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Media Center>Science Fiction and Fantasy Books Only Thread
Buck 07:05 PM 03-20-2012
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
[Reply]
keg in kc 10:33 AM 05-30-2012
Originally Posted by Huffmeister:
I really like Gaiman, but I had a hard time staying interested in American Gods. My favorite of his books is Neverwhere. I've also heard a lot of people say that his Sandman comics are excellent.
I'm kind of the opposite. American Gods is by far my favorite. Anansi Boys was good, but it was a shadow of AG (pun intended!).
[Reply]
Mr. Laz 10:48 AM 05-30-2012
Originally Posted by keg in kc:
I've done the audiobooks for both The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's fear, and enjoyed them both greatly.

(It's Patrick Rothfuss btw)
haven't tried audiobooks at all

good,bad?
[Reply]
NewChief 11:13 AM 05-30-2012
Originally Posted by keg in kc:
I'm kind of the opposite. American Gods is by far my favorite. Anansi Boys was good, but it was a shadow of AG (pun intended!).
Agreed. American Gods is a masterpiece.
[Reply]
keg in kc 12:00 PM 05-30-2012
Originally Posted by Laz:
haven't tried audiobooks at all

good,bad?
Oh yeah, I go through several audiobooks a month. I listen to them when I'm exercising and driving to/from work, instead of music. Have had an account with audible.com since 2008 (I think).
[Reply]
Huffmeister 12:09 PM 05-30-2012
Originally Posted by NewChief:
Agreed. American Gods is a masterpiece.
I may need to give it another shot. Aren't there rumors that HBO is adapting it into a series?
[Reply]
keg in kc 03:04 PM 05-30-2012
Originally Posted by Huffmeister:
I may need to give it another shot. Aren't there rumors that HBO is adapting it into a series?
Yeah, although it's got to be close to a year since I last heard anything about that.
[Reply]
jspchief 03:52 AM 05-31-2012
Originally Posted by jspchief:
Just finished book one of Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy, off of recommendations in this thread.

Great book. Love the cast of characters
Finished this trilogy a couple weeks ago.

The second book didn't really measure up to the first. A lot of untapped potential imo.

Absolutely loved book 3. Particularly the Bloody Nine and the rest of the northmen. That part of the storyline made the series. The single about Black Dow is on my short list.

Overall great trilogy and many thanks to those that recommended it.
[Reply]
BigOlChiefsfan 08:02 AM 06-01-2012
Gene Wolfe's been mentioned, but I thought I'd tout my favorite of his books - the first is currently marketed as 'Latro in the Mist'. A mercenary gets wounded in a Greek temple during the battle of Themopalayae, and cursed by the goddess of the temple. Loses his memory every day so he writes a daily diary to save his memories (which are found 2500 years later, and we are reading) Another Greek god, in opposition to the offended goddess for his own reasons, grants Latro some 'gifts' - including seeing the hidden gods/immortals all around (as ancient Greeks believed). Interesting stuff ensues. It's not an easy read, but it's very, very satisfying. Another volume follows, and I hope for a final one to tie up loose ends, if Wolfe lives long enough. His short stories are great, look for any of the short story collections.

Poul Anderson died a few years ago, but he wrote some very good fantasy and sci-fi. I liked his Norse myth based fantasy stuff, "Hrolf Kraki's Saga" in particular, but for an intro I'd suggest "The High Crusade" - long story short, some aliens land their spacecraft too near the wrong group of British knights and longbowmen.

David Drake writes 'military sci-fi', his original stuff was based on tanks (he was in 'Nam, an interpreter w/an armored division) and the 'Hammer's Slammers' series of tank sci-fi is worth your time if you like military sci fi at all. He moved on to using ancient generals/battles as the basis for sci-fi, a series of books on other planets/different tech but based on the life of General Belisarius. A lot of Drake's stuff is available for free at the Baen free library online (and y'all should know about this site in any case) They believe that if you read book 1 in a 4 part series, they still make money. Every publisher should be so smart.

Baen Free Sci Fi/Fantasy

Finally - Robert Holdstock. His stuff is not for everyone, but I really liked it. I'd say read 'Mythago Wood' and if you dig it, read everything else you can find. Hard to explain, easier to just point you in the right direction.
[Reply]
Buck 04:10 PM 06-12-2012
I need an audiobook.

I have the 1 free credit from Audible.com. There are so many to choose from, I don't know what to get.

I want something that is sort of long so I can have it span a few days of work.
[Reply]
Buck 04:17 PM 06-12-2012
And I was going to get Storm of Swords, but it costs 2 credits.

Then I was going to get Perdido Street Station, but it also costs 2 credits.
[Reply]
keg in kc 05:31 PM 06-12-2012
Have you read Dune yet? That's a really good audiobook with an ensemble cast, runs a little over 20 hours.

Hyperion by Dan Simmons is also really good. Also an ensemble cast as I recall. Also a little over 20 hours.

If you want to go insanely long you could always do Ken Follet's The Pillars of the Earth. Yeah, not SFF, but it's 40+ hours for 1 credit.

And then there's Patrick Rothfuss. The first book of the Kingkiller Chronicles, The Name of the Wind is 28 hours for 1 credit, and the second, The Wise Man's Fear, is 43.

That's all I can find in my library that I like, that's 1 credit, and that's looong.

Oh, oh, one more. Neil Gaiman's American Gods. That's the original version with George Guidall, which I love. They did an ensemble 10th anniversary version too, but I've only listened to the Guidall one. Both are in the 20 hour neighborhood.
[Reply]
Buck 05:50 PM 06-12-2012
Well Dune, Hyperion, and American Gods I won't do because I own all 3 books and plan on reading.

I think I'll do The Way of Kings.

Edit: Or not, it's 2 credits.
[Reply]
Buck 05:52 PM 06-12-2012
Guess I'll go with The Name of the Wind.

Thanks for the tips.
[Reply]
keg in kc 05:57 PM 06-12-2012
Originally Posted by Buck:
Well Dune, Hyperion, and American Gods I won't do because I own all 3 books and plan on reading.

I think I'll do The Way of Kings.

Edit: Or not, it's 2 credits.
Sorry about that. Not sure how I missed that.
[Reply]
Buck 05:57 PM 06-12-2012
ITS ALL YOUR FAULT

:-)
[Reply]
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