Recently decided to start reading a lot more fiction rather than just watching movies so I bought a stack of books from the local used book store. The nice old man running the store loves science fiction and recommended Dune, but the others I picked out myself. I've seen the Starship Troopers movie and I heard the book was much more in depth and political (I enjoy politics). Dying Inside is about a guy who is born with the ability to read minds and it drives him crazy. Sea of Swords is from the Forgotten Realms series and I got it because I wanted to try a fantasy novel. I also read a "Drizzt" story when I was younger and I remember it being entertaining. The biggest gamble, I think, was getting Battlefield Earth. I know the movie is garbage, but the bookstore owner said that he heard the book was alright, and many consider it Hubbard's best work. I mainly got it because the opening synopsis sounded like a neat scenario and it's a fairly big book so I'll get a lot of time out of it.
Did I do well? I'm not here to impress anyone, as I mostly read philosophical work and play guitar to feed my brain. I just need some new entertainment that won't rot my brain like all these movies are starting to do. Also, which one should I read first?
>>7824211
Read Dune and nothing else there.
>>7824211
start with Starship Troopers or Dune
>>7824218
Oh ok. I'll take the others outback and burn them,
>>7824211
throw em out and try again. next time start at the 'classics' section
>>7824222
then stop and don't read any of the others.
>>7824211
Why did you get only science fiction/fantasy books? You've decided to explore the wonderful world of fiction and are only limiting yourself to these rather inartistic genres (and not even the best or most important works within the genres anyway)?
>>7824227
Why? So I can fall asleep reading Streetcar Named Desire? Or maybe so I can read entire chapter about a turtle in Grapes of Wrath? Fuck the classics. My senses for entertainment have been ruined by modern spectacle. I'm no idiot, but when I want to switch off and be entertained, the old shit just doesn't do it for me.
>>7824240
Because I just want something action packed. I'm a pretty intelligent guy. I read philosophy, I follow all sorts of politics very closely, I play music, I never even have to try in college. But I was raised on video games and action movies and whatnot. I loved reading the Hardy Boys growing up, and there was plenty of action in them. I've enjoyed reading science fiction in other parts of my life, so I'm just trying to kill time instead of watching movies in my spare time.
>>7824233
Everything Hubbard wrote was garbage, as are the Forgotten Realms books. Pulp scifi and pulp fantasy. A reason other than "they suck"? What more reasons beyond them being badly written trite shit can you need? That they'll give you skin diseases? That worms will leap out of them and bury themselves in your eyes? That, once you've read them, you'll begin to give off pheromones that will make women avoid you?
>>7824252
You might as well just watch action movies and paly games. Books are pretty shitty for action. The best books are great because of their intelligent exploration of themes, the complexity of the characters, and the beauty of the language. Although based on your dismissal of Streetcar and Grapes of Wrath you're probably artistically underdeveloped and have bad taste and are incapable of contemplating even the most entry level books. I'm not trying to being le mean internet snob, but stating a fact to try and save you from wasting your time in a world you don't belong.
>I'm a pretty intelligent guy. I read philosophy, I follow all sorts of politics very closely, I play music, I never even have to try in college.
Also, you sound really insecure, the way you really felt the need to tell me this. I suggest getting psychiatric help for what I presume to be mental health issues.
>>7824272
Well damn man, I guess book critics have the easiest job in the world then.
"Don't get this book. Its badly written."
Like, I'm not some literature connoisseur with the finest taste. But if you could explain why something is bad, you might convince me. Otherwise, I see these books as time killers. Entry level book reading for someone who hasn't read fiction in many years. Maybe I'll figure out what I like and don't like through reading some of this? Or, if you could convince me that these books are complete and utter garbage and an absolute waste of time, I will consider your advice.
I'm going to agree with >>7824286
Why even ask if you've "done well" if you apparently don't care if you're reading trash? Just for some sort of validation? If you're so intelligent, maybe try using that vast intellect to think about your own actions.
>>7824286
>Also, you sound really insecure
>I'm not trying to being le mean internet snob
Good, because you're not smart enough to be a snob.
Take your 50 cent psychoanalysis elsewhere, fool.
I''m not OP btw
>>7824290
I'm not a book critic, I'm someone on an imageboard whose opinion you asked. I'm not going to give you a detailed analysis of why they're bad, that you'd expect me to is utterly deluded. Critics get paid. If you want to pay me, I'll give you a real critique. Call it $50 for each book, and you'll have to buy me copies of them too. Deal?
You know what? This is retarded. Clearly you're a moron and you're going to enjoy the shitty ones. Stick with them. Give Starship Troopers and Dune back to the shop, you don't have the critical thinking abilities to enjoy anything above a 16 year old reading level.
Dying Inside and Dune are SF masterpieces. Starship Troopers is a lot of fun if you can get past the hyper-militaristic crypto-fascism. The Hubbard and the Salvatore will, I expect, be pretty trashy.
>>7824286
Once I was done with Grapes of Wrath, I could appreciate it. But I knew I didn't want to drudge through another book like it. Movies and games have become infinitely boring, but books spark my imagination. The "world I don't belong" in is the world of classic literature with beautiful language. I acknowledge its importance for many, as well as its significance in history. Had I been born in those times, I would have surely been an avid reader of such classics. But I live in today, where my sense of entertainment has basically been spoiled by the shit that we have today. I'm not looking to dive into the rich world of literature. I'm looking to have a neat story that leaves me on edge in between all the other shit I do all day.
>I'm not trying to being le mean internet snob
Yet that's what you're doing, just like I wasn't trying to be insecure in my listing of hobbies. So what the fuck ever. If you don't have an opinion on my shitty science fiction novels, then go hang yourself with some Edgar Allen Poe.
>>7824300
>that you'd expect me to is utterly deluded
The onus of proof is on you, accuser.
If you think OP reads trash, then your opinions are equally trash since you did not back them up with support.
>>7824300
>You know what? This is retarded. Clearly you're a moron and you're going to enjoy the shitty ones. Stick with them. Give Starship Troopers and Dune back to the shop, you don't have the critical thinking abilities to enjoy anything above a 16 year old reading level.
Now we know for certain you're an idiot.
>>7824305
>hyper-militaristic crypto-fascism
That sounds really awesome. I knew the movie touched on the subject of military service to earn citizenship, so it seems like a neat universe.
>The Hubbard and the Salvatore will, I expect, be pretty trashy.
That seems to be the consensus here, but I'm probably not "cultured" enough to care. Maybe in 10 years I'll look back and realize how shit they are, but for now they might be ok.
>>7824211
nah
>>7824327
3/5 isn't bad. Thanks guys.
>>7824310
you can grow your ability to appreciate things
its not like you have to be stuck with a poor attention span, and reading this will probably help
however reading trash like battlefield earth will probably put you off reading because it will be unpleasant to read
gofundme /wrfuypm4
>>7824333
See, now we're heading in a more constructive direction. It is true that I have undeveloped taste and a poor attention span when it comes to entertainment. I fully expect to grow as I start reading more.
I think I'm pretty safe from being put off of reading because I've had many great experiences with it growing up. Mainly required reading for school, but I always enjoyed it. Even reading "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym", which was fucking terrible, didn't make me dislike reading. If I make it through Battlefield Earth and I hate it, I will just be wiser for it. As for Salvatore, like I said, I read a "Drizzt" adventure in the past and I remember it being fine. It didn't bring me to tears or tear down the walls of my reality or anything, but it was a decent story, a likeable main character, and it left me on edge wanting to know what happened next.
>>7824333
He fucking said he reads philosophy.
Maybe if idiots like you actually read philosophy, you'd understand that it requires a different, more attentive, state of mind to process. And if you gauged that against his statement of being spoilt by modern media, you'd understand that the pacing of literary fiction is comparatively intermediary and superfluous. Maybe you would not agree with the choice--personally I enjoy digital entertainment, philosophy, literary fiction, and genre fiction all the same--but you would at least understand the mental process driving the decision.
If newfags like you stopped trying to drag everyone to your level, and stopped bugging people with your frivolous autistic spiel, /lit/ would be a better place.
>>7824211
This is why we have the /sffg/. You'll still hear the derisive hooting of "patricians" through the fence, but at least we outnumber them there.
>>7824414
Lol "patricians", more like high school dropouts faking it like the rest of the manlets.
>>7824211
Definitely read Dune. For more science fiction, try The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester and Ubik by Philip K. Dick.
Also, have you read crime fiction? I'd recommend trying Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and Richard Stark.
>>7824211
Best battlefield earth cover
>>7824211
Dune and Starship Troopers are both good choices. Never read Dying Inside but Silverburg is known to be a good SF author so odds are it's at least OK. Salvatore isn't my cup of tea but it's decent modern-ish pulp. You might not be disappointed if you've got fond memories of DnD shit from childhood.
Hubbard though, he is shit. Battlefield Earth is one of the worst SF books I've ever read; it was when I told my parents to stop buying me books. The guy is a complete talentless hack and he's only still in print because of Scientology. He only thing remotely interesting about Hubbard is that he's basically a time capsule to terrible Golden Age SF writing.
