Recommend me a good Sci-Fi/Fantasy series

DouLou

Been caught pooping
Joined
Aug 2, 2008
Messages
3,878
Location
Helsinki
I love an epic series, here is a list of some I have enjoyed to give you an idea -

Foundation
Dune
Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
The Dark Tower
Lord of the Rings
Sprawl series
 
The first two Rendevous with Rama books.
Or get some collections of Philip K Dick short stories, one of the best sci-fi writers ever. So far ahead of his time he died in the 80's living in poverty, yet since then has had more books adpated into films than any other sci-fi writers.

I've been meaning to read Foundation, whats it like?
But Hitchhikers guide series is fantastic, enjoyed The Dark Tower but haven't read it in years. Must give it another go. They've brought out a Graphic Novel series based on it, haven't read it just seen some of the artwork. Looks pretty cool.
 
DouLou said:
I love an epic series, here is a list of some I have enjoyed to give you an idea -

Foundation
Dune
Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
The Dark Tower
Lord of the Rings
Sprawl series
Click to expand...

I've read all of these except for the Sprawl series. I can recommend a fair few that are classics, I've got them on my to-read list, Can't wait to get started -
1. A song of Ice and Fire - GRR Martin
2. Hyperion/Endymion Series - Dan Simmons
3. Illium/Olympos - Dan Simmons --> I've read this, its very heavy reading. Re-telling of the battle of Troy and the story of Odyssius from a sci-fi perspective. Very rewarding !!
4. Book of the New Sun - Gene Wolfe
 
El B said:
I've been meaning to read Foundation, whats it like?
Click to expand...

Please, please read it. Its like nothing else. Give the first three a read atleast. Its brilliant story-telling even though some argue that there is not much characterization, the scope of the novels are massive. Asimov just leaps forward thousands of years into the future over a couple of pages without batting an eyelid. And be prepared for some epic twists at the end of each book.
 
Cool, must look into it. Been reading alot of Arthur C Clarke recently, reading Earthlight at the minute. Its a pretty cool book.
 
Dark Tower was good, but there was one out of the seven that i just couldn't get into. I think it was Wizard and Glass with the whole flashback into his childhood thing. I just wanted to get back to chasing the man in black.
 
The Belgarion is a good series, if you like an easy to read and relaxing book series. It's fantasy of the LoTR mould, just doesn't have many elves as I can recall.
 
Xander45 said:
Dark Tower was good, but there was one out of the seven that i just couldn't get into. I think it was Wizard and Glass with the whole flashback into his childhood thing. I just wanted to get back to chasing the man in black.
Click to expand...


I kind of liked the backstory he gave to Roland and his crew in Wizard and Glass. That said the series could have been better edited, there was a lot of supefluous plot lines that he just didn't need to introduce in my opinion. But by then King was so hell bent on making the Dark Tower his magnum opus and linking it to everything else he had written that he couldn't help himself.

If only the last few books focused more on Roland and the Man in Black. If only. I did like the ending though, as opposed to all those who hated it ... it was the only way to end it properly.
 
AdZzUtd said:
The Belgarion is a good series, if you like an easy to read and relaxing book series. It's fantasy of the LoTR mould, just doesn't have many elves as I can recall.
Click to expand...

Was going to suggest The Belgariad myself.

Really great. Certainly less Elves. Actually seems all a bit more real because of it. No crazy races or tree men or anything. Just humans, and different types of humans.

Really interesting. 5 books in the Belgariad and then 5 more in the Malloreon (which is a further follow-on).

Can find them in Charity shops - but AI've read my set perhaps a dozen times.
 
Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan

Jordan is dead now, but he left all his notes and tape recordings to his wife for the final book, which will be split up into the 12th, 13th and 14th books. It is being finished up by Brandon Sanderson. It's a massively deep and epic series.

The Sword of Truth - Terry Goodkind

Not as deep, but a great storyline and keeps everyone involved. There was only one book in this series that I didn't like, but that book eventually tied in the final three books of the series.

The Saga of Recluce - L. E. Modesitt Jr.

The books were not released in chronological order, but if you can get over this, it's a decent read about order vs. chaos, with books written from both sides.
 
The Night Watch (followed by the Day Watch, Twilight Watch and Final Watch) by Sergei Lukyanenko.

I can't be bothered to write a review, but it's really good. Here's what amazon.co.uk says:

Walking the streets of Moscow, indistinguishable from the rest of its population, are The Other. Possessors of supernatural powers and capable of entering the Twilight, a shadowy world that exists in parallel to our own, each owes allegiance either to The Dark or The Light. The two factions, having long before realise that an open struggle can only create chaos and disaster, coexist in an uneasy truce, each side aware of, and keeping a close eye on, the other's activities around the city. Despite their leanings towards good and evil, their aim is not mutual destruction, but rather the maintenance of the precarious balance between the two.
 
El B said:
The first two Rendevous with Rama books.
Or get some collections of Philip K Dick short stories, one of the best sci-fi writers ever. So far ahead of his time he died in the 80's living in poverty, yet since then has had more books adpated into films than any other sci-fi writers.

I've been meaning to read Foundation, whats it like?
But Hitchhikers guide series is fantastic, enjoyed The Dark Tower but haven't read it in years. Must give it another go. They've brought out a Graphic Novel series based on it, haven't read it just seen some of the artwork. Looks pretty cool.
Click to expand...

Foundation is fecking quality!

At the moment I'm digging either A Song of Ice and Fire, Sword of Truth and The Night Watch.

Cheers for the replies guys.
 
The_Red_Hope said:
I've read all of these except for the Sprawl series. I can recommend a fair few that are classics, I've got them on my to-read list, Can't wait to get started -
1. A song of Ice and Fire - GRR Martin
2. Hyperion/Endymion Series - Dan Simmons
4. Book of the New Sun - Gene Wolfe
Click to expand...

Good recommendations, though you possibly shouldn't read my Song of Ice and Fire book review I posed earlier!
 
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (James Oliver Rigney Jr. is his real name) is the best I've ever read. You have to be fond of vast plot-lines, vivid descriptions and lots of characters. There are currently 11 books out (all very big), with 3 more on the way. Those 3 (which was originally one, until they decided it would be a million words) will be finished by the author Brandon Sanderson, after Robert Jordan died 2 years ago. He'll have to write a lot of it himself, but of course all the big things are set in stone, including the ending, which was actually finished by Robert Jordan before he died. There's also apparently a huge collection of notes and world-building facts.

Again, best thing I've ever read. Good time to start now too, since you'll have the time to read all the books and see the end of it within 3 years (the last three books will be released this november, next november and the one after that). As opposed to the rest of us, who've had to wait a long time, some of it in uncertainty whether or not it will actually ever be finished (with his death and all).
 
duffer said:
The Night Watch (followed by the Day Watch, Twilight Watch and Final Watch) by Sergei Lukyanenko.

I can't be bothered to write a review, but it's really good. Here's what amazon.co.uk says:

Walking the streets of Moscow, indistinguishable from the rest of its population, are The Other. Possessors of supernatural powers and capable of entering the Twilight, a shadowy world that exists in parallel to our own, each owes allegiance either to The Dark or The Light. The two factions, having long before realise that an open struggle can only create chaos and disaster, coexist in an uneasy truce, each side aware of, and keeping a close eye on, the other's activities around the city. Despite their leanings towards good and evil, their aim is not mutual destruction, but rather the maintenance of the precarious balance between the two.
Click to expand...

I haven't read the last two yet, enjoyed the first book though. Must get round to the others.
 
The_Red_Hope said:
I've read all of these except for the Sprawl series. I can recommend a fair few that are classics, I've got them on my to-read list, Can't wait to get started -
1. A song of Ice and Fire - GRR Martin
2. Hyperion/Endymion Series - Dan Simmons
3. Illium/Olympos - Dan Simmons --> I've read this, its very heavy reading. Re-telling of the battle of Troy and the story of Odyssius from a sci-fi perspective. Very rewarding !!
4. Book of the New Sun - Gene Wolfe
Click to expand...

fecking hated that one.

felt like wading through molasses at times, and it became pretty formulaic: drag the plot along until right before the end of the chapter, then speed things up to a climax before ending the chapter on a mini-cliff-hanger; switch to another milieu; rinse and repeat. arrrggghh!

loved his Hyperion/Endymion novels, though.

read Ender's Game. great book, that one.

i struggle to find good sci fi nowadays. fantasy doesn't do anything for me.
 
David Gemmel's Troy series was fantastic. RIP.
 
I once read a good fantasy book but I can't remember the name of it. There were dragons in it and it was very similiar to Eragon. I think the main character was the son of a mayor who travelled to the other side of this divided world in search of something. I really want to remember the name of it.
 
SmashedHombre said:
I've just got elvis to pick up some David Gemmell books :D
Click to expand...

I've not done anywhere near as much reading as i'd have liked in the last few months. I should post less and read more i think.
 
Stargate SG-1 & Atlantis.

you can whip me if you dont like it.
 
SmashedHombre said:
Good recommendations, though you possibly shouldn't read my Song of Ice and Fire book review I posed earlier!
Click to expand...

Why, spoilers ?

I've had all the ASOIAF books bought and on my shelf for the past year and a half but for some reason I keep reading something else when I'm done with the current book. It's almost like I didn't want to ruin the experience because of having to break away in the middle because of exams or work. Now that I'm done with my masters exams, I think I'm finally going to delve into this.
 
marcus agrippa said:
fecking hated that one.

felt like wading through molasses at times, and it became pretty formulaic: drag the plot along until right before the end of the chapter, then speed things up to a climax before ending the chapter on a mini-cliff-hanger; switch to another milieu; rinse and repeat. arrrggghh!

loved his Hyperion/Endymion novels, though.

read Ender's Game. great book, that one.

i struggle to find good sci fi nowadays. fantasy doesn't do anything for me.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it was probably one of the most challenging books I'v read, there were times when I was close to putting it down but by then I was pretty invested in the characters, and I'm a sucker for Greek Mythology ... that pulled me through.
 
As for sci-fi.. try the Commonwealth Saga, and then the "sort of" sequel series the Void Trilogy. Great sci-fi. He's got some other series/books as well, but they aren't quite as good as these two.
 
R.Nilsson7 said:
I once read a good fantasy book but I can't remember the name of it. There were dragons in it and it was very similiar to Eragon. I think the main character was the son of a mayor who travelled to the other side of this divided world in search of something. I really want to remember the name of it.
Click to expand...

That actually sounds alot like wizards first rule by terry goodkind, that book and the two that came after were absolutely fecking quality.
 
niMic said:
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (James Oliver Rigney Jr. is his real name) is the best I've ever read. You have to be fond of vast plot-lines, vivid descriptions and lots of characters. There are currently 11 books out (all very big), with 3 more on the way. Those 3 (which was originally one, until they decided it would be a million words) will be finished by the author Brandon Sanderson, after Robert Jordan died 2 years ago. He'll have to write a lot of it himself, but of course all the big things are set in stone, including the ending, which was actually finished by Robert Jordan before he died. There's also apparently a huge collection of notes and world-building facts.

Again, best thing I've ever read. Good time to start now too, since you'll have the time to read all the books and see the end of it within 3 years (the last three books will be released this november, next november and the one after that). As opposed to the rest of us, who've had to wait a long time, some of it in uncertainty whether or not it will actually ever be finished (with his death and all).
Click to expand...
I was going to recommend the Wheel of Time series as well. Best fantasy books I've read so far.
And if you're looking for something a bit more 'easy to read', Raymond E. Feist's books are a good choice in my opinion.
 
I prefer the comedy sci-fi. Discworld being a classic. If you like things a bit surreal I would suggest Robert Rankin's Armeggedon The Musical. (please excuse the spelling, I have just woke up!!)
It is based on the hero, Rex. Elvis Presley and Barry the time travelling sprout!! Oh and daughter of God, Christine. !!! had me laughing for ages!!!
 
Ah right, cheers. I've bought a couple of the books but they are quite far into the series i think. Will have to look for the 1st once i've got through the stack of books i have to read.
 
Philip K. Dick. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep - An excellent sci-fi novel.
 
cina said:
Read the thread first numbnuts.

I'd also like to suggest A Song of Ice and Fire, it's one of the best book series I've ever read.
Click to expand...

The_Red_Hope said:
Why, spoilers ?

I've had all the ASOIAF books bought and on my shelf for the past year and a half but for some reason I keep reading something else when I'm done with the current book. It's almost like I didn't want to ruin the experience because of having to break away in the middle because of exams or work. Now that I'm done with my masters exams, I think I'm finally going to delve into this.
Click to expand...

SmashedHombre said:
Good recommendations, though you possibly shouldn't read my Song of Ice and Fire book review I posed earlier!
Click to expand...

A Song of Ice and Fire is top stuff. Except that it won't get finished, because GRR Martin will die before he manages to write the 10th book. I know the series is currently projected to be 7 books, but remember that it was initially a trilogy. You know a series is compelling when you have dozens of forums dedicated to arguing about the characters.

I also enjoyed Naomi Novik's books about Temeraire. Light reading for when you don't feel like doing anything in particular. I know, I'm really just a big kid.

Discworld is probably my all time favourite. I can still reread a book for the 15th time and laugh, because I catch a new pun or reference that I hadn't before.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.