Ya Bezzer! Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 21 hours ago, charger29 said: I thought it was decent. Maybe a little short and didn't fulfil its potential but worth a read. Been meaning to read it again since I read a bit about Huxley supporting eugenics. Having said that it was fairly common to believe in eugenics at the time so perhaps it's not much of a surprise. Can anyone recommended any other dystopian novels? Already read 1984 and Fahrenheit 451. Got Slaughterhouse Five & Station 11 on my "to read list" but was looking for some other suggestions. I just read 'Kallocain' by Karin Boye and didn't like it much. I suppose that's more an 'avoid' than a recommendation. I've not actually read it but isn't 'We' by Yevgeny Zamyatin the 'original' dystopian novel? It seems to be rated quite highly but like I said I've not read it myself. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charger29 Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 I just read 'Kallocain' by Karin Boye and didn't like it much. I suppose that's more an 'avoid' than a recommendation. I've not actually read it but isn't 'We' by Yevgeny Zamyatin the 'original' dystopian novel? It seems to be rated quite highly but like I said I've not read it myself.Yeah I've heard that too. Seems very late for the first dystopian novel to be written but maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps earlier books were categorised slightly differently. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) 18 minutes ago, charger29 said: Yeah I've heard that too. Seems very late for the first dystopian novel to be written but maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps earlier books were categorised slightly differently. 'The Sleeper Awakes' by H. G. Well definitely falls into the dystopian category and that was written in the 19th century but again that's a book I really didn't like very much. In fact I'd say it was uniquely bad as I've enjoyed every other H. G. Wells novel I've read to a lesser or greater extent. A book I did like was 'The Hopkins Manuscript' by R. C. Sherriff. Some do but I wouldn't exactly call it a dystopian novel myself, it's about a world set in the 1920/30s that's been destroyed by a meteor. I'd say it was more sci-fi but it has some elements of dystopian cross over. Edited January 11 by Ya Bezzer! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broon-loon Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) On 10/01/2022 at 22:38, charger29 said: Can anyone recommended any other dystopian novels? Already read 1984 and Fahrenheit 451. Got Slaughterhouse Five & Station 11 on my "to read list" but was looking for some other suggestions. Not Dystopian as such but shortly after finishing 1984 I was encouraged by a friend to read The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists. If you haven't already read it there are abridged versions, but I would suggest you read the whole thing. It kinda goes on a bit, but wow, a fantastic book. I had a go at Catch 22 but never got in to it and gave in early doors. Maybe I should give Farenheit 451 a go sometime soon..? Edited January 11 by broon-loon typo 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotThePars Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 The Parable of the Sower and it’s sequel by Octavia Butler are good books on a near future plausible collapse of the United States. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arabdownunder Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 10 hours ago, Paul Kersey said: John Wyndham - Day of the Triffids. It's probably more post-apocalyptic than dystopian but if you enjoy stuff like 1984 then you should enjoy this. It's pretty apparent when you read it that it's a massive influence on the likes of The Walking Dead or 28 Days Later. I've got We by Zamyatin on my to read pile but I've never opened it. Supposedly it's a huge influence on 1984. If you're looking for post apocalyptic then The Road by Cormac McCarthy is excellent 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnash Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 10 hours ago, broon-loon said: I had a go at Catch 22 but never got in to it and gave in early doors. Maybe I should give Farenheit 451 a go sometime soon..? Worth reading Fahrenheit 451. Good but not great I would say. I really liked Brave New World - a much gentler dystopian novel, and all the more scary for that. 1984 is the best of the lot, one of my favourite books of all time. It's utterly, irretrievably bleak, unlike any other book I've read. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
broon-loon Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 1 hour ago, Gnash said: Worth reading Fahrenheit 451. Good but not great I would say. I really liked Brave New World - a much gentler dystopian novel, and all the more scary for that. 1984 is the best of the lot, one of my favourite books of all time. It's utterly, irretrievably bleak, unlike any other book I've read. Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not an avid reader (unlike Mrs b-l who reads a number of books at the same time), but 1984 is also one of my favourite reads. It really makes you think about things in a different way in terms of politics, work (and the politics within your workplace) and of course people in general. I was given a hardback version as a gift from my daughter as she knows how much it liked it. Maybe it's time to re-read? If you haven't read The Ragged Trouser Philanthropists it's well worth a read? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glennie Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 On 10/01/2022 at 22:38, charger29 said: Can anyone recommended any other dystopian novels? Already read 1984 and Fahrenheit 451. Got Slaughterhouse Five & Station 11 on my "to read list" but was looking for some other suggestions. This Perfect Day by Ira Levin https://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Perfect-Day-Introduction-Jonathan/dp/1472111524 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig the Hunter Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster. Pretty good. A bit pretentious, but in an enjoyable way. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The DA Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 On 11/01/2022 at 18:49, Paul Kersey said: John Wyndham - Day of the Triffids. It's probably more post-apocalyptic than dystopian but if you enjoy stuff like 1984 then you should enjoy this. It's pretty apparent when you read it that it's a massive influence on the likes of The Walking Dead or 28 Days Later. I've got We by Zamyatin on my to read pile but I've never opened it. Supposedly it's a huge influence on 1984. Spoiled for me by the twee MAN-woman love story subtext. Good as an adventure though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffy_ Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 Just finished Ant Middleton's first attempt at a fiction novel, 'Cold Justice'. Decent enough action/thriller, main character seems to be partly based on Ant himself. Some of the storyline line seemed a bit farfetched but a good, simple read nonetheless. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig the Hunter Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Violet by SJI Holliday. Enjoyable psychological thriller that builds really well to a satisfying ending. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoda Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 I didn't like "Brave New World" at all. It did nothing for me. Relatedly, I much preferred "We" to "Nineteen Eighty Four". Finished "Bad Blood" the other day. It's the story of Theranos by the WSJ journalist who broke the story about their various frauds. It was a lot more gripping than I expected and is almost unbelievable at points (until you remember who these people are). "Dune Messiah" is next on the list. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteRoseKillie Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 On 10/01/2022 at 22:56, JamesP_81 said: The Book Thief is excellent , would highly recommended it. Very dark and such a clever take on a pretty grim subject. I would say The Man in the High Castle is also worth a read , tho possibly suffers the same as Brave New World in that it feels like it finishes just as it could be getting going. This is an unusual work in that, while I really appreciated the film, I simply couldn't get on with the book (which I tackled first). The unorthodox narration I found off-putting. Looking back, this may have been a failing on my part, as a few people whose opinion I respect have mentioned they enjoyed it. Fúck it, it's back on the "to read" list. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig the Hunter Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 A Psalm For the Wild Bulit by Becky Chambers. First in a new series from her and it's absolutely wonderful. She creates worlds and characters that are just fantastic. Book two is out in July and I'll be buying it on publication day. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chubakazubaka Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 (edited) The last book I read, I was advised by the guys from the audiobook site, was a novel by Frank Herbert, Dune. I really liked the movie "Dune", based on the book by American Frank Herbert, so I decided to read the book. I immersed myself in the world of "Dune" more details here аnd for a week I immersed myself in this wonderful world and did not regret it, although in general I do not like science fiction and books of this genre I read very rarely. Edited January 17 by Chubakazubaka 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Really enjoyed several of the ones mentioned here...1984, Fahrenheit 451 and Dune. Haven't read Brave New World but enjoyed the fairly recent TV adaptation. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotThePars Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 One of the funniest things about Dune to me is how the climactic fight is just... Skipped over. It won't happen but would be really funny if Villeneuve did the same thing for Part 2. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Tourette Posted January 14 Share Posted January 14 Surprised to see Catch 22 not getting overall positive reviews here. I consider it one of my top 10 novels of all time. I do a lot of long distance driving and have got into audiobooks to while away the time. I decided to try Pulitzer/Booker winning novels to see if I agreed with the hype. So far have completed:-Shuggy Bain by Douglas Stewart - Grim but compelling. 8/10The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt - Top class story telling. Excellent 9/10A Brief History of 7 Killings - Marlon James. Political murder/mayhem in 70s Jamaica and 80s crack cocaine USA to the backdrop of Bob Marley. IMHO a must read Brilliant 10/10The Overstory - Richard Powers. Follows the lives of various people, all of which are related to trees in some way. Sounds bizarre but very good. 9/10Wolf Hall/Bring up the Bodies/The Mirror and the Light- Hilary Mantell. Fantastic writing. Brings the historic past to a clear light 10/10Currently started The Brothers Karamasov by Dostoyevsky ( I know, not Booker/Pulitzer)- At 36 hours long, I suspect it may take some time. Having read Anna Karenina as a teenager, it’s my first foray into classic Russian novels since then and I must admit I’m struggling somewhat. Will update when/if I finish 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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