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Yo Dakka, could I have some example of excellently written, really intelligent dialogue? I'm not talking about realistic, Quinton Tarantino dialogue. Rather, I'm looking for very sharp, highly intelligent dialogue. Say the God and the Devil had a conversation, that's about what I'm looking for.

The Bible perhaps? If you can understand the archaic English, it's been known to lend some legendary commentary on... lots of things. The Koran is equally as applicable.

I'd say something like Ernest Hemingway or Ralph Ellison.

Look at Terry Pratchett. Specifically, look at the Assassin's driving test in the discworld book Pyramids.

Arcsquad wrote:Look at Terry Pratchett. Specifically, look at the Assassin's driving test in the discworld book Pyramids.

Perhaps you could quote a portion of it here?

Shakepeare Bro.

 Perkustin wrote:
Shakepeare Bro.

I'd go with Faustus myself... (Not Shakespeare but same era)
That said the discussions between Faustus and the various daemons aren't particularly intelligent...

Read Dune. It's 80% of the first book.

Anything by Michael Moorcock, but if you are specifically after conversations involving angelic beings (fallen or otherwise) then you could do a lot worse than reading these:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_Hound_and_the_World%27s_Pain

Any of the books in the Second Ether series:

Blood: A Southern Fantasy
Fabulous Harbours
The War Amongst The Angels

Or, if you fancy something a little more sword and sorcery (albeit with an intelligent anti-hero who occasionally serves chaos) then read the Elric saga.

Enjoy!

If its purely intelligent conversations/dialogue, try to find the book 13 conversations. Yes, I know its also a movie, but the book rocks more. (its actually an adaptation of the movie but still. Movie was first, but not better)

You already mentioned you don't want Tarantino dialogue, so I wont bother you with that. I'll just post some suggestions, let me know if it was what you were looking for.

By Larry Niven:

Man-Kzin wars
Footfall
Dragons of Heorot

By China Mieville:
Perdido street station

By Robert Scott and Jay Gordon:
The Eldarn sequence Trilogy

Above books are all sci-fi fantasy

For more 'realistic' work I can fully recommend

J.N Williamson
Daniel Hecht
Fredrick Forsyth

Hope this helps. Writing good dialogue is hard. Writing entertaining dialogue is not that hard, but still not easy.
Writing a dialogue thats both... well... thats an Art I too hope to master. The entertaining bit I have covered
If you have the time, read my 'Necro-pocalypse' for me and give me some dialogue pointers, thanx

MauS

One author suggested taping other people's conversations Of course, you would have to get their permission or not let on, or work out of Langely