Kevin's Watch

There's a book coming out in August I'd like to recommend, but I'm not positive it's sci-fi. Durris, would you care to elaborate?

We have several published writers in our critique group. They're all quite good, and I'd ready anything that they write:

Mackay Woods (Wolf's Cub)
Curtis Craddock (Sparrow's Flight)
Mindy Klasky (The Glaswright series, and others)
Diana Francis (Path of Fate and others)
Robert Vardeman (tons of books - he only pops into the online group once in a while, but he's a great guy and we consider him "one of us")

And I have to deeply apologize to any others that I missed - I don't have any of their publications on the shelf, and my memory is quickly fading as I approach middle age (heh heh).

But one person in our group stands out from the rest. Carol Berg. Great, great writer, wonderful stories and characters. Read one of her single books first (Song of the Beast [which is about dragons, for those who like those kinds of beasties], and Son of Avonar). Get your feet wet with those, and then dive into her trilogy (Restoration, Revelation, Transformation). And she has another book coming out this fall (Guardians of the Keep).

www.sff.net/people/carolberg/

dAN, you're too kind.

My opus actually isn't F/SF, or even fiction. It's a book of Christian devotions, so further discussion of it should probably migrate to The Close. (Though I read all good F/SF with wistful prose envy these days, I'm altogether daunted by the concept of trying to write it. I'm experienced at nonfiction and decided to start there...)

As member to moderator I have this question: would posting URLs there to its listings on the Brazos Press and Amazon websites be permissible? If not, I can send the URLs privately to whomever asks.

Romeo wrote:They're all quite good, and I'd ready anything that they write

I assume you mean I'm ready to read,,,

What the heck is this club? And what are YOU doing with all these well known writers (I have heard of Craddock)? Vardeman is from New Mexico and pals with SRD. Those two, along with Fred Saberhagen-have made a number of appearances together.

Durris wrote:

Encryptic wrote:Bah...I must have had a brain fart, otherwise I never would have forgotten to mention Guy Gavriel Kay.

Me too. I recommend Kay's Fionavar Tapestry series: The Summer Tree, The Wandering Fire, The Darkest Road.

I'll have to give Summer Tree another shot. I tried it a couple of times but didn't get into it...

On a better note, I see that GGK just came out with a new book, The Last Light of the Sun.

Mwahahahaha another chance to proselytize.....


Stephen King's Dark Tower series.....this is a great time to start this series, with the last book coming out in August......and don't be put off by the name, this is NOT the King you may think you know.....and if you have a hard time with the first book (The Gunslinger), well, it's short, and the second book will make up for it, I promise.

Also Katherine Kurtz's Deryni novels are very good......I'd recommend starting with the Chronicles Of Saint Camber, Camber of Culdi being the name of the first one....these are the darkest, and most meaty, imho. Lots of religious issues and politics.....

Happy hunting!

birdandbear wrote:and don't be put off by the name, this is NOT the King you may think you know

Isn't it?

David Gemmell. I have no idea whether he'd be your scene, but I recommend him to any who ask. Read Knights of Dark Renown, then Waylander, then Wolf in Shadow and it's sequels.

Ur Member,

I would strongly suggest you look at all of the previous recommendations however, if you haven't noticed, one author and series keeps getting mentioned again and again...I refer to GRR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. It is an absolute masterpiece and is firmly in the ranks of best fantasy series of all time even in its currently unfinished state.

I'll second Fist's recommendation of Gates of Fire by Stephen Pressfield as a stand alone. It is quite simply the most emotionally stirring and dramatic read I have ever encountered. Best of luck in your search.

birdandbear wrote:Mwahahahaha another chance to proselytize.....


Stephen King's Dark Tower series.....this is a great time to start this series, with the last book coming out in August......and don't be put off by the name, this is NOT the King you may think you know.....and if you have a hard time with the first book (The Gunslinger), well, it's short, and the second book will make up for it, I promise.

Also Katherine Kurtz's Deryni novels are very good......I'd recommend starting with the Chronicles Of Saint Camber, Camber of Culdi being the name of the first one....these are the darkest, and most meaty, imho. Lots of religious issues and politics.....

Happy hunting!

/smacks forehead

Forgot Katherine Kurtz too. Pretty much anything Deryni-related by her is good. I'd definitely start with Chronicles of Camber, then go on to the Heirs of Saint Camber (the followup trilogy).

The Deryni Chronicles (Deryni Rising, Deryni Checkmate, High Deryni) is also a good starting point, though. The Histories of King Kelson is the followup trilogy to that as well.

I have GOT to post from home, so I don't miss anything else. Geez...

danlo wrote:What the heck is this club? And what are YOU doing with all these well known writers (I have heard of Craddock)? Vardeman is from New Mexico and pals with SRD. Those two, along with Fred Saberhagen-have made a number of appearances together.

I've been going to the World Fantasy Convention for eight years now. A few of us started getting together and hanging out every year, and now the group has grown pretty big. Last year I opened a discussion board so we could keep in touch between cons. Everyone has their own field of expertise, so we all help each other out with Q&A on various subject, critiquing chapters, etc. We have a party suite reserved at WFC in Tempe (Oct/Nov) for Saturday night - so if anyone's going to be there, let me know and we'll toss down a couple. (which will hopefully make up for the fact that I can't make Elohimfest - we're flying back from vacation on that day < BIG frown >)

After much debate, we decided to call the group "The Roundtable" (www.roundtablewriters.com). Di Francis even mentioned the group in her acknowledgments section (specifically pointing out our resident fighting expert - Sir Marcus "the fighter guy" - who is a professional jouster and knows just about everything related to horses/weapons/combat/wounds/etc.)

You can't make Elohimfest? Acchk! My life is over!

Sorry...

I've even given thought to leaving a day early so I can make it, and letting the wife and kids travel home the next day. But every time I leave them alone in the house, things literally fall apart. I can't imagine what kind of problems would crop up if I left them in another city.

CovenantJr wrote:

birdandbear wrote:and don't be put off by the name, this is NOT the King you may think you know

Isn't it?

YOU hush! I've given up on you, Philistine.

Encryptic wrote:

/smacks forehead

Forgot Katherine Kurtz too. Pretty much anything Deryni-related by her is good. I'd definitely start with Chronicles of Camber, then go on to the Heirs of Saint Camber (the followup trilogy).

The Deryni Chronicles (Deryni Rising, Deryni Checkmate, High Deryni) is also a good starting point, though. The Histories of King Kelson is the followup trilogy to that as well.

YAY!! Another Deryni fan! Even rarer on the net than Donaldson fans.... Hail! And very well met.

birdandbear wrote:

CovenantJr wrote:

birdandbear wrote:and don't be put off by the name, this is NOT the King you may think you know

Isn't it?

YOU hush! I've given up on you, Philistine.

Encryptic wrote:

/smacks forehead

Forgot Katherine Kurtz too. Pretty much anything Deryni-related by her is good. I'd definitely start with Chronicles of Camber, then go on to the Heirs of Saint Camber (the followup trilogy).

The Deryni Chronicles (Deryni Rising, Deryni Checkmate, High Deryni) is also a good starting point, though. The Histories of King Kelson is the followup trilogy to that as well.

YAY!! Another Deryni fan! Even rarer on the net than Donaldson fans.... Hail! And very well met.

Cov Jr said:

David Gemmell. I have no idea whether he'd be your scene, but I recommend him to any who ask. Read Knights of Dark Renown, then Waylander, then Wolf in Shadow and it's sequels.

I'm pretty sure at one time or another you said you hadn't read them Cov, but his Rigante series is good too.

Yet another belated followup reply to this thread. ARRRRGH....

That said, two words: Robin Hobb.

Check out her Farseer Trilogy and the Tawny Man trilogy (followup to Farseer trilogy). Also check out the Liveship Traders trilogy. They're all set in the same world but Liveship Traders is only tangentially connected to the other two trilogies. All three are excellent, though.

Just want to add a few to the list of great writers and their books:

Jack Vance:Lyonesse, The Green Pearl, and Madouc(The Lyonesse Trilogy)
Michael Scott Rohan: The Winter of the world Trilogy
Orson Scott Card's: Alvin Maker series
David Feintuch: The Seafort Saga
Sheri S Tepper: Grass, Raising the Stones

...to name a few that wasn't mentioned before

kasten

Melissa Scott:
Virtual reality is her forte -- I love the way she imagines the virtual experiences of her characters.

DREAMING METAL (fervently recommended -- also includes A.I.)
BURNING BRIGHT
NIGHT SKY MINE
FIVE TWELFTHS OF HEAVEN


And yet another vote for George R.R. Martin.

Gormenghast - Peake
Tigana - Kay
New Sun - Wolfe

Here's a short list of my favourite classics that I think you'd love - theyre not Fantasy/Sci-fi (except maybe Orwell...), but they are all brilliant novels.

Lawrence - Sons and lovers
Dickens - Pickwick Papers, Hard Times
Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
Golding - Lord of the flies
Orwell - 1984
Nabokov - Lolita
Salinger - The catcher in the rye
Tolstoy - Anna Karenina