[MUD-Dev] OT: Books

[Matt Chatterley]

On Wed, 17 Dec 1997, Maddy wrote:
> On Sun, 14 Dec 1997, Matt Chatterley wrote: 
> > On Sat, 13 Dec 1997, Sauron wrote:
> > > Matt Chatterley wrote:
> > > > On Fri, 12 Dec 1997 s001gmu at nova.wright.edu wrote:
> > > > > On Fri, 12 Dec 1997, Adam Wiggins wrote:
> > > > > > Frank Herbert's Dune.  See Tolkien.
> 
> [Lengthy discussion about the Dune books]
> 
> > Heh. This can be said to be true - I did read all five (or was it six? I
> > seriously lost count!), and elements did carry through well. I think the
> > style with which Herbert tackled them was quite different to anything else
> > I had (have?) read, and intruiged me for a book or too, but soon wore
> > thin. I would definitely read Dune again, and even Messiah, but I wouldn't
> > go further purely on literary merit. Quite right; chapterhouse was just
> > plain strange.
> > 
> > And the film was *dire*!
> 
> Actually I liked the film - it helps if you disassociate the book from it
> and treat it as a seperate thing.

I tried that in mind, and still thought it was dire. Admittedly it is very
hard to make said disassociation when you are shown a big panel saying
'Dune!' every 15 mins for a commercial break. ;)
 
> > > > Heh. I am repeatedly impressed by the quality of the TV show, as far as
> > > > spin-off shows go. The first movie was a *classic* (Chris Lambert, AND
> > > > Sean Connery!), the second was utterly bizarre, and the third sucked.
> > > 
> > > I really loved the first, the second one was well I don't know what it
> > > was, and the third on its own was a fairly good movie, but when compared
> > > to the rest of the "franchise" it is disappointing. 
> > 
> > The third was reasonable as a 'run of the mill action movie', something
> > which I counted the original above. This is the trouble with sequels - you
> > compare them to the originals, and they have generally lost the sparkle.
> 
> The 2nd Highlander film should be ignored completely - it only makes sense
> if you see the highly editted version of Highlander that the Americans saw. 
> Basically they removed all the plot, charactisation and just made it into a
> full action movie.  McCloud lost all of his past etc. and so they were able
> to make one up for the 2nd film.

Yeah; which is a shame. I have heard rumours of a new film, starring
Adrian Paul from the TV series though, which could be promising.
Especially if they let him direct it, since his talents seem to lie in a
combination of acting and directing (see the latter episodes from the
5th/6th series which he directed; they are some of the very best).
 
> Anyway, might as well give a brief list of the books that have influenced
> me.  Nothing has really and truely biased me, but I still like most of the
> books.

Righto.
 
> - The majority of the Forgotten Realms series.
> A good clean consitant story world - plenty of nice ideas about how to do
> religions.

FR is quite interesting, although it reminds me of M. Moorcock in some
ways (his books are quite good, and have good stories in them, although I
don't like his style of writing; he has excellent ideas).
 
> - Discworld: Terry Pratchet
> Very very funny - my style of actual writing seems to bend towards the same
> as T.P. - at least that is what people have told me.

Pratchett is one of the great modern authors in the genre. Well, after a
fashion. The spoofs on RoboCop in 'Feet of Clay' caused me to spill a cup
of tea. "We can rebuild him, we have the pottery!" and "Undead or alive,
you are coming with me." were particularly notable lines.
 
> - The Xanth series: Piers Anthony.
> Likewise, very funny.  Putting puns in a mud would probably be a bad idea,
> but humour definitely is.

Never read any PA, but I think I may now I have heard the praises herein
(from several folks).
 
> - Master of the Five Magics: (can't remember who wrote it)
> I like this mainly for the detailed magic system.

Another book well worth the read for some very interesting and original
ideas is "To your Scattered Bodies go", the first of the Riverworld series
by Philip Jose Farmer.

Regards,
	-Matt Chatterley
	ICQ: 5580107
"I shall never believe that God plays dice with the world." -Einstein