Banks started high and ended mediocre, if I'm honest but I enjoyed each of his fiction/sf titles. Some much more than others. I don'associate him with a "shte read", that's for sure! We should do a thread - did any authors/songwriters/musicians get much, much better over the course of their careers or did they all decline as the years went by?
Can’t say I’ve read a bad ‘un by the down and out in Paris and London, The Road to Wigan Pier, Animal Farm, Nineteen Eighty Four, Homage to Catalonia author George Orwell. Another good read was The Road to Nab End by William Woodruff. Have been reading some of the American classics recently, slaughter House 5 and Man in The High Castle, and a very entertaining read by Chuck Palahniuk ‘Choke’
Loved George Orwell's work and Down and Out in particular. Read as a 13yr old and has stayed with me all this time. Pleased to see Ian M Banks there Pete. Terrific author. Another of my faves with D.Adams. All of P K Dicks books are well worth a read. Ubik is my fave. I read a lot. 2-3 books a month at least and sometimes 2 in a week. Then maybe none for 2 or 3 mnths. Im currently reading Heinlein's Stranger from a Strange land. I enjoyed his starship troopers too but his The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is brilliant.
TMiaHM is brilliant but SiaSL was slightly over-hyped in my opinion. It was Heinlein's "aren't we stupid for wearing clothes?" phase that so many older SF writers go through (looking at you, EE Doc Smith). Heinlein was a genius but became somewhat flaky towards the end.
Coming up for air is one of my favourite Orwell books. It perfectly catches the nostalgic agony for a world about to be torn away by war and the disorientation of realising that life will never be the same again. Supposed to be a comedy but deeply poignant too, if a little pessimistic. The title is apt. The welter of memories and sensations come so thick and fast it does leave you feeling a little breathless.
@chizel I've put this one up so you can colour it in....... remember to print it out first this time!!
Yes well, this particular book shelf is for Ducati and motorbike stuff. I do have others! When it comes to science fiction, by the way, my favourite author by far is Jack Vance. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_works_by_Jack_Vance
I know what you mean. SiaSL, Im 75% thru but admit to struggling with it. I normally read quick, but this isnt something Im enjoying particularly. I will finish it though, I always finish books. Unlike that Dark Matter by Blake Crouch, which I gave up on during the multiples part as it got silly. Plus I just wasnt convinced by the characters. First book Ive given up on.
Well, if someone is going to casually throw the name Jack Vance into the conversation, I will respond with a Roger Zelazny. Both of these fantastic writers have added their own uniqueness to SF. Marvellous imaginations, I cannot recommend them highly enough.
