05-17-2003, 06:59 PM
Some authors and books I want to plug:
Fantasy:
"The Years of Rice and Salt" by Kim Stanley Robinson, set in a world where the plague extinguished the European countries. It follows the lifes of a group of people through the time in their various reincarnations in short stories.
"The Malazan Book of the Fallen" by Steven Erikson. Quite unknown in the US, because it is only availiable through Canada there, but hughely popular everywhere else. A ten-book-series. Set in a high-fantasy world full of war between mortals and gods. Lots of magic and lots of history. Very well written and epic in scope.
"A Song of Ice and Fire" by George RR Martin. Probably the best Fantasy author today. His stories come alive through their characters, who are a lot deeper than what you usually get. A book full of politics and intrigue set in a Medival, low-magic, low-fantasy world.
"The Monarchies of God" by Paul Kearny. Also Fantasy, also great stuff. The setting is europesque Renaissance. 4 books, finished series.
"The War of the Flowers" by Tad Williams. A modern fairy tale, where the fairy world has evolved into our time. Quite dark setting, with a fairy world resembling ours a lot with war, politics, intrigue and back-dealing/back-stabbing.
"Discworld" by Terry Pratchett. Hard to imagine that there are people not knowing the Discworld. Great fun, great ideas and very intelligent writing and very philosophical at times. If you are down, there is nothing better than to flee to the Discworld for a few hours. 28 books and counting.
"Sandman", "Neverwhere", "Stardust", "American Gods", "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman. Dark Fantasy/Horror, with Sandman his best work (Comic). Great ideas and good writing.
"Sarantium", "Lions of Al-Rasan", "Fionvar Tapisery" by Guy Gavriel Kay. Very poetic stuff set in a world resembling our Medival world (Sarantium is Byzanz, Al-Rasan is set in Spain during the Reconquista).
Science-Fiction:
"Snow Crash", "Diamond Age", "Cryptominicon" and some others by Neal Stephenson. Not-too-hard-SF with great ideas.
"CULTURE" by Ian (M) Banks, an epic space opera where mankind in only some small unimportant live form under billions.
Real-world-stuff:
"1688" by John E. Wills. Small snippets of the world in the year 1688.
"Aubrey/Maturin"-series by Patrick O'Brian. Set during the Napoleonic war it tells the live of Captain Jack Aubrey, Royal Navy and Stephen Maturin. Sea-faring-novels, but with characters and historical accuracy of a Jane Austen novel. The books have a certain positive style, which makes them such a fun to read.
I have now two weeks of holidays and 70 books to read... ;)
Fantasy:
"The Years of Rice and Salt" by Kim Stanley Robinson, set in a world where the plague extinguished the European countries. It follows the lifes of a group of people through the time in their various reincarnations in short stories.
"The Malazan Book of the Fallen" by Steven Erikson. Quite unknown in the US, because it is only availiable through Canada there, but hughely popular everywhere else. A ten-book-series. Set in a high-fantasy world full of war between mortals and gods. Lots of magic and lots of history. Very well written and epic in scope.
"A Song of Ice and Fire" by George RR Martin. Probably the best Fantasy author today. His stories come alive through their characters, who are a lot deeper than what you usually get. A book full of politics and intrigue set in a Medival, low-magic, low-fantasy world.
"The Monarchies of God" by Paul Kearny. Also Fantasy, also great stuff. The setting is europesque Renaissance. 4 books, finished series.
"The War of the Flowers" by Tad Williams. A modern fairy tale, where the fairy world has evolved into our time. Quite dark setting, with a fairy world resembling ours a lot with war, politics, intrigue and back-dealing/back-stabbing.
"Discworld" by Terry Pratchett. Hard to imagine that there are people not knowing the Discworld. Great fun, great ideas and very intelligent writing and very philosophical at times. If you are down, there is nothing better than to flee to the Discworld for a few hours. 28 books and counting.
"Sandman", "Neverwhere", "Stardust", "American Gods", "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman. Dark Fantasy/Horror, with Sandman his best work (Comic). Great ideas and good writing.
"Sarantium", "Lions of Al-Rasan", "Fionvar Tapisery" by Guy Gavriel Kay. Very poetic stuff set in a world resembling our Medival world (Sarantium is Byzanz, Al-Rasan is set in Spain during the Reconquista).
Science-Fiction:
"Snow Crash", "Diamond Age", "Cryptominicon" and some others by Neal Stephenson. Not-too-hard-SF with great ideas.
"CULTURE" by Ian (M) Banks, an epic space opera where mankind in only some small unimportant live form under billions.
Real-world-stuff:
"1688" by John E. Wills. Small snippets of the world in the year 1688.
"Aubrey/Maturin"-series by Patrick O'Brian. Set during the Napoleonic war it tells the live of Captain Jack Aubrey, Royal Navy and Stephen Maturin. Sea-faring-novels, but with characters and historical accuracy of a Jane Austen novel. The books have a certain positive style, which makes them such a fun to read.
I have now two weeks of holidays and 70 books to read... ;)