I've decided to list them here for your enjoyment. The following books range from just good reads to really deep literature. Enjoy.
Farenheit 451, Ray Bradbury - In a society where knowledge is controlled by an oppressive government, books have been declared illegal unless sanctioned by the government. One man, a fireman, Guy Montag, is responsible for incinerating forbidden books, but comes to realize that what his government has done is built the past to make the future look good. When he smuggles books home he becomes a wanted man. A good read. Very orwellian in nature.
1984, George Orwell - In the year 1984, Big Brother is watching, and you can't get away. Winston, a drone worker in a future dystopia has becomne the victim of an oppressive government where thinking for one's self is a crime against the state. It chronicles his descent from being an upstanding citizen to his eventual brainwashing and loss of individuality. Not a cheery book, but enlightening nonetheless.
The Dragonheart Trilogy, Jak Koke - Dark cyberpunk fiction with a dash of magic. And in the United Canadian and American States is in political upheaval. The President and Great Dragon Dunkelzahn on his election night celebration is assassinated mysteriously by a huge magical event. His will leaves the possession of the most powerful artifact on earth to Ryan Mercury, a warrior who must use the heart to save the world from a mysterious enemy from beyond.
Secrets of Power Trilogy, Robert N. Charette - The precursory Trilogy to the Dragonheart Trilogy, delves into the world of 2050, when magic was still new and technology beginning to rise farther. It chronicles the adventures of a computer hacker turned shamanic magician and his search for his sister who has begun a magical metamorphosis. Dark cyberpunk fiction with a dash of magic.
The Dark Tower Series, Stephen King - God, stop what you're doing and get this NOW. Just do it. Fork over the couple of bucks it takes to get the paperback and read the story of Roland of Gilead and his quest for the dark tower. It takes place in a destroyed world very similar to our own where the world is beginning to "move on". Along the way, Roland the Gunslinger assembles a motley crew containing a former junkie from the 80's New York, a schizophrenic woman from the 60's New York, and a young boy from New York of the 70's. Together they search for the dark tower and the cause of it's mysterious problem.
Good Omens, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchet - Another must read book. It tells the tale of an angel and a demon's humorous attempts to stave off the forces of armageddon. The Chattering order, the not-quite anti-christ, a hell hound turned into a beagle, and an angel that didn't so much fall as saunter vaguely downward. Some of the funniest stuff you will ever read. Period.
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Trilogy, Douglas Adams - The funniest stuff in the galaxy. It chronicles the misadventures of the earth's last survivor, Arthur Dent, a simple man who knows nothing about the universe, and his friend, Ford Prefect, an alien stranded on Earth for the last fifteen years. But beware, the last two books in the five book, increasingly inaccurately named Hitchhikers Trilogy are stinkers. Stick to the true trilogy.
Neuromancer, William Gibson - "The sky was the color of a television tuned to a blank channel..." This is the first line of Gibson't 80's masterpiece, Neuromancer. It is the story of a once legendary hacker named Case, who, just when he thought his life was over, is given a chance to hack again for a mysterious employer. Tension mounts as Case watches his situation unravel until he is forced to hack against the most advanced artificial intelligence in earth's orbit.
Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess - This controvertial book covers the life of a fifteen year-old boy who is also a killer and rapist. After being imprisoned, he is put through an experimental process which removes his ability to kill or rape by making him ill when he attempts to. It also renders him helpless to the people he has hurt and sinned against. The story is a study in irony like none other and should be read slowly to pick up the strange bastardized form of Russian dialect pervading every page of the book.
Shadow Over Insmouth and Other Stories, H.P. Lovecraft - In 1929, the Small coastal town of Insmouth is a shunned and evil place, corrupted by an ancient god that dwells beneath the sea. A man, lost and confused, is stranded in Insmouth only to discover a terrible secret while visiting that forces him to delve into a world of ancient, unstoppable evils and utter madness. H.P. Lovecraft is one of the few authors that has ever been able to scare the living shit out of me.
