What's The Longest, Thickest, Meatiest

[Beetwasher]

Book or series of books you ever read?

For me it's gotta be the books in this current series I'm reading; The Malazan Empire Series by Steven Erikson. It's a series of 10 books, so far seven have been published, each one is about 1,000 pages. The series is awesome and the books fly by.

I'm not sure about the single longest book I've ever read though. It may be one of the books in that series. Cryptonomicon was also pretty long. Never did War and Peace. How long is Moby Dick? Hmm, might have to compare lengths and figure this out.

[krispos42]

1. Hmmm...

It's a tossup.

Either Harry Turtledove's "Darkenss" series, or Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series. I've only read the first five of the latter.

[Beetwasher]

2. How Is Turtledove?

Never read anything by him.

I picked up the first Dark Tower book and and never continued w/ the series. Just never got into it. Is it worth it? Should I try again?

[TZ]

3. I've read all the Dark Tower Books

Yeah. I liked them. They get really weird though.

[Beetwasher]

10. Weird Is Good!

I just never really got heavy into King, but I've heard good things about Dark Tower.

[Arkansas Granny]

49. I've not read much King other than the Dark Tower series, so I

can't really if the Tower series is different from his other work. However, a friend who has read nearly everything King has written tells me that the Tower series is very different from his usual writings although there are references throughout the series to events and persons from other books.

[krispos42]

19. Turtledove writes alternative history and fantasy

His fantasy stuff tends to be pragmatic. For example, in a series that takes place in an equivalent to our Byzantine Empire, the use of magic is like any other ancient technology: more of a craft than an a science, done in small scale by skilled artisans. Like a goldsmith, for example.

His Wikipedia article had the details of his various series'. His "Darkness" series is a parallel to World War Two, the entire war, with pragmatic magic. His books have a lot of characters from different nations, so I thought it was pretty nice. He has characters from the equivilent of the Jews, the French, the British, the Russians, the Japanese, the Fins, the Polish, etc., often several of each nation. And he's not afraid to kill them off, either.

He also wrote a very interesting series about how, in eary 1942, with World War raging across the globe, aliens invade. They intend to colonize, so they don't use nuclear weapons and have to slug it out conventional weapons. It's a very good series, with plenty of historical famous characters.

And if you want to see how the world would look if the South had one the Civil War, The "Great War" trilogy should be interesting, with the Confederate States siding with Great Britian and France against the US, Germany, and Austria-Hungry in World War One.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_War_%28Harry_Turtledove%29


As to the "Dark Tower" series, the tantilizing hints of our world and the gunslingers are what keep me going. The second book picks up considerably, and large parts of it take place in New York City.

If you can get the audiobooks, that's great. The voice artist, Frank Mueller, does an awesome job!

[Beetwasher]

21. Cool! Thanks For The Terrific Description!

It sounds very interesting. He's on my list to check out now!

[krispos42]

32. He also wrote a really funny book...

Takes place in a modern equivalent of Los Angeles, but where our modern technology has been replaced by industrialized magic. For example, people don't drive cars, they use flying carpets. And Angles City has a massive airborne lint pollution problem.

It's written in the first person from the viewpoint of David Fisher, a Jewish EPA agent (Enviromental Perfection Agency) who keeps industrial sorcerers' magical pollutents in line.

You'll have a good time finding all the parallels to our world! :-)

[BreweryYardRat]

37. On Turtledove: Get the "Videssos" series and "Great War/American Empire/Settling Accounts."

You can pass on the "Darkness" and "Worldwar/Colonization" series.

For Videssos, the best thing to do is read it in chronological order: Bridge of the Separator (which is a really great book), The Time of Troubles (four-book series recently reprinted as two hardcovers), The Tale of Krispos (three books, recently reprinted in a fat paperback), and then the original four-book Videssos cycle (which, frankly, may have kicked off the series, but I didn't much like.) There are a couple short stories as well, but those are scattered across several collections.

"Great War/American Empire/Settling Accounts" goes in exactly that order, but you should read "How Few Remain" first.

You should also pick up "Every Inch a King" if you want some real belly-laughs.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

4. My Favorite Series Is The Alex Cross Series By James Patterson.

Totally enveloping character.

[Beetwasher]

5. Amazingly, I've Never Read Any Patterson

Mystery thriller? :shrug:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

7. You're Totally Missing Out. He's A Brilliant Writer And Is Amazingly Addictive.

I guess you called it suspense thrillers or what not. Start with 'Along came a spider'. I guarantee you won't want to put it down.

[Beetwasher]

8. Cool!

Others have recommended him to me as well, but I always forget when I'm looking for something new to read.

[Dr. Strange]

6. The Dune series.

By Frank Herbert--not the new crap (aka the Dune $eries).

[Beetwasher]

9. Read The First One A Long Time Ago

Never read the rest of the series, though I've been meaning to.

[FlyingSquirrel]

15. Oh come now. Finish the dang series already.

[Beetwasher]

16. I Know, It's On My "To Do" List

n/t

[FlyingSquirrel]

26. The next two books are a lot shorter than the first.

Just start one of them and it'll move up on your "to do" list pretty fast.

:)

[Beetwasher]

28. I'll Have To Re-Read The First One First Though!

I read it so long ago!

[Ariana Celeste]

47. Agreed

I love the Dune series!

I have to admit though, I did also read a few that his son wrote. House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and House Corrino. I kind of liked them. Was just nice to read some background on the characters.

[Xipe Totec]

11. #1 The Foundation Series

Asimov was a great story teller.

Next would have to be the Dune series

and next to that Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars

Lary Niven's Ringworld,

The Lensmen's Series by E.E. Smith

and last Orson Scott Card's Ender series.

[Xipe Totec]

12. Oh, and two more...

The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy

and Robert Asprin's M.Y.T.H. Series

[Beetwasher]

14. How Is Aspirin?

HGTTG of course is a classic!

[Xipe Totec]

23. Asprin is hillarious

it is definitely in the same league as HHGTTG for absurdity.

[Beetwasher]

13. Loved, Loved LOVED Foundation!

And the Mars Trilogy!

Never read the whole Dune series, but I probably will.

Read the first two Ender's, and wasn't bowled over.

Did you read the continuation of the Foundation series by Brin, Benford and Bear? Not too bad. They each wrote a book (with permission from the estate, but the titles escape me) that continued the series.

[Xipe Totec]

20. Last one I read from The Foundation was The Mule

I've read other stuff by Brin that I liked. Otherness is the first that comes to mind. I'll look for the continuation of the Foundation series, thanks!

It's better if you look at Dune as a metaphor. Substituting oil for spice and Iraq for Arakis, you pretty much have the history of the Middle East.

Ender is a strange one; it started great but ran out of steam somewhere along the way.

Another series you might like is James P. Hogan's Giant's series.

Actually, most of Hogan's stuff is great (not all).

Last, I'd like to put a plug in for a personal friend. Look for Walter Hunt's Dark Wing Series. I like his work, but then again, consider me biased because of my personal relation to the author.

:hi:

[Beetwasher]

24. Cool! Thanks For The Info!

I'll keep an eye out for your friend's stuff!

I fully intend to do Dune at some point, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

I totally agree w/ you about Card and the Ender series. It seems to me like he had a lot of success w/ the first book (which really was just ok IMO, nothing great) and tried to milk it for all it's worth.) He's also a notorious rightwing scumbag, which obviously didn't help matters w/ me. Though my opinion about his work came before I even found that out.

[Dr. Strange]

33. Oh man, ditto on a lot of those Xipe Totec.

I read the Foundation series back in high school. And Ender's Saga and Hitch hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. And the Hyperion Cantos.

I still have the first book of the Mars series (Red Mars?) waiting to be read. Just haven't gotten around to it yet.

[FlyingSquirrel]

17. Not counting series books,

The longest one I read that was long, thick, meaty, and juicy was Shogun.

[Beetwasher]

18. Ahhh, Yes, That's A Good One!

n/t

[Xipe Totec]

22. Shogun was excellent! n/t

[NMDemDist2]

25. the Wizard of Oz series was a long one, the Barsoom series was

long but not 'meaty'

I'll have to look into that series, what's it about?

[Beetwasher]

27. Never Read Wizard Of Oz!

And never heard of Barsoom!

Ok, about the "Malazan Empire Series"; probably the greatest fantasy series ever written. I'm not exaggerating (and I've read shitloads). The main author is Erikson, although he has a partner named Ian Castle Esselmont who also just released a book that takes place in the universe (Knight of Knives).

It's just mind bogglingly comprehensive. They've created a whole history spanning hundred's of thousands of years, a multitude of races and worlds/dimensions. There are multiple story lines that ultimately intersect, but he will write a whole book based on several plots and then not get back to those plots or those characters until maybe a couple of books later, but you don't care because the new characters and plots are so well developed. The characters range from grunt soldiers in a few different armies all the way up to beings who have ascended to become Gods. There are wheels within wheels within wheels and plots within plots within plots.

I can't recommend this series enough to those who dig fantasy. It's the new watermark.

[NMDemDist2]

29. the Barsoom series was the Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars series

pulp fantasy/scifi classics!

I'll check out yours, I love fantasy/scifi

edit to add, the WoOz was a looonnggg series, 14 books at least!

[Beetwasher]

30. Oh!

Ok! I did in fact read a couple of those books!

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

31. the Quiller series by adam hall

[LeftyMom]

34. Either Foundation or A Song of Ice and Fire.

I think Foundation is longer, but ASOIAF is still in progress and has several books to go, and I'm pretty sure that series has felled a few forests already- the shortest book is 784 pages long, the longest over 1200.

[Beetwasher]

41. ASOIF Is Great!

Still waiting patiently for Dance w/ Dragons!

[momophile]

35. Incarnations of Immortality series by Piers Anthony

love 'em. I've read them twice. probably about time for me to read them again.

[Beetwasher]

42. Read Some Anthony Many Years Ago

I forgot which one's!

[Kingofalldems]

36. The Hardy Boys

by Franklin W Dixon. :rofl:

[Beetwasher]

43. Those Books Got Me Through Sleepaway Camp!

n/t

[BreweryYardRat]

38. I chucked the Malazan series at book 4. (Literally, into a wall.) Loathed part of the opening plot.

Still, the first three books were much better than Robert Jordan, who I gave up on at book 9.

Probably one of Turtledove's series for sheer length.

[Beetwasher]

44. Really?

What part did you loathe?

[TZ]

39. I'm a fan of R. Jordan's Wheel of Time

I know a lot of people are not..but even though a couple of books were sloooow as molasses I still overall like the series.
And, with his passing recently, there is a new author that is working on the climactic finale to it with his widow.
I am really looking forward to "A Memory of Light"....

[Beetwasher]

45. I'm Reading Them

I enjoy them as well, but I like GRRM and Erikson better!

I heard about Jordan's death and that really stinks, though apparently he was prepared and left copious notes. To tell you the truth, I actually enjoy Jordan's Conan books even more so than The Wheel of Time!

[KG]

40. the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons, americas greatest writer.

to infinity and beyond!

[Beetwasher]

46. I've Heard A Lot Of Good Things About That Series

That's definitely on my list!

[KG]

48. when you read the first book 'Hyperion' keep in mind he wrote it in the early 80's

he had a reather precient view on what the interent could be.

but mostly, i was blown away by his ability to tell a story. he's also prolific, and writes in several genres; (mystery, detective, etc) so you never have too wait long for a new Simmons book to come out.