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Teddybear posted:What's Kingkiller more like, then? I've heard perpetual rumblings that Rothfuss is good but I'm not entirely sure what the series is like in tone or scope. It's a guy narrating his rise to greatness. Or as some people would put it, a smug prat telling you all about how awesome he was for 400 pages. And while I personally enjoy the Malazan Books, they're very much love-it-or-hate-it. They've got a massive cast, a big and complicated world, and absolutely zero exposition. If you liked ASOIAF, I think you'd probably also like Tad Williams's "Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn" books.
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Aug 25, 2017 21:40
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Oh, if you like all the political intrigue and rampant backstabbery in ASOIAF, one book that doesn't pop up nearly as much as it should is Mark Alder's Son of the Morning, which details a lot of the fuckups of the 14th century with a magical-theological twist. A sequel has just come out, although the series isn't done yet; either way, it's a lot of fun. e: For the record, the Malazan books have a great deal of exposition. It's just that it's all provided by characters and as such it's usually incomplete or plain wrong.
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Aug 25, 2017 21:45
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That's all good to know. I'll make some notes and pick things up on my next trip to the library. If anyone has some tips on City and the Cityish things as well, I'd like to hear them. And hell, I'll recommend it for anyone else: The City and the City by China Miévelle, a police procedural murder mystery set on the edge of Eastern Europe with a great overlaying concept surrounding the city it takes place in-- which I recommend you go in cold and discover as you read, because it's a treat. The city, Besźel, is geographically overlaid with a wholly separate city state, Ul Qoma. The two share physical space but not legal or social space, and the boundaries of all three are aggressively enforced by citizen and state alike. It's handled very, very well.
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Aug 25, 2017 22:00
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You could also try Stormlight Archives or the Mistborn Trilogy for fantasy epics, but they won't be as long and have a different tone. As a final addition to the 'sprawling fantasy epics to try' list you could see if you like the Black Company, although that's darker/more military focused. I would honestly also recommend Wolf Hall/Bring Up The Bodies for a similar amount of intrigue and whatnot, although that's with actual Thomas Cromwell instead of a fantasy setting. It's not quite the same scope, but it's basically how I wish the writing/characters were in some of the fantasy epics that are otherwise really cool. Teddybear posted:I read The City and The City by China Mievelle this week and really enjoyed it; I tried Embassytown by the same author and couldn't dig into it at all. Are there more books that manage to ride that strange-but-maybe-not-quite-sci-fi line as CityCity? I don't have an exact fit for that, I'm not really sure what would be, but I would recommend trying The Scar or Perdido Street Station next rather than Embassytown if you wanted to try more Mieville. They both have similarly powerful senses of place, and although they definitely are firmly on the sci-fi side of things they're worth trying if you like him (The Scar is technically the second book, but there's no overlap in the cast of characters and you can pretty much start there). For an alternative suggestion that does the 'strange but not quite sc-fi' thing very well, you could read Kindred by Octavia Butler. It's a very different subject matter/story (it's a very different take on a slave narrative) but it's very well done and imo is a really great way of using sci-fi elements to make a story more powerful. e: This is a bit different, but you could try The Three Body Problem; it sort of blends in the sci-fi elements slowly, and has a similar sort of layered feeling to the story. Another book you could try is Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolano. It's not sci-fi, but has mystery elements and a tone that feels similar to Mieville. foutre fucked around with this message at 22:33 on Aug 25, 2017 |
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Aug 25, 2017 22:10
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RIP ZEEZ
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Teddybear posted:That's all good to know. I'll make some notes and pick things up on my next trip to the library. If you're looking for detective weirdness and don't mind going a bit more "literary", I'd recommend Paul Auster's The New York Trilogy. For fantasy series recommendations, there's a Prince of Nothing/R Scott Bakker thread titled something like "Better than loving a hole in the ground". If you liked the grimmest aspects of ASOIAF, check out the thread and see whether it's something for you.
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Aug 25, 2017 22:17
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foutre posted:You could also try Stormlight Archives or the Mistborn Trilogy for fantasy epics, but they won't be as long and have a different tone. As a final addition to the 'sprawling fantasy epics to try' list you could see if you like the Black Company, although that's darker/more military focused. I'll add these to my list! Thanks a bunch. I'll look towards those Mievelle books; I liked CatC enough that I won't begrudge that Embassytown didn't grab me, and if he can get that sort of style again I'll be happy to dig in. I quite liked the BBC Wolf Hall series as well, so the books are a logical step. Take the plunge! Okay! posted:If you're looking for detective weirdness and don't mind going a bit more "literary", I'd recommend Paul Auster's The New York Trilogy. Also added. I'm trying to read more in general, especially that my new place has easy access to the library and that I can burn through novels like a fire through... well, novels. Although I wouldn't recommend burning books.
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Aug 25, 2017 23:04
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Teddybear posted:I'll add these to my list! Thanks a bunch. I'll look towards those Mievelle books; I liked CatC enough that I won't begrudge that Embassytown didn't grab me, and if he can get that sort of style again I'll be happy to dig in. I quite liked the BBC Wolf Hall series as well, so the books are a logical step. I didn't really like Embassytown but I did enjoy Three Moments of An Explosion which is a collection of Mieville's short stories, they are very weird but also well worth diving into.
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Aug 26, 2017 05:56
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I'm looking for a recommendation for something like, scientific horror? Not sure how to describe it; like that type of story about scientific experimentation gone too far in the pursuit of knowledge or something weird like that.
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Aug 26, 2017 10:42
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Chrome Gadget posted:I'm looking for a recommendation for something like, scientific horror? Not sure how to describe it; like that type of story about scientific experimentation gone too far in the pursuit of knowledge or something weird like that. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein pretty much invented what you're looking for, as well as kickstarted modern horror and science fiction genres.
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Aug 26, 2017 12:46
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Chrome Gadget posted:I'm looking for a recommendation for something like, scientific horror? Not sure how to describe it; like that type of story about scientific experimentation gone too far in the pursuit of knowledge or something weird like that. Christopher Priest's The Prestige leaps to mind. Peter Watts's Blindsight might also do you, as long as you expand the definition of scientific experimentation to include space exploration.
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Aug 26, 2017 13:56
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Chrome Gadget posted:I'm looking for a recommendation for something like, scientific horror? Not sure how to describe it; like that type of story about scientific experimentation gone too far in the pursuit of knowledge or something weird like that. The Island of Dr. Moreau
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Aug 26, 2017 17:30
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Chrome Gadget posted:I'm looking for a recommendation for something like, scientific horror? Not sure how to describe it; like that type of story about scientific experimentation gone too far in the pursuit of knowledge or something weird like that. Michael Crichton's entire oeuvre
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Aug 26, 2017 19:33
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Chrome Gadget posted:I'm looking for a recommendation for something like, scientific horror? Not sure how to describe it; like that type of story about scientific experimentation gone too far in the pursuit of knowledge or something weird like that. Also, approximately half of all lovecraft ( see, e.g., "Cold Air").
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Aug 26, 2017 19:41
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From Beyond, Herbert West Reanimator
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Aug 26, 2017 20:10
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Teddybear posted:I'll add these to my list! Thanks a bunch. I'll look towards those Mievelle books; I liked CatC enough that I won't begrudge that Embassytown didn't grab me, and if he can get that sort of style again I'll be happy to dig in. I quite liked the BBC Wolf Hall series as well, so the books are a logical step. His other books are definitely different, but worth trying. I actually read a book that I think fits the detective story in a semi-sci-fi world with an evocative city as the setting -- City of Stairs, which I think it the first in a trilogy, would probably fit the bill pretty well.
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Aug 26, 2017 20:42
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I love Mieville's book Kraken. It is so ridiculous and intentionally silly.
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Aug 26, 2017 23:24
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Any good fiction (or non-fiction that isn't overly academic) about early humans? Anything from before the age of Classical Antiquity.
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Aug 28, 2017 02:50
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cult member at airport posted:Any good fiction (or non-fiction that isn't overly academic) about early humans? Anything from before the age of Classical Antiquity. Maybe Clan of the Cave Bear?
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Aug 28, 2017 02:55
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especially if you need that incest itch scratched now that game of thrones is over
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Aug 28, 2017 04:15
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cult member at airport posted:Any good fiction (or non-fiction that isn't overly academic) about early humans? Anything from before the age of Classical Antiquity. Maybe The Egyptian by Mika Waltari?
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Aug 28, 2017 10:58
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William Golding's The Inheritors isn't a terribly accurate portrait of Neanderthal life but it's still a pretty good read.
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Aug 28, 2017 13:32
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cult member at airport posted:Any good fiction (or non-fiction that isn't overly academic) about early humans? Anything from before the age of Classical Antiquity. Seemingly half of my Goodreads friends have read Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind recently and seemed to have really liked it. It sounds like it's at least partly what you're looking for but also continues past ancient times to e.g. the enlightenment and industrial revolution. But maybe you'd dig it (or at least the first third)?
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Aug 28, 2017 14:33
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cult member at airport posted:Any good fiction (or non-fiction that isn't overly academic) about early humans? Anything from before the age of Classical Antiquity. chris stringer, the origin of our species (also titled lone survivors in the US)
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Aug 28, 2017 23:06
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Looking for some fiction about explorers traipsing around parallel universes or alternate dimensions. Preferably science fiction but I bet it's more common in fantasy.
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Aug 31, 2017 21:42
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Al Cu Ad Solte posted:Looking for some fiction about explorers traipsing around parallel universes or alternate dimensions. Preferably science fiction but I bet it's more common in fantasy. How do you feel wrt child rape
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Aug 31, 2017 23:26
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Mel Mudkiper posted:How do you feel wrt child rape I hate the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant but, uh, thanks.
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Aug 31, 2017 23:27
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Wow that wasn't even it. How much child rape is in fantasy
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Aug 31, 2017 23:38
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Al Cu Ad Solte posted:Looking for some fiction about explorers traipsing around parallel universes or alternate dimensions. Preferably science fiction but I bet it's more common in fantasy. Tad William's Otherworld? Sort of is, sort of isn't, not sure on the child rape levels but wouldn't rule it out.
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Sep 1, 2017 00:16
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Al Cu Ad Solte posted:Looking for some fiction about explorers traipsing around parallel universes or alternate dimensions. Preferably science fiction but I bet it's more common in fantasy. Philip Jose Farmer's "World of Tiers" books. A bit old-fashioned re gender roles but hey, no child rape. Michael Moorcock's Second Ether trilogy might also do you although be warned it can be weird and difficult.
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Sep 1, 2017 02:43
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Jack Chalker's Well World books might count
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Sep 1, 2017 05:31
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Al Cu Ad Solte posted:Looking for some fiction about explorers traipsing around parallel universes or alternate dimensions. Preferably science fiction but I bet it's more common in fantasy.
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Sep 1, 2017 05:55
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Rusty posted:Maybe not what you have in mind, but Flatland is a short, fun read. Just be prepared for some hosed up gender politics.
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Sep 1, 2017 07:42
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Solitair posted:Just be prepared for some hosed up gender politics. What does this even refer to when you're talking about a satire from 1884?
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Sep 1, 2017 12:31
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Solitair posted:Just be prepared for some hosed up gender politics. Pretty sure that's the point
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Sep 1, 2017 12:38
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A human heart posted:What does this even refer to when you're talking about a satire from 1884? Incredibly heteronormative cis-male author thinks there's only two genders
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Sep 1, 2017 13:58
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Al Cu Ad Solte posted:Looking for some fiction about explorers traipsing around parallel universes or alternate dimensions. Preferably science fiction but I bet it's more common in fantasy. Murray Leinster's Sideways in Time.
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Sep 1, 2017 19:56
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A human heart posted:What does this even refer to when you're talking about a satire from 1884? it is unacceptable that there are, or have ever been, people who do not adhere to my worldview, even jokingly
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Sep 1, 2017 21:07
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Two recommendations please. I've read House of Leaves a few times and I want another book to replicate that experience. What's the best meta-narrative book? I think Nabokov has one that's supposed to be pretty good, right? And I remember hearing about a book called If On A Winter's Night A Traveller. I know these are both supposed to be meta-fiction but not sure how highly they are recommended. Secondly, a horror novel in the same meta-fictional vein. If there's nothing close, then just a good horror novel along the lines of the main Navidson Record portion of House of Leaves. Thanks!
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Sep 1, 2017 21:49
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regulargonzalez posted:Two recommendations please. I've read House of Leaves a few times and I want another book to replicate that experience. What's the best meta-narrative book? I think Nabokov has one that's supposed to be pretty good, right? And I remember hearing about a book called If On A Winter's Night A Traveller. I know these are both supposed to be meta-fiction but not sure how highly they are recommended. Pale Fire and On A Winter's Night are both great, yeah. For a general novel that feels kind of like the Navidson Record, try Steven Hall's Raw Shark Texts
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Sep 1, 2017 22:22
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regulargonzalez posted:Two recommendations please. I've read House of Leaves a few times and I want another book to replicate that experience. What's the best meta-narrative book? I think Nabokov has one that's supposed to be pretty good, right? And I remember hearing about a book called If On A Winter's Night A Traveller. I know these are both supposed to be meta-fiction but not sure how highly they are recommended. pale fire and if on a winter's night a traveller are both good. I also recommend flight of Icarus by Raymond Queneau
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Sep 2, 2017 11:18
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