Any SciFi or Fantasy book suggestions?

[Hellraiser97]

Wow. There's a blast from my Junior High Past. I read all of those, and while I remember enjoying the 1st, 2nd, and 4th and a few of the rest ok, I never felt like I'd be interested in revisiting those. Although the Fizban/Zifnab crossover stuff was pretty damn fun.

lol, I just started re-reading this series again Monday. One of their best efforts.

I had never even heard of it until recently. I was looking to download a copy of Dragonlance Chronicles (I own three different print versions so I wasn't going to feel too bad about it) and the torrent I found had the Death Gate Cycle in it as well, so I started it just for the hell of it. The only other Weis/Hickman novels I had read were the Rose of the Prophet trilogy back in middle school and while I had liked it, I hadn't loved it and I just never bothered to pick up any of their other books. After Death Gate Cycle, its making me consider some of their other works I missed out on.

[rage-a-holic]

I had never even heard of it until recently. I was looking to download a copy of Dragonlance Chronicles (I own three different print versions so I wasn't going to feel too bad about it) and the torrent I found had the Death Gate Cycle in it as well, so I started it just for the hell of it. The only other Weis/Hickman novels I had read were the Rose of the Prophet trilogy back in middle school and while I had liked it, I hadn't loved it and I just never bothered to pick up any of their other books. After Death Gate Cycle, its making me consider some of their other works I missed out on.

I have all the Weis/Hickman stuff in pdf. PM me and I'll send it over.

If you already have all their stuff, I'd recommend the Darksword and Star Shield trilogies.

[Cluttered]

Still amazed at how this thread turned out. Figured it might get a couple responses but nothing like this. It's great to continue to see the reviews and recommendations. I've got a long list of things to read just from what was mentioned here.

[SydneyCarton]

I have all the Weis/Hickman stuff in pdf. PM me and I'll send it over.

If you already have all their stuff, I'd recommend the Darksword and Star Shield trilogies.

I read the Darksword stuff when it was just a Trilogy. Pretty enjoyable. So I 2nd that suggestion. I also think I read Rose of the Prophet, and don't remember hating it completely. But again, some of these were literally 20 years ago or thereabouts.

I did read something by Margaret Weiss alone, that was set in space, and it sucked huge $#@!ing ballsac. Just because you love Star Wars, and a set of books from an author you were familiar with wrote some new work that has what looks to be a lightsaber on the front cover...don't get excited. That's my advice to everyone here.

[rage-a-holic]

I did read something by Margaret Weiss alone, that was set in space, and it sucked huge $#@!ing ballsac. Just because you love Star Wars, and a set of books from an author you were familiar with wrote some new work that has what looks to be a lightsaber on the front cover...don't get excited. That's my advice to everyone here.

Star Shield, which I just recommended.

[SydneyCarton]

Star Shield, which I just recommended.

Wiki had that listed as Star of the Guardians or something.

Yeah. It made me want to stab.

[rage-a-holic]

Yep, that was the name

[BrazilHorn]

Just started the second book in a series by Lev Grossman

1st book is called "The Magicians" and new book is called "The Magician King"

[SydneyCarton]

Just started the second book in a series by Lev Grossman

1st book is called "The Magicians" and new book is called "The Magician King"

Read the first one after I saw a couple really positive reviews on it. The notion of Harry Potter except where all the kids abuse their powers, get wasted, do drugs, and never stopped banging everyone else sounded kind of humorous. But I mostly thought it was just Meh. Still probably read the 2nd one at one point, however.

[BrazilHorn]

Read the first one after I saw a couple really positive reviews on it. The notion of Harry Potter except where all the kids abuse their powers, get wasted, do drugs, and never stopped banging everyone else sounded kind of humorous. But I mostly thought it was just Meh. Still probably read the 2nd one at one point, however.

The narration can get a little "Holden Caufield-esque" at times, I am about 1/3rd of the way through the second book and it is not bad. Lack some of the reverence to magic that some other books approach it with which I find a nice break.

[bernorange]

The Books of the Swords by Fred Saberhagen
- Probably the best series from an author many considered as very influential. 4/10
...

Berzerker >>>>>> Swords

[Chewbacca]

If you like zombies, check out www.adriansundeaddiary.com. Great diary style zombie fiction.

[Hefeweizen]

Glen Cook, the Black Company. I haven't read his newer stuff, I'm sure it'll start sucking at some point, but the old ones are awesome.

[CooterBrown]

It's been mentioned earlier but the Hyperion series is unbelievable. It's very dense. I quit halfway through the 3rd book but it kept eating at me to finish it and the 4th book, which is the last. His ideas of future technology and story lines are obviously drug induced. It's worth reading just for the Shrike who may be the baddest mother $#@!er in the universe.

[milk_monitor]

A number of people have suggested some of Philip K $#@!'s work. A lot of the short stories are very good, and some of the novels (though honestly many are crap). I don't think anyone has mentioned VALIS yet, which remains one of the most hallucinatory, intense books I have ever read. I don't even know if it qualifies as science fiction, since it is unclear how "fictional" it is from the author's perspective. The Empire never ended, bitches.

Also, I have a question about Robert Heinlein - I tried to read Stranger in a Strange Land, but got really bored and stopped about halfway through. The endless exposition of Heinlein's rather garden-variety nonconformist social and political positions was pretty heavy-handed. Show us, don't tell us, Bob. Apparently I got some "expanded" edition, whose main additions were more of the stuff I didn't like. Might I have more luck with the rest of his work?

[Dolemite]

This website may interest you. Start with the glossary.

http://www.wingmakers.com/fullintro.html

[JudgeU]

There's some great suggestions here, but not enough short story love.

Fantasy:

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski



The Witcher video games are based on this book. I believe the author is Polish and has five or six books based in this fantasy world. This book is a collection of short stories (so the book is actually novel length). All revolve around the same character. So it reads almost like tv show episodes. It's an excellent read. This was the authors first book to be translated into english.

They have also translated a full novel of his Blood of Elves. And while I would love to recommend Blood of Elves its hard to when it is unknown whether/if/when the rest of the story will ever be translated over. But if you like gritty dirty fantasy check it out too.

Fantasy/Horror

I am Legend by Richard Matheson



By far the best short story I have ever read. Was the first vampire story to have a modern take/scientific explanation for vampires. Vampires are almost a hybrid of what we now consider zombies and vampires. Has been made into a movie THREE times and every time hollywood makes it they decide against telling the amazing ending because they think it's too horrific. The first scene makes my balls shrivel and the ending blows me away. READ THIS STORY. If I remember correctly it's only about 60 pages long. Check it out.

[milk_monitor]

^^^ He has a number of pretty good short stories, I think. As does George RR Martin, although their names escape me. One scifi/horror story set in a decaying Mid-Western town ruled by werewolves is pretty $#@!ing creepy.

[JudgeU]

Sorry Milk, but I'm a little confused. Who wrote the story about werewolves, Martin or Matheson?

[CleverNickname]

another good fantasy series is:
Lamentation
Canticle
(there's a third as well)
by Ken Scholes

just reading these, good stuff.

Glad that Glenn Cook's stuff is getting lover here. Also want to re-up my praise for Scott Bakker. Its up to book 5 now, and he writes them pretty quick. Its not six books, more like 2 trilogies. Martin with fewer characters. Dark $#@!. Has anybody mentioned Zelazny's The Chronicles of Amber? A classic. Let me point out that lots of these books are pretty old, and you should zero problem checking them out from the library.

[milk_monitor]

Sorry Milk, but I'm a little confused. Who wrote the story about werewolves, Martin or Matheson?

Martin

[JudgeU]

This sound like what you're thinking of Milk?

The best story is the last and also the longest. It's George R.R. Martin's werewolf story "The Skin Trade."

I googled "George R.R. Martin werewolf" and this story pops up in a book called Dark Visions with Stephen King and another author.

[CleverNickname]

fwiw Martin's The Skin Trade has been optioned for a movie:
http://www.theflickchicks.com/index....kin-trade.html

[JudgeU]

I'm definitely going to check it out. Love Martin, and I've always wanted to read a werewolf story.

[Viper]

Anyone see that flowchart on i09 yesterday?
http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/io9/full/~3/E_D7jdj3Ubc/handy-flowchart-for-choosing-among-nprs-top-100-science-fiction-and-fantasy-books

[Prepuce of Doom]

Yeah, that was pretty neat.

HERE's a clickable link to a large version of the chart itself.

[BrazilHorn]

Yeah, that was pretty neat.

HERE's a clickable link to a large version of the chart itself.

think I saw like 70+ of those I have read.

[Michael Knight]

[SPII]

that graph is great. saw it on google play the other day. sent me straight to my favorite book, Neuromancer.

yo.. how the $#@! have the 2001 and Rama series not been mentioned in here? Both floored me.

[linux]

This deserves its own thread, saw in slashdot an interactive link

http://www.sfsignal.com/interactive/npr100.htm

[BatesHorn]

I'll second some things already mentioned here:

Richard Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs Series, particularly Altered Carbon, is very entertaining.

Everyone must read I am Legend by Richard Matheson at some point. His take on the last man on earth story is disturbing and has a stunning ending. Do NOT wiki or google it prior to reading it, as spoiling the ending at some level destroys the story.

I'm surprised A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter Miller hasn't shown up yet. It details, over 1000 years, a monastery that protects the meager remnants of humanity's collective knowledge following a total nuclear holocaust.

I'm sure it's come up, but if you read Zombie oeuvre, World War Z and the Zombie Survival Guide are musts.

[branthebuilder]

Read the first one after I saw a couple really positive reviews on it. The notion of Harry Potter except where all the kids abuse their powers, get wasted, do drugs, and never stopped banging everyone else sounded kind of humorous. But I mostly thought it was just Meh. Still probably read the 2nd one at one point, however.

I found The Magicians to be incredible. It's not about gritty Potterville at all. It's a fantastic view of the process of writing and pursuing the dream of writing professionally.

I'm sure he's been mentioned, but if you like Martin's Song of Ice and Fire but don't have time to read 1200 pages at a time, Joe Abercrombie is where you'll want to turn. Epic in the best sense.

I'd also vote for Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell for fantasy.

I haven't come across a ton of really good sci-fi recently. Alastair Reynolds and Robert Charles Wilson are very good. Nancy Kress is okay. Other than that I'm usually disappointed in sci-fi these days.

Edited to add Peter Watts first novel Starfish to the Sci-Fi list. Didn't care as much for the sequels.

[SW1TCH]

I've always enjoyed the Halo novels. The newest one just came out today, Halo: Glasslands.

[SydneyCarton]

I found The Magicians to be incredible. It's not about gritty Potterville at all. It's a fantastic view of the process of writing and pursuing the dream of writing professionally.

I'm sure he's been mentioned, but if you like Martin's Song of Ice and Fire but don't have time to read 1200 pages at a time, Joe Abercrombie is where you'll want to turn. Epic in the best sense.

I'd also vote for Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell for fantasy.

I haven't come across a ton of really good sci-fi recently. Alastair Reynolds and Robert Charles Wilson are very good. Nancy Kress is okay. Other than that I'm usually disappointed in sci-fi these days.

Edited to add Peter Watts first novel Starfish to the Sci-Fi list. Didn't care as much for the sequels.

I didn't see anything at all about the process of writing and pursuing professional writing at all. Clearly I missed something. Care to enlighten me? Because my go to for professional writing would have been John Gardner.

[ebeye]

I'll second some things already mentioned here:

Richard Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs Series, particularly Altered Carbon, is very entertaining.

Everyone must read I am Legend by Richard Matheson at some point. His take on the last man on earth story is disturbing and has a stunning ending. Do NOT wiki or google it prior to reading it, as spoiling the ending at some level destroys the story.

I'm surprised A Canticle for Liebowitz by Walter Miller hasn't shown up yet. It details, over 1000 years, a monastery that protects the meager remnants of humanity's collective knowledge following a total nuclear holocaust.

I'm sure it's come up, but if you read Zombie oeuvre, World War Z and the Zombie Survival Guide are musts.

If you liked Takeshi Kovacs in the Altered Carbon trilogy, you need to check out Thirteen also by Richard Morgan. It is a stand alone book with a main character that has many of the anti-hero qualities of Takeshi. Also there are a some interesting themes in it as well like the idea that men are being bred in such a way that our tesoterone, manly qualities are being weeded out and we are becoming a more feminine society.

[branthebuilder]

I didn't see anything at all about the process of writing and pursuing professional writing at all. Clearly I missed something. Care to enlighten me? Because my go to for professional writing would have been John Gardner.

It's a metaphor. I find a large portion of the quality fantasy literature uses magic as a way to emphasize the power of language in our lives. The Magicians is all about a guy who falls in love with reading and decides he wants to make that his reality. Lots of other kids did as well. Only somewhere along the way they lost the path. They wanted to do it because of the scene or because of the intellectual masturbation. But he always felt like making it real was the actual point. I suppose it could be an allegory for chasing any dream, really, but in this case I think there's a lot of autobiographical stuff tossed in the background. Grossman was a literary critic prior to publishing this novel, so clearly the power of language is an important thing in his daily life. This is a quote from an interview Grossman did about the book:

I was—and, to some extent, still am—the kind of person who thought that, you know, once I got X, everything will be great and perfect. Once I get to Harvard, everything will be great. Once I publish a novel, everything will be great. And so on. And then, only gradually, I came to the realization that, wow, there are still massive problems that exist. I think I linked that in my mind with a series of books that I was obsessed with as a little kid—the Narnia novels.

I'll admit I may be projecting or making some logical leaps, but I think my premise that quality fantasy is based on an appreciation and exaggeration of the power of words is a sound one, and one that I think The Magicians supports.

I think this review states it pretty well, especially the last paragraph.

[SydneyCarton]

It's a metaphor. I find a large portion of the quality fantasy literature uses magic as a way to emphasize the power of language in our lives. The Magicians is all about a guy who falls in love with reading and decides he wants to make that his reality. Lots of other kids did as well. Only somewhere along the way they lost the path. They wanted to do it because of the scene or because of the intellectual masturbation. But he always felt like making it real was the actual point. I suppose it could be an allegory for chasing any dream, really, but in this case I think there's a lot of autobiographical stuff tossed in the background. Grossman was a literary critic prior to publishing this novel, so clearly the power of language is an important thing in his daily life. This is a quote from an interview Grossman did about the book: I'll admit I may be projecting or making some logical leaps, but I think my premise that quality fantasy is based on an appreciation and exaggeration of the power of words is a sound one, and one that I think The Magicians supports.

I think this review states it pretty well, especially the last paragraph.

Oh, I definitely think you're projecting at least a little bit :) But I also think your leaps are very logical, and that you're probably right.

That being said, I wish I had read interviews and those snippets before I actually read The Magicians. I'm certain it would have added a much more interesting layer to my reading that was otherwise lacking for me, particularly since I take writing fairly seriously. I had no idea of Grossman's background and profession. I just picked the book up on a whim and read it. Now I'm sorry I didn't know all of this beforehand.

Thanks for taking the time to expound for me.

[nemo]

Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and now Brandon Sanderson. Gets a bit slow and drawn out at times, but Sanderson is done a great job stepping in for Jordan IMO, or it's just finally to a point where a ton of $#@! is happening.

I second this series! One of my favorites.

[Bundaberg Bob]

Ubik by Phillip $#@!...I still have 20 pages or so to go, but so far it's a damn good sci-fi book.

[rage-a-holic]

Ubik by Phillip $#@!...I still have 20 pages or so to go, but so far it's a damn good sci-fi book.

One of the Top 100 Books named by Time

[Xian]

Yeah, that was pretty neat.

HERE's a clickable link to a large version of the chart itself.

awesome

[brooklynEx]

I've loved checking in on this thread - I'm a big Sci-fi fan (and a growing fantasy one).

The Culture series by Ian M. Banks made the top 100 in that NPR flowchart. Great set of books. He's an excellent writer as well -- puts out challenging 'artsy' lit as Ian Banks, excellent Sci Fi as Ian M. Banks. The culture books are all great, and there are like 8 of them now or something. Excellent concepts, great writing.

The first is called "Consider Phlebas".

[BrazilHorn]

I've loved checking in on this thread - I'm a big Sci-fi fan (and a growing fantasy one).

The Culture series by Ian M. Banks made the top 100 in that NPR flowchart. Great set of books. He's an excellent writer as well -- puts out challenging 'artsy' lit as Ian Banks, excellent Sci Fi as Ian M. Banks. The culture books are all great, and there are like 8 of them now or something. Excellent concepts, great writing.

The first is called "Consider Phlebas".

Second this recco. Great series.

[longhrnfan]

"The Forever War" by Joe Haldeman, great, great book. Basically a sci-fi book about Vietnam

I just finished this book, and it was one of the best I've ever read. I really loved it. Amazing that sci fi in the 70s can still be so good today.

anyone read forever peace or forever free? i heard they under perform but I'm starving for more now. neither is on kindle which pisses me off.

[linux]

Forever peace is an entirely different universe I think, while Forever Free was the proper sequel. Have not read either after FW.

[longhrnfan]

Just finished Enders game. Fantastic.

[Cluttered]

Just finished Enders game. Fantastic.

Ain't it? Awesome book.

[branthebuilder]

Just finished Enders game. Fantastic.

The direct sequels (Speaker and Xenocide) aren't quite as good, but I really liked the Shadow of the Hegemon books about Bean.

Also, how the hell has there not been an Ender's Game movie yet?

[rage-a-holic]

The direct sequels (Speaker and Xenocide) aren't quite as good, but I really liked the Shadow of the Hegemon books about Bean.

Also, how the hell has there not been an Ender's Game movie yet?

filming naked little boys in the shower?

[Cluttered]

The direct sequels (Speaker and Xenocide) aren't quite as good, but I really liked the Shadow of the Hegemon books about Bean.

Also, how the hell has there not been an Ender's Game movie yet?

Pretty sure its being made now.