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

[Stormonu]

Forking from the 9 geek books you must read now thread, what is your list of 10 geek books/movies/tv series that you feel should be "required reading/watching" to consider yourself a geek - and why?

My list:

The Call of Cthulhu [and other stories] (H.P. Lovecraft) - While Lovecraft has written many a story, and later authors may have improved upon the field of unspeakable horror, Lovecraft helped to found the field by encouraging others to use his creations within their own works. In the time before OGL, this was OGL.

The Dark Knight (Graphic Novel, Frank Miller) - I never got into Watchmen, but I loved the Dark Knight series. In a time when Batman can't rely on his athleticism anymore in a world that's gone mad, we can see how crafty and adaptable he can really be. Don't bother with the Dark Knight Strikes Again, it's not nearly as good - except for when Bats humbles Superman.

Star Wars: New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi (Movies, George Lucas) - You can choose whether to take up the prequels or not, but you can't call yourself a geek without being able to quote a line or two from these movies - if not the whole thing from the scrolling text to the end credits. And gods help you if you can't keep Star Trek and Star Wars straight. Which leads us to...

Star Trek (TV Series, Gene Roddenberry) - It's okay to like either the original series (with Kirk) or the Next Gen (with Picard). Watching DS9, Voyager or Enterprise can be a guilty pleasure, but just don't let anyone else think you like it. And always remember the mantra - the odd-numbered movies suck.

Starship Troopers (Novel, Robert Heinlein) - Folks, if you don't already know it, this is where Stormtroopers, Imperial Marines, Colonial Marines, Alien xenomorphs, Tyranids and the Zerg pretty much came from. The eternal war of Apes vs. Bugs sprang fully formed from this psychological novel. And no, none of the Starship Trooper movies count.

War of the Worlds (Novel, H.G. Wells) - Before the craze with UFO sightings was even a glimmer in anyone's eyes, Wells was frightening us with a tale warning us how truly helpless we are in the face of an uncaring, relentless foe. While it's deux ex machina ending is cliche now, it's one of the few that actually fits the story incredibly well.

Matrix (Movie, Wachowski Brothers) - What a way to download two hours of philosophy and pseudo-theology in an action-movie package. While it is at it's heart a retelling of Plato's Allegory of the Cave in the modern world, this movie engages you at several levels that endures beyond a blow-everything-up summer blocker buster that we commonly see from Hollywood. At times, you have to sometimes wonder if it wasn't the machines who wrote the two sequels, just to try and downplay the impact of the first movie.

Robotech (TV, Harmony Gold) - I don't know about others, but this was my first real anime - well, if you don't count Star Blazers and Voltron. Hacked together from three separate series (Macross, Super Dimension Calvary Southern Cross & Genesis Climber MOSPEADA), it hammered out a multi-generational story set to the backdrop of war. The one thing that's always struck me about anime - they're not afraid to deal with the subject of death of a major character on the show.

Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkien) - Personally, I couldn't slog through the books, I cheated by listening to an audio drama and greatly adore the movies (extended versions, of course). Bigger geeks than me will also probably point out that true geeks read the Simarillion, and leave the lighter fare of these three books to us lesser beings.

 

[Asmor]

I can't really come up with 10 "must consumes." I have fairly eclectic tastes. That said, I certainly have opinions on your picks.

The Call of Cthulhu [and other stories] (H.P. Lovecraft) - While Lovecraft has written many a story, and later authors may have improved upon the field of unspeakable horror, Lovecraft helped to found the field by encouraging others to use his creations within their own works. In the time before OGL, this was OGL.

Back in high school, I picked up a Lovecraft anthology. Even better, that night, there was a storm and the power went out, so I read the Lovecraft anthology by candle light.

And it was boring. I'm reminded of Bart Simpson's insight on Poe's "The Raven"; specifically, that what scared people back then really doesn't hold up to a modern audience.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Lovecraft was a poor writer. I love the mythos (though I rather dislike a lot of what people do with it these days). I'm just saying... His books weren't remotely scary. Not even really creepy.

Starship Troopers (Novel, Robert Heinlein) - Folks, if you don't already know it, this is where Stormtroopers, Imperial Marines, Colonial Marines, Alien xenomorphs, Tyranids and the Zerg pretty much came from. The eternal war of Apes vs. Bugs sprang fully formed from this psychological novel. And no, none of the Starship Trooper movies count.

I don't really see the Stormtroopers parentage, and I could quibble about the xenomorphs, but more or less spot on.

I will say that Starship Troopers is my favorite sci-fi movie, and I just read the book for the first time a few months ago. I like both the book and the movie, for different reasons. They're really not remotely related; actually, they have almost conflicting themes. I think the biggest problem with the movie is that they called it "Starship Troopers."

Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkien) - Personally, I couldn't slog through the books, I cheated by listening to an audio drama and greatly adore the movies (extended versions, of course). Bigger geeks than me will also probably point out that true geeks read the Simarillion, and leave the lighter fare of these three books to us lesser beings.

Blah. The Lord of the Rings is terrible. Lovecraft may have been written for a different time and a different audience, but the LotR has no redeeming qualities. Most boring dreck I've ever had the displeasure of trying to read. The movies were superior to the book only insofar as they were actually tolerable, once through. Just once.

The Hobbit was decent, though.

----------------------

Oh, here's one to add to the list:

Babylon 5: Just finished watching this for the first time recently. Everything about the show is really great, but one thing that really stood out to me is the use of time travel and the obvious forethought and attention to detail in the series. Between intentional time travel, unintentional temporal displacement, and portentous dreams, we get a number of glimpses into the future, often from different view points.

One example that stands out to me is Londo's dream early in the series that he's standing on Centauri Prime, and he sees Shadow vessels flying overhead. For the first few seasons, Londo always wears the same purple coat. Later on, he becomes a big wig and switches to a fancier black coat. When we finally get to the time he had dreamed of, the court seneschal asks him to come outside and see. He says he can't find his coat. The seneschal had just sent it out to be cleaned, so he digs in his closet and pulls out his old purple coat.

That way, when he sees the ships, he's wearing the same purple coat he had been wearing in earlier seasons, and that he was wearing in his dream.

It's a silly little thing, but it exemplifies the attention to detail. B5 is one of very, very few series where I've been happy with their usage of time travel; I'm very picky about it, and inconsistencies drive me batty.

 

[steeldragons]

Great thread extension, Stormonu.

10, huh? That's tough...in the realm of Geekdom there is such a wide spread of great material...and various/multiple genres that are considered "geeky", RPGs, "Medieval"/Tolkienesque Fantasy in general, Sci-Fi, Cyber-/Tech themes, Horror/Vamp's/"Underworld" and the like,

...let's see...I'll just take on one...

Steel Dragons' 10 Must See's/Reads for Fantasy RPG Geeks

1. The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Simarillion. Quintessential to the birthing of the genre of Fantasy literature, Dungeons & Dragons and thus RPGs as a whole. The Simarillion, while not entirely Tolkien's work solely, is a masterpiece for world conception/setting building. The LotR films are cinematic triumphs, equally important for those not inclined to take on the lengthy tomes.

2. The Dark Crystal. One of Jim Henson's greatest triumphs and a lovely little moral play about appearances being deceiving.

3. Legend. Tom Cruise and Tim Curry give us a simplistic but fantastical story of Good vs. Evil. Faeires, Unicorns, Goblins...So simple...so good.

4. Time Bandits. Just...necessary.

5. The Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the Dragonlance Chronicles. While I enjoyed the modules signifcantly less than the novels (way too railroady), this particular book (and the other two in the trilogy) is a wonderful novelization of how a group of diverse and memorable characters become "heroes" of their world.

6. The Last Unicorn. Again a fun example of a simple but entirely plausible and complete adventure. Something to get the creative juices flowing. Also, simply, an animated treat (despite the deplorable musical numbers) for the eyes.

7. The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer's "first hand" look into Medieval (14th century) life. A bevy of diverse characters, societal insights and plots ripe for the plucking.

8. Beowulf. Yes, a difficult read (as the Canterbury Tales) due to its elder tongue/language. But a "classic" and again fantastic look at the life/society/beliefs and attitudes of a hero of the time. Anyone who wants to use a Norse/Viking society/character in their games should be acquainted with this work.

9. Conan the Barbarian and Conan: The Destroyer. You can read the works or just watch the films for a taste of Howard's vision/world. If elves and hobbits aren't your thing, these books and/or films are for you.

10. Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Proof that even the simplest fairy tale plot can (and should) have a villain of the most spectacular awesomeness.

--SD

 

[Shades of Green]

One thing I'd add to the must read/see/play list is Fallout (Computer Game/Interplay). If you only have one computer game to play in your life, play this; it's the definitive post-apocalyptic computer role-playing game with a HUGE influence on post-apocalyptic RPGing and miniature gaming.

I'd also like to add Alien(s) (Movie/Ridley Scott). Not only are these two films the definitive sci-fi horror films ever since the late 1970's, but they are also awesome and have influenced a large chunk of modern sci-fi and horror films, computer games and role-playing games.

 

[RainOfSteel]

Top 10 Geek Must Read/See List, Avoiding the Obvious

This lists avoids obvious choices such as Dune, The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix and so on. If you haven't read or seen that type of material, you aren't even on the Geek radar, much less worry about a top ten list.

• The Golden Age ~ by John C. Wright: In a world of overused cliches, this book really is a tour de force of Science Fiction and literate writing. Reading it will expand your mind alone on cutting edge science fiction, with ethics, morality, and philosophy thrown in for good measure.
• Hyperion ~ Dan Simmons: Stasis versus adaptation, conformity versus choices, slavery versus freedom. A war is approaching between the central forces of civilization and the Outsiders, hideous mutants whose changes were self-inflicted by genetic perversions, who subvert everything it means to be human, and who relentlessly attack innocent civilian settlements around the edges of settled space. In the face of this coming war, seven individuals are chosen to go to the planet Hyperion and undertake the traditional long overland route to the mysterious ruins of a city apparently travelling backward in time to meet the even more mysterious robot/cyborg called the Shrike; they aren't given a choice in the matter. Each person is already a survivor from a previous encounter with the Shrike, who normally kills everyone it meets. During the trek, each person, expecting that they are all about to die in the near future, shares his or her story of the previous personal encounter in the hopes that they will all find some clue that will aid their survival. They find more than they bargained for. A collection of stories binding the various characters together, each story told in a distinctly different style of writing, it all weaves together the plot and story into a brilliant ending.
• Inherit the Stars ~ by James P. Hogan: In the early 21st Century, an expedition from a base on the Moon discovers a cave in the side of a crater wall. Caves don't form on the Moon because there is no erosion. Inside the cave, they find a dead human body in a space suit. Forensics confirms that cellular biology shows it is human and dates the body's age at 50,000 years. The author thus founds the central question of the novel: How did a modern human wind up on the moon 50,000 years ago? The author delivers a staggering answer. There is no conventional "action" in this book. The action is all in the scientific inquiry and investigation, the debates and opinions and conflicts held by those pursuing the answer to the question. It is one of Science Fiction's finest hours. Available free from the Baen Free Library at Inherit the Stars by James P. Hogan - WebScription Ebook.
• Lord of Light ~ Roger Zelazny: Arguable as being as good as, and as important as, Dune. One of Science Fiction's greatest novels.
• The Ophiuchi Hotline ~ John Varley: Written in 1977, it reads as if it could have been written yesterday, the true test of Science Fiction that stands the passage of time. It contains numerous elements of what would later be known as post-humanism.
• Hardwired ~ Walter Jon Williams: My personal favorite cyberpunk novel, written entirely in the present tense. Numerous concepts and tropes of the genre arose directly from this novel. A former famous smuggler gets caught up in the schemes of a giant megacorporation and tries to turn the tables against the super elite. Deltas, panzers, reflexes, muscle lacing, cybersnakes, age-retardant hormones, you'll see it all here alongside the basic little-guy vs. titans theme.
• Nausicaa ~ Miyazaki Hayao (Manga): Quite possibly the most significant and greatest manga of our time. This is the ecological disaster cautionary story by one of Japan's greatest storytellers. Approximately a thousand years after giant robotic super soldiers to are raised up to the entire world with fire, mankind struggles to survive against the face of a threat that inches slowly across the world, a forest of fungus and insects that generates a cloud of particles so toxic it can kill in minutes. In an environment of ever shrinking land and resources, the remaining superpowers strike out against one another to take final control over what little remains, no matter how many have to die along the way. Nausicaa, sole heir to a tiny one-village kingdom on the periphery of a superpower is caught up in the larger struggle. She will become the foundation of the future. Superb artwork, writing, plotting, theme, and a story that grips from the beginning and never lets go guides you through a world that never ceases to amaze.
• The Amber Novels: Nine Princes in Amber, The Guns of Avalon, Sign of Chaos, The Hand of Oberon, The Courts of Chaos ~ Roger Zelazny: Yes, Roger Zelazny gets two entries on this list. He is that good. This is one of Fantasy's greatest adventures. It will lead you across a million separate realms and into mysteries for which you may never receive answers. You may read the series again and again and always find something new, never seen before.
• The Dragaera Cycle (Jhereg, Yendi, etc.) ~ Steven Brust: Come meet one of Fantasy's first anti-heroes, Vladimir Taltos, paid inductee into the Mafia of the local elvish empire. Jhereg and Yendi are two of the most tightly plotted and quick action novels of Fantasy, and along the way you will meet a fantastic cast of characters and see just how the Organization works in a Fantasy milieu.
• Ladyhawke, 1985 ~ Edward Khmara, Michael Thomas, Tom Mankiewicz, David Webb Peoples: A story of a thief, a warrior, a villain, a love, and a curse. What more could you want in a Fantasy?

 

[the Jester]

Hmm, tough to limit myself to ten here.... but let's see what I can do.

1. Lord of the Rings: Read the books; the movies are extra credit. So are the Hobbit, the Silmarillion, the cartoons, etc.

2. Star Wars: The original unaltered trilogy. You cannot get an A in geek without seeing Han shoot first.

3. Star Trek: You must see at least three great episodes each from the original series and Next Generation; the rest is all extra credit that is well worth going after.

4. Dune: You must read the Frank Herbert Dune books through God-Emperor of Dune. Extra credit for reading the remaining Frank Herbert volumes, points deducted if you like the swill that came after him.

5. Foundation: You must read the original trilogy of Foundation books. MAJOR bonus points if you are familiar enough with Asimov's work to appreciate this article.

6. Alien: You must see the first two Alien movies. The rest get you extra credit, but not too much.

7. Conan the Barbarian: You must either see the Arnold version of the movie, read at least 20 issues of well-received Conan comics, read one Conan novel by Howard or Jordan or read a novel's worth of Conan short stories. Additional Conan material gets you extra credit.

8. The Jhereg books: You must read Jhereg. Extra books in the series, the Khaavren romances, Brokedown Palace- all get you extra credit.

9. The Gunslinger books: You must read at least one of the Gunslinger books and one Stephen King book that ties into the Gunslinger cycle (the Stand, etc). Extra credit for most other books by King.

10. Sandman: You must read at least one volume of Sandman. Extra credit for more, as well as for just about anything else Gaiman has written.

 

[mmadsen]

Forking from the 9 geek books you must read now thread, what is your list of 10 geek books/movies/tv series that you feel should be "required reading/watching" to consider yourself a geek - and why?

I'd just like to point out that the original list included some sci-fi and fantasy, but it took a much broader view of geekiness. It clearly aimed to provide a taste of various facets of geekdom, not a definitive canon of SF fiction.

That said, you do need to know the basics of Star Wars, Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings, etc. to converse with geeks in their own language. Actually, saying that just now reminded me of what may deserve to be the list-topper: Monty Python.

 

[Hungry Like The Wolf]

I'm not sure anything is really essential. I disgree that you have to know LOTR, Star Trek or Star Wars to talk to geeks. I've never seen or read any of them and it hasn't hindered my ability to talk to geeks. Although, everyone should read or watch these because they are so damn good:

(2004) Battlestar Galactica: A sci-fi show that doubles as a great political drama. This show puts the moral/philosophical/humanistic strengths of sci-fi settings on display.

The X-Files: THE essential paranormal drama. The X-Files set the tone and bar for investigative, paranormal and episodic fiction.

The Master and Margarita: A great book that displays the storytelling strength of fantasy fiction through its allegorical use of folk-lore and mythologies. Sure, most geeks would not consider it strictly fantasy as per Tolkien but despite the naysayers, this is one of the greatest fantasy novels ever written.

Journey to the West: An epic adventure story about a journey undertaken by a monk under the guard of demi-gods. Not only is this story rich with aforementioned mythology, it's THE dungeons and dragons allegory in my opinion.

Any one of the following: Real Genius\Fanboys\Super\Holy Grail\Jabberwocky\Spaceballs\Princess Bride\etc: To remind us that we should never take any of this "geek" stuff too seriously.

 

[Wild Gazebo]

Okay...sticking to books...and avoiding sources like Gilgamesh and Beowulf or the various fairy tales and short stories...not touching nonfiction...tip toeing around transitional classics by Verne, Lovecraft, Swift, and Haggard: this is my list of the ten must read geek books....in no particular order.

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser

Lord Foul's Bane

Ender's Game

Starship Troopers

The Hobbit

Elric of Melnibone

Dune

Nueromancer

Conan the Barbarian

I, Robot

 

[DnD_Dad]

10.)Dune - novel;read the first three books
9.)Hobbit - novel
8.)Dark Tower series - novels
7.)Conan the barbarian - movie
6.)Star Trek - movies/tv series
5.)Star Wars(original trilogy) - movies
4.)Dark Crystal - movie
3.)Akira - movie
2.)Lord of the Rings - movies
1.)Bladerunner - movie