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Author Topic: Recommend me some good fantasy/sci-fi reading  (Read 12217 times)
Guts
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« on: December 01, 2014, 03:58:28 pm »

As the topic says, recommend me some fantasy or science fiction literature that you think is "good" (and maybe a sentence or two why you think so). It can be any sub genre (cyberpunk, far future, post apocalypse, low fantasy, high fantasy etc.), just as long as it's available in English.

Here are some popular titles that I've already read in the recent past that I can remember:

-All Song of Ice & Fire books that are out

-The Dune novels

-Perdido Street Station & The Scar by China Mieville

-R. E. Howard's Conan stories

Thanks!

Edit: I'd prefer rather not to start any new "series" where there are 10 gargantuan parts, it's just too time consuming. Preference on single novels or "loosely" connected series.
« Last Edit: December 01, 2014, 04:01:52 pm by Guts » Logged
Shady314
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« Reply #1 on: December 01, 2014, 04:42:57 pm »

You can try Leviathan Wakes. I thought it was decent. It's really two stories in one that eventually intertwine. One story was quite average and I would not have bothered but the other is a noirish detective story that I enjoyed a lot though I am a sucker for that type of story. It's not hard scifi but in the same vein as Battlestar Galactica or Firefly. Armor not shields. Guns not lasers. G forces exist etc. which I also like. Although there is no hyperjump stuff for easy escapes which was refreshing.

There are a few other books in the series. Like two I think but the book stands alone. The detective story is fully wrapped up. A couple possible sequel hooks but no cliffhangers. Only 592 pages so its nothing compared to the books in series you listed.
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Guts
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« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2014, 04:49:33 pm »

Thanks, I'll check it out. I do also enjoy noir detective stories/films and I liked Firefly so that sounds interesting. Smile
« Last Edit: December 01, 2014, 04:51:06 pm by Guts » Logged
Surface Reflection
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« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2014, 08:00:19 pm »

Stanislav Lem.

(thats the answer to your very probable following question too)
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Imbecile
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« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2014, 02:30:41 am »

As I've said elsewhere:

Quote
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie.

Theres a lot to enjoy in Abercombies fantasy books. They tend to be full of fun characters, zippy dialogue, decent action and unexpected subversions of tired fantasy tropes. He's not to everyones tastes, but having read far too many fantasy and sci fi novels that are more concerned about creating a world and churning out endless novels to fill it, Abercrombies books are punchy and typically self contained. This book is the first of three in his only series, the remaining books are standalone and arguably even better. But you have to start somewhere.

In many ways there are parallels to George R R Martins Song of Fire and Ice, in that both sets of books tend towards being gritty and bloody, with magic and the driving forces forming more of a backdrop to the main stories of the politics and wars between the pawns. Where Abercombie improves over Martin is in his ability to leaven the bleakness with plenty of dark humour and also to resolve a storyline.

As I said, it may not be your cup of tea, but I know enough people who love it to make it worth giving a try. Certainly my favourite fantasy author.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2014, 01:06:57 pm by Imbecile » Logged
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« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2014, 06:37:25 am »


The Culture series by Ian M Banks is something no one should miss.

Each book is a standalone, and each is so good that you can literally choose at random which one to read. The last two werent as good as the previous ones, for me.


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« Reply #6 on: December 06, 2014, 04:06:01 pm »

If you like quirky horror/comedy, with plenty of Lovecraftian entities and dick jokes, check out John Dies at the End by David Wong. The sequel, This Book is Full of Spiders, is not quite as good, but if you liked the first one you'll probably like the second.

I also definitely recommend the Dresden Files series if you like urban fantasy. They're not too heavy but quite entertaining. It's an odd little universe Jim Butcher has constructed.

And if you like China Mieville there's no reason you shouldn't have read King Rat by now.
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jpcerutti
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« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2015, 06:59:47 pm »

If you liked his "Dune" you probably will also like his "Dosadi Experiment".

If you liked Conan you will probably also like Leiber's "Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser" series or for a blend of sci-fi with fantasy Edgar Rice Burroughs' "John Carter of Mars" series.

For sci-fi pulp (if pulp is your thing with Conan)  E. E. "Doc" Smith's "Lensman" series is what I think space opera should be. Smile

Leiber's are short stories, Dosadi is a standalone, the others were serialized and can be read in bits and pieces.

For noir detective Dashiell Hammett (The Maltese Falcon) and Mickey Spillane (I the Jury) are two of the better fathers of the genre.
« Last Edit: January 29, 2015, 10:05:17 am by jpcerutti » Logged
Guts
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« Reply #8 on: January 30, 2015, 12:03:00 pm »

Thanks for all the recommendations guys, I really appreciate them!  Salute
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Imbecile
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« Reply #9 on: January 30, 2015, 12:38:11 pm »

Not totally what you asked for, but because I'm a big fan of noir I'll add to the excellent Daschiell Hammett, by suggesting my favourite three authors:

Raymond Chandler - odds are you've already read him already, but it has to be suggested.
Phillip Kerr - Berlin Noir. Private Detective operating in Nazi Germany.
Len Deighton - Game, Set and Match series. British Cold War spy noir.
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jpcerutti
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« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2015, 01:00:22 pm »

Not totally what you asked for, but because I'm a big fan of noir I'll add to the excellent Daschiell Hammett, by suggesting my favourite three authors:

Raymond Chandler - odds are you've already read him already, but it has to be suggested.
Phillip Kerr - Berlin Noir. Private Detective operating in Nazi Germany.
Len Deighton - Game, Set and Match series. British Cold War spy noir.


If you are going to dabble in the British Cold War spy area John le Carré's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" I like even better than his "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold"... but both are great books.
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« Reply #11 on: January 30, 2015, 01:28:24 pm »


If you are going to dabble in the British Cold War spy area John le Carré's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" I like even better than his "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold"... but both are great books.

Le Carre is excellent, but its not really noir and I don't get on with his writing style quite so well. Not sure why really.
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jpcerutti
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« Reply #12 on: January 30, 2015, 02:11:29 pm »


If you are going to dabble in the British Cold War spy area John le Carré's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" I like even better than his "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold"... but both are great books.

Le Carre is excellent, but its not really noir and I don't get on with his writing style quite so well. Not sure why really.

His followup Smiley books weren't as good as the first, and really both are more cold war than noir... but TTSS is pretty close. Is it that he likes to tell a tale in a series of flashbacks? It doesn't help that you can't really root for the protagonist, he is a sad little fellow.
« Last Edit: January 30, 2015, 02:23:12 pm by jpcerutti » Logged
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« Reply #13 on: January 30, 2015, 02:29:28 pm »

The protagonist might be a factor, but its more the erm...density of the dialogues and description that wears me down. It makes me feel like reading Le Carre is sometimes hard work...which probably just means I'm a terribly lazy reader!   
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suibhne
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« Reply #14 on: February 02, 2015, 01:41:20 pm »

The protagonist might be a factor, but its more the erm...density of the dialogues and description that wears me down. It makes me feel like reading Le Carre is sometimes hard work...which probably just means I'm a terribly lazy reader!  

I happen to really dig his style, but I'll also offer that his newer books are definitely...well, breezier? They're simply not as dense as TTSS. They all range from pretty decent to great, but they feel less epic, somehow (with the exception of The Constant Gardener - a wonderful book, but a big read). Absolute Friends was probably my least favorite of his more recent stuff, but I don't think you can really go wrong with the others (and it's hard to recommend specific titles, because they're all quite distinct due to very different protagonists/settings).

When people I'm asked for my favorite detective novel, I still answer with Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
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jpcerutti
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« Reply #15 on: February 02, 2015, 02:07:47 pm »

The protagonist might be a factor, but its more the erm...density of the dialogues and description that wears me down. It makes me feel like reading Le Carre is sometimes hard work...which probably just means I'm a terribly lazy reader!  

I happen to really dig his style, but I'll also offer that his newer books are definitely...well, breezier? They're simply not as dense as TTSS. They all range from pretty decent to great, but they feel less epic, somehow (with the exception of The Constant Gardener - a wonderful book, but a big read). Absolute Friends was probably my least favorite of his more recent stuff, but I don't think you can really go wrong with the others (and it's hard to recommend specific titles, because they're all quite distinct due to very different protagonists/settings).

When people I'm asked for my favorite detective novel, I still answer with Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Heh. I bought it in paperback and both forced it on the readers I knew AND made them return it until the pages fell out. Smile
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Ruinous
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« Reply #16 on: February 03, 2015, 04:14:13 pm »

Just been reading Neal Asher's new book Dark Intelligence and it is a cracking good read so far.
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Daokl
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« Reply #17 on: February 07, 2015, 08:21:59 am »

i'd recommend Shmagic by Henry Lion Oldie at the first sight its somewhat confusing and ironic adventure book, but underneath lays some real fiction. Where else a mage goes to bar and takes a pint of beer to establish long range magical communication or wizardry is described a lot like math? Smile
But since one can freely read 20% of book for free - its easy to see if you like it or not.
Oldie is a long-established author and even named best europe fiction writer at some point, but very few books are translated to english and thats a shame since this author creates interesting worlds and brings forward very Ursula Le Guin-like attitude with him.

And from more new stuff Ancillary Justice - great book, sci-fi a bit like Banks in a way that half of the book you dont know whats really going on and why. Plus its about ship-ai's, strange star empires and story is good.
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