Help
>>48029663
You can't read more than one?
>>48029663
Yes. Then refine your tastes based on which of the three you liked best.
That's how people learn what they do and do not like.
>>48029851
need to choose one to start
>>48029663
Start with Dune, move on to The Left Hand of Darkness, finish with Gardens of the MoonWhy? Why not?
>>48029878
Dune, if you don't like that you can jump off a bridge.
>>48029907
Dune is a good stand-alone.
For Malazan you really need to read the whole series.
Ursula leguin was good for her time, but overrated today.
>>48029924
>Dune is a good stand-alone.
But the seq... oh, wait, nevermind. You're absolutely right.
>>48029663
Dune. It is my favorite book that turned me onto sci fi
>>48030153
>Dune
>not starting with Jules Verne
kids these days
>>48029663
I'd start with Dune, solely due to it's importance for the genre.
>>48029924
>Ursula leguin was good for her time, but overrated today.
I'd say that you're wrong, but reality is subjective I guess. The Dispossessed is the best "worldbuilding novel" I've read
>>48029663
Dune, then Left Hand of Darkness, then Gardens of the Moon. Feel free to read Dune Messiah at any point after Dune.
>>48030202
muh nigga
I will be reading it on the way to work since I become a wagie for a while these days. I think I'll start with dune then
>>48029924
>Ursula leguin was good for her time, but overrated today.
Hardly anybody knows her, and her prose if delicious. I'd say she's underrated.
Oh, but avoid her like hell if you're a /pol/ster.
>>48029924
op here
I think dispossessed was awesome
>>48029663
I thought I was on /lit/ for a second
>>48030309
I trust more on the people who come here than on other boards.
If I may hijack this thread and ask a question of my own...
I read The Dispossessed a while ago, and will start on The Left Hand of Darkness tomorrow. If I want to continue with the Hainish Cycle, where should I go next?
>>48030415
Literally any which book that you want. This is a good thing in this series: each book is each own story.
>>48029924
leguin is amazing
>>48029663
I'll agree with a lot of the people here and say dune - some folks think it's too dry and slow paced, but I was enchanted by the world building and the "future-medieval" aesthetic which would inform 40k so heavily.
>>48030248
/pol/ster here, LeGuin is actually pretty good, I'd give a testicle to have a left consisting of a lot more LeGuins and a lot fewer Trigglypuffs.
>>48029663
I'm probably unusual here in that I didn't like Dune much. I couldn't comment on the other two books.
Have you considered reading any of the Cities in Flight series?
>>48031030
But, she's like progressive and shit!
>>48031035
>>48031116
Blish is still legit.
>>48031035
>I don't like dune
>>48031035
>I didn't like Dune
>>48031035
>I didn't like Dune much
Why? It's solid cover to cover awesomeness.
>>48031035
>Doesn't like dune
>Haven't read any of Book of the Fallen
>Recommends plebshit
If you read Gardens of the Moon, do it vowing that you will read Deadhouse Gates immediately after regardless of your enjoyment of GotM. If you can't, probably don't bother. I've seen enough people saying Malazan is bad after only reading the first, weakest book, which is fair if you go in blind.
Also keep in mind that the series doesn't try to confuse you, but Erikson feels that details should fill in naturally. If you hear a weird race name, the book doesn't immediately stop and explain them, but through context and patience you'll understand. I'd also HIGHLY recommend following along with the reread, and despite the title, there aren't actual spoilers in the synopses and comments (user comments are another matter):
http://www.tor.com/2010/07/07/the-malazan-re-read-of-the-fallen-gardens-of-the-moon-part-1/
Might seem like a lot to get into, but Malazan is my personal favorite fantasy series, and I've only read up to the end of book 4. Seriously excellent stuff and worth reading if you can get into it.
The series was also written based on Erikson and Esslemont's own homebrew world and gaming sessions (started with AD&D and ended with GURPS) but you wouldn't know it by reading. So it's definitely /tg/-approved/inspired.
>>48031035
Dune is for a more sophisticated crowd. I would recommend the hunger game and maze runner series if you like Syfy.
>>48031187
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahhaahahahhahahahhahaha what a fucking shill. Malazhan is boring pretentious garbage. None of the characters are particularly charismatic or endearing so when any of them die you feel nothing. The books are needlessly complicated and obtuse and the magic system is weak and convoluted as fuck. Malazhan is a poor mans A Song of Fire and Ice.
>>48031211
>dismissing James Blish
You're a much bigger faggot than him.
>>48031187
>love GotM
>everybody's always shitting on it
Feels awful
Just got around reading Dune for the first time and I loved it, but jesus I can't get into Messiah at all
>>48030248
Not a /pol/ack but what are we talking here? I don't care that she's a feminist but if it's just girl power then I'll skip it.
>>48029663
Always, always start with the Greeks, dumbass.
dune ->left hand ->something else (foundation?)
>>48031342
She's more anti-kyriarchy, that is, any system of traditions and power that impose a category of the population above another. Men above women, owners versus slaves, etc. On the other hand, she deals extremely fairly with the people in both sides, and shows how there can be evil and good on any side, and is subtle in her criticism. It's weaved into the narrative and adds to it rather than detracts (but again, that's my opinion). So, no, it's not "just girl power" unless by that you mean any competent female character.
>>48029663
Dune
>>48031333
mesiah is a serene reflection on the events of dune and the ramifications that those events will have. the majority of the book is just pondering and discourse. it's really more of an epilogue but it has a great intrigue subplot that really pays off.
after mesiah the rest of the books are much more similar to the first book. in many ways the 4th book is the true climax of the series. the 5th book is easily my favorite.
>>48031368
Foundation is always a fantastic recommendation. Much like Dune though, you can probably stop after the first book.
>>48030309
>/lit/
>reading books
Pick only one.
>>48030309
Lit doesn't seem to read book for fun or love of reading. They seem to just treat books as snark points.
>>48031187
Malazhan is overrated garbage. It is literally inferior to GoT for godsake...
>>48030309
lit doesnt like reading fiction for enjoyment, they, as true ascetics, only read philosophical texts that stimulate their immeasurably vasts intellects
>>48031545
*rearranges keffieh*
>>48031333
I actually read GotM hot on the heels of Mistborn (which I thought was pure shit) and Erikson and Sanderson couldn't be more different authors. In a good way. GotM was a very welcome breath of fresh air.
>>48031279
>None of the characters are particularly charismatic or endearing so when any of them die you feel nothing
Quick Ben, Paran, Hedge, Fid to an extent, Toc the Younger, ESPECIALLY Iskaral Pust and Kruppe are all charismatic. Of those, many, are also endearing. But endearing is a very subjective quality, so it may speak more to who you personally consider endearing characters in literature to say that none of the (literally) hundreds of characters in Malazan are endearing.
>The books are needlessly complicated and obtuse
Steven Erikson does not spoonfeed. I still don't think that quality throws him into obfuscation territory and there are definitely times when Erikson WANTS you confused so that you think critically about events and motivations - regardless he's entirely in control. Almost everything wraps up into everything else in some way, but may require a reread to realize. You can't just blaze through these books.
>magic system is weak and convoluted as fuck.
Convoluted because no character can 100% say exactly how it works, and I like it that way. Magic should be ethereal and mysterious, as soon as it has strict and governed rules it loses its mysticism. This is my own personal preference but I don't read fantasy novels for cool magic systems. Read above where I thought Mistborn was garbage.
>Malazhan is a poor mans A Song of Fire and Ice.
I don't see how this is comparable. Just because both books are in the fantasy genre does not mean they share themes, ideals, or writing styles. They are simply both fantasy novels with lots of characters. The similarities end there.
>>48031508
>Malazhan
>Comparison to ASOIAF
Here's your second (you).
>>48031627
I don't claim it doesn't have its flaws, but by the end of Gardens of the Moon I was just all the way on board, couldn't wait to get to the next book so I just bought the ebook and started reading it on my phone right then and there
>>48029663
Black Company.
>>48031717
Oh shit this so much. Literally got me back into fantasy.
>>48031425
The 5th book is pretty great. I really enjoyed Teg as a character and the inside look at the Bene Geserit.
>>48029663
Leguin's Earthsea books are much better. Left Hand of Darkness was boring as hell.
>>48031898
>>48031186
>Cities in Flight
>plebshit
How is it possible to be this retarded?
>>48032028
You tell me oh lover of cities of shit.
>>48032063
>dissing James Blish
Read the last and first men OP, you won't regret it.
I can't be the only person that thinks Dune's overrated, can I?
I don't think it's bad, but I don't think it's an 11/10 either. Many chapters felt drawn out, and often it'd reference something mentioned in passing chapters later; which would not be a problem, were it not some made-up setting-specific thing that would basically require a glossary in the back, or honestly, some kind of LotR-style forward to explain the setting's history and sciences a little bit before we dove right into it. It wasn't confusing or even really that slow over all, but reading it felt like I kept going over speed bumps and rolling out of dips.
Like, if I gave it a rating of some kind it'd give it a 5/5, but I swear to god everywhere I go somebody's sucking it's giant sandy dick like they'll die if they don't let it know they love it.
>>48032565
>some kind of LotR-style forward to explain the setting's history and sciences a little bit before we dove right into it
So, you want infodumps?
>It wasn't confusing
But you say they weren't needed...
Err?
>>48031066
She's not just progressive, she's also fucking insane politically.
Her books are well written though, and deals with interesting topics in interesting ways.
>>48032642
Well, that's anarchists for you.
>>48032594
What did I say wasn't needed? I don't think I said anything wasn't needed. Also, by forward I mean an actual forward, or maybe a broad generalized prologue. Something supplementary that's there if you want a little lead-in, but isn't mandatory to read the rest of the book.
>>48032642
Most people that are invested too much in politics tends to have pretty excessive views on things. I myself never let something like that get between me and entertainment, unless I completely loathe the person.
>>48032657
Same thing with Michael Moorcock and Alan Moore. Both are leaning towards anarchism and they are both stuck up their own assholes. However, they do have interesting minds and create interesting products.
>>48032739
> didn't like a book I like?
> you're unsophisticated; go read pleb shit
very cute, 10/10 would date
>>48029663
Def start with Dune first
Then Left Hand, I loved the fuck out of that book.
Then Gardens, cause that's 10 books long and you'll get sucked into it.
All excellent choices though
I liked Dune but I thought it kinda shit the bed in the end. Also it feels like a lot of the book is the author explaining everything going on in the characters head, Not that it was bad but it pads it out a lot.
Anyway good Book would recommend.
Anyone recommend any other books
>>48033218
Bas Lag novels by China Mieville.
>>48032565
A big problem with people who read Dune nowadays is that, if you've read a decent amount of Sci-Fi (or really just any other fiction in general) Dune suffers from "Seinfeld Isn't Funny"-Syndrome. Dune was so hugely influential when it came out among Sci-Fi and really the literary world in general that many people nowadays take feathers from its hat in their own works, and now, when people read it today, it just doesn't seem as good anymore because that's what everybody else is doing, and it doesn't hold your attention as much.
>>48033896
Basically a failure to its own success.
>>48033896
It also suffers from the fact that it was written in a fundamentally different political climate, and as a result, its themes have a much different meaning now.
When Dune was written, OPEC was a big deal, and the Arabs were downtrodden conquered people. The idea of someone uniting their fictional counterpart to throw off the yoke of internationalist corporate power was a positive concept.
Now we've got ISIS and mass immigration, and suddenly the uprising and subsequent Jihad that Muad'dib stages in Dune and its sequels has a distinctly sinister and contemporary feel to it.
>>48029663
Left one is shit.
Middle one is a good writer but I haven't read that particular book.
Right one is God-Emperor-Tier good. Start there.
>>48033218
Have you read The Hobbit?
>>48033218
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson.
>>48031816
Just started it a few days ago and I'm almost done with White Rose. It's got a real cool, casual style.
>>48033218
A Song of Ice and Fire if you like long descriptions of food and self-destructive levels of backstabbing. Wheel of Time if you want to see where the writing process of ASoIaF is heading.
>>48036599
>Brandon Sanderson
his books can be fun, but I would never recommend them to someone whose tastes I did not know very very well. In anycase, mistborn is so enormously inferior to stormlight archives its not even funny. Most of his other stuff is ok with a few gleams of good, but way of kings was legit quality for the vast majority.
>>48033218
Weaveworld by Clive Barker.
Dune. Word of advice though. Pay attention to the name of the author. The Frank Herbert novels are great, the Brian Herbert ones...not so much
>>48036599
>recommending this in a thread where people are talking about Dune, The Left Hand of Darkness, or Foundation
Hahahahahaha. No.
>>48036993
kek
>>48036993
So, ASoIaF is gonna get good?
shiee
>>48033218
LOTR obviously. Some Culture novels are pretty good, but they vary. A song of Ice and Fire, the first three books, just watch the tv show instead of reading AFFC and ADWD, they're shit compared to the first three. Discworld and hitch-hiker's guide to the galaxy if you aren't afraid to get silly. Wheel of time is decent if you aren't afraid of ridiculously long series. Lovecraft and Asimov are classics, but can be a tad difficult to get into. Most of Philip k Dick is good.
>>48034245
to be fair it had a sinister feel even in its original climate
after all Paul tries the entire first book to somehow avoid the jihad, and his failure to prevent it is seen as a huge personal failure
in the second book he actually compares himself to hitler
>>48029663
Dune is worth reading just to see its influence in the genre.
The Malazan should be read for the world building.
If if go go into it for characters or a cohesive narrative, you'll get frustrated quickly.
>>48042349
Agreed; the world buiilding an depth is top notch, characters are so-so, ranging from pretty cool to downright Mary Sue-ish. I guess it's the D&D origin of the series showing.
>>48041892
Stop being a hipster, no one's impressed.
>>48031418
I dunno about subtle, "The word for world is forest" wasnt particularly subtle.
>>48033218
Also look into The Worm Ouroboros, the Book of the New Sun series, and if you have read Malazan definitely check out The Black Company (if you haven't already) which was basically Erikson's inspiration for Malazan BOTF
>>48036993
>Wheel of Time if you want to see where the writing process of ASoIaF is heading.One man turns out to be the chosen one and is still brow-beaten by a dozen extremely strong women?
Hey so I read the first book of the Hyperion Cantos recently.
for some reason i couldn't quite take the amounts of sex in that book totally seriously, but it's well written and thematically interesting. The narrative conceit of 'sci-fi canterbury tales' is great too.
Why ask /tg/ for advice? Most people here enjoy Black Library tier books.
>>48031449
Nah man. Asimov's universe is amazing. You can start with I, Robot and end with the last Foundation book. He put them all in the same universe. I won't ruin it, but I lost my shit when Golan Trevise set out to find a certain place, then started to find it.
>>48030221
>but reality is subjective I guess.
No it's not. If reality is subjective then yours and mine agree on that you're wrong on the nature of reality. QED. And while i agree Ursula's worldbuilding is very good her writing style isn't as polished as Herbert and her politics influence her writings way too much. Good autress if you read her knowing what's up but not above good and evil like others.
>>48042384
>Agreed; the world buiilding an depth is top notch
It's really, really not.
Distance between places vary with the power of plot.
There's no real diversity of cultures and languages. Dynasties are stable and stagnant for centuries. The religions are risibly shallow. New shit never actually gets integrated in the old and just floats there. When describing dinner Martin just describes what he thinks would be delicious.
It's basically on par with what a smart 13 years old can shit in a evening with a book on The war of The two roses and a encyclopedia.
Granted: The family trees are very detailed, well done and necessary to understand the setting and would be beyond our 13 yo's patience to write. But beyond that ASoIaF is very mediocre with it's worldbuilding.
>>48043020
No the fat, old author dies and Brandon K. Sanderson finishes it.
>>48049532
sic transit gloria mundi
>>48049145
> He put them all in the same universe
That was a shit twist. Also that guy is right - you can drop the Foundation after the first book and you won't lose much, although familiarizing with the series is a must. Same for Dune.
>>48031717
My melanin-rich compatriot.
>>48049857
I thought it was cool. Sorry for having shit taste. I'll leave /tg/ in shame for not living up to your standards.
>>48050551
Please proceed to do so.
>>48031607
>I don't see how this is comparable
I think they are comparable in the sense that they are both deconstructions of the fantasy genre and its themes, but while Song of Ice and Fire goes for a low fantasy setting book of the fallen uses a very high fantasy setting to do so. They are both great, but since they are such different settings they succeed at different things. Also Erickson at least still has an "Oh Shit!" climax at the end of his giant tree killer books, while recent GRRM has pretty much ended the books wherever he felt like resulting in awkward endings
>>48050551
Sorry anon but I have to agree. I liked Foundation's Edge but I felt like the final book was a really different tone and the way he combined his two major series felt really contrived
>>48029956
Hey fuck you buddy, Dune was great until Frank died and his faggot son and his hack buttbuddy shit all over everything
>>48032565
>were it not some made-up setting-specific thing that would basically require a glossary in the back
There is a glossary in the back, also a condensed history of events before the book takes place. All the needed context is provided.
>>48045562
Read the second book. Do not read the third and fourth books, they are a totally different type of story in the same (sort of) setting. If you want more decent Dan Simmons stuff after that, read Ilium - but again, don't bother with the second book in the series, Olympos.
Does anyone have any recommendations for /tg/ related books that have also been released as audiobooks? I'm currently "reading" Discworld novels like this but I'd like some variation.
>>48049488
I... wasn't talking about ASoIaF, anon.
>>48053176
Pretty much everything by Lovecraft exists as audiobooks for free
>>48049102
>Implying I don't
>Implying it's a bad thing to have mild sharedworld fantasy escapism to have once in a while between "real" literature
kys
>>48030309
>/lit/
>actually reading solely for enjoyment.
>>48031607
I mean, I love the Malazan series, but goddamn. I literally had to skip all the dialogue sections with either Kruppe or Iskaral Pust. Especially when they meet later it's just so annoying to read all of their shitty mannerisms and idiosyncrasies.
>>48030958
>some folks think it's too dry
Ha. Haha.
>>48031418
Left Hand of Darkness really isn't feminist at all. The central premise is that even in a world without gender, people are still complete dicks and nature is harsh and uncaring so you need to man the fuck up (even if you are a hermaphrodite) and kick ass. It's a Heinlein-style adventure yarn which just happens to be praised by feminists because they think any hero with a weird gender must automatically be feminist.
Also, it's pretty fucking good and much more readable than Dune.
>>48034245
It's meant to a disaster, Paul plays at god
>>48056060
A bit like living in Sweden then?I can say that because I am Swedish.
>>48033218
This little series is absolutely lovely. The audiobooks are even better.
>>48053176
Well as everyone here is recommending Dune anyway, allow me to recommend the audiobooks. I just finished Messiah and am totally loving it.
Weirdly enough I enjoyed the old recording by O'Brian a whole lot more than this new high-production-value one with multiple narrators. His voice and style of narration is just perfect for such a weird and otherworldly setting.
>>48056253
not gonna lie, that terrible pulp cover art has me interested. what are these about?
>>48029663
Garden's of the Moon is like 13 books. Just so you are aware.
That being said, best fantasy epic ever.fuck dune
>>48057821
>>48057808
To expand on what this anon said, it's set in an alternate history earth, around modern times, give or take some anachronisms resulting from the existence of magic. The British Empire is the latest in a long line of empires that have ruled through magical supremacy. The story follows Bartimaeus, a witty and cynical but ultimately sympathetic Daemon, and the young apprentice Nathaniel who summons him in an ill-concieved scheme to get revenge on his master.
>>48057761
kys
>>48057808
The world is a magocracy. Almost all governments are the result of a magical or anti-magical uprising. The magicians' power comes from their knowledge of how to summon djinni from the astral plane and bind them to their will. That's the foundation of all magic. Our protagonists are a smartass mid-to-high-level djinn called Bartimaeus who is constantly being sarcastic and writing fun footnotes (representing his higher levels of thought because he's soo much better than humans) and Nathaniel, a whiny twelve year old brat apprentice who summons Bartimaeus to get revenge on some magicians who wronged him. Shit goes down, and most of the books kinda work like a buddy cop movie, the two forced to work with each other out of necessity and constantly getting on each other's nerves. It's a lot of fun and is surprisingly insightful for a YA series.
>>48050576
Fuck off.
>>48052372
Can you honestly say that the Dune sequels were necessary?
What plot elements went unresolved at the end of Dune that needed continuation?
>>48061054
No work of fiction is necessary. There were no plot points to be resolved prior to the writing of Dune. It was unnecessary.
>>48061834
well that's a pedantic answer.
>>48062007
Pedantic questions beg for pedantic answers.
>>48061054
>necessary?
I just finished Messiah and got started on Children Of and they're fucking amazing. In many ways better than the first. So you can find them unnecessary all you like.
>>48056162
>Swedes
>manning up
LolI'm Swedish too
>>48062849
Ever since I started acting increasingly manly people in my surrounding has become increasingly more submissive.
>>48063886
Yes, that's how it works.
>>48056253
So were these covers intentionally made to resemble that Jew picture?
>>48061054
Clearly the plot element of "Frank wanted to write more stories in this universe"
>>48058406
Fine, skip the formalities and just fuck already.
