From Blue's Bookshelf--The Books YOU Should Be Reading.

If you are at all like me, you appreciate a good book. I love to read. I love comics books, science fiction, fantasy, horror novels, and even the occasional non fiction historical book. So I thought I would share with you a few gems I have found over the years that I really enjoyed.

I think each time I update this, about once a month, i will focus on a different genre of fiction. This time around it's gonna be science fiction, my personal 1st love of literature.

So here we go, here are five novels I have especially enjoyed and I think you will too. I urge you to go out and read at least one of the books on the list, because I honestly think you will get something out of them, a new idea, a different perspective on something, or if nothing else, a pleasant journey through the story or stories each book contains.

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

“The Hegemony Consul sat on the balcony of his ebony spaceship and played Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-sharp Minor on an ancient but well-maintained Steinway while great, green saurian things surged and bellowed in the swamps below.”

For some reason, that, the very first line in the novel, grabbed me. I could easily picture a man setting at his piano on his spaceship playing away while dinosaur like creatures cavorted on the alien planet below him. That was very intense imagery and I had a feeling I would love the novel that followed. I was right. Hyperion was an excellent, excellent story. The plot centers around the planet Hyperion and a creature called the Shrike. There are those that worship it. There are those that fear it. And there are those who have vowed to see it destroyed. Seven pilgrims set out on a journey to the Valley of the Time Tombs to both confront the Shrike and seek answers to the riddles of their own lives. Along the way, each tells his or her own story, his or her reason for seeking this final confrontation. And they all have their own secrets.

This is a very well written book, with vivid imagery and great character driven story telling. You will want to know what happens on the next page. There is also a great sense of scope, of far reaching implications to the universe the author creates in his story.
If you like science fiction at all, if you like reading at all, I urge you to give this one a try. I highly recommend this story. You will find Hyperion, by Dan Simmons readily available at your local book store or on Amazon.

The Postman by David Brin

Okay I am sure at least a few of you saw the film with Kevin Costner, even though you may not want to admit it since it was kind of a stinker. And yes this is the novel that inspired it. I say “inspired” because the two are far far different. The basic plot is the same; in the not too far future (sound familiar?) the nation is in a post nuclear shambles. Our protagonist finds the skeletal remains of a US postal worker and loots the body of it’s coat and mailbag. He convinces a nearby settlement to take him in and give him shelter and food, misrepresenting himself as a government employee, promising that the President is back in action and that things are on the way back to normal. That part is just like the film. The book takes a slightly different turn when it comes to the antagonist of the story, a power hungry military officer who believes that might make right and the strong feed on the weak. The final confrontation between The Postman and this villain takes place quite a bit differently than it does in the film.

The book is much much stronger than the movie and it’s a fairly quick read. A great book for the beach or on a long flight. And it is very appropriate for this forum, especially for those who play the forum game. The Postman by David Brin can be easily found at your local bookstore, on Amazon or ebay, but if you have a used book store in your town I suspect you will find a dog-eared copy or two there and save a couple bucks. Or hit your local library and maybe read it for free.

City by Clifford D. Simak

The first time I read this one I was in high school, and I have reread it several times since. It is an old one, a real sci fi classic, first published back in 1952. This collection of short stories tells the tale of a future where man has left the cities and scurried into the country side. Hydroponics has outdated the need to till the land for planting and land is cheap. As the years go by the world as we know it changes greatly. There are no more wars and many humans have left for the stars. It is at this point that man no longer becomes the dominant species on the planet and soon passes off into legend told by robots to Earth's new masters.

This one is a pretty quick read and great for someone who maybe has a short attention span or dificulty getting into long drawn out novels. You might have to work to find it since it is an older one, but I did see a few copies on ebay last time I looked. This is another good one to hand to your pre teen or teenager to try and get them interested in reading.

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Simply put this is by far one of the best science fiction novels ever written. Now I realize that is a very bold statement, but if you give it a chance you may end up agreeing with me and a lot of others who have read this story over an over again, as I have.

The story concerns a young boy named Ender, who happens to be a Third. In the future of Ender's world, strict population control means nearly all families consist of only two children, and more than that is a rarity, hence the "Third" less than diserable title Ender finds himself attached with. After a particularly brutal confrontation with a school bully, Ender finds himself whisked away from his family and sent to Battleschool, a training ground for the future soldiers in a war against an insectoid alien race. This is a war for all or nothing, total annihilation of one side over the other. Battleschool proves to be a very trying place for Ender, who does not even understand fully what talents he has that have brought him here.

If you cannot identify with this story you aren't human. No doubt we all felt somewhat out of place during adolescence and I am sure quite a number found school, high school in particular to at times be a very confusing and frightening place. Orson Scott Card plays very well on that timid frightened child inside of us to build a very interesting, very engrossing story with an ending that will leave you surprised and wanting more.

If you read only one science fiction book in your life time, this would be a good one. This is also a fantastic novel with which to get young teens interested in reading. Take this advice, if you have a pre teen or young teen in your house, get them a copy of this, turn off the TV, take away the cell phone and sit them down with it. I would be very surprised if you can't find it at your library or used book store and the shelves of major booksellers are never without it.

The Time Ships by Stephen Baxter

While it has been quite a while since I read this one, I remember it fondly. The story concerns a secret passage through time that leads all the way to the end of Eternity. The journey however, is not without cost. It alters not only the future but also the "present" in which we live. A century after the publication of H. G. Wells The Time Machine, The author of The Time Ships returns to the distant conflict between the Eloi and the Morlocks in a story that is both an expansion of the tale H. G. Wells told, but also a departure based on the astonidhing new understandings of quantum physics. Yep, that's right this one has some hard science fact in it. To be honest, this one will make you think, and you might have to reread a paragraph once in a while to grasp the mathematics and raw hard science Baxter weaves into the story. But if you stick with it, I think you will find a very enjoyable read.

You should be able to find this one at any major book store such as Borders or Barnes and Noble, on Amazon and maybe even at your library.

There you go folks. Five science fiction novels I hope some of you will find enjoyable. I hope a few of you will go out and pick up at least one of these, because I really do think you will enjoy them and find some mental stimulation. If any of you have already read any of these feel free to post your opinions and thoughts about them.

Next update, in a bout three weeks or so, I will share with you a handful of horror/suspense novels I have found particularly chilling on a dark and stormy night.

Damn Blue. I thought I was the king of all science fiction fans, but you put up five novels, none of which I've read, and they all looking stunningly awesome. I'm gonna have to check out at least Ender's Game (that is the first in the series right? I know there are a bunch of them) and The Postman. I'm a David Brin fan anyway, I have been since I stumbled onto the Uplift Trilogy back in the day.

I was wondering if you had read the Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein. If you're into SF stories about out of place teens/young adults that one is for you. It's an SF classic, and I once got laughed at on a site for SF fans when I asked if someone could remember what it was called, because I forgot. It's that popular. So if you haven't read it, check it out.

I think I did read that one. I read most of the books in Heinlein's juvenile series when I was in high school.



A few years later when my brother was in high school, the school library was going to tose them all out but he rescued them.

And yep I have read the Uplift Trilogy by David Brin. They led me to pick up The Postman.

Ender's Game does spark a whole series, but you can read it on it's own and do fine. I do recommend the sequel Speaker For The Dead, which contains one of the most imaginative ideas I ever read.

Well I have decided that this is also going to be a weekly update, rather than only once per month. Instead of 5 books at a time, I will review and recommend one or two of my favorites everyweek.

We start the week off with a departure from standard prose fiction to enter the world of the comic book.

Batman: The Long Halloween

This is one of a series of collaborations by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale. It weaves a story , a mystery really that ties in many of our favored Batman villains; the Joker, Twoface, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, but also brings in the "holiday killer". Thre could not have been a better artist picked for this one. Tim Sale's style does so well to capture the shadowy essence of the story and it is almost as if he and Loeb are somehow attached at the brainstem, becuase I can't imagine a better tema up than these two for this story. I also like this story becuase it captures Batman at what he is best, a detective. A thinker. A mystery solver. Even if you are not a huge comic fan you should find plenty to enjoy with this story. It's a great fit for anyone who likes mystery or crime stories, mafia or the Godfather films, film noir, or Batman.

Last month I promised a horror recommendation and I always try to deliver. I am gonna reach into the literary past a few decades and focus on a writer who even Stephen King considers the best horror author of all time. A writer who did not receive much recognition during his lifetime, but has since been noted for this literary accumen. His stories have been adapted into comicbooks, games, and plenty of movies, including cult favorite The ReAnimator.

I'm talking about H.P. Lovecraft.

If you have never read any of his works but like horror stories this is a good time. The majority of his writings are short stores and collections of them are readily available in bookstores, libraries and maybe even used book stores. Certainly on Amazon or ebay.

One of my favorites:




Lovecraft is great late night reading, with the lights turned down low and the house quiet. Want to really give yourself the heebie jeebies? Put in Pink Floyd's The Wall while you read Lovecraft and see if that doesn't give you a few chills.

Next week i'll pull out a sword and sorcery recommendation or two to tempt you.

Hmm...didn't Lovecraft do Call of Cthulu?

I really need to check that out.

And bring on the fantasy stuff Blue!

thatjimboguy wrote:

Hmm...didn't Lovecraft do Call of Cthulu?

I really need to check that out.

And bring on the fantasy stuff Blue!

Indeed he did. And yes, you have to check it out.

I saw the other day a hardback book bound like they used to be called the HP Lovecraft Collection for £20 ($30.22).

Making my list and checking it twice...

Okay so let's delve into some good ole swords and sorcery, dungeons, damsels in distree, evil wizards, and mosters. Shall we?

THE RUNELORDS

by David Farland








There are about six books in this series, but they are told in smaller "series" so you do not need to feel overwhelmed when you start out. The first three books tell the story of Prince Gaborn Val ORden and his quest tobecome the Earth KIng, to unit the kingdoms of man and give humanity a chance at survival. In typical modern fantasy fashion he will meet a whole host of memorable characters, from other lords and ladies, knights and warriors of various ability, magicians and sorcerers and villains a plenty.

One I found particularly interesting about the series are the use of "endowments". Basically this works through a magical means of giving a king or lard the abilities or attributes of his subjects. Want you princess to be exceptioanlly beautiful, give her endowments of beauty, transfer the beauty of dozens of young maidens to her. Give your king the strength of a hundred men, or the wits of a dozen wisemen. The process is not without a catch, the fates of the edowment giver and recipient are intertwined.

Enter the villain of the piece, Raj Ahten, a despotic ruler determined to conquer the entire world. And he has thousands of endowments, giving him godlike abilities.

If you enjoy Robert Jordan, David Drake, or Terry Brooks then this is certainly a good choice for you. All the books in the series are in print and should be easy to find.

This week we return to the world of horror novels with two entries, the first of which is being adapted into a major motion pcture (no surprise).



The Cell by Stephen King


The modern master of horror brings to us an entry that will make you think twice about that new Blackberry you have had your eye on! The cause of the story's dilemma is a phenomenon that will come to be known as The Pulse, and the method of delivery is the cell phone. Everyone's cell phone. A handful of desperate survivors find them selves in a pitch black night of civilization's darkest age, surrounded by chaos, carnage, and a human horde that has been reduced to it's basest nature, and then begins to evolve.

The story's protagonist, Clay Riddell, heads home for Maine, a ratag group of survivors with him. As they make their harrowing journey north they begin to see crude signs confirming their direction, crude signs with a cryptic promise, or perhaps, a threat....

King has always done a great job touching the fears of the mass populace. With over two hundred million cell phones in the US alone you can see how thsi subject applies to just about all of us. This gripping gory and fascinating novel doesn't just ask "Can you hear me know?" it answers the question in a way that we might not like.

I'm pretty sure just about anyone will enjoy this novel. It is paced very well and reads quickly. A departure from King's normally massive page count yarns, it is relatively short, at only about 350 pages. A great book for horror fans, especially those who enjoy post apocalyptic stuff (no one on this board) and zombies.

Any bookstore will have it, so will your library, and you can always find large quantities of King novels at Used Book Stores and flea markets.




The Taking by Dean Koontz

I always kinda thought of Koontz as "Stephen King Lite" but he has really written a few good novels that stand on their own merit. The Taking is one of them, a masterpiece of page turning suspence that tells the story of a community cut off from the world and under siege from an unknown threaqt that defies identification and even imagination.

It begins with a silvery rain and a series of strange weather phenomina across the globe. Soon televison and radio reception are cut off, then telephone and Internet are gone. With the endless rain a strange obscuring fog ensues, transforming the once friendly village ofthe protagonist family, The Sloans, into a ghostly labyrinth. There are strange noises in the night and mysterious lights are seen drifting among the trees.

This is a very fun read. One that you will get through very quickly. I read it in a day and a half. This is an excellent one to pick up on a damp rainy weekend when there is nothing on TV. It's horror, science fiction and a bit of adventure al;l thrown into one. IT is at Border's, Barnes and Noble, the library and any used book store will have a couple dog earred cracked spine copies readily available.

There are numerous reasons why I have chosen this book as my featured recommendation for the week. It's a great read, very entertaining and well written. It also expresses an idea that I am personally very insistent upon, that books and written word are very powerful and among our most valuable achievements as a species. And since the setting is, surprise, surprise, a post apocalyptic one it kinda fits one of the major themes of this forum.

The main character of our story is Chaka, a "red haired woman with hunter's eyes" who gathers an unlikely band to search for her missing brother. Chaka's brother sought to find Haven, a mysterious hidden sanctuary where the Roadbuilders hid from the deveastation plague that destroyed their world, and that may still hold the secrets of their lost civilzation.

Chaka has inherited a very rare and valuable Roadmaker artifact--a book. Here the author expresses his belief (and mine) that the written word is very valuable, and that it will be treasured when it is scarce. Today we take it for granted and even sometimes distain. The rate of illiteracy in the US is shameful. And many who can read do not. Which is sad since they will miss out on a lot of great ideas and great reads like Eternity Road.

Leadership by Rudoph W. Giuliani. Pick it up, read it, learn.

It has been a long time since I posted anything in this thread but I am fully immersed in a book I think everyone might want to take a look at.

As I may have posted before I reada lot of Stephen King and the book I am currently enjoying is Under the Dome, a very well written story by the master of horror.

The setting for the story is a small town in Maine (See that one coming?) called Chester's Mill. For no known reason the town become mysteriously cut off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field that mimics the layout of the town almost exactly. The government has no explanation and several attempts to pierce the dome are met with failure. For the time being at least, the folks of Chester's Mill are on their own.

What makes the story so engrossing is that King does not spend a lot of time trying to explain science or theory as to why the dome is there. Instead he dives right into the effects felt by the people of Chester's Mill. Under the Dome is more of a portrayal of the human element of this event rather than the event itself, and it is here that King has always shined.

King's stories are always more character driven than story driven. We enjoy and care about the stories he tells because he quickly find characters we can root for, villains we can dislike, and people we can identify with. We can see ourselves and our friends and neighbors in the characters King writes into his stories. Stephen King writes about, not horror itself, but how people react to horrific situations.

Fans of King can think back to the best of his work and find that the stories would not have been nearly as good without the people in them. The Stand is a novel of over 1000 pages of pretty depressing stuff, but we find outselves really caring about what happens to the characters. Novels like Pet Sematary and Salem's Lot are so engrossing not for the vampires and zombies, but for the heroes struggling to deal with them.

It is the same way with Under The Dome. The struggles of the people trapped in Chester's Mill are very real. And their reactions, which are largely villainous and despicable, are also very real. The events that follow are ones we can easily see happening if this situation were occur in our own hometown to the people we know. The heroes are truly heroic and the villain of the story, while far more pedestrian than the vampires of Salem's Lot or the devilish Randall Flagg of The Stand, is very realistic in word and deed.

I do warn you, Under The Dome is quite long, at just over 1000 pages, but it is written in such a way as to be a very quick read, and addictive enough that you will have a hard time putting it down.

Head out for the bookstore and grab a copy. It is new enough that you may not find any in used book shops, but at the new privce it is fully worth the investment. And hey, what could be better than a long winter night curled up by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate and the King?