[n8thenoob]

I need some Science Fiction/Fantasy help and I stumbled across this site and thought that it seemed like a great place to get friendly news and recommendations.

I'm new to the book fantasy realm although I studied film in college and love all things Sci-Fi/ Fantasy/Post-apocalyptic on the big screen. Basically I am looking for a series to get engrossed in, but I have a specific set of criteria. If your up to the challenge here they are:

-Can be anything within the genre's I've already mentioned
-Must be quickly paced, action-packed and epic
-MUST be dark and adult - not as in more sex, but in tone/themes
-Must create a believable world, but not get so bogged down under the weight of its own philosophies, genealogies, made-up-words etc. (so in other words- not ridiculously self-indulgent...just a little:)
-MUST be more current, no Lord of the Rings suggestions please, and if at all possible an author that is still creating top notch work today

Ok there it is, now whose got the chops??? (BTW thanks in advance for the help:)

[Paul Lamontagne]

Joe Abercrombie - First Law trilogy


it fits every guideline you've layed out. and it rules.

[n8thenoob]

thanks Paul!--looks promising...anybody else want to weigh in?

[Hobbit]

I'll do what often happens at this point:

The Recommendation Thread may be what you need. Lots of links HERE. (http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20845)

Mark

[Werthead]

R. Scott Bakker - The Second Apocalypse series, which consists of three sub-series. The first, The Prince of Nothing trilogy, is complete. The first book of the second series, The Aspect-Emperor trilogy, just came out. So that's four books to be going on with.

It's very dark, very adult with strong philosophical ideas and themes. Very much a collision between the sort of fantasy worldbuilding of Tolkien and the writing of Frank Herbert. Well worth a look. There's a lot of action in each book, but a fair amount of politicking and talking as well.

George RR Martin - A Song of Ice and Fire, a planned seven-book series with four out now and a fifth due later this year/early next year.

Be warned that GRRM is not a fast writer: Book 4 took five years to come out, Book 5 has taken about four so far. However, it's widely acknowledged as the best epic fantasy series around at the moment. It starts slow but once the action kicks in halfway through the first book it doesn't really let up, with constant scheming, intrigue, wars and major plot twists. It's being made into a TV series by HBO at the moment as well.

For SF I usually rec Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy, which is a huge SF space opera series set in the 27th Century where space opera meets horror (sort of). A huge scope, a tremendously interesting and detailed fictional universe, and a lot of action through the three massive books (which are all finished).

[Seak]

Malazan Book of the Fallen series

It starts with Gardens of the Moon and it's amazing. It's well written, huge and amazing world and it has 8 of 10 projected books out so far and began in 1999.

So good.:)

[killhus]

I will also recomend R Scott Bakkers books and Steven Eriksons Malazan series

Check out Seer king by chris bunch, It is a military style fantasy with a lot of adult themes

I have not read any James Barclay, however I have heard alot of good things, i have also heard that his books are dark and action packed, and definitely epic

as for scifi
Richard K Morgan's Kovacks series

Altered Carbon
Broken Angels
Woken Furies

very epic, and very good worldbuilding, also very dark and advanced adult reading

Also check out "Chasm City" by Alastair Reynolds

it is very epic an adult oriented, if you like "Chasm City" then he also has about 8 other books.

[algernoninc]

I would not inflict Erikson on somebody just starting on fantasy. He is great, but the series is much too long, and while the worldbuilding is unparalleled, the quality of the writing and the characterization are not always top notch.
I think Richard Morgan is a safer bet, both with Takeshi Kovacs and Black Man / Thirteen.
also Scott Lynch with The Lies of Locke Lamora is a pretty safe bet as an entry point to modern oriented fantasy.

[columbob]

Glen Cook's Black Company series. It's a 10 book series already completely written (although the author still plans 2 more books apparently), is fairly recent (published between 1984 and 2000), it's dark, it's fast-paced, and totally awesome.

[JeanneTomlin]

Elizabeth Moon's Deed of Paksenarrion and to the delight of her many fans she has a new trilogy set in this world coming out starting next year!