Book recommendations, give 'em to me!

Dr Midnight · Feb 28, 2002

Well, I'm out of reading material again.

Last time I asked for recommendations, I got two authors out of the deal- Steven Brust and George R. R. Martin.

Brust I didn't care for. Jhereg. It did nothing for me, and I dropped it after a hundred pages. Martin, though, I sucked down like a junkie. Every page was a joy. Now, I'm through with his books (until the next one comes out) and I need something new to read. I read Kidd's Justicar novels since then. They're fun, lighthearted stuff. Tried to pick up on the Dragonlance saga again, but I just cannot push myself through that second book.

Good fantasy novels- who wants to slap me with some recommendations?

Rashak Mani · Feb 28, 2002

Not exactly fantasy novels... you probably already read them:

TIMELINE by Michael Crichton 11 out of 10 I give it... read it in two days... addicting stuff. Good for history buffs as well as science fiction (nope that is not a contradictory remark)

13th Warrior (the book) aka Eaters of the Dead... also Crichton. So I am a little biased for this author...

Chronicle or Travel Story style... very good. Not necessary to have liked the film.

The Magician... very good too.

Furn_Darkside · Feb 28, 2002

Salutations,

I don't recall what I might have suggested last time, but:

Brian Lumley's Dreamland series is fun and has a lot to loot for ideas-

Heroes of Dreams
Ship of Dreams
Mad Moon of Dreams
Iced on Aran

Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl is a good modern fantasy.

If you want something non-fantasy I have recently enjoyed:
Natalie Bober's Abigail Adams: Witness To A Revolution

Good reading!
FD

Desdichado · Feb 28, 2002

I've suggested to anyone who likes George RR Martin that they ought to read the Warlord Trilogy by Bernard Cornwell. Tehcnically it is Dark Ages historical fiction instead of fantasy (if anything about King Arthur can truly be called historical fiction, considering how little we know about the historical person), but it's hard to tell. Merlin's antics are suspiciously magic-like from time to time. I got it on Books on Tape to listen to as I commuted, and I gobbled them down as fast as I could listen to them.

Stylistically it's very similar to GRRM: very dark and low fantasy, but with fascinating characters and tragic heroics.

omedon · Feb 28, 2002

It's not your regular sword and sorcery type fantasy, but may I recommend Watership Down by Richard Adams. Also if you don't mind your stories being a little academic you might try The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer, or Metamorpheses by Ovid.

I seem to remember Eric Noah posting a thread where everyone listed their favorite fantasy books, or books period, on the old boards. You might want to checkt that out.

Albert_Fish · Feb 28, 2002

I just read a fiction book, The Descent. its interesting particularly if you enjoy running dungeon crawls. Give it a try. I beleive the Author's name was Long.
Try harry Turtledove....that man has me addicted. Granted i have only read the Great War books (start with "How Few Remain", there are 6 books so far) the World War books ( 6 or 7 so far) and "Guns of the South". This guy is god if you like alternate history.
William R Forstchen writes a series called "The Lost Regiment" about a Civial war regiment that gets lost in a wormhole and gets deliverd to a planet full of man eating mongolian cavaliers...its better than i describe it. i think there are over 10 books in that series.
Check out the Flashman series ifyou like 1800's adventure stuff (it was written in the 1950s if memory serves and is hard to find unless you live in Canada or look online).

of course you cant go wrong with Lovecraft.

LostSoul · Feb 28, 2002

If you like my .sig, you might like Hemingway.

If you liked the Band of Brothers HBO series, you might want to pick up the book.

mmadsen · Feb 28, 2002

Also if you don't mind your stories being a little academic you might try The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer...

Or, if you find straight translations daunting, you can try The Children's Homer and The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles by Padraic Colum. They're really not children's books, by the way, just less scholarly translations.

Darklance · Feb 28, 2002

I very highly recommend the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. Excellent series.

1. Assassin's Apprentice
2. Royal Assassin
3. Assassin's Quest

I these were only a notch or two below Martin which says allot because I'm picky and I think Ice & Fire is just about the cream of the crop.

She has a second trilogy in the same world already finished.
The Liveship traders series is almost as good as Farseer.

She just published the first book of her new trilogy "The Tawny Man Trilogy" which goes back to the original Characters from the Farseer Trilogy.

Umbran · Feb 28, 2002

If you're looking for something.... odd, you could try Alan Dean Foster's series "Journeys of the Catechist". which begins in the book Carnivores of Light and Darkness

Or, for something a little more standard, try Tad Williams' series, "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn", which begins in The Dragonbone Chair. A good series of long books. Epic, but still focused on the personalities of individuals, and captivating writing style, IMHO.

Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle recently did a book in Niven's fantasy setting. The Burning City suffers a little from Niven's weak characterization, but for gamers it has a number of interesting ideas. Mind you, you'll be a little lost if you don't read one or two of Niven's Warlock short stories first.

If you haven't already read them, the first few books of The "Thieves' World" series (edited by Robert Aspirin and Lynn Abbey, beginning in Thieves' World) are a must.