/lit/ - Literature

SANDERFAG A HACK

>>12020633
ur mum a fag

Mark Lawrence a manly cooldad

Sword in the stormwas bretty good, holding off til after this thread before continuing with book 2

So another anon in the other thread brought up The Lost Fleet series, and it got me thinking. It was a good read and everything, but did anyone else find Black Jack to be a little unrealistic? He seems to be too nice and forgiving, like he has no negative qualities? Is he a gary stu?

Is there any room for pulp sci fi these days? Does it need to grow up in a any way? Has it already?

>>12020819
Undying Mercenaries.

>>12020819
>pulp

It's called "Young Adult" now. And the quality hasn't improved any.

>>12020837
Based pulp living in the NPC's head rent-free.

>>12020850
>LITERALLY eating FECES off the ground in SAN FRANCISCO

>>12020819
What do you even mean by "pulp"? Jarvis Cocker need not to apply.

>>12020919
He has a very manly chin.

>>12020797
Glad I wasn't the only one bothered by this. I'm a bit over halfway through the series and it's really getting on my nerves

He seems to be too moral and too idealistic. I know he won't take the dictator route, but he acts allergic to it

>>12020585
>perdido street station is beating a night in the lonesome october
what the fuck?

>>12021064
As it should

>>12021064
Problem? Zelazny is an overrated hack. All the curses of the world upon the anons who shilled Amber to me.

>>12021064
>perdido street station
i really dislike that book. what happens to the girl just aint right.

>>12020919
THAT'S China Melville??
hoooly shit

>>12021064
Welcome to nu/lit/.

>>12020919
Looks like a fat Rowling

I want to start reading connan. What should I try first?

>>12020797

Black Jack is essentially a soldier's idealization, he's traditional yet innovative, bold, yet also courageous. He's decisive, but also compassionate.

I need to name this test, but to me military scifi in particular has a very good tell for Gary Stus: is their opinion of the protagonist a good measure for their own character? You can see this in Honor Harrington, The Lost Fleet, and a few other Weber stalwarts. If a character approves of protag McGee then that's a sign that even if they're on the villainous side, they're also good people.

Look at Lost Fleet, you can instantly gauge a character's competence based on how close they are to Black Jack. The more enamored and respectful toward him they are, so does their skill increase. What's more, those who are against him are not only less skillful, but they actively have massive flaws to their character. They could be cowards, rebellious, traitors, mutineers, the defining moral compass is our MC.

>>12021099
>>12021124
Why does /sffg/ have such abysmal taste?

>>12021742

>for sff decent prose and characters
>some science crap but not too much of it so it doesn't sound like a textbook
>cool locations
>nice story
More like this?

More important than the American midterms, the monthly reading election!

Here are the nominees:
A Night in the Lonesome October,
by Roger Zelazny. ~280 pages
>https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62005.A_Night_in_the_Lonesome_October

Who Goes There?,
by John W. Campbell. ~160 pages
>https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6468870-who-goes-there

Perdido Street Station,
by China Miéville. ~620 pages
>https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68494.Perdido_Street_Station

Circe,
by Madeline Miller. ~390 pages
>https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35959740-circe

The Dragon Masters,
by Jack Vance. ~140 pages
>https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1467740.The_Dragon_Masters

Vote here: https://www.strawpoll.me/16761289

>>12021064
Shame really. PSS sucks dick.

>>12020819
It's a new pulp golden age, and for the same reason as the last one -- a dramatic reduction in the cost of production lowers the barriers to entry. Look into the self-published world.

>>12020797
I thought the character wasn't out of bounds for pulp heroes, but having the other characters constantly tell him how amazing he was bugged me.

>>12021064
>>12021991
>>12021808
>>12021190

Voted for PSS, because suck ma fucking dick.
If you mf'ers talked about what else is good on the list instead of just moaning about PSS maybe PSS wouldn't be winning.
Now I really want to read this book that has all of you so rustled.

>>12022048
It’s a tie now sweetie.

>>12021832

Thanks

>>12021900
No trolling, but none of those books are really interesting.

>>12021900
I hope you don't 31th, 23nd, or 11rd again, reading anon.

I think the "selected fantasy" chart in the OP needs expanding, and I also think pic related should be included

>>12022149
What is fantastic about that book?

>>12022149
Why do you have to be an annoying little bitch anon? And why do you have to use Ernst Junger of all people for your bitching?
He would be disgusted with you.

>>12022165
>Ernst Junger
>>12022149
Isn't he like the only guy that pol reads and tries to force others to read?
So this is a Pol OP? They trying to infiltrate again?

>>12022014
It got on my nerves, but it annoyed me even more when he didn't take any of the praise

there's being humble, and then there's being blind.

>>12020837
Young Adult isn't pulp. It's not even similar.

>>12021765
You know, now that you mention it, there isn't any competent or even likable person that goes against Black Jack. It's him or the highway

I suppose it fits the mold of a sort of "Pulp" character, and this book is supposed to be nothing more than a Moral Paragon saving his "country", I guess I didn't realize it at first. I suppose it wouldn't be an issue for a few books, but with how long the series is, it's gotten pretty annoying.

I guess at this point I'm looking for another book like Lost Fleet, but has a little more texture and depth to it. Another anon suggested Star Force.

>>12021900
Circe looks really interesting. Has anyone read anything by the author before?

>>12022134
It's 31st, 23rd and 11th! I think I might actually have learned by now.

>>12020919
makes magna cum loudly look fit

Recommend me some stuff that fits the description 'Conan the Barbarian IN SPACE!' the closet.

>>12022257
She have only written one other book, The Song of Achilles. It's a retelling of Achilles and Patroclus relationship in the Iliad, or basically 350 pages of Patroclus lusting over how amazing Achilles is. The romance was a little to much but the book is well written and it's noticeable that the author is a scholar and not just some random writing Troy fan-fiction.

>>12022369
>IN SPACE!' the closet.
Conan readers just need to come out already

>>12022379
>Achilles and Patroclus were lovers
Hate this meme

>>12022387
>*closest
f-fuck you...

>>12022211
Star Force may not have more depth, but it does have a bit more fun. The MC is a supercaptain, but all the side characters don't divide neatly into villains and sycophants -- their goals come into and out of alignment with his.

Don't drop it until you've met Marvin and Hoon.

>>12022379
She also a cute

>finally got super sales 3
Ugh. Time to start.

>>12022391
>some idiot on the internet think he know better than Plato, the man who invented thinking
Pic related, it's you.

>>12022529
>there is no romantic dynamic between Achilles and Patroclus in the Homeric tradition

>>12022560
More like Homoric tradition, amiright?

Any fantasy where the mc isn't a moralfag?

>>12022917
Prince of Thorns

thoughts?

>merfolk bandits who target sailors not to drown and eat men, but to loot their ships for goods they cant find or make underwater, like gold, silk or spices

>>12023011
So like pirates?

>>12023011
23.5, but no one will read it unless the rights get picked up for a major motion picture.

>>12023024
pirates sort of implies they have a ship of their own

>>12022917
Xianxia

>>12023148
Wuxia is better

>>12023152
any recs?

I just finished reading Ilium and Olympos. I really enjoyed them but I feel like Olympos was kind of a mess with stuff like Daemon v Caliban going nowhere after Paris Crater, Odysseus being downgraded to a plot device, Zeus' anticlimactic defeat, Setebos buggering off, etc.
I haven't read the Tempest so maybe there's something from that I'm not getting? Anyway if there's another sequel I hope there's a lot of Achilles repopulating Ilium with amazonfu

Time Out of Joint was fucking WILD. Highly recommend.
I am readying The World Jones Made by PKD now. Fairly certain I'll end up reading through his entire works.
>tfw get to be high and read the new One Piece chapter
rip in peace luffy

>>12023203
>Fairly certain I'll end up reading through his entire works.
Oh boy, now we will have two Dick boys in the thread.

>rip in peace luffy
I haven't read one poop in months. Is Oda finally ending the series?

>>12023203
>>12023213
>went to peep One Piece of shit and see that World Trigger is back.
Oh shit

>>12023203
>>12023213
Ruffy needs a gear 5 to vs Kaido, I don't know what he was thinking.

I just finished the Murderbot Book 1 and I recommend it to everyone. It's a short story, but really good. Maybe I should have put that book up for monthly reading this month...

>>12023203
>>12023213
>>12023225
>>12023247
weeb faggots

>>12022369

Eric John Stark is space Conan/Tarzan. I'm not sure why he isn't more well known, I'd have figured being written by the woman who wrote Empire Strikes Back would give him a decent boost

>>12023362
>Empire Strikes Back
Wow. That right there is the pinnacle of story telling.

>>12023362
Leigh Brackett has been on my 'list of writers I need to finally fucking read' for a while now, but still haven't gotten around to yet.

It's November (New Month)
What are you fags reading?
If you like it shill some of it
What are you planning to read next?

>>12023818
So far there's a clash between the reincarnations of a nazi jailer and jewish prisoner. Also something about starting a religion to safeguard decaying nuclear waste throughout millennia and maybe brain jars.

>>12023859
>So far there's a clash between the reincarnations of a nazi jailer and jewish prisoner. Also something about starting a religion to safeguard decaying nuclear waste throughout millennia and maybe brain jars.
>starting a religion to safeguard decaying nuclear waste
>brain jars
>look at cover
>credible - Library Journal
Looks like it's a foregone conclusion that our brains will go in jars and the Church of the Green Glow is going to be a thing.

>>12020585
my brother had this great collection of old fantasy books, but they disappeared somewhere. oh well I was gonna try this dragon riders of pern that he said was good. gateway was real good.

>>12023818
I am reading the wonderful Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
When I finish this great work I will read Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence

>>12023818
Just got my hands on this bad boy. My father loved these books, he even had the Russian version of the movie with subtitles. Never read them myself, though, but I'm excited to see what they have to offer. In the movie the magic dimension was translated as "The Gloom", here its "The Twilight". Considering the existence of a certain other vampire series with a similar name, I can understand the translation disparities.

sffg, can I ask for help naming my four schools/elements of magic. I want to come up with a name scheme that seems intuitive, but im having trouble

>type 1 deals with air, weather and technology, and electricity
>type 2 deals with death/decay, change, fire, agriculture
>type 3 deals with space, time and gravity
>type 4 deals with color, creativity, and bindings

I was thinking of using a land/sea/sky/space name motif but sea didn't really line up with type 4.

I can't change what the types of magic deal with since they are in fact tied to a real-world motif, but im worried people wont get it if I use it

>>12024052
Sounds gay as fuck dude, are you trying to write a novel or invent the new Pokemon?

>>12024052
>death/decay
>fire
>agriculture
spot the odd one out

>>12024052
Just name each after some important historical character from your world. Like how certain fluids are called "Newtonian" fluids, or Jupiter's largest moons are called the "Galilean" moons. Make up some characters that lived long ago that made great strides in human knowledge of 1 or more of the schools. That way you don't have to get bogged down with greek roots and linguistics.

>>12023951
>Prince of Fools
Don’t use kino in your ironic shitposts

>>12024073
are you trying to tell me its actually a good book? I thought i would be free of Meme Lawrence after this shit...

>>12024078
Red Queen was worse than Broken Empire. Avoid.

>>12024015
I liked the original books, but the recent one, and the one before that didn't sit too well with me.

>>12024065
Can't see the odd one
Things have to die(death decay, fire) for things to grow (agriculture.

>>12024101
how come?

>>12024096
T. Billy no banter

>>12023920
and I'm trying the book 2 of city of ember, hope it ain't shit. and some apocalypse book one second that seems ok so far I've read. I might read the series.

>>12024131
*one second after

>>12024135
then I have some non fiction to read so I guess I'm covered.

>>12024115
His daughter became involved, and he got powered up, and the wool was removed from his eyes. He wasn't the same.

>>12024140
but I keep buying books anyway.

>>12024125
You liked the book just because it was filled with Banter? Wtf is wrong with yall? Do you guys life through books? Go have banter with your friends and colleagues. Shit talk with them

>>12022211

If you haven't read the CoDominium books or even Forever War or Starship Troopers, on a varied spectrum of well researched military portrayals. I'm a big Baen fan, and they are really good at Military SciFi. If you want the absolute best long running Military SciFi series though, you gotta go Vorkosigan Saga.

>have a fantasy story outlined
>it's November so I'll get good boy points by default if I write something
>wrote 9000 decent-quality words for a non-novel story in the past 2 days
>still lack the motivation to do the cool big story
Please convince me I'm not going to horribly regret wasting my time writing a fantasy novel that gets shit on by publishers and completely ignored by readers who are too busy shilling Mistborn on Reddit to read anything new

>>12024189
pretty cool anon. honestly I have so many books to read it's just silly, but I'll get your book,

>>12023818
I just started rereading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea the other day. After that I'll read Heretics of Dune.

>>12024189
Nobody can reasonably claim you'll be able to make it, anon (especially with no details). But would you consider spending a couple hours a day writing for your own enjoyment wasted time? You should be proud of anything you make unless it's shit, consider it improving a craft even if it doesn't get anywhere by itself.

>>12024052
1. Underwire
2. Shroud
3. Pushup
4. Lace

>>12024199
what about 8 bucks, no problem nigga.

>>12024189
Don't waste your time. I've already lost interest due to your sulky, resentful excuse mongering.

>>12024096
How is that even possible...

>>12024153
>yall
>mfw another yank literally can’t comprehend banter

>>12024105
Fire is the odd one. It may work somewhat thematically but it makes no actual sense that temperature control is grouped with life and death. Put it in group 1 instead to make the weather group complete.

Type 1 would deal with particle control, being able control vibration of particles as well as Ionisation. This would give one a great deal of control over weather, electricity and if skilled enough some control over digital technology. Being good at technology seems more like a prerequisite than a magical power though.

Type 2 is simply some life force stuff, pretty basic to group up and explain since you're in a fantasy world.

Type 3 is the same, just make sure you don't make too many blunders when it comes to how they work as compared to how it would work in actual theory.

Type 4 is a bit forced. Can you work it from the illusionist angle instead? What kind of bindings are we talking about?

>>12024281
>only Americlaps use the word yall
You need to be "enriched" by other cultures anon, you are lacking in international knowledge.

>>12024189
I feel like this a good time for me to ask - is Mistborn or any of Brandon Sanderson's work good or is he just the current "king of fantasy" that everyone has decided rally behind?

Good's subjective so expecting a bunch of different takes but basically been wondering if he writes big ideas or just fun adventures/plots and magic systems

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18166936-the-strange-and-beautiful-sorrows-of-ava-lavender

Anyone read this? It sounds cool.

>>12024350
>Has anyone ever heard of pirating books in order to read them and decide whether or not they're good
https://transfer.sh/wBkMN/The%20Strange%20and%20Beautiful%20Sorro%20-%20Leslye%20Walton.epub

>>12024378
Let me know what you think when you're done doing that!

>>12024392
I'm not reading something that sounds like terrible YA fiction, the link is there for you to read it.

>>12024350
>Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga.
This isn't even YA, this is sexually frustrated housewife lit. How can you be such a basedboy anon?

>>12024303
I'm not the writer anon, I'm just a lurker, and I know there are a lot of trees that depend on a regular forest fire to germinate.

>>12024328
Try the Emperor's Soul.

>>12022048
But PSS objectively sucks dick. Deus ex machinas, thinly veiled communist/feminist propaganda, imaginary "races" that are just humans with bird heads, cactus heads, or bug heads, underwhelming climaxes. It's an amateurish novel. His later works are substantially better.

>>12024222
Strong. Also checked.

>>12024401
The
>Magical realism, lyrical prose
sound pretty nice and it looks like a breath of fresh air from the usual generic fantasy that is politics, huge kingdoms and war. If it isn't too strong on the typical YA romance I can see it maybe being interesting. Not brave enough to try without seeing a recommendation first though.

>>12024426
>To many, I was myth incarnate, the embodiment of a most superb legend, a fairy tale. Some considered me a monster, a mutation. To my great misfortune, I was once mistaken for an angel. To my mother, I was everything. To my father, nothing at all. To my grandmother, I was a daily reminder of loves long lost. But I knew the truth — deep down, I always did.

>I was just a girl.

Godspeed anon!

>>12024216
It's mostly just that if I spent the month getting better at drawing porn instead I'd see a definite increase in my e-cred whereas even my boyfriend probably wouldn't read a novel I wrote

>>12024328
Sanderson is pretty shit unless you're like a business major who hasn't read a book since Harry Potter in 8th grade

>>12024426
Just because a novel says it is a certain thing doesn't mean it's actually that thing. Every YA novel is a breath of fresh air in a stagnant genre until you read it and find out that it isn't.

>>12024442
>Every YA novel is a breath of fresh air in a stagnant genre until you read it and find out that it isn't
Dunno, every other YA book I've seen looks very generic. This is the only exception so far, hence my curiosity.

>>12024426
>open epub
>skim through a few pages
>decide
Come the fuck on anon. Haven't you ever been to a bloody library before?

Although given the fact that retards in this thread literally read a book called Super Sales on Super Heroes which needs a big titties to sell, clearly you might have some really shit YA taste.

>>12024052
>>12024303

>>12024402
I made a wrong assumption. Forest firest leaving behing nutrients have nothing to do with the physical (and imo magical) properties. Creating or destroying life would have more to do with manipulating nutrients directly, either creating/destroying or changing the molecules, or a general magical "life force" thing.

>>12024448
While I am not defending that shit, everything sells better with big tiddies.

>>12023818
Finishing up with the Stone Sky. Fairly interesting trilogy, though it seems to drag in some parts.
Then I hope to get my grubby hands on the audio book for the new Baru Cormorant book.

>>12024448
>Haven't you ever been to a bloody library before?
I don't randomly go to libraries and read books, no. I use the internet for recs and do some research before I pick something up. Hence why I asked if anyone else had read it.

>>12024461
>gave me an erection

reported

>>12024492
Announcing your erections is bannable.

>>12024492
You see how impulsive you get in the presence of big tiddies?
It could have been your credit card instead of the ban button.

>>12024453
>Forest firest leaving behing nutrients
>Creating or destroying life would have more to do with manipulating nutrients
>changing the molecules
Flavours anon... is that you?

>>12024552
Who what now?

>>12021742
Just read the original RE Howard stories in the order he wrote them. The quality of the stories varies a bit, but the writing quality generally improves and gets quite poetic and skillful about 10-ish stories in.

>>12024350
I'm an easy mark for bird/angel themes. Thanks.>>12024350

Is Del Ray versions of Elric of Melnibone comics or the books? I just want the story in a good fucking order

>>12023818
The Monster Baru Comorant. Only time will tell if the Cryptarchs are friend or fodder. While this book doesn't approach Code Geass thought elevator weird yet, the author is definitely making an attempt with the Cancrioth.

is Ka a good book? I'm looking for something to read next that's mythological but isn't Circe

>>12024552
nope, this time that's not me. I am around though

>>12024626
Its weird he used those keyphrases

>>12024655
not really. They're not exactly obscure words.

honestly, what's weirder is how people on this site so good at identifying anonymous individuals. I have no idea how everyone else manages it

>>12024694
Not them but a combination of the new IP marker, md5 hashes of any posted images and phrasing/capitalisation etc. You get used to it especially in generals as small as this one, certain people like talking about specific things.

OK I'll give them a try. What wuxua/xanxia should I start with?
If I wrote one, do these actually make money?

>>12024738
the most known/accesible ones are probably martial god asura and savage divinity.
the former actually being a chinese webnovel that is translated into english. the latter is written by a westerner.

former goes to super saiyan levels of retardation in terms to descriptions and stuff. the latter is tame in comparison.

>>12024694
Anytime someone recognizes you flavours anon it's me, chart anon.

>>12024408
Thanks

On the topic of gookshit, Feng Shen Ji was nuts.

There ever been a fantasy with the main character pissing himself a bit after coming back from the pub and trying to unlock the door?

>>12022149
I agree that it's fantasy and I agree that it's good, but the typical person looking for "fantasy" won't be satisfied by it.

>>12020585
Are we being memed? Why is a fucking children's book with talking dogs winning the poll while Vance is in last place?

>>12024926
Unfortunately nobody has gotten around to writing your life anon.

Well?

>>12025177
nu/lit/ hates wolfe. So no.

I wish I had a reasonable chance of writing a classic, but I know I won't. When it comes down to it, the people who write classics aren't gloryhound "artists", but unstable men churning out whatever dreck they can to pay the bills

>>12025381
Distance yourself from the idea of writing one.

>>12025381
no one cares

>>12025381
>Unstable
>Dreck
Citation needed

>>12025414
>unstable
Rowling was borderline suicidal for half the series. Lovecraft had a paralyzing fear of everything that wasn't rich white protestants. Lewis Caroll was a child molester who thought abstract mathematics was the work of the devil, and Robert E. Howard killed himself when his mother died.

>dreck
for most of its history fantasy was seen as low literature, but special mention goes to all the pulp writers who were living paycheck to paycheck, Tolkien and Caroll who were literally committing to paper a bedtime story for their children (or rather, tolkien's child and caroll's child lover), and L Frank Baum, who furiously denied there was any hidden meaning to The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz besides entertainment and proceeded to prove it by writing 13 sequels

>>12025452
>who thought abstract mathematics was the work of the devil
Fill me in on this shit.

>>12025455
Lewis caroll was a professor at oxford around the same time mathematicians realized that math didn't have to serve a practical or aesthetic purpose and could be expanded to follow rules that don't apply to our universe. Caroll found this ridiculous, and since it showed that math worked perfectly fine in universes with different laws, he saw it as blasphemous as well. In fact, a good portion of the "nonsense" in the story was actually based on new mathematical developments that irked him.

For example, there's a scene where Alice thinks she's losing her mind and tries to remember her multiplication tables. She does so successfully, but she doesn't realize it because using a number system other than base-10. Mind you, at this point in time, base-2 (binary) wouldn't be used for anything for another 70 years, and the only people who used base-8 (octal) were a handful of native tribes in mexico and california

>>12025177
ive been putting this off because i loved book of the new sun so much and i heard this isnt quite the same thing.

>>12024587
Let me know what you think.

>>12025452
>who thought abstract mathematics was the work of the devil
NANI

Just finished reading Sandkings, did anyone else get American Psycho? Kress reminded me a lot of Patrick Bateman.

just finished with old man's war, i read the whole series but after book 3 it gets disappointing

anything similar? scifi ,war in space, human vs not human, and not too much character to focus on

>>12026165
There are literally hundreds of space opera series.
You have your space marines yelling "Hoooah!" killing the space bugmen or space muzzies. You have space navies exchanging 18th century broadsides with alien ships. And rarely you have actually good mil sci-fi that doesn't read like a bad advert for the mall ninja crowd.

>>12026176
yes there are hundreds but i feel more safe reading stuff you guys suggested

>>12026181
Uh man I cant help you there. I stopped reading space operas long time ago. The last few goof military sci-fi novels I read had no aliens and were earth bound.
You could always try the classics.

>>12026165
Maybe you'd like Three Body Problem. Be warned, it's hard Sci-Fi though.

>>12026207
if i dont find anything maybe i will

>>12026211
i already read half of the book, couldn't really get into it

>>12026223
The second half and subsequent books are a lot better.

>>12026181
Undying Mercenaries by Bv Larson
Agent Cormac series by Neal Asher

>>12026267
>just continue eating this shit, I promise you will get icecream for dessert

Who finished super sales 3?

>>12026307
>harem lit consuming virgin detected
you're a disgusting little twerp anon.

>>12026289
thanks, is the lost colonies by b v larson also good?

>>12026460
I don't read it for the harem. That actually pisses me off. A harem can never work in reality. The women would be trying to kill each other off, so they and their children would be at the top.

Guys who consume harem have no interaction with real females. The female creature is insidiously petty, and jealous.

>>12026519
I don't know, I recommended Undying Mercenaries, ask someone else. Also don't touch his fantasy books, they are utter shit.

It this any good?

>>12022211
I liked the Lost Fleet but it got pretty same-y after a while. "Black Jack must crush opponents with unforeseen tactics while dealing with internal strife and lack of supplies" basically describes every book in the series. I liked the spin-offs on the corporate worlds better, simply because there was a change of scenery every book.

Try the Spiral Wars. It's not -as- hard military as the Lost Fleet, but what it lacks in "here's where all the ships are all the time" it makes up for in characterization and better aliens.

>>12026664
Author's name sounds Indian...

>>12026521
whatever you say virgin-kun

>>12026165
Pulp- Man-Kzin Wars and BOLO short story collections

Not Pulp- Starship Troopers, The Conquerors' Trilogy

>>12023247
Murderbot is the shit. Best novellas I've read in a long time.

>>12026211
> Three Body Problem
> hard Sci-Fi
Pfff. You ain't seen nothing yet.

>>12025177
Pass. The total number of unanswered questions remains the same, and it isn't nearly as satisfying as from a narrative standpoint.

>>12023859
Okay, I really didn't see the giant bunny psychic bdsm orgies coming.

>>12024306
No I don't, anyone further than 20 miles from Dingwall is inherently evil.

>>12025174
Zolazny is a chad

>>12026729

>>12026891
Anyone know what that manga is?

>>12025174
I don't think a lot of people here like Vance.

>>12026745
Backlogged, thanks bud

>>12020585
Hi guys, visiting from /k/.
It's cold and raining outside so I would like to read a book. I don't really keep up with "modern" sci-fi as I (probably wrongly) believe it's shit and/or highly lefty and generally "woke."
I am eager for adventure, explosions and consciousness expanding stuff, I have no interest in gay muslim space furries resisting emperor Tump.

Please help recommend me things you have enjoyed recently - I'm pretty familiar with classic SF but will also take recommendations for old stuff too.

Thanks in advance.

>>12026731
not him. I'm this fag.
>>12027066
Please keep talking as that's partially exactly what I'm after

>>12027066
Hunters Run
Chasm City
And I haven't seen evidence of the kinds of books you have no interest in.

>>12027131
Thank you anon. I suppose that they may be a figment of my whiskey addled mind of course.

By way of tangential example I find scalzi a hard read

As a species we have peaked.

Additionally. Has Larry Niven ever written a book by himself?

>>12027066
please see the cover in >>12027201

>>12020585
So what was the deal with the fucking stupid ending and the weird obsession with dimensions?
Was the series mainly suffering from a lack of a critical editor.

>>12027402
>fucking stupid ending
Liu chickened out from going full nihilist

> the weird obsession with dimensions?
The dimension-reducing weapons were a good concept, as was the comment about higher-dimensional spaces being "better", however there's no way a human body could function in a four dimensional space like he described.

>>12027462
>The dimension-reducing weapons were a good concept, as was the comment about higher-dimensional spaces being "better"
It was stupid.

Thoughts on Starship Troopers?
I've been loving it so far, almost done with Rico's boot camp.

>>12027507
Great but not as good as Forever War.

>>12027402
The whole series was retarded, anon. I'm sorry you had to find out this way, and I'm sorrier still you didn't find out on your own.

>>12027550
Get out.

>>12027601
I am sorry anon but Joe Haldeman is a stud, head and shoulders above that squid wannabe Heinlein.

Anons I am considering reading the Retief books. Can anyone recommend them?

>>12027507
I read it to the point of memorization when I was in grade school. I have improved since then, but the story has not. It's a great big, violent kiddie novel.

I Still have one audible credit left. What should I buy? I rather have something that's comfy and exciting, e.g. good when driving.

>>12027921
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

>>12027921
You know what you have to do.

>>12027066
Not sci fi but try American Praetorians.

>>12027486
Why is higher dimensions being projected into lower dimensioned space stupid, but not say accelerating spaceships with gravity waves?

>>12025174
Of course we're getting memed. It's this one le epic troll who keeps voting for the shittiest novel. How Sword in the Storm won the last vote is beyond me.

>>12028001
Fuck me, this is some grade A moto BS.

>>12021852
Galactic Center Saga By Gregory Benford

>>12027552
the first 2.5 books were perfectly fine for entertainment. I won't remember them in 5 years, but still.
>>12028009
Fundamentally changing the nature of the physical laws of the universe on a constant basis just to deal with something that may be a threat and that your own civ has to adapt to, is very different from just inventing some bs tech that lets you travel faster.

>>12026165
>>12026181
Dorsai/Childe Cycle by Gordon Dickson
Hammer Slammers - David Drake
The Sten Chronicles By Chris Bunch and Allan Cole

how long will u deny the classics /sffg/?

>>12027507
Overall a dry political lecture about why you should join the Communist Space Corps, with a couple battle scenes. Very much a artifact of the pre-Vietnam period.

>>12028191
Hammer's Slammers is one I'd recommend too, and it's nice to see somebody else who's aware of the Sten books.

is this gud?

>>12028020
How is it a meme? I like Zelazny and haven't read it yet so I voted for it.
I also voted for Dragon Masters, but I've already read it so I'd prefer A Night in the Lonesome October.

>>12028080
Well you could still predict what it would cause as long as your model worked, which might not be the case of course. So definitely risky. And you probably could find other ways to wipe out a civ, so I see where you are coming from.

>>12023247
Murderbot is great, I love that little autist.

>>12020829
First book was horrible

>>12021852
Pandora’s star by Hamilton

>>12022917
House of blades

>>12028718
I read them all in a row so I don't remember the first being much different from the others so you'll probably hate the series. What didn't you like about it?

>read ender's game
alright cool
>speaker for the dead
a bit boring
>xenocide
what the fuck who cares. Series really dropped off.

>>12028591
Yes

>>12028858
Yeah, I've never read anything else of his that was worth a shit.

>>12028858
ya got mormon-memed.

>>12028858
Bean books are better.

You don't have to read all the prior books to read them, enders game is sufficient.

>>12027507
>>12027550
I loved both these books and thought the World Series by haldeman was awful, recommendations for similar?

so anybody upload Super Sales 3 yet?

>>12021124
1-5 were good for young men. 6-10 are only good for Ghost Wheel.

>>12029267
doesnt seem like it. im looking for it as well.
apparently someone had their request on mobilism fullfilled so its out there somewhere. but typically the books get dmcad quickly. i dont have a myanonamous account so i dont know if its up there but it stands to reason that if it were up there it would show up in the various irc book irc channels which it hasent as of yet.

Never been in these threads. Three Body Problem was alright, but Dark Forest was BOAT as far as I'm concerned. Death's End was too fantasy for me.

Anyone else pick em up?

>>12027402
>>12029395
Awww shit, I shoulda f'ed the thread looking first lol

>>12027402
>>12028080
Zhang Beihai did nothing wrong

>>12024052
1. eWeathair
2. MorFarmo
3. Delirium
4. Contravity

>>12024738
I liked Renegade Immortal and Sovereign of the Three Realms and Martial World

>>12028591
also yes. that is a very good book.

>>12025832
will do

>>12024749
thanks, i started martial god asura.

>>12029626
Myb don’t start with a 3000 chapter story haha

>>12029638
well i started but i don't think i'll finish. i'm sure i'll get the idea after awhile and move on. i don't know how a 3000 chapter story wouldn't start repeating itself?

>>12024052
just use type 1 type 2 type 3 type 4?

>>12029626
>started martial god asura
that's one with the worst plot in wuxia and most chapters out (3k~ chapter)
try desolate era, emperor's domination, library of heaven's path, human emperor, douluo dalu, coiling dragon

the only xianxia you need is A Will Eternal.

>>12029657
All wuxia tends to be fa.irly repetitive

>>12029939
is AWE similar to ISSTH? if so then it's also bad

Are any of the Dune sequels worth reading?

>>12029966
Gets too esoteric after Children of Dune imo

>>12029966
I liked Messiah more than Dune actually. Stopped there though.

>>12021997
Who here reads self published? I tried looking through it (even "highly rated" ones), but all I see are bad awful novels written by amateurs who couldnt cut it.

>>12023818
man in the high sky
notes from the underground

>>12030331
So you've never read anything from the old pulp era either I take it.

>>12030331
>self published
There is absolutely no quality filter anon. Good self published books, like Weir's Martian, get picked up once the word spreads.
You are going to have to sift through a lot of shit to find that one gem.

>>12030351
Why would you read that?

>>12030351
I am not sure what defines pulp, but if its lack of publication then none of it is good

Any examples of what you would say is good old pulp?

>>12030358
Because it's got energy. All the vitality hasn't been buffed out of it to service so artificial corporate ideal. It's the raw food of fiction.

>>12030370
Anon you're just a pretentious hipster.

>>12030370
Why would you waste precious brain cells and time reading something you are going to forget anyway the next day and has brought you exactly zero value or joy.

Even as time wasters on 10 hour flights pulp is not good.

>>12030378
While he's a pretentious sounding twat, why are you singling him out in a general where 2/3's of posters are invested to such a degree in a couple of door stopper, 12 novel, fantasy series that they start throwing hissy fits when the quality (or lack thereof) of said series gets called out?

>>12030398
> not knowing that replying to people at the bottom of a thread is a better guarantee for (you)'s

>>12030402
Anon if I wanted to get meme'ed on I'd go to /v.

>>12030429
It's this way

>>>/v/

>>12030440
Goodbye, thank you for coming.

>>12023818
Here's my fantasy & sci-fi books for November. Still waiting for a few more books from Lem to arrive.

>>12030509
>Amos Tutuola
I hope you're black yourself

>>12030555
I'm not.

>>12030555

How much shit would I get if I took a lesbian character and made her fall for a guy. I think it'd be interesting to see a woman who thought she only liked woman start developing feelings for a guy. But in today's social climate I doubt that'll get me any fans.

>>12030555
I just skimmed his wiki entry - can his novels even be considered fantasy?

>>12030850
Anon, let's face it, you will always get shit from a certain rainbow colored vocal minority. So why not write what you want.

Has anyone ever been so completely and utterly btfo?

>>12030850
As long as you don't call her straight afterwards you should be fine.

Read some real novels ye manchilds

>>12030966
Why would I call her straight? She's still attracted to woman, she'd just be bi given her newfound attraction to this man.

>>12030964
>look mom I posted it again

>>12030987
Or don't mention straight bi or lesbian?
Just have that she was a carpet muncher for life, but met chad and got an itch deep inside. Write it in a way that explains that, don't uses sexual modifiers.

>>12030987
People tend to do that and I could see how people would get mad about interpreting your story like you portraying her lesbianism as a phase. But it sounds like you should be fine.

Should I read Shadow of What Was Lost or Ember Blade?

I usually go to bed at nine thirty regardless of what day of the week it is but last night I stayed up until eleven to finish reading Midnight Tides.
Malazan is a very good series. I just thought I'd put that out there, it's been a very long time since I had to stay up to keep reading.

>>12031098
Trolling is supposed to be subtle anon.

>>12031110
But the book was legit good though.

>>12030989
>L-leave wheel of time alone
>it was my only friend in highschool

>>12029626
>>12029926
MGA is absolute dogshit, it's interesting enough to get you started but it's so damn repetitive even for chinkshit. Desolate Era is decent, douluo the manga adaption wasn't bad so I assume the novel is good, Xian Ni/Renegade Immortal was my first chinkshit so I'm biased, I Shall Seal the Heavens is pretty good too even if I skipped reading the ending.

>>12030916
They're old Yoruba folktales with gods, monsters and magic, I don't see how that's NOT fantasy.

>>12031088
Read both, didn't think either was fantastic. Ember Blade was far better than Shadow of what was lost though.
Ember Blade doesn't pretend, everything from the writing to plot is traditional epic fantasy executed decently well. The plot also has a very Tigana-esque feel to it if that means anything to you. (A band of rebels tries to overthrow the government type of shit)
Shadow of what was lost is also traditional epic fantasy but the author tries very hard to show that he has unique takes on the usual tropes and doesn't really succeed imo, the writing isn't as solid and there's a lot more setup than actual content. You get the feeling he's trying to write a good series more than he's trying to write a good book. Excellent cover though.

Anyone read this besides me? Kind of wandered a bit for the first half, but turned out to be really comfy.

More writers really should stick to one PoV like this.

>>12031153
Yep, read this too. It was ok, Some anon here mentioned Miles Cameron lets his MC get cucked in every book he writes, found that funny coz it's exactly what happens in in Cold Iron too.
Not a fan of his writing style though, he seems to go on weird tangents when he's describing stuff. Other than that it's a solid comfy book like you said, like a lot of other coming off age single pov books. There's just something about books like that, that keeps you turning pages.

>>12031180
He didn't get cucked though? He just got straight dumped. Disappointed he didn't fuck the milf general though.

>>12031189
His friend sleeps with the girl he's in love with, not exactly cucking but you get the idea, supposedly it happens in a lot Camerons books.
Why, even in Cold Iron, the sorceress he has chemistry with is sleeping with the king(or is it emperor?), his (ex-)girl is sleeping with his friend and the milf general sleeps with everyone that's not him including his 2 friends.

Btw, if you liked the comfy single pov nature of Cold Iron, check out Blood Song, only the first book in the series mind, pretend it's a stand alone. It's the best book ever written in that format.

>>12031243
Blood Song was good, real shame what a fucking dumpsterfire the next books became.

He didnt really have chemistry with the concubine/sorceress. Besides, he fucked that village girl and is gonna fuck innkeeper girl. Clearly hes just not to supposed to be locked into one relationship in degenerate (Not)Byzantium

>>12022124
This does seem like weakest month yet

>>12023818
Just about to finish The Thing Itself after a reco here, pretty good. Thought the story in the 1600s was interesting because it was a take on an old trope that wasn't too PC

>>12031128
Wheel of time, discworld and hitchhiker's guide are utter shits. You posted that image last thread so stop fucking spamming it.

any title from here worth saving? im stocking epubs for reasons
https://pastebin.com/15qV2h5N

>>12031088
>willingly reading books by Chris Wooding

>>12031387
>discworld
Hang on here

>>12031307

>>12031406
that cover is cool, how is the book?

Trying really hard to like Shadow of the Torturer but I can't. 60% into the book and it's just been Wolfe sniffing his own farts.

>2020
>The Winds of Winter still isn't published
>George R. R. Martin finally succumbs to cardiac arrest after gorging himself on 25 slices of chicago style pizza at worldcon
>HarperCollins announces they have hired a new to finished A Song of Ice and Fire
>it's pic related
how would you react?

>>12031456
>fellforthebotnsmeme.jpg

>>12031465
imokwiththis

>>12031465
>>12031478
fak you, say that again bitch.

>>12023818
>>12030964
It's NaNoWriMo so I need to be writing instead of reading. But I went to a write-in at a used bookstore and to support them a little I bought The Great Hunt for $4.
I read Eye of the World a long time ago and wasn't impressed. Some of /sffg/ says book 2 is better so I'll give the series one more try.
2bh I think RJ's prose is pretty bad.

>>12031389
I liked
Belgariad (it's YA)
Narnia (same)
Player of Games - Ian Banks (part of the Culture books)
LoTR
Red Mars - Robinson
the first 3 books of GRRM
Eon - Bear

>>12031530
don't bother with The Great Hunt it's not much better, the series is a waste of time

>>12031465
>after gorging himself on 25 slices of chicago style pizza at worldcon

>>12031456
sorry, you're a pleb -- stick to branderson and maybe reread harry potter

>>12024608
I really enjoyed it, though not as much as the first book. To me it kind of felt like the entire book was spend picking up the pieces from the events of the last book.

>>12031560
Never read either of them. Haven't even finished watching the Potter movies yet tbqh. Sorry for hurting your feelings.

>>12030850
You will get a heap of shit if you're a straight guy for obvious reasons.

>>12031543
I don't think the series is for me but as a wannabe writer I want to see if I can figure out why its popular.

>>12031443
>getting memed into reading trash by a cool cover

>>12031695
covers are everything

>>12031465
Hasn't georgie boy said that it's in his will for no one to finish his series? If he dies it dies with him.

>>12031622
It's popular because it was the only bit of land available on a miniscule island in the ocean. Now there are continents available, but people that held onto survival on that island look back on it fondly because of Stockholm syndrome. Now these same people who are clearly experiencing nostalgia, spew poetic about the virtues of wheel of time, people who grew up on the continents go to the island to see if what they heard is true. Turns out it was all lies and the island(wheel of time) is utter shit.

>>12031711
his widow and his publishers will rip his will apart and hire another writer, they don't care they want the money

I just want some decent epic fantasy that was released in the past ten years. Doesn't even have to be great.

>>12031789
Wheel of Time

Remember that time King Arthur wanted to fuck a goose SO BAD?

>>12031740
embarrassing post

>>12031265
What's wrong with the sequels?

>>12031785
sirsay predicted this

make a new thread, slave

>>12032009
suck my dick, not feeling it. yall are probably getting the latex fag today, gl.

>>12031740
I didn't read Wheel of Time until a few years ago when it was mostly complete, and I enjoyed it immensely. Sounds to me you're just bitter.

>>12031134
I didn’t like ISSTH, out it down a couple hundred chapters in
Currently reading AWE

>>12032018
slaves do not comport themselves this way.

>>12032032
Or you have shit taste

>>12031913
Jumps to multiple POVs that you dont care about. Main character barely gets any page time.

>>12032384
I seen a few comments talking about it amping up political correctness, this true?

>>12032387
its probably true. it happens in every medium and hobby nowadays.

>>12032387
Yea, there is. Its not overbearing, but definitely a noticeable increase.

>>12032387
Nay, there's a female warrior character but that really isn't the issue. There's torture and plenty of dark shit from the "good" guys you wouldn't expect in a pc book.

The real problem is that the the author wrote himself into a corner at the end of the first book, he forgot that for a character to be interesting said character needs challenges/obstacles and more importantly room for improvement. The MC is done developing at the end of the first book, he's reached his peak and thus the next book would have been be even more shit if he wrote it as a single pov book from the MCs pov. So the author switched to new povs but the new povs weren't really interesting. The overall plot design was solid but he wasn't able to write the cast to support it and the ending sucked balls which ruined the book. Third book was just awful on all accounts though, there's no analyzing that one.

NEW HANGOUT SPOT FOR ALL THE KOOL KIDS

>>12032496
>>12032496
>>12032496
>>12032496

>>12031789
Throne of Glass

>>12032037
I haven't read AWE but I assume it has the same "finds one OP item that turns you immortal" bullshit as ISStH.