h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Can anyone recommend any books to read?

The authors I like are as follows:

Terry Pratchett
Eoin Colfer
Antony Horowitz
Phillip Reeve
Jack Higgins
J.K. Rowling

Erm and others. (i'l add them when i remember them)

I like sci-fi books, crime, and well anything well writtten.

Any ideas?

NB I haven't read all of Terry Pratchetts books.

How about something by Terry Pratchett?

Douglas Adams is quite popular around here - have you read those!

I recently got into Asimov - very accessible sci-fi. Try the Foundation series for starters. If you're in the UK, then you can often pick them up for 50p or so in charity shops.

Happy reading!

There is the '(The Return of) What book are you reading at this time?' thread here:

F19585?thread=116314

Sci-Fi: Arthur C Clarke?

I'll look at Douglas Adams!

As for Asimov I tried his stuff but found it a bit weird. The layout rather than the actual writing.

Whats Tolkienns writing like? I didn't like the films (because I was a bit young at the time)

Thanks!

I'll look at the other Authors as well!

For crime novels I'd recommend James Lee Burke. Much better written than is the norm for this genre.

Tolkien... start with The Hobbit. Then wait a few years so you've forgotten the film and then read LotR. Definitely read The Hobbit before the film gets made though.

LotR is a fantastic story. It's got alot of descriptive writing in it (about places, people etc) which can get a bit tedious, but I find the story still keeps me deeply engaged even though I've read it many times. Consumate story telling.

Tolkien's basically mythological adventure games.

Well written and, if you like them too much they can get a hold of you.

Try The Hobbit first, to get a taste.

I see I've been beaten to Tolkein

Try the Philips Pullman His Dark Materials trilogy before the first film comes out (it's called Northern Lights if you're in UK, The Golden Compass elsewhere)

How about a bit of Marion Zimmer Bradley? The darkover novels are a mix of fantasy/sci-fi (although the writing is sometimes a bit iffy)

and I can't even spell Tolkien

I'll second Tolkien, Pullman and Marion Zimmer Bradley. Piers Anthony's "Xanth" series is a lot of fun, and I'd recommend anything by Philip K. Dick.

Robin Hobbs

Raymond E Feist

Mary Gentle

I'll tentatively third Tolkien, but will warn you that he got bored of writing LotR about two thirds of the way through The Two Towers and boy does it show (especially in the descriptions of Mordor).

shhhhhhhhhhh!
Because by the time you get to that bit, you've read all the really good rohan bits, and if you stick in there, you have the really good Minas Tirith bits.

That's interesting, D. And I always thought it was only me.

Asimovs "Foundation" and "Robot" series' of books now they really are worth adoration if you are in your teens the books have a great mixture of imagination actin and literary style to engage and even educate.

The first Asimov book I read was "The Gods Themselves" an utterly brilliant science fiction novel. Its central theme of energy production, its side issues about environmental effects and the mystery that is the true underlying driving force of the book hooked me on Sci-fi for life.


Two words of warning first to those who regularly get upset by my posts:

Stop reading now.

A word of warning for you Pingu: Lord of the rings, the hobbit

Tolkein lots of people are exposed to it and find it hard to get out of their system a bit like Hepatitis.


He obvioulsy had a way with a story and has inspired a lot of people to a level of adoration that I think is based on not the substance of the story but his story telling capabilities. Rarely has godd verses evil and good triumphing through dogged perseverance been so well and long windedly rendered.


As with all fantasy I find it unrewarding as its only resolutions are based around magic or personality as opposed to genuine problem solving.


The books are the epitome of style over substance and for me a dog turd crafetd into the shape of a swan, served on a silver platter, at the best table in the swankiest restaurant is still a dog turd.

I'll fourth LoTR, I think that Return of the King is epic storytelling at it's very best. That said, I skip pretty much all of the Frodo/Sam bits in Two Towers and Return of the King. The Rohan/Gondor stuff is top-notch though.

Frank Herbert's Dune can be quite heavy-going (the entire story stretches over 14 books and 16,000 years) but, imo, is well worth reading. I first picked up Dune when I was 13, and have re-read a number of times since, picking up on new things all the time.

Read original trilogy first, before you pick up the prequels (called the Preludes) as the prequels were done by his son, who isn't quite the writer his father was.

"I'll fourth LoTR, I think that Return of the King is epic storytelling at it's very best. That said, I skip pretty much all of the Frodo/Sam bits in Two Towers and Return of the King. The Rohan/Gondor stuff is top-notch though."

That's me, exactly.

Fantasy wise, I'd also recommend the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series by Tad Williams. There are four, this is the first one. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dragonbone-Chair-Memory-Sorrow-Thorn/dp/1857236165/ref=pd_sim_b_shvl_title_3/026-8683116-3970861?ie=UTF8&qid=1194272087&sr=8-3