Favourite Non-Fishing Books?

[Guest Steve Burke]

What are your favourite books, apart from fishing ones?

 

I'm a science fiction fan. Not science fantasy, which often gets lumped together with science fiction. Science fantasy with its swords and sorcery is really only adult fairy tales. Great if that's what you like, but it has little to with science. Mind you someone once did write "Magic is only science you don't understand."

 

My favourite authors include Asimov, Clarke and Heinlein, and I especially like what are called "future histories", particularly if aliens aren't included.

 

Unfortunately fantasy novels are now taking over. I've read some Greg Bear and one or two others but IMHO they aren't up to the old masters. Anyone got any suggestions for authors to try?

 

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Wingham Fisheries

www.anglersnet.co.uk/fisheries/wingham/htm

[Guest RobStubbs]

Steve,

I really like all the Pratchett discworld books but the earlier ones are probably my favourites - those with the luggage & rincewind in.

 

Others include George orwells animal farm and I'm currently reading Nick Hornby's trilogy & 'about a boy' is the best so far.

 

Rob.

[Guest Scott.Ashworth]

Hi Steve,

quite a few really.

Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks

The old man and the sea - Hemingway

Red Dragon,Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal - all by Thomas Harris

On the Road - Jack Kerouac

The Day After Tomorrow - Allan Folsom

Happy reading,

 

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Ashy

[Guest mmc1uk]

I like Clive Barker. Fact based books on serial killers etc. I am currently reading Hanibal by Thomas Harris. Most of all I read Marvel comics ,oops the geek in me is out.

[Guest big al]

steve anything by tom clancy loved red storm rising.good autobiographys looking for trouble by Gen Peter De La Billiere fantastic,that guy was a complete nutter now running things great.just finished eye of the storm by Peter Ratcliffe DCM ,anouther version of events in the gulf not bad.i read about a book a week so costs a fortune ,perhaps we could start a book club? cheers big al

[Guest Elton]

Steve,

 

Because I'm fortunate to have some friends in publishing, I get to read quite a lot of books that I wouldn't necessarily buy. As I said in a thread in the coarse forum, I've just read 'Castaway'. I then started reading a book called 'The Fig Eater', which I wasn't enjoying. Luckily, a fishing book then arrived in the post

 

If I buy a book, then it's usually something factual. I like biographies and autobiographies. I also read quite a few 'lads' mags, such as FHM, Maxim, Loaded, etc..

 

Oh, and of course, my job means that I get to read quite a few things by Terry Pratchett

 

All the best,

 

Elton

[Guest davidP]

Mostly comedy sci-fi. Terry Pratchet is number one on the list (currently reading 25th Discworld novel 'The Truth' and it's very good), but Tom Holt and Andrew Harman are a similar sort of thing that are also pretty good. Neil Gaiman has his moments as well - 'Stardust' was a joy. I enjoyed reading Gerald Durrell when I was a kid and having just reread a couple of them for the first time in 20 years I still think they're pretty special. 'The Bafut Beagles' is possibly my favourite of his.

Having caught the travel bug a few years ago I tend to read a lot of travel writing as well. Bill Bryson is excellent but there are many more excellent travel books - it's an overlooked genre in my opinion. Unfortunately most of them are in storage at the moment so I can't bore you with a list of names!

[Guest Ian Cresswell]

Hi Folks,

 

Lots of good stuff mentioned here ... how about some P.J. O'Rourke for seriously funny cynicism/satire?

 

Nice to see Andrew Harman get a mention ... the genre in that case is pure Pratchett. Fun reading though!!!

 

Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy is also a must read ...

 

Cheers,

 

Ian.

[Guest John S]

Sci-fi and fantasy, auto/biography, some crime, some war. No namby-pamby romances though....

 

I've just finished reading the latest Terry Pratchett/Discworld book, half way through Kim Stanley Robinson's "Blue Mars", about to finish Clive Barker's "Books of Blood", and read a book called "Scotch on the Rocks - the true story of Whisky Galore" over the weekend. Next book I read will either be Moby Dick, Last and First Men (Steve Burke - if you haven't read that one yet, I can thoroughly recommend it), or something by Larry Niven. Assuming I can keep away from those damn Discworld books that is!

 

Favourite authors include Pratchett, Niven, Clarke (when he's writing on his own), Asimov, Tom Sharpe, Douglas Adams, James Herbert, Agatha Christie and Tom Clancy.

 

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John Suffill

 

john@go-fishing.co.uk

[Guest Steve Burke]

I too recently several of Gerald Durrell's books - very funny.

 

I've also read Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars series, one of the best modern "hard" science fiction series. I've also a Larry Niven fan, either with or without Gerry Pournelle, although I find the quality variable, from mediocre to brilliant.

 

I know Ian does, but does anyone else remember Patrick Moore's children's science fiction books about Rex Redmayne and Lowell Base on Mars?

 

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Wingham Fisheries

www.anglersnet.co.uk/fisheries/wingham/htm