Here are some tough guy book series that actually have literary merit.
Parker by Richard Stark. "The Hunter," "The Seventh." "Slayground" He's been played by Mel Gibson, Jim Brown, and Jason Statham. A stone cold killer who finds crews of similarly desperate crooks to pull off big money crimes.
Easy Rawlins and Fearless Jones by Walter Mosley. "Fearless Jones" and "Devil In a Blue Dress." Two Black men in 1950s and 1960s Los Angeles, who work alone and together. Jones' stories are narrated by his friend, a cowardly bookworm who often ends up in peril despite his best efforts to avoid danger.
Travis McGee by John D. MacDonald. "The Deep Blue Goodbye" "Darker Than Amber." Trav is a beach bum who lives on a house boat he won in a poker game. All he wants to do is enjoy life, so he periodically retires. When the money gets low, he seeks out victims who can't go to the police and steals back what's been stolen for 50% of the value.
Yeah well my Dad is ex military and helps the police fight human trafficking. But not like in a open the borders and make citizenship more attainable kind of way.
This made me think. Is a fantasy just elaborate thoughts strung together? "All fantasies are thoughts, but not all thoughts are fantasies" sort of thing
Lee Child's series has its good books, but there are a LOT of books that follow the same pattern and have the same formula, and it just gets boring. I like it when Reacher is crafty or does something truly unique. I think Lee child could've had a much better (albeit much shorter) series if he stuck to those unique moments and stories, and stayed away from the formulaic ones that you know exactly how they'll play out.
16 Comments
Abyssian@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 2d
Reach around male shower fantasy? No argument.
DonkeyStar@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 2d
Also, Jack Reacher is a great name for a gay porn star.
billwashere@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2d
Well shit… TIHI
YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 2d
You ate the bad lettuce too?
DagwoodIII@piefed.social · 14 pts · 2d
[off topic?]
Here are some tough guy book series that actually have literary merit.
Parker by Richard Stark. "The Hunter," "The Seventh." "Slayground" He's been played by Mel Gibson, Jim Brown, and Jason Statham. A stone cold killer who finds crews of similarly desperate crooks to pull off big money crimes.
Easy Rawlins and Fearless Jones by Walter Mosley. "Fearless Jones" and "Devil In a Blue Dress." Two Black men in 1950s and 1960s Los Angeles, who work alone and together. Jones' stories are narrated by his friend, a cowardly bookworm who often ends up in peril despite his best efforts to avoid danger.
Travis McGee by John D. MacDonald. "The Deep Blue Goodbye" "Darker Than Amber." Trav is a beach bum who lives on a house boat he won in a poker game. All he wants to do is enjoy life, so he periodically retires. When the money gets low, he seeks out victims who can't go to the police and steals back what's been stolen for 50% of the value.
All are a thousand times better than Reacher.
mandolrain@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 2d
Thanks for the book tips. I actually enjoy the televized Reacher with Alan Ritchson but sometimes the tough guy stuff gets cringey
DagwoodIII@piefed.social · 2 pts · 2d
I think he's way too good looking.
I'm not a fan of the books, but I've skimmed a few. I'd say he should look more like Brad Garrett.
kalpol@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 1d
Ritchson moves like a body builder and not like a really big strong guy that like knows judo or whatever. Always ruined it for me
moshankey@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2d
Parker is amazing.
DeepDown@leminal.space · 11 pts · 2d
It's also "My Dad can beat up your Dad"
Yeah well my Dad is ex military and helps the police fight human trafficking. But not like in a open the borders and make citizenship more attainable kind of way.
Today@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 2d
Shower fantasy.
mandolrain@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 2d
This made me think. Is a fantasy just elaborate thoughts strung together? "All fantasies are thoughts, but not all thoughts are fantasies" sort of thing
Today@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2d
Sometimes not all that elaborate
fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 1d
I would say a fantasy has it own internally constant model of the world separate from the model we hold of the real world.
The separate part matters I think shrug
Smug_Marmot@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 2d
Lee Child's series has its good books, but there are a LOT of books that follow the same pattern and have the same formula, and it just gets boring. I like it when Reacher is crafty or does something truly unique. I think Lee child could've had a much better (albeit much shorter) series if he stuck to those unique moments and stories, and stayed away from the formulaic ones that you know exactly how they'll play out.
melsaskca@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 1d
Maybe if you've never read the books.