What book(s) are you reading in 2020?

[danskmacabre]

@zlogdan

Yeah, tastes change over the years. What we don't like, becomes something we love.
I couldn't get into Lovecraft books when I was a teenager, but now, whilst it's a bit hit and miss, really enjoy it when I'm in the mood.
Reading Lovecraft put mew onto Edgar Allen Poe, which is some ways I prefer to Lovecraft.

Getting back to the Torturer books. I love the feel of the old world there under the covers and how it's slowly uncovered/revealed as you read the books.

[danskmacabre]

"Moonchild" is a beautiful book by Crowley. I haven't read it in years, but really enjoyed it.

Crowley has written a lot of material. Mostly about Mysticism, Magick etc. Much of which is pretty heavy reading.
Moonchild is a nice departure from that. Although obviously in itself rooted his flavor of Occult practices.

[Kevin McCabe]

Reading Just Kids by Patti Smith, a person I respect immensely

[postodave]

I have been reading the Fafhrd and Grey Mouser Books in order from the beginning. A couple of years ago I found the last book the collected editions they did in the nineties where the first six books were grouped together in sets of two and the last one had a new name. I then realised I was missing the sixth book and decided the best way to buy that was in the same edition as the last book. Then when I started reading from the start the second book (my faviourite) fell to pieces so 'I bought the first two books of the ninteties collections. So I have a nice set including the intros by Moorcock and Neil Gamen. I love Gamen's intro which is alabout going back to books you read in childhood. I'm also enjoying the stories though the first book (first half of first book in the editions I have) is a bit weaker than most of the others. Leiber is a very good writer technically and there is a lot of wit and whismsy going on especially in the ones written later.

[Jack Of Shadows]

Crowley has written a lot of material. Mostly about Mysticism, Magick etc. Much of which is pretty heavy reading.
Moonchild is a nice departure from that. Although obviously in itself rooted his flavor of Occult practices.

Agreed. I used to have a much larger library of occult books than I do now, including rare volumes and a number from Crowley. Over the years I've sold off most of them. They did quite well, but there have been a few that I regret selling. My library now primarily consists of science fiction, fantasy and horror, but a few occult gems still remain.

[danskmacabre]

Agreed. I used to have a much larger library of occult books than I do now, including rare volumes and a number from Crowley. Over the years I've sold off most of them. They did quite well, but there have been a few that I regret selling. My library now primarily consists of science fiction, fantasy and horror, but a few occult gems still remain.

I've moved quite a few times over the years, usually to different countries, so have lost much of stuff I would rather have kept, but hey... life.

The interesting thing about Crowley's work is it's a real rabbit hole you end up going down that refers to lots of other books, many not written by himself.
The book I referred to earlier, "The Neverending story" has more than a few nods to Hermeticiscm, Thelema etc and is not just an entertaining children's book to read.

[zlogdan]

I am reading PK Dick's The Complete Short Stories vol1, which concentrates around 1950-52. His last two books, Valis and Scanner Darkly I could never get into. Everything else I read I have just loved. My first Dick's book was a short story small book issued here in 1990 which I think are all contained here. Along with Bradbury. P.k Dick is a master of short storytelling, hardly beaten even by any other author.

[Kevin McCabe]

I went to Third Place and got to hear William Gibson speak a week back. I picked up a copy of Agency (first day it hit the shelves/mailboxes). I’ve been reading a few pages a day. I’ve gotta go grab a copy of Peripheral. Agency is a direct sequel- the first he’s ever written. It’s been five years since I’ve read it and I long since loaned my copy out. Gotta do it though, he said there’s Easter Eggs!

[Jack Of Shadows]

I went to Third Place and got to hear William Gibson speak a week back. I picked up a copy of Agency (first day it hit the shelves/mailboxes). I’ve been reading a few pages a day. I’ve gotta go grab a copy of Peripheral. Agency is a direct sequel- the first he’s ever written. It’s been five years since I’ve read it and I long since loaned my copy out. Gotta do it though, he said there’s Easter Eggs!

Very cool! The only Gibson I've read so far has been Neuromancer, which I thought was epic.

[Kevin McCabe]

Very cool! The only Gibson I've read so far has been Neuromancer, which I thought was epic.

Definitely epic, and his best known. The Sprawl and Bridge trilogies are similar. My rec, though, is Pattern Recognition. It’s a real break from the sort of classic sci fi Gibson. But, couple that (which you have from Neuromancer) with Pattern Recognition and you’ll have a good snapshot of Gibson the near futurist.

[postodave]

I am reading PK Dick's The Complete Short Stories vol1, which concentrates around 1950-52. His last two books, Valis and Scanner Darkly I could never get into. Everything else I read I have just loved. My first Dick's book was a short story small book issued here in 1990 which I think are all contained here. Along with Bradbury. P.k Dick is a master of short storytelling, hardly beaten even by any other author.

I have this series of 5. What did you make of Roog? Is it Sci Fi? I liked Valis and A Scaner Darkly,though the film of the latter did not work for me. If you did not like Valis you might try Radio Free Albemuth an ealier and very different version of the same novel. His publisher asked for a few rewrites and he came back with a new book. He did write two more novels after Valis. The Divine Invasion and The Transmigration of Timothy Archer. He sees these with Valis forming a trilogy. The former is more like his earlier books and the later is not science fiction at all. When I read it I got about two thirds of the way through before I realised that because as with Valis I thought thesci fi elements would come in at some point. Did you see the recent (UK) Channel 4 series Electric Dreams based on Dick's short stories. The one of Autofac was especially impressive.

[Jack Of Shadows]

Definitely epic, and his best known. The Sprawl and Bridge trilogies are similar. My rec, though, is Pattern Recognition. It’s a real break from the sort of classic sci fi Gibson. But, couple that (which you have from Neuromancer) with Pattern Recognition and you’ll have a good snapshot of Gibson the near futurist.

Thanks for the recommendations! I'll have to check out more from Gibson, certainly sounds like I would enjoy it.

[zlogdan]

I have this series of 5. What did you make of Roog? Is it Sci Fi? I liked Valis and A Scaner Darkly,though the film of the latter did not work for me. If you did not like Valis you might try Radio Free Albemuth an ealier and very different version of the same novel. His publisher asked for a few rewrites and he came back with a new book. He did write two more novels after Valis. The Divine Invasion and The Transmigration of Timothy Archer. He sees these with Valis forming a trilogy. The former is more like his earlier books and the later is not science fiction at all. When I read it I got about two thirds of the way through before I realised that because as with Valis I thought thesci fi elements would come in at some point. Did you see the recent (UK) Channel 4 series Electric Dreams based on Dick's short stories. The one of Autofac was especially impressive.

Roog is pretty cool. Not really sci fi in my opinion. I have tried to read Valis, but after around 50 pages I was not enjoying it as much as I usually enjoy Dick's books.
I read Divine Invasion and liked it a lot despite it contains elements of the things I dislike on the later prose of Dick's, when he got so infantuated by his religious experiences, but at least he keeps them in the sci fi context.

I have seen the 5th episode of Electric Dreams but I was not very thrilled as to continue. I actually only realized now that I had seen the 5th episode not the first one so I will take a look at the other ones.

I rather enjoy The Man In The High Castle series, which I also get from Amazon prime.

[postodave]

Roog is pretty cool. Not really sci fi in my opinion. I have tried to read Valis, but after around 50 pages I was not enjoying it as much as I usually enjoy Dick's books.
I read Divine Invasion and liked it a lot despite it contains elements of the things I dislike on the later prose of Dick's, when he got so infantuated by his religious experiences, but at least he keeps them in the sci fi context.

I have seen the 5th episode of Electric Dreams but I was not very thrilled as to continue. I actually only realized now that I had seen the 5th episode not the first one so I will take a look at the other ones.

I rather enjoy The Man In The High Castle series, which I also get from Amazon prime.

It seems quite odd that Roog was published in a Sci Fi mag and launched Dick on his career.in the genre. I did enjoy Valis a lot but I can see why some people would not because it is very much tied up with that religious experience he had and consequently very obsessive, but I like the way he mixes that with a stream of self-deprecating jokes. My favouite line in it is 'He hadn't iced Syrrian assassins by seeing the universe a sentient entelechy with psyche and soma, a macrocosmic mirror to man the microcosm'. But as Ursula LeGuin once said you have to read the whole of Dick book up to that point to see why a line like that is funny.

I never saw The Man in the High Castle. I had Amazon Prime for a couple of montha and should have taken advantage of the oportunity to watch it! I'd give Electric Dreams another shot, but any series of individual episodes has to work very hard to keep your interest.

[white wolf's son]

I had a couple of years there very ill and couldn`t go anywhere , ( fine now !!! ) but during that time I re read all the Julian May Galactic Milieu books , all the Earthsea chronicles, The Eternal Champion/ Phoenix in Obsidian , the entire Elric and Corum series , Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelles Footfall , Lucifer's Hammer and the Mote in God's Eye, Mike`s Nomad of the Time Streams and many more . Currently I am reading on the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 .