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Great books no one but you has heard of

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ThePaintedMaypole Since: Jul, 2009
#1: Aug 10th 2009 at 10:48:28 PM

A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon a book called The Four Dorothys by Paul Ruditis. This turned out to be the first installment in a quartet. On the surface, it’s just a fluffy teen series about some theatre geeks at a private high school in Malibu, but there’s so much more to it than that. The books are fast-paced, original, and laugh-out-loud funny; the characters are three-dimensional and totally believable. By the last book, I was so invested in the protagonist’s emotional journey that I actually shed a few tears at the climax. Needless to say, this is now one of my all-time favorite series.

And I have yet to meet anyone else in real life who’s heard of it.

Is there a book or book series that you think should be way more popular than it is? Share it with us here.

Schitzo HIGH IMPACT SEXUAL VIOLENCE from Akumajou Dracula Since: May, 2009 Relationship Status: LA Woman, you're my woman
HIGH IMPACT SEXUAL VIOLENCE
#3: Aug 11th 2009 at 12:43:43 AM

I'm still surprised no one i know has heard of Chuck Palahniuk's work.

ALL CREATURE WILL DIE AND ALL THE THINGS WILL BE BROKEN. THAT'S THE LAW OF SAMURAI.
LuckyRevenant ALMSIVI from The Flood Since: Jan, 2001
ALMSIVI
#4: Aug 11th 2009 at 12:49:16 AM

I've begun meeting people recently with increasing regularity who have read Chuck Palahniuk's work. At the very least, they've heard of him. Currently, he's on my list of people I want to read.

I wish more people knew of Clive Barker—beyond Hellraiser, at least.

"I can't imagine what Hell will have in store, but I know when I'm there, I won't wander anymore."
James_S_Pratt 1st ever Livepan Snarker from This universe Since: Dec, 1969
1st ever Livepan Snarker
#5: Aug 11th 2009 at 1:05:57 AM

There might already be a similar discussion but I think its nice to narrow it down to just books.

I once read this cool fantasy series by Alan Burt Akers about this guy named Dray Prescott. The first six or so have been reprinted lately but can only be bought online. I recommend them.

And it just gets better from there!
Tzetze DUMB from a converted church in Venice, Italy Since: Jan, 2001
DUMB
#6: Aug 11th 2009 at 11:56:58 AM

Dhalgren.

By Palahniuk I've only read Rant: Long Subtitle That I Forget but i loved it.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
Cidolfas Since: Jan, 2001
#7: Aug 11th 2009 at 12:09:01 PM

John Moore has written three or four comic fantasy novels that are short, whimsical, and extremely enjoyable. Nobody knows who John Moore is, though. 8-( The ones I remember include Bad Prince Charlie and The Unhandsome Prince. In fact, tropers in particular would love these books because of how thoroughly they play with tropes while still providing three-dimensional characters and a good story.

Pannic Since: Jul, 2009
#8: Aug 11th 2009 at 12:28:11 PM

Bridge of Birds. I love that book so.

melloncollie Since: Feb, 2012
#9: Aug 11th 2009 at 3:19:41 PM

What? People don't know of Mr. Palahniuk? Butbutbut... he wrote Fight Club!

@Lucky: I still say one of my favorite books is The Thief of Always. Sad that it doesn't have its own article here.

MissHap Richard III?! Since: Jan, 2001
Richard III?!
#10: Aug 12th 2009 at 1:37:48 AM

The City Of Dreaming Books. Which has an article just because I enjoyed it that much. It's a really strange book. It has the light, whimsical tone I remember from fantasy books for kids, and it's about books, and the lead is a talking dinosaur, but then it's also full of things like people committing suicide by swallowing glass, And a long discussion of the various ways a book can be rigged with poison, while you're reading a book. And there are drawings (not of the glass swallowing.)

xexyzl Since: Jan, 2001
#11: Aug 12th 2009 at 12:18:33 PM

Bridge of Birds. I love that book so.
That book is incredible. I'm still trying to find the sequels.

insofar Monstrum from Areopagus Since: Apr, 2009
#12: Aug 12th 2009 at 8:22:46 PM

I really liked Nicole Galland's The Fool's Tale. Not great literature by any means, but it is side-splittingly funny as often as it is horrifying and sad, and the characters are developed very believably, especially considering that the premise was derived from basic archetypes.

My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.
CTrombley The Good Troper Since: Jan, 2001
The Good Troper
#13: Aug 12th 2009 at 8:25:15 PM

You Can't Win! Don't let the William S. Burroughs influencing and AK Press rhetoric fool you. It is just a great, great book.

Mathematics Is A Language.
Karalora Since: Jan, 2001
#14: Aug 12th 2009 at 8:35:59 PM

I want to say Bridge Of Birds, except that clearly I'm not the only person who has ever heard of it because we have a thread on it in which I am not the only participant.

EnglishIvy Since: Aug, 2011
#15: Aug 12th 2009 at 8:36:57 PM

The Lions Of Al-Rassan is the best of Guy Gavriel Kay's books, and a good starting point.

Arilou Taller than Zim from Quasispace Since: Jan, 2001
Taller than Zim
#16: Aug 13th 2009 at 7:07:59 AM

Lions isn't unknown though, it's probably Kay's second most famous books and Kay is hardly unknown.

"No, the Singularity will not happen. Computation is hard." -Happy Ent
VampireBuddha Calendar enthusiast from Ireland (Wise, aged troper) Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Calendar enthusiast
#17: Aug 13th 2009 at 7:18:01 AM

Jethro and I seem to be the only people on this site who've read Jennifer Government.

I found Neil Cross' Christendom at a second-hand shop a while ago. It's pretty good.

Oh, and Conqueror, the series I Entry Pimp; it seems like I'm the only person I know who's actually read those books.

Ukrainian Red Cross
Arilou Taller than Zim from Quasispace Since: Jan, 2001
Taller than Zim
#18: Aug 13th 2009 at 7:19:00 AM

He's not really unknown, but I tend to pimp Mika Waltari at every opportunity I get.

"No, the Singularity will not happen. Computation is hard." -Happy Ent
Mapi-chan Since: May, 2009
#19: Aug 14th 2009 at 6:55:50 AM

The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova. I found it to be really cool.

Her Vampires are Different.

OuttaTheBLAM resident moonatic from your other left Since: Aug, 2009
resident moonatic
#20: Aug 15th 2009 at 12:48:39 AM

I really liked No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman even if it was formulaic but people always look at me like I'm crazy when I suggest it. Is it the name...?

You're looking for this person.
lanky Moral Deviant from Hiding from Rei staring. Since: May, 2009
Moral Deviant
#21: Aug 15th 2009 at 1:01:35 AM

E.E. Knight's Vampire Earth books: Way of the Wolf, Choice of the Cat, Tales of the Thunderbolt, Valentine's Rising, Valentine's Exile, Valentine's Resolve, and Fall With Honor.

Take one part Apocalypse. Mix vampires liberally with Cosmic Horror. Add one part Shonen hero (thanks to being Touched by Vorlons) and then mix liberally with the Indiana Jones trilogy. Blend until it reaches the right consistency.

edited 15th Aug '09 1:02:14 AM by lanky

LullTheConqueror Love Freak from eternal loli Hell Since: Jan, 2001
#22: Aug 15th 2009 at 1:08:47 AM

@Vampire Buddha: I've also read Jennifer Government, but I'm the only person I know who's read his earlier work Syrup, which I thought was better.

the dice are loaded, the deck is stacked, the game itself will hold you back
EnglishIvy Since: Aug, 2011
#23: Aug 15th 2009 at 1:19:33 AM

There's always Eric Hoffer's The True Believer, as Entry Pimped by Korg and myself.

edited 15th Aug '09 1:19:45 AM by English Ivy

Dookie2 Since: Dec, 1969
#24: Aug 15th 2009 at 11:17:25 AM

I haven't met anyone else who has read End Of Eternity (mostly because it's out of print), but there are at least two other people who contributed to the wiki page.

Pannic Since: Jul, 2009
#25: Aug 15th 2009 at 11:21:13 AM

That book is incredible. I'm still trying to find the sequels.

I think I might have the first sequel... I think my mom bought it. I haven't read it, though.


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