Good Sci-Fi and Fantasy books

[213374U]

Fine, some details.

Heh. I would have recommended Brave New World, but I ASSumed everyone has read it. If you like dystopian stuff, it's one of the best.

 

Also you may want to check Arthur C. Clarke's 2001 novels. I thought the movies were a snorefest, but the books I liked quite a bit.

[HoonDing]

Jacqueline Carey's two "The Sundering" books are pretty compelling since it's classic epic fantasy, but it's written almost entirely from the point of view of the 'bad guys'. Her Kushiel trilogy is pretty fine too.

 

I now prefer authors that write fantasy sagas of at most two or three books. An author like Guy Gavriel Kay uses as much political intrigue, epic struggle, romances & character introspection as any of the multivolume writers but he manages to masterfully fit it all in one book. Oh, and really bad things usually happen to the main characters too.

 

Sci fi: I found Dan Simmons' "Hyperion" very enjoyable. More recently he wrote "Ilium" & "Olympos" which is pretty unique as it mixes sci fi & the Troyan war of Greek Mythology.

[Maria Caliban]

Jacqueline Carey's two "The Sundering" books are pretty compelling since it's classic epic fantasy, but it's written almost entirely from the point of view of the 'bad guys'. Her Kushiel trilogy is pretty fine too.

 

"The Sundering" is a strange series. It's Lord of the Rings from the point of view of the bad guys, but the good guys are far more good and pure than Tolkien ever made them. Moreover, she personalizes the bad guys, but can't figure out how to get them to do bad stuff without making them look dense.

 

'I am a powerful and wise spellcaster. It never occurred to me that the men I utterly enslaved might turn on me.'

 

'I am a brilliant and charismatic knight. One person has the power to destroy my lord, but has no reason to do so. I think I'll butcher his entire family and village. That won't backfire at all.'

 

The moral of the story seems to be that good triumphs because evil is noble but stupid. Carry

[Oerwinde]

I'm not sure why it's as popular as it is. It's a good series, and once it's finished, I suspect I'll begin recommending it to others, but there's nothing about it that makes me consider it the 'best' epic fantasy available today.

I think the reason people like it so much is that it's so political and complicated that they can't wrap their minds around it. Also it's more like real life than anything (where things never go how they're supposed to) else in the genre.

 

but it does take FOREVER to get started and doesn't really kick off until the wars of succession begin amongst the various noble houses. Which (I think) really starts in the second freaking book (and these are 7-800 page books!)

 

Is it good? If you can stand the slow pace then yes, but if you're looking for something that you don't have to slog through (for the first bit) then pick up something else... Like Insturmentalities of the Night :D

 

I like it because its not too cliche. The only real cliche is the old evil returning, but its not a huge part of the books yet as it hasn't returned in full quite yet. I also like that being a medieval society, the Nobles are the only important people. Peasants are peasants, not epic heroes.

[Monte Carlo]

Riverworld by Philip Jose Farmer, it's a series but (gasp) there is an end.

 

It might not strictly count as 'fantasy', nary and elf or a magic sword to be seen, but it's pretty cool nonetheless.

 

Cheers

MC

[Calax]

Sword of Truth is also excellent.

 

Actually I've found that after the first or second book this series goes downhill into cliche faster than Michael Bay's Explosions. The main character is actually the only guy in the world to have both types of magic, and he always has some fight of the month against an indescribably nasty person, and randomly pulls new powers out of his hat to save his friends and family from said nasty people. And did I mention he's also the superpowered seeker of truth that'll is given OTHER special powers and is viewed by the fates as friggin sweet?

 

The first book is pretty interesting because most of this stuff doesn't happen (well except for the bad guy bit) and a lot is covered up (there's also a funny bit having to do with a wizard, a lynch mob, and the definition of the term witch).

[Oerwinde]

I enjoyed them immensely. Couldn't put them down. I agree with you about the cliches, but found them to be very entertaining, if a bit preachy about Goodkind's political views.

[Maria Caliban]

Jacqueline Carey's two "The Sundering" books are pretty compelling since it's classic epic fantasy, but it's written almost entirely from the point of view of the 'bad guys'. Her Kushiel trilogy is pretty fine too.

 

 

An addendum: Have you read Naamah's Kiss? I dropped the Kushiel series after book three (Ph

[HoonDing]

Jacqueline Carey's two "The Sundering" books are pretty compelling since it's classic epic fantasy, but it's written almost entirely from the point of view of the 'bad guys'. Her Kushiel trilogy is pretty fine too.

 

 

An addendum: Have you read Naamah's Kiss? I dropped the Kushiel series after book three (Ph

[Maria Caliban]

You're in luck. She's a druid who just happens to sleep with everyone and is marked by *two* gods travelling from England to Chi, um, Alba to Ch'in, which is only half the world.

 

Here's a review I found:

 

And Naamah's Kiss doesn't disappoint in this department: there are at least two princesses, both of whom have pretty awesome sex with our new heroine Moirin. Like Phedre, Moirin comes from humble beginnings to become a friend of royalty and a savior of two nations. And she also has quite a bit of magic. She comes from an alternate version of England, one of the last members of a Druid tribe who worship a great bear. At least, her mother is a druid. Her father comes from Terre d'Ange – the alternate version of France – and he fathered her during an orgiastic celebration. So Moirin has the best of both worlds. She can do all kinds of druid magic, like disappearing when she wants to and talking to spirits, but she can also have completely awesome sex like Phedre could.

 

At this point, you're either saying to yourself that this is the most awesome heroine ever, or you shouldn't read the book. I fall into the former category, and was completely enthralled by the novel.

 

http://io9.com/5294955/a-druid-saves-the-w...e-careys-latest

 

It's good to see Jacqueline Carey still has her finger on the pulse of her fanbase.

Edited June 22, 2009 by Maria Caliban

[Maedhros]

The Dresden files is an urban fantasy series of 12 books (so far), about the only wizard in the Chicago phonebook. Harry Dresden is a 'everyman' PI investigating supernatural goings on and foiling evil plots by the skin of his teeth.

 

Seconded. Haven't had so much fun with a fantasy-series in ages.

 

Also, can't go wrong with Malazan Book of the Fallen. (Ignore its cheesy name)

 

Other fantasy books/series I've really enjoyed:

 

Dune

A Song of Ice and Fire, and also Fevre Dream by GRRM.

Anansi Boys, Neverwhere and (especially) American Gods by Neil Gaiman

The Gentlemen Bastard Sequence by Scott Lynch (First book is called The Lies of Locke Lamora)

The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss (First book in a new triology)

The First Law Triology - Joe Abercrombie

 

Those last three series are pretty much "the new ****" in fantasy.

Edited June 22, 2009 by Thingolfin

[Humodour]

Sword of Truth is also excellent.

 

Actually I've found that after the first or second book this series goes downhill into cliche faster than Michael Bay's Explosions. The main character is actually the only guy in the world to have both types of magic, and he always has some fight of the month against an indescribably nasty person, and randomly pulls new powers out of his hat to save his friends and family from said nasty people. And did I mention he's also the superpowered seeker of truth that'll is given OTHER special powers and is viewed by the fates as friggin sweet?

 

The first book is pretty interesting because most of this stuff doesn't happen (well except for the bad guy bit) and a lot is covered up (there's also a funny bit having to do with a wizard, a lynch mob, and the definition of the term witch).

 

Yep, after the first book (which was interesting enough to warrant reading the second and third in the hopes of similar quality) it goes to **** rapidly. Blech.

[Walsingham]

Dresden files sounds good. I think I will add that to my list.

[HoonDing]

Feist's "Riftwar" trilogy is pretty good compared to his later work (which seems ripped almost directly from D&D) - great characters, interesting story fraught with political intrigue, at least three siege battles that even put the battle of Helm's Deep/Pelennor Fields into nothing but two kids fighting over a sand castle.

[LadyCrimson]

Fantasy book I'd recommend: Tad Williams, The Dragonbone Chair. Only problem is it takes about 150-200 pages before it gets going and I was tempted to put it down, but once reaches a pivotal point, I really loved it. The second in the series was also pretty good, but when the last book was so huge it required being split into two separate 800 page 'books' I wasn't able to finish. But the first one is great! heheh.

 

I don't read much post-apocalyptic fiction, so can't help there.

 

I tried some Aasimov (Caves of Steel) but it was amazingly boring. I could appreciate it for the elements that later sci-fi built upon, but the 1930's culture (sexism, small-mindedness, disrepect for freedom, etc) and lack of futuristic insight (1000 years later and they hadn't even invented proper computers) essentially killed it for me. Or maybe it was his style of writing - that was quite boring as well.

I read Robots of Dawn & Robots and Empire first, which were written much later and allowed more pages to tell the story...and I fell in love with Daniel & Giskard's robot chrs. The first two were a lot more limited in size...the later two were better. The first three robot novels are also, at heart, largely mystery novels in a sci-fi setting - whodunits more in line w/Holmes, say. The last one distantly tied in with his Foundation series, as well.

 

But yeah, Asimov is a very dry-style writer...and he's terrible w/even any hint of the notion of romantic relationship, or female chrs. in general. Yet somehow I connect w/his robot stories (not much else of his, tho). If you read the whole series, you'll discover his settings are often (imo) about human prejudice/lack of self-control/suffering for greater good cultures - hence the lack of freedom you perhaps noted. Over the robot novel series, you'll see his chrs. start a movement against both the 'City' and 'Spacer' way of living.

 

I'm not sure I agree about the lack of futuristic insight. You have to remember Caves of Steel was written in the 50's. The notion that they'd one day have chips the size of a fingernail tip was too much for most people of the times to imagine actually being possible. Almost all sci-fi/fantasy is like that to a degree - Star Trek and Star Wars (original one) among them.

[cronicler]

For space opera I can recomend Honor Harrington saga from David Weber. You can find/try the first book for free at Baen free library.

 

If you would like to try alternate history, I can recommend 1632 saga from Eric Flint or the Colonisation saga from Turtledove

 

Another alternate history/fantasy series that I enjoyed a lot and would recommend is the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik.

 

As a side note, Ian M Banks and his "Culture" setting contains some of the most creative or original approaches into general space operas / sci-fi novels.

 

Nightwatch series by Sergei Lukyanenko is also another saga that is ewnjoyable without falling into idiotic White Wolf or D&D cliches

 

Edit: Now that I thin about it, you might want to fish in Baen and Del-Rey's sites to check their publishings. The little fact that those 2 publishers allow you to read sample chapters and even some of the books free online is quite atractive for me.

Edited June 25, 2009 by cronicler

[The.Donut]

I would recommend the Prince of Nothing series by R. Scott Bakker: Darkness that comes before (first book)

 

It was really quite a struggle to read at first but after a while the pieces fell into place and it was truly one of the best series of books I've read.

 

He's working on the follow up books now - the first of which is already out (haven't read it yet).

[Calax]

Sword of Truth is also excellent.

 

Actually I've found that after the first or second book this series goes downhill into cliche faster than Michael Bay's Explosions. The main character is actually the only guy in the world to have both types of magic, and he always has some fight of the month against an indescribably nasty person, and randomly pulls new powers out of his hat to save his friends and family from said nasty people. And did I mention he's also the superpowered seeker of truth that'll is given OTHER special powers and is viewed by the fates as friggin sweet?

 

The first book is pretty interesting because most of this stuff doesn't happen (well except for the bad guy bit) and a lot is covered up (there's also a funny bit having to do with a wizard, a lynch mob, and the definition of the term witch).

 

Yep, after the first book (which was interesting enough to warrant reading the second and third in the hopes of similar quality) it goes to **** rapidly. Blech.

taken from tv tropes about Marty Stu (aka Mary Sue)

 

Richard from The Sword of Truth defines this trope. The only man with access to an "instinctive" magic that means he never has study it. He can fight and kill 30 expert warriors at the same time. He's the only one who can resist the Mind Control magic of the Big Bad, including the people whose deal is turning magic against its wielder. And he's the only one who can protect others from him, but they have to literally bow down and pray to him. He's the only character who can survive being zapped by super-love magic, because he already has super love, and is thus the only man living who can bang the leader of the all-female Confessors, who of course happens to also be the most beautiful woman in the world. Morality is defined by him, as in, anybody who agrees with him is good, and anybody who disagrees with him is evi

Edited June 28, 2009 by Calax

[Maria Caliban]

I don

Edited June 29, 2009 by Maria Caliban

[Blarghagh]

They are definately Mary Sue's.

 

That doesn't mean the term shouldn't be used, it just means that the negative connotation it has isn't always warranted.

[213374U]

I don

[Purkake]

Why let this great thread wither and die?

 

I would recommend the Laundry Series by Charles Stross starting with Atrocity Archives. It is a British Lovecraftian spy thriller with pulpy humor, where underpaid civil servants fight off eldritch abominations with PDAs when not filling out office forms in triplicate or having paperclip audits. It manages to combine the humor and seriousness surprisingly well.

[Tale]

I recommend every single Discworld book. I haven't read them all, but of the 10 I have read I've not found one I couldn't specifically recommend.

 

And way too many books on my to-read list that I shouldn't come near this thread again. I've got Lord of the Rings trilo, Mistborn trilo, 6 more discworld books, the first two Game of Thrones, Neuromancer, Catch-22, Slaughterhouse-Five, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrel, and.... I'll just stop there and say there's a reason I forbid myself entering a Half Price Books. All unread just staring at me every moment I sit at this computer.

 

But trying to get through A Game of Thrones. I'll alternate it with a rereading of the first books of Wheel of Time.

Edited November 30, 2010 by Tale

[Humodour]

Sweet! I forgot I made this thread. gonna trawl through it for some gems.

 

BTW I recommend 'Singularity Sky' by Greg Egan for AI/futurist fans.

[Raithe]

Mike Shepherds "Kris Longknife" series is fairly entertaining for a touch of military oriented sci-fi with elements of space opera to keep it from being too serious.

 

If you want something that's a touch heavy and tries to do the philosophy/thinking questions behind the sci-fi and fantasy, then most of LE Modesitt Jr's work is worthwhile.. both the fantasy and the sci-fi he does quite well.

 

The Price of the Stars by Debra Doyle and James D Macdonald pushed the space opera more, but is great for that investigation / revenge / political conspiracy set against an interesting backdrop. Plus some very memorable characters and moments.

 

The Liaden Universe - once described as Star Wars meets Pride & Prejudice.. If you like dry humour and snappy dialogue between running gunfights, conspiracies, romance and giant turtles..