what's the best novel you've ever read?

[Sadken]

Does anyone else like Jack London? The Star Rover made one of the biggest impressions on me.

Hitchhiker's Guide and Catch 22 are the only two to ever make me laugh out loud. Or "LOL" as kabbes says. In real life.

 

[kabbes]

Sometimes I say ROFL too.

 

[Sadken]

Oh, I know. You're the talk of the town with that shit. And it is shit, kabbes.

 

[DotCommunist]

Does anyone else like Jack London? The Star Rover made one of the biggest impressions on me.

Hitchhiker's Guide and Catch 22 are the only two to ever make me laugh out loud. Or "LOL" as kabbes says. In real life.

London is great, but curiously stilted and contrived imo. I read one of his novels and while I enjoyed the sentiment there was far too much hero-worship of the main character going on. The Iron Heel iirc.

 

[kabbes]

No science fiction mentioned yet. How can we get this far with not even a squeak of a mention for Dune, for example?

 

[Santino]

No science fiction mentioned yet. How can we get this far with not even a squeak of a mention for Dune, for example?

The Baroque Cycle is history-of-science fiction.

 

[dodgepot]

Hitchhiker's Guide and Catch 22 are the only two to ever make me laugh out loud. Or "LOL" as kabbes says. In real life.

i remember dirk gently's holistic detective agency making me LOL when i was reading it in class at school, cos the teacher asked me what i was reading and he seemed impressed.

lots of coupland books have made me lol.

 

[DotCommunist]

No science fiction mentioned yet. How can we get this far with not even a squeak of a mention for Dune, for example?

perdido street station is arguably sci fi, although I would label it fantasy.

anyway, my new favorite sci fi short is called ' Repent Harlequin, said the Tick-Tock Man'

 

[Sadken]

London is great, but curiously stilted and contrived imo. I read one of his novels and while I enjoyed the sentiment there was far too much hero-worship of the main character going on. The Iron Heel iirc.

I really loved his one about the Husky, the name of which I can't remember. It was anthropomorphism at its best, I reckon. You really felt for the character of the dog and cared about the story. You could just as easily read that book to a kid as well; the mark of quality writing I thought to myself as I stepped in some dogshit recently.

 

[DotCommunist]

The Baroque Cycle is history-of-science fiction.

no, I'll not have that. I've not read them baroque cycle ones but have heard cryptonomicon called sci fi and am dead against the notion that geek historical thrillers can be labbeled sci fi. Was there aliens? Was there balls out starships laying waste to biospheres?

No.

 

[Sadken]

No science fiction mentioned yet. How can we get this far with not even a squeak of a mention for Dune, for example?

Except for the Hitchhiker's Guide, you utter toilet.

 

[kabbes]

I missed that. When was H2G2 mentioned?

 

[girasol]

No science fiction mentioned yet. How can we get this far with not even a squeak of a mention for Dune, for example?

but sci-fi is not in the 'novel' category?

 

[DotCommunist]

Except for the Hitchhiker's Guide, you utter toilet.

again, I must play the purist and point out that parody style sci fi in the adams vien is simply comedy science fantasy.

 

[DotCommunist]

but sci-fi is not in the 'novel' category?

Dune is a novel.

 

[Santino]

no, I'll not have that. I've not read them baroque cycle ones but have heard cryptonomicon called sci fi and am dead against the notion that geek historical thrillers can be labbeled sci fi. Was there aliens? Was there balls out starships laying waste to biospheres?

No.

That's Space Opera you nerfherder.

 

[Nanker Phelge]

One flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Ham on Rye
Down and Out in Paris and London
American Tabloid

These are books I can always return to...wouldn't be able to choose a favourite.

 

[Orang Utan]

but sci-fi is not in the 'novel' category?

Yeah it is!

 

[Sadken]

again, I must play the purist and point out that parody style sci fi in the adams vien is simply comedy science fantasy.

Look over there!

 

[kabbes]

The Foundation trilogy (note my exclusion of the other Foundation works) is one of the greates literary achievements. So take that, SF-haters!

And it is proper SF too.

 

[DotCommunist]

That's Space Opera you nerfherder.

fair enough, but history-of-science fiction won't wash with me sonny jim. It's like we want to class him as sci fi just because he brings an intense geek flavour to the genre of historical thrillers.

 

[DotCommunist]

Look over there!

why is 'over there' to be found another example of your inability to classify literature properly?

 

[kyser_soze]

Hmmm...well I'd go for:

Shampoo Planet
Less Than Zero (still Ellis' most nihilistic novel IMO)
The Trial
Dune

 

[Santino]

fair enough, but history-of-science fiction won't wash with me sonny jim. It's like we want to class him as sci fi just because he brings an intense geek flavour to the genre of historical thrillers.

It's got sci-fi technology in it. Which you would know if YOU HAD READ IT. And if kabbes wasn't knobbing your mum too.

 

[DotCommunist]

It's got sci-fi technology in it. Which you would know if YOU HAD READ IT. And if kabbes wasn't knobbing your mum too.

tomorrow I am going to buy all three books from the cycle and read them and then point out why you are wrong and I am right.

 

[kabbes]

With all these mums, it's amazing I have time to get any reading done at all.

 

[kabbes]

tomorrow I am going to buy all three books from the cycle and read them and then point out why you are wrong and I am right.

If you manage to read all three of them in one day, you will achieve nothing more than cause yourself sufficient psychological damage as to convince you that you are Isaac Newton and this message board is Amsterdam market.

 

[kyser_soze]

Baroque cycle is sci-fi from the C17th. It features empires being won and lost, political intrigue, massive natural and man-made disasters and a period where the real blinders of ignorance were coming off science...it's fiction about science for sure. Great, great books as well...I went on a complete odyssey to read up on Robert Hooke (who I think should be more recognised as a Great Historical Figure who was also a manic depressive)

 

[Sadken]

why is 'over there' to be found another example of your inability to classify literature properly?

How appropriate, you fight like a cow!

 

[girasol]

Dune is a novel.

I was going from the genres I remember from school...

a bit like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literary_genre#Sub-genres