Challenge: 50 Books discussion

I've been keeping track of everything I've read so far this year, but I'd love to share my selection to date with you all.
1. The Satanic Verses A Novel by Salman Rushdie
2. The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker
3. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
4. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
5. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
6. Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
7. Blood Meridian Or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy
8. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford
9. The Origin of Satan by Elaine Pagels
10. Everville by Clive Barker

Going forward I will try to post short reviews of what I've read. This is primarily for my own edification but if anyone likes what I've been reading or has any recommendations for me please let me know. I've been on a bit of a fantasy/horror bend lately, but some interesting non-fiction is coming up soon

Welcome! You are doing really well!

Go Even! TEN!

11. Veniss Underground by Jeff VanderMeer

I guess I would call this steampunk fantasy. The actually novella portion is pretty good, but I got absolutely nothing out of the short stories. The world Vandermeer creates is very reminiscent of China Mieville's Bas-Lag but nowhere near as well-constructed or believable. Nevertheless, I liked his writing enough that I'm willing to give City of Saints and Madmen a shot.

It looks like you and I might share some similar tastes (1-3, 7, 9, 10). What did you think of Pagels' book? I have not read that one.

sorry I spelled your name wrong Evan!

I forgive you Mary Todd.

Bishop, I enjoyed The Origins of Satan, although I went in to it expecting something completely different. I was expecting Pagels to tackle medieval conceptions of Satan and witchcraft, and how the concept of Satan was used against Jews and heretics. Instead, this work takes on where the concept of Satan came from in the Old Testament, and how the ancient concept was morphed in the gospels and later Christian writings.

Pagels maintains that 'hasatan' was a Hebrew concept used to describe internal enemies. The Gospels and later Christian writers changed Satan from the internal enemy to the external as a device to separate themselves from 'others' (Jew, Pagans) and from internal dissent (heretics). I found the Origins of Satan to be a very well researched essay, but you must keep in mind that this is very academic book before you start reading.

12. The Thief of Always A Fable by Clive Barker.

This is a young adult horror story that is eery and ghoulish in that quintessential Clive Barker manner without all the blood and gore. I really enjoyed the story and the moral is timeless.

The Thief of Always is one of my favorite Barker books. Not his usual, but so good. I can't wait to loan it to my daughters some day.

13. Orientalism by Edward W. Said

I really hated this book. I studied Middle Eastern Studies at NYU, and this book was the department's bible. Surprisingly, I never actually read it until now. Here goes a short review.

The fact that colonialism was a racist enterprise is not exactly news. It's also not very surprising that stronger powers impose their viewpoint and will upon the weak. To Said, 'orientalism' is the process the west has undergone to 'invent' the middle east through western scholarship and literature. According to Said, all western research into the middle east and islam is inherently racist and imperialist, a systematic attempt to reinvent the east in the west's image. How does Professor Said go about proving this? By cherry picking quotes from the last two centuries showing racism against Arabs and Islam in western literature and other writings.

I just do not see the utility of this work. By stating that all 'western' research on Islam and the Middle East is inherently 'racist', we are left with a one-sided dialogue of never ending criticism of western policies and exoneration and turning a blind eye to anything that occurs in the east. Said states in his afterword that he is not seeking a situation where only blacks can write about blacks or arabs about arabs. However, this is exactly the outcome that comes about from this line from following the views espoused in this work. For example, Said harshly criticizes Bernard Lewis as an orientalist and a racist. Why? Because he espouses views that Said disagrees with. Said uses purported racism in an attempt to stymie a multi-sided discussion. My experience has shown that the result of supposed 'Orientalism' is turning a blind eye on the what happens in the middle east and using the 'west' as a permanent scapegoat. This permanent scapegoating does nothing to address real world solutions and only serves to perpetuate the idea of a master-slave relationship.

14. The Complete Clive Barker's Great and Secret Show Tpb by Chris Ryall

I just read the Barker version at the beginning of the year and when I saw the graphic novel in Forbidden Planet, I just couldn't resist. The artwork was great the story was like a cliff notes version of the novel. If I didn't read the novel I don't know if I would have enjoyed this one. Reading it post-novel was an enjoyable experience. Gabriel Rodriguez's artwork is very solid and makes up for the so-so storytelling.

15. Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr.

I found this to be a very compelling read. Really plumbs the depths of life in inner city New York in the mid-20th century. Definitely not light reading.

16. The Damnation Game by Clive Barker

Mr. Barker has to come out with some new material, because I'm starting to run out of his books. This is a very solid reworking of the Faust narrative with Barker's own vision of hell and the macabre. Very solid novel.

Evan wrote: "15. Last Exit to Brooklyn by [a:Hubert Selby Jr.|26335|Hubert Selby Jr.|http://photo.g..."

I loved the movie but have not read the book. Did you see the movie? I'm not sure I could go back and read the book now - too depressing.

17. The Devil in the White City Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

I liked it. Decent popular history piece on how some people put their humanity to create while others lack humanity and their sole impulse is destruction.

Molly, I have never seen the movie Last Exit to Brooklyn. I have seen Darren Aronofsky's version of Requiem for a Dream.

Love your book choices! I love Clive Barker, and The Thief of Always is probably one of my favorite books ever!! Have you read Abarat yet? It is also young adult, but really good, and Barker has his own artwork in it and it is amazing!

Thanks Natalie. I have not read Abarat, but it's certainly on my list. I heard there are a bunch of new Clive Barker books coming out this year. Maximillian Bacchus and Abarat 3. Hopefully The Scarlet Gospels will get published one of these years.

As an aside, if anyone has any female authored fantasy/sci-fi/horror recommendations I would really appreciate it.

The Host is really good

I loved the movie Requiem for a Dream.

I have been trying to get Devil in the White City out of the library for a while but it is always out - I need to put a hold on it.

I have Outlander on my short list as well - from what I understand it falls under fantasy/sci-fi among other categories.

18. Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami

Eh. Not my favorite Murakami by any stretch. I just set the book down so I'm going to think it over a bit before reviewing it.

19. From Hell by Alan Moore

Wow. This is just an amazing work. Absolutely stupendous. Moore comes out and just straight tells you his idea about Jack the Ripper's identity, but this book just goes way beyond a murder mystery. If you want to really delve into 19th century Victorian England then I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

20. 1984 New Classic Edition by George Orwell

I found my extremely beat up copy of this book in a closet the other day, and I decided to give it another go. Last time I read this book was in high school. 1984 is unquestionably one of the scariest books I have ever read, and was even more so the second time around.

21. The Lurking Fear and Other Stories by H.P. Lovecraft

A small collection of H.P. Lovecraft tales. I didn't really like The Lurking Fear so much, but there were a couple of decent stories in there. My favorite was Beyond the Wall of Sleep.

22. The Scar by China Miéville

China Mieville's work is absolutely fantastic. He is the only guy capable of pulling off a tale about a pirate city made of requisitioned ships and crews that attempts to reach a source of almost unknowable power. Politics, intrigue, monsters, war, throw in a dash sex, theoology, anthropology and linguistics and you have The Scar. Great stuff. Perdido Street Station was pretty awesome too. I can't wait for Mr. Mieville's book that comes out later this year.

23. The Sandman Vol. 1 Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman

This was the comic to read among my friends back in high school. I went into this with very high expectations. The first and last issue of this volume were great. Gaiman's introduction to Morpheus and the occult rituals that led to his summoning and subsequent capture rocked. Death's romp around town in the last issue was very good as well. The middle of the book felt like a lot of filler.

One of the main complaints I've read about Sandman is the artwork. That is one thing I loved. It felt like a trip down memory lane. Man were those late 80's/early 90's hairdos terrible. Anyways, I'm definitely going to check out the next volume of this series to see where it goes.

24. Watchmen by Alan Moore

As you can see, I've been on a bit of a comic book bender later. I just read From Hell, which was absolutely incredible, so I figured might as well buy into the hype surrounding Watchmen.

This is definitely not your run of the mill Superman comic. Watchmen is very much like The Dark Knight Returns, in that the characters are anti-heroes. This is especially true of Roschach, whose Manichean vision of morality really leads us to question what is right and what is wrong. The artwork by Dave Gibbons is great too. I didn't like this as much as From Hell, but definitely worth checking out.

25. Hyperion by Dan Simmons

26. The Fall of Hyperion by Dan Simmons

27. The Sandman Vol. 2 The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman

1/2 way + 2! Good job!

You are 1/2 way too!!! Congrats!

28. Clive Barker's Books of Blood 1-3 by Clive Barker

It pains me to say this, but this book sucked. I couldn't even finish the last batch of stories in volume 3 since I found almost everything prior so damn intolerable. How could the guy who wrote Imajica, Weaveworld, and The Great and Secret Show have come up with some of the absolute garbage found in the Books of Blood.

Keep in mind I am a huge Clive Barker fan, but most of these stories were just terrible. The first two, Book of Blood and Midnight Meat Train were not bad. In the Hill, the Cities was interesting as well. Everything else that I was able to slog my way through was just plain torture.

First of all, since this is a collection of horror short stories I figured some of this should scare me. Well, you flopped Clive. Second, at least gross me out. Barker has some amazing sick and twisted writing even in his fantasy works. His attepted gross outs in here generally read like sad depictions of special effects gone awry in a bad 80's horror film. Finally, even the sex scenes are tame by Barker's standards.

Let's me make it clear that Barker remains one of my favorite authors. However, if you're looking to delve into his sick mind start elsewhere. I'd recommend Imajica, Weaveworld, The Great and Secret Show or The Damnation Game.

29. The Fall of the Roman Empire A New History of Rome and the Barbarians by Peter Heather

A fascinating account about the how the western Roman Empire came to an end in the 5th Century. Heather argues that it was a combination of imperial policies towards the Germanic groups such as aggressive expansionism and taxation along with the Huns pushing those groups over the Danube and into the further conflict with the Romans which led to the eventual collapse. In other words, there was no peaceful transition from empire to the subsequent Germanic division of its western European holdings, but rather bloody wars fought against numerous enemies who perched themselves both within and about the empire.

30. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore

I didn't like V for Vendetta nearly as much as Watchmen or From Hell but it's still a pretty decent dystopian story. Some of Moore's screeds on the virtues of anarchy sounded like a college freshman after 1 too many bong hits, but on the whole I found the book enjoyable.

31. The Sandman Vol. 3 Dream Country by Neil Gaiman

32. The Sandman Vol. 4 Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman

I am really beginning to have an obsession with The Sandman. The first 2 that I read were certainly entertaining, but nothing to really rave about. However, I really enjoyed Dream Country and Seasons of Mist. Dream of a Thousand Cats is one of the best short stories I have read in a long time. I would highly recommend both of these books.

33. Preacher Vol. 1 Gone To Texas by Garth Ennis

34. Preacher Vol. 2 Until the End of the World by Garth Ennis

Great series. Super violent, bloody and over-the-top but it is definitely entertaining.

35. Shadow & Claw by Gene Wolfe

The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator are volumes 1 and 2 of the 4 volume Book of the New Sun. Wolfe sets his tale in the far distant future where the sun has lost much of its power and stars are visible during the day. The tale is narrated by Severian a journeyman in the torturers guild. He claims to possess a perfect memory yet this proves to be far from the case.

Wolfe's prose is very dense, and his language is difficult to get used to at the start of the first book. Once you are able to trudge through and make a breakthrough this work is very rewarding. The distant future presented by Wolfe is unlike any I've encountered. In fact, at first I could not tell if this was the future or some alternate medieval period. It was only until the passing mention of fliers and travel between the stars that I was able to figure out that this was the future.

I am really looking forward to reading the next installment of the Book of the New Sun. There is so much to pick through and discover in this text, I cannot wait to see where Wolfe takes me next.

36. Hellblazer Original Sins by Jamie Delano

My comic book kick continues. Great stuff here. John Constantine is just a dirtbag who gets his friends killed while he keeps the powers of heaven, hell and everything in between in check. I can't wait to catch up on this series. China Mieville's storyline in issue 250 picques my curiosity to dig into the archives.

37. The Sandman Vol. 5 A Game of You by Neil Gaiman

38. Sword & Citadel by Gene Wolfe

39. South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami

40. The Dispossessed An Ambiguous Utopia by Ursula K. Le Guin

41. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

42. The Sandman Vol. 6 Fables and Reflections by Neil Gaiman

43. The Sandman Vol. 7 Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman

44. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

45. The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs

46. Good Omens The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett

47. Dune by Frank Herbert

count down to 50!

...45...46...47...

It's actually only 33 if you discount the "graphic novels" (comics).

entirely up to YOU what you count! I say here, here for graphic novels!

48. The Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

49. The City & the City by China Miéville

Haven't posted in awhile.

50. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

51. Swamp Thing Vol. 1 Saga of the Swamp Thing by Alan Moore

52. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

53. Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore

54. Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie

55. The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer

56. Latro in the Mist by Gene Wolfe

57. Soldier of Sidon by Gene Wolfe

58. The Persian Night Iran Under the Khomeinist Revolution by Amir Taheri

59. World War Z An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks