Wanted- Something epic... (SF/ Fantasy)

[DrNefario]

I read the second one first and loved it. It was the first Brin I read, and I went on to read everything he put out.

As I am unsure what you have read try
Raymond E Feist - The Riftwar Saga
- The Empire Trilogy

Stephen R Donaldson - The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant all of them .
- Mordant's Need

Julian May - Saga of Pliocene Exile

As stated about David Gemmell.

[owly]

It's a good series BUT be warned, there's some extreme graphic violence in it.

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Try Stephen R. Donaldson's Gap Cycle.
The first book is very, very short. More of an intro, really, to the meat and potatoes of the SF series.

[mpd123]

Try the Malzan Empire books by Steven Erikson.

[leezer3]

Originally Posted by mpd123

Try the Malzan Empire books by Steven Erikson.

Tried one of those in audio format and got a little bored/ lost.
Seemed to be a whole lot of disjointed stuff going on all over the place, while I suspect it'd be better in written format, it's not for people who want fast-paced stuff IMHO
Narrator wasn't brilliant either, which never helps.

Saga of the Exiles is another one I read a long time ago, and for that matter one came out in audio format not too long ago. Good books, but the audio version simply didn't work, as the reader made no distinction between the mindtalk and the rest of the text, which rather wrecked the flow of things

-Leezer-

[BenG]

I just started A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham, the first book in his The Long Price Quartet. It's gotten a lot of good reviews.

The setting is vaguely Asian and I think pre-industrial but not medieval. The magic is done by poets who can control mysterious beings called "andats". They are described as "ideas tamed and given human shape" by the poets and can perform the magic associated with the idea of their names like Seedless or Water-Moving-Down.

I'm only a few pages into it but I'm already wanting to read more.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The first book had an interesting premise. But the second about the dolphins just got boring really fast. Never did finish it. There was no likability to the dolphins.

I would point out that this is definitely a minority opinion in the Sci-Fi community since the second and third books (i.e., Starttide Rising and The Uplift War) are both Hugo winners.

Personally I found several of the dolphins to be very likable.

--
Bill

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by bill_mchale

I would point out that this is definitely a minority opinion in the Sci-Fi community since the second and third books (i.e., Starttide Rising and The Uplift War) are both Hugo winners.

Personally I found several of the dolphins to be very likable.

--
Bill

Just because a book won an award does not mean it deserves the award. The award is based on some people's opinion. The award is not fact based. It also means that mediocre books can get a Hugo. And in this case, a wrong one. I do know of other people who have given up because the dolphins were just not good characters.

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Just because a book won an award does not mean it deserves the award.

And just because Jon doesn't like a book doesn't mean it shouldn't or can't win an award. Just saying.

[DrNefario]

I think it is often the case that the first book in an important series is overlooked, since it wasn't an important series then.

That said, Startide Rising is still my favourite of the uplift books.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

And just because Jon doesn't like a book doesn't mean it shouldn't or can't win an award. Just saying.

And it doesn't mean it's worthy of the award just because it won. Some really poor books have won awards.

[bill_mchale]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Just because a book won an award does not mean it deserves the award. The award is based on some people's opinion. The award is not fact based. It also means that mediocre books can get a Hugo. And in this case, a wrong one. I do know of other people who have given up because the dolphins were just not good characters.

Jon, your back must get sore carrying such a large chip on your shoulder.

I simply pointed out that your opinion is in the minority in the science fiction community. The Hugos, since they are voted on by the members of World Con, are essentially a popularity contest. So a win means that the winner was rather popular in a given year.

And while I am at it, I will point out that Startide Rising also won a Nebula which means it was generally highly regarded by other Science Fiction authors and a Locus award. Yes, perhaps it is not a good novel.. but sooner or later, with enough awards and enough sales, one has to ask the question if they might be seeing something there that you don't see.

You don't like the novel. We get that, but you not liking a novel does not mean it is not a good novel.

--
Bill

[fjtorres]

Try Weber's MUTINEER'S MOON, free at the Baen Free Library.
Or try the OMNIBUS edition: EMPIRE FROM THE ASHES.
You'll have a hard time finding something more epic than the first two novels in the Omnibus.

[djulian]

Already mentioned, but Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy is flat-out great.

[Freeshadow]

Fantasy:
David Eddings: Belgariad & Malloreon saga; Elenium & Tamuli saga.
Andrzej Sapkowski: Witcher saga
Ursula K. LeGuin: Earthsea

SF: Lois McMaster Boujould: Vorkosigan saga

should be enough for some weeks.