Suggest a book to me.

[IcyCool]

So, I, like many others here, like to read. I'll read just about anything, and give just about any author a try. I'm looking to add something from specific genres to my reading queue. I'm burnt out on modern-day fantasy (early Anita Blake, Dresden Files, etc.), and would like to add some good future sci-fi, fantasy, and plenty of grit in both. Aside from the exceptions list below, please feel free to suggest anything; short stories, online works, even something you've written yourself.

Exceptions List:
Tolkien - Read his stuff and like it. I'm pretty sure I haven't missed any of his work.
C.S. Lewis - Read his stuff.
Moorcock - Read his first two Elric novels. Didn't like either of them (boring), and it sounds like the rest of his work is more of the same. If you know of a novel of his that is an absolute must read, please let me know. Given the sheer number of people I know who like his work, I'm starting to think there is something wrong with me.
Laurell K. Hamilton - I read the first few, but I don't like erotica. Not even crazy supernatural creature erotica.
Eddings (David and Leigh) - Haven't read their latest stuff, but I generally enjoyed several of their books, even if it was the same story told multiple times.
Paolini - I've read the first two Inheritance books already.
The original Dragonlance trilogy - Enjoyed it.
Gaunt's Ghosts series - As an unabashed wargamer (Hive Mind devotee and utterer of "All is dust!"), I devoured these. Great reading candy.

So, please feel free to recommend anything. Don't worry about trying to determine what I like or don't like, that way lies madness. Simply recommend what you like. I won't judge you if I don't like it, I promise.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

These are all fantasy...

Maybe Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar Saga. Start with the first triology.

Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry trilogy, and his new Last Light of the Sun.

For some military grit, Glen Cook's Black Company (first 3 books especially). His Tower of Fear has a nice mix of politics, military, rebellion, cultism.

If you don't mind starting an unfinished project, George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire, starting with A Game of Thrones.

 

[hafrogman]

Fantasy:
Cristopher Rowley: Bazil Broketail and the other books in that series
Lawrence Watt-Evans: Any of his fantasy novels, many stand alone if you're just looking to dip.
Peter Lord-Wolff: The Silence In Heaven (religious theme warning)

Sci-Fi:
Sean Williams & Shane Dix: Evergence Series, Echoes of Earth series

Somewhere in between:
Mathew Woodring Stover: Heroes Die (and its sequel)


That'll do for now.

 

[Richards]

Here are a few suggestions:

Gene Wolfe's "Torturer" series: Shadow of the Torturer, Claw of the Concilliator, Sword of the Lictor, Citadel of the Autarch, and Urth of the New Sun. Set on Earth (Urth) a million years or so hence, it's got both science fiction and fantasy elements, and the main character is a very likable young man, Severian, who has been raised to be a torturer. You'd probably never have expected to be rooting for a torturer protagonist, but you really do. Gene's got a really fascinating world in this series, and when you get to the part with the alzabo (in the second book, I think), prepare to get really creeped out.

Gene Wolfe's "Latros" series: Soldier in the Mist and Soldier of Arete. Historical fantasy this time: Latros is a Greek soldier who wakes up on a battlefield after having received a head injury. As a result of his injury, he wakes up every morning having completely forgotten the previous day (so he writes in his scroll every night before bed and has "READ ME" written on the outside of it so he can fill himself in as to what's been going on). As a side effect, he can also see the gods and goddesses that roam invisibly throughout the world.

James Alan Gardner's "Explorer Corps" series: Expendable, Commitment Hour, Vigilant, Hunted, Ascending, Trapped, and Radiant. A science fiction series where humanity, part of the League of Peoples, is exploring the universe. The Explorer Corps (the "Expendables") are made up of humanity's deformed and physically imperfect (the main character in the first book and many of the others is Festina Ramos, who has a wine-colored birthmark on one cheek), because exploring new worlds is dangerous and starship crews tend to get depressed when good-looking people get killed...but can shrug off the death of an ugly person. A very entertaining series of books.

Robert J. Sawyer's science fiction novels: He's really great at writing enjoyable aliens. Some sample titles: FlashForward, Calculating God, Factoring Humanity, and his Quintaglio series (Far-Seer, Fossil Hunter, and Foreigner) about an intelligent race of dinosaurs "seeded" from prehistoric Earth onto the moon of a gas giant, who have developed intelligence and a civilization of their own.

Johnathan

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Farland-Runelords series, great series have the first four will probably get the fifth soon now that it's out.
Canavan-Magician's Guild trilogy, quite good and very well written magical backbiting and scheming.
Novik-His Majesty's Dragon, have all three great series from a new author next out sometime next year(Napoleonic War meets Dragons of War)
Lawhead-Hood, start of a new series well-written only out in hardcover yet but worth it.
Hill-Cry of the Icemark, stand alone novel well written very magical northern Europe feel
Claremont-Shadow Moon trilogy, well written and unique, brings a tremendous feeling of depth and age to the setting.
John Ringo-There Will Be Dragons, four out so far and still going, not very serious more of a romp but fun reading and you can tell he has been a gamer from things in the work.
David Weber- Hell's Gate, new series just starting have only read it halfway through but definitely gamer influenced. Reads like a story hour of the campaign where psionics and magic met and didn't get along.
David Drake-Belisarius series up to seven or eight books now, very good.

 

[Pants]

Robin Hobb's The Farseer Trilogy - Great characters, good writing, okay worldbuilding. Read it for the characters. Start with Assassin's Apprentice.

George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire - Excellent... pretty much everything. It's not finished so that might be one caveat. Start with A Game of Thrones.

Steven Erikson's The Malazan Books of the Fallen - Lots of high-magic battles, explosions, gods, dragons, and demons running around. Okay to subpar characters (though he has some pretty good ones), read it for the superbly expansive history, the big battles, and a great sense of epic scale. Start with Gardens of the Moon.

R Scott Bakker's The Prince of Nothing - Very philosophical and dark. Oh lord is it dark. Bakker can be pretentious and he often walks the line of pseudo-Mary Sue-ism but he's a pretty good writer with some great ideas and some damn good characters. Start with The Darkness that Comes Before.

Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora - Very cool little fantasy caper story with great dialogue, action scenes, and some sonderful characters. Great fun to be had here. It's the first book in a very loosely connected series.

William Gibson's Neuromancer - I'm not a big fan of sci-fi novels but I loved Neuromancer. It pretty much spawned the cyberpunk genre and it's a great little story, though dated in some aspects.

China Mieville's Perdido Street Station and The Scar - Mieville has a great sense for evocative descriptions and for really making a place come alive. His plots kind of meander, but he can sure set the tone and the feel. PSS takes a while to get going, but when it does, it's damn good. It also takes place in one of the cooler fantasy cities ever; New Crobuzon, a steaming cesspit of dirty politics, corruption, and wonder. It's pretty cool.

 

[Jdvn1]

I've been trying to spread the word about Arturo Perez-Reverte. He's an excellent author from Spain, with some great fight scenes. His books are mysteries, though some have a historical feel to them, which might classify them as fantasy-ish as well.

 

[Heckler]

Fantasy(ish) :

Roger Zelazny - The Chronicles of Amber
Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming (a very humerous take on the eternal struggle between the forces of good and evil)



Mystery:

anything by Christie or Doyle

Robert van Gulik - the "Judge Dee" books. A Dutch expert on Chinese history, his stories are set circa 600 AD China and are based on legal transcripts of that time, many of which involved the actual Judge Dee. Not only are the mysteries good, but the books provide an incredible look at the Chinese culture at the time.

Troy Soos - the "Mickey Rawlings" books. While the mystery aspect isn't as good as others, the books are set in the early 20th century in the world of baseball, and Soos does a wonderful job of researching the period and bringing it to life. If you like baseball, you'll love it.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Any of Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar stories.

 

[jonathan swift]

Steven Brust - either the Taltos series or the Khaavren Romances. Both are excellent, if different, fantasy.

David Weber - Honor Harrington series. I've heard the series goes downhill eventually, but the first 3-4 books have all been excellent in my opinion.

James H Schmitz - Witches of Karres. Great book with small dosoes of humour throughout.

Neil Gaiman - pretty much anything he's written is golden.

Orson Scott Card - Ender's Game is one of my favorite books of all time.

William King - Gotrek and Felix novels. Dark, gritty, and harsh Warhammer novels.

Jack Yeovil - The Vampire Genevieve omnibus. Also Warhammer, also brilliant.