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Book recommendations
DirtyDirtyVagrant
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I've been reading a lot of the 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series. For real this time - I skimmed the first book a long while ago, stopping to actually read only the Danaerys and Tyrion POVs. And I regret it.
But just recently I've discovered that my local library has all four books. I read the first three in as many weeks, and I've just cracked the fourth yesterday, and I have to say, I am thoroughly enjoying it. You know that feeling when you wonder what's going to happen on the next episode of your favorite TV show? When I'm not reading, that's the feeling I get. And I don't even have to wait a whole week to find out what happens next.
That said, I crave more, but some of the other books I've opened just don't satisfy at all.
People praise GRRM because his books are 'realistic' and because the setting is consistent with actual history to some degree, in terms of economics and the condition of society. Except GRRM writes about wights, giants, dragons, sorcery, and strange creatures who seem to be the cold in manifest. So it's not really especially realistic at all. However, the suspension of disbelief is uncanny, despite all the unbelievable things he includes in his story. Characters do real things for real reasons, and they have very real consequences in the world. Horrible things happen to good people. Good things happen to horrible people. It's a bleak setting full of danger and misery and distrust. Which makes the elements of relief and romance all the sweeter.
And that is what I love best about it. Are there other authors who share that strength with GRRM? The suspension of disbelief? The contrasting of tragedy with triumph and romance?
A friend of mine recommended a story called Kushiel's Legacy. What say you all?
But just recently I've discovered that my local library has all four books. I read the first three in as many weeks, and I've just cracked the fourth yesterday, and I have to say, I am thoroughly enjoying it. You know that feeling when you wonder what's going to happen on the next episode of your favorite TV show? When I'm not reading, that's the feeling I get. And I don't even have to wait a whole week to find out what happens next.
That said, I crave more, but some of the other books I've opened just don't satisfy at all.
People praise GRRM because his books are 'realistic' and because the setting is consistent with actual history to some degree, in terms of economics and the condition of society. Except GRRM writes about wights, giants, dragons, sorcery, and strange creatures who seem to be the cold in manifest. So it's not really especially realistic at all. However, the suspension of disbelief is uncanny, despite all the unbelievable things he includes in his story. Characters do real things for real reasons, and they have very real consequences in the world. Horrible things happen to good people. Good things happen to horrible people. It's a bleak setting full of danger and misery and distrust. Which makes the elements of relief and romance all the sweeter.
And that is what I love best about it. Are there other authors who share that strength with GRRM? The suspension of disbelief? The contrasting of tragedy with triumph and romance?
A friend of mine recommended a story called Kushiel's Legacy. What say you all?
DirtyDirtyVagrant on
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Which I am most assuredly not interested in.
Also, I've already read as much of House of Leaves as I could. I just kind of lost interest along the way. I guess I could try again.
How about some Robert E. Howard though? He's pretty gritty and realistic; not really suspension of disbelief, since you always know that Conan will win in the end, but that's to be expected with books about a single character instead of leagues of them ala GRRM.
World War Z - Max Brooks
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
edit: In the fantasy realm, I really liked the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind.
However, the books are set in an interesting alterna-Europe with some fascinating characters, political intrigue, and not an excessive amount of swords-and-sorcery. The main character herself is, despite her sex-related quirks, educated and rational, hardly an Anita Blake type. (Ugh.) There's plenty of obsession and relationship-related drama, but it usually takes a back seat to the Saving the Country From the Barbarian Invaders drama and the Holy Shit Political Intrigue By Really Smart People drama. I rather like them. They're not quite as bleak as the ASOIAF series, but they're not particularly sunshine and fluffy bunnies either.
Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell was excellent, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone who wasn't fond of Austen and Dickens. It has that whole Victorian social satire thing to it, plus fairies and magic, and it's funny.
I love the GRRM books, and I love the Kushiel books. However I love the Kay books most of all.
This:
A thousand times yes.
While I enjoy all of his works, I'd recommend starting with something like The Lions of Al-Rassan. The Fionavar Tapestry (a book of three books) would also be a good bet, or the Sarantine Mosaic (two books).
I'd also recommend Orson Scott Card's fantasies, particularly Enchantment and Hart's Hope, both of which stand on their own as great novels.
I cannot stress how good Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel is.
Feist has been writing steadily since 1982. I've been reading them pretty much in order, and I've read and enjoyed the first 13. (can't seem to find my family's copy of the next book) I can't vouch for the quality of his more recent stuff, but he's got a great sword and sorcery world going on, and some fantastic characters.
Gemmel... my older brother bought his first book, Legend, because the guy on the cover looked like Sean Connery. We've both read about 26 of his books since then. He focuses more on an individual hero than an entire kingdom, and his heroes tend to not be the magical ones in the story. He might fit your style pretty well- they tend to be loosely based on historical events (or common myths), and bad things do happen to good people, although each book tends to have a "the good guys win" ending more than the individual books in ASoIaF do. His books are like candy to me.
I can second the votes for Robin Hobb and Lois McMasters Bujold, and absolutely insist that you, and anyone else reading this, read Neil Gaiman. The man's a genius.
The Black Company series by Glen Cook. An omnibus of the first three books was just released. Less grand in scale, it takes the form of the histories kept by the Black Company's, well, combat medic for lack of a better term.
The Malazan books by Steven Erikson, gran battle and high magic. There is a very rich history and world here, and Erikson does not insult your intelligence by explaining everything to you - you figure a lot of shit out by context and piecing it together. long series, don't know how it holds up after the first few books.
House of Leaves, mentioned above, rocks. Not scary in the traditional sense, it just makes you feel... dread.
More science fictiony but also meeting some/all of your criteria try...
the Reality Dysfunction series by Peter Hamilton. Part space opera, part... well, horror, I guess. But good. Bad shit happens to good people, and things explode.
Older, may be hard to find - The Chung Kuo series by David Wingrove, posits a future world dominated by China, which has rewritten history to make it seem as though this ahs always been. The book can be brutal, like GRRM's, rape and slaughter included. People either love or hate the series - most like it.
The Chtorr series by David Gerrold, the guy who wrote "The Trouble with Tribbles" episode of Star Trek. Earth is invaded by an alen ecosystem, including giant, carnivorous worm-things, and losing badly. Don't read if you have a problem with homosexuality, and there are references to pedophelia in one of the books as well. Great series, but ends on a cliff-hanger. The next book should be out this year.
modern fantasy... sooooo damn good. Even if you don't like short stories, pick up one of his short story collections - mostly all set in the same world and the characters know each other. I've found I vastly prefer his short stories to his novels, even though I typically don't like books of short stories all that much.
Dystopian future earth sends actors to a parrellel universe where magic works and creatures from fantasy are everyday occurences. Actors behave like you would expect from a D&D campaign while the rich and powerful on earth live vicariously through them in real time.
Read these books, they are awesome. And when the third book comes out, it too will be awesome (I hope).
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
1984 by George Orwell
Oh, and wondering. Are you looking for more fantasy novels or would regular fiction interest you?
There's a sequel that just came out in paperback but I have yet to read it.
seriously, Brave New World is wicked good. Even if you think you don't like older books (hey, I know lots who balk at stuff more than a few years old.. yes I know heathens) it's freakin good and not that terribly long a read. And you'll realize how much other stuff is referenced to it after having read a damn good classic type book like that
i have this book, and it just didn't grab me, i should probably give it another try
With the flashbacks early on it takes a little bit to get to the main plot. But seriously, how many books...
Actually, there's now an omnibus of the second three books, as well, The Books of the South. I came in this thread specifically to recommend this series. It's fantastic.
Good to know. I'm frustrated because I just discovered this series in the last year, got through the first two books, then the omnibus came out. The third book is now nowhere to be found! Guess I'll have to revert to ol' Amazon.
I just finished the second book the other day. It was sooo good. I can't wait for the next one.
I'm pretty sure there's no possible way any of the characters could be more awesome.
Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman
The Lily Theater, Lulu Wang (pseudo-autobiography)
Snow White, Blood Red, collection of short stories (it's a good introduction to a variety of good authors)
Angelwalk, Roger Elwood (told from a Christian perspective, but I'm a Pagan and I enjoyed it - has something for everyone)
This Alien Shore, C.S. Friedman (science fantasy)
Belgarath the Sorcerer, David and Leigh Eddings
Judgment of Tears: Anno Dracula 1959, Kim Newman (vampires)
Midnight Blue: Sonja Blue Collection, and A Dozen Black Roses, Nancy A. Collins (more vampire books)
Some like it dark, Kipp Washington
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