Memes edition
Recommendation Charts:
>Fantasy
Selected: http://i.imgur.com/3v2oXAY.jpg
General: http://i.imgur.com/igBYngL
Flowchart: https://i.imgur.com/uykqKJn.jpg
>Sci-Fi
Selected: http://i.imgur.com/A96mTQX.jpg
General: http://i.imgur.com/r55ODlL.jpg / http://i.imgur.com/gNTrDmc.jpg
>What are you reading right now?
>What is your favorite comedic/satirical SFF?
>What's your favorite /sffg/ meme?
URTH AINT FREE
>>7796359
My favorite meme is "Gene Wolfe is a good author".
>>7796359
>What are you reading right now?
Rode to Serfdom. Will maybe go for Ghormengast, got sick so I'll have time
>What is your favorite comedic/satirical SFF?
Master and Margarita
>What's your favorite /sffg/ meme?
Meme Wolfe pepe
>>7796359
I haven't read a lot of comic/satirical SFF, but my favorite that I have read is the Myth series by Robert Aspirin. It was fun.
>>7796359
tfw you spelled general wrong and i had to see this bullshit
>>7796359
>>What are you reading right now?
Going through a couple SJW writers to see if they have a point.
>>What is your favorite comedic/satirical SFF?
I never see John Sladek brought up here. His take on Bradbury was hilarious. I guess Flying Sorcerers too, if you like Golden Age puns.
>>What's your favorite /sffg/ meme?
We've pretty much only got rape, gay and incest, don't we? And there's not a lot of mileage in that.
>>7796416
He spelled it wrong on purpose, as a joke.
>>7796359
So why *are* the recommendations so small?
>What are you reading right now?
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever
>What is your favorite comedic/satirical SFF?
Lem's Star Diaries?
>What's your favorite /sffg/ meme?
This isn't a meme but I wish I could go to one board without seeing Spoonys shitty fucking face posted.
>>7796359
>What are you reading right now?
Just finished PSI High and Others by Alan Nourse. Mildly entertaining short stories.
>>What is your favorite comedic/satirical SFF?
I'll second the Myth series. Pratchett and Hitchhikers guide as well (c'mon, they're fun).
>>What's your favorite /sffg/ meme?
The one that hasn't been made yet.
Is there a sffg recommendation chart dealing specifically with the erotic, and fetishistic?
>>7796581
Ask /tg/.
The first formic war trilogy is G O D A W F U L
Please avoid, my friends. I got through the first 2 books, and wont even read the third. Don't subject yourself to this. I'm notsure if it's cause Card is getting old or if it's caues of the second author.
>>7796359
Who's the qt 3.14 on the right?
>>7796700
I doubt he even writes any of that. It's just some guy who licensed the IP for his fanfiction.
>>7796716
Nevermind.
is fantasy problematic in its diversity (or lack thereof)??
>>7796766
There is a lot of fantasy. Some of it does and some does not meet your standard of diversity. I am completely unconvinced that cast diversity has anything to do with the quality of a work. I do not take didacticism as a measure of quality, and if I did, I would not think diversity is a lesson that needs to be taught.
In fact, I prefer my fantasy to be about humans of no extant ethnicity.
>>7796359
>What are you reading right now?
A Perfect Vacuum by Stanislaw Lem. It's a weird one, but I think I like it.
>What is your favorite comedic/satirical SFF?
The Tough Guide to Fantasyland
>What's your favorite /sffg/ meme?
Probably the guy who calls everything "gay, rape and incest". He's weirdly dedicated.
>right now
Look to Windward by Iain M. Banks
>favorite comedic/satirical SFF
people here hate Pratchett and Adams but I think both are pretty funny. still if they count I'd choose Borges's stories, which are hilarious
>favorite meme
LeGuinposting
>>7796463
>Her Smoke Rose Up Forever
How are you finding it? I thought the good was great, and the bad was just all right. Lots of interesting ideas at the very least.
>>7796896
I'm really enjoying it. Picked it up after reading the Screwfly Solution. It's a great mix between the more low brow, fun elements of science fiction and the deeper, social aspects of it. However I had to take a break because it can be incredibly depressing at times. In many ways but in particular it actually started filling me withdespair over being a woman. Something I have previously never experienced like that. And a desire to buy a gun and learn to hunt.
>>7796766
I believe so, but more for location than for race or any of your sjw "minorities". So far, all of the cultures of any good fantasy I've read--at least the native cultures of the protagonists--have been based on medieval Europe in some way, with other cultures being introduced but portrayed as far-off and strange lands, like Europe saw the East and Africa in the Middle Ages.
I'd definitely read some fantasy where the main characters' culture was based on something completely different--Africa, India, China? Races would have to be adjusted accordingly, of course, but I don't consider that a central issue.
>>7796766
>>7797044
Absolutely, their aren't many books written from the perspective of anything other than a Wizard or Knight.
I can't think of any books where the main character is a dread necromancer, or religiously fanatical lawful good cleric that doesn't doubt/outright hate his god.
>>7797088
I've actually thought of that. If I was to write a book--and I've been too lazy so far--I would write a fantasy novel whose main character is a young man learning necromancy for benevolent reasons. Kind of the normal fantasy pattern--young innocent guy growing up in farm village has village attacked somehow, runs off and gets powerful (in this case, discovers a book or old hermit or something that teaches necromancy) to have justice, comes back to save world, lots of adventures in between, you know the drill, but he would also have to struggle with the way society frowns on necromancy. Maybe some moral dilemmas about how far he's willing to go, too--I'm assuming the more powerful necromancy would require some kind of ritual sacrifice, torture, etc.
>Necrobro finishes some half assed training and goes back to help his people, kinda like Luke in The Empire Strikes Back
>He returns to village to free people/fight tyrant/whatever
>"oh, yay, we're saved"
>tyrant laughs at him, typical cocky bandit king stuff
>Necrobro runs off to local cemetery, starts digging up bodies
>"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!"
>someone's grandpa's corpse gets up and beats the hell out of tyrant and henchmen
>people don't even know what to thing
>Necrobro expects gratitude, gets lukewarm reception at best with some outright anger, ends up wandering off in disappointment
I think there's some potential here.
>>7797044
>Africa
Imaro.
>India
Blue Sword/Hero and the Crown.
>China
Initiate Brother, Bridge of Birds.
I can only vouch for the India ones, they were pretty sweet. Alouette de Bodard seems promising-with-fingers-crossed for her Aztec trilogy. Orson Scott Card and Patricia C. Wrede both did frontier US, Card with more of a Native American theme and Wrede more about the colonists.
>>7797145
>he would also have to struggle with the way society frowns on
Difficult to get anything like this right. It usually translates into "everyone but my MC is an idiot."
>>7797145
Honestly they're so many fucking archetypes completely unexplored.
>>7797158
It's done that way for a reason. That's what it feels like to have some attribute that everyone else around you scorns you for. Of course you don't portray them all as idiots in other ways too--you need to have characters that are shown as intelligent and/or competent while still maintaining the common bias, but that can't be too hard to do.
>>7797202
Common biases aren't that common and they aren't that hard to break, and they aren't, here's the big one, always stupid. I mean, being biased against someone who does witchy voodoo on dead people is actually pretty smart. But it's useful! Yeah, make a puppet from my grandma's bones, it can bring me water now you SICK FREAK I COULD HAVE LET HER REST IN PEACE AND GOT MY OWN WATER.
>>7797088
Go back to /tg/
>My Legend of the Galactic Heroes Book 1 just got here
Oh my god, I'm so excited. Are there any non-anime folk who are going to read these?
I really hope so.
>>7797145
Sounds exactly like Witcher actually.
>>7797252
What, translated?
>>7797249
W-Why can't every character perfect like Kvothe? Beautiful Kvothe.
>>7797266
Oh fuck off.
Those books would actually be half decent if it weren't for fucking Kvothe. They're the only books I've read where the main character was actually the worst written part of the story.
>>7797261
Hell yeah, man. First volume just came out today, second in summer, third in the winter.
I'm going to shill it as hard as I can because more people need to know this story.
>>7797154
Imaro actually looks pretty decent. Very authentic from what I've read about it.
I like it when people are authentic to their culture without muh minorities even being a factor. The author of Imaro is black, and he seems to have written a perfectly authentic, regular old fantasy story from African culture. No hidden messages about the plight of minorities, no comparing or complaining about the clash of cultures or colonialization, just good, simple fantasy from another part of the world.
Charles Saunders seems pretty chill.
>>7797233
Yeah, but you can examine some moral dilemmas. Fetching water is one thing, but what about guarding the village? On one hand, you're disrespecting Grandma's corpse by having it go fight the bandits, but on the other hand, that saves your living citizens from having to risk their own lives if a skeleton can do the risky work. So you're putting biases against practicality.
And even when it comes to getting water... while Grandma's bones are getting water, you can be doing more work on the farm, which increases your productivity, which allows you to feed more people with less labor. So there are more subtle choices to make as well. Where do you draw the line?
That could be an interesting drama, you have a faction that wants to use necromancy for everything and a faction that wants to ban it entirely as being unnatural. Maybe there could be a tradeoff to necromancy so it wouldn't be too overpowered, maybe it requires sacrifices or something. (I wouldn't want the book to be too anti-necromancy, though, I'd try to have them settle on using it in moderation)
>>7797313
Sounds like the necromancer tribe in Death Gate. It worked fine for them until some idiot rezzed his girlfriend too fast and she rose with her necromancy intact.
>>7797290
>I like it when people are authentic to their culture without muh minorities even being a factor.
This. I don't care how few white people write about minorities, I care about how many non-whites can't just write themselves.
>>7797281
Isn't it just Three Kingdoms though?
Dr. Bloodmoney is GOAT
>>7797347
>Isn't it just Three Kingdoms though?
Not really, it borrows from it but it also borrows from all sorts of history. Reinhard is more easily compared to Alexander the Great than Cao Cao imho. It's a battle between autocracy and democracy, where neither side is the villain. A very objective look at the flaws and benefits of both beliefs. History is a prevailing theme throughout the story.
I can promise you that reading Three Kingdoms doesn't mean you'll know what's going to happen next. Although it's usually very easy to guess. It's not a story about crazy twists and turns.
is it just me or is there a dearth of hard science fiction (as opposed to science fantasy) that is based around biology and biological concepts (as opposed to astronomy/physics/computer science)? Sure, there are plenty of biological aliens but these works are usually more science fantasy rather than "speculative fiction" (not trying to be pretentious here, just trying to make a distinction).
pic related is pretty much all i can think of at the moment.
>>7797741
y'all need Blindsight
Soft SF> hard SF
Objectively
>>7797741
Peter Watts does a lot of that. But he's also pretty edgy.
What's are good fantasy stories focusing on crafts and human (or non-human) culture with comfy prose, and the kinds characters that are easy to get attached to?
I like stuff like The Golem and the Jinni and The Grace of Kings
>>7797741
Hull Zero Three has a lot of that. Multiplex Man, but that's more of a psychology thing.
>>7796359
The Gathering Storm, Robert Jordan.
The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
I don't believe in memes.
>>7797876
You better start believing in memes
You're in one
>>7797252
The anime was shit, keep me posted on how they compare
Hey guys, I'm curious about a style I'm writing in. So it's essentially fantasy, but not about big epic adventures. It's about the people whose lives are affected by the dangers of a world like that. The tavern keep, the mason's son, the farm hand, a local healer, and other somewhat mundane roles people play.
You think it'd go over well? Sure, it won't be high adventure, but more akin to realist or modernist movement style. I know the Webcomic Alfie is sort of like that.
Started stormlight. Seems like a huge step up in quality of prose compared to Mistborn
>>7798292
Read Gormenghast.
>>7797831
I haven't read it, but I've heard good things about Parker's Engineer trilogy.
>>7797831
Gonna get hate for this but Kingkiller Chronicle.
A good chunk of the story just focusses on the main character's life studying his craft and balancing his finances at the university. It's pretty comfy
>>7798292
could be good but as always, it depends on the execution
>>7798292
Stop worrying about what archetype your story fits in and just write it. This board can be so fucking meta sometimes
>>7798293
It really is, still very economical but feels much nicer than his other novels. The next Stormlight is about as good, but it also has some shit tier writing at points.
>>7797313
It's pretty much the same discussion as stem cell or organ donation. I'd just read up on the arguments for and against this stuff and try not to be completely on one side. Even something like protecting other people might seem obvious from a sort of utilitarian point of view but it's not that easy when it comes to what humans want to respect and attach value to. And I'm not even talking about God. Think of Japanese culture and the concept of shame, honor and how people could be more happy choosing death or having a loved one chose death rather than lose face.
>>7796398
This
>>7798317
Parker is an excellent author if you want some craftsmanship on the side: there's bow making; sword, armour, and cannon forging, and sundry other stuff.
What Parker usually isn't, though, is comfy. He's more of a gut-punching guy. Highly recommended nevertheless.
>>7796359
top collage
>What are you reading right now?
Still The Pirate King
>What is your favorite comedic/satirical SFF?
Myth Adventures series by Robert Asprin
>What's your favorite /sffg/ meme?
high-brow il/lit/erates coming here and posting
>genre fiction
>literature
never gets old
>>7796446
which SJW writers and which books of them?
>>7797088
there is a warhammer book called Necromancer. It's not so bad.
>>7796359
>>What are you reading right now?
American Gods
>>What is your favorite comedic/satirical SFF?
KJ Parker
>>What's your favorite /sffg/ meme?
I like the rape, gay and incest in /sffg/
>>7798641
What do you think of AG so far?
>>7797044
Try Daniel Fox's Dragon In Chains for a Chinese setting.
>>7798649
gud
I'm only about 150 pages in. Don't really know what's going on yet. The myth stuff is cool though, I like that kinda thing.
>>7797044
Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay has a Chinese setting.
>>7797088
>>7797145
Necromancer and fanatic cleric are really just wizard and knights by another name.
>>7797145
There's a game, heroes of might and magic 4 I think where one of the campaigns is about a half living half undead guy who establishes a benevolent kingdom of the undead and living.
Eventually.
>>7796359
>What are you reading right now?
Dying Earth #1. Good stuff. Now I know what all post-technology fantasy authors (looking at you Peter V. Brett) were trying to emulate. And also were spell names from D&D came from.
>What is your favorite comedic/satirical SFF?
Master and Margarita.
>What's your favorite /sffg/ meme?
The one that's darker than black.
Guy writing the smutty genre fiction about two grey elves here.
How do you guys deal with an over loaded plot?
I have so many ideas but adding them all is impossible.
>>7798814
Wew combiner
>>7798332
I'm with you there. I read and enjoyed it. It seems a lot worse after you think about how stupidly overpowered Kvothe is, and how he's really just a projected neckbeard daydream self, but other than that I thought it was written well.
Somehow, the author just makes you get involved and give a shit about all the characters, and I'm not sure how he does it. It really reads like an adult Harry Potter, and that's both a good and bad thing.
Any comments on what an author can do to encourage the reader to get emotionally involved in the story? What Rothfuss did that worked? I tried to analyze it but I couldn't figure it out.
>>7798621
>>7796409
>>7796494
huh, more people have heard of the Myth series than I thought.
Have any of you seen the graphic novel version? I thought it was a really good example of cartoon art done right. There are a lot of funny little details worked into the pictures, so it's fun to reread and catch all the ones you missed before.
>>7798420
Eh, I hate cultures like that. I'm very much in favor of stem cell research. I like to take a very objective and utilitarian point of view to life in general, and I wish more people would do the same.
>>7799102
Yeah, Foglio is awesome. I hadn't seen this Myth comic though. I may have to check it out.
>>7798653
>LoGH
>Antagonist
>>7799078
Sorry, I don't get it, what's that supposed to mean?
Currently reading book two of the long Sun. So far I like it. It might even be better than the new Sun tetraology.
>>7799135
I haven't studied cartooning much, but to me it seems like a textbook example of cartooning done right. Just the right balance of seriousness and humor, with a lot of attention paid to the humorous facial expressions and little details.
>>7799084
Yeah I dunno. I didn't really look into it that far, I recognised early on that it was kind of corny but I enjoyed it all the same. Hope book 3 comes out next year. Also, it's the best magic system! I've read in a book so far
>>7799108
What does lit think of childhood fantasy?
Books you read when very young
>Eragon
>Harry Potter
>LotR
Compared to ones that you began when older
>GoT
>TWoT
>>7799430
>shit tier
eragon
twot
>ok
hairy potter
>good
lotr
>>7799430
Eragon is shit
Harry Potter has no discernible talent
LotR is acceptable
GoT is mediocre
TWoT is the worst thing on that list because Eragon at least has the excuse of being written by a teenager
>>7799430
idk why anyone would read GoT, it's only good as a TV series
>>7797741
SF has been steadily declining in readership and popularity since the 90s. Most classic hard SF is pitifully outdated in terms of social aspects, and the current direction for SF is chimerical world building like Neuromancer, Hyperion, or Perdido Street Station.
If good hard SF revives, it'll be around the 2020s.
>>7799488
Yes, current SF is all Hyperion and Neuromancer, it's not like self-published hard SF is getting made into big-budget movies, that would be ridiculous.
>>7799472
>likes tWoT
>doesn't like LotR
The reason you like the former and not the latter is likely to do with the fact that you're a teenager
>>7799491
The Martian is a forced meme that audiences enjoyed because it made them feel smart, not because it's good.
It's SF selling out to the Disney crowd. Not bad in itself, but it didn't even earn a Hugo nomination, despite the brokenness of their voting system.
>>7799472
TWoT sucks because the plot grinds to a halt as 50 characters interact via the same idiotic gender war bullshit for 12 books and anything you thought was interesting will be buried under endless iterations of that.
The first few books are the best, anything past 2 or maybe three is basically irredeemable trash.
And people like tolkein for a lot of reasons but basically the tl;dr is that he has intertextuality out the ass and falls on the art side of art vs product, whereas TWoT quickly plunges into the camp of 'bloated zombie cash cow franchise'
>>7799509
Adding to this, the Martian isn't even SF in the real sense of the word.
It's more like survival genre like Robinson Crue- actually no, like Hatchet. Saying 'The Martian' is science fiction is like saying Star Wars is science fiction- true in one sense, but false in all the senses that matter for literary discussion.
>>7799509
>Hugo noms
>Indicitave of any sort of quality
>>7799549
Clarke is genuine hard SF that readers can't into because of its technical vocabulary. Past that, he was among the most emotionally evocative for the sensawonda of his generation.
>>7799552
Hence:
>despite the brokenness of their voting system.
Maybe if you paying the slightest bit attention, you'd realize no one takes the Hugos seriously these days.
>>7799571
>Maybe if you paying the slightest bit attention, you'd realize no one takes the Hugos seriously these days.
Then why should it have gotten a Hugo nom? What did you even mean?
>>7798628
de Bodard's Blood and Obsidian, seems to tacitly accept the beliefs of Aztec culture so far even though she's pretty big on decolonializing SFF in real life. Next is The Fifth Season.
>>7799029
breaking the book apart into more than one
>>7799552
Every time
>>7799102
I feel pretty dumb now for not knowing about this especially considering I read comics regularly.
>>7799191
I never finished it. the count of whatever guy with the are-you-frustrated-meme adjutant seemed like the antagonist as far as I watched it.
>>7799630
That's because you were raised drinking the water of democracy, friend.
>>7799640
but he behaved antagonistic, using people as pawns, sacrificing them, the democrat guy didn't do that.
>>7799656
He also protected his people from corrupt officials and led them to victory, the democrat guy didn't do that either.
>>7799108
Then it sounds like you're going to write an awful book.
Also keep in mind necromancy might actually imply pulling someone's soul out of the afterlife or forcing some half rotten brain and consciousness back into life.
Btw I would expect the friendly necromancer to be a common trope simply judging by how often it's brought up in places like /tg/. Mogworld's Lord Dreadgrave is at least one published character that fits to some extend.
>>7796359
>Selected: http://i.imgur.com/3v2oXAY.jpg
Which of these is the best for a nice satisfying, comfy read with little frustrating parts?
>>7800003
Amber and Elric are fun and easy
>>7799994
>Then it sounds like you're going to write an awful book.
You can't write a book about "Animate Dead" that isn't awful, It's fundamentally impossible.
>>7798332
I am considering it. I'm a bit hesitant towards epic fantasy with generic european settings because they feel like they have no culture to them besides alehouses knights and dirt-farming, but kingkiller seems really popular and things don't get that famous without some sort of appeal
Anything asian or arab inspired?
>>7800062
Empire trilogy by Feist and Wurts
>>7798809
Might and Magic is kind of that way though. The demons and undead are literally just another group of dudes trying to make their way in the world.
What are some really good Fairy Tale books, either original or re-tellings with a twist?
>>7800380
Croatian Tales from Long Ago
>>7799722
>and led them to victory
well I guess there's no reason any more for me to order those novels then
I'm looking for a cheap mass market paperback to add to an order for free shipping. Can someone recommend one that would be in mass market paperback? Could be something other than SF&F too
>>7800590
How cheap do you want it to be?
I found an book deal section in Amazon's store and an Neal Stephenson physical book was seven bucks.
>>7800713
8 bucks or less. Thanks for that recommendation and I found a couple from the OP imgurs
Is it just me or is Tigana a pretty difficult read? The prologue was pretty easy and interesting but then it suddenly transformed into this super dense text in chapter 1, dropping dozens of names and politics on you. I put it on hold for now, might revisit when I have a bit bigger of an attention span I guess, just curious what others think.
>>7800062
>>I am considering it. I'm a bit hesitant towards epic fantasy with generic european settings because they feel like they have no culture to them besides alehouses knights and dirt-farming
So you'd rather have coffeehouses, mamalukes, and sand-farming? Good authors can make European settings sing. But you're probably looking for Stormlight Archive.
Any goodbooktubers for SFF?Most seem to be girls talking about YA shit.
>>7799029
Is it actually overloaded or just intricate? If the former, you can either turn the story into a series or if they're just little snippets create a complementary anthology of short stories.
>>7799029
why make smut more than what it is
>>7800818
Best smut is the one that is actually legit good and not trashy imo. There's basically nothing like that
>>7800830
So how do you know its the best?
>>7800747
I haven't even heard of it before, but I looked it up and it sounds very interesting.
>>7800853
You must be living under a rock, everyone praises it to hell and it's known as one of the best non-series fantasy novels. Also it's in the selected OP chart.
Guy Gavriel Kay's books in general are pretty acclaimed, although his prose takes some getting used to.
>>7800865
>You must be living under a rock
looks like it
>Also it's in the selected OP chart.
I've made it a habit of overlooking extremely generic covers, that's why I missed it
>>7799571
>Clarke is genuine hard SF
Yeah I guess the essence of hard SF is space babies and new age theology, my bad bro.
>>7800865
Guy Gavriel Kay is actually pretty obscure in a lot of fantasy circles, though he is one of those authors other authors like.
>>7800733
No problem. I hope you'll enjoy your books.
>>7800747
It's only the first few chapters when it's still about local politics. It's easy to follow after that.
Enjoy it, Kay's novels are criminally underrated here.
>>7798332
>Gonna get hate for this but
I hate you, Anon. Well, not really but I do hate those books. Personally I found the characters flat and the world boring. The plot was stupid. The prose often crossed the line into being self-indulgent, but even when it didn't it was always overdone. The attempts at deconstruction of traditional fantasy tropes were painfully obvious. I stopped reading towards the end of book 1, not long after Kvothe broke a lute string mid-performance and was still able to leave the whole room weeping. Neckbeard-iest thing I've ever read. (I get that the lute thing was foreshadowed by the time Kvothe spent in the woods playing his broken lute, but that scene was bad for different reasons and foreshadowing something stupid does not make it not stupid).
Calling it Harry Potter for adults is an insult to Harry Potter (not that HP is a pinnacle of Fantasy fiction or anything, but it's a damn sight better than the Kingkiller Chronicle).
But hey, to each their own. I think ASOIAF is the second coming of Christ and plenty of people hate that.
>>7797843
I was rather disappointed by Hull Zero Three to be honest. It was a bit disjointed and the reveals weren't that spectacular either. Haven't read anything else by that author, but I understand he's won quite a few awards and was nominated for a few novels as well. Are his other books better?
>>7798332
No no no no no
No, just no.
The first book is fine, I quite enjoyed it, except for the boring "dragon"-part. The second book started out ok, but turned to complete SHIT. After a while it got extremely boring and cringeworthy, with the fairy sex part being the absolute low. I'm not a prude, I have nothing against sex in books, but this just made me cringe while falling asleep at the same time.
>>7802095
I've only read Lions. Does this mean I shouldn't bother with the rest?
>>7802112
Not the guy you're responding to, but I read Eon because it was a BDO book, and I was sorely disappointed. Still gonna give Bear another shot with Blood Music which I have here somewhere...
>>7802125
No no, definitely not. The top three are highly recommended, RoS and UH recommended. Last Light is really the only book out of those I wouldn't recommend. I thought it was pretty poor. I'm not fond of Tigana either, but I guess you can't avoid reading it if you want to read Kay.
>>7800785
>Overloaded or intricate?
It's at a cross roads right now, I think re-writing all of the smut out of it accidentally led too that.
>>7800818
I just want to make easy amazon money, dump out a heap of genre smut and supplement that income.
>>7800830
>>7800840
Small amounts of it do exist, the problem is that by the time they get good most people stop writing smut or the ones who do want to write smut never develop plots.
There used to be /smut/ general on /tg/ that produced some of the most erotic stories I'd ever read but no one would ever turn their 2-3 scenes into a full short story or novelette.
>>7802136
Should I read them in eBook form or a physical book for the optimal Kay experience?
>>7802197
Not really, no. You get a feel when reading them that they're all set in the same world, but in different places, and in different times. So you can read them in any order you please.
However, you may want to consider reading UH before RoS. RoS is a loose sequel in the sense that it is actually set in the same place, but a few hundred years later. There are some references to events/characters in UH, which aren't all too significant, but if you like catching stuff like that out, read UH before RoS.
>>7802221
The optimal Kay experience is subjective. Personally, I enjoy getting physical on the sofa, but you may prefer getting digital on the bed, or something else.
>tfw can't decide whether to start Wheel Of Time or not
>50% anons say go for it, other 50% don't it's absolute shit
I should read it and form my own opinion i know, but I don't want to waste months upon months in case it is shit.
>>7802229
Read Eye of the World and the Great Hunt and drop it if you don't like it. I don't think Eye is enough to make a judgment, but tGH is.
>>7802233
Isn't there a "prequel novel" that takes place before Eye though? Shouldn't I read that first even though it came out later?
>>7802235
Yes there is ("New Spring"), and definitely not. The main sequence is from the point of view of small village characters, and their knowledge of the world is reflected in it. New Spring is from the point of view of two much more worldly characters, and it sheds light on many issues that are hidden in the main sequence for a long time.
>>7802249
I see.
But isn't there a great drop in quality after book 5 or 6 like everyone says? If I read the first two and like them, then I get to that and it become shit, I'll be too committed to stop. Which mean I'll have to endure months of shitty reading.
Sorry for bitching.
>>7802253
Jesus fuck, what kind of huge loser are you? Either read it or don't. You already know the consensus.
>>7802256
There is no consensus, that's what I'm saying. I guess I could give it a try, I hope it isn't too cliched. I've already had my fill of chosen ones and dark lords and shit.
>>7802253
There is a drop in quality because Jordan's cast of characters (and especially point of view characters!) grew too large to handle, his books got shorter, and the time between them grew longer. So some storylines took ages to resolve and it started to piss people off. Many of these issues are now mitigated since all the books are out, but not all.
So yes, there is a drop in quality. I don't think there is a way to reassure anyone about that. If you decide to start readng it, you'll either continue or you don't, I guess?
I don't regret reading it to the end, but I started the series when I was 13(?), so quitting wasn't an option. It had (has) a special place.
Any recommendations for comfy, not grim dark fantasy with a female protagonist who is not clearly someone's wank fantasy or waifu?
>>7802304
Sabriel
>>7802304
I hear Babel-17 is good.
I wonder if Marc Aramini still posts here
Also started Gormenghast, it's interesting, but much more modernist than I expected.
Can we post OC here? Short stories, etc?
>>7802514
>I wonder if Marc Aramini still posts here
He left in disgust at our unparalleled plebbiness.
>>7802595
:'(
I am not an avid reader, but I have been picking up any cool looking sci-fi book I have been seeing at thrift shops and getting them for like 50 cents each.
Right now I am reading "Wine of the Dreamers" by John D. Macdonald
Going to read "A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows" by Poul Anderson next, and then I am going to read "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle
Also found 3 short story sci-fi collections from 1970 and 1971.
am I doin gud?
>>7802261
The series is about a chosen one and a dark lord. It's a lot deeper than that, but if you don't want traditional fantasy tropes done on a very large scale story, then WoT is not for you.
>>7802638
>>7799191
Yeah, Galactic Hitler is an antagonist.
>>7800747
>>7800853
>>7800865
>>7801138
>>7801343
>>7802095
>Kay says[2] that the province of Tigana, and thus the book, was – inadvertently – named after the soccer player Jean Tigana. Because of the name clash, the Italian edition of the novel uses the name Tigane instead.
What the fuck? Tigana is French. But yeah, as an Italian I immediately thought about him and the name sounds lame, still I prefer to have the original name.
>>7802862
>still I prefer to have the original name.
I seriously hope you aren't reading translations of English works.
>>7802865
Of course. And when I want to read an Italian novel I read the English translation as well.
Translations are always better.
>>7802514
There is an ancient and dubious legend, that if you hear the distant howl of wolves and find a reflective surface, be it a mirror or placid pond, then gaze in pure adulation at yourself for ten minutes, without doubt, that aramini shall return in glory to judge the plebby and the dead, and his beauty shall have no end.
>>7803084
This must have taken a lot of time for a chan post nice prose anon
Did the Valar stop interfering with the world directly after they dealt with Morgoth once and for all because they realized the effect they had on it was too great and decided to leave any problems to the Elves and Men for good or bad, no matter how great the enemy?
>>7802304
Tamora pierce and her lioness quartet, then like everything else she writes because it's all female MCs.
>Sister reads these
>Begs me to try them
>Alright
>First book starts out slow, except for one conversation
>Start reading the others because of that one scene
>Each one is better written than the last one
>Get to the last book
>The conversation I read the series for is tied into the overarching plot
I know it's children's fantasy, but these are some of the more fun books i've read in the last couple of years
>>7804077
Shit forgot picture
>>7797044
Read the Earthsea books
Are the game of thrones books good, reddit tier, or even worse than that?
>>7804305
Mediocre. Fun, but forgettable.
>>7804084
If you enjoyed it, who cares if it's for the kiddos?
>>7804305
First three are really good, probably one of the best things in the genre no matter what contrarians say. AFFC and ADWD are complete trash though and GRRM is a shitter who deserves every amount of criticism that he gets.
>>7804305
They are very entertaining, pretty much a set of thriller novels set in a fantasy world. Not really anything special in my opinion, though.
They may never be completed because the author is about to die of a heart attack any day now, if that bothers you.
There is a lot of sexually tinged violence and incest and all that, I always had the image of the fatass author smacking his lips while reading them, it is kind of off putting to be honest.
I read up through 5 right before the show came out, then by the time 6 came out I had lost interest. I don't plan to reread them, or read the new ones.
God what a shit tier ending. I feel like I wasted my time.
Is Farseer trilogy actually about stealthy assassins like the name of the books implies or mostly ships and pirates? I'm only a couple dozen pages in but it seems like mostly the latter. Probably still gonna read it though.
Anyways, what are some fantasy books with heavy focus (preferably main character) on assassinations and such? Something more intricate than climbing up a house at night and killing someone in their sleep perhaps.
Just bought Ken Liu's short story compilation. Most of this is boring but that one about the fox girl had me grinning ear-to-ear the whole time.
He is an amazing fantasy author and a sub-par scifi writer
What are some brutal ass sci fi short stories like pic related?
Are the rest of Ellison's stories just as intense? What else should I check out outside of his work?
>>7804353
Yup, you got taken in by the "Bakker isn't terrible" trolling.
>>7804749
Ellison's hates that people love this short story so much. He put so much work into his other works and he wrote that in a night or something.
>>7804825
Interesting fact even though you didn't answer my question. That must be frustrating for him, although it seems a silly to hate the fact that people like something you created. Surely he's aware that it's a good story
This book is full of waifu material, can't even pick one.
>>7804670
It has nothing to do with ships, unless you mean the raiders?
Despite the name, it's not really a story about assassins doing assassin things; it's a character driven coming of age drama where the main character just happens to be forced into the assassin life. It's brilliant and you should read it at some point, but it's not what you're looking for.
>>7806393
Well the cover of the book is a literal fucking pirate ship. Got mentioned a couple times in the text too.
Have any anons here read The three body problem? Would you recommend it?
>>7806506
I recommend it, but be warned that the ending is really, and I mean really, sudden and unsatisfactory.
Does anyone here write sci-fi other than just reading it? I'm on a huge creative block and learning what you guys are doing and how you get around lack of inspiration could help me greatly. My characters really feel void and without greater scope lately.
>>7803439
DUDE TOLKIEN LMAO
>>7804670
It's more about political intrigue and magic desu.
>>7804084
Man my brother read this and wouldn't shut the fuck up about it. Maybe I'll read them to my future child.
>>7802229
I really need to post the long ass review of it I keep writing on a blog or something. I'm not going to type it all out again, but the short version is, it's really really long and slow, prose is pretty good except when it's not (body language and dialogue mostly), but the worldbuilding is the best I've ever seen, Tolkein included. The cultures and factions and such are all super detailed, and they all mesh together in very, very intricate and realistic ways. It's not complexity for the sake of "intrigue" like GRRM writes, it feels like what naturally happens when a bunch of different cultures coexist.
If you can't overlook small problems with the prose, and want your story to get to the point, don't read it. If you have a lot of time to kill, have the patience for a slow paced story, and can appreciate a very detailed and masterfully created fictional universe, get it now.
>>7799994
Well, I haven't read anything *good* involving a friendly necromancer yet.
And that's why I've never had much hope that I'd be a good writer. I just don't understand enough of human psychology and culture, and how their feelings affect what people do. People who have seen me write tell me I should get a job writing reviews and fucking instruction manuals instead of any kind of art.
>>7806749
Mort from the Dresden files. Hes not one by name but everything he does is necromantic.
Goddamn these generals are shit. Step it up spec fic fags.
>>7806952
More like they're dead.
>>7806981
It's too bad. 85 unique IPs, and only a handful of them said something interesting, then effed off. Most of this thread isn't actual quality discussion of stories, but infantile reviews and observations. I don't approve of the occasional il/lit/erate bashing genre fiction, but ffs, these generals suck.
WHO IS THE BEST ALIEN WAIFU IN SCI-FI
>>7807022
Rather it's the fact that these threads are up for days, so people with dynamic IPs count twice / thrice. The actual number of unique posters is significantly lower.
What quality posts have you made?
>>7807030
In older threads I discussed the pitfalls of 70s-80s sf, some of the writers in sf whose styles are closely allied with Borges, the actual physical postulations of certain sf technology.
In this one I was part of the crowd that pointed out how The Martian is mediocre. Maybe not the most productive, but at least I'm not a Pharisee... yet... right?
>mfw the people complaining about the lack of quality posts and the thread dying are probably the same people that chase people away if they dare criticize Mieville or Scalzi
>>7807022
90% of the regulars are /v/ crossboarders with only tangential interest in literature, what did you expect.
>>7807109
Literally nobody in these threads ever discusses scalzi or mieville. Stop trying to make yourself a victim.
>>7807132
>Literally nobody in these threads ever discusses scalzi or mieville.
That's the point.
Any great Scifi / Fantasy in the 21st century?
>>7806569
I'm writing fantasy.
Reading books on writing helps me generate ideas. Creating Unforgettable Characters, Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook, Lajos Egri are all good.
A couple of good mental exercises are thinking of ten different options for a writing problem or doing the exact opposite of what you were planning on doing.
>>7807165
Ann Leckie :^)
>>7807204
I can't read and write at the same time, I absorb the book's I'm reading style so ridiculously hard.
I read this book a couple of years ago. Thought it was fairly interesting for a fantasy book, at least entertainingand hot.
Should I check out more of the A Land Fit for Heroes series? Going by goodreads ratings it gets better.
>>7807126
That's not true, even if these generals do get a ton of plebs from other boards.
Like that Jordanfag and these Dresden Files guys and generally fans of trash fantasy.
>>7807265
Don't forget the Sandersonfags
>>7807270
There's nothing wrong with Sanderson you memeloving fuck.
I don't understand something in The Dying Earth.
How can Lianedie twice?
I must say that Vance is great at creating obnoxious faggots.
>>7807231
I've read the first two and I like many aspects of it, it goes pretty hard on the grimdark at times though. Haven't gotten around to the third as I'm on a historical novel binge now.
>>7807231
If you enjoy the graphic gay sex, by all means go for it
Alastair Reynolds worth reading? If so, where should I start?
>>7807295
>tfw the gay sex was hot and I realized I might be bi
I guess even fiction can be educational
>>7807290
I don't think Liane died during the encounter with T'saise. I think she just knocked him out. His story is definitely the best though. Very spooky.
>>7807293
I remember it being pretty dark but also pretty clearly written by someone who doesn't indulging it it because they just love the grimness so much. His scifi shows, if you know what I mean.
>>7807323
Yeah, that's pretty much how it is. Like the most grimdark scene I remember from the first two wasn't really any worse than the rape scene in Altered Carbon. I guess I just tend to expect fantasy to be more prude.
I picked up The Wind Through the Keyhole yesterday, haven't read any Dark Tower since finishing it a decade ago how does it hold up in terms of quality, is it more like the early books or closer to the later ones?
Also what are the chances of a ninth book being written? I wouldn't mind one if King does so because of the movie being released, something from Flagg's POV could be pretty cool or maybe what happens after the ending of book seven but if he does write a ninth it would probably be similar to TWTTK in terms of structure and story.
>>7807316
She pierced him with her sword anon, he literally fell on the floor consciousless, no wound does that to you.
>>7807274
I mean aside bad prose, lack of themes and mediocre at best characters, but yes, nothing wrong.
>>7807344
Really? Huh, it's been a while. And Vance's prose can be a little confusing. Maybe he got better.
>>7807300
I felt awful for liking the rape scene so much.
>>7807358
If I'm not mistaken it says that she took the sword out of him, afterwards, and that he was unconscious or limp. Something like that.
What's the deal with Chun and Lith anyway? Why does he need eyes in exchange for thread? Why does he have her tapestry? Why does she need it to return to her homeland? Is there a connection between her being cross-eyed and Chun needing eyes?
I'm new to reading books, is there anything like Berserk?
>>7807624
My diary desu
>>7807624
>I'm new to reading books
Haven't you been to school?
>>7807143
>Mieville
I'm looking forward to Last Days of New Paris, bit disappointed by his last one tho.
>>7807297
Revelation Space, nigga.
>>7807624
My diary desu
Should I bother reading Gateway by Pohl?
>>7807901
>babbys first antihero
>book has many strange and exotic races
>protag ends up with a human woman
>her name is always Fanny or some shit
>probably based on the author's wife
>>7807971
begone filthy xenophile
>>7807971
my wife would probably cut my dick off if my protags' love interests were not at least loosely based on her
>>7807984
It's starting to make sense why all the female love interests are always boring and lifeless.
>>7808020
Are you implying all pulp writers are married?
>>7808029
Your publisher usually assigns you a wife.
>>7807984
What a shitty relationship.
What do you think of Project Itoh?
I just saw the movies are out.
>>7808042
Nice.mkv
>>7804825
Ellison is a dipshit. Having read the The Essential Ellison cover to cover, I am seriously of the opinion that he is a petty, miserly Jew who loves nursing petty grudges and generally being butthurt at being a lone [Chosen] righteous man in a world of stupid [goy] plebs. Needless to say this attitude is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Since this is the Current Year though, he doesn't actually get any of the positive benefits of being part of a Jewish community.
In short, even if IHNMAIMS wasn't dashed off in a night, Ellison would claim it was because it gives him an excuse to yell at people.
Pretty good sf writer though. Not the best, but pretty good.
>>7804749
>>7804949
Not all of Ellison's stories are as intense. He also doesn't do hard sf, not at all. But I can recommend:
>Must Read, you might not like them but they're some of his best:
Adrift Just Off The Islets of Langerhans
Repent, Harlequin
Jeffty Is Five
The Prowler in the City at the Edge of the World
>YMMV, generally good:
Grail
Delusion for a Dragon Slayer
Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes
A Boy and His Dog
The Deathbird(*tips fedora*)
Along the Scenic Route
>>7807165
Peter Watts' Blindsight. Not really even controversial.
The Golden Age by John C. Wright get my vote for something that isn't a consensus pick.
Also, as much as I hate Sandersonfags the guy is definitely building something that's going to make a lasting mark on fantasy.
>>7807344
Either he survived T'sain's attack or he died twice. The End. Feel free to get triggered over Jack Vance's lack of ~realism~ in his short story collection about ancient gods awakening robot cities at the end of time if you can't come to terms with it.
