Looking for Reading Suggestions!

[RZ1029]

Good Evening/Morning/Night/Happy Hour/What-have-you Nexinians!

 

I'm looking for suggestions regarding reading to be done. I read a lot of fantasy, sci-fi, and some fiction, but I've recently run out of books to read. And I'm looking for reading suggestions. I don't have a lot of time to run down to the local (understocked) book store, so I usually order online, but it's so hard to tell what's a good book online with the whole 2-line description they give you.

 

Just for a rough overview on what I have read and enjoyed:

• 
   
  
• Paolini's work, not the best writing but I liked the story.
  
• Gail Z. Martin's Chronicles of the Necromancer
  
• Some of the Dune series, but not all. I liked the House Atreides series especially.
  
• Asimov's Foundation.
  
• All Lord of the Rings books, including Christopher Tolkien's work.
  
• The Harry Potter series at the urging of some of my younger compatriots
  
• A few miscellaneous books about the Halo universe, mostly because they were on sale. Decent books, though.
  
• All of Pratchett's works.
  
• Also, enjoyed the Bourne series. Stuff like that's interesting.
  

 

If you've got anything, I'd appreciate it. If you don't mind, drop the title, author and a brief (non-spoiler pl0x) description.

 

Thanks Nexinians,

RZ

Edited December 22, 2010 by RZ1029

[Karasuman]

You'll hate me for saying this, but: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. No, seriously. After recently reading the book, then seeing the Burton adaptation and playing McGee's Alice, it is my new favorite piece of literature. It's deep. A lot deeper than some realize. The movies don't really do the book justice because it's not a very movie-friendly book. However, there's so much psychological undercurrent in the book it's incredible.

 

Couple more I like:

 

Angels & Demons - Dan Brown

 

Langoliers - (Four Past Midnight) - Stephen King

 

A host of others but they wouldn't necessarily fall into the category you described.

[Vindekarr]

If you liked those, you'd absolutely love the better half of the WarHammer novel lineup.

 

It's hit and miss with it's publications, but these three are very much hits, and some of the finest scifi I've ever read. And trust me; I've read a lot of scifi.

 

Steve King's Space Wolf Omnibus would be the place to start, it explains the lore best. You cant just step into WH40K at any point, it's got introductory texts, this is one of them, and it's also one of the most enjoyable in the range on it's merits as a novel.\ A bit on the long side, like all 40K, and King is a bit of a details man, but the characters are well told, the story and lore are 100% canon perfect, and the writing quality is stellar.

 

Well worth the read, and the best place to start off.

 

Dan Abnett is the #1 40K writer and his three omnibus, Gaunt's Ghosts, Eisenhorn and Ravenor are the three best 40K books. As is the 40K way, they're compilations of several midlength stories with the same cronology, characters, and setting. Gaunt's Ghosts is probably the best all rounder here, it's superbly written, fits perfectly into 40K canon, is introductory enough that you could start with it, and is exceptionaly well paced.

 

Eisenhorn is even better written, and told from the first person perspective of a single character across 150 years of Imperial service. It's got the most enjoyable plot, but on the other hand, it at times deveates from scifi into gothic horror and crime. It's still the bets scifi I've ever read though, even comparing with Nimoy novels from StarTrek, and Zahn from StarWars.

 

The only problem with these is that you'll need to order them online, eg, from Amazon, since they're a few years old, they can ber tricky to find outside of really massive stores like Borders.

 

Secondly, you should really try HP Lovecraft. Lovecraft is one of the founding fathers of scifi as we know it; his books may be the oldest standard scifi on the shelves, but they're all timeless classics, and I firmly think that anyone should give them a go if only for the history of them.

Edited December 22, 2010 by Vindekarr

[Elsarian]

I have to suggest that you read the "Sword of Truth" series by Terry Goodkind. It is an amazing, amazing, amazing fantasy series and I am absolutely in love with it!! And I am sure that you will to if you are a super huge fantasy geek like me lol.

 

-Elsarian

[satanslilhelper]

I second Elsarian's recommendation. (Do beware there are some kinky sections in the first 2 books though. Which is either a plus or a minus, depending on your own preferences. It's a plus for me!)

I would recommend the "Wheel of Time" series by Robert Jordan. Epic. There are 13 thick books (and a prequel) in the series at the moment (and one more to come), should keep you occupied for a while! Or some David Eddings is a good choice too, the Belgariad/Mallorian sets and the two "prequels" (written after) of "Belgarath the Sorcerer" and "Polgara the Sorceress". The Elenium and Tamuli serieses and "The Redemption of Althalus" standalone (also by Eddings) are also good.

Edited December 22, 2010 by satanslilhelper

[paganwannbe]

Good Evening/Morning/Night/Happy Hour/What-have-you Nexinians!

 

I'm looking for suggestions regarding reading to be done. I read a lot of fantasy, sci-fi, and some fiction, but I've recently run out of books to read. And I'm looking for reading suggestions. I don't have a lot of time to run down to the local (understocked) book store, so I usually order online, but it's so hard to tell what's a good book online with the whole 2-line description they give you.

 

Just for a rough overview on what I have read and enjoyed:

• 
   
  
• Paolini's work, not the best writing but I liked the story.
  
• Gail Z. Martin's Chronicles of the Necromancer
  
• Some of the Dune series, but not all. I liked the House Atreides series especially.
  
• Asimov's Foundation.
  
• All Lord of the Rings books, including Christopher Tolkien's work.
  
• The Harry Potter series at the urging of some of my younger compatriots
  
• A few miscellaneous books about the Halo universe, mostly because they were on sale. Decent books, though.
  
• All of Pratchett's works.
  
• Also, enjoyed the Bourne series. Stuff like that's interesting.
  

 

If you've got anything, I'd appreciate it. If you don't mind, drop the title, author and a brief (non-spoiler pl0x) description.

 

Thanks Nexinians,

RZ

if you read Gail Z. Martin work you might like the night angel trilogy by Brent Weeks I haven't read his new stuff but the it seems like it's good

and you might like the red-headed stepchild by Jaye Wells

Orcsby Stan Nicholls is turning out to be a good book to

and if you want to carry on with Gail's work you could wait till February when she release the next part of her books

that seems to be all I can remember off the top of my head

[RZ1029]

<snip>

and if you want to carry on with Gail's work you could wait till February when she release the next part of her books

that seems to be all I can remember off the top of my head

 

Appreciate the recommendations, and I intend to do so. I went to a semi-local Renaissance Festival last year and she was there signing and selling her books. I bought the first one and read it in two days, then ordered the rest the next day.

 

As for everyone else, I appreciate the suggestions and shall be making a trip to the book store today!

[bben46]

Been reading F& SF since the late 1950s

Some suggestions - recent authors

David Drake - writes both SF & Fantasy - Especially the Bellisarius series (Starts with 'An Oblique Approach')

David Freer

Eric Flint

Jerry Pornelle

David Webber

 

And My all time favorite fantasy/SF author Andre Norton - especially her older works from the 1960s

[Vagrant0]

Nobody mentioned Hitchiker's Guide yet? Really? It's Sci-fi, and reads similarly to Pratchett's earlier books in the Discworld series. If you're looking to make some grand sense of it all, you'll be wasting your time, but if you can go with the flow and let it make some grand sense on its own, you might enjoy it. There's 4 or 5 books to the series, and you might be able to get them in a single collection.

[grannywils]

I absolutely agree with Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe. Also Robert Heinlein is a wonderful Sci Fi writer. He actually wrote well. And his stories have truth, sort of the way Azimov's do, but written differently. My favorite was Stranger in a Strange Land. And since you are on Nexus, you might like R.A. Salvatore. He has several series dealing with characters that one might find in many of the games one finds on Nexus. My son loves his books. There is a Forgotten Realms series I think and a Demon Wars series I think. I'm not a Sci Fi reader myself, although I do like some Science Fantasy. But I think those three would be a good basis for you. Good reading.:thumbsup:

 

 

PS. I forgot to mention Stieg Larsson's wonderful trilogy beginning with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. These were wonderfully written novels that kept me wanting to know more throughout the whole series. Not science fiction, just good writing. Unfortunately Mr. Larsson passed away shortly after completing the works, and we will not have any more of his wonderful writing.