The Imaginary Bookshelf

[verticalcity]

I thought it would be fun to know what everyone likes to read, and there is still some time left until 16th... so
let's fill a bookshelf I have the feeling that here are probably some into books, so why not sharing some tips by heart.
I start with three authors who wrote phantastic novels that were originally illustrators (except Wells), I think that's kinda fitting here. As the Amanita games have an escapist touch to me, i go for the escapists:

Alfred Kubin's "Die andere Seite" (The other Side) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_kubin
Unfortunately there is no article on english wiki, to make it short, it can be decribed as dystopic. It's very old style, and it's like reading a fever dream. It's hard to tell a lot about it without spoiling too much, i can only highly recommend it.

Mervyn Peake's "Ghormenghast" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gormenghast
It has it's lenghts, but it is absorbing and very nice to get lost in it. don't go for the bbc series, they failed the point of the books totally.

and one more classic:
H.G. Well's "The Time Machine" so well known, it probably doesn't need a link.

... as I said, killing some time.

[h4tt3n]

One of my favourite books of all time is The War With The Newts by the czech writer Karel Capek. Its a wonderful novel with some sci-fi themes but hard to explain, since it is so different from anything else I've ever read. Go grab it, it's great!

Cheers,
Mike

[verticalcity]

Consider it bought. Sounds good and I've never heard about it before.

erm... I just wondered if I'm a bit offtopic, should this be under "whatever"?  

[ABoretz]

erm... I just wondered if I'm a bit offtopic, should this be under "whatever"?  

I think it's like your "Movies that catch the atmosphere of amanita design games" topic; it gives us a chance to share our personal aesthetics with other Amanita Design fans.   

[divit]

Mervyn Peake's "Ghormenghast" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gormenghast
It has it's lenghts, but it is absorbing and very nice to get lost in it. don't go for the bbc series, they failed the point of the books totally.

Especially as half the point is the way they're written. I love them too! (although I haven't read Titus Alone yet)

At the moment I'm reading lots of satire like Joseph Heller (Catch-22) and Kurt Vonnegut (Slaughterhouse 5, Sirens of Titan, Cats Cradle, the list goes on), and anything that twists the world around it is always good.

[verticalcity]

(although I haven't read Titus Alone yet)


It will be a surprise when you do - I won't spoil anything, but it's sure nothing you would expect. Gormenghast was planned as a series of seven novels, but the author died unfortunately so we can't find out where it was heading. If someone knows more about this I would be glad to know! And by the way, even though it is unfinished, it's perfect to read in winter nights. And the first two novels together are kinda stand alone.

[divit]

I'd heard that Titus Alone was different. As for the series this is the first I've heard.

And for the shelf - Children of the Alley by Naguib Mahfouz
Maybe not the happiest book ever written, but even in translation it has one of the most unique styles I've read.