Best Fantasy/Scifi Stand-Alone Novels

Mon Aug 10, 2009 4:41 am

Ummmm, why?

Mon Aug 10, 2009 8:24 pm

danlo wrote:Or, if you want read two little books that will blow your mind: The Inverted World by Christopher Priest or Whipping Star by Frank Herbert.

Priest's The Inverted World is one of my all-time favorites. It took me many readings to finally understand it, though I thoroughly enjoyed it through many a reading without fully understanding it.

-----

Piers Anthony wrote a lot of good science fiction before he became a Fantasy hack. His Macroscope is a great galaxy spanning epic.

Mon Aug 10, 2009 9:30 pm

What's it about (besides the title)?

Post by **Farm Ur-Ted** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 11:22 pm

I barely remember, but I've read it twice and can say I wouldn't mind reading it a third time to remember what the hell it was about. It was definitely the best book I read by Anthony.

Post by **Mr. Broken** » Tue Dec 29, 2009 11:37 am

I dont know about it being the best but, American Gods by Neil Gaiman is one of my favorites, also the Stand by Stephen King.

Post by **Jussi** » Fri Jan 22, 2010 12:32 pm

These novels haven't been mentioned yet:

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson.

Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner.

Ombria in Shadow by Patricia A. McKillip.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury.

Jack of Shadows and Isle of the Dead by Roger Zelazny.

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Jan 22, 2010 7:34 pm

Never been a huge fan of Bradbury, I must say. His style just doesn't sit well with me. Even ones I enjoyed, like Farenheit 451 and his short stories, have an edge that I don't like. As for SWTWC, I just never could get into it. (Although it has been years since I tried.)

--A

Post by **stonemaybe** » Fri Jan 22, 2010 8:07 pm

Gotta repeat two that Ainulindale mentioned-

Anubis Gates by Tim Powers
Fevre Dream by George Martin

Go get 'em! You won't regret it!

Post by **Rawedge Rim** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 7:14 pm

Stranger in a Strange Land
Armor
War of the Worlds
The Time Machine
Flowers for Algernon

and if we went to short stories, God alone knows how many

Post by **Krazy Kat** » Mon Aug 16, 2010 9:21 pm

Avatar wrote:Never been a huge fan of Bradbury, I must say. His style just doesn't sit well with me. Even ones I enjoyed, like Farenheit 451 and his short stories, have an edge that I don't like. As for SWTWC, I just never could get into it. (Although it has been years since I tried.)

--A

The Illustrated Man, has got to be one of the best ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, sci-fi story books.......ever!

Sometimes, when trying to fathom the Elohim, I'm reminded of Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles. Both character creations appear to have similar traits. Like they can manifest themselves to be what the beholder wants them to be! IMHO.

Post by **hue of fuzzpaws** » Sun Aug 22, 2010 9:27 pm

The Stone and the Flute by Hans Bemmann

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 8:23 pm

Avatar wrote:Dhalgren by Delaney is another. And I'll stop there rather than try and think of more.

I happened to see this in the used store today. It looked like a fun cover. Heh. For 50 cents, it's worth the risk. Just got here and looked to see if anybody's mentioned the book or author, and found you.

Post by **wayfriend** » Tue Nov 01, 2011 9:13 pm

Fist and Faith wrote:
Avatar wrote:Dhalgren by Delaney is another. And I'll stop there rather than try and think of more.
I happened to see this in the used store today. It looked like a fun cover. Heh. For 50 cents, it's worth the risk. Just got here and looked to see if anybody's mentioned the book or author, and found you.

I may the biggest (or only) Dhalgren fan in the world. (I will compete with Avatar on "biggest" if I have to.

) It's dense. And I don't just mean it weighs a lot, although it does. Here's a sample that I had once posted: "We've met. I've heard you speak."

Post by **Vraith** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 12:33 am

wayfriend wrote:
Fist and Faith wrote:
Avatar wrote:Dhalgren by Delaney is another. And I'll stop there rather than try and think of more.
I happened to see this in the used store today. It looked like a fun cover. Heh. For 50 cents, it's worth the risk. Just got here and looked to see if anybody's mentioned the book or author, and found you.
I may the biggest (or only) Dhalgren fan in the world. (I will compete with Avatar on "biggest" if I have to. ) It's dense. And I don't just mean it weighs a lot, although it does. Here's a sample that I had once posted: "We've met. I've heard you speak."

Nay, you will have to make that a trio, at least. I first read it while young enough to hide it in case my mom picked it up cuz of the sex stuff. Been through it a few times since, once within the last year.

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 6:04 am

Haha, you can have biggest, but clearly not only. It's an awesome book. Time to read it again actually.

--A

Post by **wayfriend** » Wed Nov 02, 2011 12:25 pm

Wow. I now know three people who have read Dhalgren.

Post by **ussusimiel** » Tue Dec 20, 2011 11:36 pm

I don't know if these would qualify as the best but they're the ones that occupy my re-read stack and most have called me back two or more times. I notice that I don't have any stand-alone fantasy in my list. I often treat the first novels of a series as a stand-alone now and only read that. Too many times a single novel is stretched into three for the publisher's sake.

Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks
The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks

The Ethos Effect by L.E. Modesitt Jr
Adiamante by L.E. Modesitt Jr
Archform: Beauty by L.E. Modesitt Jr

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
The Ambassador of Progress by Walter Jon Williams
Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
Nature's End by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear
Earth Made of Glass by John Barnes
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Return to Mars by Ben Bova
The Turing Option by Harry Harrison and Marvin Minsky
A Fire upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

u.

[EDIT: to fix my spelling of Modesitt. Funny how you can look at a name or word for years and still not know how to spell it right!]

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 1:28 am

I've only read two on your list, u. Ender's Game and The Sparrow. Ender's Game didn't do much for me. The Sparrow and Children of God are among my very favorite books ever.

Post by **balon!** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:26 am

wayfriend wrote:Wow. I now know three people who have read Dhalgren.

Make it four.

That is one of the best damn books I've ever read. I thought I liked you guys before, but now I know you're really cool! heh

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Dec 21, 2011 8:29 am

Fist and Faith wrote:Ender's Game didn't do much for me.

What you should really do is read Speaker for the Dead. That one, I think you'll really like.

Only others I've read off that list are the Banks books. All excellent.

--A

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Best Fantasy/Scifi Stand-Alone Novels