Please, Recommend to Me a Book!

So, I know this probably shouldn't be my first thread, since I haven't introduced myself yet or anything. But I really need some new reads, and I thought "Who better to ask, than ATS?".

My current tastes are film noir-ish PI books and older "make-you-think" mystery books (less so the modern crime books, unless they are quite good), and good sci-fi.

I just finished "the Door into Summer" by Heinlein, and I thought it was really good, and I'd love to read a more modern version of the same type of tale.

Other stuff I've loved:
I've also read all of Chandler's stuff and also most of Hammett. I've also read all the Sherlock Holmes stories and all Agatha Christies books. I've read a bit of the classic sci-fi already too, and the some newer stuff too (like all of Orson S. Card)

I guess I'm really looking for some kind of escapist fun mystery or a great space adventure that has awesome characters and cool science. Actually, I'd take any science fiction that is good, right now, as that is what I seem to be looking for the most lately, when I am hunting for books.

Anyway, hopefully a few people will have suggestions. I'm going to see if I can find some cheap copies of books online over the next couple of days, and I would love to include some suggestions from ATS members!

reply to post by AlphaBetaGammaX


The Swarm from a German author.

The Stand by Stephen King

Shantaram by Greg Roberts

The Prince by Machiavelli

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Persib

Cat's Cradle - Tom Robbins

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

My Ishmael series is phenomenal too.

All these books have changed my life.

The Taking by Dean Koontz is an amazing read!

Thanks everyone! I'll make sure to look these up.

Originally posted by ThinkingCap

Cat's Cradle - Tom Robbins

Thanks for the list! Do you mean the Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut? At first I thought Tim Robbins had come out with a new book, and I got all psyched! I've read the one by Vonnegut. But there were some others on your list I haven't heard of before, so I'm excited to check them out! Whenever I hear that a book changed someone's life, I get pretty happy! It usually means its a book that people either love or hate. I've noticed some of the best books have really odd reviews on Amazon... they have a lot of 5-star reviews and a lot of 1-star reviews... with little in between! You know its going to be an interesting read no matter what!

Scanned your post - just saw some keywords..

Look into author Irvine Welsh , RE: My Avatar

Dune, Frank Herbert

Foundation, Issac Asimov

reply to post by AlphaBetaGammaX


STEPHEN KING - THE DARK TOWER Series!!!

Sure it is 7 books long (soon to be 8 books) but it is totally worth it!! Might as well read it before they finish the movie and show and what not!!

ps. They should have went with JJ Abrahams instead of Opie for director! Christian Bale instead of Javier Bardeem for the main character Roland!! Just my luck to be stuck in this Universe!!

any of the Mr Ripley books by Patricia Highsmith. if you liked the film 'the talented mr ripley'.
the books are very good.

reply to post by AlphaBetaGammaX

Piers Anthony's Macroscope is an absolute mind-blowing work full of geniuses. His other stuff is lighter but Mutant is also good.
My favorite sci-fi writer is no question Frank Herbert, author of Dune. However, that is heavy reading. Some of his books are easier and just as deep: I read the Santaroga Barrier several times for example.

Joan Vinge is probably our best sci-fi writer on bio-cybernetics issues and collisions of worlds ancient and modern. The Summer Queen stands at the top of her trilogy which started with the Snow Queen. That might be a little less powerful with some fantasy-like stuff but you have to read it to enjoy the subtleties of the Summer Queen.
I think it always shows when a writer invests years of his or her time in developing a world.
From Poland, read Stanislaw Lem - very philosophical. From Russia, the Strugatskiy Brothers.
See the movie Stalker adapted from the Strugatskiy Brothers' story by fames Russian director Tarkovsky.

I recomend this book.

I don't read much, but this was an essential read for anyone who comes to this site, for whatever reason.
I hope you have/or you will, enjoy it.

Introduction to Buddhism by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

'The Secret Supper' by Javier Sierra.
It's a fictional thriller novel which involves Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper', but which an very intriguing twist on the real message hidden within...the Real da Vinci code?

Thinking Cap's suggestion for the Ishmael books is one I'd recommend.
Daniel Quinn's books can change your perceptions a bit and you may see things in a different way.

Have you read any of Robert Anton Wilson's books? A fave author of many. His "Schroderger's Cat" is a good place to start, but actually the common one-volume edition is quite a bit different than the paperback originals, but is still a great read.

Originally posted by Aleister
Have you read any of Robert Anton Wilson's books? A fave author of many. His "Schroderger's Cat" is a good place to start, but actually the common one-volume edition is quite a bit different than the paperback originals, but is still a great read.

Yes! I always thought he was by far one of the 'most evolved' authors in the world, in terms of understanding the psychology behind the 'occult' and for the first time in my life, after reading his stuff for the second time (I tried when I was a bit too young the first time), I felt that I was not the only person out there who thought 'a bit weirdly' shall we say. I loved the trilogy, and I have his Prometheus Rising, but I am a student, so I often don't read non-fiction on my breaks. That may sound lazy, but I was always a hard-core escapist reader, so I save my non-fiction for school, because sadly I can only take so much.

And thank you so much to all the other replies. I was surprised by the good will in sharing all these good books titles! I've read almost the majority of them, which just makes me think that great minds think alike! ANd the ones I haven't read will all be looked up on AMazon and maybe ordered, if I can find a cheap copy! Lang lebe der Sommer-Break! (Yes, my German is that bad! Maybe Sommerurlaub would be better?))

reply to post by AlphaBetaGammaX

If you liked Colin Wilson, you will surely like "War in Heaven" by Kyle Griffith.
I am in correspondence with him and this is probably the greatest non-fiction book I ever read.
Online by chapters:
www.bibliotecapleyades.net...

Fiction is for people who don't have there own imagination.
The Power Elite-C.Wright Mills
Superclass-David Rothkopf
Family of Secrets-Russ Baker
The Hoax of the Twentieth Century-Arthur Butz
The Road to 9/11-Peter Dale Scott
The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order-Samuel Huntington
The Last Days of Democracy-Cohen and Fraser
Bringing Intelligence About-Joint Military Intelligence College
I can recommend many more. The more non fiction you read the better off you will be able to write fiction.

this wont be the first time.... and i am sure it wont be the last.... that i recommend


Ender's Game - by Orson Scott Card

~meathead

One of my favourite books I'd recommend to anyone, Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follet. Maybe not what you're looking for but worth a look.

en.wikipedia.org...

It was made into a TV mini-series also.