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[James-Ape]

The Name of the Wind

Reading this now, though a little disheartened to hear that the 2nd one isn't as good.

I'm not a big reader of fantasy, but I greatly enjoyed the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. (The prequel is ok too but not up to the standards of the first 3 books) here's a nice review of it http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2003/dec/13/featuresreviews.guardianreview29

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

It doesn't in the Ender series. I wouldn't recommend reading them all, anyways. Just read Ender's Shadow, Xenocide, and Children of the Mind. Remember to treat the last two as one book. They are frequently disliked, and don't have much acclaim, but I enjoyed them. Stop there.

Which OSC series does his homophobia show up in, then? I've only read the Ender series, Homecoming Series and the first three books of the Alvin Maker series. Never encountered it.

 

[PolishQ]

Also Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Murakami. Best Cyberpunk novel ever.

One of my favorite books. Once you read that one, be sure to follow it up with The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

Other recommendations, not quite sci-fi or fantasy per say:

Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea
2666 by Roberto Bolano

 

[Retro]

Also, I want more of a "gory"... not child friendly.

Haven't seen it mentioned yet, but Stephen Donaldson's "Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" series might be up your alley. The first book is "Lord Foul's Bane".

It's about an author who's stricken with leprosy and abandoned by his wife, child and home town, who finds himself trapped in a dream-like world that can heal him if only he would accept it as reality long enough to be it's savior, but instead does everything in his power to tell everyone who needs him to fuck off, leave him alone and let him get home.

The main character is essentially a bitter, selfish asshole who does terrible things to an entire world of people and yet somehow manages to be the hero. Very interesting and there's already 9 books (10th and final coming next year).

 

[Dragon]

If you want to slog through tons of text while having heavily developed characters in a virtual world for 3 out of the 4 books then you should read Otherland by Tad Williams. While Williams has never been the most concise writer, he certainly knows how to get me to care about the characters (even if some of them are stubborn and annoying!). It's Science Fiction in the purest sense but some of the stuff he hints at seems plausible.

If you just want pure Fantasy then I suggest his Memory Sorrow and Thorn trilogy. In the beginning it reads like generic fantasy but slowly as you get a picture of its whole world you understand what Williams is trying to do.

Both of these series are incredibly wordy. I'd argue wordier in a different way than Jordan ever was in WoT. The last book of MST had to be split into two huge paperbacks from one big hardcover. So don't be confused about the Part 1/Part 2 business.

Anyway I've said enough about him really. Some people can't get into Williams and I totally would understand why, but he's a favorite of mine.

Guy Gavriel Kay is another favorite of mine. He can pull and push my emotions like few other authors. None of his stuff is incredibly original (he usually takes a time and place in history and changes it up), but what he did in Tigana always makes me want to re-read it. The premise of the book is basically a war results in a magician getting revenge. Heartwrenching stuff in my opinion.

 

[Yagharek]

William Gibson's Sprawl Trilogy:

Neuromancer
Count Zero
Mona Lisa Overdrive

Essentially the origin of the cyberpunk genre. It goes quite a bit beyond it though.

 

[Attackthebase]

In the Ender series I've only read up to Speaker for the Dead, when does Homophobia come into play?

I was more talking about generally rather than the Ender series.

 

[aerts1js]

One of the best damn books I've ever read. Thank me later.

 

[Oxigen_Waste]

Name of the wind is such a terrible name for the book... I loved it, but the name is terribly corny.

 

[Dresden]

It's not high-brow, top shelf literature, but I keep going back to The Deed of Paksenarrion, by Elizabeth Moon.

All I remember about this book is how everyone cried all the time and the girl turned into

Spoiler

Jesus at the end.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

I was more talking about generally rather than the Ender series.

Which series, then? Because you did say he inserted it into his work.

 

[Oxigen_Waste]

I don't know about Dumas, though... Monte Cristo is insanely good, but I can hardly say that I even enjoyed any other book by him.
Yevsky all the way, though.

 

[Martiallawe]

If you want some shorter works, I'd recommend

Other than that, I'd recommend Lilith's Brood, Left Hand of Darkness, and pretty much anything by Neil Gaiman. American Gods (and Anansi Boys), Neverwhere, Stardust, and (if you aren't opposed to the idea of comics) the Sandman series are all good bets. Even if you're iffy on comics, I'd HIGHLY recommend Sandman; it's the work that made me think about comics as a serious form of literature.

 

[apocalidiot]

Anyone ever read Snow Crash? My buddy told me it fucking rocks but I haven't checked it out yet

 

[Dresden]

As shorter works go, this collection of stories by Ted Chiang:

Anyone ever read Snow Crash? My buddy told me it fucking rocks but I haven't checked it out yet

It's pretty famous and all that. I liked it, but Stephenson can be quite maddening at times.

 

[Pau]

If you want some shorter works, I'd recommend

Other than that, I'd recommend Lilith's Brood, Left Hand of Darkness, and pretty much anything by Neil Gaiman. American Gods (and Anansi Boys), Neverwhere, Stardust, and (if you aren't opposed to the idea of comics) the Sandman series are all good bets. Even if you're iffy on comics, I'd HIGHLY recommend Sandman; it's the work that made me think about comics as a serious form of literature.

Was waiting for someone to mention Ursula K. Le Guin. She takes a very different approach from GRRM's A Song of Ice and Fire, but it's comparable in that she deals with science fiction and fantasy in a different way than the standard. Her fantasy novels (Starting with A Wizard of Earthsea) are more like reading long lost legends or folktales than anything I've ever read, and her science fiction novels deal primarily with politics, society, and culture in very interesting ways. For example, The Dispossessed deals with the political and scientific exchange between an anarchist planet and its capitalist twin and The Left Hand of Darkness tells the story of a male galactic envoy living on a planet where there's no gender.

 

[Violet_0]

Terry Pratchett's City Watch series

and so on (the 3rd and 4th book aren't that great, the others are amazing)

I highly recommend checking out his other Discworld books as well


not Pratchett, but Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is also a really good read


you're welcome

 

[fanboi]

God damn GAF, you have dóne a great work!

Thank you all.

So many people have recommended good books to foster the love of reading I'd thought put in a counterpoint.

You should pick up the The Silmarillion. By the time you're done with it you'll never want to read again....Joke was funnier in my head.

Read it... depending on what you are expecting, it isnt bad in any sense!

 

[Anticitizen One]

The Stand by Stephen King

 

[Teddman]

I know it's against the OP, but this forum has too deep of an infatuation with sci-fi/fantasy. Give something written by Dumas or Dostoevsky a chance, if you haven't already.

Yeah, read Count of Monte Cristo and take a break fom sf. Even better, follow it up with Stars My Destination, which was inspired by Cristo.

 

[Mumei]

Personal favorites that I don't think have been mentioned:

The Last Unicorn, Peter Beagle
Cordelia's Honor (Vorkosigan Saga Omnibus 1), Lois McMaster Bujold
The Dark is Rising Sequence, Susan Cooper
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Tales (Penguin Classics), H.P. Lovecraft, S.T. Joshi (Editor)
The Complete Fairy Tales, George MacDonald
The Crystal Cave, Mary Stewart
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, Catherynne Valente
The Habitation of the Blessed, Catherynne Valente
The Once and Future King, T.H. White
The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe
Latro in the Mist, Gene Wolfe
The Fifth Head of Cerberus, Gene Wolfe

 

[dosh]

Anyone ever read Snow Crash? My buddy told me it fucking rocks but I haven't checked it out yet

Like Dresden said, it's famous but it's not really Stephenson's best book (I'd rather say it's not my favorite, actually). I loved Cryptonomicon much, much more. It's less sci-fi, but I found the characters and the story far more fascinating. The only problem with Stephenson is that he doesn't ever seem to end his stories in a manner that's not super weird.

 

[Lime]

Cormac McCarthy - The Road

 

[i_am_ben]

It took 62 posts to get to Dune. For shame.

But op, read Dune.

and none of the sequals.

 

[Mumei]

Cormac McCarthy - The Road

crap

forgot to mention that, and it might just be my favorite book I've read this year.

 

[Kapura]

Snow Crash is literally the best book I have ever read. OP, you seem to have at lest somewhat similar taste to me, so you might enjoy it as well. author is the always intelligent and witty Neal Stephenson.

 

[Kola]

Dune!

 

[raebodep]

perdido street station

 

[Ciastek3214]

The Witcher saga

 

[i_am_ben]

perdido street station

just started this. I've read the scar...which was an interesting experience....

 

[Sinatar]

Are these two as good as the first two? Currently reading FOH, wondering whether I should check these out too.

I thought they were great. He goes full on space opera with them which combined with Dan Simmon's sharp writing makes from some great books.

 

[fanboi]

So, 50 pages left of The Way of Kings and I must say this book is great. So I went out looking for the next installment and DEAR GOD NOT UNTILL 2013.... :|
But great recommendation GAF.

Looking to get The Terror now I belive.

 

[ReadingRambo]

Reading this now, though a little disheartened to hear that the 2nd one isn't as good.

I'm not a big reader of fantasy, but I greatly enjoyed the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. (The prequel is ok too but not up to the standards of the first 3 books) here's a nice review of it http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2003/dec/13/featuresreviews.guardianreview29

Blackface is the first person I've ever heard say they didn't like Wise Man's Fear (sequel to Name of the Wind). It's long and not wholly action packed, but it has fantastic world building and an addictive story. Cannot wait for the next book!

 

[Zareth]

You can't go wrong with the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson, or the stand alone follow up book Alloy of Law.

 

[WeAreStarStuff]

If you like long series like a Song of Ice and Fire may I suggest James Clavell's Asian saga? It has always been one of my favorite series. Historical fiction set in Asia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Asian_Saga

Read them in narrative order, not published order.

 

[Ratrat]

Don't like modern fantasy for some reason. Sanderson, Morgan, Abercrombie...bleh. Lynch is ok. Mieville is probably the only one I enjoy after Martin.

 

[ksimm]

Perhaps you should try "The First Law" trilogy, by Joe Abercrombie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_First_Law

The First Law trilogy

The Blade Itself (May 2006)
Before They Are Hanged (March 2007)
Last Argument of Kings (March 2008)

Standalone works

Best Served Cold (June 2009)
The Heroes (January 2011)

These, most definitely! I'm currently reading Heroes by Joe Abercrombie, seems like a great book, especially as it's in the same world as The First Law with some familiar characters. I've read all the others, and The First Law is a great trilogy.

The thing I like most about the First Law is the dark humour, some great internal monologues. There are some very interesting characters in these books, especially Inquisitor Glokta, Logen Ninefingers, First Magi Bayaz and Ferro Maljinn.

Also I would recommend -

The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks consisting of -

The Way of Shadows
Shadow's Edge
Beyond the Shadows​

Great books if you like Assassins!

Then there is his new series The Lightbringer Trilogy (only 1 book so far)

The Black Prism​

This is a really interesting new book with magic based on colour.

The Demon Series by Peter V Brett consisting so far of -

The Painted Man (Warded Man if US)
The Desert Spear
The Daylight War (not out yet)
​

I love these books! They were always marketed as a trilogy, but Peter is writing more than 3 books for this series.

 

[Oldschool]

 

[fanboi]

Hmm.. The Witcher series... Is it good?

 

[Pandaman]

So, 50 pages left of The Way of Kings and I must say this book is great. So I went out looking for the next installment and DEAR GOD NOT UNTILL 2013.... :|
But great recommendation GAF.

Looking to get The Terror now I belive.

so did you ever get to Hyperion? if not, another vote for Hyperion.

 

[fanboi]

so did you ever get to Hyperion? if not, another vote for Hyperion.

Ok, I will get that one instead then...

 

[Piecake]

Sword of Shadows series by J.V. Jones

I really dont see anyone mention these books when fantasy novels are brought up, but I really enjoy them a lot (Not going to post the covers since they look like hot hot garbage)

The reason why I like them so much is that I think the author does a very good job of creating well-developed, believable and interesting characters. If A book doesnt have that it will kill my interest almost immediately (reason why Im not really a fan of Mistborn, Malazan, or any other heavily plot centric novel)

I think the world she created is quite good too, and while the plot starts off rather slow, it eventually gets going as well. But the main reason why I think its a very good series is due to the characters and the way the author does a really good job of creating strong emotional reactions when those characters are faced with situations, other characters, etc

Besides that, I see you are reading Way of Kings, which is good, since I think that novel is infinitely better than his Mistborn series

 

[Switters]

The first two books of the Hyperion Cantos are great. Such wonderful world building and character arcs.

I'm going to go ahead and recommend my namesake -

Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates - by Tom Robbins

*from the wiki
Switters is a CIA agent who hates the government. He's a pacifist who carries a gun. He's as much in love with his seventeen-year-old stepsister as he is with a forty-six-year-old nun. Switters feels that the core of the universe, the heart of existence, is light and dark existing together. One is not separate from the other, they just exist. This is the core of "Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates", along with an interest in the Lady of Fatima and a squawking parrot.

Also highly recommend the classic Fafrd and The Grey Mouser series by the master, Fritz Leiber.

 

[Hawkian]

I know it's against the OP, but this forum has too deep of an infatuation with sci-fi/fantasy. Give something written by Dumas or Dostoevsky a chance, if you haven't already.

Holy shit, I read the OP, and was going to suggest the Three Musketeers or The Count of Monte Cristo. What about the way the OP was written made us think Dumas?

Blackface is the first person I've ever heard say they didn't like Wise Man's Fear (sequel to Name of the Wind). It's long and not wholly action packed, but it has fantastic world building and an addictive story. Cannot wait for the next book!

:lol

 

[Valravn]

Two thousand years have passed since Mog-Pharau, the No-God, last walked among Men. Two thousand years have passed since the Apocalypse.

In a world wrenched by holy war and devastation, a sorcerer, a concubine, and a warrior find themselves captivated by a mysterious traveller from lands long thought dead, a man who makes weapons of insight and revelation. Unable to distinguish the passion that elevates from the passion that enslaves, they fall ever deeper under his thrall, while what begins as a war of Men against Men threatens to become the first battle of the Second Apocalypse.

With this stunning debut, R. Scott Bakker is destined to become the next great fantasy writer of his generation. Set in a world of unparalleled detail and authenticity, populated by truly unforgettable characters, and framed by a profound understanding of the human condition, The Darkness That Comes Before proves that epic fantasy can be at once majestic, intelligent, and terrifying.

Read it!

 

[Piecake]

Read it!

Does that book start out slow or something? I remember reading like the first 25 pages 5 or so years ago and I simply couldnt get into it since I felt that the author was spewing some abstract crap and not grounding the characters in the world at all (could be way off, its been a while)

 

[poppabk]

The eternal champion series has an interesting mix of sci-fi and fantasy. It's kind of hard to navigate as you have the same story told repeatedly but differently but it is well worth a look. I would recommend starting with von Beck.

 

[Ratrat]

Does that book start out slow or something? I remember reading like the first 25 pages 5 or so years ago and I simply couldnt get into it since I felt that the author was spewing some abstract crap and not grounding the characters in the world at all (could be way off, its been a while)

Yes. It took me forever to make sense of what was going on. Had to do a lot of reading outside of the novel but it was pretty good overall.

 

[fanboi]

So, since I didn't keep my word and got Mistborn instead (which was OK, no way near way of kings and other similiar books) what should I get?

Panda, my man, you say Hyperion, is it good? Is it dark?

How is The Terror?

 

[Pandaman]

Hyperion is good.

don't know how 'dark' it is. I mean: lots of people die, sometimes horribly, with their dreams shattered and lifes work unfulfilled. civilizations crumble, rare exotic life is snuffed out, family's are torn apart and the galaxy is torn apart in war.

but i don't know if you could call it dark. it does have a moeblob seal of approval. it's not a very happy book, but i didn't consider it oppressively dark. it's... different. the switching between perspectives kept things fresh and distracted, so you didn't so much dwell on how your favourite character was impaled alive for eternity of the tree of thorns and instead marveled at some interesting new fact about the technocore or whatever.