Illusions. Surely a diamond chip in a crate of dull brown soil. This is
an all time favourite and the only book I can think of that I'd want to
read again. Each short chapter hits you like a Zen koan, forcing you to
lay the book down, thumb between the pages, ruminating on a message so
expertly put. It will make you laugh, ponder and has the power to change
your life! No kidding, go read the reviews.
A friend enthusiastically told me I should read this book, and when
I did it hit me like an axe ripping through my hemispheres, causing
an explosion in my cerebral cortex and sending shockwaves that would
affect me for years to come, as I wrestled with a flurry of ideas that
exponentially opened up in me and caused the biggest mind-fuck imaginable.
I recommend this book for any young and aspiring would-be philosopher.
The Nicholas Linnear novels by Eric Van Lustbader.
Show me the cheesiest kung-fu movie as a kid and I'd love it. I started
reading these books at school and over the years feel like I've grown
up with the central character: Nicholas Linnear. He begins to take on
superhuman abilities, like wrestling crocodiles, in one of the books,
which somewhat spoils it (an Amazon review says he dodges rocket propelled
grenades in another). But what a role-model. Kung-fu master, real life
Ninja and super-cool in all situations.
A few years ago in a chatroom, a stranger beeped me with a private
message. He mentioned something crypic about the books. I didn't make
the connection at first, until he spelled out the blindingly obvious:
I was using the nickname 'dorokusai', taken from one of the books (which
I later found had the unfortunate translation of 'stinking mud', and
worse, people would shorten it to dorkusai) and he'd recognised it.
He told me about 3 more books in the set, and now, several years after
that conversation, and more than 10 years after I first picked up the
Ninja, I've finally bought those final 3 books and am having a right
old romp catching up with my hero.
Catch Me if You Can by Frank W Abagnale.
Loved reading the adventures of the young Abagnale.
Way of the Tiger by Mark Smith and Jamie Thomson.
Oh, my heart palpitates with excitement as I reminisce these kung-fu
books. Another innocent day at school many, many years ago, and my friend,
Daniel, pulls out this gem called Avenger. It was one of those turn-the-page
adventure books, where you get to decide how things turn out, and if
you saw the eye illustration, you witnessed the most horrific death
scenes. I was hooked. We'd spend hours in English class, with teacher's
permission, constructing our very own adventure book. I even wrote to
the authors, Mark and Jamie, with no reply. I also found one of my favourite
ever illustrators to this day, called Bob Harvey, whose work I have
not found outside these books.
And others out of print or difficult to get hold of:
Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Lieber.
The adventures of Fafhrd and Mouser.
K'ing Kung-Fu by Marshall Macao. Several books in the series. I suppose, admittedly, these books
are crap, but they were a part of my growing up with Ninja's, shaken,
Van Damme, and stories of living Ninja's called Masaaki Hatsumi, so
enough said. I've got four of these books here beside me. Son of the
Flying Tiger; The Kak-Abdullah Conspiracy; Return of the Opium Wars;
The Rape of Sun Lee Fong. I can't remember if there were others. They
have added appeal because of the manner by which I came about them.
One was found on a market stall and led me into the brutal world of
triple-fingered gut thrusts and monkey blows, which would fascinate
us on the bus to school. Another my dad brought home by chance. Another
a kid at school had, which I traded in exchange for reading my book.
Then yet another kid turned out to have one, so I ended up with a full
set, completely by chance, which gave the books a mystical appeal. The
closest thing to fate I've encountered in my life.
