Sigma’s Simulacrum of Reality

Just felt like writing down a list of my all time favourite books. Some might be literary classics, some not, and some are pretty obscure. But heck, I like them all

When I was in primary and high school, I enjoyed reading those English boarding school books. Then I got hooked on fantasy novels thanks to my mum. In between, I’ve always had a thing for sci-fi books. And in my late teens, politics interests me greatly.

So here they are, in no particular order:

1. The Deathgate Cycle, by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

Forget Tolkien (the most boring fantasy trilogy ever…), this is my favourite fantasy series. It consists of 7 books in total. The story revolves around the Sartan and Patryn races, sworn enemies, both most almost demigod in nature. Below them are the humans, elves and dwarves, all of which populate 4 vastly different worlds. After escaping from the Labyrinth, a huge magical prison which the Sartans kept their Patryns nemesis for centuries, a group of Patryns starts ploting their vengence. Their plan involves the manipulation of those 4 worlds and their inhabitants, and it sets off a chain of events which would forever change their universe, and reveal hidden truths about the true nature of things. The first 4 books are on the 4 worlds, while the last 3 brings the characters and events from those 4 worlds together towards the final climax.

2. Hercule Poirot mystery novels, by Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is truly the queen of crime mysteries, and I love almost all of her novels involving Hercule Poirot, the brilliant and fascinating Belgium detective. Set in England, Poirot, the self-proclaimed best detective in the world, constantly solves the most complex of crimes with his amazing deductive powers, with the help of his ‘little grey cells’.

3. A Teenage Textbook, and A Teenage Workbook, by Adrian Tan

A truly laugh-till-you-almost-die hilarious Singaporean book! One of my firm favourites. The premise is also set in a school. It tells the story of the lives of a bunch of Singaporean JC (Malaysia - Form 6, Australia - Years 11 and 12) students and the funny antics that they get involved in. An auction to find out what their Principle’s middle initial E., stands for, anyone? Teriffic book, and IMO, the best Singaporean books I’ve read.

4. Sphere, Michael Crichton

I’m kinda a fan of Michael Crichton, since I like his fast-paced sci-fi writing style. In his whole collection, Sphere is my favourite. Read in all in 3 hours flat in the car from JB to KL, was how good it was. A group of scientists are sent down underwater to investigate a strange spherical alien artifact which landed there. What mysterious powers does it have? How will it affect them? What will happen to them?

5. First Among Equals, Jeffrey Archer

I’m a big fan of Jeffrey Archer! Absolutely love his style of writing! So grandiose, and most of his books have an epic feel to it. This book was basically my first introduction to the Westminster parliamentary system and the inner workings of politics. It cronicles the lives of four ambitious young men, 2 Labourites and 2 Tories, in their quest to snare the highest prize on offer, the office of the Prime Minister. Rest assured that there will be backstabbings, betrayals, alliances, love, and tragedy along the way. You can’t help but start rooting for your favourite character. Mines Simon Kerslake, a Labour Party MP

6. Magician trilogy, Raymond E. Feist

If you prefer your fantasy yarns to be more swashbuckling in nature, then Raymond E. Feist’s books are the ones for you. It tells of the journey of Pug from a young and not very talented apprentice magician into the world’s most powerful one, amidst a backdrop of war. A portal has opened up in Pug’s world, and the Tsuranis, a noble and tradition-bound race of warriors (modelled after the Japs) are determined to conquer his world. Terrific characters.

7. Kane and Abel, Jeffrey Archer

Another book from my favourite author. This time, it’s about 2 vastly different men, one from a privalleged upbringing, the other, a Jew fleeing from the Nazis, and how their respective lives collide. Both ultimately became the world’s biggest and richest media tycoons. Again, epic style of story-telling. Nice.

8. To Kill A Mokingbird, Harper Lee

A literary classic. A story about race discrimination during the Depression in the USA, and the injustices that results from it, as seen through the eyes of 8-year old Scout Finch. A black man is accused of raping a white woman in a small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, even though he’s disabled and incapable of doing so. Scout’s father, a lawyer, decides to defend him, and proceeds to become ostracised from his society, as well as being accused a traitor to his race. The gentle writing style of Harper Lee adds to the joy of reading this classic American literature.

9. I, Robot, Isaac Asimov

Sci-fi books by Isaac Asimov are a very different sorta beast. His novels aren’t really good stories per se, they’re more like scientific explorations of his unbreakable Three Laws of Robotics, which safeguard’s human’s safety from their robots. Typically, his short stories are about implausible situations which arises, that seems to contradict his three laws, and the subsequent logical explanations for it which show that those three laws were still not violated. This compilation, is IMO, the most intriguing and interesting of his whole lot. Prepare to put your scientific thinking caps on!

10. Blood of Kerensky: Lethal Heritage, Blood Legacy, and Lost Destiny, Battletech, by Michael A. Stackpole

I almost forgot to put this trilogy in! I was (and still am ) a big fan of the Battletech universe. There are a line of good PC games based on that, called the Mechwarrior series. It’s a fascinating sci-fi universe where different empires, called Houses, battle it out to gain political power, planets, and wealth using giant robots called Mechs. This trilogy cronicles the first appearance of the Clans. These Clans consists of humans who went into exile from the Inner Sphere (the known universe) for centuries, disgusted by the continued self-destruction and decay of the Inner Sphere inhabitants, and they rebuilt a differing social structure in their new homes, based on a rigid caste system, which breeds extraordinarily skilled Mechwarriors and produces very advance Mechs. These Clans are leading an invasion of the Inner Sphere, with the aim of retaking control of it. Outclassed, outgunned, and outnumbered, the desperate Inner Sphere inhabitants must put their differences aside and band together in order to repeal their invaders. High quality novels, and even better if you’re a fan and are familiar with the Battletech universe.