Ok so I'm in the mood for reading again and need something to keep my interest. I know you guys love reading, so if you had to say just one book for the best read ever, which would it be?

Must be epic in story and win. Setting, plot, characters, originality (not so important) etc all in one.

What should I buy?

Cairo Jim and the Sunken Sarcophagus of Sekheret

I read it in Grade 8, there is this part where there is an underwater city, and they actually explain the physics of how that is possible, I still think about it today.

Oh and a lot of Sekheret sounds like Cigarette jokes, which were later stolen by Stargate.

last edited by Idol at 14:58:51 17/Mar/08

Catch-22 is pretty timeless.

moby dick
catch 22
jane eyre

i dont know i havent read a novel since high school

i dont know i havent read a novel since high school

I really think it's a shame when people say that (I've heard more than a few intelligent people say it). While I'm sure you're an intelligent and informed person there's more to life than the sort of reading that can be done on the internet.

The scope of a novel allows for a much more fullsome exploration of ideas than you get in most other mediums.

"Everybody Poops"

you should read the atkins diet fatty ahahah

There's no WAY I could choose, I am a fantasy freak (Sword/Sorcery etc).
Don't really read anything else (used to read a little SciFi).

Loved the Magician by Raymond E Feist, but i'm sure there are other awesome books out there also. If your into that sort of thing

Ulysses, catch-22, Brave New World. Also those Hubbard sci-fi books (Scientology Bibles).

The Demon Headmaster, and The Prime Ministers Brain are good too.

I too no longer read books - mainly because it seems any d******* can get a book published these days. I almost despise anyone who is an 'author' just because of how tainted and disrespectful that professional has become. What makes your ideas good enough to publish a******?

With books from phony 'doctors' like Men are From Mars and Women are From Venus, and books about concepts like "The Secret", and just the number of Rich Dad Poor Dad books there are... and the sheer bandwagonage that came out of Harry Potter...

How could you not want to take a shovel to anyone's face who writes or reads books today?

Frankly there is an abundance of intelligent humanity out there on radio stations, tv, blogs, articles... and to say that reading books specifically exposes you to intelligence or some such is just you trying to justify something pointless, bothersome, time wasting, and boring you've been doing all these years and well...you can't stop now!

last edited by Idol at 15:24:31 17/Mar/08

for you, Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart (George Cockcroft): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dice_Man

or is that where u got your nick?

1 vote for Redemption of Althalus

http://www.marchingpowder.com/

very good read.

Thanks to all, will check those out.

Natsl: Nah I didn't get my nick from Dice Man, was just a name I've always seemed to like, finally changed to it back in 2000 when RA3 came out.

Idol ... chill ;) There are writers who work really hard on their books, unless you're a writer yourself and hate that works that suck compared to yours are getting published? The industry is full of wannabe intellectuals that think they have a clue about what a good book is, and then they swear by works like BattleAxe by Sara Douglass. As a reader, I do not understand the appeal.

Also, Magician (once you got into it) rocked. Riftwar = Most Epic Win so far that I've read.

1984

I find real life is far more interesting.

last edited by infi at 15:37:46 17/Mar/08

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/1695/tsr8323pr6.jpg

Spoiler:
the f***ing dragon is actually the chick!!! oh and he dies at the end

1984

I find real life is far more interesting.

Yeah I find real life is the cloverfield-type version of 1984, or heading there at the very least (just watch any American news show).

Also, Magician (once you got into it) rocked. Riftwar = Most Epic Win so far that I've read.

The 3rd book in the Dark war saga has just come out, I am yet to read the first!
It looks awesome! Pug becomes a God apparently! :|

The 3rd book in the Dark war saga has just come out, I am yet to read the first!

didn't know the 3rd book was out. must read. end of 2nd book was such a cliffhanger !

First book of that saga was tops too actually ... quite enjoyed it. Haven't got to the second yet, but might now that the third is out (I like to read them all one after the other ... thankfully first one didn't really leave much open).

didn't know the 3rd book was out. must read. end of 2nd book was such a cliffhanger !

From what I can see only in hardcover at the moment, So im waiting till it comes out in small paperback, and ill buy all 3 at once! to add to my shrine!

Neuromancer by William Gibson.

fullsome

Your imaginatory vocabulary sure has taken off reading so many books...

Some people study and work for a living and don't have more than a few spare moments each day to themselves. Consider yourself lucky if you have so much time to read frequently. I did in school and during my first degree when not reading textbooks.

I thoroughly enjoyed Less Than Zero and American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. The Rules of Attraction is also worth a read and these should be read in order if you can. I still think The Shining is one of the best novels out there but I still haven't gotten around to reading It yet.

If you like reading ALOT

Empire trillogy from the universe of the magician is the greatest 3 books i've ever read. I read all 3 books in 2 weeks. Could not put them down. By far the best 3 books in the entire universe of the magician. Including the first book.

In the middle of book 2 of a song of fire and ice, and it's an ok series too.

Your imaginatory vocabulary sure has taken off reading so many books...

wow, so he had one too many letter l's

No, I don't think he did. Fulsome = unctuous.

"Insincerely or excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech; marked by a false or smug earnestness or agreeableness."

I don't want to start anything. I'm just bored killing my only break all day, on qgl.

it can also mean abundant, comprehensive

—Usage note In the 13th century when it was first used, fulsome meant simply “abundant or copious.” It later developed additional senses of “offensive, gross” and “disgusting, sickening,” probably by association with foul, and still later a sense of excessiveness: a fulsome disease; a fulsome meal, replete with too much of everything. For some centuries fulsome was used exclusively, or nearly so, with these unfavorable meanings.
Today, both fulsome and fulsomely are also used in senses closer to the original one: The sparse language of the new Prayer Book contrasts with the fulsome language of Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer. Later they discussed the topic more fulsomely. These uses are often criticized on the grounds that fulsome must always retain its connotations of “excessive” or “offensive.” The common phrase fulsome praise is thus sometimes ambiguous in modern use.

Dominated.

The berkut by joseph heywood (fiction) its about Hiltlers last moments in the bunker and a possible swap with a "body double" and how stalin sent a crack team in to track him down. Very good read

Empire trillogy from the universe of the magician is the greatest 3 books i've ever read. I read all 3 books in 2 weeks. Could not put them down. By far the best 3 books in the entire universe of the magician. Including the first book.

I agree the Empire series rocked my socks off, and it is freaking long - but good the whole way through. But we will have to agree to disagree on the first book :)

Some people study and work for a living and don't have more than a few spare moments each day to themselves. Consider yourself lucky if you have so much time to read frequently. I did in school and during my first degree when not reading textbooks.

Yeah :( I can't read any novels until December 16 :( Studying Chartered Accounting sucks :(

Are you at QUT? Is that why you read so many fantasy books? To escape from accounting? Are you and Ramil studying together?

Also, if anyone's studied genetics or simple science at uni etc, Jurassic Park is a great read. I remember reading that when the movie came out as a kid and it was too advanced for me so I kept asking my parents all these questions and they told me to stop reading it. However, now it's excellent. Crichton goes into quite a lot of detail about genetics, when it was (and still is) not only a big deal in the terms of our history and knowledge of ourselves but still very new and developing.

I was going to defend myself but Jim was all over it

American Psycho is quite a good read, really should read some of his other stuff too.

The Janny Wurts/Feist collaborations were a great series. If fantasy is your bag Feist hasn't written a bad book IMHO. Sure most of them are pretty formulaic but he really did build on the original cast that he established in Magician to create a solid fantasy universe. His books are probably my favourites (George RR Martin coming a close second) of the genre.

As for a book which is a must read for anybody (not just fantasy hacks):

Ender's Game.

f*** fireblood you c-bomb, put a spoiler bar in next time you say something like that about Pug

animal farm - another george orwell book

raymond e fiest did a good enough job of ruining the sequels to magician by himself.

seriously, the guy can't write to save himself. his narrative is on the same level as a typical year 10 student. hence he got co-writers for half of them. what a ballbag.

anyone read wilbur smith? i find his stories are pretty entertaining :>

"The Zombie Survival Guide" by Max Brooks is a must read.
Study it now or don't whinge when the world goes to hell full to the brim with the living dead and you have no idea what to do!
Save your precious brains and the brains of your loved ones from fetid claws and teeth today!

raymond e feist, magician through to end of the serpantwar saga.

END OF THREAD.

the best ever mate, anyone who does not appreciate these books should be drawn and quartered. absolute masterpieces. you cry, shout and name your firstborn "pug".

serious scope mate, and more than 10+ books. (steer away from the Krondor the Betrayal/Assasins etc offshoots, they arent very good).

im reading through them again, almost finished.

oh my gosh im excited.

Yeah so I'm not wrong to say they're the best around at the moment ... looks like most others agree they're awesome. Feist, although not flawless and not the most advanced writer out there, is one of the only authors that can really entertain with his works.

Edit: But I want to read something new.

last edited by dice at 21:07:10 17/Mar/08

The Stand.

the best ever mate, anyone who does not appreciate these books should be drawn and quartered.

I only read Magician but didn't really get into it :|

What should I buy?

Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson, if you want something epic. It's really long and gets a bit technical but is awesome.

If you want something short, someone's already suggested Ender's Game.

The Stand is a good epic read as well, if you don't mind the occasional nightmare!

+1 for The Redemption of Althalus (Eddings)

And as I'm a fantasy fan I'd have to say that the Dragonlance Chronicles (it comes as a single book if you look around) is a great read (wish I hadn't sold it so many years ago).

+1 feist. i just finished rereading of his books thinking the end of the darkwar saga should be out soon. so about a week after i finish my gratuitously provocative bought me wrath of a mad god for our anniversary. and it was awesome.

and now for something completely different, iain m banks. he mostly writes scifi with a heavy socio-political and philosophical bent. and the language he uses is...expansive, interesting and sometimes odd. but brilliant.

another +1 for feist. im currently reading his latest novel, wrath of a mad god which is book 3 of the darkwar saga. pretty good so far.

ive read every single one of his novels except the empire series. im just not interested in reading them because i dislike the tsurani culture.

last edited by ravn0s at 21:35:22 17/Mar/08

Are you at QUT? Is that why you read so many fantasy books? To escape from accounting? Are you and Ramil studying together?

Nah dude, Graduated my dual degree at the start of this month! Starting my CA now which is heaps tougher :( So there is no escape for me!
I only read on holidays, because I don't have time otherwise :P And with CA theres no holiday till dec 16 :( Been reading fantasy since i was like 10, so yeah have read a heap of them thats for sure!

f*** fireblood you c-bomb, put a spoiler bar in next time you say something like that about Pug

Sorry dude, It's on the back of the book....so yeah it'd be spoiled anyway.
ps whats a c-bomb?

the iliad. no contest

Sorry dude, It's on the back of the book....so yeah it'd be spoiled anyway.

um no its not. anyway pug cant become a god unless everyone on midkemmia starts worshipping him as one. and even then i dont think he himself would become a god, but a god would be created in his image.


last edited by ravn0s at 22:04:38 17/Mar/08

playboy

lulz

Michael Marshall Smith's stuff is wickedly awesome. Give that a whirl.

c***

sorry, probably too obscene

yeah only forward was cool, spares was a bit messy though.

Yeah, feist has a great universe and a nice theme going with his books, but when it's just him writing, it can be very, straight forward.

George RR Martin isn't impressing me overly with "a song of fire and ice" it's good, but not great. Dragging on a bit in book 2 atm. but considering the pace of book 1's ending, i'll presume he finishes in a flurry.

um no its not. anyway pug cant become a god unless everyone on midkemmia starts worshipping him as one. and even then i dont think he himself would become a god, but a god would be created in his image.

Yeah I dunno, I have been told what the back of the book reads like....I am just in shock! Can't wait to read it!

ok so u mean the end of the book, not the blurb?

if so, then who the hell reads the end of the book first?

ok so u mean the end of the book, not the blurb?

neither reads that way. Fireblood was mislead. Spooks, chill.

Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson, if you want something epic. It's really long and gets a bit technical but is awesome.

That has been sitting on my bedside table for the past 2 weeks (2 pages in!)... I think I will take advantage of the easter break and read it.

Nights Dawn Trilogy by Peter F Hamilton

Closely followed by the Commonwealth Saga by same author


Epic Space Opera at its best