[HoosierDaddy]

Every person who has read the Alera series will tell you the first pails in comparison to the rest of the Alera series. They grow in leaps and bounds.

[King Bear]

Mentalist, on 02 March 2011 - 06:25 AM, said:

Mieville has one book that can be seen as "urbabn fantasy"... in a majorly "new Weird" setting.

Dresden, otoh, is pure urban fantasy goodness.

I would also suggest Sergey Lukyanenko's "watch" books, starting with "Night watch", if you're into Urban fantasy.

also, for the record: I have only read the one Alera book so far, but I wasn't too impressed. volume 2 is sitting somewhere in my bookshelf, far down the mental TBR pile.

I've seen the Night Watch movies. Been thinking about picking up the books. Don't read Russian so I hope too much isn't lost in the English translation.

Still, I'll pick up Dresden first.

[amphibian]

I also completely forgot Alistair Reynolds. Start with Revelation Space and work your way through everything he has ever written. The man is a dragonfucknuts genius. Chasm City actually made me tear up a bit. Galactic North is staggering to think about. And Clavain is just so, so badass.

[Stalker]

For what it's worth, I absolutely agree with amph's recommendation of Reynolds. One of my top 5 favorite sci-fi authors (along with Banks, Morgan, Asher, and I'd throw Simmons in there for Hyperion cantos).

I am now reading The Crippled God, now that it finally arrived from the UK. It is a great, great day.

[King Bear]

Stalker, on 02 March 2011 - 07:54 AM, said:

For what it's worth, I absolutely agree with amph's recommendation of Reynolds. One of my top 5 favorite sci-fi authors (along with Banks, Morgan, Asher, and I'd throw Simmons in there for Hyperion cantos).

I am now reading The Crippled God, now that it finally arrived from the UK. It is a great, great day.

True. I haven't read a lot of sci-fi. Asimov, Clark, Banks, Bear, Handelman, Hamilton... think that's it. Really liked Bank's culture stuff. When I get around to reading more sci-fi, i'll check out Reynolds.

Edit: oh yeah and dune. How did I forget that one?

This post has been edited by Bombur: 02 March 2011 - 08:41 AM

[Tuberski]

Bombur, on 02 March 2011 - 05:35 AM, said:

amphibian, on 02 March 2011 - 04:59 AM, said:

Bombur, on 02 March 2011 - 04:47 AM, said:

Dragonfucknuts eh. The best sort of fucknuts. Checking it out in wikipedia and amazon.

We are making you buy a ton of books. To cover all bases and basically ensure that you have a ridiculous stack of books to go through:

1) Dresden Files (must get all)
2) The Acts of Caine books (must get all - but Blade of Tyshalle is like fucking impossible to find for a decent price. May have to go find the ebook)
3) Blindsight (which can actually be read online for free [I bought the book after reading it and then gave it to my little brother - it's that damn good] link is here: http://www.rifters.c.../Blindsight.htm)
4) Codex Alera (must get all - may not thrill at first, but gets very, very fun to read)
5) The China Mieville books (start with Kraken, then go to Perdido Street Station, The Scar, Iron Council, The City & The City and Un-Lun-Dun; there's others, but not quite as essential as these. I <3 binjas.)

Good luck, Bombur.

Oh, and if you want a laugh, read the Evil Chicken section of the Goodkind books. Easily a few dozen laughs.

Lol thanks for that list, that is a tonne of books. I've been interested in Mieville for a while, so I'll definitely check him out. I'll have to read Dresden too, considering how it seems everyone on these forums loves it.

I think I'll read Dresden and Mievile together or in succession, since they're both urban fantasy... or at least I think Mieville is. I've read very little urban fantasy, so I'm looking forward to that.

First though I'm going to read tCG, Gormenghast Trilogy and The Worm Ouroboros. If they ever actually arrive that is.

I'm familiar with Goodkind's evil chicken. In fact, I am that chicken. Fear my fowl talons, and my chicken cackle.

This place got me into The Dresden books and I devoured them quickly, great fun!

[QuickTidal]

amphibian, on 02 March 2011 - 06:41 AM, said:

I also completely forgot Alistair Reynolds. Start with Revelation Space and work your way through everything he has ever written. The man is a dragonfucknuts genius. Chasm City actually made me tear up a bit. Galactic North is staggering to think about. And Clavain is just so, so badass.

Agreed. Clavain is totally my fave character in the series, with only Felka and Galiana as second faves.

Also, what Amph said about Dresden, Stover's Caine series and Codex Alera....all true!

Buy all these books.

[Abyss]

Mentalist, on 02 March 2011 - 01:43 AM, said:

...I love GKKay, but Tigana, despite all the critical praise, I found to be one of his weaker works (have not read the last book he wrote yet, htough)

and yes, the Scar is quite different from PSS. though out of all the Bas-Lag books, i'm in the minority that found Iron Council to be simply amazing.

re GGK, loved Arbonne, Lions, Sarantine and even Fionavar, but Tigana and Last Light were a struggle to even finish. Weak books indeed.

Bombur, on 02 March 2011 - 03:49 AM, said:

...
I've not read Dresden. Have seen some of the TV series, does that count?

And what's the CoCaine?

Sit down, my friend, and allow us to enlighten you...

Bombur, on 02 March 2011 - 04:47 AM, said:

MTS, on 02 March 2011 - 03:58 AM, said:

CoCaine is Matthew Stover's Acts of Caine series, which are dragonfucknuts awesome.

Dragonfucknuts eh. The best sort of fucknuts. Checking it out in wikipedia and amazon.

It's brilliant, brilliant stuff, and sufferes only from the time gap between books while the author does silly things like writing other books in insignificant shared properties that he gets paid tall dollars for...

The second one, BLADE OF TYSHALLE, is notoriously difficult to acquire in book form but they're all out in e-book.
And fucking brilliant.

Briar King, on 02 March 2011 - 05:02 AM, said:

What am I reading??? Fucking nothing since BAM decided to not have TCP on time yesterday....ugh Wise mans Fear is just fo big to read to stop in 2 days till the put out TCG.

So I aint reading shit.

Selective DOD re-read. GO!

HoosierDaddy, on 02 March 2011 - 05:40 AM, said:

Dresden and Mieville are about as similar as Erikson and Lord of the Rings.
...

To be fair, KRAKEN verges on Dresden territory, while the Bas-Lag stuff is entirely other.
Kraken is my favourite Mieville book btw and a gret great read.

Bombur, on 02 March 2011 - 06:36 AM, said:

...
Still, I'll pick up Dresden first.

Here's what you have to know about the Dresden Files...

1) The tv show never happened.
2) The first book is good, the second better and the third great. At the fourth the series OWNS YOUR SOUL.
3) And then it gets even better. Nine more books of better and counting...

amphibian, on 02 March 2011 - 06:41 AM, said:

I also completely forgot Alistair Reynolds. Start with Revelation Space and work your way through everything he has ever written. The man is a dragonfucknuts genius. Chasm City actually made me tear up a bit. Galactic North is staggering to think about. And Clavain is just so, so badass.

I'm going to throw in the qualifier that CHASM CITY is very different from the books that follow on REVELATION SPACE. Those are brilliant. CHASM is basically urban fantasy in an sci fi setting and not really a good example of Reynolds' work.

Stalker, on 02 March 2011 - 07:54 AM, said:

For what it's worth, I absolutely agree with amph's recommendation of Reynolds. One of my top 5 favorite sci-fi authors (along with Banks, Morgan, Asher, and I'd throw Simmons in there for Hyperion cantos).
...

I like Morgan alot. With the exception of hist first (and substantially weaker) book MARKET FORCES, i have utterly enjoyed everything of his.
His Takashi Kovacs series (ALTERED CARBON, BROKEN ANGELS, WOKEN FURIES) is pure sf/action fun, and the less appreciated BLACK MAN is brilliant.

I've also enjoyed all the Asher i've read, tho i have yet to get into his POLITY series. COWL is mindfuckingly briliant time travel war fun the THE SKINNER is superpirates versus aliens and therefore pure win.

Quote

Quote

I'll have to read Dresden too, considering how it seems everyone on these forums loves it.
...

This place got me into The Dresden books and I devoured them quickly, great fun!

The Dresdencrack... it grows...

- Abyss, proud creator of the term 'dragonfucknuts'...

[Use Of Weapons]

Abyss, on 02 March 2011 - 03:16 PM, said:

... but Tigana [...] a struggle to even finish. Weak books indeed.


1) The tv show never happened.

I'm going to throw in the qualifier that CHASM CITY is very different from the books that follow on REVELATION SPACE. Those are brilliant. CHASM is basically urban fantasy in an sci fi setting and not really a good example of Reynolds' work.

I've also enjoyed all the Asher i've read, tho i have yet to get into his POLITY series. COWL is mindfuckingly briliant time travel war fun the THE SKINNER is superpirates versus aliens and therefore pure win.

I disagree with all of the above. I think that, in general, Abyss's tastes and mine run fairly similarly. But:

1. Tigana is right up there with GG Kay's best achievements, and for me it is the stand-out work among his oeuvre.
2. I watcched the Dresden TV series again recently, and it really isn't that bad, and some episodes are actually very good. I urge those who rejected it on first watching to try again.
3. Chasm City, while certainly different in focus and ambition from the Revelation Space novels, is still an absorbing and thoroughly enjoyable SF work, and Reynolds's trademark style is as effective, if on a smaller canvas. I'd agree it's not typical of his work, but that's not to say it's worse.
4. Cowl sucks dragonballs. Cowl is, in fact, a dragonfucknutsucker.

[Salt-Man Z]

Bombur, on 02 March 2011 - 05:35 AM, said:

First though I'm going to read tCG, Gormenghast Trilogy and The Worm Ouroboros. If they ever actually arrive that is.

I'm interested in hearing what you think of The Worm Ouroboros, as I've got that on my list to get to this year. The Gormenghast books were hard going at times (especially the first half of the second book) but really brilliantly written.

Caine is phenomenal, Dresden is a blast, and the Revelation Space books are mind-blowing.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 02 March 2011 - 03:16 PM, said:

Bombur, on 02 March 2011 - 06:36 AM, said:

...
Still, I'll pick up Dresden first.

Here's what you have to know about the Dresden Files...

1) The tv show never happened.
2) The first book is good, the second better and the third great. At the fourth the series OWNS YOUR SOUL.
3) And then it gets even better. Nine more books of better and counting...that are lathered with steak and bacons.

Fixed.

[Aptorian]

Abyss, on 02 March 2011 - 03:16 PM, said:

I've also enjoyed all the Asher i've read, tho i have yet to get into his POLITY series. COWL is mindfuckingly briliant time travel war fun the THE SKINNER is superpirates versus aliens and therefore pure win.

Who is this Asher guy?

Time travel and super pirates sounds intriguing. The books are called Cowl and Skinner?

[Use Of Weapons]

Clockwork Apt, on 02 March 2011 - 04:15 PM, said:

Abyss, on 02 March 2011 - 03:16 PM, said:

I've also enjoyed all the Asher i've read, tho i have yet to get into his POLITY series. COWL is mindfuckingly briliant time travel war fun the THE SKINNER is superpirates versus aliens and therefore pure win.

Who is this Asher guy?

Time travel and super pirates sounds intriguing. The books are called Cowl and Skinner?

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Neal_Asher

One phrase sums up a lot of his work: giant cannibalistic space-crabs!

I'd actually recommend reading them in publication order, starting with Gridlinked.

[T77]

Bombur, on 02 March 2011 - 02:13 AM, said:

T77, on 01 March 2011 - 02:53 PM, said:

Bombur, on 28 February 2011 - 03:53 PM, said:

T77, on 28 February 2011 - 03:10 PM, said:

Finished Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, this was my first book by him. I thought it was very meh, it just didn't do it for me. Everything about it was just very average and I was not that impressed with his writing. Normally I would stop reading a book that doesn't draw me in by the halfway point, but seeing all the praise for this guy I trudged on. Unless I hear it gets much better from here I don't think I will be continuing with th series.

Since you thought Mistborn was meh, my advice is DO NOT read book two!

I wasn't that impressed by the mistborn series. I sort of enjoyed the first book, decent overall and good in parts but not spectacular. But the second book was pretty bad. Nothing much happens for hundreds of pages... a bunch of armies sitting around looking at each-other, wondering (along with the reader) when the action will begin. Only the last 100 or so pages are interesting. The third book is better, not quite as good as the first, but decent. Still, I wish I hadn't bothered with the series. There are better things to read. My only consolation is I got a boxed-set of all three volumes for $20NZ - and each is sold separately for around $25NZ.

I didn't really care for Sanderson's writing style in mistborn either. Though I thought the blend between his style and Jordan's in The Gathering Storm was an improvement over both and quite good. I'd say that Jordan is the better writer, so trying to emulate him improved Sanderson, and Sanderson's faster paced story-telling improved Jordan.

Mistborn has the dubious distinction of being the only fantasy I've read over the past couple of years that I couldn't lose myself in. I think this might be because Sanderson info dumps a lot and explains his character's thoughts on what they're doing in too much detail. I found that a bit jarring, like I kept being plucked out of the story so Sanderson could make it absolutely abdundantly clear what was happening.

Though considering that over this same two year period I've mainly been reading classics like the book of the new sun, lyonesse, and the chronicles of amber, plus malazan and ASOI&F with a sprinkling of gemmel and pratchett, it's probably not surprising mistborn came out the worst. Oh scratch that - I just remembered I read Dragonlance a few months ago - that was fucking awful. Mistborn beats it by miles.

Thanks! Chances were slim that I was going to continue with the series, but seeing that you felt as I did I will not read the last 2 books. Like you I have been reading the New/Long Sun, Malazan as well as The Black Company and compared to that it is so inferior IMO. It felt like cookie cutter fantasy with average writing. I read the first WoT book and thought it was pretty good and will eventually go back and finish that, especially since Jordan wrote most of it.

Be encouraged that Sanderson's WOT books have been damn good. My hat goes off to him for that. A brilliant achievement really, considering he is finishing off someone else's super famous epic fantasy series.

Actually, the problem with WOT isn't with Sanderson, but with Jordon.

The thing about WOT (well for the majority of readers): it's really great till after book 6 (Lord of Chaos), but from thereon in Jordan gets bogged down in too much detail. Arcs that should have been wrapped up quickly drag on forever, and less and less seems to happen. Despite this, books seven, nine and eleven are still decent reads (some really cool stuff in 9 especially, and eleven ties up all those tedious arcs that should have ended books ago), but disappointing compared to the earlier ones. Eight made me almost bored with the series, so much so that it was some years before I bothered with 9. The real trough though is with book Ten. Ten is possibly the worst fantasy novel I've ever read. Nothing happens in it. NOTHING.

The wikipedia plot summary for book 10 goes something like:
- character X continues doing something he started doing in the last book, but doesn't finish doing it, and in fact makes almost no headway. Actually, he joins the circus.
- character Y: see X
- character Z: see X

Rand is just about completely absent from the book. Probably he got bored too and went off to do something more interesting, like water his garden.

Then (after book 11) Sanderson came along with book 12 and seriously got the story moving again. Sanderson's books 12 and 13 both blew me away. Anyway, when you continue with WOT, and find yourself despairing with book 10 just be encouraged that it does get good again.

Thanks, I've heard there are some bumps in the road with the series. And given its length, I have been in no rush to return to it. But, when I do I will have patience and try to make it to the end. Maybe I'll see what all the fuss is about with Sanderson.

[QuickTidal]

T77, on 02 March 2011 - 04:52 PM, said:

Bombur, on 02 March 2011 - 02:13 AM, said:

T77, on 01 March 2011 - 02:53 PM, said:

Bombur, on 28 February 2011 - 03:53 PM, said:

T77, on 28 February 2011 - 03:10 PM, said:

Finished Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, this was my first book by him. I thought it was very meh, it just didn't do it for me. Everything about it was just very average and I was not that impressed with his writing. Normally I would stop reading a book that doesn't draw me in by the halfway point, but seeing all the praise for this guy I trudged on. Unless I hear it gets much better from here I don't think I will be continuing with th series.

Since you thought Mistborn was meh, my advice is DO NOT read book two!

I wasn't that impressed by the mistborn series. I sort of enjoyed the first book, decent overall and good in parts but not spectacular. But the second book was pretty bad. Nothing much happens for hundreds of pages... a bunch of armies sitting around looking at each-other, wondering (along with the reader) when the action will begin. Only the last 100 or so pages are interesting. The third book is better, not quite as good as the first, but decent. Still, I wish I hadn't bothered with the series. There are better things to read. My only consolation is I got a boxed-set of all three volumes for $20NZ - and each is sold separately for around $25NZ.

I didn't really care for Sanderson's writing style in mistborn either. Though I thought the blend between his style and Jordan's in The Gathering Storm was an improvement over both and quite good. I'd say that Jordan is the better writer, so trying to emulate him improved Sanderson, and Sanderson's faster paced story-telling improved Jordan.

Mistborn has the dubious distinction of being the only fantasy I've read over the past couple of years that I couldn't lose myself in. I think this might be because Sanderson info dumps a lot and explains his character's thoughts on what they're doing in too much detail. I found that a bit jarring, like I kept being plucked out of the story so Sanderson could make it absolutely abdundantly clear what was happening.

Though considering that over this same two year period I've mainly been reading classics like the book of the new sun, lyonesse, and the chronicles of amber, plus malazan and ASOI&F with a sprinkling of gemmel and pratchett, it's probably not surprising mistborn came out the worst. Oh scratch that - I just remembered I read Dragonlance a few months ago - that was fucking awful. Mistborn beats it by miles.

Thanks! Chances were slim that I was going to continue with the series, but seeing that you felt as I did I will not read the last 2 books. Like you I have been reading the New/Long Sun, Malazan as well as The Black Company and compared to that it is so inferior IMO. It felt like cookie cutter fantasy with average writing. I read the first WoT book and thought it was pretty good and will eventually go back and finish that, especially since Jordan wrote most of it.

Be encouraged that Sanderson's WOT books have been damn good. My hat goes off to him for that. A brilliant achievement really, considering he is finishing off someone else's super famous epic fantasy series.

Actually, the problem with WOT isn't with Sanderson, but with Jordon.

The thing about WOT (well for the majority of readers): it's really great till after book 6 (Lord of Chaos), but from thereon in Jordan gets bogged down in too much detail. Arcs that should have been wrapped up quickly drag on forever, and less and less seems to happen. Despite this, books seven, nine and eleven are still decent reads (some really cool stuff in 9 especially, and eleven ties up all those tedious arcs that should have ended books ago), but disappointing compared to the earlier ones. Eight made me almost bored with the series, so much so that it was some years before I bothered with 9. The real trough though is with book Ten. Ten is possibly the worst fantasy novel I've ever read. Nothing happens in it. NOTHING.

The wikipedia plot summary for book 10 goes something like:
- character X continues doing something he started doing in the last book, but doesn't finish doing it, and in fact makes almost no headway. Actually, he joins the circus.
- character Y: see X
- character Z: see X

Rand is just about completely absent from the book. Probably he got bored too and went off to do something more interesting, like water his garden.

Then (after book 11) Sanderson came along with book 12 and seriously got the story moving again. Sanderson's books 12 and 13 both blew me away. Anyway, when you continue with WOT, and find yourself despairing with book 10 just be encouraged that it does get good again.

Thanks, I've heard there are some bumps in the road with the series. And given its length, I have been in no rush to return to it. But, when I do I will have patience and try to make it to the end. Maybe I'll see what all the fuss is about with Sanderson.

I spent most of 2010 reading WOT in its entirety for the first time (currently on TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT) and reviewed them all. The consensus that things go south after LORD OF CHAOS is true, though I found redeeming qualities in a few of those lackluster books....THE PATH OF DAGGERS and CROSSROADS OF TWILIGHT are almost utterly irredeemable and in the case of the latter, there is a thread in the Sanderson/Jordan forum that will tell you the ONLY thing that happens in CoT so you don't have to bother with it if you can't stomach it. I wanted to line my birdcage and then my fireplace with that book. However, KoD onwards is great and the Sanderson ones bring back the goods to the series in spades.

[QuickTidal]

jitsukerr, on 02 March 2011 - 04:22 PM, said:

Clockwork Apt, on 02 March 2011 - 04:15 PM, said:

Abyss, on 02 March 2011 - 03:16 PM, said:

I've also enjoyed all the Asher i've read, tho i have yet to get into his POLITY series. COWL is mindfuckingly briliant time travel war fun the THE SKINNER is superpirates versus aliens and therefore pure win.

Who is this Asher guy?

Time travel and super pirates sounds intriguing. The books are called Cowl and Skinner?

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Neal_Asher

One phrase sums up a lot of his work: giant cannibalistic space-crabs!

I'd actually recommend reading them in publication order, starting with Gridlinked.

Asher is one author I've never tried that I plan to get to this year as well. Probably after I am Kindle-ed.

[caladanbrood]

Did I hear someone mention Asher. I am here to add my vote to that. Asher is my second favourite author, after Erikson - just huge piles of fun. Like Abyss said, how can you go wrong with Superpirates vs Aliens? I generally classify him as Iain M Banks-lite, but meaning nothing but a compliment by that!

[murphy72]

Clockwork Apt, on 02 March 2011 - 04:15 PM, said:

Abyss, on 02 March 2011 - 03:16 PM, said:

I've also enjoyed all the Asher i've read, tho i have yet to get into his POLITY series. COWL is mindfuckingly briliant time travel war fun the THE SKINNER is superpirates versus aliens and therefore pure win.

Who is this Asher guy?

Time travel and super pirates sounds intriguing. The books are called Cowl and Skinner?

Neal Asher from Fantastic Fiction:

http://www.fantastic...a/neal-l-asher/

[Fist Gamet]

Agreed to the awesomeness of Reynolds, Meiville and Kay - Chasm City is still my favourite Reynolds book.
At the mo, reading both TCG and The Lucifer Effect (about the Stanford University Experiments).

[Aptorian]

Okay. So, do you recommend just starting from the first series or?

The guy sure seems like a prolific author. How big are these books?