Valhalla, I am coming....

[primroseburrows]

Okay, all you book junkies out there.


malachan has inspired me with his request for novels to read.


I just finished up a book, which means I'm going into withdrawal looking for another. I'm on a tear, mind you, so I'm pretty much in the dark fantasy/dystopia/stuff that makesyouthink fiction vein. Yeah, I know DT7's practically on its way, but still. Gimme books. Novels, anthologies, whatever, as long as it's good.


So, guys, set to it! Rec me something you think I'd like.

Also...what are some good books on SF/Fantasy writing? I'd like recs on those, too, but I'd rather have the fiction recs, really. Both is even better. God, I'm greedy. :D

Comments

[karabou.livejournal.com]

I think you should read The Notorious Dr. August: His Real Life and Crimes by Christopher Bram. Not SF/Fantasy.. but very, very excellent. :)

[nmalfoy.livejournal.com]

"A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin. I cannot rec this book or the series highly enough. Trust me.

[stokley02.livejournal.com]

Okay i'm going to reccomend 2 series of books. Both by superb female authors.

1) The Witches of Eileanan. Starts with Dragonclaw and goes on for another 5 books. By Australian Kate Forsyth.

2) Kushiel's Legacy Trilogy. Starts with Kushiel's Dart and goes on for another 2 books. By American Jacqueline Carey.


Am happy to recommend more, but they are the 2 most recent series i have finished (or just about)

:D

[peacey.livejournal.com]

Ditto, to the "nth" degree. I mentioned it the other night. Don't be put off by their size, either. You will be *amazed* at how fast you'll rip through them and how quickly you'll reach for the next in the series. As for good books on SF/Fantasy writing, might I put forth, "The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference" from Writer's Digest Books, and "How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card. Both are *invaluable*. Also, in terms of general "how to" on the basics of writing fiction, "Beginnings, Middles, and Ends" by Nancy Kress. Above ALL OTHER writing books though (and I've read a TON), by far the best is, "The Writer's Journey (2nd edition)" by Chirstopher Vogler. It is my bible. If nothing else inspires you to great fiction, this will. Some people are a bit turned off by it, calling it a simple formula for fiction, but they fail to see that it simply gives the ingredients for a great story, time-tested through centuries. Get it, read it, love it!

[peacey.livejournal.com]

2) Kushiel's Legacy Trilogy

*loves*

[clio-the-muse.livejournal.com]

Carey's Kushiel trilogy is really wonderful, though definitely very dark.

Jo Walton's Tooth and Claw is another amazing and surprisingly underrated book. Basically it's a comedy of manners about a family of patrician dragons. Really.

Also, China Mieville's Perdido Street Station (followed by The Scar) is top-class dark fantasy/steampunk about a mad scientist.

Last two recs are two books by Ian MacLeod, one of my absolute favorite writers. His novel The Light Ages is steampunk about two children growing up in a city that resembles turn-of-the-century London - if instead of coal dust, there was magic dust that altered everyone who was too close to it. His short story collected Breathmoss is also really great; his story "Isabel of the Fall" is one of the best pieces of femslash I've ever seen published.

Whew. Hope some of these help.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

George R.R. Martin was at Worldcon. I didn't get to see him, though. Bleh.

*adds to list*

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I've been thinking about reading some China Mieville. Yay! I'll check it out.

Also, I've read The Light Ages! It's one of the books I recced to malachan, and it's dark and lovely. I really like it--it's kind of His Dark Materials meets Neverwhere.

I want to read some Terry Pratchett, too, but as good as I'm sure he is (he was a riot at Worldcon!), I'm not sure I could read a totally light-hearted sort of book. Even Good Omens has an element that's quite dark, really. Of course, that's probably the yin-yang aspect of the co-author thing. *g* I do own The Colour of Magic, though, and will most likely pick it up eventually.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Whee, all those recs! I'm going to add them all to my Amazon Wish List so I can keep track of them. Have you picked up American Gods yet? Huh? *glares affectionately*

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I love series. Once I'm in a universe, I tend to want to stay there. Another reason to read Terry Pratchett. He's written something like fifty books in the same universe.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

OMG, this sounds great. I don't always only ever read SF/Fantasy, it's just my main genre, is all. I'm so glad HP is getting darker because my literary tastes are headed that way, too.

I'm definitely looking for this one.

[clio-the-muse.livejournal.com]

If you liked Light Ages, definitely read Perdido Street Station - it's like Light Ages, but darker.

Also, Pratchett isn't all light hearted stuff. I mean, he's absolutely a riot, and his books are really easy reads, but they're not mindless at all, especially the ones that deal with the Lancre witches, such as Equal Rites or Wyrd Sisters. But yeah, quick reads.

[heinous_bitca.livejournal.com]

*chants* Lois! Lois! Lois!!

Read Lois McMaster Bujold. The Vorkosigan series, and her fantasy two books (so far), can probably call that the Chalion series, for now. :)

Here's the order to read the books in, since I just wrote that up for Fear, it's easier to just link you to it. :)

I think the Chalion stuff will make you think, right off the bat, more than the Vorkosigan books. But they're still excellent.

Dark fantasy? Have you read Holly Black's Tithe? It's YA, but as discussed with my book club this past week, it's on the older end of YA than the younger.

As for books on writing, Orson Scott Card's How to write Science Fiction and Fantasy I've heard is good. Actually, any of his Writer's Digest books have been pretty highly recommended to me.

[stokley02.livejournal.com]

Oh, for shiznit! Can't wait for new book to come out Godslayer sometime this year.

Third Times the Charm....

[stokley02.livejournal.com]

Okay seriously this is the thrid time i am attempting to reply to your comment. Gods dammed hotmail and my computer are conspiring for me to never reply!! ARHG!!


Okay 4 more authors and series to recommed. Seriously this is going to be the abridged and very short version. Author(s) and title.


1) Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts. The Daughter of the Empire Trilogy. Really anything by these two, either together or apart. Both are fantastic.

2) Anne Bishop. The Black Jewels Trilogy, The Invisible ring both set in the same universe, though Invisible Ring is a stand alone book. Also the Tir Alainn Trilogy.

3) Alice Borchardt. Her Wolf trilogy, starting with The Silver Wolf, and her Tales of Guinevere (starting with The Dragon Queen).

4) Janet Evanovich. Starts with One for the Money and is still ongoing. Up to number 11 at the mo.


I hope to all above and below this posts.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I actually own Tithe. I've started it, and I like it (YA is something I like, as long as it's along the HP/His Dark Materials/Tithe end of things).

I'm definitely going to read Lois' work. Her Paladin of Souls won the Hugo this year, and it all sounds very cool.

You're the second person to rec OSC's writing book. I will most likely pick it up after I'm done being pissed off at him for his homophobic remarks. :/

I'm so sorry you didn't get to Worldcon. We missed you! fuschia was there, and it was v. fun. Next year in Glasgow, whee! Probably won't make it, since it's right around The Witching Hour and I'm broke enough as it is.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I looked for Perdito Street Station yesterday at Barnes and Noble. They didn't have it, but then, their SF/Fantasy stuff isn't all that broad in scope.

I ended up buying The Writer's Path. I've promised myself I'll spend at least a half-hour a day working on my writing.

For fun, I bought Preludes and Nocturnes, because a) It's high time I read a graphic novel to see what all the fuss is about, b) If I'm going to read a GN at all, of course it has to be one of Neil's, and c) My nephew, a huge comic fan, hates the Sandman series, and it's hard to argue if you're uninformed. I'm finding, a third of the way in, that yes, it is possible for me to read a book with pictures all over the place, and yes, a good story is still a good story, but I still prefer books with more words than pictures.

[clio-the-muse.livejournal.com]

You haven't yet read Sandman? I'm glad then that you are...it's some of Neil's best work, though be warned that since it's written as a seriel (each month was released, so he couldn't go back and edit the story line really), it doesn't really get its groove until the 3rd book (the first two are good, but you can sense that he's still feeling around for what his characters can really do).

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I haven't read Sandman because I haven't read any graphic novels. So far, I like it (I'm about a third of the way in), but like I said, I'm not a comic person visually. Knowing me, I'll eat up the whole series anyway, because the story is getting kind of addictive.