/sffg/ - SciFi and Fantasy General

No one made a new thread for a good reason.
Fuck off with this garbage

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>>7847170
no u

>>7847157
Not reading anything /sffg/ right now, but I found some pulpy old Philip K Dicks in a thrift store and I'll probably do one of them next. Which of these would be a good starting point?

(Also, I'm congratulating myself for making it through this post without a "Dick" pun).

Just finished The Last Mortal Bond


Really a disappointing ending for a promising series desu

>>7847170
>at the start of every thread
Someone post the meme where "elitist" come in here and shitpost about quality

I'm at chapter 59 spoil it for me does the god of darkness show himself? Does the God of death? We have pain and pleasure does the other gods turn up in person?

Spoiler in >>7847449 for >>7847385

>>7847449
>>7847453
>>7847385
This a good series? Just looked it up and it apparently concluded 9 days ago. I always like it when a series finally ends.

>>7847157
>Why did no one make a new thread edition
I would have but I haven't had good discussions in these in a while.
Why do you come here then anon? Shill and it's active so I can read a few new posts whenever I come back.
>What are you reading right now?
Flannery O'Connor.
She is absolutely amazing. Funny, sad, heartbreaking, sweet, everything I can wish for in short stories.
"I thank Jesus every day he didn't make me a nigger or white trash"
>dunno just talk about what you want
Hilaire Belloc is the most underrated political author I know of and considering I can't be the only conservative Catholic it seems strange only 2-3 of us have read him. My mouth is full of him these days.

Also got a Kobo, I will after I finish some other shit pick up Wolfe again. I started In Green Jungles few months ago but stalled because I by mistake read half of On Blue Waters by mistake. Or the other way around. Confusing titles. Also How is Peace?

>>7847157
Currently reading the night's dawn trilogy book 2, and while I really dig the huge narrative and universe it spans up, it's such a LONG thing. There is so much going on, and so many places where things happen, which I enjoy, but at the same time, it doesn't feel like it's moving an arc along. I wouldn't call it filler, because all events affect the story, it's just so damn large.
Hopefully, it ends in a satisfying conclusion.

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So are there any steampunk books that aren't lolrandom stories about Sir Gentleman Cogshat and his giant steam mech? Something actually serious and not pulpy. Also don't recommend me any actual Victorian/Edwardian sci-fi. Not that I have a problem with it, but that feels like cheating.

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>>7847785
Plus his H.G. Wells homage, The Time Ships. Baxter's more known for large scale universe-spanning stuff, but these are pretty underrated.

Someone got a link to a retail version of Tolkiens work in epub format? With the illustrations preferably

Princess Bride any good?

>>7847449
nobody else shows up, and you never see pleasure again in this book

>>7847514
The first two books are really enjoyable imo. Third book is the worst in the series tho

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so anybody know if Mark Lawrence's new trilogy is any good?

>>7847970

No it's absolutely awful, luckily there is an abridged version that's a lot better

>>7848087
I already got "spoiled" about that part, the full book not really existing. Is that an important point?

>>7848095

No but it's kind of funny

>>7847157
>dunno just talk about what you want
So, this is me letting my low-grade autism shine through because I've been drinking, but it bothers me that in the OP of these threads the fantasy charts come before the sci-fi charts. It's /sffg/, not /fsfg/, the charts should parallel that arrangement.

Read a sci-fi book that started out well but then got boring, isn't that just the worst? Also, finally got around to reading the Prose Edda, due entirely to this thread. It was good. Thanks, /sffg/!

>>7847785
The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, if you haven't read it already.

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http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/fiction/suzanne-delage/ NEW SHORT STORY BY GENE WOLFE

>>7848246
>thinking that anything in the cosmos requisites order

u went full pleb senpai

>>7848279
Damn you that is one of his classics.

>>7848585
Sorry, didn't realize. I saw it shared in my facebook and assumed it was new.

>>7847785
The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanwick is a cut above

>>7847970
Yeah it's a GOAT adventure book.

>>7847170
I bet this loser abuses his waifu.

>>7847157
>>What are you reading right now?
A Game of Thrones, read the series skipping the first book after watching the tv show season one. It's nice how much backstory it has compared to it. Also the foreshadowing.

>>dunno just talk about what you want
So what are your favourite Alastair Reynolds novels?
I guess I most like Revelation Space and everything with the ship Nostalgia for Infinity in it, though its hard to pick favourites as several novels are memorable. The last trilogy was ok but elefants aren't that cool. I'm still cautiously exited for his next projects (2 in 2016 + the Prefect sequel in 2017) even though the short story Slow Bullets felt like a bit of a rehash of his previous ideas while missing a climax.

>>7849738
Yea the novels have a lot of detail. I wish more was put into the show, but the damn thing is already expensive as hell.

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I just ordered all the Book of the New Sun books on ebay.

Wewlad.

>>7849883
>buying books
IT'S THE CURRENT YEAR

>>7849883
>he fell for the wolfe meme
kek

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>>7849888

>>7848609

this desu

underrated book, one of my all time favs.

>>7849883
Him, Erickson and the idiot from prince of nothing are shit tier writters praised because "it's deep brah, you just don't get it!"
Enjoy your meme books mate.

>>7849969
Post your fave five fantasy authors

>>7849969
They're shit tier because they don't fit the Tolkien mold of fantasy?

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I want to GM for Ryuutama soon and am looking for inspo. Anything comfy, Ghibli like.

>>7849969
>not liking the rape, gay and incest in Prince of nothing

>call others tastes bad

Wew lad

I want to write a story, but I'm struggling to work out the religions in my fantasy world. The overarching idea is that there is a pantheon of deities that rule over mankind, but they're not completely genuine. They took over the planet(so I guess they're really "ancient aliens," huh.) and are treating the humans like lab mice to learn how they function and solve the problems put forth in their society.

I wanted to do something like a Greek or Egyptian pantheon where each "god" has a domain over something, but I'm not sure how to write the origin story for the universe and how to divide up the type of gods or even how many of them there should be. Does anyone have some ideas, or suggest anything beyond reading more religious texts for inspiration?

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Goddamnit.

Just finished reading the Three Body Problem 1 and 2.

I'm exhausted as fuck.

Best hard sci-fi I've read in years. Even if characterization is kinda wonky at times, I really enjoy the grand scale and imagination of the plot. Trisolarans must be the most interesting and loveable ayys I've ever read.

I hope that they do not mess up with the movie.

What does /lit/ think about it?

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THE EVERSTORM COMES

THREE OF SIXTEEN BUT NOW THE BROKEN ONE REIGNS

>>7850383
have the human characters only interact with lowly constructs or records, if at all. A society that advanced can't just be green humans, it needs a sense of mysticism, or else it becomes campy.
Have people investigate and find clues about them. Maybe have each incident color coded, for a different "deity".
A research team would naturally have different experts. So naturally, your aliens could also be divided into similarly. Geology, Biology, Meteorology, you name it.

I wouldn't do direct parallels with actual gods though. That has been done to death.

I don't generally read a lot of fantasy, but I finished The Darkness that Comes Before recently and about to start The Warrior Prophet. Does the series start getting less plotting and more philosophical later on?

>>7850040
>Update
Raymond E. Feist, Gail Z. Martin, Rowena Cory Daniels, Dan Abnett, and Harry Turtledove

>>7850425
2 is more philosophical, 3 is more action

And the second series is almost all action with only smatterings of philosophy.

It comes off so heavy in the first books because he was writing a philosophy dissertation at the same time.

>>7849883
By appliance does the man differ from beasts; in plowed fields seeds lie in furrows and ponderous thought upon the brow - by page and at plow, all serves the Increate.

>>7849077
This is why we must maintain the bulwark of this general. The poor effetes without shouldn't have to deal with sandersonfags. We have experience.

>>7850747
Shut up loser.

>>7850383
Sounds fun. Reminds me of the Screwfly Solution and Hard to be God. As the other anon said I'd look at our own fields of science, maybe add some special branches or seemingly pseudo sciency stuff and then make those the base gods. Think about what animals and objects the people of your world associate with those domains, they would use those to give the gods shapes. Additionaly think of what tools the scientists use in their research. Maybe the geologist uses robots for ground samples that resembles spiders. This created the myth of the earth god commanding man sized spiders. Hence it is said to bring bad harvest to step on a species of ground borrowing spiders.

>tfw can't bring yourself to read

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>>7851546

same her senpai, i've been reading maybe 3-4 pages at a time then I take a quick break or my train of thought is broken by my own random thoughts going through my brain.

>>7851546
I'm on fucking fire. I'm reading more than 10 books a month this year.

>>7851704
How do you keep yourself motivated and not lose focus?

And in what kind of location do you read? Got a comfy chair or something?

>>7851711
>How do you keep yourself motivated and not lose focus?
Audiobooks on the walk, personal goal of being educated and knowing how good it does to me. Just like for official education, but less repetitive.
>And in what kind of location do you read? Got a comfy chair or something?
I either read in my bed with my kobo or in coffee shops during studying breaks.

>>7851802
>educated
>genre general
Do those 10 books a month not include fat Fantasy series?

>>7851820
No. It's been mostly going through philosophy, Catholic authors and some random stuff. Read Gormenghast, first half of Amber Chronicle and some Elric of Melbourne.
Was impressed the most by O'Connor, Belloc, Hayek, also gone through some more Nietzsche, Plato and Aristotle. Thomas More and Machiavelli were also good reads.

>>7850383
That all depends on how your humans interact with the aliens. Tell us more of that.

Most importantly, expect there to be different branches of your religion focusing on different gods, even some pretenders who don't exist. Like any cultural group, expect there to be dissent between some of these. Expect much of the religion to have drifted into fanciful mythology rather than fact if people haven't knowingly been in contact with the gods for a long time.

Real religions are far messier than fantasy ones would ever have you think.

>>7850383
>a pantheon of deities that rule over mankind, but they're not completely genuine. They took over the planet(so I guess they're really "ancient aliens," huh.)
This has been done so many times.
>are treating the humans like lab mice to learn how they function and solve the problems put forth in their society.
The answer to those problems is 42. Seriously though, why would studying human society be of any benefit to aliens?

>>7847157
nah

>>7851877
People would definitely study aliens if we ever found any. Not a big stretch to asume other life forms would act in the same way.

>>7851877
>why would studying human society be of any benefit to aliens
but humans are so special snowflakes, we can teach the aliens how to be better people.

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>>7851995
>>7851877
my idea was that humans are just one of many, and not unique. The idea I'm currently tossing around for the subject of their research is "the fate of empires/civilization" where the aliens are testing different types of environments/scenarios to see if the "cycle of civilization" can be broken or not. I'm really having second thoughts on this but I'll see how things go.

>>7851864
>That all depends on how your humans interact with the aliens. Tell us more of that.

Well, they're going to "rise up and kill them" when they realize they aren't real gods. One ravaging lunatic starts a crusade that has no following until he scars one of them at the cost of his life. I'll post more about this at a later time if necessary.

>>7850386
Loved it. Didn't know there was going to be a movie. You'd think the chinese government might want to censor a book about how pants-on-head retarded the cultural revolution was.

is bakker any good ? can i get an amswer without any meme magic?

>>7851981
Usually studying things involves trying not to disturb their normal behaviour by doing things like setting yourself up as their gods.

>>7852904
>the aliens are testing different types of environments/scenarios to see if the "cycle of civilization" can be broken or not.
Again, them getting directly involved in Earth politics seems counter-productive. Besides, unless these aliens have solved the cycle for themselves then they're not going to be around long enough to see how it turns out and make any use of it.

>One ravaging lunatic starts a crusade that has no following until he scars one of them at the cost of his life.
Not totally unlike Eight O'clock In The Morning in spirit.

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Just started Chronicles of the Black Company. A few pages in, fully erect.

>>7852925
The CR and Great Leap are actually acknowledged by the CCP to be huge mistakes by the party leadership back then.

They just disencourage that people question the party's legitimacy because of these mistakes.

>>7852925
Depends on how you criticize it. And of course, with "Communism with Chinese characteristics" (state-controlled capitalism) if it makes money and can be touted as a example of the greatness of Chinese culture, it's got a better chance than some dissident in Gaundong writing screeds.

>>7850386
>Trisolarans must be the most interesting and loveable ayys I've ever read.

Is there any art depicting the Trisolarans correctly?

>>7853139
He's a master of rape, gay and incest

I've found so many digital copies of "Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?" yet all of them don't have the right cover. How do I fix this?

>>7854080
Is this a joke? You can change the cover to anything you want in calibre.

>>7854085
What's a calibre? I don't speak spanish.

>>7854096
it's an ebook software thing.
google it.

>>7854099
I already did, thanks!

>>7853806
i dont speak meme,any original answers?

>>7854349
He's a good author, but tends to wax philosophically a bit often, if that bothers you.

>>7853139
yeah

>no interest in Malazan
>I can get Malazan 1-9 for 7~ bucks
>they'll probably just take space away
fuck this price is too good

>>7854646
All for 7 bucks or 7 bucks each? Because they print them en masse in cheap paperback, you could probably get them cheaper.
Also the covers are awful, they wouldn't even look good.

>>7854662
All. Good condition and #9 is even new lol

And yeah they don't look that good.

>>7854666
I hate malazan but that may be too cheap to pass. You can always just throw them in the trash if you don't like them

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I'm looking for something similar to Princess Mononoke in setting - not the usual ogres and dragons but instead a more mythical feel like forest spirits, guardians etc. Also I really liked the main character.

Anyone got me?

>>7854883
Croatian Tales of Long Ago

Robert Low-The Whale Road
Viking book with just hints of fantasy-really good

So, Michael Additionalpenis is barely even talked about here.

I'm reading the first Corum book and it seems alright so far. Prose is competent, nothing spectacular but it doesn't put you to sleep, and it isn't too lengthy either.

Is Elric better or worse?

desu desu

>>7850499
Well then I can't truly judge you as I have not read those authors.

>>7851546
Regardless of what we achieve in life, we always gotta keep striving for more, staying hungrier than the rest and being grateful around every corner. Stay hungry and keep working your ass off because one day I want to see you write a cool report about you and YOUR accomplishments.

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I've been reading the Matt Turner books by Michael Siemsen. They are soo good. I'm on the third book now. It's about a psychic who can glean the past from objects and each book has matt's struggles and the struggles of person(s) in the past. It's amazing. I recommend it.

>>7847952
>He doesn't know how to torrent.

>>7851546
Audiobooks are a life saver. I'm "Reading" and lurking right now. I don't have time to read nowadays. So much to learn and do and multitasking is better.

>>7856529
I can't focus on audiobooks and never keep anything

>>7847232
Flow My Tears. I think the other two are actually pretty meh.

>>7850383
Read Lord of Light.

>>7856405
It's a little better generally but if you're looking for something better than "competent but not spectacular" you'll be disappointed.

>>7854883
The Man Who Spoke Snakish

What is your favorite science fiction novel, everyone? I might like to try it, and am interested in your preferences.

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>>7847157
I'm going to write a steampunk novel. Wish me well chaps.

Are any of the Warhammer books well written at all?

>>7858959
Well written is a stretch, but Aaron dembeski Bowen and abnett are capable authors.

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>>7858877
It's a novel with a trilogy sequel, followed by another novel.

>>7859105
Just looked it up, and this sounds fantastic. One of the answers I was hoping for- great books which have inexplicably fallen off the radar of the standard recommended lists. Thank you!

>>7859161
You're welcome, I hope you like it. This title was my introduction to C. J. Cherryh. I really enjoy her books and own practically all of them.

>>7857249
Ahh, thanks. How is it on the PKD weirdness scale? Think all of these are before the whole "pink laser" incident, I want to work up to the heavy VALIS-tier stuff.

>>7859260
Flow my tears is pretty mid-level. The ending is a little weird but not insanely weird.

Finished the Mistborn trilogy recently

No idea what to read next

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>>7858877
>>7859161
With the brief of "great books which have inexplicably fallen off the radar of the standard recommended lists", I can't not mention Of The City Of The Saved. It's a weird old book, the best description I can think of is "post-singularity noir". There's this city the size of a galaxy, which exists at the end of Time, and into it are "saved" every human, pre-human, and human descendant who ever lived. So you've got Neanderthals living alongside cyborgs, and no one can be physically harmed. No one knows who set up the City, how they got there, why there aren't any aliens, or why everyone's suddenly immortal. And then someone gets murdered, which shouldn't be possible.

Technically it's #2 in the Faction Paradox series (small press SF by disgruntled Dr. Who writers, apparently), but none of the books in the series are related, I found this in a pound shop and read it as a standalone.

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>>7859282
Since I'm already shilling Cherryh tonight.

>>7859226
I'm sure I'll love it. This sounds just like a couple of my favorites. I can't wait!

>>7859358
Oh man. Reading this description, I'm excited to get my hands on this one. Thanks very much for taking the time to recommend it!

>>7859260
>pink laser incident
What now?

>>7854666
Reading On a Planet Alien right now and it's pretty shit. At least I got it out of the free bin

Beloved, ya its a horror/fantasy novel, fuck of if u disagree imo

>>7859399
You'll be electrified. Been working on this post for months now for the most important part of /sffg/ - the posters. Here we go world.

>>7859415
Horaelover Fat gets shot by the pink laser of God in Valis.

>>7859399
Aw, you're welcome.

>>7859609
...no idea what this is.

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more like /trash/ general

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>>7859671
Fuck offerino.

>>7859640
Just trying to help. Just say f*ck it, smile and go.

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any comfy teen/young adult fantasy audiobooks, something akin to Harry Potter?

>>7859732
The Wizard Knight but it isn't shit

>>7859359

What kind of magic does it have?

>>7859732

The Magicians trilogy.

I think /lit/ shits on it but I found it comfy and interesting

>>7859609
They'll love it, it reads wonderfully. Best of luck in the posting!

>>7859732
Sabriel. Just finished it actually. Felt a bit like HP. Childish but fun.

>>7860283
Thank you sir. This was inspired by the fight against cancer. Much strength and light to you.

>>7859358
I second City of the Saved. I got mine from iBooks.
I like Alien Bodies and Interference 1/2 more than City though.

>>7860328
Brilliant, more recommendations! I was just wondering whether I should try any of the others along with City. Thank you!

>>7860319
And to you!

>>7860394
Alien Bodies and Interference require some Doctor Who knowledge compared to the FP ones which are essentially stand alone (but use very obscure parts/characters of the Doctor Who mythos).

For books that are not the obscure parts of a long running fandom, you might like Watts' Blindsight.

>>7860403
And to clarify a bit more: These three books were written in a period when Doctor Who was cancelled. So in those days the writers could basically write stories which were much more experimental and much harder scifi. (The newer books have been dumbed down).

Alien Bodies, Interference and Of the City of the Saved belong to the same universe that includes everything and the same track of ideas (and some of the same characters). However Alien Bodies and Interference has direct Doctor Who references and Of the City of the Saved has its references altered for copyright reasons and is more stand alone.

>>7860403
Thanks for the heads up! I'm just a newbie at the Doctor Who Universe, so will have a go at brushing up before I pick them up.
Blindsight looks fantastic- and looks to have some of my very favorite themes. Thank you again!

>>7860503
Oh, now I see just what you meant. I appreciate the follow-up!

>>7858877
The Gone Away World by Nick Harkaway. One of my favourite books. I keep shilling it around here but haven't got anybody to read it yet. :(

>>7860042
Heh, the way magic is handled is not similar at all. I'd say it was a lot more sorcerous/mysterious.
Kinda spoilers since you start with vague knowledge of how magic and figure out what's going on along with the protagonist.
Repetition, by anyone, carries mystical force of some degree, Particularly important are the floor-plans of buildings, as they involve much repetition and strength of intent. Departed spirits and arcane powers in general are bounded by such forces.

Biggest similarity to Mistborn is the struggle against an ancient and mysterious force of subtle power.

The protagonist is an artificial construct of sorcery with no identity, but indistinguishable from natural humans otherwise. One of the main themes is his persistent naivete and fecklessness.

>>7860591

That's quite interesting, I'll give it a try

Finished Assassin's Apprentice. It was alright I guess, but I don't think I will continue the series (unless someone here convinces me to). While I liked Fitz the politics / conflicts were boring and didn't really grip me.

>>7849883
fucking todd why doesn't he just let Kirkbride write TES VI

Should I start DW with Mort or Small Gods? Both sound pretty interesting, what are they like? Or something else entirely?

>>7861070
Best one I've read so far was Guards, Guards! and it's the first of the City Watch ones, so I'd start there desu. But of the two you mentioned, probably Mort.

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>>7861070
Mort and small gods are both rather seperate in continuity.
You can basically start at any plot line,

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What does /sffg/ think of this guy?

>>7861278
Pretty damn great. Get the NESFA Press edition if you can, since it collects all the Instrumentality stories.

>>7860548
It sounds as if it has a fascinating set-up. Reminds me a little of Egan's situational antics. I've added it to my list, so thank you!

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>tfw dragon sex publisher anon never came back

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Anyone here read the Sacred Band books? Saw it on a list opn Goodreads, and it seems to have near universal praise on there and on Amazon, though I had never heard of it before.

>>7861070
I would start with The Colour Of Magic as it explains a lot about Discworld, and makes it easier to understand. Then you can go pretty much anywhere from there.

>>7861727
Pratchett really had no idea what he was going for with Color of Magic, and he definitely improves over the series. Sure, it's enjoyable, but you can't claim it's integral to understanding the universe.
In retrospect, at least to me, it feels like the pilot episode for a cartoon, where some characters look different, but you can generally see where it's going, while lots of it is still subject to change.

>>7861440
Fuck, I remember that thread.

Were we ever able to find out if he was telling the truth? Have any books come out recently with dragon-fucking in them?

Well it helped me understand it better. I first read the Wee Free Men and couldn't get my head around it, but after reading The Colour Of Magic, I felt more confident with the Discworld series. Depends what works for each person I suppose.

>>7861802
oh sure, it does some decent world building, but as far as I remember you can start with any "starter" novel from this list >>7861152 .
Each book tends to introduce the discworld in some way just to establish the scene.
I wouldn't call Color of Magic bad, it's just one of the weaker in my opinion.

>>7861795
Im still hopeful, still I havent actually gone and searched outside of lit because I am too possessed by spooks to explore google

>>7854666
Got all 10, I loved them so much I got them rebound on black hardback with gold lettering. Gives me a semi on my bookcase

Does /lit/ have anymore links or recommendations for science fiction?

>>7861934
Why? I doubt you've read half of those.

>>7861934
I'm gonna make a Euro/Russian centric one. OP one a shit.

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>>7861946
You are right it is just sometimes I read weird ones that are off. Like Starhammer, I'll make an effort to read more of those if someone makes a more in depth list.
I want something that has the same mood as picture related. Dunno why but these pictures get me in the scifi mood.

>>7861950
One of my all-time favorite science fiction authors, Joan D. Vinge, doesn't seem to be listed in this one. I'm sure her Snow Queen/Tangled Up in Blue/World's End/Summer Queen quartet made a showing in the original recommended infographic.

>>7858877
Dhalgren, by Samuel Delany

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>>7861934
Congratulations! You have just received a random recommendation. B-Tier, but enjoyable. Don't worry, it's short.

Has anyone here read Bridge of Birds? Thinking of reading it since it looks decent.

Anyone here read Bridge of Birds? Thinking of reading it since it looks decent and has pretty good reviews.

>>7847157
>http://i.imgur.com/r55ODlL.jpg
Retarded chart desu

>Solaris (1961)
>Ubik (1969)
>modern

>>7847157
No Tolkien in the op? You guys not fans?

>>7862013
Are those the only ones on the chart you know? Because the other ones are released in similar dates.

>>7862020
just kinda obvious? like how is anyone looking for fantasy to read not already aware of tolkein. I didn't make the chart but I think it'd be a waste of space to put him there

>>7861994
Thanks for the recommendation! That's actually a funny coincidence, I just checked it out at the library for the first time this week, and haven't yet had a chance to dive in. It's the book set closest to me on my bookshelf, I could reach out and touch it.
So thanks again! Knowing it's so appreciated I can open it with a fresh eagerness.

>>7862013
>>7862020
Yeah, the charts suck, but no one likes the new charts that get made (of course they also suck). Why don't you give it a shot? Then you will know our (my ;_;) feels

>>7862039
The charts we have now are fine and have something for everyone. It's not as bad as the shitty YA urban fantasy one that had edgy females on every cover.

>>7862042
Quiet you! I'm trying to trick more people into making charts.

>>7850386
Damn, I want to read the second book but I can't find it anywhere for download.

>>7861278
God-tier, second the recommendation on the NESFA edition. It's called The Rediscovery of Man.

>solaris was reprinted
>no longer have to buy a george clooney version

praise be to yevon

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Been having a bit of a weird craving for dystopia/proto-cyberpunk works lately, mostly just browsing through the works of Dick, Simak, and half a dozen other authors

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Does anyone have links to The Lost Prince (Dark Border 1), its sequel (King Chondo's Ride), Faction Paradox: Of the City of the Saved, or Majestrum? Those are the only books I need from the /lit/ recommended fantasy chart, I painstakingly tracked each and every other single one down through the internet, including several newly recommended ones in threads like this.

As a reward, I can share this autistic martial arts movie list I made. It has over 500 movies on it and they're all of a guaranteed quality, if you're a fan. Last year I did research for hours comparing various scores and reviews from various fan websites and came up with this document. Minus the obvious martial arts movies, of course.

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What are the best fantasy novels inspired by east Asian culture?

>>7862546
Sunset Warrior Cycle?

>>7862545
>Majestrum
http://a.pomf.cat/ncuocd.epub

>>7862545
Could you upload the books you have too?

>>7862606
I found all of them off gen.lib.rus.ec and bookzz.org over the course of a month or two.

I was thinking about making an xbox hueg document to upload to Mega, but maybe in the future. Want that Martial Arts doc?

>>7862599
Thanks a million, fimfam

Man, it's been almost a year since I read any memorable fantasy.

The grace of kings, the golem and the jinni, fevre dream, the night circus. I read those all last summer and it looks like I'm not going to find anything worthwhile this coming one

>>7847157
nah

>>7862080
Sounds like a recipe for shitty charts.

Hild was pretty good

Havent been on /lit/ since /his/ was created
Have any of you fuckers read Gormenghast yet? Deserves every bit as much praise as LotR & BotNS

>>7862740
>Yeah, the charts suck, but no one likes the new charts that get made (of course they also suck). Why don't you give it a shot? Then you will know our (my ;_;) feels

>>7862756
read Company of Liars, Hild and the Whale Road-all have parts at the end which explain the historical context of the books

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Some terrible tsundere loli for the degenerate.

>>7862816
I like the selected sci-fi favorites chart just fine.

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Tell me something interesting about your world. I know you're designing one.

>>7862990
>worldbuilding before making a stor
Literal cancer

>>7862990
There are two parallel timelines in my universe but they flow in opposite directions. In addition, there are an untold number of links between one universe and the other that curve in odd ways through spacetime. Time travel is entirely possible by moving through these paths in the right order, but it's still the stable time loop system

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>>7862007
Yes, and you should read it, and yes, you should take me at my word.

>>7862545
Awesome, man! PEZ isn't exactly well-known, so I hope you have luck with your search.

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>>7862990
Shit, I need fantasy with strong female protagonists. No sexploitation or feminist bait, any good fantasy with badass female protagonists like Balsa?

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>>7863280
I don't know this Balsa.
Have a Badass femme mage.

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The translation of Legend of the Galactic Heroes isn't what I'd call the best, but this book has been an absolute treasure to finally read.

>>7863267
Thanks, man! The last two of that series is on bookzz.org, but, alas, the first two are not...Worse comes to worst, I can get them off half price books marketplace or something. Same with the other books I'm trying to snag, but the shipping costs are insane because they're from several different stores so you have to pay multiple shipping charges.

>>7862706
sounds like you just like shit desu

>>7863280
Heroes Die by Matthew Woodring Stover has a strong female deuterotagonist.

>>7863588
Oooh, also his Iron Dawn / Jericho Moon. You'd think a Celtic princess with a razor-thin stone axe and a wolf familiar would be cliché as fuck, a Mary Sue, or a Red Sonja knockoff. You'd be so wrong.

*tugs braid*

>>7848068
I think I like it more than his first trilogy, less deliberately edgy

but ultimately I think all his books aren't that great - well-paced page turners that don't stay in your mind long after you've finished them

>>7860947
Fitz is the best fantasy character I've ever read. If you liked Fitz I'd suggest that you keep reading - IMO his character is developed brilliantly.

>>7862990
So far my world consists of one female character, her morning routine, her profession and some images of vast planes of grass and hills and sand and a burning sun.

"Worldbuilding" and the assumption that one must have some great master plan for everything, a book planned in every detail aside from actually writing it down, a intricate meaning in every sentence, has kept me from writing for years. I'm just gonna fucking do it now and see where it goes.

>He spoke with a Pleiades accent

How the hell am I supposed to know what a Pleiades accent sounds like Asimov?

I'm reading Foundation and Empire at the moment, enjoying it a lot more than Foundation which I thought was a little slow and didn't really pick up until it was nearly over but I saw it was mostly just setting everything up. Are the other books outside of the trilogy worth picking up or is it a Dune kind of case?

>>7863462

Which episodes do the novels cover? I'm rewatching series one again since mine should be coming on Saturday.

>Yang's master plan in the first episode was just to join fleets together to outnumber the enemy
I forgot how incompetent everyone in the FPA was

>>7864005
>Are the other books outside of the trilogy worth picking up or is it a Dune kind of case?
They're plenty fine. I haven't read the ones Asimov didn't write though.

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>feel when you finally finish VALIS
Shame about that cliffhanger but wew what a book.

test

>>7864099
I have. To fill this in, (though it's been a while since I've read the series, so my memory might not be perfect,) they're not nearly as satisfying as any one of the novels written by Asimov, but if you're interested in reading the full Foundation set, outliers and all, as I was, they're worth it if only to feel you really have left nothing out in your sampling of this universe, since they really don't take too much time to finish. They're a little interesting in a way, since you get to see the Foundation universe moving within a different sort of plot structure than you've become very used to, reading so many of Asimov's novels, and you can feel entirely other mindsets directing the movement of the story with their own distinctive stylistic decisions.
So if you have spare time, go for these, too. If not, and you're choosing the books you read carefully, it might be better to skip them.

Fuck is Lord of Light worth going through? I read the first 4 pages but the prose is unbelievably bad and I'm able to tolerate Sanderson, and just in general it feels really dated with its quirks. Skip or does it get REALLY good at one point?

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Began reading the Name of the Wind and I can't carry on. It's just slow, prose is bad and the MC is a gary sue.

Every fantasy I read is Gary Sue.

>>7864715
he does get his shit kicked in for being such a little bitch occasionally, and you can chalk it up to unreliable narrator as well.
It's definitely not high art though, but I enjoyed it.

>>7864715
Yes it's absolute garbage.
Read Wolfe, Zelanzy, Tolkien and Peake for high quality fantasy.

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>>7865443
>Tolkien
>high quality

>>7864709
But Zelanzy has far better prose than Sanderson, what are you talking about?

>>7865449
Tolkien is amazing, don't bait by implying bait

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>>7865456

>>7865450
We must be reading different authors. The pulp feel of Zelazny overwhelmed me, I don't think anything written like that would get published nowadays.

>>7865476
Lord of Light read pretty decently, didn't notice any particular problems with it personally, and regardless of prose it's one of the best sf novels I've read. Certainly interesting thematic and concept.
>>7865459
Go read Rothfuss son

>>7864709
You are literally retarded.

>>7865476
Also they publish was worse shit nowadays.

>>7865518
Decently for the time maybe, it doesn't hold up.

>>7865528
Sorry I don't like rubbish.

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Recently finished pic related. Not planning to read the sequels based on their being universally panned but I definitely would have been suckered into it back in the day.

Great combination of SCIENCE and mystery. Lots of exploring the physics of a giant rotating cylinder, more exciting than it sounds. I also liked how Clarke pretty much just cuts straight to the point of poking around the inside of Rama, in the tradition of eliding sea voyages etc.

The characters of course are made of paper, but it's interesting how this actually reflects Clarke's ideal future of ethnically indistinct cosmopolitans serenely unconcerned with any personal problems.

>>7865554
>Sorry I don't like rubbish
There is literally nothing wrong with Zelazny's writing, and he is categorically a better stylist than Sanderson. What's probably actually going on is that you don't know what's going on yet, and you don't like that, so you
>blame it on the prose
because you heard that word a lot on lit. Feel free to read another ten thousand page fantasy series where everything is carefully spoon fed to the reader immediately though if you can't keep reading.

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Right.

Any of you pricks read The Thing Itself, by Adam Roberts?

It's certainly something. I'd say it's sci-fi at its core, a shitty relatable story of a poor bastard we all relate too in one way, wrapped up in a thoroughly interesting concept. I highly recommend.

Although the secondary chapter features gay cunts fucking around in early 1900s Germany, and the entire book is disgustingly Brit-bong focused, to the point where at some bit they argue that British science beats Americas in regards to AI or some arse. Still good though.

>>7865636
>can't handle people having different opinions
>ad hominem
Good that we concluded this.

>>7865554
Prose doesn't become bad with time retard.
Also it's usually held as a staple of quality prose in sff. When sf got no respect people held up Zelanzy as example of quality in the genre.

I started The Blade Itself. It reads like Warhammer. Prose is supremely generic and mediocre.

>>7863795
Well I have no doubts Fitz is still gonna be interesting to observe, but what about the rest of the plot? Does it improve in book 2 and 3?

>>7865722
It's bellow mediocre actually. I was hoping for something akin to Leiber or Howard or Moorcock.

>>7865722
It's significantly above average fantasy, stick with it.

>>7865770
I will, for a time at least. But the writing itself is truly without a soul.

>>7865770
Also, exposition is shit tier.

>>7865767
Logan/the Northman stuff is pretty much in that vein though

>>7863795
Except for when he gets cucked.

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Find a flaw

>>7866065
Book 3 never.

>>7865874
Thus far he lacks the essential element- characters acting and talking as if they were from their world and not ours.
Also, prose and imagination in general. He describes only barebones events and certain thoughts, there's not even a single element of impressionism in him which is often essential to good fantasy.

>>7866065
There isn't a single redeeming quality in his writing or his persona.

>>7866091
his persona leaves in book 1 though. he gets a hot chick in a bar, and that's it.

fucking robert silverberg

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Is this book actually worth reading or is just meme-tier pulp for nerdy dads and annoying high schoolers?

>>7866157
http://aufbix.org/~bolek/download/guide1.pdf

Read the first few pages and see for yourself. I hated it, shitty humor and no plot.

>>7866157
If you like British humor, read it.
If not, don't...

>>7866157
it gets unnecessarily cynical and nihilistic towards the end, but I enjoyed back in the day, when I was, like, 15.

>>7866157
you have to understand british humor. if you're someone who enjoys monty python, shaun of the dead and top gear then it's definitely a book you might enjoy.

if you're someone who enjoys seth rogan movies or adam sandler movies then you probably wont like it.

i enjoyed it. theres a few books that arent really that good but the first, second and last books are worth it. not for everyone though.

>>7865602
ive considered reading this and i think i might give it a shot in the future. i enjoyed 2001 a space odyssey but i still need to finish the other odyssey books. NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR ALL THESE BOOKS AND SERIES

>>7866137
Been reading a couple of his recently.

>>7860947
The second book is the best of the trilogy by far. One of my favourite novels.

>>7862624
>Want that Martial Arts doc?
Not that anon but yes, please.

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Okay brothers and sisters, what should I read next?

http://strawpoll.me/7225318

>>7865950
Nearly everything that happens to him is tragic and unfair, that's what's great.

>>7865727
I think it definitely does, if IIRC things basically become less black and white. But I dunno, I also thought the plot of the first book was decent so maybe it's not for you.

Never seen All Those Vanished Engines mentioned here, anyone else read it? It's one for the Wolfe fans. Park's other books don't seem that appealing but I'll try them if they're as clever as this one.

does /sffg/ know of any books the seamlessly blend science and fantasy in a completely logical way that aren't space operas?

I still haven't seen something that tops Something More Than Night in that regard

>>7867556
Book of the New Sun, Lord of Light

>>7867577
>Lord of light
>set on another planet
>not a space opera

>>7867404
Yeah but getting cucked by his father figure? That'd be brutal for any writer, let alone fantasy.

>>7867556
>completely logical way
>fantasy
How?

The Golden Compass.
The Steel Remains.
Dying Earth.

>>7867581
Why would you call it a space opera?

>>7865767
Yeah I think I agree. Glokta was what made me stick with it, but everyone else is doing fuck all until the 3rd book. I really don't understand the point of that fucking adventure to the other end of the world. Didn't do shit for the plot, and the characterization was thrown out the moment they returned, except for Luthar.

>>7865722
For what it's worth, The Blade Itself is easily his worst novel.

>>7866163
I agree, though it probably would work better as a radio series.

>>7867581
So is the New Sun, but a space opera is a drama with lots of characters and plot that reaches over a massive scale, making Lord of Light a well not a space opera

>>7847157
I'm new to /lit/ and currently writing my first fantasy book. Since you guys read them a lot, what are some things that ruin a fantasy story for you?

Already avoided gold, silver, copper coin currency (they use sticks that are stacks of 12 coins and two types of coins as currency)

>>7867818
It may be enough for me to never touch him again.
There's no imagination to it, language and prose are generic and the presentation is dreadful, anime tier.

>>7867853
Best advice- don't write if you already didn't read a shitton of quality non fantasy. It's going to be shit.

>>7867863
Non fantasy as in any other genre, or non-fiction type stuff?

>>7867866
Genre. But also philosophy is recommended, lots of great writers were influenced by philosophy or theology.
Basically read the greeks, work your way through the Russians, magic realism, some French authors like Proust, Flaubert and Balzac, and start writing then. You otherwise won't have a feeling of what a good novel is like. You can read fantasy, but as far as literary merritt in it goes it's limited and I would recommend, Wolfe, Tolkien, Lewis, Peake, Zelanzy and Leiber.

>>7867893
>Tolkien
Here goes the bait again!

>>7867893
I read quite a bit of sci-fi before now, as well as a few recommended stories from slice of life stuff in the 1950's life and up till now.

One of the actual foundations of the novel is on a DnD type setting I established many years ago, but never got to share with anyone. A principle trait of the world is that magic has to abide by certain scientific laws specific to the type of magic being used.

Don't think I've read much philosophy though. Would you really have to read whole books on it?

So is Malazan worth reading or is it trash? I'm about to finish Book of the New Sun and want something similar. Is Erikson a good author or is he YA meme garbage like Sanderson? Someone rec'd me Way of Kings and I cringed through the first 100 pages before refunding the book.

What are some good books about dying Earth like Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun cycle, but with more detailed descriptions of the world and it's history?

>>7868090
It's not YA that's for sure. I think I read the first three books or so and then gave up. I don't think he's a poor writer but he kept jumping from different characters/plot lines without much resolution which I found irritating after a while.

>>7868090
If you want a long series it's alright. But then again why would you invest so much time into it

Have you read Gormenghast yet? If not do that.

>>7868100

Is the jumping similar to ASOIAF? Because I can deal with that.

>>7868090
It's Sanderson tier, read Gormenghast for something fantasy and modernist. Also, Chesterton in general is a must for all Wolfe fans.
>>7867945
Yeah, it's going to be awful.
Don't ever write the mechanics first

>>7868102
>>7868108

Gormenghast has been on my list for awhile, guess I'll do that next after I finish up Wolfe.

>>7868112
It didn't come together for me, but I really don't have much of a critique. It's a fine modernist novel.

>>7868090
if you want to avoid trash steer clear of like 90% of sf/fantasy desu fampai

>>7868164

I know, that's why I'm here asking about Erikson. So far the only stuff I've read that I truly enjoy are Martin and Wolfe. I probably wouldn't have even enjoyed Sanderson if I were younger, I was never into that stuff.

>>7862990
MC is a character that got split into two different beings at birth. They both live there lives completely unaware of the other. Not really the premise, but its something I'm working with.

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So I just ordered pic.

Anyone here read this? Thoughts?

>>7865639
Yea, I've read it. I know there's at least one other on here who has also.

It surprised me even though I've read half a dozen Roberts already. I was completely lost in the first few interlude segments. I kind of like what he did with it, though.

I have to say this Corum stuff is interesting.

I had underestimated Moorcock, but really he doesn't waste time in lenghty purple prose and doesn't do cliches. I'd almost recommend it.

>>7868090
It's better than Sanderson but not a patch on Wolfe. I'd say Erikson's worth a read, there's some good stuff in there but also a whole load of trash. I did his first 4 books but had no desire to continue after that.

>>7868217
One of the few of his I haven't read. Reynolds is a genius, to me. The first author whose almost every novel I tracked down and read, short stories included, since Asimov, many years ago. I would definitely start with Revelation Space and that universe of his, though. They are by far and away the best. I'm very happy to see Reynolds mentioned, here.

I recently got into WH40K. Is any of the associated genreshit remotely salvageable?

>>7868327
As somebody who got quite far into that; no.

>>7868333
Thanks, also checked.

>>7868327
I mean if you know what you are getting into, Abnett and ADB are readable. Not good. Readable. First Heretic is probably the best one and isn't retarded like many others.


On another note, I'm 100 pages in First Law and the writing is absolute garbage. The inquisitor is mildly amusing and everything else is governed by cliches, he can't write a dialogue without them. I hate the expression, because I'm used to quality fantasy, but this is genre fiction if there ever was such a thing.

>>7858923
did you make that drawing?
cause if you did, let me give you some advice: stop slapping that watermark all over your stuff, it makes your drawings look like they were made by some obnoxious self-important twat. nobody will steal your art, it's not that great, and if they do, take it as a compliment.

also good luck with your shenanigans and whatevers.

>>7866232
If you're pressed don't bother with the Odyssey sequels. They're not awful but not essential either.

>>7867556
You may not like it but the Count to a Trillion series does this pretty well thematically.

>>7868095
Count to a Trillion builds a Dying Earth scenario from scratch, but it's not really spelled out explicitly to the reader and it really only happens in books 2-4.

Unfortunately the main character in the series is pretty obnoxious to read. Fuck, JCW, you could have had a winner here.

What are some good fantasy series where I'll really get into the world? I've only read ASOIAF and part of the first WoT book. In ASOIAF I only care about the characters, not the setting, and in Eye of the World I don't much care about anything. Maybe I'm just at the age where I can't get immersed anymore, or I'm just reading with the wrong mindset.

>>7868527
Gormenghast

>>7868527
The Locke series is pretty good

>>7868527
You are reading wrong series. The recommendations are the ones always given, series by Wolfe, Tolkien, Vance, Peake, Leiber. Exhaust them and only then you'll have a problem with finding good reads.

>>7868585
>Tolkien
Well trolled.

>>7868588
Go fucking read Sanderson retard.

>>7868217
I enjoyed it. I felt like the relationship between the two main characters was a bit odd, but to be fair they're not really people.

>>7868710
Just reading the blurb, I imagine that was intended

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>>7868095
Literally The Dying Earth by Vance.

>>7868090
This >>7868777

>>7868527
>In a series with garbage tier people I only care about the characters
The only decent person was the old and sick guy from Dorne and no one gave a fuck about him in his world.
Do this >>7868585

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Time to get hyped everyone
Malazan anime adaption officially announced.

>>7869156
link

>>7868090
First Malazan book is nigh-unreadable.
Deadhouse starts slow but becomes great when civil war starts

>>7869170
Can't find anything on it

>>7869333
New thread

>>7869363
This one isn't full yet...

>>7869439
It soon will be

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>>7866065
>Reddit: the Writer

>>7861627
current year,reading books by women.choose one

>>7862546
Are you familiar with Wuxiaworld?

Some titles are rough and awkward with the prose, but I have been enjoying 7 Killers recently.

>>7868186
the thing about erikson is the scale,everything is big. if you can accept that and if you like figuring out stuff for yourself i suggest you try it. go for the first book and the second,finish both before decidingif yoy can go trough. the first on is like a shitty prequel but keep an open mind