I've not read Banks in about 20 years. Curious to know how it'd hold up. From memory, I'd certainly rep for Feersum Endjinn. Consider Phlebas, too.
― Vanishing Point (Chinaski), Wednesday, 21 July 2021 17:38 (two years ago) link
Can you include The Medusa Frequency by Russell Hoban in the list for 1987, please?
― Lily Dale, Wednesday, 21 July 2021 19:01 (two years ago) link
The first four culture novels (can't lose excession) & feersum enjinn & against a dark background definitely all top tier banks.
― At Easter I had a fall. I don't know whether to laugh or cry (ledge), Wednesday, 21 July 2021 20:20 (two years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Thursday, 22 July 2021 00:01 (two years ago) link
Will do, Lily!
― Daniel_Rf, Thursday, 22 July 2021 07:28 (two years ago) link
Voting for It, for me easily the peak of the king project - bleak and disturbing and sordid, its greatness I think inseparable from its most ill-judged elements (ie yes that scene, but also the general misogyny & homophobia, the bloat, the 2d characterisation); maybe you have to encounter it at the age of the young protagonists, as I did
― Woolf & Stein 3d (wins), Thursday, 22 July 2021 18:45 (two years ago) link
Starting to get some Vintage Contemporaries on the list. Interesting how some big hitters are missing from these lists (Ellis, McInerney, Bobbie Ann Mason, etc.).
The Sportswriter, and the Frank Bascombe novels, are my least favorite Ford, though maybe I should try again. Barthelme’s Paradise is a fun, hard-earned wisp.
― ... (Eazy), Thursday, 22 July 2021 20:14 (two years ago) link
i'm sure i've read and enjoyed books by worse people, but ford is such a legendary asshole that i've never been tempted to try.
(also the sportswriter at least *sounds* like more updike/roth 'aging writer rages that no one wants to fuck him anymore' crap)
― mookieproof, Thursday, 22 July 2021 21:29 (two years ago) link
I could have written this exact post but it would have been about The Stand
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 22 July 2021 21:30 (two years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Friday, 23 July 2021 00:01 (two years ago) link
did not see that coming but then again there's not a book here that wouldn't have felt like a surprise win
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Friday, 23 July 2021 01:45 (two years ago) link
what? this had the most obvious winner out of all these polls afaict
― Linda and Jodie Rocco (map), Friday, 23 July 2021 01:54 (two years ago) link
Poor Maryse Condé. I would have voted for you, had I seen the poll in time.
― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Friday, 23 July 2021 01:59 (two years ago) link
Not more obvious than Ulysses tbf, map.
― Daniel_Rf, Friday, 23 July 2021 08:40 (two years ago) link
Wherein We Elect Our Favourite Novels of 1987
― Daniel_Rf, Friday, 23 July 2021 09:32 (two years ago) link
I didn't see It coming either, but I have no idea which Stephen King novels are considered his best.
― o. nate, Friday, 23 July 2021 13:28 (two years ago) link
Would've voted for "Innocence" if it had been on the list. Human Voices/At Freddies/Innocence/Beginning of Spring is PF's imperial phase for me.
― Chuck_Tatum, Friday, 23 July 2021 14:28 (two years ago) link
Wasn’t Innocence on there for another year already?
― Two Severins Clash (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 23 July 2021 17:17 (two years ago) link