|
Post by berkley on Feb 18, 2016 23:37:52 GMT -5
No, seen his name on the shelves a lot but never picked one up. I'm still catching up on earlier crime writers so I'm not up on the current guys at all.
|
|
|
Post by Calamas on Feb 19, 2016 9:08:08 GMT -5
I've been downloading and listening to many audiobooks and its time for me to give a new (to me) author a try. I'm contemplating on picking up some Harold Coben books. Seen many good write ups and he's extremely popular. Anyone here familiar with his work? Similar situation. In recent years I've been trying "new writers to me." I've picked up Deal Breaker, the first Coben featuring a series character, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I have tried John Sandford, Andrew Vachss, Lee Child, George Pelecanos and BradThor; and have in waiting besides Coben: James Crumley, Carl Hiaasen and C.J. Box, which I've started. I would appreciate other recommendations in the Mystery genre. By the way, sub-genre doesn't matter: Mystery, Detective, Adventure, Espionage; I read them all. Thanks.
|
|
|
Post by wildfire2099 on Feb 19, 2016 9:16:45 GMT -5
I've never read Coben either, though I've heard decent things. Lee Child is a pretty good substitute for Tom Clancy.. his books are VERY similar. I read a few John Sandford (his main series... Davenport is the character I think) a while back they were good, but didn't really grab me. Probably will have a book a day the weekend (VERY slow conference). Today's offering: Seeker of the Stars by James Nelson Coleman This book seems much older than it's 1967 pubication date... more like the 50s or even the 40s. Perhaps the fact that the author wrote it from prison (according to the sci fi database, anyway) had something to do with it. It's a very Buck Rodgers sort of story... you have a clear wish fufillment main character, with the generic name Chris Everman. He's from this author's version of the Federation and is visiting Earth to see if we're ready to join. Of course, he's (mostly) human, and falls in love with a beautiful woman who's the daughter of a famous space pilot/engineer who tried to break the monoply of the 'Five Companys'. Of course, the Five COmpany's boss, who does everything short of twirling his handlebar mustache, has an alien backer. They've got secret slave mines on Mars (which is a desert) and Venus (a jungle) mining radioactive isotopes from 'sand ants' and 'mud lice'. The hero has massively superior tech, including a magic force field, a mind reader, and a 'rejuvenator' that heals just about anything. The bad guy has all that too, though, so it's pretty even. In the end, of course, everyone lives happily ever after. Certainly far from deep or profound, this is one of those books that's the movie equivalent of your favorite action movie or comedy. It doesn't have anything to say or break any new ground, but it sucks you in and is good(if hollow) entertainment.
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Feb 20, 2016 0:29:42 GMT -5
I've never read Coben either, though I've heard decent things. Lee Child is a pretty good substitute for Tom Clancy.. his books are VERY similar. I read a few John Sandford (his main series... Davenport is the character I think) a while back they were good, but didn't really grab me. I thought Lee Childs's main series was Jack Reacher, the character played by Tom Cruise in a movie version a couple years ago. Haven't seen it myself because I was planning to try one of the books first, but if they're riddled with Clancy's brand of jingoistic politics I might not bother.
|
|
|
Post by wildfire2099 on Feb 20, 2016 11:07:53 GMT -5
Yes, that's right. I didn't see the movie.. Tom Cruise is pretty much the opposite of how the character is described in the book.
I see my post was a little confusing. John Sanford is another author.. sorry about that:)
|
|
|
Post by Ish Kabbible on Feb 20, 2016 12:41:38 GMT -5
No one corrected me yet but I feel foolishly stupid for referring to Harlan Corben as Harold. I guess I was thinking of Harold Ellison at the time.
Another author who seems to dominate the world of mystery/thrillers and has, it seems, hundreds of novels is James Patterson. Movies adapted from his work include Along Came A Spider, Kiss The Girls and Alex Cross. I've avoided his work after hearing many negative comments on his simplistic writing, extensive use of co-authors and what seems to be attempts to just churn out product. Regardless , he has sold over 230 million copies of his books. I was not overly impressed with the movie adaptations but that's not a way to judge an author. Anyone try him?
|
|
|
Post by Calamas on Feb 20, 2016 13:41:27 GMT -5
No one corrected me yet but I feel foolishly stupid for referring to Harlan Corben as Harold. I guess I was thinking of Harold Ellison at the time. Another author who seems to dominate the world of mystery/thrillers and has, it seems, hundreds of novels is James Patterson. Movies adapted from his work include Along Came A Spider, Kiss The Girls and Alex Cross. I've avoided his work after hearing many negative comments on his simplistic writing, extensive use of co-authors and what seems to be attempts to just churn out product. Regardless , he has sold over 230 million copies of his books. I was not overly impressed with the movie adaptations but that's not a way to judge an author. Anyone try him? Well . . . you still haven't gotten it right. There's no R; the name is Coben. I made the same mistake in my database and only discovered it when I tried Googling something involving his series character. As for Patterson, I liked Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls; but with Jack & Jill, and even more so with Cat & Mouse, the story started getting more and more outlandish. He also made me wade through chapter after chapter of a trial whose outcome was obvious from the start. I dropped him with no regrets.
|
|
|
Post by Ish Kabbible on Feb 20, 2016 18:40:39 GMT -5
No one corrected me yet but I feel foolishly stupid for referring to Harlan Corben as Harold. I guess I was thinking of Harold Ellison at the time. Another author who seems to dominate the world of mystery/thrillers and has, it seems, hundreds of novels is James Patterson. Movies adapted from his work include Along Came A Spider, Kiss The Girls and Alex Cross. I've avoided his work after hearing many negative comments on his simplistic writing, extensive use of co-authors and what seems to be attempts to just churn out product. Regardless , he has sold over 230 million copies of his books. I was not overly impressed with the movie adaptations but that's not a way to judge an author. Anyone try him? Well . . . you still haven't gotten it right. There's no R; the name is Coben. I made the same mistake in my database and only discovered it when I tried Googling something involving his series character. As for Patterson, I liked Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls; but with Jack & Jill, and even more so with Cat & Mouse, the story started getting more and more outlandish. He also made me wade through chapter after chapter of a trial whose outcome was obvious from the start. I dropped him with no regrets. I think I need to try out HC's books, at least one, since I've screwed up his name-twice
|
|
|
Post by wildfire2099 on Feb 20, 2016 20:31:50 GMT -5
I've read a couple of James Patterson's books... they didn't impress me, but they weren't terrible. I don't really remember much other than that, though.
|
|
|
Post by wildfire2099 on Feb 21, 2016 11:28:01 GMT -5
Winds of Limbo (Originally titled: The Fireclown) Michael Moorcock c. 1965 my copy is a 1969 copy... another abstract cover. I prefer alot of the other versions, tbh. I don't generally like Moorcock.. he's a bit too clever for my tastes in general.. Eternal Champion books are generally decent on their own, but the whole is just too convoluted for me. I specifically picked this up to see how he is without the baggage of his great work. There are bits of the 'too clever' in here. The Fireclown (who reads alot like Asimov's Mule with more pretensions), prattles on about not understanding that consciousness is better than intelligence, and he wants to burn the world down, etc. There are some fun future predictions, some right on (top tier female presidential candidate with a male sidekick, a near royal family in a democracy), some common but wrong (colonies on Mars, giant cities in a building, world govenment) and some silly (nicotine illegal in favor of pot, talking posters). but if you've not read this book, and recently, you'd not give it 5 stars. The 5 stars come from the uncanny analysis of the current presidental race... with Fireclown playing the role of Donald Trump (a demogague who doesn't quite understand what he's unleashed) and Simon Powys playing the role of everyone else (he's got the pedigree of the Bush family and the back room slickness of Ted Cruz). It's a truly amazing coincidence. It true you have to slog through a bit of Moorcockian pseudo-psychoanalytic tripe, but it's totally worth it. The plot is decent, but requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief as the government beauracrat that is sorta the main character turns into a super spy action hero in a few pages. It's really the commentary on how society deals with politics and political scandal that makes the book. Even the quote at the end of the book attempts to explain Trump: 'Sociologists and Psychologists attempted to explain the sudden ebb of hysteria that had seized the people. There were a dozen theories, all complex, all with their merits...Perhaps the world had just been---bored.'
|
|
|
Post by Slam_Bradley on Feb 22, 2016 11:39:31 GMT -5
The Man Who Shot Lewis Vance by Stuart Kaminsky. Toby Peters, Hollywood's favorite detective is at it again. This time someone is shot with Toby's gun and John Wayne is implicated. While these books are largely formula, they're fun formula. And Kaminsky tweaks it a bit this time. While Peters is ostensibly working for Wayne, The Duke doesn't show up much. And Peters is also working for Charlie Chaplin. And we get a cameo from Ward Bond. Fun book that just doesn't take a lot of brainpower. And that can be a good thing.
|
|
|
Post by Slam_Bradley on Feb 22, 2016 11:49:03 GMT -5
Making Money by Terry Pratchett. Moist Von Lipwig has completed his overhaul of the Ankh-Morpork postal system and is bored. Vetinari knows this and thinks it's a good idea to give him a task to keep him out of trouble. So Moist is put in charge of the main bank in the city and the city mint. Of course...it can't all be easy. This is Pratchett's take on fiat currency, banking and other financial shenanigans. I found this to be a tad weaker than Going Postal, the first Moist book. But it was still a fine read and in the upper half of the Discworld novels.
|
|
|
Post by wildfire2099 on Feb 23, 2016 13:19:47 GMT -5
The Mucker by ERB Frazetta cover! yes, it looks like Conan. Alot. It also pretty much fits Billy Byrne, and does in fact (more of less)depict a scene in the book. It's amazing how much Burroughs packs into this book... there's a little bit of social commentary, some pirates, some romance, some boxing, and, of course, an uncharted island with a weird unique culture on it. The highlight, though, is the Mucker himself, Billy Byrne. He starts out as just about the worst human being imaginable, quite the opposite of the usual pulp fare. His journey of discovery about both the world and himself is quite entertaining (if a little sudden). I'm usually more a Robert E. Howard guy, but I'm definitely going to have to read some more Burroughs and perhaps change my mind. Are the other Mucker books worth it? It seems like a pretty solid ending, and I hate it when they mess those up. I've got a couple Tarzan books in my stack... I'll have to read those soon
|
|
|
Post by Slam_Bradley on Feb 24, 2016 22:38:58 GMT -5
The Mucker by ERB Frazetta cover! yes, it looks like Conan. Alot. It also pretty much fits Billy Byrne, and does in fact (more of less)depict a scene in the book. It's amazing how much Burroughs packs into this book... there's a little bit of social commentary, some pirates, some romance, some boxing, and, of course, an uncharted island with a weird unique culture on it. The highlight, though, is the Mucker himself, Billy Byrne. He starts out as just about the worst human being imaginable, quite the opposite of the usual pulp fare. His journey of discovery about both the world and himself is quite entertaining (if a little sudden). I'm usually more a Robert E. Howard guy, but I'm definitely going to have to read some more Burroughs and perhaps change my mind. Are the other Mucker books worth it? It seems like a pretty solid ending, and I hate it when they mess those up. I've got a couple Tarzan books in my stack... I'll have to read those soon The Mucker is my absolute favorite Edgar Rice Burroughs book. It is almost every pulp genre except SF all rolled into one book.
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Feb 25, 2016 3:52:30 GMT -5
I never thought about it before, but now that wildfire2009 mentioned Robert E. Howard, The Mucker does seem more like a book REH might have written rather than ERB. I wonder what Howard thought of it, if he ever read it.
The Man Who Shot Lewis Vance - I wonder if Kaminsky was thinking of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence when he came up with that title. The cover bugs me a little - I can see what they were going for and I approve, but the execution isn't quite there, for me. I find this with a lot of the covers from this publisher, forget their name now.
Myself, I just finished a crime novel I think a few people here would enjoy, though it's a very odd one: The Face on the Cutting-Room Floor by "Cameron McCabe" - quotes because this was a pseudonym. The real author was a young German immigrant to the UK in the 30s - he was a socialist and had to get away from the Nazis. It's one of those things you don't want to say too much about because it's better the reader discover it him or herself, but it gets a high recommendation from me.
|
|