I remember the VCR instruction manual.
Otherwise Terry Pratchett’s discworld novels and the Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy (the 3 first ofc).
If you don’t mind, why the “ofc”. Are the others considered bad? I think I enjoyed the most “So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish”, the fourth.
I think all were very good, but I read them so long ago that I have them a bit mixed up.
The 6th I couldn’t finish.
The trilogy is considered a sort of masterpiece. The 4 5 (and his other books) not so much.
Stephen King’s Dark Tower series is my go-to epic fantasy. I’m about to start a 4th trip to the tower once I’m done with my current listen.
Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, and a select few other books in the series (Speaker for the dead and Enders Shadow most notably) - Card at the top of his game is fantastic, I just wish he didn’t dive completely off the deep end.
Tangentially, Berserk, if you include manga. Hands down my favorite piece of media altogether.
When I re-read Ender’s Game as an adult it felt pretty mary-sueish the second time. I got why I loved it as a kid because the smart socially maladjusted kid (omg he’s just like me) was kicking everyone’s ass and being great at everything. As an adult it seemed a little much. Then again maybe I’m just projecting the hatred I have for my past self onto the book.
I can get that. Its the parts around him being a Mary Sue that work so well. His ultimate draw towards pacifism despite his clear knack for death. I feel like it captures a bullied, maladjusted youth with a clear talent pretty well, all considered.
The stand, by Stephen King
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson and Sailing Alone Around the World by Joshua Slocum
The entire series of Culture books by Iain M Banks, they’re just phenomenally written.
Others I’ve reread at least twice:
Frank Herbert’s DUNE series
Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash
The Thievesworld anthology series
Alastair Reynolds House of Suns
William Gibson’s Jackpot books
Neuromancer might be my favourite cyberpunk book of all time but so far Jackpot has failed to hook me.
I’ve liked the Jackpot series, but I absolutely adore the Sprawl series. I also loved the bridge series.
The appeal is Gibson’s writing, he’s developed a lot in the intervening decades. IMO he’s a much better writer these days than he was at the start of his career. The plot of the Jackpot books might not hook you as much as the sprawl but his writing is great.
Check out Ian McDonald’s River of Gods and Cyberabad Days if you liked Neuromancer, those are in the same vein and exceptionally well imagined. Skip the novella titled Vishnu at the Cat Circus until after River of Gods, it spoils everything set in the India 2047 setting (it’s the last thing in the Cyberabad Days collection.)
Stranger in a Strange Land. Read that many times.
- Necromancer by Gibson
- Snow Crash by Stephenson
- the Uplift series by Brin
- the Amber series by Zelazny
- the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit by Tolkien
There are a number that I’ve realized I really enjoyed, but read so long ago that I’ve forgotten a lot and will reread soon. Those include Blood Music by Bear, and a whole bunch of Clarke novels.
When I finished reading Blood Meridian I said WTF, turned to the first page and read it again.
Ascendance of a Bookworm, shoutout to !aoblightnovel@bookwormstory.social
I’ve never been one for reading. Even for books with movies I love, I always found reading books myself a chore.
But when I saw the Ascendance of a Bookworm anime, I wanted to know what was going to happen after the season ended. This lead me to the Manga, which was behind at the time, then the light novel.
The word is rich and it has a depth that isn’t daunting. The character you meet feel like they have their own lives, and the sheer number of side stories which isn’t about our main character is wonderful.
This was the series the made me get an eReader just for the books and the many spin offs. And I now preorder it to get the prerelease chapters to get my bookworm fix every mynesday.
The translation work is amazing the story is my cup of tea, and I will recommend it to those who want something new.
I reread most of my books but “player of games” by Iain M. Banks I read so many times I broke it and had to buy a new copy. Weirdly, I don’t think it is the best of his books, it is just a fun read.
A more obscure author David Eddings, did a bunch of fantasy series. The Belgirad and the mallorian were two that I’ve read the most but the others are great also.
Also Tolkian. And Harry Potter
The Forever War - Joe Haldeman A fantastic novel on the pointlessness of war, told through the lens of space opera / sci-fi
This will make a fine addition to my (infinite) backlog.
" When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton. "
Foucault’s pendulum by Umberto Eco. Just thinking about it makes me want to read this masterpiece again.
That chapter where they try to figure out the password to the computer though…
Baudolino is my favourite BTW, maybe I should re read it (struggling with time to get into Pragues Cemetery ATM).
Childhood’s End
