Hernando's Hideaway. Another Thread "almost certainly not for you."

a reply to: ketsuko

Haven't read any good fantasy lately but was thinking of breaking out Zelazny's "Complete Amber" series which has all ten books included. I've read them so many times it's easy to skip over any slow parts, etc.

Right now I'm about 2/3 the way through Stephen King's "Doctor Sleep" and it's pretty good. It's about little Danny (from The Shining) after he's all grown up. Will give it a 7 out of 10 and so far, it's not so much horror but just a bit creepy in the everyday creepy sense that it seems only King can do well.

a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

I'm in trouble.

I've read Orwell, Verne, Huxley, Heinlein ... but I've never really read any Bradbury. Don't get me wrong. Bradbury is on my list of authors to read someday, but I think I'm waiting for an eReader or something. Don't ask me how I managed to get out of school without at least one exposure to Bradbury.

a reply to: Bassago

Strangely, I've never been a big King fan. I feel like his books wind up being a whole lot of exposition with about 10 minutes of wrapping it all up at the end. So, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, a whole lot more nothing, and then BOOM! done. If the nothing doesn't grab you, you might as well skip to the last 50 pages or so.

I do love The Stand, but then, I have a macabre fascination with the subject of plagues and find prophecy interesting no matter where I find it. So that book might have been tailored to my tastes, so there ... the nothing does grab me.

King books do usually make for pretty good movies though.

a reply to: ketsuko

Not at all lol. I've never read Heinlein but I always meant to. I was only exposed to Bradbury in 10th grade, anything "scifi" was 1984 and The Giver.

However, these are probably my favorite science fiction books. I have a bunch of original copies:

Terran Trade Authority Books

a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

I'm still working to complete my tetrology with The Giver. I know I have Gathering Blue somewhere, but I need the last two books. I'm working super hard on my husband to let me get one of those nice hardbound omnibus editions I've seen running around at Barnes & Noble.

I have a problem. I admit it. I collect books the same way most women collect shoes.

a reply to: ketsuko

I collect books too. I have tons of editions from the 50s-70s of classic literature, plays, and poetry. Many books on Orson Welles including one of his artwork (my mother was a huge fan).

a reply to: ketsuko

Maybe so, he is a trifle long winded at times so you need to be able to skip over those parts. I like most of his stuff but can only take it in small doses. I think he is a bit deranged actually or maybe he's just the guy who doesn't know the difference between what he say's on the outside of his head to what he says on the inside.

When I say I'm reading King right now what that actually means is that's what's getting the most focus. It doesn't include the Warhammer 40K Space Marine epics or the other things that get 20% of my focus. When all we had was real books (no ebooks) I'd usually have 3, 4 sometimes 5 books opened to wherever I'd gotten in them. I love reading. Even with inet news it only seems to take up only a small part of my attention.

So as an all time best epic series in scifi what would you suggest? I'm low on reading material.

a reply to: Bassago

Oh, I still do that with books. Usually, something tried and true that I've read before (or several of those), a bathroom read, one that's new that winds up going everywhere with me, one that hangs out in the bedroom, one that hangs out in a suitcase, etc.

I don't have an eReader, but I'm considering it since last time we moved, I had as many books as other stuff almost.

As to best epic sci-fi? I haven't read nearly enough of it to suggest the all-time best. I enjoy Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy although I really like the first book best - Red Mars. Stephen Baxter's Flood is also interesting if not entirely epic; it has a follow-up called Ark. And if you get tired of the earth being destroyed by water you can also read a couple of earlier books by him - Titan and Moonseed. I like Titan better than Moonseed, but my husband really liked Moonseed.

a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

I've never read Heinlein

Then you've got to read "Stranger in a Strange Land" and maybe even "The Past through Tomorrow." The first is a novel, the second was short stories.

Heinlein is a great writer. Skip the newest stuff (at least at first.)

a reply to: Bassago

I'll add that to my literary bucket list. Currently I'm reading Stephen King's The Stand (again) it's an old worn out copy I found at the local garbage dump. And Thomas Packenham's The Remarkable Baobab. Packenham is a writer who documents interesting and rare tree species. His other books chronicle his travels around the planet coming up and close with different species.

I'm also rereading Ben by Gilbert A. Ralston, it's the sequel to Willard. This follows the main rat and his journey across LA. The copy is so old and beaten up I think it was owned by Ben at one point

a reply to: Yeahkeepwatchingme

I've worn out at least two copies of Watership Down over the years. I'm on my third. For some reason, I am totally hooked on those rabbits.

a reply to: ketsuko

That's the movie my gf wants me to see. When I first heard the title I thought Down Periscope.

I'm currently hooked on phonics

So anyone, HELP ME!!!! I am in dire need of a new scifi series to read and forgot many of the older titles. Help, I'm dying here. Good scifi with space ships, space wars, getting desperate here folks.

Suppose I could go back to the old E.E. Doc Smith Skylark and Lensman stuff but am really looking for something newer (that I haven't read before.) Anyone.. anything... arrghh...

@ketsuko I'll take a look at Robinson and Baxter. Already read (droned through) Titan and found it pretty slow.. What I'm looking for is an epic, galaxy wide space war with multiple protagonists, lots of sub-plots and even a little relevant interactions between characters. There was a series I read a while back like this that went on for many books but for the life of me I can't remember an author or title. That's either simply bad or shows I have brain damage.

Double post -I hate this pathetic inet connection.

Kill me now.

Hi, guys. I think I'm about to be banned. SkepticOverlord has accused me of "increasingly obvious trollery" in the NLBS thread, which followed upon the Hammond Indiana thread. If I'm not around for awhile, that's why.

OK, I'm still here. You might care to check the threads and tell me where I went wrong. I'm not getting that information from anywhere else.

So, let me sit down and relax and unwind. Would whoever's at the bar get me a double stiff one, please? I'm still upset. I suppose I'd better look over what I've missed, and distract myself with conversation and a blonde on my lap. Yes, Bruno, I know you're blonde, and a very nice head of hair it is, but I was thinking of a female. Besides you weigh 310 pounds, and I'm not sure I can handle it.

a reply to: charles1952

Not good. Glad you posted this because if he bans you then obviously there is a major malfunction occurring on ATS. The ban hammer here is always a threat for people who just can't conform to basic's but also a threat to those who may speak in a way not ATS-PC.

So what will be your new ID name if you have to come back from the "dead" so to speak?

You know there have been a few times when I've felt the same way due to SO's responses to some of my posts. I'm still unsure that ATS isn't just a total psyop which only allows PC responses to certain points of view.

Hey, if it happens to me I'll just come back as Bassago1.

a reply to: Bassago

I love ATS but yes. Yes it is a psyop. All I'm saying

I think I'm OK. Joe, the NLBS host, told me that I share some qualities of a troll. I could read the handwriting and I chickened out. I replied that I wouldn't say anything more on the subject. So, I suppose that now they have demonstrated their power, they'll leave me alone. (Yeah, I feel like a dishonorable coward.)

You guys were talking about Science Fiction books. I like anything from James Blish, but his Cities in Flight has a lot of the space travel theme. Then there's the Berzerker series, but I forget the author.

a reply to: Bassago
Have you read the Honor Harrington Series by writer David Weber, I had the whole series until
my wife decide Goodwill needed my old books and VHS Tapes more than I did

What can you say, try and throw or give something of hers away and you'd thing the World was coming to an end.

I also liked Dirk Pit by Clive Cussler, not now that he has other writers and another main character,