Hate Fantasy but Love A Song of Ice and Fire?

[Anonymous No.15928546]

I'd like to get myself to read more, and George R. R. Martin keeps taking his time with publishing the 6th book. Even still, when it does get published, I have a feeling I'll be disappointed following the TV series (i.e. I expect the books won't be different enough in places that matter).

I want to get into more books in the meantime but the obvious fantasy recommendations won't work as I consider the genre to be absolute drivel. I appreciate ASOIAF for all the information therein, the mystery and the complexity, but not the fantasy tropes it attempts to subvert (something that the series kinda discredited).

I could just slowly go through all the classics I have unjustly ignored in my lifetime so far, but knowing my fondness for ASOIAF, would any reading suit me more than the other stuff?

[Anonymous No.15928581]

First of all, you sound like a pleb. To disrespect the genre of fantasy while promoting gurm is distasteful bordering on blasphemous.
There's plenty of excellent fantasy that tops asoiaf, but why not expand your literary circle?
Try edge books like Bret Easton Ellis since you seem to like that.

[Anonymous No.15928627]

>>15928581
Well, so far fantasy hasn't earned my respect. How would you say other fantasy series you cherish trump ASOIAF?

[Anonymous No.15928732]

Read The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

[Anonymous No.15928745]

>>15928546
all fantasy is trash but you are a massive faggot for liking one of the trashiest fantasy series there are
grow the fuck up you pathetic manchild

[Anonymous No.15928801]

What other fantasy literature have you read that you didn't like?

[Anonymous No.15928855]

>>15928546
I enjoyed ASoIaF even if it kind of all amounted to nothing in the end. I think it’s a much more enjoyable read than LOtR and while people alway scream that Tolkien has much more literary merit than Martin does the truth is neither were/are spectacular illuminators of the human condition so I definitely prefer the one that’s a lot more fun to read.
I did do a little research after I finished to see if there was another good fantasy series to look into but I couldn’t really find anything that interested me.

[Anonymous No.15928959]

>>15928855
You are entirely correct that the majority of the works touted as modern classics of the genre are mediocre at best. Martin is a poster boy for this rule. Now, for the fantasy recommendations:
>Guy Gavriel Kay
Historical fantasy, all his works are set on a not-Earth at various points of not-history. Almost all his works are standalone novels. Tigana is touted as his best but I'd recommend you start with Under Heaven or The Lions of Al-Rassan.
>KJ Parker
Similar settings to Kay but a heavy emphasis on engineering, historical authenticity and dark humour. His series are pretty rough around the edges and well-researched to a degree far surpassing autism. I'd recommend his most recent book, Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City. It's a standalone of sorts, although there's a follow-up coming out next month.
>R Scott Bakker
Very edgy, very dark, a bit pompous and occasionally brilliant. The Prince of Nothing trilogy is great, although the sequel series goes off the rails.
>some /sffg/-core authors you absolutely must read, even if their works don't fit the absolute strictest definitions of "fantasy"
Roger Zelazny, Jack Vance, Clark Ashton Smith, Gene Wolfe, H P Lovecraft.

[Anonymous No.15928969]

>>15928801
I tried lots when I was in school. Fellowship of the Ring hit the theatres and LOTR was consuming my life at the time. Having read all of Tolkien, I started reading random fantasy series that were available in bookstores and libraries, but they all seemed like a cheap parody. I don't think I can even name one of those books? That's not very helpful, I know.

>>15928855
Tolkien and Martin both love their description, each in his own way. GRRM seems to dedicate a lot of time and effort to illustrating the human condition though, so why do you think he falls short? Provided we get the same outcome as in the HBO series though, it is indeed all futile, but that's also a kind of statement on the human condition in itself.

I relate to your post a lot overall.

[Anonymous No.15928983]

Friendly reminder that you are meant to be lurking for two years before making your first post, not thread just post.

[Anonymous No.15929019]

>>15928969
I thought >>15928855 was (you) misquoting me. Anyhoo, you have my recs. I promise you none of those are going to seem like cheap LotR parodies, although there's no guarantee you'll like any of them.
Almost forgot, two "classics" that I'd ardently recommend are The Count of Monte Cristo and The Good Soldier Švejk, as you seem to bo open to anything regardless of length. You've likely read the former but the latter is a gem, I promise.

[Anonymous No.15929156]

Just find some historical fiction, there's plenty to chose from
GRRM ripped of a French series of novels called the Wolf Kings or something

[Anonymous No.15929157]

>>15928969
I mostly just mean when a fiction author sort of describes a feeling you’ve had before but have never been able to articulate, or maybe one you never considered could be so universal. I can’t remember many of those moments in Martin’s books; which isn’t surprising since literally all genre fiction writers are working up hill on this because of their removal from reality, and fantasy writers moreso than anybody. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that most of the most evocative and powerful books I’ve read have been written in what I guess is the Modern Realist tradition.

Most of Martin’s most moving moments are ones that he works for by following a likeable character in an interesting story. Like when Arya meets the Winterfell knight at the inn and starts crying. It’s a powerful scene because of the cumulative effect of everything Arya had done, and all the sort of descriptions of the Riverlands sort of apocalyptic as she wanders through it, and the sudden reminder that she’s still a little girl.
But to me it’s more an invocation of sympathy then empathy.

Sometimes his own choices as a writer get in the way too, whether structurally or stylistically.
There is a really good scene when Sam is leaving Castle Black and Jon sort of smiles sadly at him and tells him to put his hood up because the snow is getting in his hair. It’s a nice scene and gives a nice view of Jon since it obviously recalls the last time he saw Robb (with snowflakes melting in his hair).
But then Martin kind of deadens the effect and sort of ruins the nuance by giving us the exact same scene from Jon’s POV later and literally spelling it out.

[Anonymous No.15929207]

>>15929019
Thanks, I'm already looking for some of these book reads for download.

Monte Cristo impressed me a lot when I was, like, 10? It could really use a reread, this time in English maybe. It's exhilarating that you mention The Good Soldier Švejk, because that may be my favourite book of all time!

[Anonymous No.15929218]

tfw I got memed into reading Brandon Sanderson by the feet meme in /sffg/. He made me abandon the genre with his writing. Thanks Brando

[Anonymous No.15929222]

>>15929207
>Monte Cristo impressed me a lot when I was, like, 10? It could really use a reread, this time in English maybe.
Maybe try and get an annotated edition with all the cultural references explained.
> It's exhilarating that you mention The Good Soldier Švejk, because that may be my favourite book of all time!
This bodes well for my recommendations.

[Anonymous No.15929519]

>>15928745
Really, fuck the books and the show. But the setting that man has created is a very enticing, deep and richly-inhabited setting. Yes, my faggot Brando-Sando ass just praised Gurm's worldbuilding

[Anonymous No.15929537]

>>15928969
>GRRM seems to dedicate a lot of time and effort to illustrating the human condition though
Are you ten?

[Anonymous No.15929560]

>>15929537
Nah, just over the pubescent age where you live your life for online brownie points, I guess?

[Anonymous No.15929584]

>>15929560
>where you live your life for online brownie points
Well just because you can’t contemplate a life with the internet but without social media doesn’t mean we don’t actually do it

[Anonymous No.15929698]

>>15928959
Second Bakker.

The Darkness that Comes Before is great.

The sequel trilogy isn't as good but is entertaining.

Also The Black Company and Shadows Linger is good and gritty. The series becomes tropey and not nearly as good after that though

[Anonymous No.15929722]

>>15929698
Or if you like the sprawl of ASOIAF, world development, and plot twists there is Red Rising. It's fantastical soft sci-fi. Pretty enjoyable.

I think the editors wanted it to be a kind of Enders Game type YA fiction at first so the first book is fun, but doesn't seem like it could support a whole series, but it takes off from there.

[Sebuktegin No.15929888]

>>15928546
Bro I feel you. I think you should not read any more fantasy, I hated almost all of it too, I started reading this book by Brandon Sanderson that everybody kept saying was so good, and I literally had to force myself to keep on reading, I finally gave up after reading 80% of it... Do yourself a favour and read The Accursed Kings series, all books except the last one were fucking amazing, just the thing an Asoiaf fan would like, then read Aztec, Raptor, The Journeyer, all by Gary Jennings.

[Anonymous No.15929906]

>>15928546
Don't try talking about ASoIaF here, these retards barely read at all, I seriously doubt they've read thousands of pages of this. The shorter the book, the higher the chances that /lit/ will suck its dick.
>>15928732
0/10 book.
>>15928959
>>15929698
Scott it's time to stop posting on /lit/, buddy.

[Anonymous No.15930188]

>>15928745
sounds like what manchild would say t b h

[Anonymous No.15930233]

Does anyone else think that overall ASOIAF feels really similar to Shakespeare (not in the quality of the writing obviously)?

[Anonymous No.15930259]

>>15928546
What do you like about asoiaf, exactly?

[Anonymous No.15931035]

>>15929722

not OP but red rising was alright.

Overall it was pretty interesting and fun read but it left a harry-potter-but-for-18-year-olds flavor. I felt like it could have been more mature and not necessarily in a HIS HEAD WAS SPLATTERED BY THE LASER way.

[Anonymous No.15931151]

>>15928546
You start with Tolkien and end with Tolkien.

[Anonymous No.15931391]

>>15928546
Legend by David Gemmell is pretty good if you're into that sort of thing.