Sex and Madness

[justbeast]

This morning, I woke up with a serious urge for some more literary madness in my life. People like Thomas Pynchon, and all the other crazy motherfuckers I've been meaning to read for a long time. I scrambled for my palm pilot and jotted down authors -- Thomas Pynchon, William Burroughs, Philip K. Dick, Aldous Huxley, Kurt Vonnegut, Jorge Luis

Comments

[justbeast]

Hmm, haven't seen it! Will have to check out :)

[justbeast]

*nods sagely*
Of all the ways that one can go wrong with a movie, that's certainly not one of them! :P

[brujah]

Have you ever read anything by Simon Green? Like the Deathstalker books?

As for movies... you could go back to basics and watch 9 1/2 Weeks. *grin*

[justbeast]

No, haven't read mr. Green. What is he like?

9 1/2 Weeks looks good! We'll have to see it :)

[brujah]

Simon Green is a science fiction geek who turned his love of science fiction into books. If you like sci-fi, you'll most likely dig his work. My personal favorites were the Deathstalker books. But... I also like 80s hair bands and own an Artari 800 XL. My geekdom knows no bounds, so what I like might not be what you like.

[justbeast]

*grins*
I'll add him to my sci fi to-read list :)

[catvalente]

Try The Pillow Book. (movie) Books...House of Leaves, The Satanic Verses, Landscape Painted with Tea...or just go to The Labyrinth Amazon listing and look at the listmania list I made--most of my favorites are on there.

[justbeast]

Oooh, those all look good. Thanks :)

Ok, can you give me an elevator spiel for Satanic Verses? Is it any good, aside from the 'political dissident' factor? What's it actually about?

[catvalente]

It's one of the best books of the 20th century, hands down. It's a tragedy that the politics will keep people from reading it.

It's about two men who are miraculously saved from a hijacked airliner--they fall to earth from 20k feet and survive. Slowly, without either of them understanding why, one begins to change into a devil, and one into an angel. Within that plot it's about Indians assimilating in Britain, and all kinds of other marvelous things. It's beautifully written, and I recommend it to everyone.

Besides--aren't you curious what could be so awful that it would make Cat Stevens want to kill someone?

[justbeast]

Whoa. Sold.
And sure, I've been curious about that book for a long time! I was just wondering if it's truly worthwhile, and not just contriversial for being merely shocking.

[heizusan]

Japanese film: Audition.

books I'd recommend

[jordansc]

A Street of Crocodiles by Bruno Schulz. Phantasmagorical short stories about a boy's father going mad. Everybody should read it.
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. The original sci-fi novel. Surprisingly edgy. Quick read, too.
Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino. A series of stories from the perspective of someone has lived since sometime before the big bang. He goes through countless incarnations, of course. Charming, funny, memorable.
The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany. Title speaks for itself.
The Best of HP Lovecraft. Somewhere between horror, fantasy, and sci-fi. Not all of his works are gems and, well, a lot of my attachment to him is sentimental value but he does hit on some interesting things. If you can get past the prolix writing style and the occasional xenophobic undertones.

Re: books I'd recommend

[justbeast]

Excellent, all.
I haven't heard of the Schulz book - it looks intriguing. Added.

Gulliver's Travels I've read, a long time ago, but I spose it wouldn't hurt to read again.

Now Cosmicomics I've heard so much about! Must read!

King of Elfland's Daughter... I remember spending two years in middle school, sitting in the library, looking at the cover of that book. But I've never actually read more than a page of it, and I don't know why. And... it's Lord Dunsany! Again, I must redress this gap in my education.

Lovecraft: Heeeheheheheh. I have such a weird relationship with his stuff; I know of it, it amuses me, I've read like a story or two, and I always keep orbiting around it. I spose I'll just have to break down one day and read his Best Of. Else how am I gonna respect myself as a geek and cheesy gamer? :)