Wow! you met Zelazny? I love some of his early and more science-fictional stuff - as opposed to his more fantastical stuff. For example, I really enjoyed TODAY WE CHOOSE FACES, although it's apparently not one of his most popular. It's been many a year since I read A ROSE..., but I know I gave it a big rating - I'll have to re-read it. And there are several others of his early shorter length stuff that are classics and award winners.
I have to say, though, that his award winning novel LORD OF LIGHT never held my attention beyond a couple of pages - and I've tried it thrice.
You have a weird sense of humour, Rhaam. What do you mean you haven't checked out anyone else's lists?
About that idea for a new list I mentioned above. I'm not sure I'll get around to it now, unless you and others help me build it. It was going to be called "Great Opening Lines". The idea came from your mention of Poe's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, which has a great opning line, as you know. I know there are lots of examples, but the only other one I could think of was, "It was a pleasure to burn." Can you identify that one?
In hind sight, I would have listed "Nothing But A Good Time", another Poison anthem that more accurately conveys my point. Namely, that most 80s hairbands were about fun and good times. I'm glad to see that MARTIN understood the point, anyway.
Don't quite know what to say about this list, except to say thanks for rounding them up from comments all over TL - and elsewhere. [And, Jim, did you notice he slipped in another promo for Alexlit? They must be paying him.] Lovecraft's best and most horrifying, imo, is THE RATS IN THE WALLS. Have you read it? Must say, Cervantes looks somewhat out of place here.
One of the stories listed here has given me the idea for a new list. You'll see what I mean.
Well, have you ever read Zelazny's _For A Breath I Tarry_ or maybe _A Rose for Eclesiastes_? _FaBIT_ is in his _Last Defender of Camelot_ collection not sure about _ARfE_. Or if you could find a copy of George R.R. Martins _Nightflyers_ that would be cool. I know you like sci-fi but I've read a lot more fantasy so I don't have that many recs.
No, Jim, Heinlein's STARSHIP TROOPERS wasn't a satire - or if it was it was an exremely subtle one. In the novel we are supposed to take seriously a political system in which, to earn full citizenship and have a vote, one must have seen military service. The military life, or, more exactly, the life of active combat, is glorified: dialogue sample: "Come on, you apes! ya wanna live forever?" The novel caused a furore in fandom when first published, but it won a Hugo Award. The movie isn't the first send-up it provoked, there's also the novel BILL, THE GALACTIC HERO by Harry Harrison.
The only one of these three I'm sure I've read is Zelazny's A ROSE...; it's much anthologized; I have it several times over in my sf collection. And I'm sure I don't have the other two titles, because I ran them through 'search and find' in my personal catalogue and came up blank. I will try to locate them. Firm promise.
You might be interested in the budding conversation here.
I've never read the Heinlein book, and I haven't been able to quite tell from the conversations - was the book a satire? And was the movie a parody of the satire? Those are my best guesses from the comments I've had to work with. :)
So I could use some enlightenment . . . why do Heinlein lovers despise the movie?
Anytime! As you will notice, Bartleby is listed as number 10, and is on the list because I'm a huge fan of symbolism...which I thought Melville pulled off well in this story.
Most of these I like for some of the specific characteristics. I like stories that very subtly hint at the main points through symbolism and dialogue (see Hemingway and Cather), stories that give a different perspective at the end (Lessing and Mishima) stories that can be interpreted several ways (Gilman and Oates) and stories with a twist (Maupassant and Wharton).
I'm sure there will be more to come!
I was really into Indigo Girls awhile back, and I'm surprised I didn't put them on this list. Veruca Salt is/was good. Joan Osborne had a cool voice. Of the three, I'd probably only add Indigo Girls to this list...
No offense taken. I do mix in a little classical and big band every now and then, but they haven't been in constant rotation. If you can't mix Alter of Sacrifice (Slayer) with Jump Jive an' Wail (Louis Prima), all is lost...
i'm totally with you on some of these, especially The Professional, 12 Monkeys, A Midnight Clear, The Negotiator...
(then there are those that, for me, were hurt by the hype, like Shakespeare in Love & Austin Powers. decent movies, but my expectations were too high.)
a list like this for me would also include Out of Sight, Drop Dead Gorgeous, & Breakfast at Tiffany's.
wow, i've never met anyone who likes Impromptu... julian sands is one of my favorites, although he's been in some pretty bad films. good flick--i think i'll re-rent!
as for the rest of my 2 cents: i also adore Drop Dead Gorgeous, Labyrinth, Dracula, and Howard's End... but can do without Chasing Amy/Mallrats. (joey lauren adams' voice must STOP. agh!)
of the 10 listed here, i've only read 5 but the one i can't agree with is Bartleby. (Melville really gets on my nerves.) however, since you were right on with Perkins-Gilman, Hemingway, Carver, & Maupassant, perhaps i'll give some of the others a try...
reading short stories is something i've forgotten to do since i left college--it's as if there's pressure to move on to bigger, better things--but really, they're quite rewarding. thanks for reminding me!
I really don't know how she pulls this off, but Linda Fiorentino seems really likeable, but so emotionless at the same time. I find her on-screen presence to be...strange.
Well I think yours is the only other list I commented on. Right when I first got on the site.
Can't identify that story. Checked about 25-30 books and got nothing as far as first lines go. I'll keep looking.
Wow! you met Zelazny? I love some of his early and more science-fictional stuff - as opposed to his more fantastical stuff. For example, I really enjoyed TODAY WE CHOOSE FACES, although it's apparently not one of his most popular. It's been many a year since I read A ROSE..., but I know I gave it a big rating - I'll have to re-read it. And there are several others of his early shorter length stuff that are classics and award winners.
I have to say, though, that his award winning novel LORD OF LIGHT never held my attention beyond a couple of pages - and I've tried it thrice.
You have a weird sense of humour, Rhaam. What do you mean you haven't checked out anyone else's lists?
About that idea for a new list I mentioned above. I'm not sure I'll get around to it now, unless you and others help me build it. It was going to be called "Great Opening Lines". The idea came from your mention of Poe's THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER, which has a great opning line, as you know. I know there are lots of examples, but the only other one I could think of was, "It was a pleasure to burn." Can you identify that one?
In hind sight, I would have listed "Nothing But A Good Time", another Poison anthem that more accurately conveys my point. Namely, that most 80s hairbands were about fun and good times. I'm glad to see that MARTIN understood the point, anyway.
I have not seen a funnier movie than The Party with Peter Sellers. Try it , you'll like it!
Don't quite know what to say about this list, except to say thanks for rounding them up from comments all over TL - and elsewhere. [And, Jim, did you notice he slipped in another promo for Alexlit? They must be paying him.] Lovecraft's best and most horrifying, imo, is THE RATS IN THE WALLS. Have you read it? Must say, Cervantes looks somewhat out of place here.
One of the stories listed here has given me the idea for a new list. You'll see what I mean.
Well, have you ever read Zelazny's _For A Breath I Tarry_ or maybe _A Rose for Eclesiastes_? _FaBIT_ is in his _Last Defender of Camelot_ collection not sure about _ARfE_. Or if you could find a copy of George R.R. Martins _Nightflyers_ that would be cool. I know you like sci-fi but I've read a lot more fantasy so I don't have that many recs.
Yup! You hit the nail on the head. Relevent music doesn't always have to have a social conscience, either.
correction: Boys II Men.
how pretentious was that?!
No, Jim, Heinlein's STARSHIP TROOPERS wasn't a satire - or if it was it was an exremely subtle one. In the novel we are supposed to take seriously a political system in which, to earn full citizenship and have a vote, one must have seen military service. The military life, or, more exactly, the life of active combat, is glorified: dialogue sample: "Come on, you apes! ya wanna live forever?" The novel caused a furore in fandom when first published, but it won a Hugo Award. The movie isn't the first send-up it provoked, there's also the novel BILL, THE GALACTIC HERO by Harry Harrison.
The only one of these three I'm sure I've read is Zelazny's A ROSE...; it's much anthologized; I have it several times over in my sf collection. And I'm sure I don't have the other two titles, because I ran them through 'search and find' in my personal catalogue and came up blank. I will try to locate them. Firm promise.
You might be interested in the budding conversation here.
I've never read the Heinlein book, and I haven't been able to quite tell from the conversations - was the book a satire? And was the movie a parody of the satire? Those are my best guesses from the comments I've had to work with. :)
So I could use some enlightenment . . . why do Heinlein lovers despise the movie?
A couple of these are only relevant within the context of the book/movie, but most stand alone quite nicely. Enjoy!
Anytime! As you will notice, Bartleby is listed as number 10, and is on the list because I'm a huge fan of symbolism...which I thought Melville pulled off well in this story.
Most of these I like for some of the specific characteristics. I like stories that very subtly hint at the main points through symbolism and dialogue (see Hemingway and Cather), stories that give a different perspective at the end (Lessing and Mishima) stories that can be interpreted several ways (Gilman and Oates) and stories with a twist (Maupassant and Wharton).
I'm sure there will be more to come!
I was really into Indigo Girls awhile back, and I'm surprised I didn't put them on this list. Veruca Salt is/was good. Joan Osborne had a cool voice. Of the three, I'd probably only add Indigo Girls to this list...
No offense taken. I do mix in a little classical and big band every now and then, but they haven't been in constant rotation. If you can't mix Alter of Sacrifice (Slayer) with Jump Jive an' Wail (Louis Prima), all is lost...
i'm totally with you on some of these, especially The Professional, 12 Monkeys, A Midnight Clear, The Negotiator...
(then there are those that, for me, were hurt by the hype, like Shakespeare in Love & Austin Powers. decent movies, but my expectations were too high.)
a list like this for me would also include Out of Sight, Drop Dead Gorgeous, & Breakfast at Tiffany's.
hmm, interesting that ani and alanis are the only females on the list... do any other females compare/rate? (not a rhetorical question--i'm curious.)
wow, i've never met anyone who likes Impromptu... julian sands is one of my favorites, although he's been in some pretty bad films. good flick--i think i'll re-rent!
as for the rest of my 2 cents: i also adore Drop Dead Gorgeous, Labyrinth, Dracula, and Howard's End... but can do without Chasing Amy/Mallrats. (joey lauren adams' voice must STOP. agh!)
of the 10 listed here, i've only read 5 but the one i can't agree with is Bartleby. (Melville really gets on my nerves.) however, since you were right on with Perkins-Gilman, Hemingway, Carver, & Maupassant, perhaps i'll give some of the others a try...
reading short stories is something i've forgotten to do since i left college--it's as if there's pressure to move on to bigger, better things--but really, they're quite rewarding. thanks for reminding me!
I agree on the Starship Troopers. Be careful who you tell, though! Heinlein lovers despise this movie. I just couldn't stop laughing at certain parts.
I am so happy to report that I have never heard of that band! But then I remembered how I forgot Boys to men. Shudder.
They're all kind of wacky, in the same sense as Sayles is. Sayles is great, I really loved Lone Star as well.
Yes it's sorted, and it's strangely convenient how I have read exactly ten KV novels. I didn't care for Breakfast of Champions much.
I really don't know how she pulls this off, but Linda Fiorentino seems really likeable, but so emotionless at the same time. I find her on-screen presence to be...strange.