Artemis Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 I'd like some help coming up w/ some good fantasy/sci-fi books to read. I've recently finished The First Rider's Call (sequel to The Green Rider), and I could use a new book to read, soon. Does anyone have any good suggestions? What are your fave fantasy books, and what makes them so great? Mine, currently, would have to be: LotR--pretty much self-explanatory the Pern books--the world McCaffrey has created is incredible! the Pendragon Cycle--I'm not sure what they have to do w/ King Arthur yet, but they offer a nice escape. The Chronicles of Prydain--Um, I was a little late starting these oens, but they're good...pretty simple to read (considered children's books) Harry Potter--again, self-explanatory Hmm...I know they're others, but I'm a little tired. ~art~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagger Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 Orson Scott Card is a master of both sci-fi and fantasy. You've probably heard of the brilliant Ender's Game, but Enchantment (one of his lesser-known novels) is also a great read--it's basically an exotic, modern-day retelling of Sleeping Beauty. He puts his own spin on the classic tale by incorporating ideas and characters from traditional Russian folklore. Anything by Neil Gaimain is pretty much guaranteed to be interesting. I haven't read Neverwhere in a while, but I do remember loving it. His writing is beautiful and has a certain unique, dreamy quality that really makes it stand out, especially since so much contemporary fantasy is rather poorly written. Go ahead and read his latest book (American Gods) while you're at it. I'm a sucker for anything that references Norse mythology, and American Gods definitely satisfied me in that regard. Good Omens, which was written by Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett, deserves its own mention. It's a hilarious, irreverent novel that satirizes everything from the biblical book of Revelations to telemarketers to Elvis sightings. Any fan of fantasy or humor should be required to give it a look. I have many more recommendations, but I'll save those for another post. ^_^ ~Dagger~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted January 17, 2004 Share Posted January 17, 2004 [size=1]Whoa, there's a sequel to The Green Rider out now? Must.. go... find!! Right. You might be interested in Sara Douglass. She's a really great fantasy writer as well, and actually incorporates quite a bit of history and mythology into her books. Usually they're pretty fun. If you're interested in Arthur Pendragon and all of that, there are a [i]lot[/i] of books out there about that. Currently I'm in awe of Nancy McKenzie. It's impossible to put her books down. So far I've read The Grail Prince, and now I'll be tackling The Queen of Camelot. Roger Zelazney is a fantasy [i]god.[/i] The Amber Chronicles are fantastic - definitely worth checking out. The characters are wonderful and diverse, the plots are original and he's created one of the coolest forms of magic ever. A really, really great story, if you ever get the chance to read it.[/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artemis Posted January 19, 2004 Author Share Posted January 19, 2004 Has anyone else read [i]The Hero and the Crown[/i] or [i]The Blue Sword[/i]? I don't remember the author's name because I borrowed them from a friend. [i]The Sword of Maiden's Tears[/i] was also interesting, but I haven't gotten around to reading the sequels yet. The first one wasn't edited properly (you'd find random, blatant typos which got really annoying.) My friend is completely in love with the main character: Melior the elf. I think I'm avoiding the next two books so I don't get into a discussion with her....:rolleyes: Thanks for the suggestions! I'll have to look into them once I've finished reading [i]Gulliver's Travels[/i] (which I passionately hate) for my English class.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Circ Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 In Sci-Fi, I like the works of Robert Sheckley and Isaac Asimov. You might be interested with the recently translated works of Bernard Werber. I'm nowhere near advanced in fantasy as many people around, but I love the Discworld serie by Terry Pratchett none the less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagger Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Artemis [/i] [B]Has anyone else read [i]The Hero and the Crown[/i] or [i]The Blue Sword[/i]? I don't remember the author's name because I borrowed them from a friend.[/B][/QUOTE] Those two novels are among Robin McKinley's best works. I actually prefer Deerskin (a tragic, lyrical, hauntingly beautiful book), but The Hero and the Crown was what first introduced me to her writing, so I have a special fondness for it. Any fan of fantasy should read Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles. The series consists of four fairly short novels (Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons), all of which satirize traditional fairy-tale themes and conventions. They're riotously funny, with likeable characters and an engaging storyline. You'll never look at giant rabbits the same way again. ~Dagger~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semjaza Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 I always really liked the [i]A Wizard in Rhyme[/i] series by Christopher Stasheff. I'm not sure how many there are total, but there are at least three of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toorima Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 Kurt Vonnegut is a really good fiction author. Not all of his books are sci-fi or fantasy, but most of them are. Some of them are realistic fiction. I would highly recommend Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut. ---------------------------------- Toorima Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 I've always been a big fan of David and Leigh Eddings. They have four series out already, the [I]Belgariad[/I] and the [I]Mallorean[/I] being the first two. The two follow the same story, with most of the same characters. The [I]Elenium[/I] and the [I]Tamuli[/I] are another two series of theirs that go hand in hand. [I]The Redemption of Althalus[/I], one of their stand-alone novels, is an excellent read and I encourage anyone who likes a good adventure story to read it. The Eddingses stories all have a kind of dry humor in a lot of the dialogue, which makes them great fun to read. Their most recent book out, [I]The Elder Gods[/I], is the first of a new series entitled: [I]The Dreamers.[/I] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagger Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Toorima [/i] [B]Kurt Vonnegut is a really good fiction author. Not all of his books are sci-fi or fantasy, but most of them are.[/B][/QUOTE] While I've only read one of Kurt Vonnegut's novels (Cat's Cradle, which was first published in 1963), I [i]really[/i] enjoyed it. It's packed with irony and surreal plot twists, not to mention some truly fantastic writing. Cat's Cradle is simply a very entertaining book. So if you're interested in Vonnegut, go ahead and check out both Cat's Cradle and Piano Player. ~Dagger~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 [size=1]I know I've read either [i]The Blue Sword[/i] or [i]Hero and the Crown[/i], but I can never remember which. [b]Anything by Neil Gaimain is pretty much guaranteed to be interesting.[/b] ...that is a great sentence; I just thought I'd point that out. I really enjoyed [i]Neverwhere[/i], and he's got a more children-esque book called [i]Coraline[/i], which my mom described as "freaky." It's very good, though. Those are the two I know I have at my house, heh. I was a huge fan of McCaffrey's [i]Dragonriders of Pern[/i] series when I was younger. The year I was in fifth grade, I read every book that was out at that point. (I've been rather lax in keeping up with them, but I still have an impressive library in my basement. It's amazing how many people used to buy me books when they discovered I liked an author.) Garth Nix is also a good "young adult" writer. I personally loved [i]Sabriel[/i]. The sequel ([i]Lirael[/i]) didn't entrance me quite as much, but I still enjoyed it. He also wrote (I'm pulling at old threads of memory, here) [i]Shade's Children[/i], which is more science-fiction than the others.[/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 [size=1]I thought I should point out that if you haven't yet read [i]The Chronicles of Narnia[/i] by C. S. Lewis, then you really, really need to go and find them, as soon as you can. Those books were like every kid's dream come true, I think. I know I had a whole lot of fun jumping in and out of closets after that. >.> Gregory Maguire is a good author to look up, as well. He's writing a series of books based off of everybody's favorite fairy tales, only a little twisted. Right now I'm reading [i]Mirror Mirror[/i] and the beginning is fantastic. He paints a picture with his words. ^_~[/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heaven's Cloud Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 [quote][i]DaggerIX1[/i][b] Anything by Neil Gaimain is pretty much guaranteed to be interesting. I haven't read Neverwhere in a while, but I do remember loving it. His writing is beautiful and has a certain unique, dreamy quality that really makes it stand out, especially since so much contemporary fantasy is rather poorly written. Go ahead and read his latest book (American Gods) while you're at it. I'm a sucker for anything that references Norse mythology, and American Gods definitely satisfied me in that regard.[/b][/quote] [color=indigo]It is nice to see some other members discuss Neil Gaiman. Whenever there is a favorite book thread I mention him, and (with the exception of Sara) I figured that no one else had read any of his stuff. Neil is perhaps my favorite author presently and I wholeheartedly agree with your statement that his writing has a dreamy quality to it. Dagger, if you haven?t read Gaiman?s Sandman comic book definitely check it out?it is a fabulous comic.[/color] [quote][i]Arcadia[/i][b] I thought I should point out that if you haven't yet read The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, then you really, really need to go and find them, as soon as you can.[/b][/quote] [color=indigo]Growing up, I loved the Chronicles of Narnia. I actually re-read the series about two years ago and I still found it very enjoyable. Another enjoyable series that is aimed more towards young readers yet tends to transcend age is Susan Cooper?s [i]The Dark is Rising[/i] series. I haven?t read these books for seven years or so, but I still remember them fondly. [/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaganshi Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 I'm not overly into fantasy but I recomend any of the BorderLand books. There are four anthologies (Borderland, Bordertown, Life on the Border, and The Essential Bordertown: A Traveller's Guide to the Edge of Faerie). And there are three novels (Elsewhere and Nevernever by Will Shetterly and Finder by Emma Bull) They are about a town on the edge between the real world we know(The World) and the Elflands. Finder has a bit of a depresso ending but it will drag you into it hook, line, and sinker. On the sci-fi end I recomend Hell: A CyberPunk Thriller. It's set in 2099 and plays off some aspects of the CyberPunk RPG. But you dont have to know about the RPG to understand teh book since the connection is a loose one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petra Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 [COLOR=Red][FONT=Verdana]so many sci-fi's and fantasys are awsome but these stand out: cs lewis; cronicals of narnia frank herbert; dune and series brian herbert and kevin anderson; dune prequils orson scott card; ender series and 'shadow' series madaline l'engle; time quartet terry pratchett; diskworld series and of course; Piers Anthony; Zanth series[/FONT][/COLOR] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boba Fett Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 [color=green]Call me biased, but I?d recommend the [u]Thrawn Trilogy[/u] by Timothy Zhan. It?s a series of three Star Wars novels that take place after the events in [u]Return of the Jedi[/u]. Not only is this series considered to be the best written of all Star Wars novels, but there is a serious and powerful lobbying group within the Star Wars community to have these books made into Episodes VII-IX. If your not into Star Wars [strike]you?re a loser.[/strike], here are some other books that I?d recommend you read. - [u]Fahrenheit 451[/u] by Ray Bradbury - [u]Ender?s Game[/u] and it?s sequels. I thought enough of this series to get my copies signed by the author. - [u] The Lord of the Rings[/u] and [u]The Hobbit[/u] by J.R.R Tolkien[/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellerby Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 [size=1] Well if you liked the Pendragon Series, the LotR Trilogy and the Harry Potter Series then you like the exact stuff I do, my friend. First, there is a very large series called "The Wheel of Time". It's very good and lots of books which are very long. The first one is called "From the Two Rivers". Next, this book is a mix between Pendragon and Harry Potter, it's called Artemis Fowl. It's also a series. So far it only has 3 books out but I think more are on the way! I highly recommend Artemis Fowl, it's one of my favourite series (besides Pendragon, of course). :p Enjoy, Lrb[/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarmaOfChaos Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 [color=deeppink] I'm going to get shot after saying this, but oh well: I really dislike The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Quite honestly, J.R.R. Tolkien's style seems so dry to me, it's painful to read his books. It's almost as if I'm reading an article on how asprin prevents hearattacks-dry and requiring a couple rereadings of certain sentences to really understand what it's saying. Of course, I haven read either of his books since 8th grade, so I don't know, I may like his work now more if I actually went back to read it, but I doubt it. Anyway, that's my standing on it now. A really excellent sci-fi book I just read this summer was The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer. It won several awards, and it was a great read. The setting and the plot were so out there, yet she manages to make it seem as if it is a perfectly possible future reality. (Which is what good sci-fi should do.) Drugs, mexicans, psychodrama...what more could you ask for? ^.~ Farenheit 451 is also very good, the message is wonderful. I was really horrified while I read it, because I thought 'this is what society could become.' Living in a world where books are burned would truly be a hell for me. A great book to pick up if you're looking for something that's emotionally impacting AND futuristic. Plus the author's descriptive style is amazing... And now for a series: Everworld. It's based more on the horror side of sci-fi, but it's such a unique idea, all the gods of the world, on every timeline, all together in one world. The author, K.A. Applegate, (yes, the very same who wrote Animorphs) is also very good at character development, which is always a huge factor for me in considering whether a book/series is really good or not. Yea. I also never really liked Chronicles of Narnia. o.o Don't hurt me...it's not my fault I don't care for the 'classics.' >.> -Karma [/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Holiday Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 Oh no someone's not a Tolkien Fanboy/girl I hate you so pffft. :devil: Nothing worse the Tolkienites trying to impress you in the book store with their immense knowledge of all things fantasy unless you of course ask them a non-Tolkien questioin then they have the sudden urge to leave. I must agree with statement a few posts back if you like any of the Star Wars movies or books then Zahn's series can't be beat very well written sci-fi. Unlike the dissapointment of a lot of the books that came afterwards by various other authors not to say they were all bad just a few. I shall toss in a few of my favorites here though no one usually agrees with my choices. :p -Fantasy- Rusalka by C.J. Cherryh The Flight Of Michael McBride by Midori Snyder The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison Dark Crusade by Karl Edward Wagner God Stalk by P.C. Hodgell Running With The Demon by Terry Brooks -Science Fiction- The Shadow Of The Torturer by Gene Wolfe A Talent for War by Jack McDevitt The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury Chocky by John Wyndham The Memory of Earth by Orson Scott Card Breakfast in the Ruins by Michael Moorcock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaylien Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 Hmm, I have a few, but their actually the sort of books that are supposed to either be a little beneath people or they're right out into the advanced sections. There's Tamora Pierce, for the series The Circle of Magic and The Circle Opens (nothing to do with teen-witchcraft whatsoever if you're worried) Lisa Jane Smith, her series NightWorld, but I think that the final book was cancelled before print (damn shame, I liked them). I have a seconding of the vote for the Eddings books, those are some of the best reads that I've had for a long time, William Nicholls, his Wind On Fire trillogy is really something out of the arc of regular books. And there are my favorite writers: Brian Jacques, who I've enjoyed since I was about twelve, and his Redwall books. And last, but far and above the least, Phillip Pullman, his trillogy His Dark Materials is quite literally the work that I am unendingly impressed with. I even spent two hours waiting outside the shop before it opened so that I could get the final book. (Something I HAVE NEVER and WILL NEVER do for Harry Potter, like some fanatics). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sere Tuscumbia Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 [font=Times New Roman]So far most of the books/series mentioned are ones I thought about suggesting, but since they're already there, I won't.[/font] [font=Times New Roman]I do suggest Madeline L'Engle, she's a wonderful writer. However, if you read some of her later books, they're hard to understand unless you read the first few books first (A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, Many Waters, A Swifty Tilting Planet). Because those books focus on the Meg and her family only, but the later ones branch out into the sons and daughters and such, and that's where it gets confusing.[/font] [font=Times New Roman]Ah, Enchanted Forest Chronicles. Those were a great read. Can't really say much about them, since I read them back in 8th grade, but I had a lot of fun with them. Great for a relaxed read.[/font] [font=Times New Roman]And then we come to the monster books: the Belgariad and the Mallorean. And I don't mean monsterous because they're bad, by far these series are some of the best I've ever read, but they're just SO BIG. I'd def. recommend them for summer reading, 'cause then you'd actually have the time to slog through them all. However, if you really want to read these series, I'd suggest these last two books as a finisher to the series: Belgarath the Sorcerer and Polgara the Sorceress.[/font] [font=Times New Roman]However, if there is a series I didn't enjoy, it was His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. He's a wonderful writer, and the books are absolutely captivating, but I was extremely disappointed with the last book. I feel the ending of the book just didn't match with the first part of the series, and that it was somewhat hastily written. Really, the series left me with more questions than it answered, and I was really disappointed in the book. (And then the whole "Adam and Eve" thing just really turned me off. O_o;; Bible references in a book are just not a big hit with me.[/font] [font=Times New Roman]For a good read, I suggest Diane Duane's 'Wizard' series. I don't remember how many books are out now (I'd have to go count. O_o;;) but as far as I know, the series is far from over, and Diane Duane's still pluggin and chuggin away to get more books out. (Lettsee, there's 'So You Want to Be a Wizard', 'Deep Wizardry', 'High Wizardry', 'A Wizard Abroad', 'The Wizard's Dilemma', 'A Wizard Alone', and 'A Wizard's Vacation' out, so far.) Diane Duane has a wonderful mix of drama, humour, action and adventure that I think makes her books very enjoyable. She's a superb writer, writing her series as neither too confusing or too simple for a teenage audience, and she balances out her character development and character action wonderfully. By far one of my favourite series.[/font] [font=Times New Roman]I also recommend Chris Wooding's Broken Sky series, and Louise Cooper's Indigo series, but I can't tell you much about either, having only read book 1 of Broken Sky, and book 5 of Indigo. Broken Sky is written a little under the capabilities of an older teenager, but I assume it's written for elementary, and that would explain it. However, I still enjoy the series. Chris Wooding is wonderful at painting a picture in your mind of what's happening in the book. Very enjoyable.[/font] [font=Times New Roman]Indigo, however, is probably more of an adult book than it is for teenagers. I found the fifth book of the series in a bookshop in Colorado (bought it for 25 cents too), and read it on the way home, but honestly, I think you have to read the book two or three times to fully absorb every detail and understand everything. Still, the series has an intriguing plotline, and all of the characters are wonderfully fleshed out, and I hope to be able to find more of the series somewhere.[/font] [font=Times New Roman]And I do believe I've rambled enough. ^_^[/font] [font=Times New Roman]--Sere[/font] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaganshi Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 [QUOTE] And now for a series: Everworld. It's based more on the horror side of sci-fi, but it's such a unique idea, all the gods of the world, on every timeline, all together in one world. The author, K.A. Applegate, (yes, the very same who wrote Animorphs) is also very good at character development, which is always a huge factor for me in considering whether a book/series is really good or not.[/QUOTE] Oh I completly forgot about the Everworld books. I absolutly love them. The bad thing is I can never find the 6th book. So I've only read the first five. Right now I'm reading a book called Tithe. So far it's really good. I'm surprised I could put down lomg enough to type this. The characters are believable and likable. And it doesn't glamurize the faeries in the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaylien Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 [quote=Sere Tuscumbia] For a good read, I suggest Diane Duane's 'Wizard' series [/quote] Good lord, is that still going? Yes, I'd recommend that too, good spot there that otakuite. But I actually didn't finish my post, I forgot to put my 'advanced' section in. First of all, if you have the time to slog through it, Paradise Lost. And if you're up to a good philosophical/theology trillogy, see if you can get hold of Dante's Divine Comedy. Personally I prefer the Comedy because of books two and three, and there's definitely some good points to book one, but less room for comparison between it and the other two. (And if anybody knows where I can re-buy those books I'd be greatful, mine kinda... burned. My brother put them too near a candle when he left the room, when he came back the whole stack had to be thrown in a bucket of water.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eleanor Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 [color=firebrick] If you haven't read Orson Scott Card, do so now. He's pretty famous in the Science-fiction/fantasy world; I think he's the only author to win the Hugo Award two years in a row. I worship him. His Ender quartet is really fun to read; I know people who were remotely interested in sci-fi books that were completely glued to reading [b]Ender's Game[/b] when I reccomended it. Yet, I don't think [b]Ender's Game[/b] is his best book. Try reading [b]Speaker of the Dead[/b], [b]Ender's Shadow[/b], or [b]Xenocide[/b]. You should still read [b]Ender's Game[/b] if you want the full knowledge or everything, but it isn't necessary. And I [i]love[/i] Harry Potter. :toothy: JK Rowling doesn't give much for writer 'umph', though. ^_~ [it's an inside joke.] I started reading [b]The First Rider's Call[/b] yesterday in fact, because I saw it on my friend's desk and I was bored to death. I was trying to get past the prequel, and then realized it was a sequel. =_=. I want to read it, though.[/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boba Fett Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 [quote name='maladjusted][color=firebrick'] If you haven't read Orson Scott Card, do so now. He's pretty famous in the Science-fiction/fantasy world; I think he's the only author to win the Hugo Award two years in a row. I worship him.[/color][/quote] [color=green]Actually, two authors have won Hugos for Novels two years in a row. 1992: Novel: Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold 1991: Novel: The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold 1987: Novel: Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card 1986: Novel: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card Just thought I?d point that out.[/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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