Don't what it is with this time of year. But the fall season always brings a vast number of inquiries asking me what people should read next while they wait for the next GRRM, Lynch, Rothfuss, etc.
So as I did last year and the year before, here we go again for 2009! Every SFF novel and series on this list has merit, and they should keep you occupied for quite a while. Moreover, you can get most of them for a handful of pennies if you purchase them used, or get them for free at the library.
In my humble opinion, they are all wonderful reads. Still, Katherine Kurtz is almost criminally unread, and hopefully many of you will give her a shot. The story really takes off in the second trilogy, but you need to read the first one beforehand. The Otherland series by Tad Williams is another one that seems to be flying under the radar of most SFF fans. And so few of the new generation of fantasy readers appear to have given Stephen R. Donaldson a shot. WTF??? The Gap and the Covenant books are great! Oh, and read some Guy Gavriel Kay, all of you!
So as I did last year and the year before, here we go again for 2009! Every SFF novel and series on this list has merit, and they should keep you occupied for quite a while. Moreover, you can get most of them for a handful of pennies if you purchase them used, or get them for free at the library.
In my humble opinion, they are all wonderful reads. Still, Katherine Kurtz is almost criminally unread, and hopefully many of you will give her a shot. The story really takes off in the second trilogy, but you need to read the first one beforehand. The Otherland series by Tad Williams is another one that seems to be flying under the radar of most SFF fans. And so few of the new generation of fantasy readers appear to have given Stephen R. Donaldson a shot. WTF??? The Gap and the Covenant books are great! Oh, and read some Guy Gavriel Kay, all of you!
Modesitt, Edelman, Shepherd, Friedman, and all the others. . .
In the end, just read everything you see here!;-)
In no particular order:
- The Saga of Recluce by L. E. Modesitt, jr.
- The Magic of Recluce (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Towers of the Sunset (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Magic Engineer (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Order War (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Death of Chaos (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Fall of Angels (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Chaos Balance (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The White Order (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Colors of Chaos (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Magi'i of Cyador (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Scion of Cyador (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Wellspring of Chaos (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Ordermaster (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Natural Ordermage (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Mage-Guard of Hamor (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Otherland by Tad Williams
- City of Golden Shadow: Canada, USA, Europe
- River of Blue Fire: Canada, USA, Europe
- Mountain of Black Glass: Canada, USA, Europe
- Sea of Silver Light: Canada, USA, Europe
- Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
- The Dragonbone Chair (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Stone of Farewell (Canada, USA, Europe)
- To Green Angel Tower part 1 (Canada, USA, Europe)
- To Green Angel Tower part 2 (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Anything by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Fionavar Tapestry
- The Summer Tree (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Wandering Fire (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Darkest Road (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Tigana (Canada, USA, Europe)
- A Song for Arbonne (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Lions of Al-Rassan (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Sarantine Mosaic
- Sailing to Sarantium (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Lord of Emperors (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Last Light of the Sun (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Beyond this Dark House (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Ysabel (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Deryni Saga by Katherine Kurtz
The Chronicles of the Deryni
- Deryni Rising (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deryni Checkmate (Canada, USA, Europe)
- High Deryni (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Legends of Camber of Culdi
- Camber of Culdi (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Saint Camber (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Camber the Heretic (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Histories of King Kelson
- The Bishop's Heir (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The King's Justice (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Quest for Saint Camber (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Heirs of Saint Camber
- The Harrowing of Gwynedd (Canada, USA, Europe)
- King Javan's Year (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Bastard Prince (Canada, USA, Europe)
King Kelson's Bride (Canada, USA, Europe)
In the King's Service (Canada, USA, Europe)
Childe Morgan (Canada, USA, Europe)
Deryni Anthologies
- The Deryni Archives (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deryni Magic (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deryni Tales (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Gap Saga by Stephen R. Donaldson
- The Real Story (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Forbidden Knowledge (Canada, USA, Europe)
- A Dark and Hungry God Arises (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Chaos and Order (Canada, USA, Europe)
- This Day All Gods Die (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Coldfire Trilogy by C. S. Friedman
- Black Sun Rising: Canada, USA, Europe
- When True Night Falls: Canada, USA, Europe
- Crown of Shadows: Canada, USA, Europe
- The Riftwar by Raymond E. Feist
- Magician: Apprentice (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Magician: Master (Canada, USA)
- Silverthorn (Canada, USA, Europe)
- A Darkness at Sethanon (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Prince of the Blood (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The King's Buccaneer (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Empire Trilogy
- Daughter of the Empire (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Servant of the Empire (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Mistress of the Empire (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Faerie Tale (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik
- His Majesty's Dragon (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Throne of Jade (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Black Powder War (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Empire of Ivory (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Victory of Eagles (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Book of All Hours by Hal Duncan
- Vellum (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Ink (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Prince of Nothing by R. Scott Bakker
- The Darkness that Comes Before (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Warrior-Prophet (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Thousandfold Thought (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Judging Eye (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Cassandra Kresnov series by Joel Shepherd
- Crossover (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Breakaway (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Killswitch (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
- Gardens of the Moon (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deadhouse Gates (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Memories of Ice (Canada, USA, Europe)
- House of Chains (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Midnight Tides (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Bonehunters (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Reaper's Gale (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Toll the Hounds (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Dust of Dreams (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Anything by Ian McDonald
- River of Gods (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Brasyl (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Cyberabad Days (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Desolation Road (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson
- Lord Foul's Bane (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Illearth War (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Power that Preserves (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Wounded Land (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The One Tree (Canada, USA, Europe)
- White Gold Wielder (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Runes of the Earth (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Fatal Revenant (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Black Company by Glen Cook
- Chronicles of the Black Company (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Books of the South (Canada, USA, Europe.)
- The Return of the Black Company (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Farseer, The Liveship Traders, and The Tawny Man by Robin Hobb
- Assassin's Apprentice (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Royal Assassin (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Assassin's Quest (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Ship of Magic (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Mad Ship (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Ship of Destiny (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Fool's Errand (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Golden Fool (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Fool's Fate (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Jump 225 Trilogy by David Louis Edelman
- Infoquake (Canada, USA, Europe)
- MultiReal (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Fourth Realm Trilogy by John Twelve Hawks
- The Traveler (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Dark River (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Golden City (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Robotech Saga by Jack McKinney
- Robotech: The Macross Saga: Battlecry (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Robotech: The Macross Saga: Doomsday (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Robotech: The Masters Saga: The Southern Cross (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Robotech: The New Generation: The Invid Invasion (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The latest Wild Cards sequence edited by George R. R. Martin
- Inside Straight (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Busted Flush (Canada, USA, Europe).
Sure, I could add novels by Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, Richard Morgan, China Miéville, Jim Butcher, Neil Gaiman, Daniel Abraham, Peter F. Hamilton, and the list goes on and on. . .
But I figure that this should keep you out of trouble for a while!:P In any event, just click on the link to the Index of Reviews and Interviews for more suggestions!=)
In the end, just read everything you see here!;-)
In no particular order:
- The Saga of Recluce by L. E. Modesitt, jr.
- The Magic of Recluce (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Towers of the Sunset (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Magic Engineer (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Order War (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Death of Chaos (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Fall of Angels (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Chaos Balance (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The White Order (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Colors of Chaos (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Magi'i of Cyador (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Scion of Cyador (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Wellspring of Chaos (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Ordermaster (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Natural Ordermage (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Mage-Guard of Hamor (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Otherland by Tad Williams
- City of Golden Shadow: Canada, USA, Europe
- River of Blue Fire: Canada, USA, Europe
- Mountain of Black Glass: Canada, USA, Europe
- Sea of Silver Light: Canada, USA, Europe
- Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn by Tad Williams
- The Dragonbone Chair (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Stone of Farewell (Canada, USA, Europe)
- To Green Angel Tower part 1 (Canada, USA, Europe)
- To Green Angel Tower part 2 (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Anything by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Fionavar Tapestry
- The Summer Tree (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Wandering Fire (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Darkest Road (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Tigana (Canada, USA, Europe)
- A Song for Arbonne (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Lions of Al-Rassan (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Sarantine Mosaic
- Sailing to Sarantium (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Lord of Emperors (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Last Light of the Sun (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Beyond this Dark House (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Ysabel (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Deryni Saga by Katherine Kurtz
The Chronicles of the Deryni
- Deryni Rising (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deryni Checkmate (Canada, USA, Europe)
- High Deryni (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Legends of Camber of Culdi
- Camber of Culdi (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Saint Camber (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Camber the Heretic (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Histories of King Kelson
- The Bishop's Heir (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The King's Justice (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Quest for Saint Camber (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Heirs of Saint Camber
- The Harrowing of Gwynedd (Canada, USA, Europe)
- King Javan's Year (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Bastard Prince (Canada, USA, Europe)
King Kelson's Bride (Canada, USA, Europe)
In the King's Service (Canada, USA, Europe)
Childe Morgan (Canada, USA, Europe)
Deryni Anthologies
- The Deryni Archives (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deryni Magic (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deryni Tales (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Gap Saga by Stephen R. Donaldson
- The Real Story (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Forbidden Knowledge (Canada, USA, Europe)
- A Dark and Hungry God Arises (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Chaos and Order (Canada, USA, Europe)
- This Day All Gods Die (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Coldfire Trilogy by C. S. Friedman
- Black Sun Rising: Canada, USA, Europe
- When True Night Falls: Canada, USA, Europe
- Crown of Shadows: Canada, USA, Europe
- The Riftwar by Raymond E. Feist
- Magician: Apprentice (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Magician: Master (Canada, USA)
- Silverthorn (Canada, USA, Europe)
- A Darkness at Sethanon (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Prince of the Blood (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The King's Buccaneer (Canada, USA, Europe)
The Empire Trilogy
- Daughter of the Empire (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Servant of the Empire (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Mistress of the Empire (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Faerie Tale (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik
- His Majesty's Dragon (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Throne of Jade (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Black Powder War (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Empire of Ivory (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Victory of Eagles (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Book of All Hours by Hal Duncan
- Vellum (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Ink (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Prince of Nothing by R. Scott Bakker
- The Darkness that Comes Before (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Warrior-Prophet (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Thousandfold Thought (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Judging Eye (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Cassandra Kresnov series by Joel Shepherd
- Crossover (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Breakaway (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Killswitch (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
- Gardens of the Moon (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Deadhouse Gates (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Memories of Ice (Canada, USA, Europe)
- House of Chains (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Midnight Tides (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Bonehunters (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Reaper's Gale (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Toll the Hounds (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Dust of Dreams (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Anything by Ian McDonald
- River of Gods (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Brasyl (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Cyberabad Days (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Desolation Road (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R. Donaldson
- Lord Foul's Bane (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Illearth War (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Power that Preserves (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Wounded Land (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The One Tree (Canada, USA, Europe)
- White Gold Wielder (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Runes of the Earth (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Fatal Revenant (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Black Company by Glen Cook
- Chronicles of the Black Company (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Books of the South (Canada, USA, Europe.)
- The Return of the Black Company (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Farseer, The Liveship Traders, and The Tawny Man by Robin Hobb
- Assassin's Apprentice (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Royal Assassin (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Assassin's Quest (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Ship of Magic (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Mad Ship (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Ship of Destiny (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Fool's Errand (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Golden Fool (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Fool's Fate (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Jump 225 Trilogy by David Louis Edelman
- Infoquake (Canada, USA, Europe)
- MultiReal (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Fourth Realm Trilogy by John Twelve Hawks
- The Traveler (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Dark River (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Golden City (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The Robotech Saga by Jack McKinney
- Robotech: The Macross Saga: Battlecry (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Robotech: The Macross Saga: Doomsday (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Robotech: The Masters Saga: The Southern Cross (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Robotech: The New Generation: The Invid Invasion (Canada, USA, Europe)
- The latest Wild Cards sequence edited by George R. R. Martin
- Inside Straight (Canada, USA, Europe)
- Busted Flush (Canada, USA, Europe).
Sure, I could add novels by Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, Richard Morgan, China Miéville, Jim Butcher, Neil Gaiman, Daniel Abraham, Peter F. Hamilton, and the list goes on and on. . .
But I figure that this should keep you out of trouble for a while!:P In any event, just click on the link to the Index of Reviews and Interviews for more suggestions!=)
14 commentaires:
I agree with you that Kurtz is worth recommending, but disagree about reading the first trilogy first.
I've never enjoyed the Kelson novels all that much. My preference is to start with Camber of Culdi, read that set, and then move on to the Heirs of Camber trilogy.
Still waiting for Kurtz to write that 948 novel.
I couldn't agree more, Donaldson is riculously under read these days which is a real shame.
An interesting range of authors & series to choose from. I might have to look into a few of those for the old e-reader, once I've finished Edding's Tamuli series.
Gotta say though, Bakker's Prince Of Nothing books are astounding, and The Judging Eye was a real surprise when I heard it announced.
And a big thanks for listing the Robotech series of novels. I've never regretted the effort of tracking down all of the books written in that universe.
The Feist books look interesting. I think I'm going to try them. There's a nice buy 3 books, get one free, deal on Amazon.... So I may just get the series. I've been looking for a theme for the next few books I read... seems like a nice series to pick up.
Great suggestions. Kurtz may be criminally under read but Tad Williams is criminally overrated. Otherland was the worst series I've ever read. So much unnecessary filler and then he waits until almost the end to tell you so many vitally important points. rubbish.
I'll have to try to track down some of those, the Black Company sounds promising
My vote goes to Guy Gavrieal Kay. He's the intelligent nerd out of that bunch of just weird nerds. ;) The alpha nerd.
Just trolling (at least I don't really know them all).
A recommendation to Pat: I think nobody needs the links to Amazon. If there ever is a book that is actually not found there, just give a short note on that.
I think that might spare you some work on such lists, although there might be some automated algorithm for that, I don't know...
You have to try harder, lol. I know all the books on the list and have read those that interested me, the rest didn't work (sorry, no Covenanter fan here, and I don't like stories that mix our world and a Fantasy one overall).
I definitely suggest some Guy Gavriel Kay for those who haven't read him yet, the older Deryni books are indeed underrated (wasn't that enthused about King Kelson's Bride, though), Tad William's Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is great if you don't mind a somewhat slow start, Feist's Magician is good old 80ies Fantasy at its best. I love Steven Erikson's Malazan series but it's not to everyone's taste. I've also developed into a Friedman fan after reading her first two Magister books and then picking up the Coldfire trilogy. Need to get her standalones next.
Kidding about the try harder thing, of course, I find new books all the time anyway, and not only Fantasy. :)
Here's another one, David B. Coe, Winds of the Forelands (5 books and completed) - makes for an entertaining read on a rainy autumn afternoon. And if you like your Fantasy with battles, try Bernard Cornwell's Warlord trilogy (The Winter King, The Enemy of God, Excalibur), his take on the Arthurian legends.
Lurking on my shelves since last week are also the first 4 of Katharine Kerr's Deverry novels. The series is now finished at 15 books and it sounds like something I might like. Just in case some people want more books to check out. :)
Since the title is Shameless Plug, let me shamelessly plug my favorite book of the year: Anathem by Neal Stephenson. Simply fantastic, and a nice stand alone to relieve you in between series.
Kay is wonderful WONDERFUL writer, I'd start first with Tigana or A Song for Arbonne.
Nice to see Feist's Riftwar series mentioned. I have very fond memories of those six books, especially the first four.
Also, very nice to see you include Donaldson's Gap series. I'm not sure why, but this phenomenal science fiction series seems to have gone almost totally unnoticed. It's easily one of the grittiest, darkest, and most challenging SF series I've ever read. And those Covenant books ain't bad either. :-)
Other thumbs up for Ian McDonald, Glen Cook, and Guy Gavriel Kay. Anything by Kay is definitely worth reading, though I vote especially for the Sarantine Mosaic ... and think Ysabel is probably his poorest, least satisfying effort.
I have Gardens of the Moon on the top of my Fantasy To Read pile. The opening chapter is superb, and I'm yearning to sink my teeth into a hefty, extensive fantasy series (while waiting for GRRM to get that next book finished and published).
Thanks for the list!
Steven Erikson is the best out of those that I've read. Read it if you haven't.
Good list, I don't agree with some of it (specifically Otherland, I found it unreadable) but it's all down to personal taste.
I'd add Michael Scott Rohan to that list, the Winter of the World series I think it's called.
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