Ill over Literacy Comments

[Dominus Digg]

The article

[Marcel Hillie]

I'd recommend Max Brooks' World War Z, if you haven't read it already.

Picture the 9/11 report if it was about zombies.

Well worth your time.

[Dominus Digg]

Maybe, but would you call it a classic?

[Ron]

Brooks's Zombie Survival Guide (approximate title; haven't read it in awhile and am too busy to look it up right now) is awesome, too.

WWZ is being made into a movie. I think it's by Brad Pitt's studio or something.

[Dominus Digg]

Two zombie novels.

Aside from my distaste for zombies that leads me to outright dismiss these options, I gotta think y'all didnt pick up on my desire to read CLASSY literature.

The last paragraph is the conclusion. I've linked the article for easy re-reading.

[Nicole]

Man in the Iron Mask? How classic you wanna go?

Invisible Man. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Of Human Bondage was good, I remember, although I read it so long ago I can't recall what it was about.

I've read MitIM several times and always enjoyed it. I also own those stupid Tolkien books. I occasionally found sections in the books which I enjoyed reading. I think.


Not classic, but Furies of Calderon and sequels by Jim Butcher is a good Romanesque fantasy setting. His writing improves as he goes. The Roman theme isn't as prevalent in the first book-that one's very... provincial, but further on in the series is city activity and Legion activity. Even better, no stakes to suck.

Terry Pratchett is fantastic comedic fantasy- brain candy. No other books in my collection are re-read nearly as often. I'd say 1-2 times a year for each book. Neil Gaiman has a different style and brings a love of mythology into his novels. I think that the novel with the bratty prince who got handjobs and a strangled brother has sequels. That's fucked up enough to be "literature".

George RR Martin's Game of Thrones et al series is popular right now, although if you wait long enough you'll be able to see that on TV. I advise you to give Wheel of Time a miss. Especially since Robert Jordan died before he finished and alas, the child lifts the reins.

Or you could scan the titles for which Cliffs Notes are sold, and use that as your classy reading guide.

[Ron]

In all reality, this list begins and ends with the religious and secular bibles: The Bible (a fine anthology - check it out some time, you'd be surprised) and Dune (I can still only vouch for the first book, but we've established everything that needs to be about Herbert's magnum opus already).

I will take this in a slightly different direction though and suggest Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions. If you haven't read anything that's really expanded your mind in awhile, it is highly recommended. I also suggest two non-fiction works that almost read as fiction because of the memoir elements: Danse Macabre and On Writing, both by America's most prolific living author, Stephen King.

And is there a better book written in English than Invisible Man? Dune is my favorite, but Invisible Man is a masterwork unlike anything I picked up before or since.

[Ron]

And I didn't forget about your aversion ("meat machines!!!"). The Zombie Guide is more of an ... alternate science book. If you like reading mythological zoologies and the like (and any RPG aficianado worth his or her salt does, I maintain), then you should enjoy it. You've read Monster Manuals, right? News flash: there's zombies in there.

Highly recommended non-literature: DVD Delirum (vol. 1, particularly) - especially the reviews by Kim Newman. Be aware, though: there is one reviewer in there who callously includes more spoilers than C. J. Henderson in The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Movies. And that's a lot.

[Dominus Digg]

Thanks to all. This is what I mean by classics.

[Nicole]

On Writing was damned good. Stephen King owns the english language. He's an amazing storyteller...good enough that I can almost forget that I don't really love his actual stories.

How about the Jefferson Bible?

And as for Sci-Fi. How about Phillip K Dick's work? 50% chance of being made into a movie starring Keanu Reeves.

[Dominus Digg]

Ron loaned me the first Dark Tower and I did enjoy it.

I've already done the Bible in elementary school.

Are you referencing Keanu as a feature or criticism of Dick? I still gotta read your Xmas gift too :)