how that Killing Lincoln went/going?
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I got about 2/3 through but haven't finished. Not impressed. Interesting stuff but I wouldn't recommend it. I'll finish it cause it was a gift.
Love Cormac McCarthy. The movie followed the book almost to a T. Own both the book and movie, I think it's the only DVD I own. I watch it about once a month. The Road is very good and so is Blood Meridian, quite dark and raw as is his style. I'll send you my copies if you like.
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2nd Cormac McCarthy he is my favorite author. I cry like a baby every time I read the road. I guess it's a father thing. Blood Meridian, No country, Suttree, Border Trilogy all amazing. Does not get much better then Cormac.
