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General discussion (archive)Literary Advice(60 posts)(60 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted September 23, 2013
Clive Barker seems like an obvious recommendation given the authors you named. If you read Imajica then, as a not very avid reader, you won't need another book for at least a fortnight.
Posted September 23, 2013
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Navagon: Clive Barker seems like an obvious recommendation given the authors you named. If you read Imajica then, as a not very avid reader, you won't need another book for at least a fortnight.
Just the sheer amount of fictional words on the Wikipedia page is intimidating. I like Clive Barker, but I haven't read Imagica.
Post edited September 23, 2013 by angrypole
Posted September 23, 2013
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Navagon: Clive Barker seems like an obvious recommendation given the authors you named. If you read Imajica then, as a not very avid reader, you won't need another book for at least a fortnight.
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angrypole: Just the sheer amount of fictional words on the Wikipedia page is intimidating. I like Clive Barker, but I haven't read Imagica.
Don't forget that we're talking about an 850 page book here. So it's not all thrust at you all at once like a wiki synopsis. Most of it is just place names with some character names thrown in. The only overwhelming thing about it is how long it is. But it doesn't really feel so long actually reading it. If anything it's actually quite light on the detail.
Posted September 23, 2013
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angrypole: The movie poster makes it look it very appealing. Would you recommend it if you have seen it? Downloading the manga right now.
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JohnWalrus: Haven't seen the movie, only just read the manga two months ago. The manga is so great, though, that I doubt a movie adaption can top it (Itoi's drawings being so disturbing that I doubt any CG effects could rival it). May be worth a watch, though. Have fun! :3
I've both seen the movie and read the manga, and I loved both. I actually saw the movie first, and liked it so much that I went out and bought the manga sight unseen. It's the only movie I've yet found that actually delivers something of the sense of sheer cosmic weirdness that would happen if a Lovecraftian Outer God started breaking through into our reality. And the effects and art design are actually pretty damn good - they aren't quite on par with the delirious carnage on display in the Manga, but I'm not sure they ever could be.

The film does make a number of changes, but IMO this is one of the rare cases where the changes were necessary and appropriate for the transition to the big screen. They scaled down the scope of the story, focusing mainly on a few sub-plots from the manga and rewriting them into a complete tale. The film ends at about the 2/3 point in the Manga, but it feels like a complete story and doesn't leave you hanging. If anything, I'd suggest watching the movie first, since otherwise you might anticipate certain scenes and then be surprised when they don't show up.

I've heard that a lot of people violently loathe the movie, but I've never been told why.
Post edited September 23, 2013 by Azilut
Posted September 23, 2013
To keep this going because I find this topic interesting and because I also am interested in reading some of the books mentioned myself; here is some background on one of my recommendations:

The Nye Incidents
Whitley Strieber, Craig Spector

http://youtu.be/Z1H3_EUnfVY

Be warned if you are frightened easily or are susceptible to experiencing feelings of existential anxiety you might pass on this one. I doubt most people in this thread would be seriously bothered by this subject, but felt I should throw a cautionary warning out anyway to be on the safe side. Some of this absolutely chills me.

I won't link directly to the photos of one of the more well documented human mutilation cases. However, if you're interested you can search for the very graphic photos yourself by using the terms:

brazilian human mutilation cases
Posted September 23, 2013
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JohnWalrus: Haven't seen the movie, only just read the manga two months ago. The manga is so great, though, that I doubt a movie adaption can top it (Itoi's drawings being so disturbing that I doubt any CG effects could rival it). May be worth a watch, though. Have fun! :3
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Azilut: I've both seen the movie and read the manga, and I loved both. I actually saw the movie first, and liked it so much that I went out and bought the manga sight unseen. It's the only movie I've yet found that actually delivers something of the sense of sheer cosmic weirdness that would happen if a Lovecraftian Outer God started breaking through into our reality. And the effects and art design are actually pretty damn good - they aren't quite on par with the delirious carnage on display in the Manga, but I'm not sure they ever could be.

The film does make a number of changes, but IMO this is one of the rare cases where the changes were necessary and appropriate for the transition to the big screen. They scaled down the scope of the story, focusing mainly on a few sub-plots from the manga and rewriting them into a complete tale. The film ends at about the 2/3 point in the Manga, but it feels like a complete story and doesn't leave you hanging. If anything, I'd suggest watching the movie first, since otherwise you' might anticipate certain scenes and then be surprised when they don't show up.

I've heard that a lot of people violently loathe the movie, but I've never been told why.
The movie really that good? I think I'll watch it, then. Gonna tab it on my laptop for later :3

Only fair that they'd cut some of the subplots, since most of them don't continue the story that far, just add on to the weirdness. However, the end scene in the manga was particularly gut-wrenching for me, with it's "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" horror. Ah well, by that point in the manga all semblance of reality's gone, anyways. Maybe better that they didn't put it in.

And since we're on the topic of Japanese horror movies, the works of director Takashi Miike are really great (by great, I mean disturbing). Audition is equal parts revolting and surreal, while that one hour flick he did for Masters of Horror (forgot what its name was) was also sick. Haven't seen Ichi the Killer yet, but I really wanna :D
Posted September 23, 2013
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angrypole: Hello,
I am looking for great books to read. I am not the most avid reader, so probably anything you list, I haven't read before. I have pretty much only read obvious things like Stephen King, Dean Koontz and H.P. Lovecraft.
You mention Stephen King. If you like that I think his "The Stand" is an epic tale and has some elements like you mentions.

Also, you may have already read, but 1984 is something that underlies alot of the modern Sci-Fi dystopian themes.
Posted September 23, 2013
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angrypole: Hello,
I am looking for great books to read. I am not the most avid reader, so probably anything you list, I haven't read before. I have pretty much only read obvious things like Stephen King, Dean Koontz and H.P. Lovecraft.
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fartheststar: You mention Stephen King. If you like that I think his "The Stand" is an epic tale and has some elements like you mentions.

Also, you may have already read, but 1984 is something that underlies alot of the modern Sci-Fi dystopian themes.
Yes, I have read The Stand and 1984 actually. I would consider those less niche reading, but they are very very good. I am happy that this thread has mentioned as many works as it has and (hopefully) will turn people on to these types of novels.

I am on chapter 3 of Pandora's Star. It is exactly what I am looking for. It looks like I will be set for years with all of the great novels everyone is recommending.
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JohnWalrus: Haven't seen the movie, only just read the manga two months ago. The manga is so great, though, that I doubt a movie adaption can top it (Itoi's drawings being so disturbing that I doubt any CG effects could rival it). May be worth a watch, though. Have fun! :3
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Azilut: I've both seen the movie and read the manga, and I loved both. I actually saw the movie first, and liked it so much that I went out and bought the manga sight unseen. It's the only movie I've yet found that actually delivers something of the sense of sheer cosmic weirdness that would happen if a Lovecraftian Outer God started breaking through into our reality. And the effects and art design are actually pretty damn good - they aren't quite on par with the delirious carnage on display in the Manga, but I'm not sure they ever could be.

The film does make a number of changes, but IMO this is one of the rare cases where the changes were necessary and appropriate for the transition to the big screen. They scaled down the scope of the story, focusing mainly on a few sub-plots from the manga and rewriting them into a complete tale. The film ends at about the 2/3 point in the Manga, but it feels like a complete story and doesn't leave you hanging. If anything, I'd suggest watching the movie first, since otherwise you might anticipate certain scenes and then be surprised when they don't show up.

I've heard that a lot of people violently loathe the movie, but I've never been told why.
Maybe I am spoiling it for myself, but does it have anything to do the Fibonacci sequence and mathematics? Considering all the people are turning into spirals, it would be awesome if it did.

There is a very good Visual Novel called Saya No Uta or Song of Saya that sounds of a similar vein. It is lewd though, and only recommended to those of a strong stomach. The experience left me thinking about it for about a week afterwards. Not the best, but very unique.
Post edited September 23, 2013 by angrypole
Posted September 24, 2013
The Satanic Bible
Fight Club
The Road
Let Me In
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Posted September 24, 2013
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angrypole: The movie poster makes it look it very appealing. Would you recommend it if you have seen it? Downloading the manga right now.
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JohnWalrus: Haven't seen the movie, only just read the manga two months ago. The manga is so great, though, that I doubt a movie adaption can top it (Itoi's drawings being so disturbing that I doubt any CG effects could rival it). May be worth a watch, though. Have fun! :3
The movie isn't very good, mostly because the surreal imagery of the manga is really hard to pull off in a live action setting. It probably would've worked better as an animated film.
Posted September 24, 2013
Anything by Gene Wolfe...

You should of course read his magnum opus, The Book of the New Sun, but I'd actually recommend starting with something lighter, such as The Fifth Head of Cerberus novella collection or even Peace, a midwestern story with very dark implications.

If you like unreliable narrators, piecing together what actually happened, and the author fucking with your mind in general, then Wolfe is your guy.
Posted September 24, 2013
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angrypole: Maybe I am spoiling it for myself, but does it have anything to do the Fibonacci sequence and mathematics? Considering all the people are turning into spirals, it would be awesome if it did.
Not really. If that's the movie you want, watch Pi.
Posted September 24, 2013
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JohnWalrus: The movie really that good?
Well, I think it is, but then I have strange tastes. Like I said, a lot of other people seem to hate it.

Only fair that they'd cut some of the subplots, since most of them don't continue the story that far, just add on to the weirdness. However, the end scene in the manga was particularly gut-wrenching for me, with it's "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" horror. Ah well, by that point in the manga all semblance of reality's gone, anyways. Maybe better that they didn't put it in.
I think it's for the best. Much as I'd love to see all that post-Event lunacy on the big screen, I suspect that any movie that tried to cover that much ground would end up feeling rushed and incoherent.

Takashi Miike
Miike is great. I remember seeing Ichi the Killer with a group of friends at the Vancouver Film Festival. We were all laughing our asses off while all around us a theatre full of artsy cinephiles sat there in icy, horrified silence. Oddly enough, though, my favourite film of his is one of his least weird/violent - The Bird People In China.
Post edited September 24, 2013 by Azilut
Posted September 24, 2013
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angrypole: Maybe I am spoiling it for myself, but does it have anything to do the Fibonacci sequence and mathematics? Considering all the people are turning into spirals, it would be awesome if it did.
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Azilut: Not really. If that's the movie you want, watch Pi.
I love Pi. In fact I love all of the movies directed by Darren Aronofsky.
Posted September 25, 2013
http://youtu.be/i454o7ijabI
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussion (archive)Literary Advice(60 posts)(60 posts)
(60 posts)