OT: Sci-Fi and Fantasy Thread - SPOILERS Part Three

[freakydallas13]

I am as tempted as I am intimidated. I opened Gardens of the Moon and was promptly bitch slapped by a Dramatis Personae with like 75+ names. On the other hand I've seen enough people rave about Malazan to have me intrigued. I'll probably wind up picking them up. It won't be the dumbest way I've ever spent twenty bucks.

Malazan is my favourite fantasy series by far, but it's definitely not for everyone. If you get to the end of the 3rd book and still aren't enjoying it, you're probably safe to put it down. The series can be very heavy at times, and bounces around with a lot of different characters constantly while not explaining everything right away, but if you can get past those or don't care about those aspects, the rewards are absolutely worth it. Steve is also hilarious, and the humour in these books is severely underrated imo.

But damn does this series have moments I think about often. Not just plot points, but life perspectives that have probably changed as a result of engaging with the ideas and themes in these novels.

Steven Erickson also wrote a shorter sci-fi series called the Willful Child trilogy if that is your jam. It's somewhere between Star Trek and Galaxy Quest, but pretty funny overall.

 

[Lord Defect]

Malazan is my favourite fantasy series by far, but it's definitely not for everyone. If you get to the end of the 3rd book and still aren't enjoying it, you're probably safe to put it down. The series can be very heavy at times, and bounces around with a lot of different characters constantly while not explaining everything right away, but if you can get past those or don't care about those aspects, the rewards are absolutely worth it. Steve is also hilarious, and the humour in these books is severely underrated imo.

But damn does this series have moments I think about often. Not just plot points, but life perspectives that have probably changed as a result of engaging with the ideas and themes in these novels.

Steven Erickson also wrote a shorter sci-fi series called the Willful Child trilogy if that is your jam. It's somewhere between Star Trek and Galaxy Quest, but pretty funny overall.

I will not be able to understand how anyone could dislike the Malazan series. Dude manages to not just weave 4 or 5 different stories together within the same book but carries those stories over across what, 11 or 12 books? Closing and opening side stories as needed.
Dudes a fantastic author imo. He just has a heavy reliance on repeated descriptive color use. EVERYTHING is OCHRE!!!!

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

I had highs and lows with that book, but I think the long break between books 5 and 6 will give me the perfect opportunity to offramp from this series and not miss it. I don't really care about the greater cosemere stuff and haven't read any other Sando series, so I'm content to leave it there. I love BS's world building, but I find his prose inconsistently frustrating at times. His books also have pacing issues that have me wanting to put them down for long stretches and not pick them back up.

On another note, has anyone read the Black Company? It's been on my tbr list for a while and I'm thinking about picking it up. Either that or finally starting some Robin Hobb series (probably assassin's apprentice).

This was the first Sanderson book I felt like it was a chore to get through. He may have fell into a common epic series trap trying to get everything he wanted to into the final book without being able to cut things down. It felt like there was a lot of the story that could have been pared down.

Robin Hobb is excellent. She can run a little slow in her pacing, though. FYI.

 

[Fire Tortorella]

Is there anywhere I can go to get book summaries (or even chapter summaries in specific books) for the Wheel of Time series? I started reading the series years ago but never finished and I don't really want to restart, just looking for a refresher.

 

[BiggE]

Is there anywhere I can go to get book summaries (or even chapter summaries in specific books) for the Wheel of Time series? I started reading the series years ago but never finished and I don't really want to restart, just looking for a refresher.

Try here

The Wheel of Time series

An overview of The Wheel of Time, an epic fantasy book series by Robert Jordan.

dragonmount.com

 

[Fire Tortorella]

Try here

The Wheel of Time series

An overview of The Wheel of Time, an epic fantasy book series by Robert Jordan.

dragonmount.com

Perfect - thank you!

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

I finally got through Titus Groan yesterday. Man, that shit is DENSE. Mervyn Peake makes Tolkien seem brief. I think I mentioned that he spent several paragraphs explaining how one character felt while entering a certain room. The whole f***ing book is like that. Hell, this is the first paragraph:



The whole book is like that. Like I said, not much really 'happens'. It's mostly full of descriptions of the castle (which has an extreme FromSoft vibe, if you're into that) and the day to day lives/rituals/goings on of the denizens of said castle, with a focus on a kitchen boy with a bit of a Machiavellian streak named Steerpike.

I can't recommend it highly enough, it's a triumph of the English language. Read this book or die a coward.

I just finished the second book in the series, Gormenghast. Calling them a triumph is selling them short. Mervyn Peake had a way with words very few others even approach. His ability to paint a picture with words is unmatched by anything else I’ve ever read.

Just read this and tell me you can’t see it:

From it’s heaving expanses, arose, as though the chimera of a daydream, a phantasmic gathering of ancient oaks. Like dappled gods they stood, each in his own preserve, the wide glades of moss flowing between them in swathes of gold and green and away into the clear, dwindling distances.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

I started the second first law standalone last night. Just read the first couple chapters and I’m already extremely entertained.

@Beef Invictus you read any good books lately?

 

[Beef Invictus]

I started the second first law standalone last night. Just read the first couple chapters and I’m already extremely entertained.

@Beef Invictus you read any good books lately?

Why yes, I have, someone forced me to read "Guards! Guards!" by Terry Pratchett and everyone here should also read it.

Pay attention. All the amusing, clever banter and commentary? It seems like just a way to pass the book in an amusing way, as many comedic books do. Not the case here. All of it is important, and all of it comes together in the end. It's brilliant. I ended up being up til 5am because once the climax and conclusion started it was immediately clear that there was no stopping until the book was done.

Read it or I'll ban your accounts. Check in two weeks from today.

 

[Beef Invictus]

I just finished the second book in the series, Gormenghast. Calling them a triumph is selling them short. Mervyn Peake had a way with words very few others even approach. His ability to paint a picture with words is unmatched by anything else I’ve ever read.

Just read this and tell me you can’t see it:

f***s sake gimme a break for a minute I have like 1600 pages of hard history to knock out after my fantasy foray

 

[ajgoal]

Why yes, I have, someone forced me to read "Guards! Guards!" by Terry Pratchett and everyone here should also read it.

Pay attention. All the amusing, clever banter and commentary? It seems like just a way to pass the book in an amusing way, as many comedic books do. Not the case here. All of it is important, and all of it comes together in the end. It's brilliant. I ended up being up til 5am because once the climax and conclusion started it was immediately clear that there was no stopping until the book was done.

Read it or I'll ban your accounts. Check in two weeks from today.

The watch series are my favorite of the Discworld books so far.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

f***s sake gimme a break for a minute I have like 1600 pages of hard history to knock out after my fantasy foray

Read it or die a coward, you recreant poltroon.

The watch series are my favorite of the Discworld books so far.

That's because it's the best. Small Gods is my individual favorite, but the Watch books as a whole are quite possibly my favorite 'series' of literature of all time. Sam Vimes is the man I wish I was, even if I trend closer to Fred Colon most days. The rest of the supporting cast is incredible in their own right. Nobby, Cuddy, Detritus, Littlebottom, Carrot, Angua, Reg, Sally, Dorfl, Reg Shoe, and the Man himself, Mr. A. E. Pessimal. A lovable bunch of misfits if there ever was one.

 

[Lord Defect]

I have the series but I don’t understand the order they’re “supposed” to be read in

 

[ajgoal]

I have the series but I don’t understand the order they’re “supposed” to be read in

Just read them in published order. Or not. The timeline's a bit fluid anyway. I would read the sub series in order though.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

I'm about 2/3 through The Heroes by Abercrombie. Very good shit, as per usual. Casualties might be my new favorite chapter of all time. He managed to convey the flow of an entire battlefield with a series of POVs, swapping to the person who killed the previous. Absolutely brilliant.

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

Just finished up The Heroes. Abercrombie is a gem. There's very little plot (most of the book is dedicated to the events of a three day long battle), but I was still enthralled the whole time. The characters and inner monologues are top tier.

 

[trostol]

i haven't finished the Space Team series yet...i'm on what feels like book 9000

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

I read Roadside Picnic yesterday. It is a rather unique take on Earth's first contact with aliens.

It isn't an invasion like Independence Day, or the world's top scientists all coming together to help decipher their weird language like in Arrival.

Instead, the aliens are only here for a brief time, and f*** off, leaving behind a few 'zones' filled with artifacts that are well beyond human comprehension, but can be used to do incredible things, but are incredibly dangerous. Naturally, crazy folks are willing to risk death into these zones to grab these artifacts and sell them to the highest bidder. The aliens never cared about us, and paid humans about as much attention as one of us would give to an anthill while having a picnic.

Weird, quick read, highly recommend. It was the inspiration for the STALKER games, as well as Pacific Drive and others, and had a movie adaptation in the 70s which I want to check out ASAP.

 

[ajgoal]

I read Roadside Picnic yesterday. It is a rather unique take on Earth's first contact with aliens.

It isn't an invasion like Independence Day, or the world's top scientists all coming together to help decipher their weird language like in Arrival.

Instead, the aliens are only here for a brief time, and f*** off, leaving behind a few 'zones' filled with artifacts that are well beyond human comprehension, but can be used to do incredible things, but are incredibly dangerous. Naturally, crazy folks are willing to risk death into these zones to grab these artifacts and sell them to the highest bidder. The aliens never cared about us, and paid humans about as much attention as one of us would give to an anthill while having a picnic.

Weird, quick read, highly recommend. It was the inspiration for the STALKER games, as well as Pacific Drive and others, and had a movie adaptation in the 70s which I want to check out ASAP.

Have you read the Damned trilogy by Alan Dean foster? The books are quick reads, the basic concept is that aliens contact earth in order to recruit them to fight in a war they're losing.

 

[trostol]

I read Roadside Picnic yesterday. It is a rather unique take on Earth's first contact with aliens.

It isn't an invasion like Independence Day, or the world's top scientists all coming together to help decipher their weird language like in Arrival.

Instead, the aliens are only here for a brief time, and f*** off, leaving behind a few 'zones' filled with artifacts that are well beyond human comprehension, but can be used to do incredible things, but are incredibly dangerous. Naturally, crazy folks are willing to risk death into these zones to grab these artifacts and sell them to the highest bidder. The aliens never cared about us, and paid humans about as much attention as one of us would give to an anthill while having a picnic.

Weird, quick read, highly recommend. It was the inspiration for the STALKER games, as well as Pacific Drive and others, and had a movie adaptation in the 70s which I want to check out ASAP.

It's on my list...as is Pacific Drive...just waiting for a deep discount on the game

 

[Surrounded By Ahos]

Have you read the Damned trilogy by Alan Dean foster? The books are quick reads, the basic concept is that aliens contact earth in order to recruit them to fight in a war they're losing.

I was not familiar with them, but the whole trilogy is on amazon for $4, so I grabbed it. I'll probably use them as a palate cleanser between something bigger/heavier.

It's on my list...as is Pacific Drive...just waiting for a deep discount on the game

I got Pacific Drive on a deep discount, now I just need to play it lol

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Anyone read The Dandelion Dynasty series by Ken Liu? I got one rec to read it, but I usually wait for two because my list is entirely too long and I’m running out of shelf space. It’s only 4 books, so it’s not a huge commitment. But worth a check.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Anyone read The Dandelion Dynasty series by Ken Liu? I got one rec to read it, but I usually wait for two because my list is entirely too long and I’m running out of shelf space. It’s only 4 books, so it’s not a huge commitment. But worth a check.

I've read a bunch of Dog Man books, does that count as comparable?

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

 

[trostol]