[Sept] What Are You Reading?

[Desdichado]

Tarnsman of Gor by John Norman.

I know, I know... I read it in high school, when I had no idea of "Goreans" or anything like that, and at that time, I thought that the book was just a Barsoom rip-off. I never read further in the series than the first one.

Now, of course, I'm curious if I was just missing it, or if Norman didn't really get into the whole bizarro female submissive thing until later books in the series. And I'm mostly just enjoying it as a Barsoom rip-off. I was able to find the first four of the books dirt cheap at a used book store, so I may read that far into the series before quitting. Maybe. If the philosophising stays as low-key as it is in this first one.

 

[GreyShadow]

Tarnsman of Gor by John Norman.

I know, I know... I read it in high school, when I had no idea of "Goreans" or anything like that, and at that time, I thought that the book was just a Barsoom rip-off. I never read further in the series than the first one.

I read the Tarnsman of Gor in high school also. Never knew a thing about Goreans either. I on the other hand kept reading and think I got up to about book 15? The female submissiveness does get worse the further one reads in the series. I picked up one of the last in the series a few years ago, and it's very much not missable. I believe I only got a chapter into it before I had had enough.

Currently, I've just finished The Precipice by Ben Bova. Finished it in one day while I was sick on my honeymoon. Trust me, I know there are better things to do in bed than read while on your honeymoon. At least it was a good read.

Andrew

 

[Rawhide]

Dies the Fire, by S.M. Stirling. On the on hand, it's not as good as the previous series in the same universe, but it is a heck of a setting for a d20 Modern game.

I had the same expereince with Gor. The first 3 are fine, the next 3 are okay, the next one is a little worse, and I'l scanned some since and determined they're sludge.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Reading the Iron Tower by McKiernan.

Have you read LotR?

 

[ragboy]

Have you read LotR?

Yeah. I know. I knew it in high school when the Iron Tower first came out...or I was first aware of it, anyway. What can I say... $0.25 paperbacks are a weakness. I think I'll break down and go get the RR Martin series.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock. Never read it before.

 

[Desdichado]

Yeah. I know. I knew it in high school when the Iron Tower first came out...or I was first aware of it, anyway. What can I say... $0.25 paperbacks are a weakness. I think I'll break down and go get the RR Martin series.

This may just be a myth, but I'd heard the McKiernan wanted to write continuations of the LotR stories, and naturally neither Tolkien nor his estate was interested in supporting that. That's why the Iron Tower so closely mimics the LotR; he was specifically trying to get as close as he could without getting sued to recreating the setting so he could then turn around and write the stories he really wanted to.

Like I said, though--that story may be completely apocryphal.

 

[ShadowDenizen]

Currently (re)reading "A Rumor of Gem" by Ellen Steiber.
Really fascinating contemporary fantasy. The prose is lyrical, and really dragged me in right from the first paragraph.

On the back burner?
"In the Ruins"- the new book in the "Crown of Stars" series.
"Wolf-Brother"- First book in the "CHronicles of Ancient Darkness"
"Eldest"- The (long-awaited) sequel to Eragon.

 

[Ibram]

I just finished reading the new Magic:tG novel "Ravnica"... and again I wonder why I keep buying those things...

I'm currently rereading HPL's dream cycle stories, and will probably go back throgh REH's works for most of this month... either that or just dig down to the bottom of my library and pull something out that I havent read in years (Sterling and Drakes "the General" series is always a good read)

 

[Desdichado]

I'm currently rereading HPL's dream cycle stories,

Great stuff, that. "The DreamQuest of Unknown Kadath" is my favorite Lovecraft story, and one of my favorite stories period.

I may have to put that on my list--next up when I finish Tarnsman of Gor is Under a Green Star by Lin Carter.