/lit/ - Literature

>no thread questions

What order of importance would you rank characters, plot, and setting in SFF books that you like?

>>11007646
Plot > Characters > Setting

second for jolenta consented to it

what do you think Martin and Rothfuss are doing right now instead of writing?

>>11007646
>>11007683
Always felt like they were inseparable. Like the point of SFF should be to make settings that slow for plots and characters that should not be feasible anywhere else.

>>11007700
honestly I just like to read neckbeard power fantasies

>>11007694
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lle4t4o8EDk

Rothfuss is probably masturbating over how important he thinks he is

sanderfag a hack

Why isn't Earthsea on the general chart?

>Lift summoned her awesomeness

Lads, pls rec me some good zombie books
already read world war z, I am legend (vamp zombie)

is elric a childrens series?

Is there any good pulpy fantasy/scifi that is well written?

>>11007952
conan: shadows in zamboula

dunno what to read next, can anyone recommend me any books with a lot of focus on single combat?

Doesn't have to be duels but something like that would be neat.

>>11007821
And yet he's more rich and successful than you'll ever be.

>>11007893
>Lift will never summon her awesomeness to slip-n-slide her nude body over yours.

QUICK, I NEED SOME WEIRD, OFF THE BEATEN PATH SHIT THAT DOESN'T DESCEND INTO TYPICAL SUB GENRE BULLSHIT LIKE "MUH DYSTOPIA" AND THE LIKE!!

>>11007952
The Dragon Masters and The Last Castle by Jack Vance

Why did no one recommend me Powder Mage?

Even got a qt mute redheaded loli

>>11008081
VORRH
O
R
R
H

>>11008138
because it's one of about 100 sandersonbut books so it gets lost in the mix

also multiple pov and no hero discovering his powers so less universal appeal

>>11008160
I havent read any Sanderson book

What makes it a Sanderson book?

>>11008204
built around a magic system with clear rules which is front and center of the book and all the promos done for it

as I said before shitloads like this popped up right after mistborn got big

redpill me on Lovecraft

>>11008229
He's shit.

>>11008229
a hack

>>11008229
>good at describing
>can't write action for shit so all the horror is an indescribable thing making someone go mad
>big mommy issues
>racism that's so over the top that it turns some stories into comedy

guy's alright but a whole bunch of the other magazine writers of the time were way better

>>11008224
Why shouldn't there be a magic system with clear rules? Only one POV character uses it and she's a side character.

>>11008229
People who emulate him today often write far more interesting stories than he ever could.

>>11008241
>>11008247
Why?
>>11008248
Who would you say is better?

>>11008229
He's been unbelievably influential on other writers, (not just writers of Horror fiction) so that alone should be enough reason to give him a shot. But IMO Gothic fiction is usually superior to Lovecraftian if we are talking about the great works of Horror lit.

>>11008251
>Why shouldn't there be a magic system with clear rules?
Whelp, guess we gotta throw you in the pit with the rest of em.

>>11008257
unironically Stephen King

>>11007646
Characters> > > > > > > > > > > everything else

>>11008732
stephen king is unironically one of my favorite fiction authors because he's so damn good at writing cozy towns and spooky shit.

>>11008224
Outside the magic having rules Powdermage doesn't read anything like a Sanderson book

>read The Languages of Pao by Vance
>thought it was shit

It was a while ago so I don't remember my critiques exactly, but the MC was so weak and I remember being distinctly disappointed by the quality of the prose.

He's considered to be really important in the history of sci-fi, right? Am I just a pleb or is that considered one of his weaker works?

>>11007941
I am legend

>>11008138
Gay feminist shit

>>11007617
Do youse guys like my boy Tim Powers/

>>11008138
>loli
>18

>>11008138
fuck my sheit man, can we try to have more class than /r/fantasy. I believe we can read quality stuff and still have fun reading it.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/04/the-50-best-fantasy-novels-of-the-21st-century.html?a=1

i'm sure everyone here agrees with this list, right?

>>11008257
Clark Ashton Smith

Any good recommendations for a military sci-fi about soldiers similar to Starship Troopers or Gaunt's Ghosts? I'm about halfway through the /sffg/ crash course but I'm looking for a diversion for a bit.

>>11009215
>Only 9/50th of our way through the century
>Already compiling the lists

>>11009261
Forever war

>>11009267
Good recommendation, but I already read it.

>>11007646
Setting > Plot > Characters

I need somenthing about the topic of this thread but with scientific investigation in middle of a war/cold war.
Bonus if the protagonist is a army doctor.
Thanks anons.

>>11007941
30 days of night (is a comic).

>>11009261
Armor

>>11007941
The Day of the Triffids
Its not exactly zombies, but its the only zombi book/fiction i have liked.

What are some good, sad fantasy books?
Something tragic, something that will make me feel like shit when I'm finished reading it.

>>11009306
Looks good. Thanks, anon.

>>11009309
is this like invasion of the body snatchers?

>>11009332
Transgenic monster-plants in a world of blind people.

>>11009309
Is it better than the tv show?

>>11009341
sounds interesting ill put it on my backlog.

Free Dick (download): http://b-ok.xyz/s/?q=Flow+my+tears+the+policeman+said

>>11008081
The Night Land

>>11007952
>>11007967
Beyond the Black River is the best piece of pulp you'll ever read.

>>11008229
I like him a lot, despite the many flaws of his writing. He's the best writer that discussed the horror that is the size of the universe and how insignificant and ignorant we are to all its misteries.

>>11009402
i love you monthly reading guy

>>11009454
What a coincidence, I just happen to love myself too :^)

>>11009309
The Crossing, Rot & Ruin

Any /ssfg/ writers groups? Mine is still a rewrite wip but I’m really starting to feel like I need feedback.

>>11009500
We don't do that shit round these here parts boy.

>>11009500
you are in the wrong place bub

>>11009282
really

>>11009215
>https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/04/the-50-best-fantasy-novels-of-the-21st-century.html?a=1

some absolute literal whos on that list.

>>11007646
Characters > Setting > Plot

If you have interesting people in an interesting world, a decent plot should follow. It doesn't matter how interesting the story is if I don't give a shit about the characters.

>>11009555
I read a book recently, basically a sanderson knock off and every character felt like the same fucking person and it ruined every that was unique and interesting about the world. Character really is the most important.

>>11008229
great

how do we save cyberpunk from video games

how did it even get like this

>>11009569
Cyberpunk novels are shit muh dood

>>11009574
delete this post!!!!

>>11009578
OK I'll just get a ragtag team of hackers, druggies and hitmen to conduct a heist on Hiro's HQ and delete my post and only that, all the while uncovering the fact that /pol/, /r9k/ and /tv/ are psyops on the effects of untreated autism on the human species. Weird sex included.

>>11009569
>acting smug while you read cyberpunk novels

>>11008975
The Languages of Pao is considered his worst book, dunno why you chose it

Why jews write science fiction and christians fantasy:
https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2010/03/why-jews-write-science-fiction-and-christians-write-fantasy

Thoughts?

>>11009261
Ender's Game

No joke it's fantastic

>>11009802
Jews write science fiction because they have the blueprints for advanced spaceships hardcoded into their reptilian merchant DNA by ancient alien astronauts who visited primordial urth.

Christians write fantasy in hopes of one day being as good as the guy who wrote the book of revelations.

>>11009840
I read that years ago and really enjoyed it. Did not see the ending coming and was pleasantly surprised.

>>11009843
Jej

>>11009843
>christians want to be a weird crazy sick old hermit living in a rocky dusty shithole as a punishment

>>11009261
metal boxes has a starship troopers vibe to it. also kinda a 40k vibe.

>>11009959
I saw Metal Boxes a while ago and was tempted to give a go, but I was sort of on the fence about it. I really like the idea of following a person through training and then into the real world, especially kids. I'll add it to my maybe list and might pick it up a little later.

Should I start the Belgariad or Wheel of Time next?
Think I might enjoy the Belgariad more, one of the best reviews complains about it being sexist.

Couple friends keep talking up David Weber. He any good?

>>11010009
Avoid being in the same room as any WoT book.

>female pope
Never wanted to hit an author so bad

>>11007646
characters > plot > setting

>>11010137
I wanna punch him for the edgy nonsensical derivative piece of fucking shit that is Prince of Thorns. You need to chill out muh man

>>11008012
Sharps by KJ Parker, my friend.
Enjoy! Parker is based.

>>11010009
The Belgariad is pretty comfy stuff

Wheel of Time is awful for the most part

Posting again. As no one complained about the change in the last thread, I think we should change the OP.

Old: https://imgoat.com/uploads/6d767d2f8e/21329.jpg
New: https://imgoat.com/uploads/0935e4cd59/105092.jpg

Also, I'd gladly replace WoK with Warbreaker as Warbreaker is undoubtedly the better book but I feel like WoK is there to represent epic fantasy, and that it would leave a gap if removed. Comments?

>>11010241
>The Red Knight
Discarded.

>>11010241
Sanderson is shit, put Lord of the Rings or The Worm Ouroboros or even Gardens of the Moon

>>11010241
seriously dude get sanderson the fuck outta there

>>11010255
It's not my chart, I'm just trying to improve it. Why is The Red Knight shit? I've not read it and never seen it mentioned.

>>11010260
>>11010269
I agree that Sanderson is shit but it's a controversial subject and I feel like it's a better idea to start with changes everyone can agree on. Once we've done that we can fight about what other changes might be worth doing.

>>11010255
The first and maybe second book of Red Knight is ok, then it all goes to hell

>>11010273
that sounds like 3 votes for sanderson out to me

>>11010273
To be fair, the first book is alright, it's the rest of the series that sucks cock.

>>11010282
>>11010306
Is it correct to call it dragon fantasy? Is there any other, similar book you feel would fit the chart better? inb4 Eragon

>>11010344
Don't think there's a dragon in the first book.

>>11010344
no it wouldn't be correct, theres no dragons in it

what does /sffg/ think of George R. R. Martin's reading recommendations?

>J.R.R. Tolkien
>Robert E. Howard
>C.L. Moore
>Jack Vance
>Fritz Leiber
>Richard Adams
>Ursula K. Le Guin
>Mervyn Peake
>T.H. White
>Rosemary Sutcliff
>Alan Garner
>H.P. Lovecraft
>Clark Ashton Smith
>Daniel Abraham
>Joe Abercrombie
>Scott Lynch
>Patrick Rothfuss

>>11010344
The Red Knight feels more like historical fiction with a fantasy paint coated over it

Replace it with the Latro series by Gene Wolfe or something by David Gemmell

>>11010348
>>11010349
Disregard that part then, what similar book do you feel would fit better?

>>11010350
If you remove the last 3 it's an amazing list desu.

>>11010357
>Replace it with the Latro series by Gene Wolfe or something by David Gemmell
Or Aegypt by John Crowley

>>11010273
>It's not my chart, I'm just trying to improve it. Why is The Red Knight shit? I've not read it and never seen it mentioned.
It prides itself on "realism", but it's written by a yank larper (who was abused by his mum), so it's not worth shit.

>>11010350
Apart from the first one ans last 2 it's a great list.

>no Latro
Fuck's sake

>>11010390
>Tolkien
>not great

>>11010390
>Apart from the first
You're in the wrong neighborhood, pal

>>11010260
>dinosaurs
Sanderson is better than the clusterfuck that is Malazan.

>>11010424
sanderson is terry brooks tier

>>11010350
Eh, don't get the Abercrombie love. A quadriplagic running a marathon has better pacing.

>>11010429
he finished his story in three novels which is more than you can say for most fantasy writers these days

>>11010241
How is Wolfe's The Knight? I've owned it for over 10 years and only read the first 20 or so pages. I remember it being it first person.

BotNS is too difficult for me

>>11010429
Jezel was one of my favourite protagonists from modern shit.

>>11010433
While true, the story could have been completed in one book.

>>11010436
kek, pleb ass nigga

My brother, at the age of 30, was finally getting into reading. He Alastair Reynolds, Asimov and a few other scifi writers, and I was happy we could talk about them, because he's been averse to reading for years.

Then he read Viriconium and now it's been half a year and he hasn't read anything since because "nothing else can compare."

How do I snap him out of this? I've tried recommending him other books, but he drops them all after a few chapters. What even IS Viriconium? He knows nothing about sci-fi or fantasy and he's acting like it has eternally transcended both genres.

>>11010440
the novels he wrote after the trilogy are a lot better imo, Best Served Cold and The Heroes are two of the best fantasy novels of the past decade

>>11009257
I think Clark is nearly interchangeable with Howard in that regard. I haven't read as much of Clark but I can't remember any particular engaging scenes. Lovecraft had parts like that chase in Shadow over Innsmouth at least, where he actually tried to bring some action in.

>>11010446
>he hasn't read anything since because "nothing else can compare."
Get him to read BoTNS then he can at least justifiably feel that way about sci-fi and fantasy.

>Well well well Anasûrimbor. Seems like you really are.... A PRINCE OF NOTHING!
Embarrassing really.
And he does it in every book.

>>11010499
I actually remember Cnaiur saying something along those lines

>>11010044
Why's that?

>>11010436

>>11010526
Warrior Prophet also has a title-drop several times. While I haven't read Aspect Emperor yet, I assume bit will have that too.
And why not. The fit perfectly and are better than some random overly long title.

>>11010499
>>11010526
I've had this on my list for a while now, should I read it yay or nay?

>>11010559
ehhh not worth the time investment imo it becomes shit in The Aspect Emperor

Anyone read Benedict Patrick's Yarnworld novels? They seem decently interesting

>>11010499
First three books were pretty damn good. The Judging Eye (book one of Aspect Emperor series) is a chore to go through, does the series pick up?

Also yeah, fuck Kellhus. Team Akka.

>>11010436
It's not difficult in the same way as BotNS.

>>11010241
just leave as is, /sffg/ can't agree if they like or hate anything so approval or disapproval in thread isn't worth much when most people here have probably read most or all of it already anyway

>>11010628
We've already agreed, no Sanderson or Red Knight.

>>11010410
>>11010423
I'm just teasing, you fucks

>>11010628
fuck off Brandon, your book ain't staying

Just picked up a copy of the first Riftwar Saga books? What am I in for?

>>11010446
Tbf that was me with Watts for like 4 months. Eventually he'll realise he wants to get back into reading and will pick something up.

Right I just finished Hermetic Millennia

Really enjoyed it and felt like pretty much all my questions got answered by the end, really impressive way of telling 10,000 years of history. Will certifiably be pushing on.

One question: what's the deal with the emulated cetacean/dolphins on the sea floor? At the end of Soorm's (the goat/cuttlefish-eye gmod badboi) chapter he talks about how him being forced to face them on the ocean is what drove him against the Hermetists etc. Is this deliberately left open for the next book, or was it tied into some other element of the plot I missed?

>>11010725
Generic but enjoyable comfiness

>>11010649
I like Sandrson, fuck all y'all.

much better

>>11010649
>We've already agreed
>We've agreed

somehow, i'm not buying that anyone here agrees on anything

>>11010765
t.

>>11010803
We agree on plenty of things. Fuck you!

>>11010424
>Neeing to be handheld about everything

Weak

>>11010446
>Viriconium
That actually looks really good. Try Dying Earth.

>>11010628
No one have complained about replacing First Law, and it seems like everyone agree that we could drop The Red Knight. The question is what to replace it with.

>>11010784
>dual Wolfe
>both Conan and Jirel of Joiry

>>11010905
Wolfe is the goat

>>11010905
anymore suggestions for entry level fantasy?

>>11010915
He is, but it's a recommendation chart, not a popularity or quality contest. It should be as varied as possible when it comes to authors and sub genres.

>>11010923
Howl's Moving Castle maybe?

>>11010898
Replace it with Howl or Watership Down, both are good and different from the rest.

>>11010481
>>11010441
>>11010586
Does anybody have a link to an epub copy of Lexicon Urthus? Both libgen and b-ok have failed me, and now I am desperate.

Is The Silmarillion worth reading?

>>11010997
yes

Ok, what about this?

>>11011024
Imgoat link
https://imgoat.com/uploads/0935e4cd59/105363.jpg

>>11010923
If you're trying to make a new general fantasy chart (which is about time, the current is way worse than the selected) I'd say add His Dark Materials from the original, it's quite good.

Also, do something more imaginative than a white background.

>>11011024
better, but I don't like The Buried Giant and think Moorcock is a hack

>>11010968
http://www.mediafire.com/file/p213aybe4d986t6/SCCC-GW.zip

>>11011046
The Buried Giant is great, it's interesting to read a "literary" authors take on the genre.

>>11010241
>Way of Kangs
You should never recommend an unfinished series except to experts who know the risks

Everything is wrong with fantasy. Firstly \, it's stuff that cannot and will not ever happen. And largely concerns such banal things like an EPIC warrior cutting down ten men, so how a bout you get off the literature board and go read an anime kid Go read manga. go play a video game or watch marvel or any of the teen dozens of literal garbage modern people like. This millennial generation man its going downt the tubes, going down the CJ king tubes and it's bevudr of people like YOU who sit there like "oh so cool Witcher save the day with his magiks " or some shit how would I know. Read th'" CLASSICS. READ SOMETHING with actual literarrarly value you massive, massive plebe. You mancihodren with your Sapkowski

What a joke , and I don't mean in ahaha kind of way

anything else? I am trying to stick with stuff that is finished

>>11011151
Just add WoT and Malazan. They are not top tier but they both have a place on a list of epic fantasy.

>>11011167
will consider Malazan, never WoT it is horrible and I consider it incomplete because Jordan died

>>11011151
And I'd honestly add both WoK and ASoIaF too. Both are iconic, and considering how fast Sanderson write Stormlight will be finished in the not so distant future.

>>11011172
>implying Malazan is better than WoT
Incompleteness aside, they suffer from more or less the same problems but Malazans problems are worse, probably because of the D&D stuff.

Also, Black Company.

>>11010446
Kefahuchi Tract books by the same author.

>>11011186
>implying Malazan is better than WoT
never read Malazan so I can't say desu, but I read WoT when I was a teenager and it's really, really bad, almost Brooks tier

>Black Company
it will be there, but not on epic fantasy

>>11010747
He never goes much into the Ocean folk and it gets left behind pretty quick.

>>11011042
>I'd say add His Dark Materials from the original, it's quite good.
This HDM is one of my favorite series

>>11011167
>>11011172
>>11011186
>>11011204
Both are equally shit and should not be on the list.

>>11011076
"...and for a great deal it seemed good to him, for in the music there were no flaws."

Thank you

>>11011225
They're no worse than most epic fantasy. Excluding LotR, Lyonesse etc.

>>11011231
yes but this chart is intended as high quality fantasy, don't really want any mediocre or shitty stuff

>>11011225
so what do you think should be on the list then?

Why do modern authors like Abercrombie & GRRM constantly bitch about war when they've never experienced it, but people like Tolkien and C.S.Lewis don't really, despite experiencing the war in human history?

>>11010850
no we don't, fuck you!

>>11010923
>>11011151
Guards! Guards! or such.
Discworld is always worth recommending.

Anything good in the vein of Hyperion or Baxters Xeelee Ring cycle ? And I dont need any genderqueer bullshit

>>11011394
this series >>11010747 (eschaton sequence) if you're a Conservative guy.

>>11011494
thanks

>>11011046
Moorcock might be a hack but Elric is good.

>>11009215
>Harry potter and the deathly hallows is the 3rd best fantasy book in the last 18 years

Woah, makes you think huh

>>11008248
>t. never read lovecraft
His descriptions of monsters are vivid and detailed. The indescribable horror is just a meme.

finished it

>>11012059
I'd add Good Omens and The Amulet of Samarkand to comical, and maybe try to split up the Misc category.

>>11012059
3/10 meh, you still left crap on the chart.

>>11012059
>this chart is intended as high quality fantasy
>The Blade Itself
?

>>11012059
You left Game of Thrones on chart because of the show despite the quality dropping in the last books and the possibility of the fatass keeling before finishing the next book.

>>11012129
never read them, don't read much comedy stuff sorry
>>11012139
>>11012140
I like Abercrombie, sue me
>>11012170
I felt obliged to include because it has become so influential in the industry, for better or worse...

>>11012190
Amulet of Samarkand is a personal favourite from my teens but Good Omens it quite universally liked.

>>11012190
>I like Abercrombie, sue me
That's fine, but The Blade Itself is a shitty book and Best Served Cold is also on the chart.

>>11010477
Having read a lot I'd say they're pretty different. Lovecraft is much more consistent as a writer but I personally like CAS because I feel like he experiments more and is just weirder in general

>>11010559
I've developed a superpower from years of reading fantasy; I can determine the perfect time to stop a series before it becomes rubbish.

First trilogy ends in the perfect way, so I never bothered with the second lot. Someone that's read everything can confirm.

>>11011282
Because the cultural context around a writer has a big impact on what he writes, in some ways even more than his life experiences.

Can you redpill me on Patrick Rothfuss?

>>11012472
He's shit. You don't need a pill to come to that realization.

>>11012427
should've used a colon instead of a semicolon there

>>11012472
hack who wrote neckbeard wish fulfilment and got writers block after the second instalment

hope you're ready for more chart autism, I am making a science fiction edition tomorrow

>>11009690
Fuck.

>>11012059
Well I gotta give credit for including Tad Williams not once but twice when he's virtually ignored most of the time.

>>11012472
Grrm’s less fat but more retarded cousin

>>11010747
Mild spoiler but most of the conflict and interaction between the different types of beings becomes background noise as the series progresses. To the extent what you're describing is "about" anything, the Hermeticists and Menelaus represent different viewpoints on the role of sentient beings. The Hermeticists believe that Earth should peacefully integrate themselves into the galactic community, while the libertarian Menelaus views this as slavery (which it is). The different lifeforms developed by the Hermeticists are different means to. In Soorm's case, I think the Hormagaunts were supposed to use their drive towards gross biological modification (which you'll notice includes the destructive organ-plundering of other "humans") to form a sort of Zerg Overmind-type biological hive mind that will then get hooked into the invaders. Instead, Soorm and maybe his kind in general is a radical individualist, through some combination of Menelaus' interference and the natural contradictions of the Hormagaunt "ethos". The emulated sea creatures formed a more effective, computerized hive mind (hence probably a creation of the Hermeticists), which in addition to just kicking Soorm off of his turf is something he's philosophically opposed to: whatever he's done to himself hasn't involved anything like a "mind meld" or hive mind or what have you, because he thinks that would be compromising himself (er, herself, if I recall Soorm's backstory correctly).

A lot of this is only implied or mentioned in notes -- the series is much deeper than it appears -- so I'm speculating a little bit but Soorm is definitely a creature of Menelaus -- a radical individualist -- while the oceanic ghost cetaceans are Hermeticist creatures. Part of Wright's "point" throughout the series that you'll notice by the way is that "intelligence" doesn't change the basic calculus of the tradeoffs between these two viewpoints.

>>11010446
Tell him that the reason Viriconium is so obscure is that Book of the New Sun came out about the same time and exceeded it in every way, which is true.

>>11007646
characters>characters>characters>characters

>>11007646
Anyone who places characters anything but first is a massive, irredeemable pleb.

Everything in this thread is old because old = good right? How is this even a general if you just circlejerk over the same 10 fantasy books written from the 60's lol.

Here's an actual recent series that's pretty damn good.

Anybody here read/played Blue Lacuna? It's a fucking masterpiece interactive novel with magic paintings, a mysterious island, an indescribable beast, separated lovers, and feels the likes of which have never been felt before.

It's also free online.

>>11013325
Classics are old not because good books aren't written anymore but because it's been long enough that a list of good older books have been formed.

It'll just take time before a bunch of good books from 2018 are circlejerked about somewhere.

That said, I'll check that series out. Thanks for the recommendation.

>>11010997
Yep. Reading it right now in fact

>>11013325
What makes this book or series good?

>>11013325
Never go full soy, anon.

>>11013351
Ayy this is my justification for working my way through the sci-fi classics. Also, when part of the appeal of sci-fi is innovation and forward-thinking, it's nice to start early and find the source of innovation and standards.

>>11010436
>The Knight is a fantasy novel written by American author Gene Wolfe depicting the journey of an American boy transported to a magical realm and aged to adulthood who soon thereafter becomes a knight.
oh fuck i remember this. I came into this expecting isekai sheningans so i was bored to death by the end of it

>>11013582
The ending is brilliant, though

>>11011282
Are you retarded muh man?

Neuromancer is really making me go “what the fuck did I just read”

>>11014065
Depends where you are with the book. The answer for a good chunk of it is "some meme shit".

>>11013543
It' "you never go full retard" but you both did

>>11013283
I promise to let Gene Wolfe know about this

>>11013510
I don't know I'm not a critic. I just enjoyed it. Well written genre fiction with swords, magic, and politics.
>>11013543
how does soy come into play here

>>11014087
Don't even bother

Should I pick up The Gardens of the Moon?

>>11014108
No

>>11009313
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Song_for_Lya_(novella)

>>11014108
Malazan Book of the Fallen is not an easy read, don't pick it up lightly. The two biggest impediments people have to getting into the series are the sheer scale of the story and the lack of explicit exposition about basically anything in the setting. Either one alone would be bother enough for some people, but together it's enough to drive most people into quitting the series after 1 or 2 books. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about: the series doesn't even finish introducing its main cast until book 5, and the main plot doesn't really get underway until after book 6, but you won't even understand the main plot until you're halfway through book 9.

>>11014076
Ice is that like security you try and break through, or a plan of attack

>>11014438
Haven't read it but that just sounds fucking exasperating

>>11008229
Unconvincing.

I mean, obviously if I saw those monsters IRL I would shit my pants. And when I see non-fiction writers talk about Lovecraft's themes, I think "yeah, I guess the feeling of smallness and ignorance on a cosmic scale is pretty scary in a unique way".

But when I actually read something like At the Mountains of Madness, and I see a passage like "the comprehension of the mere age of that million-year-old alien civilization filled me with dread" just makes me think "bullshit, that wouldn't happen". He's really bad at aesthetic persuasion as far as I'm concerned.

>>11014438
Not that guy but, is the payoff actually good? If one were to go through all that.

>Reading some shitty litrpg
>Protag takes the WORST POSSIBLE SKILL/STAT/BUILD/REWARD CHOICES
>Usually has some shitty deus ex machina to justify it

>>11012797
Great reply, thank you. I'll certainly return with more questions as I progress, I certainly feel there's a lot buried under the surface.

>>11014527
It's the security programs in the net, like a firewall.
There's made up words, but it's really not that hard to understand with the context.

I'm in the need of some feel good romance. No tragedies please, I want adventure yes, but also I want some good old fashioned true love shit.

Think the Curse of Chaldion or A Brother's Price

In return I give you GRI. One day I shall ad Trysmoon to it.

>>11015038
What is GRI and what is N.B.

>>11015115
GRI = Gay, Rape, Incest

>>11015115

Nota Bene, "Note Well"

So: "Note Well, Degeneracy and Quality May Vary"

>>11014756
God damn, thanks for bringing this series to my attention. Looks like the pure insanity I need to indulge in now and then.

>>11007876
Its trash

>>11015248
As said I'm not exactly into the series but I'm heartily enjoying. It's a real romp, but with some great worldbuilding and semi-hard concepts to not raise too many eyebrows.

What are some good sites for picking up bundles of books for cheap? I want to finish off my Heinlein collection.

>>11015316
Do I have read Count to a Trillion first or just jump into Hermetic Millennia?

>>11015350
Oh nah read Count to a Trillion. Also excellent.

>>11010350
Get rid of Lynch, Rothfuss and Abraham and it's pretty great.

>>11010559
Yes of course, it's based. Best long fantasy series going and it's not remotely close.

>>11010923
Assassin's Apprentice
Lord of the Rings, unless you're specifically trying to make this YA then keep Hobbit

>>11010997
fuck yes

>>11012059
what a weird chart, especially that last misc section where most of the stuff could easily be under one of the other sections. it's like you just couldn't be bothered when you got there

>The Expanse
>Revelation Space
>The Gap
I need a new space series, which of these should I read?

>>11014653
I read 4 books and I can't say they were bad, but they were massively flawed and I have never had an urge to continue the series after that. The books are fairly self contained so the good thing is you can pretty much just jump off at any point.

>>11015411
Expanse for plots and action, Revelation Space for scenery and BDO's. I'd recommend RS more, but both are okay.
Haven't read the last one.

Anyone else read slow?
I read maybe 6 books a year, although they're usually 700+ pages.
It can be pretty disheartening talking to acquaintances who average around 30 a year, though I'm guessing those are shorter and have a more direct style of prose.
It's equally disheartening when I talk to people who "speedread" the same books I do. A particular person I know takes about a week to make it through a fantasy book that would take me two or three months.

Are you a slow or fast reader?

>>11015455
I've read three whole books since last week (about 650 pages) and about 400 pages more of other books that I'm flicking between.

>>11015455
I'm quite a slow reader but I read several hours a day. I generally read 200-400 pages/week.

>>11008862
I liked him bettered when he was drugged up
Aka his older stuff

>>11015455
>It's equally disheartening when I talk to people who "speedread" the same books I do. A particular person I know takes about a week to make it through a fantasy book that would take me two or three months.
That's not "speedreading" mate. Some folks can devote larger blocks of time to this. A lot of it is habitual. If you customarily read for an hour or two every single night as part of your bed-down ritual, it adds up fast. There are several anons here that average in the neighborhood of 100 books a year.

Any charts for historic fantasy? Best works in that genre? Are Conn Iggulden's books any good?

>>11015686

I gotta recommend Servant of the Underworld, if only because Mesoamerican lit is nigh impossible to find.

>>11015455
It depends how much time you have to devote to reading. If you think you're lagging behind, just add an extra 30 or so minutes of dedicated reading time before bed or during lunch.

I've only finished 3 books so far this year, but managed to get through 28 last year and I'm hardly a big reader.

why is Heinlein so highly rated? His prose is awful and his books are filled with libertarian nonsense and incest and other weird bullshit

>>11015686
I read Conn Iggulden's books about 8 years ago and really enjoyed them, especially the Genghis Khan ones. However, I was not that particular 8 years ago.

>>11015930
>libertarian nonsense
>incest
>weird bullshit

Where do you think you are?

>>11015930
A lot of SF readers like weird bullshit, so there's that.

Heinlein's juveniles aren't as much of a mess as his more ambitious novels and even now a lot of people are introduced to SF through them, so there's the nostalgia factor.

Another "under the radar" reason is that when he was alive he was very active in the fandom scene, and by all accounts was both very patient/compassionate towards people who felt like losers in other parts of their life and just generally classing up the fandom scene.

>>11015686
>Are Conn Iggulden's books any good?
Does he do fantasy? I loved his War of the Roses series.

>>11015930
>Heinlein
isn't starship troopers basically "fashist space militarism could totally work guys"?
How is that libertarian?

>>11015930
70 years ago his libertarian nonsense, incest and weird bullshit was quite revolutionary. He was a sci-fi rockstar. Nowadays his reputation is based on past fame and a couple of books with lasting quality, like The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

>>11016155
read moon is

>>11016161
This reminds me of a post I saw few threads about in response to someone complain about gender politics in sci-fi, basically went like:
>the golden age writers were the SJWs of their day
which is strangely very true. makes you wonder the fiction will be like in another 50 years.

>>11007646
Characters > setting > plot

>>11016360
>the golden age writers were the SJWs of their day
the big three were, but others like Bradbury and van Vogt weren't particularly left in their politics

>the last Sorweel chapter in The White Luck Warrior

I'm afraid I'll be disappointed by the next book.

>>11016406
Aside from HG Welles, which major golden age writers were "the sjws of their day"?

What a shit ending.

>>11016558
>reading Mark Lawrence
for what purpose

>>11016360
Yeah, Heinleins free sex philosophy certainly made him a sjw of his day. Of course, sjw today isn't even the same thing as sjw two weeks ago so it's kinda hard to define.

Some grill in my class said I should read the Red Rising books, are they good or a waste of time?

>>11016780
honestly I wouldn't describe Heinlein as a SJW he was more of a dirty old man, his political views were more individualist than anything

>>11016746
Trying to delay starting WoT

>>11016824
do you feel a compulsion to read shitty books or something?

Still trying to find something similar to pic related

>>11016804
first one is the best one
i stuck around for the gri

The only real difference between hard and soft scifi is the amount of exposition. Doctor Who could be hard scifi if it spent three hours explaining the evolutionary benifits of sequential hermaphroditism that the writer pulled off of a Wikipedia page.

Prove me wrong.

>>11016860
doctor who is shit

>>11016828
How will I know it's shit unless I take a bite?

>>11007617
>brainlet fucks up the previous thread listings
>puts new one at bottom instead of top
I hope you rectify this next thread.

>>11016910
the smell should tip you off

>>11016860
You're missing a few key points;
>the joy reading something you have had taught to you years ago and blearily remembering it
>the superiority of reading a school-level explanation for a concept you (as a scientist of course) have been long familiar with
>when a plot element is revealed or twist occurs, and you realise in a shock of wry pleasure it's based on real fact, and you should have figured it out chapters ago
Unless you're a fan of expanded universes this kind of stuff is pretty rare, and only hard sci-fi can manage it. I cede the point hard sci-fi is sci-fi for scientists, and if you're not in a discipline then I can see how you'd come to your conclusion.

>>11009313
Its sci-fi (post apocalyptic), not fantasy, but The Road by Cormac McCarthy is probably one of the saddest things you'll ever read.

Just finished Youjo Senki volume 2. Anyone else reading it?
If you like war drama (or tragicomedy in a way), I'd really recommend it. Don't let the fact it's a japanese light novel with isekai elements turn you off. It's pretty much a recounting of WWI from the perspective of a sociopathic german soldier, except said soldier used to be a sociopathic japanese salaryman who got reincarnated in an alternate universe with magic where WWI is happening, as a girl, and gets conscripted at iirc 9yo. If you ignore the usual red alerts (japanese LN, isekai, magic, little girl, maybe even the fact it's !germany during WWI), it's a fantastic read, very much unlike any LN out there. It's even kinda funny to call it a light novel, because it's not light at all.
The comedy is really subtle too. It stems from the MC being, as I said, a sociopath, and thus misreading social queues and shooting himself in the foot over and over again. In a way, it's kinda like Notes From Underground in the way it mocks its MC.

>>11017010
Oh, and I can provide piracy of the first two volumes if you want. Or you can search /a/'s archive for danke's releases. If you want more keywords, it's called "The Saga of Tanya the Evil" in english.

>>11017010
Nope, looks like shit.

>>11017074
It's as good as it gets when it comes to LNs. Which sure, is a very low bar, but it's still very much an outlier.

>>11017010
>It's pretty much a recounting of WWI from the perspective of a sociopathic german soldier, except said soldier used to be a sociopathic japanese salaryman who got reincarnated in an alternate universe with magic where WWI is happening, as a girl, and gets conscripted at iirc 9yo.
this shit is bananas

So I just finished this, and I have to be honest I had a blast. I tore through it in a few days just because I couldn't put it down.
Anyone got more like this?
What the fuck even is a LitRPG?

Hello, I would like to read a fantasy book. What would you recommend?

>>11015455
i used to be same, but i worked at it and spent more time reading and i got way better. went from reading like a book a month to about 3 or 4 books a month now. longer books too.

>>11017116
God is literally fucking with him. Not spoiling much, but the salaryman is being a huge autistic nihilist and, let's say, God gets tired of his bullshit, so shit goes bananas.

Give it a chapter. By the way it's 9 volumes. 9 xboxhueg volumes. v2 was like 450 pages.

>>11017132
Specifics.

>>11017010
>>11017028
>>11017097
>>11017125
What is wrong with you people

>>11017164
You're in 4chan. Are you really surprised there's filthy weebs here?
But I'm serious. Give it a try. It shouldn't be so good, but it is. Maybe because the author appears to be obsessed with WWI/WWII wartime literature.

Oh, and by the way, I said Youjo Senki is 9 volumes, but there's only 2 translated. 2 came out like 2 or 3 weeks ago, and 3 comes out in june or july iirc. 4 in november, though it can always be pushed back. 2 was pushed back almost a month.

>>11016828
Sometimes I wonder just how much fantasy people who call Sanderson and WoT shitty actually read, I've read some absolute donkey shit in this genre(Fates Forsaken, Godling Chronicles, Sovereign of the Seven Isles) which make Stormlight and WoT seem like god dammed masterpieces

Basically, stop calling the stuff that isn't complete shit complete shit, it devalues how complete shit the books that really are deep shit really are

>>11011024
Don't forget to update the OP OP, I've had enough of my own chart autism to spam another thread.
https://imgoat.com/uploads/0935e4cd59/105363.jpg

>>11017010
You're trying your darndest to make it not sound like weebshit, but everything you're saying still makes it sound like weebshit.

And I say this as a filthy weeb. I didn't watch the show because the concept sounded really fucking dumb, so can't say I'd enjoy the book.

>>11017389
No, I'm clearly stating what would make it your run off the mill weebshit, and saying that while that much is true, it goes beyond that
And while the anime is fun enough, it loses a lot when compared to the novel. Not just plot points (for example, if you've watched the show, Grantz is not part of the squad she trained. The one she actually kicked there was Weiss. Grantz comes on as a second batallion of mages straight out of magic academy where they were poorly trained, and thrown into Tanya's squad after the salaryman stupidly explains to a general how casualties would be minimized if young mages were given war experience as part of the training, so they throw a squad of novices on her to train while she's fighting in the Rhine. And after a couple of missions training the newfags by killing republicans, and losing some of those newfags in the process, the whole Arene thing happens, where she makes Grantz fire at the enemy mages protecting civs - the characters are much more fleshed out, is what I'm trying to say, I think), but the whole internal monologue of the salaryman makes for a fantastic character-driven comedy of misunderstandings stemming from him being so autistic, he even refers to Tanya in the third person. There's also a lot of more context (and battles) in the novel. For example, for the whole Arene thing, the author dedicates the beginning of the arc to a documentary decades after the war explaining what happened during that battle, and then it goes back to the salaryman's perspective to fill in the gaps. And that's another thing: the novel is always changing narrators. From the salaryman (the main narrator) to Visha to the generals to journalists researching the war decades later. It's much more solid than your typical light novel, even if it does share some elements.

>>11017472
can you post this on /jp/ or something

>>11017501
Sure. Though I've discussed it more in /a/.
It's just that I finished v2 just a couple of hours ago, so I thought /sffg/ would be a good place to discuss it if others are reading it, but it seems I'm all alone.

>>11016155
You're thinking of the movie.

>>11017514
I don't think LNs get the time of day here, or on /lit/ in general. Because they're a niche japanese thing, they're usually relegated to /a/ or /jp/

>>11017514
I'd love to discuss both light novels and interactive fiction here, but neither is likely to gain much traction.

>>11007646
character > plot
setting isn't in the same ballpark as those two unless it's so bad that it's distracting. it's nice to have a unique or well-thought out setting but it won't save an otherwise poor book. I'm sure some sci-fi fag is about to hit me up with a hot rec, though.

I continuously read BotNS. I'm not even joking, I must have read the whole 4 volumes 10 times, and many more just in particular chapter rereads.
Anyone else just captivated by the whole thing?

>>11017739
I rank BotNS among my absolute favourites but that's just autism. You should write an essay on the book or something.

>>11017739
No but I've watched the first three seasons of BoJack Horseman five times at this point and season four twice.

I've also read Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser through twice and a few Conan stories more than once.

>>11017348
Mediocre doesn't exist here, my man. Everything is either 10/10 GOAT or shit.

David Eddings or Raymond E. Feist, who is better? I want something comfy

>>11017772
start with Eddings

I am on the crippled god and I am almost done. I listen to audible books exclusively as I use them to pass the time in traffic. This means about 2-3 hours a day. I need some recommendations.

Reminder that the dune prequels guy wrote X files books.

>>11007617
I'm reading prince of thorns and yeah it'd edgy but it's got a hook from the first chapter, something i'm quite happy for after reading TWoK and Jonathan Strange. I don't quite get the hate for it yet, is it just too juvenile edgy for most people?

i like how it starts off as being the bandits, and it looks like it's going to be an ascent upwards to power so that kind of wank is always satisfying to read.

>>11017010
how's the quality of the translation and print? I was tempted by Overlord purely because it's hardcover, but the translation is apparently awful, and the material itself isn't exactly great (fuck-awful pacing and a very incoherent plot)

New Thread

>>11017960
>>11017960
>>11017960

>>11017125
The sequel, but it's not as good.

Robert Bevan's Critical Failures is similar shitposty litrpg. The first few books in the series are funny but it gets stale.