Karsa Orlong

I recently read The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill and thought it was an excellent crime/mystery novel, assuming you haven't already read it: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Woodcutter-Reginald-Hill/dp/0007343906/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316599909&sr=8-1 Also, for historical fantasies, have you tried Guy Gavriel Kay? If not, have a look at: A Song For Arbonne The Lions of Al-Rassan Tigana

I know what you mean. For me, this is a good thing. I think if bands produce the same sort of songs and sound album after album I get a bit tired of them. A bit of variety is good! I listened to the 5.1 mix last night. It seems to me to be a natural progression from some of the madcap stuff on Watershed, like Lotus Eater and Hessian Peel, but without the growling. It definitely is a throwback to old school prog, but that distinctive dark atmosphere that Opeth bring to everything is still there, lurking. It'll be interesting to see how many new fans this brings in (I know a lot of people who say they love the music on past albums but can't deal with the growls), and how many it'll alienate. The Brixton gig in November will be interesting for sure!

I read Ilium a few years ago and thought it was very good - quite slow in places, as you say, but still enthralling. I liked the idea of the Trojan War being re-enacted, and that the supposedly superior humans had assumed the roles of Greek gods. I'm sure he probably nicked the idea from Star Trek I haven't read Olympus yet, but I have become quite a fan of Dan Simmons and will no doubt read it eventually. I like the way he crosses genres, it's difficult to pin him down. I've read some of his other work and enjoyed them just as much, if not more, especially Hyperion.

It's very different, which I was expecting from everything I'd read about it. Very '70s, prog-tastic. Which means I like it. Nepenthe is MAD

Meh, you're not allowed to hear it before me Listening to it now. Liking it so far.

Oi, that's cheating

The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi on blu-ray. Cracking sound and picture. Still wish it was the original versions, though.

I'm hoping that the new Opeth cd will be waiting on the doormat when I get home today

Finally made it to the end of season 6. Not sure about that ending, but the new season starts next week so at least I won't have to wait long to see what happens next The penultimate episode was so sad, though

Yeah, I had to force myself to watch it, seeing as I went against my better judgement and bought the blu-ray set I watched the blu-ray version of the original movie last night. Like a lot of fans, I was up in arms about it before it was released (see earlier in the thread ), but I'm glad I got it, just to see for myself. It looks and sounds stunning, best I've seen it at home, anyway. I suppose the test will be whether or not I can put up with Lucas's tinkering and keep watching the blu-rays, or if I'll go back to my old, crappy looking/sounding unaltered versions next time I want to watch it.

Finished The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill - excellent thriller.

The Phantom Menace. It hasn't improved with age. Truly, truly awful.

Yes. And yes.

Shocking! The Big Money, Grand Designs, Marathon, Territories, Middletown Dreams - what's not to like? It's their best synth-era album that isn't called Signals <<snooty expression>> I guess it depends at what point and with what album you got into them - there's a hell of a lot of material and barely a bad album among the whole lot (well, apart from Test For Echo). Everything up to and including Presto falls under the "essential" label, imo. It's the Hemispheres through to Signals era that is particularly special to me, though, as that was when I discovered them

Yeah, there's some great stuff on Counterparts (Cut To The Chase, Double Agent, Cold Fire and Everyday Glory particularly). I do envy you - if you get into them there are so many fantastic songs that you're going to hear for the first time Finding those Youtube links has got me listening to this under-appreciated gem of theirs: Available Light

Ah okay. Well, Counterparts is a good album, but you need to go back in time a bit to get to the real classics, and the following albums for starters: Permanent Waves Moving Pictures Signals (try Subdivisions) Power Windows (try The Big Money)

Apparently??? It's the awesomest of awesomeness! As is the whole of that album

Season 2 is cracking!

Talk about damning it with faint praise

No probs. As I said, it's probably the only one I mentioned that fits the criteria but the others are all fantastic fantasy books. If ever you want to break away from your criteria, give 'em a try (well, apart from Terry Goodkind ... ) - you may enjoy them, you never know!

I loved The Belgariad and Magician. I reckon you'll struggle to find books within your criteria that are better than those. Have you tried Tad Williams' 'Memory, Sorrow & Thorn' series, starting with The Dragonbone Chair? Not my favourite, but seems to fit. Or how about Peter V Brett's The Painted Man? Oh, hang on, there are three protagonists in that one. Great read, though. Phillip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy? I suppose there's Terry Goodkind's 'Sword of Truth' series, but I'd stay as far away from them as possible, if I were you, they're dreadful but fit the criteria. Slightly more adult, but Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana is a masterpiece. Might not fit the criteria, though. No harm in being picky, but just think of all the great books you're missing out on ... This site might give you more ideas: http://bestfantasybooks.com/best-fantasy-series.php

Started The Wood Cutter by Reginald Hill.

Just finished David Gemmell's Waylander. Cracking!

Mine are all the same size. I must've waited even longer I didn't bother with the Belgarath/Polgara books. Or rather, I started reading the Belgarath one but wasn't enjoying it. Maybe I'll re-read the whole thing (again) one day, although I'm worried it's maybe too young for me now, and it would spoil my memories of it.

Ditto, I kept The Belgariad and The Mallorean. They introduced me to the fantasy genre. I can still remember the loooong wait between the publication of each book