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Posted by: SinN Sep 6 2011, 10:29 AM

Hey Gents and Ladies
Been deployed for a few months and have read every single book I own. And the donated books at the USO are slim pickins for anything interesting. So I decided to cave and start ordering books to read. So I thought Id ask the genius's of the Dumpshock kind for some suggestions. So, thoughts?

Posted by: Brazilian_Shinobi Sep 6 2011, 01:00 PM

Neuromancer (duuuuh)
Dune (only the ones writen by Frank Herbert)
A Song of Ice and Fire
Lord of the Rings
The Borne novels by Robert Ludlum

Posted by: Stahlseele Sep 6 2011, 01:24 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallen_Angels_(science_fiction_novel)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_(novel)
Longer Time reading?
Start with the WH40K novels for example . .

Posted by: pbangarth Sep 6 2011, 01:42 PM

Paul J. McAuley, An Invisible Country.

The Invisible Country. London: Gollancz, 1996. ISBN 0-575-06072-7 -- Philip K. Dick Award nominee, 1998

A collection of short stories by McAuley, covering a range of his series. The series that pertains the most here is the one that imagines a near future in which surgical/genetic/chemical modification has dramatically altered human experience. I have never read any story, in SR fiction or otherwise, that captured for me better the feel of a dystopian future in which the little guys struggle to make it through the shadows cast by the powerful than the title piece for this anthology.

And where he sees bio-modification going is fucking scary and horrifying.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_J._McAuley is the author on Wikipedia.

Posted by: Jhaiisiin Sep 6 2011, 02:03 PM

Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher

Posted by: SinN Sep 6 2011, 03:16 PM

Im in love with all of you. These all look excellent.

Posted by: Bigity Sep 6 2011, 04:28 PM

As a military guy, you might like The Black Company series, by Glen Cook.


BTW: Come back safe soldier. Or airman, or sailor or whatever ya are

Posted by: SinN Sep 6 2011, 05:58 PM

Airman

A guy I work with has told me about the black company series. Im intrigued by it. Just may pick it up.

Posted by: Tanegar Sep 6 2011, 06:32 PM

If you can find them, grab a series called The Exordium, by Sherwood Smith and Dave Trowbridge. There are five books: The Phoenix in Flight, Ruler of Naught, A Prison Unsought, The Rifter's Covenant, and The Thrones of Kronos, and they are hands-down the best space opera I've ever read. Well-drawn characters, an excellent plot expertly paced, high political intrigue, awesome action scenes, and a master-crafted setting. They've been out of print for years, but they are more than worth the effort of tracking down a set.

Posted by: Bigity Sep 6 2011, 07:56 PM

You aren't a COMM trooper by any chance are ya? 3C0 here, or I was anyway

Posted by: Stahlseele Sep 7 2011, 12:54 AM

if you don't mind some kinda slow reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Comstock:_A_Story_of_22nd-Century_America

Posted by: SinN Sep 7 2011, 09:42 AM

Nope, dont work comm.

Posted by: pbangarth Sep 7 2011, 03:15 PM

Hey, guys, "Loose lips sink ships!"

I know it's unlikely that nasties are following Dumpshock, but I'm wondering whether we might be approaching useful information on DS.

Too many years of SR paranoia, maybe, but just sayin'.

Posted by: SinN Sep 7 2011, 03:23 PM

This is why I havent said Where i am, what unit im with, and what my job is. Situational Awareness is your friend

Posted by: Wounded Ronin Sep 7 2011, 03:23 PM

What you clearly need is The Penetrator.

http://www.amazon.com/Purple-Northwest-Contract-Penetrator-Cunningham/dp/B000YJGLA0/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315408980&sr=1-8

Posted by: Critias Sep 7 2011, 03:24 PM

...where, exactly?

I don't ask to be grouchy and hostile or sarcastic, but simply because I don't see what's been anything worth any sort of concern.

Posted by: SinN Sep 7 2011, 03:31 PM

I was going to ask this as well, but decided Id better take a nicer aproach. Ol' Sinn is hangin up his "King of the assholes" crown

Posted by: Bigity Sep 7 2011, 03:34 PM

I know all about what to say and what not to say, and knew better to ask where

BTW a comm trooper is anyone who worked in a communications job, like folks updating the base webpage to the saps changing out toner cartridges. No big secret force or anything

Posted by: SinN Sep 7 2011, 03:42 PM

[quote name='Bigity' date='Sep 7 2011, 08:34 AM' post='1104047'

BTW a comm trooper is anyone who worked in a communications job, like folks updating the base webpage to the saps changing out toner cartridges. No big secret force or anything
[/quote]


Oh come now, without you guys, who would i borrow a pen from?

Posted by: Bigity Sep 7 2011, 07:57 PM

A pen? Feh. Who is gonna hook you up with the rolling chairs and air conditioning, that's the question

Posted by: pbangarth Sep 8 2011, 02:14 AM

Approaching, not there yet. Seems as if my comment was unnecessary. Apologies.

Posted by: Bigity Sep 8 2011, 11:53 AM

Nah no worries. I wasn't offended or nothing in any case.

Posted by: fistandantilus4.0 Sep 26 2011, 05:00 PM

Sinn, I've read at least the first of the Black Company. I've still got the book so I'll send it out to you. Also, can't believe no one recommended the Night Angel Trilogy to you. I still have Nightlife to, from that series you were reading. I'll send you out that one as well.



There's a surprising (or maybe not so) number of military on here. DS might not be a data mine of information, but mil types always have to be careful . You don't want to be the one guy that said something stupid in the wrong place and someone just happened to find it, and then someone dies. That's Bad Karma.

Posted by: hermit Sep 26 2011, 05:10 PM

Well.

The WH40K Horus Heresy Cycle and the Gaunt's Ghosts series are pretty good (they keep their incompetent authors to other novels).

A Song Of Ice And Fire is definitly a worth read too. Just hope the old man can complete the series until he dies. Currently, he takes 7 years to write a book, with five in the planned 7 novel cycle complete.

By the Ice and Fire author, the Wild Cards universe is worth a look, too. This is what sURGE should have been like.

Dune is also good, but I find I don't like it as much as I used to. And stay the HELL away from the Prequels. they're total rubbish.

The Harry Dresden novels are great urban magic noir.

And if you like military fiction, there's always Bernard Cromwell's Sharpe series.

Posted by: Stahlseele Sep 26 2011, 05:36 PM

When it comes to WH40K, try and read the Dan Abnet Novels.
They call it the Daniverse for a reason.

Posted by: hermit Sep 27 2011, 04:22 PM

McNeill and Dempsky-Brown are also pretty good. But yes, Abnet is about the best guy they have.

Posted by: Tanegar Sep 27 2011, 05:45 PM

The only 40k novels I've read are some of Sandy Mitchell's Ciaphas Cain books. Is Abnett Mitchell's equal?

Posted by: hermit Sep 27 2011, 06:54 PM

Just as good, in my opinion, though really a lot crueler to his main characters (The Iron Star *cringe*). Abnett does the grimdark really well, and is a good, cochise and usually fast storyteller.

Posted by: Stahlseele Sep 27 2011, 07:04 PM

ALL of the Gaunts Ghosts are pretty horrible to the characters . .
Because THEY ARE THE BASELINE HUMANS. No Supersoldiers . .

Also: i don't think i have found a single ciaphas caine book in germany yet <.<
but i need to find one i guess . . because: http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Ciaphas_Cain (warning, page may contain a bit of NSFW every now and then)

Posted by: Critias Sep 27 2011, 08:20 PM

They're both good writers, but very different. Don't go looking into Abnett's Ghosts or Inquisitor books expecting a whole lot of Mitchell's humor. Abnett's stuff is a whole lot darker (like most of the 40k stuff).

Posted by: Shortstraw Sep 27 2011, 11:37 PM

By Julian May

Saga of the Pliocene Exiles
- The Many Colored Land
- The Golden Torc
- The Nonborn King
- The Adversary

Intervention

The Galactic Milieu Trilogy
- Jack the Bodiless
- Diamond Mask
- Magnificat

Some of the best books I have ever read.

Posted by: pbangarth Sep 28 2011, 04:18 AM

I've read May's Pliocene series. Good stuff. Thanks for pointing out the other series.

Posted by: Shortstraw Sep 28 2011, 04:37 AM

Best part is it's a circle so you can start with either The Many Colored Land, Intervention or Jack the Bodiless.

Posted by: hermit Sep 28 2011, 10:10 AM

Also of Note in warhammer-related fiction is Matt Farrer's Enforcer trilogy, which is about the only book that gives a near-street-level view of the Imperium. Well, as street level as an Arbitor General is.

Posted by: Kliko Sep 28 2011, 08:58 PM

- the Cryptonomicon; Neal Stephenson
- Snowcrash; Neal Stephenson
- Winter King, Enemy of God and Excalibur; (historical Arthurian trilogy) from Bernard Cornwell
- Everything else from Bernard Cornwell (Saxon chronicles, Sharpe stories)