Reddit mentions: The best fiction books

We found 1,573 Reddit comments discussing the best fiction books. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 447 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.

1. The Sparrow: A Novel (The Sparrow Series)

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The Sparrow: A Novel (The Sparrow Series)
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ColorNavy
Height8.24 Inches
Length5.45 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateSeptember 1997
Weight0.92 Pounds
Width1.09 Inches
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2. Rainbows End: A Novel with One Foot in the Future

Tor Science Fiction
Rainbows End: A Novel with One Foot in the Future
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Height6.999986 Inches
Length4.1799129 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2007
Weight0.4 Pounds
Width1.0799191 Inches
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3. The Screwtape Letters

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  • HarperOne
The Screwtape Letters
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Height8 Inches
Length5.3125 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2015
Weight0.3747858454 Pounds
Width0.504505 Inches
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4. Laurus

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Laurus
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Height7.8 Inches
Length5.1 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateSeptember 2016
Weight0.8 Pounds
Width1.2 Inches
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5. The Red Tent - 20th Anniversary Edition: A Novel

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The Red Tent - 20th Anniversary Edition: A Novel
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Height8.1999836 Inches
Length6.3200661 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateAugust 2007
Weight0.7 Pounds
Width0.92 Inches
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6. The Samurai (New Directions Classic)

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The Samurai (New Directions Classic)
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Height8 Inches
Length5.2 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 1997
Weight0.65697754076 Pounds
Width0.8 Inches
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7. Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse

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Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse
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Height9.21 Inches
Length6.14 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2009
Weight1.0031032921 Pounds
Width1.02 Inches
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8. The Book of Legends/Sefer Ha-Aggadah: Legends from the Talmud and Midrash

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  • Schocken Books Inc
The Book of Legends/Sefer Ha-Aggadah: Legends from the Talmud and Midrash
Specs:
ColorCream
Height11.2 Inches
Length8.8 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateNovember 1992
Weight4.7619848592 Pounds
Width2 Inches
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9. Redeeming Love

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Redeeming Love
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ColorGrey
Height8.99 Inches
Length5.97 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateMay 2005
Weight1.24 Pounds
Width1.24 Inches
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10. The Shack

Publisher: Windblown Media; 1st edition (July 1, 2007)
The Shack
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Height7 Inches
Length4.25 Inches
Number of items1
Weight0.30864714664531 Pounds
Width1 Inches
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12. Perelandra (Space Trilogy, Book 2)

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  • Second book in Space Trilogy
Perelandra (Space Trilogy, Book 2)
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Height8 Inches
Length5.25 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2003
Weight0.35 Pounds
Width0.5 Inches
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13. The Inferno (Signet Classics)

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  • Classic Edition
  • Way to whip your finances into shape
  • This product will be an excellent pick for you
The Inferno (Signet Classics)
Specs:
ColorBlack
Height6.75 Inches
Length4.13 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateOctober 2009
Weight0.35 Pounds
Width0.8 Inches
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15. A Prayer for Owen Meany

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A Prayer for Owen Meany
Specs:
Height6.75 Inches
Length4.19 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateApril 2012
Weight0.658125 Pounds
Width1.28 Inches
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16. The Penguin Book of English Verse

Penguin Books
The Penguin Book of English Verse
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ColorBlack
Height7.8 Inches
Length5 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateJuly 2005
Weight1.75928885076 Pounds
Width2 Inches
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17. The Shack

Windblown Media
The Shack
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Height8.5 Inches
Length6 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateJuly 2008
Weight0.84 Pounds
Width1 Inches
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18. Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold

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  • HarperOne
Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold
Specs:
Height8 Inches
Length5.31 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateFebruary 2017
Weight0.62 Pounds
Width0.83 Inches
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19. The Chronicles of Narnia

    Features:
  • HarperCollins
The Chronicles of Narnia
Specs:
Height2.5 Inches
Length9.1 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateOctober 2004
Weight2.15 Pounds
Width6.5 Inches
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20. This Present Darkness

This Present Darkness
Specs:
Height6.7 Inches
Length4.1 Inches
Number of items1
Release dateMarch 2002
Weight0.55 Pounds
Width1.5 Inches
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🎓 Reddit experts on fiction books

The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where fiction books are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
Total score: 72
Number of comments: 5
Relevant subreddits: 2
Total score: 19
Number of comments: 9
Relevant subreddits: 7
Total score: 19
Number of comments: 7
Relevant subreddits: 2
Total score: 16
Number of comments: 9
Relevant subreddits: 5
Total score: 15
Number of comments: 7
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 14
Number of comments: 4
Relevant subreddits: 2
Total score: 12
Number of comments: 5
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 11
Number of comments: 5
Relevant subreddits: 1
Total score: 6
Number of comments: 5
Relevant subreddits: 4
Total score: 4
Number of comments: 4
Relevant subreddits: 2

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Top Reddit comments about Christian Literature & Fiction:

u/YXxTRUTHxXY · 1 pointr/Christianity

I recommend reading the book "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers.
Sex is beautiful gift from God to us to enjoy with the love of our spouse/future spouse. Like you say, it is also a wonderful gift from us to our spouse/future spouse. However, sex might be important for a healthy marriage but know that it isn't everything. There is a lot more to a marriage than intercourse, intimacy; sex. If you marry this man, then know that he will make mistakes because he is not perfect -- when that happens, will you be there to pick him up and encourage him or will you tare him down? Will you forgive him? A healthy, strong and loving marriage revolves around God and forgiving your spouse is one of the greatest 'actions' we can do for our brethren... just as God does daily for us. To me, and in my marriage, sacrificial love appears to be one of the biggest keys to our healthy marriage alongside communication and loving forgiveness. Like I said, sex is a beautiful gift from God that we share with our love, but it isn't everything in a marriage. I pray and encourage you to forgive this man because in God's eyes he is pure... Show the world that a God-loving, a God-fearing couple can overcome the desires of our hearts to condemn one another by the simple act of forgiveness and compassion. It isn't easy and neither is a life of marriage.

u/NDAugustine · 2 pointsr/Christianity

It's normal to have questions. It's good you're thinking about your religion.

>1 I heard the Bible has been altered (esp. the New Testament) by people so that they can eat pork, drink occasionally, not be circumcised, etc. However, the Quran hasn't. This is why my Muslim friends are all circumcised, don't eat pork, drink, etc. Like the stuff in the Old Testament. Is there any proof that the Bible is unaltered?

The dietary laws found in the OT are strictly for the nation of Israel. Most of them come as a sort of national penance for the idolatry at Sinai and were never meant to followed by the Gentiles. God elected Israel to prepare the world to see what election is grounded in (His gratuitous love). He choose a people who were of no account to demonstrate that when He elects, He does so freely and not because we bring anything to the table. He gave Israel the law to train them so that they would learn to grow accustomed to delighting in following God.

>2 Why did Jesus die for our sins, if anything is possible?

God did not have to become man and dwell among us (John 1.14) and be crucified for our sins. It was nevertheless fitting that He did so. Why? One reason is because it shows us what sort of love God has for us. He's fully invested in His creation. He knew from eternity that when He created this place, He was going to come down here and show His love in the Incarnation and crucifixion.

The Crucifix also inverts the world's expectations about power. Adam and Eve sinned because of pride, preferring themselves to God. So Jesus comes and shows us what true humility looks like (cf. Phil. 2). He doesn't "win" by power (though He could have), but shows His creatures what it looks like to love humbly.

>3 Why does God send us, who He created, to Hell to be eternally tortured if we don't believe (believe in me or I'll torture you)? I'm trying my hardest to believe and be a good Christian, but I have so many unanswered questions and doubts that are getting in the way.

Wouldn't Heaven for someone who does not love God actually be Hell? If they don't love Him now on earth, what makes you think they would enjoy Him in Heaven? It's not a safe assumption that the person who stood before God would automatically enjoy it. God has created creatures with a will because to love Him without being able to will it would be meaningless. It would be a sort of farce on God's part. However, that means some will freely choose to reject Him. If our wills mean anything, then God respects that and doesn't force those people to love Him for eternity (which is what Heaven is). I would read CS Lewis' The Great Divorce.

>4 Will God send those people who are raised in another religion, such as in Thailand (Buddhism), who don't have any external way of being informed of Christianity (like missionaries), to be tortured forever in Hell?

Some Christians believe this is so - that you're just out of luck if you happen not to be exposed to the Gospel. Catholics are not one of those sorts and I can only speak as a Catholic. For us, we follow St. Paul's thinking in Romans 2.14-15. Paul there talks about the natural law which is imprinted on our hearts by virtue of being created in the image of God. The Catechism says that the man who searches for God in another religion and does so earnestly is somehow being prepared for the Gospel (CCC 843) because all truth and goodness come from God. We trust those souls to God's mercy and justice, knowing that He is both.

>5 Why did God put a tree of knowledge if no one could eat from it? Like He purposely put the temptation there, knowing that at least some of us will be tempted to sin, and from there, be eternally damned.

Obedience which comes from love is the mark of the Christian life. CS Lewis' Perelandra does a good job at thinking about this. Basically Lewis says that there are sometimes rules which God gives which do not have a rationale on their own except that God has asked us to follow them. So in Perelandra, the woman is not allowed to live on the fixed land simply because God has asked her not to. By following this rule, however, she grows in love for God. She grows up, understanding what obedience is.

>6 Why does sin and the possibility of being sent to Hell for eternal torture exist, if God loves us more than anything? Doesn't He know that with creating humans, a lot of them will sin?

He does, but He hasn't remained aloof from the situation. Hebrews 4.15 tells us, "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." That's beautiful. Think on the Incarnation and the sheer gratuity of God's love in that act. Also see my above answer about hell.

>7 How would He judge agnostics? Like there are so many religions, and uncertainties, that some people will just gather from every religion that there is indeed a God who created us. Like people who follow basic morals like treating others well, but still do sins like, greed, lust (without rape or cheating), sodomy?

We don't know about any particular person who goes to hell. We simply trust God's goodness, His mercy, His justice, etc.

>8 Lust, masturbation, greed - why do those traits seem natural to humans, if they are sins? Like of course it's natural to look at the opposite sex and lust after them, especially when our hormones are raging.

Sin is the distortion of something good. Some women are beautiful. Recognizing their beauty isn't wrong. But sin warps our wills and desires, it warps our inclinations. Adam's and Eve's wills were in accord with their reason, but sin distorts this unity. This is why we do things (like sin) that we wish we did not (cf. Rom. 7). Neither lust, masturbation, nor greed are natural to man - they do not accord with the end for which God has created them (beatitude). Lust is an unhealthy fixation and a distortion of the natural goodness of human sexuality, which is given as a gift. Masturbation is the same - masturbation takes a gift meant for the sake of another (i.e. one's spouse) and misuses it for oneself. It takes something which is meant to be outward looking and makes it isolated. That's not what God created us for. Greed likewise is a disordered desire of goods. Any good thing we see on earth should point us to God, but greed terminates solely in created things and forgets the Creator.

I hope some of that helps.

u/the_skyis_falling · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon
  1. Something Grey. Manatees love tea too.

  2. Something reminiscent of rain. I have have a 6 hour thunderstorm on my iPod that I listen too almost every night to help me relax and go to sleep. But, my pillow finally gave up the ghost, so I use ear buds...not as comfy.

  3. Food related, yet unusual. May seem tame to most, but my brain can't wrap around how these will/would taste.

  4. On my list for someone else. Slightly NSFW! For my wife who has sensitive...well, you'll understand when you look at the link. She needs this stuff to be more comfortable. I only have to look at them funny and it's too much for her.

  5. A book you should read. The Red Tent, is a book based on the fictional life of Dinah from the old Testament. She is is mentioned only once I think in the bible, but the author of this book weaves a life story based on how women where treated and lived back then. Dinah lives in a harsh world but learns from the women around her and see the workings of this mysterious entity called God in her world. It is a wonderful read and having to tell you about it reminded me I want it again to reread. Really a great book.

  6. Item that is less than a dollar. This awesome awesome fantastic song!

  7. Something for my kitty Cassie May. I've always wanted one of these for my kitty and this was the perfect opportunity to finally add it to my WL.

  8. Something that is not useful, but so beautiful I must have it. Isn't it a beautiful ring?

  9. A movie everyone should watch once in their life. Because it is so imaginative and awesomely made with the puppets and sets. And David Freaking Bowie and his cod piece and hair are sexy yet so evil. ....you remind me of the babe

  10. Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Keep my shankin' knives sharp yo!

  11. Something that would have a profound impact on my life and help me to achieve my current goals. Currently I have no real space to do my painting and in a month and a half I'm moving and will have even less space to myself and my painting. This would enable me to paint at any table. For without being able to take a breather and paint, I can not be myself and have those moments to detach and relax so I can later go out and be the best adult I can be.

  12. Pesky add-on. To make your hair o'so happy.

  13. The most expensive thing on my list. My phone is currently my only camera. I've always dreamed of owning a "professional" camera to go take pictures of all the things!

  14. Something bigger than a bread box. Vroom Vroom

  15. Something smaller than a golf ball. Tee Tiny!

  16. Something that smells wonderful. Romance by Ralph Lauren. Has been my go to perfume since highschool.

  17. SFW Toy. She's evil but she's suitable for any setting!

  18. Something that would be helpful for going back to school. Everyone needs to look stylish and stay cool for school!

  19. Something related to my current obsession. I've become crazy about all things tea!

  20. Something SO AMAZING! BEHOLD the splendor It's adorable, handmade, and I have seriously become so enamored with it! Thought you might like to see it's awesomeness.

    fear cuts deeper than swords

    Thanks for the fun contest
u/kimmature · 2 pointsr/truebooks

My 'favourite' novel seems to rotate amongst about 10 books, but if I could only read one novel for the rest of my life, it would be a A Prayer for Owen Meany. I don't even know how many times I've read it, but I still enjoy it (and get more out of it) every time.

Part of it is the characters. I like 'offbeat', and he certainly writes memorable, 'different' characters. But even though his characters are usually more than a little bit odd, they're also very human- they're not one-dimensional, but usually show something about the experience of life, and how to live it. Even when they're otherworldly (as Owen is, to a great extent), they are still firmly grounded in being human.

Themes- A lot of the themes are universal, and things that I've been thinking about for decades- sex, war, religion, fate, friendship, parenting, wealth, child/parent relationships, growing up, etc. One of the things that I love about the book is that as I've matured, I see different things in it. I think that I was in my early 20s when it was published- the way that I've thought about religion/love/sex/parenting has changed considerably over the years, and the novel has more than kept pace with that.

I've always been drawn to the religious aspect of it. Not just about the big questions (Owen as Christ figure, the pastors/priests in the book, pre-destination etc), but I've got a very strong connection to John Wheelwright's practice of his religion. Even though I've been an atheist for a long time, I grew up with the type of Anglicanism that he practices, and the forms and rituals are still very comfortable for me. Johnny could be any number of the 'neuter' older men that I would see in our church every week. And a good number of my friends went to Bishop Strachan, so there's that :-)

And while I've heard some younger readers say that the Vietnam aspect doesn't do anything for them, it's pretty integral to the novel for me. At that point (late 80s) there was a huge amount of Vietnam discussion going on where I live- not only constant new revelations about the war, but discussions about draft dodgers (in the late 80s in Canada there were questions/discussions going on about the draft dodgers who had come here from the U.S., as well as about govt. responsibility/transparency), and because it was the time that Reagan/Mulroney/Thatcher and their cronies were all going batshit crazy while still being extremely popular, a lot of the political/moral/military questions of the day were being asked through the filter of Vietnam, rather than head-on.

The humour- aside from all of the constant funny absurdities, the Nativity Play scene is one of the funniest things that I've ever read. It still puts me on the floor every time I read it.

The plotting. You don't really get the intricacies of the plot until the last few pages, where everything comes together brilliantly. It's a fun book just to sit down and read, but once you get to the end, you realize that there's not a wasted scene/event in the book- everything leads up to the last section. Even the parts that seemed extraneous or rambling lead directly to the last few pages- while I don't actually believe in predestination or fate, it's the one book that I always go back to if I want to believe for a while that everything happens for a reason.

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/Christianity

Hey, I've been there before. It's not as worrisome as you think it is. A church (or christian) interact with God mainly in 3 different ways: fellowship, study, and worship.

For fellowship, you should probably look for a spiritual father or family for yourself. This is a individual or group who you come to about christian matters, but specifically it is better to find someone to be a father figure in Christ. Someone who can not only show you how to work him into whatever stage of life, but also to show you how to grow closer to God.

For studying, set aside time to read bible and grab any christian book you can find! Right now I have around 30 book ranging from The Shack to The Prophet's dictionary. From reading, i discovered my spiritual gifts, and how to receive words of knowledge from him. I put some suggested books at the bottom.

Also worship, its about just showing him the joy of being with him in the way you find best. Like during worship in church, some people lift there hands and in more liberal churches they wave banners and dance and laugh. But also worship is a lot more than that, you can show worship through the things you do, through sports, writing, wood work, metal work, or whatever you want, even the work you do at your job. Just by thinking or meditating on the things of God while doing something, we worship.

Wild at Heart by John Eldridge, which is about calling out the masculine soul of a man. He talks about the importance of a father, healing wounds from our fathers, and seeing God as our father. I cried over soemthing i read in that book many times, also i was able revive the relationship with my Dad. And later after reading this one try Captivating which is for girls, but it shows a lot about who a girl is.

The Supernatural ways of Royalty by Kris Vallotton is an awesome book! Its about bringing us out of being orphans and seeing that we are sons and daughter of God. Though it might be better so start with When Heaven Invades Earth b Bill Johnson. Both authors are from the same church, so they have the same mentality and this book will blow your socks off.

The Final Quest by Rick Joyner. This book is a compile of visions this guy had. It paints a really interesting picture of spiritual warfare and dynamics of the spiritual world. I thought of the part in this book when he is on the mountain when i read your post.

The Shack by William Young. This book is fiction, but it paints a wonderful picture. Now, some will say this is a bad book because some details the author uses isn't bilbical exactly. But that aside it shows how far God would go to show just one person how much he loves them.

u/kindofageek · 9 pointsr/secretsanta

First off, I got what looks to be some great books from my match. I got Perdido Street Station, Hyperion, The Sparrow, The Little Country, and American Gods. I have never read nor heard of these titles, but I'm excited to start reading them.

Now for the best part. My match sent me an original manuscript for a novel they wrote. How awesome is that? They also included a short story (a side story to the novel) that includes me as a character. I can honestly say that this is one of the best things I've ever received! I think I'll start with the novel first.

http://imgur.com/xVFbm

*update: Thanks for all of the encouraging posts! It seems that I really struck gold on this exchange. I sent a little reddit gold love to my SS for the wonderful gift. It's such a great collection that I feel like the books I sent to my match are woefully inadequate.

u/davidjricardo · 6 pointsr/Reformed

Kudos to you for wanting to diversify your reading list. Reading or listening to only one person is always a dangerous thing, no matter who that might be. I've made a bunch of book recommendations on this sub in the past. Here are a few I think are a good fit for you specifically. In general, I'd also highly recommend all of the works by the authors listed.

  • Letters to a Young Calvinist: An Invitation to the Reformed Tradition by Jamie Smith. This is always my top recommendation for the young person looking for more depth. It's a quick easy read best digested in small parts. It does a great job of providing an overview of the Reformed tradition that is accessible, theological, and pastoral. It's aimed at those who have a 'come-to-Calvin' moment from within other theological traditions (Smith was Pentecostal) but would benefit everyone.

  • Chosen by God and/or The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul. Sproul is simply the best at explaining complex theological concepts in an easy to understand manner. These are his two best books in my opinion, but anything he has written is worth a read.

  • The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. This is a satirical work where Lewis describes temptation from the vantage point of a junior and senior demon. The discription may sound odd, but it is full of insights into the state of mankind. Given your comments about temptation, I'd call this one a must read. Lewis was a master communicator, consider Mere Christianity as well.

  • Deep Down Faith by Cornelius Plantinga. This one is a devotional aimed at young adults, but an excellent explanation of Reformed Faith. Highly recommended.

  • Knowing God by J.I Packer - This is a classic book that, in the words of Elizabeth Elliot, "puts the hay where the sheep can reach it--plainly shows us ordinary folks what it means to know God." I don't know that there are many books that every Christian needs to read, but this one is definitely on the list.

    Lastly, I'd encourage you to read through some of the Reformed Confessions. Begin with the Heidelberg Catechim and the Belgic Confession. If you want a more modern approach, I'd encourage you to also read the Christian Reformed Church's Contemporary Testimony Our World Belongs To God, too.
u/abend954 · 1 pointr/Christianity

A couple of thoughts:


You say that you have been feeling depressed. Depression is anger turned inward generally expressed by feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. The truth is that you are helpless. We all are. We can do nothing outside of God and that’s a good thing. Most people are forever worrying about the future: something that is impossible to predict or prevent. Think of all the energy that we waste worrying about things that almost never happen. As for hopelessness, place your hope in God. This does not mean that God is going to make everything in your life painless. We are told that there will be tribulation in our lives. But even in times of tribulation you can be certain that God is with you. Trust in Him even when what is happening to us seems “bad”.


You say that you don’t understand the workings of God. Join the club. No mere mortal can understand the workings of an all-powerful, all-knowing God. We can only see but a small fraction of reality that is happening right before us at this very minute. Trusting God during times of uncertainty is called faith.


You ask why others “move on to what appears to be a much happier life? Why is it that I am left in the shadows, while everyone continues to move on, thrive/flourish?” We are told not to judge others. Most people believe that simply means not to condemn others for their sins. I would maintain that God commands us not to judge others at all. Don’t judge (or place on a pedestal) those who APPEAR to have it all together. They wear the right clothes, drive the right cars, say the right things, smile and seem happy. Do you know that they are? Do you know what’s in their hearts? Do you know that they are happy? Content? Only God knows what’s in a man’s heart. Everything else is just illusions that we create to try to convince people that we are somebody else.


You say that you are “surrounded more than ever by people who are controlling.” No you’re not. The only person who can control you is the person that you ALLOW to control you.


I’d like to recommend a book that I recently read (for the second time). http://www.amazon.com/Shack-Special-Hardcover-William-Young/dp/0964729245/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1288888492&sr=1-1 . More than any other, this book has really changed my view of God, how He works, and my relationship with Him. After you have read it, you will understand when I tell you that God is especially fond of you.

u/Underthepun · 4 pointsr/Catholicism

He's good but no way I am I going to recommend him to someone new to philosophy. I actually really like Fr. Spitzer's The Souls Upward Yearning for a good holistic approach for intellectually approaching God. He uses anthropology, literature, and a few philosophical arguments to build a very convincing picture of why God is more likely than not. David Bentley Hart's The Experience of God is very good as well. While Anglican, I find C.S. Lewis to be very enjoyable and persuasive as well, so you should definitely check out The Screwtape Letters and The Abolition of Man.

But don't just read philosophy all day either or you will want to claw your eyes out. There's Catholic literature that did as much to shore up my faith than any argument. The best two are J.R.R Tolkiens The Silmarillion and Dante's Divine Comedy. A great book by a Russian orthodox author that came out last year is Laurus.

u/blackstar9000 · 3 pointsr/books

Robert Graves' 2 volume The Greek Myths is comprehensive, but there's a catch: Graves has arranged and chosen his version of the myths in order to facilitate a kind of narrative continuity that's not particularly true to the way that the Greeks understood their myths. Karl Kerenyi and Carl Kerenyi's The Greek Gods and The Greek Heroes are closer to the source material, and will give you a better sense of the variety and disagreements involved. Ultimately, though, it's a matter of preference: Do you want narrative sweep, or fidelity to tradition?

Alternately, you could go back to the sources themselves. Ovid's Metamorphoses is basically a treasury of Greco-Roman myth. Again, there's a catch: Ovid's theme is that of things transforming into something else (hence the title), so there's a definite bias in favor of myths that suit that motif. That said, Ovid is also as close as you're going to get to the original form of a lot of Greco-Roman myths, so it's hard to go wrong there.

If you really want to do some heavy lifting on the Greco-Roman myths, get a copy of Pausanius' Guide to Greece, Vol. I and Vol. II. This is basically a travelogue of Greece, written for the Roman Emperor, and it lists in detail most of the locations associated with Greek myths and legends, and gives some detail on most of the lesser known ones. There's a lot to sift through here, and you'll probably want to have an Atlas of the Ancient World on hand to get a sense of where he's talking about at any given time, so I definitely don't recommend starting out here, but if you're looking for really in-depth source material, this is the place to go.

For the Norse myths, there's the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, as well as a slew of sagas that are worth looking into. On of the most famous is certainly The Nibelungenlied, on which Wagner based his [Ring Cycle]() (you know, "Ride of the Valkyries," and all that), which was the basis for much of Lord of the Rings. Personally, my favorite of the sagas I've read so far is the Volsungs.

For the Sumerians, the obvious starting point is Gilgamesh. Our sources are pretty fragmented, and there are editions that reflect that fragmentation, but for pure readability, I suggest the Herbert Mason retelling. Or, if you're really into it, get both and compare. The go-to author for Sumerian myth and religion in general is Samuel Noah Kramer; his book Sumerian Mythology is as good a general survey as you're likely to find, particularly if you're interested in the archeological method behind our knowledge of the Sumerians.

What else? For the Egyptians, E. A. Budge is your man. Dover Books in general has a good series of older, public domain works on mythology, including books on Japanese and Chinese mythology. I wish I had some sources to give you on meso-American or African myth, but those are areas of inquiry I'm just delving into myself. But then, you're probably overwhelmed as it is.

Good luck.

u/Amator · 1 pointr/JordanPeterson

Hello, I'm a bit late to this parade (I just heard Dr. Peterson's podcast with Joe Rogan yesterday) but I wanted to weigh in here.

There are a lot of good sources from a variety of Christian viewpoints. Many of the ones already listed are very good, but I don't see anything from my own particular version of Christianity (Eastern Orthodoxy), so I wanted to suggest two resource for you from that perspective as well as another from C.S. Lewis whose words are held dear by most Christians.



The first is a lecture by Fr. John Behr, the current dean of St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary. He holds Masters of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford University. This one is on YouTube and is 1.5 hours in length. It is called Death, the Final Frontier.There are a couple of minutes of fluff at the beginning but it starts to really roll into something I think Jordan Peterson fans would enjoy at the 3-minute mark. It is ostensibly about death, but it is a great critique of modern western culture viewed through the lens of liturgical Christianity.

This second is a recording of a lecture provided by a former dean of the same seminary that I think cuts to the heart of what Christianity actually means. It is called "The Word of the Cross" by Rev. Dr. Thomas Hopko and is around two hours total and has been broken into four individual sections by an Orthodox podcast publisher:
Part 1
[Part 2] (http://www.ancientfaith.com/specials/hopko_lectures/the_word_of_the_cross_part_2)
Part 3
Part 4

Lastly, I would direct you toward the writings of C.S. Lewis. When I was a young teenage atheist, his arguments were very persuasive for me and have been very popular amongst most Christians. I know many Protestants, Orthodox, and Catholics who have all found their first theological footing in Lewis' work. Mere Christianity is probably the best source to steer you toward, but I think his best ideas can be found in The Abolition of Man, The Great Divorce, and Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold. Since you've professed a preference for audio content, I will point you toward a YouTube playlist of the series of BBC radio broadcast lectures that C.S. Lewis gave during WWII that were the core of what later became Mere Christianity.

I'm tempted to also suggest that you read Thomas Merton, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Kirkegaard, Dostoyevsky, St. John Chrysostom, St. Thomas Aquinas, and many, many others. Enjoy your journey!

u/howbadcanIbe · 1 pointr/RandomActsofMakeup

woohoo! Congratulations Violincellist. I used to wonder why people always thanked me when I held a contest, but I get it now that I have been around longer. So thank you.

And what a great thread to save in order to find books to read! I'm always looking for something new. The Red Tent because a friend said it was really good. I'm not sure her and I have the same idea of good when it comes to reading, but I'm pretty eclectic so I gave it a go. Haven't made it far yet, but I thought I'd share regardless :)

u/adpsih · 3 pointsr/TrueAskReddit

Quick answer: Mixed reality/vr overlays. Read Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge to get a taste (the book is prophetic in that regard).

Longer answer: The internet won't go away, just like travel by train or ship hasn't gone away, but it will change. It will still be there as a baseline of "this is where you go to get information quickly" but the way you interact with it will be completely different. The "revolution" will require several key technologies, all of which are already possible or in development.

1- Ubiquitous WiFi or equivalent. I'm talking free, fast, reliable internet service, everywhere. Google is doing this right now in the US, and many countries (ie: Japan) are already way ahead of the US in that regard.

2- Miniaturization. Things will get really small, like nano scale, and that will allow the below technologies to become reality.

3- VR Augmented Reality Overlays. This is a google glass type technology but taken further. Miniaturized to the form of contacts. Flexible displays at the next level. Complete visual reality overlay with gesture controls as well as voice commands. On mobile atm, so can't look it up, but There's a company already out there making a gesture control input device in the form of a band that goes on your forearm and reads your muscle movements. Combine that with glass and you have a very early version of what I'm talking about.

4- Wearable computers. Again google glass, but woven into your clothing. I'm sure there will be plenty of companies trying to market "smart clothing" as a selling point. These will be able to act as a personal health assistant as well as provide more computational horsepower if needed, though at that point you will likely have the whole of the "internet" to help you compute anything you want, doing away with the need for a personal computer that does everything. Moreover, these will provide context for OTHER people wearing their displays to get information about you. Privacy issues abound, of course.

These technologies combined will completely reshape the way we interact with computers, the internet and each other. Entire new fields of entertainment will be created. New communication tools unheard of will come to exist. Cell phones will be as foreign as 8-tracks. PCs as archaic as gramophones. Hell, even the way we travel, work, meet friends will change. If you have the ability to see/hear everything as if you were actually there, why leave your house to visit Rome? New York? Tokyo? Mars? Why physically commute to work? Conference calls are cute and all, but how about having everyone that needs to be in a meeting face to face with each other regardless of what continent they're on? Hey! Nine Inch Nails is coming out of retirement for the 5th time! One show, in Barcelona. Venue holds only 500. But that's ok, cause the live link will be able to hold the other 10 million as if they were right there at the front row. Convenience fees might still apply though.

That's just the surface of what I can think of, and there's plenty more that will happen that I can't think of.

EDIT: Added links and fixed grammar/spelling.

u/mswilso · 3 pointsr/Bible

My favorite is a bit odd. I love the story of Hosea.

You have to read between the lines quite a bit, but God calls Hosea, a holy prophet, to marry a prostitute. He's thinking, OK, God, but I'm gonna have to make sure it's you first...lol.

So he marries Gomer, and they have a couple of kids. The way the Hebrew reads, the first is probably his, but the second, there is no mention of his being involved.

Then they split up. She could not remain faithful to him. Time goes by. Eventually he's going to the market, and there he sees her: on the auction block being sold as a slave.

God tells him to "buy back" his wife, and command her to live with him and him only from that point on.

The whole scenario is an analogy of Israel's relationship with God, and deeper than that, our relationship with God. We are, and have been unfaithful to God, repeatedly, and sold into slavery to sin. But God, through Jesus, bought us back to be faithful to Him.

It's a wonderful love story, and a great Biblical lesson. I love it.

There is a fictional re-telling of it by Francine Rivers, called "Redeeming Love" available at Amazon. I have not been paid for this endorsement...:)

u/fleydon · 1 pointr/AskReddit

All these other very worthy suggestions would fill in the time nicely and provide many hours of enjoyment but I was just thinking about those books that stuck in my mind as being just a bit different. Could be the age I was or the place I was in my life but I think I'd be happy to pick all of the following for a sojourn on a desert island
The Collected Tales - Nikolai Gogol. Surreal, humorous, short story supremo, I'm especially fond of The Nose!
Frankenstein - Mary Shelly. You think you know the story. Think again.
A Rebours - Huysmans. Decadance defined.
Maiden Voyage - Denton Welch. Great observational writing from a tragically short life
The Samurai - Shusaku Endo. Duty and honour strained for a lost cause.
The Complete Sherlock Holmes - A. Conan Doyle. Because every home should own one and the mix of short stories and novels are perfect for long flights.
There are more of course but the real joy is in coming across your own favourites, not other peoples so be brave!

u/trexinanf14 · 1 pointr/Christianity

I would absolutely agree on the NIV as a good general purpose bible, however there are some alternatives out there depending on what you are looking for. I would highly recommend either The Book of God by Walter Wangerin or The Message by Eugene Peterson, both of which are a re-imagining (read: they should not be used as a reference!) of the biblical stories, the former as a novel and the latter as a bible where the stories are told using language you or I would.

I also greatly support using a study bible, the good ones will give helpful context or reference to the stories you read, or you can just go all the way academic and grab a copy of the Oxford Annotated Bible (but from the sounds of it you wouldn't want that).

Although workingmouse, I would disagree that the KJV is the go-to bible these days for protestants, largely for the reasons you gave. Speaking of definitely not kosher, has anyone read the book Lamb? It's a pretty humorous read, but you really need to be ready to hold nothing sacred for a few hundred pages. =)

Good luck in your search OP!

u/sdgfunk · 1 pointr/AMA

I always recommend books. Scroll down for four book recommendations.

Can you make time to meet with your pastor?
Could you email, or phone-video-chat?

One of my favorite prayers is from Mark 9:24 when a parent frantically brings his son to Jesus for healing and cries out, "Lord, I believe. Help me in my unbelief!"
You are not alone in having a crisis of faith. But go through, don't stop. Do participate in the life of the church -- not just the worship service but study and service as well. Do repeat that Mark 9:24 prayer -- put it on a mental loop.

I'm also happy to keep on talking.
Now the books:

Lately I've been recommending Joshua Ryan Butler's The Pursuing God, as he re-frames the story of God interacting with people.

I also appreciate how William Young deals with belief in The Shack.

Perhaps my strongest recommendation for you at this time: Girl Meets God: On the Path to a Spiritual Life

One other recommendation, a memoir from a British satirist named Tony Hendra, Father Joe: The Man Who Saved My Soul.

u/IRedditbe4 · 2 pointsr/Christianity

We all have doubts. It's part of being human and being a Christian. As you mentioned you are still looking for truth and are open to the idea of theism. I would just recommend a few books for reading that are great intellectual reading about the subject. That being: The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism and The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus
as well as anything by CS Lewis notably [Mere Christianity] (http://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christianity-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652926/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425281260&sr=1-1&keywords=mere+christianity+cs+lewis) and Screwtape Letters.

All the best in finding truth friend, and although you may doubt Him (even as Apostles, greatest evangelists, martyrs, missionaries also did) I would not advise ruling out Christ just yet.

u/The_Pink_Fink · 1 pointr/conspiracy_commons

On one hand, I think you have experienced one or two unique coincidences and then your mind came up with this idea. Now, you have latched on to it and are subconciously looking to confirm it. I recommend you read "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin DeBecker, which will help you be more perceptive to details you may be overlooking, in this situation and others.

On the second hand, there is no technology whereby a person's thoughts can be seen or read. Only yourself and your Creator know your thoughts. Fallen angels may be able to as well. They can certainly influence your thoughts and are keenly sensitive to a human's reactions and are able to interpret them and predict behavior correctly. There exists overwhelming evidence to demonstrate the connection between world leaders and occultic behaviors.

Perhaps this is the beginning of an active campaign wherein the deep state, working with demonic forces, are seeking to create fear and the belief in their all-knowing, all powerfulness -the result being that people are fearful of standing up for what is right. Consider this scenario: You are watching YT, some video about girls dancing. Halfway through the video you are reminded by one girl's pink leotard that you saw a cute pair of pink earrings you think your girlfriend may like, in the store two days ago. The demon which has been following you around and saw you looking at them is the one who put the thought into your mind. He communicates this thought to another demon an hundred miles away, who is sitting unseen on a YT server somewhere. This demon manipulates the data stream so the next video that pops up is one about pink jewelry. Along this line of seemingly crazy and absurd thinking, let me also recommend you read the excellent novels by Frank Peretti: "This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness" -both of which do a great job fleshing out the battles and shenanigans which go unseen, everyday.

u/Lunar3 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I love The chronicles of Narnia, because it is mesmerizing,pack full of adventure & a childhood favorite of mine.

I have been wanting Grimms fairy tales it would be interesting to read the Grimm versions.

I love Anne Rice so I have Merrick on my wishlist.

Thanks for the fun contest!

u/otterarch · 10 pointsr/books

I really liked The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. It may not be what you're looking for because 1) the story involves humans making contact with aliens on their planet, rather than the other way 'round and 2) the outreach mission is run by the Jesuits, so the initial motivation for contact is religious as well as scientific, and so discussion of religious issues arises here and there.

All of that aside, it's a great book and it really gets at the assumptions we tend to make about alien life. The characters in the book make a lot of assumptions about the aliens, and the results are shocking and unexpected. It's more about change on individual level, rather than societal - but definitely worth a read.

The Catholic Church figures pretty heavily into the story, but doesn't come out looking all that great. It's not really a "pro-organized religion" sort of book.

u/isestrex · 5 pointsr/Narnia

Firstly, you should know that the current method of publication is to place the books in chronological order instead of original released order. This is generally regarded by Narnia fans as an inferior introduction to the series. If you are going to read the series for the first time, I highly recommend you read them in original release order, and finding a set that is congruent with that is difficult.

Secondly, I do not think there have been any "handsome" hardcover releases akin to the newer LOTR or even some of the "adult bindings" for Harry Potter. I wish there were.

Do not get this version. It's all 7 books in one binding. It's "out of order", and it's just not a comfortable read. It is the easiest to find however.

This publication is the last to use the correct order. But they are paperback and can only be found used and thus would be hard to find in good condition. Most of us Narnia fans would give a nostalgic recommendation for this version, but that doesn't mean it's the best for you today.

If you go to Narnia's official site you can see everything they offer now. It looks like you can by decent looking hardcovers individually (not in box set) or you can buy a few paperback box sets. All of these would be labeled in a newer chronological (and not recommended) order, but are probably the best way to go.

u/MrCompassion · 129 pointsr/books

Use of Weapons and, everything else by Iain M. Banks. Amazing stuff. Trust me.

The Blade Itself and the rest of that series by Joe Abercrombie.

Altered Carbon and the rest of that series as well as Thirteen and The Steel Remains, and it's sequel (still waiting on book 3) by Richard K. Morgan. He's pretty amazing.

That would keep you busy for a long time and are all pretty amazing. Seconding Dune, which is amazing, and the Name of the Wind which is great but very popcorn.

But really, if you were to read everything by Iain M. Banks you would be a better person.

Edit: The Sparrow

u/netsettler · 2 pointsr/scifi

It always surprises me how The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell has slipped under the radar of many. It's intense in places but extraordinarily well-written. It has a sequel that's not nearly as good (probably due to a publisher urging a rush job), but overall this is an amazing book. It's my number one favorite book, not just sci-fi book, for a variety of reasons. Very thoughtful, very vivid characters, very interesting descriptive detail. So realistic in places it almost doesn't feel like sci-fi.

I enjoyed Ascent by Jed Mercurio a lot. The opening chapter is more violent than I wish. I almost stopped reading, worrying the whole book would be that way, but it lightens up. The first chapter can, frankly, pretty much be skipped by anyone who doesn't like that kind of thing. The rest of the story was much more even and interesting. I have a feeling when I see the upcoming Apollo 18, if I even bother (I'm expecting bad reviews), I'm going to wish it was this story instead.

u/tanadrin · 5 pointsr/books

Philip Larkin, for one.

>They fuck you up, your mum and dad.

>They may not mean to, but they do.

>They fill you with the faults they had

> And add some extra, just for you.
>
>But they were fucked up in their turn

> By fools in old-style hats and coats,

>Who half the time were soppy-stern

> And half at one another's throats.
>
>Man hands on misery to man.

> It deepens like a coastal shelf.

>Get out as early as you can,

> And don't have any kids yourself.

Just by way of example. I also highly recommend T.S. Eliot (The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is a good introduction; The Waste Land is somewhat harder, but well worth it) and Ezra Pound.

Also not a waste of your time: Wilfred Owen (specifically, "Three rompers run together hand in hand"; helps if you know he wrote his poetry while fighting in World War I, and eventually died in that war), Thomas Wyatt ("Whoso list to hunt," and pretty much all his sonnets; a little biographical research also makes his poetry more rewarding, but it also stands well on its own), the Fitzgerald "translation" of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, the poetry of Li Po (also spelled Li Bai) if you want to broaden your horizons outside English stuff. If you're not sure the poetry of someone who's been dead for 1200 years has much to offer you, consider this:

>Alone on Jian-Ting
>
>The birds take wing and fade away;

>The last cloud slowly disappears;

>We watch each other, the mountain and I,

>Until only the mountain remains.

And this is stuff you'll probably hate but that I will mention anyway because I like them and they are awesome: the Andrew George translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh (because it's excellent, and not one of those interminably dull prose translations; seriously, why the fuck do people find prose translations of verse acceptable?), and Gawain and the Green Knight (I recommend an edition that has the original Middle English side by side with the Modern English, or even better, a Middle English copy with a gloss of the difficult vocabulary in the margin).

EDIT: While I'm on the subject of translations and editions for poetry (but also literature in general): there are a lot of bad translations out there. The less well-known the language is, generally, the worse the average standard. The key, I have often found, are editions that come with a lot of additional scholarly errata, which are usually useful in providing context and additional insight. Penguin Classics editions are usually fantastic (this is how I found both the Andrew George translation of The Epic of Gilgamesh, which is still one of my favorite books of all time, and a fantastic copy of Njal's Saga, which, although somewhat outside the scope of your original request being longish prose rather than poetry, is highly entertaining and you should check it out), and when I go to the bookstore these days I tend to be awed by the broad range of texts they cover. Norton anthologies are also excellent.

If you want a range of poetry to survey and find what you like, my brother swears by the Penguin Book of English Verse.

u/Sometimes_Lies · 1 pointr/civ

Welcome :)

Can't legally link the full book, but I'm sure your library has (or can get) a copy. I believe the book was The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.

The story you talked about sounds pretty interesting. Sometimes I'm tempted to read OSC's fiction that people observe(/complain) is just thinly veiled Mormon cosmology, because it sounds interesting, but I don't think I can stomach reading any of his books anymore now that I know a bit more about him as a person. Kind of sad.

u/gotcatstyle · 1 pointr/ifyoulikeblank

I really loved The Poisonwood Bible. And she wrote The Invention of Wings too, right?

Check out The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. It's science fiction, but written beautifully and the focus is on humanity and characterization, not "beep boop robots aliens" haha. This book really stuck with me after reading it, in the same way the Kingsolver novels did.

Also check out The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea. It's a semi-fictionalized account of the life of Teresita Urrea, and is also absolutely wonderful and will stick with you.

u/sports__fan · 2 pointsr/books

Have the read The Inferno by Dante? That will knock your socks off. I recommend the Ciardi translation as he provides helpful plot summaries before each Canto and notes after. Both of which are necessary for anyone unfamiliar with the work to truly appreciate and understand its brilliance.

u/AySeeEm · 9 pointsr/theology

I would say no. There is no Biblical support for the fact that he can (or can't) listen to prayers. However, even if he can hear your prayers, there isn't really much that he could do about it as God is infinitely more powerful than Satan.

If you want an interesting take on the subject, you should check out the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. It's been a while since I've read them, and I don't remember if Lewis asserts demons can hear prayers or not, but it is a fascinating and wonderful look at demons and what they do.

u/God_loves_redditors · 1 pointr/Christianity

Me too :) In a way we already have Biblical proof of aliens. If we define alien as another created species from somewhere other than earth possessing sentience, then what are angels if not aliens?

Also, if you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend CS Lewis' space trilogy. It's a series of fiction books where he explores the ideas of other planets and alien species created by God :)

Out of the Silent Planet

Perelandra

That Hideous Strength

u/tinlo · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

If you liked the Ender universe, try the offshoot series for Ender and Bean. Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide and Children of the Mind are more philosophical and deal with Ender coming to terms with killing all the Formics. Everything after Ender's Shadow follows Bean and the other Battle School kids as the world superpowers try to achieve global domination after the Formic War, it's more about military and political strategy. They're both great, but very different.

For something new, check out Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow and its sequel, Children of God. Here's the Publishers Weekly description of The Sparrow:

An enigma wrapped inside a mystery sets up expectations that prove difficult to fulfill in Russell's first novel, which is about first contact with an extraterrestrial civilization. The enigma is Father Emilio Sandoz, a Jesuit linguist whose messianic virtues hide his occasional doubt about his calling. The mystery is the climactic turn of events that has left him the sole survivor of a secret Jesuit expedition to the planet Rakhat and, upon his return, made him a disgrace to his faith. Suspense escalates as the narrative ping-pongs between the years 2016, when Sandoz begins assembling the team that first detects signs of intelligent extraterrestrial life, and 2060, when a Vatican inquest is convened to coax an explanation from the physically mutilated and emotionally devastated priest. A vibrant cast of characters who come to life through their intense scientific and philosophical debates help distract attention from the space-opera elements necessary to get them off the Earth.

Oh, and I almost forget, the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin is so freaking amazing. If you want a new fictional universe to explore, this is it. Well written, ridiculous plot twists, tons of interesting and unique characters that you hate with a passion until you read the chapter written from their point of view, then you fall in love with them. I watched the first two episodes of Game of Thrones before deciding I wanted to read the books first. I stayed up way later than I planned to because I just had to read the next chapter, then the next, then the next book, until I'd read all five in no time and might read them again because I'm addicted to the characters and universe. It's just such rich content that you'll find yourself flipping back and forth to re-read different parts. You won't regret it.

u/capitalchick · 11 pointsr/The100

Thanks so much for putting this together! So much great info came out of this con!!

*possible spoiler - do not click on link below if you don’t want to know a big picture possibility about where the show may be headed***

For those interested, a fan overheard the book that JRoth apparently gave to Bob for season 6 and it is this.

u/tiraid · 3 pointsr/oculus

I think this is AR. Augmented Reality only replaces things you don't like. You want to keep the drink? Keep it. You want to keep the toilet? Great, but maybe alter it to look... cleaner (eww). Keep the window because the sunlight is nice, but give yourself a better view.
If you keep anything from reality, then it is AR, not VR (which is total replacement).
Just read Rainbows End.

u/sudynim · 2 pointsr/Catholicism

Not exactly about this guy, but I've found out that he was the source material for The Samurai by Shusaku Endo. I had heard about this book before, but am now even more interested to read knowing there was a real-life inspiration for the novel.

u/MapleLeafEagle · 2 pointsr/Reformed

If you're in for some fiction I recommend The Brothers Karamazov which is a classic read and highly influenced by Dostoevsky's faith. Laurus by Eugene Vodolazkin is a short, modern work and also a great work of fiction influenced by faith.

u/araquen · 5 pointsr/booksuggestions

Edith Hamilton is always a good primer, though you should realize she sanitizes the source http://www.amazon.com/Mythology-Edith-Hamilton-ebook/dp/B00852YXU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414360728&sr=8-1&keywords=edith+hamilton Still, not a bad option, my Mythology class in College used this book.

Robert Graves is also a decent introduction: http://www.amazon.com/The-Greek-Myths-Complete-Edition/dp/0140171991/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1414360818&sr=8-2&keywords=Robert+Graves+Greek+Myths

Finally, you can't go wrong with Bullfinch http://www.amazon.com/Bulfinchs-Mythology-Modern-Library-Bulfinch-ebook/dp/B000FC1H50/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414360874&sr=1-1&keywords=bullfinch%27s+mythology Even my grandmother, who was off-the-boat from Greece had a copy of Bullfinch's Mythology.

There are other books, of course, but these should give you a good starting point.

I am curious to see any other suggestions. My library could use a refresh. ;-)

u/grogz · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

> I also want actual english poem collections too


this is the only part where I can help. I suggest The Penguin Book of English Verse (don't be put off by the average rating, many reviews are just against the lack of an index in the kindle version).

It's a very wisely chosen and various collection of poems ranging from 1300 to 1994 and sorted by date rather than by author - so you can dive in a certain period if you feel like it, or just read in a sequence and see how the language and the themes evolved. I've been perusing it for months and I keep on finding gems inside.

It's pretty cheap too.

u/Chelle-Dalena · 7 pointsr/Catholicism

Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C.S. Lewis is his most underrated and best work, in my opinion. I'm glad this was on the list. This is, and always will be, on my list of all-time favorite books.

u/PathlessNomad · 3 pointsr/oculus

I really liked Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge:
http://www.amazon.com/Rainbows-End-Vernor-Vinge/dp/0812536363/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456942139&sr=1-1&keywords=rainbows+end

More AR than VR, but except for the input method which is a little glossed over, the tech seems more plausible every year.

If you like that, his Zones of Thought books are amazing.

u/phunkyvida · 2 pointsr/suggestmeabook

Not sure if these are appropriate, or if she's read these already but here's a few off the top of my head:

u/peakman2 · 0 pointsr/Civcraft

If you're into Sci-fi type books, you should check out The Sparrow. Easily one of my favorites that draws on philosophy, religion, linguistics, space travel, and more.

There was a follow-up called "Children of God" which I'd recommend if you like the first one.

u/doctor_x · 3 pointsr/scifi

Even the greatest futurists have had a poor success rate predicting what's to come. Gibson's stories have held up pretty well, all things considered.

If you haven't already, I recommend reading the brilliant, Rainbows End by Verner Vinge. It came out in 2007, but already seems eerily prophetic. I'll be very curious to revisit it in ten years.

u/not_irish_patrick · 1 pointr/TrueChristian

Fiction: Laurus is a great story about God using a sinner to do good things.

Saint: I can think of two off the top of my head.

Mary of Egypt

Moses the Black

u/twacorbies · 3 pointsr/todayilearned

There are some books like this, you can check amazon books by story character (say Esther or David) or you can check out the bible as a novel--which is fairly well written. I read it before I became an atheist. Ezekiel is the best chapter though.

u/improbablesalad · 1 pointr/Catholicism

Yeah, it's too wacky for analogies.

I haven't read it, but I hear that https://www.amazon.com/Redeeming-Love-Francine-Rivers/dp/1590525132 is a pretty interesting "modern" retelling of the book of Hosea.

u/wormholetoVega · 1 pointr/Christianity

I'm taking the assumption that God exists. I can grant that goodness has a transcendent source, and personally my own moral ideals are mostly derived from Christianity. But evil seems to be more parsimoniously understood as the simple absence of good, and given the evidence of history I see no personal reason to believe that there is no grand conspiracy of evil beyond human imperfection and natural chaos and entropy (which I agree isn't in nature's vocabulary, though it seems to be from a Christian perspective).

>Please explain how you know this.

This is more my own intuition than anything, but ever since high school what I've learned about human societies seem to tell me that any belief expressed by a large enough population will be taken to the extreme. I feel like, to some degree, the inherent goodness or badness of beliefs can then be determined from how they play out. Christianity as a whole produces great evils, but it's also done much good, so it can be said to be benign (especially given how broad a tradition it is). Belief in spiritual warfare and the worldview of a demonic conspiracy to me seems to lead to Satanic Panic, overzealous exorcisms, Salem, and paranoid Frank Peretti novels more than anything good. Even if we believe that Jesus is already victorious.

Anyways. I know it doesn't play out like that for many individuals. But it does for many others.

>I thought no Bible?

This sentence doesn't make any sense. What were you trying to say?

u/g4m3k33p3r · 2 pointsr/books

Here's a small list of easily accessible sci-fi that had me hooked to the genre. They are, in my humble opinion, some of the greatest books/authors of the genre.

Stranger in a Strange Land (Robert Heinlein)

A Deepness in the Sky

Rainbows End (both by Vernor Vinge)

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Philip K. Dick)

They also all appear to be available for your Kindle.

u/mdc124 · 8 pointsr/printSF

Lilith's Brood, by Octavia Butler, previously published as The Xenogenesis Trilogy. Excellent sf!

ETA: The Sparrow and its sequel Children of God, by Mary Doria Russell. I know I keep mentioning this book, but it's that good!

u/edheler · 4 pointsr/preppers

The list was too long to fit into a self-post, here is the continuation.

Prolific Authors: (5+ Books)

u/the-bicycle-thief · 1 pointr/atheism

check out this book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Sparrow-Mary-Doria-Russell/dp/0449912558/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341599508&sr=8-1&keywords=the+sparrow+russell

it's fiction, but the author does a good job of considering this question philosophically via empathy (the title ends up adding depth to a cliche christian sentiment in a way that was probably not intended, but is true nonetheless).

u/gadgetguy22 · 3 pointsr/scifi

First think that came to mind for me was Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow. Really quality stuff.

From Amazon (SPOILER ALERT): In 2019, humanity finally finds proof of extraterrestrial life when a listening post in Puerto Rico picks up exquisite singing from a planet which will come to be known as Rakhat. While United Nations diplomats endlessly debate a possible first contact mission, the Society of Jesus quietly organizes an eight-person scientific expedition of its own. What the Jesuits find is a world so beyond comprehension that it will lead them to question the meaning of being "human." When the lone survivor of the expedition, Emilio Sandoz, returns to Earth in 2059, he will try to explain what went wrong... Words like "provocative" and "compelling" will come to mind as you read this shocking novel about first contact with a race that creates music akin to both poetry and prayer.

u/namer98 · 1 pointr/Judaism

At that age, I was going to my shul's youth minyan. It ended early, and the Rabbi who led it read this book to us, and gave us prizes for remembering the stories. It was awesome.

u/Pizzapizzapocket · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Buying a book is not about obtaining a possession, but about securing a portal.

Used book: The Shack

Thanks for the contest!

u/Stormtalons · 0 pointsr/Christianity

I'm not sure if this is quite what you're looking for, but I would highly recommend The Screwtape Letters, by CS Lewis... it provides some of the most profound insight into the nature of sin, temptation, and the struggle for human souls that I know of. John Cleese does an astounding reading of it as well, which makes for even more enjoyable and engaging experience.

u/IbnEzra613 · 4 pointsr/AskBibleScholars

To be honest, it's not so easy to just pick up a Talmud and read it and get what's going on. It's primarily a legal text and the parts you'd find interesting are the occasional tangents it goes on, but even those are there to make a point about the law and are presented in the same argumentative style.

So you'd probably be more interested in an anthology of "Aggadot" ("tales"), such as this one (I have no idea whether that particular one is good or not, I just found it through a Google search, though the Amazon reviews are good).

u/CDBSB · 1 pointr/PostCollapse

Does "Patriots" get any love around here? The story is meh, but I appreciated a lot of the SHTF-planning ideas.

Link to book on Amazon

u/eghhge · 1 pointr/atheistvids

Check out the scifi novel "the Sparrow" by Mary Russell, tackles the religion in space dilemma, pretty good read too.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sparrow-Ballantine-Readers-Circle/dp/0449912558

u/SaveSaer · 4 pointsr/LightNovels

I don't really read enough mystery/thriller to give recommendations, but here are some Japanese "normal" books I recommend (all Amazon links):

Night on the Galactic Railroad
ICO: Castle in the Mist
The Book of Heroes
I Am a Cat
Silence
The Samurai
Kokoro

u/Eko_Mister · 1 pointr/books

Forever Peace - Haldeman

Book of The New Sun/Book of the Long Sun - Wolfe (this is a very rewarding story, but it requires commitment)

Never Let Me Go - Ishiguro

The Sparrow - Russell

Please be aware that these are all fairly dark. Maybe I'm soft, but The Sparrow was one of the roughest books I've read, from a psychological perspective.

u/OvidNaso · 3 pointsr/printSF

The Sparrow. Possibly my favorite book of all time. There is a sequel as well, Children of God.

u/Im_just_saying · 1 pointr/todayilearned

If you get a chance, read Shusaku Endo's The Samurai, which is a great novelization of this story.

u/apeacefulworld · 4 pointsr/suggestmeabook

You might like The Sparrow


I found it really compelling and thought provoking (though very dark at times!). It was a good balance of scifi and theology/philosophy.

u/kmduncan · 7 pointsr/tipofmytongue

^ This! It's based on A Prayer for Owen Meany if you're interested in reading the book...I highly recommend it!

u/ASnugglyBear · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Vinge has a series of earth novels (his space novels are the common "super hard scifi" people trot out).

http://www.amazon.com/Rainbows-End-Vernor-Vinge/dp/0812536363 and http://www.amazon.com/The-Peace-War-Vernor-Vinge/dp/0765308835 and http://www.amazon.com/Marooned-Realtime-Peace-Vernor-Vinge/dp/0765308843/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_y

(Those are all functionally a series, with strongly connected characters and stuff believe it or not)

u/bookishgeek · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

There is a used like new copy of this book for under $5!

scurvy thank you for holding this contest!

u/protagornast · 2 pointsr/changemyview

My wife continues to change my view on things at least on a weekly basis. It's one of the things I love most about her: we have very similar views on a lot of things, but even when we share the same view, she helps me to see a different side of things and to understand why other people might hold a different view.

The other day, I was reading The Shack and making fun of it for the clumsy dialogue, the weird way in which the main character seems to injure himself in every chapter, and the reasons why its answer to the problem of evil couldn't really resonate with people who had experienced certain types of suffering (natural disasters, for example). She laughed along with me but then pointed out that the first two chapters are actually the only ones in which Mack injures himself and asked me if I understood why the book was so popular and meaningful for a particular demographic of (mostly) American evangelical Christians, and I had to admit that I did understand. The thing is, she doesn't really like the book either, but she still helped me to appreciate it for what it is and to see it through other people's eyes.

u/barkappara · 1 pointr/Judaism

The English Sefer ha-Aggadah is my all-time favorite Jewish book. I also like Isaac Bashevis Singer and Agnon a lot.

u/moocow4 · 63 pointsr/technology

I highly recommend Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge if you are interested in this theme.

u/theriverrat · 1 pointr/Christianity

Just a side note, this theme is explored in Russel's novel, The Sparrow. The crew sent to the planet found with intelligent life include Jesuits.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Sparrow-Ballantine-Readers-Circle/dp/0449912558

u/5spoke_sportrims · 3 pointsr/DestinyTheGame

If I may add an extra layer to your observation: This book is about a group of people who find themselves in a first contact scenario based on a signal received at the Arecibo array. The book's title? The Sparrow.

I highly, highly recommend it - some of the most emotional sci-fi I've ever read.

u/demeteloaf · 13 pointsr/technology

Have you read Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge?

That's one of the major devices used in that book, and it's actually really well done and cool.

u/victorstanciu · 1 pointr/books

I liked Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse. It's written by the man behind http://www.survivalblog.com/, a survivalist himself, and he seems to know what he is talking about.

u/jsep · 2 pointsr/IAmA

Serious answer, if you're interested in a fictional exploration of that idea from a Catholic writer, I highly recommend The Sparrow. It's basically about First Contact from the lense of a Jesuit, and I found it extremely thought provoking.

u/Gingerblossom88 · 1 pointr/The100

Yikes I reeeeeeally hope they are not going the [hover for spoiler](/spoiler alien) route.... that's a big nope for me :/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sparrow_(novel)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review/0449912558/R1VLVTYCBFUYI/ref=cm_cr_dp_mb_rvw_1?ie=UTF8&cursor=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/review/0449912558/R346EEJCNWLWYG/ref=cm_cr_dp_mb_rvw_7?ie=UTF8&cursor=7

Edit: ok well I can't figure out how to properly hide what I am talking about but those who look up the plot of the book should know what I'm talking about.... going in that particular direction would really feel like jumping the shark for me and I'm not here for it :/

u/BIGREDjaw · 15 pointsr/books

I recommend this edition of the Inferno. John Ciardi does a wonderful translation. While not every stanza rhymes Ciardi manages to write with a similar iambic pentameter found in the original. At the end of each Canto ("Chapter") Ciardi includes footnotes for every word and reference the reader might not understand (I know I sure didn't) as well as summaries at the beginning of each Canto so you know exactly what the Hell you're reading.

u/tossinthetrash22 · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant is fantastic.

u/codyloyd · 1 pointr/Fantasy

I haven't read this though it has been recommended to me....

https://www.amazon.com/Book-God-Walter-Wangerin/dp/0310220211

It's very literally what you're asking for lol.

u/DJGravityThing · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Patriots - James Wesley Rawles

http://www.amazon.com/Patriots-Surviving-James-Wesley-Rawles/dp/156975599X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

It's definitely worth buying if you cannot find it at the library.

u/prudecru · 60 pointsr/Catholicism

Cool. Bit of advice though: in about a week or two you're probably going to come down off the emotional high and start to question it and then be tempted to conclude you were just being emotional.

Don't give it in to it. Pick up some religious books with substance in them. Just offhand, since it's sitting nearby, I would suggest The Screwtape Letters.

u/I_heart_b33r · 17 pointsr/Catholicism

I enjoyed reading The Screwtape Letters

u/carbonetc · 1 pointr/DebateAnAtheist

My favorite religiously-themed fiction book: The Sparrow

u/cH3x · 8 pointsr/preppers
u/yelland · 1 pointr/mythology

I have this and have found it useful

u/Tall_for_a_Jockey · 1 pointr/Advice

Read this, then this. Social skills are skills. You have to practice them to get good at them. Most people suck at listening. Every loves Owen Meanty, even though he was smaller than you are. You are going to learn how to listen...how to like people, or your life is going to be surprisingly frustrating. A vous...

u/deadtub · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

I believe that is the same version that I read, but my version didn't have the second two books in the trilogy. Here is the version I have: The Inferno (Signet Classics) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0451531396/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_WKYCAbM8M328J. If I had to bet, I would say that the version you linked has the chapter summaries as well.

u/hacksauce · 1 pointr/books

The Postman - David Brin

Dies the Fire- SM Stirling

I just finished reading Patriots, it was alright.

u/WaffleSandwhiches · 3 pointsr/creepy

If you like that style of scifi, Rainbow's End is sort of a similar concept about where wearable computing and Augmented Reality devices take us.

u/hardman52 · 4 pointsr/collapse

Sounds like a Patriots book report.

u/jones1618 · 2 pointsr/scifi

That would be fantastic but if Niven is dead set against video/film treatment, a great alternative (maybe even better) would be Vernor Venge's Rainbow's End) future where Augmented Reality (AR) hides and overlays layers of experiences over everyday life. Not only would it be a bit cheaper to produce than fully-immersive "Dream Park" environments, a series based on AR could readily explore that intersection of imagined and real worlds you talked about.

u/elucify · 1 pointr/IAmA

Does the name "Trappist" have anything to do with the science fiction novel "The Sparrow"? https://www.amazon.com/Sparrow-Novel-Ballantine-Readers-Circle/dp/0449912558

u/rob0tcore · 31 pointsr/languagelearning

Not really what you are looking for, but it is somewhat related and may be of interest to someone: The Penguin Book of English Verse is an anthology of poetry sorted chronologically, rather than by author.

The concept is that you can get a feeling of what kind of verse the public would hear/read and how the language and the themes would evolve as the years went on. But one could read it backwards by starting with contemporary poets and ending with the Middle English verse of 1300s (there are notes for the most difficult words).

u/brt25 · 25 pointsr/Christianity

The Great Divorce is one of my favorite books of all time, Lewis really had a insightful understanding of sin, and how temptation works on a person. Have you read his space trilogy? In the second book, Perelandra, he tells the story of Eve's temptation with such gripping detail I found it difficult to read, it was almost too real, too tragic. I highly recommend the whole series.

u/WideLight · 4 pointsr/Anthropology

Something similar, fictionally, is The Sparrow by Maria Doria Russell. She's an anthropologist, and the novel's contents are germane to your question (so as not to spoil anything). There's a sequel novel too but I haven't read it.

u/mlbontbs87 · 4 pointsr/Christianity

Jesus did not just take on a human shape when he came to earth - he became fully human. He is still fully human. A human cannot simply discard their flesh, because flesh is an essential component to humanity. In order to be human still, he must have flesh still.

>If he were to appear to another species elsewhere in the universe presumably he would use a body from their species...right?

There is no evidence that he ever does this, and so to comment on it would be pure speculation. However, if you want speculation on that very issue, check out C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy, specifically the second book, Perelandra. Essentially the thrust is that by becoming a man, the Lord forever marked man as the high mark of creation, and that anyone who knows the Lord would recognize that.

u/fosterwallacejr · 1 pointr/ifyoulikeblank

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russel

u/trfree8126 · 1 pointr/Christianity

Read The Shack, I could explain all day long my beliefs, doesn't mean they make sense to you or anyone else.

u/Cdresden · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

A Case of Conscience by James Blish and The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.

u/ciaoshescu · 7 pointsr/science

You should read The Sparrow by M.D. Russel. The book makes you think about self preservation of an ecosystem, not just a type of animal or plant.

u/HotBedForHobos · 7 pointsr/Catholicism

I know that there are sci-fi novels that deal with this, but I can't recall any at the moment except for The Sparrow.

EDIT: formatting and fixed link

u/TecnoPope · 1 pointr/JordanPeterson

Has anyone read The Screwtape Letters ? Ben Shapiro has been talking about it for a while.

u/cavehobbit · 6 pointsr/books

So far as higher-brow SciFi goes, try China Miéville, Paolo Bacigalupi and Catherynne Valente and Vernor Vinge

u/TsaristMustache · 3 pointsr/suggestmeabook

Take a look at the book The Sparrow

u/theselfescaping · 1 pointr/printSF

The Water Knife is about water shortages taken to their most severe possibilities in the Southwest.

I've talked with engineers and other professionals in different states who agree the worst-case scenarios are possible.

As recommended before, Rainbows End is also near-future, with more emphasis on technology, but with plausible developments and events that show both how fragile and interconnected the world is.

u/MatthewAlanThyer · 1 pointr/scifi

Oh Rainbow's End not Reading Rainbow's End. I think Vinge may be an acquired taste. When I read him it always feels like he's trying to provoke something from me. It's not subtle.

u/ovnem · 1 pointr/WritersGroup

The Sparrow. I loathed this book. Jesuits in space. However, I think it would be funny for those who got it.

u/mattculbreth · 1 pointr/scifi

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell goes into first contact material like Contact does, but (IMHO) it's much deeper and more thought provoking.

u/Alexandrite · 0 pointsr/AskReddit

The recent sci-fi book Rainbows End by Vinge deals with this issue. In it the protagonist awakens after being cured of his Alzheimer's disease. It is a terrible book though, but you can read a big chunk of it yourself here.

u/jamestream · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Well . . . if you're looking at a book simply as a collection of text, I too have never feared a line of text. What books allow, is a slow building of fear that require quite a bit of character development. I don't read horror novels waiting to be frightened, and truthfully read very little horror. The fear just happens. To be honest, it's a different type of fear - more of an uneasy feeling really. Certainly, a book can't have, what my son calls, "The scary jump out scenes". But if we exchange the term fear with edgy, here are a list of my favorite books with an "Edge":

[The Passage] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Passage-Novel-Book-Trilogy/dp/0345528174)
[The Terror] (http://www.amazon.com/Terror-Novel-Dan-Simmons/dp/0316008079/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404481514&sr=1-1&keywords=terror)
The Stand
Carrion Comfort
Desperation
I am Legend
The Sparrow
Night
Frankenstein
All Quite on the Western Front
Hunger
Blood Meridian
Watchers
The Minus Man

In no particular order - Not the usual suggestions either. Hope it helps, and happy reading!


u/PragmaticSquirrel · 1 pointr/JUSTNOMIL

Goddamn that sucks. I'm sorry :-(

I've heard the Red Tent is a great one!

u/JustToLurkArt · 1 pointr/Christianity

> I feel as if half of me wants these things and the other half despises them.



Join the club. It includes Paul, me and every other believer: "For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” (Romans 7:15)



The fact remains: we are in the world (material/carnal/flesh) but not of the world (immaterial/divine/souls).



> I am afraid my actions (sinning a lot) speak louder than my words.


Fear (e.g. “I am afraid”) is a product of too much emphasis on the Law and not enough on the Gospel. You’re stuck on keeping Commandments and earning good boy merits (grace) with God. That's exactly where the devil wants you. Our adversary (devil, Satan, Lucifer or whatever) would love nothing more than for every blood bought child of God to be scared, afraid and unsure of their salvation.




I recommend The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Your local library should have it if you don’t want to buy it. It’s a short read. It’s fictional satire about two demons and how they try to sabotage the faith of believers.

u/Evil_Superman · 24 pointsr/PostCollapse

Lucifers Hammer - Pre and post asteroid impact.

One Second After - Post EMP, this is well written but the setup is a little to perfect. If you're a dad you will probably cry.

Patriots - Post financial collapse. This one has a decent premise but parts of it are really bad. There is also at least one sequel/prequel/companion.

u/Capissen38 · 5 pointsr/singularity

You bring up an excellent point (and make a great case for land ownership!), and that is that actual physical space can't really be created, and will remain scarce, insofar as Earth has a fixed surface area. If the scenario I described above came to pass, though, would any landlords come looking for rent? Would any governments levy taxes? If no one needs cash and everyone has pretty much everything provided for them, all but the most stubborn landlords won't have any reason to give a hoot. I suspect government would take longer to die out, since it may still be needed to enforce laws, judge disputes, provide safety, etc. It's not hard to imagine a world even further down the line, however, when technology has advanced to the point where humans can't realistically do much damage to one another.

Edit: If you're really into this, I'd suggest reading some singularity-esque literature such as Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (novella), Rainbows End (novel), and The Singularity is Near (speculative nonfiction to be taken with a grain of salt).