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On March 22 2012 15:47 {CC}StealthBlue wrote:These books any good, any TL'ers read them? + Show Spoiler +Honestly sometimes I wish there were more Steampunk titles....
The Way of Kings was amazing and I'm extremely excited for book two. I think it was a really smart choice/coincidence by Sanderson to leave publishing this one last after his previous small trilogies/stand-alone novels. He's much more able now to convey that sense of darkness, weight and sadness, and I think that was his main weakness with his previous books.
I've read The Wind-up Girl by Bacigalupi, but I haven't gotten around to reading his other stuff yet, but I do mean to, one day.
I need to find other fans of Guy Gavriel Kay, anyone else read any of his stuff?
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I really didn't like Way of Kings. I thought a lot of it was pretty fluffy and boring. The last good fantasy book I read was The Lies of Locke Lamora.
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+ Show Spoiler +On March 22 2012 15:47 {CC}StealthBlue wrote:These books any good, any TL'ers read them? ![[image loading]](http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/148130000/148131839.JPG) ![[image loading]](http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/100480000/100482915.JPG) Honestly sometimes I wish there were more Steampunk titles....
I've read the Way of Kings. It's a fine read, but don't expect anything earth shattering. The setting is really awesome, but that's about the best I can say. If you had read Elantris it is more of the same. Kind of basic characters that don't draw you in too much, a neat idea but not the best execution in the writing. Then there is the problem of it draws you in, but nothing actually seems to happen. You get to the end of 700 or whatever pages, and it just stops. No loose ends are tied up, everyone is in the same place as where they started, it just stops and you have to wait for the next book.
I am not disappointed I read it, just don't expect Jordan or Martin level writing. I would more liken him, in that book, to Salvatore. He is obviously quite prolific lately, but the depth of his stories suffer because of it.
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Awesome thread is awesome.
Just re-read Eddings. Belgariad is better than Mallorean but whatever. Belgarath the Sorcerer is great.
Magician by Fiest is amazing
Also just read (was overseas- Thailand so lots of beaches to read on) The Windup Girl by Paulo Bacigalupi - a really interesting and new sci fi set (coincidentaly i swear!!) in Bangkok.
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I am not a huge fantasy fan but Robert E. Howards Conan stories are amazing.
![[image loading]](http://thecimmerian.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/conan-easton.jpg)
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8 year old topic and no A Wizard of Earthsea, so underrated.
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I'll second...
The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit (J. R. R. Tolkien)
Discworld series (Terry Pratchett)
Foundation series (Isaac Asimov)
Bailey/Olivaw series (Asimov)
And I'll suggest...
The Silmarillion (Tolkien) (only if you enjoyed LoTR)
Smith of Wootton Major & Farmer Giles of Ham (Tolkien) (very different than LoTR and less well known)
Mars series (Edgar Rice Burroughs) (pulp science fiction, don't take it very seriously)
Creatures of Light & Darkness (Roger Zelazny) (sci fi featuring mythological Egyptian pantheon as main characters, crazy book)
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If you liked LOTR trilogy books. Check Silmarillion.
If you like adult epic adventure without limits, check Dark Tower series by Stephen King.
Also if you are into diablo lore, there some good books imo, like kingdom of the shadow, shadowbane and maybe sinwars series. Book of Cain just came out too.
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It has to have been mentioned already but, The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind is one of my all time favorite fantasy series. There's a lot of them too so they'll keep you entertained for a while.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/uwDfA.jpg)
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![[image loading]](http://furiousfanboys.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/books_09.jpg)
Death Gate Cycle is my favourite sci-fi/fantasy series, although it's been over 10 years since I read it. I should do it again.
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Great fantasy writers:
Lian hearn, The Otori series
Recommended for anyone for likes Ninjas, medieval Japan, Intrigues and also a great story
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David Gemmel (RIP), Dranai legends
Pretty good series, alittle cheesy
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Robyn Young, Brethren and the new series which I cant recall the name right now
If you are fascinated by the Templars or just medieval history at all, read this
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Robin hobb, The farseer trilogy + the tawned man, The liveship traders
First fantasy books I read, Awesome story of a Bastard Assassin in the service of the crown
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Raymond E. Feist, Riftwar saga (and every book that comes after that)
Great series, kind of long (like 23 books or something) but the writing is superb and story is pretty damn good
Read this if you like Magic or dragons
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George R R Martin, A song of ice and fire
Awesome books, recommended for anyone that can read.
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Conn Iggulden, Both his Gengis Khan series and Emperor series
If you're into roman history or are fascinated by the mongol horde, read this.
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Not sure if everything fits under the Fantasy genre, like the history inspired books, but they are well worth the read.
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Name of the Wind and Wise man's fear, by Patrick Rothfuss. Give me next book already!
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(edit: a note, I find that getting audiobooks of scifi-fantasy is a great way of digging through mounds and long trilogies that you wouldn't have time to read. While it's obviously not that legal, I usually buy the book and torrent the audiobook, listen and have the book on hand to re-read stuff that needs going over again. Absolutely the best way of digesting fantasy/scifi if you can't get enough)
Here's how I see it, as an absolute fantasy/science fiction nutter. I'm not going to cite the hyper popular, book of the day stuff like SOIAF, WOT and the kingkiller chronicles, instead I'll look to some real beauties that are best appreciated by people who are looking deeper into the genre (as you seem to be). They are of (IMO) far higher quality and content than the aforementioned widely known series, but require a little more from the reader than those books. If you put in the effort, you get the reward. The books the OP lists (dune, EG etc) are of the sort that are conceptually a credit to their genre, but also have a high level of intellectual/moral depth if one pays enough attention, my selection is of similar books.
Best young adult sci-fi/sci-fantasy
His Dark Materials trilogy (the golden compass (or northern lights), the subtle knife, the amber spyglass). Basically anti-Narnia. Same premises (multiple worlds, heavy british influence, awesome world building, big theological topics) but from the opposite point of view. Not exactly anti-god, but anti-submissive-dogma progressive themes
Runner up is the Hunger Games trilogy, finally a series which actually deserves the immense popularity it gets.
Best fantasy:
Mistborn trilogy: Absolute masterwork, again a long trilogy but totally worth the time. It combines incredibly unique and vivid world building (with the best 'magic' system I've seen) with a twisting, epic plot that will leave you dumbfounded repeatedly. This coming from a guy who routinely predicts plot twists several chapters in advance. Sanderson (the author) knows his audience and he pulls you in. Also has one of the better female protagonists I've read in fantasy novels, worth a mention. Some people have mentioned the stormlight archive already, also by Sanderson, and his attempts to cover the last of wheel of time. This series is where his true strengths come to the fore and are absolutely the best books he's written.
perdido street station: This book is interesting. It's set in a dirty sort of semi-industrialised mid fantasy setting, perhaps it could be described as post-steampunk fantasy. It's got the usual multiracial thing, but all the races are non-traditional and the book has a lot of interesting subtheming along the idea of other races being spun off 'variants' of humanity. for example, there is a race whose females look like women, except they have a large scarab beetle for a head. It's a wierd, pungent, vivid book full of no-punches pulled descriptions of a sprawling slum city and the inhabitants. The plot is more of a daily mystery than a world changing epic, but it feels epic by the time you get through it. Definitely not a casual read, but utterly enthralling if you can devote the time to it.
Best Scifi:
The Diamond Age: absolutely THE best science fiction novel of the past decade. Set in 22nd century spec-fic earth where nanoassembly has made basically everything ubiquitous if you're in the right culture (hence diamond age, most stuff is made of diamonds). It focuses on how cultures may evolve in the future, media, digital societies and learning. Like most books by the author it's full of cleverness, interesting tie-ins to our time and utterly believeable scenarios. I call stevenson the modern day asimov, he does the same things while managing to keep the pacing and intensity of a thriller.
Anathem: Another one by stevenson. I don't pick out his stuff by chance, the diamond age is one of I think 2 books ever to win both the hugo and the locus. It also got shortlisted for the nebula. While the diamond age is more all-interests suitable than Anathem, Anathem is where the real hardcore sci-fi readers will have their fun. It's incredibly smart, frighteningly insightful at points, mostly fast paced (Stevenson has a tendency to have his characters ramble off on theoretical discussions and points of interest, though never without good reason) and will force you to work hard just to keep up with what's going on. If you like your books intense but rewarding, Anathem is the best I've read. You have to be careful with it, since it's not scifi in the laser beams and spaceships sense and you'll be scratching your head for maybe the first couple of hundred pages as to how this is scifi, but you start picking up on it slowly and suddenly everything starts clicking and before you realise it you're balls deep in holyshitness.
Strata: Perhaps considerable as a prequel to discworld, this is one of the cleverest science fiction books I've read conceptually. To explain even a little might spoil the awesomeness, but suffice to say you'll finish this one by putting it down and thinking 'I just... got trolled... by a whole book...' And it's totally a great feeling.
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I've read Death Gate novels 3 times and it never gets old. My favorite of all time!
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On March 22 2012 20:24 Maxie wrote:
Name of the Wind and Wise man's fear, by Patrick Rothfuss. Give me next book already!
^ This so much. Such a great read.
I'll also put in votes for:
The wheel of time series - Robert Jordan / Brandon Sanderson
Sword of truth series - Terry Goodkind
Song of ice and fire series - G.R.R.Martin
Saga of seven suns series - Kevin J. Anderson (SciFi series but couldn't resist)
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Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
The Sword of Truth - Terry Goodkind
Riftwar Saga (Magician, Silverthorn, Darkness at Sethanon) - Raymond E Feist
A Song of Ice and Fire - G.R.R Martin
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I'm currently reading the Tales of Alvin Maker by Orson Scott Card, a series of 6 books so far, with more in the making. I'm currently on the fourth book and I've enjoyed every page so far. A really deep storyline and interesting characters and plot twists. I recommend it to anyone into history/fantasy, or otherwise if you happen to enjoy Card's other works.
I couldn't bother to read through 14 pages to see if anyone recommended this already, but anyways it's worth another recomendation.
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On March 22 2012 20:07 HwangjaeTerran wrote:Death Gate Cycle is my favourite sci-fi/fantasy series, although it's been over 10 years since I read it. I should do it again.
Damm, gotta read this series all over again, nostalgic feeling.
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Northern Ireland174 Posts
Didn't have time to read all 150+ posts but just incase no one has already said:
Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series is win.... start with Final Empire.
Scott Lynch's Gentlemen Bastard series is win... start with Lies of Locke Lamora.
And who could forget Patrick Rothfuss's King Killer Chronicle series?... start with Name of the Wind.
If i'd more time I'd go on and on about how great all the above are but as is I don't, so just go get em and thank the authors after!
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I'd like to recommend A song of ice and fire as well, admittedly I started reading after watching the tv-series, but it's really awesome - Just started on book 5 
Other than that:
Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett, can especially recommend "Mort" and "Reaper Man" - a lot of nice dark humor in these books, and very well written. Also they are somewhat short (300ish pages) - so it won't hold you up for too long.
Also Ed GReenwood I think is good, and I can especially recommend the book "Spellfire".
Lastly, I've only heard good of R.A. Salvatore as a writer of fantasy.
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EPT
