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

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Indian Chief

I had to take time off after Memories of Ice. I just started House of Chains. I'm through the Karsa parts and I feel like I'm finding a groove again.

You will grow to love Karsa.

Spoiler!

no death of a literary character has ever hit me like Whiskeyjack. Ned Stark? Psssh. Who gives a **** compared to that?

[ShiftyEyedWaterboy]

Originally Posted by Indian Chief

I had to take time off after Memories of Ice. I just started House of Chains. I'm through the Karsa parts and I feel like I'm finding a groove again.

It started a little slow for me but it really picks up. I’ll parrot Duncan and say that you’re gonna love Karsa.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by ShiftyEyedWaterboy

Nice! I think you’ll like Erikson. Some of his fans are a little iffy on GotM, though. My understanding is that he wrote it ten years before he started the rest of the series. I loved it, personally, but at least get through Deadhouse Gates before you make a decision on Erikson.

I finished GOTM. Good read, I like the world and character building. It seemed to try to cover a whole lot of ground and didn’t flow real smoothly. I’m guessing the first book is largely expository and the series will settle in.

The Amazon overlords delivered Deadhouse Gates today.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by vailpass

I finished GOTM. Good read, I like the world and character building. It seemed to try to cover a whole lot of ground and didn’t flow real smoothly. I’m guessing the first book is largely expository and the series will settle in.



The Amazon overlords delivered Deadhouse Gates today.

I liked it a lot more on re-read. You’re in for a journey, friend. Enjoy it.

[duncan_idaho]

All right, fellow nerds...

I’m going to start writing a tabletop campaign set in the Malazan world. Goal is to build a city-based campaign around Malaz City, pre-Kellanved and Dancer.

I don’t have a regular tabletop game right now but have 2 friends who I can run this for and have them really thrive,
I think.

Questions I’d like input on:

Any suggestion on gaming system? I want to segregate the magic as seen in the real
World so D&D is a bad fit. Debating using GuRPS like Eriksen, but have no experience with it.

Thoughts on what to do re: Kellanved and Dancer? I’m torn between pretending they never made it to Malaz City and running the world as if they did (just doesn’t leave much room in Malaz City for other aspiring Ascendants).

[Indian Chief]

Have you ever played with the Savage Worlds system?

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by Indian Chief

Have you ever played with the Savage Worlds system?

I've used it a few times. Not sure it has the structure to stand up to the complexity of the Malazan world.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

I liked it a lot more on re-read. You’re in for a journey, friend. Enjoy it.

Finished Dead House Gates now halfway through Memories of Ice. Erikson’s world building is strong. There is a very unique vibe to it.

The multiple story lines are engaging though he has so many going on I find myself having to think about it when it switches from one group of characters to the next. Same with the characters themselves. It’s a little like GRRM in that way except Martin’s world and stories are easier to track.

Also like Martin there are times when Erickson delves so deeply into details and character’s internal ruminations that I start to mentally glaze over.

Certainly an enjoyable read with many characters I’m coming to like. A vibrant tapestry of the wild, weird, and wonderful.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by vailpass

Finished Dead House Gates now halfway through Memories of Ice. Erikson’s world building is strong. There is a very unique vibe to it.



The multiple story lines are engaging though he has so many going on I find myself having to think about it when it switches from one group of characters to the next. Same with the characters themselves. It’s a little like GRRM in that way except Martin’s world and stories are easier to track.



Also like Martin there are times when Erickson delves so deeply into details and character’s internal ruminations that I start to mentally glaze over.



Certainly an enjoyable read with many characters I’m coming to like. A vibrant tapestry of the wild, weird, and wonderful.

One of his stated goals with the series was to write something that would stand up on re-reads. Think that’s why the style is so dense.

I’m still working through a re-read. Just reached the end of Reapers Gale. Toll the Hounds is next... Eriksen’s states keystone for the series.

Side note: Memories of Ice is going to break your heart.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

One of his stated goals with the series was to write something that would stand up on re-reads. Think that’s why the style is so dense.

I’m still working through a re-read. Just reached the end of Reapers Gale. Toll the Hounds is next... Eriksen’s states keystone for the series.

Side note: Memories of Ice is going to break your heart.

That makes sense, definitely a candidate for re-reads.

Side note: I'd rather talk about it after I read it than hear about it before.

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by vailpass

That makes sense, definitely a candidate for re-reads.

Side note: I'd rather talk about it after I read it than hear about it before.

I've read them all 3 times except for the last one, and have caught something I missed the first time in each reread. I LOVE how seemingly throw away moments in a book can be picked up in another book and expand into what would be another authors entire world.

[duncan_idaho]

Originally Posted by vailpass

That makes sense, definitely a candidate for re-reads.



Side note: I'd rather talk about it after I read it than hear about it before.

Sorry about that.

All the books break your heart a bit, I think. He’s good at weaving in those brutally real moments.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by duncan_idaho

Sorry about that.

All the books break your heart a bit, I think. He’s good at weaving in those brutally real moments.

It’s all good. I’ll catch you after I finish this one.

May you never meet a Woman of the Dead Seed.

[Indian Chief]

Finished Midnight Tides, and I'm about 100 pages into The Bonehunters. Midnight Tides was one of my favorites so far. At first I thought it was taking place far in the past, but everything I've seen says it is shortly before GotM.

[duncan_idaho]

The Bonehunters is stellar. One of my favorites.

I just dipped into Toll the Hounds again. So good. Possibly my favorite book in the series.

We might have to start a spoilers thread once Indian and vailpass are done with the main series and talk through some stuff.

I’m starting my Malazan campaign next Friday, using GURPS (which I really like). I’m basically dialing things back to before the ascension of Kellanved and Dancer and hitting the restart button for my players.

They’re both playing magic users (a mage of shadow and a priest of d’rek), so I’ll be running a few NPCs they can “bring into the famil” if they want.

Spoiler!

this includes Dancer - who was a hell of a lot of fun to “build” as well as Dujek (still sporting two arms) and Dassem Ultor. I was going to do Whiskeyjack as well, but the priest of d’rek is too out there right now for Whiskeyjack to sign on. Hoping to bring him in eventually.

They’ll have the opportunity to follow a similar path to empire as Kellanved and Dancer ... or do a divergent thing.