Let's talk about series we love

[hildea]

I thought about writing this in the other thread about series, but realised it would not only be off-topic but anti-topic, so here's a new thread for talking about series we love. (On topic for this thread are all kinds of series, from duologies and up, and also stand-alones where there's reason to think the author will write sequels.Talking about series where we love some books but not all are also on topic.)

I just finished the fifth and last book book in Marie Brennan's The Memoirs of Lady Trent.

All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world’s preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.
Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity.

I really, really liked this series. I started reading when the first book came out, almost five years ago. I'm not good at remembering lots of details from books I read, and for some series that's a problem, but this series is very forgiving to forgetful readers Lady Trent travels all over the world with a few companions, so the number of recurring important characters is manageable. Later books build on earlier, but the important events are remarkable enough that it's easy to remember them even after several years and oodles of other books read in between. We learn to know her and see her grow from a curious child to a world famous naturalist (this is not a spoiler, it's mentioned in the preface to the first book). The books also made me care enough about dragons that plot twists about discoveries about dragon biology matter.

Originally Posted by Isabella, Lady Trent

Be warned, then: the collected volumes of this series will contain frozen mountains, foetid swamps, hostile foreigners, hostile fellow countrymen, the occasional hostile family member, bad desicions, misadventures in orienteering, diseases of an unromantic sort, and a plenitude of mud.

[pwalker8]

Ok, you hooked me. Just bought the first book of the series.

Gosh, so many series over the years that I have loved and re-read. Ok. Here is a series that I just discovered this year (and probably mentioned).

Marc Alan Edelheit's Chronicles of an Imperial Legionnaire Officer. Think a mix of Roman history and magic. Maybe a blend of Turtledove and Moon.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Ok, you hooked me. Just bought the first book of the series.

Gosh, so many series over the years that I have loved and re-read. Ok. Here is a series that I just discovered this year (and probably mentioned).

Marc Alan Edelheit's Chronicles of an Imperial Legionnaire Officer. Think a mix of Roman history and magic. Maybe a blend of Turtledove and Moon.

I have read them and am eagerly awaiting the next one. I classify them as Historical Fantasy.
Apache

[kyteflyer]

I'm a science fiction fan, and if I was going to recommend a series for anyone to read, it would have to be Ben Bova's "Grand Tour" series. Its something which captured my imagination completely. You don't really have to read in any particular order, but some books should be ordered because of references back and forth. I've found the books to be believable... that is, there arent any bug eyed monsters, or crazy aliens, or any of that stuff... its just about humanity spreading through the solar system, and how Bova thinks things will progress. All of them are on my read-again... and again... list. I started with "Mars" (incidentally, being made into a movie even as we type). And, he's still writing new material.

The list is here on his website.. I used it to try to keep in some kind of order of reading, but you wont find book synopses there, alas.
http://benbova.com/about/

Here's a Mars synopsis, from Amazon.
"To the harsh landscape of Sol's fourth planet travel thirteen astronauts, the best scientists from eleven nations, on a history-making voyage into the unknown. The international crew of the Mars mission have spent nine months in space, crossing 100 million kilometres, to reach the last great frontier. Their voyage is fraught with disputes, both personal and political, and their time on Mars limited to 'footprints and flags'; yet while there they will come face-to-face with the most incredible and shocking discovery of all."

Stephen Baxter is another favourite author whose Xeelee series caught me, but then I began reading his alternative histories (Destiny's Children series). The 2 book series that captured me most of all was Flood, followed by Ark. Again... believable (could it really happen? Maybe) The Xeelee was not, but was interesting nonetheless and I will read all of those again, as well.

Baxter also wrote (with Terry Pratchett) the Long Earth series, and he has collaborated with other authors as well.

Here's the link to his books list
http://www.stephen-baxter.com/books.html

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

I'm a science fiction fan, and if I was going to recommend a series for anyone to read, it would have to be Ben Bova's "Grand Tour" series. Its something which captured my imagination completely. You don't really have to read in any particular order, but some books should be ordered because of references back and forth. I've found the books to be believable... that is, there arent any bug eyed monsters, or crazy aliens, or any of that stuff... its just about humanity spreading through the solar system, and how Bova thinks things will progress. All of them are on my read-again... and again... list. I started with "Mars" (incidentally, being made into a movie even as we type). And, he's still writing new material.

So far, I've only read Jupiter, but I did enjoy it. I have several of the others, I just have read them yet.

Stephen Baxter is another favourite author whose Xeelee series caught me, but then I began reading his alternative histories (Destiny's Children series). The 2 book series that captured me most of all was Flood, followed by Ark. Again... believable (could it really happen? Maybe) The Xeelee was not, but was interesting nonetheless and I will read all of those again, as well.

I love Stephen Baxter. He's the modern Arthur C. Clarke. I've read several of his stand alones, but none of his series, excerpt Manifold Time.

[kyteflyer]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

So far, I've only read Jupiter, but I did enjoy it. I have several of the others, I just have read them yet.



I love Stephen Baxter. He's the modern Arthur C. Clarke. I've read several of his stand alones, but none of his series, excerpt Manifold Time.

I loved the Manifold series as well, but by the time i got to the end of my post, I thought I should probably stop. I think I have read it twice now, and will do so again. Its more or less an annual event for me.

REad Mars, and Return to Mars. Not yet sold on Mars Life but... thats just me. Also worth it is the Asteroid Wars series.

[hildea]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

Ok, you hooked me. Just bought the first book of the series.

Gosh, so many series over the years that I have loved and re-read. Ok. Here is a series that I just discovered this year (and probably mentioned).

Marc Alan Edelheit's Chronicles of an Imperial Legionnaire Officer. Think a mix of Roman history and magic. Maybe a blend of Turtledove and Moon.

Sounds interesting, I'll check it out. I like Moon, haven't read any Turtledove.

If you like Roman history, have you read Maureen McCollough's First Man in Rome series? I think it went downhill when Gaius Julius Caesar (grandson of the Gaius Julius Caesar we met in the opening scene of the first book) grew up. He became so over-the-top competent in everything -- that might be historically plausible, but I found him annoying. I stopped halfway through the last book, but I've gone back to reread favourite parts of the first books more than once.

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

I'm a science fiction fan, and if I was going to recommend a series for anyone to read, it would have to be Ben Bova's "Grand Tour" series. Its something which captured my imagination completely. You don't really have to read in any particular order, but some books should be ordered because of references back and forth. I've found the books to be believable... that is, there arent any bug eyed monsters, or crazy aliens, or any of that stuff... its just about humanity spreading through the solar system, and how Bova thinks things will progress.

This also looks interesting (oh, my poor TBR pile ). I really like science fiction which deals with the impact of technolgy on society. Elisabeth Moon and Lois McMaster Bujold do this very well.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I love Stephen Baxter. He's the modern Arthur C. Clarke. I've read several of his stand alones, but none of his series, excerpt Manifold Time.

Most of what Baxter writes is "alternative history", and personally I think it's excellent. His "Northland" series, for example, gives a credible alternate European history, entirely due to one woman's actions at the end of the last ice age. Fascinating stuff!

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by hildea

If you like Roman history, have you read Maureen McCollough's First Man in Rome series? I think it went downhill when Gaius Julius Caesar (grandson of the Gaius Julius Caesar we met in the opening scene of the first book) grew up. He became so over-the-top competent in everything -- that might be historically plausible, but I found him annoying. I stopped halfway through the last book, but I've gone back to reread favourite parts of the first books more than once.

I think you mean Colleen McCollough. I'd also recommend her Song of Troy, her retelling of The Iliad.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Most of what Baxter writes is "alternative history", and personally I think it's excellent. His "Northland" series, for example, gives a credible alternate European history, entirely due to one woman's actions at the end of the last ice age. Fascinating stuff!

Most of what Baxter wires now is alternate history, which I'm much less interested in. But I loved Titan, Moonseed, Manifold Time and The Light of Other Days.