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[dolphan]

I just finished the Years of Rice and Salt, by Kim Stanley Robinson. Amazing piece of alternate history, based on the East dominating history after Europe was wiped out by the plague. Some bits are a bit implausible, but it's a good read.

[rlbell]

I am a big fan of the vast majority of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, and I have read all, but one, of them several times. In fact, since October, I reread all of Samuel Vimes' (mis)adventures.

I choose to believe that someone at the printers rewrote the ending of Monstrous Regiment, and that it is not really a Terry Pratchett Discworld novel. The ending left me so flat that I would have to be paid a considerable sum to ever pick up that book again (and paid even more to read it).

If you liked Good Omens, I can highly recommend Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman.

[#BlakhOle#]

I'd never really heard of Neil Gaimen before Good Omens; I should probably check out some of his work, shouldn't I?

[rlbell]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(#BlakhOle# @ Feb 21 2007, 05:46 AM) [snapback]280294[/snapback]</div>

I'd never really heard of Neil Gaimen before Good Omens; I should probably check out some of his work, shouldn't I?
[/b]

He wrote the stories for the Sandman comics. I have the beginning and end of the series as graphic novels, and have read all of the bits in between. If I could afford to collect comics, I would get the whole set.

[Tito]

At last! I finished "Illiad", and it hasn't dissapointed me. It's true that there are many characters and that makes the action a bit difficult to follow, but it sets a milestone for all epic poems to come, and even modern fantasy literature owes a lot to them.

I've always loved epic poems, and I'm trying to read at least all the great european ones. For now I've read "Poema de Mio Cid", ""La Chanson de Roland", "Das Nibelungenlied" and some of King Arthur's cycle. After that I'm planning on going for "Os Lusiadas". Do you feel I'm missing something? I don't know much about the ones of central and east Europe.

[The Fifth Horseman]

For a change of pace, I turned to reading fanfiction. Bubblegum Zone is a fairly interesting and well-written story (stories?), and as a result I've been reading long past midnight for several days now.

[Japo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tito @ Mar 2 2007, 05:21 PM) [snapback]281636[/snapback]</div>

At last! I finished "Illiad", and it hasn't dissapointed me. It's true that there are many characters and that makes the action a bit difficult to follow, but it sets a milestone for all epic poems to come, and even modern fantasy literature owes a lot to them.

I've always loved epic poems, and I'm trying to read at least all the great european ones. For now I've read "Poema de Mio Cid", ""La Chanson de Roland", "Das Nibelungenlied" and some of King Arthur's cycle. After that I'm planning on going for "Os Lusiadas". Do you feel I'm missing something? I don't know much about the ones of central and east Europe.[/b]

Good fantasy literature pertains to the epic genre, look at the Silmarillion for a very clear and loyal to tradition example. The poems you mention are from the Middle Ages, but epic literature has always existed, at least until Modernity killed or marginalized it. You've got older epic poems, all the way towards the ancient religions, and you also have more recent ones, in Spanish the Araucania comes to my mind, or the Finnish Romanticist nationalist Kalevala written in the XIXth century.

I myself haven't read many, only the Illiad and the Odissey I think, but some time I get enough time and I get into narrative, I'll consider it. How did you like the ones you've read so far?

[Tito]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Japofran @ Mar 2 2007, 06:30 PM) [snapback]281650[/snapback]</div>

Good fantasy literature pertains to the epic genre, look at the Silmarillion for a very clear and loyal to tradition example. The poems you mention are from the Middle Ages, but epic literature has always existed, at least until Modernity killed or marginalized it. You've got older epic poems, all the way towards the ancient religions, and you also have more recent ones, in Spanish the Araucania comes to my mind, or the Finnish Romanticist nationalist Kalevala written in the XIXth century.

I myself haven't read many, only the Illiad and the Odissey I think, but some time I get enough time and I get into narrative, I'll consider it. How did you like the ones you've read so far?
[/b]

I'm surprised you weren't forced to read "Cantar de Mio Cid" at school. :blink: I had to, and I think I was the only person in my class (along with the teacher) that actually enjoyed it. If you want a recommendation, I would say "La Chanson de Roland", as it is both short and intense. It got me hooked for a whole night, from start to end. Also, "Das Nibelungenlied" is very interesting, but its first half is weaker. Than the other.

I studied "Araucania" in a subject called South American Literature, but haven't read it, as the style used in that period and zone (Chile) isn't quite my type. "Kalevala" was also in my mind, but I think it is a compilation of poems much older than the XIX century. And if sometimes I can get a copy of it, I'll also try the summerian "Gigamesch Poem", just to see how do middle-asian cultures deal with mitology.

About the Fanfiction thing, I feel unable of reading large pieces of text directly in my computer. After a while I get tired and my eyes hurt, so I guess I won't be trying it in a while.

Pd: Talking about "Illiad", right now I'm listening to the song "Achilles Last Stand", from Led Zeppelin.

[Lulu_Jane]

For a good epic poem, I really recommend The Fearie Queen, by Edward Spenser. It's a brilliant satire and comment on the court of the English queen Elizabeth the First, and her court, thinly disguised as fantasy.

It's great fun

[Japo]

I've just remembered a delicious little book (really short) called "Tales from King Arthur", by Andrew Lang (ed.), edited by Wordsworth, Classics collection. It's a compilation of legends. Few are heavy going, just the hero performing ever harder but stupid exploits just to prove that he's the h3R0z. But most are very good, with this charming flavour, compelling and dramatic, especially at the end with the death of Arthur and whatnot. By the way although the book is quite short it covers the whole time span of the Arturic cycle.