Looking for sci-fi/fantasy recommendations

OverHaze · 12-30-2014, 03:35 PM

I have read many books over this last year (including the first six Malazan books) and I have come to the annoying conclusion that I have loved none of them. I liked some of them, I really liked a few of them (Tigana, Memories of Ice, Midnight Tides) but not loved.

So I am looking for recommendations! I want something I will look forward to reading at night, not something to merely help me sleep.

My four favourite books of all time are in order, Anathem, A Deepness in the Sky, A Fire Upon the Deep, Let the Right One In.

I like big concepts, interesting likeable and outsider characters.

Any recommendations?

crich70 · 12-30-2014, 03:43 PM

Warp Speed and its sequel The quantum connection by Travis S. Taylor are good. They were available in the Baen CD's a while back and should still be available via Baen I think.

OverHaze · 12-30-2014, 04:27 PM

Thanks! I'll check those out. Anyone else?

jehane · 12-30-2014, 05:26 PM

Richard Morgan - The Steel Remains
Guy Gavriel Kay - The Lions of Al-Rassan
Stephen Donaldson - Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (ok, not such a likable character...)

JSWolf · 12-30-2014, 05:27 PM

The Martian by Andy Weir is very good. Highly recommended.

pdurrant · 12-30-2014, 05:39 PM

Here's ten books I love and would enjoy reading again, and only one from any author:

The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
1632 by Eric Flint
Heaven by Ian Stewart
A Brother's Price by Web Spencer
So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane
The Misenchanted Sword by Lawrence Watt-Evans
Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
The Lies of Locke Lamorra by Scott Lynch
The Martian by Andy Weir
Redshirts by John Scalzi

OverHaze · 12-30-2014, 05:54 PM

Speaking of Guy Gavriel Kay is The Fionavar Tapestry worth checking out?

GeoffR · 12-30-2014, 08:38 PM

If you like Neal Stephenson and Vernor Vinge, I'd recommend Greg Egan. A good place to start is his short story collection Axiomatic.

cromag · 12-31-2014, 04:16 AM

I have no idea if it's up your alley but Earthblood, by Keith Laumer and Rosel George Brown came to my mind. It certainly covers big concepts and a sweeping background. Keith Laumer was a master of science fiction adventure, but he was always a bit short on making his characters likeable and "human" -- and that's where Ms. Brown came in.

It's available in a large collection from Baen, pretty much everywhere.

OverHaze · 12-31-2014, 06:40 AM

Good suggestions so far. Anything in the huge mind expanding Space Opera genre?

pdurrant · 12-31-2014, 06:42 AM

The Lensman series by E E 'Doc' Smith? Or the Skylark of Space series? If you haven't read them, they pretty much started space opera.

DrNefario · 12-31-2014, 07:00 AM

Iain M Banks and Alastair Reynolds.

For Banks, I started with Player of Games, which is the second in his Culture universe, and probably still my favourite. The first is Consider Phlebas, which is heavier going, in my opinion. They are unrelated standalone stories, for the most part, and can be read in any order.

For Reynolds, there's still a lot I haven't read, so maybe I'd recommend Chasm City as a place to start. It's a standalone story in his Revelation Space universe.

A more recent Space Opera would be Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. It swept the awards this year, and I liked it a lot.

pwalker8 · 12-31-2014, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OverHaze

Speaking of Guy Gavriel Kay is The Fionavar Tapestry worth checking out?

It's my favorite by Kay and what got me started reading his books. It's a bit dark in places but I think he's a pretty good author.

pwalker8 · 12-31-2014, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OverHaze

I have read many books over this last year (including the first six Malazan books) and I have come to the annoying conclusion that I have loved none of them. I liked some of them, I really liked a few of them (Tigana, Memories of Ice, Midnight Tides) but not loved.

So I am looking for recommendations! I want something I will look forward to reading at night, not something to merely help me sleep.

My four favourite books of all time are in order, Anathem, A Deepness in the Sky, A Fire Upon the Deep, Let the Right One In.

I like big concepts, interesting likeable and outsider characters.

Any recommendations?

One of the problems is that one person's treasure is another person's drek. Given that I'm not a huge Stephenson or Vinge fan, I don't know that my recommendations would do a lot of good. I assume that you have read the other books by those authors?

OverHaze · 12-31-2014, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pwalker8

One of the problems is that one person's treasure is another person's drek. Given that I'm not a huge Stephenson or Vinge fan, I don't know that my recommendations would do a lot of good. I assume that you have read the other books by those authors?

I've read everything by Vinge. Stephenson is a bit more hit and miss for me.

12-30-2014, 03:35 PM	#1
OverHaze Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 2227232 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Kindle Voyage, iPad Air 2	Looking for sci-fi/fantasy recommendations I have read many books over this last year (including the first six Malazan books) and I have come to the annoying conclusion that I have loved none of them. I liked some of them, I really liked a few of them (Tigana, Memories of Ice, Midnight Tides) but not loved. So I am looking for recommendations! I want something I will look forward to reading at night, not something to merely help me sleep. My four favourite books of all time are in order, Anathem, A Deepness in the Sky, A Fire Upon the Deep, Let the Right One In. I like big concepts, interesting likeable and outsider characters. Any recommendations?

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12-30-2014, 03:43 PM	#2
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Warp Speed and its sequel The quantum connection by Travis S. Taylor are good. They were available in the Baen CD's a while back and should still be available via Baen I think.

12-30-2014, 04:27 PM	#3
OverHaze Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 2227232 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Kindle Voyage, iPad Air 2	Thanks! I'll check those out. Anyone else?

12-30-2014, 05:26 PM	#4
jehane Book addict Posts: 441 Karma: 2650464 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Antarctica/Australia/Ohio Device: Sony PRS-300/T1/Asus TF101	Richard Morgan - The Steel Remains Guy Gavriel Kay - The Lions of Al-Rassan Stephen Donaldson - Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (ok, not such a likable character...)

12-30-2014, 05:27 PM	#5
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,897 Karma: 128597114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The Martian by Andy Weir is very good. Highly recommended.

12-30-2014, 05:39 PM	#6
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 71,496 Karma: 306214458 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	Here's ten books I love and would enjoy reading again, and only one from any author: The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold 1632 by Eric Flint Heaven by Ian Stewart A Brother's Price by Web Spencer So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane The Misenchanted Sword by Lawrence Watt-Evans Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone The Lies of Locke Lamorra by Scott Lynch The Martian by Andy Weir Redshirts by John Scalzi

12-30-2014, 05:54 PM	#7
OverHaze Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 2227232 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Kindle Voyage, iPad Air 2	Speaking of Guy Gavriel Kay is The Fionavar Tapestry worth checking out?

12-30-2014, 08:38 PM	#8
GeoffR Wizard Posts: 3,821 Karma: 19162882 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Te Riu-a-Māui Device: Kobo Glo	If you like Neal Stephenson and Vernor Vinge, I'd recommend Greg Egan. A good place to start is his short story collection Axiomatic.

12-31-2014, 04:16 AM	#9
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 24,279 Karma: 459220161 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	I have no idea if it's up your alley but Earthblood, by Keith Laumer and Rosel George Brown came to my mind. It certainly covers big concepts and a sweeping background. Keith Laumer was a master of science fiction adventure, but he was always a bit short on making his characters likeable and "human" -- and that's where Ms. Brown came in. It's available in a large collection from Baen, pretty much everywhere.

12-31-2014, 06:40 AM	#10
OverHaze Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 2227232 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: Kindle Voyage, iPad Air 2	Good suggestions so far. Anything in the huge mind expanding Space Opera genre?

12-31-2014, 06:42 AM	#11
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 71,496 Karma: 306214458 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	The Lensman series by E E 'Doc' Smith? Or the Skylark of Space series? If you haven't read them, they pretty much started space opera.

12-31-2014, 07:00 AM	#12
DrNefario Wizard Posts: 2,099 Karma: 11315768 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch	Iain M Banks and Alastair Reynolds. For Banks, I started with Player of Games, which is the second in his Culture universe, and probably still my favourite. The first is Consider Phlebas, which is heavier going, in my opinion. They are unrelated standalone stories, for the most part, and can be read in any order. For Reynolds, there's still a lot I haven't read, so maybe I'd recommend Chasm City as a place to start. It's a standalone story in his Revelation Space universe. A more recent Space Opera would be Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. It swept the awards this year, and I liked it a lot.