[CaleuxDeiNeosus]

What are some of the most interesting titles of works that you've seen? I personally tend to pick books based on their name or cover art (I know, I'm shallow), but it's always given me good results. Example, The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

One of the most interesting titles I've heard was actually a poem written by an English teacher back when I was in high school. In a creative writing exercise, he wrote a poem titled Vanity Insanity. What is interesting about this title is that it was the sum of the poem. The teacher explained that after deciding on the title of Vanity Insanity, he determined that everything the poem would say was already said by the poem. The nature of vanity to the extent of insanity was so self-consumed and self-interested that there was nothing else to focus on, therefore...no poem. Just a title. :)

[BrightStar]

I tend to prefer titles that are shorter and snappier, rather than long and drawn out. I don't like titles that are basically like "The voyage of the [whatever]" or "The quest for the [something]" I'm also somewhat against titles that are like "The Sword", or "The Warrior", or "The Dark Lord". They're too vague, and becomming a little too-often used these days.

I like titles that reflect a certain theme, an idea, or something like that. The Name of the Wind, come to think of it, is a good example of a title I like - that particularly title invoked a sense of mystery within me; it made me ask "What is the name of the wind?" "Why would the wind be given a name?" "What part will this title have to play in the story of this book?" That made me want to read, which is always a good thing.

Hm. Examples:

The Bone Doll's Twin (Tamir Triad series---the title simply made me ask "Who, or what, is the Bone Dolls Twin?" Also, it sounded kinda dark and creepy, which are both things in a book that I love.
Restoration, Revolation, Transformation (Rai kirah-all of them basically referring to themes of the book, and all of them instantly making me want to read those books because those themes interested me)

Can't think of anymore; I think I'll have to look through my reading pile earlier and see if anything catches my notice.

[CaleuxDeiNeosus]

The Apocalypse Troll by David Weber is another example of a story I initially only read because I though the title was interesting. My thought was, "what does a troll have to do with the end of the world?" And, "wait, it's scifi?"

[shevdon]

The title of a book can be a hugely powerful tool in getting it read. Conventional names like "The Quest of the Whatever" or "The Dark Something Rises" can immediately place a book among other works - "The Lord of the Rings" or "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader", for instance.

(The) X of (the) Y always seems to work as a structure. Some great titles have come about using that formula. The Name of the Rose, The Grapes of Wrath, A Wizard of Earthsea, The Chronicles of Pern, etc. Using this kind of association can pay dividends as long as the book delivers on the promise. 'The Time of The Dark' doesn't work if it's about power outages.

Personally I like references to quotations. Joe Abercrombie: The Blade Itself is a reference to Homer whereas The Light Fantastic (Terry Pratchett) is usually attributed to Milton. Even Aldous Huxley's Brave New World is a reference to Shakespeare; The Tempest. Lots of crime (mystery) books are named this way. I also like quirky and unusual titles. The Bone Doll's Twin is an excellent example of that, as is Poison Study (Maria Snyder) or The Barbed Coil (J V Jones).

Equally a title can throw people off. I think John Scalzi's, Agent to the Stars was a daring choice since you might easy think it was a book about Hollywood (it is) rather than SF (which it also is). The pun maybe works for some and not for others. I think Terry Pratchett is the master of that style - Equal Rites, Reaper Man.

The right title in the wrong genre can mean a book gets passed over. Try imagining a fantasy book called "Murder One" or an SF novel entitled "Searching for the One I Love" and you'll see what I mean.

[goldhawk]

The Apocalypse Troll by David Weber is another example of a story I initially only read because I though the title was interesting. My thought was, "what does a troll have to do with the end of the world?" And, "wait, it's scifi?"

Ashes of Victory by David Weber. Yeah, I know, if you read the rest of the series, you'll read this one. But it says, "Yea, we won...we think."

[dandelliondeath]

The best Title ever:
Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
(Also known as Blade Runner)

[Kat]

"The Long, Dark Tea-time of the Soul" By Douglas Adams =) Tea-time always makes me think of frilly white doilies on pink table cloths, and little old ladies with their china cups of tea and sugar biscuits! But of course this has nothing to do with the book.