Recommendations for Character-driven SF/F Novels?

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I recommend Robin Hobbs. She writes very good character based fantasy. I've read Assassin's Apprentice and Ship of Magic and I am just starting Royal Assassin. The normal suggestest reading order is the published order because they all take place in the same world. Just not all linked together.

Farseer
1. Assassin's Apprentice (1995)
2. Royal Assassin (1996)
3. Assassin's Quest (1997)

Liveship Traders
1. Ship of Magic (1998)
2. The Mad Ship (1999)
3. Ship of Destiny (2000)

Tawny Man
1. Fool's Errand (2001)
2. The Golden Fool (2002)
3. Fool's Fate (2003)

Soldier Son
1. Shaman's Crossing (2005)
2. Forest Mage (2006)
3. Renegade's Magic (2007)

Rain Wild Chronicles
1. The Dragon Keeper (2009)
2. Dragon Haven (2010)

These are not for everyone, but I'll certainly second that. Robin Hobbs builds up her novels slowly and methodically, and with artistry. Her books are delicious reads.


Don

[retro]

The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik is a good character driven series.
Definitely fantasy and very entertaining!

[citac]

I'd recommend John Varley. My personal favorites are his novels set on Gaea - Titan, Wizard and Demon. His characters are always very interesting.

[sabredog]

The Lost Fleet series - Jack Campbell
Vatta's War - Elizabeth Moon
Kris Longknife series - Mike Shepherd
Honor Harrington - David Weber

The above are all good reads with strong central characters, though more military SF.

[mediax]

Perhaps Anathem by Neal Stephenson?

[Penforhire]

I'll toss out an oldy-but-goody character driven SF novel. Check out Samuel R Delany's Nova. I thought it had very strong characterizations established with a minimum of prose and the plot was absolutely character-driven.

[WillAdams]

Steven Brust's writings are character-driven and have interesting things to say about the characters and humanity.

Susan Cooper's _The Dark is Rising_ pentalogy is quite good w/ interesting character developments and some surprising things dependent on human decisions.

William

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by GoblinWriter

but Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan books (SF) are among my favorites,

Any reading suggestions?

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Liaden books.
http://www.webscription.net/c-65-lia...er-miller.aspx

They're all available from webscription.net. You could start with Crystal Soldier which is the first of two (very long ago) prequel books or perhaps the first published book, Agent of Change or the first of the main sequences, Local Custom or perhaps a nice stand-alone YA that happens between the prequel and the main sequences, Balance of Trade

All are good!

[bxrLvr]

Originally Posted by jaxx6166

For character driven, I'd give The Dresden Files (Urban Fantasy) or EE Knight's Vampire Earth (SF) a shot.

just noticed that the first book in the EE Knight's Vampire Earth series is only $2 for the kindle:
http://www.amazon.com/Way-of-The-Wol...=AG56TWVU5XWC2

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Liaden books.
http://www.webscription.net/c-65-lia...er-miller.aspx

They're all available from webscription.net. You could start with Crystal Soldier which is the first of two (very long ago) prequel books or perhaps the first published book, Agent of Change or the first of the main sequences, Local Custom or perhaps a nice stand-alone YA that happens between the prequel and the main sequences, Balance of Trade

All are good!

I do agree with that. They are good. I am going to buy the next book in the series from Baen this month.

[Mr.Hughes]

id deffinatly try EE Knight's Vampire Earth, once i started the series i couldnt put it down.

I love anything by John Wyndham, as you really care about the main characters in his books. They are easy to identify with, and you can 'see' their world though his writing.

(I don't include the recent televised adaptation of The Day of The Triffids, produced by the BBC in the UK. I don't know if anyone else saw this, but it failed to capture the magic of Wyndham for me. It also raises the age old question - do writers have the right to make drastic changes to a classic novel?)

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by Heather Parker

I love anything by John Wyndham, ...I don't include the recent televised adaptation of The Day of The Triffids, produced by the BBC in the UK. I don't know if anyone else saw this, but it failed to capture the magic of Wyndham for me.

Yep, I felt that too. But if it encourages viewers to go and find the book, imagine the treat that's in store for them.

'The Midwich Cuckoos' is another good one, (I've been wondering recently if the isolation of Midwich village might have partially inspired 'Under the Dome').

[JSWolf]

[QUOTE=sabredog;723515Honor Harrington - David Weber

The above are all good reads with strong central characters, though more military SF.[/QUOTE]
I started reading the Honor Harrington series and read On Basilisk Station before I stopped and decided to read the entire Honoreverse universe in time-line order.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorve...nal_chronology

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

These are not for everyone, but I'll certainly second that. Robin Hobbs builds up her novels slowly and methodically, and with artistry. Her books are delicious reads.


Don

I'm almost done with Royal Assassin and I've been told that Assassin's Quest is the best of the Farseer Trilogy. So I am definately looking forward tot hat one after I read a few other books (mostly short stories).