Is SP becoming Illiterate?

Remove all ads!

I've noticed that this forum is probably one of the most neglected on the site (right next to Pools of Radiance 2).

What's up with that? Where is the love of reading that stirred us to play fantasy games in the fist place?

Are we so easily distracted at finding the perfect party / feat / weapon combinations that we no longer curl up with a good book?

If we are reading, why aren't we talking about our books?

Maybe we should start something similar to the Random Babbling post here ... call it "Inklings" (after the literary group CS Lewis & Tolkine were members of). Then we can just drop quick notes of cool books and articles we are reading.

What do you think?

 

I wholeheartedly agree - an "Inklings" forum would be quite cool.

And yes, it is sad that this area is so neglected.

So, what book first??

 

I am currently reading (amongst other things) Conrads "Heart of Darkness". It is an incredible tale written by someone with mastery of language.
Also recommended is Conrads "Youth". I got them both in a volume of his shorter work. I am going to read "Lord Jim" after finishing "Heart of Darkness".
One of the things that makes Conrad so appealing is that much of his writing is based on personal experience.

 

I'm always to tired to read, escpecially at night. So I listen to Talking books! I've listened to The Harlequin 7 times now. A wonderful book. All about the English crusades in France during the middle ages. Follows the story of a young English archer.

 

When Heart of Darkness you should read up on the theory of 'the journey of the hero'. A good article on this subject is found Here.

I am currently reading 'The Count of Monte Cristo' by Alexander Dumas, 'The Lyre of Orpheus' by Robertson Davies, and 'Speaker for the Dead' by Orson Scott Card

 

Well, I'm reading "There Are No Children Here" by Alex Kotlowitz. True reporting/story about two little kids, age 9 and 11, growing up (hopefully) in Chicago's West Side gang neighborhoods. The kid's mom says "There are no children here, they've all seen too much to be children" and hence the title of the book.

About poverty, lack of education and opportunity, gang wars etc.

Didn't really think it's a Sorcerer's Place type book.

 

I love Heart of Darkness.

Right now I am reading The Magehound (Elaine Cunningham) and East of Eden (John Steinbeck).

Actually, John Steinbeck is my personal favorite author - kind of makes me wish he had written fanasy fiction! I could see it now!!
--The Elves of Wrath
--East of Halruua
--Of Sprites and Svirfnelblin

he he heee

 

Reading is unpractised by our current generation because of the spawning of video and audio entertainment, both requiring less concentration and attention to understand. Most people today have shorter attention spans, due to such forms of entertainment as TV and radio, therefore making it hard for them to focus on reading for extended periods of time.

On another note,I'm reading Frank Herbert's Dune (for the 4th time). It's a great book and I recommend it to anybody no matter what their preferances.

 

I'm reading Homer's the Odyssey.

 

I think an inklings board would be a great idea. As for Heart of Darkness, I read it in highschool and enjoyed it well enough. After you finish, you must read T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men. It's a brilliant poem that makes reference to Heart of Darkness. Also, if you feel like it, you can watch Apocolypse Now which is based on heart of Darkness. Anyway, I'm reading Lord of the Rings for the third time right now and am almost finished. Not sure what I'll read next. I haven't read the Hobbit in awhile so I'm thinking of reading that next. Any ideas?

 

TheBlackRose ... Homer's Odyssey????

Never saw that Simpson's episode.

"MMMM, *drool* Cyclops, *gurgle* *gurgle*"

"My crew got turned into pigs ... DOH! MMMM .... fresh bacon *drool* *gurgle* *gurgle*"

 

I'm reading Word of the Day

I find that I'm reading school textbooks as an excuse for reading. And you know how academic reading goes. By the time you're through with a chapter, reading isn't such a leisure activity anymore. So lately, the only novels I've read are humor/comedy.

And speaking of which, which funny authors or books do you recommend? (And no, I'm not referring to comic books)

 

I'm now reading The Eye of the World from Robert Jordan, first book of The Wheel of Time - which probably everyone here already knew anyway! I finally got to reading it after receiving the first 3 books of the series last Christmas!

I'm halfway through and I admit to being hooked. I have been on a sick leave for the past 2 weeks and I've spent the last one reading every and all afternoons. I think it is well written and the story flows very nicely.

The only downside I found is that a few concepts and ideas remind me of similar stuff found in the
Sword of Truth series from Terry Goodkind. I don't know who wrote his story first, and it's no big deal anyway.

I had a lot more time to read back when I was in school. Now, with work being what it is and all the responsibilities of being a grown up , time is just a commodity that is difficult to afford. Being on a sick leave gave me the opportunity to do what I usually don't have time to do, which almost makes me wish I had to be operated on more often!!

 

Stormhand, it is Goodkind that has blatantly ripped off every concept used Jordan's books. On of my major peeves with that man. I mean all fantasy writers take alittle big from there and a little bit from here but Goodkind ripped Jordan more than I have ever seen anyone rip.

 

It's all fair since Jordan modeled that first book after Fellowship of the Ring.

 

Reading "The One Tree", Book Two of The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant...that is, when I myself am not doing my daily writing. Stephen R. Donaldson is probably the best next fantasy author in the vein of Tolkien...Tolkien being that, of course, who is the best. I'm not calling Donaldson a Tolkien-rip-off. Heck--Tolkien ripped off a TON from the OLDEN stories. The tragic tale of Turin from The Silmarillion is almost verbatim the old myth about Siegfried. Anyway, Donaldson is a very original writer, mark my word! He's also one of those genre-hoppers. He has done contemporary mystery, sci-fi, etc. But he's best known for the First and Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Give them a read--six books in all! Very deep, complex fantasy with the refreshing and non-atypical anti-hero of anti-heroes!

 

I am reading the timeless The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. So what if I saw the movie first?

 

Donaldson is a great writer and he has ben ripped alot also, his bloodguard must be the rolemodel for both the aiel WoT and the swordpeople and mudpeople in Goodkinds books. The Fremen in Dune is also very like them but I dont know who was first of Herbert and Donaldsson.
Jordan ripped the story in his first WoT book more or less completely to give his writers a sense of security and he did so openly but his world has grown since then and he uses such a mix of influences that the Tolkien ones drown, just as Tolkien himself used more or less everything from different myths.
Goodkind on the other hand is more cynical in that he barely puts his own taste on his concepts, the worst being the female magic users, they are more or less exactly like Aes Sedai with little or no distinction between them.

 

I'm currently re-reading Crucible: The Trial of Cyric the Mad. I don't know why though, 'cause this book just emphasizes why I don't like Troy Denning.
I'm really just killing time until either I get the Thousand Orcs, Beowulf or the History of Middle-Earth set.

PS-An Inklings thread would be an excellent idea by the way...*hint* *hint*

 

Im currently reading The Silent Blade