any sci-fi/fantasy buffs?

[kallyn]

Help me figure out what to read next! Whenever I go to the library or bookstore SF/F section, I feel awash in a sea of crap and I usually leave empty-handed. Some authors I've read and enjoyed (in alphabetical order):

Douglas Adams (hitchhiker's guide)
Lloyd Alexander (prydain)
Piers Anthony (when I was younger - xanth, incarnations of immortality)
Isaac Asimov (love his short stories)
Clive Barker (imajica)
Marion Zimmer Bradley (I grew up on sword and sorceress - also mists of avalon)
Terry Brooks (shannara and the landover books)
Jim Butcher (harry dresden, furies)
Susanna Clarke (jonathan strange and mr norrell)
Charles de Lint (various)
Stephen R. Donaldson (the mirror of her dreams, a man rides through)
Diana Gabaldon (outlander books)
Neal Gaiman (loved everything by him)
William Gibson (neuromancer)
Terry Goodkind (well, I liked wizard's first rule, but wasn't so hot on the subsequent ones)
Barbara Hambly (silent tower and silicone mage)
Robert Heinlein (lots)
Robin Hobb (assassin books)
Tanya Huff (quarters books)
Robert Jordan (to an extent, although the braid tugging gets old)
Greg Keyes (newton's canon series, briar king series)
Ellen Kushner (swordspoint and the sequel)
Mercedes Lackey (more when I was younger...ok, I was obsessed when I was younger and read everything I could get ahold of)
George R. R. Martin (a song of ice and fire - my FAVORITE by far)
Anne McCaffrey (pern and various others like killashandra and the ship who sang)
Patricia McKillip (everything by her, but especially the riddle master of hed)
Robin McKinley (everything by her but especially the hero and the crown)
Garth Nix (abhorsen books)
Tamora Pierce (alanna books and the ones about a girl who talks to animals)
Terry Pratchett (everything)
Philip Pullman (his dark materials)
JK Rowling (harry potter natch)
Anya Seton (the mistletoe and the sword and other historical druidy stuff)
Robert Silverberg (lord valentine's castle)
Neal Stephenson (snowcrash, cryptonomicon)
Mary Stewart (king arthur/merlin books)
Tad Williams (memory sorrow and thorn)
Patricia C. Wrede (talking to dragons and its sequels)

oh, and JRR Tolkien of course

And I'm sure there's more. Sometimes I feel like I have read everything good and there is nothing left. I tried Stephen Erikson (Gardens of the Moon) but I didn't care for it. I also tried China Mieville's Perdido Street Station and didn't care for that either. I don't like Jennifer Roberson. I tried to read Gene Wolfe but he infuriated me - I might revisit him though. I've tried Andre Norton but don't particularly enjoy her either. I don't like David Eddings or Guy Gavrial Kay. I have read some Zelazny but I am eh about him.

Anyway, sorry for the freakin' novel. I am just really jonesing for a good book!

[sapphire_chan]

Lackey's Tales of the 500 Kingdoms, SERRAtted Edge, and the Godmother's books (although maybe that's McCaffrey?)

Wrede and Stevermere's Sorcery and Cecilia, and sequels

Robert Asprin, Myth books, Phule books, and the Time Scout stuff in particular

Eric Flint's 1632 extravaganza, although I really only enjoyed the first 3, since then it got all "details of battles"-y, and the Pyramid series

Tamora Pierce's The Magic Circle books, and the new ones in the Alanna universe: Trickster's Choice, Trickster's Queen, um..and it has a name...um...maybe "Terrier"?

Edward Eager and E. Nesbit write great quick reads.

Dianna Wynne Jones's Chrestomanci series.

Rick Cook, Wizardry Compiled, etc

J. Calvin Pierce, Castle Perilous, etc

I prefer humor so you'll find that...OMG almost forgot:

Lois McMaster Bujold, probably start with the Warrior's Apprentice because it's the best way to be introduced to Miles.

David Drake, Honor Harrington, first is On Basilisk Station. Also the trilogy that begins with Mutineer's Moon.

Elizabeth Moon (although she had one that pissed me off ADD-wise, but then she had an autistic character in another book, so, eh) Hunting Party was a nice nice Isle of Dr. Moreau adaptation.

Anyway, you'll find that all of these are funny although sometimes the humor comes from the satisfaction of having rather unpleasant people surprised when their plans are foiled.

Outside of SF/Fantasy, have you tried P. G. Wodehouse? (Nifty, but mind-twisting, trick: watch Jeeves and Wooster episodes on YouTube and then read some of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple stories.)

Oh, and Spider Robinson, he's rather...um...adult, but in an actually adult way not a Piers Anthony kind of way.

Also,
Esther Friesner, Marjorie Kellogg, Jody Lynn Nye: esp. "Mythology 101" et al, O'Donahue: "Under the Healing Sign"

Drat, I know there's more, you've hit enough of my favorite authors (and didn't like several I couldn't handle) that I'm pretty sure you'd enjoy most of these.

(Oh, and I'm mentally going along my bookcase and through the shelves at the library to come up with this list, hence the jumping about. )

[kallyn]

Woo, you listed a lot of stuff I've never read!! Awesome!

I was mentally trying to go through my bookshelf too because most of my books are at my parents' house, so I totally understand the haphazardness. My list was totally random til I alphabetized it. I just know I am leaving off some important stuff too, but I just can't recall everything!

Did Marjorie Kellogg do The Book of Earth? I did read that and like it. I bought the second one but I haven't read it yet (I think I started it once and it was written in some weird tense or something).

Ohh, just thought of some more stuff I did like. The Madeleine L'Engle books for one. Also a random book that I picked up at a library 10-cent sale that turned out to be really good - it's called One For the Morning Glory by John Barnes. You said you like the funnier stuff, I think you might like the Barnes book. It is a whimsical self-aware fairy tale but with some dark undertones.

[Vancouver Mommy]

Awesome Q and A

If I ever get my brain back, I look forward to reading lots of these books!

[TiredX2]

No Orson Scott Card or Octavia E. Butler?

[kallyn]

I did read Ender's Game, but not any of the others in the series (see, I knew I forgot some stuff). I haven't read any Octavia Butler...I'll add her to my list of stuff to check out!

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by kallyn

Did Marjorie Kellogg do The Book of Earth? I did read that and like it. I bought the second one but I haven't read it yet (I think I started it once and it was written in some weird tense or something).

Ohh, just thought of some more stuff I did like. The Madeleine L'Engle books for one. Also a random book that I picked up at a library 10-cent sale that turned out to be really good - it's called One For the Morning Glory by John Barnes. You said you like the funnier stuff, I think you might like the Barnes book. It is a whimsical self-aware fairy tale but with some dark undertones.

Yep, Kellogg was the Book of Earth lady. I actually didn't like the others in that series as much, but part of that was that it was like 3 years between The Book of Earth and The Book of Water for me.

L'Engle is good, I really liked the one where the twins go back and help build the arc with Noah.

I'll have to try Barnes.

Doris Egan wrote a trilogy, Gate of Ivory, Two-bit Heroes, Guilt-edged Ivory.

Have to warn you, some of the stuff I'm recommending isn't readily available anywhere, but if you're buying and using the internet for your purchases you should be able to get most of them and a lot of them are books that you'll just find at most libraries.

[addiemom'07]

An obvious miss on the OP, Frank Herbert. The first few books of the Dune series are good then they get a little weird. He also has a little series that starts with "The Jesus Incident" that was pretty good.

A little farther away from sci-fi per se but very readable and enjoyable is anything by Neil Gaiman. I've read Good Omens and American Gods, he blends mythology, fantasy and comedy for great reads

[addiemom'07]

Sorry, just reviewed op and saw that Neil Gaiman is already listed. He's so good I had to add him again

[kallyn]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

Yep, Kellogg was the Book of Earth lady. I actually didn't like the others in that series as much, but part of that was that it was like 3 years between The Book of Earth and The Book of Water for me.

Yeah, the publishing gap definitely didn't help any.

Have to warn you, some of the stuff I'm recommending isn't readily available anywhere, but if you're buying and using the internet for your purchases you should be able to get most of them and a lot of them are books that you'll just find at most libraries.

Ah, not to worry. Hubby is allowed to check books out of the Library of Congress and they have just about everything ever published.

[kallyn]

Originally Posted by addiemom'07

An obvious miss on the OP, Frank Herbert. The first few books of the Dune series are good then they get a little weird.

Lol, I knew I missed a lot. I have of course read Dune. I heard conflicting reports about the rest of the series, so I just stayed away from it. I don't like tainting my original love for something with crappy sequels, KWIM? How many of the books are good before they start getting weird?

Originally Posted by addiemom'07

Sorry, just reviewed op and saw that Neil Gaiman is already listed. He's so good I had to add him again

I can get behind that! I love Gaiman! You should check out Neverwhere! They also made a Neverwhere miniseries (probably the BBC). His comics are good too.

[Amaranth]

For those of you that like Lois McMaster Bujold (especially her earlier stuff), you should give Sharon Lee & Steve Miller's Korval books a try - I think the first one is "Local Custom".

Sharon Shinn (her stuff is more fantasy than SF), both the recent series (starts with "Mystic & Rider", I think) and the Samaria series and a few miscellaneous/YA books

Robert J. Sawyer - Hominid, Human, Hybrid (that's 3 different books - more hard sf)

Julie Czerneda

Jasper Fforde - this is not exactly SF, not exactly fantasy - hard to classify, but if you like classic lit. and fantasy, you'll probably like his stuff (starts with "The Eyre Affair"

Naomi Kritzer

Kage Baker

Linnea Sinclair (kind of crosses over into romance)

[Thalia the Muse]

I think you'd like Peter S. Beagle (start with The Last Unicorn) or Elizabeth Hand (Mortal Love or Waking the Moon are good starting points). Also, have you read Graham Joyce?

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by kallyn

Ah, not to worry. Hubby is allowed to check books out of the Library of Congress and they have just about everything ever published.

Get a divorce so I can marry him! Okay, you don't have to do that, just let me rent a bedroom in your house, pwease??

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by kallyn

Lol, I knew I missed a lot. I have of course read Dune. I heard conflicting reports about the rest of the series, so I just stayed away from it. I don't like tainting my original love for something with crappy sequels, KWIM? How many of the books are good before they start getting weird?

Well, I liked them all, most people say it starts getting "weird" at God Emperor but I thought that one was really funny...maybe it wasn't *supposed* to be funny?? :

I agree with you about Terry Goodkind, I am struggling through that series.

All those things that are best left unsaid, he says them. :

Have you read Herbie Brennan's Faerie Wars? (there are three books atm)

Steven Brust, The Phoenix Guards? (series)

Glen Cook, The Black Company? (series)

You mentioned Stephen Donaldson but have you read the Thomas Covenant series? It is super depressing!

Dh is offended you don't like Zelazney. He says you should read The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth

Have you read Fritz Leiber? He is the original Sword and Sorcery person.

Dh recommends Harry Harrison, I haven't read his stuff but apparently one of his books is where the movie Soylent Green! came from.

I liked The Dreaming Tree By C. J. Cherryh (there is a sequel)

Andre Norton

Fred Saberhagen Book of Swords (series)

Have you read Elric? Dh really thinks I should put Michael Moorcock so I am.

Robert E. Feist Magicians Apprentice (series)



Of those, I would HIGHLY recommend Steven Brust as a good one to cheer you up and make you smile. His style is very unique and interesting. He is very funny, but in a roundabout sort of way. He actually wrote Phoenix Guards in the style of Dumas, which is strangely hilarious.

[kallyn]

Wow, you guys rock. So many good ideas. Thanks to everyone who's responded so far!

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

Get a divorce so I can marry him! Okay, you don't have to do that, just let me rent a bedroom in your house, pwease??

I know, it is like a dream come true! I would share in the bounty if I could.

Originally Posted by abimommy

I agree with you about Terry Goodkind, I am struggling through that series.

I just quit reading them at book 5 or so when I realized I hadn't liked anything since book 1. Which one are you up to?

Originally Posted by abimommy

You mentioned Stephen Donaldson but have you read the Thomas Covenant series? It is super depressing!

Dh is offended you don't like Zelazney. He says you should read The Doors of His Face, The Lamps of His Mouth

Dh recommends Harry Harrison, I haven't read his stuff but apparently one of his books is where the movie Soylent Green! came from.

Have you read Elric? Dh really thinks I should put Michael Moorcock so I am.

Robert E. Feist Magicians Apprentice (series)

I haven't read Thomas Covenant, but I have read about him. He's the anti-hero, right? I actually might have a few of those lying around (my mom is the queen of picking anything that even remotely looks like fantasy up for me at 10-cent sales).

As far as Zelazny goes, I'll admit that I only read a few...Nine Princes in Amber, Bring me the Head of Prince Charming, and If at Faust You Don't Succeed. I would be willing to give Amber another shot! It is pretty classic.

Ooooh, Harry Harrison! Ok, I had a strange love affair with the Stainless Steel Rat when I was an adolescent. I haven't thought about him in ages though...I'll definitely look him up and see if there's anything I haven't read!

I bought all the Elric books at a library sale and they were all mildewy and smelled like someone's basement. Where is the noxious fume smiley when you need it? And everyone who walked in my room somehow had their eyes drawn like a magnet to the shelves where they would incredulously exclaim "MOORCOCK?!"

For that last one, d'you mean Raymond Feist? I did try to read that book if so, but I just couldn't get over the fact that the main character is named Pug. It irritated the CRAP out of me.

[kallyn]

Originally Posted by Thalia the Muse

I think you'd like Peter S. Beagle (start with The Last Unicorn) or Elizabeth Hand (Mortal Love or Waking the Moon are good starting points). Also, have you read Graham Joyce?

I haven't read any of them, thanks for the recs.

[kallyn]

Amaranth, I have not read any of those, thank you!

[poisonedpenny]

I really liked the Otherland series by Tad Williams. It's a futuristic sci-fi conspiracy. Kids are being put into comas from being on the Net. Several people the world over are searching for answers.

There's also the Death Gate Cycle series by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. This one's an epic fantasy with multiple worlds in chaos, as elves, men, and dwarves (and sartan and paytryn...) all try to learn their history, and several key figures try to change their future.

[kallyn]

I did like Tad Williams's other series, so I will definitely look for his other stuff.

I read the first 3 books of the Death Gate cycle but just couldn't really get into it. :/ I feel the same way about their Dragonlance novels. I keep wanting to like them. Maybe I'll try again, it's been years and years since I picked up any of their stuff.