There is a great thread in the lounge about Books in general, but to be honest, all I really want to read is Sci-Fi (including post-apocalyptic), and Fantasy.
In this OP I will compile every poster's top 3 Fantasy/SciFi suggestions if they give me them. I will try to keep the posters in alphabetical order in case you want to find someone's suggestions easier.
CP POSTER SUGGESTIONS
Baby Lee
1. Fritz Lieber's Swords Against series.
2. George R.R. Martin's SoIaF series [no brainer that will probably make tons of other lists]
3. Umberto Eco, Foucalt's Pendulum [a little more obscure/forgotten to make up for GRRM]
Frosty
1.Raymond Feist - Riftwar Saga
2.Terry Brooks - Shannara series (starting with the Knight of the Word books)
3.Tad Williams - Memory, Sorrow and Thorn
Huffmeister
(1) Dune - Frank Herbert
(2) The Stand - Stephen King (1000+ page unabridged)
(3) Starship Troopers - Robert A. Heinlein (checkout the song by Yes, too. lots of great bass)
Jawshco
1. "Book of the Long Sun" by Gene Wolfe
2. "Paradise War" by Stephen R Lawhead
3. "The Dragonbone Chair" by Tad Williams
listopencil
1. Edgar Rice Burroughs, any series
2. Robert Heinlein, everything he has written in chronological order (but read Starship Troopers first)
3. Doc Smith's Lensman series
vailpass
1. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume 1, 2A & 2B books are a gold mine for sampling the evolution of sci-fi. (below)
2.The Nebula Awards and Hugo Awards (selected yearly, pick a year)
3. Years Best SF Annual publication, pick any volume from 1 to the current volume 17 See Post 142 [Reply]
Originally Posted by Buck:
Dune is on my must read list, I forgot to mention it.
Great recommendations guys.
Quikies, I'm somewhat interested in horror. Do you have a short horror novel you could recommend?
Sci-Fi horror would be cool. Something like that movie Sunshine.
Jaws, I'm over 50% in.
Shortest one I can recommend would be either The Mist by Stephen King or The Gunslinger graphic novels -- both are prettaahhhh prettahhhh good. [Reply]
I am a big fan of alt history, not really Sci Fi / Fantasy but it gets lumped in at most book stores.
Completed the full Harry Turtledove 11 book series that starts after the civil war where the Confederacy successfully secedes from the Union. In order;
How Few Remain
The Great War Trilogy
- American Front
- Walk in Hell
- Breakthroughs
The American Empire Trilogy
- Blood and Iron
- The Center Cannot Hold
- The Victorious Opposition
The Settling Accounts
- Return Engagement
- Drive to the East
- The Grapple
- In at the Death
In more of his sci fi vein I have also read all but on book of Turtledove's Worldwar & Colonization (aliens invade Earth at the start of WWII) series. In order;
Worldwar
- In the Balance
- Tilting the Balance
- Upsetting the Balance
- Striking the Balance
Colonization
- Second Contact
- Down to Earth
- Aftershocks
Still need to read Homeward Bound which is the final book in the series. [Reply]
Originally Posted by cookster50:
Worldwar was great, Colonization a let down.
I won't disagree with you. Turtledove seems to skip over plot lines between books that would be compelling but only get one or two paragraphs. For example; when the wife of the character that raises two aliens as humans dies the whole alien reaction is passed over.
He's not the greatest writer (repeats lines over and over, blunt as a 2 X 4 at times) but I think he puts more thought into the "what if" aspect of the storylines and takes them further than other writers in the genre. [Reply]
The first is David Eddings Belgariad and Malloreon series (each are five books long). These are of the "peasant finds out he is actually a key part of saving the world" genre but I found them very entertaining, with fun character interaction. The problem with Eddings, though, is that everything he has done since has basically recycled these characters into different plots, even down to the same banter between characters. The Sparhawk series is okay but derivative.
Another is Barbara Hambly's Darwath books or the Winterlands series. Actually, I enjoyed all of her fantasy novels that I have read (she also writes historical fiction and mysteries).
David Duncan has written several series that I have really enjoyed. The Seventh Sword is about a dying young man (in our time) who finds himself transported to a different world in the body of a master swordsman.
The Pandemia books are good too. I didn't really care for his King's Blades books, though.
Originally Posted by Buck:
Quikies, I'm somewhat interested in horror. Do you have a short horror novel you could recommend?
You might want to try some H.P. Lovecraft. He's considered one of the grandfathers of modern horror. He's the guy that came up with Cthulhu and the Elder Gods (you've probably run across references to them). And he mostly wrote short stories, so they're usually quick reads. The only issue you may have is that he wrote most of them in the 20s and 30s, so the writing style can be a bit archaic at times, which some people love and some people hate. I enjoy reading his stories. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Huffmeister:
You might want to try some H.P. Lovecraft. He's considered one of the grandfathers of modern horror. He's the guy that came up with Cthulhu and the Elder Gods (you've probably run across references to them). And he mostly wrote short stories, so they're usually quick reads. The only issue you may have is that he wrote most of them in the 20s and 30s, so the writing style can be a bit archaic at times, which some people love and some people hate. I enjoy reading his stories.
Good call.. I'd recommend At the Mountains of Madness. [Reply]
