Science Fiction and Fantasy Books Only Thread

[Buck]

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

[keg in kc]

Originally Posted by keg in kc

The new Dresden Files is out Tuesday on Audible, looking forward to that, so I'm re-listening to Cold Days.

Skin Game was awesome...

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by Frosty

I've been having trouble lately finding books that hold my interest for long (I currently have six or so books I'm in the middle of and just can't seem to get back into).

A while back, Amazon was running a special on Kindle books and I bought several on impulse but hadn't gotten around to reading them. I finally started one the other day and it turned out to be the first "can't put down" book I've come across in quite a while.

The book is "The Scourge". It is a story of a knight making his way across a plague ridden England during the 1300's. Only, in this story, the plague isn't the Black Death; it's a plague that turns its' victims into zombies.

Like "The Walking Dead", the tale isn't really about zombies (or the afflicted, as the book calls them); it's about how men deals with it and the resulting power void.

There is a second book called "Nostrum (The Scourge, Book 2). The final book of the trilogy is schedules for release this March. The second book is as good as the first.

The books were originally released as a serial and there are Author's Notes after every four chapters or so explaining the history of the time, whether the people in the story were real people or not and notes about the places in the story. I didn't find them distracting at all and actually looked forward to them.

Highly recommended.

I don't know if anyone bothered to check these out but if so, the third book is finally out.

Emaculum

I haven't had a chance to read it yet but am looking forward to it once I am done with my current crop of books.

[keg in kc]

A couple of days ago almost everything by LE Modesitt was on sale on kindle for 2.99, so I've just started reading the whole Recluse series. Not bad so far, through the first book.

[DaFace]

I was a Wheel of Time fan, so I learned about Brandon Sanderson when he took over for the final three books. I finally got around to checking out his Mistborn series and...wow...I waited way too long. I loved it.

Time to check out some more of his stuff.

Originally Posted by Pawnmower

ALso I just read the 1st book in the Mistborn series (Final Empire)

I really liked it. It also was a fast read....I liked the characters...Very interesting twist on a magic system. It is a very good fantasy book, and stands well on its own...You don't really have to read any of the others unless you want to. I think the highlight for me is the very creative new magic system...it is unlike anything I have read before. Very well thought through, and although it has some holes they aren't enough to make you (or at least me) really question it enough to hurt the enjoyment of the story.

A-, Must read for Fantasy Fans

Did you ever finish the other two? Though I agree that they all stand on their own, the worldview changes dramatically in the next ones, so I'd strongly recommend doing all three if you liked the first one.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by DaFace

I was a Wheel of Time fan, so I learned about Brandon Sanderson when he took over for the final three books. I finally got around to checking out his Mistborn series and...wow...I waited way too long. I loved it.

Time to check out some more of his stuff.

Nice. The last few days I've literally been thinking about starting up a new sci-fi series. I did the Hyperion Cantos via Audio and had started reading the first one (good in print, as well), but am in the mood for something new.

Will take your recommendation.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Bowser

Nice. The last few days I've literally been thinking about starting up a new sci-fi series. I did the Hyperion Cantos via Audio and had started reading the first one (good in print, as well), but am in the mood for something new.

Will take your recommendation.

After getting through the WoT books and the Game of Thrones books, it's a nice, easy read (about 2000 pages total). Let me know what you think if you dig into it!

BTW, if you're a Kindle user, you can buy all three for $14 or so on Amazon.

[Bowser]

Originally Posted by DaFace

After getting through the WoT books and the Game of Thrones books, it's a nice, easy read (about 2000 pages total). Let me know what you think if you dig into it!

BTW, if you're a Kindle user, you can buy all three for $14 or so on Amazon.

Cool. Will get that going here in a few. Thanks again!

[Miles]

Recently read The Martian by Andy Weir. Really quick read and entertaining.

[Miles]

One of my friends recommended Mistborn a while back but haven't gotten around to it. I am a little reluctant since it sounds a little more into fantasy that I usually like.

Currently reading Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie and really enjoying it.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Miles

One of my friends recommended Mistborn a while back but haven't gotten around to it. I am a little reluctant since it sounds a little more into fantasy that I usually like.

Currently reading Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie and really enjoying it.

It's definitely fantasy - no dragons, but plenty of magic. The difference from the typical is that the magic system is really unique and operates under a very specific set of rules that the logical person in me was drawn to more than the hocus pocus spell type systems.

[ChiefsFanatic]

Originally Posted by Bowser

So after enjoying Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon as much as I did, I tried listening to a couple of his other books. Reamde was pretty good, if a bit more far fetched in areas than others, and Anathem was awful. Couldn't get into that book on a dare. Might be one of those that is better to actually read than listen to.

Cryptonomican is one of my favorite books, ever. Have you read The Baroque Cycle?

[ChiefsFanatic]

Originally Posted by Buck

I need to start reading the 2nd Kingkiller Chronicles book. I bought it as soon as I finished Name of the Wind 6 months ago, but haven't touched it yet.

I'm not sure if I've asked this before bit was anyone upset with Book 2? I forget what it's called.

I liked it. It wasn't as good as the first, but I am invested in the main character's story, and I want to know what happens to him, so I would have kept reading even if it was bad.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by ChiefsFanatic

Cryptonomican is one of my favorite books, ever. Have you read The Baroque Cycle?

Huge fan of the Baroque Cycle. Stephenson is so underappreciated as a writer by academia. He has serious chops along the lines of Pynchon, imo.

[Frosty]

Finally got around to reading Mistborn. The middle drug a little but other than that, I thought it was excellent. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

Also recently read the first book in the Bobby Dollar urban fantasy series by Tad Williams (The Dirty Streets of Heaven). I am a big Williams fan and this didn't disappoint. It's tough to find decent urban fantasy that hasn't been polluted by Twilight, so I'm glad Williams jumped into the genre.

[DaFace]

Originally Posted by Frosty

Finally got around to reading Mistborn. The middle drug a little but other than that, I thought it was excellent. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

Having read the rest of the trilogy at this point and now in the middle of Sanderson's Way of Kings (much more "epic" fantasy), I can tell you that Sanderson tends to meander around a bit in the middle of each book, but the endings are all incredible. Enjoy.

By the way, if anyone has any interest, the Way of Kings is free right now on Kindle. Just be ready for a long ride - it's book 1 in a 10-part series, all of them probably in the 1000-page range. #2 is out, but that leaves 8 to be written.