I'd like to know the name of this book/short story/comic

[Hofstadter'sLaw]

man, i hope some one figures it out, cause i want to read it.

Ditto.

So frustrating. Now I know about all these awesome sounding books and I can't read them because I don't know the titles.

[Tofu-Sama]

Some parts of this sound a lot like the first book of The Sword of Truth series. Others... not so much. Was the 'stick' called an agiel by any chance? The cover for the first hardcover seems to be red but there is no fight. The boy and girl do fall in love but they only touch once in the first book (not an euphemism, they literally only touch once). It might just be that fantasy novels rip each other off shamelessly and some other one out there starts almost identically to this one.

Definitely not it, thanks for the idea though. To clarify on the cover, it's a relatively thick red border around the cover picture. Probably took up about 1/8 of the length/width from each edge.

[[.root/fail]]

Hello, all.

Trying to help a friend find a book. The following is all I can provide.

I'm looking for a book about a girl and her family that move into a new town/house. There she meets a local boy that isn't popular with the other boys. They boy and the girl hit it off and go into the woods behind her house to go adventuring (the boy has been here before). There they meet a cat that takes them to a new place in the woods the boy has never been before. They find a hovel and start to make a potion, as soon as they start a storm rolls in and just as soon as they finish the storm is gone. However a circle tree was struck by lightening.

The cover of the book is mainly red and black and has a church with a graveyard in front of it. there is also a bug(?) tree that is near a perfect circle.

That and at the end of the book both the boy and the girl hang at the same time/together in the tree.

The boy, his father is abusive and beats him while his mother sits idly by and does nothing.

The girls father was becoming possessed by an angry incest-crazed ghost.

The cats name is Hudini/Hudine... something like that. The cat is really the ghost of the past little girl who died in the building the main girl moved into.

EDIT: Found it! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FC ... 1286228011

[Nate]

I can't remember the name of the book, but I'm pretty sure it's by stephen king if that helps anyone.

basically someone has the ability to jump between parallel universes, I remember in the first few pages that he woke up and was someone different, realized this because of his lack of glasses, and demonstrates his ability to jump between universes by changing a light's colour. But I can't remember his name at all. If anyone can help me, please do.

[justasecond]

A while ago I read this webcomic based around the idea of a guy with two personalities.
I seem to remember it was called something like "The other Bob" but google tells me I'm wrong, and the relevant search terms I have so far come up with are way too broad.
The premise was that the guy would "wake up" somewhere and not remember how he got there. He started (together with his girlfriend) to write down what he did all the time, but his other side turned out to be a big asshole, purposely getting himself into trouble.
Back then there was also some talk about turning it into a short film.


Anybody has a clue which comic I'm talking about?

[SecondTalon]

... was the guy a Superhero? And his alter-ego a supervillain?

[justasecond]

nope, not at all..
that's the problem, "multiple personalities", "(web)comic turned into a film", "suicidal thoughts"... these are all search terms that lead to either IMDB pages about superhero movies, or self-help forums for people with suicidal thoughts...

[Gear]

There's a (started recent-ish) webcomic about a boy (young man? I don't think his age was ever specified) who finds a robot that only communicates in BASIC. I lost track of it (read: someone who shall remain nameless deleted all my bookmarks) a few months ago, at which point they (boy & robot) had just set out to find the robots creator.

Familiar to anyone?

Never mind, found it.

[TomKat]

I'm looking for a webcomic strip (not xkcd) that has 3-4 panes with Spiderman chasing some criminals through New York, as they are saying "JUST A BIT FURTHER!" then in the final page it shows them driving out of the city into the countryside laughing while Spiderman is stuck on a skyscraper saying "oh... well I'll get you when you come back!" or similar.

I think that this particular comic was a one-off and it usually had a group of 3-4 characters, the main one who was supposed to be quite cool and who was a bit of a player. He lived with another guy who was a bit nerdy and there were some girls in it too I think. The sketches of the comic were penny-arcade style, with cartoony characters in full colour. I think the name of the comic was simply the name of the main character, however not sure on this. Comics were typically 5-10 frames.

Googling for "Spiderman comic blah blah blah" obviously comes up with loads of other results and from looking at a list of webcomics I can't find the one I mean. It's annoying me

[maydayp]

it has two authors one male, who's sold at least 3 books, the other is female, who hadn't sold any (from the bio on the back cover). I assume they are married as they have the same last name. I believe the woman has the same initial for both her first and last name.
the book is set on earth, after a biological (warfare?) disaster. there are way more women then men, and they are just regaining their technology (going rapidly from hunter-gatherer to having electricity and car) which they lost due to lack of workers, and the fact that most of the cities became sparsely populated. men are pampered and and treated like fragile objects (though the women in the main clan recognize that men are people they have to put the restrictions on them so they will survive into adulthood- which is rare)
in this book a women leaves her clan (clan is my wording not the book's) to go to the city to get fertility tests and to investigate a group of people who want to join their's. she travels with her dogs and finds an orphan baby, and discovers she's pregnant (with twins).
she gets hurt along the way and is rescued by a man pretending to be a woman (so he can live alone) he is found and taken to one of the large cities/towns that are still around- which is under the control of a very military structure group (Which might have a "[metal]town" name). she destroys it from the inside out -and takes a female lover during this time. she loses the dog(s) she brings with her, the ruler of the city takes them away, the last one is trying to make his way home (and this still almost makes me cry) after being left for dead 'cause she didn't think he could have survived what he went through, he is severely injured and I'm not sure if he makes it back to her or not, I'll hope he does, else I don't know why that was put in the the book (at the very end).

it occurs in the US, in a currently rural area, where there were once forests (now mostly gone) which grew back, and they live on a farm.
oh, and I read this book originally in like 2003 and again in 2008.

[GangsterFiction]

Going back maybe 20-25 years here, so not at all a new book. Maybe published in 80s.

Futuristic world setting, maybe Earth, maybe not, it was about a self-aware robot (I think his / its name began with a 'J' but it was not a short name like John or Jason; something much longer and more unusual) trying to become more 'human' (in "I, Robot" style, I guess--but definitely predating that). From the little I recall--other than that it left a lasting impression on me!--he spends a loooong time building up wealth to fund the research and various 'upgrades' for his ambition, including a . . . erm, 'groin attachment' . . . so he can immitate human . . . intimacies. Needless to say, his mechanical stamina is a big hit with the ladies. I recall it was something of a sad ending--perhaps he failed to become human, or came to finally understand that we're not much to aspire to, after all . . . something along those lines.

Anyway, I'd love to be able to track down this novel. It was a superb, gripping read. Unfortunately I sold my entire collection when I was still too young to know any better!

[ConMan]

Sounds a lot like Bicentennial Man, except that in all versions of that story the robot is called Andrew Martin. I wouldn't be surprised if there were other stories inspired by it though.

[GangsterFiction]

Good point. I think that was written sometime in the 70s, so it almost certainly came first and probably provided the inspiration for the one I'm trying to identify / find. This one clearly wasn't as big a hit though.

[Indy]

Hooray for this thread, there's an elusive novel that's been bugging me on and off for years. I read it maybe 15 years ago (aged 12 or so) and all I can remember is the vibe of the thing. An average guy somehow gets to another world that's peopled by primitive warriors so strong and beautiful that he looks very pale and flabby beside them. He stays there among them for a long time, learning the ways of a warrior, and I remember the line, 'I was not least among my brothers' or something similar. At the end he is somehow called back and sees two people he knows, a doctor and someone else, and he thinks how pale and flabby they look.

Eternal gratitude to anyone who can find out what the heck I am talking about.

[Jorpho]

Damn, that sounds so familiar... What else can you remember?

[suffer-cait]

I need help with a wizard of oz scene i can't remember the place of. it was talking about how the wizard wasn't magic he was just good at slight of hand trickses with mice and/or piglets. Can't recall if it came from the series, or wicked, or what. anyone know?

[Jorpho]

it was talking about how the wizard wasn't magic he was just good at slight of hand trickses with mice and/or piglets.

Bam! Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, the third sequel to The Wizard of Oz (following The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz).

[suffer-cait]

thank you muchly

[Indy]

Jorpho, that's pretty much it. It's been driving me crazy. I think a wardrobe was involved in travel between the worlds (it wasn't Narnia, before anyone suggests it), or maybe some other large item of wooden furniture. It may have been the first of a trilogy ...

[PAstrychef]

Could it be that other trilogy by C.S. Lewis? The one with Out of the Silent Planet and Peralandra and That Hideous Strength ?

[Indy]

Hi Pastrychef, I've read those and they ain't it. Thanks though.

[andreasfromtx]

Hey guys, I've been trying to find what I'm almost certain is an xkcd comic for a really long time, but it's possible that it's some other webcomic. Can you help me find a link to it?

One guy says to his friend, "Want to go to a party?"
His friend says, "Nah, I'm busy" even though he obviously isn't.
The friend says, "Ok, you're missing out!"
The guy, now left behind, hangs his head and I believe there is a life meter that decreases because of his staying home.

It's something like this. Anyone have any idea what I'm talking about? I've clicked probably 3 times through every single xkcd comic (quickly) but haven't been able to find it. Any help is really appreciated.

[ConMan]

Hey guys, I've been trying to find what I'm almost certain is an xkcd comic for a really long time, but it's possible that it's some other webcomic. Can you help me find a link to it?

One guy says to his friend, "Want to go to a party?"
His friend says, "Nah, I'm busy" even though he obviously isn't.
The friend says, "Ok, you're missing out!"
The guy, now left behind, hangs his head and I believe there is a life meter that decreases because of his staying home.

It's something like this. Anyone have any idea what I'm talking about? I've clicked probably 3 times through every single xkcd comic (quickly) but haven't been able to find it. Any help is really appreciated.

It's definitely not xkcd (as per ConMan's Law). I'm afraid I can't offer anything more helpful than that.

[andreasfromtx]

Hmm, guess I've been looking in the wrong place then.

Anyone know what comic this is? I really believe it was xkcd inspired. I'm almost certain the comic was of stick people.

[nehpest]

There's a book I'd like to read to my nieces in a few years. I read it as a child (early/mid 90s?) and remember that the book contained more than one story. They were mysteries/problem-solving stories that followed four children (a pair of sisters and a pair of brothers) in what I dimly remember being a New Englandy setting.

One story included one of the children radically revising the history of their small town by realizing that an old note had a piece out of place (it had been torn up). Rather than being signed "Simon S." the child realized it should have been signed "S." with the Simon actually being "Now is" in a different part of the letter. One of the children tells him he's looking at the letter wrong (he's on the opposite side of the table, from which vantage point the letter is upside down).

Another story involves the children playing Monopoly. The older boy and older girl make a journey to the boys' house to fetch cat allergy medicine for the youngest boy in the midst of a blizzard. They try to get the spare key from atop the back door's upper frame, but cannot reach. They try to climb atop one another, but the icy conditions cause this to fail. The girl then realizes that they can pile snow up, and reach the top that way.

What is the name of this story/series? As I said, I'd love to read it to my nieces.

[mockingdog]

I'm not sure if it is an xkcd or not, but I have been searching for a while and cannot find it. If anyone can help me locate it would be greatly appreciative.

The premise:

Scientists are watching two people have a political debate. Scientists have control over things like "empathy," "clarity of argument," etc. After the debate begins with shouting, the scientists increase clarity, empathy, etc. After controlling for a few variables, the last frame has both people saying to each other something along the lines of "I want to share my views with you because I think they are correct and I want you to be happy."

Anyway, I was struck by how poignant this comic was when I saw it, and I want to share it with some friends who love having political shouting matches on facebook.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[eSOANEM]

I don't remember it, but it sounds like it could be from saturday morning breakfast cereal. It's certainly not xkcd.

[Brickmack]

I don't remember it, but it sounds like it could be from saturday morning breakfast cereal. It's certainly not xkcd.

No, I dont think its SMBC. Might be, but I dont remember it, and Im REALLY good at remembering text like comics.

[thalia]

There's a book I'd like to read to my nieces in a few years. I read it as a child (early/mid 90s?) and remember that the book contained more than one story. They were mysteries/problem-solving stories that followed four children (a pair of sisters and a pair of brothers) in what I dimly remember being a New Englandy setting.

One story included one of the children radically revising the history of their small town by realizing that an old note had a piece out of place (it had been torn up). Rather than being signed "Simon S." the child realized it should have been signed "S." with the Simon actually being "Now is" in a different part of the letter. One of the children tells him he's looking at the letter wrong (he's on the opposite side of the table, from which vantage point the letter is upside down).

Another story involves the children playing Monopoly. The older boy and older girl make a journey to the boys' house to fetch cat allergy medicine for the youngest boy in the midst of a blizzard. They try to get the spare key from atop the back door's upper frame, but cannot reach. They try to climb atop one another, but the icy conditions cause this to fail. The girl then realizes that they can pile snow up, and reach the top that way.

What is the name of this story/series? As I said, I'd love to read it to my nieces.

The Bobsey children...?

[JumpingFerret]

Hey guys,

I was looking for a "comic" I saw a long time ago, which shows how biologists, chemists and physicists plot lines in their experimental data ( the biologists one was kind of a mess, the physicist had just a few points, chemist was somewhere in between). Anyway, this comic is nowhere to be found now, so I wondered if anyone here has already seen it.

[Unbearable]

I've got one. I'm from GA; back when Peach 94.9 was a radio station they would sometimes have a "song" on around Christmas that was more like a poem or short story. It was about a man on a train around Christmas, and he has a flashback to his childhood. At one point his father comes in from chopping wood and says, "brr. It's cold out there." the story ends with him coming back to the present, he sees a woman bundled up across the train and they whisper Merry Christmas to each other.

I have no idea if this exists in a written form as well as the audio.

[ErikRuud]

I have been trying to remember the name of this book for a long time and I haven't been able to find it using google searches.

The story takes place in a military academy or boarding school for boys. On or near the school is a tower or keep from an old castle where the boys play a form of capture the flag. At some point in the story, the officials decide that the tower should be moved and they bring in some sort of construction robot that is going to dismantle the tower brick by brick and rebuild it somewhere else. The boys protest of course and the main character in the story hides in the tower so that they can't start dismantling it. They send the robot to try and flush him out and he eventually outwits it. The robot was really large and ends up hung up on the outside of the tower with one of it's arms stuck through a window.

I can picture the cover, but not the title or author.

Any ideas?

[thalia]

Looking for a Polish untranslated fantasy book. It has a picture of a knight riding a horse on the cover. It's medium-sized. The author is Grzegorz-something, I think. I know nothing about it otherwise. Please help, o Google Gods.

[Kewangji]

Looking for a Polish untranslated fantasy book. It has a picture of a knight riding a horse on the cover. It's medium-sized. The author is Grzegorz-something, I think. I know nothing about it otherwise. Please help, o Google Gods.

Jarosław Grzędowicz – Pan Lodowego Ogrodu, perhaps?

[thalia]

Yes! Thank you!

[quetzal1234]

There's a book I'd like to read to my nieces in a few years. I read it as a child (early/mid 90s?) and remember that the book contained more than one story. They were mysteries/problem-solving stories that followed four children (a pair of sisters and a pair of brothers) in what I dimly remember being a New Englandy setting.

One story included one of the children radically revising the history of their small town by realizing that an old note had a piece out of place (it had been torn up). Rather than being signed "Simon S." the child realized it should have been signed "S." with the Simon actually being "Now is" in a different part of the letter. One of the children tells him he's looking at the letter wrong (he's on the opposite side of the table, from which vantage point the letter is upside down).

Another story involves the children playing Monopoly. The older boy and older girl make a journey to the boys' house to fetch cat allergy medicine for the youngest boy in the midst of a blizzard. They try to get the spare key from atop the back door's upper frame, but cannot reach. They try to climb atop one another, but the icy conditions cause this to fail. The girl then realizes that they can pile snow up, and reach the top that way.

What is the name of this story/series? As I said, I'd love to read it to my nieces.

To be honest, this makes me think immediately of the Boxcar children, but you've probably already considered that possibility. I read a ton of those when I was little, and it sounds a bit similar.

[gene098]

Hey all,

A long time ago I remember an American comic where this normal girl in japan somehow finds a sword/katana and it wraps around her taking her over with a green kind of exposing armor that looks a lot like Paragon's armor(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Paragon%28Maya%29.jpg) except she has no hood and uses that katana.

She then kills ogres and is constantly on the edge of being taken over of by sword...from there I forgot.

Anyone please help, I'm not sure but it is most likely created in America and adapted by Japan but the art is very American comic book like.

[SecondTalon]

Looks like the manga version of Witchblade. Original version was grey.

[Kewangji]

This is bugging me.

In the TV-series Misfits there is this scene:

WHAT BOOK IS THAT??? The xxgx x butterfly????

[Jorpho]

It's probably not The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, but someone's probably going to suggest that anyway, so let's get that out of the way.