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remember_summer_days

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Use this thread to make fiction book suggestions, general suggestions, and/or feedback about the Fiction Book Club!

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remember_summer_days

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I believe I've mentioned this before. But I'm trying to gauge how many people here would be interested in reading a visual novel? It would have to be a short one. The ones that I'm suggesting are either Narcissu or Planetarium. Both are linear and can be read in around 4-6 hours.
 
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I'd gladly read a visual novel.
My favorite piece of literature of all time is The Sun Also Rises so I would like to throw that out as a suggestion.

I honestly also think reading the LOTR could be interesting in a group of people even though I am certain many of us have read it. Id particularly like to discuss the christian themes in the book, which is a subject that has never really been breached in my real life.

Would also like to read some comedic pieces to contrast the worlds seeming obsession w/ tragedy these days. I really like Mark Twain and havent read his stuff for a decade. Very open to other comedies though.

Also, I am going to read Snowcrash soon. It's pulp but that could make for interesting subject matter in its own way.
 
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remember_summer_days

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I'd gladly read a visual novel.
My favorite piece of literature of all time is The Sun Also Rises so I would like to throw that out as a suggestion.

I honestly also think reading the LOTR could be interesting in a group of people even though I am certain many of us have read it. Id particularly like to discuss the christian themes in the book, which is a subject that has never really been breached in my real life.

Would also like to read some comedic pieces to contrast the worlds seeming obsession w/ tragedy these days. I really like Mark Twain and havent read his stuff for a decade. Very open to other comedies though.

Also, I am going to read Snowcrash soon. It's pulp but that could make for interesting subject matter in its own way.
We'll definitely read Hemingway and Tolkien at some point. I've been reading about Lord of the Rings for a while now and it surprised me to know how many literary scholars consider it serious lit. I'm not sure what the history of that status is and apparently calling Lord of the Rings literature is controversial, but after reading several essays and books about the work, I think it surely is literature instead of just pulp.

Confederancy of dunces is a hilarious novel, hopefully you will enjoy that
 
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I would like to suggest The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. This one is rich in distinctive, multi-dimensional characters with explored backgrounds. This makes it interesting to read about their interactions with the Count and with each other. The Count himself is quite well-rounded character who sees himself as an angel of revenge of some sort. And while he indeed started off as a very sympathetic and unfairly betrayed character, eventually, his identity falls victim to his own desire for revenge (...or does it? Anyhow, I have found it hard to root for him in some situations)
I've red this book a couple of years ago, so it's sill fresh in my memory. However, I would gladly re-read it if people here will be interested in it.
 
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remember_summer_days

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A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Its dystopian, disturbing, not super long, and I like the color orange.
I loved Clockwork Orange, and I've never seen the movie. I was also pleasantly surprised about how God-pilled it was, it was the last novel I expected to be that way lol. I went basically blind, the only thing I knew was that the Kubrick movie was famous for being so disturbing, but it was a great pick. Apparently the author didn't enjoy how that was the novel he became known for...
 
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I believe I've mentioned this before. But I'm trying to gauge how many people here would be interested in reading a visual novel? It would have to be a short one. The ones that I'm suggesting are either Narcissu or Planetarium. Both are linear and can be read in around 4-6 hours.
I think it goes without saying that I approve, and my vote's on Narcissu since it's one of my favorites
 
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Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. gothic lesbian vampire novella that predates Dracula by over 2 decades. v v v interesting read :p
another interesting book that might be worth reading is No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood, which essentially just details the life of a woman who is chronically online, but still has some very interesting plot twists that also incorporate social issues and it also focuses a lot on interpersonal relationships. in terms of political views, it skews more center-left, but is still very cynical about internet addiction and the frightening grip that social media and technology has on us as a society (which i thought was probably pretty topical since after all, this is Agora Road)
 
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remember_summer_days

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Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu. gothic lesbian vampire novella that predates Dracula by over 2 decades. v v v interesting read :p
another interesting book that might be worth reading is No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood, which essentially just details the life of a woman who is chronically online, but still has some very interesting plot twists that also incorporate social issues and it also focuses a lot on interpersonal relationships. in terms of political views, it skews more center-left, but is still very cynical about internet addiction and the frightening grip that social media and technology has on us as a society (which i thought was probably pretty topical since after all, this is Agora Road)

It's weird that literature about the internet is being led by female writers (At least the ones that are popular), Mary South, Beth Morgan, Kate Folk... And though I've only read Mary South, yeah her upper-middle class femminist viewpoints brim, it was the sort of stories that could've only been written by a woman. Which is not a bad thing, and her stories are far from dumb, but it's curious how women seem to be leading the genre. Perhaps this is for a reason other than women read more than men and publishers like to publish women with progressive viewpoints. For example, the demographic most likely to be addicted to social media and develop mental health issues because of it are, of course, women. Even my favorite internet culture analyst, Katherine Dee, is female.

I guess it's a bit of a shame, because the stories these female writers are doing show a perspective that is not known to most male audiences. I don't think most boys on the internet have to struggle with simps, raising your children on the web, abortion, having your nudes leaked...

Then there's Zero H.P Lovecraft, but I'm not sure if he has gotten any recognition outside reactionary circles. And his stories are very hit-or-miss, at least for me. I've heard several people on the right that I admire prop him up as the direction right wing literature should strive towards. But I just don't see it.

Anyways, I added those two to the list. We have to read literature about the internet at some point for sure!
 
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It's weird that literature about the internet is being led by female writers (At least the ones that are popular), Mary South, Beth Morgan, Kate Folk... And though I've only read Mary South, yeah her upper-middle class femminist viewpoints brim, it was the sort of stories that could've only been written by a woman. Which is not a bad thing, and her stories are far from dumb, but it's curious how women seem to be leading the genre. Perhaps this is for a reason other than women read more than men and publishers like to publish women with progressive viewpoints.
Anyways, I added those two to the list. We have to read literature about the internet at some point for sure!
totally agree with the whole female writers thing and how the difference in demographics and stuff influences that ... i can only assume its a matter of time until male authors (hopefully) dive into the same topics but hey i cant predict the future so i guess we'll hav2 wait :p
my only gripe with no one is talking about this is the fact that the beginning doesnt really have much of a narrative, but is still nonetheless rlly rllly good social commentary :D
 
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Bettyspegetti

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If Graphic novels are still of interest the Fable series is primo and honestly a guilty pleasure of mine. As far as novels the Eragon Series is my favorite of all time. Fantasy was a big enjoyment of mine as a kid the Narnia series, LOTR, the hobbit in particular. A bunch of weird ass dragon books were a thing at some point. Dune is a joy. I love books about American Revolution, WW2 like flags of out fathers. I enjoy dystopian novels, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, Lois Lowry Series. Recently my tastes have changed and I am reading some more junky book every now and then. I am reading currently Absolute fear by Lisa Jackson it is well written and worth a shot. Also the
Tillerman Cycle by Cynthia Voigt is a book I always have liked. I cant read classics always sometime you must read something on the plane, so you grab a book. Theres really no focus to this but, its you know, whatever.
 
Has anyone gotten the chance to read neuromancer?? It's on my list and I've heard it's great.
I read it about a year ago and thought it was pretty good! It suffers from a lot of the narrative issues that sci-fi typically has, things like plot being a little convoluted, objects or concepts not being completely explained, but overall it's an incredibly interesting book based on it's concepts alone. AI, copied consciousness, cyborg hackers, it's got some really cool stuff in it. One of my favorite things about it is how it essentially created the concept of the Matrix before the movie did, and how it describes the internet in general. Another aspect to it is that modern day cyber decks, or stand alone and stripped down DIY computers, are a direct reference to the book.

If you're into sci-fi concepts, cybernetics, internet, drugs, and all things cyberpunk, Neuromancer is a must read. There's also a movie starring Keanu Reeves and Dolph Lundgren called Johnny Mnemonic, based on another one of William Gibson's novels of the same title. If you want more mid-90's cyberpunk in your life.
 
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Fig

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I read it about a year ago and thought it was pretty good! It suffers from a lot of the narrative issues that sci-fi typically has, things like plot being a little convoluted, objects or concepts not being completely explained, but overall it's an incredibly interesting book based on it's concepts alone. AI, copied consciousness, cyborg hackers, it's got some really cool stuff in it. One of my favorite things about it is how it essentially created the concept of the Matrix before the movie did, and how it describes the internet in general. Another aspect to it is that modern day cyber decks, or stand alone and stripped down DIY computers, are a direct reference to the book.

If you're into sci-fi concepts, cybernetics, internet, drugs, and all things cyberpunk, Neuromancer is a must read. There's also a movie starring Keanu Reeves and Dolph Lundgren called Johnny Mnemonic, based on another one of William Gibson's novels of the same title. If you want more mid-90's cyberpunk in your life
Okay wow that sounds great!! I will go look for it at a bookshop this weekend... thanks!
 
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Bettyspegetti

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I read it about a year ago and thought it was pretty good! It suffers from a lot of the narrative issues that sci-fi typically has, things like plot being a little convoluted, objects or concepts not being completely explained, but overall it's an incredibly interesting book based on it's concepts alone. AI, copied consciousness, cyborg hackers, it's got some really cool stuff in it. One of my favorite things about it is how it essentially created the concept of the Matrix before the movie did, and how it describes the internet in general. Another aspect to it is that modern day cyber decks, or stand alone and stripped down DIY computers, are a direct reference to the book.

If you're into sci-fi concepts, cybernetics, internet, drugs, and all things cyberpunk, Neuromancer is a must read. There's also a movie starring Keanu Reeves and Dolph Lundgren called Johnny Mnemonic, based on another one of William Gibson's novels of the same title. If you want more mid-90's cyberpunk in your life.

I love cyberpunk everything would definately be interested in diving in more I read Philip K dick's do androids dream of electric sheep. Definately want to read the Neuromancer too.
 

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