Philip Jose Farmer

[Exquisite Dead Guy]

So I'm getting back into reading sci-fi again after a long horror & fantasy kick and thought I try some of Farmer's books. Riverworld sounded promising and I remember enjoying the premise of the TV movie from a few years back so I scooped up the whole series from a used book store.

I just finished To Your Scattered Bodies Go and really enjoyed it. A little different from the movie, but I understand why some of the changes were made (no spoilers!). I just started the next in the series, The Fabulous Riverboat, and it looks to be just as good.

Can anyone recommend other PJF novels? The Dayworld series sounds positively dystopian, so I'm guessing I'd enjoy that.

 

[Dioltach]

Years ago a read two of his books called Hadon of Ancient Opar and Flight to Opar, if I'm not mistaken. They dealt with a civilization in Africa thousands of years ago, based around a great inland sea (I believe PJF stole the concept from one of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan stories). I suppose they were alright, although I don't remember much of them.

 

[Ebon Shar]

I recall reading The World of Tiers many, many years ago and enjoying it. I cannot recall the details, but I remember likening it to the Amber series.

 

[Mallus]

A friend lent me the 1st World of Tiers book and I spent an inordinately long time trying to read what can best be described as a very short book. While reading it I kept thinking "this is what Planetary Romance written by someone with Asperger's Syndrome would sound like".

Could be I simply don't like Farmer's prose. I should probably stay away from his books...

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I enjoyed the Riverwolrd series and the Dayworld series, but haven't been able to get into some of his other work.

 

[Tonguez]

Years ago a read two of his books called Hadon of Ancient Opar and Flight to Opar, if I'm not mistaken. They dealt with a civilization in Africa thousands of years ago, based around a great inland sea (I believe PJF stole the concept from one of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Tarzan stories). I suppose they were alright, although I don't remember much of them.

I've read those and PJF outright states that his Opar is the same one which Tarzan rediscovered (so not stolen just a reimagining)

Basically Opar is a city state in the same civilisation as Atlantis. The inland sea is what eventually drains to become the Congo Basin. This civilisation is a matriarchy with rule shared between the Priestess and the Warrior King. The King tries to subvert the system and establish himself as absolute overlord (and in the process oppress women).

Hadon is a warrior from Opar to gets caught up in these schemes and the civili war that develops (and will eventually destroy) the civilisation.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I always found The World of Tiers better than Riverworld.