Kevin's Watch

Folks,

I'm hoping that fans of SRD might be able to suggest some titles that I could move on to (having just finished both Chronicles for the umpteenth time).

I'd like something with depth, scope, sincerity...you know, the whole ball of wax. I'm pretty well read in the classics of the genre..Tolkien,Le Guin, McKillip, ad infinitum. I do not find novels like Brooks' Shanarra (sp?) interesting.

(Not sure if it goes without saying that I've read all of SRD's works, other than his Reed Stephens stuff.)

I've noticed in some threads that Robert Jordan is mentioned often...not sure if this is what I'm after....

'Sorry if this is too vague--I'm just hopeful that people who've found their way to this message board have similar sensibilities regarding their choices in fiction. I'd really like to avoid throwing up my hands and reaching for the Gap series again.

Thanks

goodness, how weird. anyway, just probs wth my pc. Any genre or just fantasy?

You don't mention Frank Herbert's Dune books, which are, imo, an absolute must.

You also don't mention David Zindell's Neverness books. But, as they're out of print, I'm not too surprised. But if you can get them used through amazon.com, as I did, you'll not be disappointed. Extremely thoughtful stuff!

And although I don't think George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series is as philosophically/religiously-oriented as either of those series, the first few hundred pages of the first book, A Game of Thrones, are fabulous for characterization (maybe the best I've ever seen), a feel for the land, and the political intrigue, to name a few qualities.

For stand-alone books, I'm still pushing Gates of Fire!!

Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or Horror, or some combination thereof (have read tons of King, Rice, Straub, Herbert, Heinlen, Sturgeon, Simmons, and so it goes).

Thanks

It sounds like you want to steer clear of Jordan. Personally, I'd recommend anything by Gene Wolfe.

Larry Niven's Ringworld books are a must. Read James Blish's Cities in Flight or the Haldeman books Forever War etc. Love classic sci-fi. I haven't read horror for a while, but liked Michael Slade.

I'm extremely fond of Lois McMaster Bujold.

On the SF side, her Miles Vorkosigan books may superficially look like space opera, but have a character development and moral depth to them that is not usually found in space opera. Shards of Honor and Barrayar (now republished in an omnibus edition, Cordelia's Honor) begin the mythos and probably still have the greatest weight of content. (I must admit I admire the heck out of Miles, one of the most improbable military heroes ever invented...)

She's also written 3 fantasy novels, which I recommend vehemently. The Spirit Ring is a stand-alone, set in a 16th-century Italian city-state, but one in which magic works and is recognized--and morally regulated--by the Church.

The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls, much more recent, are a sequence, set in a polytheistic world with baroque palace intrigues. They're my favorite works of Bujold's altogether; it's hard to pick out just one facet to describe.

Try Orson Scott Card... Ender's Game and the books that follow (maybe these even moreso) are fabulous.

Isaac Asimov's Robots and Empire series is good...starting with the Caves of Steel...well written, well thought out series...4 books total...Sci Fi murder mysteries and what not...


the Conan series is a good read..the original stories in the 12 books..all by Robert E Howard...and various other conan books written by Various Fantasy authors...unless thats not your cup of tea...

All of Fist's recommendations.

You've read all the Neverness books Foul? Other Sci-Fi authors not mentioned I'd recommend are Brin (Startide Rising/ The Heart of the Comet), Priest (The Inverted World/Dream Lover), Daniel (Metaplanetary and Superluminal: the upcoming sequel), Gibson (Nueromancer/The Difference Engine), Pohl (Jem/Beyond the Blue Event Horizon), Stephenson (Snow Crash/The Diamond Age) and Walter John Williams (Aristoi/The Praxis).

Fantasy? Martin, again, great stuff...Baxter, de Lint and Erikson...

Two fantasy series that I have a soft spot for, not too complex but not as bad as Dragonlance or Brooks:
The Ice Saga by William Fortschen (5 books)
The Pelbar Cycle by Paul O. Williams (6 or 7 but The Breaking of Northwall is extremely good)

Other Sci-Fi books you can't go wrong with:
The Wanderer by Fritz Lieber
A Canticle for Liebowitz by William R. Miller
Babel-17 by Samuel Delany
Dragon's Egg (very complex) by Robert L. Forward
The World is Round by Tony Rothman
Stand on Zanzibar by John Varley

Post apocalyptic Sci-Fi, aside from Canticle:
The Postman by David Brin (totally different from the movie)
Earth Abides by George R. Stewart
The Einstien Intersection by Samuel Delany
The Sheep Look Up by John Varley
Many Philip K. Dick short stories
A Boy and His Dog by Harlan Ellison

Insane stuff:
Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy/Adams
Illuminatus!/Wilson & Shea
Schroedenger's Cat/ Wilson
Sirens of Titan/Vonnegut

Horror:
H. P. Lovecraft
Clark Aston Smith
some Oliver Onions

very good old fantasy:
The Worm Oroborous and the Mezantium trilogy: E. R. Eddison
The King of Elfland's Daughter: Lord Dunsany
The Wood Beyond the World/The Well at the World's End: William Morris
Kai Lung Unrolls His Mat
The Golden Staircase: Hannes Bok
Lud in the Mist: Hope Mirless
The High House: James Stoddard
Orlando Furioso

Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon
First Men in the Moon (and the Time Machine) by H.G.Wells
The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons
Flowers for Algernon
A Case of Conscience by James Blish
Fevre Dream by G.R.R.Martin

You can't go wrong with Dan Simmons, Lois McMaster Bujold, or George R. R. Martin (thought I did not care for his The Armageddin Rag).

Also His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman is a great fantasy read, and I haven't seen anyone else recommend that one.

I'd like to say thanks to all who responded.

Many of the suggestions sound very promising, and I'm grateful to be reminded of some authors I'd forgotten.

Danlo, this is off-topic, but something in your post caught my eye. You say there were FIVE books in William R. Forstchen's Ice Saga??

I thought there were only three - The Ice Prophet, A Flame on the Ice and A Darkness Upon the Ice. I think those were the titles. Are you saying there were two more novels in this series? If so, I'd be interested, because I thought that was one of Forstchen's better efforts.

Thanks.

Harry Turtledove's alternate history/sci-fi saga 'Worldwar' four big books loadsa characters, loadsa scope and makes you think!!!

It's already been said, but definitely check out George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire.

- Tad Williams: The Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy

- L.E. Modesitt, Jr.: The Saga of Recluce

- J.V. Jones: The Book of Words trilogy and The Sword of Shadows trilogy

- Sean Russell: The Swan's War trilogy and the River Into Darkness/Moontide and Magic Rise books

There's more but I'm not at home so I can't review my collection to give you some more suggestions. Hope these are good, though.

As far as Wheel of Time goes, I would have recommended it at one time, but the series has started to really drag. The early books were great, but Jordan is definitely losing steam.

well, its also been said before, but cant be said enough:

Melanie Rawn's Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies are BRILLIANT!!!!

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

Tigana
Song for Arbonne
Lions of Al-Rassan
Sailing To Sarantium/Lord of Emperors

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.