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Moogmg Since: Oct, 2012
#1: Nov 2nd 2010 at 10:25:22 AM

Any good books on:

History of china, especially early. The development of horror films over the years. A history of literature movements.

Aoede from tiptop scrublot Since: Jan, 2001
#3: Nov 2nd 2010 at 11:09:23 AM

You asking for fiction or nonfiction, bud?

survival of the tight-lipped
Moogmg Since: Oct, 2012
brownmouse 0^10 = nothing at all Since: Nov, 2010
0^10 = nothing at all
#5: Jun 7th 2011 at 5:44:55 PM

I'm currently reading a very good book about Asian history called "East Asia at the Center," by Warren Cohen. It covers the highlights of Asian history from 1000 BC until the late 90s. It gives a good perspective on the region that China is a major part of, which will help you understand some of the events it has been involved in.

Then I would get a general history of China, like Keay's China: A History.

From there, it really depends on what period catches your interest. I'm really interested in the modern period (after 1840), so I know titles like The Boxer Rebellion by Preston or the Hungry Ghosts by Becker. Jonathan Spence worked a lot on the Ming and Qing eras, and while I haven't read them, he's considered one of the best Chinese historians of recent memory.

China itself has presented so many faces to the world, and has such a rich and complex history and culture that digging into the literature about it is mostly about picking a place to start. Go to a library, start borrowing book that interest you. Read the bibliographies, find the titles in there that interest you. Repeat.

Pannic Since: Jul, 2009
Wicked223 from Death Star in the forest Since: Apr, 2009
#7: Jun 14th 2011 at 8:11:26 AM

I'm looking for:

  1. A medieval fantasy story in the vein of A Song Of Ice And Fire
  2. Any books on literary criticism, preferably introductory ones
  3. Any books on game design and theory, preferably focusing on player-game interaction (or whatever the term is)

edited 14th Jun '11 8:11:42 AM by Wicked223

You can't even write racist abuse in excrement on somebody's car without the politically correct brigade jumping down your throat!
Falco Since: Mar, 2011
#8: Jun 14th 2011 at 10:25:50 PM

[up] 1. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen

"You want to see how a human dies? At ramming speed." - Emily Wong.
chihuahua0 Since: Jul, 2010
#9: Jun 15th 2011 at 2:22:14 PM

I'm looking for a Young Adult book where the protagonists are ghost hunters, or at least fight spirits.

slowzombie Platypus! from Way up North Since: Jan, 2001
Platypus!
#10: Jun 15th 2011 at 2:26:42 PM

The Last Apprentice might fit the bill. Not much ghost-hunting in the first book, but there's elements of it, and the second book is a bit more ghost-centric (or at least so the synopsis will have me believe)

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Noaqiyeum Trans Siberian Anarchestra (it/they) from the gentle and welcoming dark (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
Trans Siberian Anarchestra (it/they)
#11: Jun 16th 2011 at 5:00:09 PM

In lieu of the lengthier and scarily specific request I posted in a different thread... <_<

...do you have any Thirty Xanatos Pile Ups with a Guile Hero or some and an Earn Your Happy Ending?

The Revolution Will Not Be Tropeable
Yuanchosaan antic disposition from Australia Since: Jan, 2010
antic disposition
#12: Jun 17th 2011 at 6:35:53 PM

@Wicked:

1. The Stormlight Archive, Crown Of Stars

2. This is a difficult request. The majority of literary criticism published nowadays assumes you already have knowledge of X movements prior. My suggestion is to buy an anthology of literary criticism essays from different periods, but I have no idea how much you already know about lit. crit.

edited 17th Jun '11 6:37:44 PM by Yuanchosaan

"Doctor Who means never having to say you're kidding." - Bocaj
lalalei2001 Since: Oct, 2009
#13: Jun 18th 2011 at 1:43:04 PM

Any good books about clones?

The Protomen enhanced my life.
Yuanchosaan antic disposition from Australia Since: Jan, 2010
antic disposition
#14: Jun 21st 2011 at 5:42:20 AM

Finishing off The Trial tonight. I would like to read something happier than Kafka. Please recommend something joyous, tropers.

"Doctor Who means never having to say you're kidding." - Bocaj
Falco Since: Mar, 2011
#15: Jun 22nd 2011 at 12:31:19 AM

[up]

PG Wodehouse is the definition of light and enjoyable. Complete opposite of Kafka. What I turned to after finishing the harrowing Catch-22.

"You want to see how a human dies? At ramming speed." - Emily Wong.
Yuanchosaan antic disposition from Australia Since: Jan, 2010
antic disposition
#16: Jun 22nd 2011 at 1:26:34 AM

Ah! Of course. I was rereading The Little Prince, but I do think I have some Wodehouse lying around.

"Doctor Who means never having to say you're kidding." - Bocaj
OnTheOtherHandle Since: Feb, 2010
#17: Jun 22nd 2011 at 9:13:50 AM

@Wicked: For a really basic book on literary criticism (like, stuff they make high school kids read) you could try How To Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster. His tone is a bit annoying (like your 50-year-old uncle desperately trying to be "hip") but the content is a good, basic introduction to critical reading.

"War doesn't prove who's right, only who's left." "Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future."
Loid from Eastern Standard Time Since: Jun, 2011
#18: Jun 24th 2011 at 4:06:56 AM

Does anybody have any recommendations for the following:

  • Socialist teachings that aren't by Marx or Engels
  • Chinese literature
  • Zombie books
  • War books, especially the World Wars or the Cold War
  • Anything that has twins

"Dr. Strangeloid, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Cleanlink" - thespacephantom
Yuanchosaan antic disposition from Australia Since: Jan, 2010
antic disposition
#19: Jun 24th 2011 at 4:16:25 AM

By war books, do you mean non-fiction books about the war, or literature set during the war? For the latter, I recommend Catch-22 and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.

"Doctor Who means never having to say you're kidding." - Bocaj
Loid from Eastern Standard Time Since: Jun, 2011
#20: Jun 24th 2011 at 4:19:32 AM

The second one and thank you.

"Dr. Strangeloid, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Cleanlink" - thespacephantom
NewGeekPhilosopher Wizard Basement from Sydney, Australia Since: Jul, 2009
Wizard Basement
#21: Jun 25th 2011 at 3:20:18 AM

Where can I find literature that has similar composition, emotional resonance and form as Death Metal? I'm thinking that Perfume The Story Of A Murderer might be one of these.

And where can I find more books that are as bizarre as arthouse movies?

Hell Hasn't Earned My Tears
Noaqiyeum Trans Siberian Anarchestra (it/they) from the gentle and welcoming dark (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
Trans Siberian Anarchestra (it/they)
#22: Jun 25th 2011 at 7:25:13 AM

Look up the Oulipo. I'm certain they'll have exactly what you're looking for.

Also, still waiting for a response on this...

The Revolution Will Not Be Tropeable
Falco Since: Mar, 2011
#23: Jun 25th 2011 at 10:06:49 AM

With regards to war novels- as well as Catch-22, try All Quiet On The Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, The Thin Red Line by James Jones and Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut.

edited 25th Jun '11 10:09:01 AM by Falco

"You want to see how a human dies? At ramming speed." - Emily Wong.
slowzombie Platypus! from Way up North Since: Jan, 2001
Platypus!
#24: Jun 25th 2011 at 10:27:17 AM

@post 18:

Zombie books: World War Z is pretty good, also, the Newsflesh series, or at least the first book, Feed, was pretty good. Can't speak for the second one, yet.

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Yuanchosaan antic disposition from Australia Since: Jan, 2010
antic disposition
#25: Jun 25th 2011 at 6:27:10 PM

Noaq: Hm...I haven't read it myself, but The Lies Of Locke Lamora might fit. I feel like I'm missing something obvious, though, so I'll try to think of something else.

Geek Philosopher: Taking a glance at my bookshelf for general "weird stuff": The Master And Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, anything by Borges, a lot of Italo Calvino's work - look for Invisible Cities in particular, Foucaults Pendulum by Umberto Eco, Hopscotch by Julio Cortázar (best book I've ever read), One Hundred Years Of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (though I wasn't a huge fan of it), The Trial, Life Of Pi by Yann Martel.

I'm not a fan of death metal, so I don't really know what you mean by that request. I wouldn't say Perfume is like it, though, but it's a good book nonetheless.

"Doctor Who means never having to say you're kidding." - Bocaj

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