/lit/ - Literature

>>16258059
>How many books have you read in 2020?
4 a month on average so far.

>>16258059
Let the Wolfe Chadposting resume boys.

I like Asimov more than Wolfe.

>>16258229
Never read wolf, but i love assimov. I want more robot fiction, but i can't find anyone else who does it well enough.

Here is the tally of votes so far for the 2020 /sffg/ chart:

LOTR: 8
Malazan Book of the Fallen: 5
Throne of Glass: 5
Book of the New Sun: 3
Dune: 3
Prince of Nothing: 3
Liveship Traders: 2
Stories of your Life and Others: 2
The Last Centurion: 2
Redwall: 1
Stormlight Archive: 1
Realm of the Elderlings: 1
Armor: 1
The Stars My Destination: 1
Gateway: 1
Powder Mage Trilogy: 1
Cradle Series: 1
Curse of Chalion: 1
The Coldfire Trilogy:1
Abhorsen series: 1

I will continue to update it until the end of the week and then I will put the chart together.

The rules/how to vote:

1. To vote for any series/book currently on the list simply reply to this post with the following format:

">>[post number]
+1 Book of the New Sun"

and it will be counted.

2. To vote for a book or series not on the list, nominate it by replying to this post with the name of the series. This will count as a single vote and will enable others to vote for it as well. Only one nomination per post please. However, one can vote for as many nominated books as they want at once. This is to prevent a single post from adding dozens of obscure books to the tally.

3. If you want to vote for a book that has been nominated in the thread, but is not on the list, please respond directly to that post with the format outlined above.

4. Any repeated nominations will count as a single vote.

Thanks for the participation so far. I've tried to count everything that has seemed like a good faith vote so far even though there has been some confusion about the rules.

>>16258059
Any fantasy books with beautiful illustrations?

>>16258428
Whoops, The Stars My Destination has 2

>>16258428
+1 Throne of Glass.

I thought I was getting memed but it was actually so good.

How does Malashit have so many votes? ledditors need to fuck off back to their shit hole.

>>16258428
I'm glad that a single vote will be entirely representative.

>>16258438

>>16258428
+1 LOTR

>Throne of Glass
Lmao, they're actually memeing a YA series.

Am I allowed to like Laundry Files?

>>16258428
>I will continue to update it until the end of the week and then I will put the chart together.
How are you counting the votes over multiple threads without getting multiples by a single autist like the Throne of Glass anon?

>>16258428
Are we going to eventually set up a strawpoll for a final vote? When do nominations close?

>>16258665
Read em and find out. Stop picking our brains.

>>16258690
I did and actually quite liked most of them.

>>16258428
Wtf, when did this happen
Also
I choose lotr

>>16258702
Ups, i'm an idiot
+1 lotr

>>16258438
abarat by Clive Barker

>>16258428
ok
-1 for dune
... if that can't happen
+1 for the last centurion

>>16258665
>Am I allowed to like books?
This is /lit/, so no.

>>16258684
We'll see how the final tally looks and if it's obvious there's been fuckery then I'll do a Strawpoll with all the nominations above a certain threshold and maybe run that for another week.

I started this Saturday so I'll close it next Saturday at midnight (Saturday night).

What is it whith the Dune hate, is this general full of brainlets?

>>16258813
Lurk more.

>>16258531
lol who the fuck are you kidding? Malazan is shit, but Throne of Ass is infinitely more plebbit.

I have been trolled. This novel isn't science fiction.
but it is kino

>>16258428
+1 Book of the Chad Sun

>>16258059
12. But number isn't really a good measure. I read 2 Sandersons which are like 400k words. I also read a lot of manga which I'm not including. And all of BotNS which is thick with prose. Maybe I will bump up my stats with some YA drivel.

>>16258428
+1 Book of the New Sun
+1 The Black Company
+1 Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser

>>16258428
Is Lyonesse not even nominated yet?

>>16258626
Imagine thinking publisher attached tags like YA to sell more copies mean anything. Stick to Sandershit books, that's your level.

>>16258882
seethe moar faggot, you probably think Name of the Wind is a masterpiece, your opinion doesn't count.

>>16258813
>thinking dune is in any way complicated enough so people drop it because of not understanding it.
I wish dune had more dept and complexity. As it is it's just badly written and bland.

>>16259122
You're shilling a series about some edgy 18yo girl who's an assassin, and super amazing, talented and pretty, that reads like a female power fantasy.
Nobody has given any argument why this openly YA is worth reading, so keep seething, you shilling cuck. Stick with anime and YA.

>>16259038
I nominated it but the guy has some weird rules.

>Malazan
>Throne of Glass

Ę William Brown a cunt.

>>16259376
proof /ssfg/ has had an exodus of it's original poster and all it's left it's the scum recently formed on it's deceased corpse.

>>16259122
It not only has the YA tag, but follows the tropes, super special teen, stupid love triangle, sacrifice for love. Seeing that only girls read this shit and cosplay as characters from the book supposed to tell you something.
If ignored your shilling once it was too odious, but you're really pushing it by trying to influence a sffg chart, when everyone here hates it.

>>16259479
If your shilling wasn't too odious we ignored it**

>>16258428
You poor autistic fool. You can't even into social cues enough to realize that throne of glass is being memed to you, you just want numbers to masturbate over.

>>16258428
>all these faggot books
I nominate Conans only novel, the Hour of the Dragon aka Conan the Conqueror
>But where are the elves and hobbits
>But where is the faggotry
Shut up high fantasy pussies.
Conan is a manimal you're a beta look at this cover faggots

>His tongue swept my mouth again, in time to the finger that he slipped inside of me. My hips undulated, demanding more, craving the fullness of him, and his growl reverberated in my chest as he added another finger
Sarah J Mass is really on another level, truly a mind blowing read for young women.

why the fuck would you read throne of glass when gideon the ninth exists

>>16259627
Why would you read either of these?

>>16258626
>>16258882
>>16259191
>>16259479
>getting this baited by the maas fag
well hello newfags

Can somebody tell me why Malazan is bad without using the word "Reddit" or bitching that it doesn't spoonfeed you?

>>16259650
cause the latter is actually good

I was browsing some fantasy series’s, and my god, why do they all sound like nonsense? Just reading the synopsis was tiresome.

>>16258428
Jonathan strange and Mr Norrell

>>16259707
Because high fantasy is a convoluted world that is developed over several >1,000 page books full of bs. It's why I like Conan. I can read about Conan completing an adventure start to finish in less than 300 pages. Modern fantasy is pathetic that's why I don't touch it

>>16259691
here's an excerpt

Gnamorandakris L'Crispr felled five thousand soldiers with his giant sword called Brognardir, which contains the souls of all those he has slain and forces them to drown in piss for eternity. He then went on to fuck his immortal elf wife. Then five thousand babies were raped and impaled by a dragon. Find out what happens next! In four books

Is Throne of Glass better than Twilight for learning how to pick up chicks?

>>16259719
I love Conan, but I was hoping for something in the same vein.
>>16259721
Ok, so it’s not just me. Malazan was what I was looking at.

>>16258428
-1 conan
-1 dune

LotR actually sucks a ton of shit and only the movies are good

>>16259727
Twilight has the western teen grill (and since development is frozen, woman) dialed in like American Sniper. You can't shred the target any harder. All of your questions about women will be answered clearly, and sadly, none of them favorably.

>>16259662
>calling us newfags and that we were baited when the chart autist accepted the votes

>>16259719
>>>/hm/

>>16259747
are you at all capable of not caring about something

>>16259765
ironic how this is the second time you seem to be expressing some interest in this thing.

just finished armour and holy fuck.
definitely a nomination
also kent wasn't as much a pussy as I thought

I read Feersum Endjinn and it was great, so I fiugured I'd check the rest of his works. Starting with the culture series, since that seems to be the only thing people ever talk about. That was a mistake. I can't stand another book of apologism for his utopia, or more ranting about fucking cocaine glands. What are some of Banks' other noteworthy books?

>>16259730
>I love Conan, but I was hoping for something in the same vein.
What are you talking about, bro? There's plenty of good S&S out there that isn't Conan. Unless you mean full length novels.

>>16259756
>>>/lgbt/

>>16259730
>I love Conan, but I was hoping for something in the same vein.
Have you read David Gemmell? A Conanism that avoids both classical retrenchment and modern revisionism imo.

>>16258428

Gods of pegana/ works of Dunsany

>>16258665
I've read the first two and quite enjoyed them. It's definitely popcorn reading, of course.

>>16258428
+1 LOTR
+1 The Expanse series

>>16260046
Is the expanse any good? I hated the show because of the shitty characters and plot point but they might have fucked with them, and any sci fi is welcome at this point

>>16260072
Not him and I didn't watch the show but the first few are great space opera. It became a success and so he needed to put more books in the series so there's a tonal shift later on and I didn't enjoy it after that. But the first few are great adventure stories.

>>16259738
>the movies are good
No they aren't.

>>16259732
>-1 conan
Stay mad cuck

>>16259788
Yeah it's good.
Shame we won't ever get the sequel. Worst of all the only sample chapters available are jack Crowe

>>16258428
Is this a joke? What the hell happened to /sffg/?

RED COUNTRY PART II

> Conscience, self-sacrifice, and so on
Ah, so goes the expression of Abercrombieism.

>Every nation was rich in its own way, but poor in the same.
"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." - Tolstoy.
Coincidence? I haven't actually read more than a few pages of such, but it came to mind.

>Threshing machine
As the technology grows, does the magic die? I don't know if that's explicitly stated, but it seems to be implied. Also, Automation is a Good Thing. Will A Little Hatred be filled with Luddites? Maybe!

> Curnsbick
I'm not entirely convinced he exists rather than just being an excuse he uses.

> Ingelstad
Since you mentioned about Clay, what about minor characters such as these, who go are in multiple books? Does it matter if you don't remember them?

> Corlin / Savian
Is the something odd about them that one of them is Conthus or is close to them? Could be, but idk. Hedges mentions about it.

> Temple being 30 or so
He'd have been 15 at the fall of Dagoska. So goes time. Seems they're impressed by his oratory skills.

> 'I'll give him a sore arse'
You could potentially read all your TWINK FANTASIES as you've been saying, as long as you imagine hard enough.
> 'Yes my Queen!'
or could just femdom instead.

> 200 people gone
It happens.

> Dragon People
Interesting. Seems they bought the children as well.

> Papa Ring
What a silly name.

> naming rights negotiation
It actually worked? Well, huh.

> PISS
Very scene.

> Sallit
Was she the one taken away? Regardless, it seems no one knows their names as stated.

> RIP Leef
Secondary and minor characters have a habit of dying. Primary ones though? Not so much.

> Dab Sweet
Shy isn't shy. Sweet isn't sweet. Lamb isn't a lamb. Temple doesn't believe. And so on and so forth. What a traitor, ha ha.

> I've a better offer.
This is seemingly the best negotiating tactic.

> Shy declined on his behalf
Ha ha, well ok.

Also, they're now on The Oregon Trail.

>>16259942
Tell me about them.
>>16260027
I’ll check him out now.

>>16260199
I like Gemmell but his books aren't s&s, they're epic heroic fantasy, subtle but important difference.
If you look him up you may come across suggestions that advice you to start with his Druss books, most likely Legend, ignore them, start with Rigante.

>>16260238
I’ve started reading it and I already don’t like Rek.

>>16258428
I nominate the Gentleman Bastards Sequence

Also, +1 for powder mage

>>16260238
Is Rigante written any better than Legend? Because I’m already put off.

>>16258059
>How many books have you read in 2020?
About 50. I was at a consistent 1.5 books per week in the in the months following the lockdown, but recently I've been slacking off

>>16260264
Yes, that's why I explicitly told you not to start with Legend.
Legend was the first book that he wrote with little to no prior writing experience and he himself admitted that it was full of mistakes that a first time writer tends to make. The prose is especially jarring.
No guarantee you'll like Rigante either, since heroic fantasy isn't for everyone but it's a much more polished book.

>>16260309
I will try it for you, anon. Because I-I... I love you, anon.

Have any of you seen the third season of Westworld yet? I'm sure many of you have seen the Blade Runners. I know of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, but what other books are out there like this?

I'm looking for more modern Sci-Fi, but anything will do

>>16259191
>>16259479
>>>/lgbt/
Go hide in your safe space where no competent female can ever threaten your fragile masculinity.

>>16260365
>yet
Nice try, Schlomo. Season 2 was bad enough.

>>16260365
Book 2 of the Wayfarers series, book 1 is comple trash and skippable.

Murderbot Diaries. Most of them are novellas, short easy reads to see if you like the premise. I strongly suggest pirating them, Tors pricing model is outrageous, fuck them.

>>16260433
Ok but season 3 could literally be it's own TV series and I'd enjoy it more than the rest of Westworld in its entirety...

I’m just rereading Conan and enjoying every minute of it.

>>16258059
Mid 90s.
Image is what I've read this month.

>>16260451
Boom Conan. Add a vote chart anon

>>16260451
>>16260468
+1 to Complete Chronicles of Conan

>>16260510
+1 as well for conan

>>16258428
>>16260510
>>16260597
As a matter of fact since whole series is nominated, you can ignore my hour of the dragon nomination (since it is included) and just add said vote to overall series

Should I start discworld with guards! guards?

>>16258428
Voting for the complete collection of Conan stories.

>>16258428
+1 for Conan

What mankind vs. aliens book have you liked recently? I'm going to sound like a little child baby right now and tell you that I've only read Ender's Game. War of the Worlds seems like it might be too old of an idea for me to really enjoy.
I want some strange dynamic to it. It's not much of one, but in Ender's Game I liked that he had to use crappier ships at the end because, well, you all know, I'm sure. The spoiler in that is probably the level of FF7 but I'll leave it at that.

>>16260626
That's not a bad idea.

>>16260645
war of the world radio musical is fucking 915/10

>>16260636
+1 more for Conan

>>16258428
Chart faggotry is the worst thing that happened to this general. Nobody will even remember that shitty chart 2 days after it's finished but you're derailing every thread in the process of making it to stroke your own ego.
What kind of a stupid dumbass are you that you thought doing an open vote on a board with no ids makes sense? Some autist can vote for "Conan" 20 times himself to ensure it finishes on top.

>>16260466
which one of these was your favorite

>>16258135
Fiction doesn't count as a book.

>>16258428
Using my vote to remove Conan

YA coming of age fantasy tropes are top tier

I have a hard time believing that any of you have actually read Conan

>>16260645
Read War of the Worlds anyway. It's not exactly "vs" but Childhood's End is definitely worth reading

>>16260674
This post counts as a Conan vote.

>>16260675
I assume you mean of the month.
The First Law World series.
For more detailed info:
>>/lit/?task=search2&search_tripcode=sffg

>>16260796
>>16260674
Or maybe people voted for it because someone brought it up?
I've only voted for it once.
Y'all just sour because the thread isn't 'Fuck X' for the time being.

>>16260796
I've read like half of Howard's stories. Kind of burned myself out, too many introductions in too little time. Not a great idea to marathon a bunch of short stories.

>>16260645
I'm searching google and I swear to god. The best can't be from before 1900, or the 1960's.
Technology is so much different now than from back then. I don't need to learn about "Some way the whole world communicates." I'm fucking on it right now, shitposting!
There has to be something neat.

>>16260796
I've read most of the Conan stories. First Conan book I ever read was the hour of the dragon for a project in high school and it is still my favorite
I clarified to just remove my vote for hour of the dragon and add it to Conan cause it's part of the series
Maybe you should quit being mad that people enjoy Conan

>>16261000
>Y'all
please don't

Plus Infinity 4 Konan

>>16261065
conan gud am i cool now

What's the consensus on Brandon Sanderson?

>>16261194
There's never any consensus on anything.

Terry Goodkind. The greatest gift to literature to ever grace the earth. Bow - no - kneel - no - Put your face in the dirt before the almighty God of Fantasy!!!!

>>16258428
+1 LotR
+1 New Sun
+1 Discworld

You can only read one of these authors- who do you pick? (Neither is not a choice)

>>16261170
No you're just butt hurt

>>16261194
His worldbuilding is good.
Better at talking about how to write Fantasy than he actually writes novels.
His utilitarian all-tell writing style offers nothing special and people confuse it for 'prose'.
He can't write women.
His editor needs to be replaced with one that isn't a yes man, that also doesn't accept literal tomes with the equivalent of Snake Way levels of filler.
His hype is fuelled by the idea of 'le epic' fantasy rather than epic-fantasy.

>>16261322
This person.

I dare /sffg/ to recommend a novel that's more fun and exhilarating than this game.

Protip: You can't.

>>16258229
The moment I read the last part of the faundation series I dropped Asimov. Such a bad end is inexcusable.

>>16261509
The stars my destination is full on action almost non stop.

>>16260711
>>16260796
Why does Conan trigger you so much? Are you that faggot who always cries about him? I'm genuinely curious.

>>16259788
I forget it, was it ever explained WHY Felix is so good at what he does?

>>16258428
+1 malazan

>>16261322
Jesus Christ man... at least Sanderson has a lot of books written

>>16259584
Kek women masterbate to this.

>>16262520
>master bait

How would you know anyway?

>>16261509
Of course we can't you fucking /v/irgin. We don't play gaems here, we read books. How the fuck are we supposed to know how a gaem plays?
>>>/v/

>>16261404
Yes.
Not really, but I guess elements of this are true. I've only seen a handful of lectures of his but I felt that he had a good enough grasp on explaining how to write fantasy tropes.
Yes to all tell but also no to 'No prose' mentality. His 'prose' exists, it's just mixed with his own created jargon and worldbuilding.
Yes. I'm convinced Brandon's entire experience with women is watching anime.
Fucking massive yes. He should set a word budget, Way of Kings is far too fucking long for the story it could tell in 500 pages.
Sure, but not really. Mormon's (for better or for worse) will inflate something for the sake of it being Mormon-made. I know people who should not be 'athletes' but are because of the pressure from the local church towards my university.

What should I read first, Book Of The New Sun or Dying Earth?

>>16262618
Both but Dying Earth first

>>16262609
Sorry to just barge in on your discussion with the other sir, but might I trouble you for a recommendation of a fantasy book with "well-written women" in it, because outside of Book of the New Sun, I have not found any.
Either massively overpowered, or falling outside the norm of biology and physics (like a small girl taking on a man, taking a punch and NOT being instantly K.O:ed).
What I mean is perfectly encapsulated in Joe Abercrombie, the master of hack writing when it comes to women

>we never meet Father Inire even though he is discussed in almost every chapter
This BotNS is retarded

What do you all think about The culture series? I am two books and a half in, liking it so far. Currently reading Use of Weapons and while I am not a huge fan of the whole backwards ass story telling it is getting better the longer in you get.

>>16262718
based brainlet bait take

>>16260645
blindsight is the best alien book ive ever read but if you want book focusing on war between humans and aliens i recommend forever war.

>>16263039
That's not A Fire Upon the Deep

>>16263067
had some interesting idea but the characters were too lame and the boy and his friendly dog shit really brought the book down. Felt too YA for me sorry anon

>>16263079
I get it. Still love it, but I'm not about to call it more interesting than Blindopraxia, just liked it more.

>>16258428
You better put The Emperor's Soul on that chart if you know what's good for you.

>>16258059
>How many books have you read in 2020?
I'm currently reading The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis (all three of them in one, it's really unconformable) and The Golden Ball and Other Stories by Agatha Christie (She's a hack or I'm reading the wrong book).

>>16263195
>she's a hack
undoubtedly.

>>16262823
I think the preaching is really fucking obnoxious. It's pretty much unbearable whenever two culture folk interact. Or one of them with anyone else. Fuck the culture. Horza had the right idea. Should've known the guy with a genetically engineered catgirl waifu had it all figured out.

>>16263395
What's your thoughts on the player of games?

Rec something that has Patricia A. McKillip's level of prose and a story with actual substance, something which I find her books lack.

I've already read Guy Gavriel Kay. Not bad but his writing is a bit too purple for my taste.

Thinking of trying Lord Dunsany's short stories, heard good things about them. Any opinions on his work?

>>16263395
I donno man, I thought Horza was a sad sack of shit. Zakalwe is the better character, using The culture instead of hating on them.

hey mingers, is this any good?

anyone read the memory sorrow and thorn books? are they any good? Also thoughts on the third and fourth red rising books? i liked the first 3 but it never seemed like he intended any more so im not sure if theyll be shit. I read the description of the fourth one and it has there is a female pov char which sounds awful.

New Cradle in a few weeks.
https://www.willwight.com/a-blog-of-dubious-intent/wills-remnant-here#comments

>>16260146
RED COUNTRY PART III

> It's like a battle, but without any sides or any victory, just a million defeats
Basically like trying to do any serious discussion or arguing on the internet, especially while anonymous.

> Crease
Probably inspired by the tv series, Deadwood. I only watched a few episodes.

> Goldy
Sallit confirmed taken away as far as I'm concerned. There were others, but they didn't have names.

> Church of the Dice
Exactly the place for Friendly.

> Mayor
Clearly Carlot dan Eider.

> You're a woman
Shy has said similar multiple times. Strange, considering how she is.

> Temple
What a jack-of-all-trades he is.

THE MIRACLE OF BATHING!

> Zachraus
Seems he's playing a more active role and will be a third power. As in the previous books, this is another proxy war.

> galaxy
DO THEY EVEN KNOW ABOUT GALAXIES!?

> Curnsbick
Turns out he's both real AND an excuse.

> coal fired piston
I N D U S T R Y

> TEH SECKS XD
A bad pairing that'll end similar to BSC.

> burn like a letter upside down
Some kind of branding?

> Last time stop Shay 10 years old
Last Argument of Kings was 13 years ago. Their exact relationship is a mystery.

> When I was 17
She mentioned being on the run for 2 years. Unknown how long ago that was. Minimum 19, probably a bit older. That's considerably older than her siblings. Where was LAMB during this? Considering the age of the other children he was around at their conceptions.

> oiled wrestling
Glama Golden is Hulk Hogan.

Alas for collateral damage.

THE FATED MEETING OF LOGEN AND NICOMO!

> 40 years of warfare
I thought he said 40 years before was how old he was, but if it's not, he went into battles at 17, so +40 = 57, which may be more accurate.

> Your generation really isn't producing the goods.
OK BOOMER

Crying Rock is Waerdinur's sister.

The story thus far
We begin with True Grit then take the Oregon Trail where they meet the Lone Ranger and Tonto and arrive in Deadwood.
||

>>16264001
based. ive run out of actual chinkshit to read, all the ones that look interesting have barely any chapters translated. last cradle ended on a cliffhanger so hopefully this one will be good.

>>16263623
It's a scooby doo knock off.

>>16264047
>having expectations
You've already doomed yourself to disappointment.

>>16263623
I found it enjoyable and forgettable.

>>16264300
different anon but there are authors who deliver content advertised on their book covers

Uh oh! Better move the 3 Body Problem up on my to-read list before the new Netflix show by the Game of Thrones creators comes out!!!

post legitimately great novels /lit/ cannot ever enjoy

>>16264696
Are you baiting the hugo tranny retard?

>turn on /sffg/ for the first time in months
>some autist is doing a weird poll
>it is literally worse than reddit, somehow
>a bunch of idiots still getting baited by Sarah J. Fatass
>People are liking Sanderson unironocally
>OK, I guess this two have been going on for years
>All the cool recognizable posters are gone, now some faggot is spamming Goodkind
>some other guy saying the fifth season is good
>probably unironically at this point
>someone is still butthurt by that one guy who sperged out over the hugoes months ago
I am glad I quit. You are all inbred raptor brains.

>>16264047
I like a world worth protecting
Unfortunately worlds best martial artist was dropped

>>16263751
>anyone read the memory sorrow and thorn books? are they any good?
I read them about 10 years ago, in college. This was Tad Williams first epic fantasy series, and it was written in the late 1980s, very much in the vein of Tolkienist fantasy that was still very popular at the time. Which is to say, it's very, very slow and meandering by modern fantasy standards. It still showcases Tad Williams' exceptional skill at world building, in his eye for detail and the thoroughness with which he fleshes things out.

As for the narrative, it is very typical for a story of its time: callow youth of low birth but mysterious lineage is forced from his home by calamity, sets out on a journey across a realm of magic and danger, magic swords, elves, dragons, princess, etc etc. If you're into the classic hero's journey narrative then you'll probably enjoy MSaT.

The action is a very slow burn though. You won't get anywhere without wading through dense descriptions of scenery and characters' hardships, and a lot of walking. This more than anything else is what Tad took from Tolkien: epic fantasies must involve excruciating amounts of foot travel, preferably across an entire continent. This is probably the main reason the books are as long as they are. It sounds bad when I say "don't expect anything to happen right away" but that's kind of the truth. If you're fine with this kind of very gradual build up and are willing to just immerse yourself in the languid pace of the books, then you'll probably like it.

I'd recommend some of Tad Williams' later books too, as I believe he greatly improved over time. Mainly he got better about not taking so long to wind up to the interesting parts of his stories, though he's still a very slow author compared to most of his contemporaries.

#mywarden

>>16264884
thanks for the detailed post anon, i dont even like lotr because of how slow it is, do you have any recs that arent constantly talked about here? I think ive read most of the sffg meme books at this point.

>started reading water knife
>got bored after a few chapters
>start ready empire of silence instead
>neat dune theme feel
>but got turned off from the misery porn
>try and read firefall
>fastest i've dropped yet, too autistic
>continue reading water knife
I just want some sci-fi adventure like ringworld, not all this no fun allowed shit.

>>16258428

Malazan is a big fat gay

>>16265049
>Malazan is a big fat gay
Sounds exactly what a faggot or a woman would say

>>16258059
So what exactly do you guys not like about Brandon Sanderson? I'm about to start Mistborn and want to know.

>>16264800
it's a general, what did you expect

>>16264927
Have you ever read Glen Cook's Instrumentalities of the Night? It's currently 4 books long, and incomplete, but hopefully he'll finish it eventually (the most recent book isn't that old and people have been waiting longer for sequels from Rothfuss and Martin). Regardless, it's a pretty great story. When I first picked it up my only experience with Cook had been Black Company, as it is with most people, but Instrumentalities is something else entirely. I don't want to over-explain it because unraveling its mysteries was half the fun of reading it. I will say this though: if you're a medieval history buff, you'll probably love this series. That's was the case with me anyway.

I also like stuff by Karen Miller, which I've brought up before in these threads but can't recall anybody else ever talking about her. The two series I like by her are Kingmaker, Kingbreaker (a duology) and Godspeaker Trilogy. Both have a bent toward the tragic but otherwise are pretty different in subject and style. Of the two Godspeaker is the more interesting story. The first book follows a female protagonist who winds up being the main antagonist for the other two books. Murder, intrigue, and ancient ethereal beings acting through people are staples of both her series. If you want a quicker read, Kingmaker, Kingbreaker, on top of being just two novels, are also fairly short novels, while Godspeaker are more the doorstopper tomes you might expect from epic fantasy.

I've got a few obscure authors on my shelf (in that I never see them mentioned or only mentioned in passing) but I personally wouldn't recommend them unless I knew somebody really liked their niche. If you tell me what you're after I might have a less well known author for you, assuming you haven't read that niche extensively.

>>16265049
yes

>>16258428
I'd like to name
>The Mote in God's Eye
by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle,

>>16264800
100% unironic about Fifth Season

and I know for a fact that you have nothing of substance to say about that book whatsoever, because you're a dullard and all your opinions are second-hand

>>16265068
I ended up really liking Sanderson despite going into Stormlight with low expectations as a result of the hate I read for him here. And it should be mentioned that Sanderson does have fans in this general, or did at one point. But I think the most vocal of them left for discord. This place is a shadow of what it used to be in terms of discussion.

>>16265084
extremely based, i liked black company, especially before they went south. Godspeaker sounds good too. The type of books I like are ones with a decent amount of magical action and a bit of edginess. I also read a lot of wuxiashit so as long as theres cool magic fights ill probably be happy.

If you have any comfy magic powering up type books that I havent read id probably like them. Brent Weeks is a good example of the kind of trashy stuff I like, especially the prism series even though i know its trash. I think the most important factor in my liking a book is that it doesnt feel really YA or anime-y as sandersons works do. If it doesnt feel like any of the characters are at risk of getting to raped to death by goblins a la prince of nothing the whole narrative usually doesnt hold my interest. Thanks for the recs again.

>>16265202
An author you might like is Tim Lebbon, the only two books of his I read, and this was over a decade ago, were Dusk and Dawn, which are now a part of what he calls the Tales of Noreela, a series with half a dozen or so books in it. I can't speak to the quality of the whole series, or even really the parts I read since it was so long ago, but it is a series that self-advertises as "dark fantasy". It is bleak, edgy, and very violent to be sure, and I didn't bother to keep up with it cause I probably didn't feel like immersing myself in that at the time. I might give it another read since my slate is currently empty except for my reread of Dune.

I might also tentatively suggest Mark Lawrence though he does get quite a bit of hate in these threads for being, as you put it, "really YA". I think his earlier novels (the Broken Empire trilogy mainly) are less YA, however, mainly because they get very edgy, with lots of rape, gory violence, and ample amounts of suffering and angst. His novels are also very quick reads, being on the lean side and not being afraid to jump the narrative ahead (or backward) to relevant scenes and skipping over anything as pedestrian as walking uneventfully from place to place. I will say he's nothing like Sanderson, who is, despite all the death and violence in his stories, a very clean author, with all the grittiness sand blasted off his novels. Lawrence isn't afraid of grit, if he has a sin I would say it's a lack of subtlety, perhaps also a lack of patience. On the upshot, because his books are light reads you can quickly decide if he's worth your time, in the span of half an afternoon probably. I'll sum this up by saying I ordinarily do not recommend Lawrence because he only really seems to appeal to people who are fans of the niches he occupies, but it seems like you might enjoy some of what he has to offer. In his Broken Empire trilogy, at least.

Half way through my marathon of this little book. I don't really understand the moral dilemma here. The main character appears to be excessively meek from his introduction, that he believes the use of his Imperial authority to punish treachery is a moral weakness. No effort is made to explain this philosophy besides the fact that he's a weirdo who likes to read a lot of old books.
My impression is he just doesn't like to kill people which I understand. However, he doesn't mind it when invading spies are tortured to death in front of him for information valuable to the preservation of Melnibone. He doesn't mind going to war either. So what bothers him about exerting a command to kill a potential traitor and usurper? I can only presume that it's because he doesn't think he is really up to the office of being a true Melnibonean emperor and secretly wishes he is killed and replaced with someone more outgoing and martial. However, he can't even do that since he's somehow fated to command the ruby throne no matter what force tries to stand in his way.

How the fuck do people enjoy Sanderson's shit? The prose is flatter than an anvil.

What fantasy books would you recommend that have the most inspiring/cool as fuck worlds and character archetypes?

I'm designing an RPG but I'm a shit writer so I want inspiration for basic ideas for my setting.

Anyone who puts any effort into anything they post here is an idiot worse than the tourists asking to be spoonfed.

>>16265560
Moorcock is 100% repetitive pulp, from occasionally passable to pure shlock. Either you had the wrong expectations or whoever sold you it was deep or a masterpiece, lied to you.
His moral incongruence can be easily explained by how Elric is an anti fantasy hero, anti in the most contrarian of senses.

>>16265646
Ok retard, thanks for the warning. Go shitpost somewhere else. Discord might be calling you.

>>16265127
The discords don't talk about books. That's just your preferred scapegoat. There never really was much discussion ever. You can look in archives going back to the first thread.

>>16265661
Congrats on being exactly the same as me. It's funny when you are the very thing you are fighting against, isn't it?

>>16265605
Probably because they aren't pseuds who pretend to read genre fiction for the prose. Most people who enjoy fantasy read it for the plot, or characters, or the setting. You know, the things that actually define the fantasy genre, the reason anybody chooses to read fantasy over any other genre. Yet here you are making a stink over extremely average workmanlike prose when it does exactly what it needs to.

For the record, I'm not saying artistic prose is bad, I'm just saying that pretending you care about prose in genre fiction, especially SF or Fantasy, is pure pseud territory. If you actually cared so much about prose you'd be reading literary fiction, or poetry if you really wanted artistry in your writing. Hell there's even quite a storied tradition of epic poetry that combines fantasy narratives and artistic writing. Bet you'll never crack up a Beowulf translation though.

>>16265605
Good thing his characters and story are so compelling then, cause that's the shit I actually care about.

>>16265728
>so compelling
>Shallan

>>16265646
Are you sad because nobody ever responded to your posts in the past anon? You can always try again. Maybe write something worth replying to this time.

>>16258059
Reminder that science fiction has ruined the human race by installing an obsession with gizmos into an innocent public, bringing forth tools that only produce devastation, chaos and degeneracy.

>>16265739
Nah, I read Stormlight for Dalinar, and Kaladin, though he can get real angsty and hard to put up with sometimes, I still like him though. Shallan is hard to put up with partly because her character is themed around deceit, including self-deceit. So you're never sure how much of what you're getting from her is the truth or an elaborate self delusion you wasted your time getting invested in. It's interesting, in abstract, but also makes any of her projected personalities exceedingly shallow.

>>16265747
>books that only a fraction of the populace have ever actually read are somehow responsible for shaping human nature on a fundamental level
An interesting idea, if ultimately nonsensical.

>>16265697
If prose wasn't important in your genre fiction you'd be reading greentext adventures and fanfiction, or DnD manuals, transcripts of /tg/ campaigns.
Dialogues being shitty is an extension of mediocre prose. The same goes for inner monologues and exposition. Overly verbose writing as well. Prose also helps set the tone of the narrative, obviously, but the story as well.
One is inseparable from the other. You're strawmaning 'workmanlike prose' as decent even though it fills 1000 pages of nothing, and worse, thinking that's the only reason to detest Sanderson.

You're taking your low standards, supposedly to be more open to what you think represents the genre, in a very dumb direction.
>If you actually cared so much about prose you'd be reading literary fiction
To think you'll find artistic prose and artistic writing (not the first time you uttered these nonsense words) just because it's genre fiction is ridiculous and suggests you're so ignorant of these things you have absolutely no right in calling anyone a pseud.

When are you supposed to stop reading Black Company? Book 3 or 4?

Could anyone recommend me some modern weird fiction, be it authors, books or anthologies? I've been really into it lately and I've particularly enjoyed stories by Christopher Slatsky, Thomas Ligotti, Laird Barron and Paul Langan.

>>16265789
>*just because it's literary fiction

>>16265797
There's some prequel/spinoff, so stop after the books of the North. The couple books between those and the book of the South are entirely forgettable but not as shitty as the latter sequels.

>>16265388
ill try tales of noreela, ive already read broken empire and decently enjoyed it although yeah its a bit YA. Do you know any good magic school books? The school parts of name of the wind, that trudi canavan magician series, even harry potter are really comfy to me as well.

>>16265789
>If prose wasn't important in your genre fiction you'd be reading greentext adventures and fanfiction, or DnD manuals, transcripts of /tg/ campaigns.
This is a false dichotomy nowhere evident in anything I said. I said nobody reads fantasy for prose, and this is absolutely correct. Fantasy is a genre defined by its content, it's plot, setting, and characters. The form exists merely as a vehicle for these things. It should be of sufficient quality that it does not get in the way of people's enjoyment of the content, obviously.

And no, average prose does not interfere with enjoyment. Not for ordinary people who, as I mentioned before, actually read fantasy for the fantasy bits, and not to admire the prose.

>>16265884
>The school parts of name of the wind, that trudi canavan magician series, even harry potter are really comfy to me as well.
I'm the same way, Black Magician is a favorite of mine as well and I've recommended here often. I don't have much to offer as far as magic school goes, you've already got my prime pick for it under your belt. You've probably noted, as I have, its a sub-genre that tends to fall in the YA camp. While I'm willing to give almost anything a shot I do have my limits on what I put up with (probably most recently I did try to read Sara J Maas' Throne of Glass but I just couldn't sustain my interest even halfway through it).

If you ever do find some good magic school fiction post it here cause I'd like to read it.

>>16265886
You might as well read a fucking tabletop manual or a wiki article for the setting then.
Don't pretend people don't read books for the writing.

So which fate is worse: to never get the sequel or for said sequel to be released in a medium you be entirely uninterested in? Thankfully, Betrayal at Krondor was novelized... five years later.

>>16265947
>You might as well read a fucking tabletop manual or a wiki article for the setting then.
It'd have to be a pretty well written wiki article to make that worth the time and in my experience wikis are generally written by people with an excess of enthusiasm for a subject and a shortage of literary talent. Else they'd be authors. Again, since you seem to have problems with reading comprehension: I never said prose was unimportant, I said it wasn't the reason people read fantasy. Which is completely, utterly, and irrefutably true. Nobody has ever picked up a fantasy book and said "nevermind the dragons, how's this guy's grasp of metaphor and parallelism?"

>Don't pretend people don't read books for the writing.
I'm not pretending anything, I'm making the very obvious statement that a genre built around content conventions is primarily read by people interested in that content, not by prose-obsessives. If you want a concession that yes, a baseline of prose quality is necessary for enjoyment, then you have it, on the house, with due humility, but do note that this amounts to admitting that people who like fantasy books expect the book to be, well, a book. And as evidenced by your continual harumphing, the standards for "book" vary wildly away from what you consider worthy of praise.

For most anons, if it isn't a direct response to them, it doesn't exist. So much they want within reach, but they have their eyes closed and refuse to see.

>>16263008
I figured it'd be called bait but really I am a mere brainlet and was hoping the bait would compel someone to explain.

>>16266146
>there are anons here right now who don't autistically read every single post in every thread they enter
Fucking normalfags ought to get off my board

>>16258428
David Weber's Honorverse-series

>>16258428
Goosebumps series by RL Stine

>>16258428
The Forever War

>>16260072
I like the first book or two, it had nice ambience?/setting? Comfy space opera limited to merely our own solar body with all its limitations and no aliens until surprise aliens because fuck knows

>>16265807
Ghouljaw and Other Stories.

>>16265560
You're better off reading the Elric stories written in the 60s than the later ones. Unless you just really don't like Elric's characterization; which is understandable. Moorcock made him to be the anti-Conan in every way possible. Moorcock's S&S in general is just sorta wispy and airy. He never really digs deep down into the MEAT of S&S like Howard did or even Clark Ashton Smith with the more weird and morbid side of the genre.

A few dedicated posters have outsized influence.

>>16262520
women don't masturbate

I'm one of those faggots that lives under a rock an managed to not watch GoT. I intend to at some point, if not just for titties and ass, but are the books unironically any good? And out of curiosity's sake, how different from the show are they? Will it hurt if I watch the show first? If I read the books will the show be ruined?

>>16266681
it's not finished, why do you want to read 5 books and have no closure?

>>16266692
This

>>16266692
>>16266709
I thought about that. But considering I've heard about them before the TV show, they must be worth something, right? That old man has to finish it at some point, once he's done helping Miyazaki create 50 youtuber's careers worth of deep lore for Elden Ring.

>>16266681
Did you even think of googling this most basic question?

>>16266759
No. I wanted to ask Frens.

>>16266777
Stop doing that. No one is your "fren" here.

>How many books have you read in 2020?
around 30 books. one of my better years so far. I'm hoping to read many more before the end of the year. 4 more months left.

>>16265753
>Shallan is hard to put up with partly because her character is themed around deceit, including self-deceit.
Honestly doubt this was intentional.
Brandon wrote a character that was a mess and it reads like a mess.

>>16266925
she cute tho

>>16260911

Any sff with straight shota? Webnovels are fine.

>>16266844
Also I haven't seen much discussion on it other than comparisons here in this general. That's what it's for. You can berate me as is your right, but I'm also just sort of hoping for answers when I ask things, like anybody else.

>>16266755
Anon I've been on this emotional roller coaster for like 6 years which is a lot shorter than some people. Don't read A Song of Ice and Fire, just don't do it to yourself. It's just not coming out and we all need to accept that.

>>16266844
I'm his fren you cunt, fuck off.

>>16267343
S I M P

>>16267347
Simpin' aint easy.

>>16266681

The books are alright. No idea about the show.

>>16266601
Samefagging here: Just read the first story for this and I liked it more than the four Ligotti stories I've read.

>>16267248
seconding

>>16264001
>caring after the half-book that was Uncrowned

>>16267422
>caring about anything

>>16267454
>caring enough to reply to me
fukken pwn3d, nerd

>>16258059
>How many books have you read in 2020?
Going to finish book 18 (Endymion) tomorrow.

>>16266681
The books are great. The first one is almost the same as the show, the rest are different.

>>16266681
I enjoyed the TV series well enough, but if you're looking for fap material you best look elsewhere...unless you have a superhuman ability to maintain an erection while cringing.

I thought the books were quite good, really--I got five books in before losing interest. I might read the whole series once it's complete.

>>16267890
>I got five books in before losing interest
.........You mean you read the whole series? Is this a new meme?

What's this?

>>16267894
Sorry, I meant I stopped after the fourth -- I barely finished Feast for Crows. No memeing intended.

>>16267906
Two copies of infinite jest.

>>16267943
I will only post one of them because the other is not related to this thread.

I have a difficult time actually putting this into words, because honestly I'm not quite sure I quite grasp what it is I'm trying to talk about, but are there any fantasy or scifi series that are about "sociology"?

I realize that is a vague question so let me try to more narrowly define it: I am very interested in the concept of "face" or "social positioning", where the words you say and how you say them matter, where who you are friends with and which parties you choose to attend and even who you talk to at those parties matter, and so on. In my experience these kinds of topics often come up in settings that have stratified nobility/aristocracy and the only examples I can think of include Pride and Prejudice (I know, not fantasy or scifi) and the "Trickster's Duet" by Tamora Pierce.

Recommend me something as good as Hyperion bros.

It wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. Felt like it was written by some basedboy.

>>16268066
The Prince of Nothing is basically a two hundred thousand word wank to Bakker's psycho-social "theory" of human cognition, if that has anything to do with what you mean. Because of the limitations of perception, saying the right things to the right people can make anything happen, or so it goes.

>>16263523
It wasn't great. The first third is just shit. It's nothing but introductions, made up words, and wasting time. It shouldn't have been more than 10-15 pages. It also has, probably the worst (or at least hardest to stomach) conversation in the series, being his second run-in with Contact. So preachy you could air it on Netflix. Also has that bizarre apologism that took up the entirety of Consider Phlebas. What stands out most to me are these infantile finger pointing moments, like
>they call the Culture perverts(and there's nothing wrong with being perverted, sexual inhibitions are just stupid and silly, mmkay?), but A-HA! They're the real perverts!
>they call our boy a cheater, but- AHA! they're actually on more performance enhancing drugs than he is!
and the drone going on about curated content when he just got done literally giving him a guided tour, literally leading him by the hand
Then when he finally starts getting into the mindset they immediately absolve the Culture and reveal that, nah, it's just him, he always had a savage side and whacked Marvin
and all those 4 happen in about half a dozen pages, which almost made me think it's a joke of sorts, but I must have missed it - and I was waiting for the punchline
Then we get some sort of fucking rick and morty moment where, it turns out: nothing matters, they ran the odds from the start and it's a piece of cake. Game, set and match before he even got the chance to bluff.
Then you have the whole spiel about barbarians and empires.

AND THEN, after all that bleating about genders(even an embarrassing blurb addressed directly to you, the reader) and dominance and sex, he comes home and, WOOHOOO! he finally lays the girl who expressly refused him because she did not just want to be another notch on his bedpost

I didn't see anything in that book but a man taking a fucking machine gun to his foot. Cool planet though.

>>16264964
Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained were fun.

>>16268175
Sex with a beautiful but crazy woman

>>16265114
Unironically commit suicide

Would you guys prefer to go to Elfland or the grey havens?

>>16267974
Holy shit, I recognize that gay bookshelf.
>>16267784

>>16269444
Please stop spying on me.

>>16266844
Fuck you faggot

>>16266844
Based as fuck, this place is anonymous for a reason.

>>16268175
Canticle of libovitz

>>16258428
no one care's about your fucking charts dude

I just finished BotNS and understood nothing. Someone explain it to me.

>>16270351
no, read it again faggot.

>>16265127
No one talks about Sanderson in the sffg discord.

Haha what do you think Aiel pussy would smell like after a long hot day running through the sand haha

pretty not good haha

>>16262647
Liveship Traders has a lot of great female POV characters. Much better than Wolfe, who is kind of shit at it, but he writes women about as well as can be expected of a conservative man born in the 1930s.

>>16270461
is this bait?

>>16270606
No. What makes you think it’s bait? You don’t seriously think Wolfe writes great female characters, do you? There are about two worthwhile and interesting ones in all of BotNS

Is terry pratchett worth reading?
I've only watched Good Omens and it was just fine, but I take that's not the best book he co-wrote.

>>16270699
do you have a sense of humor

>>16270704
I usually laugh at monty python's jokes if that counts.

>>16270710
then give it a shot

>>16270716
Cool, which books have that kind of humour?
I suppose the style changed over the years, and I know the earlier books are not so great.

>>16270733
guards, guards is a decent enough place to start
or any standalone, really

>>16270746
There are more than 30 titles, it's hard to believe they're all equally good.

>>16270768
it's the same author, he's got the same general kind of humor throughout

>>16270746
Small Gods is best standalone

>>16270782
He started writing in the '80 until his death and he kept on writing even with Alzheimer... how can you even say his style has not changed at all?

>>16270838
you don't want to do it, don't

>>16270839
Your answer was basically "just pick a random book, they're all the same", which is everything but a suggestion.
You do realize that, right?
If you don't want to help someone, don't give such half-hearted replies that are hard to be believed and simply ignore the post instead.

>>16270849
yeah, they'll all give you a good idea of his style
and I did give you a specific starting point, so I don't see what you're whining about

>>16258428
+1 botns

>>16270852
Style isn't everything, why would you make someone read one of his subpar work when there are other with the same style and better substance?
I'm also contesting your second statement.

>>16270869
you asked if he's worth reading, reading any of his books will tell you that
>I'm also contesting your second statement.
I don't particularly care for the speculation on how he might've changed over the years from someone who hasn't ever read a word he's written. You're just being argumentative. Why?
If you hate reading so much, stick with netflix. No one's forcing you.

>>16270895
>attacking me with nonsensical statements because it's the best you can do
Alright, you're an idiot.

Anyone else who can help me?
So far I got Guards, Guards and Small Gods, anything else I should consider buying?
I like monty python's sense of humour for all it matters.

>>16270905
Good Omens, Guards, and Mort are all good places to start

>>16270905
>Hey (you), I'm not talking to you!
Then why reply to me?
You realize you can just call me a fag and be done with it if you want the last word so badly, there's no need to try and lecture people on authors you haven't even read or any other self-demeaning crap like this.

Started re-reading Dune what do you think of Paul's test with the old woman? I remember hating this when I was younger reading it but I loved the build up and atmosphere surrounding it now as an adult. Great opening.

>>16262647
Le Guin has good female characters.

>>16262718
>thinking we haven't met Father Inire
>not recognising Inire as the various small brown men across the entire book

m8 you gotta pay attention when you read.

>>16270922
>>16270905
Mort aged awfully and guards feels less ironic than most books.
Small gods and reaper man are the best in the saga.

>>16264015
what the fuck are you going on about

>>16264696
I honestly didn't like this that much. The characters felt kind of flaccid, the prose was very mediocre and it was all very formulaic. After about halfway I could basically guess what was going to happen, not because I'm at all intelligent but because it followed such a generic structure.

So Three Body Problem was pretty eh, but I liked The Dark Forest, even if it was overly sappy. Is Death's End any good? I'm a little tempted to just stop here.

>>16258428


>>16258428
+1 BotNS

what is the Repo Man of books?

>reread the three body problem for a bit because of the Netflix adaptation thing, and realized some censorships in the English version.

Like in this part, in the original Chinese version what he shouted was ‘is there not a single Christian here to cut my head off?’

>>16271200
Or in the part, the Chinese version was ‘the Orthodox or the Catholics’

>>16271200
>>16271214
Doesn't your ereader software have a highlight option? Why are you using ms paint or whatever the fuck that is like a caveman?

>>16269257
deal with it, pseud

>>16270710
just say "no" then

>>16271476

>>16271476
based
>>16271520
reddit

>>16270418
There is 0 chance i will slog through that shit again, especially the last 2 books.

>>16270946
I don't remember various small brown men, and you'd think a guy who basically runs everything wouldn't have time to be disguising himself in the countryside for fun.

Sisyphus, it's time for another thread.

>>16271688
we're still on page 1 you donut

>>16270957
Talking about a book obviously.

>>16271214
>>16271200
go figure

FRESH BREAD

>>16271862
>>16271862
>>16271862
>>16271862
>>16271862

>>16271778
I like how in the third book this guy just gives up on translating in general and starts typing literal gibberish like calling a character AA or saying sophon looked like the epitome of 柔 or some shit.

>>16271200
>the three body problem
trash.

>>16265728
>Good thing his characters and story are so compelling then

>>16272166
who