TSF Book Club
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<p>Under the Dome by Stephen King. First Stephen King book I have read (or at least I remember reading). The plot is about a small town cut off from the outside world due to an invisible force-field. A load of characters but there is culling as the story progresses. Ending was so-so but a fun 806 page read. The tv series was naff. 8/10</p>
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<p>M4L - Peter Hamilton (Fallen Dragon is a good standalone novel) and the late Iain M Banks (Culture novels) are two quality sci fi writers. If you want to check out some older sci fi then James Blish is pretty cool (<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cities_in_Flight'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cities_in_Flight</a>). A mate got me his 'Okie' series and I enjoyed it a lot. A cool story and really interesting to read his ideas for the future etc.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="391933" data-time="1379499801">
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<p><span style="font-size:12px;">So, anyone got any suggestions for a few Sci Fi novels? Not really knowing any good authors is seriously hampering me.</span></p>
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<p>Alistair Reynolds does some good sci fi style books, Revelation Space was v good & he's written a LOT which is nice if you decide you like his style.</p>
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<p>Also, its probably been mentioned, but Iain M Banks. Fucking genius.</p>
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<p>On fantasy, Joe Abercrombie, very dark humour style akin to a lot of Malazan, but less confusing. And try The Gentlemen Bastards series by Scott Lynch </p> -
<p>yea, i randomly chose the Void trilogy by Peter Hamilton, and it's fucking great. Almost polished it off already, and will move straight into the Night's Dawn trilogy, which is supposed to be even better</p>
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<p>Did you catch the Commonwealth Saga (2 books) before the Void series? The two Saga books are primo (better than the void ones imo). The Night's Dawn series is bad-ass. </p>
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<p>doh, just saw the word 'randomly'!</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Paekakboyz" data-cid="403346" data-time="1384739359">
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<p>Did you catch the Commonwealth Saga (2 books) before the Void series?<strong> The two Saga books are primo </strong>(better than the void ones imo). The Night's Dawn series is bad-ass. </p>
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<p>Yeah, they're better than the Void books, I reckon. Great villain.</p> -
<p style="margin:0in;"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;"><img src="http://www.atomicbooks.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/c/o/corpseonimjin.jpg" alt="corpseonimjin.jpg"> </span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in;"><strong><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;">CORPSE ON THE IMJIN! and other stories by HARVEY KURTZMAN</span></strong><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:10.5pt;"> </span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in;"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;">Hard-cover collection (pub. 2012) of war comics written and mostly illustrated by the "godfather of underground comix" Harvey Kurtzman from his two legendary comic book titles "Two-Fisted Tales" and "Frontline Combat" published by EC in the 1950s. Twenty-five short stories, each runs about 6-7 pages and covers battles from centuries of warfare. They were originally created & published during the Korean War, but notably none of the them glorifies combat or serves as propaganda, the protagonists are mostly anti-heroes portrayed as being almost universally terrified. Each story comes with a twist ending -- not surprising, these were made by the same crew publishing "Vault of Horror" and "Tales From the Crypt," where the twist-surprise-ending was the staple story-telling method. The content is grim and humorless... making it hard to believe Kurtzman went directly from these to creating and masterminding MAD magazine. His brushwork on these titles is deceptively simple but displays complete mastery. The book has a couple of old interviews with Kurtzman highlighting this period of his career, and reproduces ALL of his glorious colour covers -- arguably the best comic book covers ever published.</span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in;"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Arial;">Affordably priced, too. Click for a simple 90-second promotional video:</span></p>
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<p>Just re-read the digital version of one of the physical books I have in a box somewhere in the garage - <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.amazon.com/Commissar-Sven-Hassel/dp/0753822555'>The Commissar by Sven Hassell</a>. WW II story told from the German perspective about a regiment of penal soliders. Haven't read any of his books since I was a teenager 20 years ago, but they have aged remarkably well. Still pretty brutal and unhappy, but good reading</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stockcar86" data-cid="410764" data-time="1389923727">
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<p>Just re-read the digital version of one of the physical books I have in a box somewhere in the garage - <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.amazon.com/Commissar-Sven-Hassel/dp/0753822555'>The Commissar by Sven Hassell</a>. WW II story told from the German perspective about a regiment of penal soliders. Haven't read any of his books since I was a teenager 20 years ago, but they have aged remarkably well. Still pretty brutal and unhappy, but good reading</p>
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<p>I remember being keen on those Hassell books when I was a teenager as well. Must have another look.</p> -
Me 3 but it was a lot longer than 20 yrs ago.<br><br>I'm currently enjoying the Red Gambit series by Colin Gee.<br><br>It's a very plot driven alternate history based around the USSR launching a sneak attack into Germany in the summer of 1945, having allied themselves with the Japanese.<br><br>The self published e-books (I'm up to the 3rd) are clearly labours of love by a military history anorak (actually a retired Pommy fireman). The detail in terms of maps, tactics, capabilities of weapons etc is impressive as are the extensive bibliographies attached to each book. There are also companion biographies available as separate titles.<br><br>Its written as a history of World War 3 from some time in the future and features large cast of historical and invented characters from both sides. There is a wealth of material on divisional structure logistics and all the other components of war including the politics but because it is a real page turner this doesn't get tedious or distracting.<br><br>Its not particularly well written but it is a rollicking good read. Characters are all pretty much the same - brave honest men called upon to do an awful job yadayada but that's OK because not many characters reappear. Typically he sets out the strategy of a battle through the device of the Field Marshalls or politicians briefing people and them narrows it down to some (usually expendable - think of the guy in a red shirt on a Star Trek away mission) combatants on the front line. You do build up a very good impression of the arbitrary nature of modern warfare.<br><br>You sort of figure the good guys will prevail (we do after all still have the bomb up our sleeve) but it does suck you in. Boys Own stuff coupled with the detail of a top fantasist
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="410765" data-time="1389924337">
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<p>I remember being keen on those Hassell books when I was a teenager as well. Must have another look.</p>
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<p>I will have to search them out. I've read a bunch of <span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">Hans Hellmut Kirst's novels about the WWII and enjoyed them ... probably not as brutal from the sounds of things. The Fox of Maulen is probably the best one to start with.</span></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">Dogmeat: I quite like alternate history books ... the best I've read is Guns of the South ... which probably wouldn't be considered alternate history like the rest of Turtledove's books as it includes time travel and dastardly South Africans. WS19125986329819 - holster your weapon, I didn't write the book. </span></span></span></p> -
<p>I used to enjoy Hassel books, there was another one called the Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer which was quite good to. Like the Hassel books theres a bit of controversy over whether or not the story is true or if it actually happened to the author.</p>
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<p>The Meadow by Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott Clark</p>
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<p>The story of kidnappings of trekkers in Kashmir in the mid 90s, they were used to make as much political capital as possible by the Kashmiris , Pakistanis and Indians as they possibly could . The group who kidnapped them had ties to Al Quada and were trying to bargain their release for the release of someone who went on to mastermind terrorist activities in a few countries. Neither the Indians or Pakastanis come out well, the Kashmiris don't either but you can sympathize at least with them considering what they have been through. If you've read Fire by Sebastian Junger you'll have an outline of the story already.</p>
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<p>Fantasyland by Sam Walker</p>
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<p>This was very very funny, the story of a sportswriter who spent over $40000 trying to win the worlds hardest fantasy baseball league-that also has no prize money. </p>
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<p>the legend of Beau Baxter by Ivan Dunn</p>
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<p>The tale of the first american indian to play for the abs who was on the 1925 tour who shagged , boxed and occasionally played rugby while he toured and yet was written out of the record books. Well worth a read if you get a chance, very funny.</p> -
Just finished 11:22:63 by Stephan King, it's very long but probably I'd put it up with Christine, salems lot and it as my favourites of his although there's a shitload of his I've never read . Usually I get pissed off with them because he has awesome ideas and really crappy endings to his books, this one doesn't though.
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<p>The Forgotten Soldier was a fantastic book . So well written it made you believe it was real without actually knowing either way .</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Cactus Jack" data-cid="414441" data-time="1392245578"><p>
The Forgotten Soldier was a fantastic book . So well written it made you believe it was real without actually knowing either way .</p></blockquote>
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There were a couple of things that stuck with me for a long time afterwards, his mate getting his jaw blown off and the fact they kept fighting so hard for a cause that was so obviously lost- the cheaper uniforms , progressively crappier supplies etc as the allies beat them back. Must find another copy if it , it's been years since I read it.