Book recommendations, give 'em to me!

[Turlogh]

I second the recommendation for Glen Cook's The Black Company (good stuff, but a different writing style). Also try his Garrett Files novels, not as dark and very funny at times.
Also:
C.S. Freidman's Coldfire Trilogy is also very good.
Simon R. Green (Hawk and Fisher, Deathstalker)
David Gemmell
R.E.Howard (try something other than Conan (but read Conan as well if you haven't already.))
David Drake and Eric Flint's Belsarius book are really good (the first book takes some patience but it is well worth it)
Karl Edward Wagner's Kane books (hard to fine these days but good)
Ben Bova's Orion books.
Poul Anderson- War of the Gods and The Broken Sword.

Thats all I could think of for now.

 

[Turlogh]

doh!

 

[Umbran]

Oh, we cannot forget Fred Saberhagen! Both the Books of Swords and the Books of Lost Swords are quite interesting.

And, if you are looking for authors, there's Legends, edited by Robert Silverberg. It is available as a single large trade paperback or as a trio of standard paperbacks. Silverberg went to teh authors and said, "Write me a short novel in one of your already-existing fantasy worlds." So, you get a sample of fantasy from King, Jordan, Goodkind, McCaffrey, Card, Feist, Pratchett, Silverberg, Le Guin, WIlliams, and Martin - all in one book!

 

[Pielorinho]

I also recommend Tim Powers, but I think his best book is Last Call. My hands began to shake, and I began to sweat, as I read toward the climax of the book: I was so into it that it kinda scared me. I've never had a book do that to me before or since. It's fantastic fun.

Guy Gavriel Kaye writes political epics in a style similar to Martin's; I think he's fantastic. He does spectacle very well, and all while reading his stuff I'm busy thinking, "How can I as a DM steal this scene?"

And Le Guin, IMHO, is the best SF author alive. If you've not read the Wizard of Earthsea series, you're missing out. They're beautiful and wise and fantastic and poetic and just generally top-notch.

Daniel

 

[Phorck]

I second the Harry Turtledove vote. I've read Into the Darkness and Darkness Descending the third book in that series is Through the Darkness i think. They're great books, sort of retelling World War II in a fantasy setting, it's kind of hard to explain really.

Anything by James Clavell is great too. I've read Shogun, Taipan, and Noble House. They were great reads, I couldn't put them down until the end. I'd read them in chronological order though, especially Taipan and Noble House, as the latter picks up a hundred years after Taipan ends.

 

[birdboy2000]

J.R.R. Tolkien(Lord of the Rings, Simarillion, Hobbit)
Anything Dragonlance

 

[Neowolf]

Originally posted by Wulf Ratbane
Michael Moorcock (Hawkmoon... oh, and some guy named Elric)
Steven R. Donaldson (Chronicles of Thomas Covenant)

I've gotta second those, Moorcock and Donaldson are two of my favorite fantasy authors. Word of warning though: stay away from Donaldson's sci-fi. I started reading one of his Gap books (can't remember which, it was the one with a red cover) and hated the protagonist so much I didn't even make it past the first hundred pages.

Other authors I'd suggest:

David Eddings (Belgariad and Mallorean, haven't read this other books but I've heard they're good)
R.A. Salvatore (not for his Forgotten Realms stuff, but rather for the Chronicles of Ynis Aielle)

If you like sci-fi, check out The Light of Other Days by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter. It's great and has an interesting message about the voyeurism of our society.

Another great book (which I'm not sure how to classify) is Raptor Red by Robert Bakker. It's the story of a dinosaur (a Utah Raptor, if I remember correctly) told from the animal's perspective. It was a real eye-opener for me. Plus, Bakker himself is a noted paleontologist, so he knows what he's talking about.

 

[Aris]

Albert_Fish I guess you did not see Dr.Midnight's Storyhour(it based on RtToEE)

 

[Taren Nighteyes]

Joel Rosenberg's "Guardians of the Flame" series is very entertaining - at least the first 4 books are. Easy, fun, and really appealling to the gamer in most people.

Check them out.


Taren Nighteyes

 

[Palcadon]

J.R.R. Tokien. Then you can write some conversion stuff up and drop it off at the site!

Middle Earth for D20