/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.2754411]

I'm expecting an onslaught for this, but here goes.

/lit/, what novels would you recommend to a guy who hasn't read a thing in about 4 years now?

Preferably science fiction/fantasy, something like that.

[Anonymous No.2754469]

>Preferably science fiction/fantasy
Oh boy

[Anonymous No.2754465]

Dune

[Anonymous No.2754485]

Check the infographic

[Anonymous No.2754492]

>>2754465
Thanks.

>>2754469
Yeah, my bad, I meant you ask what you like and not what I like. Because of course, you're couldn't live with yourself if you hadn't just not posted, because someone was being wrong on the Internet, and what you think it's more or less fact.

[Anonymous No.2754498]

>>2754492
>Hey! Stop having an opinion! It hurt my feelings and made me feel bad!
Okay.

[Anonymous No.2754499]

[Anonymous No.2754500]

>>2754485
Thanks.

[Anonymous No.2754532]

People like you, OP, disgust me. You admit you haven't read in four years, then come on here asking for scifi/fantasy shit. It'd been OK if you were asking for hard sci-fi, or moderate sci-fi a la Harlan Ellison, but no... You're scum, and I hope your children have birth defects.

[Anonymous No.2754551]

>>2754532

I'm failing to see how what I do or don't read would inconvenience you. And also, I don't see why I'd want to contribute to a race which involves people similar to yourself.

[Anonymous No.2754554]

>>2754532
I'm not OP, but I am sort of curious as to what you mean by this exactly.

I never really got into the sci-fi genre much, and I know there is a lot of shit in the genre too, but is the distinction between hard sci-fi and sci-fi really so drastic?

[Anonymous No.2754573]

>>2754532
>Expecting somebody that is not a /lit/ fag to know the difference between Hard science and moderate science

He clearly said that he did not read in 4 years and he's probably a person that actualy don't give a fuck about genres and just want something to read that interest him.

People like you disgust me, because you clearly want a person that you have never met to lie down and die for no reason at all.

[Anonymous No.2754574]

>>2754532
are you serious? give the guy a fuckin break, he's trying to get back into reading, fuck off if that's what he wants to read

[Anonymous No.2754586]

>>2754573
>not wanting everyone in the world to just lie down and die
keep on humanisting

[Anonymous No.2754588]

>>2754554

It's just one of /lit/'s many pretentious assholes who's heads are too far up Joyce's ass to see past the same 10 shitty "classic" novels they constantly circlejerk over.

[Anonymous No.2754594]

>>2754588
Don't lie. You like those novels too.

[Anonymous No.2754596]

>>2754588
So he's basically /lit/ incarnate?

So pretentiousness aside is there really that big of a difference between hard sci-fi and the rest of the genre besides staying closer to reality?

[Anonymous No.2754598]

Stop me if you've read this one before.

[Anonymous No.2754601]

>>2754598

[Anonymous No.2754603]

>>2754596
Just read something.

[Anonymous No.2754605]

>>2754596

Soft Sci-Fi usually focuses around social issues and the like in a speculative setting, such issues using relating towards technology of some sort. The scientific discrepancies are justified as tools to help foster the plot.

Hard Sci-Fi tries to stay as close to reality as it can justify using existing knowledge or well established technological theories. It's much more focused on the technological elements in the story, and the plot is usually based around the changes and impact of said technology in the book's universe.

Of course there's no hard-and-true definition, it's all relative and subjective. You'll know the difference once you've started reading.

A good example of hard Scif-Fi is Kim S. Robinson's Mars trilogy.

[Anonymous No.2754609]

Well OP, if you want sword and sorcery (very light, action oriented fantasy) try The Elric, Lahnkmar, Conan or Kane Sagas. They're fun and easy but the quality is inconsistent.

Neil Gaiman is also good light reading.

If you want fantasy that's a little more "literary", try anything by Borges, The Book of the New Sun or the Gormenghast trilogy.

As for Sci Fi, i only know Phillip K. Dick, but check out Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, The Man in The High Castle or Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said.

[Anonymous No.2754619]

>>2754605
Thank you for the explanation and the recommendation good sir.

[Anonymous No.2754636]

>>2754532
People like you, P, disgust me. You attack people for not reading in four years, then try to present yourself as somehow morally superior. It'd been OK if you were recommending hard sci-fi, or moderate sci-fi a la Harlan Ellison, but no... You're scum, and I hope you don't have children so our species has a chance.

[Anonymous No.2754656]

I'd recommend Neil Gaiman. He's good, yet requires little investment for the plot itself. A great entryway is American Gods, or Anansi Boys if you prefer lighter fare.

Fragile Things is also one of the best short story compilations I have read.

[Anonymous No.2754671]

Song of Ice and Fire for low fantasy/historical fiction. You wont find many fans here on /lit/ but it's nonetheless incredible.

For some sci-fi try Hyperion by Dan Simmons and the Hainish Cycle by Ursula Le Guin.

Glad to see someone getting back into reading, op. Make sure you stick with it. Fiction and non-fiction are both necessary.

[Anonymous No.2754686]

>>2754671
>historical fiction

[Anonymous No.2754694]

>>2754686
I was waiting for someone to post that.

So predictable, /lit/.

[Anonymous No.2754696]

>>2754694
That means you thought of it too, Mr. Original.

[Anonymous No.2755067]

>>2754686
well, it pretty much is for like 4/5 of the first book

[Anonymous No.2755111]

If you would like some light urban fantasy stuff, I'd recommend Jim Butcher.

I'm pretty sure /lit/ hates the guy, but his work is enjoyable, if extremely pulpy.

Also, Neil Gaiman is pretty great, and Terry Pratchett would be a fantastic author for getting back into reading if you're looking for a laugh.

[Anonymous No.2757225]

Just gonna go ahead and post this.
They aren't high-brow, and they begin to drop a little in quality by the beginning of the third book
(it's like the authors ran out of Doom and decided they were gonna use this contract to write that weird sci-fi novel they always wanted to write), but they're nice enough.
They follow the games somewhat, but Doom having little plot to begin with, it starts to stray right around the second one. The first one is pretty good though.

[Anonymous No.2757230]

ender's game.

Good read, but the sequels are a waist of time.

[Anonymous No.2757496]

>>2757225
I should also mention that they begin to get kind of inconsistent by the fourth book.

Also, for being based on a game that's pretty much just running around and shooting monsters to a metal soundtrack, it goes to some philosophical places (as to how well written this is, I can't really say, I'm not good at philosophy, and it only comes across as forced some times).

Also, if you're a /k/ guy, like me, some of the guntalk can be off (a weapon is referred to as "M-14 BAR", the M14 and BAR are two very different weapons), but it shouldn't give you any conniptions unless you're OCD.

[Anonymous No.2757552]

>>2754532
>It'd been OK

Maybe you should read some more.

[Anonymous No.2757570]

>>2754465
Dune is actually quite good and I'd recommend it to OP. I haven't finished it though - something always gets in the way of me finishing it (last time from memory it was final exams for uni a few years back), though it's one of those books I still remember most of what has been written (not SPECIFICALLY, mind you, though the general story arch and the little details I remember). And that is one of the very few books where things like that stick in my mind. Even my favorite book I can barely remember what the fuck happens in it. Though Dune I could re-read from the start and remember most of it.

Don't know if this will influence your opinion or anything - I'm not a heavy sci-fi reader (though I do love sci-fi film/TV) - though pointing this out might just be a unique approach on stating how brilliant this novel is. Don't go putting it off because it's "so popular and thus probably generic and/or shit" (Lord of the Flies being a perfect example). Because, it's really not.

>>2757496
>>2757225
Agreed with this guy. Those four novels are pretty great, though don't go expecting any kind of literary masterpiece of the SF genre.

Book 1 is very "lonely" and centered a lot around the Doom game atmosphere and setting.
Book 2 picks up a bit. Still Doom, though straying a bit.
Book 3 is where it starts to stray from Doom and, like the other guy says, just end up in some sci-fi world almost entirely of the author's own creation. Still it is one of the better books in the series.
Book 4 has a great ending. The start of book 4 I can't remember too much though from memory it was decent.

Be warned book 2 ends with a cliffhanger and book 3 (Infernal Sky from memory?) is near impossible to find. I bought books 1, 2 and 4 new off a well-known book retailer. Book 3 I had to get second hand off eBay. So make sure you can secure a copy of book 3 first if you ever want to start this series.

[Anonymous No.2757642]

Should give ASOIAF a try OP, easy to read for the most part and it's a fun story

[Anonymous No.2757666]

>>2757225

Aww shit nigga

I remember reading the first two of those when I was a kid. Nobody believed me when I said they were great. I never knew there was a third and fourth one - off to find them now.

[Anonymous No.2757682]

OP, how old are you?

[Anonymous No.2757704]

>>2757570
>>2757570

I had no trouble finding the third book. I simply forgot to order it and did it afterwards (got it off of Amazon).
They're reprints though, I would have preferred the original prints because I like the old covers better (the new ones mostly look like some bland photoshop crap), since they're closer to the style of Doom.

I especially like the parts in the first book when Fly time and time again almost looses his fucking mind, and when he's in a shootout with the possessed humans when he just arrived at Deimos, (while completely nude), and barely has any cover from their bullets (in fact he sustains a pretty serious wound there).

Also, just about all of the "bossfights" are pretty epic, like using Deimos low gravity against the Cyberdemon, or when lighting up the Spidermind with the jet-propellant

I have to say, the books were a LOT better than I thought a novelization of Doom would be (god I fucking love those games).

Also, Masters Of Doom was a pretty interesting read.

By the way, I noticed that Amazon has a pretty low stock on these books, I don't know if they get new ones or not when they run out.
Maybe in the future, they'll do another reprint (fat chance), and maybe, with the original covers (fatter chance).

[Anonymous No.2757875]

>>2757704
They might do a reprint when 4th game is due.

[Anonymous No.2757908]

Can't go wrong with Black Library, OP.

[Anonymous No.2757918]

Catch 22

[Anonymous No.2759114]

Stephen Kings the Stand is a nice fantasy version of our world.

[Anonymous No.2759440]

>>2757875
Wait, is there any source to this statement or is this just speculation?