All these lists...

[short_circuit]

I was searching for good books to find typing things like top sci fi novels and best fantasy works but all I get are lists. Then I came here to ask other people to help me out.
So fellow readers I'd like to tell you that I am not a very in depth reader though I'd like to be. I have read lord of the rings and am up to the daughter of the empire in the riftwar series but other then that and harry potter I havn't read any other fantasies. So plz plz suggest good fantasy novels for me, you may make a list here don't worry. Also I'd love to read Sci fi so you may suggest sci fi novels aswell. The thing with lists is that they give you titles but other then that you have no idea what kind of a book it is so this way people who have already read the books may tell me about them. I do like the fantasy worlds like midkemia and middle earth but are there any other novels out there with complex worlds like these? You may also like to give a short short discription of your most suggested novel so I may understand better as I don't know a whole lot of authours like you ppl might. I d like to start on Stephen King so which one of his novels should I read first.

ps sorry for the overly long post but like a true reader I'm also good at writing at telling stories of my own

chow

 

[Stewart]

I am not a very in depth reader though I'd like to be.

Although you seem to be a fantasy reader at the moment I would suggest mixing and matching your like of fantasy with other works - classic and contemporary - that take place solely in the real world. I can't comment on fantasy fiction, having thought The Fellowship of the Ring was a pile of crap and thinking the same of China Mieville's Perdido Street Station, but there's magical realism out there which can, at times, hint at some fantastic things solely within our world. For fantasy, though, everyone seems to herald George R. R. Martin as some kind of saviour with his series of books beginning with A Game of Thrones although he's only at book four in a six book series.

I'd love to read Sci fi so you may suggest sci fi novels aswell.

I'm not keen on sci-fi, but can read the occasional short story, as that is where I think fantasy, sci-fi, and horror are best left. For sci-fi, consider the classics such as Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's 1984. Maybe even William Gibson's Neuromancer and, for an emotional bit of subtle sci-fi, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

I do like the fantasy worlds like midkemia and middle earth but are there any other novels out there with complex worlds like these?

This world, our Earth, is a complex world as evidenced by the sheer volume of fiction solely set hear. The best thing about Earth is that it has its limitations and the author has to consider these; fantasy, using magic and/or monsters, can cheat you.

I d like to start on Stephen King so which one of his novels should I read first.

Buy Night Shift, his first collection of short stories, to see if you like him first. His novels can get long and verbose because he isn't all that good at editing and so can ramble for pages about minute and irrelevant details.

 

[Fantasy Moon]

The Sevenwaters Trilogy by Juliet Marillier is a good set of fantasy books. Daughter of the Forest is based on the fairy tale of the six swans. Son of the Shadows and Child of the Prophecy continue what happen after Sorcha's brave sacrifices.

As for Stephen King novels...
Rose Madder - An abused wife makes a desparate attempt to escape her husband forever by starting a new life in a new town. Along the way she finds a mysterious painting of an enigmatic woman that changes her life, and her husband is on her trail...
Eyes of the Dragon - It's sort of like a fairy tale with some of the Dark Tower characters.
Gerald's Game - A woman is handcuffed to the bed in a secluded cabin area after she accidently kills her husband. Painful memories of her childhood help her to survive, but there's a sinister presence that comes for her at night and if she cannot escape, it will kill her. This book also has a connection to Dolores Claiborne.

 

[Hugin]

Hi Short

You sound a lot like me, that was also the first books I started with, and the three Empire books (Daughter of the Empire, servant of the empire and mistress of the empire) are still three of my favourites.

Its really difficult to suggest something, not knowing your tastes but here are some that I liked:
David Gemmell: most of his books.
I think read his Legend, it is heroic fantasy at its best. He does not write about elves and dwarfs, just about people (sometimes some magic), but he has some of the most realistic characters I have ever read. Also his books read easily, I can devour a 500 page novel of his in a day. He has a great writing style.
Legend is his first novel, and a great book. All about a doomed fortress, about to be besieged by a fast army and the few heroes that go to stand on this lost cause.

Sci Fi, I can recommend Anne McCaffrey's Rowan series. All about telepaths who through telekinesis move ships through space. The novels are set around the Rowan (one of these) telepaths and in the other books her children (Damia, Damia's Children and there is a fourth but I forget).

Another good read is Ender's game by Orson Scott Card. It is about a genius young boy who is taken by the military, and trained in a space bound training camp. It is all about the young boy's struggle to fit in despite his brilliance marking him as different.

If you have read some fantasy you will probably enjoy Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. You either love it or hate it. I love it. I think you should start with either Colour of Magic (the first book in the Discworld series and the worst) or Equal rites or Mort or Guards! Guards!. Each of his books are stand alone novels, but he has reacurring characters and themes (in order of the books mentioned Rincewind the inept Wizzard -yes two z's-, the crabby old witches, Death and His family, and the city watch who have to contend with things like licensed thieves). These are the books that get you in at the beginning of the joke.

There are allot more, but these are the ones that sprang (springed?) to mind first.

Hope this helps

 

[Wabbit]

Every year the SF site ( an online SF & Fantasy magazine ) lists the years top SF/Fantasy novels in two listings one for SF site and one for the readers votes. The lists go back into the 1990's. You are sure to find plenty to read.

Have a look at the top SF/Fantasy novels

 

[direstraits]

One scifi series that I don't see recommended around too much is Lois M Bujold's Vorkosigan series, beginning with A Shard of Honor. It is a series, and so with these bunch of books it can keep you occupied for a while.

I didn't really read the series at first because I thought the word 'Vorkosigan' sounded stupid and, well, wrong.

One day I accidentally read The Vor Game, which is fourth in the series, I think, and found that Bujold can write, and write well, descriptive but concise, plenty of action and politics, and most importantly, that Vorkosigan isn't such a stupid name after all.

Her foray into fantasy won her awards, too, and she seems to make it look so easy. The newer fantasy stuff she did that's acclaimed are The Curse of Chalion and The Paladin of Souls (which won her her fourth Hugo. The others were for her Vorkosigan books).

ds