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Featured Replies

On 5/5/2019 at 5:32 PM, bamachine said:

Question for the masses. I am looking for some new sci-fi or fantasy humor. Keep in mind that I have read(mostly own) everything written by the following authors. Pratchett, Gaiman, Douglas Adams, Asprin, Piers Anthony, Donaldson, Brooks(Landover series). 

 

On 5/6/2019 at 7:48 AM, Grippe said:

Redshirts.

yeah i was going to suggest John Scalzi. Redshirts, and possibly The Collapsing Empire are probably his most humor oriented.

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  • SimonBolivar
    SimonBolivar

    I just started my first Star Trek book. God help me.

  • TexArcher
    TexArcher

    Stranger in a Strange Land is a damned good read.

  • Popped your cherry eh?  Try these: The Forever War: Joe Haldeman Old Man's War: John Scalzi (it's a short series)

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Good Omens fans should check out the Amazon adaptation.   Gaiman did a good job with the script, and he added in some nice touches.   

Spoiler

He fleshed out their friendship quite a bit in episode 3, I really liked it   

 

When is a good time to read The Expanse novellas?  I am half way through Nemesis Games.  Should I stop after this and read them all before moving on to book 6?

I hopped back and forth between the series and the novellas, they fill in background for the characters and aren't necessary to the story, but are great character-building and give you some insight into personalities and motivations. I'd read one or two and see if it's something you feel increases your enjoyment of the series, and decide from there. They're short, easy reads.

16 hours ago, kevwun said:

When is a good time to read The Expanse novellas?  I am half way through Nemesis Games.  Should I stop after this and read them all before moving on to book 6?

The only ones that I think need to be read in any particular order are reading the one with Cortazar (Vital Abyss) and the one on Laconia (Strange Dogs) before you read the most recent book in the series (Tiamat's Wrath), as characters from those books show up in TW and are important, and the backstory helps.

Here's a link to the "chronological" order of the novellas with the main novels. I didn't read them in this order, and it didn't really matter. Of the novellas, the best, IMO were Drive, the Churn, and Strange Dogs. http://www.howtoread.me/the-expanse-reading-order/

On 6/4/2019 at 3:26 PM, Viper said:

 

yeah i was going to suggest John Scalzi. Redshirts, and possibly The Collapsing Empire are probably his most humor oriented.

If you like Rocket in the Guardians of the Galaxy I would definitely recommend the Spellslinger series by de Castell - a comic relief anthropomorphic sidekick that really brings the lulz.

  • 4 weeks later...

Started Dragonflight.  I just can't get into it.  Feels like it's hard to understand what's going on.  Could just be me. 

Started Dragonflight.  I just can't get into it.  Feels like it's hard to understand what's going on.  Could just be me. 
Anne McCaffrey?
1 hour ago, Modessit said:
4 hours ago, Elmer_Fudd said:
Started Dragonflight.  I just can't get into it.  Feels like it's hard to understand what's going on.  Could just be me. 

Anne McCaffrey?

Yep.

Haven't read it in 30 years but remember loving all the Pern books. There's a lot going on that gets revealed just incrementally over all the books. I started with the Harper Hall series -- Dragonsong etc -- and then went back to the Dragonriders series. I actually think that's the better approach. I remember reading The White Dragon in one day.

Yep.

Haven't read it in 30 years but remember loving all the Pern books. There's a lot going on that gets revealed just incrementally over all the books. I started with the Harper Hall series -- Dragonsong etc -- and then went back to the Dragonriders series. I actually think that's the better approach. I remember reading The White Dragon in one day.

The 1st two of the Dragonriders series - Dragonflight and Dragonquest - are decent but can be slow. Especially to someone new to the series. The White Dragon, however, is excellent and some of the following books in that storyline are just as good. The Dragonsinger series is decent, with the 2nd one being the best. Masterharper is a stand-alone that parallels some of the first few books freon a different perspective and gives more background about certain characters, but had a few inconsistencies with canon from previous books. Some of the one-offs in that world like Moreta's Ride and Nerilka's Story are pretty good, as is the parallel story of The Dolphins of Pern. The ones written with her son and by him after her death just don't have the same feel and I lost interest.

 

You can skip to the White Dragon if you want, and then go back to the other 2 for backstory once you get interested - if you do.

 

  • 3 weeks later...

Just finished the Wheel of Time. Was a fun series but now i have no idea what to read. Suggestions?

12 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Just finished the Wheel of Time. Was a fun series but now i have no idea what to read. Suggestions?

That depends upon what you enjoyed about WoT - was it the coming of age or the epic scale of the storyline?

If coming of age fantasy is what you enjoy there are a ton of authors out there which fit the bill: Eddings, Williams, Hobb, Sullivan and so on.

If epic fantasy is more of your boat try: GRRM, Lynch, Abercrombie, Lawrence, Rothfuss, Sanderson, etc.

Want to take a ride on sci-fi? Scalzi, Corey, Brown, Card and others.

Obviously I like L.E. Modessit, Jr. He has a few fantasy series that can be read as standalone or as 2-5 book "stories" about a specific character. He also has quite a few standalone scifi books that I liked.

On 7/24/2019 at 7:53 PM, Chewbacca said:

Just finished the Wheel of Time. Was a fun series but now i have no idea what to read. Suggestions?

Sanderson.  Start with the Mistborn triology or Stormlight Archive.   FYI when Jordan died, Sanderson was picked to write the final 3 WoT books if you don't recognize the name.  

1 hour ago, Keflex said:

Sanderson.  Start with the Mistborn triology or Stormlight Archive.   FYI when Jordan died, Sanderson was picked to write the final 3 WoT books if you don't recognize the name.  

Have read them all.  That's why I read WOT.

Have read them all.  That's why I read WOT.
You could try Feist. I liked his first two sets - Riftwar and Serpentqueen. There are a bunch more after that but I never really connected with the new characters in the same way

Read The First Law Trilogy recently.  It's one of my favorite fantasy series I've ever read.  I probably enjoyed it more than Thrones or Kingkiller.  Abercrombie is coming out with a new book in the same universe in September.  I think it will be another trilogy.

10 hours ago, fellside said:

Read The First Law Trilogy recently.  It's one of my favorite fantasy series I've ever read.  I probably enjoyed it more than Thrones or Kingkiller.  Abercrombie is coming out with a new book in the same universe in September.  I think it will be another trilogy.

He wrote some wonderful stand-alone books in the same universe such as Best Served Cold, The Heroes, Red Country etc.

Abercrombie can do no wrong in my opinion. I've liked every one of his books.

Abercrombie can do no wrong in my opinion. I've liked every one of his books.
Same here.

I've really enjoyed the books I've read featuring augmented humans and the abilities they create.  Some my fave's have been Neuromancer and Ramez Naam's Nexus series, and Brown's Red Rising.  Any one know of any other great "Bio-Punk" titles I should check out?

10 minutes ago, BTW said:

I've really enjoyed the books I've read featuring augmented humans and the abilities they create.  Some my fave's have been Neuromancer and Ramez Naam's Nexus series, and Brown's Red Rising.  Any one know of any other great "Bio-Punk" titles I should check out?

Scalzi - Old Man's War series.

Or - if you really want to go crazy, look at the Bobiverse series.

The Altered Carbon books are also really enjoyable, in the bio-punk category. TV series has gotten great reviews as well, I've never watched it.

4 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

The Altered Carbon books are also really enjoyable, in the bio-punk category. TV series has gotten great reviews as well, I've never watched it.

TV show was great. Did the books justice, I thought.

On 7/26/2019 at 7:13 PM, Chewbacca said:

Have read them all.  That's why I read WOT.

If you are like me and need a break from epically serious fantasy after WOT, I recommend Magic 2.0 by Scott Meyer, Swords Spells and Stealth by Drew Hayes.  They are fairly short and easy reads and and gives you a pleasantly different take on fantasy.

I also recommend “14” / “The Fold” by Peter Cline (not sure what the series is called) for a quick easy sci-fi / semi horror read.

  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/24/2019 at 6:53 PM, Chewbacca said:

Just finished the Wheel of Time. Was a fun series but now i have no idea what to read. Suggestions?

I really enjoyed Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. A lot of likable characters and a unique system of "magic" make it really interesting.

I really enjoyed Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. A lot of likable characters and a unique system of "magic" make it really interesting.
That is what i settled on.
9 hours ago, Chewbacca said:
12 hours ago, Istian said:
I really enjoyed Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson. A lot of likable characters and a unique system of "magic" make it really interesting.

That is what i settled on.

I’m doing this too right now.  On the Bonehunters.

I'm just finishing the last book in 'The Moontide Quartet' by David Hair, all 4 books are 700+ pages so you need to be happy with a big book in your hand but really enjoyable series.

There is also a sequel series called 'The Sunsurge Quartet' that I will also be reading next.

  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/26/2019 at 9:21 PM, Modessit said:
On 7/26/2019 at 8:13 PM, Chewbacca said:
Have read them all.  That's why I read WOT.

You could try Feist. I liked his first two sets - Riftwar and Serpentqueen. There are a bunch more after that but I never really connected with the new characters in the same way

I love Feist's  Midkemia books and enjoyed all of them.  Definitely the Riftwar and Serpentwar series are the best.  Have you read The Empire Triology?  I'd rate that just as good and it's from the perspective of the other side which is great.

On 7/26/2019 at 8:13 PM, Chewbacca said:

Have read them all.  That's why I read WOT.

How about these:

Malazan Book of the Fallen (fyi, this is a serious commitment but worth it.  not the easiest read especially starting off)
The Warded Man series
Red Rising series (i binged read every novel so far.  not sure what it is but i can't put the books down)
 

I love Feist's  Midkemia books and enjoyed all of them.  Definitely the Riftwar and Serpentwar series are the best.  Have you read The Empire Triology?  I'd rate that just as good and it's from the perspective of the other side which is great.
Yes, although that's mainly Janny Wurts telling Feist's story from the other side with input from Feist.
On 9/6/2019 at 11:48 PM, Keflex said:

How about these:

Malazan Book of the Fallen (fyi, this is a serious commitment but worth it.  not the easiest read especially starting off)
The Warded Man series
Red Rising series (i binged read every novel so far.  not sure what it is but i can't put the books down)
 

I second the Warded Man books too.

It's been about 2-3 years since I read the First Law trilogy. With the first book of the new trilogy finally about to release, I think I'm gonna dust 'em off and catch back up over the next few weeks.

On 7/31/2019 at 3:34 PM, BTW said:

I've really enjoyed the books I've read featuring augmented humans and the abilities they create.  Some my fave's have been Neuromancer and Ramez Naam's Nexus series, and Brown's Red Rising.  Any one know of any other great "Bio-Punk" titles I should check out?

Snowcrash.

I forgot about Snowcrash. I really liked it and that is exactly the type of book that I’m searching for.

On 9/10/2019 at 1:19 PM, Storm the Field said:

It's been about 2-3 years since I read the First Law trilogy. With the first book of the new trilogy finally about to release, I think I'm gonna dust 'em off and catch back up over the next few weeks.

I recommend the follow up stand alone novels too.  Best served cold, the heroes, and red country.  The short stories book Sharp Ends is okay if you want to knock them all out but the novels (which while being standalone stories are a loose trilogy of sorts) are almost as good as the trilogy.

Edited by TKthunder2

  • 2 weeks later...
Just finished the Wheel of Time. Was a fun series but now i have no idea what to read. Suggestions?


Opened this thread to make this exact same post. Conveniently, yours was my first unread post. The wheel weaves as the wheel wills

If it’s anything like your SS, I can’t wait to read it. Congrats

Congrats you dick-drawing sonofabitch! \m/

15 hours ago, RoundRobin said:

Congrats!  Looking forward to reading Space Dicks. 

No good. Asimov already did that with Lije Baley.

Wait, I thought we were all just a bunch of bookfags?

  • 2 weeks later...

Through 2 books of Malazan and I dig it, but it's hard as shit to follow.  Hopefully I get a better grasp of it here soon.

On 10/8/2019 at 5:51 PM, Chewbacca said:

Through 2 books of Malazan and I dig it, but it's hard as shit to follow.  Hopefully I get a better grasp of it here soon.

I just finished the Bone Hunters and while you can follow it better the more you read, they keep throwing you into new characters and situations with little to no backstory.  Still it’s enjoyable, as long as you can work you’re way through it.  I bet it makes it a good series to re read.


Red Rising series (i binged read every novel so far.  not sure what it is but i can't put the books down)
 


Same here, I think it’s because it kinda appeals to many different niches, history, sci-fi, and fantasy all kind of rolled up into one.

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