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Orpheus
Skeptic Friend
92 Posts |
 Posted - 02/27/2003 : 06:09:34
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I was hoping my fellow skeptics could help me out with this one. My problem is that I shall one day die. Despite plans of getting my head frozen, it is still infuriating to know that I can never read all the books I would like before that inevitable day. So..I would like to invite everybody to list their top five or top ten fiction and non-fiction everybody should read..
That way, I (and all of us) can save a great deal of time before I (and all of us) shuffle off..
To get the ball rolling, here are my top 5s:
NON-FICTION
1. Demon Haunted World: Science as a candle in the dark - Carl Sagan
2. One-dimensional Man- Herbert Marcuse
3. Thus Spoke Zarathustra - Nietzsche
4. Darwin's Dangerous Idea- Daniel C. Dennet
5. Why I am not a Christian- Bertrand Russel
FICTION
1. The use of weapons- Ian M Banks
2. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle maintenance- Robert M Pirsig
3. Captain Corelli's Mandolin- Louis de Bernieres
4. Labyrinths- Jorge Luis Borges
5. Slowness- Milan Kundera
6. Laughable Loves- Milan Kundera
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Find your own damned answers! |
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Gorgo
SFN Die Hard
USA
5310 Posts |
 Posted - 02/27/2003 : 06:27:14 [Permalink]
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| You know, I'm the only one that I know that liked these, but Stephen Donaldson's "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever" is in my top five fiction list (six books so that makes it the top six, I suppose). Either Chomsky's "Year 501" or Howard Zinn's "People's History of the United States" would probably find themselves in my non-fiction list. |
I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright-
Jerry Garcia
Robert Hunter
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walt fristoe
SFN Regular
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2003 : 10:58:39 [Permalink]
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| I've read literally thousands of books, so I'll have to give this some thought and get back to you. BTW, I also much enjoyed the Donaldson series. |
"If God chose George Bus of all the people in the world, how good could God be?"
Bill Maher |
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Computer Org
Skeptic Friend
392 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2003 : 11:21:32 [Permalink]
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You MUST read these two (non-fiction) books, which I consider to the the two most influencial and important books of the XXth Century (--both books are out of the U. of Chicago, which was once a great school, circa 1950):- General Topology by John Kelley and
- Measure Theory by Paul Halmos
- (as well as Let's Eat Right--or something--by Adele Davis---also from the '50s.)
As to fiction: You omit A.C. Doyle?? And A. Asimov??? And the ultimately GREAT Evangeline by Longfellow (--although this one is a poem, albeit of epic proportions  )?? Ah, well. We each have our own tastes.
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Do thou amend thy face, and I'll amend my life. --Falstaff |
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Slater
SFN Regular
USA
1668 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2003 : 12:20:26 [Permalink]
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| You could read anything by C. S. Lewis. That way you wouldn't mind dying, just to get away from the drivel. |
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 02/27/2003 : 13:50:47 [Permalink]
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Science Fiction:
Manifold Time - Stephen Baxter
Manifold Space - Stephen Baxter
Xili Series - Stephen Baxter
Stranger in a Strange Land - Heinlein
Foundation and Empire Series - Asimov
Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Adams
(I realize that is more than five - but I could still add to the list.)
Non Fiction:
Demon Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark - Sagan
Billions and Billions - Sagan
Climbing Mount Improbable - Dawkins
A Brief History or Time - Hawking
Timeless Reality - Stenger
Why People Believe Weird Things - Shermer
Again, more than five but I could go on... |
...no one has ever found a 4.5 billion year old stone artifact (at the right geological stratum) with the words "Made by God."
No Sense of Obligation by Matt Young
"Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith. I consider the capacity for it terrifying and vile!"
Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
They (Women Marines) don't have a nickname, and they don't need one. They get their basic training in a Marine atmosphere, at a Marine Post. They inherit the traditions of the Marines. They are Marines.
LtGen Thomas Holcomb, USMC
Commandant of the Marine Corps, 1943
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walt fristoe
SFN Regular
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 02/28/2003 : 16:30:58 [Permalink]
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Here are a few of my favorite books.
non-fiction
Rare Earth Ward and Brownlee
A Choice Of Catastrophes I. Asimov
The Global Brain Peter Russell
Timescale Nigel Calder
Atheism: The Case Against God George H. Smith
Fiction:
Flash Forward Robert J. Sawyer
Giles Goat-boy John Barth
The Walking Drum Louis L'Amour
The First Man In Rome Coleen McMullough
The Servant Of The Bones Anne Rice
I was going to list Why People Believe Weird Things, but I'd rather not repeat ones that have already been listed; highly recommended though! |
"If God chose George Bus of all the people in the world, how good could God be?"
Bill Maher |
| Edited by - walt fristoe on 03/05/2003 18:16:29 |
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Orpheus
Skeptic Friend
92 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2003 : 04:27:38 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Gorgo
You know, I'm the only one that I know that liked these, but Stephen Donaldson's "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever" is in my top five fiction list
Wow, I forgot about those! They are really good, comparable to Tolkien. I did find the second chronicle a bit mello-dramatic though..
Thanks for all the replies, I've bought some of them already, and am looking forward to reading them. Keep 'em coming! |
Find your own damned answers! |
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LordofEntropy
Skeptic Friend
USA
85 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2003 : 06:56:30 [Permalink]
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Some of my "Everyman's Library" selections, in no particular order:
Fiction:
1. Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
2. The Name of the Rose - Umberto Eco
3. The Birthgrave - Tanith Lee
4. The Club Dumas - Arturo Perez-Reverte
5. Letters from the Earth - Mark Twain(Twain at his most bitter, great fun. His pokes at religion thoroughly entertain.)
6. Cyteen - C.J. Cheryah
7. Raymond Chandler. I am cheating here and recommending 2 books: Raymond Chandler Stories and Early Novels, Raymond Chandler Later Novels and Writings. Those 2 books have all of Chandler's published work.
If you aren't familiar with Chandler he is the author of hardboiled detective protagonist Phillip Marlowe. His prose is wicked and a great read for anyone.
8. Midnight Blue - Nancy A. Collins. Little more low-brow also violent and sexy, however the indepth character development of the anti-hero is done very well and makes for an entertaining read.
9. Gunslinger Series, especially book three 'The Wastelands' - Stephen King. His best writing in my opinion. Never been a big fan of his stuff, but this series is great.
10. The Maltese Falcon - Dashiel Hammett
Non Fiction:
1. Code - Charles Petzold
2. Nanotechnology - K. Erik Drexler
3. Art of Computer Programming - Donald Knuth
4. Chaos - James Gleick
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Entropy just isn't what it used to be.
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| Edited by - LordofEntropy on 03/03/2003 06:58:45 |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2003 : 09:23:52 [Permalink]
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Hmm.
The Name of the Rose -- Umberto Eco (who felt like poisoning a monk when he wrote it)
Travis McGee series -- John D. McDonald
Lucifer's Hammer -- Larry Niven
The Bretheren -- John Grisham
By Reason of Insanity -- Shane Stevens
Silent Spring -- Rachel Carson
Titan, Wizard, Demon -- An SF trilogy by John Varley
The Secret Life of Algernon Pendelton -- Don't remember the author, and if you find it, please send it to me when you're done with it.
There. That ought'a keep you busy and off'n the streets for a while.
Enjoy!
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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walt fristoe
SFN Regular
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2003 : 15:55:43 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by filthy
The Secret Life of Algernon Pendelton -- Don't remember the author, and if you find it, please send it to me when you're done with it.
There. That ought'a keep you busy and off'n the streets for a while.
Enjoy!
Hey f!
That's a book by Russell H. Greenan. |
"If God chose George Bus of all the people in the world, how good could God be?"
Bill Maher |
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Espritch
Skeptic Friend
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2003 : 19:29:24 [Permalink]
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In the non-fiction category, I highly recommend "The Song of the Dodo" by David Quamen.
In the fiction category, try "The Bonfire of the Vanities" by Tom Wolf. |
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gezzam
SFN Regular
Australia
751 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2003 : 22:31:01 [Permalink]
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Non Fiction :
The Selfish Gene - Dawkins (and his other essays)
Guns, Germs and Steel (A short history of everybody for the last 13,000 years)- Jared Diamond
Europe - A History - Norman Davies
A short history of Planet Earth - Ian Plimer
Ascent of Man - Jacob Bronowski
Bully for Brontosaurus - Stephen Jay Gould (and his other essays)
Fiction
Lord of the Rings - Tolkien
The Stand - Stephen King
Raise the Titanic and other Clive Cussler books (trashy James Bond style books, but I love 'em)
The Dune series - Frank Herbert
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Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from.
Al Franken |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 03/03/2003 : 23:14:16 [Permalink]
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quote:
Hey f!
That's a book by Russell H. Greenan
Yes!! Thanks, Walt!
I read it about 20 years ago, loaned it out (bad mistake. NEVER loan out a book) and never saw it again. I'd love to re-read it.
Here's another that I'd like to read again and can't remember the author: The Last Tomb. A great yarn.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2003 : 00:06:02 [Permalink]
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And yet another: A Far Arena -- Richard ben Sapur
f |
"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Orpheus
Skeptic Friend
92 Posts |
Posted - 03/04/2003 : 02:56:24 [Permalink]
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I must admit, I love these postings. I am an inveterate "top 10"-junky. How about expanding the lists to include our top-whatever movies you must see before dying?
I forsee these postings one day becoming a sort of skeptic's anthology or something....uh...maybe not..
To get the ball rolling (again- sorry for the topic-hogging), here are my top 10:
1. The English Patient
2. Big Night
3. Antonia's Line (a great atheist movie if ever there was one)
4. Lawrence of Arabia
5. Ghandi (the Ben Kinsley one)
6. Heat
7. Armies of Darkness (certainly the funniest movie I have ever seen)
8. Unforgiven (with Clint Eastwood)
9. Memento (if you have not seen this movie with Guy Pierce, you have missed out: big time)
10. The Big Lebowski (I think the movie might have been based on me)
Looking forward to the posts! |
Find your own damned answers! |
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