What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Hello once more today,

This time: Ley lines or Heilige Linien (holy lines - the German version, similar concept).

I blame Alan Garner for setting me on the "old straight path", er, path. (I do know about The Old Straight Track from Garner - it's on my TR list).

I don't know much about them or if they have any accepted academic validity at all, but I think they must be good fun in a ripping yarn. :)

I was also super impressed by that kid who found a lost Mayan city on the Yucatan peninsula (I think) by analyzing extant temples and star charts (apparently he postulated the presence of an additional temple no one knew about it, and Lidar proved him right). Here's the link to the article, just in case: https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trendi...

So Ley lines, or ancient complexes aligning with star charts, that sort of thing, please! :)

I also think the Roman Roads and how the British highways still largely follow them is pretty nifty, so let's say anything about 'ancient trackways or cartography' .

Many thanks, as always!

Stephen King's Dark Tower series has an equivalent of ley lines, the "paths of the beam." They are first encountered in The Waste Lands.

Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars series involves magic tied to the positions of the stars and planets.

You might be looking for stories that depend more heavily on ley lines than these two.

Thanks Marc,

No, these are fine! Thanks very much. I still haven't gotten around to reading The Dark Tower series (cringes in embarrassment), despite being shouted at to do so for years now. Will have to prioritize!

I had not heard of the Crown of Stars series - thanks very much for mentioning it. :)

IIRC, ley lines appear in the Myth Adventures series by Robert Asprin, of which the first is Another Fine Myth. Another Fine Myth

Thanks, Pamela! I have not read any of his stuff yet! :)

Needles Of Stone; and, Needles Of Stone Revisited, by Tom Graves provide a speculative nonfiction account of ley lines.

Many of Phil Rickman's books feature ley lines. See also his alter ego Will Kingdom.

I think I first encountered ley lines in Penelope Farmer's A Castle of Bone.

Barbara Hambly uses them particularly in The Windrose Chronicles.

Robert wrote: "Needles Of Stone; and, Needles Of Stone Revisited, by Tom Graves provide a speculative nonfiction account of ley lines.

Many of [author:Phil Rickman|18..."

Oh, Robert! Brilliant! Castle of Bone is already high on the TR priority list! And these others are new to me - thanks very much!

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling and the Raven Cycle books by Maggie Stiefvater both concern ley lines!

The Ex Hex

The Raven Boys

Thanks very much, Jessica! :D Both new to me

Capn wrote: "Thanks very much, Jessica! :D Both new to me"

You are in for a TREAT. Ex Hex is a Practical Magic style romance, and the Raven Boys is just a superb YA fantasy series!

I've just updated the title of this thread to include Telluric Currents (and the general 'ancient paths', as my original title was quite restrictive).

I've just heard about these electromagnetic rivers that exist in IRL and can be used to make earth batteries (i.e. for telegraph pole signal amplification and prospecting purposes), and also heard that some Templar churches are situated on them... which leads to all kinds of detection and medieval usage questions on my end...

So now, naturally, I really want to read about telluric currents (both non-fiction as well as the much-more-fun fiction options). :)

Didn't think it warranted a new thread, but please correct me if so.

TL:DR - Telluric Currents content, please! :)

Jean Richepin's The Wing (1911) published by Black Coat Press. It would be worth looking through their catalogue as they've published a lot of early French SF in translation. Also, hollow earth theory might prove fruitful. And you'll find ley lines and everything else in Pynchon's Mason & Dixon.

No one seems to have mentioned the hugely popular books by Erich Von Daniken . Maybe they are too obvious or not what you are looking for .

Janny Wurts makes extensive use of ley lines in her Wars of light and shadow

As does Katherine Kerr in her Deverry cycle

You might also be interested in Paul Devereux's Spirit Roads: An Exploration of Otherworldly Routes

Sem wrote: "Jean Richepin's The Wing (1911) published by Black Coat Press. It would be worth looking through their catalogue as they've published a lot of early French SF in translation. Also, hollow earth the..."

Thanks Sem!!

Eric wrote: "No one seems to have mentioned the hugely popular books by Erich Von Daniken . Maybe they are too obvious or not what you are looking for ."

They're not obvious to me - never heard of them! Thanks very much Eric for mentioning them!

Edit: just had a look at Erich Von Daniken. I can see why I hadn't heard of him now. That dude really wrote about everything cryptic and mysterious under the sun, eh?! :) Very prolific...
I think I might be looking for something a bit more focused in scope, but I'll have a look to see if there's a specific and properly researched book in his bibliography that would appeal to me. :) Thanks again for the post!

Robert wrote: "Janny Wurts makes extensive use of ley lines in her Wars of light and shadow

As does Katherine Kerr in her Deverry cycle

You might also be interested in [author:Pau..."

Perfect! :D Thanks, Robert!

Hi . I like your dog . Chariots of the gods was a bit of a show-stopper when it first came out . Ley-lines created by visiting aliens etc. You could do worse than try that one by Von Daniken .













Hi- love your dog . Chariots of the Gods was a bit of a show-stopper when it was first published . Ley-lines created by visiting aliens etc . You might to try that one of Dani

The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot

Eric wrote: "Hi . I like your dog . Chariots of the gods was a bit of a show-stopper when it first came out . Ley-lines created by visiting aliens etc. You could do worse than try that one by Von Daniken ...."

Thanks, Eric! Chariot of the Gods? is getting shelved - thanks for the title! :)

Trilobyte wrote: "The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot"

Thanks, Trilobyte! I have it - looking at it right now. :)

Peter Valentine Timlett has quite an extensive discussion of them in The Power Of The Serpent.

For nonfiction, these might be of interest:

The Magnetotelluric Method: Theory and Practice

The Gods' Machines: From Stonehenge to Crop Circles, by Chok Bong Wun

Geoelectromagnetic Waves, by A.V. Guglielmi

Robert wrote: "Peter Valentine Timlett has quite an extensive discussion of them in The Power Of The Serpent.

For nonfiction, these might be of interest:

[book:The Magnetotelluric Me..."

Oh excellent - thank you Robert, I hadn't seen any of these. The driest textbook of the lot is the most interesting to me. (Nerd!). XD Thanks again!

The Alpha Box

Traci Harding is big on this kind of stuff. Several of her series are interconnected.

Start with The Ancient Future https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Thanks, MJ and Rainbowheart! :)

By the Blood of Rowans by Xan Van Rooyen