/lit/ - Literature

Partway into "Black and White" by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge, this unusual take on the superhero genre. Each author writes one of the protagonists, I think, which makes for a refreshing read and helps with keeping the characters' voices distinct.

It's set in Chicago (New Chicago, rebuilt after a natural disaster in an alternate-timeline present day) in the 2100s. Jet is this superheroine with shadow powers that are gradually driving her insane, because access and control over the shadows doesn't do you a ton of favors other than being incredibly powerful, and she's one of the city's mascot superheroes. However, rather than the city, she works for this monolithic multinational group called "CorpCo," which is less than aboveboard with its dealings. She means well, loving helping the public and defending justice, and also wants to bang her new assistant. Her former best friend, the other protagonist Iridium, is a light power who defected from the superhero academy and became a villainess who runs the South Side's criminal underground. Robin Hood type, robbing the rich and other criminals, CorpCo holdouts, and corrupt officials and using the money to finance awareness of political corruption and maintain the underfunded ghetto she controls.

It's massing up for some crazy shit to go down, and I want them to both be master criminals together to bring down The Man™ and for Jet to finally screw her hot new assistant. Pls. Just do it Jet

>>8438837
Do not bully Akka

He's a good boy who did nothing wrong.

Dunyain scum must be removed.

Do you guys know anything about Grace of Kings by Ken Liu? Any good?

Question about genre: How much Sci-fi must be present for a book to actually be sci-fi?
For example, i understand that Starship Troopers and War of the Worlds as sci-fi, however, would it be sci-fi if a book dealed with, say, alien abductions, if the focus is the search for the missing people (which is quite mundane) and the author never gives an actual evidence that aliens were involved, instead only giving hints in the form of expeculation made by the characters (which might as well happen in our world)?
I mean, the talk about aliens might me all over the place, but does that make it sci-fi or would it just be mistery fiction toying with the reader and pretending to be sci-fi (maybe to cause surprise later)?

>>8439128
Read pic related. A modern scifi mixed with fantasy novel (others include the iron dragon's daughter, and the cogweaver trilogy).

Read those to get a feel of how scifi blends with fantasy.
The two are interchangeable, one deals with man's progress and dependence /integration with technology.
The other deals with man's progress /conquering of a foe/ideal etc, and his dependence/integration with mysticism and faith in a higher power.

If you can't tell the difference afterwards... I can't help you.

>>8439128
sci-fi is a story/narrative that either directly involves or is set within a world possessing scientific principles/technology/research/theory that currently does not exist

if you're asking for how to differentiate from fantasy, it's the same thing except fantasy doesn't blame science for its fictional elements but instead /magic/ or something similar

>>8438835
300 pages into Seveneves, I'm enjoying it a lot more than expected. I guess it's fresh to have basically contemporary sci fi, as I've been used to reading space operas that deal with interstellar or even intergalactic human societies and technologies. I guess that makes Seveneves and their characters a lot more relatable.

But holy shit people weren't exaggerating when they said that the book has a huge SJW vibe. It's not about most major characters being women - that much actually makes sense in the context of the story.

It's more stuff like a female character has a thought like "did he just interrupt me (the president) because I'm a woman???" or "that guy only became the leader because he's a man" or "strong kyke puts rich white guy into completely helpess submission hold". This kind of stuff happens literally every tenth or twentieth page or so.

Meanwhile, no character goes into any of the other social issues that we still have, or even larger issues of humanity as a whole (political, whatever). All the focus is on women-stuff and sexism in a time and place where the characters should care the absolute least about it (end of the world scenario).

And maybe it's just me, but as an actual STEM girl I feel a bit patronized.

It's just very obvious that the author has a huge bias going on and it's extremely distracting from an otherwise (imo) very good novel.

>>8439120
Excellent, read it at once.

Salaam /sffg/. What are some sci-fi and fantasy books influenced by Islam and Islamic culture? I've already read and enjoyed Dune btw.

Peace be upon you.

Just ordered Shades of Grey by Fforde on top of something else on Amazon to get free shipping

What am I in for?

>>8439720
Throne of the Crescent moon

Inshallah

>>8439725
>reading Fifty Shades of Grey unironically
TOPLEL, also, not \sffg\.

>>8439751
Anon...

>>8439720
Salaam mate. There's a bit of Islamism in Hyperion (and Fall of Hyperion), one character is a Muslim and his story involves a brief badass Islamic exploit.

>>8438835
lord of light was real good

>>8439128
>Question about genre: How much Sci-fi must be present for a book to actually be sci-fi?
Zero science is sufficient, so long as you have spaceships. Just look at Star Wars: not one scientific concept or what if scenario yet the entire world recognises it as sci-fi...
>>8439215
>Out of the Dark
Proper sci-fi despite the genre mash that happens in the middle and overtakes everything leading to a big deus ex machina. Essentially, it explores the clash between humanity and a technological race with a different social structure. Worth reading even if it gets derailed with no foreshadowing.

>iron dragon's daughter
>sci-fi
Hell no. It has magitek but it lacks proper sci-fi. And it has a terrible genre shift 100 pages in that will make you curse the author to an early grave. If you're going to read sci-f from Swanwick, try the Darger & Surplus series. Even the short stories have more sci-fi than the Iron Dragon's Daughter.

>>8439891
What'S the genre shit? I dropped the book 90 pages in heh

>>8439720
There's a classic science fiction novel called 'La Planète des Singes' that deals with a very Muslim-like race of beings which is discovered on another planet.

Hello anons, help me build this list?

Fantasy:
Chinese: Grace of Kings by Ken Liu
Islamic: Throne of the Crescent Moon

Science fiction:
Chinese: Three Body Problem
Islamic: Dune

>>8439908
Kek I'm repeating myself here but Hyperion also focuses a lot on Catholicism. (for sci-fi)

>>8439128
>possible alien abduction set on modern earth
sounds more like a horror/thriller blend

>>8439895
For Out of the Dark it moves from sci-fi alien encounter to fantasy horror.
For Iron Dragon's Daughter it ends up being the lewd exploits of an angsty and bitchy vamp (in all sense of the term) cunt. I don't know what genre it is called but I'd love to find out so that I can blacklist it.

>>8439912
I'd mark it for socioreligious observations in general. The biggest focus was on the Shrike and Templar cults.

Fehdman Kassad and his erotic lovecraftian encounter with a time traveling babe has to be one of the craziest things I've read in scifi.

>>8439918
>For Iron Dragon's Daughter it ends up being the lewd exploits of an angsty and bitchy vamp (in all sense of the term) cunt.
That actually sounds more interesting than the beginning of the novel though... I wanted a little girl protagonist encountering lewd situations, but I didn't get that nor was the plot engaging in any way.

>>8439923
The Shrike is indeed the object of the novel, but I'd argue he certainly fills a prophetic role in the story.

Kassad's chapters were all excellent. The entire encounter from his hospital ship being attacked and fighting the Ousters in zero-g is incredible. Some of the most intense fiction I've ever read. Although if you're bringing up Lovecraft then I'd refer more to the first chapter with the priests and the cruciform.

fugg I just love Hyperion

>>8439929
For me it was the opposite: beginning promised exciting tale of revolution against elf-scum with magitek dragon bombers in an ovetroped dark fantasy world. There's passengers for every train, keep reading and see if you like the other part.

>>8439996
I have so much other stuff to read in my backlog, if an author doesn't click with me 50-100 pages in I usually don't bother nowadays. It's not like I bought the book.

i just finished do androids dream of electric sheep by philip k. dick and i enjoyed it even though it seemed very abstract. should i continue reading his works or explore other authors? i've heard really great things about gibson's neuromancer and how it's supposedly "cyberpunk," can someone explain the difference between a non-cyberpunk sci-fi like electric sheep and cyberpunk sci-fi like neuromancer?

>>8439616
Neal Stephenson is not a good writer. Cryptonomicon has basically the same stuff except it's a computer nerd showing up the jocks who think the information superhighway is actually a highway.

Reamde is pretty much the same too. Who wills stop the international terrorists? A bunch of World of Warcraft programmers of course! and a Spetsnaz guy because presumably Stephenson read a Cracked.com article about the Spetsnaz.

Ayoo Hol up /sffg/. What are some sci-fi and fantasy books influenced by Portugal and Portuguese culture? I've already read and enjoyed The Alchemist btw.

Smacks lips

>>8440029
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberpunk

Also Dick is way better than anything Gibson. Check out at least Ubik and A Scanner Darkly by Dick eventually.

>>8439923
The Moneta sex scenes are fucking hot desu

>>8440043
i'm just confused because it seems like electric sheep meets most of the criteria required for it to be considered cyberpunk, but it probably only appears that way to me because i don't have a lot of experience with the genre.

Just finished the last one and I d have to say these books a super comfy. A bit of cloak and dagger, a bit of politics, a bit of magic - can recommend them for some cold November nights.

>>8440044
Yeah but she transformed into the Shrike. Instant boner killer, literally and figuratively.

>>8440044
Speaking of /sffg/ sex scenes, what would people say has the most frequent ones while the rest of the book has at least average and not terrible writing? Everyone always only mentions the GRI ones, I'm fine with almost anything.

>>8440056
Indeed, I buy them for my mother.

>>8439720
The Years of Rice and Salt.


It's pretty awful tho

>>8440120
What makes it bad?

>>8440036
The Alchemist may as well be one of 10 worst novels of the century, this general has reached new lows.

What does /sffg/ think of "Wargods own"?

Are there any more fantasy books where the gods directly interact with us puny humans and grant us blessings?

>>8440055
Cyberpunk usually involves things like cyborgs, virtual reality, hackers, fighting against the system/the man from the perspective of relative lowlives, in a heavily technologised world. Some of Dick's novels definitely had an influence on cyberpunk but they exist just outside it.

What's the wildest fantasy battle you've ever read?

>>8439720
The Dune series or just the first book? Because it turns out there are other muslims beside the Fremen.

>>8440216

>somehow all the different characters look exactly the same

bravo tumblr .

>>8440131
I thought it was quite good.

I think some people around here don't like it because it is very non-autistic, if that even means anything.

Just finished Red Rising #1.

Why'd they make my two favorite character's deaths inconsequential? I thought Titus had so much potential as a character. At least Pax died like a badass.

>>8440073
That's kind of the point. Kudos to Simmons for being able to manipulate your fucking biology through mere words

Well lads I just submitted my first short story to a magazine. Good way to get distance between the first draft of my novel and the first readthrough/second draft.

>>8440251
I've only read Dune and Dune Messiah.

>>8440297
Wow, someone actually liked and emphatised with the characters in that book. Felt too YA and a bit cliche for that to me. Also, the death of Pax will be constantly reminded to you in the sequels. It wasn't inconsequential in the way that it continued to annoy me.

That said, the trilogy was an okay ride, despite the on-cue plot twists and the Gary Stu and muh wife's memory.

For a better colourtocratic dystopia check out Shades of Grey.

>>8439908
the latest guy gavriel kay novels are based on ancient china

>>8439908
Estonian fantasy: The Man Who Spoke Snakish
No translated science fiction I can name though.

>>8440501
Those are probably the best books in the series, but in book 5 you'll get a deeper introduction to another zensunni faction.

>>8439128
Going off of this, what would be the difference between scifi and speculative fiction? Would a published prefer speculative fiction be submitted to their scifi department?

>>8439128
Speculative fiction is a more appropriate label than sci-fi, after the success of Star Wars and Star Trek. Now, the meaning of the label is reduced, so whatever is sci-fi has to contain a narrow set of conventions, in order to satisfy readers who have equally narrow tastes.

The stress is on future technology and/or space. Theodore Sturgeon would hardly be considered now, with his tales of magic jewels, and telepathic orphans.

>>8440855
speculative fiction is, for now, a label with broader scope and less baggage

>>8440855
Speculative Fiction is a more broader term IIRC that encompasses pretty much all fantasy, scifi, urban fantasy, historic fiction, supernatural horror, etc.

However the term is also used by authors who are writing something a bit different from the usual wizards and spaceships, since magical realism/slipstream stuff is less common and relatively unknown, and perhaps want to put their stuff in a more literary light.

>>8440855
speculative fiction is to sci-fi what trekkers are to trekkies

>>8440190
Trudi Canavan's Age of Five is all about gods fucking around with humans

She's not a brilliant writer but I enjoy her for fun adventure books

>>8440190
Tad William's Shadowmarch series, kinda. Gods haven't been seen for a long time (at least a thousand years) but they are still very much real. Mostly all you see are a few demigods and other relatives of them.

Oof.

>>8440073
truly a wtf am i reading moment

I read 'Uprooted' thanks to the previous thread and it's this cute, light romantic fairy tale with comedic moments.

Every time the guy calling himself/called the Dragon appears it's quite hilarious because he's supposed to be this nigh undefeatable immortal wizard that everyone's scared of, but he's also the very stereotypical male tsundere (and constantly stuck in tsun tsun mode to boot - think high school anime) and spends the entire book flustered over the female protagonist and maintains that it's n-not because I like you b-baka (in quite the literal manner because idiot is one of his favourite words.)

>What are you doing, you idiot?
>“Of course I’m keeping you out of the way, you idiot.”
>Don’t you dare waste my time, you outrageous idiot

>>8439908
Depends what the theme is here. China is a place and Islam is a religion.

>>8441496
>Dragon is cute male tsundere
Jesus this is accurate. Also I hope the author writes more like it.

>>8441519
He had quite the sweet - dere dere - side too which was quite humorous during the plot shenanigans.

It's quite different in both tone and prose from Jemisin who quite clearly loves tragedy and suffering intermingled with 2deep4u.

>interesting chapter sets up a load of stuff
>next chapter opens with TWO YEARS LATER
Fuck you Sherwood Smith

>>8441641
>next chapter opens with TWO YEARS LATER
That's how it feels to be cucked by a book.

This guy sucks at writing but somehow I'm addicted.

>>8441657
I like the sub-plot in the newer books about the B-Team diplomats. Reminds me of the old "Retief of the CDT" series by Keith Laumer.

>>8438835
River of Gods was aite

>>8439912
>>8439923
Calling Hyperion and its sequel 'Islamic' or having notable Islamic content seems a little misleading to me. I don't remember it really well but Kassad didn't really seem to be religious.

It did have a lot of Bible and Judaism stuff because of that one dude (Rachel's father) and his entire question about giving Rachel up and its parallels to Abraham and his sons

>>8441700
It's really fucking strange that Simmons went from a pretty good depiction of a Muslim character in Hyperion, to a "RAGH! MUSLIMS!" meltdown with Ilium/Olympos.

>>8441718
t's really fucking strange that Simmons went from a pretty good depiction of a Christian character in Hyperion, to a "THE POPE IS EVVVVVVUUUULLLLLLZ!" meltdown with Endymion.

I'm curious if there's any books like a higher-brow version of the Mass Effect atmosphere that you guys can recommend. Something focused more on conspiracies, corrupt corporatism, economics, drama, science horror, etc. but within that futuristic outer space setting.
I have yet to read Dune, but I presume it touches upon this.

>>8441759
I'd be interested in this too

>>8441759
>>8441765
Pandora's Star + Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton is the closest I've gotten to it. cool universe but it suffers from (in my opinion) too many POV characters so it takes a while to grab you.

>>8441795
Thanks.

>>8440032
>That part in Cryptonomicon where its that one guy's protracted account of his pantyhose fetish

>>8440120
>awful
Its one of the few works of alternate history not marred by Great Man fallacies or "If only X won the Y war" lost cause wank.

>>8441759
Not *exactly* what you're askkng for, but Mass Effect is heavily based on Revelation Space

Reading the third book of WoT, and I have to say I'm getting really tired of Jordan spending paragraphs describing the appearances and backstories of characters who were already introduced in the previous books. Does he keep doing that throughout the rest of series?

>>8441810
>or "If only X won the Y war" lost cause wank.

"What if Hitler was a gay black woman who traveled back in time to lead the CSA to victory?" -by Harry Turtledove, introduction by S.M. Sterling

How is The Emperor's Blades?

>>8441863
First two books are pretty enjoyable.

Third book feels extremely rushed and nothing ends satisfyingly. Basically a mistake from start to finish.

That said, I really enjoyed the first two books, which is why I'm so salty over the ending.

Can a Novel be done in third-person Limited and Omniscient?

>>8441863

Narrative dropped the f-bomb. Gave up. The f word is rude whether or not it's used in context xp, the author's treatment of the female characters in the novel left many things to be desired
I literally do not give a shit about the average male main character, especially when the women are ill-used in the narrative in general.
I disliked the objectification of women in this book. Every female in these pages is either a soldier or a prostitute, and is only there to serve the purposes of the men-characters in the plot. I have nothing against female soldiers, but those portrayed in this book are cookie-cutter, G.I. Jane types, which is not fair to the real women who serve in the Armed Forces.

I hoped this objectification would be different for Adaire, the princess and the only non-soldier/non-prostite female character, but even she ends up in some man's bed by the end. While the sexual content is not graphic, it is frequent and degrading from a female's perspective

>>8441871

Cool, I'll give it a try, especially after >>8441875 's review

>>8441878
You should also try the reviews on goodreads

>>8441878
Additionally, it's apparently as good as Brandon Sanderson and Patrick Rothfuss.

>>8441875
>Talking shit about best girl Ha Lin

I will end you

>>8441887
Isn't that book edgy YA trash though?

>>8441891
Not particularly.

>>8441812
I've seen the similarities, but is that statement based in fact at all?

>>8441718
>>8441721
Maybe he had a midlife crisis that converted him into an edgy New Atheist?

>>8441882
>>8441875
That gets me pretty excited. Gonna move up the book in my backlog!

started writing a "story" in my head while sitting on the toilet.

It was about a guy in first person narrating his visit to an abandoned keep on the edge of civilization. There weren't any ghosts or skeletons or monsters, just him exploring a pleasant ruin by himself.

It was kinda relaxing, I could almost feel that sort of "sun on your skin but it's really windy" sensation.

Dunno if I should try writing some of it, the first person was kinda erratic so I'll probably mess up what was in my head (which will fade away anyway). Anyone interested in a non-story about some guy poking around an old-ass structure?

>>8441969
Am I being baited?

Any recommendations for an enjoyable space opera series with decent prose? Been in the mood for spaceships and alien planets, but from someone who is actually talented.

>>8442028
The Golden Age, Wright

I wish to write a a novel that is both Third person Omniscient and third-person limited is it possible?

>>8440297
So you like big guys?

>>8442028
Book of the Short Sun by Gene Wolfe
>>8442035
He's fun and talented, but the prose part is an overstatement.

>>8441872
Yeah, just make God a pov charecter

>>8441912
Yes

>>8442028

Startide Rising by David Brin if you're looking for something not too serious.

A Deepness In The Sky by Vernor Vinge if you're looking for something with a bit more attention span.

Or, if you're looking for enjoyable pap, Bypass Gemini by Joseph Lallo.

>>8442255

By mimesis it is possible, where a third person narrator mimics the thoughts and feelings of a character. e.g. 'John looked at the clock. He was tired. I need a cup of coffee, he thought.'

If you do it too much it feels clunky, like Frank Herbert in Dune, where he reveals the inner thoughts of every character multiple times per page.

>>8441700
Yeah but out of everything I've read only Hyperion covered Islamic shit. Also the more people who read it the better IMHO.

>>8441853
Look cunt, when you said you were starting that shitfest week before the last, we told you not to, you said you will anyway.

We then told you not to come and fucking complain about it.... if we see you doing this shit next thread gonna start reporting your ass.

We told you, you didn't listen, so what you are posting should be considered spam.

>>8441875
>btw I'm a grill
Fishing on 4chan? You should know better by now.

started this yesterday and it alreayd seems better than WoK

>>8441797
>>8441795
>>8441765
Should also note that the Void trilogy is in the same universe, just 1000 years later. Extremely interesting to see how the society looks like extrapolated from the standpoint in the earlier books. There's a third series in the same universe, Chronicles of the Fallers, but the second book of it only comes out this september.

>>8442616
>It's the newfag sluts himself out with spread asscheeks for hours old obvious bait episode

started writing a "head" in my toilet while sitting on the toilet.

It was about a ghost in first person narrating his visit to an abandoned skeleton on the edge of ruin. There weren't any guys or keeps or civilizations, just him exploring a pleasant monster by himself.

It was kinda relaxing, I could almost feel that sort of "skin on your sensation but it's really windy" sun.

Dunno if I should try writing some of it, the first person was kinda erratic so I'll probably mess up what was in my structure (which will fade away anyway). Anyone interested in a non-story about some head poking around an old-guy ass?

Does anyone here actually read Bakker? the most intellectual and deep modern author...yet nobody discusses his work...all I see is "gay rape incest' memes and people circlejerking about prose. This place is literally lebbit tier. I can go to r fantasy right now and discuss exactly the same things as here

>>8442275
Any devs actually said so?

>guns of empire
>marcus drops some info on the queen
>put two and two together
winter is his sister right?

Just spoil me senpai I already know it, I can feel it in my bones(or maybe that's just the flu and fatigue).

Imagine if Wexler pulls a bakker, and reveals all this after marcus fucks her... but seeing that he don't describe the sex scenes i doubt this would happen.

>>8442837
That spam anon's ban is up guys, and it seems that he hasn't learnt anything.

Looks like he has to receive another 30days....

>>8442953
Then go back to redshit fag, no one wants you here.

If you used to live in the general, you would know that when the lastest book was released the general was taken up with nothing but bakker.

The cunts didn't want to make a thread to discuss it. We don't want that again.

>>8442597
What are you ranting about, it's the first time I've posted about WoT

>>8442597
>>8442991
>>8443026
Take your meds.

>>8443037
yes WoT is bad

yes it will get much more tedious, the beginning is considered the best part

yes you should drop it

that should answer all your questions

>>8443046
What about my actual question though, namely providing pointless introductions for old characters and concepts?

>>8443051
see answer 2

>>8439720
2084 by Boualem Sansal
Don't know if it's been translated yet though, it's a french novel

>>8442987
Why would Winter fuck Marcus? She's a dyed-in-the-wool lesbian.

My friend thinks she's his sister too, just from Conservation Of Plot Relevant Characters, but neither of us could be bothered to figure out the timeline. Winter was at Mrs. Wilmore's since she was five, which was fifteen years ago? Ellie was like four or five when Marcus's family died? I can't remember how long it's been since Marcus's family died though. It would also be very Wexler-esque humor if the only reason Marcus hasn't realized "wow Winter looks like my sister might if my sister were alive" because of the running gag that Marcus is the only one who still thinks Winter is a man.

Assuming the timeline works up, the only argument against it is that Marcus has dark hair and Winter has fair hair.

Has anyone found NK Jemisin's DBZ fanfiction?

Hi team, now I really hate to advertise myself but if somebody could read the first short (~1300 words) chapter of my potential little updating web-series I would appreciate it a lot! In return, I'll happily read anything anyone else posts here too. Let's get some /oc/ juices flowing.

It's 1000 year+ sci-fi set in the solar system.
hungarianshovelware.
blogspot.
co.uk
/2016/08/1-one.html

There's another few chapters there too, as well as some shorter stuff.

Anything similar like the original dragonlance trilogy?

I want some adventure

I just finished this.

It was so stupid.

Thanks reddit.

>>8443536
Can you please elaborate on why it's bad? I was thinking of buying it.

>>8443652
The entire book is about """funny""" banter, which isn't really funny. Writing is tedious, plot is bad, characters are uninspired.

>>8443652

You know that fat Juggalo kid that was obsessed with mafia movies and thought he was really bad ass?

He wrote a back story for his D&D character.

>>8443675
Your description cracked me up anon

>>8442028
Culture is space opera by an excellent prose writer

Help me /lit/.

Here's what I need. Fantasy with a villain, power hungry protagonist. Well, not necessarily power hungry, but someone who has long term goals and plans instead of just being a rough mercenary which is what most "villain" protagonist books have.

I'd prefer magic-person to sword person and I'd rather the villainy be a result of selfishness rather than dark past. (though this two are not that important. The latter is more than the former though.)

Prince of thorns and first law kinda scratch the itch, but barely.
Any recommendations for that?

I just finished pic related 15 minutes ago. As far as the characters are concerned, they're at least 3 dimensional and have their own wants and desires that make sense. The actions they take in the book also make sense given their position. The magic in the book, although very tame, is quite original I enjoyed reading about it. I thought it would be shit but it was at least somewhat enjoyable.

One of my biggest qualms with the book however is that the plot moves really, really slowly. I also got fed up with reading "took a pose of x" every couple of sentences. has anyone read the rest of the quartet ?

>>8443688
Heroes Die (Acts of Caine)

>>8442028
Well what have you read?

This is why websites like goodreads while shit for reviews are useful for recommending people new stuff

>>8443652
I'ts pretty good if you're not a sad prick who's grumpy at everything.

>>8443773
It's pretty good if you can reduce your brain activity to that of a 4 year old child to enjoy badly written trash, yeah.

>think /lit/ threads on science fiction are genre shit one step above YA
>make post about my favourite mockingbird which i read twice
>no one acknowledges me
>end up thinking I'm the pleb

This series.

Y'all niggers better witness.

>>8443817
overhyped shit

>>8443799

>bug off robot!

That's an amazing SF book. The prison escape and following journey were a high point.

>>8443785
Sometimes it's pretty comfy to do that. Although honestly, Lies of Locke Lamora is way above the level of a 4 year old child. You're just being mean. Did that book give you a paper cut or something?
I'm not praising the book as the pinnacle of low-fantasy con-stories in an urban setting. I'm just saying that it was overall an interesting book, even though there were some parts about it I didn't like. And the person thinking to buy it might come to enjoy reading it. Why not let him decide.
Also, I advocate pirating books, or getting them from your local library.

>>8443109
>because of the running gag that Marcus is the only one who still thinks Winter is a man.
That saw her in girls clothing you mean.

A lot of those other commanders and the staff ranks would ignore her because "vaginas have no place on a battlefield but for fucking".

>>8443827
My favorite part out of it all has to be when he is on the the thought bus. So comfy. I kinda want to read it again just for that part.

>>8443828
not what low fantasy means reeeeeee

>>8443696
It's even more slow and plodding

The magician guy is the authors punching bag and nothing good ever happens

>>8443688
Coldfire Trilogy
There are others but I can't recall atm.

>>8443536
We've warned you about Reddit recommendations multiple times, you should've listened.

What's a good way to express this feeling that I want to add in books from my to be read pile to Goodreads?

>>8444099
I do not understand.

>>8443799
Good book. Spofforth's yearning for death and the accidental apocalypse caused by bureaucracy were highlights for me.

>>8443828
I'm a separate anon: Lies of Locke Lamora was terrible, one of the worst books I've ever read.

>it's a /lit/ turns on a book because it's both acclaimed and popular episode

>>8444116
>HA!
>I'll post it again
Get some better material.

>>8443951
Why do you keep posting this bait?

>>8444304
Hi troll chan, you were missing the past couple threads. Is everything okay?

>>8443951
Vryce isn't power hungry though.

>>8444304
Every day until you like it

>>8444571

>prince has gay sex with a girl out of nowhere
Now inda's picking up

>>8444601
Uh.
If the prince is male and the girl and a girl then how can that sex be gay?

>>8444617
Because she's pretending to be a boy

>>8443696
Am I the only one who found Abraham's pace to be completely and utterly fine but find Wolfe to be quite slow?

I did it /sffg/. After reading an hour or two every night for about 9 weeks, I finally managed to reread Wheel of Time in its entirety.

I haven't read all the books in a row since the last one came out.

>>8444725
An hero when?

>>8444737
Nearly did it half way through book 14. I just didn't need 800 pages of battle scenes in my life.

the magic is gone from my life /sffg/ I need something conceptually unique, viscerally beautiful and highly mythological to bring me and my writing back to comfort. Any ideas?

>>8442991
The fuck are you talking about retard?

>>8442953
Sure, lets discuss Bakker, I have made a strawpoll to kick off discussion

http://www.strawpoll.me/11096577

>>8444741
>800 pages of battle scenes

>>8443688
Robin Hobb's Liveship trilogy

>>8444753
If you lurked you would know what he talking about. There was some anon who used to repost every long post and switch the words around.... like every long discussion...

I thought he just got bored and left, but if that anon is right it looks like he was banned.

>>8443696
>has anyone read the rest of the quartet ?
Yeah, I thought the whole thing was pretty average. I was also a bit annoyed that he thought up a really cool and unique idea for a magic system and then barely explored it.

>>8444758
>only gives 2 choices
>doesn't give a "who" answer
Shows you never did information gathering.

I'm paid to advertise here. Just a heads up.

>>8444768
Oh okay. Well that one was me, just messing around with that guy's post for my own amusement because nobody replied to it.

>>8444774
It's because it's only out of those two.

>>8444771
>barely explored it.
Oh he explored it, it's just that we didn't get to see it in action.

I read all 4 books thinking that "the next one" will have some crazy fight. Never came though.
That is why I dropped dagger and coin, the most magic we saw was from a demon in a parade march throwing sparks in the air.

No wonder GURM gave Abraham high praise, he writes magical fantasy WITHOUT ANY FUCKING MAGIC, just like that fat walking heart attack, who doesn't have mel and the faceless men show us more tricks.
Also
>tfw qt barren gf who I can just fill up with cum and never be afraid of impreggersing because she was made seedless
Why live?

>>8444748
The Magicians. Specifically, the second book. The first book is good, but the second book is beautiful. Skip book three.

>>8444776
Who do you work for?
Bakker?

>>8444765
Is that damn Honor Harrington movie ever going to come out?

>>8444289
What a good argument that Lies of Locke Lamora isn't crap, thanks for your contribution to the thread.

>>8444776
Does the federal fair rights advertising commission require you to announce that before you start to shill?

>>8444810
Just fed up of you posting the same screen cap every time.
Get new material.

>>8444834
Either put up an argument why LoLL isn't crap or shut up.

>>8444845
So you, someone who hasn't read the books, can have more material to pretend as if you actually did?
Lel no thanks

>>8444864
I have indeed read the first book, much to my regret. I'm not such a masochist as to have kept reading the series after the debacle of shit that was the first book.

>>8443686
Banks's prose is delightfully functional and serves well to entertain, but he's hardly the prose writer that Wolfe and Le Guin are.

>>8444799
I said unique, not a harry potter fanfic

>>8444725

Can you summarize the story for me in a concise, clear way that communicates the main points?

>>8444948
Book two is Voyage of the Dawn Treader fanfiction.

>>8443817
Top tier character writing. Too bad the story itself gets way too autistic after book 3 or 4.

I found this short story compendium "Wizards" (notably featuring Neil Gaiman) and in it was a wildly good short story called "The Manticore Spell" by Jeffrey Ford. The collection in general, I think, is unremarkable (Neil Gaiman's inclusion is a single chapter from another book he wrote, so it's not special), but this particular short story was just wild fun. If I had to summarize it, it's like 6 pages of schizophrenia. I won't recommend it because I have no taste to tell what should be recommended, but I certainly adore it.

I was feeling pretty glum, because none of my local libraries tend to have what I'm looking for, and I'm too poor to order books online, and all the fantasy books I have on me are scattered without chronology, like Book 3 of the Sovereign Stone Trilogy with no book 1 or 2 in sight, but this one short story is really encouraging me to simply find ebooks and read on a computer. It's that inspiring to me, because now I'm hungering for such wild inventiveness. I honestly had forgotten how wild and plain fun fantasy can be until I read that.

>reading The Silmarillion, specifically, Quenta Silmarillion
>last chapter, after Turin said fuck it all and that other guy died
>the Valar had been sucking their own dicks for maybe centuries while the elves and the men were trying to defeat Morgoth and failing miserably
>Earendil gets to their land
>"Welp, pretty much everyone worth a shit already died, might as well step in!"
>the Valar proceed to steam-roll Morgoth and his army in a couple of pages

You know, i generally liked the book, but that was pretty damn anti-climatic.

>>8444954
Google sparknotes ot it's fantasy equivalent.

>Its a "Sanderson doesn't realize that magically reducing your weight doesn't make you fall slower" chapter

>>8440297
You see, Titus had an even harder upbringing than Darrow, who had it relatively easy, having to watch his wife be repeatedly raped while darrow only had a few moments of suffering as a Red
Titus was too clouded by pure rage to be what he needed to be, I'm surprised you hoped for more from him after the shit he pulled

Are you guys getting hyped and excited for the next novel by Bakker already?

Finished Guards!Guards! and it was a really enjoyable ride, much more immediately funny than Small Gods probably because Prattchet wasn't as concerned trying to make a point in this one and focused a bit more on funny situations.

The Brethren were absolutely hilarious on pretty much every appearance they had. Only sort of criticism I have is that it was sorta easy to figure out who the Supreme Grand Master was because he was the only other character besides the protagonists to be singled out and given a backstory, akin to Chekov's Gun but in the form of a character and also that the time traveling of the Librarian was somewhat uneventful.

From what I understood the point Prattchet was trying to make here was about the general apathy of mankind towards their own and their ability to ignore and accept horrible situations as long as they are not immediately affected by them.

Overall pretty good, now I know why it's so frequently recommended as a starting point for the series. Think I will follow up my Discworld reading with Mort to get a taste of the Death books that most seem to love.

Legitimate question - why do so many new fantasy books have a negro main character?

Do they think black people read?

>>8445133
tried the audiobook and couldn't make it an hour. Blood Song was one of the best fantasy coming of age novels I've read...and I like to think the story just ends there. book two introduced extreme Mary Sue (even making the Mary Sue MC look bad) lesbian Joan of Arc character and it just kept getting worse.

>>8445133
It annoys me when authors have a black race in their world, but they give them green eyes or blue hair or something, just so they're not just simply black people.

>>8445047
you are an idiot.

>>8444954
>concise

Uhhh... not really. Not without doing a great disservice to the books.

Basically Rand al'Thor is prophesised to die in the process of saving the world, but first he has to unite mankind beneath his banner because they sure as shit wouldn't march off to the Last Battle if he wasn't actively making them cooperate. He spends much of the series coming to terms with his fate, uniting men who hate one another, and being hunted not only by minions of evil, but also by other forces who are ostensibly the good guys but would only want to use him for their own gain. Over the course of the books Rand becomes increasingly insane and dangerous until he comes within the nth degree of snapping and (literally) destroying the planet. Lots of people don't like Rand but he is actually my favourite character. He is placed under enormous pressure and is haunted at every turn by his bad decisions.

His friends Mat and Perrin help him out best they can, each leading their own story lines. Perrin agonises over his ability to speak with wolves and is compelled by duty to help Rand in the things that the man himself cannot do. Mat expends lots of energy trying to keep away from Rand and just generally is the most fun character in the whole series.

Egwene is a hypocritical cunt from page one and it is immensely funny to see Rand finally decide that the only way to deal with her is to use reverse psychology that she isn't smart enough to see the truth of.

Nynaeve and Elayne have some of the most satisfying character development.

Basically:

Rand = duty and suffering, also being OP
Perrin = duty and deep (not deep to anyone smarter than him) questions
Mat = Shenanigans and sleeping with queens
Egwene = taking people down a few rungs just because she thinks everyone always needs to come down a few rungs
Nynaeve = overcoming her limitations and becoming a better person for it, also braid tugging

>>8445160
Changing your mass only changes the end impact energy. Gravity, the downward force, remains constant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mCC-68LyZM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZs9rve5LdY

>>8445157
Holy fuck, this. Motherfucker in The Waking Fire has blue eyes. What the fuck is that?

>>8445246
Finally somebody who also appreciates Nynaeve. One of my favorite characters in the entire series. Probably second just below Mat, but that goes without saying really cause everybody loves Mat.

>>8445314
Black people can have blue eyes, although it is very rare

>>8444801
Baxter and/or Bakker.

>>8445316
I enjoyed Mat more this time than in other attempts to read the book. I think I just finally understood him better - he swears up and down that all he wants is to stay clear of all the trouble but no matter what he is fucking there in the thick of it. Mat is best summed up in the battle for Cairhien when he kills Couladin and forms the Band despite the fact that he had been trying to spend the whole battle riding away.

Nynaeve is good for me because she doesn't give up on Rand even when he balefires Natrin's Barrow. Egwene gives him up immediately and thereafter assumes the worst, Perrin is preoccupied by Faile and the wolves and becoming a leader, and Mat spends 70% of the books as far away as he can get from Rand. But it's fucking Nynaeve who is the first to recognise that he's just doing what he has to and that he really is a king, no matter that she doled out punishment to him as a boy and she is the only Aes Sedai in the whole series who doesn't want a single thing from him except to keep him happy and healthy.

Would there be any interest in composing a fantasy series in an artificial language native to the world of the series?

>>8445383
And how the fuck would I read that without first learning the language?

>>8445392
It could exist alongside English translations or be accompanied by a linguistic primer. I feel like language isn't treated seriously enough in fantasy, and conlanging is pointless without serious composition.

>>8445383
I guess if you wanted to annoy everyone, yeah.

>>8445383
>>8445395

You can just read fantasy from a different country in the language it was written in. If the language is in a different language group that you're used to, like Finno-Ugric for example, it will be like a fantasy language to you, for all intents and purposes. Saves the hassle of creating a new language. It almost seems as if you are the one not taking language seriously, by ignoring the plethora of tongues developed by mankind.

>>8445424
This isn't a good argument because it could be applied to discredit any sort of unworldly fantasy setting. Again, language is generally taken to be an exception: everything gets to be 'made up' except the very medium the story is told in, which is the most important part.

>>8445431
>everything gets to be 'made up' except the very medium the story is told in,

Well that's bullshit.

It's commonly accepted that fantasy stories are "translated" into English but the actual language of the worlds and characters is fantastical.

>>8445108
You should read Mort, but it's relatively weak. Reaper Man is the real death book.

>>8445383

You should care more about the story than making up a language to write it in.

>>8445640
This, every time.

>>8445640
It doesn't help so many constructed languages are godawful lacking in anything resembling a soul.

>>8445660

It doesn't really matter though. You'll love the book for its characters and plot not its consonants and prefixes.

>>8443817
Steven Erikson is a hack imo.

>>8445718
Not as big of a hack as Wolfe at least

>>8445718
How so?

References in Deus Ex

>>8445752
Also this one

>>8445752
>>8445756

I wish they'd put more effort into the game's plot instead of these references.

Well that's what I've heard anyway.

>>8445772
They used all the good plot in the first Deus ex.

>>8445756

What an uncomfortable position.

>>8445798

Eh, I liked Human Revolution. The protagonist was just gritty enough to enjoy but malleable enough to get something relatable out of, the supporting cast was nice and the story let me diss people.

I also really appreciated how the "three buttons" ending had a fourth self-destruct button ending which was the completely superior choice in every way.

>>8445752
>>8445756
At least they're referencing something good
My boy Simmons represent

>>8445314
>>8445157
Black people do get blue eyes..... how old are you?

>>8445133
Blacks do read, you ever go on goodreads or facebook book groups?
Hell there are a few blacks itt atm.

Nice stereotype you have there:
>The most visible blacks gangbang, clubhop and rap about money, therefore they don't read.

>Since the most visible whites shoots up schools/marathons/cinemas, cries about their right to be able to shoot unarmed people, wants to fuck kiddies, and has sex with their mothers/sisters/cousins, I should I believe that they don't read.

I'm seeing more whites than blacks on the news doing stupid shit recently, doesn't help that right after that story they talked about education dropping in Klapistan.

>>8445772
I wish they'd fixed the gameplay instead.

>>8445611
Just from the synopsis Reaper Man seems to be the more interesting one

Why does it take me 6000 words to do what another author can do in 2000?

>>8446028
Because you're amazing, can't believe you're not published yet. Can I suck your dick please?

>>8446042
In due time senpai

>>8445752
>>8445756
I'm dumb, what is this?

>>8446059
Dumb is an understatement, considering the answer is literally in the posts you're quoting.

>>8446028

Post a sample of your writing, anon.

>>8445975
black person detected

>>8446085
Here's my opening paragraph:

>I would like also to my father or my mother, or in fact all of them, as they are on duty all the same subject, he thought what they were when they gave birth to me; they recognized consider'd much depends on what they do; -the addition to providing a rational man was worried about, but the information may not be happy with the heat of his body, perhaps his intelligence and moved his own mind; -and, for aught they knew to the contrary, even the fortunes of his house can take their time from the humours and dispositions which were higher; -to Their weight and think of all these things, and accordingly, -I am really convinced I had to do a different thing in the world, from which it may the reader to see me.

>>8446059
Hyperion by Dan Simmons

What was your favourite moment of The Great Ordeal?

http://www.strawpoll.me/11099747

>>8446230
>no Ishterebith

Shit poll

Anyone read this?

Looks pretty good, man

>>8446246
I don't think there was any GRI or otherwise weird sexual shit in Ishtenbereth, at least of what I can remmeber?

>>8445133
Kek, you probably hate Lightbringer then, seeing as how blacks are the best drafters because of their dark skin.

People even want to breed with them to get a nice tan baby to disguise drafting. Man you are probably typing up a storm in /pol/ :^)

>>8446230
So who's gonna be the new No-God?

We all no Nau-Cayuti was the last one.

Akka?
Mimara?
Cnaiur?
Cnaiur's son?
Kelhus?

>>8446272
No, I hate Weeks because he's an edgy low-rent Sanderson, who is already god-awful.

>>8446298
Maybe Kellhus's grand kid.

>>8446298
>Cnaiur?
>Cnaiur's son?
I really hope they cross paths. It seems pretty likely.

Bet Cnaiur kills him.

>>8446327
Which one?

>>8446336
The defective Dunyain kid

>>8446092
you auto-generated this using some script didn't you?

Amazon's having Kindle sales on some /sffg/, including The Martian, Red Rising, and Neverwhere.

>>8446525
>The Martian
>Neverwhere
Did you list trash titles on purpose?

>>8445268
Lashing does not primarily change his weight it creates a new gravitational pull. Two lashes of varying strength in opposite directions would make it seem like the body's mass has deceased but that is not what makes him fall slower.

>>8445347
What I realized about Nynaeve on my first read through was how much of her bitchiness early on is just bluster. It's actually kinda adorable knowing what she's really like, she puts on such a tough front.

>>8442632
>the reveal

holy shit it was hype

>>8447681
Which one?

>>8446537
Hey Pierce, how's it going?

>>8439908

Indian: River of Gods


It' also imo the best sf book of the century so far

>>8445752
>>8445756
>tfw finished Hyperion a month ago and i've no idea what's this representing, even though i liked it

>>8439616
>strong kyke puts rich white guy into completely helpess submission hold
The problem lies with you, not the harmless book. You're imagining things that aren't there, so if your minds constantly focused on SJW stuff, that's all you'll find I suppose.


The books not at all about women-stuff or sexism, it's just you anon

>but as an actual STEM girl I feel a bit patronized.

I've never seen a female call a random book character a Kike, despite the book never claiming such things, and mostly what does that have to do with anything???

It's a book about an exploding moon and people's ability to fuck everything up

>>8448324
Are you essentializing women?

>>8446259
it's not something I often pay attention to, but the goodreads reviews for this are scathing

>>8446315
>>8446272
brent weeks is one of the worst authors out there honestly.

>"in every secret theres a truth"
god thats some awful generic edgy shit

>>8448461
Ugh that sounds like something you'd hear from some dipshit who's home page is naturalnews/infowars/zerohedge.

just finished book 2 of the Prince of Nothing trilogy...yo, that last few pages took it to the next fucking level of fucked up.

>guns of empire
This shit is anime. It's one piece placed in france.
Everyone has a devil fruit, and they can't have more than one.

>>8448656
Hungry for boipussy yet?
Did bakker turn you degenerate?

>>8448656
>a whore after all

>>8448715
Django Wexler is a huge weeb (he used to do anime reviews: http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/author/django-wexler/)) so I'm not surprised.

>tfw there'll never be an anime with Saiga Mitsuki as Winter and Horikawa Ryo as Janus
>tfw Wexler probably knows that feel

>>8448721
boipussy? I thought that was the man's daughter...

You fags keep skipping on some of the best bro-tier S&S since ever.

How's that conlang coming along, anon?

How are those translated legend of galactic heroes books?

>>8447985
Huh. What did you like about it?

Is there a patriciancore list of fantasy somewhere

I've heard Gene Wolfe mentioned a bunch and I'd like more names

Start with Patrick Rothfuss, he is literally the David Foster Wallace of fantasy literature.

>>8449174
Good kindle editions when

Fuck Open Road Media

Do most of you guys use IRC when you can't find something on bookzz? Also, what is the best epub reader? I'm trying to get into Rothfuss without paying before I start.

>>8449545
>I'm trying to get into Rothfuss
Save your time.

>>8449556
Well then I guess I'll start Book of the Long Sun.

>>8449556
That only makes me want to read it more. Sounds hilariously frustrating.

>>8449375
That's probably dinocore.
Ask someone to post the dinocore chart.

After all, dinosaurs = pretentious readers, and patricians are the same.

>>8449568
If only it was on Bookzz

>>8449556

I haven't read it but isn't this series the one that actually is about an unreliable narrator? Or am I confusing with another relatively recent fantasy series? I swear I remember people talking about that as a plot point for this one.

guys i am reading Name of the Wind series, im about 80% finished with the first book and got the second. The third one isnt out yet. Should i continue reading the second one or wait for the third one to come out because i enjoyed it so far and want to have some closure.

>>8449724
You should drop it and read something actually good.

>>8449728
what do you recommend?

>>8449734
The Buried Giant

>>8449739
Hmm is it really good? From what ive read in description it didnt really looks interesting. I like epic fantasy like Blade Itself was really good. But i am open to new ideas.

>>8449755
Yeah.

>>8441872
Not for this thread but... one flew over the cuckoo's nest

best scifi listed and summarised:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GpT6ycHoMA

I read Peter Watts is writing a book in the Blindsight/Echopraxia universe about the vampire uprising.

Any of you interested in it?

>>8449810
>2 books
>no vampire uprising

>>8449230
They replicate the grammatical structure of the Japanese so faithfully that it's distracting. You'll never stop thinking "I'm reading a translation of a Japanese book." Pic related, it's a random page from the book.

Other than that, they're fine.

I never knew fantasy was more popular than science fiction until I visited this general

>>8449971
Scifi used to be more popular, but 21st century has more (good) fantasy than scifi.

>>8449980
What do you think caused the trend?

>>8450008
sci fi has been poisoned by space fantasy

>>8450008
Shift in demographic, I guess. Back then the age of the average reader was higher, and fantasy lends itself better for wish fulfillment stories and whatnot. Also most of the Scifi trend back then was pulp which has disappeared completely.

>>8443536
Compared to the sequels it's a masterpiece.

I enjoyed it, though.
The sequels really are trash
I'm probably gonna read part 4 because I'm obsessive...

>>8450128
Locke Lamora is fun trainwreck like Code Geass is a fun trainwreck.
Just don't look closely at it.

>>8449810
>>8449844
>Watt's vampire are high functioning autists with awaked genes.

If 4chan users could become vampires the beta uprising could come true.

This presentation is great by the way

http://www.rifters.com/blindsight/vampires.htm

What do you guys think of the lost fleet series? Are they good past the first book?
Is there anything similar to it? Sci-fi aimed at military culture and space fleets with battles, etc?

Is there anything very similar to The Lightbringer series?

>>8442004

Any book where people cry about racism, sexism, misogyny, violence against females, rape has a very high chance of being GOOD.

Is Starship Troopers really worth the hype? I've not read any Heinlein so I'm in the dark. The film is kind of funny and badass in an ironic way but I'm a clincher for source material.

>>8450237
Also seconding a request for stuff like this.

>>8450327
You got a hole that needs filling?
Try night angel trilogy by Brent Weeks
Warbreaker and rithmatist by Sanderson.

>>8450345

Nice art, source?

>>8450511

Read all of those, and yes

>>8450524
The first couple sffg threads.

>>8450536
Codex alera by jim butcher
Black magician by Trudi cannavan
Although those two are only loosely related to what you want, because you already read the relevant ones.

You can also try shades of grey by fforde, but it's more sci-fi than fantasy. If you liked the different colours scheme, there is also red rising by brown, which is colour caste in a sci-fi setting, like shades of grey.

>>8450524
No idea, think it is Starship Troopers though.

>>8450562

thanks

I'm looking for a specific genre of historical fantasy where its in feudal Japan but takes place where the mythology of the time actually exists. Demons and such. Are there any novels like that?

>>8450764
probably if you search for stories involving yokai you'll find something

>>8450800
>>8450800
>>8450800
>>8450800
NEW