Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Adventures in the Far East => Topic started by: Lowtardog on April 19, 2012, 09:36:26 AM
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Ok I have a googldy few Films to watch but was wondering if anyone has recommendations for good fiction with samurai etc
I ahve read 47 Ronin, The 5 rings and Shogun so anyhting else out there to insprie the project, whihc at present is sitting at lots of lead and 16 Ninja painted ;D
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Chris Bradford's Young samurai series of books is a Harry Potter meets Shogun spin off and the Otori series by Lian Hearn are both modern novels aimed at older teenagers.
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I love the original "Lone wolf & cub" comics by Goseki Kojima. Great art, great stories. Adults only!
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"Musashi" by Eiji Yoshikawa - a big book and one I enjoyed very much.
The Otori novels are good. Whilst not actually set in Japan, they are set in a fictional land that mirrors Japan.
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Tomoe Gozen by Salmonson. It's a trilogy about a female samurai set in a fictional Japan-like nation. Fun read with interesting samurai characters.
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Laura Joh Rowland's Sano Ichiro mysteries.
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Samurai executioner series and also path of the assassin both by the same authors of lone wolf and cub, fantastic books and highly reccomended
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Shike by Robert Shea - great read!
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It might not be exactly what you're after, but I'm a big fan of Lafcadio Hearn's collections of japanese ghost, and other, stories.
A lot of them are available for free for e-readers.
Other than that I really second Musashi.
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I read Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka on holiday once and found it a rather enjoyable romp. Set in the 19th Century, a sort of East meets West deal, told from the point of view of both Japanese and American characters. A bit of mystical mumbo-jumbo, sword and gun fights, plenty of plotting and intrigue.
Not quite "The Last Samurai" but set roughly at that time, when Japan was opened up to foreigners.
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Many thanks for all the suggestions, the kindle has been on full order mode and keeping an eye out for some in paper fashion :D
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I read Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka on holiday once and found it a rather enjoyable romp. Set in the 19th Century, a sort of East meets West deal, told from the point of view of both Japanese and American characters. A bit of mystical mumbo-jumbo, sword and gun fights, plenty of plotting and intrigue.
Not quite "The Last Samurai" but set roughly at that time, when Japan was opened up to foreigners.
I was going to recommend that one too. :)
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I read Sword of the Demon when it first came out and remember enjoying it.
http://www.amazon.com/Sword-demon-novel-Richard-Lupoff/dp/0060127171 (http://www.amazon.com/Sword-demon-novel-Richard-Lupoff/dp/0060127171)
You might also try "Tale of the Genji" and "Tale of the Heike"
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I was going to recommend that one too. :)
So was I. lol A great book, heartily recommended. There's also a sequel which is worth checking out.
What about Usagi Yojimbo? Yeah, I know, furries... But the stories are epic, the characters beautifully realised and it has a very evocative sense of place and time. Not as juvenile as you think.
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Usagi Yojimbo -thats new to me but now I see where Eureka got Samurai Rabbits from :)