The New and Improved Recommendation - Fantasy / Horror

[Slack Bladder]

I finally read the Stand, about two years ago... and although it had some pretty epic elements, I found it quite disappointing. What an unnecessarily long slog! The beginning was the best part, and then it just became boring and pointless. I'd place it pretty low on the list of perhaps 15 King books that I've read.

I guess I should offer some recommendations in the spirit of this thread? When it comes to King, my favourites were the Dark Tower Series, Pet Sematary, Salem's Lot, and Misery.

I've only read the "cut" version of The Stand and, while I liked it, I don't think it's the masterpiece that most King fans seem to think it is. The first half is great but then it starts to go downhill fast. The deus ex machina ending was terrible. It felt as if King had written himself into a corner and didn't know how to end it all. It doesn't make me want to read the uncut version.

I agree with your recommendations, though. I think Pet Sematary is probably his bleakest book and also one of his best. Misery is also terrific and probably says more about King's relationship with his fans than his fans are comfortable with.

I haven't gotten around to The Dark Tower novels yet, but will do so at some stage.

[Kei]

I doubt that I have any titles that I could add to this thread that haven't been mentioned before. I'm really here to ask for a recommendation.

I'm looking for fantasy books that include science fiction elements/technology.

Sadly, I have nothing to compare what I'm looking for to. I've been working on a story, and while it's great that I've not read anything that I could compare my own story to (hopefully that means it's slightly original), I'm sure mixed genre must be out there and I'd like to check it out.

Thanks in advance.

[Loerwyn]

I think the Dungeons & Dragons setting of Eberron might be what you're after, but I'm not really clued up on if there are any novels set in that universe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eberron
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...cebooks#Novels

These may help

[PeterWilliam]

I'm looking for fantasy books that include science fiction elements/technology.

Check out the bibliographies of C.J. Cherryh and Gene Wolfe. You should find the kinds of things you're looking for in there.

[Shayna]

I doubt that I have any titles that I could add to this thread that haven't been mentioned before. I'm really here to ask for a recommendation.

I'm looking for fantasy books that include science fiction elements/technology.

Sadly, I have nothing to compare what I'm looking for to. I've been working on a story, and while it's great that I've not read anything that I could compare my own story to (hopefully that means it's slightly original), I'm sure mixed genre must be out there and I'd like to check it out.

Thanks in advance.

There are a couple of different books I can tell you about. I do not know what kind of books you have read before, but I hope you will check these out.

As he is one of my favorite authors, China Mieville has really opened my eyes to a different story telling! When I read his Perdido Street Station, I was in heaven...no fluff stuff here! I apppreciate his writing style and I find his books are like candy for my brain!! I just finished reading UN Lun Dun, which is a teen book he wrote and I loved it! I do read teen books also. You can find great writing there!

I just picked up Leviathan by Scott Westerfield..and I am reading it now. I believe it to be on the style of China Mieville, so am giving it a go!!

[ink]

I finally read the Stand, about two years ago... and although it had some pretty epic elements, I found it quite disappointing. What an unnecessarily long slog! The beginning was the best part, and then it just became boring and pointless. I'd place it pretty low on the list of perhaps 15 King books that I've read.

I guess I should offer some recommendations in the spirit of this thread? When it comes to King, my favourites were the Dark Tower Series, Pet Sematary, Salem's Lot, and Misery.

In addition to those I'd recommend Eyes of the Dragon. A great fantasy story that takes place somewhere in Mid-World. There is a small reference to the characters in one of the early Dark Tower books. I loved the Dark Tower series until the end.

[Johnny B]

... I loved the Dark Tower series until the end.

I read the first three of this series years ago and was planning on picking them up again soon but am always hearing that King really dropped the ball at the end.

Is it that bad?

The idea that the payoff isn't good is kind of giving me second thoughts about reading it since it's such a committment and there are many others books I'd like to read as well.

I do plan on picking up The Dome though. It looks like King may be back to form with this one and I just love looooong books as long as they're done well.

[ink]

Like you I read the first few books (1-4) a long time ago and years later came back to them. Those first four left me with high expectations. The last two books were a let down for me and at the end I was just shaking my head. Without giving anything away I'll just say there were a few elements that left me pissed off. I'm still glad I finished it though, I think.

[hobscrk777]

I just finished Brent Weeks' Night Angel trilogy and I loved (loved) it. I won't go into a full-blown review here, but I feel like I can picture the world in my head, I liked the abundant magic, and my absolute favorite part was the characterization. What else would I like?

[mshnd06]

Let's give this a try. Looking for something with vibrant and complex protagonists, depth of setting and lyrical prose. To illustrate my tastes here's a brief hierarchy:

Tier I: The Untouchables
McKillip, Tolkien, Gaiman

Tier II: Eagerly Anticipating Each New Volume:
Martin, Le Guin, Keyes, Jordan

Tier III: Enjoyable, Immersive
Hobb, Kay, Erikson

Tier IV: Just Okay
Bakker, Gemmell, Pratchett, Feist

Tiev V: The Disappointing, the Derivative and the Painful
Eddings, Goodkind, Brooks

Some names I've been considering include: McKinley, Haydon, Wurts, Abercrombie, Lynch, Rothfuss, Weeks, and Ruckley

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance

[Seak]

Let's give this a try. Looking for something with vibrant and complex protagonists, depth of setting and lyrical prose. To illustrate my tastes here's a brief hierarchy:

Tier I: The Untouchables
McKillip, Tolkien, Gaiman

Tier II: Eagerly Anticipating Each New Volume:
Martin, Le Guin, Keyes, Jordan

Some names I've been considering include: McKinley, Haydon, Wurts, Abercrombie, Lynch, Rothfuss, Weeks, and Ruckley

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance

This was a surprise for me when I read it, but I consider Lynch to be in my tier I or II now. I could not put down Lies of Locke Lamora. It was great. I think Abercrombie might fall in your Tier II or possibly III. Hope that helps, but that's all I got.

[Rob B]

hobscrk777 - right off the bat I'd recommend Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora which also features an assassin-thief/roguish character. I liked Weeks quite a bit, but I enjoyed Lynch a bit more. I'd also recommend Joshua Palmatier debut novel The Skewed Throne, which is the first of a trilogy. Again, we have an assassin as the protagonist.

mshnd06
Here are the authors about whom you asked:

McKinley - I've only read Sunshine by her and that was based on Neil Gaiman giving it a positive blurb. Boy was I disappointed, I found the protagonist very annoying, but the book does have its fans.

Haydon - I read her first trilogy, which began with Rhapsody. At the time I liked it but by the end of the trilogy I found the protagonist to be somewhat annoying. Overall, not the best thing out there, but entertaining enough to keep me interested for three books.


Wurts - Never read her solo stuff, but the trilogy she co-wrote with Raymond E. Feist - The Empire Trilogy was terrific

Now we are getting to the young Turks
Abercrombie, Lynch, Rothfuss, Weeks, and Ruckley

Each author of the above five has at least one or two (and in the case of Abercombie MANY) threads dedicated to them, each linked name will direct you to the threads that are 'tagged' with the author. Of the five, Ruckley is the only one whose writing just didn't jive with my particular sensibilities.

Abercrombie's First Law trilogy is one of my favorite recently completed series. Great stuff overall. Superb characters, a series where the minimal magic is perfectly handled. Think Robert E. Howard-meets-David Gemmell-with modern sensibilities.

Lynch and Rothfuss both had incredible debut novels loved by many people round these parts. Lynch's is sort of a heist set in a weird fantasy world that could have some Science Fictional elements to it if you scratch the surface. Rotfhuss's The Name of the Wind is a Bildungsroman. Both writers feature snarky, cocky protagonists.

Weeks's trilogy also centers on an assassin, with a great deal of magic. There doesn't seem to be middle ground on this series, people either like it a lot of almost hate it. Most of the characters are well constructed and the novels read pretty quickly.

[Loerwyn]

I picked up Dreamsongs Pt1 by GRRM recently, and I'm wondering if I should read any certain story/stories? Want to make sure I like his style before I pick up A Game of Thrones.

[fubInfimubror]

I think that I need in on this.
That will give me a good reason to try out the new rules some more.
put me in as chaos undivided and Ill choose which army deserves to come out. 8-

[Link removed: not allowed at SFFWorld. Hobbit]

[mshnd06]

Thanks Seak and Rob - I've gone out and purchased the Name of the Wind, the Lies of Locke Lamora and the Blade Itself. I'm hoping to get to these over the winter holiday, but I have some of the excellent Jasper Fforde and some non-genre stuff on the to-read pile.