Help me out with some book recommendations?

[postjack]

Hey everyone-

I'm in a bit of a pickle. I've run out of kick ass speculative fiction to read, and I need recommendations. Sci-fi/fantasy is such a scary genre to navigate. One second a book's premise seems promising, but then it delves into childish writing and predictable situations. I'm a short way into Peter Brett's The Warded Man, and it reminded me of these types of pitfalls. Of course it is hard to trust amazon-type reviews of fantasy, because not all fantasy readers are as discerning as me, you, and everyone else who likes good things. Anyway the premise starts out awesome: demons come out every night and try to kill people. The only thing the protects people from the demons are wards drawn on their houses. as long as the wards hold and they stay inside, everything is cool. The demons are pretty badass as well. They can really wreck shit. So that sounds awesome, but then it starts telling the stories of the individual protagonists, and I can just predict every little thing that is going to happen to these kids within a paragraph of the chapter "oh his parents are going to die and he'll be alone and angry" "oh this girl is either going to get raped or not raped and be regarded as a slut by the town" and so on. even judging by the title I can bet eventually somebody is going to draw wards on themselves and kick some demon ass.

So I'm terribly disappointed and can't bring myself to read anymore. Primarily I blame Joe Abercrombie, whose books I just ate up earlier this summer and have really ruined me on other stuff. His fantasy is just so brutal, funny, unpredictable (well you can predict some things, but in a fun way), and full of the most fantastic characters.

Anyway I like a lot of the new weird: china mieville, jeff vandermeer, neil gaiman, etc. But not the new weird stuff that gets so weird that is not entertaining. I adore Neil Stephenson, and his Baroque Cycle might be my favorite thing ever. Hopstretch turned me on to Tim Powers, and I read and enjoyed a bunch of his stuff until I had the misfortune of picking up the abysmal Declare which was really, really boring (I got about halfway through). I just read a pretty awesome Richard Morgan book, Altered Carbon, but I don't want to start on the next book just yet.

So any suggestions? Throw out some sci-fi/fantasy authors that write good shit. I don't want anything super predictable or juvenile, just a good story with some fresh, original ideas and cool characters.

And hell, if you got some non sci-fi/fantasty stuff you think I'd enjoy, throw that out there as well.

Thanks for your help team.

edit: or I'll just go on and read the next Ian Banks culture novel, Player of Games I think.

[grawk]

Push through on declare, it picks back up

[Fing]

The Player of Games is, I think, my favourite story of his. More memorable than Consider Phlebas (discounting the fat cannibal god). Less weird/tortured than Use of Weapons. Not sure I continued reading Iain M Bank's stuff much past that.

His non-sci-fi books are quite good if a little weird. They're all a bit grown-up for me

I'm quite a fan of Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series. A fantasy tale set on a mythical world, but don't let that put you off. The material does transcend its genre, imo. The author has remained consistently entertaining throughout his run of books in the series, which is an extreme rarity, though of course some stories I like better than others. Excellent world-building and the plots aren't bad either. The first 3 books in the series are collected here: Amazon.com: The Book of Jhereg (9780441006151): Steven Brust: Books

I also enjoyed John Whitbourn's 'A Dangerous Energy' A Dangerous Energy by John Whitbourn

Inquisitor Glokta reminded me of the main character and worth tracking down if you're able to find a copy.

Rosemary Kirstein's first two stories are collected here, Amazon.com: The Steerswoman's Road (9780345461056): Rosemary Kirstein: Books

Solidly good storywriting that is, again, entertaining, both in execution and world-building, and going somewhere (good!), if a little too feminist for my tastes. Some non-slimy male characters would have been nice.

[postjack]

thanks everyone, all looks like good stuff. funny I've picked up the Engineer Trilogy a lot in the bookstore but had forgotten about it. I'll try a kindle sample.

last night i started reading a sample of this: Amazon.com: Swords & Dark Magic: The New Sword and Sorcery (9780061723810): Jonathan Strahan, Lou Anders: Books. i'm usually not big on short stories but its gotten good reviews. the intro and the first story (erikson, one of my favorites, though malazan has gotten so dense I forgot what the hell was going on in the last book and set it down about 25 pages in) are interesting so far.

[macstah]

I'm mostly a lurker here, but I had to comment on this one: If you like fantasy at all, do yourself a huge favor and read George R. R. Martin's "Song of Ice & Fire" series. "Game of Thrones" is the first. Holy crap. Great writer, complex characters, treats you like an intelligent adult. Great. And he really knows how to go fairly light on the fantastical stuff, so it actually hits hard when he brings it in. (It's going to be an HBO series in 2011, they're shooting now.)

One warning -- he is a very, very slow writer. There are 4 books out, and 3 yet to come. It's been I think 5 years since the last one.

[Nebby]

Great thread, been looking for new sci-fi/fantasy books to try so it's very timely .

[postjack]

I'm mostly a lurker here, but I had to comment on this one: If you like fantasy at all, do yourself a huge favor and read George R. R. Martin's "Song of Ice & Fire" series. "Game of Thrones" is the first. Holy crap. Great writer, complex characters, treats you like an intelligent adult. Great. And he really knows how to go fairly light on the fantastical stuff, so it actually hits hard when he brings it in. (It's going to be an HBO series in 2011, they're shooting now.)

One warning -- he is a very, very slow writer. There are 4 books out, and 3 yet to come. It's been I think 5 years since the last one.

hi macstah, thanks for your suggestion!

I actually am a ASOIAF fan, but I've only read the first three books. unfortunately by

the time Dance with Dragons came out I'd forgotten quite a lot of the previous books. maybe if I just pick it up and start reading it'll trigger my memory. I had the same problem with Erikson (my favorite "fat fantasy" author).

both Martin and Erikson make good choices in their storytelling. I can't stand bad choices. goodkind, for example, is the king of bad choices. annoying characters are another. again, great characters are a strength of Erikson and Martin.

have you read any Joe Abercrombie? if you like Martin but are interested in a plot that moves a little faster with a lot of action, you'd love Abercrombie.

[tyrion]

I'm pissed that Martin has not finished the last book. I guess he is too busy consulting on the HBO series of ASOIAF.

[Salt Peanuts]

Aren't there supposed to be two more books coming for ASOIAF? I've only read the first book so far, though I probably need to read it again since it's been a while since I finished it. I'll eventually get through the first five books - hopefully, Martin won't pull a Jordan on us.

[tyrion]

I think you are right. The last book was actually split into two books. You would think, since it's mostly written already, the damn 5th book would be out with a 6th to follow. I'm just hoping the HBO series will be good. I believe they are filming in Northern Ireland and the cast has been mostly set.

[macstah]

There were supposed to be 2 more, but he turned it into 3, exactly. Although, it wouldn't surprise me if it then turned into 4. He seems reasonably spry, but at the rate he writes, I'm really hoping he just makes it to the end. (Heh, how nice of me. I'm hoping he gets ME what I want before he dies.)

Yeah, postjack, Goodkind, Tad Williams, there are a whole bunch of INCREDIBLY famous fantasy guys who I just can't read. Feels like they're making it up as they go, as opposed to creating realistic characters in a believable world.

I'll have to check out Abercrombie. Don't know anything of his. It's always such a gift when you find a decent fantasy author. There are so few that I love. Anywhere in particular that I should start, or does it matter?

Also, I kind of like David Gemmell. He's an interesting writer. A little thinner than, say, Martin. It's a little more that you're reading a fun adventure, rather than lit-ruh-churr, certainly. But he's a fun writer.

[Dusty Chalk]

I don't know if you like this particular sub-genre, but the Women Of The Otherworld series (Kelley Armstrong) is one of my favorite recent discoveries.

[MoonShine]

Peter F Hamilton's Void Trilogy (The final installment just came out) has a great fantasy story embedded in a kick ass sci-fi story.

Good stuff.

Edit: although you may want to read Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained first. They happen 1200 years earlier in the storyline. Big awesome space opera with some very cool speculative aspects to it.

Edit 2: 2nd the Martin recommendation with this caveat: I have now come to the place where I fully expect Martin to keel over and die before he ever actually finishes his masterpiece.

[postjack]

I admit, I fear the Jordan Effect when it comes to Martin. I guess a part of me is waiting for the series to be done before I pick it up again.

I actually own a copy of Pandora's Star. since I only read on the kindle I might have to rebuy.

[MoonShine]

Just started Revelation Space. Somehow I have ended up reading about 6 books at once.

[MoonShine]

i just pre-ordered William Gibson's new book for Kindle. should appear on it a couple days after my Kindle arrives. i can't wait.

Yup, just got Spook Country on audiobook yesterday in preparation for Zero History.

[Dusty Chalk]

Night Watch/Day Watch/Twilight Watch

[postjack]

I'll have to check out Abercrombie. Don't know anything of his. It's always such a gift when you find a decent fantasy author. There are so few that I love. Anywhere in particular that I should start, or does it matter?

Amazon.com: The Blade Itself (The First Law: Book One) (9781591025948): Joe Abercrombie: Books

The Blade Itself

i envy you being able to experience it for the first time.

[The Monkey]

The Hobbit.

[macstah]

i want to reread pattern recognition and spook country before reading zero history...

This just reminded me that I had been meaning to (finally!) read these. Just started Pattern Recognition. Holy living crap. Incredible. I had only read...erm...Virtual Light before, I think. (Not bad certainly, but not one I'll likely reread.) But Pattern Recognition...wow.

[postjack]

I thought pattern recognition was boring.

[thrice]

Technically filed in fiction, it's definitely super-naturalish:

Amazon.com: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle: A Novel (9780679775430):

It's been years since I've read it, but I remember loving it. I'd have to think long and hard as to why. Definitely something I'm going to re-read at some point though.