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Recommend me fast paced action filled Sci-fi/fantasy books

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Well after reading Elantris and Devil in White City I really need something to shake me up :p I'm up for anything with a lot of action and/or heroism.

Oh and only series that are finished

Thank you for your time!
 

Grakl

Member
TheForeverWar(1stEd).jpg


Love both of these. Forever Peace is pretty good, too.

Ender's_game_cover_ISBN_0312932081.jpg


You can read the others in the Ender series, but they don't have nearly as much action.
 

bengraven

Member
Edmond Dantès;38197897 said:
The City and the Stars
Childhood's End
Lord of Light
The Stars My Destination
Rendezvous With Rama

Is Lord of Light "fast-paced"?

I'm serious about this because I was given it on a webforum Secret Santa one year and I haven't read it because I expected some slow, plodding high concept "thinking man's" sci-fi.
 

Dragon

Banned
Ender's Game is terribly overrated, Don't bother reading it.

The author's piss-poor opinions shouldn't be used to evaluate his literature. Seriously Ender's Game is something that people should read because it's a good book.

Is Lord of Light "fast-paced"?

I'm serious about this because I was given it on a webforum Secret Santa one year and I haven't read it because I expected some slow, plodding high concept "thinking man's" sci-fi.

Is that part of that Roger Zelanzy opus? I think I purchased the full set of books in that series and read them little by little when I had to take a deuce. Very interesting, I ended up reading all of them but did in such a disjointed fashion I had no idea what I felt about the books once I was finished.
 

Tapiozona

Banned
Ender's Game is terribly overrated, Don't bother reading it.

Don't listen to him. Ender's game may be 'overrated' in that it's not one of the greatest sci-fi books ever but it's still a fantastic book. People will always find a reason to needlessly hate on things.
 

Edmond Dantès

Dantès the White
Is Lord of Light "fast-paced"?

I'm serious about this because I was given it on a webforum Secret Santa one year and I haven't read it because I expected some slow, plodding high concept "thinking man's" sci-fi.
Finished it in a weekend. The narrative flows very well and the pace doesn't let up till the end.
 

Edmond Dantès

Dantès the White
The author's piss-poor opinions shouldn't be used to evaluate his literature. Seriously Ender's Game is something that people should read because it's a good book.



Is that part of that Roger Zelanzy opus? I think I purchased the full set of books in that series and read them little by little when I had to take a deuce. Very interesting, I ended up reading all of them but did in such a disjointed fashion I had no idea what I felt about the books once I was finished.
It's a standalone story. I think you're referring to the Amber Chronicles.
 

bengraven

Member
Edmond Dantès;38198977 said:
Finished it in a weekend. The narrative flows very well and the pace doesn't let up till the end.

That is awesome. I'll have to read it post haste after I'm done reading the Lovecraft compilation I just got.

Is that part of that Roger Zelanzy opus? I think I purchased the full set of books in that series and read them little by little when I had to take a deuce. Very interesting, I ended up reading all of them but did in such a disjointed fashion I had no idea what I felt about the books once I was finished.

Yeah, it's Zelanzy though I wasn't aware that it was part of a series.

I'm okay with books that are deep in symbolism and complicated prose, I'm not just in the mood for one right now.
 

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action


I'm not quite sure it deserves all the praise it gets, but it certainly fits the bill.

First post nails it! Super fun filled action packed sci fi awesomeness. Reads like the best video game you never played.

Joe Abercrombie - First Law Trilogy

Not a bad choice but pretty middle of the road in terms of quality.

Fast paced, huh? How about The Road? Both dystopian fic.

The Road barely has any action in it.
 

Salvadora

Member
The author's piss-poor opinions shouldn't be used to evaluate his literature. Seriously Ender's Game is something that people should read because it's a good book.

When did I say it was his opinions that made me not like it? I simply didn't think it was a particularly good book.
 

Karak

Member
Well after reading Elantris and Devil in White City I really need something to shake me up :p I'm up for anything with a lot of action and/or heroism.

Oh and only series that are finished

Thank you for your time!

Armor by John Steakley
 

bengraven

Member
You know, I really wish there were more quality space opera adventures out there in book form. I know there are a lot of great books, many of which are already in this thread (Forever War, Old Man's War), but something written well but also fun and adventurous - trysts with space aliens, exotic planets, life on a space station, then dogfights in space. The book equivalent of "FIRE EVERYTHING!" from Star Trek.
 

Dresden

Member
bengraven said:
You know, I really wish there were more quality space opera adventures out there in book form.
Yeah, what's out there is usually just dreck. John Ringo, Drake, etc. come to mind.

Miles Vorkosigan is always a good time, though. I must recommend them to the OP.
Edmond Dantès;38197897 said:
The City and the Stars
Childhood's End
Lord of Light
The Stars My Destination
Rendezvous With Rama

Fast paced action . . .
 

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
If you don't mind Young Adult stuff all of the Rick Riordan stuff is really fast paced. The 3rd book of the Kane Chronicle's just came out, and finished that whole deal. The 1st grouping of the Percy Jackson Greek Series has been done for a while as well.

Start with...

lightning-thief.jpg


PS: IMO the Kane Chronicle's was the better of the two finished series. :p
 
You know, I really wish there were more quality space opera adventures out there in book form. I know there are a lot of great books, many of which are already in this thread (Forever War, Old Man's War), but something written well but also fun and adventurous - trysts with space aliens, exotic planets, life on a space station, then dogfights in space. The book equivalent of "FIRE EVERYTHING!" from Star Trek.

Dune? To an extent

Edit: And I support the Dresden Files, Way of Shadows, and First Law Trilogy selections

I would also like to suggest
The_Final_Empire_Mistborn_Book_1-119766409990791.jpg
 

bengraven

Member
Yeah, what's out there is usually just dreck. John Ringo, Drake, etc. come to mind.

Yeah or licensed shit.

I'm just shocked there hasn't been more Star Trek clones by creative writers, especially recently with something like the reboot BSG that was for a time a very literary, novel-like series. I know Martin did some space opera stuff, maybe I should bark up that tree.

Maybe I just need to write my own.


Dune? To an extent

Yeah, maybe, and it was fun, but it was always more about the religion and the rebellion I think. Like Star Wars if it rarely left Tattooine and was about Luke using the Force to remove the government of Mos Eisley. I know, I know, Dune is a huge influence in Star Wars...

I hate to say it, but I wish a better writer could make something like Mass Effect, but in literary form.

Or maybe a space version of Lonesome Dove.
 
Yeah, maybe, and it was fun, but it was always more about the religion and the rebellion I think. Like Star Wars if it rarely left Tattooine and was about Luke using the Force to remove the government of Mos Eisley. I know, I know, Dune is a huge influence in Star Wars...

I hate to say it, but I wish a better writer could make something like Mass Effect, but in literary form.

Or maybe a space version of Lonesome Dove.

There are actually some Mass Effect novels that I found pretty entertaining, you could try checking those out. But yea, I know what you're getting at
 

Sappy113

Member
Joe Abercrombie and Brent Weeks both get my vote. Abercrombie is, imho, the best new - though not really all that new - fantasy writer.

Weeks' Night Angel trilogy really is extremely fast moving. Lot of action packed into three volumes. It grows a bit silly in the end, but I still enjoyed the read immensely.

Also try Doug Hulick's "Among the Thieves". It's a self-contained story, but a sequel is coming this October. Also a fast-moving plot, plenty of action.
 

ultron87

Member
Night Angel books are indeed a good suggestion.

Though there is that part in the second book where
Kylar goes all goody-no-killing for what's her face that was pretty annoying.
 

brickface

Member
Iain M Banks' Surface Detail is really good

images


But get it in paper back cause it's huge (but quick!) and a real pain in the ass to read on your side in bed with the hard-back cover slapping you in the face. Awesome book though.
 

Sappy113

Member
Night Angel books are indeed a good suggestion.

Though there is that part in the second book where
Kylar goes all goody-no-killing for what's her face that was pretty annoying.

Aye
All the while going through a really angsty spell of immense sexual frustration, which was kinda odd in the grand scheme of things
. Then the book got over it, and off it went. Good stuff.
 

Talas

Member
Iain M Banks' Surface Detail is really good

images


But get it in paper back cause it's huge (but quick!) and a real pain in the ass to read on your side in bed with the hard-back cover slapping you in the face. Awesome book though.
All the Culture books are pretty good for fast-paced action and story.

This one is the best:

916Vr.jpg
 
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