/lit/ - Literature

first for sandafag a hack

>>12721682
>Don't really have any idea what you mean with that second thing.
memefaggers in these generals shit on Brent Weeks, but in the same breath praise Hobb.

kvothe a cuck

What are some fantasy with a comfy main couple? I finally got around to watching How to Train Your Dragon 3 and loved all the scenes with Hiccup and Astrid. In general their relationship was one of the best parts of the trilogy desu. So it got me thinking about any books that have this sort of dynamic where the protagonist and his love interest become a couple early on and stay one throughout the end without any drama, cuckshit, etc.

12721712
are they fighting against the limper or is the limper for the rebels or the lady? are they under contract with soulcatcher or the lady? or is soulcatcher one of the lady's henchmen? it said they left the limper to be buried at oar, but isnt the limper one of the lady's henchmen? arent they all on the same side? who exactly are they fighting? rebels, white rose?

>>12721768
>>>12721712

>oversized swords

>>12721768
and what is a Raker?

Are gaudy, ornate thrones with considerable symbolic and traditional value a fantasy invention? I can't think of any. Sure there are ornate thrones, but I can't think of any cases where it has cultural significance in the way crown jewels often do.

So I read the past few thread, but got tired of it. I've been gone for a while. Someone update me on the spicy new memes. All I've been able to pick up on was birdboi shitposting. Is he some new writefag?

>>12721888
He's not a shitposter. He's an admitted autistic who wants to express himself through writing with a series that would make Wheel of Time seem like a short novella.

>>12721913
> express himself through writing with a series that would make Wheel of Time seem like a short novella.
Has he at least said what the series is about?

>>12721921
He’s calling it The Continuation War.

>>12721760
How underage b& are you?

>make book mostly or purely single pov
>make sequel multipov
Guys... Don't do this

>>12721888
>>12721913
You samefags have to stop larping. We know you word your shitposts to raise the flamingo boy topic.

Why is this thread so shit

>>12721993
I don't trust those fraudulent ponytails at all.

>>12722003
I'm not larping. I just like the birdboi.

>>12721993
Poor blood song. Such a promising start

need pulp scifi recs

>>12722255
Stainless Steel Rat or Harry Harrison in general.

>>12721694
Does anyone have any decent zombie novel recommendations, I know must of them are trash but there has to be a few gems.

>>12722428
The Plague by Camus

>>12722483
Is this the new masters of rome?

About halfway through this and even though it's obvious it was padded out to reach full novel length... I don't mind that much. KEW's Howardian style prose is too good and even with the padding there's still a grim atmosphere of darkness and horror. Still would have been better if this was novella length instead.

>>12721694
What Michael Crichton books are worth reading? I've only read Jurassic Park.

>>12722612
Well technically masters of rome is newer.

Any point in reading the A Song of Ice and Fire if I’ve watched the show? Is it all plot or is there enough nice writing and interesting non-show stuff to make them worth reading?

>>12722990
TONS of interesting non-show stuff. Good writing? Nah. But it’s way more entertaining than most fags here will admit. Just don’t ever expect it to finish.

>>12722990

its way better than the show

>>12722951
I read prey the other day. Wasn't exactly the best but kept me turning the pages

>>12722951
Prey, as the other anon said. Sphere is pretty good too.

>>12722255
The Paradox Men

>>12721844
Grossly ornate chairs are far more common in religious contexts.

>>12721768
The Ten Who Were Taken are all master wizards who serve the Dominator, but dont necessarily play nice with each other.

>>12722951
Timeline and The Andromeda Strain. Its a shame the film adaptation for Timeline sucked balls, such wasted potential.

>>12721844
Anon, look up the Wandering Throne of Solomon. Or the Peacock Throne.

Read this. It's good.

>>12722990
It's not worth reading until it's finished, whether you've watched the show or not does not change that.

>>12723344
The Andromeda Strain is great however.

>>12721844
It's just a chair you sit on m9-1

>>12721782
Karsa is probably the only good thing about Malazan. He's got his own series coming out this year btw

>>12722959
And better

Does anyone have audio book recommendations?

Nothing that's too good please
Basically I need shit to listen to and I don't want to waste any actual good books because I'd rather read those
I'm looking for fun garbage that makes for good audio material, not literature

So I've been reading the first books of a lot of different series, and I thought I had found a good one with Way of Kings but I have a question.

Why in God's green fuck are spren in the series ? I get it's the main characters fairy friend or whathefuckever but "fear spren" and "anticipation spren" just seem like the most redundant fucking thing ever ?

A bunch of soldiers on the eve of battle are scared and afraid, NO FUCKING SHIT RETARD.
Is this series just written for children who don't understand emotions and have to have it spelled out for them ?

>>12721993
What's wrong with that?

>>12722255

The Stars My Destination

>>12722873

I'm going to suggest that you read the Kane short stories by KEW, even though I believe you already know of them, the chance that either you have not had any reason to go after them or that some other reader will see this recommendation and read what I consider to be the only true equal (and in some ways superior) to Conan at his height is too appealing.

>>12721760
The Seventh Tower series by Garth Nix. Even though it doesn't actually have romantic scenes between the two main characters, they have an extremely comfy dynamic even when they piss each other off. It's really easy to project that Milla is tsundere for Tal and by the end you can easily assume that Tal and Milla become emperor and empress.

>>12723588

Spren manifesting like that are the most externalized and apparent manifestation of his magic system, something that Sanderson is required to by Mormon revelation to include and focus on in every series he creates. Its been a bit since I read it, so this will include some entropy; the concept of the Stormlight archives is an integration of platonic ideas into fantasy.

There exists at least three realms, of which two are the material and the ideal planes. Spren are, like other magic systems, shards of a greater whole, and tend to inhabit the cognitive realm. Through this we come to animism by monotheism. Emotions, objects, actions, thoughts, are all bonded to different spren, and this is important to the magic system because they can be activated for different effects. Its why the Knights Radiant had different orders, and why soulcasting works how it does.

>>12723588
>decide to read an author whose main gimmick is excessive worldbuilding
>complain about excessive worldbuilding

>>12721760

The Belgariad. David Eddings had a fetish for tsunderes and pure love, and it shows.

>>12721760
>that NuMale beard

You just know that he lets his black dragon culturally enrich that wyte woman.

>>12723490
Please respond
Come on lads I know you got some dumb fun page turners, I don't want to listen to fucking Stephen King

>>12723652
The Stars My Destination, Altered Carbon, Cryptonomicon

>>12723719
Thanks Anon!

>>12723652
The Red Knight

>>12723490
Eragon
Been years since I've read it the last time but from my memory it makes great audiobook potential.
Might be to high quality for your taste but whatever.

>>12723766
Looks pretty good in terms of what I was looking for, thanks Anon

>>12723776
Come on pal

>>12723451
when does it take place? i assume after the events of the original series right?

>>12723645
What a surprise, the obnoxious tripfag is a cuck too.

>>12721760
codex alera.
its really damn good.

>>12721760
Masters of Rome.

Asked in previous threads, but any recommendations for novels, short story collections etc. that are based around the steampunk aesthetic?

>>12721694
Which are the must read Elric stories?

>>12724111
None of them are must reads.

>>12721990
The first movie (at least) is pretty touching.

>>12722951
ok anon, here are the ones which I found absolutely based:
>Easy Go
Group of men try to rob "the last tomb" under the noses of egyptian authorities. Honestly one of my favorite books.
>Grave Descent
A nice bit of mystery to it, but it's very pulpy.
>Andy Strain
If you've seen the movie, you've read the book. Still worth a read though.
>Micro
I liked it. He didn't finish it before he died, so it's had a touch of somebody else writing it.
>Sphere
Not bad, but I stopped half way through.

I still need to read some of his other books.

>>12722990
Not really. The first book is pretty good, but the show still did that part of the story better. The second book is a drag to read as it only exists to bridge the gap between the first and the third, and the third book is only occassionally interesting, and the show managed to distill what little actually worked there into a functioning narrative. The fourth and fifth book are godawful and the show pretty much acts as if they don't exist.

>>12723490
blood meridian
the audio-book is actually amazing to listen to.
Amber series.
Lonesome night in october.
Elric of Melnibone.

Here's one that's amazing:
>Memoirs of a Sinner
https://www.audible.com.au/pd/The-Private-Memoirs-and-Confessions-of-a-Justified-Sinner-Audiobook/B00FGIFDTY
I'm going to convert my copy, just for you (and also because I lost my old one)

>>12724222
>amber
>not good
Neck yourself

>>12724222
>>12723490
Oh, and listen to:
"Surprisingly Down to Earth, and Very Funny." by Brian 'Limmy' Limmond.
https://mega.nz/#F!wI1xBI5B!8P_JbmJogeBU-wKesEMyEQ
Please actually buy the book and support him.

>Memoirs of a Sinner
https://mega.nz/#F!1JFURKgK!SvYNgg_fSkUPNFA45oj84A
>Easy Go
https://mega.nz/#F!pQdm1KzZ!DfJCNAsDZkKs3MaNUnLdZg

>>12724249
It's great. It's just that the books were practically written to be read aloud. You can't say the same about 'And Call Me Conrad' though. That one's just too jumbled to make sense of while you listen.

Also, heinlein has a fair few good books that make good audiobooks.
Some people are divided on which of his books are good though.
I personally liked:
Starman jones
Starship Troopers
Double Star
The Door into Summer (but reading the brainwashing bit made me sick the first time)
The unpleasant profession of Jonathan Hoag (not his usual style - but it's great)
Have Space Suit - Will Travel (bigly good)
and I personally didn't like:
Stranger in a strange land (I can acknowledge that it's good, just not good for me)
most of his other (non-juvenile) books. Some of his books are too juvenile, some of them are too camp, and some of them are too ideological. Still a good writer though.

>>12724222
>au
Howe's it in the land down under m8?

>>12723490
Try the library at mount char. I don't think I would have enjoyed it that much it I didn't read it on audio.

>>12723613
I've read Night Winds and Death Angel's Shadow. I plan on reading the full length Kane novels after I finish Legion from the Shadows, KEW's only Conan pastiche Road of Kings, and then John C. Hocking's Conan and the Emerald Lotus. And I would agree that KEW at his absolute best comes extremely close to rivaling REH at his best, but from what I've read of KEW so far I'd say REH is still firmly superior because of how much more consistent he was.

>>12724111
Read the new comics that have been coming out from France recently instead. They're the only Elric comics that have Moorcock's official stamp of approval and the artwork is beautiful. I recommend the comics instead of the original stories because even among hardcore Sword & Sorcery fans Elric (and Moorcock's writing in general) can be an acquired taste.

I wouldn't have minded if the Gormenghast trilogy ended with the second book

>>12724450
Or rather, just after Steerpikes death

>>12724432
I have read those comics. What little I have read of the books also informs that they aren't a very faithful adaptation, regardless of what Moorcock says on the matter. But, while the ideas intrigue me somewhat I do find Moorcock's writing style to be a little jarring. It being an acquired taste isn't that much of an issue, as many of the things I like most are and I typically don't care much for things that aren't, but I'd rather start with the best books to see if it's worth getting into in the first place.

>>12724462
Fucking Steerpike. But I disagree, the whole second book is needed to complete Titus' journey.

>>12723588
>he hasn’t gotten to book three yet
Give it time. All will be revealed.

>>12724222
>>12724370
Thank you very much Anon! I appreciate you uploading these
Blood Meridian is something that's been on my reading list for a bit, so I think I'll save it for when I get the book

>>12724387
>read it on audio
tee hee
gonna check it out

>>12723382
K

>>12724499
>What little I have read of the books also informs that they aren't a very faithful adaptation, regardless of what Moorcock says on the matter.
If they were a faithful adaption they'd be boring. I've tried to read the original Elric stories, but I got about two and a half stories in and called it quits. Elric himself is just too emo for my tastes and the stories overall have this... I dunno... weakness about them. I can't really explain it. I think it's just the way Moorcock writes. It's all weepy and willowy.

Just about to finish Shadow of the Torturer. Saw this image while I was on /lit/ and found it comical but, came to realize how utterly apt it is in regards to Severian as a character. I really love how evocative Wolfe's writing can be and it has moved me on numerous occasions in this single book. The best so far have probably all involved Triskele, especially the dream where he lays down beside Severian before Master Malrubius appears. I have never found a book so compelling and thought provoking, as well as far above my own comprehension at times. I love it. It's so comfy to read, even when I don't feel like I understand what Wolfe might be alluding too on a deeper level.

This board has birthed another Wolfefag, I fear.

are there fantasy books with a real bad protagonist?
the raping and mass murdering one?
broken empire was nice but he became a pussy to the end

>>12725290
sounds like you want some chink webnovels, they got plenty of those

>>12723382
>Guy betrays his kingdom and now he has to btfo his former allies
Nice,i like those kind of stories

>>12723382
yeah... i don't think so desu

And hidden from the sight of men—in their sunless burrows and secret lairs in lost lands—the serpent-folk also sank into the abyss of barbarism. Very few of their number had survived that war of extinction in past eons. Through constant inbreeding their race grew degenerate and sickly. New monstrosities tainted their attenuated bloodline through depraved couplings with captured humans and with the great serpents of the jungles. Once the serpent-folk had almost become men. Now they reverted to the call of their ophidian heritage. Of their former civilization and wisdom, there remained only a memory of ancient depravities and a passion for the foulest of abominable sorceries.

Red pill me on Sanderson's religious belief and how it plays into his books, as well as any other lore I should know about the guy. Aren't mormons weird as fuck?

>>12725290
>broken empire was nice
wew lad

>>12725397
>tell me stuff I can only find out from reading his books so I can pretend as if I read his books when I call people plebs

>>12725441
Give me a better example

>>12725377
Can you stop spamming these shit verses?
k?thnx

>>12725470
Nah mate it's a perfect example of what you're after but it's a horribly stupid series.

>>12725474
Make me, nerd.

>>12725492
Are you projecting?
Do you feel if you call me nerd here, it will somehow make you an alpha irl?

>>12725479
that is not very nice of you

>>12725523
>t. nerd

>>12724111
All of them

>>12723776
Eragon is only for the Enlightened

>>12725466
I do read his books. I loved SA and Mistborn. Read Elantris but found it didn't take a hold of me. Looking forward to the next Stormlight book. I don't know much about mormonism or these memes people post and I'm asking someone that might have time and knowledge to share it with me. No need to project.

>>12725290
Not that I can think of. Even supposed anti heroes end up becoming heroes in the end in some way or another. I can't think of a series with a straight up scumbag protagonist who rapes and murders. Probably because publishers don't want something like that on their hand due to the fact that we're living in the social media era where all it takes is once overly sensitive faggot on twitter to cause a shitstorm.

remember when sffg used to only have people that read?
pepperidge farm remembers.

>>12724644
What jrpg is this?

>>12725547
>Just Google mormonism, are you retarded or something?

>>12725397
Sanderson has very good religious views. He believes, that the universe was made after an omipotent entity split into "shards" that serve as gods in their respective world. He also believes in the existence of arcane figures that are able to travel from one world into another and are also immortal. Sanderson also believes that metals are holly and can grant you magic powers. Fascinating stuff, really, a shame that religion in his books is that boring "marmon" stuff.

>>12725588
Books like this? Pls.

Recommend me some good books on Tolkien's work (not David Day please)

I'm gonna start a clickbait channel in the wake of new Amazon show and I need brushin gup

>>12725397
>Aren't mormons weird as fuck?
yeah, but he seems like a nice guy and it doesn't play into his writing too much. he's not going to go full Narnia or anything.

>>12725553
I'm okay with Dust of Dreams so far. I like how Krughava didn't give a singular FUCK about the Bolkando blustering.
>tfw only 22% through

>>12725553
>pepperidge farm remembers.
can I steal this new may may?

>>12721694
>Monthly Reading for March: - The Black Company by Glen Cook

protip: quit after book 1 (while it's great)

literally turns into pajeet anime starring idris elba

>>12725740
Don't you talk shit about Lady and Croaker OTP

What's the LoGH of fantasy /lit/?

>>12725868
wheel of time. but only the non-sanderson books.

>>12725557
Yes, thats why I come here to this general.

>>12725868
Game of Thrones. Bad political fiction informed by baffling narrative choices, a total lack of comprehension how strategy works, and praised endlessly by basic bitches.

>>12725130
yeah its good stuff

The Goblin Emperor
I found it to be comfy low-fantasy. The story of a 18-year-old half-goblin and his unlikely ascension to the throne of the Elvish lands after his emperor father and several older sons die in an airship crash. A story in which the main character does absolutely nothing exciting, where the author diligently distinguishes the royal "We" from the merely plural "we" or the base, familial singular "I" and showers us with invented names and titles you will be hard-pressed to remember. A fantastical world full of strange cultures, enigmatic gods and wondrous magical spells with all of which we as readers are not in the least bit bothered with, as we rarely see outside the walls of the Imperial palace, the weather being too drab to go, or even look, outside - worldbuiliding is at a premium with this book. But it was a pleasant read nonetheless.

I leave you with an apt review I found while reading this book that I am forced to agree with, as someone wiser than me has stated of this leisurely novel:
> "It's a typical feel-good story written by a woman."
> Anonymous 03/05/19(Tue) No.12704492
And isn't such a lovely story something we all might enjoy once in a while?

>>12725290
BotNS

>>12725997
okay, then what's the GOOD equivalent of that?

>>12725997
LoGH isn't very political though. It's mostly about forming your space navy into the right shape to counter the shape the other guy's space navy is formed into.

>>12726148
MUH SEMICIRCLES

>>12723643
>half dryad redheaded tsun tsun princess gf
David Eddings was hella based

>>12726161
Ce'Nedra was one of my first fictional crushes. The Belgariad might be cookie cutter as fuck, but it has a nostalgic place in my heart.

>>12726210
> The Belgariad might be cookie cutter as fuck, but it has a nostalgic place in my heart.
Same. It doesn't matter if something is cliché if the executions is well done or a lot of fun. The Belgariad is what good YA fantasy should be.

What is the most pessimistic sci-fi novel you've read, and conversely what is the most optimistic? Define the terms however you wish

>>12726161

>What are you gonna do next Eddings?
>I'm gonna write about a princess who loved the knight who protected her that she becomes queen and orders him to marry her

>>12723872
Yeah like 4-5 years after the main series

>>12726049
This book, as well as a lot of other books by this author, are 3*, in my opinion.

Now, I would, of course, like this book a lot more if the emperor actually went outside. But anon, you say, emperors do not go outside! Fuck that! Where are the action scenes? Who wants to read all about court politics and missives! This book is way too realistic in its depictions of the average excitement that emperors get up to! What if Mr Letter Kun couldn't trusted or emperor-kun embraced some of his dark side? It never happened. Emperor kun is more of an accommodating doormat than Shinji!

It's not bad enough to drop but not very satisfying to read either. This author always seems to have a lot of difficulty with worldbuilding and making their worlds seem large as well as making it character driven.

There are plenty of better female authored /sffg/ out there such as Lud-in-the-mist, the Coldfire Trilogy, the Terra Ignota series and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell -- all of which I would rate 5* for having the characterisation, prose, plot and worldbuilding to back it up.

>>12726630
>Lud-in-the-mist, the Coldfire Trilogy, the Terra Ignota series and Jonathan Strange
>scrolling down the thread
>in passing notice a post mentioning some of my favourite books/series
Damn, considering my love for the rest of them I guess I must read the Coldfire Trilogy sooner than later.

>>12726630
I've only read this by the author and I agree that there are better books and authors, JS&MrN is great.
But this simple book does have it's charm. The sheer mundane-ity in how it plays out the attempted coup and regicide, the one single extremely nonchalant on-screen instance of manslaughter, how all of that is lowered to the level of importance of the emperors attire.

Just nice to read a book that isn't about magical warrior kings or maverick action-hero heartthrobs for a change. I've wondered, are there any good books about some common foot-soldier in the army of the battle sorcerer, or just some regular Joe? Just a cog in the machine who doesn't get a magic sword or alien MacGuffin but someone else does and he needs to stay out of the way of the consequences of someone else's epic quest?

Hard sci fi recs?
Read the three body problem trilogy and had a good time
Couldn’t get into seveneves

>>12726912
Pushing Ice

Are the Warcraft books worth reading if I haven't played it since WoTLK?

>>12725681
Use it. It's all yours my friend

>>12725681
i don't usually read fantasy because, honestly, i don't know how to get in it - fantasy is full of generic garbage printed out like on ford assembly line + i live in 2nd world country where books arent that accessible
if you got any suggestions that would be swell - i prefer dark low fantasy with focus on character relationships, emotions, development etc. (just a guideline, im open minded)

>>12727239
Just read BotNS

>>12727239
>2019
>buying books

>Worldbuilding is dull. Worldbuilding literalises the urge to invent. Worldbuilding gives an unneccessary permission for acts of writing (indeed, for acts of reading). Worldbuilding numbs the reader’s ability to fulfil their part of the bargain, because it believes that it has to do everything around here if anything is going to get done.

>>12721760
Tarnsman of Gor.

>>12724064
>>12721760
I am going to second codex alera simply because of how fucking nice their relationship is.
No cuckshit, no love triangles, also not too much focus on the love aspect detracting from the main story.

>>12727239
Pirate everything.

>>12727373

>>12727561
I'm sorry it upsets you so much, Mr. Erickson. But you should know better by now.

>>12727190
>"He wondered how it was that a thirteen-year-old boy had suddenly been put in charge and thought frantically."
What the fuck is this? This isn't a sentence. This shit doesn't make any sense. Do these shill-authors who get paid $3 an hour to pump out this franchise garbage even edit their first drafts, or do they send it straight to the publisher where it gets the tick of approval and pushed through the presses? Jesus H Christ.

>>12721694
The House On the Borderland is the far superior William Hope Hodgson novel. I can't stomach the affected archaic tone and stultified repetition of Nightland.
the concept is pretty cool though

>>12721993
blood song?

>>12722951
Crichton is trash

>>12722990
ASOIAF is probably the best fantasy series ever written. People here will steer you away from it towards some teeny bopper vampire detective story, but it was very popular, even before the show, for good reason

hey /sffg/, I've hit a wall in my writing and could use some inspiration. Where can I find a good intersection of weirdness and adventure?

I read Un Lun Dun not too long ago for research purposes (and the last days of new paris before that), but I'm hoping for something more adult

>>12725466
If you cut out the part about the metal that perfectly describes Worm

>>12723451
And what would you recommend, if not Malazan, because I'm finding it to be, unexpectedly, a great read

>>12728436
fuck, I meant this for >>12725602

>>12728431
lol nice try, George.

>>12728431
>ASOIAF is probably the best fantasy series ever written.
Haha

>>12728436
Lud-in-the-Mist is great. I left my copy on a fucking airplane over Christmas. I am so mad.

>tfw two weeks until next expanse novel

Fucking HYPE and Duarte did nothing wrong

Finished reading Silmarillion today


I've become one of the uber tolkien nerds that nobody cares about

>>12725376
What?

Is BOTNS really as difficult as everyone says it is? I don't read much fantasy but I'm interested in checking it out.

>>12728812
I cant handle badly designed flags. It sickens me

>>12729267
It's sci fi not fantasy.

>>12729267
If you want a traditional narative that goes places and has a plot then you'll hate it.

Question: What effects did drinking Elfbark have on Verity? I don't recall it ever dulling his ability to skill. If Chade was protecting him from the skill hunger, then he knew about its skill dulling properties. If he knew, then why didn't he tell Fitz?

>say its fantasy
>its actually bureaucratic drama
Stop this

Name a better writer. Pro tip: you unironically can't.

>>12725290
You could try Eyes of the Overworld. Cugel might not be as edgy as you want but he is utterly void of virtue until 2/3rds of the way through the sequel

Any good historical fantasy's set in ancient Rome?

>>12729788
We know you're setting up to shill that garbage again anon.

Currently reading The Sword of the Lictor, really enjoying all of this thing so far. Are Gene Wolfe's other works worth reading?

>>12729788
You must be about 12 if you think that's going to work.

>>12729788
>>12729859

what the hell are you guys on about. feel like I got into something here, I just come to this threads like once a week to see some recommendations.

>>12729801
>>12729859
What? I'm not sure of what's going on, I'm just asking for recommendations, not shilling anything.

>>12728431
>mfw there are people out there who will remember all the characters, places and titles from ASoI&F without any problems yet will also claim that Malazan is "poorly written" for those exact reasons

>>12729466
Chase is a dick

>>12729466
From what I recall Energy boost and depression. Its possible since Verity was properly trained, the skill dulling really didn't affect him as it did Fitz. Chade doesn't know a whole lot about the Skill at the time. They got most of their knowledge about it from Galen.

>>12730173
GotM is such a slog.

Who is supposed to be on the cover?

>>12723490
Fucking love this guy's voice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u2TPWb1ziI

Gemmel was my jam when I was twelve-fourteen, is there any point in returning as an adult or will I cringe my face into a singularity?

>>12721782
Was Karsa's Bloodwood sword really big, though? I always thought it was more because he was crazy strong.

>>12723389
So, anyone actually reading the Black Company?

So how likely is it that Michael Scott-Earle will not get back on Amazon and will not continue writing? I made the mistake of reading and getting invested in Star Justice and now I am slightly anxious.

>>12729828
The Fifth Head of Cerberus certainly is. I have heard good things about Latro in the Mist and The Wizard Knight as well.

>>12730663
Only if you read Legend. Read his later works like the Rigante books, they're still heroic fantasy so there's still some wish fulfilment but the overall quality is much better.

>>12728431
Truth, contrarians on /lit simply can't accept Martin's mastery.

>>12730824
It's shitly written. So nothing of loss.

>>12730944
Thanks, that makes me feel much better about it.

>>12728812
Up d belt, fuck d innas

>>12730768
I mean if you take the size of Karsa compared to a human then look at the sword it's pretty oversized

Just finished Dragon's Egg, tempted to reread it though.

So I had a thought regarding what Rhaegar was talking about when he means "Three heads of the dragon." I think I've solved it and it pretty much means three surviving branches of House Targaryen: Targs, Blackfyre, and Brightflame, etc. Thoughts?

>>12731469
>>>>r/gameofthrones

>>12730173
They are both poorly written

>>12723389
Best: Shadows Linger. Worst: Port of Shadows. Mid tier: Shadow Games

>>12729788
If you're really not that faggot shill, I suggest Latro in the Mist by Gene Wolfe and The Gates of Rome by Conn Igguldun.

Hey lads, I just finished book 2 of the licanius trilogy. I really liked the world and and history of it, not so much the magic system desu. Any recommendations for something similar? I like complicated stories. I've read the malazan books btw good stuff.

>>12731588
Don't give me the coward's way out, anon.

>>12731592
>Worst: Port of Shadows.
Sadly, I think PoS was doomed to that fate simply because, by design, it's utterly irrelevant and already existing plot demands it gets retconned out of the timeline. Making events that would realistically be a big deal of Croaker's life part of an interquel to be forgotten like that is a puzzling decision.

>>12731641
Loved the covers, hated the books, they were derivative garbage.

If you want more of the same go read Wheel of Time. If you want something modern, try The Ember Blade.

>>12730974
No problem. Scott Earle and Brent Weeks are two shitty edgy authors.

What does /sffg/ think of Deathbird Stories?

>>12731666
My issues are that Croaker is too reactive to everything, also Cook all the sudden wants to be gene wolfe for some reason and have everything be a vague puzzle. That would be ok if there was anything solid to follow but the whole thing was up in the air so I feel like it wouldn't be the effort to indulge in any particular theories.

>>12731641
Read book 3 of the series.

>>12731710
>also Cook all the sudden wants to be gene wolfe for some reason and have everything be a vague puzzle.
well he did write a fantasy private detective series of novels. but you're right. I couldn't help thinking book was basically padded out with the domination parts that still told the readers nothing of note.

>>12731700
How is Star Justice edgy?

Travelers gate is free for the weekend.
Take it while you can.
https://www.willwight.com/a-blog-of-dubious-intent/underlord-one-week-later

Also please help me.
I like E William Brown
Will Wight
William D Arand
John Conroe
My lack of tastes knows no bounds.

>>12730173
Im the op youre responding to, currently reading Malazan and cant praise it enough so far.
After sword of truth and WoT I was ready to give up on fantasy epics and chalk up ASOIAF as a fluke.

>>12731817
Mother of Learning, it's better than all of them, Just read past the first few chapters.

>>12731599
Igguldun is a poor man's Bernard Cornwell

>>12729828
Contrasting BotNS is his other memory gimmick novels in Latro, which has the novelty of having a flat protagonist. It also has the best daughteru in fiction (apart from Raphtalia)
The Wizard Knight is the best harem isekai light novel.

>>12731842
Malazan really is something else. You either love it or hate it. Personally I think it was even better on a reread

>>12731853
MoL is unfinished though.

>>12731918
agreed

>>12723451
thank god finally

>>12731918
just finished first read, do you think I should reread or start on some of the esslemont books?

>>12731924
It's almost done, just a few more months left. You can wait if you want, it's your choice. Based on what you listed, my impression is that you'd enjoy MoL a lot.

Conquered and Crompilled

>>12731966
Isn't mother of learning some chink webnovel?

>>12731966
I'm a different anon than the one you were recommending things to, though. And it being written month by month is pretty clear, with cliffhangers that only work in that context and all.

>>12731989
webnovel yes, chink no.
>>12732007
Honestly have no idea what you're trying to say anon. If you're worried about cliffhangers, 96 chapters are already out and there's only 4 or 5 left to go. Rest assured you won't run into all that many cliffhangers.

>>12732075
>Honestly have no idea what you're trying to say anon.
I think it's pretty clear what I'm trying to say, you baboon. Let me try again, trying to be as clear as I can be.

I have read the work that is the topic of discussion, said work being titled "Mother of Learning". I am not the anon who posted >>12731817, although I did post >>12731924. One of the complaints I have about the webnovel in question - which, I will remind you, is still the same webnovel titled "Mother of Learning" - is that it is clear from the work itself that it has been written to be published and read, by people we might call "readers", and furthermore that this should happen at intervals of roughly a month or so. This fact about the work (its being published on a monthly basis) is evident in the work itself, and it is influenced by that context, ie not being released as a whole but instead chapter by chapter where the next chapter might not be immediately available and previous chapters would not be edited to account for subsequent chapters being released.

Is that clear or do you want me to draw it with crayons somehow?

>>12731860
>Igguldun is a poor man's Bernard Cornwell
I agree to a certain extent, but Cornwell usually writes about different periods of history than Iggulden does and unless I'm mistaken doesn't Cornwell unlike Iggulden almost always write his stories from the English point of view?

>>12732100
>And it being written month by month is pretty clear, with cliffhangers that only work in that context and all.
>I think it's pretty clear what I'm trying to say, you baboon.

It's fine I get it now anon, thanks for expanding. You were trying to say it's an unfinished webnovel without using the word webnovel, a word which everyone understands. Novel effort anon but I confess I do not quite grasp your motivation for doing so.

A lithe rush of movement, and Sandokazi pressed against him. Her kiss was as warm as it was unexpected. Quickly again, she stepped away from him.
“I saw what you did there,” Sandokazi told Conan. “Santiddio is my brother. I won’t forget.”
Then Mordermi was stepping between them. “Well now, Conan.” His tone was light, but his smile was a little thin. “If you’re through kissing my lady, why don’t we see about knocking off all that iron jewelry you’re carrying around.”

I know where this is going...

>>12731599
I'm not. Thanks for the suggestions.

>>12728872
Is it worth the read, for someone who enjoyed (but was a tad bored by) LOTR?

>>12731588
Malazan is, yes, Ice and Fire is decently written by modern standards if a little bland

>>12732433
what, in your opinion, is a greatly written story then?

>>12726065
Severian did nothing wrong.

>>12732446
Prince of Nothing by Scott Bakker

Literally, that is the epitome of a greatly, nay, perfectly written story. I haven't read anything like it.

>>12732562
I liked the part where Cnaiür gets cucked so hard he gouges a hole in the dirt with a knife and fucks the earth out of spite.

Don't you hate when a writer have a really good idea, but can only make it interesting for one book?

>mages sniffing gunpowder to gain overpowered abilities
>goes into a really bad detective/political shitfest

>>12732590
More like why should I read any chapter unless it’s an Taniel pov chapter.

>>12732362
If you were bored by LotR you're likely not going to enjoy Silmarillion. It's much more biblical in tone and style than LotR, which is written more like a Norse saga or medieval epic.

>>12732626
Exactly.

If I were to write a novel in his universe, it would be about an powdermage gone rogue.
Assassinating people for money with his gunpowder fueled sniping.

>>12732590
For what its worth I do think the Gods of Blood and Powder books are a noticeable improvement over The Powder Mage ones.

And still better than Sanderson desu.

About to start this, what am I in for?

Is Red Sister worth reading? I read the beginning of the book. It starts with a narrator saying you need an army to kill a single Nun whose weapons are throwing stars. Is the book as dumb as this throughout?

>>12732849
Didn't you already ask this on discord?
And, reading anything by meme lawrence...

>>12732562
You are suffering from a severe head injury.

>>12732872
Why, what's wrong with him

>>12732872
Yes, I did. I also asked them if they liked Harry Potter, and they said yes. They're unreliable.

>>12732940
lmao are you the dude that said you wouldn't add someone on GR if they liked HP and lotr?

>>12732964
I don't add anyone on GR, so that wouldn't be me.

>>12732920
He writes edgy nonsensical trash.

>alien rapes a guy and gives birth to a half human half alien boy
What do you think about this premise /lit/?

>>12730628
Answer my question.
>:(

>>12733112
Have you been reading my fetish list again?

>>12730628
at a guess, some generic fantasy dude that has nothing to do with the book. authors don't usually get to pick their book covers, the publisher does it for them.

Might go shopping at my local bookstore tomorrow, was looking up new series to start even though I'm still in the middle of 3. I plan on starting Black Company anyway, but does BOTNS have some sort of infamy about it? I was thinking of diving further ibto Sci-fi for once.

>>12733161
It's not supposed to be anything like that...
>alien comes to earth
>lures a guy into the forest
>rapes and kills him
>gives birth to a boy years later after it has left earth (it leaves a kind of egg)
>...

>>12733344
Why do we always get the black widow / praying mantis alien females? Why we can't have ones that leave us alive?

>>12731918
Im only on MoI and i can already tell its a series meant to be read more than once. Theres just so much going on, and Erikson doesnt seem to care if you can keep up or not.
>>12731958
From what ive heard, Esslemont is a less talented writer and his plots are pretty dry, but ive never read any of his books

>>12732999
What about The Shadow Campaigns, is it good?

>>12733112
They made a movie about that years ago. It's called Alien.

>>12733450
I have seen Alien from 79, but it's nothing like that.

>>12733441
I liked it. A bit preachy with its “women are just as good soldiers as men” shit though

>>12733459
I've read that Winter is supposed to be "the" main character out of the PoVs, is that true? Also, characters, and plot are good right? I've read 220 pages out of Mistborn, and the book's strength are magic, and worldbuilding. But it is weak in characters, and plot.

>>12733466
The plot is ok. Winter is kind of the the main, but fantasy Napoleon is obviously the real star of it. Marcus carries most of book one, till like the halfwayish point.

>>12733491
What are other fantasies you'd suggest to read? I am dropping Red Sister because it's garbage, and I need something else to pick.

>>12733508
depends on what you're looking for, unless you just want random recommendations.

>>12733559
Anything fantasy, preferably single pov female protagonists.

>>12733577
The Traitor Baru Cormorant, but it's light on the fantasy side
also, the Abhorsen series if you don't mind YA (it was written well before the modern YA shitfest though).

>>12732920
Nothing. He's popular so of course /sffg/ hates him.

>>12733611
I had those Abhorsen books in mind. Book 1 doesn't sound as good as book 2 when I read descriptions and reviews, can I start book 2 first?

>>12733373
Because aliens in literature represent a fear of our baser instincts, either indirectly by exposing our inadequacies and weaknesses, or directly by enacting our sins on our flesh.

>>12733621
it's not that long, my man, just try reading from the beginning and see if you like it.

>>12733643
When you talk about "YA shitfest," are there other YA fantasy books that are actually good?

>>12722990
if you like the show, yes, there's lots of extra/different stuff and the books are a lot better than the show

>>12733344
>tfw no qt alien that will take my virginity and then kill me

>>12723382
tried reading but dropped it early on, found it pretty lame

>>12732838
generic multi book fantasy dressed in an insect-race gimmick

>>12733659
i don't know of any modern YA fantasy that's good, I'm sure there's a couple books in there somewhere that are decent.
aside from that, the Tamora Pierce books are supposed to be okay, or maybe David Eddings.

So are these actually worth the read?

>>12733892
Yes

>>12733892
No

>>12733892
No

Does anyone here roleplay or do collaborative writing? Where can I find people to write with?

>>12733892
absolutely not

Is the Malazan any good? Please sincere reply don't meme me

>>12733976
Yes

>>12733980
Why do you meme me? I said no meme

>>12733991
what meme? I just said it was good.

I WANNA TALK ABOUT BIRDBOI

>>12733976
It's not for everyone, it's really fucking long, but those that like it really like it. Exactly the same could be said for >>12733892

Are there any books with dialogue like Spartacus?

>You stand fucking Roman?
>I am for wine and the embrace of questionable women.
>Once again the gods spread cheeks to ram cock in fucking ass!
>Have you lost mind?
>Open mouth and lend voice to tongue.
>Shut mouth and open fucking ears!
>You shit upon honourable agreements and press for fresh demands. Tell me Thracian, how will you pay for her release if found? Hmm? Her transport? Do you shit magic coins out of your ass? If so, squat and produce!
>I begin to question fucking plan.

>reading mark lawrence books instead of his reviews

Well, I've never stopped reading a book 2/3 of the way through before, but it's happened.... what the fuck is this shit??

It's like he made an effort to cram as much mary sue-ism and cringe into each page as possible. I latched onto the vain hope that some Nabokov tier unreliable metanarrative would emerge ala Kinbote style, but as time went on it became clear this would not happen.

How the FUCK is this series so popular? Just when i thought it couldn't get worse than Abercrombie... Is this the state of modern fantasy? How did this happen?

>>12733892
No, just read the first entry, and if youre actually excited for the great hunt then youre an idiot

>>12733976
Yes, read it, and remember that the first novel is widely regarded as the weakest. Erikson doesnt bother to explain much off the bat, the whole series is his 1980s tabletop game in writing, but its worth the effort.
Malazan blows other epic fantasy series out of the water

>>12734265
dear god, I hope not. watch HBO's Rome instead of this 12 year old shit.

>>12734339
>>12734026
>>12734109
Epic thankies

>>12733659
Bartimaeus is fantastic.

>>12734468
I reread it again recently after having enjoyed it much earlier in my teenage years.
It was mediocre. Fantastic for me a decade ago. No longer.

>>12733892
Overall yes I would say they are, but its required that you have good tolerance for filler and the Sanderson books might piss you off once you get to the ending. They are flawed for sure but I still love them and will probably go through them again soon but this time listen to the audiobooks.

>>12734528
>"Jordan has come to dominate the world Tolkien began to reveal."
NYTimes was a mistake.

hey /sffg/, how's your weekend going?

I'm doing research because it's easier than writing or plotting some nights and I'm learning a few interesting tidbits.

Based on my calculations, a person who ate his daily recommended amount of calories in the form of oreo cookies (the cookies themselves, not the cream), they would quickly find themselves suffering from theobromine poisoning

>>12733659
Quality is subjective anon, but I'd argue that most of the YA that gets shit on here is by no means poor quality, it's just being gauged with the wrong metric

>>12734265
Spartacus is GOAT tier

>>12734638
Weekend is the only time i can write. I started friday by anal fucking a chick, having my dick sucked and cumming over her face. I relaxed and finally had a good nights rest i havent gotten in a month. Saturday i went to the library, picked up an old rare damaged print of druss the legend from david gemmell. I wrote and read some in the librsry, then decided to go to the nearby coffeeshop to smoke a joint (amnesia). Was pretty allright. Went home to write more. Drank wine, saw a shitty nic cage wizard movie (filled with actual occult references) and read at the same time (david gemmell books are insanely comfy). I fell asleep on the sofa but at some point i woke and went to bed. Rose early today, gonna write and digitize my yesterdays writings. Books almost done!

>>12734722
it's good you can get writing done though. I hit a wall a few nights ago where I realized I didn't know where to go with my story. Now I found a direction but I realize I'm not happy with it.

Also, my villain doesn't really get introduced until the end of the story and I don't really what I can do to build conflict

>>12734763
>my villain doesn't really get introduced until the end of the story
>I don't really [know] what I can do to build conflict
Probably introduce your villain earlier.

>>12734763
whats the villain suppose to convey or be?

my villains are past protaganists, but I have one who is a pretty abstract being that most misfortune can be attributed to unanimously

>>12734804
>>12734840
>Probably introduce your villain earlier.
the problem is, I don't really know how.

The story revolves around the MC going on a quest to find a legendary city hoping to find his father, only to find out it's not what he thought it was. The villain is – in a sense– the city itself, but having the villain just be an army of the citizens won't be satisfying, so I need a singular villain.

The obvious solution is to make the villain the mayor, but that doesn't solve the original problem. I could solve that by making the villain the father like I originally planned, but that's cliche. The only other option I can think of is to make the physical city itself a villain

>>12734866
i would have to ask why the city is a villain

>>12734866
Just spitballing, but: The city is alive, and it's so ancient and powerful that it has a sense of the future. It feels the protagonist coming to destroy it, and so it either manifests a physical version of itself to stop the hero from succeeding in his goals, or it imbues a hapless citizen with great power and directs them to move against the hero. Maybe it picks some Fagan style street rat and gives him incredible, god-like skills, and your counter-narrative is Fagan rising to the top of the city's criminal underworld, but in exchange the city asks Fagan for favors - like sending mercenaries to attack an inn where the hero is staying, or harassing the farming community where the hero grew up. Fagan may take to this with relish, or be reluctant to fulfill the wishes of the city (but aware that if he refuses, it may choose another avatar, and they'll usurp his position.)

>>12734934
Just spitballing, but: The city is alive, and it's so ancient and powerful that it has a sense of the future. It feels the protagonist coming to destroy it, and so it either manifests a physical version of itself to stop the hero from succeeding in his goals, or it imbues a hapless citizen with great power and directs them to move against the hero. Maybe it picks some Fagin style street rat and gives him incredible, god-like skills, and your counter-narrative is Fagin rising to the top of the city's criminal underworld, but in exchange the city asks Fagin for favors - like sending mercenaries to attack an inn where the hero is staying, or harassing the farming community where the hero grew up. Fagin may take to this with relish, or be reluctant to fulfill the wishes of the city (but aware that if he refuses, it may choose another avatar, and they'll usurp his position.)

>>12734941
Meant for >>12734866 obviously. I'm not 4channing well tonight.

>>12734763
Sometimes you need a week or two to think things over. Dont be afraid to cut and remove.

>>12734866
Why does the city need to be or contain a villain rather than just another obstacle or trial, which he has presumably faced many of already? A singular villain introduced at the last minute isn't likely to be any more satisfying than an anonymous mob.
Why was daddy going to the city? How does his son know where to follow? Are their journeys implied to be very similar?

>>12723445
as much as you want to simplify it, you have to acknowledge the fact that most important things in a story are symbolic.
You read. but you're not reading the individual words you read the whole book and your not going to be a dumb ass and say something isnt true just because it isnt actually mentioned.

>>12723642
you're shitposting, and the worst part is you know it.

>>12733459
I didn't find it preachy, just absurd.
Like you can't have everyone just happen to turn out to be a woman in disguise without it being a farce

>>12733892
Only if you're a virgin
t. virgin that loves them

>>12732913
what's wrong with Prince of Nothing? :^(

I really liked red rising. Thoughts?

>>12733892
I've read the first two. Just read Tolkien, they offer absolutely nothing that you can't get 10x better from him.

>>12735442
We’re completely fucked, it's unbelievably horrendous, every single keystone species in the tropics is in decline, amazonia will never ever recover its biodiversity, we’re bleeding out into the void and we still think there is time to act. Things will become uncomfortable in the next century and hellish after that. We’ll all be lucky to die before the carbon becomes unbearable.
Arthropods make up 85% of species on Earth, and now we have multiple studies on multiple continents indicating 50% to 98% dropoff. Without insects, an estimated 90% of all wild plant species will die. Almost every animal on land (including flying animals) either feeds on insects, on plants that need insects, or on animals that feed on insects. One disruption in the food chain is going to have massive consequences for humans... and fish, bats, plants, amphibians, birds, reptiles. Everything.
Desertification of large swathes of Asia (including west and north china) and Africa will lead to hundreds of millions of refugees. Starvation and war will destabilise whole continents. In the west the legacy of the green revolution still hasn't been erased and so we continue to exhaust the top soil and poison the water table with pesticides. Once you drain or poison a water table it doesn't come back, not in a time frame meaningful to humans. Didn’t even mention the carbon and ozone poisoning, not that it matters even just the loss of top soil, phytoplankton, soil microbiome, soil nutrients and tree cover (to protect from inland storm systems) is enough to fuck us. Also all the insects, amphibians and birds will die, fish are inundated with psychotropics and plastics, water supply is full of heavy metals, and the only advanced lifeform on earth is advanced enough only to slowly realise the inevitable is coming but not enough to do anything about it.

>>12735825
Literally the only solution is de-industrialisation and depopulation. I also forget to mention rising ocean salinity. Everything everywhere is dying and there is no meaningful response. Probably the best we can hope for is some unexpected nuclear catastrophe or some kind of Malthusian blender within the next 20 years tops. Under democracy it's impossible to tell the sheep that they're going to have to simply have less stupid shit or else the world will die. That is the fundamental problem with democracy is that it just ratchets irreversibly (under that system) towards gratifying the mob at any expense.
There are probably ten thousand different processes in the biosphere that will be effected. It's so bad that again it cannot be discussed by the media or STEMfags because there would be a stock market crash or global warfare or just a liquidation program overnight. It's really fucked beyond comprehension. Capital is headless and doesn’t care if we all die it's not based in preservative evolutionary processes that protect against destruction of basic homeostasis. There is no way out, even if we slow warming to the UN target there are deteriorating systems in our most important ecosystems that will give out before we can reverse the damage. Soil erosion, loss of insects and birds is probably the most noticeable thing besides bizarre weather patterns and pollution. We will see the effect of the other diseased systems soon. It's just we’re human so we think in terms of months and years, this takes decades but it also compounds on itself with time and is unfortunately based in an interdependent web of interactions which accelerate damage.

>>12735825
>>12735829
We'll innovate our way out of catastrophe. 100% guarantee it. The world won't be the same, it certainly won't be as biodiverse as it used to be, but humanity will press on. You're letting yourself be cucked by fear.

>>12733970
I do. I prefer worldbuilding and general plotting over actually writing a linear story, so having someone to collaborate with is great for me.
You can try reddit, unironically.

Someone here asked about this book collection >>>/t/874479

Sorry for being late.

Where is the new thread slave?

>>12736153
Nobody make one, I'm making it right now.
If I make it and see hat someone has posted before me, I'll be very angry.

>>12736182
Damn I really thought that was going to work.

NEW

>>12736209
>>12736209
>>12736209
>>12736209
>>12736209