Jan 2, 2010

2010, where to begin


I've read about 2/3 of these over the last two years, but that still leaves enough beautiful books to make me drool a little.

Just a little.

Where should I start? Dayworld? Feed? Camp Concentration?

5 comments:

Doc said...

When you need a quick shot of dystopian goodness, find a copy of E. M. Forster's short story The Machine Stops (1909). I discovered this little beauty in 2009 (100 years after it was written, I just now realized) and was blown away. http://resqueezed.blogspot.com/2009/12/reading-machine-stops.html.

Peter, Dead Future said...

I suggest This Perfect Day by Ira Levin and Limbo by Bernard Wolfe. The first is one of my favourite dystopias, emotional and very well-written. Limbo is harsher; dark and sardonic.

Peter, Dead Future said...

... and I second The Machine Stops!

That Hank said...

Doc: thanks, I'll check it out. I like to throw in a short story every now and then.

Peter: both of those are on my big list, but neither are currently on my bookshelf. I need to start with what I've got.

JRSM said...

Oh, yes, The Machine Stops' is brilliant. I've never heard of either of Peter's suggestions. I also recently bought (but haven't yet read) two nuclear war/post-nuke books by Philip Wylie, 'Tomorrow!' and 'Triumph'.