I've read a couple novels during college, but I've always been drawn to non-fiction books more.
Typically, I like business, self-help, or tech/gaming history.
I've read a number of biographies as well.
What do you prefer?
Fiction or Non-Fiction
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Gamerforlife
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What I read these days is mostly graphic novels or trade paperpacks. My sad way of making up for years of missing out on great comic books. I'm also currently collecting the Dark Horse comics official Buffy season 8 comics, because it is the Joss Whedon approved continuation of one of my favorite shows.
If I ever read anything that isn't comic book related, it generally is of the non-fiction variety. Something I can learn something from. I don't read traditional novels. I don't really know what authors would appeal to me and I generally find that graphic novels and trade paperworks are less time consuming than traditional novels. You know as an adult there's hardly any time to do anything
If I ever read anything that isn't comic book related, it generally is of the non-fiction variety. Something I can learn something from. I don't read traditional novels. I don't really know what authors would appeal to me and I generally find that graphic novels and trade paperworks are less time consuming than traditional novels. You know as an adult there's hardly any time to do anything
I can't vote. I read extensively, but the split between fiction and non-fiction tends to sever my library in half. I read much more non-fiction than when I was a child, but it truly represents about half of what I read today.
If anyone cares, here is what's in the queue:
Three books by Michael Cisco, such as the Tyrant. I learned of him during one of my random Ligotti web crawls, and have not been disappointed. This is surreal, nihlist horror.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency -- Douglas Adams. Always wanted to read it, finally put it in the queue.
Tulipamania -- Book detailing the great Tulip bubble, when a single bulb could cost as much as a house.
Lies My Teacher Told Me -- Basically, a tome which illuminates the numerous falsehoods and bias of school text-books. If you were ever told that what you learn in school is racist, and went "huh?" -- this book will make a compelling argument.
War Is a Racket -- Smedley Butler. One of America's most decorated and distinguished generals, wrote a scathing little book on how American business interests dictate global policy, and, as such, uses the military as a foreign bully. Reading this on the heels of "The Plot to Seize The White House: The Shocking True Story of the Conspiracy to Overthrow FDR" by Jules Archer. Of course, its particularly poignant now.
I'm also always on the lookout for good graphic novels and such. I loved comics as a child, until the Watchmen appeared, which made everything look and read like crap by comparison. About every four months, I venture in to the local comic shop and try to dig up something interesting. Right now:
Meow Baby! by Jason -- have most of his books, truly brilliant. Can convey an amazing story without any words, without dialog.
The Lost Colony -- No real opinion on this, yet.
The Black Diamond Detective Agency by Eddie Campbell.
If anyone cares, here is what's in the queue:
Three books by Michael Cisco, such as the Tyrant. I learned of him during one of my random Ligotti web crawls, and have not been disappointed. This is surreal, nihlist horror.
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency -- Douglas Adams. Always wanted to read it, finally put it in the queue.
Tulipamania -- Book detailing the great Tulip bubble, when a single bulb could cost as much as a house.
Lies My Teacher Told Me -- Basically, a tome which illuminates the numerous falsehoods and bias of school text-books. If you were ever told that what you learn in school is racist, and went "huh?" -- this book will make a compelling argument.
War Is a Racket -- Smedley Butler. One of America's most decorated and distinguished generals, wrote a scathing little book on how American business interests dictate global policy, and, as such, uses the military as a foreign bully. Reading this on the heels of "The Plot to Seize The White House: The Shocking True Story of the Conspiracy to Overthrow FDR" by Jules Archer. Of course, its particularly poignant now.
I'm also always on the lookout for good graphic novels and such. I loved comics as a child, until the Watchmen appeared, which made everything look and read like crap by comparison. About every four months, I venture in to the local comic shop and try to dig up something interesting. Right now:
Meow Baby! by Jason -- have most of his books, truly brilliant. Can convey an amazing story without any words, without dialog.
The Lost Colony -- No real opinion on this, yet.
The Black Diamond Detective Agency by Eddie Campbell.
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fastbilly1
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My library is also split. My nonfiction is usually books on war or the supernatural, while my fiction is mostly fantasy. Though I do have a large selection of scifi aswell. Sadly my time to read is very short nowadays, and since my ebook readers battery is shot, ie my zodiac, I am at a loss until I can get it replaced or a new toy that can view the documents. I am still working my way though Project Gutenburg...
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lordofduct
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That is a really hard question.
Personally I read a lot of non-fiction. Tech books, text books (yes not at school... i read text books... I usually pick em' up used off of kids at the end of the semester), some history (not really big in the history thing, I only like to touch on it really) anything related to math, and the sort.
Biographies bore the shit out of me
BUT
I attatch myself more to a great fiction novel. And despite my dislike of biographies, I love fiction for the characters and getting to know who they are. This is why I have fallen in so much love with Kurt Vonnegut, meeting this robust group of characters in his head and watching them interact over all of his novels in interesting ways. Displaying the epitome of social anxiety at every end of the spectrum.
When I saw the painting at the end of "Bluebeard" painted by Rabo Karabekian... I literally felt like I was staring at it with my own eyes. I'm not gonna get DEEP into that sappy crap about it, how it made me feel... it just was real and made me smile. It reminded why it is I read, why action movies bore the fuck out of me.
Like a cynic could have a heart too.
So really, I read anything that has something for me to gain; spiritually, intellectually, emotionally... as long as I gain something.
But I went with Fiction because no matter how smart I get, a good novel just makes the day brighter.
Personally I read a lot of non-fiction. Tech books, text books (yes not at school... i read text books... I usually pick em' up used off of kids at the end of the semester), some history (not really big in the history thing, I only like to touch on it really) anything related to math, and the sort.
Biographies bore the shit out of me
BUT
I attatch myself more to a great fiction novel. And despite my dislike of biographies, I love fiction for the characters and getting to know who they are. This is why I have fallen in so much love with Kurt Vonnegut, meeting this robust group of characters in his head and watching them interact over all of his novels in interesting ways. Displaying the epitome of social anxiety at every end of the spectrum.
When I saw the painting at the end of "Bluebeard" painted by Rabo Karabekian... I literally felt like I was staring at it with my own eyes. I'm not gonna get DEEP into that sappy crap about it, how it made me feel... it just was real and made me smile. It reminded why it is I read, why action movies bore the fuck out of me.
Like a cynic could have a heart too.
So really, I read anything that has something for me to gain; spiritually, intellectually, emotionally... as long as I gain something.
But I went with Fiction because no matter how smart I get, a good novel just makes the day brighter.
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Droid party
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- Location: Stuck in my childhood.
I'm in the middle of a great book called I,Lucifer by Glen Duncan. Here rather than trying ( and failing ) to explain the premise of the story I'll just put what Amazon used :
From Publishers Weekly
In this novel, British author Duncan (Hope; Love Remains) attempts to justify the ways of Satan to the hip. God gives his evil subaltern a month in a human body, with an option to own, thus permanently casting off his pain-racked cosmological being. The grim alternative for Lucifer is to subsist in eternal nothingness. The vacant body belongs to Declan Gunn, a writer on the brink of suicide. Lucifer narrates his romps through escort service dates, cocaine-laced nights and, mostly, the thrills of the wondrous human sensorium. Lucifer options his life story-from his starring role with Adam and Eve to his struggles with an autocratic God-to a film producer and torments Declan's lover, Viola, with the promise of a juicy part in the upcoming movie. But for all his jauntiness, Lucifer must unexpectedly wrestle with Gunn's conscience, including Gunn's memories of Penelope, his alternately loathed and longed-for ex. When Lucifer makes the disastrous decision to see Penelope and forgive her for dumping him, he confronts the goodness of mercy, a battle that leaves him sick with nausea and cognitive disorientation. Lucifer tosses wisecracks around as if they were hand grenades. On the wickedness of a rival of Gunn's, he quips, "There's no murder in him, and only a very predictable dribble of lust. His soul, and billions like it, provide the cosmos with its muzak." Alas, Lucifer's wit doesn't often rise to this sharply satiric level: it's more like a series of outtakes from Bedazzled. This is the archetypal promising novel-the author's talent with words eclipses the substance of his story.
One hell of a read and worth a look.
From Publishers Weekly
In this novel, British author Duncan (Hope; Love Remains) attempts to justify the ways of Satan to the hip. God gives his evil subaltern a month in a human body, with an option to own, thus permanently casting off his pain-racked cosmological being. The grim alternative for Lucifer is to subsist in eternal nothingness. The vacant body belongs to Declan Gunn, a writer on the brink of suicide. Lucifer narrates his romps through escort service dates, cocaine-laced nights and, mostly, the thrills of the wondrous human sensorium. Lucifer options his life story-from his starring role with Adam and Eve to his struggles with an autocratic God-to a film producer and torments Declan's lover, Viola, with the promise of a juicy part in the upcoming movie. But for all his jauntiness, Lucifer must unexpectedly wrestle with Gunn's conscience, including Gunn's memories of Penelope, his alternately loathed and longed-for ex. When Lucifer makes the disastrous decision to see Penelope and forgive her for dumping him, he confronts the goodness of mercy, a battle that leaves him sick with nausea and cognitive disorientation. Lucifer tosses wisecracks around as if they were hand grenades. On the wickedness of a rival of Gunn's, he quips, "There's no murder in him, and only a very predictable dribble of lust. His soul, and billions like it, provide the cosmos with its muzak." Alas, Lucifer's wit doesn't often rise to this sharply satiric level: it's more like a series of outtakes from Bedazzled. This is the archetypal promising novel-the author's talent with words eclipses the substance of his story.
One hell of a read and worth a look.
JT wrote:Yeah, like vampire aliens invade and hit us all with a ray beam that paralyzes all of our arms. The only way to deactivate the ray beam and fight back the vampire alien threat is with a complicated series of foot patterns on the device's control board that looks remarkably like a DDR pad. We will all praise this man for saving our lives and buy him a mountain of stuffed animals.
Fiction. I love documentaries and non-fiction, but generally through reading on the internet or TV/movie documenatires. Reading is my favourite form of fiction, and read a LOT of novels. I just bought Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead and have been working my way through the collections of Poe. All good stuff.
I also read some graphic novels, but only generally really interesting/strange stuff. No superheroes for me. Transmetropolitan, Preacher, Hitman. Can't really find anything outside of those that I really enjoy. I hear Walking Dead is good, though. Marvel Zombies was a fun read as well.
I also read some graphic novels, but only generally really interesting/strange stuff. No superheroes for me. Transmetropolitan, Preacher, Hitman. Can't really find anything outside of those that I really enjoy. I hear Walking Dead is good, though. Marvel Zombies was a fun read as well.