Morpheus Posted July 18, 2008 Posted July 18, 2008 Hi guys, I need some opinion here, I'm want to expand my book library with some good sci-fi/fantasy book. Currently I have: - Star Wars Timothy Zhan trilogy (3 books) - Eragon, Eldest. - Harry Potter series, all book (my wife's collection) - Frank Herbert Dunes. - Hobbits, LoTR. I'm currently browsing Amazon to look for some book and here's some consideration: - Honorverse series (David Weber) - His Dark Material series(Philip Pullman) - Mortal Engines series(Philip Reeve) - Some W40K book, I don't have any clue about it yet. Any opinion? Quote
Gubaba Posted July 18, 2008 Posted July 18, 2008 Hi guys, I need some opinion here, I'm want to expand my book library with some good sci-fi/fantasy book. Currently I have: - Star Wars Timothy Zhan trilogy (3 books) - Eragon, Eldest. - Harry Potter series, all book (my wife's collection) - Frank Herbert Dunes. - Hobbits, LoTR. I'm currently browsing Amazon to look for some book and here's some consideration: - Honorverse series (David Weber) - His Dark Material series(Philip Pullman) - Mortal Engines series(Philip Reeve) - Some W40K book, I don't have any clue about it yet. Any opinion? His Dark Materials is a great series, and I highly recommend it. But I think most of the best fantasy was written BEFORE Tolkien, like Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast books, E.R. Eddison's Worm Ourobouros and Zimiamvia books, the works of Lord Dunsany, and the works of James Branch Cabell (who is pretty obscure and definitely not for everyone, but is one of my all-time favorite authors). If you want something a little more modern, Stephen R. Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant are flat-out excellent, although a little too dark and angst-ridden for some. Currently, I'm reading Clark Ashton Smith's Zothique stories, and they're great. Search around on Amazon for the unfortunately-named "Ballantine Adult Fanatsy" series...they're all out of print, but most are pretty easy to find, and you absolutely cannot go wrong with any of them. Quote
wolfx Posted July 18, 2008 Posted July 18, 2008 With all the talk on the Frontier's threads, how can you not consider Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card? Then there's Artemis Fowl for some light fun reading. Warhammer 40k books are hit and miss.....make sure someone recommends you a book before you buy a random one. My bro loaned me Caphias Cain, Imperial Commissar which is quite an odd book from the rest of the WH40k series since its supposed to be kinda funny(?). And another highly recommended series is the A Song of Ice and Fire series which i personally have not read, all my geek friends swear by it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_thrones Quote
Scream Man Posted July 18, 2008 Posted July 18, 2008 Jim Butchers dresden Files series, or Codex Arcana series; both excellent reads. Dont be put off by the Dresden Files show; the books are really good. Quote
Morpheus Posted July 18, 2008 Author Posted July 18, 2008 Thanks for the input guys, I'll try to get Ender's Game and the first book of His Dark Materials and probably the first book of the Mortal Engine series, Quote
Golden Arms Posted July 18, 2008 Posted July 18, 2008 I'm currently finishing the Dark Tower series. I highly recommend it. Quote
cobywan Posted July 18, 2008 Posted July 18, 2008 I loved the "Chung Kuo" series of books by David Wingrove. It's very expansive Sci-fi arc about a future world ruled by the Chinese. I've been wanting to read it again. Quote
arrow Posted July 19, 2008 Posted July 19, 2008 You might want to get the nine princess of amber series by roger zelezny Quote
myk Posted July 19, 2008 Posted July 19, 2008 His Dark Materials is a great series, and I highly recommend it. The girlfriend's got me reading that series right now, and I'll recommend it as well... Quote
dreamweaver13 Posted July 19, 2008 Posted July 19, 2008 hehe, you really want to build up your library? go for the Wheel of Time series. that's an instant 11 books in your library and one more coming soon. good luck putting any of them down (well, ok, book 10 you can put down, but the rest are time stealers). as wolfx said, go for ender's game. but don't stop there. the ender's game novel is pretty straighforward. it only becomes a bit more hard-edged sci fi with the sequels and the spin-offs. Quote
protogarland Posted July 19, 2008 Posted July 19, 2008 I am currently reading "Perdido Street Station" by China Mieville. It is really good. Think fantasy, steam punk, and hard sci-fi all mixed together. The book is hard to describe in one shot as it is very involved but it is worth the time investment. Here's a link to the book. Quote
Dangard Ace Posted July 19, 2008 Posted July 19, 2008 hehe, you really want to build up your library? go for the Wheel of Time series. that's an instant 11 books in your library and one more coming soon. good luck putting any of them down (well, ok, book 10 you can put down, but the rest are time stealers). as wolfx said, go for ender's game. but don't stop there. the ender's game novel is pretty straighforward. it only becomes a bit more hard-edged sci fi with the sequels and the spin-offs. Can't agree with WoT. The first 5 or so are great but the rest of the series feel like Jordan was writing to draw out the story and money from the readers. It goes something like.... boring woe is me boring boring Rand/Perrin/Matt banging some new/old hot chick boring boring boring Rand use One Power to kick everyones ass end. The last book in the series is going to be written by his family since he passed away before he completed the book. They're going to finish it based on his notes but I don't have much hope that it'll be any good. Quote
F-ZeroOne Posted July 19, 2008 Posted July 19, 2008 (edited) Old Mans War by John Scalzi is pretty good, and theres at least three more books in the series. Peter F. Hamiliton, Dan Simmons, Charles Stross, Neal Stephenson, Neil Gaiman and Alistair Reynolds are names to watch out for. If you haven't read any Terry Pratchett, correct this deficiency as soon as possible. Good Omens, written with Neil Gaiman is a good standalone starting point, or if you wish to get into his famous Discworld series, I would suggest beginning with Guards! Guards! followed by Men at Arms and Feet of Clay. Other Pratchett fans opinions may differ. (Small Gods will almost certainly be mentioned... ) Some very good SF is written in comics these days; Warren Ellis is a name that can seemingly do no wrong at the moment (try Planetary or Global Frequency), and get ready for the Watchmen movie with the original graphic novel by scary bearded eldritch comic god Alan Moore. Edited July 19, 2008 by F-ZeroOne Quote
F-ZeroOne Posted July 19, 2008 Posted July 19, 2008 Don't neglect your classics, either - Wells, Clarke, Asimov, Bester (no, not the Babylon 5 one...! ) , Heinlein, Walter M. Miller Jnr... Quote
eugimon Posted July 19, 2008 Posted July 19, 2008 If you enjoyed the ecological/political aspects of the the Dune books, Kim Stanley Robinson is a good pick. He's more of a science fiction writer (as opposed to sci-fi) and while some of the ideas/theories he writes around are now dated, his characters are still very compelling. His california books are a great place to start, three books on three possible near futures. Quote
Chowser Posted July 20, 2008 Posted July 20, 2008 I recently finished the entire Ender's Game series and side stories. I would recommend getting all of them, they really tie into one another and gives your perspectives from different sides. Quote
lord_breetai Posted July 20, 2008 Posted July 20, 2008 (edited) - His Dark Material series(Philip Pullman) - Some W40K book, I don't have any clue about it yet. His Dark Materials is awesome; I highly recommend it. For Warhammer 40K Books I would recommend the Caiaphas Cain novels (for an amusing read) or The Horus Heresy novels if you want an epic. Jim Butchers dresden Files series, or Codex Arcana series; both excellent reads. Dont be put off by the Dresden Files show; the books are really good. I didn't mind the Dresden TV series but the novels are a thousand times better. Of course if you don't mind something a little outdated, I'd recommend the Lensman noves by EE Doc Smith as some light fun. Some good Vampire Fantasy, Other books I'd recommend, Anno Dracula by Kim Newman, The Vampire Genevieve by Jack Yeovil (same person as Kim Newman) which is a Warhammer Fantasy book but pretty unique. Dark Wars the Tale of Meiji Dracula (by the guy who did Vampire Hunter D). Also on my list to recommend are Tamora Pierce's Tortall universe it's meant for teenagers and is pretty femmenist, but I still love them... they can get a tad repetitive, though. Don't pick up her Circle of Magic books though, not that they arn't good but they're too young (where as Tortall is still enjoyable by adults) The Tortall books are as follows Song of the Lioness Quartet -Alanna the First Adventure -In the Hands of the Goddess -The Woman who rides like a man -Lioness Rampant The Immortals Quartet -Wild Magic -Wolf Speaker -Emperor Mage -The Realm of the Gods The Protector of the Small Quartet (the worst of them in my opinion) -First Page -Page -Squire -Lady Knight The Daughter of the Lioness -Trickster's Choice -Trickster's Queen Dogs of Provost (still on going and the earliest point in the timeline) -Terrier anyway if I think of more I'll let you know. Edited July 20, 2008 by lord_breetai Quote
kaiotheforsaken Posted July 20, 2008 Posted July 20, 2008 Ender has been tossed up a few times, so I second...or third the suggestion. A really great series. Quote
Morpheus Posted July 20, 2008 Author Posted July 20, 2008 I already ordered His Dark materials book 1 and Enders Game through amazon.jp and it should arrive if not today then tomorrow. lord_breetai Thanks for the W40K input, I'll put Horus Heresy on my next to buy list, do you know any novel about Commissar Yarrick during the Armageddon campaign? In fact I could make a log of what to buy and read from this tread, thanks a lot guys. Now I need a bigger room my library Quote
Gubaba Posted July 20, 2008 Posted July 20, 2008 By the way, Morpheus, have you been to Good Day Used Books in Ebisu? They've got a good SF/Fantasy section, and their prices are extraordinarily cheap, considering they sell English books in Tokyo... Quote
lord_breetai Posted July 20, 2008 Posted July 20, 2008 (edited) I already ordered His Dark materials book 1 and Enders Game through amazon.jp and it should arrive if not today then tomorrow. lord_breetai Thanks for the W40K input, I'll put Horus Heresy on my next to buy list, do you know any novel about Commissar Yarrick during the Armageddon campaign? In fact I could make a log of what to buy and read from this tread, thanks a lot guys. Now I need a bigger room my library No I don't, and I should say I've only read two of the Horus Heresy books so far: Horus Rising (by Dan Abnett), and False Gods by Graham McNiel; both are excellent. It's really interesting to see Horus as a noble figure for the first book and a half and his tragic hero-like fall. I need to pick up the third book sometime soon. Edited July 20, 2008 by lord_breetai Quote
Morpheus Posted July 20, 2008 Author Posted July 20, 2008 By the way, Morpheus, have you been to Good Day Used Books in Ebisu? They've got a good SF/Fantasy section, and their prices are extraordinarily cheap, considering they sell English books in Tokyo... I never been there before, thanks for the tip, I'll look for them next time I went to Ebisu. For used books I usually got to Book Off, although English book is rare I once bought Harry Potter with hard cover for only 300 yen there. The books I ordered arrives yesterday evening and now I'm reading Ender's game, now its halfway to the final chapter. Quote
eriku Posted July 21, 2008 Posted July 21, 2008 Check out the Earthsea series by Ursula K. LeGuin. It's a very well-constructed fantasy world that manages to have a lot of originality. It was also a source of inspiration for Miyazaki, and anything that inspires Hayao Miyazaki has to be good, right? I also immensely enjoyed the His Dark Materials trilogy. While it may not be the type of fantasy you're looking for, I found the Series of Unfortunate Events books to be surprisingly enjoyable and addictive. Quote
lord_breetai Posted July 21, 2008 Posted July 21, 2008 (edited) Check out the Earthsea series by Ursula K. LeGuin. It's a very well-constructed fantasy world that manages to have a lot of originality. It was also a source of inspiration for Miyazaki, and anything that inspires Hayao Miyazaki has to be good, right? The Earthsea anime was directed by Miyazaki Goro not Miyzaki Hayao (Goro is his son and former curator of the Ghibli museum). There's also a live action Earthsea movie with Kristen Kruek. Edited July 21, 2008 by lord_breetai Quote
Gubaba Posted July 21, 2008 Posted July 21, 2008 I never been there before, thanks for the tip, I'll look for them next time I went to Ebisu. For used books I usually got to Book Off, although English book is rare I once bought Harry Potter with hard cover for only 300 yen there. The books I ordered arrives yesterday evening and now I'm reading Ender's game, now its halfway to the final chapter. It's amazing how many people start that book with the intention of reading a chapter or two, and end up finishing it in one sitting, isn't it? Whenever I recommend it to anybody, I always warn them not to start it until they have a few free hours... Quote
eriku Posted July 21, 2008 Posted July 21, 2008 The Earthsea anime was directed by Miyazaki Goro not Miyzaki Hayao (Goro is his son and former curator of the Ghibli museum). There's also a live action Earthsea movie with Kristen Kruek. Have you seen the Earthsea anime and would you recommend it? I haven't checked it out yet. It's too bad Hayao didn't get his wish long ago to direct it, although I would assume he was able to give Goro some help on it. I remember reading an interview where Hayao said he kept or used to keep a copy of Earthsea at his bedside. Quote
dreamweaver13 Posted July 21, 2008 Posted July 21, 2008 Have you seen the Earthsea anime and would you recommend it? I haven't checked it out yet. It's too bad Hayao didn't get his wish long ago to direct it, although I would assume he was able to give Goro some help on it. I remember reading an interview where Hayao said he kept or used to keep a copy of Earthsea at his bedside. seen it. still ok, but nowhere as good as Hayao Miyazaki. i just felt that goro tried to use elements of his dad's past works, without coming up with something new. hayao is a big earthsea fan, so itmight have been an influence on his other works. like you said, too bad he wasn't able to direct it. would have been great, i think. blame LeGuin's shortsightendess on this, i guess. Quote
Roy Focker Posted July 22, 2008 Posted July 22, 2008 If I were you I avoid reading at all cost. Rumor has it that many Sci-fi & fantasy authors belong to a cult that spans the world. Don't let these con artists brain wash you. Quote
Morpheus Posted July 22, 2008 Author Posted July 22, 2008 If I were you I avoid reading at all cost. Rumor has it that many Sci-fi & fantasy authors belong to a cult that spans the world. Don't let these con artists brain wash you. Please don't spread bad rumors about my cult We need more member atm. Just finished Ender's Game now proceeding with His Dark Materials. Thanks for the Enders reference WolfX PS: I know about the scientology cult, but I already installed custom firewall to my brain. Quote
Barpharanges Posted July 22, 2008 Posted July 22, 2008 Normally I hate most Fantasy, but one recent story stood out for me; "The Name Of The Wind", by Patrick Rothfuss. Its a simple story about a hero becoming a hero, as told by the hero. Unputdownable. Anything by C.S. Friedman. She has written Sci-fi and Fantasy and I truely enjoy it all. For 40K, I really enjoyed "Storm of Iron". Imperial Guard defending a fortess against Chaos Space Marines (Iron Warriors, naturally). You don't need to know the 40K universe and the novel is a complete stand-alone story. You really root for both sides in this book. Quote
Shun Posted July 23, 2008 Posted July 23, 2008 And another highly recommended series is the A Song of Ice and Fire series which i personally have not read, all my geek friends swear by it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_thrones just finished the first book of the series "A Game of Thrones". not bad, quite interesting - some plot twists... quite an easy read. Quote
Scream Man Posted July 23, 2008 Posted July 23, 2008 Imreading Anne McCafferys 'Pern' series at the moment. Ovrall its pretty good, though it feels a tad drawn out to me at times. Still, a solid fantasy/sci fi read. Quote
eugimon Posted July 23, 2008 Posted July 23, 2008 Imreading Anne McCafferys 'Pern' series at the moment. Ovrall its pretty good, though it feels a tad drawn out to me at times. Still, a solid fantasy/sci fi read. the original books are pretty good, but I'd stay away from the various sequels gets really repetitious and tedious. Quote
nemesis_trooper Posted July 23, 2008 Posted July 23, 2008 the original books are pretty good, but I'd stay away from the various sequels gets really repetitious and tedious. Try the short story "Flowers for Algernon" - made me tear - manly tears of course... Quote
wolfx Posted July 23, 2008 Posted July 23, 2008 Just finished Ender's Game now proceeding with His Dark Materials. Thanks for the Enders reference WolfX Try reading the rest of the Ender series. 4 books in total. Its more edgy and hard sci-fi than the 1st book. just finished the first book of the series "A Game of Thrones". not bad, quite interesting - some plot twists... quite an easy read. I heard ppl die in that series. Very Tomino-esque. Quote
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