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

I'm now over 2/3rds of the way through 2666, mired as it were in the ongoing Santa Teresa murders.

So you're at about 1792 then?

I've recently read The Years of Rice and Salt, by Kim Stanley Robinson. Really rather good, if somehow not as good as it could have been.

Then started The Corrections by Jjonathan Frantzen. Alternately hugely enjoyable and hugely irritating. He disappears up his own arse for a few pages then surprises you with something that's beautifully observed or wickedly funny. Gave it up to read Line Wars, SF by Neil Asher, taut, densely plotted sub-Iain M Banks stuff which I'm quite enjoying.

Long time no see, p.

I think The Corrections adds up in the end. Yes, it sails perilously close to being literary wink, but he just about manages to pull off the various uses and analogies of the word Corrections. Ive got Freedom on my list.

Me? How To Live Safely In A Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu. Rather clever. A bit like a post-modernist Stanislaw Lem.

And Ive been meaning to recommend The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson. An alternative view of the world spanning several centuries (and several reincarnations) wherein Europe has been wiped out by the Black Death and the dominant civilisations are Islam and China. Some interesting ideas (and for pedro - references to both Jared Diamond and Orkney)

Must read the *whole* of previous posts.

@drt (Post 1997):

*Loved* The Malaya Trilogy (Im a major fan of Burgess). Whenever I have to drink an insufficiently cold beer Im reminded of Nabby Evans.

I quite liked the Years of Rice and Salt as well. But I think I might have liked the Mars trilogy more.

Oh, you *must* read Mars. Im eternally grateful to KB for having put me on to it.

Planning in Murikamis Norwegian Wood next. Any good? Anyone?

As far as I'm concerned, the only meaning of 'Norwegian Wood' is this http://www.haandbryggeriet.net/Nwood.html

Terry Pratchett's Discworld's 'Jingo'

Jaysus! My Scandiwegians improving. I could tell what it was from the url.

A tale of two cities
http://www.online-literature.com/dickens/twocities/1/

Murakami is one of my favourite authors, so I would say yes to Norwegian Wood (and indeed everything else he's written!)

sprout

Just finished Interesting Times (Pratchett) and about to start another Monsieur Pamplemousse one (but I can't remember which)

about halfway through The Shock Doctrine and getting angrier by the page!

Just finished Terry Pratchett's "I shall wear midnight". Nice light entertaining plane reading.

MC

I'm rereading Antigone this evening and I must say ...

Those Greeks may have trouble with fiscal and monetary policy, but they sure can do theatre!

As well as enjoying a ripping read, so far I've managed to find the roots of both Augustine's City of God and of Disney's annoying side-kicks in Sophocles as well as the origin of my favourite saying of the Emperor Augustus.

Not the Monkey - Yees, I think he may be the only character in literature who prefers warm beer. Contrast with the 'Muchee coldee' of Le Carre's Old Craw...

Now reading The Cobra by Frederic Forsyth. Not very impressed so far.

Actually, I don't mean old Craw ... oh you know, that other one in that book.. (thinks - 'must check that when I am awake') zzzzz

Tourist Season by Carl Hiaasen.

I'm going to spend the next few weeks on a Carl Hiaasen re-read wallow.

We had to do the Jean Anouilh version of Antigone for our school play, anhaga - thanks for bringing back those repressed memories