Posts
The Dark Mind
Colin Kapp
Kapp never did anything as good as this one again. An existential journey par excellence.
The Space Merchants
Frederick Pohl and Cyril Kornbluth
The space opera of space operas this gem is a must read for anyone interested in science fiction or just a good story.
Greenmantle
John Buchan
Buchan aka Lord Tweedsmuir (wot a moniker) wrote a whole series of thrillers including The 39 Steps with totally British themes and settings but nevertheless he developed a style of economy and precision that every other thriller writer that came after copied. You name them; Hemingway, Steinbeck, Louis L'amour, would be nowhere if not for buchan and his taut delivery. His books are still eminently readable today long after the empire he held so dear dissolved.
Venus On The Half shell
Kilgore Trout
Kurt Vonnegut wrote this humdinger under a non de plume but that is inconsequential. This is another space opera that transports the reader into world unknown and waiting for exploration.
The Closing Circle
Lou Cameron
Cameron seems to have been a jack of all trades in Hollywood writing westerns, war stories and anything else to supply the market but this one is the plum. Filled with juicy subplots and characters and the the stench of the lowlife exuding out through the pages. Chester Himes must have read this one and it stands out as the premier crime novel of its time and possibly all time.
Flint
Lois L'amour
Boys Life
Robert McCammon
One of those books that you pick up somewhere and decide to give it a go and then once you're in then its too late. Enjoy the ride.
The Simulacra
Philip K. Dick
This is Dicks masterpiece. My copy has spelling mistakes and one can only assume that the publisher could not be bothered proof reading the galley. Never mind. Dicks total oeuvre is massive and this one takes the cake for characterisation and plot and theme that will stagger contemporary readers brought up on modern pap with its relevance for today.
Coming Attractions
Fanny Flagg
You want funny? Fanny opens up with the gags and they dont stop.
Find it now!
Jitterbug Perfume
Tom Robbins
Robbins seems to have specialised in romantic novels for ladies with quirky themes but this is his magnum opus and really special.
The Weapon shops of Isher
A.E. Van Vogt
Vogt was another pulp fiction sci fi author who knocked them out one after the other with no appreciable diminution of quality. His fertile imagination was on 10 when he wrote this.
Hombre
Elmore Leonard
What can you say! Elmore Leonard produced a massive body of work including screenplays for westerns and crime movies that have stood the test of time. Look for the Moonshine War with Patrick Magoohan. Picking only one is a hard job but Hombre the book and the movie with Paul Newman are five star jobs in anyones language.
First Blood
David Morrell
Morell kicked off with a couple of oddly disturbing works but First Blood is an absolute triumph. Like Leonard it is hard to pick only one of his books when he wrote spine tinglers like the Fraternity Of The stone but that is half the fun.
Good hunting kiddies.
Colin Kapp
Kapp never did anything as good as this one again. An existential journey par excellence.
The Space Merchants
Frederick Pohl and Cyril Kornbluth
The space opera of space operas this gem is a must read for anyone interested in science fiction or just a good story.
Greenmantle
John Buchan
Buchan aka Lord Tweedsmuir (wot a moniker) wrote a whole series of thrillers including The 39 Steps with totally British themes and settings but nevertheless he developed a style of economy and precision that every other thriller writer that came after copied. You name them; Hemingway, Steinbeck, Louis L'amour, would be nowhere if not for buchan and his taut delivery. His books are still eminently readable today long after the empire he held so dear dissolved.
Venus On The Half shell
Kilgore Trout
Kurt Vonnegut wrote this humdinger under a non de plume but that is inconsequential. This is another space opera that transports the reader into world unknown and waiting for exploration.
The Closing Circle
Lou Cameron
Cameron seems to have been a jack of all trades in Hollywood writing westerns, war stories and anything else to supply the market but this one is the plum. Filled with juicy subplots and characters and the the stench of the lowlife exuding out through the pages. Chester Himes must have read this one and it stands out as the premier crime novel of its time and possibly all time.
Flint
Lois L'amour
Boys Life
Robert McCammon
One of those books that you pick up somewhere and decide to give it a go and then once you're in then its too late. Enjoy the ride.
The Simulacra
Philip K. Dick
This is Dicks masterpiece. My copy has spelling mistakes and one can only assume that the publisher could not be bothered proof reading the galley. Never mind. Dicks total oeuvre is massive and this one takes the cake for characterisation and plot and theme that will stagger contemporary readers brought up on modern pap with its relevance for today.
Coming Attractions
Fanny Flagg
You want funny? Fanny opens up with the gags and they dont stop.
Find it now!
Jitterbug Perfume
Tom Robbins
Robbins seems to have specialised in romantic novels for ladies with quirky themes but this is his magnum opus and really special.
The Weapon shops of Isher
A.E. Van Vogt
Vogt was another pulp fiction sci fi author who knocked them out one after the other with no appreciable diminution of quality. His fertile imagination was on 10 when he wrote this.
Hombre
Elmore Leonard
What can you say! Elmore Leonard produced a massive body of work including screenplays for westerns and crime movies that have stood the test of time. Look for the Moonshine War with Patrick Magoohan. Picking only one is a hard job but Hombre the book and the movie with Paul Newman are five star jobs in anyones language.
First Blood
David Morrell
Morell kicked off with a couple of oddly disturbing works but First Blood is an absolute triumph. Like Leonard it is hard to pick only one of his books when he wrote spine tinglers like the Fraternity Of The stone but that is half the fun.
Good hunting kiddies.
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