(Forked) What are your 10 must-read/see geek

[Bedrockgames]

See some great lists (too bad we can only choose ten). I am sure something key will be left out but here is mine (when possible I combine book and movie as a cheap cheat):

1) Dracula (book): This is a classic book and great read. Definitely check it out if you haven't already.

2) Dune: The first book is incredible. Read the others if you can, but if you only have time for one just read the first.

3) I, Claudius (mini-series and book): This should really be number one on my list. It totally sucked me in when I first saw it (watched all 13 hours non stop). It has it all: patrick stewart, brian blessed, and many other great actors. The book (and its sequel) is equally good. Suggest watching series first then reading book.

4) Goodfellas: Limiting myself to one mob movie on the list. This is my all time favorite (book is good too).

5) Rosemary's Baby: The perfect horror movie. It is so simple but utterly effective. Watch this once every october. Also loved the book.

6) Blackadder: A truly funny british sitcom. Some dont like season one, but seasons two through four are hysterical.

7) Rocky: I shamelessly adore the Rocky film series. The first one is yhe best, but all of them (even part five) are charming in their own way.

8) Excaliber: The first fantasy movie I saw. Had a huge influence on me as a kid.

9) Lord of the Rings: This deserves to be on any top ten list. I never tire of it (am due for another re-read).

10) Life of Brian: My favorite python movie. Love the material and the setting.

 

[Erekose]

Limiting purely to books (in no particular order):

• Robert E. Howard's Conan stories
• David Gemmell's Drenai Saga
• Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion Saga
• Fritz Leiber's Swords Series
• Robert Asprin's Thieves' World Anthology
• Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber
• J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings trilogy
• Glen Cook's The Black Company series
• Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom books
• H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos

 

[jonesy]

The Demolished Man + Redemolished by Alfred Bester. Cyberpunk from before there was such a thing.

The Virtual Community by Howard Rheingold. The story of the WELL, the MUD's, identities in cyberspace, people and how communities on the net began and begin.

True Names by Vernor Vinge. The beginnings of cyberpunk.

Trouble and Her Friends by Melissa Scott. Cyberpunk from a female view.

The Hacker Crackdown by Bruce Sterling. The real hackers and their stories, and stories from the law enforcement side of things. Starts really slow and boring as it needs to lay the foundations for how things started, but picks up speed after all the Bell Communications stuff.

Altered Carbon, Broken Angels and Woken Furies by Richard Morgan. Hardcore sci-fi at its best.

The Mars Trilogy and The Martians by Kim Stanley Robinson. Somewhat dated by technology, but still very interesting stories of the colonization of Mars.

The Killing Star by Pellegrino and Zebrowski. Are there aliens out there? Do they want us dead? What should we do about it if they do? Hard science fiction where the physics are as real as you can get.

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

Given the site we're on, my list is defined by precisely one criteria...what gets quoted most often at the game table.

1. Star Wars (original trilogy)

2. Star Trek (original series, TNG, and Wrath of Khan)

3. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

4. Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit

5. The Princess Bride

6. Conan: The Barbarian

7. Ghostbusters

8. Firefly/Serenity

9. Babylon 5

10. Clive Barker (especially the movies Candyman, Hellraiser, and Hellraiser 2)

 

[Wild Gazebo]

Most quoted movies at the game table for me are probably:

Blues Brothers

Star Wars

Princess Bride

Holy Grail

Ghostbusters

Dogma

Spaceballs

Brazil

The Big Lebowski

Lord of the Rings

Yep...that seems about right.

 

[Echohawk]

I have only one title to add to the list: Ernest Cline's Ready Player One. This was only recently published, but I recommend it very highly. Any book in which the Tomb of Horrors is a major plot element deserves a look, and if you grew up in the 80s, you will not regret giving this one a read.