Suggest a book to me.

[PhoenixDarkDirk]

I like Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series, which presently consists of the books The Eyre Affair, Lost in a Good Book, The Well of Lost Plots, and Something Rotten. In the 1980s cloning has reversed a few extinctions, with dodos being common pets, toast is advertised, and the main character is a detective who can enter books.

 

[Huw]

Immediate suggestions: Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman, Eoin Colfer

C.S. Lewis - Read his stuff.

All his stuff? His "Cosmic Trilogy" has been out of print for some time - "Out of the Silent Planet", "Perelandra", "That Hideous Strength". Worth reading if you can find them.

 

[jonathan swift]

Immediate suggestions: Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman, Eoin Colfer



All his stuff? His "Cosmic Trilogy" has been out of print for some time - "Out of the Silent Planet", "Perelandra", "That Hideous Strength". Worth reading if you can find them.

The space trilogy is actually back in print now. I know because the vocalist for my band found a giant stack of "Out of the Silent Planet" copies at Barnes the other day with brand new covers.

 

[Ambrus]

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

Seconded. But why stop there? His other books are also worth reading imho. Then again, perhaps I'm just sychophantic fanboy #17.

 

[RaceBannon42]

My favorite authors
George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire - Epic Fantasy, Fevre Dream - Historical Fantasy, A Song for Lya - SciFi)
Roger Zelazny ( Amber - Fantasy, Lord of Light - Sci-Fantasy)
R.Scott Bakker ( Prince of Nothing - Epic Fantasy)
Scott Lynch ( Lies of Locke Lamora - Adventure Fantasy)
John M. Ford ( The Dragon Waiting - Historical Fantasy, The Last Hot Time - Urban Fantasy)
Charles Stross ( Merchant Princes - Sci-Fantasy, Accelerando - Hard SciFi)
Richard Morgan (Altered Carbon - Sci-Fi Noir)
Neil Gaiman ( American Gods - Contemporary Fantasy)
Graham Joyce (The Tooth Fairy - Contemporary Fantasy)
Ian McDonald ( River of Gods - Near Future Sci Fi)

 

[Zaukrie]

Guy Kay is the best writer out there. There isn't a lot of magic/fantasy in his books, but they are the best written, you really care about the characters, and the dialogue and plots are excellent.

Steven Brust's books are very, very entertaining, and the Vlad Taltos books are not hard to read. Can't recomment him enough.

Ender's Game should be read by anyone that likes SF, same with Dune if you haven't read that book.

Elizabeth Moon's Deed of Paks(however you spell it) - great books about the military in a fantasy world, becoming a paladin over time...

Riftwar Saga - excellent stories, good writing.

George Martin's books are captivating, not able to be put down (once you get started). They are, however, books you need to concentrate on. Also, they come out very, very slowly. I might recommend waiting until another book or 2 are published.

 

[IcyCool]

All his stuff? His "Cosmic Trilogy" has been out of print for some time - "Out of the Silent Planet", "Perelandra", "That Hideous Strength". Worth reading if you can find them.

Hmm, I had thought I had read all his stuff, but I've not heard of the Cosmic Trilogy before. I'll give it a look.

As a side question, I'm quite a fan of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson (who doesn't like the Deliverator?), but I haven't read through the last two books of Stephenson's "System of the World" trilogy. Cryptonomicon was a good read, but how were the other two? (Quicksilver and System of the World)

 

[IcyCool]

Oh, and thanks much for all of the suggestions so far. Please, keep 'em coming.

 

[Dingleberry]

As a side question, I'm quite a fan of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson (who doesn't like the Deliverator?), but I haven't read through the last two books of Stephenson's "System of the World" trilogy. Cryptonomicon was a good read, but how were the other two? (Quicksilver and System of the World)

Isn't the trilogy Quicksilver, the Confusion, and System of the World?

 

[IcyCool]

Isn't the trilogy Quicksilver, the Confusion, and System of the World?

You're right, Cryptonomicon isn't part of the trilogy, although I think some of the characters and history are.