Hello all! I just finished Roadside Picnic, Solaris, and House of Leaves. My brain is thoroughly melted, and my worldview has changed (for better or worse? I don't know yet). After such great works, I don't want my next few reads to be trying to futilely compete with these bastions of cosmic horror.
I am looking for books that lack any "I'm 14, and this is deep" philosophy or convoluted, bloated pseudo-intellectual word salad. I'm looking for books like "Fair Blows the Wind" by Louis Lamour or "The Andromeda Strain." By Michael Crichton. Something fun for the sake of being fun, old or new, I don't mind.
I'd really like to find a couple of books in a few specific genres, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
(Detective noir, samurai (feudal to edo period Japan), any books that involve the age of sail and wooden ships, pirates, sword fighting/fencing, huu-rah military books (Clancy), and adventure books)
by ntlasagna