Someone on one of my other threads recently asked me for my favorite books. I was about to respond, but then I thought that the list would be long enough to deserve its own thread. So after a brief inspection of my memory and bookcase I came up with some gems. I’m leaving out some of the more popular books that I have enjoyed, since I think they are rather obvious. Also, this list is really just a first shot. I would have to dig through storage to remind myself of some of the wonders I have read in the past (I have a really horrible memory).
Enough with the caveats; on with the show!
Peter F. Hamilton
The Reality Dysfunction, The Neutronium Alchemist, The Naked God, Fallen Dragon, Pandora’s Star
Hamilton is probably my current favorite author. He incorporates many aspects of science fiction and sci-fi into true page-turners. You just can’t wait to find out what is going to happen next in his stories.
Arthur C. Clarke
Childhood’s End, The Hammer of God
Childhood’s End was such a different take on God, Satan, and the nature of Heaven and Hell. I had to read this one in 11th grade English class, and boy was I grateful.
Isaac Asimov
Foundation Trilogy, Robot Dreams (Remembering Tomorrow).
The Foundation Trilogy represents my first foray into Science Fiction. It also represents a return to loving books. After my junior year in high school I did not read much. That is until my 3rd year in college. I was taking an English Literature class at the time, and my professor was of such caliber that he instilled in me a great curiosity about the written word. During the Thanksgiving break that semester I picked up an old copy of the Foundation Trilogy that was lying around my parents house. During the three days it took me to finish I realized just what a gift I had been given by my professor. This marked a return to reading for me.
Neal Stephenson
Cryptonomicon
This is some very interesting material, incorporating modern science with a look back at the birth of computing and cryptography as a science.
Philip K. Dick
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, A Scanner Darkly
Dick has recently received the honor of being the most widely used author for movie/film adaptations. Many excellent, and some not so excellent, movies have been based on his stories: Blade Runner and The Minority Report to name just two.
John Steakley
Armor
This is classic military science fiction. I am only aware of one other book written by Steakley, and that is Vampire$. John Carpenter made a film adaptation of Vampire$ a few years back, but like most adaptations it only vaguely resembled the book. I thought the movie was second rate. Steakley’s books are first rate.
George R. R. Martin
A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords
I first read Martin when I was a young teenager. A short story of his, Nightflyers, appeared in a book called 13 Short Horror Novels. It was an interesting read, and the only reason I remember it today is because a very bad movie was based on it starring an actor I liked who had played Robin Hood in a BBC series. Nightflyers was a sci-fi/horror mix, so I was a little surprised when A Game of Thrones was published.
A Game of Thrones is Fantasy, but not like any Fantasy I had ever read before. Martin’s characters are so real. There are no black and white characters here, just many shades of grey. Everyone is given their motives, and they act in such believable ways that you sometimes forget this is just fiction. No other author of fiction has elicited such emotion from me. I actually found myself angry at Martin for some of the things he does to his characters. I’m talking actual anger. I could not believe it when I realized it.
Orson Scott Card
Ender’s Game, Ender’s Shadow
A nice variation on military science fiction.
Anne Rice
Queen of the Damned, Memnoch the Devil
I love history, I love fantasy, and I love good horror; so Queen of the Damned appealed to me on many levels. I particularly like the flashbacks to the origins of the vampires.
Memnoch the Devil also provides an interesting take on the history of man and God. This also presents an old take on the Devil that I really like. The old idea that “the Satan” is really a necessary job that some being must take up and not just a name for evil personified.
Glen Cook
The Black Company
Here we have an example of military Fantasy. The Black Company, and its sequels, provides much entertainment showing the exploits of a mercenary company with a ruthless, and deserved, reputation.
Douglas Adams
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and sequels
You can’t go wrong with Adams. If he is the author, you need to read it. End of story.
Ted L. Nancy
Letters from a Nut, More Letters from a Nut
This stuff is freakin’ hilarious.
Carl Sagan
Pale Blue Dot
A masterpiece from a master thinker.
Lee Smolin
The Life of the Cosmos
This is a brief and shallow primer on astrophysics and quantum mechanics.
Stephen W. Hawking
A Brief History of Time
This is considered by many to be the definitive explanation of singularities for laymen.
Brian Greene
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
This one is considered by many to be the definitive explanation of string theory for laymen. Greene has been compared favorably with Hawking in this regard.
Gustov Davidson
A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels
This guy spent 15 years exploring the world’s religious and mythic texts looking for the names of angels.
Edith Hamilton
Mythology
This is probably the most widely used resource for mythology courses across America.
Wendy Northcutt
The Darwin Awards: Evolution in Action
Accounts of people who have removed themselves from the gene pool.
James W. Loewen
Lies My Teacher Told Me, Lies Across America
Loewen points out common lies and mistakes seen in American history books, and continues to American historical sites in his second book.
Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr.
C. S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life
Nicholi uses the words of Lewis and Freud to simulate a debate on various important topics.
Simon Hornblower and Anthony Spawforth (editors)
The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization
David Macaulay
The Way Things Work
This is a simplistic and illustrated look at how some of the technology people take for granted works. Good for children and adults.
Bernard Grun
The Timetables of History
Can’t remember when the steam engine was invented, or when Ramses III ruled? Here is your reference.
Karen Armstrong
A History of God: The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
George Carlin
Brain Droppings
Thoughtful and funny… does it get any better than that?
Robert Ludlum
The Bourne Identity
Holy crap this is a good book. This is one of the best page-turners ever.
H. P. Lovecraft
The Dream Cycle of H. P. Lovecraft: Dreams of Terror and Death (intro by Neil Gaiman)
The Best of H. P. Lovecraft: Bloodcurdling Tales of Horror and the Macabre (intro by Robert Bloch)
The Transition of H. P. Lovecraft: The Road to Madness (intro by Barbara Hambly)