[Delerak]

So I've got lots of time on my hands right now, and I've never really done a thread about this, but I'm looking for some good new fantasy/sci-fi/historical/fiction/whatever.

I'll read mostly anything but I tend to stick to fantasy most of the time and I like low-fantasy, not so much magic and stuff I kind of got sick of that in high school. I'm kind of just now getting back into reading a lot and I don't like wasting time with bad authors. And besides who better to ask for reading material then people who MUD?

Some books I've read and enjoyed thoroughly and suggest for people:
George Martins Song of Ice and Fire Series (probably my favorite series so far).
The Hundred Years War by Desmond Seward. (You'll learn a lot about english and french history).
Once and Future King by TH White (It's boring but you gotta read it just for the history of fantasy's sake)

I read these in high school, but I remember liking them:
Old Dragonlance stuff by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
The Deathgate Cycle (it's been a long time since I read it but I remember loving it)
Sword of Truth Terry Goodkind (Again it's been a long time, but I remember liking it).
Darksun series, while it's not the best literature in the world, it is a unique world, even though I don't like the high-fantasy turns it tends to take.


What I'm reading right now:
Legends: The Hedge Knight by Goerge Martin
The Tale of Krispos (just finished tonight, great book by Harry Turtledove)
The Discoverers by Daniel J. Boorstein. I'm looking forward to this book so far it looks great.

There's probably a lot more but that's all I got for now, I know I need to read more, so give me some suggestions.

[Xerihae]

If you haven't tried it, the Elenium and Tamuli series (moreso the Elenium) by David Eddings feature a good fantasy setting with not too much magic in it. I've read those books countless times and really enjoy them.

If you feel like a break and trying some sci-fi, I heartily recommend Pandora's Star by Peter F Hamilton. It's huge, and the sequel Judas Unchained is even bigger, but it's one of the most detailed futuristic worlds I've seen in a while and very interesting if you have any interest in bio-organic computer interfaces and cloning.

At the moment I'm reading Rise of a Merchant Prince by Raymond E Feist, part of the 4-book Serpentwar series.

[nikolausv]

Fantasy
"Daggerspell" - Katherine Kerr (She also writes some Sci-fi; "Snare" is excellent)
Sci-fi
"The Algebraist" - Iain M. Banks (Or any of his culture novels)

As for reading right now.... well Harry Potter 7 arrived under my hand, so I'm getting it over with.

[Milawe]

Sci-fi

• Hammer of God - This is a bit old, so some of the stuff has already been done, but Arthur C. Clarke is always an interesting read.
• Lucifer's Hammer - Post apocalyptic book by Larry Niven and a co-author I can't think of at the moment. Love it.
• Red Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson - This is the treatise for the Mars Society's plans for colonizing Mars. I just recently learned that Socialists love this book for the societal comments, too, but I read it for the science. Part of a three book series that includes Green Mars, Blue Mars.
• Ringworld - Larry Niven - This is a classic for any sci-fi reader. Get the newest version because it has comments by Larry Niven to astrophysicists who have picked apart his dysons sphere theories.
• Tower and the Hive series - Anne McCaffrey - This is a lot less hard-core science-wise, but I find the story pretty exciting. Also, it's a unique way of looking at potential space travel.
• Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus - Orson Scott Card - Definitely an awesome read, and I guess it should be called an alternate history in addition to a science fiction novel. I recommend this book highly.

Fantasy, Low-Magic

• American Gods - Neil Gammon - It's a modern setting, but it's fanasty and very low magic. Love it.
• Unicorn Sonata - Peter S. Beagle - One of my favorite authors of all time. This is also a modern story about a 13 year old musician. Not his best work, but it's still an interesting read.
• Song of Fire and Ice Series - Martin - Gave up on these books. Can't be bothered to wait 15 years for 5 books with new characters being introduced all the time. I've got a huge rant but won't go into it. Decent read but be warned that you'll probably never see the end of this series let alone the next book.
• Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey - It seems like fantasy at first, but there's really no magic in this at all. I love this series of three books. There's also more than 3, but the main three are the best. The Dragonsinger trilogy is pretty awesome, too.
• Phatom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux - It seems obvious, but this is an amazing book especially considering when it was written.

Fanatsy - This is my preferred genre, so I'm just going to post titles mostly.

• Kushiel series - Jacqueline Carey - Like angel stories? Start here!
• Black Jewels Trilogy - Anne Bishop - Not the best writing but a unique world.
• Pillars of the World - Anne Bishop - First book in her fae trilogy. Love this one.
• Twelve Houses Series - Sharon Shinn - Recent read, and it's easy reading. The politics is what is interesting in this book, and the fantasy setting is kind of really just a backdrop.
• Alta series - Mercedes Lackey - I loved her Valdemar series, but this series is great for people who like reading about fantasy set in harsher environments.
• The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle - If you haven't read this, you really should.

Vampires

• Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series - Laurell K. Hamilton - Some fluff, but great storytelling.
• Children of the Night - Dan Simmons
• Hmm... I can't remember the author or the title at the moment, but there's a series of fantasy novels out there that's about some half-vampire chick and her renegade elven side-kick. They were fun reading, but I couldn't get a hold of the rest of the series and got interrupted by finding the Kushiel series. Still, someone might remember which series I'm talking about, so it's worth mentioning.
• Tanya Huff wrote some detective series with a vampire in them. The first one was called Blood Lust, I think. I read these, but they don't seem to stick out in my mind for some odd reason. I know I enjoyed them at the time, though.
• Undead and Unwed - Mary Janice Davidson - This is a book from that new genre of vampire "romance" novels that's such a huge hit lately. It's about a vampire queen named Betsy. Serious laughs, but I'm not sure that guys would enjoy this much.

Okay. I've got a bunch more, but I've got to get cracking on my own writing!

[Markov_AU]

I just finished Raymond E. fiest's Wrath of a Mad God, About to start Jim Butcher's A Small Favor

[obit]

Subscribe to:

• Heavy Metal Magazine
• Car Craft Magazine
• Hot Rod Magazine
• Summit Racing Catalog
• Jeg's Catalog
• FHM
• Maxim

Recent books/novels

• Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (on book 8 now- have been for months)
• Steven Erikson's Malazan series, Deadhouse Gates recently
• PDG Gold

Audio books:

• Smokey Yunick's Sex, Lies, and Superspeedways read by John DeLorean

Online:

• Compulsive wikipedia-drifter
• Just read 20 Years of Berkley Unix

There's a lot more, but I'm too tired to think of it.
-obit

[Ide]

obit, you are my hero.

OK, off the top of my head, what I'm reading now:

Second Person: Role-Playing and Story in Games and Playable Media, Wardrip-Fruin and Harrigan ed.
The Arabian Nightmare, Robert Irwin
Flaming London, Joe Lansdale
Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace, Janet Murray
S/Z, Roland Barthes
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler, Italo Calvino
Metamorphoses, Ovid
In the Night Garden, Cathryn Valente
Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames, Chris Bateman ed.


My problem is that it takes me months sometimes to finish a book...nevertheless, I would recommend all of these books, though Night Garden is almost too flowery for my taste.

[Delerak]

Originally Posted by obit Subscribe to: Heavy Metal Magazine Car Craft Magazine Hot Rod Magazine Summit Racing Catalog Jeg's Catalog FHM Maxim Recent books/novels Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series (on book 8 now- have been for months) Steven Erikson's Malazan series, Deadhouse Gates recently PDG Gold Audio books: Smokey Yunick's Sex, Lies, and Superspeedways read by John DeLorean Online: Compulsive wikipedia-drifter Just read 20 Years of Berkley Unix There's a lot more, but I'm too tired to think of it. -obit

Ironically I've read almost everything you listed already.

[incognito9]

The online comic strip Goblins, and the latest from Stephen R Donaldson.

Someone mentioned the Wheel of Time books. I started reading them about the same time I started mudding. I needed something to read during finals, and I figured this was a safe bet, since these things generally come in trilogies, and three books were already published. Since then I've: <flame>

• Earned a master's Degree
• Gotten my first job
• bought my first house
• gotten married
• changed jobs, sold my house, and bought a new one
• witnessed the birth of my first son
• took my son to school on his first day
• sold my second house, and moved into a third one
• witnessed the birth of my second son
• changed jobs again
• took my second son to school on his first day
• celebrated my 12th wedding anniversary

And the damn thing still isn't finished. And Robert Jordan is DEAD. </flame>

[Milawe]

*comfort*

Congrats on all your other achievements, though!

Your above list is why I gave up on G. R. R. Martin.

[Violette]

Not In His Image: Gnostic Vision, Sacred Ecology, and the Future of Belief by John Lamb Lash

[chaosprime]

Roger Zelazny's Amber Chronicles, available these days as The Great Book of Amber, which is ten books in one volume.

[Fifi]

Right now I'm reading a strange Russian novel Ice, which got great reviews.

[Fifi]

I heartily recommend Acacia by David Anthony Durham, who was nominated for a Campell. Ands who is rolling right along on the next book, and I don't think will drag things out for years.