/lit/ - Literature

first for zyzz

Thanks to the anons who recommended Titus Groan of the Gormenghast novels. These complex compound sentences are great. Nice to see fantasy has some prose that isn’t grade school level like Martin and Sanderson. (Excluding Tolkien from this who was a linguist and scholar, of course.)

Dear Tag Desirer, what do you think about the tagging system on https://www.isfdb.org

>>21926578
Mecha always been much a Japanese idea because western authors for the most part are very concerned about plausibility so it tends to either be power armor or be very uncool though functional. There are various traditionally published Western Mecha books. I don't know how well it's represented in self-published and webnovels.

What are the best audio books for Conan?

I had a buddy recommend me The Lions of al-Rassan after finishing Wolfe's Latro series, which I very much enjoyed
Worth the audible credit? I drive for a living, and am always needing new things to listen to.

>>21926617
there's a lot of names in al-rassan. not sure if that's good for audio listening.

Short video based on Ted Chiang's "The Great Silence."
https://vimeo.com/195588827

>>21926582
Based.
Just did my first session of strong lift 5x5 today.

>>21926622
Nice, thanks for linking it.

>>21926590
Thanks for posting.
That was a very comfy sentence and I'm getting it now.
Love big busy castles.

OKAY I'M DOWNLOADING PLAYER OF GAMES AND USE OF WEAPONS
WHAT ELSE AM I GRABBING RIGHT NOW

>>21926590
Glad you like it.
I'm convinced the people who compare Martin to Sanderson haven't read any Martin. He might not be on the level of Mervyn Peake but his prose is far better than the majority of the genre.

>>21926622
Neat.

But we're the first, baby! A bunch of masturbators who refuse to simply get rid of problematic elements to our society even though it would be incredibly easy because they haven't even invented the wheel, and thus could not resist; and the other tribe has never created a civilization of their own and there are dreadfully few of them.
Often in sci-fi books they wonder who these ancients are with great awe. Well they'd be embarrassed if they found out that the ancients were just like we are once.

As for the parrots, they could have 2 whole continents if we allowed it. The people living there aren't using them anyway. And the 3rd one is filled with people with an amusing accent so we'll allow it.

Just finished up the Fall of Hyperion. Ready to move onto my next book. I was thinking either Artemis by Weir or maybe start on the Long Earth series by Pratchett and Baxter. Which would be a better direction?

>>21926670
I think you’ll really enjoy this, the castle is very comfy so far.
>>21926678
I like Martin’s atmosphere and a couple of the characters, but the prose is unremarkable. I’ve read GoT and am working through the second book, on page 300 something. You think Martin has better writing than Sanderson?

/SFFG/ Recommendations:

Read Reverend Insanity, Lord of The Mysteries, Neuromancer, Hyperion, The Prince of Nothing

Also read The Wandering Inn, Between Two Fires, Mother of Learning, Cradle, I Shall Seal the Heavens, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Poppy War.

>>21926692
We can't even understand people with disabilities. Any human different from the norm are already aliens. Phenomenologists say people with autism lack empathy (meaning understanding of other minds), but wouldn't that mean that normal people lack empathy because they can't understand autists? How could we possibly understand even non-human minds?

>>21926761
I haven't read much Sanderson but what I have is sub-YA tier. Just absolute drivel. Even worse than Jordan who I find utterly mediocre and workman like but at least he takes it seriously.
How anyone can compare those two to Martin with his vivid and poetic descriptions, rich characterization and dynamite dialogue is beyond me.

>>21926590
Tolkien, Peake, and Eddison aside, are there any more fantasy/sci-fi writers like this?

Finished the series, and I’m disappointed, but not shocked. Dark Forest was so damn good I couldn’t imagine anything left worth half as much, and I was right. This book meanders, the flow of its narrative flip flops, and it has by far the worst protagonist in the series. The solar system is doomed because they trusted everything to a woman.
The only truly great parts were the Blue Space/Gravity chapters and the Singer’s chapter. You’ll notice those two have nothing to do with the main cast of characters. It almost pulled me back in with the last bit’s thesis on why the universe is dying, and that dark matter theory, which were fascinating, but bogged down by a horribly rushed ending. I might actually want to read the fanfic novel, if it at least gets the taste out of my mouth.

>>21926844
Autists don't lack empathy, they have trouble understanding social cues

>>21926844
Huh. I even think it's a strange label to throw on all autists, saying they all lack empathy (and that this is apparently what defines them).
I've never been diagnosed but I just keep quiet sometimes because what I can add to a conversation might be foolish, completely wrong, or simply has already been said by someone else. Like when everyone is saying, "oh wow, this is a good meal, oh this was cooked well, oh this is sooo good!" I just get annoyed. Like, no kidding. It tastes good, we know it's good stop saying it 10 times during the meal.

>>21926856
Phenomenologists consider empathy as social awareness.

>>21926856
>>21926860
>>21926844
Autistic people may have difficulties with cognitive empathy (recognizing another person’s emotional state) but not affective empathy (the ability to feel another’s emotional state and a drive to respond to it).

>>21926877
Don't some philosophers argue that we can't understand other minds? What would that mean for people with autism, that they don't delude themselves into thinking they can?

>>21926872
Outdated and not scientifically rigorous,as philosophy tends to be, even by comparison with psychology.

>>21926864
Another reason phenomenologists are retarded then

>>21926882
I don't value most philosophy because it's usually all theory. I like practical stuff. Yes, there are those such as John Searle (Chinese Room) and Thomas Nagel (what is it like to be a something), among many others.

>>21926882
There's so much to consider.
If you see someone crying, you can probably figure out why. But you don't know what kind of person they are to have been driven to crying. Is this the first time they've cried in 4 years for example?
Even simply expressing what you are feeling openly takes a decision, like do you openly show disgust at a topic or politely wait for whatever it is to be over because it might be over sooner that way? And that decision is based off of who you are and how you do things.
I don't think that means it's worthless to try to understand someone else's mind though.
Then again, I've never read philosophy.

>>21926578
Beasts - John Crowley (1976)

This was a peculiar book, which seems to be the norm for Crowley, at least of what I've read anyway. As with his Engine Summer, what I enjoyed most was reading it for how it's written. Reading what others had written about this book was also a strange experience, because many seemed to have a significantly different experience.

About fifty years ago in 1972 major breakthroughs were made in genetic engineering which allowed for creating hybrids of all sorts, including of humans. Ten years prior to the start of the story the second American Civil War had ended and the United States was splintered into ten large autonomies, several smaller ones, and various city-states. The federal government still existed and was trying to claw back its supremacy. Those two concepts are a backdrop rather than the focal points. Most of what this book may be about is presented similarly. Its themes are passively persistent in their presentation so it may be easy for them to remain unnoticed or be misconstrued. They aren't obscured, but it may be a case of being hidden in plain sight.

Although this is a short novel, there are a number of viewpoints and it isn't strictly linear. The chapters overlap to greater purpose, though what that may be, may not be immediately evident. There's the ethologist who doesn't care much for people, but loves animals and wants more than anything to repopulate various species. Another is a teenage girl in indentured servitude, who doesn't care much for people, and is sold to a lion-human hybrid, a leo, and yes, they have sex. He's the greatest among his people. Unfortunately for him, it has been has declared that all hybrid humans were a mistake and must be eradicated. The other hybrid is a fox-human who excels at intrigue and manipulation because he enjoys doing so. There are also two bourgeoise children who must adapt to their changing status. One chapter is from the perspective of a genetically modified dog, mostly to complete the spectrum of emphatic experience.

One of the communities depicted has 100,000 people and are isolationist, conservationist, vegan, smug, and assured of their self-righteousness. They believe themselves to be attuned with nature, though they don't shun technology. One member of the community chooses to embrace what he sees as natural even further. This may seem like the idea of the noble savage, and that character certainly seems to think that, but he's misunderstanding and a reader would who takes him at his word would be as well. The leos are neither noble, nor savage, they're just an unwanted and persecuted people trying to survive.

The ending was consistent with what came prior. If it seemed abrupt and/or inconclusive, you may want to consider again what the fox-human had said, especially what he believed it meant to be a fox. I'm being generous with this rating relative to how I believe it would be for many others.

Rating: 3.5/5

>>21926907
With that I've completed the Otherwise omnibus, which contained Crowley's first three published novels. I'll read Little, Big sometime later this year.
I'm not sure what else I'll read this month. I have some books planned, but I don't really feel like reading them right now. To be seen what I decide.

>>21926872
>Under the age of 3.
He's cutting it very fucking close there. I hope he has a model of how rapidly development happens in the mind because when I turned 4 I was sitting at the bottom of our stairwell, crying because I thought I was getting old and was going to die.
A 4 year old with a mortal crisis.
Perhaps like Parrots, a 2 year old can excitedly count to 10 but lacks the ability to express why they want grilled cheese and not chicken.

>>21926854
I’m still looking for writers who write really great prose. I think Arthur C. Clarke wrote well, but that’s sci-fi.
>>21926846
I wouldn’t go so far as to say Martin is poetic, he is mostly unremarkable but that makes sense because he leans on plot (not a bad thing for genre), but yeah, Jordan isn’t very talented but he does take the material seriously, at least. I have The Way of Kings but haven’t read more than 20 pages.

>>21926586
>no argument

About to go to sleep but I'll check the thread when I come back. There any good fantasy books with flying combat in them? On dragons, on unicorns, on gryphons, whatever. It's a subject I've been curious about. Mildly curious also about anything sci-fi and dogfighter-y, but with more of a terrestrial eye than space. I'd still welcome any really great ones in space too. I Just need to get something to wrap my head around how you'd write it.

>>21926615
Any chance you know of any Western or Japanese novels that have 'fantasy mecha' like Escaflowne?

>>21926617
I can't speak to the audio books but I would recommend Last Light of the Sun and Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay. Rassan is probably the best of his work that I've read, but Under Heaven was pretty good and a neat take on the An Lushan rebellion. I swore I read more of his but I am drawing a blank. I'd say Last light is closer to Rassan than Under Heaven.

>>21926590
You were in the last thread? If so, that was me. No problem - I'm glad you are enjoying it. Read Titus Groan, then Boy In Darkness, then Gormenghast. Don't bother with the other two, unless you have to finish a series for completions sake.
As for other writers like this, try Vance and Wolfe if you've not already read them. They're not as good as Peake poun-for-pound wise but Vance's Lyonesse trilogy and his Dying Earth stuff is really, really good. If you enjoy it, I can recommend you similar stuff but those are the big ones.

>>21926721
Artemis is very reddit, so unless you enjoyed The Martian you should leave it be.

>>21926578
Ohhh myyyyy........

>>21926854
Lord Dunsany, Jack Vance as well.

>>21926854
>>21927320
Tolkien is by far the best and most creative one of those though.

>>21927316
More like Kushiel's Gangbang

>>21926923
My 15 month old cousin can express why she wants yogurt and not cheezits. She doesnt do it with words, but she can clearly make a decision and know that she needs to communicate that decision.

>>21926761
>You think Martin has better writing than Sanderson?
absolutely. martin at least tries, sanderson just puts to paper the first thing that comes into his mind

>>21927325
You've merely revealed that you haven't read the others.

Anything decent involving biological ships?

>>21927458
like living ships? liveship trilogy, part of the realm of the elderling series

>>21927458
night's dawn trilogy
beware: the beginning part is excruciating, long and drops tons of jargon, in-universe terms and names at you. that aside, after you manage to slog through it and get into the book proper, i found it to be incredibly enjoyable, with a rich universe and charming characters. it has its weak and goofy moments but in the end it's very rewarding and memorable.
don't delve too deeply in plot specifics when you're looking it up or you risk being massively spoiled

Hey review anon, are you around? Ive been meaning to ask you how the will of the many compares to james islingtons three previous books. An improvement? Bout the same?

>>21926643
Kinda based. Remember to switch to a bodybuilding routine in a year or so.
>>21926582
Incredibly based.

>>21926761
>>21927371
Having only read The Way of Kings, I'd disagree that Sanderson doesn't make an effort. He works hard to write in a way that is accessible to anyone short of illiteracy. Prose is as plain and simple as possible, and exposition is spelled out to the point of redundancy. There are a lot of people out there for whom Tolkien and sometimes even Martin are too much, and Sanderson writes for them.
I have to respect him, in a way. Man obviously understands how to reach the widest possible audience, and makes bank doing it. Biggest kickstarter ever.

>>21927549
So at best, he dumbs his work down as far as he possibly can in exchange for money.

Maybe one day I'll read Mistborn 4+ or Stormlight Archive, but not today.

>>21927310
The Martian was ok. Nothing special. I really did enjoy Project Hail Mary, though.

>>21926590
>fantasy has some prose
I'm pretty sure there a good fantasts, as once moorcock said in introduction for the elric delrey books, that are good writers but Titus Groan isn't fantasy. Maybe it's "manner-punk" or "fantasy of manners" but not fantasy in itself. it has some "not realistic" elements tho now that i retrace the book in my mind but i'd call it fantasy. I didn't read the sequels

>>21927651
It's set in a strange world with strange customs and strange people, how is it not fantasy?

>>21927569
There are better things to read than Rhythm of Bore.

Is Tanith Lee's Flat Earth just lewd YA?

>>21927708
I heard a big part of RoW is fabrial science and I just KNOW that Stormlights part 6-10 are gonna have stormlight fueled airplanes and space travel

>>21927887
He wouldnt rip off his own fucking story, would he? He already did that in mistborn 1 and 2

>>21927948
well he did say stormlight is gonna have a time gap after book 5. with the focus of bronze smithing in oathbringer and more fabrial science you could see the direction.

>>21927887
Well yeah? We've known since before Stormlight was a thing that end-Cosmere would involve space travel. And he's stated that Roshar/Stormlight would be the most Cosmere-ically important.

>>21927957
Oh so every part of the cosmere is gonna end up as sci fi eventually?

>>21927325
no he isn't, delusional tolkiendrone

>>21926907
John Crowley is now one of my favorite writers. I have read 3 of his books. The Deep and Engine Summer are so good. Up there with R A Lafferty in skill

>>21927508
I haven't read them. I picked it off NetGalley without looking at the author. I just liked the premise.

>>21928050
He's an interesting stylist for sure, but not one of my favorite writers. I enjoyed Engine Summer, but not so much the The Deep. I haven't finished anything by Lafferty.

>>21927985
Who knows how advanced it was before the shattering.

>>21928072
Presumably advanced enough to kill god

>>21928068
Ah okay, i defibitely reccomend them. Magic time travel man! Also your reviews are shit, fuck off.

>>21928095
I may read Islington's previous work later this year. There's a supposed group read going on in discord right now. If had been conducted under different circumstances I might've has already read it.

As for R.A. Lafferty, that's less likely.

>>21928117
>>21928068
Hope you read laffery this year. He's very interesting

>>21928152
If I do read Lafferty, which would you personally recommend?

>>21927691
You just described every sci-fi story ever written for starters.

>>21928162
probably Past Master or Fourth Mansions to start. He's definitely an acquired taste. But he's best known for his short stories. The collection Ninehundred Grandmothers is well received.

>>21928205
Ok, I'll read one of those sometime, though I don't know exactly when.

>then
>then
>then
>then
does it stop? I'm at around page 50 and while I really enjoy this book I'm bothered by the word "then" starting sentences
am I autistic?

>>21928298
>and
>and
>and
>and

>>21928298
In the 4chan sense, yes.
In any other sense, no.
That's more likely obsessive tendencies.

>>21928298
Kitties :)

didn't know Robin Hobb was a woman

>>21928426
You can tell by the cucking and homo vibes by the fool

It ends with everything just being a timeloop that will repeat over and over with only small variations
How depressing...

FAVORITE GORMENGHAST CHARACTERS, GO!
For me, it's Prunesquallor.

>>21927651
Mmmh that's a point but I think it's boil down to 2 terms: fantastic and fantasy. Not a scholar of the matter but throughout my school years (here in Italy) when studying literature genres there was the "Fantastico". That's more akin to non-realistic fiction and it's something pre-commercial fantasy, as a terminology at least. Bah, maybe they just overlap i don't know.
Anyway I'm not a good reader and of late I've read only stuff in the language of Albion (the perfidious). is there some itali-anon that could point me to some Italian fantasy, both literary (like Borges, Saramago, maybe Q/Wu Ming?) and genre. For example i studied Calvino at school but never actually read his "fantasy"/"fantastic" books like Le Città Invisibili (The Invisible Cities) that has some fantastic elements
inb4 fuck yourself esl-kun retard, ask on a Italian board/forum

>>21928515
the nanny, fuchsia, the doctor to some extent

>>21927691
Mmmh that's a point but I think it's boil down to 2 terms: fantastic and fantasy. Not a scholar of the matter but throughout my school years (here in Italy) when studying literature genres there was the "Fantastico". That's more akin to non-realistic fiction and it's something pre-commercial fantasy, as a terminology at least. Bah, maybe they just overlap i don't know.
Anyway I'm not a good reader and of late I've read only stuff in the language of Albion (the perfidious). is there some itali-anon that could point me to some Italian fantasy, both literary (like Borges, Saramago, maybe Q/Wu Ming?) and genre. For example i studied Calvino at school but never actually read his "fantasy"/"fantastic" books like Le Città Invisibili (The Invisible Cities) that has some fantastic elements
inb4 fuck yourself esl-kun retard, ask on a Italian board/forum

How does one actually sit down and begin to draft up and iron out the details of a fantasy setting? Making something concrete? What is the normal procedure here?

>>21928515
>>21928523
Gormenghast is trash
BOTNS is the greatest. Wolfe is the best fantasy author.

>>21928576
oh shit here we go race war now

>>21928572
That is very nice art, do you have any more/source?

I don't think there is a "normal procedure". You could spend years coming up with animals, plants and types of soups to fill a fantasy world or you could just start writing and fill in the relevant details as you go. I work somewhere in the middle, usually starting with some scenes/themes that I want to happen and then thinking about what kind of world those would happen in.

>>21927339
>>21927316
What?

>>21926907
your """reviews""" are SHIT
FUCK OFF

>>21928504
Gotta wait for the 4 Warriors of Light to show up:
Red Mage
Red Mage
Red Mage
and Red Mage

>>21928426
The range of well written women should have been a giveaway

>>21928704
Get a life. You're the same faggot in every thread who starts shit for you's.
He's the only one doing anything interesting in this thread other than people asking for rec's and posting their thoughts on what they're reading.
You should do more of those if you're so upset.
Go read something right now.

Who influenced Gene Wolfe according to himself from 2 interviews. The first book of The Book of the New Sun was published in 1980.

>>21928572
I am only on the start of working on it myself, but I'd implore you
>NOT
to fall for the worldbuilder trap that happens on /tg/. Where all you do is just flesh out the world. There'll always be something more to hash out. It's an unending trap of navel-gazing encyclopedia composing when your goal is to compose a story. Your goal should be to have the barest minimum to start conceiving a story and then as you work on the story come up with targeted details as necessary when they come up. And whenever you do brainstorming for a targeted section, like cities or whatever, then you might do a bit extra brainstorming than you need to but not go down a rabbit hole. In my mind the bare minimums to get started would be a targeted focus to the protagonist and any characters involved, being the name, nationality/race, religion/gods, elevator pitch paragraph or less of the pertinent characters concept, and a broad strokes sense of the wider world.

Imagine you're an author in your favorite fantasy setting. You're writing a book series called Casablanca based on the movie of the same name. Think about all the irrelevant details of our own world you wouldn't want to waste time building on when it'd be irrelevant to the story.

This might not be how Tolkien and the like did it, but they're not the amateur trying to pick it up from stage 0.

>>21928939
seethe more reviewfag
he does nothing interesting in this thread, he's a pseud who """reviews""" shit books and shills his goodreads

Writers who Gene Wolfe admires. From 1988.

>>21928997
>shills his goodreads
>no goodreads link
okay_buddy_retard.jpg

>>21928997
Do something worthwhile instead of being angry.

I am so fucking mad.
My kindle had an ad for some shit but the picture was a woman in a dress looking through a telescope and now it's some faggot military book ad.
I had the first one for years. How the fuck did airplane mode come off in order for it to shill me a new ad?

>>21928996
Also didn't mean to insult you by saying you're an amateur, since I am too. It is just that one of the big hegemons of fantasy writing likely had their conceptions years or decades in the making, not starting from square 0.

>>21928317
Real il duce vibes with the judge there, I like it

>>21926578
What are some cool magic systems that you've seen in fantasy settings, ones that are particularly inspiring? For instance, I'm a big fan of the systems in the Cosmere books by Brandon Sanderson.

>>21928939
Reminder to stop responding to automated chatbots and report automated chatbots when you see them.

>>21929031
Here are some types:
Draws heat out of the air
Destroys the environment
Damages the caster
Uses others as a power source
Uses jewels/gems as power source
Uses metals
True name
Various words
Arbitary environmental factors
Equivalent exchange
Elemental
Deity
Leylines
Mana
Materia
Dragons
Stored up concepts
Colors/Breath
Runes
Hand motions
Psionic
Food
Completely arbitary
Technology
Math
Etc

>>21928997
Which books would you prefer?

>>21929001
>Algis Budrys
Hey now, a countryman made on the list. I think I heard of him, but since sci fi is not my thing compared to fantasy I have not read his stuff.

>>21929061
For me? It's true names. I'm also a fan of Ye Olde witch rules, where anything you do to somebody else comes back on you three times as hard.

>>21929157
Credence...

>>21929061
Magic is so fucking cool.
I have to stop wasting time and get reading.
There's so much to enjoy...

>>21928628
well, they are kind of aryan

>>21929191
...Clearwater...

>>21929191
>>21929360
ah no, that's creedence

>>21929031
Vancian magic

i want to write fantasy novel but my god is it hard

>>21929362
Sneedence Chuckwater

>>21929031
Dave Wolverton was Sanderson's writing mentor. Try the Runelords.

>>21929031
Dragon Prince and Dragon Star trilogies by Melanie Rawn, Sanderson read that when he was young and made a big impact on him.

>>21929371
It’s not that hard but doing it well and having it be something someone out there wants to buy, both the publishing companies and anons, that is the challenge.

>>21928515
Sepulchrave.

>>21928572
think of what you want, what is important, and then keep talking with GPT4 about it.
this is the future 100%. it's like that skilled editor or knowledgeable colleague that only the lucky used to have.

>>21929061
I wish for something that is Naruto but even just SLIGHTLY consistent about its magic system, power levels, world building, etc.

>>21929688
I mean... I'll vaguely gesture towards Cradle.

>>21929688
The House of Blades.
Naruto, One piece and Bleach combined.

>>21929688
Agreed. I like naruto and would like to write something inspired by it one day, as fantasy.
For now just writing space novels.

any universe like asoiaf but made by someone obsessed with cuckolding instead of incest? ideally has orcs as a race.

>>21929873
bakker

>>21928515
Gertrude, Fuschia, Mr Flay

>>21929031
Why is vin a man?

>>21929873
Probably the apocalypse series by bakker

Why is there no fucking art of the dread empire series
It's such a cool setting with so many memorable scenes
I wanna see art of a necromantically raised fetus that floats in a bubble killing (unkillable by normal means) large shadow demon monsters by picking them up and then dropping them from 30000 feet in the air

Is Neal Stephenson any good?
Picked up Cryptonomicon and Snow Crash at a church store for a dollar
Cryptonomicon is very thick

>>21930202
Not really, it's the fun kind of shlock though

>>21929873
see >>21929514 there's only emotional incest. there aren't orcs but the second trilogy is about a barbarian horde invasion, so it's similar.

>>21930322
Ah
Oh well, only cost a dollar

>>21930202
He's a very fun author and Snow Crash taught me some information on the Bible I had no idea about.I do think The Diamond Age is better, so if you do like his other two books, you should give it a read.

>>21929688
What are the rules there? Correct movements and the caster's energy? Also a latent talent, I assume. I don't know if Naruto can just pick up Sand Jutsu.
Naruto aside, ninja magic is cool.

>>21930154
>dread empire
How does it compare with Black Company?

>>21930498
Tbh I like it better and I love tbc
One issue with tbc I think is it one really, really long ass story
Dread empire is split PoVs like more modern fantasy and has basically one 3books series that can be seen as complete, then a prequel book and then another 3book series that wraps everything up although the final book is considered by most people to feel a little rush, the payoff and finality of it is still satisfying

>>21930518
Who's the Lady of the series? I know Cook would have one...
Who's Soulcatcher?

>>21929675
Thanks for reminding me. I'm curious what chatGPT types would be with coming up with names.
>Ask it to come up with five place names in old church slavonic since I was having to try and come up with place names in that and it was a bitch to find in latin script.
>Gives me five solid results.
>One is an existing city in Bulgaria but the rest aren't
>definitions seem accurate too
Damn son this is kinda cool.

My friend recommended me the First Law series by Abercombie. Is it good? I saw there were 9 books and I want to know if it was worth it before I sink into it.

>>21930558
It's not really 9 books, it's 3 loosely connected trilogies. I'm reading the third book of the first trilogy and it's really good shit so far.

>>21930384
Its just cultivation. The hand movements are how they make their chakra(chi) behave a certain way. Like in wuxia, how the chi paths determine how your chi flows and behaves. Well since you have chi paths in your hands, the naruto ninjas just change the properties of their chi er chakra er wait no space mana uh... well they use hand signs to make IT gain differebt properties and behaviors when it flows through the hands.

Its cool, but the series abandons it almost immediately in favor of innate techniques and inherited chakra properties.

An underrated but comfy aspect of Lord of the Mysteries is when he pretends to be a socialite; either hanging out at the divination club, the club as Sherlock, the country club and/or country estate as Dwayne and pretending to be an entire city

>>21926578
>Reading Dark Forrest
>Chapter where the 200 year jump happens
>"So anyway EU is unified, Quebec is free and Russia annexed Belarus"
>"These are the only changes"
Obviously the book is from 2008 but I laughed my ass off from the post-Brexit implication that Ireland is still divided and that the Scots got fucked while leafs got divided

>>21930527
There's a few main ladies, two in particular that are most prominent. Neither are quite like Lady though, different in their own ways.

>>21930577
Oh then it's not that much of a time sink then. Thank you anon

>>21929688
Infinite realm

Vance>Herbert

>>21929157
ARDATH, YOU BITCH

>>21930558
If grimdark is your poison, empty the cup.

sounded great from the few phrases i saw on wikipedia before reading
>Using remotely controlled robots called "soldierboys" (which are nearly invincible), the Alliance military fights third world guerrillas in an endless series of economy-driven wars.
first half or third was great and exactly what i expected, but damn the rest of it was lame

any other recommendations for what i thought this was going to be? thinking 'genocial organ' at least, but there's probably many more

is Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell worth reading?
is it even sff?

>>21931755
It's worth reading, and yeah I'd call it a fantasy novel.

>>21931773
Nice, thanks.

>feeding gpt3.5 all the notes from my schizo world building journal
>it helps me refine it into an actual narrative
Machine learning is pretty cool ngl

>>21931755
It has a rather pragmatic off beat take on magic, which makes it something like a curiosity.

It some weird kind of low fantasy that is almost historical fiction, which should make it palatable to a very large audience.

>>21928970
>Gormenghast trilogy is terrible flawed
What did he mean by this?

>>21932122
Titus Alone, that's the flaw he's probably referring to.

>>21932122
>>21932229
That was actually the next question the interviewer asked.

>>21930708
>tfw waiting for Lumian to finally have his first tarot meeting

>>21932257
I liked the professors, they were fun.

>>21932257
I haven't read those books but now I intend to.
If it is what I'm guessing it is, it sounds like the school parts of Harry Potter... if that make sense.
Also are there any books like what I just described? Just people kind of hanging out and perhaps a situation happens?

>>21932879
>it sounds like the school parts of Harry Potter
No.

>>21932899
>translation from CHINESE to english
>it's a webnovel nonetheless
why oh why do you have the autism to force this

>>21933074
Autism is no longer required with the power of automated posting. Truly a new era of lowest effort forced memes is upon us.

I got to a chapter in Scorioland 2 where its like the author was worried he was losing his LGTBBQI2KEKcred and mentions a lesbian relationship ABD makes a point of someone enforcing they'them pronouns in a single page

>>21926578
Newfag to scifi here, I have recently read a couple scifi books which I thought were not bad, "A Fire Upon The Deep" and "Children of Time". I would like to read things like this but more learning towards the sciency side, like where its involved descriptions of ayy lmaos and AI and stuff, and less about the characters and story. I also like Blindisght and the 3 body problems and Speaker for the dead, because they also have interesting descriptions of aliens and stuff.

Is there some kind of a list for this stuff?

>>21933296
might as well just get right to it and go straight to the man himself, Greg Egan. start with Permutation City for some mind-uploading, consciousness-on-a-chip fun. What you are looking for is "hard sci-fi". Neal Stephenson gets pretty technical and info-dumpy as well - try Snow Crash or Cryptonomincon or Anathem (if you like western philosophy)

>>21933296
>sciency stuff
Try Quarantine by Greg Egan if you like quantum mechanics. The whole plot is just an excuse to tease out layers of quantum weirdness. No ayys though.

>>21933284
It's weird to bring up a they/them character considering it's somebody we don't actually fucking meet. Also there was a typo that I THOUGHT was meant to be a trans thing (male character says his previous incarnation got to Blood Baroness, but since there's ZERO reaction to that and the character is pretty clearly said to be just fully male later on, I'm pretty sure it's just a typo unless it's just a broad "sometimes some people incarnate as different sexes").

>>21933315
>>21933318
Ty I will look into them

bros, why is inhibitor phase so mediocre... I really liked all three of the previous books, even absolution gap.

>>21933423
I don't know but I think watching paint dry is more fun than reading Reynolds

>>21933344
His Chronicles of the Black Gate series has a character who appears in like one chapter and is killed and we find out he has a BF a few books later. It's like he hates this stuff but feels forced by the current orthodoxy to include it.

https://loopingworld.com/2009/03/06/wordcount/
word counts in popular fantasy series

>>2193342
>>/lit/thread/S18991535#p18991975

Is it just me or does the way the Dying Earth read seem a bit off?

>>21926854
Donaldson
Gavriel Kay
Wolfe

>>21928095
>>21928117
I loved his trilogy. One of the most satisfying and unique endings I’ve read in a long time. Overall very unique premise as well.

>>21928997
>goodreads
Are you genuinely retarded or trolling?

>>21929514
Those books suck no wonder he’s such garbage

>>21930917
To me, it felt as though if you sum the two main ladies (assuming we're on the same track about who they are) then you get one Lady.

>>21933653
I was thinking mist and nepenthe and I think you are spot on with that observation

>>21933074
Because it's unlike any western (and maybe even asian) novel

>>21933584
The fact that the narrative feels completely resolved by the end, despite the big bad never being explored, is a real testament to islingtons control of theme and character. Not a single chapter went by that one character or anothers personal journey wasnt progressed in some meaningful way.

Also elocien did bothing wrong and nobody deserves what happened to him

Welp I haven't started one yet so should I read Player of Games or Use of Weapons first?

>>21933570
I just started The Lions of Al-Rassan, and yes, Gavriel Kay has great prose. I'm two chapters in, and I can already tell this is going to be great.

>>21933666
Also, this one is a bit more of a stretch, but Varth is the closest thing Dread Empire has to Croaker. Personality wise, anyway.

>>21933532
It's written somewhat in the style of P. G. Wodehouse, one of Vance favorite authors.

>>21933532
No it's why I can't read it. Sad!

any "vr" fiction recommendations? i've read diaspora, permutation city, schild's ladder, accelerando, metamorphosis of prime intellect

i find the "how would immortal materially unlimited ppl behave" aspect of them more interesting (because every author has their own view) than just the trite existential and ontological ones

>charlie actually thought he had a chance with the princess
swarthoids are so delusional

>>21933797
A considerable amount of Egan's short fiction involves that as well. There's a lot of vr schlock that technically meets those requirements but doesn't explore it in any meaningful way.

Join The Official 4chan Server!!111

https://discord.gg/2mT7nT99

E-girls, cozy wojacks, camwhores... otakus? All Anons Welcome!!!1

>>21933897
One of the worst books I’ve ever read in my life.

>>21934022
Kys

>>21934035
it was pretty fun for me, liked the way stephen built the tension and mystery around the whole setting
has tons of plot holes however

>>21934044
I just don’t think he cares anymore. The prose, the pacing, that stupid horse and girl, all terrible. I feel he was mocking people who like fantasy, not writing for them. If he’d taken any time to edit and rewrite at all he might have done something with the mystery and tension you mentioned. Does he not have developmental editors or something? Are they just afraid of him? KEK I’m slogging through the Dark Tower right now.

>>21934063
> Does he not have developmental editors or something?
george lucas problem

>>21934063
Why torture yourself and read Dark Tower? Read David Gemmel's Jerusalem MAn trilogy instead.

>>21934083
>>21934063
seconding this, i wouldn't have found out about jerusalem man if it wasn't for this general and i'm very glad i did. it's a much more enjoyable and tighter read than dark tower. i will say that dark tower explores grander and more interesting concepts and wizard and glass is probably better than any of the jerusalem man books but overall jerusalem man trilogy is just a better realized series

>>21934083
>>21934090
Thanks anons I’ll give it a try. I’m reading three books at once atm so I’ll have to put it on the list.

>>21934119
yeah for the record i think it's at least worth it to push through to wizard and glass unless you really hate everything about the dark tower. then you can drop it
king actually put in a disclaimer before the final chapter of the series telling people not to keep reading so you're definitely not missing much

>>21934119
How is that working out for you?
Different genres?
Fiction and nonfiction?
Does it help you read more?

>>21934201
It works well for me. It makes it so that I don’t have to tell myself I must read 20 pages of “x” today, but that I can dip into whichever of three books I am reading for as long as I feel like. It gives me freedom not to make myself feel bad for not reading “x” for a few days which can be demotivating. I read one literary novel, a genre novel, and then non-fiction or whatever I want. I am currently reading Titus Groans, The Gunslinger, The Great Gatsby, and dipping in and out of Mythology by Edith Hamilton. I am dyslexic so I was never going to read fast to begin with but reading slow helps me remember everything I read.

>>21934302
Wow. Sounds like you have some comfy reads.
First read for Gatsby?

>>21934311
Naw, it’s my third time. Wanted to go through it again to see if I missed anything since last time, now that I’ve read a lot more.

>>21934353
For some reason the first scene I think of when I think about hat book is (I can't even remember her name, kek) but her and Gatsby and he's showing her his fancy cloths and he's throwing them around and she's laying in them.
And how I hate Nick for dumping Jordan by lumping her in with the rest of them FOR NO REASON.

>>21934368
Yeah for me it’s the green light Gatsby looks at. But it’s a disillusionment plot so by the end Nicks dreams of the East meet reality and he is in complete disgust. He wouldn’t have stayed. In fact in the beginning he talks about wanting everything to stand at moral attention forever, after what happens. But I can’t remember how he ends it with her so I’ll keep an eye out for that

>>21932107
Update, i jailbroke it and my novel has sloely devolved into erotic literature. I cannot stop.

>>21934536
Delete it, masturbate, and get back to work.

I should read more A Thousand Li, apparently there's been two books published since I read the series last. It's not the best series but there's a comfiness to it.

>>21934544
Shouldnt those first two be swapped?

>>21934570
No.
Absolutely no connections in your brain should be made to the smut you've created.

>>21932320
is this about the new book? how far is it already and how frequent are the updates/translations?

>>21933702
Player of Games is more linear and "fun", Use of Weapons takes a bit of mental juice due to how it's written (at least for me, but I'm retarded).

>>21933797
Egan's Zendegi has VR elements, but you better be interested in Iranian politics for the first third of the book.

Rec me some sci-fi for my dad, please! You know what I mean by this. He's read Hyperion, most of the major stuff, he tried BotNS and didn't finish it I believe. I just see his amazon reading list and it's a looooot of self published stuff.
I want to give him book-kino but I haven't read a lot of sci-fi at all.
Last thing he read was Project Hail Mary.

>>21934577
Too late, how fix.

>>21934578
>is this about the new book? how far is it already and how frequent are the updates/translations?
Like 1-2 chapters a day and it's at chapter 89.

>>21934676
>chapter 89
wow
not too shabby. though they are probably shorter i imagine. might start reading soon then

>>21934676
>Like 1-2 chapters a day and it's at chapter 89.
my scalp just went numb

What's your favorite upbeat sff story about a heroic character acting upbeat and heroic?

>>21933423
They got steadily worse as he got more obsessed with his boring old Martian, JC Denton scientist faction and lame nanomachine enemy. Ditching a fertile, grim ancap setting that could support all kinds of fun shit in favor of Mass Effect bad ending with a side of Jesus was a mistake. I remember the entire spinoff book, while all I can dredge up from the last one was that somebody saying "the knights of chrysler" or whatever it was, brought back my susceptibility to car sickness.

>>21934004
i don't mind schlock in this case. like, sword art online for example, even tho objectively terrible, just it being vr made it compelling to me
>>21934589
seems perfect actually. thanks

>>21932320
is the protag of the new book joining the tarot club? im at chapter 1210, maybe will finish soon and start the new book

>>21935076
He's already got a card but it seems to be a minor one invited by some new character so it might not be the table where everyone sits?

>>21934732
you turning bald bro? get that checked out...

I fucking hate TWI. Author delivers two of the best chapters I've read to this point in a row, followed by a chapter I don't give a shit about until the last page, when they introduce a fucking reporter being nominated to the CIA excellency in journalism award (being hunted by the government)

>>21935323
It's called the slow-burn, zoomer.

>>21935323
>a chapter I don't give a shit about until the last page
that definitely happens, not gonna lie.

>being nominated to the CIA excellency in journalism award (being hunted by the government)
what? you talking about remi? i don't remember this.

>>21935323
I'm nearing the end of book 8 and I can't make myself to give a shit about all this ghost bullshit.

Do you need a STEM degree to write hard sci-fi

>>21935920
No, just Google

>>21934600
I like the Gap series, from Donaldson. It's a pretty solid space opera, great flow. The first book, however, is straight debauchery.
Donaldson shines from the second onwards; thankfully the first one is a novella, quite short.

>>21935920
you know how some authors write those special thanks to blah blah for helping me, that's what they do, they go talk to an actual professional and ask if the shit their writing is utter nonsense.

>>21934600
Hammer Slammers by David Drake is boomerkino

>>21935951
Reminds me of that fantasy author who googled how to make red dye so he could put it in his book. Except the first google result was the zelda: breath of the wild in-game red dye recipe and he just stuck it in there.

>>21935967
>Except the first google result was the zelda: breath of the wild in-game red dye recipe and he just stuck it in there.
Did he really? Which book was it?

Is there any more fantasy from the perspective of low rank soldiers like The Black Company series?

>>21935988
malazan book of the fallen

>>21935975
A Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom

My mistake, it was a historical book not fantasy. Which only makes the inclusion of monster part ingredients event better.

>>21936004
>My mistake, it was a historical book not fantasy.
Grim...
>>21935988
Goblin is DeVito and One Eye is Morgan Freeman, at least I think that's how Cook envisioned them in some interview.

>>21935988
>darling
That is what everyone wanted to rape so bad?

>>21936004
often both speculative and sff writers and reader are huge history buffs

>>21929688
I remember I had an idea for a (somewhat) Naruto flavored world/story:

Basically there are these tiny(or maybe the world is just bigger) people(I think like an inch tall) that live in this garden and have powers based on animals, plants, and gardening tools. So, for example, some might have dragonfly power, so can fly very well and have good eyesight. Or maybe a rosebush ability, giving them thorns all over them, or a watering can superpower allowing them to store alot of water (in a pocket dimension) then expel it later.

I probably had more or better explanations of it, but I never did much with this world, so I have forgotten some of the details.

>>21936031
>mfw everyone got buttmad about Darling's ending

>>21928515
Barquentine's walking stick is the best character of the series.

>>21935988
Solider of the Mist

>>21926578
I wonder if I'm the only one here who has read the Nik Perumov LotR books.

The Shadow
Doc Savage
Fumanchu

which pulp hacker should i dive into?

Why don't people like this? It was a little muddled at times, and I'd be lying if I said I fully understood it, but I really enjoyed it.

any stories about a doomsday cult where they're the goodguys?

>>21935988
Sadly not many series keep this trope up long, I mean even tbc doesn't. Sure they start off as just some mercs but their notoriety and position changes to being saviors of the world with people looking to them etc.
The Red Knight does this too. Good series but same issue.

>>21937148
I read Hyperion after it was rec here
It's literally the most reddit thing I have read, cringe diverse characters with shitty jokes on le adventure. I don't get the appeal seriously.

>>21937148
I grabbed the mass market and holy fuck the font is small. Yet to read it

Opinions on this?

>>21937109
Read the shadow (specially the first 7 or so books) then doc savage, make sure to read "Doc Savage: My apocalyptic Life" by Philip Jose Farmer. never liked fu manchu, first book is okay but after that it gets too boring and repetitive even for pulp standards. read the original run of Shang-chi Master of Kung-fu and deadly hands of kung-fu instead (Shang-chi is fu manchu's son)
Also read Planetary by Warren Ellis, The Spider, Operator 5 (called the War and Peace of Pulps back in the day, a bit exaggerated but it's good) and the Justice Inc comic by Helfer

I just randomly remembered Fablehaven from my childhood, google searched it out of nostalgia, and learned there's a sequel series. Is it worth nostalgia reading, or did Brandon Mull go the way of some other authors, *cough* Rick Riordan *cough*, in their sequels?

I redid the cover for one of my old books. What do you guys think?

>>21937212
Hyperion was really the last straw for me as far as recommendations and this general.

>>21933350
You can very safely skip Stephenson. I don't want you to hate this genre you seem to enjoy. Just stick with Egan. Also try some more Watts.

>>21936018
I wish Cook wrote more SF. His The Dragon Never Sleeps reads like two novels crammed into one, and I rather liked it.

is it just me or does it seem like the majority of dying earth stories are written with more ornate prose than what the author usually writes with?

Erikson doesn't gratuitously write all his rape scenes but spying on naked girls as they sleep is all fun.

>>21937489
It's to juxtapose the characters brutality. Same with the elegant way they speak

>>21937492
Most realistically written 17yo boy ever desu

>>21937489
idk i've read lyonesse and last castle and it's hard to quantify ornateness but to me the similiarties are instantly noticeable and i feel like i could have recognized vance even if nobody told me those were written by him

>>21926578
Mieville reigns supreme.
He makes chud scream.
And women cream.

>>21929031
unironically name of the wind

I really love the dichotomy in the setting between the reliable, understandable, scientific magics of the university and the mysterious, wild, illogical, and nigh-unknowable magic that still lurks in the corners of the world

I hope you have fun reading a story you enjoy today

>>21934563
Oh I'm in in the exact same position as you, I'll have to check the new releases out.

Yeah I think there's something comfy about a story about a fairly average cultivator. Not many stories really get into what the day to day sect life for normies involves. Scenes of having tea and working are a nice change of pace instead of the protagonist just showing up and wrecking/hijacking the sect on day 1

>>21937971
IM HAVING AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS

>protagonists or non evil characters have brown/black eyes
my investment into the story just dropped by 70%

Sherlock Holmes but it's steampunk Lovecraftian horror with ribald human-alien sex with eldritch horrors that sport 6 breasts.

>>21938010
I feel like this is already a thing

>>21935988
>The Black Company by Disney

>>21935988
Thanks I hate this pic

>>21928572
Start with the story itself and whatever concepts directly interact with it, those elements are what you’ll have to be focusing on. Then build some additional layers of slowly less detailed stuff until you end up with just one sentence elements. This gives an illusion depth.

To give you an example in my story one of the main plot points in the first act of my story is a labour dispute. Both the union and the factory i tried to build as well as I could. But stuff like the union busters hired to help out are just a bunch of redshirts and they mention working for the bootleg East Indian company that is absolutely not involved in the main plot and therefore it’s just described as ‘Company that manages the planets and their people, extremely brutal’. The reader doesn’t know that though.

Any opinions on Wool by Hugh Howey? My cousin picked it for us to read and talk about as he wants to read more, so I'm going along with it and just picked it up.

>reading lotm2
when do the known characters return?

>>21937425
Why is the font blurry but the background is clear? Try the other way around

Titus Alone is underrated.

>>21937938
Back to fantasy with you, Chinaman! Nobody cares about capitalism anymore, we have lost already! Let it accelerates until it collapses to smithereens. Just write fucking books.

Bakker rools, Sandy drools.

I wonder how GRRM feels knowing he resurrected a word functionally singlehandedly.

>>21937329
Good idea, poor execution.

>A /lit/ chart says that my book is good
Have I finally made it bros?

>>21939004
No, because you either made it yourself, someone made it to mock you, or it's part of a circlejerk.

>>21939023
To be fair, people called the poster's taste trash, and I wasn't quite in the topmost tier on the chart.

>>21938010
What other genres can you blend Lovecraft with? It works on its own, and with noir style detective stories like True Detective, but what else?

>>21937477
Yeah it's pretty rough even for Cook, but it has some really good parts.

I read and wrote about another Chinese SF anthology. I'll probably read and write about a couple more next month. It's a shame that one of the authors who seems to be translated the most is one I entirely abhor. I've read 7 of his stories and only disliked rather loathed two of them.

>>21939004
Is it a webnovel?

>>21939388
Even worse, a litrpg webnovel

>>21938596
jej

>>21938588
>bakkerfag is back
where'd you go bro

Which one are you?

>>21939495
>>21939004
>>21939556

>>21939004
>>21939495
>>21939556
The only book I see not being bought up by the masses is Resonance Cycle, There is no lot here only puns and maybe Kennit Kenway

>>1171344
>>1214159

I managed to download the archive via 1 single seeder over the course of 5 days. Compressed it and put into 2 .rar archives. 5 gig of pure .txt, you can convert easily via calibre or so.

I also seed them via the torrent link above provided. DOWNLOAD this GEM and spread the love a legend put into this monumental sci-fi and fantasy collection; should you ever be lonely in a couple decades, this collection will warm your heart, mind and soul.

https://anonymfile.com/PN0NE/gillian-archivespart1.rar
https://anonymfile.com/XPBPo/gillian-archivespart2.rar

also, seeding on torrent:
magnet:?xt=urn:btih:eae8860364e8ced2a02924cad0533f871359c78e&dn=Gillian%20Archives

Enjoy!

>>21939730
orginal post in /t/

>>>/t/1171344

What's the consensus on Saberhagen's fantasy stuff here? Is his stuff decent?

>>21939743
The E L E P H A N T

Are there any science fiction books with a universe that has time going backwards?

>>21939847
no because that's stupid

>>21939556
>fem protag
Downvoted and didn't read. Better luck(and taste) next time.

>>21939847
uh there's a PKD book about that actually
the click clock world? i honestly don't remember the name

>>21939903
Well not the universe but time. It's more social than worldbuilding.

>>21939917
>>21939903
Of course PKD would write something like that

Do not read this book of you want to read a story involving orcs or economics. Because it pretty much doesn't.

>>21940043
lame

why can't book art be good again? Movie posters are shit too its all shit. I want to go back

>>21940043
Already read it five years ago.

>>21940075
Is that supposed to be the shrike?
Did Simmons predict AI learning with his Keats shit?

>>21940075
holy sovl batman

>>21940075
Probably just "market tested" shit. I can't even think of a particularly good cover from a recent novel I've read, they're all so blah.

This thread has lasted 4 days. Nice.

>>21940188
Did a bunch of people get b&?

>>21940209
I was busy posting on /h/ and /gif/ sorry

>>21940209
Erikson supreme.
Makes the modernists scream.

>>21940301
>and /gif/
milf pusseh?

>>21940188
>>21940209
>yfw people are actually reading

>>21940346
I don't believe it

>>21940346
pffft

>>21940321
Perhaps

Any authors like Domagoj Kurmaic?
I really enjoyed Mother of Learning

>>21933570
Thanks

>>21926578
It reigns supreme.

>>21940352
this needs ben garrison captions
>BOOK
>INTERNET
>EARLY GRAVE

Joe Abercrombie is peak reddit

>>21940484
That's not Dunsany
>>21940352
You are right, i was actually just playing Hotline Miami 2

WARNING
THESE STORIES ARE GRIM AND THEY'RE DARK TOO
WARNING
DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE A PUSSY, A WUSSY, OR A LITTLE GIRL
http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2017/08/grimdark-were-nailing-it-down.html

>>21940545
We need a consolidated woke rating of SFF

>>21940555
Bakker would break the woke measurement apparatus with unwoke and based prose.

>>21940555
What I need is a cuckold rating, fucking authors and their weird fetishes

>>21940556
bakker is his own category, so far woke he goes full chud

>>21940545
I need a Incest rating of SFF

>>21940557
Yes, i need more NTR

>>21940557
List is useless if it doesn't count all h*rems as cuckoldry

>>21940545
do any of them have loli?
no?
ok i dont care

>>21940584
If you want Loli, go look at Berserk's dumb drawings. Reading prose is for men. And men like adult rape, slaughter, and torture. Especially if an adult woman is involved, screaming and begging for mercy.

>>21940599
What about an adult woman raping men and they are the ones screaming and begging for mercy.

>>21940484
>when a guy primarily known for horror stories writes some of the best fantasy stories

>>21940605
That can be grim and dark, but not that much. She probably has to be some sort of evil monster that looks really fucking gross in her true form. Otherwise, it's just too soft. What man doesn't want to be mounted by a normal looking woman? For it to be grim and dark, it needs to be awful and nonconsensual.

>>21940608
Weird fiction had overlaps with fantasy and sci fi from its inception, so it makes sense he was able to write fantasy. He also read a lot of it, particularly basing his stuff on Gods of Pegana. But he also spoke to a lot of writers who had fantasy stories coming out like REH or CL Moore. That was on top of ghostwriting for others like Zealia Bishop which also dipped into fantasy.

>>21940545
Are any of those books good, though? Or even decent? I mean besides the really obvious ones everyone has read

>>21940637
You greatly overestimate much any book, even the most popular, are read in terms of a group percent.

>>21940643
wat

>>21940637
Beyond Redemption has interesting enough prose with distinct characters.

Jut finished Lord of the Mysteries Volume 6: Lightseeker

KINO

>>21940657
>Prose
Meme word. Run-on does not a sentence make "good".

>>21940654
There aren't any books "everyone has read", or even anywhere close to that.

>>21940661
There aren't any run-on sentences there.
>Run-on does not a sentence make "good".
That's not how you use that construction.

>>21940668
I know, that's why I did it.
I'm more referring to this - >>21926590
Which is terrible.

>>21940662
...You've never read Conan?

>>21940680
>>21940662
Or a Game of Thrones? Or the Malazan series? Or the Black Company? e.t.c?
There are a lot of very popular, commonly read books there.

Do you think George whacks off to this instead of writing?

>>21940658
VERY hype, it was about time the Derrick storyline stopped dragging the series down and ascended to KINO

>>21940680
>>21940682
The individual isn't relevant to this. I haven't seen any evidence that even a simple majority of /sffg/ has read any single book.

>>21940695
these fantasy parodies are all shit because none of the women are hairy, totally broke my suspension of disbelief

>>21940711
And I haven't seen any evidence otherwise.
So we'll agree to disagree and you won't reply with empty, inane posts.
Deal?

>>21940658
isn't this some kind of chinkshit?

>>21940730
I have seen evidence otherwise.

looking for a fantasy series where the mc's companion ends up being a romantic interest

>>21940766
The Powder Mage Trilogy
The main character eventually marries his small, young red-haired green-eyed mute pale waif of a follower, described as "young and petite even for her supposedly young age"

>>21940766
Cradle

>>21940778
I thought you had to cut your penis off in order to train Martial arts or some shit

>>21940776
>>21940766
Why are modern men so pathetic and gay

>>21940819
Because I can.

>>21940819
that's not a title

Stop the Wheel of Time, I Want To Get Off!
Book 3
Starring Rand Al'Thor

"I hate every witch I see, from Sedai Ae to Sedai Zee, no you'll never make a dragon out of me."
*trips into Callandor*
"Oh my god, I was wrong. It was me all along. You've finally made a dragon..."
*Moiraine enters stage left while Aiel dance in the background*
"Yes, I've finally made a dragon!"
"Yes, you've finally made a dragon out of me!"

"I love you Elayne!"

>>21940766
why don't you stay on /a/ isekai general?

>>21940855
what's an isekai?

>>21940860
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isekai

>>21940860
Isekai means literally "Another world" and it generally follows the idea of a person from our world being "transported" to a, generally fantasy, world. "Reverse isekai" is the opposite - someone from a fantasy world ending up in ours.

>>21940869
that's just portal fantasy nigga

>>21940776
ka-poel is cute. cute!
>>21940778
so is yerin and little blue!

>>21940896
It has an entirely different set of tropes and expectations. The Japanese definition, which is where it's from, also includes videogame worlds, as in playing them, and any other possible world.

>>21940605
Cebelius

>>21940562
be the change you wanna see fampai

>>21941071
weaponized oedipus complex

Quick! Baker, bake me a new thread!
Bake it with incest and NTR!

>>21941130
would
>>21941144
wouldn't

The thread has reached 96 hours, 4 full days.

>>21941183
Impressive.
Very nice.
Now let's see the next thread's time.

>>21941183
Balls

THIS IS THE END
OF ETERNIIIIITY

Are they trying to play secret hitler?

>>21941353
Oops, wrong thread...

>>21941355
delete this post too you limey bastard