FOFC Literature Draft - Picks Thread

[NoMyths]

Fiction
Single Short Story
Poem: 2.5 - The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri
Fantasy/Science Fiction
Series (A set of books continuing the same story and intended to be read sequentially) 3.6 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
Sport Related: 4.5 - Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger
Children's: 5.6 - Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
Non-Fiction: 1.6 - On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin
Biography/Autobiography: 6.5 - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Frederick Douglass
History

Having stolen himself from slavery, Frederick Douglass became one of the most important men in America. His book opened the country's eyes to both the inhumane conditions of slavery and the fact that men and women of African descent were human in a way society rarely acknowledged. One of the key books and men that led to the abolition of slavery in America.

From Wiki:
Frederick Douglass (February 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American abolitionist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer. Called "The Sage of Anacostia" and "The Lion of Anacostia", Douglass is one of the most prominent figures in African American history and a formidable public presence. He was a firm believer in the equality of all people, whether black, female, Native American, or recent immigrant. He was fond of saying, "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong."

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by NoMyths

Fiction
Single Short Story
Poem: 2.5 - The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri
Fantasy/Science Fiction
Series (A set of books continuing the same story and intended to be read sequentially) 3.6 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
Sport Related: 4.5 - Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger
Children's: 5.6 - Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
Non-Fiction: 1.6 - On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin
Biography/Autobiography: 6.5 - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Frederick Douglass
History

Having stolen himself from slavery, Frederick Douglass became one of the most important men in America. His book opened the country's eyes to both the inhumane conditions of slavery and the fact that men and women of African descent were human in a way society rarely acknowledged. One of the key books and men that led to the abolition of slavery in America.

From Wiki:
Frederick Douglass (February 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American abolitionist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer. Called "The Sage of Anacostia" and "The Lion of Anacostia", Douglass is one of the most prominent figures in African American history and a formidable public presence. He was a firm believer in the equality of all people, whether black, female, Native American, or recent immigrant. He was fond of saying, "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong."

Excellent choice here. This one slipped between the cracks on my list but it's a very strong entry.

[Lathum]

Night was a great pick by Izulde. I also like the Fredrick Douglas pick

[DaddyTorgo]

yes. good picks.

ugh...agonizing between two...

[cartman]

According to the list, DaddyTorgo is on the clock

[cartman]

LOL

For the 3rd time today, I simul-post with the poster on the clock.

[timmynausea]

NoMyths has some of the broadest categories left to fill, so he should close pretty strong.

[DaddyTorgo]

checking to see if my first choice falls under short story or novella...

[DaddyTorgo]

bah. how do i determine that. it's referred to as both in different places.

[larrymcg421]

I think I know what you're considering, and I avoided it specifically because I thought it was a bit too long for the Short Story category. I would say you could pick it, but with the caveat that some voters may penalize you if they don't think it fits.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

bah. how do i determine that. it's referred to as both in different places.

Throw yourself on the mercy of the voters after you put it in there?

I'd say that if you're pretty confidant it can be considered a short-story and that others will agree, go for it.

[DaddyTorgo]

screwit...again i go with what i want

1. Fiction
2. Single Short Story: The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Tolstoy
3. Poem: 5.5 Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman
4. Fantasy/Science Fiction: 4.6 FARENHEIT 451, RAY BRADBURY
5. Series (A set of books continuing the same story and intended to be read sequentially) 1.5 The Foundation Series, Isaac Asimov
6. Sport Related
7. Children's 3.5 Children's and Household Tales (1857 - 211 stories) by The Brothers Grimm
8. Non-Fiction
9. Biography/Autobiography 2.6 Autobiographical Notes, Albert Einstein
10. History

The greatest fictional meditation on death ever written. Considered by Nabakov and Ghandi to be the greatest work in the whole of Russian literature.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

screwit...again i go with what i want

1. Fiction
2. Single Short Story: The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Tolstoy
3. Poem: 5.5 Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman
4. Fantasy/Science Fiction: 4.6 FARENHEIT 451, RAY BRADBURY
5. Series (A set of books continuing the same story and intended to be read sequentially) 1.5 The Foundation Series, Isaac Asimov
6. Sport Related
7. Children's 3.5 Children's and Household Tales (1857 - 211 stories) by The Brothers Grimm
8. Non-Fiction
9. Biography/Autobiography 2.6 Autobiographical Notes, Albert Einstein
10. History

The greatest fictional meditation on death ever written. Considered by Nabakov and Ghandi to be the greatest work in the whole of Russian literature.

Oh, that's so a novella.

Just kidding.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Axxon

Oh, that's so a novella.

Just kidding.

[Axxon]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

I think I know what you're considering, and I avoided it specifically because I thought it was a bit too long for the Short Story category. I would say you could pick it, but with the caveat that some voters may penalize you if they don't think it fits.

So, you're a Tolstoy fan too?

[larrymcg421]

No, that wasn't it. I was thinking of something else.

[DaddyTorgo]

was debating between this and war+peace, but eventually realized there's other places to go with fiction and this was high up on my short story list

[lordscarlet]

First post updated.

[Maple Leafs]

Fiction - 1.4 Hamlet, by William Shakespeare
Single Short Story
Poem - 4.7 The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Fantasy/Science Fiction - 3.4 War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells
Series
Sport Related
Children's - 5.4 The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss
Non-Fiction - 6.7 The Analects of Confucius, by Confucius
Biography/Autobiography
History - 2.7 The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

was debating between this and war+peace, but eventually realized there's other places to go with fiction and this was high up on my short story list

That is my one regret in this draft, I could have gone with War and Peace rather than Catch-22 and completely forgot about War and Peace.

[Warhammer]

Just to clear up any confusion on the main page, Profiles in Courage is a biography, not autobiography.

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by Warhammer

Just to clear up any confusion on the main page, Profiles in Courage is a biography, not autobiography.

My bad.

EDIT: Everything was an autobiography so far so I was on a roll.

[st.cronin]

Am I up?

[lordscarlet]

Yes, should I use your list or do you have it?

[st.cronin]

I have it, one second please.

[st.cronin]

Fiction
Single Short Story - 1.3, The Dead, James Joyce
Poem
Fantasy/Science Fiction - 2.8, 1984, George Orwell
Series - 3.3, Dune, Frank Herbert
Sport Related - 4.8, Rabbit, Run, John Updike
Children's
Non-Fiction
Biography/Autobiography - 5.3 The Diary of Anais Nin, Anais Nin
History - 6.8, The Second World War, Winston Churchill

[ThunderingHERD]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

was debating between this and war+peace

Is that the Baz Luhrmann version?

[Warhammer]

Originally Posted by st.cronin

Fiction
Single Short Story - 1.3, The Dead, James Joyce
Poem
Fantasy/Science Fiction - 2.8, 1984, George Orwell
Series - 3.3, Dune, Frank Herbert
Sport Related - 4.8, Rabbit, Run, John Updike
Children's
Non-Fiction
Biography/Autobiography - 5.3 The Diary of Anais Nin, Anais Nin
History - 6.8, The Second World War, Winston Churchill

Good pick, I was debating whether or not to use it. The primary benefit of the books is not so much as a history per se, but rather as Churchill's memoirs during the war.

EDIT: It is history, but its not so much a comprehensive history of WWII as much as it is Churchill's memoirs.

[lordscarlet]

This is great guys.. we are flying through picks. Anyone who participated in the History draft is getting sick from the g-forces.

Cartman is up next. I don't have a list from him, but I do from CR and st.cronin once cartman makes it in. That will jump us from pick 6.9 to 7.4 in a matter of minutes as long as I notice as soon as cartman makes his pick. That means ML, DT and NM.. start thinking about your picks.

[st.cronin]

Originally Posted by Warhammer

Good pick, I was debating whether or not to use it. The primary benefit of the books is not so much as a history per se, but rather as Churchill's memoirs during the war.

EDIT: It is history, but its not so much a comprehensive history of WWII as much as it is Churchill's memoirs.

Yeah, I had it on my list for biography/autobiography, as well as series.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

Fiction - 1.4 Hamlet, by William Shakespeare
Single Short Story
Poem - 4.7 The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Fantasy/Science Fiction - 3.4 War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells
Series
Sport Related
Children's - 5.4 The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss
Non-Fiction - 6.7 The Analects of Confucius, by Confucius
Biography/Autobiography
History - 2.7 The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank

Excellent pick and it's one I considered as a fallback option if I hadn't gone with The Art of War

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Excellent pick and it's one I considered as a fallback option if I hadn't gone with The Art of War

I'm trying to steal some Asian delegates from you.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by NoMyths

Fiction
Single Short Story
Poem: 2.5 - The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri
Fantasy/Science Fiction
Series (A set of books continuing the same story and intended to be read sequentially) 3.6 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
Sport Related: 4.5 - Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger
Children's: 5.6 - Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
Non-Fiction: 1.6 - On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin
Biography/Autobiography: 6.5 - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Frederick Douglass
History

Having stolen himself from slavery, Frederick Douglass became one of the most important men in America. His book opened the country's eyes to both the inhumane conditions of slavery and the fact that men and women of African descent were human in a way society rarely acknowledged. One of the key books and men that led to the abolition of slavery in America.

From Wiki:
Frederick Douglass (February 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American abolitionist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer. Called "The Sage of Anacostia" and "The Lion of Anacostia", Douglass is one of the most prominent figures in African American history and a formidable public presence. He was a firm believer in the equality of all people, whether black, female, Native American, or recent immigrant. He was fond of saying, "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong."

I had this as a secondary option as well, which makes me feel even better about taking Night... because if it and this had both been gone off the board, things would've looked awfully tight for me in that category.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

I'm trying to steal some Asian delegates from you.

[Maple Leafs]

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

Series (A set of books continuing the same story and intended to be read sequentially)

So just to be clear, a length "series" that shared characters but had standalone stories or could be read in any order wouldn't fit in the spirit of the category?

[cartman]

Get ready to 'Slap yo' mammas', my pick is coming right up!

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

So just to be clear, a length "series" that shared characters but had standalone stories or could be read in any order wouldn't fit in the spirit of the category?

I'm trying to think of an example of what you're talking about that s off the board. I imagine you mean something like.. Hm.. Everything that pops into my head is still on the board.

How about this.. Actually.. PM me. But ultimately, I'm fine with an interpretation like that being handled by votes. I try to be as loose as possible on the categorization outside of Historical Fiction when it was intended to be non-fiction. Whenever I am a participant I prefer it that way, so I'm trying to run it that way as well.

[cartman]

My next pick I had briefly considered putting under Poem, but thought it was a weak choice for that category. The category I'm going to put it under made a whole lot more sense. Most sports stories are either too "Hollywood", meaning the ending is entirely predictable, or too tabloid "example: Ball Four", meaning they pay too much attention to the off-the-field facets. My pick is elegantly simple. It shows the hopes and dreams of a team's fans hoping their hero can win the game for him. And in the end, he fails. Everyone knows the story of the Mudville Nine, and the score of 4-2, with but one inning left to play. My pick:

Casey at the Bat, Ernest Thayer

cartman's picks:

1. Fiction - 4.9 Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand
2. Single Short Story - 3.2 The Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe
3. Poem - 5.2 Paul Revere's Ride, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
4. Fantasy/Science Fiction - 2.9 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
5. Series (A set of books continuing the same story and intended to be read sequentially) - 1.2: The Lord of The Rings Trilogy (Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King), J.R.R. Tolkein
6. Sport Related - 6.9: Casey At The Bat, Ernest Thayer
7. Children's
8. Non-Fiction
9. Biography/Autobiography
10. History

[cartman]

is it ok if I edit the post to bold my pick?

[Maple Leafs]

I'd kicked around Casey as a sports option a few rounds ago and talked myself out of it. Definitely worth the risk this late, though.

[Warhammer]

Hey! Don't go slamming my picks! Mr. I'm putting Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in Sci-Fi/Fantasy rather than children's!

[DaddyTorgo]

oh man i better think about my pick. it comes down to "do i pander to the voters" or not

[lordscarlet]

Casey at the Bat is an excellent choice, IMO. It will definitely stand out in the Sports category. Sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad, depending on the voter, but I think it stands out, and that is going to be important in a category that has a lot of equality.

[lordscarlet]

I'm going to post this quick and not hunt down the full lists for proper formatting.

Chief Rum

6.10 Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card [Series]
7.1 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep, Phillip K. Dick [Sci-Fi/Fantasy]

[Vince]

Some great picks so far...I think Izulde takes it with Night as my favorite pick of the day. Casey and Frederick Douglas are right up there.

I'm impressed with how good each drafter is doing. I don't think anyone is out of this. The top just got incredibly crowded with the last round of picks, I think. Serious contenders:

Edit - so I just made a list with 10 names on it. Good work.

[Vince]

Hrm. I love Ender's Game...but I think it's a stronger entry as Sci-Fi than as a series. The rest of the series just isn't well known enough.

[Warhammer]

Dang it! I was going to try and snag Ender's Game as Sci-Fi this round!

EDIT: Would have done well as a short story too. I considered it in place of Flowers for Algernon on my list, but figured I could wait a few rounds before picking it up.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

I'm going to post this quick and not hunt down the full lists for proper formatting.

Chief Rum

6.10 Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card [Series]
7.1 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sleep, Phillip K. Dick [Sci-Fi/Fantasy]

Hrmm..

I think Ender's Game runs into the same risk here as Dune - that it really falls apart later in the series.

But the first.. oh... 3 books in the series.. may be enough to carry this as a series for me.

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by Vince

Some great picks so far...I think Izulde takes it with Night as my favorite pick of the day. Casey and Frederick Douglas are right up there.

I'm impressed with how good each drafter is doing. I don't think anyone is out of this. The top just got incredibly crowded with the last round of picks, I think. Serious contenders:

Edit - so I just made a list with 10 names on it. Good work.

I think this proves how broad and excellent literature is. I somewhat took on a bad topic for this draft in that way. Or I didn't narrow the categories enough. You can come up with 10 excellent lists and still have so many great works leftover. However, I don't think that diminishes the enjoyment of the process in any way.

Originally Posted by Vince

Hrm. I love Ender's Game...but I think it's a stronger entry as Sci-Fi than as a series. The rest of the series just isn't well known enough.

I was talking to Wade about this yesterday. I absolutely love Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow, but I think it starts to fall off to varying degrees after that. I also really enjoyed the concept of Ender's Shadow and the fact that rewriting the same story worked is incredible. This may be similar to the Dune pick with some fall off, but I don't think as much. The lack of familiarity may be like the Hitchhiker's pick (really? people don't know that Hitchhicker's Guide is part of a series?). We shall see.

[cartman]

Going for the figurative "home run" with my next pick. I'm going to the category of non-fiction. I'm very interested to see people's reaction to this pick.

This title could be considered one of the most misunderstood books in history. It could be considered an instructional manual, a relationship guide, and a spiritual guide. Most people focus too much on the "instructional manual" aspect of the book, overlooking the fact the book actually was trying to place enjoyment of the senses into its proper place in life. With my next pick, I'm going with:

Kama Sutra, Mallanaga Vatsyayana

1. Fiction - 4.9 Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand
2. Single Short Story - 3.2 The Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe
3. Poem - 5.2 Paul Revere's Ride, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
4. Fantasy/Science Fiction - 2.9 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
5. Series (A set of books continuing the same story and intended to be read sequentially) - 1.2: The Lord of The Rings Trilogy (Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King), J.R.R. Tolkein
6. Sport Related - 6.9: Casey At The Bat, Ernest Thayer
7. Children's
8. Non-Fiction - 7.2 Kama Sutra, Mallanaga Vatsyayana
9. Biography/Autobiography
10. History