Name that book?

[emellaich]

Originally Posted by John F

I'm looking for a book I read about 30 years ago. It was fantasy. It was about someone (two men I believe) from the present who get transported to a medevil/fantasy type setting. He has an M1 rifle with him. They fight an evil villan (a wizard), I think. They walk around a lake. The barrel of the M1 gets bent (it gets stuck under a helmet when he shoots it). I thought the author first name was Terry (I checked Terry Goodkind and Terry brooks, quickly, and nothing stood out). How's that for a memory.

Thanks.

Hmmmm, I can't find/recall a book like that, but another Terry that has been writing for over 30 years is Terry Pratchett .

[BenG]

There's also Terry Carr and Terry Bisson.

[John F]

I think wayspooled got it. The synopsis sounds right (character names, plot, although I don't remember a dragon). I must have mis-remembered the author names; Brian Daley does sound familiar.

Thanks for the help everyone.

[Ea]

A novel written in the late eighties or nineties (I think) - about a man who gets a sex change operation by mistake. It's a humourous account of a man's man and his problems with adjusting to his/her new identity as a woman. I'm pretty sure the author is British (the novel is set in Britain).

[calvin-c]

I'm looking for a book about which all I can seem to recall is a bit of clever dialogue. I suspect it's sci-fi mainly because about 70% of what I read is, but if so it's set in a historical milieu (might be medieval, might be 1800's). The scene:

Our Hero has rescued someone, maybe a child or maybe a young maiden, from danger. This has brought him to the attention of the royalty so he's introduced to Fair Maiden, the princess (that might have been whom he rescued, but for some reason I doubt it). Fair Maiden compliments him on his courage. I doubt if I have the quotes exact, but I think they're fairly close.

Our Hero: "To you I entrust my deepest secret. I didn't know it was dangerous!"
Fair Maiden: "Fie, sir! If it were me I'd prefer to hear that you would brave any danger."
Our Hero: "If it were you, Fair Maiden, no man would even think of danger."

Needless to say Our Hero is astounded by this glibness, considering himself normally tongue-tied in the presence of a Fair Maiden, and he attracts the attention of the villain, who desires Fair Maiden for himself. (There might be a political betrothal, but certainly not an emotional one-except for the villain's lust for Fair Maiden.)

At a later point, after the villain has threatened Our Hero, telling him to stay away from Fair Maiden, Our Hero ruminates that the villain has no way of knowing how unusual this glibness is-so much so that Our Hero is himself astounded by it.

I'm not sure if this is a humorous novel or not-this part of the dialog is certainly humorous, but it's possible that the reason I remember it is because it's the only humor in the entire book. Or maybe not. Anyway, does this ring a bell with anybody?

Thanx.

[Xiaopanda]

OK, Hear is one for you!

Referenced in a book : A Novel who's main character makes all his descions based on the roll of Dice.

No idea of age, genre, nothing, just sounds like an interesting concept.....

[igorsk]

Originally Posted by calvin-c

I'm looking for a book about which all I can seem to recall is a bit of clever dialogue. I suspect it's sci-fi mainly because about 70% of what I read is, but if so it's set in a historical milieu (might be medieval, might be 1800's). The scene:

Our Hero has rescued someone, maybe a child or maybe a young maiden, from danger. This has brought him to the attention of the royalty so he's introduced to Fair Maiden, the princess (that might have been whom he rescued, but for some reason I doubt it). Fair Maiden compliments him on his courage. I doubt if I have the quotes exact, but I think they're fairly close.

Our Hero: "To you I entrust my deepest secret. I didn't know it was dangerous!"
Fair Maiden: "Fie, sir! If it were me I'd prefer to hear that you would brave any danger."
Our Hero: "If it were you, Fair Maiden, no man would even think of danger."

Needless to say Our Hero is astounded by this glibness, considering himself normally tongue-tied in the presence of a Fair Maiden, and he attracts the attention of the villain, who desires Fair Maiden for himself. (There might be a political betrothal, but certainly not an emotional one-except for the villain's lust for Fair Maiden.)

At a later point, after the villain has threatened Our Hero, telling him to stay away from Fair Maiden, Our Hero ruminates that the villain has no way of knowing how unusual this glibness is-so much so that Our Hero is himself astounded by it.

I'm not sure if this is a humorous novel or not-this part of the dialog is certainly humorous, but it's possible that the reason I remember it is because it's the only humor in the entire book. Or maybe not. Anyway, does this ring a bell with anybody?

Thanx.

Not exactly as you described, but it certainly reminded me of this scene:

He pushed through between two bony dowagers just rising from creaky curtseys and smiled at the girl as she turned inquiringly toward him.
"Hi," Lafayette said, looking her over admiringly. "They told me you were beautiful, but that was the understatement of the year. I didn't know I could imagine anything this nice."
A big young man with curly dark hair and cigarette-ad features stepped forward, flexing Herculean shoulders that threatened to burst his royal blue gold-braid-looped tunic. He inclined his head to the princess, then turned to give O'Leary a warning look.
"Withdraw, bumpkin," he said in a low voice.
O'Leary waved a hand. "Go play with your blocks." He started around the man, who took a quick step to bar his way.
"Are you deaf, oaf?" he rapped.
"No, I'm Lafayette O'Leary, and if you don't mind, I'd like to—"
The young Hercules put a finger against O'Leary's chest. "Begone!" he hissed fiercely.
"Now, now, no rough stuff in front of the princess," O'Leary admonished, brushing the hand aside.
"Count Alain," a cool feminine voice said. Both men turned. Princess Adoranne smiled an intimate little smile at the count and turned to Lafayette.
"This must be the brave man who's come to rid us of the dragon." She tugged at the leash as the tiger cub came snuffling around O'Leary's ankles. "Welcome to Artesia."
"Thanks." Lafayette nudged the count aside. "I didn't exactly come here to kill dragons, but since I'm here, I don't mind helping out."
"Have you slain many dragons, Sir Lafayette?" She smiled at him coolly.
"Nope, never even saw one." He winked. "Did you?"
"Adoranne's lips were parted in an expression of mild surprise. "No," she admitted. "There is but one, of course—the beast of the rebel Lod."
"I'll bring you his left ear—if dragons have ears."
The princess blushed prettily.
"Fellow, you're overbold," Alain snapped.
"If I'm going to go dragon hunting, that's a characteristic I've been advised to cultivate." Lafayette moved closer to the princess. "You know, Adoranne, I really should have demanded half the kingdom and your hand in marriage."
Count Alain's hand spun O'Leary around; his fist hovered under Lafayette's nose.
"I've warned you for the last time."
Lafayette disengaged his arm. "I sincerely hope so. By the way, isn't there a little matter you wanted to attend to?" Lafayette envisioned an urgent physiological need.
Count Alain looked uncomfortable. "Your pardon, Highness," he said in a strained voice. He turned hastily and hurried toward an inconspicuous door.

Available from Baen, DRM-free in multiple formats.
If you liked it, you will also like Keith Laumer's The Lighter Side and Retief!. The rest of his books are generall more serious but still highly recommended. My favorite is probably Dinosaur Beach from the collection Odyssey (free!).

[igorsk]

Originally Posted by Xiaopanda

Referenced in a book : A Novel who's main character makes all his descions based on the roll of Dice.
No idea of age, genre, nothing, just sounds like an interesting concept.....

The Dice Man?

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by Ea

A novel written in the late eighties or nineties (I think) - about a man who gets a sex change operation by mistake. It's a humourous account of a man's man and his problems with adjusting to his/her new identity as a woman. I'm pretty sure the author is British (the novel is set in Britain).

'Girl' by David Thomas ?

[calvin-c]

Originally Posted by Xiaopanda

OK, Hear is one for you!

Referenced in a book : A Novel who's main character makes all his descions based on the roll of Dice.

No idea of age, genre, nothing, just sounds like an interesting concept.....

Not 100% sure but it might be A Roll of the Dice by Catharine Asaro.

Igorsk-I don't think that's the one I'm looking for but I'll check it out. I have, I think, all of Laumer's books & you're right-they're great. Even if it isn't the book I'm looking for I'll still enjoy re-reading it. Thanks.

[Xiaopanda]

Hi Igorsk & Calvin..

Thank you for the direction, I think that Igorsk hit the nail on the head, the Dice man seems to be exactly the kind of book that this novel would reference......But Thanks to Calvin, I now have 2 more books to add to my collect.....

[lovestoreadalot]

*****

[Slite]

Originally Posted by lovestoreadalot

I am looking for two books that I read as a kid, I had them in 1988 and they were a creamish hardcover. I don't know if they were the only two in the series or if there was more. They were about the size of a text book and contained fairytales and fables. My mom bought them used for me in a garage sale so I don't know how old they were.Some of the stories they contained were
The seven chinese brothers
Rose Red And Snow White
Briar Rabbit
The vain bird ( about a bird that is being tricked into giving up the food he has in his beak by another animal who keeps complimenting him on his singing )
I loved these stories as a kid and would love to read them again and be able to have my kids read them so if anyone remembers let me know.
The books also contained pictures that I think were in black and white.

Hmmm, could it be Andrew Langs Fairy Books?

Andrew Lang - Fairy Books

There are 12 in total and is basicly a collection of old fairytales collected from all over the world. The Rose Red and Snow White you are refering to is for example really written by the Brothers Grimm.

And if that rings a bell, you are in luck, they are available here in the MobileRead library

[linou]

The Vain Bird is famous in French, by La Fontaine's fables : le corbeau et le renard.
Most of his fables were from another author, Greek I think, called Aesop.

So maybe it was a recollection of fables.

[lovestoreadalot]

*****