# [Reading Group] April 2014 VOTING OPEN (Classics)



## Philip Overby (Feb 22, 2014)

EDIT: Voting is now open. Please place your votes at the end of the thread.

The decision was made to go with the theme of "Fantasy Classics." 

I'd like to select differently this time, if that's OK.

Pick *three* books, but please only choose one that you nominated. The other two must be nominated by other people. 

This time the votes will be tallied as an "absolute democracy." Meaning whichever book gets the most votes wins, instead of making your first choice, alternate choice, etc. like before. 

Voting closes on March 16th (although I may extend it a little longer depending on how many votes we've gotten). 

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Mazirian the Magician by Jack Vance
Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Lieber
The Jewel in the Skull by Michael Moorcock
Bran Mak Morn: The Last King by Robert E. Howard
The Black Company by Glen Cook
Jirel of Joiry by C.L. Moore
Darker Than You Think by Jack Williamson
Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake
Elric of Melnibone by Michael Moorcock
Shadow and Claw (The Book of the New Sun) by Gene Wolfe
The Birthgrave by Tanith Lee
The Once and Future King by T.H. White
Kindred by Octavia Butler
Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen Donaldson 
Forgotten Beast's of Eld by Patricia McKillip
The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin
Dune by Frank Herbert
Hyperion by Dan Simmons
The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
Silverlock by John Myers Myers
The Mabinogion Tetralogy by Evangeline Walton

That's a lot!

Get your votes in soon so people can make purchases or borrow them.


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## Ankari (Feb 22, 2014)

my vote is with



> 3. The classics-This theme would focus on classics in the fantasy genre that don't normally get discussed much. This would exclude some more famous works like Tolkien, but may highlight authors that some may not be as familiar with.



I think it's good for authors to go back to the roots of fantasy, to unravel what it is that captivated audiences in the beginning. I'm thinking of Robert E Howard or Morcock. I've read REH, but not Morcock.


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## Steerpike (Feb 22, 2014)

I think all of those sound good. I'd also like to see books that aren't your typical commercial fantasy. Books like Peake's _Gormenghast_, or Glen Duncan's _The Last Werewolf_, or Caitlin R. Kiernan's _The Drowning Girl_. These are books that are quite different from the standard commercial sorts of fantasy that dominate the book shelves. It would be interesting to read some of those and branch out a bit from what is there in the bulk of the genre.


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## Steerpike (Feb 22, 2014)

Ankari said:


> I think it's good for authors to go back to the roots of fantasy, to unravel what it is that captivated audiences in the beginning. I'm thinking of Robert E Howard or Morcock. I've read REH, but not Morcock.



Ah...Elric would be fun. Also, Fritz Leiber, or C.L. Moore's Jirel of Joiry stories (one of the first female heroines of Sword and Sorcery, and the best (and least steerotypical) from that time period). Also, Jack Vance's Dying Earth.


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## Philip Overby (Feb 22, 2014)

That's a good point. I've never read Moorcock's work myself with only briefly reading _Von Bek_ and _The Dreamtheif's Daughter._ I guess he's one of those I think I'd really like, but I don't know where to start. 

Names to consider could be folks like Robert E. Howard, Fritz Lieber, Jack Vance, Mervyn Peake, Gene Wolfe, Michael Moorcock, etc. The only concern would be finding books in multiple formats.

Ninja'd! 

I agree with the above sentiments obviously!


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## Steerpike (Feb 22, 2014)

Wolfe's The Shadow of the Torturer would be good. Part of a series, however. But it can be read on its own.


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## Philip Overby (Feb 22, 2014)

Steerpike: I also think non-traditional fantasy could be a really good theme. With _Prince of Thorns_ and _His Majesty's Dragon_ we're still kind of in that commercial zone. So it would be cool to read some fantasy that doesn't fit the traditional definition so to speak. This could include new or old works.

Edit: I have that Wolfe book, so I'd be good to go on that one! However, Wolfe is one of those I notice is like Steven Erikson. People either dig him or think he's difficult to get into. I like what I've read so far for sure though. It's one of those "occasional reads" for me.


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## Philip Overby (Feb 23, 2014)

OK, so I think we'll go with classics for the them unless anyone has any objections? The definition of "classics" is pretty loose, but I'm sure we'll come up with some great nominations. 

If there are no objections, I'll edit the original post and we can start nominating books to read for April.


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## Philip Overby (Feb 24, 2014)

OK, so here are my first three nominations (maybe more depending how many nominations we get).

1. The Princess Bride by William Goldman Amazon.com: The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure eBook: William Goldman: Books

2. Mazirian the Magician (aka The Dying Earth) by Jack Vance Amazon.com: Mazirian the Magician: (previously titled The Dying Earth) eBook: Jack Vance: Books

OR (bundled version)

Tales of the Dying Earth: Jack Vance: 9780312874568: Amazon.com: Books

3. Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Lieber Amazon.com: Swords And Deviltry (Lankhmar) eBook: Fritz Leiber: Books

Bear in mind the accessibility and cost of the books you recommend. Some classics aren't available in e-book format, so that may be a deal breaker for me (I don't mind getting a cheap paperback, but I don't want to order some special edition, leather tome version). Of note, I've been wanting to read Karl Edward Wagner for a while now, but almost all editions of his books are out of print it seems so they're very expensive.


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## Ankari (Feb 24, 2014)

OK,

First nomination is from Michael Morcock, The Jewel in the Skull








Robert E Howards' Bran Mak Morn: The Last King







Glen Cook's The Black Company


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## Steerpike (Feb 24, 2014)

Classics?

My nominations are:

*Jirel of Joiry* - created by C.L. Moore in the 1930s as her response to the hypermasculine barbarians of the pulps.

Jirel Of Joiry: C. L. Moore: 9780441385706: Amazon.com: Books

*Darker Than You Think* - Jack Williamson. Maybe the first modern urban fantasy, published in the late 1940s. Good book.

Amazon.com: Darker Than You Think eBook: Jack Williamson: Kindle Store

*Titus Groan *- Book one of Gormenghast, by Mervyn Peake. The first two books tell a complete story, so I'm going against my own general feelings on a series. It's hands-down the best written fantasy novel (at least in English), and has been called one of the best written novels of the 20th century.

Amazon.com: Titus Groan eBook: Mervyn Peake: Kindle Store

*Elric of Melnibone* - Michael Moorcock's sorcerous albino, last of a line of emperors. Iconic stuff.

*The Book of the New Sun* - Gene Wolfe. Enough said. This volume has the _Shadow of the Torturer_ and _Claw of the Conciliator_. _Shadow_ stands alone as a book. 

Amazon.com: Shadow & Claw: The First Half of 'The Book of the New Sun' eBook: Gene Wolfe: Kindle Store

*The Birthgrave* - Tanith Lee. 1975 Nebula Award nominee (assuming we could find it in eBook)

*The Once and Future King* - T.H. White's classic tale of King Arthur. 

Amazon.com: The Once and Future King eBook: T.H. White: Kindle Store 

*Kindred *- published by Octavia Butler in the 1970s. A time travel tale of a young black woman who is transported back into the body of one of her ancestors in the antebellum south.

http://www.amazon.com/Kindred-Blues...e=UTF8&qid=1393262128&sr=1-1&keywords=kindred

*Lord Foul's Bane *- classic fantasy from Stephen Donaldson

Amazon.com: Lord Foul's Bane (The First Chronicles: Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever) eBook: Stephen R. Donaldson: Kindle Store

*Forgotten Beasts of Eld* - Published in 1974, winner of the World Fantasy Award for author Patricia McKillip.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld: Patricia A. McKillip: 9780152008697: Amazon.com: Books


I suppose I should probably stop there.


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## Steerpike (Feb 24, 2014)

**NOTE*

*Sorry - I conveniently forgot to limit it to three! Let's just go with the first three on my list, above, then. Those are my nominees. The rest, people can check out if they're so inclined.


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## Ophiucha (Feb 24, 2014)

Titus Groan.
Elric of MelnibonÃ©.
The Worm Ouroboros.

It's a good theme, so I'll be happy with whatever gets picked.


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## Philip Overby (Feb 24, 2014)

Steerpike: It's cool to nominate several ones. I'd just like to see people get in at least three at first and then we can consider others afterwards. 

So far some really great nominations. This one's going to be hard!


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## Philip Overby (Feb 25, 2014)

Another question: if something is only available for Nook can I convert it somehow to use on my Kindle? I'm just wondering since any choice I make (unfortunately) will probably be for books available via Kindle or a really cheap paperback. I worried some about choosing a classics theme due to availability of some of the books or reprints that are slightly different. 

Regardless, I'll try to pick the book that appeals most to me and figure out how to get it one way or another.


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## Steerpike (Feb 25, 2014)

Download Calibre to convert. At least if there is no DRM.


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## ACSmyth (Feb 27, 2014)

1. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
2. Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber
3. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin


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## Philip Overby (Feb 27, 2014)

AC: You picked two of my nominations.


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## ACSmyth (Feb 27, 2014)

Well, I'm trying to pick books I've got, but haven't read. Maybe our book heaps are similar? Although from our respective posts, I'd say not!


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## Philip Overby (Feb 27, 2014)

I think if we actually sat down and looked at our respective book piles, they might be pretty similar. I'm trying to "spread my wings" so to speak so I'm trying not to limit myself to only one kind of fantasy if possible.

Right now we're just nominating books to be voted on later. So we'll do an official vote some time in March.


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## Philip Overby (Mar 2, 2014)

So I'm going to put up the official vote starting March 8th and close it March 15th. So get in any additional nominations this week.

I'm going to add some more.

Dune by Frank Herbert
Hyperion by Dan Simmons

Maybe more later.


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## Ophiucha (Mar 3, 2014)

Only other book I can think of is _The Dragonbone Chair_, first book in Memory Sorrow Thorn, but it's not really able to stand on its own, like you really need to read all three books to get a good story out of it. Also, kind of long...

Speaking of, Phil, is there a target length we're aiming for? _His Majesty's Dragon_ and _Prince of Thorns_ are both, like, 400 pages or so if I'm not mistaken.


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## Philip Overby (Mar 3, 2014)

> Speaking of, Phil, is there a target length we're aiming for? His Majesty's Dragon and Prince of Thorns are both, like, 400 pages or so if I'm not mistaken.



That's something to consider since we're reading these in one month. I figure if we do decide to go with a longer novel, then we could stretch the book out to two months, but I guess I rather keep the books between 250-500 pages? I guess that's pretty manageable for one month. 

I'm not sure how long some of the books nominated so far are, but if we end up voting for a really long one, we can decide what to do about it then. I'd say let's err on the shorter side if completely possible and not start a series every time.


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## ACSmyth (Mar 6, 2014)

Can I add another? I've been dying to reread Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury for the longest time to see if it creeps me out like it did first time around. I think it's quite a short one.


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## Philip Overby (Mar 6, 2014)

Yep, that's fine. I'll be locking this thread on March 8th, and open up a new thread for voting, so keep the recs coming!


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## Steerpike (Mar 6, 2014)

On the treacherous streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes. Within this elite, dangerous world, Richard St. Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless--until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero and villain can be altered in the blink of an eye.


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## Steerpike (Mar 8, 2014)

Published in 1949:


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## Steerpike (Mar 8, 2014)

Published in 1936 (first book, anyway):


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## Philip Overby (Mar 8, 2014)

Voting is now open. I edited the nomination thread instead of opening a new one for voting. Less clutter that way. 

I put a master list here http://mythicscribes.com/forums/novels-stories/11370-%5Breading-group%5D-april-2014-voting-open-classics.html as well as information about how to vote. 

As I said in that post, please vote for three books (but only choose one that you nominated). The book with the most votes at the end will be our chosen book for April.


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## Steerpike (Mar 8, 2014)

I vote: 

1. Swordspoint
2. The Black Company
3. The Worm Ouroboros


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## Philip Overby (Mar 8, 2014)

Actually, Swordspoint sounds pretty cool and I've never heard of it until now. 

My votes will be:

1. Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Lieber
2. Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
3. The Black Company by Glen Cook 

Two of those books I have, so an added bonus!


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## T.Allen.Smith (Mar 9, 2014)

Since I already have it, I vote for Black Company.

Haven't read it yet though.


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## Philip Overby (Mar 9, 2014)

T. Allen: Can you pick two more just in case there is a tie or something? You don't have to choose now, but just later if it comes to that.

Already three votes for The Black Company though, so if others want to read something else, better get your votes in!


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## T.Allen.Smith (Mar 9, 2014)

Sure...
1) Black Company
2) Swords & Deviltry
3) Something Wicked this Way Comes


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## Philip Overby (Mar 9, 2014)

Thanks!

I actually read most of The Black Company and enjoyed it a lot. Most of what happened stands out in my mind, so I don't feel like I really have to re-read it, so I'll probably scan those parts just for the topic of discussion. It's definitely not a "normal" fantasy book. Therein may lie the problem for some though as it might not jive with their aesthetics. I think it's a great book myself though. It's also pretty short, which is also a plus. However, it is part of a series, so there's that again.


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## Steerpike (Mar 9, 2014)

I've read The Black Company three times. Great book. I've read the vast majority of nominees so I figure this book club will often be books I've read.


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## Ankari (Mar 9, 2014)

If Black Company wins, can we do the omnibus?


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## Philip Overby (Mar 9, 2014)

I'm kind of hoping to read things I haven't read, but I do prefer to read something I already own if possible. It's also good for me if I at least know of a book's reputation. I knew about _Prince of Thorns_, but had no clue about _His Majesty's Dragon_ other than some mixed opinions brought up before we started the discussion. 

At least if _The Black Company _is the pick, I know I'll like it in any case. I'd hope that others would as well. Since I feel like it's not a traditional kind of fantasy story, it may turn some readers off. However, that's one of the reasons I really like it.


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## Philip Overby (Mar 9, 2014)

Ankari said:


> If Black Company wins, can we do the omnibus?



Got ninja'd there. I prefer to only do one book a month myself, but if others want to get the omnibus and read the whole trilogy, then they're welcome to do so and discuss it. I'll have to bow out though because April is going to be pretty busy for me.

Edit: Looks like the entire omnibus is 700 something pages. However, for Kindle is 7.99 which is a pretty good price. If it's selected, I'd say you may be better off just getting the omnibus than the individual books.


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## Steerpike (Mar 9, 2014)

I've read 21 of the 25 nominees, so it isn't very likely something I haven't read will be chosen. But that's OK. If I liked it, I can read it more critically and analyze what I liked about it. If I didn't like it, I can do the same


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## Philip Overby (Mar 11, 2014)

Remember, we have until March 15th to get all the votes in. If you haven't voted yet, now is your chance.


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## Philip Overby (Mar 15, 2014)

I'll give one more day to vote on our April read. So if you plan on reading in April, speak up now!


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## Ankari (Mar 16, 2014)

Bran Mak Morn: The Last King by Robert E. Howard

The Once and Future King by T.H. White

Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner


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## Philip Overby (Mar 16, 2014)

In a surprise twist, we now have The Black Company and Swordspoint both with three votes.

Can we get a tie-breaker? Well, can we?


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## Philip Overby (Mar 17, 2014)

OK, so I need a tie-breaking vote now. 

Swordspoint or The Black Company?


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## Ankari (Mar 17, 2014)

I know I didn't pick _The Black Company,_ but since this is a study of the classics, consider this fact: _The Black Company_ was published two to three years before _Swordspoint._


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## Ophiucha (Mar 17, 2014)

I'd go with _Swordspoint_. But both are good.


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## Philip Overby (Mar 17, 2014)

Well, since Ophiucha broke the tie, we'll go with Swordspoint. 

So Swordspoint will be our official book for April 2014. I'll make a new thread in a couple of days so people can prepare to get the book however they need to do so.


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