Good Sci-Fi and Fantasy books

[Gfted1]

Armor, an outstanding book Ive read several times. Read the reviews for more details.

[Purkake]

By the way, Goodreads is a good place for keeping track of your books. We could even make an Obsidian group if we get enough people...

[Tale]

By the way, Goodreads is a good place for keeping track of your books. We could even make an Obsidian group if we get enough people...

I have never heard of this place but am fascinated by the concept.

 

And the front page of that website just reminded me about Mark Twain's autobiography. VWOOSH

Edited December 2, 2010 by Tale

[Raithe]

The Baen Free Library is always worth a look if you're looking for a read..

 

http://www.baen.com/library/

[Tale]

The Baen Free Library is always worth a look if you're looking for a read..

 

http://www.baen.com/library/

Krahulik from Penny Arcade recently recommended http://baencd.thefifthimperium.com/24-CryoburnCD/CryoburnCD/

It took a rather lot of scrounging on my part to find the actual download, however. And I can't remember where I ended up.

Edited December 2, 2010 by Tale

[Purkake]

The Baen Free Library is always worth a look if you're looking for a read..

 

http://www.baen.com/library/

There's also Project Gutenberg

[Raithe]

Well the Baen one is stictly fantasy and sci-fi.. Gutenberg is more the generic old books..

 

It's been interesting to see how Baen have pushed the electronic format over the years, especially the idea of allowing people free access to copies to inspire them to get interested in the authors.

 

Of course, while I will read ebooks on both the pc and kindle... I doubt I'll ever lose the taste for having dead trees in my hand. The texture and smell of worn and aging pages.. it just adds character to a good book..

[Tale]

My GOD is A Game of Thrones depressing.

 

 

Bran, the butcher's kid, and Lady the direwolf. None of those three is an adult.

 

 

I'm definitely going to have to read a Discworld book after this.

Edited December 6, 2010 by Tale

[Oblarg]

If any of you have not read Something Wicked This Way Comes by Bradbury, you need to. Now.

 

Also, the His Dark Materials trilogy by Pullman is great.

[Monte Carlo]

Armor, an outstanding book Ive read several times. Read the reviews for more details.

 

It looks great, I might well pick it up. But ain't that cover art awful?

[Gfted1]

Armor, an outstanding book Ive read several times. Read the reviews for more details.

 

It looks great, I might well pick it up. But ain't that cover art awful?

 

You know, I stared at that cover for a moment or two, convinced I had looked up the wrong book. I had to read the description to be sure it was the book I was thinking of. Looks like a case of ever changing cover art. Back when I was an avid reader and couldnt remember all the titles I used to wind up buying a book more than once because they faked me out with new cover art.

 

This is what it looked like back when I was reading it:

 

[Walsingham]

Armor, an outstanding book Ive read several times. Read the reviews for more details.

 

It looks great, I might well pick it up. But ain't that cover art awful?

 

I haven't read that, but if you think you'd like it then you need to read Dan Abnett's series about the Tanith First, beginning Gaunt's Ghosts. It really is outstanding fiction.

[Raithe]

Grunts by Mary Gentle.. It's an outstanding read if you enjoy twisted humerous looks at everything from the Bad Guys Footsoldier version of the whole fantasy light versus dark battles..

 

Orcs who commit war crimes.. Hobbits with s&m tendencies.. Good guys who really aren't as wholesome as they should be..

Its dark, it's humerous, it's twisted. Not for the squeamish, but when the Orc's get twisted by a dragons curse into becoming ...Vietnam era style Marines.... it really takes on a whole new light.

If you don't recognise the standard fantasy/tolkienesque tropes you might not get all of the humour, but its still worth a read.

 

In ways, it's almost as if someone took Lord of the Rings, dosed it down with a mixture of Starship Troopers and Rambo. Inverted it all, and then slathered it with black comedy.

 

Quote for the day.

"Pass me another elf, this one has split"

[Malcador]

I haven't read that, but if you think you'd like it then you need to read Dan Abnett's series about the Tanith First, beginning Gaunt's Ghosts. It really is outstanding fiction.

 

Abnett is one of the better ones that BL has, I rather enjoyed the Gaunt's books even if they are better than you'd think IG has any right to be. Another good 40k book that I read recently was Helsreach, much better than you'd expect from a series titled 'Space Marine Battles', heh. But I've got poor taste in books

[Walsingham]

Grunts by Mary Gentle..

 

I'd definitely recommend reading it. But it's not a Pratchett style take on fantasy. At least the near constant raping isn't.

[entrerix]

I'm a little surprised that some classic sci-fi books were left out:

 

Enders Game (this book and Dune are hands down my favorite sci-fi novels)

The Forever War

The Stars My Destination

Rendezvous With Rama

 

AAA Post Apoc books:

Lucifers Hammer

Swan Song

Earth Abides

The Stand

Day of The Triffids

[Volourn]

The greatest writer of all time while largely considered a 'master of horror' has written tons of great fantasy/sci fi books. Most notable The Stand, It, Green Mile, a billion others.

Edited December 30, 2010 by Volourn

[Raithe]

The greatest writer of all time while largely considered a 'master of horror' has written tons of great fantasy/sci fi books. Most notable The Stand, It, Green Mile, a billion others.

 

I've never been totally impressed. Some of his books can be really good, some of them can be total crap. While his ideas are generally good, bordering on great, the execution can leave a lot to be desired...

[Hurlshort]

I think King can be argued as the most prolific writer of his time. He just writes and writes, it is amazing and very disciplined.

 

As for quality, I think he has a pretty wide range. Some great stuff, some good stuff, a few stinkers.

[Calax]

If you want a depressing read Way of the Shadows (Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks) is pretty good. One of those books where "Kids are raised in the slummiest slums of the capital and get brutalized". The authors wife is a councilor for *cough* troubled children and he uses some of the situations from her job in the book (although an 8 year old sexually abusing a 5 year old (both boys) and making the younger wear a dress did kinda kick me in the gut).

 

And then I've been reading Garden of the Moon. It's hard to get a feel for it, instead of being upbeat or depressing it's just kinda... a-tonal. The setup and characters are interesting and it's really pushing towards an epic world. Although sometimes it feels like it relies on you having the map in the front of the book to keep track of where on earth you are.

[HoonDing]

I haven't read a King book released after the final Dark Tower book. I'm still waiting for a sequel to the Talisman/Black House (co-authored with Peter Straub).

Edited January 2, 2011 by virumor

[entrerix]

king has a few classics, and a lot of mediocre books. still, very very very few authors can easily claim to have written "a few" classics.

 

The Stand, The Shining, IT, Pet Semetary, Carrie are my favorites, I liked about 5 others, and disliked about 5 others. I obviously have not read all his works

[Walsingham]

If you want a depressing read Way of the Shadows (Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks) is pretty good. One of those books where "Kids are raised in the slummiest slums of the capital and get brutalized". The authors wife is a councilor for *cough* troubled children and he uses some of the situations from her job in the book (although an 8 year old sexually abusing a 5 year old (both boys) and making the younger wear a dress did kinda kick me in the gut).

 

And then I've been reading Garden of the Moon. It's hard to get a feel for it, instead of being upbeat or depressing it's just kinda... a-tonal. The setup and characters are interesting and it's really pushing towards an epic world. Although sometimes it feels like it relies on you having the map in the front of the book to keep track of where on earth you are.

 

Not sure I could handle that book. It's not like I need depressing at the moment.