What are you reading?

[KiramidHead]

Mostly been reading Alien/Predator stuff lately, but I've taken a break to read James Bond, the Spy Who Loved Me by Christopher Wood.

This, despite being a novelisation of a film, has a reputation of being one of the best post-Fleming Bond novels, and so far I'd say it's living up to that reputation. Wood has somehow managed to take what is a ridiculously over-the-top movie (not intended as criticism) and dial it back so that the book reads more like a Fleming story. There are also a lot of callbacks to Fleming's continuity, like the return of SMERSH, who take over the role of the far more amicable Russians in the movie. Speaking of the more aggressive Russians, the book in general is a lot more violent than the film - in particular, the scene where Stromberg feeds his assistant to a shark for betraying him is incredibly gory, while there's also an added sequence where Bond is captured and tortured by having a battery hooked up to his genitals, which makes for grim reading.

I'm two-thirds of the way through it, but honestly this might be the best film novelisation I've ever read, just because it feels like a genuine novel rather than an adaptation (probably has something to do with the fact Wood was also the co-author of the screenplay); if you didn't know, I doubt you'd be able to tell it was based on a movie. Tonally, it just feels so fundamentally different from the film, even if the plot and scenes are essentially the same.

Sounds better than Fleming's Spy Who Loved Me.

[HuDaFuK]

Yeah, but then there's a reason Fleming banned them from using anything other than the title from his novel for the film lol.

I've also got the next book, James Bond and Moonraker (also by Wood), which I've had for ages but been holding off on until I managed to get a hold of the Spy novelisation.

[Ingwar]

Just finished Emperor of the Eight Islands and Lord of the Darkwood by Lian Hearn.



If you're a fan of Japanese culture, samurai movies/manga and Legend of the Five Rings then read it. Beautifully written novels. Simply epic.

The author's name reminds me of Lafcadio Hearn.

Your observation is probably valid. Just found out, thanks to you, that Greek writer Lafcadio Hearn, known as Koizumi Yakumo, was one of the first Western writers who tackled Japanese mythology. Maybe that's why Gillian Rubinstein writes under the pseudonym Lian Hearn.

[Stitch]

It's from 1998 so the science is a bit dated, and it's only about 200 pages long, but it's a pretty good read.

[KiramidHead]

I had that one a long time ago. I remember chuckling at the description of digging for amber next to a New Jersey highway,

[Stitch]

I had that one a long time ago. I remember chuckling at the description of digging for amber next to a New Jersey highway,

Yeah, the delivery of information is done very well. Very informative whilst also being amusing and almost friendly.

[Wweyland]

Started with Aliens: Defiance. Great artwork and a nice cameo by Amanda Ripley.

[Ingwar]

[KiramidHead]

Hellblazer Vol. 9: Critical Mass

[Huggs]

The Predator: Hunters and Hunted

Made it to chapter 17. Not too bad so far. I give it 2.5/5 at this point.

[Wweyland]

Just finishing up The Predator: Hunters and Hunted, about 50 pages to go. I like it a lot although the escape was perhaps a bit too easy.

[Corporal Hicks]

Well...

Spoiler

he was assisted to a point

[close]

[Wweyland]

Well...

Spoiler

he was assisted to a point

[close]

That is true, although the motivations behind that were left a bit unclear to me.

[Corporal Hicks]

Spoiler

So Traeger could then re-capture it and prove it was him and his men that should be in command of the project. It's all manuevering to have him as director as per the film.

[close]

[Wweyland]

Spoiler

So Traeger could then re-capture it and prove it was him and his men that should be in command of the project. It's all manuevering to have him as director as per the film.

[close]

Seems a bit convoluted but I understand now.