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/lit/ - Literature


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6675112 No.6675112 [Reply] [Original]

Chivalrous edition

New to these genres? Check out these charts for recommendations!
>Fantasy
http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/4chanlit/images/a/a8/1307836551252.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110612005642
>Sci-Fi
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/4chanlit/images/a/a6/Scifilit.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100710233344

>What SF/F books are you currently reading
>Who are your favorite Knights/Knightlike characters of Fantasy?

>> No.6675128

>>6675112
are those charts for ants?

>> No.6675129

>>6675112
>General
Disgusting. Can we just have a thread without it being a "general"?

>> No.6675153

can I get a bigger chart? cant see shit.

>> No.6675164

I just finished reading Neverness by David Zindell. It's good, I guess, if you like the "cult of science" trope. It is among the most ambitious science fiction novels I've read. The event I was expecting to be the climax happened about 10% of the way into the book, and the story only got bigger from there. The book was published in the 80s, but when I was reading it, for some reason I thought it was from the late 1990s, and nothing in the book really gave it away as so dated. Often sci-fi from the 80s has a slightly slimy, campy vibe (think early Iain M Banks).

Now I'm reading The Year of the Flood, sequel to Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood. I felt like I hadn't read a female author in a long time, and I was getting a little tired of badly written neckbeard-male-authored female characters and books that don't pass the Bechdel Test. I just started, but it seems to be shorter than I expected. Not sure where I'll go from there.

>> No.6675174

>>6675112
>no Harry Potter

dropped

>> No.6675183

>>6675174
But Harry Potter is magical realism! :^)

>> No.6675193

>>6675128
>>6675153
Dude the charts are fine. Do you know how to use your web browser? Are you sure you aren't "zoomed out" when looking at them?

>> No.6675233

>>6675193
...the charts are "fine," in the sense that they are readable, but I find that the content within is actually not that great. They are heavily weighted towards frankly quite old stuff, even the "modern" section is mostly from the 70s and 80s. Well, I guess they can be used as a starting place.

>> No.6675242

>>6675193
Yes I know how, you patronizing cunt. They're small images without a zoom, and too low-res to enlarge.

>> No.6675334

>>6675242
Which ones are you having trouble seeing? I'm serious about the browser thing. I've noticed that sometimes browsers remember if you've ever zoomed in or out on a site, and then any time you load something from that domain it will come out weird unless you set it back to 100%.

Most of the book covers are about 300 pixels high on my end, which is a pretty standard size for book covers, box art, album covers, etc.

>> No.6675346

>>6675334
I don't know why you take pride in being able to tell when an image is zoomed in or not on your browser, but it's not a rare skill.

>> No.6675367

To hell with Chivalry. Read The Blade itself by Joe Abercrombie. Logan Ninefingers shits over every "knight"

>> No.6675464

>>6675367
Oww, that edge! Anyway, you should finish the trilogy. And then read the Prince of Nothing trilogy by R. Scott Bakker. If you like grim, Bakker's your guy.

>> No.6675482

>>6675367
Halfway through it. He's easily the worst POV IMO

>> No.6675508

Science fiction died in the 1980s.

>> No.6675705
File: 7 KB, 210x230, 1291300948193.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6675705

Finished Ender's Game. Damn that was good. I'm normally really good at predicting and seeing things coming but I was too engrossed in the story I guess and the twist just totally took me by surprise. Remember standing up and pacing around with my hands on my head when it happened

>mfw I go to goodreads and see the top reviews for it

>> No.6675740

>>6675705
good reads never fails to impress with how bad an opinion can be.

>> No.6675768

>>6675705
I was the opposite, I'm usually terrible at spotting twists, but when there were only 50 pages left and he hadn't left 'training' yet, I spotted it.

>> No.6675808

>>6675705
I remember the twist blew my mind out the back of my skull when I read it.
That was years ago, though.

>> No.6675827

>>6675128
>>6675242
>>6675153
Charts are fine, sperg.

>>6675112
I've started Vurt and that new Abercrombie novel that I forgot the name of (some kind of viking setting, and I forgot most of the plot of the first novel as well).

I won't answer the second question because you fucked it up with 'knightlike' characters, now it can be anything.

>> No.6675839
File: 29 KB, 316x473, The_Sea_of_Trolls_cover.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6675839

I read this when I was like 14. Any thoughts?

I really liked it.

>> No.6675870

>>6675705
Did your boner explode for the Queen?

>> No.6675879

>>6675839
Was pretty cool, read it twice about the same age, introduced me to norse myth

>> No.6675886
File: 28 KB, 200x471, 1307836551252.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6675886

>>6675827
are we looking at the same charts? because i'm not zoomed out and i can't see shit even when enlarged the image is too small to tell what these are.

>> No.6675892

>>6675886
No. On my screen every book cover is about the size of that entire image you just posted. Somehow you are only getting a thumbnail.

>> No.6675895

>>6675886
It's on your end, it's fine for most people

>> No.6675914

>>6675886
Getting this shit too. Could someone reupload them at least?

>> No.6675919

>>6675886
Same problem here

>> No.6675933

About to start the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy lads.

Anyone read it?

>> No.6675941

Sorry to repost but I just started a booktube trying to get into fantasy.
Shameless self-promotion, I know, but I really want to do good, and would like some criticism.
Anybody?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS4bBzr3BYo

>> No.6675945

>>6675886
that one is for ants, the one OP posted are fine.

>>6675705
It's funny how Dota developed much of its strategy like collaborative Ender's game project.

>> No.6675960
File: 65 KB, 567x565, rms.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6675960

Currently reading g Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson. This book is incredible, I'm really not sure why /lit/ never talks about this series....

>> No.6675973

The Magic of Recluce is rad, anyone read it? The MC spends more than 50 pages making furniture and they're some of my favourite pages

>> No.6675975

Bowl of Heaven and Shipstar by Benford and Niven (Sci Fi)

Story is good, the science is hokey, and the grammer is atrosious at times

>> No.6675988

>>6675960
Maybe if you lurked more or checked the fucking archive you would see

>> No.6675990

>>6675941
I susbscribed last thread
excited to see where this goes
can you make separate videos that go more into analysis?

>> No.6675997

>>6675941
>swans

Subbed. I haven't read WoT yet so I'm not going to watch all of it, but I'll sub for future books/series you might cover.

>> No.6676006

>>6675960
How far in are you? I hated it for the first ~200 pages, once it got to Darujhistan and Crocus' introduction I was hooked though.

>> No.6676029
File: 2.70 MB, 2090x4926, fantasy.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6676029

>>6675945
that one is the one i got from the OP though, there's something weird going on where some browsers aren't going to the correct image i tried a different browser and it worked.

>> No.6676034
File: 2.26 MB, 2200x5000, Scifilit.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6676034

>> No.6676039

Arthurian bros, should I start with Le Mort d'Arthur or The Once and True King?

>> No.6676093

>>6675740
I like the site to index what I've read and my backlog and sometimes I even get the motivation to write up a review myself. Obviously I learned to not take reviews too seriously when I saw that a lot of top ones were just some random tumblr gif but this is the first I've seen that was so bad. 3 out of the top 4 reviews are 1 stars. This is one of the best pieces of SF I've read and people are calling it shit because the author is sexist or racist or something? What the fuck. Ender's fight with Bonzo happening in the shower means the author is a pedo? I don't even know

>> No.6676137

>>6676093
you need to get past wanting to have your opinion seen, rated and feedback'd because if you care about that you will always be surrounded by normalfags.

>> No.6676149

>>6676029
Why no Lies of Locke Lamora on the chart?

If fucking Night Angel got in, then Lies deserves to.

In fact, Night Angel should be replaced with Lightbringer.

>> No.6676175

>>6676149
>Why no Lies of Locke Lamora on the chart?
http://fuckyeahscifiwomenofcolour.tumblr.com/post/37413846476/author-scott-lynch-responds-to-a-critic-of-the :^)

>> No.6676191

>>6676175
Yes, we know that Lynch is a depressed sjw cocksucker that can't hit a deadline to save his life.

Lies of Locke Lamora is still breddy gud.
Also, bit of a double standard there, as the list also has Robin Hobbs and Brent Weeks.

In fact, looks like it also includes trash from Goodkind and Butcher as well.

10/10 list brah

>> No.6676193
File: 108 KB, 1024x768, The_Dark_Tower.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6676193

>>6675112
>Who are your favorite Knights/Knightlike characters of Fantasy
Best Knight.

>> No.6676212

>>6675129
Pedantic autist.

>> No.6676228

>>6676093

Yea. that's painful enough then some people calling the novel long. like lol you could read it in a night or two. what the fuck its so quick,

who the fuck are these people where do the crawl out from.

>> No.6676244

>>6676093
Orson Scott Card is an outspoken homophobe, but yeah people need to learn to separate artist from art

>> No.6676253

>>6676244
>Orson Scott Card is an outspoken homophobe
You say that like it's a bad thing?

>> No.6676322

>>6676253

Homosexuality is useful though, people have too many kids these days.

>> No.6676331

>>6676253
>discriminating against people for something that doesn't negatively effect society whatsoever

>> No.6676332

>>6676093
use new text document for your catalog

>> No.6676349

>>6676331
>implying that the entire retarded gay pride movement isn't responsible for the retarded otherkin shit we have now
>implying that AIDS doesn't negatively impact society
k

>> No.6676357

>>6676349

Blaming gay people for AIDs is like blaming drunk people for liver cancer. They made their choice, they live with it, not my problem.

>> No.6676363

>>6676349
Retards have always existed

AIDs is also spread by heterosexual Africans and heroin addicts.

>> No.6676384

>>6675112
I am six books in on the Drizzit R.A. Salvatore novels and just finished book I of Glen Cook's Black Company.

Does the Black Company series stay consistently good? I really enjoyed the first novel of his. Also, I saw that Sword Bearer by Glen Cook in that list - is it a stand alone fantasy novel by him or is it tied in with the Black Company series?

>> No.6676391

>>6676384
>I am six books in on the Drizzit R.A. Salvatore novels


SHIT NIGGER WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

>> No.6676406

>>6675973
I've read most of the books in the series. Modesitt is trying to do something by telling the same story over and over, but the best books are about the Chaos mages.

>> No.6676504

>>6675827
Vurt is pretty good.

>> No.6676567

Stories with good waifu material?

>> No.6676755

>>6676406
I've got most of the books from a garage sale and I tried reading the second but it didn't have the same pull as the first (Magic of Recluce)
Which ones do you recommend?

>> No.6676817
File: 45 KB, 301x500, dragonlance fallen.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6676817

>>6676391
i did the same thing, just to see why so many people like Drizzt
Some of the worst shit I've ever read, but i forced myself to read it to see if it'd get any better or see if i'd eventually undersatnd the popularity.
Nope.

i started reading fantasy novels with this in my 20s. Pretty good.
I didn't read Forgotten Realms stuff until i was 30.
I'm a late comer when it comes to reading fantasy. Currently reading the Malazan series.

>> No.6676887
File: 283 KB, 1024x656, Love Among the Ruins.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6676887

I think if you haven't spent time with Thomas Malory then you've really missed out. Le Morte D'Arthur is one of the most deeply enjoyable narratives in the English language. If you want chivalry, this is the book for you.

The Norton Critical Edition of the Winchester manuscript is the best one, IF, and only if, you ignore all the fucking footnotes. They only serve to fuck up and mangle the flow. Which is absurd, because this book is all about narrative flow. The language is archaic as shit, but fifty pages in your brain will have adjusted and you'll have no real problems. I know, I know, it's challenging, but it honestly is thoroughly enjoyable.

http://www.amazon.com/Morte-Darthur-Norton-Critical-Editions/dp/0393974642

>> No.6676917

>>6675886
>>6675914
>>6675919
Same here. Maybe it's a browser thing, are you guys on Firefox?

>>6675827
>that new Abercrombie novel that I forgot the name of (some kind of viking setting, and I forgot most of the plot of the first novel as well).
I found the first novel kinda lame so didn't bother with the second. Let us know if it's an improvement.

>>6675960
It's talked about constantly in every fantasy thread. There are about 3 or 4 massive fanboys who won't hear a word said against it.

>>6676193
Agreed.

>> No.6677080

>>6676817
They are obviously entry-level books, I don't know why you bothered going back to them once you were already a seasoned reader.

>> No.6677271
File: 109 KB, 471x480, lance12.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6677271

>>6677080
entry level for fantasy nerds or entry level for 10 year olds? Because it definitely felt like the latter, but i figured that if college aged nerds in the 80s fell in love with him from these books, i should give it a shot.
Gotta start from the beginning, even though i didn't with Dragonlance, which actually did hold up... the Twins books, anyway. The first series was just meh.

>> No.6677584

>>6677271
For kids dude, or at most for adolescents.

>> No.6677666

Sir Able of the High Heart
I
R

Able

O
F

The

H
I
G
H

Heart

>> No.6677674

>>6676322
People have too few actually. + homos now buy themselves children anyway.

>> No.6677677

>>6676363
Almost half of all people who have contracted aids are fuccbois. So it in fact is mostly spread by gays.

>> No.6677767

>>6677584
If it's for kids, it's well done then.
Better than harry potter and other stupid kid novels, but i judged it as something just for college nerds... so it was pretty bad.

I expected it to be at least Dragonlance Chronicles level and that actually got better as i went through the series.
I seriously don't get the love Forgotten Realms gets.

>> No.6678158

What are some fantasy novels set in the past but not in the classical "middle age europe" setting?

>> No.6678171

>>6678158
Powder Mage trilogy

french revolution type setting

>> No.6678175

>>6678158
Lord of Light
Dark Tower
anything by Gaiman really

>> No.6678220
File: 54 KB, 367x599, 367px-Shadow_Games.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6678220

>>6676384
>Does the Black Company series stay consistently good?
I think so, but they seem much slower than the first 3 books. I just finished them a few days ago and it's definitely worth reading because it tells you much more about the companies history. The writing also gets much better towards the end i think.
I dont think sword bearer has anything to do with the series.

>> No.6678739

So I want to get into more Sci-Fi material, but I'm not really into sciency stuff. What are some series that feel more like a Fantasy set in a space or futuristic setting?

>> No.6678769

>>6678739
What do you usually read?

If you like classic lit
>Frankenstein

If you're okay with a bit of camp and pulp
>The Stars My Destination
>Childhood's End

If you like world building and a macro fantasy feel
>Ancillary Justice
>Dune

If you like PEWPEW LAZER GUNS
>The Forever War
>Starship Troopers

If you like to be fucked with or tripped out
>Ubik
>Dr. Bloodmoney

These are all pretty entry level and don't go into the science of the mechanism. The only exceptions are Frankenstein - which gives some alchemy bullshit and The Forever War - which is short and essentially skippable.

>> No.6678779

>>6676384
no
every book is worse than the previous one
well, up to book 7, i quit then

>> No.6678798

Man, why do we always have to combine SF and Fantasy? They're two vastly different monsters.

only one has merit

>> No.6678805
File: 72 KB, 500x456, shadowrun.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6678805

>>6678798

>> No.6678876

>>6678798
This is the one thread where everyone stops pretending to be patrician, makes sense to merge genre lit interests into one thread.

>> No.6678889

>>6678769
Not the guy who asked, but is there anything that's swords 'n sorcery/epic fantasy but in a space/sci-fi setting? I really enjoyed the setting of Destiny (even though the game itself is dogshit), but I haven't been able to find a book that approximates it. John Carter of Mars is the closest thing but it looks a little too Golden Age of Sci-Fi for my tastes though. Still worth reading?

>> No.6678895
File: 680 KB, 2550x3300, 1386766363738.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6678895

>>6678889
Anne Mccaffrey?

>> No.6678913

>>6678895
Looks worth checking out, cheers mate

>> No.6678921

>>6678913
Picture unrelated, by the way. I think Gene Wolfe does some stuff related too, in The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories.

>> No.6678967

>>6678769
>The Stars My Destination
>camp

That does not feel accurate to me at all.

>> No.6679024

>>6678889
Gene Wolfe's book of the new sun

>> No.6679130
File: 68 KB, 391x296, chtorr.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6679130

repost storytime

from War Against the Chtorr, book 4 in the series

> These aliens called the chtorrian who terraform the ecosystem show up on earth

>several years and 3 books later, in book 4, this guy's mission is to study the largest infestation on Earth with a team of scientists

>he gets an idea to play back their song and figures through his own experiences with the alien worm hives (he was in a mandala briefly and felt like it was being a part of God and was also brainwashed into a cult before based around the ecosystem) he gets the idea to play the hive's song back at them, thinking that the worms worship the song itself like a god.

>the worms themselves see the zepplin the scientists are riding in as some giant worm and are waiting for it to do something, they start gathering toward into the middle of the hive like a religious cermony.


>the protagonist starts the song, the worms collectively let out a huge sigh which everybody in the airship can feel as a huge gust of wind.

>it works, the full red worm-filled nest starts to vibrate like a beating heart and sways to the rhythm of the song, and gradually amplifies their sound along with the airship which is flashing back Cthorrian colors in sync to the song.

>both are gradually raising their volume, the worms start adding in chord progressions and more complexity to the song to where it sounds completely ethereal.

>the special light cameras on the ship detect special lights (I think it's UV light) that are emitting from the worms, which themselves can see it but humans normally can't without technology or being infected by the chtorrian ecology, all the lights are perfectly synced to the song and are flashing in different colors like a laser rock show

>the protagonist is so lulled by the sound of the perfectly synced 250,000+ member alien hive chorus that his urge/longing to join the chtorrian ecology momentarily resurfaces before he shakes it off

>> No.6679131

>>6678967
You're right. Camp was not an accurate word to use for either of those.

>> No.6679147

>>6678889
Warhammer 40k

>> No.6679192

>>6675941
cool shit OP
I'm joining the patrol interested in learning myself

>> No.6679197

>>6679130
why would you post spoilers like that?

>> No.6679393
File: 647 KB, 698x1024, 4912322628_510d85bc8f_b[1].jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6679393

So I read this neat story and I realized that while I've seen a lot of time travel movies, I haven't read any of the literature.

Can I get some good "time travel essentials" recommendations? Not necessarily single-timeline, in fact, preferably not as most of them end up the same in my experience.

>> No.6679466

>>6678779
It slows down a lot, but really picks up again for the last 3 books. That said though i dont think any of them where as good as the first 3, just because of how good the story was.

>> No.6679475

>>6679466
do i lose a lot if i just skip the last book of quasi-india storyline?

>> No.6679499

>>6679393
All you zombies, Timeline, Manifold: Time.

>> No.6679576

>>6677666
he was kind of a cunt
now svon, there's a knight

>> No.6679625
File: 291 KB, 431x648, great-book-of-amber.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6679625

I have this sitting on my shelf and I want to start it but I need a push of motivation. Anyone who read it that can tell me something nice about it?

>> No.6679634

Currently reading Wheel of Time #8 The Path of Daggers. Gone a bit slow, but still enjoying certain characters enough to keep going - Rand and Mat are becoming extremely interesting.

Favourite knight-like characters? I can't say I really have one - most of the characters I like tend to be rougher 'Warrior' like men. Lan Mandragoran from WoT has a cool sense of honour and is deadly efficient and Druss from David Gemmel's work is amazing, too.

If I had to recommend you one book, it'd be The First Chronicles of Druss The Legend. It's great, even for non-fantasy fans - hilarious, too.

>> No.6679639

>>6676755
Most of the books are very similar stories to Magic of Recluce. Pretty much some kid on Recluce gets booted to somewhere and learns to be an ordermage, picks up some trade, get a red headed love interest, etc. If you like the universe you can read a bunch of them and learn about the other continents. Honorable mention here is the series of books about Justen because he does something a little different.
If you wanna read more about Lerris read The Death of Chaos.

There are another bunch of books that deal with the backstory for the world (starting with Fall of Angels) and the founding of Recluce (start with The Towers of the Sunset)

And then there are books about chaos, Cerryl and Fairhaven/Cyador (start with The White Order)

>> No.6679666

>>6679639
It's been a while since I read these, so you might want to double check if those books are really the first in their mini-series. I scanned a few pages to check but I'm not sure I got them all right.

>> No.6679693

>>6675960
I have a limited edition signed copy of that book.
With 6 or so kickarse illustrations of different scenes through the book too.

Not sure if sell or not.

>> No.6679703

>>6679693
The subterranean press one? Slipcase and lettered and shit? That's expensive as fuck.

>> No.6679708

>>6679703
No not the Lettered one. The limited edition one.


Although I would have given my left testicle, for the subterranean press ones of Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun lettered ones though

>> No.6679722
File: 1.60 MB, 1067x2001, planet-engineering.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6679722

>>6679708
Same. Rarest Wolfe I got is this.

>> No.6679753

>>6678769
>>Ancillary Justice
>The Radchaai do not distinguish people by gender, and Leckie conveys this by using female personal pronouns for everybody, or by having the Radchaai main character guess wrongly when she has to use languages with gender-specific pronouns

I'm good thank you very much

>> No.6679759

>>6679475
Which book. Soldiers Live? Thats the last book and i think finishes up the storyline quite well and leaves you satisfied. It explains what the future of the company will be and what happens to each of the characters.
I wouldnt say you could skip any of them though, since there is always bits of information you miss out on thats important later on. They are quite small books too, so it's not like they take ages to read.

>> No.6680046

>>6679753
Its good actually. Its not the only linguistical thing she plays with. Also its interesting seeing the point of view of a massive warship in a sci fi setting

>> No.6680100

i know this is a literature board but i reckon since you guys read fantasy you might also watch fantasy. so what are some great fantasy films?

>> No.6680227

>>6680100
Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Not super loyal to the original stories, but good in it's own right.

>> No.6680370

>>6680046
Sorry but the pronoun and gender thing is too dumb

>> No.6680389

>>6679625
Read it if you enjoy really great fantasy with a fantastic setting

dont read it if you hate good fantasy and are a pleb

its that simple

>> No.6680398

>>6678895
Is that pic from from Anne McCaffrey's books?

>> No.6680411

>>6679625
I've read it twice. Fun adventure series...fantasy/sci-fi with magic, alternate dimensions, royal intrigue, and some witty dialog.
I reccommend it, although the first half of the series, imho, is better than the second half. Mileage may vary.

>> No.6680418

Fantasy rec for someone who thinks Ender's Game is shit?

Literature equivalent of a fucking Michael Bay movie.

I want Citizen Kane. I want the Godfather.

>> No.6680433

>>6680398
No, it's promo art for Mage: The Awakening, an RPG set in the White Wolf universe.I reverse image searched it.

>> No.6680436

>>6680418
A Song of Ice and Fire

>> No.6680476
File: 100 KB, 616x900, 5657.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6680476

So I've read Tolkien, Peake, Vance, Lewis, Le Guin, Pullman, TH White, Moorcock, and Gene Wolfe.

I'm looking for another fantasy series but there's so much on those lists. Can someone just give me a rec? Is anybody else on the same level as Gene Wolfe?

>> No.6680482

>>6680418

Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake

Avoid this like the plague if you don't want Michael Bay equivalent pop lit: >>6680436

>> No.6680491

>>6680482
Seconding the Gormenghast trilogy, if you like sublime character building and richly detailed setting, and don't mind the plot moving at it's own pace.

>> No.6680504

>>6680418
No one can cure your shit taste bud, we're not miracle workers

>> No.6680527

>>6680482
>>6680491
Thanks. Looks pretty interesting.

Fuck those other guys.

>> No.6680545

>>6680476
Zelazny, Carroll, Howard. Mieville if you're not allergic to leftism

>> No.6680595

>>6680476
Glen Cook, Joe abercrombie is pretty good too apart from the writing in his first book.

>> No.6680664

I'm looking for a fantasy novel from the 50-70s. It's about a city that spans a whole mountainside. Please help.

>> No.6680705

>>6680664
"The City on the Mountainside" by Span Whole. You're welcome

>> No.6680723

>>6680418
Citzen kane would'nt translate to genre fiction. Check out TH WhIte, Gene Wolfe, Isaac Asimov, and Canticle for Leibowitz.

>> No.6680765

>>6680723

Peake is a better rec than any of those.

>> No.6680836

>>6679393
Timescape and Replay are some of my favourites. The Man Who Folded Himself is pretty good too.

>> No.6680934

>>6680765
lol are you that guy that said peake was comparable to gene wolfe?

>> No.6680963
File: 82 KB, 398x648, ventus..jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6680963

Anyone here read Ventus?
What did you think of it?

>> No.6681476

>>6678876
There is patrician sci fi and fantasy. Such as the Iliad and Hamlet.

>> No.6681541

>>6681476
>Hamlet
explain

>> No.6681598

>>6681476
> Iliad and Hamlet
> Sci-fi

>> No.6681758

>>6681598
Not that guy but I'm pretty sure he's calling the Iliad fantasy, not sci-fi.

>> No.6681767

>>6681476
>>6681758
>genre fiction before 18th century of our Lord Jesus Christ

stop

>> No.6681773
File: 155 KB, 656x1000, 71ddcYI3K-L.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6681773

I went on amazon the other day to order some /lit/ and to round my purcahse up to $25 for free shipping I impulse bought All You Need Is Kill. Did I do good?

>> No.6681818

>>6681773

It's a cool story, pretty fun.

>> No.6682208

>>6680934

Not that anon but he's not wrong, a lot of the descriptions and how ritualistic Severian's guild was along with how bleak the atmosphere is heavily reminded me of Gormenghast. I'm hoping I wasn't the only one who felt that way when I read Shadow of the Torturer.

>> No.6682329

What's the consensus on the Dragonriders of Pern series?

>> No.6682464

>>6680418
Gene Wolfe is the undisputed master of SF and Fantasy, his works are imo up there with Dante and Dostoevsky. So definitely him.

>> No.6682473

>>6680476
There are great writers, but you won't be finding another Wolfe.

>> No.6682514

I tried to read Neuromancer and it was shit. What the fuck?

>> No.6682521

>>6682514
It's a shit book bro. That is about it. Read Ubik.

>> No.6682535

>>6680227
i tried to like conan but it was too cheesy.

>> No.6682550

>>6682514
You have to be wired for it, visually-speaking. Out of the ~25 people I know personally who've read it, the good/bad numbers are about 14/11. Most of the 11 are in less visual professions (programming etc).

>> No.6682558

>>6682550
Eh, i feel like i have a decent mind's eye. Honestly, i have a weird problem with science fiction past the 70s. It's just off-putting to listen to people talk in a very similar to me but completely off. Theyre using the same words and talking about the same things we do now but in a cheesy way. Maybe the books were imaginative in their day, but the writing doesn't stand up at all.

>> No.6682582

>>6682558
I'm not sure it's a mind's eye thing in a do you /have/ one sense. I think it's a specific thing in a /how/ your mind's eye is wired sense. My mind's eye basically doesn't have a middle focus, it's either nitty or atmospheric, which I would consider the primary visual language of Neuromancer.

this sounds like bullshytt because it is

I may actually have the inverse of your problem, but the off-putting period is post-Verne to maybe mid-70s, with a few per-author exceptions.

>They're using the same words and talking about the same things we do now but in a cheesy way.
I read a lot of jargon-heavy books and tend to build jargon on the fly, so maybe that's why more recent books don't do that for me.

>> No.6683099
File: 27 KB, 472x332, 1434117580307.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6683099

>>6680963
>nanotech

>> No.6683100

>>6683099

What's wrong with nanotechnology?

>> No.6683159

>>6683100
it's pulling shit out of thin air, metaphorically and literally. Not even Kojima could deal with it in a meaningful way.

>> No.6683211

>>6683159

But it's a real thing and very useful in terms of future developments.

>> No.6683357

>>6683211
Perhaps, but the thought of minuscule robots building something out of nothing shits up novel instantly.

>> No.6683773

>>6683357
Got any evidence to back that up?

>> No.6683799

>>6683773
MGS 4 (for spergs: talking about the plot), Prey, even those crystal worlds of Ballard are close to it.

>> No.6683812

>>6683799

MGS4's not a book it's a videogame (or maybe a movie). It's completely fucking irrelevant.

>> No.6683815

>>6683799
Just because nanotech wasn't implemented correctly in a few stories doesn't mean it's a shit concept.
Personally I liked the way Ventus handled nanotech.

>> No.6683898

>>6682521
>recommending an even worse book by the meme author philip k dick

>> No.6683947

>>6683815
>free
>creative commons

warning signs

Perhaps you're right, I just haven't found anything interesting about concept at all.

>> No.6683950

I'M GOING TO READ KINGKILLER AND YOU CANT STOP ME

>> No.6683961

>>6683947
Fair enough. I read over its description on the site about two or three times before I finally decided to read it.
Might not be up everyone alley, but I thought it was a fantastic read.

>> No.6684038

>>6683950
don't do it bro you've got so much going for you

>> No.6684066

>>6676029
Two mentions for K.J.Parker

/lit/, I'm impressed.

>> No.6684134

>>6683812

Have you ever played it? Fucking thing has more hours of cutscene than gameplay. It counts.

>> No.6684200

Is there anything like the Monster hunter series by Larry Correia?

Basically modern day group of people discovering or fighting against unknown fantasy monsters with copious amounts of weapons and guns.

>> No.6684213

>>6683950
Don't worry, that shit needs no help with being disliked.

>> No.6684256

>>6683773
this is literature not science

>> No.6684326

>>6684134
>weeb cutscenes = literature

>> No.6684347
File: 509 KB, 800x1067, _12295551955524[1].jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6684347

Are there any high-fantasy stories which take place in settings that aren't essentially either "Tolkien ripoff" or "Tolkien ripoff but with non-Western folklore"? The Zeno Clash games had pretty so-so gameplay, but the world was fucking dope and unique as fuck.

All the "weird" stuff I've heard of is either low-fantasy or science fantasy like SW.

>> No.6684395

>>6684134
That depends on your play style.

>> No.6684423

>>6684347
If you're a godless commie there's China Mieville's Bas-Lag books.

>> No.6684549

hello, quick question - which books are which seasons based on in game of thrones? As in book one - season one, book two - seson two, then what?

>> No.6684576

>>6684549
A Game of Thrones - Season 1
A Clash of Kings - Season 2
A Storm of Swords - Season 3 and 4
A Feast for Crows and A Dance of Dragons - Season 5

>> No.6684590

>>6684423
How thickly his politics show through his writing is comical. Capitalism is gross!! Ewww, money. Everyone is default racist. Etc.

>> No.6684603
File: 2.25 MB, 9993x1065, ASoIaF.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6684603

>>6684549
It started pretty straightforward but it's gotten messier.

Here's a chart for the first 4 seasons.

>> No.6684652

>>6684590
He's both agenda driven and simply a bad character/dialogue writer - which near always goes hand in hand. Shame because I liked the opening to Perdido Street Station but then he had to introduce societal circle of main characters.

>> No.6684659

>>6684652
His collection of short stories is much less political, unless it subtly brainwashed me.

>> No.6684676

>>6684659
I might give him another chance sometime, but Perdido suffered a real sheer drop. For example, I've started reading Bob Lee Swagger's saga, and the writer is comically pro-gun in the way he tries to insert his agenda (regardless of what stance you take on the question at hand) but he knows his shit when guns are concerned, stakeouts, shootouts and the like. It doesn't take over the narrative and it's a much more bearable interjection.

Ah, what am I saying. It's the same level of ineptness, it's just that I don't think Mieville does anything well apart from some bits of descriptive prose. Stephen Hunter is even more heavy handed but his strengths outweigh it.

>> No.6684677

Darkness That Comes Before is so good. Can't wait for the last book(s?) in the second trilogy.

>> No.6684794

Any good SF/Fantasy in the last ten years or so? I'm fine with the classic stuff from decades ago, but books from then have a particular style to them and I'm looking for something different.

>> No.6684815

>>6684652
I do think he's a good writer. I giggle at how dimwitted leftists are.

>> No.6684819

>>6675367
>Logan Ninefingers shits over every "knight"
until book 3, at which time he (and everyone else) forgets about the first 2 books existing and returns to the way they were at the beginning.

abercrombie is a hack. writes LeEpicGrimDark endings and claims that's how things happen in real life, so he can handwave character development as inconsequential.

>> No.6684932

>>6684134

Sure, but that doesn't make it a book, retard.

>> No.6684980

>>6684347
Really, most of the fantasy written in the past 10-15 years has deviated from the Tolkien Ripoff setting, or at the very least it's not as blatant as it was in the 70s/80s.

For a truly weird high fantasy world, look at the Stormlight Archive.

>> No.6685107

>>6684819
>forgets about the first 2 books
In what way? Character development is a big part of The First Law and i cant think of a single character that is the same by the end of the third book.

>> No.6685115

>>6680100
Safe to assume you've already seen Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and the popular animated Disney/Dreamworks films.

Pan's Labyrinth is good if you're not specifically looking for something on the epic medieval side of things.

Generally, your best bet is to stick to animated works since live action fantasy tends to be pulpy and rarely does justice to the world it's portraying. If you haven't watched any Miyazaki, get to that. Spirited Away is particularly excellent.

>> No.6685118

>>6685107

Huh? In what way? Have we read the same book? One of the main points of The First Law is that everything is stacked against you and you can't really change anything. He only teases at character development and anyone getting better - but reality comes along and destroys that.

>>6684819
Doesn't appreciate that, and you I think missed the point of the books entirely, but I don't feel that the lack of character development was hacky at all. It was deliberate and fits into the general idea of two powers using everyone as pawns - with individual choices not mattering.

>> No.6685185

>>6685118
I get that the idea was at the end everything forced them to go back to the way they where, but you do still have some large differences with the characters. Just look at how Glokta starts to become almost good again, Jezal's character is also completely different by the third book and that woman that goes with them also ends up much different.
I think he did character development much better in the sequels though, with people like Red beck and Gorst.

>> No.6685223

>>6685185

Glotka is still a cripple who tortures people trying to find a meaning. Jezal's change is meaningless because he's just a figurehead (and in the sequels we see that he's back to being a prick again). Logen finishes the story the way he started it. Ferro goes for revenge again.

>> No.6685769
File: 73 KB, 720x620, 1431786633518.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6685769

Who's your /sc&f/ waifu?

>> No.6685781

>>6684347
The Deepgate Codex by Alan Campbell
The Half-Made World by Felix Gilman
The Anvil of the World by Kage Baker

>>6680100
The Princess Bride

>> No.6685897
File: 89 KB, 800x1091, 1432420975006.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6685897

What are some stories Fantasy books featuring female protagonists?

>> No.6685904

>>6685897
*antagonists I meant

>> No.6686030

>>6685897
>>6685904
The Black Company

>> No.6686048
File: 124 KB, 600x921, Helsreach.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6686048

Just read this probably the best Black Library book out there

>Dat Speech

>> No.6686055

>>6686048
>Plagarismhammer: No Originalityk

Not even once

>> No.6686057

>>6686030
surprisingly
works for both

>> No.6686176

Do any good Sci-Fi & Fantasy short fiction publications still exist?

>> No.6686486

>>6680705
>shitpost
No, that was not a correct answer. Please Hitler yourself.

>> No.6686525
File: 108 KB, 493x750, the-dinosaur-lords-by-victor-milan-493x750.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6686525

This is a good summer for me.
>Robin Hobbs - Fool's Quest
First one was really slow-paced, but in a way I actually liked- a nice, comfy return to Fitz's world, slowly winding down the previous stories and setting up a new trilogy.

>Mark Lawrence - The Liar's Key
I love a bit of grimdark and post-apocalyptic fantasy, and these books are fun as fuck.

>Victor Milan - The Dinosaur Lords
I know it's one of those books that relies on people repeating "KNIGHTS ON DINOSAURS, AWESOME!" to market itself, but it's sucked me in. I really do want to read about knights on dinosaurs, and I'm praying it's not terrible.

>Christ Beckett - Mother of Eden
I really enjoyed the first book, but unfortunately, they've fucked up the Kindle version so it's been taken off Amazon until it's fixed. But the first one was enjoyable- genuinely interesting alien world inhabited by a bunch of inbred cavemen descended from the survivors of a spaceship crash, so I'll get the second once the ebook version has been fixed.

>> No.6686554

>>6676357
This post gave me cancer

>> No.6686578

>>6680482
>Avoid this like the plague if you don't want Michael Bay equivalent pop lit
Avoid THIS if you don't want your mind infected by mindless hyperbolic shitposting.

>> No.6686681
File: 45 KB, 520x470, 1361310650424.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6686681

>>6680527
>Fuck those other guys.

>> No.6686759

>>6675164
Cool to see someone read Neverness! My comments were largely as yours - along with what I thought to be the climax - except I thought it was pretty great.

>> No.6686786
File: 396 KB, 1259x1600, wolfe.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6686786

>>6679693
>>6679703
Keep it if you like it, sell it if you want to make a profit, because you will if you do. The SP GotM is easily the most sought after Malazan collectible. Alas, I missed out on them...

But here's some Gene Wolfe. They're Centipede Press, actually, and there's no lettered state, though there is a "deluxe edition", which I've never even seen.

>> No.6686800
File: 212 KB, 500x375, yum yum fun.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6686800

>>6686681

mfw her nudes were delicious

>> No.6686947
File: 1.28 MB, 1200x795, Knights Radiant Order Names and Surgebindings.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6686947

Kaladin breaking orbit is going to be so fucking raw.

>> No.6687036
File: 44 KB, 500x377, image.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6687036

Hi guys I'm trying to find a book I read 16 years ago in grade school. It was a picture book about a princess who was cursed to be a hag during the day. She married a king and said he could have her ugly during the day and beautiful at night or vice versa. The curse is broken when he says the choice is hers. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

>> No.6687050

>>6687036
Shrek

>> No.6687347
File: 256 KB, 536x575, dfgthyju.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6687347

>>6686947
>edgedancers

>> No.6687465

>>6685769
Starbuck.

>> No.6687477
File: 97 KB, 900x1132, 2087040.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6687477

>>6685769

>> No.6687495
File: 26 KB, 610x505, game-of-thrones-braids-randoms-irri-s1-e3.nocrop.w670.h505.2x.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6687495

>>6685769
this qt

>> No.6687513

>>6675112
>What SF/F books are you currently reading
Tarnsman Of Gor, The Sunset Warrior Cycle #1, and Battletech: The Sword & The Dagger

>> No.6687527

>>6685769
I don't have a waifu because I'm not an autist

>> No.6687655
File: 195 KB, 2560x1600, doreah.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6687655

>>6685769
I would let her betray me over and over.

>> No.6687663

Anyone read the Lyonesse series? Interested in reading something by Vance

>> No.6687664

>>6687495
>>6687655
Both better than Missandei.

Bravo B&B.

>> No.6687697

>>6685769
Alia Atreides, the best loli of all sci-fi.

>> No.6687743

>>6687513
Isnt Gor just BDSM fap material though?

>> No.6687790

>>6687527
You poor soul

>> No.6688171
File: 11 KB, 183x275, imgres-3.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6688171

Hey about halfway through this. It's my first Gene Wolfe novel and I'm liking it so far. Can anyone recommend me some other Wolfe to read after it?

>> No.6688213
File: 47 KB, 752x768, Beksinski13.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6688213

What are the general opinions of Iain M. Banks.

He's the only Sci-Fi writer I've read the books of. I like his stuff and I want to read more as I'd love to start writing stuff of my own.

After having read essentially all of Banks' books, who/what should I set my sights on reading next?

>> No.6688372

>>6688171
Well I've only read the Book of the New Sun but it was great, and as the most known work by Wolfe I'd say it's the essential thing to read if you like fantasy/scifi stuff. I also just ordered the Soldier of the Mist, I've heard the soldier series is good as well and thought to give a shot at the first part, though I'm not that into Roman history.

>> No.6688410

Greg Egan > all

That is all.

>> No.6689090

>>6687743
I've heard that it has bits and pieces of it, but past book seven or eight is when it becomes full blown fetish material

>> No.6689107

>>6675112
Which character can beat Kvothe one on one?

>> No.6689201
File: 171 KB, 964x1194, 002e-Frazetta.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6689201

>>6689107
C O N A N

>> No.6689238

>>6688171
Do you like fantasy and science fiction? The Book of the New Sun. Historical fiction? Latro in the Mist. Short stories? The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories. Something of a realism fan? Peace. Straight up Arthurian fantasy? The Wizard Knight. More short stories? Endangered Species.

>>6688372
>though I'm not that into Roman history.
It's a good thing it's Greek history then.

>> No.6689358

>>6688213
Maybe Alastair Reynolds would be up your alley.

>> No.6689457

>>6689107
Most.

>> No.6689472
File: 197 KB, 1357x2048, WoR_FASHION-LIAFOR_v02_fmt.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6689472

>>6689107
Many.

For example, Kaladin would simply run him through while Kvothe was mid-monologue.

>>6689358
Seconding this.

My boy Alastair can spit a fucking sci-fi tale.

>> No.6689505

>>6676384
>Black Company
On the books of the south and Im having a grand old time

>> No.6689596

I've read the first 4 books of wheel of time

why do people like this fucking series

all the characters in it are complete dogshit

>> No.6690054

Erotic F&SF that isnt dogshit?

>> No.6690064

>>6689596
not sure
i enjoyed the series as a whole, but parts of it were a real slog

had to skip half of the female POV chapters

>> No.6690074

>>6690054
Ringworld. Light on the erotica though.

>> No.6690077

>>6675112
Drizzt, hands down

>> No.6690204

>>6684676
I think in the GUNZ case it works (felicitously) better because someone like Swagger would probably actually hold opinions like that.

>> No.6690714

Best Post-Apoc Sci-Fi

>> No.6691266

>>6690714
Book of the New Sun, A Candicle for Liebowitz

>> No.6691267

>>6690204
I don't think it works at all because Swagger is characterized enough through dialogue. He also immediately turned a sociopath into good all around American boy so I just skip everything that's not regarding villains or gun sequences.

>> No.6691291

>>6690714

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

>> No.6691297

Are there any Sandman fans here?

>> No.6691412

I dont know why but for some reason the Black Company is super slow reading for me

Im at like a third of the pace Im normally at with fantasy and I dont really understand why

>> No.6691444

I'm purely here for the sci-fi. I think the only notable fantasy I have read is the earthsea quartet, which I read when I was much younger. Whenever I read the blurb on a fantasy book I am extremely disinterested.

If I wanted to get into fantasy, would 'book of the new sun' be a good place to start? Any other suggestions?

>> No.6691457
File: 182 KB, 795x1200, twok_ephemera-3_history-webres.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
6691457

>>6691412
My read was the same and I don't know why either.

>> No.6691465

>>6691444
>book of the new sun

Yes.

>>6689238
>It's a good thing it's Greek history then.

Ah well, same goes for that. I don't know much about it, just read that the protagonist is Roman and just assumed that goes for the whole setting.

>> No.6692399

I'm currently listening to the Lord of the Rings. Tolkien was a great world builder, but as a storyteller I find him lacking. The Hobbit is one of my favorite fantasy books, but I've never been able to get through Lord of the Rings. I always lose my patience somewhere during Fellowship of the Ring. He spends so much time explaining every little thing that I find it drags the whole experience down to a slog. I've started listening to Rob Inglis' audiobooks for it though and am enjoying it much more. I have so little time to read to begin with, it's nice to just be told a story while I'm busy doing mindless housework and shit.

>> No.6692440

>>6692399
> babby tries to read an adult book for the first time
Oh, poor, poor babby!

P.S. It's not "worldbuilding", you fucking moron, it's just plain old quality writing. Tolstoy and Proust and countless others did the 'explaining every little thing' before Tolkien even started writing.

>> No.6692441

How can I come up with a believable method for faster than light travel?

I was thinking something along the lines of electron manipulation(based off of that quantum particles acting differently under observation.)

This is babby's first foray into serious writing. I merely want a decent universe which I can base stories within in an effort to hone my writing skill.

>> No.6692448

>>6692440
>waaah muh daddy's cock is too tiny

>> No.6692451

>>6692440
Go get asspained elsewhere. Tolkien is shit

>> No.6692509

>>6691465
I don't think you'll like the Soldier books, especially if you don't know much about the time period. They'll be very confusing. Herodotus helps but only in a very general way for the most part.

>>6692399
The description of the Shire is a fairly important setup when held against the later events of the final book. The first book as a whole has that going for it, really, in that Tolkien describes a whole lot but nothing picks up immediately until the end.

>>6692451
>Tolkien is shit
Why do you think so?

>> No.6692683

>>6692441
>electron manipulation
>quantum particles acting differently under observation
Physicist here, without becoming overly pedantic and specific (for sci-fi writing), that doesn't make any sense. Just put something having to do with compression of spacetime, a la https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcubierre_drive

Another pleasantly believable scenario I've read, in a somewhat well known novel from the previous decade, involved using relativistic mechanics to cause an entire civilization to perceive time in the universe outside of their planet to be traveling billions of times faster than usual, so that it became possible for things like long-term terraforming of other planets to happen within one person's lifetime. No reason you couldn't also use this scenario, to allow sub-lightspeed travel and lightspeed communication to become feasible for a civilization spread over a multi-lightyear volume.

>> No.6692724

>>6692683
In regards to most things, I've essentially just gone down the route of saying the energy granted by fusion generators allowed humanity to undertake projects that would before be unfeasible. This refers to terraforming which I had imagined would consist of adding water and nutrient rich soil to planet surfaces(Because I figured most terraforming would be mainly for building huge ass farmland to feed the rapidly growing human population).

I do worry about this, however. I study history and politics, not physics. I've thought of checking out certain books to give me a better understanding so that my stuff doesn't turn into laughable Space Fantasy.

>> No.6692800

>>6692509
>I don't think you'll like the Soldier books

Yeah well, I don't expect them to be a new favourite. I prefer the typical medieval fantasy setting, just ordered this one to try and broaden my horizons and since I liked the Book of the New Sun.

I actually ordered two books by Wolfe, in addition to the Soldier in the Mist I got The Devil in a Forest. Never heard about it before but got the two of them for a bargain.

I checked Wikipedia and the first sentence sounds nice and promising
>The Devil in a Forest is a short novel by American writer Gene Wolfe about the conflict between Christianity and an earlier Pagan religion in Europe during the Middle Ages
>Europe, Middle Ages, pagan religion = that's my thing, though it doesn't say where in Europe
but then theres the cliché
>The hero of the story, Mark, is an adolescent, an orphan, and the apprentice to a weaver very near a small holy Christian shrine
>the hero of the story is an orphan country boy
>...

I'm taking my chances with these two, could be I don't like either but who knows, might love them as well. Can't know before I've read them.

I should get Urth of the New Sun to finish Severian's story though. Just thought to check out some other types of books from Wolfe as well, to see if everything he writes is great or did I just happen to love TBotNS for what it is.

>> No.6692814
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6692814

>>6692724
I think knowledge of "history and politics" is just as important to crafting plausible speculative fiction as knowledge of physics and technology. There are so many possible futures, from where we're standing, that anything you write is unlikely at best. Usually I just hope that the scientific aspects won't be conceived so poorly that they actively distract me from the story. For example, I had trouble enjoying the movie Gravity when I was distracted by thoughts like "what? that's exactly the opposite of how orbital mechanics works." On the other hand, there are surely many scientifically literate thinkers who have failed to address the realities of human sociology that have revealed themselves through our history. In a sense, the most interesting sci-fi books are the ones that have a firm grasp on what "human civilization" does and does not mean.

>the energy granted by fusion generators allowed humanity to undertake projects that would before be unfeasible
Sounds good.

>terraforming...would consist of adding water and nutrient rich soil to planet surfaces
Yes, water and nitrogen are important, but before you can even think about having a "wet" surface, you need to have surface pressure and temperature that yield liquid water on a diagram like pic related. (The roman numeral-indicated regions are some of the other dozen or so bizarre phases of water that we don't encounter in everyday life, more of which will likely be discovered in the future.)

>> No.6692831

>>6692683
What book friend?

>> No.6692880

>>6692683
What is this book you speak of?

>>6692800
The Devil in a Forest is all right. It feels like a step backwards in some ways, as you'll see soon enough, but there's nothing particularly offensively bad about it. It has a kind of quaint feel to it.

The superficial story in the Soldier books is interesting in itself, so you might like them for that if not for the history (which might appear very garbled without any in dept background knowledge).

You should read Peace. Peace is amazing. The Fifth Head of Cerberus, too.

>> No.6692901

>>6692814
Either way, I think I'm gonna check out this Alcubierre Drive.

One last question, could hydrogen/helium clouds offer an effect "Sea" or "Desert" style block to expansion for a hypothetical Interstellar Civilisation relying on Fusion Power?

I think my setting would benefit greatly if there was a Malthusian Trap, of sorts, approaching this civilisation and a limit to endless expansion and land-acquisition would do the trick very well.

>> No.6692957

>>6692880
>Peace

I think I read somewhere that it's Wolfe's favourite out of his own books. So yeah I'd like to read it, but I have too many books to read now to get into that one soon.

>The Fifth Head of Cerberus

This one sounds nice though I've never read much scifi, but I'm not in a hurry to read it because I kinda spoiled it for myself by reading a plot summary. I have a shitty memory though so I'll just wait till I can't remember anything about it and then read it and be surprised by the plot twists I've forgotten.

>> No.6693059
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6693059

>Who are your favorite Knights/Knightlike characters of Fantasy?
Motherfuckin' pic related.

So, as someone who very much enjoys A Song of Ice and Fire, can anyone recommend a book series that is tonally similar? Call me edgy, but I did enjoy Martin's harsh fantasy world.

I also enjoyed the Malazan: Book of the Fallen series, as well.

>> No.6693103 [DELETED] 
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6693103

>>6692831
>>6692880
This one.

>> No.6693109 [SPOILER] 
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6693109

>>6692831
>>6692880
This one, but it's kind of a spoiler now that I think about it.

>> No.6693121

>>6693109
I don't mind spoilers, thanks.

>> No.6693133

>>6693059
Black Company by Glen Cook
First Law by Joe Abercrombie

>> No.6693145

>>6692901
Interstellar gas clouds are really so sparse as to be meaningless. You wouldn't even notice if you were inside one. The reason you can see them in astronomical images is just that they are very large, and therefore very deep, so that when looking through all their enormous thickness, you can see the emission from the atoms of gas.

Many science fiction books go for a slightly mystical route and put FTL travel in a kind of "hyperspace" that has its own geometry that is independent of ordinary space. Thus the authors can create boundaries and regions that are defined by their proximity or ease of access in hyperspace. That's one option. Another idea is to just consider the vast emptiness of space. There are star clusters and even entire dwarf galaxies that are quite isolated from other galaxies, being separated by hundreds of lightyears or more of more or less empty space.

Then you've got all kinds of iffy spooky stuff like dark matter and dark energy. Dark matter isn't really that spooky, but maybe you could say your civilization's mode of travel requires producing a mapping of nearby gravitational point sources in real time, and in dark matter-dominated regions of space (such as in the halos surrounding galaxies), predictions for the local distribution of mass become too unreliable for safe travel. Essentially, all of space is an ocean, and parts of space that are devoid of ordinary light-emitting matter and filled with totally undetectable (except through feeling its gravity) dark matter are stormy, violent seas.

>> No.6693294

>>6693059
>tonally similar

I read that as "totally similar" like twice before realizing it didn't say so.

But yeah, Abercrombie has been mentioned and I also recommend First Law. That's a trilogy, and after that there's three stand alone books with characters from the trilogy. Personally I think the second stand alone, The Heroes, is the best book by Abercrombie and really one of my favourite fantasy books. It centers around a war so if you're into military stuff you'll probably like it. The two other stand alones were quite bad, but if you're into edgy female protagonists thirsting for vengeance you might like them.

And if you get bored of gritty low fantasy with too much edge on it, there's the Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson, which is more high fantasy with magic and neat armor and stuff. It only has two books out of the ten planned, but Sanderson is the opposite of Martin in writing speed and will probably write the remaining eight books and finish the series before Gurm finishes asoiaf.

>> No.6693923

How is the Stormlight Archive? Worth? Never read a Sanderson book before

>> No.6694075

>>6691457
Im reading the Chronicles of the Black Company book with the 3 in 1, the pages are pretty big and the text is small so I was expecting a little slower pace but not this much. After thinking about it a bit I thought maybe its the fact that the simplistic descriptions Cook uses for battles and such dont lead to quick reading. I thought they would but I end up having to read stuff super closely and go over it a few times just to make sure I'm not missing anything since there's so little to go on

>> No.6694301

Ayy so I'm working on my first ever Science Fiction short story, and I wondering if I should post it here and get some feedback?

>> No.6694325

>>6693923
it's pretty good

if you don't mind the "inexperienced witty red-haired girl with endless plot armour" trope

also some of the power level stuff is getting pretty carried away but it's still fun

>> No.6694364

>>6693059
First Law (and it's Stand-alones) or The Grim Company if you like kinda edgy, multiple POV, with some humour as well

The Black Company (personal favourite of mine) if you like more military based, with a first person protagonist and a bunch of crazy sorcery stuff

Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence if you want edgy, first person, kinda post-apocalyptic quest to become ruler

Red Queen's War by Mark Lawrence happens around the same timeline, but slightly less edge and the protagonist is a lot more fun/humorous

Night Angel by Brent Weeks is some straight-up edgy Assassin stuff with multiple POVs, but decent enough to fill in time

>> No.6694383
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6694383

>>6692683
That was a good book.

>>6694325
>also some of the power level stuff is getting pretty carried away
Oh anon, you don't even know.

>> No.6694385

>>6694301
pls respond

>> No.6694469

>>6676887
Hey man thanks for the tip, I've been wanting to read the death of king arthur for a while after steinbeck got me interested. You might like John Steinbeck's take on things too, the books kind of hard to come by these days I think, the acts of king arthur and his noble knights is what it was called I think

>> No.6694633

>>6675112
>>6675112
what book series\book has mythology, magic and politics similar to that of Full metal alchemist? it must have actual magic though, unlike asoiaf. another things, i have read Malazan book of the fallen and Black Company.

>> No.6694659
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6694659

Anything like this, but more adult? I particularly enjoyed the fuck you anything goes because we're the center of the universe setting

>> No.6694776

>>6693145

I kind of like the idea of using wormholes for FTL since they kinda get around the issues.

I mean yeah they're hypothetical space magic too but less than just "fuck the speed of light because I say so".

>> No.6694885

>>>/v/

>> No.6695073

>>6694659
Aw shit son, when I was a kid I read the first few books in that series. Never finished it though. I don't think the last few days of the week had even been written at the time. The setting was maximum comfy, I totally know what you're saying. Looking at it now, I see how hilariously "Harry Potter" inspired the covers were!

Oh yeah, I see here the last book only came out in 2010! I wonder what it would be like to check out a series I last read ten years ago when my brain was about the size of a golf ball.

>> No.6695083

>>6694776
I have no problem with them, but they're almost as passe as hyperspace. Unless you're the movie Interstellar, if you say "it works because wormholes," you're basically saying "I don't want to waste time explaining shit about FTL travel, just take it for granted that it exists in my setting." That's totally fine if your story is about something completely different and just happens to be set in space. Take Legend of the Galactic Heroes, in which it absolutely doesn't matter how their ships get from place to place, because space battles are 2D and the story is really about politics anyway.

>> No.6695088

Try reading the romances of Chretein de Troyes. It is the birthplace of chivalric ideals and the Arthurian mileau.

>> No.6695170

Is it worth starting Mistborn if the second trilogy in the series goes steampunk? I fucking hate steampunk.

>> No.6695236

>>6695083

Isn't that the excuse for all FTL though?

>> No.6695335
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6695335

>>6693133
>>6693294
>>6694364
Thanks, anon.

I'll be honest, I was expecting to get flayed alive for mentioning enjoying ASOIAF, but then I forget this isn't /tv/.

I have heard of The Black Company, and have it on my kindle. I also have some friends who've read the Night Angel series and have spoken highly of it.

I will certainly check out the rest!

>> No.6695387

>>6688213
Probably best to just resign yourself now to not finding any other scifi on his level.

>> No.6695450
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6695450

>>6695170
The current 'new' series is not long past the Industrial Revolution and with a 'Wild West' setting. I guess it is steampunk-ish.

The second main trilogy will be modern 1980s setting.

>> No.6695614

>>6675112
Mahouka vol 1-16

Seriously though, are there any good western writers who can write fantasy settings like the nips?
After reading the same knights, swords, and "magic" over and over again it can get boring. Not saying its bad.
It can be good, but the nips really have the whole magic systems thought out.

The nips just can't get character building, development, interactions, and romance at all without getting into tropes.

I would nice to see something written natively in English the feeling would be way different.

>> No.6695734

what makes a fantasy novel "good"? I want to write one but im afraid itll be garbage

or is it the fact that im asking already a sign that itll be shit

>> No.6695920

Anyone have suggestions for a well-written sci-fi story?

I've never really read much sci-fi, but I've been wanting to get my feet wet. I hate to sound like a snob, but I usually enjoy reading classic lit. Profound themes are good and all, but I really prefer it for the (generally) nice, tight prose.

A friend of mine suggested Matter by Iain Banks but I couldn't really get into it. I could appreciate the interesting world and what have you, but I thought the prose was pretty flaccid and in need of a good editor to cut out the flab. Banks is supposedly one of the better contemporary sci-fi authors though, so buggered if I know what else to try.

I don't mind light-hearted stuff either, though I've already read Hitchhiker's (Slightly related: Pratchett is one of the few fantasy authors I really adore.)

>> No.6695927

>>6695920
Sci-fi often isn't the best genre for prose.

Its not poetry, its exploration of a wo/man's imagination, rationalisation and prophecy. Matter and the Culture series are a wonderful allegory for America's role in international politics or, more likely, an excellent foray into a world where humanity has gone beyond monetization and human management, essentially what the galaxy would be like if humanity reached this apex of this liberal path we're on.

I read Dick and even then I found his writing style lacking, but to put down a Sci-Fi book for that? In my eyes you may as well put them all down, unfortunately.

This is a genre for people who want to show others their imagination moreso(not instead of) than their skill with the written word.

>> No.6695933

>>6691444
Read the Witcher short stories from Andrej Sapkowski. They are pretty interesting because Sapkowski likes to deal with fantasy tropes in his own way. He also has a particular sense of humour that I like. If you like them, read the novels he wrote, and if you play games, play the Witcher games afterwards.

>> No.6695939

>>6695734
When it comes to any art from or expression of creativity, I am of the mind that if you love what you write, others will come to love it too. The issue with writing is, of course, communicating that exclusively through written words.

In other words, good fantasy is a woefully unrealistic world made believable by your knowledge, rationale and writing ability. This is coming from a reader of mainly Sci-Fi so take a pinch of salt when I saw that the two are very similar genres, one just looks back whilst the other looks forward, and one explains the impossible whilst the other accepts it as fact.

If you want a list, then I'll do my best but know it varies from person to person.

>Cultures are made from their history,
A good fantasy novel will have an extensive lore behind it based on history and interactions between groups and species.
>Geography determines all.
A good map will help both the reader and the writer rationalise the above. I.E. The richest civilization living by a fertile flood plain.
>Mystery!
Fantasy is so dependent on mystery! Let there be questions in your text that you may or may not answer, enigma's make a world feel real.


Beyond that, write what you enjoy in fantasy.

>> No.6695964

>>6695927
Cheers for the honesty, I've wondered that myself - whether my tastes just don't really align with the strengths of the genre.

All the same, I do find the imagination of sci-fi appealing (I've watched sci-fi more than I've read it.) So I'm still willing to field suggestions.

>> No.6695982

>>6695964
My favourite Banks book, for if you want to give him another try, is the Use of Weapons.

It demonstrates his flaws as a writer but I feel its the most ambitious of his books in terms of a story and a theme.

Though beyond that, I'd have to ask what it is you want from Sci-Fi before I could suggest anything.

>> No.6696016

>>6691444
>>6695933
Seconding Sapkowski, he basically deconstructs a lot of the usual tired fantasy tropes while building a pretty gripping realm that is refreshingly original.

>> No.6696069

>>6695982
Fair point. Pulpy space-westerns like Firefly and Cowboy Bebop were fun. I liked the exploration of surreal or cosmic concepts in movies like Interstellar and Space Odyssey. I like the grit of Blade Runner and the hilarious absurdity of Brazil. The only contemporary sci-fi I can recall reading is The Handmaid's Tale, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. In terms of the various subgenres - dystopian, space opera, etc - I have no particular preference. I can appreciate them all if the story is really excellent. I'm not especially keen on military stuff, though.

I'd particularly welcome short story/novella suggestions. I don't dislike long books, but I quickly lose interest with needless verbosity; I find fantasy and sci-fi are especially prone to gratuitous word-porn. Florid descriptions of banquets and spaceships and technobabble that might delight the die-hards, but aren't really for me.

>> No.6696086

>>6696069
Dick is king of surreal and conceptual Sci-Fi for most fans. Larry Niven's "The Mote in God's Eye" is a good one too.

I'm not too hot on space opera authors though and most of the books I know are military-esque.

I think you should give Banks a try though, books like Excession and Player of Games are great fun and the latter of the two isn't the longest. Asides from that, I'd suggest any number of short stories from Dick.

A friend of mine suggested a trilogy to me about a Scientist who predicted the collapse of his civilisation, I trust his judgement in books but another anon would have to fill in the name for me.

Asides from that, I don't think I'd be much help. I'm sure there's some good bets in the suggested reading.

>> No.6696092

What's wrong with reading genre fiction?

What's wrong with reading for my own enjoyment?

Why is /lit/ so elitist about "literary fiction" ?

>> No.6696096

>>6696092

Why does it matter? Enjoy what you enjoy.

The people on this board are hardly the types you should seek approval from.

>> No.6696115

>>6693059
Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley is pretty much ASOIAF-lite. Not as good, but if you're looking for something similar it might hit the spot.

>> No.6696117

>>6694301
I probably won't read it tbh. Can't speak for everyone else though.

There are plenty of places on the web for that, though.

>> No.6696123

New thread?

>> No.6696138

>>6676567
fahrenheit 451

>> No.6696439

>>6695236
Well, in some stories, the means of achieving FTL is a relevant plot point. For example, perhaps it takes some special skill or ability, such as in Neverness (prowess to quickly construct complex mathematical proofs) or Embassytown (predisposition to "immersion" in what amounts to hyperspace).

Or, perhaps there is a scarcity factor. In Dune, travel through the galaxy is monopolized by the Space Guild, which requires enormous amounts of the famous Spice to keep its pilots functioning. The extreme demand for the rare Spice, which has murky origins on only a single strange and wild planet in the galaxy, is the motivation for all of the events of the book.

Now, since this is science fiction, the exact mechanisms of those schemes don't really matter. In Dune, Guild pilots are specially bred biological computers that can navigate the perils of space, but exactly how they get you from point A to point B doesn't really matter to the story, as long as it creates a universal dependency on the spice. In China Mieville's Embassytown, "the Immer" has a mostly symbolic function, with the details of space travel remaining perfectly abstract. If the author is forced to give an explanation for how his FTL scheme works, in a physical sense, then the details of that scheme may be an "excuse" just as you say. But in these and other cases, the author's choice clearly had an impact on the story.

>> No.6696485

>>6696086
Cheers dude, I'll check them all out.

>> No.6697173

>>6697172 New thrad