BigWords

I found the Marquis' work rather dry in places, but he had an exceptional way with words (and twisting expectations), so you shouldn't be too put off by what you hear and read about his books. Kinda reminds me of the way in which Alasteir Crowley's stuff is always regarded as being hardcore devilry when it is, in a lot of ways, a barbed and witty commentary on religion and personal expression. I'm finding it hard to describe these guys, but I really, really believe that their work isn't confined to students and collectors of esoterica. There might not be as much in their work that comes close to the general perception of them (and you can forget the film adaps like Justine, because those were soft-porn first and foremost). There is some degree of 'nasty' in de Sade, but there is just as much laugh-out-loud comedy in his work as well. I may be in the minority on this...

I'm wanting to read this even more than ever since finding the first chapter online. It will be well worth the price for comedy value alone. *gets red editing pen ready*

I'm still having a hard time watching this and NOT thinking of John Boorman's Excalibur whenever the pace lags a bit... It isn't the best adaptation, but as a Saturday night show it does what it is sets out to do very well.

Has anyone noticed the misuse of tense and adjectives being used (someone mentioned one being on the third freakin' page!) or other blatant mistakes that an editor should have caught?

I went to Asda (Dunfermline) on Thursday to see if they had a copy for

Which begs the question: which three books do you have?

Which version? There was a rewritten and updated edition published a few years ago. Which irritated me no end. As much as the original is falling apart (it is held together with a thick rubber band to stop the pages falling out) I can't bear to get rid of it. I agree on it being a classic SF book wholeheartedly.

I'm currently trying to fill all of the gaps in my book collection, and get at least one or two of the 'all-time greats' from each genre and era. There will be updates every so often, with links to each post placed on Book Re:View.

Cod-pieces are all the rage, so I'm not changing my wardrobe.

I watched the entire Fist Of The North Star series (the eighties one, not the revamp) in one go. It was like being a teenager all over again...

I wouldn't go so far as to say that I've been unduly influenced in behavior or lifestyle (making aspare room up like it was something out of Star Trek is dumb), but I have found that I listen to music which authors use in the books I read. After a few Stephen King books I really got into old rock and roll songs...

The most disturbing work of fiction I've ever read... British newspapers FTW.

Would saying Jerry Cornelius be frowned upon? Hmmm. Maybe Harry Flashman would be better... Or not. Damn, this is hard.

Spelling mistakes, wrong information (the price of gas in 1982 wasn't the same as it was in '98), travelogues, stupid plot oversights, numerous characters with similar names... I could go on, but I would just be tormenting myself.

The points made about Patterson not being the sole author of 'his' books are valid, but he is far from the only author using ghosts and co-writers to bump his output. There are several best-selling authors who have managed to collaborate for years without problems. I, for one, like the books, and the knowledge that he possibly didn't write a particular section of a book doesn't detract from the quality of the novels.

There are a couple of nice hardback books about The Black Museum. The Murders Of The Black Museum - 1870-1970 by Gordon Honeycombe is a fine entry point for true crime readers. It was published back in the early eighties, so I'm not sure if it is still in print.

The Dead Zone is excellent as a stand-alone story, as it is the Chris Walken film. The television series, which more people will probably be aware of the characters from, is less successful in maintaining the suspense of Johnny Smith. Save for a few episodes where the writers bent the format of the show, it degenerated into a problem-of-the-week show.

Accepting the definition of 'classic' as given, and noting that many are still taught in schools, there is still the question of accesability that needs to be addressed. If anyone is having problems with the language, tone or age of a novel, then they should read the excellent League of Extraordinary Gentlemen comics, as well as learning a bit about the Wold Newton concept. With those two concepts (or single concept handled slightly differently) firmly established in popular consciousness, it should be easier to read - or re-read - many of the classics in a different light. There are many, many books which have entered modern culture in slightly altered form, and a reader shouldn't underestimate the power of a novel due entirely to age.

Then I shouldn't point out how enjoyable I found Hawk The Slayer, and even the Beastmaster films ('cept the last one)...

The book is far superior to the television movie based on it. I did notice some typos and mistakes, which hadn't been corrected from the first edition, in the Complete And Uncut Edition. It's my all-time favorite King book regardless of the minor niggles though. Cell is also an excellent read, though derails somewhat in the latter stages.

There has to be a special so-bad-it-is-unwatchable mention for The Running Man. King's story was a thrilling, dark tale of human need and an inhumane society, while the Arnie film was... An Arnie film. It isn't so much the fact that it's a bad film, it's the fact that a true adaptation would have been amazing. The ending will probably be changed if it ever goes to the big screen again, but I would love to see a respectful adaptation.