Bill Bodden's Blog - Posts Tagged "recommendations"
Ten Novels That Influenced My Writing
No writer is an island. Further, no writer exists in a vacuum. We -- all of us human beings -- are constantly inspired by people, places and things around us. For writers, those things often sneak into our writing in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. This list comprises only a few of the many books that have inspired me, first to be a writer, and second, to be a better writer. Some of these books (okay, most of them) I re-read every now and again, and in most of them, I find something I missed before.
Last Call, Tim Powers
Last Call is all about cards, Las Vegas, symbolism, magic, and too much more to cover in any depth. The way the author draws in threads of real history, skillfully blending them with his own events made up out of whole cloth and using the entire tapestry to tell his stories, is magical to me.
The Shining, Stephen King
He's not considered a "master" of fiction for no reason; having just finished his On Writing, I admire the wisdom in his approach to the craft. The Shining is a clear case where the book is VASTLY superior to the film (particularly the 1980 version directed by Stanley Kubrick), so if you've only seen the film, you are REALLY missing out.
Sunglasses After Dark, Nancy A. Collins
Nancy A. Collins' stories of Sonja Blue, vampire and vampire hunter, are full of mystery, intrigue, supernatural beings, and sex. These vampires don't sparkle, but they have schemes that put Machiavelli to shame, and Sonja's interactions with other supernatural creatures may be among the highlights of these books.
Drachenfels, Jack Yeovil
Set in the universe of Games Workshop's Warhammer world, Drachenfels utilizes the "play within a play" trope very nicely, and features a cast of characters probably in the hundreds. It weaves a rich web of detail, telling the story of a young man's quest to prove himself, the crew he recruits to help him, and the ancient, barely human enchanter who is the target of his quest. This book dates from the time when Games Workshop was still willing to take chances on interesting projects. Jack Yeovil is a nom de plume for author Kim Newman.
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkein
I first read The Hobbit as a young boy, and fell in love with the story's naive charm. While it is perhaps not a literary masterpiece, it is a well-told tale, with characters that I find entrancing and a setting full of wonder and delight.
Them Bones, Howard Waldrop
Them Bones is in essence, a time travel story, about soldiers from a fucked-up future earth going back in time to find a way to fix things. One soldier gets separated by the time stream, ending up in an earth that may not have existed exactly as portrayed, but his adventures with the people he finds are engrossing, horrific, and full of wonder. Waldrop is one of my favorite authors, and I advise anyone reading him to leave your preconceptions at the threshold, sit back, and enjoy the ride.
A Hunger Like Fire, Greg Stolze
Set in the universe of White Wolf Publishing's World of Darkness, This novel is about Chicago to a small degree, and the vampires who run to town to a much larger degree. Stolze has talent and skill sufficient that, even though these are monstrous beings capable of terrible, ferocious savagery, they are still highly sympathetic characters, and intriguing ones at that.
American Gods, Neil Gaiman
When I first heard the premise for this book, I was thrilled. I was still very nearly as thrilled reading it for the sixth time as I was for the first. Gaiman's imaginative powers are formidable, and he brings them all to bear in this novel of former deities trying to get by in the modern-day United States.
Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart
I fell in love with these stories of "an Ancient China that never was" on the recommendation of a friend, and not only didn't regret it, I engaged in operations to acquire the other two books in the series, even though they were out of print at that time. Reprinted more than once by niche publishers, it won major awards (World Fantasy and Mythopeoic Fantasy Awards) and was followed up by two sequels, but sadly Hughart seems to have given up on writing.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling
YA fiction that tells stories of kids who (generally) use good judgement, deal with the ramifications of their actions, and work to help others and stand up for what's right in spite of very personal consequences. Oh, and there's some magic involved from time to time. This is the second book in the series, and since (if I recall correctly) it features the main character's step-family a little less, I like it more.
Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris
Despite the hue and cry over the conclusion to this series by those who over-romanitcize vampires, I found the ending to this series fitting and quite satisfying. Harris takes us for a ride with a young woman whose gift of telepathy is more of a curse, until she meets her first vampire, whose thoughts don't transmit to her at all. The mysteries in each book are well thought-out, and the stories are peppered with a bit of sex and a great deal of intrigue. This first book introduces several of the main characters and most of the primary themes for the series.
***
Stephen King has a useful piece of advice for writers: Write a lot; read a lot. There is no better way for any of us to support the writers whose work we enjoy than by buying their books. Whether you buy through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or your favorite independent bookstore, please buy books, and more importantly, READ them!
And if you have a moment, write a brief review for Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.com to tell others what you thought of the books you've read -- what you liked or didn't like, and why. It doesn't have to be great literature in itself -- just an honest opinion. Spreading the word like that can help sell a few more copies, and hey: every little bit helps.
But wait, I hear some of you yelling -- that's ELEVEN books!
Yep; consider it a bonus.
Last Call, Tim Powers
Last Call is all about cards, Las Vegas, symbolism, magic, and too much more to cover in any depth. The way the author draws in threads of real history, skillfully blending them with his own events made up out of whole cloth and using the entire tapestry to tell his stories, is magical to me.
The Shining, Stephen King
He's not considered a "master" of fiction for no reason; having just finished his On Writing, I admire the wisdom in his approach to the craft. The Shining is a clear case where the book is VASTLY superior to the film (particularly the 1980 version directed by Stanley Kubrick), so if you've only seen the film, you are REALLY missing out.
Sunglasses After Dark, Nancy A. Collins
Nancy A. Collins' stories of Sonja Blue, vampire and vampire hunter, are full of mystery, intrigue, supernatural beings, and sex. These vampires don't sparkle, but they have schemes that put Machiavelli to shame, and Sonja's interactions with other supernatural creatures may be among the highlights of these books.
Drachenfels, Jack Yeovil
Set in the universe of Games Workshop's Warhammer world, Drachenfels utilizes the "play within a play" trope very nicely, and features a cast of characters probably in the hundreds. It weaves a rich web of detail, telling the story of a young man's quest to prove himself, the crew he recruits to help him, and the ancient, barely human enchanter who is the target of his quest. This book dates from the time when Games Workshop was still willing to take chances on interesting projects. Jack Yeovil is a nom de plume for author Kim Newman.
The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkein
I first read The Hobbit as a young boy, and fell in love with the story's naive charm. While it is perhaps not a literary masterpiece, it is a well-told tale, with characters that I find entrancing and a setting full of wonder and delight.
Them Bones, Howard Waldrop
Them Bones is in essence, a time travel story, about soldiers from a fucked-up future earth going back in time to find a way to fix things. One soldier gets separated by the time stream, ending up in an earth that may not have existed exactly as portrayed, but his adventures with the people he finds are engrossing, horrific, and full of wonder. Waldrop is one of my favorite authors, and I advise anyone reading him to leave your preconceptions at the threshold, sit back, and enjoy the ride.
A Hunger Like Fire, Greg Stolze
Set in the universe of White Wolf Publishing's World of Darkness, This novel is about Chicago to a small degree, and the vampires who run to town to a much larger degree. Stolze has talent and skill sufficient that, even though these are monstrous beings capable of terrible, ferocious savagery, they are still highly sympathetic characters, and intriguing ones at that.
American Gods, Neil Gaiman
When I first heard the premise for this book, I was thrilled. I was still very nearly as thrilled reading it for the sixth time as I was for the first. Gaiman's imaginative powers are formidable, and he brings them all to bear in this novel of former deities trying to get by in the modern-day United States.
Bridge of Birds, Barry Hughart
I fell in love with these stories of "an Ancient China that never was" on the recommendation of a friend, and not only didn't regret it, I engaged in operations to acquire the other two books in the series, even though they were out of print at that time. Reprinted more than once by niche publishers, it won major awards (World Fantasy and Mythopeoic Fantasy Awards) and was followed up by two sequels, but sadly Hughart seems to have given up on writing.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J.K. Rowling
YA fiction that tells stories of kids who (generally) use good judgement, deal with the ramifications of their actions, and work to help others and stand up for what's right in spite of very personal consequences. Oh, and there's some magic involved from time to time. This is the second book in the series, and since (if I recall correctly) it features the main character's step-family a little less, I like it more.
Dead Until Dark, Charlaine Harris
Despite the hue and cry over the conclusion to this series by those who over-romanitcize vampires, I found the ending to this series fitting and quite satisfying. Harris takes us for a ride with a young woman whose gift of telepathy is more of a curse, until she meets her first vampire, whose thoughts don't transmit to her at all. The mysteries in each book are well thought-out, and the stories are peppered with a bit of sex and a great deal of intrigue. This first book introduces several of the main characters and most of the primary themes for the series.
***
Stephen King has a useful piece of advice for writers: Write a lot; read a lot. There is no better way for any of us to support the writers whose work we enjoy than by buying their books. Whether you buy through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or your favorite independent bookstore, please buy books, and more importantly, READ them!
And if you have a moment, write a brief review for Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.com to tell others what you thought of the books you've read -- what you liked or didn't like, and why. It doesn't have to be great literature in itself -- just an honest opinion. Spreading the word like that can help sell a few more copies, and hey: every little bit helps.
But wait, I hear some of you yelling -- that's ELEVEN books!
Yep; consider it a bonus.
My Favorite Tabletop RPGs
I've worked in the games industry now since 1984. Most of that time was spent working retail, some in distribution, some working for a manufacturer, but all of that time was spent gaming, and trying out new stuff. I enjoy roleplaying as much now as I did in my teens, even though most of the people I grew up with view RPGs as "kid's stuff", or something one is expected to grow out of.
Which basically I think is bullshit. Just like dressing up in costumes now and again, RPG gaming is a healthy outlet and a fun pastime. So to give those of you who might be looking for a new game some ideas, I present to you my list of favorite RPGs, in no particular order. If you want to learn a bit more about the games -- or order a PDF copy -- click on the picture of the game.
Victoriana
I'm pretty into Steampunk these days, and gaming-wise nothing scratches that itch as nicely as this game. Victoriana uses a dice pool system: When trying to accomplish a Task, you roll a number of dice equal to your rating in a skill or ability, plus a number of dice equal to your character's rating in the related physical or mental ability. Sometimes, if the challenge is tougher, you receive black dice as a penalty. You roll the black dice at the same time, but any successes on those count against you. The setting reminds me of Shadowrun; the world has magic, and elves, dwarves, humans and beast-men mix with humans. It's fun, and the setting is a change from most games.
Shadowrun
Take the dystopian, sci-fi future typified by Cyberpunk, add magic, fantasy humanoid races, and a group of characters skirting the law to complete jobs and get paid and you have Shadowrun in a nutshell. Another dice pool game, Shadowrun uses only six-sided dice, and does so to good effect. You have a number of dice equal to your skill, plus more equal to your mental or physical ability,. plus maybe more or less depending on how easy or difficult the taks may be. The setting for this world is fantastic, and like so many RPGs, is the main reason -- far more so than because of a specific system -- why people play any particular game.
Bushido
Finding people willing to play this game with me was never easy; for some reason, most white Midwesterners don't get into mythical Japan the way I do. This game uses the basic d20 concept made famous-ish by D&D, only a it's a bit skewed here. Instead of trying to roll high, you want low, the lower the better. Makes it easier to parse that as your skill improves (i.e. the number goes up) you have larger range of numbers that indicate success.
This game incorporates a great deal of historical information about feudal Japan, as well as a lot of mythology and folklore, and if I had to pick only one, Bushido is probably my favorite RPG of all time.
Vampire: The Requiem
After being sneered at for years by numerous Vampire players, I was finally convinced to give the game a try, and was pleasantly surprised. Like any RPG, how much fun the game is depends on the quality of the folks you game with. Vampire examines concepts such as humanity, redemption, and the slippery slope of evil in a framework of the politics and mind games that only beings with greatly extended lifespans have the patience for -- and the time to watch those events unfold. I may be pilloried by the True Believers for admitting that I like the new incarnation -- Vampire the Requiem -- better than the original Vampire the Masquerade, (especially since I'm doing some writing for Vampire the Masquerade right now) but my preference may have something to do with being exposed to the new one first.
Call of Cthulhu
The grandpappy of all horror-themed RPGs, Call of Cthulhu will always occupy a squamous, rugose place in my heart. Players confront cosmic threats to humanity, and battle them as best they can. Challenges are resolved by rolling percentile dice (generating a score from 1 to 100) and then compare that to their skill level to see if they succeed in that task. This is another game to play for the setting, pulp-era 1920s and 1930s, borrowing heavily from the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, and many, many others. Character mortality is high as character witness things "Man Was Not Meant To Know and go insane, or get eaten by rather nasty creatures from beyond space and time. Tons of films have been made from the stories of these writers, and they can easily inspire one to play this game.
Mutants & Masterminds
If you're a fan of comic-book superheros, M&M is your game. Using a simple d20 roll + your skill value to determine success, the system is surprisingly flexible and elegant. Simple to understand and easy to get into, M&M does for capes and cowls what D&D does for swords and sorcery. I also really like the injury system: not based on hit points, it's instead based on levels of injury or fatigue. After all, nobody ever really dies in comic books, right?
Full disclosure: I used to work for Green Ronin Publishing, the folks who publish Mutants & Masterminds. That doesn't make the game any less awesome.
So that's a few of my favorites; it's quite a mix of stuff, but I find that I'm not all that interested in playing the same setting using the same system for ever and ever. I like having some variety in life, and games are no exception.
Oh, and you may have noticed I left D&D off this list. While the progenitor of all tabletop roll playing games was a fine entry drug, I find that, for the most part, D&D games devolve into a standard routine: kicking in doors, killing things, and taking their stuff. Lather, rinse, repeat. I got bored with that a long time ago, and while I've played newer iterations of Dungeons & Dragons since then, I find I can't stick with it for longer than a few sessions before I start looking for other options.
Which basically I think is bullshit. Just like dressing up in costumes now and again, RPG gaming is a healthy outlet and a fun pastime. So to give those of you who might be looking for a new game some ideas, I present to you my list of favorite RPGs, in no particular order. If you want to learn a bit more about the games -- or order a PDF copy -- click on the picture of the game.
Victoriana
I'm pretty into Steampunk these days, and gaming-wise nothing scratches that itch as nicely as this game. Victoriana uses a dice pool system: When trying to accomplish a Task, you roll a number of dice equal to your rating in a skill or ability, plus a number of dice equal to your character's rating in the related physical or mental ability. Sometimes, if the challenge is tougher, you receive black dice as a penalty. You roll the black dice at the same time, but any successes on those count against you. The setting reminds me of Shadowrun; the world has magic, and elves, dwarves, humans and beast-men mix with humans. It's fun, and the setting is a change from most games.
Shadowrun
Take the dystopian, sci-fi future typified by Cyberpunk, add magic, fantasy humanoid races, and a group of characters skirting the law to complete jobs and get paid and you have Shadowrun in a nutshell. Another dice pool game, Shadowrun uses only six-sided dice, and does so to good effect. You have a number of dice equal to your skill, plus more equal to your mental or physical ability,. plus maybe more or less depending on how easy or difficult the taks may be. The setting for this world is fantastic, and like so many RPGs, is the main reason -- far more so than because of a specific system -- why people play any particular game.
Bushido
Finding people willing to play this game with me was never easy; for some reason, most white Midwesterners don't get into mythical Japan the way I do. This game uses the basic d20 concept made famous-ish by D&D, only a it's a bit skewed here. Instead of trying to roll high, you want low, the lower the better. Makes it easier to parse that as your skill improves (i.e. the number goes up) you have larger range of numbers that indicate success.
This game incorporates a great deal of historical information about feudal Japan, as well as a lot of mythology and folklore, and if I had to pick only one, Bushido is probably my favorite RPG of all time.
Vampire: The Requiem
After being sneered at for years by numerous Vampire players, I was finally convinced to give the game a try, and was pleasantly surprised. Like any RPG, how much fun the game is depends on the quality of the folks you game with. Vampire examines concepts such as humanity, redemption, and the slippery slope of evil in a framework of the politics and mind games that only beings with greatly extended lifespans have the patience for -- and the time to watch those events unfold. I may be pilloried by the True Believers for admitting that I like the new incarnation -- Vampire the Requiem -- better than the original Vampire the Masquerade, (especially since I'm doing some writing for Vampire the Masquerade right now) but my preference may have something to do with being exposed to the new one first.
Call of Cthulhu
The grandpappy of all horror-themed RPGs, Call of Cthulhu will always occupy a squamous, rugose place in my heart. Players confront cosmic threats to humanity, and battle them as best they can. Challenges are resolved by rolling percentile dice (generating a score from 1 to 100) and then compare that to their skill level to see if they succeed in that task. This is another game to play for the setting, pulp-era 1920s and 1930s, borrowing heavily from the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, and many, many others. Character mortality is high as character witness things "Man Was Not Meant To Know and go insane, or get eaten by rather nasty creatures from beyond space and time. Tons of films have been made from the stories of these writers, and they can easily inspire one to play this game.
Mutants & Masterminds
If you're a fan of comic-book superheros, M&M is your game. Using a simple d20 roll + your skill value to determine success, the system is surprisingly flexible and elegant. Simple to understand and easy to get into, M&M does for capes and cowls what D&D does for swords and sorcery. I also really like the injury system: not based on hit points, it's instead based on levels of injury or fatigue. After all, nobody ever really dies in comic books, right?
Full disclosure: I used to work for Green Ronin Publishing, the folks who publish Mutants & Masterminds. That doesn't make the game any less awesome.
So that's a few of my favorites; it's quite a mix of stuff, but I find that I'm not all that interested in playing the same setting using the same system for ever and ever. I like having some variety in life, and games are no exception.
Oh, and you may have noticed I left D&D off this list. While the progenitor of all tabletop roll playing games was a fine entry drug, I find that, for the most part, D&D games devolve into a standard routine: kicking in doors, killing things, and taking their stuff. Lather, rinse, repeat. I got bored with that a long time ago, and while I've played newer iterations of Dungeons & Dragons since then, I find I can't stick with it for longer than a few sessions before I start looking for other options.
Summer Game Recommendations
It's nearly summertime, and that means summer vacations are a thing many people have to contend with. Fear not! I have a few recommendations for good, portable games to help the summer hours pass in entertaining fashion. These are games that kids will enjoy, but that will also keep adults amused for hours on end. Be sure to check out these titles at your Favorite Local Game Store (FLGS)...
For the rest of this blog entry, please visit:
http://billbodden.com/2016/05/23/summ...
For the rest of this blog entry, please visit:
http://billbodden.com/2016/05/23/summ...
FIlms to Inpsire the Halloween Spirit
With halloween only a week away, I'd like to recommend a few films to help inspire the Halloween Spirit. Not all of them are, strictly speaking, scary, but all of them capture aspects of the holiday, and many can be viewed ...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2017/10/23/film...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2017/10/23/film...
What Do You Want To Read?
I've been trying to provide a good mix of content for people to read here on my blog, but after more than four years of weekly posts, I'm running out of ideas again. So I'd like to ...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2018/01/22/what...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2018/01/22/what...
That Guy Who Was in That Movie
There are TONS of actors working in Hollywood. Most go unknown, with credits like "Waiter #3" or "Woman Reading Newspaper." Forgettable roles to be sure, but background actors and those who play bit parts are really important to making films more realistic and more enjoyable. Being a character actor like this isn't easy, and it's a difficult way to earn a living. Most don't; they frequently need to have side jobs just to keep food on the table.
I'd like to point you all to a film I saw a year or two ago titled "That Guy... Who Was In That Thing" . It's a documentary from 2012, and among many other actors it features...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2018/02/12/that...
I'd like to point you all to a film I saw a year or two ago titled "That Guy... Who Was In That Thing" . It's a documentary from 2012, and among many other actors it features...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2018/02/12/that...
Walking To New Orleans (part two of two)
Our first stop of the next day -- Christmas Eve Day -- was
the Audubon Aquarium
. It was a delight. Featuring both fresh and salt-water fish, their displays and habitats featured good visibility for viewing. We had lunch in the Aquarium cafeteria, which was situated to provide diners a fantastic view of the Mississippi River with their meal. After we finished seeing what there was to see, we hustled across the street to...
To read the rest of this post, please visit http://billbodden.com/2018/03/06/walk...
To read the rest of this post, please visit http://billbodden.com/2018/03/06/walk...
A Helping Hand
In honor (belatedly) of National Author's Day (November 1) I'd like to share with you links to some books I recommend. They are by author friends, works I enjoyed, and a couple are even my own work. With the Holidays coming up -- and one just past -- these make perfect gifts for someone on your list. Some of them are horror-related: I try to keep the Holiday Spirit in my heart year 'round. :)
Please note that these links generally lead to sites where you can purchase e-books: if you prefer dead-tree editions, please consult your favorite local, independently-owned bookstore. I'm sure they'd be happy to get copies of anything they have access to for your reading pleasure. Here's a couple of my favorites: A Room of One's Own , Mystery To Me , and Starcat Books .
First and foremost, I'd like to recommend...
To read more of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2018/11/05/a-he...
Please note that these links generally lead to sites where you can purchase e-books: if you prefer dead-tree editions, please consult your favorite local, independently-owned bookstore. I'm sure they'd be happy to get copies of anything they have access to for your reading pleasure. Here's a couple of my favorites: A Room of One's Own , Mystery To Me , and Starcat Books .
First and foremost, I'd like to recommend...
To read more of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2018/11/05/a-he...
Horrific Women
Besides being Black History Month, February is also Women in Horror Month. (Who decides these things?) I thought I'd take a moment to highlight some of my favorite women horror authors, because what's better than having a new book to read, or finding a new favorite author?
Lee Murray has been a major force in fiction over the last few years, both as an editor and as an author of novels and short fiction. Her Taine McKenna series of novels, set in her native New Zealand and featuring a Maori main character, has garnered significant critical acclaim. One of her newest works, Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women, edited with Geneve Flynn, is available in stores now and features stories by Southeast Asian writers. You can learn more about Lee and her books at her web site: https://www.leemurray.info/
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2021/02/09/horr...
