# Any Clive Cussler fans here? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 22, 2003, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060 "2003-09-22T11:55:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nisosbar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@nisosbar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nisosbar)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/1 "2003-09-22T11:55:52Z")
Can you recommend his best books? Any recommendations for other good action/suspense books? ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/2 "2003-09-22T13:54:10Z")
I’ve read a few of his books. They are easy reads and not of the best quality. That said they are not bad if you want an easy read. You can find some pretty big holes in the plots, but still an ok read. However, if you want what I think is a good action book is Stephen Hunter. He’s written a couple of books about a sniper and his father. He weaves two different lives together pretty well and has written a number of good action books. You may have a hard time finding his books though as they are not that popular. He is also the movie critic for the Washington Post. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/3 "2003-09-22T14:07:55Z")
_Raise the Titanic_ was okay. Everything else I ever read by him sucked grest huge ballocks. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/4 "2003-09-22T14:44:13Z")
Do I read his books? Yes. They’re a guilty pleasure. Can I recommend them? No, not really. They’re just too damn formulaic. Read one, you’ve read them all. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/5 "2003-09-22T16:34:44Z")
_Sahara_ and _Raise the Titanic_ are the only books of his I can think of that have been or are being considered for adaptation to film. Make of that what you will. (Not that the movie version of _Raise the Titanic_ didn’t suck, but I digress.) As an extra advantage, I think those two books are both early enough that they don’t contain those annoying Clive Cussler self-inserts, but I may be mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/6 "2003-09-22T16:58:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Orbifold \* > _Sahara_ and _Raise the Titanic_ are the only books of his I can think of that have been or are being considered for adaptation to film. Make of that what you will. (Not that the movie version of _Raise the Titanic_ didn’t suck, but I digress.) That’s because Cussler didn’t like one of the movies, one I never saw, and has refused to allow anyone else to make a film. At least that’s how I understand it. And now I’m wondering why I actually know something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Derfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lord\_Derfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Derfel)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/7 "2003-09-22T17:19:12Z")
Cussler is generally a fun read - like an Ah-nuld movie, you know the good guys are going to kick ass and save the day. Good airplane reading - not too intellectually strenuous. If you’re into shipwrecks, _The Sea Hunters_ is a neat book. Cussler’s hobby is finding missing shipwrecks (often famous ships like the civil war submarine, CSS Hunley). The book contains several fictionalized accounts of a ship’s last moments, followed by a section detailing Cussler’s involvement in discovering the wreck. He wrote a sequel, but I haven’t read it. I love the TV series as well. ---
**Author:** ![Eman\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Eman\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eman_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/8 "2003-09-22T17:34:37Z")
I am an unashamed Cussler fan. Yes, his books are far from profound, the dialouge can get cheesy. But they’re fun. Perfect beach-reading, plane-traveling stuff. They’re actually adapting _Sahara_ into a movie for next summer. So maybe you can start with that one. And Cussler did in fact write himself in that book… ---
**Author:** ![Threadkiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aca169/32.png) [@Threadkiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Threadkiller)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/9 "2003-09-22T17:37:09Z")
I will freely admit that Cussler’s books: [ul]All use the same formula Don’t have internal consistency Have massive plot holes Stretch credibility well past the breaking point[/ul] Yet I really like to read them. At first I thought the guy was a major egomaniac, a nutjob or both by casting himself in the novels and listing himself as the founder of a government agency he made up in his books. Then I read a longer bio and a few interviews and took back everything. He is a guy that doesn’t take himself (or his books) too seriously. He has fun writing them and it shows in his work. One thing he does take seriously, his “cause” if you will, is [NUMA](http://www.numa.net/), a nonprofit outfit that is “dedicated to preserving our maritime heritage through the discovery, archaeological survey and conservation of shipwreck artifacts”. He has funded (and usually goes on) dozens of hunts for historic shipwrecks, finding several. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/10 "2003-09-22T22:41:06Z")
yep, i read cussler. my favourite is nightprobe. sahara, treasure, and inca gold are rather good. basicly mr cussler writes the books to support his diving and classic car passion. it works out rather well for him. i have fallen for james rollins and matt reilly for " 'coater non stop action rides." ---
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/11 "2003-09-23T02:22:10Z")
I liked _Vixen 03_ a lot, myself. I too am an unashamed fan, though it seems each successive book gets more and more outlandish, stretching my willingness to suspend my disbelief (I believe it was Sahara where Pitt and Giordino make a rather outlandish discovery in the desert, but I shan’t spoil it). I’ve read all his stuff, blowing right through each book - not a lot of deep thought required, outside of wondering how many chicks I could score if I was Dirk Pitt. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/12 "2003-09-23T04:59:29Z")
I like Cussler. Like others have said, light, fun reading. He seems to have abandoned Dirk in favor of Kurt Austin, however, has anyone else noticed this? Will there be another Dirk Pitt book, or has Dirk settled into married life and left the NUMA banner in Austin’s capable hands? ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/13 "2003-09-23T06:01:55Z")
THere’s a new Dirk Pitt coming out shortly. I think it’s in November, but don’t quote me on the. Trojan Odyssey, it’s called. ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/14 "2003-09-23T06:27:34Z")
I liked most of them, especially _Vixen 03, Raise the Titanic_ (it was a lot better than the movie) and especially _Night Probe_. I haven’t read the last several, however. The plots seemed to be getting more and more unbelievable, but what bothered me more was **Cussler** writing himself into the books in ever more pivotal roles. Eric ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/15 "2003-09-23T07:28:26Z")
I think Cussler sucks. I used to like Robert Ludlum too, until I started guessing the plots in the first 100 pages. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/16 "2003-09-23T18:12:04Z")
Cussler’s stuff is fun, light reading. Just try not to think too much when you read them and you’ll be fine. I think his earlier stuff is better than his later ones; partially because of his gratuitous insertion of himself into the books as a _deus ex machina_ in most of them. Try _Raise the Titanic_ and _Night Probe_ as others have suggested. _Cyclops_ is really, really silly fun (even if it brings new meaning to the phrase “implasuable”). I liked _Pacific Vortex_ myself. _Deep Six_ has the absolute silliest plot you will ever read. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Rocking Chair_: > **i have fallen for james rollins and matt reilly for " 'coater non stop action rides."** I discovered James Rollins and he does have the action/adventure formula down. I’ve liked all of his stuff except for _Subterranian_ which didn’t do anything for me. (When you find the protaganist so annoying that you continually hope she is the next one to be offed, it’s hard to enjoy the book.) Read _Amazonia_ yet? ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/17 "2003-09-23T19:14:00Z")
I’ve always enjoyed Cussler… I remember particularly liking **Deep Six** , but I haven’ t read it in years. My favorite thing about his books is the first 4 chapters, each of which is separated by thousands of miles and hundreds of years from the other one… it would be a fun thing to parody… “A mysterious stowaway on the Lusitania… a sexy and talented air traffic controller in Sydney… Xenophon… and Og, the Homo Erectus who first learned to control fire… only Clive Cussler could bring them together into Dirk Pitt’s most excitingest adventure ever!!!” ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/18 "2003-09-23T20:42:51Z")
Yep, Cussler is a guilty pleasure of mine. I like his older Pitt books best, the latest ones have been a little too much. He is a hell of a nice guy too. I met him in Denver once and he was very gracious and down-to-earth. He even signed something for my dad. I don’t read the non-Pitt books. Pitt **is** the book, if you ask me. And such a hottie! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/19 "2003-09-23T23:54:33Z")
tanstaafl, i forgot about cyclops. that was a fun read. makes me wonder if there isn’t something to it… i did read “amazonia.” so very good. matt reilly did a sim. book with “temple.” i snagged mr rollins new book “ice hunt” out of the box in the book store, no need to shelve. i wait for the austin books to go to paperback. pitt’s books i’ll still go with the hardback. what a lucky duck ejsgirl. i’ll bet it was great meeting him. i bet he doesn’t throw fits about the table being wrong or the chair not right or i never use that kind of pen. he seems like the “don’t make a huge fuss” kind of guy. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-clive-cussler-fans-here/203060/20 "2003-09-24T14:11:59Z")
Didn’t realize that _Ice Hunt_ was out yet. I’ll have to go look for it. And thanks for the tip on Matt Reilly; I’ll check him out too.