Read it. It is one of the funniest books I have ever read. It satirizes everything--the conflict between Heaven and Hell, the End of Days, the coming...moreRead it. It is one of the funniest books I have ever read. It satirizes everything--the conflict between Heaven and Hell, the End of Days, the coming of the Antichrist, the Book of Revelation, witch-hunting, prophecies, the environmental movement, American society, English society, motorcycle gangs, and pretty much everything in between. It is narrated in turn by an angel and a demon, who have an Arrangement, and the Antichrist. It also has the best description of a character ever--the demon Crowley, "An Angel who did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards". What more need be said?(less)
One of the best fantasy novels I have ever read. I was sucked in from the first sentence, and I wanted to cry when I finished it because I couldn't im...moreOne of the best fantasy novels I have ever read. I was sucked in from the first sentence, and I wanted to cry when I finished it because I couldn't imagine what I would read next. Its a journey of discovery and heroism through a beautifully detailed world, with a strong heroine. To one side of the Wall the world is like our own, with science and technology and a country a lot like Britain. On the other side of the Wall is the Old Kingdom, ruled by magic and ancient bloodlines, where even time is different. The heroine of the story must travel to the Old Kingdom, a place she was born but does not remember, to face her destiny. The laws of magic, and the river that is Death that she is able to cross over to, that she is able to navigate by right of her blood and her training, are beautifully described. I highly, highly recommend this novel. (less)
This is the best (albeit only) book about a zombie apocalypse I have ever read. The author took the basic premise of so many movies--a communicable in...moreThis is the best (albeit only) book about a zombie apocalypse I have ever read. The author took the basic premise of so many movies--a communicable infection that causes death and then reanimation of the corpse with no personality but a voracious hunger for human flesh--and really examines what would happen. How would different governments react? How would people react? How do you fight against the living dead when the infection has spread around the world? The true genius of this book is in its structure. It is presented as a series of interviews of people involved in various phases, from the initial discovery of a strange disease in China to worldwide panic and desperate battles to the end of the zombie war, dubbed World War Z. Since these interviews are taking place more than a decade after the end of the war, we get a look at how profoundly the world was changed. Governments were overthrown or destroyed. Borders have been redrawn. Populations have shifted. The most enjoyable part of the book is the way it presents glimpses of a radically different world, and completely plausible explanations for how things came to be that way. The people all feel real, in both their strengths and their weaknesses. The coldblooded strategies enacted by some of the governments--the governments that survived the crisis--raise interesting moral questions. There's even a movie coming out. (less)
This is, of course, the classic sci-fi novel. It feature grand world-building, with references to a galactic empire, although the events of the book a...moreThis is, of course, the classic sci-fi novel. It feature grand world-building, with references to a galactic empire, although the events of the book are primarily concentrated on a single planet--Arrakis, the desert planet, called Dune. It is a world of deserts, where water is a precious commodity and the gigantic sandworms produce spice, the most valuable commodity in the universe. The book is the story of a boy who becomes a messiah; it is a fascinating look at politics, and religion, and the deliberate manipulation of cultures over thousands of years. It, and the later books in the series (although they get progressively stranger) examine how the ability to see the future can result in being trapped by it.(less)
A great fantasy novel with two strong female protagonists, narrated in tandem across several centuries by a girl caught in the chaos of revolutionary...moreA great fantasy novel with two strong female protagonists, narrated in tandem across several centuries by a girl caught in the chaos of revolutionary France and a programmer from New York sent to work with a little-known group called OPEC as punishment for interfering with her boss's crooked scheme. Both are caught up a quest for the pieces of a legendary chess set that once belonged to Charlemagne the Great, a chess set reputed to have mystical properties. The story unfolds from France to Russia, from New York to the Middle East, from royal courts to hidden prisons to a desperate ocean voyage. There are conspiracies stretching across centuries, a hidden prophecy, a degenerate Bishop, and an enigmatic Russian Grandmaster. It is long and intense, but a great read. (less)
This is the best epic fantasy novel I have ever read. The writing is lyric and beautiful, and the structure--a (not so) humble innkeeper telling a scr...moreThis is the best epic fantasy novel I have ever read. The writing is lyric and beautiful, and the structure--a (not so) humble innkeeper telling a scribe the story of his life--adds an interesting level of reflection to the story. It is implied that the protagonist follows the path of the traditional fantasy hero, rising from a humble beginning to great power and great deeds, but he is well aware of his own failings and uses a wry tone to relate them. The description of a university for the study of magic was fascinating. The book had tantalizing hints of other adventures that will hopefully be fleshed out further in the series. (less)
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