favorite book of all time
- Thread starter fantasyfan
- Start date
MonsterMash
First Post
This is one of those impossible questions!
I've seen a few people vote for things I love already, and I'll try and do a 'Desert Island Books'
1. Alice's adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
2. The Iliad - Homer
3. Code of the Woosters - P.G. Woodhouse
4. HMS Surprise by Patrick O'Brian
5. Youth by Joseph Conrad
6. Swords of Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber
I've seen a few people vote for things I love already, and I'll try and do a 'Desert Island Books'
1. Alice's adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
2. The Iliad - Homer
3. Code of the Woosters - P.G. Woodhouse
4. HMS Surprise by Patrick O'Brian
5. Youth by Joseph Conrad
6. Swords of Lankhmar by Fritz Leiber
I love to read and have many favorite authors. I can't pick just one book but I can pick one series as my all time favorite the one that I would choose if it would be the only thing I would ever be allowed to read again. Katherine Kurtz's Deryni series.
It has everything. Battles, personal honor. sacrifice, the divine right of kings, a powerful but often corrupt church. Characters who you love and who you cry over when they die and characters who make you hate them so much that you want them to really really suffer. And then be raised some how to suffer some more.
And then their are the characters who you just feel so bad for yes they kind are the bad guys are I should say they are on the wrong side but they are not really bad guys if you know what I mean and they go to their deaths with such dignity and honor.
The books just come alive when I read them I feel like I am there. It helps of course that the author is a historian and a former member of the SCA.
It has everything. Battles, personal honor. sacrifice, the divine right of kings, a powerful but often corrupt church. Characters who you love and who you cry over when they die and characters who make you hate them so much that you want them to really really suffer. And then be raised some how to suffer some more.
And then their are the characters who you just feel so bad for yes they kind are the bad guys are I should say they are on the wrong side but they are not really bad guys if you know what I mean and they go to their deaths with such dignity and honor.The books just come alive when I read them I feel like I am there. It helps of course that the author is a historian and a former member of the SCA.
Favorite single novel:
The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.
Original dust jacket copy had "Possibly the finest science fiction novel I have ever read. -- Robert Heinlein". And it holds up remarkably well thirty years after it was written.
Most fun fantasy series to read:
Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos novels
Most fun sci-fi series to read:
Lois Bujold's Vorkosigan novels and novellas
The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle.
Original dust jacket copy had "Possibly the finest science fiction novel I have ever read. -- Robert Heinlein". And it holds up remarkably well thirty years after it was written.
Most fun fantasy series to read:
Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos novels
Most fun sci-fi series to read:
Lois Bujold's Vorkosigan novels and novellas
Templetroll said:Alice in Wonderland. Great when I was a kid and has stayed great as I got older. I hope it stays great once I mature....
My favorite character when I was a kid was the Cheshire Cat, now it is the White Knight in Through the Looking-Glass.
This was mentioned a few times (2? 3?) during the thread. I have never read any books of Alice, nor any books by Lewis Carroll. What am I missing?
Evilhalfling
Adventurer
Hmm... in no particular order
Enders Game & Speaker for the Dead - Orson Scott Card
Foundation - Isaac Asimov
Fire on the Deep - Ventnor Vinge
Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett
Doomsday Book - Connie Wills
Enders Game & Speaker for the Dead - Orson Scott Card
Foundation - Isaac Asimov
Fire on the Deep - Ventnor Vinge
Reaper Man - Terry Pratchett
Doomsday Book - Connie Wills
Broccli_Head
Explorer
Ive read too many good books..but the ones that stand out are..
Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep
Pournelle/Niven A Mote in God's Eye
Neil Stephenson Snow Crash
John Stakely Armor
Heinlein Starship Troopers
funny...they're all sci-fi although i read more fantasy...I guess the best fantasy that stands out is from Robert E. Howard, but thats all short stories "Hour of the Dragon" and "Skullface" by him.
Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep
Pournelle/Niven A Mote in God's Eye
Neil Stephenson Snow Crash
John Stakely Armor
Heinlein Starship Troopers
funny...they're all sci-fi although i read more fantasy...I guess the best fantasy that stands out is from Robert E. Howard, but thats all short stories "Hour of the Dragon" and "Skullface" by him.
