Woodruff wrote:Another one I read AGES ago and REALLY enjoyed was "Battle Circle" series by Piers Anthony. A tremendous idea, and realize that this is NOT typical Piers Anthony fare. A post-apocalyptic world where hand-to-hand combat decides everything.
Definitely agree if it's the Sos the Rope, Var the Stick... books. My Dad had them as separate novels, I think they're only available in one volume now (UK anyway-?). Also I'd recommend Guy Gavriel Kay to anyone who's into Fantasy with a bit more depth - not so much the Fionavar Tapestry series although they're still very good, but the rest of his stuff is superb.
Woodruff wrote:Another one I read AGES ago and REALLY enjoyed was "Battle Circle" series by Piers Anthony. A tremendous idea, and realize that this is NOT typical Piers Anthony fare. A post-apocalyptic world where hand-to-hand combat decides everything.
Definitely agree if it's the Sos the Rope, Var the Stick... books. My Dad had them as separate novels, I think they're only available in one volume now (UK anyway-?). Also I'd recommend Guy Gavriel Kay to anyone who's into Fantasy with a bit more depth - not so much the Fionavar Tapestry series although they're still very good, but the rest of his stuff is superb.
I did not like the Fionavar Tapestry. I actually stopped reading mid-way through the second book. Too flighty? Not sure.
Woodruff wrote:Another one I read AGES ago and REALLY enjoyed was "Battle Circle" series by Piers Anthony. A tremendous idea, and realize that this is NOT typical Piers Anthony fare. A post-apocalyptic world where hand-to-hand combat decides everything.
Definitely agree if it's the Sos the Rope, Var the Stick... books.
Yep, that's them exactly.
...I prefer a man who will burn the flag and then wrap himself in the Constitution to a man who will burn the Constitution and then wrap himself in the flag.
GRRM for SURE. nothing like killing off main characters... I actually re-read a small part of it just to make sure I didn't miss anything... like that it was a dream or something.
Cheers- I actually picked up the Abercrombie (in the OP), but I'll take a look at the others. If it's ok to ask- what made you pick those?
You know... For Blood of Elves, I had just finished playing "The Witcher" on my computer, and I wanted to know what the actual story was... Great frigging book. Working through it in three days.
For the Dwarves and Orcs, well... I'm a huge D&D nerd and dwarves have always been my favorite race. Finally, a book written from their perspective that makes sense! And orcs, being their arch nemsis, just made sense.
virus90 wrote: I think Anarkist is a valuable asset to any game.
Symmetry wrote:I've been on a bit of Fantasy binge over the last week, and I'm looking for recommendations.
If anyone is interested, I picked up:
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss- easily one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read The Lies of Locke Lamorra by Scott Lynch- a great read, and pretty tight as a one off. The Painted Man by Peter Brett- great concept, but got a bit repetitive in places The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie- I really liked the characters- almost everyone in the series is a complete bastard, but the plot was a bit thin.
Anybody have some suggestions about what's good out there at the moment?
Oh- and I'd also reccomend Ekaterina Sedia's The Alchemy of Stone- more steampunk, but it's really good.
those are all great...
the harry dresden series is kinds fun robin hobb makes one of the greatest/saddest heros you will ever read about.... i think i almost cried once in that series... great books
my favorite "sleeper" novels are the "Black company" series by glen cook.
Symmetry wrote:I've been on a bit of Fantasy binge over the last week, and I'm looking for recommendations.
If anyone is interested, I picked up:
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss- easily one of the best fantasy novels I've ever read The Lies of Locke Lamorra by Scott Lynch- a great read, and pretty tight as a one off. The Painted Man by Peter Brett- great concept, but got a bit repetitive in places The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie- I really liked the characters- almost everyone in the series is a complete bastard, but the plot was a bit thin.
Anybody have some suggestions about what's good out there at the moment?
Oh- and I'd also reccomend Ekaterina Sedia's The Alchemy of Stone- more steampunk, but it's really good.
those are all great...
the harry dresden series is kinds fun robin hobb makes one of the greatest/saddest heros you will ever read about.... i think i almost cried once in that series... great books
my favorite "sleeper" novels are the "Black company" series by glen cook.
Agreed on Robin Hobb. Finishing the last trilogy kind of started my binge. The Black Company looks pretty good.
have not read all the posts here, so someone probably mentioned george r martiins books... His epic is considered by many as the best ever written. Not sure if I agree, but it is very very good.
Symmetry wrote:Anybody have some suggestions about what's good out there at the moment?
Definitely not a new one so you may well have already read it, but I was recently reminded of "A Wrinkle in Time"...tremendous story.
...I prefer a man who will burn the flag and then wrap himself in the Constitution to a man who will burn the Constitution and then wrap himself in the flag.
It's a competition for the worst first line of a novel you can come up with.
Gerald began--but was interrupted by a piercing whistle which cost him ten percent of his hearing permanently, as it did everyone else in a ten-mile radius of the eruption, not that it mattered much because for them "permanently" meant the next ten minutes or so until buried by searing lava or suffocated by choking ash--to pee. --Jim Gleeson, Madison, WI (2007 Winner)
Theirs was a New York love, a checkered taxi ride burning rubber, and like the city, their passion was open 24/7, steam rising from their bodies like slick streets exhaling warm, moist, white breath through manhole covers stamped “Forged by DeLaney Bros., Piscataway, N.J.” (2008 Winner) --Garrison Spik, Washington, D.C.
Folks say that if you listen real close at the height of the full moon, when the wind is blowin' off Nantucket Sound from the nor' east and the dogs are howlin' for no earthly reason, you can hear the awful screams of the crew of the “Ellie May,” a sturdy whaler Captained by John McTavish; for it was on just such a night when the rum was flowin' and, Davey Jones be damned, big John brought his men on deck for the first of several screaming contests. (2009 Winner) --David McKenzie, Federal Way, WA
the world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than from those who actually commit it- Albert Einstein
Just read The Revenge of the Shadow King, but its a few years old (copy 2006). Since I rely soly on the library and garage sales, I am afraid my knowledge of anything truly recent is limited. Also, it seems they only get young adult fantasies.
The "Titans" series, coming out in a movie, was OK in book form (not excellent, but enjoyable to read, a bit original). I hate to think what will happen to it in the theatre, though.
Symmetry wrote:Anybody have some suggestions about what's good out there at the moment?
Definitely not a new one so you may well have already read it, but I was recently reminded of "A Wrinkle in Time"...tremendous story.
I haven't read it, but I'll take a look. Wiki says it starts with "It was a dark and stormy night", so I'll just recommend this:
It does indeed, but do not misjudge this book by that line.
...I prefer a man who will burn the flag and then wrap himself in the Constitution to a man who will burn the Constitution and then wrap himself in the flag.
I intensely dislike Wrinkle in Time. Dull and hackneyed.
A recent fantasy I would recommend is Ill-Met in the Arena by Dave Duncan, which was I believe written last year. This is an author, new to me (but in his 80's I think) that I discov ered recently. I've read, nay devoured, every title of his I've found so far. Even to the extent that I did something I almost never do and started on part 2 of a series before finding part 1.
Ill-Met is not a part of a series, though if the guy lasts long enough it probably will be. It is a complex and fascinating story, with many standard fantasy elements woven into a surprising and delightful world. One detail I loved, for instance - many people can teleport in this world, and in order to so they must be able to envisage the place they're heading for (and be within range of it). Places that you want people to get to are enhanced with memorable details. Places that you don't want reached are deliberately bland , dark, or confusing - and will be altered once a potential enemy leaves.
The Sword of Truth series is a great series of books written by Terry Goodkind. If you're in a fantasy/adventure/hero mood, I definitely recommend it. The first book is called The Wizard's First Rule.
They also made a TV miniseries based on the first book called The Legend of the Seeker, but I don't recommend it at all. Such a disappointment it was...
Anything by Neil Gaiman. My favorite is "Neverwhere" - they did a BBC series on it which i haven't seen yet. "American Gods" would be number two on my list. The movie "Stardust" is taken from one of his books.
He also did a series of comic books called "The Sandman" which were even better than his novels. He actually won the American Short Story Award - the most prestigious short story award in this country - for one of the Sandman comic books subtitled "A Thousand Cats". That got a lot of writers pissed off because they gave it to a comic book.
b.k. barunt wrote:Anything by Neil Gaiman. My favorite is "Neverwhere" - they did a BBC series on it which i haven't seen yet. "American Gods" would be number two on my list. The movie "Stardust" is taken from one of his books.
He also did a series of comic books called "The Sandman" which were even better than his novels. He actually won the American Short Story Award - the most prestigious short story award in this country - for one of the Sandman comic books subtitled "A Thousand Cats". That got a lot of writers pissed off because they gave it to a comic book.
Honibaz
I remember the series, but if I recall the book was written after Gaiman wrote the screenplay - his intro to the book says something like "this is what I would have wanted filmed, if everything I imagined was possible". I don't think he was particularly unhappy with the BBC version as much as he regretted having to downscale his imagination to incorporate technological possibilities.
