i was gonna say a song of ice and fire but seeing as you have already read it try the eternal champion series. it can get super confusing at times but its worth while if you stick with it.
Greatest Fantasy/Sci - Fi Series? (Books)
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Ender's Game - Science Fiction novel about a boy genius with a knack for military strategy in three dimensions (the enemy gate is down) who gets enlisted into playing war games in preparation for an assumed impending attack by a mysterious alien species who devastated earth once and then mysteriously left. There is a whole series but I only read the first one. This is a classic and a must for anyone that considers themselves a purist in the science fiction genre.
The Once and Future King - One of my personal favorites, this is a very quirky and often anachronistic take on the King Arthur tale. This is not a series but one novel split into four shorter sub-novels the first of which, "Sword in the Stone" was the basis (loosely) for the Disney film of the same name. This is also the book Professor Xavier is teaching the class of X-Men at the end of that movie: the overarching theme of the book is what should be done by those with great power,i.e. "Does Might make Right?"
The Dark Tower - This is going to be a love it or hate it pick but I have to include it if no one else will. It is a seven tome series about the quest of the last gunslinger (and knight errant) Roland Deschain, to seek the eponymous Dark Tower in a post-apocalyptic western like setting. As the novels progress they explore themes of time travel, demons, cross dimensional interactions with the world of the author himself (Stephen King), robots, Nazis, mutants, witches, palantir like objects and just about everything else you can think of. He steals plotlines from Kurasawa movies and props from Harry Potter (used with deadly effect). After having read it I cannot decide whether it is the mark of genius or insanity.
The Once and Future King - One of my personal favorites, this is a very quirky and often anachronistic take on the King Arthur tale. This is not a series but one novel split into four shorter sub-novels the first of which, "Sword in the Stone" was the basis (loosely) for the Disney film of the same name. This is also the book Professor Xavier is teaching the class of X-Men at the end of that movie: the overarching theme of the book is what should be done by those with great power,i.e. "Does Might make Right?"
The Dark Tower - This is going to be a love it or hate it pick but I have to include it if no one else will. It is a seven tome series about the quest of the last gunslinger (and knight errant) Roland Deschain, to seek the eponymous Dark Tower in a post-apocalyptic western like setting. As the novels progress they explore themes of time travel, demons, cross dimensional interactions with the world of the author himself (Stephen King), robots, Nazis, mutants, witches, palantir like objects and just about everything else you can think of. He steals plotlines from Kurasawa movies and props from Harry Potter (used with deadly effect). After having read it I cannot decide whether it is the mark of genius or insanity.
I'd tell you my favorite fantasy series, but you'd probably hate it. The Kushiel's Legacy series (the first trilogy) by Jacqueline Carey. Yes, yes, it's about a prostitute for whom BDSM is a religious imperative, and there's a bunch of sex scenes, but that's not why I like it. Why I like it is that the characterization is great, she does a brilliant job making you understand all the characters (even, or perhaps especially, the villains), I love how her world is an askew version of ours, and it has some of the best fantasy theology I've ever seen. (I cannot, however, recommend the second or third trilogies. Phedre's books are amazing, the rest are very pale imitations.)
But on to something I think you'd actually like, my favorite SF series. The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. Good action, great space opera, very interesting commentary on technology and its effects on an isolated civilization, at times absolutely hilarious and at other times incredibly tragic, and absolutely fantastic character development. I recommend it highly. You can start either with the first Miles Vorkosigan book, Warrior's Apprentice (free from Baen if you have an e-reader), or, which I recommend, start with the duology about his mother, Cordelia's Honor.
But on to something I think you'd actually like, my favorite SF series. The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. Good action, great space opera, very interesting commentary on technology and its effects on an isolated civilization, at times absolutely hilarious and at other times incredibly tragic, and absolutely fantastic character development. I recommend it highly. You can start either with the first Miles Vorkosigan book, Warrior's Apprentice (free from Baen if you have an e-reader), or, which I recommend, start with the duology about his mother, Cordelia's Honor.
Indeed, it is a good book, I enjoyed david gemmells stuff as a whole.Arontala said:
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Though recently i read a series called mortal engines that i would recommend, its by phillip reeve and its about cities that roll around on giant tank tracks eating each other.
Its set in a post apocalyptic world(but a long time after), so its not 'aliens and spaceships' style sci-fi, more almost steampunk like i guess, in that some ways they're less advanced (eg. airships because no one knows how to do heavier than air flight) while more advanced in other ways due to 'old tech' which they manage to dig up.
It was a pretty good series. I enjoyed some of the tongue in cheek references to modern things, the world with its moving cities and alternate technology is novel and interesting and the story as a whole is a good read.
A couple more that I just thought of, that OP might like (and that I think are fantastic books-- and one with a caveat):
Yes, I second the rec for C.S. Friedman's Coldfire series. But just as good, IMO, is her standalone SF, "This Alien Shore". It owes a huge debt to Cordwainer Smith, and is an absolutely fantastic exploration of how different kinds of neural patterns (particularly Asperger's Syndrome, which is never mentioned but is part of her schema for one of her main characters) can be integrated into a different culture, and integrated into technology.
I also can't believe I forgot to rec my *other* favorite fantasy series, the one that isn't as soap-operatic. Sherwood Smith's "Inda" series. That series has everything-- great characters, great worldbuilding, pirates, Vikings, fantastically detailed sailing ship battles, land battles, and an underlying theme about war and what war does to a people.
Finally, the one with a caveat, Paul McAuley's "The Quiet War". As fiction, it's not that good. The story is very slow to build, and I never warmed up to his characters. But as you're seeking to write, you couldn't have a more interesting book when it comes to SF terraforming, and his sociocultural stuff is pretty damn good too. It's basically a *very* hard SF answer to the idea of an interstellar war, written by a biologist. I think it's worth reading for his worldbuilding and science-in-science-fiction alone.
Yes, I second the rec for C.S. Friedman's Coldfire series. But just as good, IMO, is her standalone SF, "This Alien Shore". It owes a huge debt to Cordwainer Smith, and is an absolutely fantastic exploration of how different kinds of neural patterns (particularly Asperger's Syndrome, which is never mentioned but is part of her schema for one of her main characters) can be integrated into a different culture, and integrated into technology.
I also can't believe I forgot to rec my *other* favorite fantasy series, the one that isn't as soap-operatic. Sherwood Smith's "Inda" series. That series has everything-- great characters, great worldbuilding, pirates, Vikings, fantastically detailed sailing ship battles, land battles, and an underlying theme about war and what war does to a people.
Finally, the one with a caveat, Paul McAuley's "The Quiet War". As fiction, it's not that good. The story is very slow to build, and I never warmed up to his characters. But as you're seeking to write, you couldn't have a more interesting book when it comes to SF terraforming, and his sociocultural stuff is pretty damn good too. It's basically a *very* hard SF answer to the idea of an interstellar war, written by a biologist. I think it's worth reading for his worldbuilding and science-in-science-fiction alone.
I read the first book, Wizards First Rule, and I found it to be an atrocious slog to get through that I only finished the book out of spite for it. I found it had a few good scenes but those are few and far between with huge stretches of incredibly dry travel descriptions. I never picked up another of those again. I'm sure Terry Goodkind's writing improved over the course of the series.spartan231490 said:
I can gladly recommend the Dune series, but start with the 3 newer books that precede the original series written by Herbert's son.
If fantasy is more you're thing, try the Midkemia series. I started with Talon of the Silver Hawk and loved it, but if you want to start at the very beginning (recommended) start with Magician.
If fantasy is more you're thing, try the Midkemia series. I started with Talon of the Silver Hawk and loved it, but if you want to start at the very beginning (recommended) start with Magician.
Just remembered another great series. The Old Kingdom books by Garth Nix. They're a fantasy series about continent divided by a great wall. To the north is the Old Kingdom, to the south is Ancelstierre. Most of the books take place in the Old Kingdom with occasional trips to the northern reaches of Ancelstierre, for a very simple reason. Ancelstierre is very much like a World War I era Europe, but the Old Kingdom... north of the wall, you find magic.
They're brilliant books, with some delightfully creepy imagery. South of the Wall, magic fades, and with Ancelstierre's government in the far south they generally refuse to accept the existence of magic. Those stationed along the country's northern borders know better, however, for when the wind blows from the north technology fails, those with a touch of sorcery can use their magic, and the the dead rise.
So it's a fantasy story, but there aren't any elves, dwarfs, or other fantasy things. There's the living and the dead, with the living defended by the Abhorsen family. Using a mix of Free Magic (Necromancy) and Charter Magic (sort of rune magic), they put the dead to rest. The first book, Sabriel, is about a member of the Abhorsen family who has largely grown up in northern Ancelstierre, and starts the book taking her first big forray north of the Wall and into the Old Kingdom. Really good books, with some fantastic horror elements. If you want a good fantasy story, you can't go much better than these books (baring my previous suggestions of Discworld and Anno Dracula).
They're brilliant books, with some delightfully creepy imagery. South of the Wall, magic fades, and with Ancelstierre's government in the far south they generally refuse to accept the existence of magic. Those stationed along the country's northern borders know better, however, for when the wind blows from the north technology fails, those with a touch of sorcery can use their magic, and the the dead rise.
So it's a fantasy story, but there aren't any elves, dwarfs, or other fantasy things. There's the living and the dead, with the living defended by the Abhorsen family. Using a mix of Free Magic (Necromancy) and Charter Magic (sort of rune magic), they put the dead to rest. The first book, Sabriel, is about a member of the Abhorsen family who has largely grown up in northern Ancelstierre, and starts the book taking her first big forray north of the Wall and into the Old Kingdom. Really good books, with some fantastic horror elements. If you want a good fantasy story, you can't go much better than these books (baring my previous suggestions of Discworld and Anno Dracula).
for fantasy I would recommend R. A. Salvatore, he has a writing style similar to that of D&D campaigns
in particular read "the saga of the first king" it's your basic story of a lowly nerdling type character finds inner power to do whatever you want, but it follows the morality of what that power means for the rest of the world, and hinges on questioning what are the limits of what a single person, no matter how strong, can change.
also, legend of Drizzt, it follows a dark elf that isn't evil,and sees what happens to him.
in particular read "the saga of the first king" it's your basic story of a lowly nerdling type character finds inner power to do whatever you want, but it follows the morality of what that power means for the rest of the world, and hinges on questioning what are the limits of what a single person, no matter how strong, can change.
also, legend of Drizzt, it follows a dark elf that isn't evil,and sees what happens to him.
Sort of, yes, the first book is The Name of the Wind. I'd recommend reading it again and getting the second book, The Wise Man's Fear, right after that. Both are so damned brilliant.Mugen said:
Don't know how you found WFR anything but an amazing read. I really really don't.Roganzar said:
i feel like you should know, i have printed out your second to last paragraph, and blue-tacked it to my wall. maybe some of the best advice i have ever received.j-e-f-f-e-r-s said:Regarding sci-fi/fantasy recommendations:
Chronicles Of An Age Of Darkness. This series really doesn't get enough love. It manages to blend fantasy with strong elemts of sci-fi, but more importantly there's a streak of black humour that runs through the series like an oil slick. Hugh Cook manages in each of the books to mischeviously deconstruct fantasy tropes, take the piss out of religious/political institutions, and create protaganist characters who run from 'vaguely anti-heroic' to 'outright megalomanianc'. There's ten books in the series, and they're each hefty tomes, but they're well worth checking out.
The Thrawn Trilogy. Proof that the good stuff in the Star Wars EU can be very good indeed. Marketed as 'the sequel' to the original films, the Thrawn novels carry on the story of the original characters in a hugely succesful manner. There's a lot of thoughtful analysis of the events of the original films, some of the most beloved elements of the SW universe were introduced here, and it carries on the legacy of the original films in the best possible way. Probably the most beloved out of all EU books, and for good reason.
The Discworld series. The DW books are stupendously popular now, and there are three things in particular that make them well worth reading: 1) Terry Pratchett's knack for well-turned jokes and particularly sharp puns, 2) His often times hilarious, often quite serious decontruction of many of the tropes of fantassy, and 3) his often quite hilarious, often quite serious satire and commentary on real life. Arguably no other author has used their fantasy world to not only thoroughly satire the conventions of the fantasy genre, but repeatedly used it to hold up a mirror to the real world, pointing out the comedy, absurdity and tragedy that is endemic in everyday real life. His earlier books lean more towards the surreal and the fantastical, while his later books have toned down this down for more pointed commentary, but they're all well worth reading. The man is a national treasure for a very good reason.
If you wish to achieve, or even surpass, the same scope of writing that the likes of Tolkien achieved, then you owe it to yourself to start reading as much material of all genres as you can possibly get your hands on.Mugen said:hmmm Dune could be interesting....i played the game what feels like a BAZILLION years ago now.
God damnit, i love the Wheel Of Time. i think when Robert Jordan died, so did a little part of me. I think his son is doing a better job than i expected of wrapping things up, too. one more book to go...and in 2012 i hear.
i think of myself as a ''purist'' only because i find that Fantasy is the only genre that i truly lose myself in. sure, i liked the Motley Crue biography (''i thought i was a real drug addict. i popped pills in the morning, smoked weed all day, and shot cocaine into my arms till late at night. Then, then i met Ozzy Osbourne....) and i enjoy crime/noir novels too, but they don't even come close to something like the WoT.
Also, i study creative writing, and my only ambition in life is to write a high fantasy epic, with a scope of such magnitude that it will dethrone even the almighty Tolkien, and to a lesser extent, George RR Martin (the Tolkien of the modern age, in my opinion.
im only in my first year, but we all start somewhere, right?
EDIT - Logalog, and the shrews, my favs in Redwall
Tolkien created his world from a variety of sources. Predominantly Anglo-Saxon and Norse mythology, but also with strong flavours of Christian theology, Roman mythology, and even Egyptian references thrown in here and there. The man was a Professor at Oxford, fluent in multiple languages, and part of a literary society with his friend C.S Lewis, so you'd better believe that he was an incredibly well-read man.
Fantasy has suffered somewhat because many fantasy authors are only familiar with the works of the fantasy genre itself. Tolkien brought together a number of disparate ideas in order to create his unified world. Since the, ripping him off wholesale has become the norm. If you want to achieve the same legacy as Tolkien, you need to put in the same amount of effort into crafting your fantasy world as he did. And in order to do this, you will need to read as much fiction outside of the fantasy genre as possible.
The best developments in the fantasy/sci-fi genres has occured when writers took ideas from other genres, and incorporated them into their work. Look at how Do Androids Dream.../Blade Runner so expertly incorporated elements of Hars Boiled fiction and Film Noir with Sci-Fi, helping create 'Cyberpunk' as we know it. Look at how A Song Of Ice And Fire managed to take historical sources, namely The War Of The Roses, and use that to create a genuinely intriguing Fantasy-Political tale. Look at how George Lucas took Joseph Campbell's ideas in Hero With A Thousand Faces, combined them with the motifs of Akira Kurosawa's films, and made Star Wars.
Read books of every genre you can find. Read 'Detective' novels, to learn how to properly structure a good mystery. Read 'Post-Modernist' books, so you can see how the form and rules of narrative can be played with. Read 'Gothic Horror', so you can discover how to create genuinely terrifying villains and genuinely unnerving situations. Read existentialist fiction, so you can see how to marry fictional prose with big, symbolic ideas. And don't just read fiction. Read every source of ideas that you can lay your hands on. Works of psychology, such as those by Freud and Jung. Books about mythology, like the aforementioned Joseph Campbell. Books about anthropology, books about history, books about science and maths.
Your fiction is only as strong as what you put into it. The more you read outside of the fantasy/sci-fi genre, the more new, fresh ideas you'll be able to bring back into it. The world already has enough fantasy books about elves and dwarves. Read around, and find some new inspiration for what your fantasy world can contain. The more original you make it, the more you'll be able to stand out from the legions of Tolkien-copycats that now dominate so much of Fantasy fiction.
i believe you shall be receiving a mention in the forward of my first best seller
No problem. Just one thing to be aware of: While Gaunt's Ghosts is the work of a single author, the Horus Heresy novels are written by different authors; for example, Dan Abnett wrote the first book, then Graham McNeill did the second, Ben Counter the third and so on, meaning that the style of writing is different with each book. You get used to it, but it also means there's a good chance you won't like one or two of them.Mugen said:
I just read a book by Joe Abercrombie (The Blade Itself) that is actually pretty good. It isn't amazing or anything, but the story moves along nicely and it has at least three interesting characters. It is part of a three book series, I forget the name.
Outside of those, I haven't read much fantasy lately. I've been trying to read more "scholarly" works to keep me sharp for grad school.
A couple of people have mentioned Patrick Rothfuss and you should not ignore them. He is one of the greatest modern fantasy authors. I read his first book on a whim when it was first released and I was immediately pissed that I would have to wait forever for him to finish it. Then again, the same thing pretty much happened with A Game of Thrones when I was a kid...
Outside of those, I haven't read much fantasy lately. I've been trying to read more "scholarly" works to keep me sharp for grad school.
A couple of people have mentioned Patrick Rothfuss and you should not ignore them. He is one of the greatest modern fantasy authors. I read his first book on a whim when it was first released and I was immediately pissed that I would have to wait forever for him to finish it. Then again, the same thing pretty much happened with A Game of Thrones when I was a kid...
If you looking for series , definitely look up The Shadows Of The Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Brilliant steam punk-ish setting where insects are on the forefront !
The Night Angel trilogy (author: Brent Weeks) is also a brilliant read, which I wholeheartedly recommend .
! The Night Angel trilogy (author: Brent Weeks) is also a brilliant read, which I wholeheartedly recommend .
Hell yeah! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it's sequel The Desert Spear. It's part of a series (The Demon Cycle, author: Peter V. Brett) with the third book being released somewhere in 2012.Khada said:
Someone mentioned him earlier on the first page; but I recommend reading Douglas Adams' 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' series; but you'll probably only want to read the first three books; after that point, the storyline gets very tiresome and more incredulous.
Grant Naylor's 'Red Dwarf' is another good read as well. Sure, you can watch the television show, but the humor is much more clever and ironic in the novel.
Simon Green's 'Nightside' and 'Ghostfinders' series are a fantastic read. I'm enjoying the 'Ghostfinders' series a bit more just because a little too often the main character of the Nightside series tends to get his butt saved in the most absurd deux ex machina ways. But, that's what happens when your entire series revolves around one guy. The Ghostfinders series is where Green's flair for detailed story settings really shine.
Robert Asprin's 'Myth Adventures' series; whether in comic or novel form. I got hooked on the comic series back in the '80s. Rather interesting take on the magical fantasy genre.
Since its going rather cheaply on eBay, I HIGHLY recommend getting the Dalgoda series by Jan Strnad. It is what I call the gold standard of science fiction storytelling. I'll still pull the comics out to this day and read them (the series first hit the market in 1983). Also, his 'Grimwoods Daughter' story that runs inside the Dalgoda comics is also good. I didn't really appreciate the story until I was much older though. In other words, it was just a little too wordy for me as a kid.
Grant Naylor's 'Red Dwarf' is another good read as well. Sure, you can watch the television show, but the humor is much more clever and ironic in the novel.
Simon Green's 'Nightside' and 'Ghostfinders' series are a fantastic read. I'm enjoying the 'Ghostfinders' series a bit more just because a little too often the main character of the Nightside series tends to get his butt saved in the most absurd deux ex machina ways. But, that's what happens when your entire series revolves around one guy. The Ghostfinders series is where Green's flair for detailed story settings really shine.
Robert Asprin's 'Myth Adventures' series; whether in comic or novel form. I got hooked on the comic series back in the '80s. Rather interesting take on the magical fantasy genre.
Since its going rather cheaply on eBay, I HIGHLY recommend getting the Dalgoda series by Jan Strnad. It is what I call the gold standard of science fiction storytelling. I'll still pull the comics out to this day and read them (the series first hit the market in 1983). Also, his 'Grimwoods Daughter' story that runs inside the Dalgoda comics is also good. I didn't really appreciate the story until I was much older though. In other words, it was just a little too wordy for me as a kid.