Karsa Orlong

It doesn't really bother me, either. I don't think I've ever bought a complete series in one go - I always buy the first book to see what it's like, then maybe a couple more to see if the quality continues etc. Strangely, though, with a trilogy I'll generally wait until all three books are out before even thinking about reading them (currently waiting for Patrick Rothfuss to pull his finger out so I can start his first book). That's probably because of my experience with Peter F Hamilton's 'Night's Dawn' trilogy, where I bought them as they came out and re-read the previous book(s) as each successive one was published, so I ended up reading the first book three times, the second book twice, and the final book just the once.

Couldn't decide where to post this: VF's thread, where the original conversation took place? Pickle's thread, cos we were the ones talking about it? Nah, didn't feel right hijacking other people's threads with it. So ... I was watching Mongrels last night and they were taking the pee out of Twilight: Sorry, couldn't resist posting it ...

Sometimes I can concentrate when people are talking or the tv is on, other times not. It usually depends on whether I'm tired, or if the book I'm reading just isn't grabbing me. When I'm on the tube I always listen to my iPod and I can concentrate on my book without any problems, so I sometimes use this tactic at home, too, especially if it's noisy outside (like last year - the neighbours had builders in for six months, working weekends as well, from 8am until it got dark!).

Great review James The last sentence just reminded me of Big Trouble in Little China: "Are you ready?" "I was born ready."

Just saw that he passed away last month: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jan/13/reginald-hill

Ah okay, thanks. I'm definitely going to count them as four separate books, then. Cos I'm a rebel.

Well I really enjoyed what I read of it this morning Does the same story run through all four books, or are they different stories just set in the same world?

Non-Stop by Brian Aldiss Hmm, how do I explain this book without totally spoiling it? Very difficult. The blurb on the back says this: "Curiosity was discouraged in the Greene tribe. Its members lived out their lives in cramped Quarters, hacking away at the encroaching ponics. As to where they were - that was forgotten. Roy Complain decides to find out. With the renegade priest Marapper, he moves into unmapped territory, where they make a series of discoveries which turn their universe upside-down ... " I think this was Aldiss's fourth or fifth novel. It was written in 1958, so you can guess that the writing style is slightly old-fashioned. For me, this added to its immense charm, rather than detract from it. The characters are great, particularly Marapper, who I could see and hear quite clearly from the first time he speaks. The Greene tribe are fairly primitive in their ways, constantly on the move through a world of corridors filled with overgrown vegetation. Roy Complain is a hunter, who ventures beyond the guard barriers into the ponics, where he kills pigs to trade for bread and such. The tribe is threatened by other tribes, and by the Forwarders, and the Outsiders, and rumours of the Giants, who were once thought extinct but have been seen again. When 'his woman' follows him on a hunt she is taken by another tribe in an area called Sternstairs and Complain, flogged for losing her, Marapper and three others decide to escape and try and find the mythical Control. All this probably gives good indication that the jungle in which they live is not a natural environment, which becomes apparent right from the start. But the exact nature of their world, who the other races are, and why they are there is slowly deciphered by the characters as the story progresses. Much of it is easy to guess, but the pace of the novel, the charm with which it is told, and the steadily deloping characters meant I didn't begrudge that at all. My one problem with the book is the brevity of the ending. Where I was expecting another chapter the story just ends, and very abruptly at that. It's the only part of the book that feels rushed, which is a real shame, almost like he wasn't quite sure how to conclude it. Still, I suppose that's nothing new in sf with big ideas. Apart from that, it's a great read. And I haven't mentioned the rats ... 7/10 (would've been an 8 but for the ending - this is the new, harsh-scoring me!)

That's not what Jason Donovan said

I started The Dying Earth by Jack Vance this morning

VF will be pleased: I am starting February with Jack Vance's The Dying Earth. This is part of the Fantasy Masterworks 'Tales of the Dying Earth' edition, which I didn't realise actually contains four separate novels. I'd only counted it as one book in my TBR list, so separating them out means I've added another three books to the pile! It's been on the shelf since VF first brought Jack Vance to my attention, so high time I read them. Thirty pages in and I'm enjoying it already I'm quite pleased that I managed to read six books in January, especially seeing as The Stand took me the best part of two weeks to get through.

And me! We're so common!

LOL, yeah, it was amazing how quick it was to type the Kindle TBR list as opposed to the treebook one

Yeah, point taken And no Steven Erikson on either of your lists. Tut tut. Oh right, yeah, I was going to shut up about him, wasn't I? Still, 91 books on my list (now 89) is about 30 more than I thought I had, so it was a bit of a shock ...

Hey, no worries, I didn't mean to say it for effect, I just always link that film to that day, whenever anyone mentions it Not just The Green Mile but anything, lol. I want to get that list down considerably, cos it scared me when I typed it up. It's well over a year's worth of reading if I get through them at my usual rate. I've already had to stop myself from buying another Brian Aldiss book today

Fine. No sympathy from me, then, when the werewolf of your dreams tears you to pieces - or just bites you and curses you - at least until somebody comes along and shoots you with a silver bullet. Ah, romance, eh? I blame Willow and Oz - it just won't work out We really need a snooty smiley

Belated Happy Birthday mate I've read The Bourne Identity a couple of times. Be interested to know what you make of it, especially if you've seem the film version. And congrats on getting your daughter out of the 'dark fantasy' section of the book shop. 'Dark fantasy'. Pfft. How dare they associate that load of old tosh with fantasy. Where's the 'snooty' smiley?

Ack, I can't watch the movie. It was on tv the night my dad passed away, so I'll forever associate it with that moment, sadly. I shall read the book at some point, though - just don't want to add it to the list just yet when I've got 90 others already on there Going to attempt to reduce that pile a bit before buying any more ... good intentions and all that nonsense ... [Marion voice on] I didn't know that [/Marion voice off] (That only makes sense if you've watched Mongrels )

More or less than you both thought? I haven't read The Green Mile, Frankie. I'd better not add it to the TBR list just yet ...

I knew I was good for sumfink

I think I'd've thrown the pc through the window if that had happened to me

I'd love to see them for myself one day

Here we go then. As per Frankie and Kylie's suggestion, this is a list of some of my favourite books. I'm sure there are many I've lost to memory (which must mean they weren't that good ... maybe), especially those going back before I started keeping a list of what I've read, but these are the ones that stick out in my memory. I may add to it if I remember any others. It also proves to me that I need to read some different genres, and soon! Steve's Favourite Fiction I'll get these out of the way first: The Malazan Book of the Fallen - Steven Erikson - my favourite fantasy series. I've banged the drum about it quite enough by now. It's like Marmite. Seven out of the ten books in the series are right at the top of my list: Gardens of the Moon / Deadhouse Gates / Memories of Ice / House of Chains / Midnight Tides / The Bonehunters / Toll the Hounds. The Belgariad - David Eddings - this was the series that introduced me to the fantasy genre. I loved it when I was 14 or 15. Not sure how I'd feel about it if I read it again now, but I have to include it here. On to the rest: A Man on the Moon - Andrew Chaikin (okay, this one isn't fiction!) A Storm of Swords - George R. R. Martin Arms of Nemesis - Steven Saylor Chasm City - Alastair Reynolds Cujo - Stephen King Die Trying - Lee Child Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - Phillip K. Dick Dune - Frank Herbert Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card Feersum Endjinn - Iain M. Banks Northern Lights - Phillip Pullman Hyperion - Dan Simmons I Am Legend - Richard Matheson Legend - David Gemmell Lightning - Dean Koontz Lustrum - Robert Harris Perdido Street Station - China Mieville Salem's Lot - Stephen King Sovereign - C J Sansom Stinger - Robert McCammon The Anubis Gates - Tim Powers The Kraken Wakes - John Wyndham The Dead Zone - Stephen King The Fifth Horseman - Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre The Forever War - Joe Haldeman The Lions of Al-Rassan - Guy Gavriel Kay The Reality Dysfunction / The Neutronium Alchemist / The Naked God (The Night's Dawn Trilogy) - Peter F. Hamilton The Osterman Weekend - Robert Ludlum The Redbreast - Jo Nesbo The Satan Bug - Alistair MacLean The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon The Shining - Stephen King The Stars My Destination - Alfred Bester The Time Machine - H. G. Wells The Winter King / Enemy of God / Excalibur (Warlord Trilogy) - Bernard Cornwell Voyage - Stephen Baxter Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel

There you go with the licking again!

She's a vampire slayer??? Ohhh, 'bully', not 'buffy'. Monday mornings, jeez! Thanks Kylie! Won't you get a bit tired flying back and forth, though? Yeah, and???