The GF book thread

[El Rojo]

American Tabloid and The Cold Six Thousand are phenomenal Ellroy reads if you've an interest in JFK assassination conspiracies and everything that surrounded that world.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

All sound but for Stark who's stuff I find a bit formulaic. Have you ever read any Jason Starr? The prose is shite but it has to be the fastest page turning stuff ever. One of the main things about noir is a lack of 'lovable' characters and there's not a single one in any Starr novel.

 

Jim Thompson was an all time great.

 

Yeah, Stark churned them out, but as Paul says, the character of Parker is the draw.

 

No, never read any Starr. I keep a little list on my phone of authors to check out so I'll add him to that. I see he did some comics; I'm starting to find a few authors that have made that jump, next on my list is Gun Machine by Warren Ellis.

[Paul]

Re-reading Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan in preparation for the Netflix TV show (sadly 2018). Probably the best fusion of sci-fi and noir.

 

Agreed. An absolutely fantastic book - and I really like the other two Kovacs novels too. I've never found anything else that mixes SF and noir like them.

 

Have you read Morgan's fantasy series? I found them a bit impenetrable to be honest.

[REDTALISKER]

If you are after crime novels the Matthew Scudder series by Lawrence Block is pretty decent. It's been a while now but if my memory is reliable it starts a little slowly but really hits its stride around novel four or five .

[mars]

Agreed. An absolutely fantastic book - and I really like the other two Kovacs novels too. I've never found anything else that mixes SF and noir like them.

 

Have you read Morgan's fantasy series? I found them a bit impenetrable to be honest.

I didn't like the fantasy novels as much, and Black Man and Market Forces I'm not sure I even finished. For fantasy I prefer Joe Abercrombie (The Blade Itself series is great). Someone kindly recommended the Naomi Novik Tremeraire series - read the first four and thoroughly enjoyed them.

 

If you enjoy Sci-Fi noir, Lev AC Rosen's Depth is worth a look. It's a detective story set in post global warming sea level rise New York - the sky scrapers are now islands.

[REDTALISKER]

Never really got on with Abercombie myself. I know he is highly rated and I'm not going to knock anyone who thinks differently because I can kind of see the appeal. Personally if you want bleak fantasy than it's the Black Company by Glen Cook and for everything else in the vein of physical fantasy there is David Gemmell. The art of telling the same story over and over again without losing satisfaction.  

[Sut]

Jason Starr's Tough Luck is a pretty good book. Love Stark's Parker novels. Darwyn Cooke did a couple of really good comic adaptations which are well worth checking out.

 

I've not long finished The World Walker which I enjoyed, reread It which is just amazing and am about a third of the way into The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet.

 

Up next are The Stone Man and Sleeping Giants. Might also have a read of Brian Daley's Han Solo novels. Not read them for a few years and they were always amongst the best Star Wars spin-offs for me.

[Rico1304]

Just started The Vagrant, recommended by Mark Lawrence , good so far.

[REDTALISKER]

It's a little bit weird but in a good way. Certainly refreshing in the sense it breaks the mould of what fantasy usually is. Given that fantasy allows you to write about pretty much anything a damn lot of is set in a pseudo mediaeval world. I was just checking online to make sure we both talking about the same book and see the third book came out this month. I know what I will be doing this weekend now.

[Rico1304]

It's a little bit weird but in a good way. Certainly refreshing in the sense it breaks the mould of what fantasy usually is. Given that fantasy allows you to write about pretty much anything a damn lot of is set in a pseudo mediaeval world. I was just checking online to make sure we both talking about the same book and see the third book came out this month. I know what I will be doing this weekend now.

For some reason the premise reminds me of the film Event Horizon - might just be me though.

 

Ta

[Chairman Meow]

Chandler

 

Like a hard boiled alternative to PG Wodehouse.

 

I love Wodehouse and you can see the massive influence on Chandler (I presume I've mentioned Chandler loads of times on this thread, he's brilliant) in the way Marlowe behaves and talks.

[VladimirIlyich]

Was looking through some old books I've read on my tablet recently and remembered a writer named Walter Mosley who writes decent crime novels and is reminiscent of the excellent George Pelecanos.

[TheBitch]

I absolutely loved Prince of thorns.

What a great character Jorg is.

 

Also read the first of the Courtney books by Wilbur Smith after a mate in work put me on to them.

 

Really enjoyed that too.

[Kidder Bukowski]

Was looking through some old books I've read on my tablet recently and remembered a writer named Walter Mosley who writes decent crime novels and is reminiscent of the excellent George Pelecanos.

Mosley is a brilliant writer Vlad, much better for me than Pelecanos. A lot of people for me are swayed by the fact GP wrote for The Wire but if you check out all their work there is no comparison for me.

 

Mosley explores so many different avenues and themes whereas Pelecanos is formulaic. Very well written formulaic but still treading familiar ground and is oft guilty of the American novelists habit of sermonising. Check out some of Mosley's leftfield stuff, the man can write.

[Rico1304]

I absolutely loved Prince of thorns.

What a great character Jorg is.

Also read the first of the Courtney books by Wilbur Smith after a mate in work put me on to them.

Really enjoyed that too.

All the Mark Lawrence books are great. There's another trilogy and a new one, Red Sister, starting another trilogy just out.

[Elite]

Started the first John Caffery book. Enjoying it so far.

[VladimirIlyich]

Mosley is a brilliant writer Vlad, much better for me than Pelecanos. A lot of people for me are swayed by the fact GP wrote for The Wire but if you check out all their work there is no comparison for me.

 

Mosley explores so many different avenues and themes whereas Pelecanos is formulaic. Very well written formulaic but still treading familiar ground and is oft guilty of the American novelists habit of sermonising. Check out some of Mosley's leftfield stuff, the man can write.

I have enjoyed both of their stuff and dont really favour one over the other. Weirdly I imagine Mosley's chief character,in the books I read,to be played by Bunk from The Wire.

[Paul]

Just finished the latest Harry Hole novel by Jo Nesbo. It was entertaining enough but seemed more far-fetched than previous ones.

[skend04]

I'm not a big reader but having ditched most of the social media sites I've got a gap in my schedule. Started off with Ready Player One, and binged it in a couple of days. Enjoyed it quite a bit, think it was mainly down to the referencing of pop culture, but it was such an easy read and flowed so that you kept reading.

[Paul]

Oooh, oooh, oooh!!!

 

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/may/26/before-his-dark-materials-how-lyras-story-began-exclusive-extract?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

[Kidder Bukowski]

Some from the last week or so.

 

A stab in the dark by Lawrence Block. A Max Scudder book which is a decent enough detective novel but far from his best.

 

The Dying Detective by Leif GW Persson. Seemingly highly rated Scandinavian crime novel (does anybody in Scandinavia do anything else but write crime novels?) but disappointing for me.

 

The Rescue Man by Anthony Quinn. A beautiful evocative book about Liverpool and it's architecture during the war. For anybody who loves the old buildings of this city and deplores the civic vandalism that took place it's a must read.

 

Dead Man's Blues by Ray Celestin. Brilliant crime novel set in 1920's Chicago which features Al Capone, Louis Armstrong and a whole host of other believable characters. Almost made me want to listen to Jazz. Niiiccce! 

[polymerpunkah]

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Yuval Noah Harari

 

Very good book.

[Edward.]

Is the Fireman by Joe Hill worth a read? Pondering whether to start the L.A. Quartet series of books or continue with Elvis Cole(Voodoo River).

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Some from the last week or so.

 

A stab in the dark by Lawrence Block. A Max Scudder book which is a decent enough detective novel but far from his best.

 

The Dying Detective by Leif GW Persson. Seemingly highly rated Scandinavian crime novel (does anybody in Scandinavia do anything else but write crime novels?) but disappointing for me.

 

The Rescue Man by Anthony Quinn. A beautiful evocative book about Liverpool and it's architecture during the war. For anybody who loves the old buildings of this city and deplores the civic vandalism that took place it's a must read.

 

Dead Man's Blues by Ray Celestin. Brilliant crime novel set in 1920's Chicago which features Al Capone, Louis Armstrong and a whole host of other believable characters. Almost made me want to listen to Jazz. Niiiccce! 

 

I've got The Axeman's Jazz by Ray Celestin sat on my shelf, so I may just give that a read next now. I wasn't sure if the whole Louis Armstrong angle might be a bit weird, but it sounded intriguing enough.

[Paul]

I've read that. Thought it was OK.