[James Barclay]

I've been reading with interest the posts on the 'why do you read fantasy?' thread.

The reason I ask my question is that fantasy and SF fans often complain that their genres are dismissed out of hand by other readers and seen in some quarters as not literature. Of course, we know this to be wrong and the opinions of those who have often never tried to read SF or Fantasy.

But are we guilty of dismissing other genres the same way? Because if we are, we have no cause to moan.

For me, I enjoy plenty of other genres - contemporary thrillers, modern detective fiction and comedy from across the decades to name but three.

What do you lot read outside of our favourite genres? (Sorry if this has been covered but I can't find a directly relevant thread).

[Steven Savile]

I consider myself a relatively broad reader, of course I have favourite writers and genres, including crime/thriller (Hammett, Chandler, Lehane, Child), literary fiction (Banks, Rushdie, Okri, McKinnery, Copeland), Fantasy/SF/Horror, and a lot of whatever jumps at me off the rack - including 'boy's' books like Nick Hornby and Alan Parsons... basically I just love to read, but I come back to fantasy because it is where I discovered my love of books thanks to George Lucas and JRRT... who changed a 7 year old's life forever in a single year... god bless 77.

[Sammie]

-All comedy i can get my hands on (esp Douglas Adams, Tom Sharpe etc)
-Historical romance - eg Winston Graham-Poldark series(highly highly recommended btw)
-Sci fi
-Anything on the best seller lists that's well written (eg Angela's Ashes, Bad Blood(Lorna Sage) etc)Sadly small choice here tho.
-Everthing by Gerald Durrell
-Anything by Daphne Du Maurier
-C S Forrester (Hornblower)
-'classics' (Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Treasure Island etc etc)

And a thousand thousand more.

Will that do for now???

Basically I will read anything that is not Horror or appallingly badly written, and enjoy most of it.

Sammie.



[This message has been edited by Sam82 (edited September 19, 2001).]

[Cadfael]

I love a good murder, especially the medieaval kind by Ellis Peters, Michael Jecks, Candace Robb and Paul Doherty. I think I like these because the are based in a culture that many fantasy books are based in, but no magic. http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif

I also like Clive Cussler and Wilbur Smith. I also like some of the English Classics by the Bronte's, Willkie Collins, Hemmingway... some of which, the books have been in my family for years.

Away from fiction, I read history (especially Egyptian), biographies of racing drivers, poetry, and a lot of 'alternative history/theory kind of books.

[Alucard]

I like to read the nutritional contents on my cereal in the morning...I don't know why, but I do it everyday...
I read just about anything with words on it while moving my bowels...(is there a genre for this....Miscellaneous maybe?)

Okay, maybe that was a little overboard. But seriously....

I like historical fiction, some time travel novels can be very interesting, I have actually read a few good romance novels(never thought I would ever admit to this http://www.sffworld.com/ubb/smile.gif), comedy is always welcome, and(I am very picky about this subject) a little bit o' poetry.....

[Barbarossa]

I like my occassional whodunnit, especially if it has period atmosphere, like the brother Cadfael books, or Dorthy L. Sayers Lord Peter Wimsey, H. M. Throw's Lestrade books are reccomended too.

I like historical fiction especially Mc'Donald Fraser's Flashman series (reccomended by every other author who ever spoke about books from Pratchett and Gaiman to Kay and Martin), Colleen Mc'Cullough's Master of Rome series, the books of Forester, Eco, and for light entertainment Bernard Cornwell.

I read about anything else I get my hands on too.

Dennizm I read Cussler too and enjoyed it, but not because it was any good, but because it was so bad, full of unintentional humor, what do you think about it.

Wilbur Smith while not my favorite author awakens fond memories, his books were the very first I read in English.

[Canaris]

I read just about anything. It all depends on the mood.

I only picked up fantasy again some 3 years ago. Before that there was an at least 6 year gap.

I like the Henning Mankel books.(Swedish Crime books) #
I was blasted by Boston Teran´s God is a Bullet ( Christ what a nerve shocker)
I liked the Pillars of the earth. (Historical novel by (Follet, although I must admit it was his only good book)

What I like best are probably Auto/Biographies.
Can advise the ones of Anwar El Sadat and Golda Meir. Read after an other. You get a fascinating view on the same period written by two people on the opposite side of the scale

Just finished the Biography on Nero. What a weird dude he was. Banging his mother. Can you imagine.

Ah I forgot. I do like Minette Walters aswel


[This message has been edited by Canaris (edited September 20, 2001).]

[FitzChivalry]

I can't say i read other genres of fiction besides Fantasy and Sci Fi, i read History and Science books but not other fiction...

I used to read everything, thrillers, detectives, westerns, spies... but Sci Fi and Fantasy grabbed me more and more until i stopped reading the other generes.

I don't think it's like other people dismissing Fantasy though, those people we talk about never read a book of fantasy in their life and think it's for retarded children, while people who read fantasy usually read other genres too, but fantasy is just their favorite.

[Rob B]

I occasionally will read mystery-thrillers-I enjoy Jeffrey Deaver and went through a small Robert Ludlum phase.

I also enjoy classics like Mark Twain some of Toni Morrison's books.

[This message has been edited by FitzFlagg (edited September 20, 2001).]

[Canaris]

but come on FitzChivlary, you must have felt like an retarded juvenile sometimes as well!

I have, on many an occasion. My mistake is that before I found this side, I would go in the local English bookstore here in Vienna and would pick up something that seemed to appeal to me. Out of 10 books I bought , at least 5 of them I wished I had never even heard of. Those are the times when I do think,

“come on boy, have a life. “

Like after the Drake and Eddings books. Stupid me I had a streak. I read 5 books ( 3 Edings 2 Drake) after another , and really thought I had outgrown fantasy.

Then again, sometimes, just sometimes you find this one odd series that tickles my imagination.

Something I forgot to mention. I do like SciFy as well. Especially the RAMA books, Foundation Trilogy and Ringworld did my head in