[X] My Assistant

[SincereAgape]

Just finished watching.."The Kingdom", "Street Kings", and "Point Break" over the past two weeks.

Currently reading:
"Choose your Enemies Carefully" by Robert Charnette for the second time (Shadowrun novel). But I am thinking about switching to

"Stranger Souls" by Jak Koke, part one of the Dragon Heart Trilogy (Shadowrun novel)

[pbangarth]

Just finished reading Broken Angels [by Richard Morgan] - again.
One of a selection of books, I just keep re-reading and always enjoyable [especially when read as part of the trilogy].
So many good ideas, it's scary [enough to inspire a whole RPG - Eclipse Phase discussions constantly refer to Morgan's books].
From a RPG perspective, it shows how Player Characters from different backgrounds can be pulled together as a team [ninja infiltrator, marine/soldier, corporate, fixer, archaeologist, techie], how their specialities complement each other [combat specialists are no good at providing financial backing, ninjas are no good at being archaeologists, etc] and how an archaeological dig can be a viable scenario/adventure.

Thanks for this suggestion. I am an archaeologist, and I play one on Dumpshock (among too many games!), so this definitely is on my list.

[Lass]

I recently read Justina Robsons - Keep It Real. Its sorta Shadowrunesque in that you have a cyborg lead character and elves, Demons and Fairies in a high tech society. I liked its depiction of elves and their culture though be warned it is a vieled romance novel whichis of course fun for me but may not be as much so for our testosterone diven chummers.

[AJCarrington]

Thanks for this - I've got the first two books in that series but haven't got around to reading them yet.

AJC

[Lass]

I'd also add that the film Surrogates was pretty damn good - Even if Bruce Willis is looking more and more like Billy Joel each day! Such a great year in film for us dorks!

[Backgammon]

Err that movie looks terrible and full of plot holes. I remain unconvinced.

I on the other hand saw Zombieland with my zombie-loving wife (she loves me too, even though I'm not a zombie, in case you're wondering). VERY entertaining, LOADS of fun. It has gore and stuff but that shouldn't detract you, cause it's really a comedy with a nice romance story (so something for the estrogen driven chummers too). There is a marvelous cameo by an excellent old school comedian (won't spoil who) that's hilarious.

[Lass]

Yeah I've bamboozled some fella into taking me to see that this weekend. Gotta say, Woddy looks damn hot in the cowboy hat!

[SincereAgape]

Yeah I've bamboozled some fella into taking me to see that this weekend. Gotta say, Woddy looks damn hot in the cowboy hat!

Over the years Woody took some of the darkest, most hedonistic roles in acting.

Still remember him from Cheers, playing "Woody." That was when he was the best.

[Maelstrome]

im about to read the sr novel terminus experiment. anybody have any recomendations of shadowrun novels i should read?

[Lass]

Are SR novels worth reading? I say that recalling reading DnD novels and finding them remarkably formulaic and boring. That being said I am about to start the short story anthology Extraordinary Engines - a collection of Steampunk stories.

[Blade]

Disclaimer: I haven't read them all, and especially haven't read the most recent ones so maybe there are some good ones I've missed.

In my opinion, most of them aren't really worth it.
Some are just bad (poor stories, horrible writing, brown nipples...) and some are readable, but not worth reading when there's so many far better books out there.
The problem is that a lot were written by players rather than writers or by people who are actual writers but not very good ones, and not very knowledgeable about Shadowrun. Some lack story, some lack style and other lack Shadowruness... Some lack several of these or even all three.

Then there's 2XS by Nigel Findley, which is just a quite good Roman Noir set in the Shadowrun universe. House of the Sun by the same author with the same main character is not bad either, but lack that Roman Noir feel the first one has (except at the very end, which is very very Noir).

For fun, you can also read Black Madonna: it's Da Vinci Code except that it was written a few years before and has the Vatican launch a nuclear strike at the end.

[AJCarrington]

I'm about a third of the way through the series and have enjoyed most that I've read. I've always had a soft spot for the initial trilogy, Secrets of Power, but that may be as much due to nostalgia as anything else.

AJC

[Maelstrome]

ive read a handful of them. i own around 20. i enjoy them. then again there isnt much i dont enjoy.

@lass, you are really getting into steampunk arent you?lol

[Stahlseele]

I've read them all. As long as you steer clear of the newest ones, especially the german stuff, you should find them quite enjoyable.

[SincereAgape]

im about to read the sr novel terminus experiment. anybody have any recomendations of shadowrun novels i should read?

Other SR Novels I recommend.

1. Into the Shadows - Edited by Jordan Weisman.
2. Preying for Keeps - Mel Odom
3. Headhunters (Follow up to Preying for Keeps) - Mel Odom
4. Run Hard Die Fast - Mel Odm
5. Shadow Play - Nigel Findley
6. Wolf and Raven - Stackpole
7. Burning Bright - Tom Dowd (A story about Chicago getting nuked because of the large insect hive there.)


-"2XS" and "House of the Sun" are two books I highly recommend like the previous responders to your question.

[Lass]

@lass, you are really getting into steampunk arent you?lol

Im still just getting me feet wet with Steampunk. Getting through Extraordinary Engines has been fun and looking over some of the RPG Steampunk based books has also been inspiring. I recently read Tim Power Anubis Gates which is meant to be sorta Steampunkish but really wasnt - unless your one of those that like magic in Victorian Times sorta types.

On a side note - Ive discovered Knight of the Dinner Table and its such a fun laugh! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/twirl.gif)

[Blade]

For Steampunk, I recommend K.W Jeter's Infernal Devices which is one of the few steampunk books I've read that really deserve the "punk" part.

[Synner667]

Recently read :-
Whitechapel Gods [SM Stirling] - much recommended by several people, it's a steampunk novel set in a Whitechapel cordoned off from the rest of London.
I did enjoy it, for the main part, but stopped enjoying it near the end.
Some great ideas, interesting steampunk things, and mainly good characters.

Triumff [Dan Abnett] - A cross between Black Adder, Discworld and Flashman, set in an alternate 2010 where the world hasn't really moved on from the renaissance.
Overall, I did enjoy it, but at times the humour felt a little forced and it felt like a rehash of some of the Sam Vimes stories.

Started watching Golden Compass and see lots of steampunk things to borrow and use elsewhere.

[Synner667]

Other SR Novels I recommend.

1. Into the Shadows - Edited by Jordan Weisman.
2. Preying for Keeps - Mel Odom
3. Headhunters (Follow up to Preying for Keeps) - Mel Odom
4. Run Hard Die Fast - Mel Odm
5. Shadow Play - Nigel Findley
6. Wolf and Raven - Stackpole
7. Burning Bright - Tom Dowd (A story about Chicago getting nuked because of the large insect hive there.)


-"2XS" and "House of the Sun" are two books I highly recommend like the previous responders to your question.

Wolf and Raven are wonderful...
...I read the original stories when they were published in Challenge magazine [I think it was], and spent years hoping they'd make it into book form.

Other than that, I highly recommend the Secrets of Power trilogy, Black Madonna and Streets of Blood [the latter because they're about Brits].

[Backgammon]

Forgot to say I read The Electric Church a while back.

VERY mediocre. Not bad, not good, just... average. I have no need to get the sequels.

[Sticks]

Just finished Little Brother by Cory Doctrow, a great read and better than i expected, just starting River of Gods by Ian Mc Donald

[Bitten the Bug]

Reading: DragonHeart trilogy and on the side Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher.
Films: Inglorious Basterds. Me like!
TV-series: NCIS and Top Gear is what catches my fancy at the moment. Otherwise it is Firefly, Farscape that I like the most.
Playing: Not enough. SR once a month if I am fortunate AND can get my players rounded up. Otherwise, not much.
Music: Erhhh, does musicals count?? And children's nurseryrhymes?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif)

[Lass]

Only essential movie is This Is It!!!! Yes i'm talking MJ heeeeeeheeeeee!

[SincereAgape]

Tried picking up Machiavelli's "The Prince" over the weekend. Put it down in favor of some fiction.

"Time Machine" And "The Invisible Man" by HG Wells.

[Lass]

Ive been Netflixing a great TV series from the 60s that is getting me writting up all sorts of Steampunk inspired stories - Watch The Wild Wild West! Not the crap one with Will Smith and giant mechanical spiders but the Robert Conrad series that combines SciFi with Western stories.