What are you reading -- for fun and inspiration?
- Thread starter CarlZog
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Larry Fitz
First Post
Seconding the opinion on Shogun, James Clavell writes good historic fiction...
William Manchester's The Glory and the Dream is a good book to see how to relate history to everyday life, couldb e useful in giving you ideas on how to 'relate' big stuff happening in the game world to how it effects players day to day...
William Manchester's The Glory and the Dream is a good book to see how to relate history to everyday life, couldb e useful in giving you ideas on how to 'relate' big stuff happening in the game world to how it effects players day to day...
Ezrael
First Post
Haven't seen any mention of Tim Powers here, so I'll pimp him a bit...Declare is an awesome mix of magic, mystery and espionage involving elements that would be right at home in a Spycraft game, The Anubis Gates and The Stress of Her Regard just quite simply rock so very hard they should be illegal or used to build things (both touch upon the Romantic poets, high adventure, strange magic, and so on), The Drawing of the Dark and Last Call are both semi-Arthurian tales, one set in the period of the Ottoman Empire and the other modern Las Vegas, On Stranger Tides had magic and pirates before 'Pirates of the Caribbean' was more than a ride...really, anything by Powers.
I second the Gene Wolfe nod. And since no one mentioned it, why not dig out some old Robert E Howard and give it a whirl? I always re-read the Solomon Kane stories when playing any sort of Cleric, just for that grim servant of God feeling.
I second the Gene Wolfe nod. And since no one mentioned it, why not dig out some old Robert E Howard and give it a whirl? I always re-read the Solomon Kane stories when playing any sort of Cleric, just for that grim servant of God feeling.
TheAuldGrump
First Post
Hmmm, a lot of very good recommendations so far, esp. Barry Hughart, Niel Gaiman, and Terry Pratchett. I would also recommend a few children's and young adult books. His Dark Materials by Pullman, Marelon the Magician by Patricial Wrede and the Robert Hienlen juvenile novels. (Adults don't read enough children's literature, Harry Potter excepted.)
Adult fantasy wise try out C. Dale Brittain, light, amusing, and fun. Tad Wiliams Memory Sorrow and Thorn is also very good. And toss in some mysteries as well. Lord Darcy is available again, combining fantasy and mystery in a fun combination
For nonfiction try The Ancient Engineers by the late L. Sprague deCamp.
The Auld Grump
Adult fantasy wise try out C. Dale Brittain, light, amusing, and fun. Tad Wiliams Memory Sorrow and Thorn is also very good. And toss in some mysteries as well. Lord Darcy is available again, combining fantasy and mystery in a fun combination
For nonfiction try The Ancient Engineers by the late L. Sprague deCamp.
The Auld Grump
While I agree with a number of the recommendations on the list, I also recommend some pieces of non-fiction. I got an awful lot of inspiration from Paul Dutton's Carolingian Reader, a compilation of documents from ninth century Europe, complete with accounts of folk magic and the document I think Tolkien used as the basis for the three ages chronology in Middle Earth.
Desdichado
Hero
If you're like me, it's hard to find something you really want to read when you have fairly limited time to do so. Some pointers on your taste might be helpful.
I'd second (or is it third or fourth by now?) Perdido Street Station -- I didn't realize it was out in normal sized paperback now. That means I'll go buy my copy right away; I read a library copy.
I'd also second fusangite's recommendation to pick up some non-fiction if that's your thing. Some of my favorites, although I don't remember the authors have been biographies of John Paul Jones and Julius Caesar. Also, J.P. Mallory and Victor Mair wrote an enthralling book about the Tarim Basin mummies, if you like that kind of thing.
Right at the moment, I'm rereading certain sections of Morgoth's Ring and Unfinished Tales as well as the Midnight campaign setting, the Warmachine rulebook and (hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on it today) Sorcery & Steam by FFG. I've also been thinking about getting into Neuromancer again; I can get it on audio book from my public library. Same for Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars -- I really need to finish that, especially since the library ordered audio books of Blue Mars and Green Mars just for me!
I'd second (or is it third or fourth by now?) Perdido Street Station -- I didn't realize it was out in normal sized paperback now. That means I'll go buy my copy right away; I read a library copy.
I'd also second fusangite's recommendation to pick up some non-fiction if that's your thing. Some of my favorites, although I don't remember the authors have been biographies of John Paul Jones and Julius Caesar. Also, J.P. Mallory and Victor Mair wrote an enthralling book about the Tarim Basin mummies, if you like that kind of thing.
Right at the moment, I'm rereading certain sections of Morgoth's Ring and Unfinished Tales as well as the Midnight campaign setting, the Warmachine rulebook and (hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on it today) Sorcery & Steam by FFG. I've also been thinking about getting into Neuromancer again; I can get it on audio book from my public library. Same for Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars -- I really need to finish that, especially since the library ordered audio books of Blue Mars and Green Mars just for me!
King_Stannis
Explorer
I am right in the middle of the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. Assassin's Apprentice, Royal Assassin and Assassin's quest are the titles.
So far so good.
So far so good.
Flexor the Mighty!
18/100 Strength!
I'm currently reading "Night Arrant" by Gary Gygax, having just finished the main Gord the Rogue books I'm onto the short story collection. Tons and I mean TONS of inspiration in those books.
The Elric books by Michael Moorcock. Some good extraplanar adventures.
I've started a few pages from "The Fifth Sorceress" by an author I can't remember. Not a bad read.
The Elric books by Michael Moorcock. Some good extraplanar adventures.
I've started a few pages from "The Fifth Sorceress" by an author I can't remember. Not a bad read.
The Cardinal
First Post
right now I'm surrounded by over 3000 books - but for roleplaying inspiration I'd recommend:
- Steven Erikson's The Malazan Book of the Fallen (the best fantasy I've ever read, better even than GRRM)
- George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
- everything by Tim Powers
- Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company
- Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber
- David Gemmel's Drenai Saga
- Harry Harrison's The Hammer and the Cross
- Stephen Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
...and that's only for fantasy RPGs!
also recommended:
Kafka, Nietzsche, D.Hammet, Herodot, Xenophon, Burroughs, Verne, Dumas, Machiavelli, Heinlein, and the collected Supressed Transmissions by Kenneth Hite - including every book from the bibliography...
- Steven Erikson's The Malazan Book of the Fallen (the best fantasy I've ever read, better even than GRRM)
- George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
- everything by Tim Powers
- Glen Cook's Chronicles of the Black Company
- Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber
- David Gemmel's Drenai Saga
- Harry Harrison's The Hammer and the Cross
- Stephen Donaldson's The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
...and that's only for fantasy RPGs!
also recommended:
Kafka, Nietzsche, D.Hammet, Herodot, Xenophon, Burroughs, Verne, Dumas, Machiavelli, Heinlein, and the collected Supressed Transmissions by Kenneth Hite - including every book from the bibliography...
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