# Sci Fi and Fantasy Books



## Damien. (Apr 24, 2008)

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## Govinda (Apr 24, 2008)

The Xenogenesis trilogy by Octavia Butler

The Dune series by Frank Herbert (not the later work by his son)

The City and the Stars by Arthur C. Clark

Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand by Samuel R. Delany


(I've had to by all of these more than once because I read them thin)


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## topper (Apr 25, 2008)

Damien. said:


> Okay, some of my absolute favorite books:
> 
> Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper Jerle Shanara trilogy by Terry Brooks The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Johnathon Stroud anything by the author Terry Pratchett


 
You have excellent taste, :mrgreen: though I've never heard of Icarus Hunt. To this list, I can only add Jim Butcher's works and eventually, I think, Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimon. I've read it once, and I think the second time around I will enjoy it more.


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## Damien. (Apr 27, 2008)

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## LolliAdverbs (Apr 27, 2008)

Sci Fi/Fantasy is my favorite genre, but most of the books I read from it are sort of mediocre... But here's my list... it's depressingly small for someone who professes to enjoy the genre so much. 

Belgariad and Mallorean Series -- David Eddings (It's a shame that after that, he just kept on persisting writing the same story...)

The Foundation Trilogy- Isaac Asimov (A big fav in the poli sci crowd)

Howl's Moving Castle - Dianne Wynne Jones (I've read this book so many times that I've had to buy twice, then shook it up a bit and bought it in French)

I have such bizarre taste.


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## Vee (Apr 28, 2008)

LA - the thing your missing with Eddings is that he uses the same archetypes each story but gives them different weaknesses.  As I said somewhere before, its more about the underlying philosophy anyway.


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## Damien. (Apr 28, 2008)

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## topper (Apr 28, 2008)

Damien. said:


> Ha ha ha! I am obsessed with Terry Pratchett, but I think I've read all the ones with Vimes and he's my favorite. Oh, and Vetinari is simply kickass.


 
Have to say I have Death in my top two, along with Vetinari.  There should be more stories about Vetinari.


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## RebelGoddess (Apr 29, 2008)

The Arthurian Saga books by Mary Stewart.

The four books in the series (in order) are: 

The Crystal Cave
The Hollow Hills
The Last Enchantment
The Wicked Day

A bit tedious at times, but overall an amazing read!

Also, I haven't read it, but I've been told that her Merlin trilogy is fantastic as well.

Racheal


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## TJ Cruse (May 4, 2008)

LOTR - Tolkein Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (1 & 2)  - Stephen Donaldson Neuromancer - William Gibson  First three that came to mind....


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## buyjupiter03 (May 4, 2008)

Damien. said:


> Ha ha ha! I am obsessed with Terry Pratchett, but I think I've read all the ones with Vimes and he's my favorite. Oh, and Vetinari is simply kickass.


 

God, I've read all the night watch books two or three times now. I've read Good Omens three times so far, and that will probably increase as the years go by.

I *heart* Lord Vetinari. He is just so great. I feel bad for him, even though he's a Machiavellian character. He needs to do certain things in order to rule well, and everyone around him is a complete idjut.

Did ya hear that Pratchett has a rare form of Alzheimer's? He's gonna write as long as he can, but it may not be too many more books.


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## jon_snow (May 4, 2008)

A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin
The Death Gate Cycle (7 books) by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman


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## Damien. (May 5, 2008)

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## strangedaze (May 5, 2008)

the Dune trilogy
Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller Jr.
Ursula LeGuin's cool.
Joan Russ, too.


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## ~Aisha~ (May 5, 2008)

I love the sci-fi/supernatural genre. My favourite is Stephen. Being a girl though, means my friends totally disapprove, so I guess it's like a guilty pleasure!!

But I just don't GET Terry Pratchett. His stuff sends me to sleep.


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## SoNickSays... (May 5, 2008)

Fantasy? Try Sergei Lukyanenko. I've only read his Watch Series (Night Watch, Day Watch, Twilight Watch) and I found them really interesting. Im now waiting for his final book of the series The Final Watch to come out in English.

It's a good fantasy read.


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## Tiamat (May 5, 2008)

In no particular order...

The Dragon Jousters series by Mercedes Lackey
Harry Potter
The Sword, The Ring, and The Chalice trilogy by Deborah Chester
anything by Charles De Lint
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (but nothing else in that series or the related series)
Temeraire (series) by Naomi Novik


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## Damien. (May 6, 2008)

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## Percible Dryke (May 7, 2008)

For sure The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Probably my favorite new fantasy book of the year. Also, Raymond E. Feist is always good. Harry Potter of course. And finally, Terry Brook's work in Shannara. However, this may be biased as he was the first author to get me interested in fantasy, but they are overall excellent books.


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## seigfried007 (May 8, 2008)

Even though I disliked Ron and Harry and many other 'major' characters, Harry Potter was entertaining.

Robin Hobb's awesome--and no elves, dwarves, etc. I've read Farseer and Tawny Man trologies. 

Sabriel by Garth Nix was pretty good, but I've heard mixed reviews about the others in the series.

Loved Dune. 

LOTR was very good, which is why I can't stand most fantasy any more.

I've heard Dark Tower was great but I started midway through the series and think I should have started at the beginning


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## buyjupiter03 (May 8, 2008)

I'm about half-way through the first volume of _Otherland_ by Tad Williams. It's one novel published in 4 volumes, so it's quite a commitment. I cannot remember the last time a book grabbed me within the first five pages. Very very very good so far. It's about the 'net and VR (virtual reality), and this aspect of the VR is sucking kids in and they're "disappearing" (they go into comas/other brain trauma). It's SF, and I've heard it classified as semi-cyberpunk, but it's rather epic in scope and draws from a lot of different styles. I'm thinking this is something I'm going to be highly recommending for some time. It may be my favorite book this year.


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## aspiretowrite (May 8, 2008)

LOTR Trilogy - a masterpiece
Positronic Man - Asimov. Made me cry at the end
Harry Potter
Only two really good Star Trek books (Probe and Q-In Law) the rest suck
Bradbury - Martian Chronicles (eerie stuff)

Their not books but I am a huge fan of the Cube Trilogy especially the 1st two. As books I think they would have been quite the spinetingler.


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## playstation60 (May 8, 2008)

I disagree, Apsire on the Star Trek books, you should have Shatner's The Return in there.  

I say Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire Trilogy deserves mention.  Angel Mass was a good read too.

Something no one ever seems to mention is Tranquility Wars by Gentry Lee.


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## buyjupiter03 (May 8, 2008)

playstation60 said:


> Something no one ever seems to mention is Tranquility Wars by Gentry Lee.


 
If that isn't the series cowritten with Arthur C. Clarke, then it is nearly impossible to find. In fact, I'd thought the only things he'd written were with Clarke. (I'm talking about walking into your average Borders/library.)


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## Damien. (May 9, 2008)

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## LionofPerth (May 9, 2008)

Starship Troopers by RA Heinlein. 

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Phillip K Dick

Larry Niven's Ringworld

Rucka's Perfect Dark Zero: Initial Front and Second Vector. Ever since Perfect Dark I've been a big fan of Jo Dark, and she's.... well, I guess it's the fact it's a she, that got me hooked. And no, she's no a Croft clone, her bust is a respectable size, at least it was in the original, till Rare added at least five inches way too much in Zero. 

Ender's Game

HP series up to number 4, the rest... well, the last two I smell cop out to be honest. 

Don't read that much fiction any more to be honest.


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## buyjupiter03 (May 9, 2008)

Damien. said:


> Okay, why do writers have to copy each other? The only reason dragons are now unoriginal is because The Hobbit was copied over and over. Same thing with LOTR. Band of adventurers are everywhere; DragonLance Chronicles, any of R. A. Salvatore's works, although I love him.


 
Um, you have heard of "themes", and that there are truly only about 20 plots to choose from? I mean sure, Paolini is obviously a rip off of Tolkein, but most authors add their own twists to an old story. As a matter of fact, Tolkein ripped off a lot of stuff from Norse Myth. I mean, by the time Tolkein was around Elves, Dwarves, Orcs were so not original. 

The band of adventurers works so well because no one person would have all the skills to survive the adventure. Not to mention it would get damn boring with no other main characters.


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## dwellerofthedeep (May 9, 2008)

buyjupiter03 said:


> Um, you have heard of "themes", and that there are truly only about 20 plots to choose from?


 
I know you were talking about plots here but I'd argue that most fantasy authors could work a little harder at their settings considering how derivative they are.



> I mean sure, Paolini is obviously a rip off of Tolkein, but most authors add their own twists to an old story. As a matter of fact, Tolkein ripped off a lot of stuff from Norse Myth. I mean, by the time Tolkein was around Elves, Dwarves, Orcs were so not original.


 
Tolkien was all about myths and language though. Those things were his passions. There is nothing wrong with these things in and of themselves, and I'm sure there are other good fantasy authors who use them but the author might produce something better if they go with his or her true passion in writing. Of course if the author's passion is elves, maybe then? I don't think a few changes here and there is a productive standard for the genre's future myself.



> The band of adventurers works so well because no one person would have all the skills to survive the adventure.


 
I don't know if that should be assumed... 



> Not to mention it would get damn boring with no other main characters.


 
...But I agree with you on this far more important point.

As for books:

I absolutely love Ender's Game and I liked Ender's Shadow too.

Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen help remind me that there is more to fantasy than Tolkien.  I'm not so fond of Nix's Seventh Tower though.

Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos books are excellent as well if one wants something different from fantasy.


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## buyjupiter03 (May 9, 2008)

dwellerofthedeep said:


> I know you were talking about plots here but I'd argue that most fantasy authors could work a little harder at their settings considering how derivative they are.


 
I've read so much now that I have a hard time finding something "original". So I just try to enjoy the writing, the interesting descriptive phrases, and the characters. 

I know this is such a cliche, but "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". The medieval earth (pseudo-earth) setting works for fantasy. The only book in recent memory that did a good job of blending magic and technology in a non-earth setting was _Jackal of Nar_. It was a really good military fantasy (odd categorization, but it works). No elves. No dwarves. I don't remember any dragons (pretty damn sure there aren't any). Good fantasy.


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## dwellerofthedeep (May 10, 2008)

There is nothing wrong with enjoying fantasy as it is, I suppose, but there is potential for more out there in my opinion.  You seem far better read than I am in the genre so your point seems valid to me.  When I write I try a blend often enough that I feel like I learned a thing or two but being a good reader probably taught you what I learned and more.


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## karax268 (May 11, 2008)

My favorite fantasy books (don't read much si-fi)

LOTR - It's the best book i've ever read
Wheel of time by Robert Jordan
Harry potter
The books by Robin Hobb, though I didn't really like them, they were very good. Same goes for George Martin
The name of the wind by Patrick Rothfuss - It's the best book I've read in a long time.

I've read also most of the David Eddings books (the last I read was book 2 of his new series, which disgusted me in a way I can't even discribe) but the only book really worth reading were the belgariad/malorean.


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## Damian_Rucci (May 21, 2008)

For fantasy I would have to say John Marco's trilogy: Eyes of God, Devil's Armor, and I forgot the other one!


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## SilverSphere (May 24, 2008)

For sci-fi, I have to say that Philip K Dick's short stories are right up there with Ender's game.

And for fantasy, I personally found the Earthsea trilogy pretty good.
But of course, LOTR is still the top fantasy.


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## Brightside (May 24, 2008)

For fantasy: yes, LotR, and i like Terry Brooks.

For Sci Fi: Black Library actually, but only select authors like Dan Abnett and Graham McNeill.


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## rickdeckard (May 29, 2008)

All the Steven Erikson books are brilliant.  They are mind bogglingly panoramic. You can just lose your self in the worlds that he has created and the characters are well formed and believable.

As for sci-fi well it has to be Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K Dick and Isaac Asimovs Foundation Series and his robot novels


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## Avairus (May 30, 2008)

Not a big fan of sci-fi here but for fantasy I'm a big fan of David Gemmell's Rigante, Drenai and Troy books.

I find Joseph Delaney's Wardstone Chronicles is good for a light read as well


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## moderan (Jun 11, 2008)

Alistair Reynolds' books for sci-fi-uniformly good, most are excellent-Revelation Space, Chasm City, Redemption Ark, Century Rain in particular are very well-written, with evolving characters, involving plotlines, and intriguing ideas. Another recommendation would be The Best of Cordwainer Smith and his novel Norstrilia.
The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss, is a very good recent fantasy offering, set in a non-Tolkienesque environment. I'd also recommend Pratt and DeCamp's The Compleat Enchanter.
Could go on for pages and pges but I'll stop there.


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