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I've been making the rounds on the Urban Fantasy thread and right now I'm growing restless in the genre. I would really appreciate some really good contemporary cyberpunk. For reference, I'm a huge fan of Daniel O'Malley's "The Rook", American Gods, and the Rivers of London Series. I know they're two disparate genres but if I can get something within the same tone or feel, it'd be really awesome. Any recommendations? Thanks a bunch.
Benny the Snake fucked around with this message at 23:37 on May 25, 2015 |
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May 25, 2015 23:23
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Benny the Snake posted:I've been making the rounds on the Urban Fantasy thread and right now I'm growing restless in the genre. I would really appreciate some really good contemporary cyberpunk. For reference, I'm a huge fan of Daniel O'Malley's "The Rook", American Gods, and the Rivers of London Series. I know they're two disparate genres but if I can get something within the same tone or feel, it'd be really awesome. Any recommendations? Thanks a bunch. Might as well get the William Gibson recommendation out of the way. edit: his older stuff is clearly a product of the 80s/90s when he wrote them, but they were genre-defining at the time and still excellent. His modern stuff has definitely kept with the times rather well, though, and probably fit into "contemporary cyberpunk" pretty well
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May 26, 2015 01:16
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Has anyone read Ramez Naam's Nexus Arc series? It looks a bit cyber-punky. Any good?
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May 26, 2015 01:20
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Jesus, there are like a million versions of these ebooks all at different prices. But yeah I am keen to read these.
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May 26, 2015 02:29
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Stuporstar posted:Has anyone read Ramez Naam's Nexus Arc series? It looks a bit cyber-punky. Any good? No. He's an unskilled writer with dumb ideas. You're better off reading Rudy Rucker's Ware Tetralogy, which is also kind of bad but in a very influential and genre defining sort of way instead of just being inexpert and derivative. pseudorandom name fucked around with this message at 02:57 on May 26, 2015 |
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May 26, 2015 02:54
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Shots fired! Although... 'It starts with Software, where rebel robots bring immortality to their human creator by eating his brain.' That sounds rad.
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May 26, 2015 03:28
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Benny the Snake posted:I've been making the rounds on the Urban Fantasy thread and right now I'm growing restless in the genre. I would really appreciate some really good contemporary cyberpunk. For reference, I'm a huge fan of Daniel O'Malley's "The Rook", American Gods, and the Rivers of London Series. I know they're two disparate genres but if I can get something within the same tone or feel, it'd be really awesome. Any recommendations? Thanks a bunch. I love the Spade Man novels by Adam Sternbergh. They're sort of a cyberpunk post-apocalyptic noir set in New York City years after being dirty-bombed. The protagonist is a nihilistic, but humorous, garbageman, who has switched careers to box-cutter wielding hitman after losing his wife in the terrorist dirty bomb attacks on NYC. The books' biggest strengths imo are the great, Elmore Leonard-like characters and dialogue. Combined with the distinctive & droll POV voice we experience the story from, these books have a ton of style and are a blast to read Clive Barker's Scarlet Gospels just came out last week and it has a heavy urban fantasy vibe to it. I'm about halfway through with it and it has a ton of Pinhead, Cenobite mythology, as well as a lot of backstory/history/mythology about Barker's vision of Hell
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May 26, 2015 05:23
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savinhill posted:Clive Barker's Scarlet Gospels just came out last week and it has a heavy urban fantasy vibe to it. I'm about halfway through with it and it has a ton of Pinhead, Cenobite mythology, as well as a lot of backstory/history/mythology about Barker's vision of Hell What, no weird genderfluid mythic sex!? I want Imajica 2
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May 26, 2015 05:25
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Benny the Snake posted:I've been making the rounds on the Urban Fantasy thread and right now I'm growing restless in the genre. I would really appreciate some really good contemporary cyberpunk. For reference, I'm a huge fan of Daniel O'Malley's "The Rook", American Gods, and the Rivers of London Series. I know they're two disparate genres but if I can get something within the same tone or feel, it'd be really awesome. Any recommendations? Thanks a bunch. Edit: Sorry, somehow missed out on the important 'cyberpunk' bit.
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May 26, 2015 11:03
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It's not fully cyberpunk and is set in the future, but The Quantum Thief is a really good book that shares a lot of cyberpunk themes.
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May 26, 2015 11:13
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I'm only part way through it, but Ecko Rising by Daniel Ware has a very Alex Verus by way of cyberpunk vibe for me. And I can't remember the name of the series for the life of me, but there's a series about a psychic police consultant in, I think Atlanta, in a post robo-apocalypse scenario that might scratch that itch for you.
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May 26, 2015 14:39
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Benny the Snake posted:I've been making the rounds on the Urban Fantasy thread and right now I'm growing restless in the genre. I would really appreciate some really good contemporary cyberpunk. For reference, I'm a huge fan of Daniel O'Malley's "The Rook", American Gods, and the Rivers of London Series. I know they're two disparate genres but if I can get something within the same tone or feel, it'd be really awesome. Any recommendations? Thanks a bunch. "The Windup Girl" by Paolo Bacigalupi Very cyber-punk but more focused on the modern concerns of climate change, bio-modification and genetic manipulation gone wild. EDIT: Oooohhh shiiiit...I just noticed my Kindle downloaded "The Water Knife". Hows that for a coincidence!
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May 26, 2015 14:56
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I'm almost done with the last Farseer book that's out, and i will need a new fantasy series to read. I will say I'm not that picky, as long as the plot is somewhat interesting or the world building is good(the longer the better, for the most part) and I can just kind of lose myself in the series, that's all I care about. I actually even don't mind some of the forgotten realms stuff. I enjoyed Wheel of Time, although by book 7 everything seemed to just be going so slow I took a break from it. I also enjoyed the magician books by faust as well. I do already have a few other series I hadn't started yet- The Sword of Truth(I think that's right, its the legend of the seeker books) - I know these supposedly aren't too great, I read there's a bit of emo stuff going on with the characters, but if the world/plot are somewhat interesting I wouldn't mind too bad The Witcher books - They have a good rating on goodreads, but the series doesn't seem very long, although I'm not sure how big each book is. Elric books - I figure if I generally enjoy forgotten realm stuff, these wouldnt be too bad. Also any other recommendation are welcomed. E: oh yeah, I think I have all the Belgariad books as well, but I don't know a lot about it Drunk Driver Dad fucked around with this message at 19:01 on May 26, 2015 |
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May 26, 2015 18:54
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Dreqqus posted:I'm only part way through it, but Ecko Rising by Daniel Ware has a very Alex Verus by way of cyberpunk vibe for me. And I can't remember the name of the series for the life of me, but there's a series about a psychic police consultant in, I think Atlanta, in a post robo-apocalypse scenario that might scratch that itch for you. I'm drawing a blank on the name as well, but is the psychic guy a former drug addict? If so, that series is pretty good.
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May 26, 2015 19:33
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Drunk Driver Dad posted:The Sword of Truth(I think that's right, its the legend of the seeker books) - I know these supposedly aren't too great, I read there's a bit of emo stuff going on with the characters, but if the world/plot are somewhat interesting I wouldn't mind too bad Anyway, it's pretty divisive, but I find the Malazan Book of the Fallen the best thing to have happened to fantasy in years, so at least try to check it out - you'll love it if you're into worldbuilding, a lot of thought went into that one.
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May 26, 2015 19:51
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I was just talking about that in GBS. I got a bit more than halfway into the first malazan book and was still totally lost. But apparently the 2nd book is a bit more clear about things? e: so far I hadnt read anything bad about Belgariad, so I think I may start on those once I finish up Fool's Assassin Drunk Driver Dad fucked around with this message at 20:31 on May 26, 2015 |
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May 26, 2015 20:25
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Drunk Driver Dad posted:I was just talking about that in GBS. I got a bit more than halfway into the first malazan book and was still totally lost. But apparently the 2nd book is a bit more clear about things? hahahahahahahano. Deadhouse Gates is better written than Gardens of the Moon and has a firmer grasp of characters and pacing. But Erikson just does not DO exposition and has no compunctions about dropping the reader straight into a complicated situation without explaining what the gently caress is going on. Reading Malazan is an exercise in hanging on for dear life until you've been exposed to enough of it that things slowly begin to make sense. Not unlike Michael Moorcock's "Second Ether" books in that way. I say this as a fan of the series, by the way. At its best, Malazan couples a historical sweep and depth that reminds me of nothing so much as Dune, while being able to tell the stories of demigods and ordinary soldiers side by side. At worst, it's a barrage of terrible names and a new plot thread every five pages.
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May 26, 2015 20:38
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Drunk Driver Dad posted:I was just talking about that in GBS. I got a bit more than halfway into the first malazan book and was still totally lost. But apparently the 2nd book is a bit more clear about things? If you could get through even the first half of The Wheel of Time, then you should give Malazan a shot. I had the same experience as you with Gardens of the Moon, but I pushed through and things started to click before the end and it got me hooked for the second book and beyond.
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May 26, 2015 20:47
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Drunk Driver Dad posted:I was just talking about that in GBS. I got a bit more than halfway into the first malazan book and was still totally lost. But apparently the 2nd book is a bit more clear about things? There's nothing that bad about the Belgariad. I reread it recently and enjoyed it more than mere nostalgia would have provided. It's not doing anything amazing, but it's a quick fun read that's light in tone -- nothing grimdark or rapey, no convoluted plots/POVs. And if you like it you can bury yourself in the 5 volumes of The Mallorean and the two Sparhawk trilogies (which are ostensibly about differnt characters, but basically are Eddings doing his same enjoyable thing).
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May 26, 2015 20:55
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Eddings(es) generally is/are very competently written, very generic fantasy. They're decent, they're fun, they're not difficult at all, there's not a massive amount of meat to them, but they're hard to go wrong with. All of the Belgariad universe stories are decent, Redemption of Althalus is decent, Sparhawk I think was pretty good, though I think I only read one of them, etc etc etc. There's nothing that's going to wow you but they're worth the time.
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May 26, 2015 21:08
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thespaceinvader posted:All of the Belgariad universe stories are decent, Redemption of Althalus is decent, Sparhawk I think was pretty good, though I think I only read one of them, etc etc etc. There's nothing that's going to wow you but they're worth the time. Sparhawk's Troll Gods were better than any silly blue and red orb bullshit.  Drunk Driver Dad posted:I was just talking about that in GBS. I got a bit more than halfway into the first malazan book and was still totally lost. But apparently the 2nd book is a bit more clear about things? I'd also suggest Feist's Riftwar and Daughter of the Empire series'. The Death Gate Cycle is really good if you enjoy Dungeons and Dragons and want to give yourself a little bit extra. Now, you can do what you want, but you will get no good from reading Sword of Truth beyond the first book or two. Best to just not get involved with it at all.
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May 26, 2015 22:03
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Tor.com has an excerpt from The Traitor Baru Cormorant up now. I am really impressed ... I didn't know anything about this book except it was written by someone from this thread, but I'm pretty hooked after reading the excerpt.
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May 26, 2015 22:18
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Drifter posted:Sparhawk's Troll Gods were better than any silly blue and red orb bullshit. Awesome, thanks. Looking at those I think I may start with Death Gate. Looks like 7 good size books to keep me occupied for a while, and I'll keep Belgariad and Pakssenarrion on my to read list for after that.
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May 26, 2015 22:41
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Quinton posted:I massively enjoyed the book, but some people (as observed above) find it completely unreadable. While there's magic and magicians, it's often more a book about books and conversations about magic rather than magic itself, and it's about the particular flavor of "English Magic" that's part of the book's alternate history. The narrator has a rather dry sense of humor and is prone to extensive footnotes (often multi-page self-contained stories unto themselves). I found it all very enjoyable, but can understand it not being everyone's cup of tea. I'm really pleasantly surprised by the TV adaptation, as someone who absolutely adored the book. It's getting the tone right, the CGI isn't embarrassing (good job, BBC!), and the casting is pretty much spot-on. I'm loving Eddie Marsan as Norrell, especially. Now I'm just casting about for another book to read that's in the same vein, or at least does similarly exciting things with the fantasy genre. I recently read through Lev Grossman's The Magicians series, which I liked but didn't completely love, and it hasn't quite satisfied my hunger for... I dunno, "literary" books about magicians? Is that a good way to put it? Grad school has made me extremely cautious with the word "literary."
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May 26, 2015 23:14
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Drunk Driver Dad posted:The Sword of Truth(I think that's right, its the legend of the seeker books) - I know these supposedly aren't too great, I read there's a bit of emo stuff going on with the characters, but if the world/plot are somewhat interesting I wouldn't mind too bad Forget you've even heard about this series.
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May 26, 2015 23:16
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Lowly posted:Tor.com has an excerpt from The Traitor Baru Cormorant up now. Thanks! I'm really excited to get it out there and see what people think. If you want to learn a little more about the book and the world it's set in you can click on this link to read more  Maybe you guys can help me decide between 'Game of Thrones meets Guns Germs and Steel' or 'Lilo and Stitch meets Gone Girl'
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May 26, 2015 23:43
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General Battuta posted:Thanks! I'm really excited to get it out there and see what people think. If you want to learn a little more about the book and the world it's set in you can click on this link to read more Very cool, I will check that out. The first one sounds like a better book, but that second descriptor sounds so batshit I would probably have to see the result of that pairing.
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May 27, 2015 00:10
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I'm eight hundred percent more interested in any book that compares itself to Gone Girl than one that compares itself to Game of Thrones, so,
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May 27, 2015 00:14
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It's not much like Game of Thrones, but everyone knows what Game of Thrones is, and unfortunately the only really successful genre books these days are those that can bust out of genre. Thus Scalzi's happy news! Old Man's War was a real crossover hit.
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May 27, 2015 00:18
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Benny the Snake posted:I've been making the rounds on the Urban Fantasy thread and right now I'm growing restless in the genre. I would really appreciate some really good contemporary cyberpunk. For reference, I'm a huge fan of Daniel O'Malley's "The Rook", American Gods, and the Rivers of London Series. I know they're two disparate genres but if I can get something within the same tone or feel, it'd be really awesome. Any recommendations? Thanks a bunch. Drunk Driver Dad posted:Elric books - I figure if I generally enjoy forgotten realm stuff, these wouldnt be too bad. Anything by Brandon Sanderson would probably be right up your alley, check out Mistborn or some of his standalone stuff. If you like D&D-based stuff he'll be a breath of fresh air and have very clear definitions and limits on his magic systems, and he's good at explaining it to the reader (although some people hate this, see the comments about Way of Kings.). Mark Lawrence is a new fantasy author who's pretty fun, he seems to be building up momentum in the industry pretty quickly, and he's got a coup;le of trilogies under his belt as well, with some novel magic systems and stuff going for them. Scott Lynch? Everybody should read The Lies of Locke Lamora, imho.. It's probably been recommended already. Steven Erickson's Malazan series is pretty good, has a TON of books to wade into, and has a nice and original world which was originally based off a GURPS campaign or something he and his buddies were running - there's a thread in TBB for Malazan, so checkitout, they're good about spoilering stuff. Have you read Raymond E Feist? I like him more than Eddings, Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master are solid books and he's got tons and tons of books in that world, as well as some non-riftwar stuff nowdays as well which I read and liked alright, but forgot mostly. Also, don't read the Sword of Truth series, unless you really like BDSM or something. Watch the TV series instead, it's way funner and the woman playing Kalan is  gorgeous in that corset thing!
coyo7e fucked around with this message at 01:06 on May 27, 2015 |
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May 27, 2015 00:55
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coyo7e posted:Bruce Sterling manages to make most of his cyberpunk feel like urban fantasy. And he's a way better writer than Gibson, who's as bland and midwestern as my grandma's boiled greens. Whoa, drat, what the gently caress. I'll take the preference for Sterling over Gibson as human variance, but 'bland' and 'midwestern'?
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May 27, 2015 01:02
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Texas is in the middle of the continent. Thus, midwestern. After hearing his audio narration of Neuromancer, he broke me. He's got the worst drawling monotone.
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May 27, 2015 01:07
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I don't think bland people are allowed to (jointly with Blade Runner) invent the whole aesthetic of '80s cyberpunk.
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May 27, 2015 01:34
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coyo7e posted:Texas is in the middle of the continent. Thus, midwestern. Yeah but he's from South Carolina, not Texas, and he's lived most of his life on the Canadian West Coast. Not midwestern at all! Bruce Sterling, however? Is from Austin.
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May 27, 2015 02:08
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General Battuta posted:Maybe you guys can help me decide between 'Game of Thrones meets Guns Germs and Steel' or 'Lilo and Stitch meets Gone Girl' Speaking of X meets Y pitches, that excerpt is highly reassuring after the amazon page went with "GG&S meets The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms", the latter of which, unless i'm much mistaken, is a book wherein the 'heroine' is mostly concerned with her overwhelming, at-first-sight desire to gently caress the enslaved physical personification of night and murder because he's just ~so dreamy and tormented  ~ 
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May 27, 2015 02:53
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coyo7e posted:Texas is in the middle of the continent. Thus, midwestern. That's literally the stupidest thing that I've ever heard.
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May 27, 2015 02:53
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coyo7e posted:Texas is in the middle of the continent. Thus, midwestern. As someone who has lived in the southwest and the midwest, you are very wrong. West texas is the southwest, east texas is the old south, none of it is the midwest (although the panhandle is about as lovely as the worst parts of the midwest in some ways).
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May 27, 2015 03:08
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General Battuta posted:It's not much like Game of Thrones, but everyone knows what Game of Thrones is, and unfortunately the only really successful genre books these days are those that can bust out of genre. Thus Scalzi's happy news! Old Man's War was a real crossover hit. Why does the UK cover cut out half your title? "The Traitor" is bland.
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May 27, 2015 03:09
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coyo7e posted:Mark Lawrence is a new fantasy author who's pretty fun, he seems to be building up momentum in the industry pretty quickly, and he's got a coup;le of trilogies under his belt as well, with some novel magic systems and stuff going for them. Prince of Thorns is the most over-the-top grimdark poo poo that I've ever read, and I don't mean that in a good way. The whole setup with the 14 year old kid leading the band of psychotic rape-you-then-kill-you-then-rape-you-again road bandits managed to break my suspension of disbelief pretty early on(why do they put up with this poo poo again? Oh, it's because he's the unstoppable Chosen One force of nature I guess?) and becomes this relentless parade of misery. That's not my problem, though. My problem is that it does all of this without containing even a single likable character. None of them aside from the titular Prince of Thorns are even memorable characters, and the only reason he's memorable is because he's the POV character. He's certainly not memorable because of his characterization or personality, because both of those things are pretty much non-existent outside of "look. look at how loving grimdark murdertastically raperrific i am. kill all the things." The prose and the writing are not bad, but the story itself is just misery for the sake of misery. Watch a psychopathic sadist be a sadistic psychopath, accompanied by his entourage of nameless thugs!
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May 27, 2015 03:18
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General Battuta posted:It's not much like Game of Thrones, but everyone knows what Game of Thrones is, and unfortunately the only really successful genre books these days are those that can bust out of genre. Thus Scalzi's happy news! Old Man's War was a real crossover hit. I just read my first short story of yours (TESTIMONY BEFORE AN EMERGENCY SESSION OF THE NAVAL CEPHALOPOD COMMAND, which I picked because how could I possibly not with that title). Loved it. I'm about to read another, but I have to ask if the narrator for TESTIMONY is some kind of alt-history Peter Watts.
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May 27, 2015 03:32
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