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    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

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    • D
      Daysleepers
      Raw and Unwashed
      Joined:

      I’m new here, and I’ve searched through and I can’t see anything mentioning my favourite author.

      Christopher Brookner writes in the genre of “tartan noire”. Which basically means Scottish darkly comic crime novels. He is funny and writes some of it in Scots which is interesting for an Englishman. But they’re brilliant, sometimes absurd.

      More recently they’ve been less funny and more crime focussed, but very well written. Be My Enemy is my favourite.

      It’s about a corporate getaway in the highlands where they are under siege by pay to play murderers, one of which manages to cut his own head off with garden shears whilst slipping on snooker balls.

      Broken old houses, boring Scottish whisky, weird Japanese denim, all French wine, sad American music, wool socks in summer.

      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
      • mclaincauseyM
        mclaincausey
        見習いボス
        Joined:

        It’s taking me a lot of time to find time to read but working on “This Isn’t Happening” from @GraemeE witb Skunk Works hot on its heels by way of @pechelman ’s suggestion. I listened to a podcast (Acquired’s Lockheed episode) that probably was largely informed by Skunk Works and am itching to learn more about that operation.

        I have a PDF about the SR71 (Sled Driver) after that.

        Think it, be it.

        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • steelworkerS
          steelworker
          見習いボス
          Joined:

          IMG_0247.jpeg

          Hell, yes.

          Those are my principles, and if you don't like them…
          Well, I have others.

          last edited by todyT SKTS 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 1
          • todyT
            tody
            啓蒙家
            @steelworker
            Joined:

            @steelworker that sounds pretty grim and bleak. put it on my wishlist!

            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • seawolfS
              seawolf
              Mod Squad
              Joined:

              Does anyone have any book recommendations for someone that needs a book that's hard to put down?

              To give you an idea of what I'm into, here are a few things that I like:

              Sci-fi:

              • Star Trek: The Strange New Worlds series is one of my favorites, and of course DS9.

              • I enjoy Star Wars to a lesser degree overall—it's fine in general—but the Andor series was exceptionally well done.

              • Dune

              Fantasy:

              • Lord of the Rings

              • The Wheel of Time series

              • etc.

              I'm sitting here trying to think of other genres I like, and I guess I've never tried to verbalize it before, so it's making that difficult! Mystery could be cool I guess. And I like a good heist.

              I appreicate any and all recommendations. Thank you!

              “Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible” - Don Norman

              @zeebeeleather

              last edited by SKTS Tago MagoT JordJ N todyT 6 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • SKTS
                SKT
                見習いボス
                @steelworker
                Joined:

                @steelworker added to my list

                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                • SKTS
                  SKT
                  見習いボス
                  @seawolf
                  Joined:

                  @seawolf I can recommend the “Dragonriders of Pern” series by Anne McCaffrey. I read the series when I was a kid and recently reread…they still hold up and she does a nice job of world building. I’ll try to come up with some more

                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • Tago MagoT
                    Tago Mago
                    Mod Squad
                    @seawolf
                    Joined:

                    @seawolf Dark Tower series by Stephen King?

                    last edited by seawolfS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                    • Tago MagoT
                      Tago Mago
                      Mod Squad
                      @seawolf
                      Joined:

                      @seawolf if you’re ok with a slightly more lighthearted and comedic series how about Terry Pratchett?

                      last edited by seawolfS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • steelworkerS
                        steelworker
                        見習いボス
                        Joined:

                        Ursula LeGuin "The Left Hand of Darkness "

                        Those are my principles, and if you don't like them…
                        Well, I have others.

                        last edited by seawolfS J 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 4
                        • seawolfS
                          seawolf
                          Mod Squad
                          @Tago Mago
                          Joined:

                          @Tago-Mago I’ve read about half of it but I put it down years ago.

                          “Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible” - Don Norman

                          @zeebeeleather

                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • seawolfS
                            seawolf
                            Mod Squad
                            @Tago Mago
                            Joined:

                            @Tago-Mago thank you! I’m up for light hearted for sure.

                            “Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible” - Don Norman

                            @zeebeeleather

                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • seawolfS
                              seawolf
                              Mod Squad
                              @steelworker
                              Joined:

                              @steelworker thank you! I’ll check it out.

                              “Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible” - Don Norman

                              @zeebeeleather

                              last edited by steelworkerS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • steelworkerS
                                steelworker
                                見習いボス
                                @seawolf
                                Joined:

                                @seawolf said in Books:

                                @steelworker thank you! I’ll check it out.

                                Seriously a helluva writer.

                                Those are my principles, and if you don't like them…
                                Well, I have others.

                                last edited by InorganicI 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                • J
                                  Jett129
                                  見習いボス
                                  @steelworker
                                  Joined:

                                  @steelworker said in Books:

                                  Ursula LeGuin "The Left Hand of Darkness "

                                  I had totally forgotten about her. Great recommendation. She also wrote The Lathe of Heaven. I would also recommend anything by Arthur C. Clarke.

                                  last edited by seawolfS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                                  • JordJ
                                    Jord
                                    Raw and Unwashed
                                    @seawolf
                                    Joined:

                                    @seawolf Have you ever read Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson?

                                    I actually haven't read them yet... but I've been told great things by people that love sci-fi

                                    If not that, I really enjoyed the Dark Tower series by King, think I've yet to start the 6th one yet...

                                    last edited by seawolfS steelworkerS flannel slutF 3 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                    • seawolfS
                                      seawolf
                                      Mod Squad
                                      @Jord
                                      Joined:

                                      @Jord I'll check out the Sanderson! Thank you! I've also heard great things, but it was years ago and I forgot all about it.

                                      “Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible” - Don Norman

                                      @zeebeeleather

                                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                      • seawolfS
                                        seawolf
                                        Mod Squad
                                        @Jett129
                                        Joined:

                                        @Jett129 Thank you!

                                        “Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible” - Don Norman

                                        @zeebeeleather

                                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • steelworkerS
                                          steelworker
                                          見習いボス
                                          @Jord
                                          Joined:

                                          @Jord my son had good things to say about Sanderson

                                          Those are my principles, and if you don't like them…
                                          Well, I have others.

                                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 3
                                          • N
                                            NickD
                                            Raw and Unwashed
                                            @seawolf
                                            Joined:

                                            @seawolf

                                            • Another vote for Terry Pratchett, he's one of my favourite authors
                                            • I'll +1 the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey too
                                            • Raymond Feist is another fantasy author I've red an entire series by and enjoyed
                                            • Stephen Baxter - Proxima and Ultima. Two of the best books I've read in a while
                                            • I've liked everything I've read by Joe Abercrombie, including the YA books, they work well for adult readers too

                                            Although the themes fit what you like I'd steer clear of Terry Brooks and Stephen Donaldson, IMHO neither can write very well.

                                            last edited by seawolfS 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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