slightly different roast on an old chestnut

[j. d. worthington]

Okay, I've not seen anything quite like this here -- though close:

We've probably all run across that old chestnut of: "If you were stranded on a desert island, what (pick a number, usually 5 or less) books would you want to have with you?" Given the zealotry ... er, um, passion, for reading of this bunch, I think we'd all go looney-tunes if we had to pick 5 books alone.

So I'm going to make it a little bit easier, or harder, depending on how you look at it: Given that you could have the complete works of, what five writers would you want to have on an EXTENDED stay in such a place? Keep in mind, you may never leave, so pick something that you wouldn't end up wanting to launch at the gulls to up your meat supply.

And, no, I'm not going to start this one off -- I'll enter mine later.....

[Nesacat]

It's not easy .... not easy at all given pile of 'books-to-be-read'. Does this include stories only found in anhtologies (then the anthology could be included ) ?

Alright ... this is what pops to mind right now but I'll no doubt kick myself and desperately want to change everything as soon an I hit the 'submit' button

H.P. Lovecraft
J.R.R. Tolkien
Neil Gaiman
Michael Moorcock
Clive Barker

[littlemissattitude]

Okay. The disclaimer is that any list I make is contingent on the mood I'm in when I make the list. Also, I'm stipulating (because you didn't, j. d.) that the writers can be either fiction or non-fiction writers.

1. Kage Baker - her output is not that high, but I can read and enjoy her novels and short stories over and over again. This is proven, because I have already done so.

2. Tim Powers - I've loved what I've read of his work, and there's a lot that I haven't read yet, so if I had a collection of all his works, I'd have some stuff along that was new to me, which is all to the good.

3. Faye Kellerman - for my mystery fix. I've read and reread her books as well and enjoyed them greatly. Even though I would already know the solutions to the mysteries, these are books I can enjoy for the characterizations and the interplay between the characters.

4. Stephen Jay Gould - there is so much in his collected essays that they bear re-reading very well. Also, I haven't read his last book, the big, thick one all about evolution, so that would be something else that I could approach when I was tired of re-reading other books.

5. Will Durant - while I'm aware that his multi-volume history of civilization is rather out-dated and quite biased in places (he was quite anti-papist, from what I have read of his work), this is still a solid history that would take quite a while to work through. I love history enough that I would have fun with these books.

One question, though. Are we restricted to reading, or can we also have paper and writing implements to make up our own stories? *need smilie with halo"

[j. d. worthington]

My original response post just got et, so let's try this again:

I should have specified: Yes, both are allowable; and, since I'm the boss here (wasn't Lovecraft's phrase "lord of a visible world"? ), I'll allow the writing materials too.

Durant, eh? I started that set but only got through the first volume when my life went up the chute, and hasn't settled down quite yet. My uderstanding is that he is biassed, but not entirely so; and yes, while we've learned a lot since he and Ariel (didn't she work with him on the later volumes?) did these, nonetheless you learn a heck of a lot and they're among the most clear and enjoyable way to cover so much ground -- not to mention that just lifting any of the earlier volumes is enough to keep you in trim!

Nesacat: I've got more to say about your list later; but for now, two things: 1) I like; 2) are you including their nonfiction or just fiction? (If nonfiction, with Moorcock and Lovecraft that's gonna add a whole new bookcase!)

[Nesacat]

j.d. ... including both fiction and non-fiction definitely. Like very much reading Lovecraft's correspondence for instance and Joshi's books re Lovecraft

[Thadlerian]

Originally Posted by Nesacat

H.P. Lovecraft

Are you sure that'll be a good idea? You know, those nights down south tend to get very dark...

[Nesacat]

Originally Posted by Thadlerian

Are you sure that'll be a good idea? You know, those nights down south tend to get very dark...

That's the whole idea ... sleep days anyway South??

[Thadlerian]

I always assume desert islands to be in the tropical zone.

[Nesacat]

But, but, but I'd like mine to be on the Plateau of Leng or on the shores of the Lake of Hali or somewhere in the cold wastes where Ithaqua the Wind Walker wanders.

Nights are blazing hot right now ... the sun is just setting and it's like this huge red fire ball right now and the moon's been coming up all big and bloody recently as well ... curious skies we've been having.

[Brys]

That's incredibly difficult - I'll try:
Mervyn Peake
Graham Joyce
Steven Erikson
Michael Moorcock
Philip K Dick

- The last two are incredibly prolific, so it means I'd have a lot of quality books to read.

[littlemissattitude]

Originally Posted by j. d. worthington

Durant, eh? I started that set but only got through the first volume when my life went up the chute, and hasn't settled down quite yet. My uderstanding is that he is biassed, but not entirely so; and yes, while we've learned a lot since he and Ariel (didn't she work with him on the later volumes?) did these, nonetheless you learn a heck of a lot and they're among the most clear and enjoyable way to cover so much ground -- not to mention that just lifting any of the earlier volumes is enough to keep you in trim!

Certainly, Ariel did work with him on the later volumes, but I decided for technical reasons to list just his name because I didn't want to exclude the volumes only he wrote by listing her name as well.

And thanks for the ruling on writing materials. As a compulsive writer as well as a compulsive reader, being without those would make the place sheer Hades even with all those books to read.

[j. d. worthington]

Check.

Well, I promised a list myself, so here goes:

Lovecraft
Moorcock
Ellison
Tolkien
Hawthorne

I'd like to include some women in there as well as some other male writers of whom I'm particularly fond, but 5 is the limit, and these are not only personal favorites and generally prolific, but also meaty.

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

Terry pratchet
Anne mcaffrey
Orson scott card
Ian rankin
Tom holt

oh god
i wanna take robert rankin to

[j. d. worthington]

Originally Posted by CarlottaVonUberwald

oh god
i wanna take robert rankin to

Only five per island; you want more real estate, maybe we can negotiate....

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

i'll smuggle them in.....they'll see the word rankin and assume there the same