/sffg/ Science Fiction and Fantasy General

[Anonymous No.17309628]

Thread question:
How much does /sffg/ or other related outlets, like the Goodreads group, actually factor into your reading decisions?

Previous thread
>>17295900

>Recommended reading charts (Look here before asking for vague recs)
https://mega.nz/folder/kj5hWI6J#0cyw0-ZdvZKOJW3fPI6RfQ

>Archive
>>/lit/?task=search2&search_subject=sffg

>Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1029811-sffg

[Anonymous No.17309647]

>>17309628
I hate niggers

[Anonymous No.17309651]

fuck goodreads group
fuck discord trannies
fuck reddit
fuck sanderson

[Anonymous No.17309706]

>On both sides of her Heebs—that was what they called themselves, a corruption of the obviously accurate diagnostic category hebephrenic—gazed with vacuous silliness, grinning without comprehension, even without real curiosity. A white goat wandered by ahead of her; she and Dan Mageboom stopped warily, neither of them familiar with goats. It passed on.
>At least, she thought, these people are harmless. Hebephrenics, at all their stages of deterioration, lacked the capacity to act out aggression; there were other far more ominous derangement-syndromes to be on the lookout for. It was inevitable that, very shortly, they would begin to turn up. She was thinking in particular of the manic-depressives, who, in their manic phase, could be highly destructive.
>But there was an even more sinister category which she was steeling herself against. The destructiveness of the manics would be limited to impulse; at the worst it would have a tantrum-like aspect, temporary orgies of breaking and hitting which ultimately would subside. However, with the acute paranoid a systemized and permanent hostility could be anticipated; it would not abate in time but on the contrary would become more elaborate. The paranoid possessed an analytical, calculating quality; he had a good reason for his actions, and each move fitted in as part of the scheme. His hostility might be less conspicuously violent… but in the long run its durability posed deeper implications as far as therapy went. Because with these people, the advanced paranoids, cure or even temporary insight was virtually impossible. Like the hebephrenic, the paranoid had found a stable and permanent maladaptation.

[Anonymous No.17309714]

>>17309628
how many words should you aim for writing a chapter?

[Anonymous No.17309722]

>>17309706
>And, unlike the manic-depressive and the hebephrenic, or the simple catatonic schizophrenic, the paranoid seemed rational. The formal pattern of logical reasoning appeared undisturbed. Underneath, however, the paranoid suffered from the greatest mental disfigurement possible for a human being. He was incapable of empathy, unable to imagine himself in another person’s role. Hence for him others did not actually exist—except as objects in motion that did or did not affect his well-being. For decades it had been fashionable to say that paranoids were incapable of loving. This was not so. The paranoid experienced love fully, both as something given to him by others and as a feeling on his part toward them. But there was a slight catch to this.

>“Yes.” She nodded. “The paranoids—actually paranoiac schizophrenics—would function as the statesman class; they’d be in charge of developing political ideology and social programs—they’d have the overall world view. The simple schizophrenics…” She pondered. “They’d correspond to the poet class, although some of them would be religious visionaries—as would be some of the Heebs. The Heebs, however, would be inclined to produce ascetic saints, whereas the schizophrenics would produce dogmatists. Those with polymorphic schizophrenia simplex would be the creative members of the society, producing the new ideas.” She tried to remember what other categories might exist. “There could be some with over-valent ideas, psychotic disorders that were advanced forms of milder obsessive-compulsive neurosis, the so-called diencephalic disturbances. Those people would be the clerks and office holders of the society, the ritualistic functionaries, with no original ideas. Their conservatism would balance the radical quality of the polymorphic schizophrenics and give the society stability.”

[Anonymous No.17309729]

>“I have an answer. Leadership in this society here would naturally fall to the paranoids, they’d be superior individuals in terms of initiative, intelligence and just plain innate ability. Of course they’d have trouble keeping the manics from staging a coup… there’d always be tension between the two classes. But you see, with paranoids establishing the ideology, the dominant emotional theme would be hate. Actually hate going in two directions; the leadership would hate everyone outside its enclave and also would take for granted that everyone hated it in return. Therefore their entire so-called foreign policy would be to establish mechanisms by which this supposed hatred directed at them could be fought. And this would involve the entire society in an illusory struggle, a battle against foes that didn’t exist for a victory over nothing.”

There's more but I now want to read The Stormlight Archive by PKD.
Imagine if Sanderson actually gets around to writing The Silence Divine, where your powers are stronger the sicker you are.

[Anonymous No.17309731]

>>17309714
you should ignore the meme of chapters entirely

[Anonymous No.17309732]

>>17309714
1000 - 5000

[Anonymous No.17309807]

>>17309651
On book 2 of stormlight archive right now and it’s great.

[Anonymous No.17309809]

Now obviously making up a whole magic system is unnecessary, but you still need to figure out how magic works - meaning how a “spell” is cast. What are some good alternatives to Vancian magic, or any tips on coming up with my own? Other than that, all I know of is voodoo.

[Anonymous No.17309834]

>>17309647
I'm reading through Octavia butler's body of work and I am really enjoying it. I'm quietly impressed

[Anonymous No.17309849]

>"In a way, he was as much as Seswatha, if not more. In a way, he no longer shat either. And knowing this was enough to make him shit."

[Anonymous No.17309873]

>>17309849
based shitposting

[Anonγmous No.17309899]

>>17309628
That OP image is tranny as fuck

[Anonymous No.17309941]

>>17309809
Do you? How is a spell cast in LoTR?

[Anonymous No.17309956]

>>17309809
based tolkien doesnt explain shit

[Anonymous No.17309959]

How the hell do you pronounce inchoroi and chorae? I get that Achamian is actually Akamian, but that applies to other words as well? Or just personal names? And why would even in that case, the "ch" be pronounced as k instead of the usual "Ch" (as if from the word chapter) in the English language? Is this shit done just for aesthetic purpose?
OK so, is inchoroi pronounced inkoroi or inchoroi with the ch from chapter?
And what the ever fuck about chorae? Is it korae, or kore (since ae is pronounced e usually) or chorae or chore (lmao) but with a hard e?
Why is this shit done so purposefully annoying?

[Anonymous No.17309971]

>>17309959
I remember there was a list of how to pronounce shit at the end of the book

[Anonymous No.17309984]

>>17309809
Absolutely not. This obsession with explaining things comes from autistic need to categorize everything on a wiki somewhere. You don't need unless it actively detracts from the story.

[Anonymous No.17310002]

>>17309731
In my options, chapters are a better instrument to use for time passing, instead of writing "... and [protagonist] traveled for many days until he reached [place]."
You can just end a chapter with the protag leaving, and start the new chapter with him arriving to the new place.
Or better yet (and I just know I'm gonna get shat on for saying this) do chapters to intrusive new POV characters. Better start a chapter with another character, than saying "... in the meanwhile, on the other side of town, X was doing Y."

Actually it doesn't even sound too bad. I think I'll implement this, but as of now I'm uploading my story in a chapterly fashion. Once I'm done I might combine it all together, remove the meme chapters and use the examples above to further things and add POVs. Oh well...

[Anonymous No.17310012]

>>17310002
I will call you a tranny based on the images you are posting.

[Anonymous No.17310013]

>>17309809
Of course that magic should be based on a system. Whether that is is implicit or not, it depends on the writer.

What I fucking loath are non-flexible magic systems.

[Anonymous No.17310014]

>>17309971
Not for all the words, and not for inchoroi and chorae. It is for personal names though, like Kellhus and Achamian

[Anonymous No.17310089]

>https://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/93382-plurality-representation/
>https://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/93789-shallan-is-even-more-cringe-than-before/

[Anonymous No.17310105]

>>17309959
In-kor-oi, yeah

[Anonymous No.17310123]

>>17310089
I'm sorry. What the actual fuck am I reading on that first link?

I am getting way to old for this shit.

[Anonymous No.17310153]

>>17310014
een-ko-roi
ko-ráy
seal-ven-dee (as opposed to skill-ven-dee which I just hate)

As an ESL, I use the Latin approximation without the ugly version of Latin though (where sundae ends in sunday as opposed to sund-eh, vitae as vitay versus the german bitte).

[Anonymous No.17310165]

>>17310153
*not the ugly American English version of Latin I meant.

[Anonymous No.17310186]

>>17310123
Embracing mental illness.
Here's one of (((them))) being passive-aggressive about religious portrayal: https://www.17thshard.com/forum/topic/95093-renarins-name-what-im-hoping-brandon-isnt-doing/
and here's a cool map https://roshar.17thshard.com/#/en-US

[Anonymous No.17310195]

>>17310002
personally I don't think there is anything a chapter can do that a new paragraph can't do just as well but if the format works for you then stick to it.

[Anonymous No.17310206]

>>17310186
I mean, this has to be a joke right? I'm seriously considering creating an account just to make fun of him.

[Anonymous No.17310210]

>>17310195
Hope you're not one of those people praising physical media if you can't appreciate the usefulness and aesthetic of scene breaks and chapter breaks.

[Anonymous No.17310229]

>>17310123
The good thing about those "plural" people is that it seems like it's easy to notice and avoid them.

>>17310089
Someone in that second thread said that Shallan is the worst part of Shallan chapters, and the more I think about that, the more true I realize it is. All of the interesting parts of Shallan chapters (Ghostbloods, Adolin, Jasnah, etc) aren't really about Shallan.

>>17310206
17th Shard has 26,364 members so you're bound to get a bunch of crazies. I doubt it's a joke.

[Anonymous No.17310237]

[Anonymous No.17310252]

>>17310206
Are you new? There are crazies everywhere, given the sheer amount of humans and the size of its userbase. There are loads of wacky folk here but 4chan definitely has a different paradigm when confronting mental health and acceptance, both when combined with each other and as mutually exclusive terms.
As long as they can manage their illness and they don't harm others, good for them.
>>17310229
Shallan really is the worst part of Shallan chapters lawl I mostly read them for Ghostbloods. Even Adolin is dull because he's been reduced to Shallan's dildo.

[Anonymous No.17310255]

>>17310237
>>17310186
>>17310123
>>17310089
>>17310229

This is the average fantasy audience in a nutshell. No wonder you'll never see me in a sci-fi conference.

[Anonymous No.17310261]

>>17310252
>Even Adolin is dull because he's been reduced to Shallan's dildo.

Wake up already. Sando cannot write good characters. I've been saying this for ages. His lunatic outlines ruing everything. Characters feel artificial and fake. Just look at Navani in RoW.

[Anonymous No.17310274]

>>17310255
>thinking one person or system, amirite? is indicative of a fanbase
>avoiding sci-fi conferences because of fantasy fans
Stop posting and substituting that missing third IQ digit with your ignorance.
>>17310261
I don't disagree with you. RoW made it abundantly clear that characters are simply plot devices, devoid of their own personalities, no longer are they organic forms of life but merely fabricated unrealisms to funnel you into the next Big Thing.
Fuck Navani not being killed off for being a traitor especially now that she'll probably survive till the end given she is femDalinar the Bondsmith 2.

[Anonymous No.17310287]

>>17309714
If you know what you're doing chapters are irrelevant. They can be as long or as short as you want, or you can just not have any. They are a leftover convention from when books were originally published in a serial format in periodicals and later compiled into volumes. If you're not publishing your book piecemeal there's no reason tow rite it piecemeal other than the fact that it is somewhat expected for you to, in which case you're just blindly following convention without understanding why.

[Anonymous No.17310306]

>>17310274
>Stop posting and substituting that missing third IQ digit with your ignorance.
I accept your defeat.

[Anonymous No.17310318]

>>17309959
>another amerilard gets filtered by names

[Anonymous No.17310329]

>>17310261
>Sando cannot write good characters
He wrote Kaladin though, who is a great character despite Sanderson apparently having no idea how to handle him. I'm convinced he wrote Kaladin by accident, or it's a case of him finally managing to write an interesting, compelling person after trying to do it for so many years. But he has no idea how to progress with Kaladin, which is why he's stuck treading water and repeating the exact same character arc for 4 books. So even though he is interesting, since he never does anything new, even Kaladin becomes boring.

[Anonymous No.17310353]

>>17309628
Fuck E William Brown

[Anonymous No.17310371]

Started reading Urth of the New Sun yesterday.
What an amazing series this is. I sort of forgot about the way everything is so mysterious yet vivid at the same thing

[Anonymous No.17310373]

>>17310274
Are you still mad that I banned you on the Shard?

[Anonymous No.17310419]

>>17310329
I'm pretty sure that Kaladin and Dalinar being so much better than Shallan and other Sanderson characters is just because of WoK Prime. Both Kaladin and Dalinar were in that draft, but Shallan was not. Since WoK Prime was written eight years before WoK was published, Sanderson had far more time to develop Kaladin and Dalinar.

[Anonymous No.17310429]

>>17310419
>Sanderson had far more time to develop Kaladin and Dalinar.
That's not true. He's schedule doesn't allow him to properly plan his books, and it's showing.

All he has is his outline. And it's crumbling before him.

[Anonymous No.17310442]

>Read Son of the Black Sword and House of Assassins
>They're a bit basic but I still enjoy them
>While waiting for Destroyer of Worlds, I get through the entirety of the 2nd Apocalypse
>I finally start DoW and I'm bored out of my wits
Holy cow. The saga books seem like utter shit in comparison, they aren't even fun to read now.

[Anonymous No.17310460]

>>17310318
Not american and not filtered. I've read the entire series down to the last punctuation mark of Unholy Consult more than once and more than twice. I'm a big fan of the series but I come from a romantic language speaking country, and the way Bakker goes to and fro between ch as in chapter, and ch as in Akkamian, is a bit annoying, me being a language consistency autist.
If I see someone say Achamian (Akkamian) and chapter within the same field, I would expect it to follow the language rules.
But yeah, this is more than likely done for reading visual aesthetics and I shouldn't be so annoyed by it.

[Anonymous No.17310477]

>>17310460
the based thing is to pronounce names how you like and keep it cohesive

[Anonymous No.17310528]

>>17310429
Sanderson did have more time to develop Kaladin and Dalinar. He hasn't had his current schedule for his whole life, and Dalinar was apparently his oldest character. Kaladin was also developed pretty early (around 2000), as I said earlier. This has a decent summary of how Kaladin's character was developed: https://coppermind.net/wiki/Kaladin#Development..
Shallan didn't have 10 years of work put into developing her original character, which is why she's so much more boring than Kaladin.

I do agree that his schedule is screwing over his books and characters now.

[Anonymous No.17310544]

>>17310528
He will never be one of the greats because his sole intent is to make bank and feed his deluded fan-base. Not even Nobel laureates attempted to write more than a page a day.

[Anonymous No.17310565]

There's so much to read and so little time.
I sometimes find myself reading the last 2 or 3 chapters of a novel in a rush, seeing as I'm almost done with it. Even when I'm truly invested in the story, there's this autism happening where I must finish it that day, even if it means staying up late and fucking my sleep schedule.

I fear I'm not enjoying books as much as I should but at the same time I'll never read everything before I die of old age or otherwise, send help.

[Anonymous No.17310656]

Dear anon who was planning to read republic of thieves next from the last thread:
Don't, it's horrendous.
Sincerely, someone who thoroughly enjoyed the first two books and though the third was by a different writer because it was so bad.

[Anonymous No.17310704]

On my quest for literary sci fi, I have now found Barry Malzberg.

No thanks to /sffg/, /lit/ at large, or even Reddit for this discovery.

[Anonymous No.17310740]

So I loved Anathem. Had some problems with Cryptonomicon, namely the pacing, but I thought it was brilliant in the end.
Didn't like The Diamons Age, liked Snow Crash, disliked Seveneves.

So far I am finding this boring, but I loved the few bits with Newton, and everything to do with science. It's just that there is so much tedious stuff in between. Does this get better? Does it get more sciency or does the plot pick up?

[Anonymous No.17310950]

>>17310740
How is it for someone who likes Historical Fiction?

[Anonymous No.17310961]

>>17310656
Seconding this anon. I refuse to read or recommend Republic of Thieves after the first time I read it. Scott Lynch had depression and a divorce between Red Seas Under Red Skies and Republic of Thieves, and it absolutely impacted the writing.

I'd advise waiting until Thorn of Emberlain is out at least. If Thorn turns out to be good, maybe push through Republic. If Thorn isn't good, don't bother.

[Anonymous No.17311037]

[Anonymous No.17311043]

>>17310704
>all that bush
The things they had to do to sell books back in the day.

[Anonymous No.17311127]

[Anonymous No.17311160]

>>17311043
Fairly applicable in this case though

[Anonymous No.17311254]

>>17310186
>>17310089
Not gonna lie. That's kind of based.

[Anonymous No.17311256]

>>17311160
>this is your reality
>and her cunt became the world

[Anonymous No.17311299]

>>17310371
Yeah Urth is wonderful and underrated. Hope you'll continue to stick with Wolfe after it if you haven't read any of his other stuff.

[Anonymous No.17311329]

Why are there so few Kellhus PoV's at the end of the Warrior-Prophet and the beginning of the Thousandfold Thought?

Will this change?

[Anonymous No.17311349]

[Anonymous No.17311363]

Thanks for recommending me Call of the Arcade in the previous thread. You guys were right. It was awesome. Best scifi book in the entire thread.

[Anonymous No.17311366]

I reckon Ice and Fire is going to end with all the humans dying out and all the folklore stuff taking over the Earth becoming the new dominant species. It kind of mirrors how Tolkien was killing off stuff like Dragons and all the other races in Middle Earth were just vanishing while mankind was proliferating and expanding.

[Anonymous No.17311425]

Just finished The Warrior Prophet.

[Anonymous No.17311435]

>>17311363
>please buy my book

[Anonymous No.17311446]

[Anonymous No.17311455]

>>17311160
>"Here," she says, pointing into her cunt. "Here it is. Here is your reality."
>"No," I say, "I don't believe that. There is something beyond this,"
What is this from

[Anonymous No.17311559]

>>17311455
Bakker?

[Anonymous No.17311583]

[Anonymous No.17311607]

>>17311583
>Can't even use MS Paint properly
Not surprising desu.

[Anonymous No.17311645]

>>17309628
>>17309628
>How much does /sffg/ or other related outlets, like the Goodreads group, actually factor into your reading decisions?
That's difficult to tell because there overall seems to be relatively overlap between those who are active in the thread and any other particular outlet.
From looking at the feed daily I can see that sometimes people mark "to-read" after I post a review, but obviously I have no idea of the effect overall. Sometimes people read the chosen book without discussing or otherwise participating in any way.
For most though I don't think anything factors into their decisions, including this thread, because they don't see it as a valid source of recs or if they do aren't utilizing it well.
The charts seem to be enjoyed, for whatever reason, which is why they are there. Several have told me how much they enjoy them.
There are currently 311 members in the GR group with 115+ with 1+ reviews.
Personally, I've found several things to read from looking through a lot of the profiles with the stuff I do.
Some may simply enjoy a feeling of community and not otherwise do anything.
Considering how many ask about stuff that can be easily resolved by the archive, I have to wonder how much it's used.

[Anonymous No.17311676]

>>17311329
>Will this change?
No. He is supposed to become more and more out of touch or mysterious with his rising power.

[Anonymous No.17311710]

>>17311645
How polluted is the GR group with Discord trannies

[Anonymous No.17311725]

>>17311349
I want to see this posted on 17th Shard for lulz.

[Anonymous No.17311726]

>>17311366
If it ends with anything but Bran becoming king he would be totally betraying the fisher king myth that he's been following. It wouldn't really make sense for him to change the outcome for the books. I guess he could continue on past that point, but I don't think he'll ever even get that far.

[Anonymous No.17311729]

>>17311725
Can you post images?

[Anonymous No.17311737]

>>17311729
You can upload them in a post, yes.

[Anonymous No.17311745]

>>17311726
>Believing that D&D were still following the general plotline for the later books

[Anonymous No.17311766]

>>17311710
The GR group doesn't talk so it's a nonfactor.

[Anonymous No.17311770]

>>17309807
awesomeness!!!!

[Anonymous No.17311775]

>>17309807
Enjoy it. It's the last one you will.

[Anonymous No.17311784]

>>17311645
>The charts seem to be enjoyed, for whatever reason
kek this is how I would respond too

[Anonymous No.17311785]

>>17311737
Do it then.

[Anonymous No.17311825]

>>17309628
Guys, I need some fantasy books. No grimdark shit. When I was a kid I used to paw through all the tattered second hand books in old pawnshops, and I was so excited. I used to be so in love with books. Holy shit. I have dreams where I'm looking for old fantasy books in endless pawnshop bookshelves. I need some comfy fantasy shit. The really good shit with dragons and knights and shit.

I know the Pern books, Moorcock books, Piers Anthony, etc.

[Anonγmous No.17311876]

>>17311825
Earthsea

[Anonymous No.17311905]

>>17311876
I know Earthsea too

[Anonγmous No.17311927]

>>17311825
>>17311905
its not exactly fantasy but Watership Down is comfy and whimsical, albeit with a few dark what the fuck isn't this a children's book moments

[Anonymous No.17311934]

Why am I expected to Believe that Navani can betray their allies with little to no consequence?

[« Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ » No.17311948]

>>17311825
That’s not a real title is it? It should be.

>>17311905
Philip José Farmer?
C.J. Cherryh?

[Anonymous No.17311952]

>>17311948
>Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ
Opinion discarded

[Anonymous No.17311989]

>>17311927
>Watership Down
Ohoho! No thank you! I've seen the screencaps just like everyone else

>>17311948
>Philip José Farmer?
don't know, will check out
>C.J. Cherryh?
do know. I've got the one with like lioness size kink aliens.

[Anonγmous No.17311999]

>>17311989
>I've seen the screencaps just like everyone else
okay, link me pls

[Anonymous No.17312002]

>>17311999

[Anonγmous No.17312050]

>>17311999
Oh, I've never watched any of the films, I was strictly talking about the book which is good

[Anonymous No.17312059]

>>17311999

[Anonγmous No.17312060]

>17312050 meant for >>17312002 of course

[Anonymous No.17312078]

>>17311710
Who decides what is read next?

[Anonγmous No.17312086]

>>17312059
kek

[Anonymous No.17312113]

>>17312078
Currently the owner of the discord because no one else feels like doing so and when I tried to do so it didn't go anywhere. The main problem is the definite lack of people willing to discuss.
I don't have problems with whoever picking whatever. Anyone can schedule a book whenever they want since I have that enabled.

[Anonymous No.17312216]

>>17312113
So the Discord trannies are running the show. I don’t even know why they keep the GR group in the OP

[Anonymous No.17312222]

>>17312216
I wouldn't say that's accurate, but I understand why you feel that way.

[Anonymous No.17312345]

[Anonymous No.17312431]

It's snowing outside. I've been listening to irish pub songs for 9 hours, 16 minutes and 6 seconds on the clock
And I've been reading LotR and listening to Tolkien lore vids in the meanwhile. I can't seem to WANT to do anything else at the moment. Not even eating.

Any other fantasy books or series as comfy as early Fellowship of the Ring?

[Anonymous No.17312493]

>>17309834
The Lilith books are some of my favorite sci-fi. Fledgling is kind of interesting too if you can wrap your head around the main conceit of the story without grossing yourself out.

[Anonymous No.17312498]

>>17310012
Made me kek

[Anonymous No.17312518]

>>17309714
I like my chapters 6000-9000. Longer side, perhaps, but lots gets done.

[Anonymous No.17312521]

>>17310237
>>17310089
The therapy industry ruined the English-speaking west.

[Anonymous No.17312589]

I'm depressed now.
Are there any other books that touch on the concept of "ancestral" memory in a similar way?

[Anonymous No.17312609]

>>17312589
Dune

[Anonymous No.17312710]

>>17311934
>being held captive
>trying to learn from your enemies as you try and distract them from important intelligence
>HUUR DUUUR WHY SHE AN ENEMY SYMPATHIZER THO?
You would be terrible at espionage.

[Anonymous No.17312713]

So, did Cnaiür actually rape Conphas?

[Anonymous No.17312724]

>>17312710
I accept your defeat.

[Anonymous No.17312732]

>>17312589
Clarke is a fag, but it's fun if you read this book in an alternate way.

>humanity is harvested and has its children used as raw components by a new galactic eldritch evil
>literal star demons take control of the planet to prevent humanity from fighting back

[Anonymous No.17312733]

>>17311425
Tell me
What do you see?

[Anonymous No.17312752]

>>17312710
>Sandaro
>Navani
>espionage

[Anonymous No.17312865]

>>17309628
>How much does /sffg/ or other related outlets, like the Goodreads group, actually factor into your reading decisions?
I only use Goodreads to filter books that are downright awful, filled with grammatical errors and shitty prose. If it's above like 3.8 stars the book is probably not a complete pile of shit, but the ratings mean nothing beyond that because 90% of Goodreads readers just rate books based on whether they felt sufficiently pandered to.

[Anonymous No.17312920]

>>17312713
Ask yourself this.
Would Cnaiür urs Skiötha, breaker-of-horses-and-men, the most violent of all men, merely settle for a beating and a wank?

[Anonymous No.17313147]

Speaking of Watership Down, does anyone have any good xenofiction they can recommend? I know that, Raptor Red, Warriors, and that's really it.

[Anonymous No.17313181]

>>17309714
I like short chapters like on Book of the New Sun. Chapter 1 of the first volume is a bit over 3k words and its a bigger one, so 2-3k per chapter is optimal imo.

[Anonymous No.17313188]

>>17312710
>7000 year old scholar being spied on by a dumb milf, while being held hostage

Take your meds.

[Anonymous No.17313196]

>>17310371
I recently finished Lictor, cant wait to carve some time for Citadel.

After reading Wolfe I like all me other favorites a bit less, what a beast

[Anonymous No.17313214]

>>17313188
I need more books with milfs getting mating pressed.
I liked that Robyn was used goods that everyone including crocodile used like an onahole.

[Anonymous No.17313215]

>>17311299
I definitely will. Do you have any recommendations for post-New Sun Wolfe?

[Anonymous No.17313241]

>>17313215
Oh and by post-New Sun I mean after reading the books, not chronologically in terms of his works

[Anonymous No.17313250]

>>17313196
It’s unbelievable what he was able to do with the books.
The story itself is like a double entendre fantasy-sci fi
It seems like fantasy, but it’s actually sci-fi

[Anonymous No.17313293]

>>17313188
>learned enough to kill the 7000-yead-old immortal
I aCcEpT yOuR dEfEaT

[Anonymous No.17313297]

>>17313250
Its sci-fi only in the technicality of the "lost" and "forgotten" technology of Urth, but the story is a monomyth in the straightest sense.

[Anonymous No.17313315]

>>17313147
I haven't read any of these, but I intend to try them at some point. Was Raptor Red any good?

Tailchaser's Song
The Plague Dogs
Silverwing
Marshworld
Duncton Wood
Midnight's Sun
Ramblefoot
Tomorrow's Sphinx
Promise of the Wolves
Empire of the Ants
Beasts of New York
Hunter's Moon
Callanish
Fire Bringer

[Anonymous No.17313344]

>>17313293
>give the enemy a method to kill Soren, starting a nuclear arms race that might end in the genocide of multiple sentient species

Wow you sure did good!

[Anonymous No.17313368]

>>17313344
stop responding to it

[Anonymous No.17313373]

>>17313215
Wizard Knight is similar to BotNS in a lot of ways, but much smaller in scope. Peace is completely different than BotNS, but also even more complicated. Either of those are good picks.

[Anonymous No.17313406]

>>17313344
Still don't see how any of that means she "betrayed her allies". Not her fault the super weapon the other side already suspected exists cuts both ways.

[Anonymous No.17313416]

Should I bother describing the looks of a character as soon as they appear or should I leave it to later?

[Anonymous No.17313421]

>>17313416
>describing characters
Cringe!

[Anonymous No.17313475]

>>17311726

Bran becoming some God Emperor Leto style being would be cool I guess and A Dream of Spring takes place several thousand years into the future would be neat

[Anonymous No.17313476]

>>17313315
Neat, pretty good list, thanks. Raptor Red was pretty good. Very well researched and a bit more xeno-ey than Watership Down. No dialogue, for example.

[Anonymous No.17313531]

>>17313475
>A Dream of Spring
Never....
Ever.......

[Anonymous No.17313588]

I can't believe he actually spied on Frodo and conspired against him...

[Anonymous No.17313605]

>>17313416
make it three pages long at least. if its a female compare her anatomy to food items.

[Anonymous No.17313673]

>>17313476
I forgot Evolution by Stephen Baxter, which I actually have read. It follows the evolution of humans from a shrew-like ancestor in the cretaceous along up to the modern era and into the future. It has some segments related to humans but a good 60% of it is xenofiction. It's a bit on the dark and cynical side like the rest of his fiction however. He also wrote some books about Mammoths which might be xenofiction but I'm not sure.

[Anonymous No.17313785]

>going through folders
Here's a Black Company map if anyone is interested.

[Anonymous No.17313793]

>>17313785
damn thats one shitty map

[Anonymous No.17313817]

Has anybody here read Paolini's new book? Would anybody here actually take the chance?

[Anonγmous No.17313848]

He's living your dream.

[Anonymous No.17313853]

>>17313817
All of the 5 star GR reviews are emphatic women linking to gifs and videos, so no, I will not be touching it.

[Anonymous No.17313860]

>>17313475
>>17313531
It's a dream, it's something people STILL hope for, thousands of years into the future
I'd like that very much

[Anonymous No.17313870]

What makes a great dystopian novel

[Anonymous No.17313882]

>>17312431
Those early chapters in the Shire are truly peak comfy literature. I don't think there's anything that comes close.

[Anonymous No.17313886]

>>17313870
A good writer and no female characters

[Anonymous No.17313891]

>>17313870
plucky teenage protagonist and her two love interests take out the big roundly evil bad guy who has done nothing good for the people who live under his evil regime using their special skills

[Anonymous No.17313915]

>>17313853
>Using GR as a source of reliable criticism

[Anonymous No.17313922]

>>17313870
The world being internally consistent and the general mood of the work being completely hopeless. 1984 is a good reference point.

[Anonymous No.17313936]

>>17313915
Unlike most social media, GR is too smalltime for them to ban for wrongthink. There are all kinds of based redpilled reviewers there. Obviously if you're reading femshit like fantasy novels you're not going to find as many.

[Anonymous No.17313943]

>>17313915
If I can't find any male 5 stars I know that there's nothing for me to be excited about.

[Anonymous No.17314002]

>The world itself has flora and fauna which have adapted to the common, and extremely powerful highstorms. Most animal life is based on crustaceans, most of which can burrow into the ground to survive a highstorm. Plant life is also mobile, in that it retracts into the ground to survive highstorms. Because all highstorms come from the eastern ocean and travel west, the western side of rocks and mountains harbor plant and animal life. Also, spirits called spren exist and react to the emotions of people and the environment. High wind will have windspren in the form of ribbons of light that flow with it. Suffering from pain will cause red painspren to appear around the wound, and giving a noble, heartfelt speech will have gloryspren of golden, twinkling lights form a halo around the head of the speaker. Spren are so common that many people take them for granted.

>The fucking world has a morality meter
>mfw

[Anonymous No.17314004]

>>17313817
4 have it marked to read.

[Anonymous No.17314007]

>>17313936
Not him, but it's still outsourcing your opinions to strangers on the internet. You should only trust the opinions of people you know and whose taste you have a good grasp of. Following what appears to be "public consensus" is just mindless and sets you up for disappointment again and again. I think the reason so many people do this is the "fear of missing out" which is now exploited by advertisers everywhere to convince you that if you're not consuming [media] you're wasting your life. Simply choosing not to fall for that advertising trick is pretty liberating. You'll find yourself suckered less and less into being influenced by social media "consensus" and go back to reading just the stuff that interests you, personally.

[Anonymous No.17314057]

>>17313793
I think it was meant to be something that the Company created, a kind of in-character map. So intentionally shitty. It is rather underwhelming though.

[Anonymous No.17314071]

>>17314002
What is this from, it sounds shit

[Anonymous No.17314087]

>>17314071
Sanderson, he's like Rothfuss crossed with Jordan's corpse.

[Anonymous No.17314103]

You might not like it, but this is what peak modern sci-fi looks like

[Anonymous No.17314118]

>>17314103
What's that? Zero effort in ship design btw

[Anonymous No.17314132]

>>17314007
I write my reviews before reading anything else, and only read the reviews from people I follow (culled from insightful reviews of my favourite books). I haven't bought in to any new release hype since Fifth Season.

[Anonymous No.17314151]

>>17313848
I get he's just above average and usually can't write endings for shit, but does anyone unironically hate EVERYTHING he's written? Is he not one of those authors that writes so much you have to find something to like by sheer volume alone?
I've read a lot of his stuff and I always find it enjoyable.

[Anonymous No.17314161]

>>17309628
>How much does /sffg/ or other related outlets, like the Goodreads group, actually factor into your reading decisions?
Not a whole lot because I tend to not really care about the opinions of others unless I understand their taste. For that reason, I seldom care about posts here unless they are about books I've already read. Occasionally though, somebody will post a more in depth review of a book I haven't read, and actually explain why they liked or didn't like it, and even make comparisons to other books, maybe even ones I've read, which helps me get a grasp on what that anon actually values and why they're recommending it. Even if I don't agree with that anon's opinions or have differing taste, that information is still useful. I have actually picked up books that anons here have reviewed negatively because the things they complained about were things that appealed to me, and sure enough I enjoyed the book.

So basically, don't stop posting your blog posts about books you read anons. I find them valuable and so do other people here probably. Even if you don't like something as long as you articulate why and draw comparisons your posts are helpful.

[Anonγmous No.17314189]

>>17314151
this is more or less true, I may hate this Dark Tower series after the first book but I really do love IT despite its plethora of flaws and shitty adaptations

[Anonymous No.17314190]

>>17314118
use google

[Anonymous No.17314282]

>>17314002
>morality meter
Don't know how you get that.
>red pain spren
I'm not sure they read the shit either.

[Anonymous No.17314339]

>>17314189
I loved the Dark Tower until you get to The Ending and he phones in the last couple of books for no particular reason. But that's just King, he's terminally incapable of writing fulfilling endings and I enjoy his actual writing enough to overlook it.
Anyone read this one? I really liked the setting he made with it, but also the ending is passable. Fun little sci-fi thriller.

[Anonymous No.17314377]

>>17313848
Stephen King's only good book is The Talisman. Fight Me

[Anonymous No.17314404]

>>17314377
That's one I haven't read, I'll have to check it out. Been a little while since I've had some King to read.

[Anonymous No.17314447]

>>17314007
A big is a bog commitment, going in blind is rarely a good strategy. Consensus from people I respect and who I know have good opinions is important to me. Although there are some authors like Ted Chiang and Greg Egan, where I will just read everything they bring out.

[Anonymous No.17314461]

>>17313936
Link me please to some good reviewers hon.

[Anonymous No.17314511]

>>17314447
I assume you're trying to say a book is a big commitment? You know you can put it down and not finish it if you find yourself not enjoying it? It really isn't any sort of commitment.

[Anonymous No.17314677]

Not going to lie guys... I'm kind of fucking up my read of this book. Or listen rather. I haven't slept since yesterday, and my mind is failing, and the audiobook is just playing in my ear as a tune in and out and fight sleep. I'm 2/3rds into the book, and I don't think I've retained a shred of information of half of that. I'm going to have to re-listen to most of the book.

But hey... At least Roy Avers makes the book sound fun. So glad I didn't setting for Jonathan Davis. God, I hope Jon or anyone he knows visits this thread. Because I can't contain how much I hate his narration. I don't want him to see my posts where I shit on him. But also fuck him.

Anyway, I'm going to sleep now. Good night.

[Anonymous No.17314682]

Man, Liveship Traders was incredibly good, but tawny man has me all kinds of emotionally fucked up. Fitz as a character just gives me this nauseating pit of despair in my stomach with all the shit he goes through.

I fucking genuinely hate Molly like no other character in fantasy and the way that I know fool's fate resolves has me absolutely seething.

[Anonymous No.17314685]

Genuine sandershill here...
What the fuck is this? I’m halfway through Rhythm of war and I’m having a real hard time staying strong.
He italicizes way too much, and why the fuck does he use an Ellipsis every time anyone interacts with a high ranking bad guy?
Yeah I get Navani and Venli are both nervous around this nazi scientist bitch but come on dude, find other ways of showing that shit.

[Anonymous No.17314708]

>>17310186
>eventually admits he's Jewish in the thread
every time

[Anonymous No.17314734]

>>17314685
>pedantic quibble about punctuation
Who cares? Are you also upset that the word "spren" keeps popping up over and over? I've never understood the complaint that he uses punctuation and font to pace his writing. How the fuck else do you do it?

[Anonymous No.17314748]

>>17311349
Kaladin fucking fist fighting the pursuer at the end and destroying his legacy in absolute fear was pretty badass. It's too bad his transformation was wasted on saving fucking Lirin.

[Anonymous No.17314764]

>>17314682
>based Hobbs poster
Nighteyes got me right in the feels. Live ship was awesome, but don't expect that level of greatness from Rain Wilds, aka who's the biggest bitch book.

[Anonymous No.17314766]

>>17313215
I just read through The Fifth Head of Cerberus and highly recommend it. BotNS is one of my all time favorites

[Anonymous No.17314774]

>>17314748
Lirin's a pacifist moron, but I actually enjoyed the small arc he got in accepting Kaladin even if he doesn't agree with him all the time. I thought the 4th ideal scene was the best emotional beat in the whole book.

[Anonymous No.17314776]

>>17312345
Trying to read this made me dizzy, thanks Mr Pear

[Anonymous No.17314780]

>>17310565
>I'll never read everything before I die of old age
This will be true no matter how fast you read so best to just enjoy what you can while you can. I have the same fear though and it applies to books, music, games, anime/manga, movies and art in general. It can be overwhelming at times but you just have to accept you cannot experience it all.

[Anonymous No.17314840]

Anyone else like Shaman? It's been a while but I really enjoyed the depictions of tribal magic and it being slightly ambiguous as to whether or not it actually exists. Any recs for similar sorts of things?

[Anonymous No.17314846]

>>17314103
Peak cookie cutter military sci-fi dogshit you mean.

[Anonymous No.17314882]

>>17314764
The final scene with nighteyes is absolutely gut-renching.

He stirred first. I nearly woke as he rose, gingerly shook himself, and then stretched more bravely. His superior sense of smell told me that the edge of dawn was in the air. The weak sun had just begun to touch the dew-wet grasses., waking the smells of the earth. Game would be stirring. The hunting would be good.
I’m so tired, I complained. . . Rest a while longer. We’ll hunt later.
You’re tired? I’m so tired that rest won’t ease me. Only the hunt. I felt his wet nose poke my cheek. It was cold. Aren’t you coming? I was sure you’d want to come with me.
I do. I do. But not just yet. Give me just a bit longer.
Very well, little brother. Just a bit longer. Follow me when you will.
. . .But my mind rode with him, as it had so many times. . . swiftly we left the camp behind. . . We walked the spine of the hill, smelling the morning. . . there would be deer in the forested creek bottoms. They would be healthy and strong and fat, a challenge to any pack, let along a single wolf. He would need me at his side to hunt those. He would have to come back for them later. Nevertheless, he halted on the top of the ridge. The morning wind riffled his fur and his ears were perked as he looked down to where we knew they must be.
Good hunting. I’m going now, my brother. He spoke with great determination.
Alone? You can’t bring a buck down alone! I sighed with resignation. Wait, I’ll get up and come with you.
Wait for you? Not Likely! I’ve always had to run ahead of you and show you the way.
Swift as thought, he slipped away from me, running down the hillside like a cloud’s shadow when the wind blows. My connection to him frayed as he went, scattering and floating like dandelion fluff in the wind.
. . . “Wait!” I cried, and in shouting the word, I woke myself. . . my fingers buried deep in his coat. I clutched him to me and my grip sighed his last stilled breath from his lungs. But he was gone. Cold rain was cascading down past the mouth of the cave.

[Anonymous No.17314979]

>>17314840
>tribal magic and it being slightly ambiguous as to whether or not it actually exists
The Trickster by Muriel Gray has this as a major theme, but it's definitely more horror than anything and I'm not sure how that hews to the book you're asking for recommendations from. I haven't ever read it, but if you like bloody horror definitely The Trickster.

[Anonymous No.17314985]

>>17314882
That was mean anon. It makes me tear up every time. Hobbs is so good at eliciting her reader's emotions. I dont know of any other author even close to her ability. Unfortunately, she generally does it with horror and sadness. I still haven't read the last of the Fools trilogy because I know she's gonna fuck me up.

[Anonymous No.17315018]

>>17314979
I enjoy horror so I will definitely check this out. Thanks anon.

>>17314985
>>17314882
>>17314764
>>17314682
I've only read her Farseer Trilogy, should I continue or is the emotional damage not worth it?

[Anonγmous No.17315112]

any recs for fiction set entirely within the confines of a strangle castle or manor? I've already read Dracula and was looking for something more fantastical and pulpy, if that makes sense

[Anonymous No.17315114]

>>17314985
yeah I haven't read fitz and fool either. I finished everything including rain wilds, which were okay but overstayed their welcome, about a year and a half ago and I just haven't been able to go back. It's all a bit hard to stomach, even if fitz got his "happy end" I know it only gets worse.

>>17315018
Liveship books are awesome and almost entirely self-contained, especially if you don't go any farther than them. There's some real suffering and misery in them too but it was not quite as hard to swallow as Fitz's worst moments. I also loved how much it does to develop the lore of Hobb's world.
Second fitz trilogy is, honestly, a difficult read. If you like a lasting emotional response they're very good but I honestly had my headspace get kinda fucked up while reading them and certain sections had a noticeable impact on my mood for days.

[Anonymous No.17315174]

>>17315018
Liveship Traders is one of my top 5 fantasy series, you would be doing yourself a disservice by avoiding it. That said, if you get super down from reading about bad things happening to characters you care about, then proceed with caution. Tawny Man trilogy is pretty rough on the Buck characters. Rain Wilds isn't quite as wrenching because most of the cast have terrible personalities. Fitz and the Fool series is dark again.

[Anonymous No.17315222]

>>17315112
This'un was pretty good, manor estate murder mystery with a fantastical premise. Also it's just 7 Deaths in certain jurisdictions.

[Anonymous No.17315224]

>>17314985
>>17315114
>haven't read fitz and fool
Book 2 has one of the highest moments for Fitz in the entire series. People who have read it probably know what I'm talking about. They were worth reading just for that one scene for me.

[Anonymous No.17315225]

>>17315174
I want to read Liveship Traders, but I thought I read it's part of a larger series. Should I read the rest of Hobb's shit first, or is it self contained?

[Anonymous No.17315257]

>>17315018
Here's a good barometer: remember Verity? Tawny man has tons of worse moments. Fitz is still in post dungeon headspace and there is no one there to drag him out of it. you start with a broken character who then has to go through dark shit, as opposed to a cocky teen.

[Anonymous No.17315271]

>>17315257
>headspace
rec dropped

[Anonymous No.17315290]

>>17315225
From what I remember there is basically no interaction with anything that happens in the first trilogy, and the conclusion to the books is absolutely plenty to leave you satisfied if you don't want to go farther. They do have very lasting consequences on events later in the series, but you could choose just to not read any more. That said a lot of the initial draw for me was just how drastically different the two settings are despite being on the same continent. and the slow burn of discovery as things start to unravel and the big picture starts to come out was very satisfying.
But yeah. Trademark Hobb misery porn is still loud and proud.

>>17315257
not to mention that fitz is literally incapable of growing emotionally past his trauma due to the events at the end of assassin's quest

[Anonymous No.17315300]

What is some quintessential Fantasy? All I've read is Lord Of The Rings and A Song Of Ice And Fire.

[Anonymous No.17315302]

>>17315225
It is set in the same world as her other series, but is a stand alone trilogy. You can start with it no problem.

[Anonymous No.17315320]

what am I in for

[Anonymous No.17315321]

why is neuromancer such irredeemable trash?

[Anonymous No.17315333]

>>17315271
Its an appropriate word, despite the unfortunate correlation with tumblrtards. Sorry my vocabulary has been so offensive to you that you will miss out on an excellent read. T.T

[Anonymous No.17315334]

>>17315320
I just bought that too I am so pumped to read it, heard many great things

[Anonymous No.17315348]

>>17315320
A decent story that popularized grimdark as a subgenre which is a shame because the novels hit much harder if you don't know that going in.

>>17315300
Want something even bleaker than ASoIaF? The First Law by Joe Abercrombie. Want something epic like LotR but also much more cynical? Malazan Books of the Fallen by Stephen Erikson. Want some scifi in you fantasy? Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. Want something like LotR but with the opposite view of religion? Prince of Nothing by R Scott Baker. Want something pulpy? Jack Vance or The Black Company by Glen Cooke. Just fucking read the charts in the OP

[Anonymous No.17315372]

>>17315320
dogshit

[Anonymous No.17315374]

Was it pkd who had a story where lensing revealed monkeys to be a surface layer over the underlying matriarchy where the alpha female/queen bee lives in and on an olympic sized swimming pool full of jizz, constantly refueled by 100million men. The men in turn fed by the (corpses? of the) non alpha women who use thee semen pool and become pregnant. Their fecal matter becomes humanity?

[Anonymous No.17315408]

>>17315374
This post just activated a brainwashed agent somewhere

[Anonymous No.17315417]

>>17315408
That's exactly what PKD would have wanted.

[Anonymous No.17315429]

>>17315374
I've read probably around 85% of his works and this does not sound familiar at all.

[Anonymous No.17315442]

>>17314685
>.....Who.... *CARES*? Are... you also... *UPSET* that the word "spren" keeps popping up *OVER* and *OVER*? I've *NEVER* understood the complaint that he uses.... punctuation and font to.... *PACE* his writing. How the fuck *ELSE* do you do it?
FTFY

[Anonymous No.17315475]

Interesting that Sandershills never mention his best series The Reckoners

[Anonymous No.17315519]

>>17315475
His best work is Legion. Now take your (((you))), troll and go back to your bridge. Don't you have some farm animals to bully?

[Anonymous No.17315563]

>>17315519
If by "farm animals" you mean the cows and asses that make up Sanderson's fan-base, then why yes, I have plenty to bully.

[Anonymous No.17315570]

I am still mad that the only "urban fantasy" series I truly enjoyed was put on indefinite hiatus because it didn't sell. I 100% blame the lack of romance

[Anonymous No.17315601]

>>17309706
>>17309722
Based. Clans of the Alphane Moon is a fun book. The whole idea of a moon base psychiatric facility that gets taken over by its patients who go on to form a caste system based on their different mental illnesses is such an amusing and creative idea.

[Anonymous No.17315619]

>>17315570
Yeah that’s such a shame. This was a great series, and his other works haven’t been as good either.

[Anonymous No.17315630]

>>17315475
for me it's always gonna be stormlight
even if his prose is degrading back to pre mistborn lervels

[Anonγmous No.17315651]

>>17315475
>The Reckoners
this was my first run in with Sanderson and it was SHIT

[Anonymous No.17315665]

>>17315619
>>17315570
Good news! Apparently he ran a kickstarter last year for two new Twenty Palaces novels that was fully funded. God bless the internet

[Anonymous No.17315673]

>>17315665
Absolutely fucking based

[Anonγmous No.17315843]

>author creates their own OC donut steel universe with potentially interesting implications
>proceeds to just basic bitch adapt fables to their setting by rewriting them and changing minor details

[Anonymous No.17315850]

Has anyone read this? I read one of Schwab's previous books and thought it was ok, and the premise of this one seems neat, but I'm also seeing it called a modern Time Traveler's Wife which is too feminine for my taste

[Anonymous No.17315893]

>>17315321 (You)

[Anonymous No.17315962]

>>17315475
The Reckoners was an interesting premise with no real place to go. It was OK, but probably my least favorite Sanderthing.
Now his best YA? Still The Rithmatist.

[Anonymous No.17315980]

>>17313215
After New Sun I'd definitely recommend Long Sun and Short Sun, they make references to and are in some ways connected with New Sun so it's best to read them when New Sun is still relatively fresh in your memory. Be aware that Long Sun may seem like a step down from New Sun, but it's necessary to get to Short Sun which in my opinion is equal to or even better than New Sun. The Wizard Knight is a more traditional Fantasy story than New Sun, but is still inventive and I'd certainly recommend it if you're a classic fantasy fan. I never really got into the Latro series but some people adore it.
For standalone works I think that Peace and The Fifth Head of Cerberus are his best. Personally I also like Pandora by Holly Hollander. Many of his other standalone books are fine but nothing special, I'd put There Are Doors, Pirate Freedom, Home Fires, An Evil Guest, and Free Live Free into this category. The only ones I would actively recommend that you avoid are Castleview and The Sorcerer's House. In terms of short story collections my favorite so far has been The Island of Dr. Death and Other Stories and Other Stories but I haven't read that many of his short story collections.

[Anonymous No.17316066]

>>17314447
>A big is a bog commitment
Is somebody forcing you to finish every book you pick up? Cause you don't have to, you know.

[Anonymous No.17316071]

>>17315348
>A decent story that popularized grimdark as a subgenre
the fuck am I reading

how are there tards in this thread that believe this? that think Abercrombie did anything remotely original in First Law? It's cliches heaped upon cliches

[Anonymous No.17316088]

>>17316071
Not that anon but whether a book popularized something is distinct from whether the book was original. First Law is certainly quite popular, though fuck if I know why. If you want to refute the anon's point then give an example of an earlier grimdark book that had significant popularity.

[Anonγmous No.17316101]

>>17316071
>>17316088
Isn't First Law from the mid 00s? I'm pretty sure grimdark was a thing well before then

[Anonymous No.17316399]

>>17313817
I read To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. Though it had interesting parts, it was largely generic and unoriginal, at least to an avid science fiction reader such as me. I also had gripes with much of the character motivations in this book. By the end I was somewhat entertained, but left dissapointed.
Could be okay for someone just crossing over from fantasy to science fiction, but certainly it would not satisfy more experienced readers of the genre. And this it what it felt like: an authors first foray into science fiction. Seems like Paolini just swapped the magic-granting dragon from Eragon with a parasitic alien nanotechnology spacesuit and threw in some basic TV-sci-fi tropes, like a generic corporation-dominated space economy, a "bad-guy" human military apparatus, some squid-crab aliens and the crew of the not-Serenity. At the least human spaceships didn't have magical gravity generating floor-plates.

[Anonymous No.17316409]

when I publish my shlock on amazon and spend a fuckload of money on 4chan ads, you're all gonna buy it, right?

[Anonymous No.17316424]

>>17316101
>>17316088
"Grimdark" as a term originates from 40k, so while examples could predate that, the term can't (and the meme didn't exist the entire time 40k did). ASOIAF and Black Company would be two predating First Law, but the term wasn't in wide use at the time they were released. It became a meme as part of the early 00s internet, so it's entirely possible First Law was the first major grimdark series to debut when the term was part of public consciousness.

[Anonymous No.17316436]

>>17315980
Good recs but Long Sun is great on its own. I hardly use this word but it's very comfy. The shift in narrator (third person), the narrower scope and the lack of a similarly obscure vocabulary made it feel like a step down in style. But Silk is a great character and it's full of memorable scenes.
I should've liked Short Sun more, because it has a lot of the wild adventures and ruminative tone of New Sun, but for some reason, I didn't. The only thing it left me with was how intimate it all felt. By the second book I felt the MC's thoughts were Wolfe's own (who was still alive when I read it, the old guy with his winning smile), bidding me farewell as the Solar Cycle reached its conclusion.

[Anonymous No.17316512]

>>17313293
Amazing writing desu senpai

[Anonymous No.17316536]

>>17313406
She completely surrendered to the passion of curiosity.

That’s something worthy of odium. If you don’t think that’s betraying, then what do you call stockholm syndrome?

[Anonymous No.17316552]

>>17316536
>what do you call stockholm syndrome?
A psychological disorder. Which is another thing people keep bandying about and not really understanding. There's a huge difference between being able to empathize with your captors trauma and having full-blown Stockholm. If Navani had actual Stockholm syndrome, the singers would still control the tower.

[Anonymous No.17316566]

>be me
>speaking with friends about sci
>ofc everyone is a Tolkien fag
>ofc everyones knows a lot about it
>they've only read LotR
>well Tolkien was highly racist
>also hes reflecting the WWI

Wtf am I being memed with this? Why every fucking mongoloid relates this to Tolkien, he always said that his books were no reflection of his time in the war, nor his hate for other races.

[Anonymous No.17316573]

>>17316566
Fuck off >>>/pol/

[Anonymous No.17316581]

>>17316552
You completely ignored the part where I mentioned odium.

[Anonymous No.17316583]

>>17316573
Improve your reading comprehension and return the next semester.

[Anonymous No.17316587]

>>17316552
>If Navani had actual Stockholm syndrome
She did have Stockholm syndrome. Which isn’t surprising considering Sandaro’s obsession with mental illness. I just found it hilariously sad that a YA bestseller would ever attempt to tackle these topics. He’s making a caricature of everything on top of being a bad character developer and a serviceable writer overall.

[Anonymous No.17316592]

>>17316583
I accept your defeat.

[Anonymous No.17316606]

>>17314685
Navani wanted to go full cunnilingus on Raboniel. What do you mean?

[Anonymous No.17316608]

>>17316409
Only if it's premium shlock

[Anonymous No.17316614]

>>17311934
Remembers when Adolin killed Salazar Slitherin? Yeah, no else remembers either. They destroyed the entire house with ZERO consequences.

[Anonymous No.17316670]

>>17316581
I did, because it's a fair read and I have no real rebuttal. It's possible she was unwittingly under the influence of Odium in following her passions, but not definitive.
>>17316587
And she did not have Stockholm syndrome. Maybe try reading up on the actual crisis that spawned the term, and then explain why Navani didn't just give the tower to Raboniel.

[Anonymous No.17316688]

>>17316614
>Sadeas
>allies
Is abandoning people to certain doom your idea of an ally?

[Anonymous No.17316697]

>>17316688
>reading comprehension

[Anonymous No.17316705]

>>17316670
>And she did not have Stockholm syndrome. Maybe try reading up on the actual crisis that spawned the term, and then explain why Navani didn't just give the tower to Raboniel.
Well, she gave the enemy a nuke. So I don’t know desu senpai.

[Anonymous No.17316709]

>>17311934
>Why am I expected to Believe that Navani can betray their allies with little to no consequence?
>>17316614
>Remembers when Adolin killed Salazar Slitherin? Yeah, no else remembers either. They destroyed the entire house with ZERO consequences.
So either you think Sadeas is unironically an ally or you're literally discussing shit that has no bearing to the post you replied to.
>reading comprehension

[Anonymous No.17316714]

>>17316705
>having your research seized by an invading force
>"""giving"""

[Anonymous No.17316721]

>>17316709
>Sandersoy
>can’t read
>can’t quote
Every time.

[Anonymous No.17316726]

Which should I read first? Bakker's Prince of Nothing or Peter Hamilton's Void Trilogy?
Also fuck Sanderfags

[Anonymous No.17316728]

>>17316714
Did we read the same book? I’m starting to think that >>17316721 is right. Did they also seize Navani’s brain? Or was it just yours from eating too much Soya?

[Anonymous No.17316733]

>>17316726
Bakker is fucking kino senpai. Just be warned, everything else will feel like shit afterwards.

[Anonymous No.17316749]

>17316721
>quote you without directly referencing your post
Why would someone do that, that never happens.
>>17316728
I don't know, since apparently in your version Navani is actually an enemy double agent.

[Anonymous No.17316754]

>>17316614
My God of the many bad things about Oathbringer this is the one I hated the most. Badly managed from every point of view. It is as if Sandero realized that he had given depth to a character and a political dynamic and scared, he immediately retraced his steps, resetting Adolin at WoK level. What a shame.

[Anonymous No.17316761]

>>17316754
>Stormlight Archive
>politics

LMAO

Now you have two Kholin Bondsmiths and everyone’s ok with it. It’s fucking hilarious buddy.
There are sandersoys in this thread who think that Sandaro is not YA.

[Anonymous No.17316765]

>>17316749
>I don't know, since apparently in your version Navani is actually an enemy double agent.
Take your meds schizo.

[Anonymous No.17316796]

>genius 7000 year old scientist known for her work on genociding your own species
>wont stop even if it means sacrificing thousands of her own people
>be warned about her cunning ploys
>be warned about her current world ending goals
>be told by HERSELF about all that
surely navani working for her isn't such a bad idea, i mean she always wanted to be a real scientist!
she can easily outsmart her and even feed her false information!
Better write all her discoveries down and "hide" it in the only room where she is allowed to with an overseer 24/7.
There is no way she could be bamboozled for the third time in a row!

This was just dumb. And her actually discovering things where big groups of Real scientists failed for hundreds of years, while working alone in a hostile environment without a science background didnt make it any better. still liked her chapters

Bonus for Jasnah thinking she is intellectual equal to another >10000 year old being. Surely there is no way Wit could outsmart her!

[Anonymous No.17316797]

>>17316754
>It is as if Sandero realized that he had given depth to a character and a political dynamic
What even is this? All the way through Oathbringer Adolin is never more than a headstrong child trying to confound his father whom he's more alike than he knows. That's why he just straight murdered Sadeas. It had nothing to do with politics or character "development", he always thought killing Sadeas was the only way to protect themselves from him. First chance he got, he did. Where are you even getting this spectacular miraculous develop from?

[Anonymous No.17316810]

>>17316796
>still liked her chapters
This is why can’t have nice things.

[Anonymous No.17316816]

>>17316796
>working for her
She's not working "for" her. She's working with her in the hopes she can learn more than she can give away. Hubris and ineptitude are not the same as working for the enemy.
>her actually discovering things where big groups of Real scientists failed for hundreds of years
Nobody but Raboniel (as far as we know now) even supposed anti-light existed, where are you suddenly getting whole groups of scientists studying it for centuries? Even if they were, all of Raboniel's initial notions about anti-light are completely incorrect, she's still trying to make voidlight annihilate stormlight.
>BUT THEY'RE SO MUCH OLDER
And it's blatantly pointed out that beings living that long is terrible for their rationality. If half the immortal beings you knew were almost catatonic, you'd be pretty confident too.

[Anonymous No.17316825]

>>17316761
>LMAO
Yet politics is at the heart of three out of four books. And even in the Mistborn saga and even in Elantris, politics is at the heart of many subplots. Honestly I don't know why Sandero is so passionate about this aspect, since he doesn't write it at all well or in an interesting way. So I was hoping for a breakthrough in Oathbringer. Couldn't have been more wrong.
>Now you have two Kholin Bondsmiths and everyone’s ok with it.
Exactly what choice do the other rulers of the coalition have but to accept the fait accompli?

Don't you find it much more serious that the Kholin family has entered into an agreement with the Enemy without giving a shit about the other kings, when the same thing in the previous book blew up the whole coalition?

[Anonymous No.17316847]

>>17316797
>through Oathbringer
You're confusing the books. What you describe happened in WoR.

[Anonymous No.17316855]

Brando Sando is a hack

You

are

eating

shit

[Anonymous No.17316857]

>>17316797
>Sandaro
>Politics

Top fucking kek

If you took your ass out of the cosmere and read other books, you would actually see how absolutely delusional you are.

[Anonymous No.17316859]

Give me book with God tier fist fights. Like in Matrix.

[Anonymous No.17316890]

>>17316857
>basically agreeing with you
>still fling shit
Real high IQ behavior.

[Anonymous No.17316902]

>>17316424
First Law is like a PG-13 version of grimdark. It's grimdark lite. It didn't popularize shit. Malazan Book of the Fallen is grimmer and darker than anything Abercrombie ever shat out onto a page and was 6 books deep before First Law was ever published.

[Anonymous No.17316906]

>>17316797
It looks like realism has filtered you really hard buddy. I honestly don’t care if you can’t cope with that, but the Stormlight Archive universe is one of the most artificial things I’ve ever come across in fantasy. Everything is of no political consequence. Everyone except the old fart and the Kholins is a sheep in the eyes of Sandaro. All that matters is his outline. He created a gigantic universe and forgot that there are people in it.

Only cataclysmic disasters and God like events drive the plot forward. People are just blown In the wind like detritus.

[Anonymous No.17316913]

>>17316890
>murdering a prince with a gigantic army is of no consequence

I accept your defeat.

[Anonymous No.17316926]

>>17316913
Who are you quoting? There were obviously consequences, but, in true Alethi fashion, by simply not getting caught most of the fallout is mitigated. Not unlike abandoning half your army to die and coming home unscathed. How do you pretend to be so much smarter than a book you appear to not have read?

[Anonymous No.17316952]

>>17316816
>Hubris and ineptitude are not the same as working for the enemy.
they are not working on crossbreeding plants to make them more resisting against cold. Or on complex mathematical problems with little impact outside that specific field.
They are working on fundamental parts of light. And Navani already knows that this can be used as a weapon.
Describing this behaviour as her "hubris" is a bit lacking in my opinion, especially knowing who will control her work and what her goals are.
>Nobody but Raboniel (as far as we know now) even supposed anti-light existed,
sure. But everyone know light existed. It has a bigger impact in they life than electricity has in ours. And we know that they were people studying it for centuries. It is by all means, what makes they world work. So no, it is not reasonable for her to discover such a fundamental part of light. Not with her background. Not with her surroundings.
>And it's blatantly pointed out that beings living that long is terrible for their rationality
Some. Not everyone. Navani had hopes for Raboniel being more insane than sane. But quickly came to the realization that she was still in control of herself.
And Jasnah believes Wit is sane, comes from a foreign world, is thousands of years old, has an unknown number of secrets and goals. Expecting her to be his equal is hubris.

[Anonymous No.17316960]

>>17316952
Absolutely based.

Sandersoy BTFO

[Anonymous No.17317000]

>>17316952
>Navani already knows that this can be used as a weapon.
She suspects because it caused an explosion. She has no way of knowing it can be turned back around to annihilate spren until Raboniel shows up and starts asking questions. It's arguable she never would've made the discoveries she did without the things she learned from "working with" Raboniel.
>But everyone know light existed. It has a bigger impact in they life than electricity has in ours.
And outside of the singers and whatever Gavilar got up to, nobody would ever have suspected it could be tweaked into a weapon. It's like expecting people to extrapolate the atom bomb from studying candles and batteries. Not to mention without knowing and studying the rhythms and tones, humans would always be working with light figuratively half-blind.
>Jasnah
I can't really argue all that. She does have an overinflated sense of herself, but at least she's more careful than her mother.

[Anonymous No.17317004]

>>17316960
>see measured discussion
>turn it into dick measuring contest
Turbo IQ behavior.

[Anonymous No.17317008]

>>17317004
>imagine speaking about IQ when you’re the one who spent thousands of dollars on cosmere books
>inb4 “rent freeeeeeee”

[Anonymous No.17317044]

>>17317008
>thousands of dollars
Can't do math. Can barely read. You must lead a hard life.

[Anonymous No.17317058]

>>17317044
>doesn’t even deny it

I accept your defeat.

[Anonymous No.17317063]

>>17317008
And you still have no idea how to use "rent free" appropriately ;^*

[Anonymous No.17317069]

>>17317058
You can't do math. That's my denial of spending thousands of dollars on anything. Because you can't actually do simple addition.

[Anonymous No.17317082]

>>17311726
I mean, Martin has always stressed that any real world myths and histories that find their way into his books only serve as an inspiration, not a blueprint. The morality question of taking other people's choice from them for the greater good also isn't new either for ASOIAF or Martin's writing in general. Bloodraven was all about that and he's now Bran's mentor. Tuf Voyaging ultimately ended with it and it makes a pretty good case both for and against it, creating a beautifully chilling, bittersweet ending.
It could work excellently, but it's all about the execution.

[Anonymous No.17317084]

>>17317069
>hurrr durr you can’t do Math
How much money did you and your wife actually pay for those Kick Starter leather bounds, hum?

[Anonymous No.17317095]

>>17317069
>Because you can't actually do simple addition.
At least he can write lmao

[Anonymous No.17317100]

>>17317084
200-250. I forget the exact amount. But between that and the half dozen or so hardbacks and the smattering of paperbacks, that's significantly less than "thousands of dollars". If I paid $100 a piece for each of the mainline cosmere books, I still wouldn't have spent 2 grand. You literally can't do basic math.

[Anonymous No.17317108]

>>17317095
Because that's noteworthy at all? Is that not a baseline skill for shitposting on a Norwegian seal clubbing forum?

[Anonymous No.17317112]

>>17317100
> implying he said US dollars

Joke’s on you

[Anonymous No.17317119]

>>17317100
I also accounted the action figurines and Stormlight dildos that you have.

[Anonymous No.17317130]

>>17317100
>200-250

I accept your defeat?

[Anonymous No.17317135]

>>17317119
Are you sure you're not the one with the obession? I didn't even know they made those.
>>17317130
>200 is greater than or equal to 2000
You
Can't
Do
Math

[Anonymous No.17317138]

>>17317135
>he actually spent over 1k in Sewerlight shit

Ay lmao

[Anonymous No.17317168]

>>17317138
Pretty sure I haven't done that either, but that's at least a more reasonable estimate than "thousands of dollars". How fucking much do you people think books cost?

[Anonymous No.17317231]

Just read Retribution Falls. It was such trope heavy genre fiction trash, but damn if I didn't enjoy the pace. Makes a change from character heavy books to read something with lots of plot happening every chapter.

Looking for some less trash page turners now.

[Anonymous No.17317357]

>>17314151
I actually disagree about him being just above average. He has a keen eye for human behavior and can get into the heads of his characters in a raw, natural way like few other writers can. He's also excellent at painting suspense and atmosphere with just a few words.
His output is uneven, sure, but considering the sheer amount of books he's written, it's pretty much inevitable.

[Anonymous No.17317582]

>imagine being a Sandersoy
>imagine unironically defending Sandaro on every single thread

[Anonymous No.17317695]

>>17311349
Some one please post this on the shard and link it.

[Anonymous No.17317697]

>>17317357
>He's also excellent at painting suspense and atmosphere with just a few words.
That's definitely one of my favorite tricks of his. When King goes full horror there's few that can top him.

[Anonymous No.17317709]

>>17317582
>which is somehow more embarrassing than reposting the same half-dozen images, couple of copypastas, and rabid shitposts jonesing for (You)'s like some kind of addict
I really only defend him when I feel like people are making stupid points. Obviously I feel strongly about the "Navani is a traitorous cunt" arguments because they're 100% retarded. The rest is just shitposting because I literally have nothing better to do, and you fags seem to start all that....

[Anonymous No.17317733]

>>17317709
Navani was handled terribly in RoW, to the point of being immersion breaking.

Which culminated in my irrevocable decision to drop the series. I (We) honestly deserve better. Sanderson’s most recent SA books are an insult to anyone’s intelligence.

[Anonymous No.17317752]

>>17317733
>I DISLIKE THING!
Could you elaborate, or are you just here for attention and not discussion?

[Anonymous No.17317769]

Why are Oathbringer and Rhythm of War so much worse than Way of Kings and Words of Radiance. I don't understand what Sanderson did to fuck them up so much when he obviously had things figured out already. Is it just from him trying to write faster and screwing up the quality?

[Anonymous No.17317779]

>>17317769
He didn’t properly plan past those two initial books. And he’s so obsessed with his Outline that he completely destroys characters to feed the narrative.

[Anonymous No.17317782]

>>17317769
There’s no way any one can keep quality and consistency at those insane publishing schedules. He’s just writing serviceable trash.

[Anonymous No.17317798]

>>17317769
I think most people's biggest problem is they want to go back to before the top layer of paint peeled off and it became less about being a Stormlight Archive and more about being The Cosmere Archive.

[Anonymous No.17317807]

>>17317752
>I LIKE SHIT!
Elaborate on that.

[Anonymous No.17317815]

>>17317782
It does seem like Sanderson has trapped himself in a pit where he has to write all of the Cosmere stuff, but he can't. He's getting fucked over by his disintegrating outlines and declining writing.

[Anonymous No.17317827]

>>17317807
Just attention whoring, got it.

[Anonymous No.17317842]

>>17317815
I’ve said here multiple times already. The cosmere is a dumpster fire. And he’s stuck to it forever now in order to feed his own fan base.

The scope of it is lunatic when you take into consideration how many books he writes. Shit gets no proper thought or editing. Quality cannot exist.

[Anonymous No.17317845]

Imagine reading more than 2 pages of Sanderson's writing and having any fucking idea what these shitlips are talking about
Could not be me

[Anonymous No.17317871]

>>17317842
The worst part is how it seems like Sanderson is willingly making things worse by increasing the number of tie-ins. Just look at how much stuff there was about the greater Cosmere in RoW. I feel bad for people who only want to read Stormlight since he's going to ruin it by jamming in all his Cosmere stuff.

[Anonymous No.17317905]

>>17317871
1. He will never finish the cosmere.
2. He’s “scamming” his readers when he drops stories from other books in the middle of Roshar.

[Anonymous No.17317906]

>>17317697
It's not just horror. Take this little exchange from The Dead Zone:
>“I love you, Sarah,” Johnny said. So it was out, it couldn’t be called back, it hung between them in the moving car, waiting for someone to do something about it.
>She did what she could. “Thank you, Johnny.”
It's such a humane, unpretentious way to sum up an awkward situation. It tells you everything you need to know about the characters' feelings at that moment without any cumbersome explanations.

[Anonymous No.17318030]

No one important ever dies on SA. There is literally zero at stake.

Just be honest. Did you ever fear for kaladin’s life at any point in the series?

The only characters that died were either irrelevant, horses or incredible inconveniences to the narrative. He simply wiped them out in order to not have to deal with them.

[Anonymous No.17318061]

>>17316913
>>17317130
>>17317058
>>17316913
>>17310306
>>17312724
>>17313293
Where did we pick up this embarrassing crossboarding newfag?

[Anonymous No.17318078]

>>17318061
I don’t accept that you’ve been here for a long time.

[Anonymous No.17318191]

>>17317769
Because OB is The Last Jedi of the Stormlight Archive. Think about how many times expectations have been subverted:
>Oh my God, a new storm blowing from west to east! It will be a disaster!
>Nope. It is less violent than you think. A nuisance mostly.
>Oh my God, the Parshi will become Voidbringers in the midst of defenseless villages. It will be a massacre!
>Nope. No one will turn into Voidbringer and they will conveniently escape without harming anyone.
>Oh my God, Adolin killed Salazar Slytherin. He will definitely get in trouble!
>Nope. No one cares.
And I could go on and on...

[Anonymous No.17318192]

Onions

[Anonymous No.17318204]

Basedum

[Anonymous No.17318239]

>>17318191
>Actively avoiding developing Szeth just to milk the shit out of him In book 5.

His books do feel like an mmo.

[Anonymous No.17318303]

>>17317769
I still say the writing’s shit because he overuses italics and ellipsis. And I’m not finished with Rhythm yet but fuck, four books in and it feels like every single book we need to have mental problems with Kaladin and Shallan. Kaladin’s first chapter was KINO and then it just turns to shit with constant depressionwank.
But to be honest, even though I’m annoyed Shallan’s still suffering from her memory bullshit, I find her and Adolin’s chapters the most enjoyable.

[Anonymous No.17318402]

>>17318061
I recognize the “I accept your defeat” from a guy on /tv/ who just spams that shit every time he gets in an arguement
And it happened in a game of thrones thread, so, chances are he could be the one posting here too

[Anonymous No.17318408]

>>17318402
I’ve seen this posted all over /lit/ way before you people brought it up here.

[Anonymous No.17318416]

>>17318191
>all those theories about Adolin being corrupted by Odium or potentially becoming a Voidbringer
>few could accept that Adolin killing a dangerous man who wanted his father dead was nothing more than that

[Anonγmous No.17318469]

>>17318408
>>17318078
go to the /lit/ archive (the offsite one, dumbass) and prove it

[Anonymous No.17318497]

>>17318402
Not surprising. Spamming children always originate from the bigger newfag boards.

[Anonymous No.17318506]

>>17318469
The burden of proof is on the accuser.

[Anonymous No.17318529]

>>17318497
>children discussing Sandaro

Not surprising desu

[Anonymous No.17318536]

New thread:
>>17318535
>>17318535
>>17318535

[Anonymous No.17318560]

>>17318506
>>17318469
>>17318408
>I accept your defeat
>>/lit/?task=search&ghost=&search_text=%22I+accept+your+defeat%22

[Anonymous No.17318600]

>arguing with someone who doesn't even understand burden of proof
you're going to be wrong 100% of the time because he says so ^_^

[Anonγmous No.17318603]

>>17318560
>oldest post is from June of last year
looks like he is a newfag

[Anonymous No.17318615]

>>17318603
The oldest post is from 2010 you idiot. There's more than one page.

[Anonymous No.17318625]

>>17318615
Note that /lit/ was created in 2010 so it's been here from the very beginning.

[Anonγmous No.17318663]

>>17318615
>>17318625
you're a lying asshat, newfag

[Anonymous No.17318672]

>>17318625
>the very beginning

[Anonymous No.17318675]

>>17318663
>>/lit/thread/S653214#p653340

[Anonymous No.17318684]

>>17318672
Of the board, not the site. Surely you've been here at least since before /lit/ was created, have you not?

[Anonymous No.17318785]

>>17318600
>>17318469
>>17318061

>imagine being absolutely BTFO

Cope newfag. I accept your surrender.

[Anonymous No.17318794]

>tfw old9k pre board split was the last place for genuine intellectual discussion on 4chan
empty of newfags who spam the same line
sad feels

[Anonymous No.17318797]

>>17318785
You are one of the lowest qualities of trolls.

[Anonymous No.17318802]

>>17318794
How halcyon it was.

[Anonymous No.17318830]

>>17318797
> You are one of the lowest qualities of trolls.
Learn to write.

[Anonymous No.17318838]

>>17318830
Whatever I write is right because I'm a wright.

[Anonymous No.17318933]

>>17318239

No shit.

> Your words are accepted. You can now level up.