xkcd

by **dedalus** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 7:45 am UTC

Discworld, LoTR, any of Stephen King's stuff.

by **PAstrychef** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 4:15 pm UTC

Time for you to venture out of the YA corner into the world of "adult" reading.

You might enjoy Guy Gavriel Kay's books-start with Tigana.
If you haven't tried them yet Le Guin's Earthsea books are great.
John Varley's Red Thunder and it's follow-ups are fun too.
John Crowley,(Engine Summer, Little Big) Charles De Lint (Someplace to be Flying, Spirits in the wires, The Little Country) and Sean Stewart( Galveston, Mockingbird, Resurrection Man), Richard Morgan(Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken Furies).
That should help keep you reading this summer!
It's also great to ask at the library. Librarians really tend to know the books available, and to be able to mix and match new ones for you.

by **Raptor Jesus** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 7:46 pm UTC

See the problem is that i cant find any "adult" books that interest me. I really liked His Dark Materials, and the idea of challenging ideas but I cant find much and I like some of the fantasy aspects but not the child parts. Idk lol.

by **GoodRudeFun** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:28 pm UTC

Hitch Hiker's Guide To the Galaxy is a pretty fun book to read, and I hear the DIscworld books are in the same vein (though I haven't read them).

Look up Raymond E Fiest at your local library and start with "Magician Apprentice". It should be easy to get into (I think, I'm not sure) but it isn't in any way dumbed down. Its also the beginning of a very very long series that has many books out already. You can read the first three and be fine and done, but you'll want to read all of them.

by **Raptor Jesus** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 1:44 am UTC

GoodRudeFun wrote:Hitch Hiker's Guide To the Galaxy is a pretty fun book to read, and I hear the DIscworld books are in the same vein (though I haven't read them).

Look up Raymond E Fiest at your local library and start with "Magician Apprentice". It should be easy to get into (I think, I'm not sure) but it isn't in any way dumbed down. Its also the beginning of a very very long series that has many books out already. You can read the first three and be fine and done, but you'll want to read all of them.

Ive read hitchhikers, magicians apprentice... Sounds vaguely familiar, ill check it out and diskworld.

by **dedalus** » Sun Jul 12, 2009 2:44 pm UTC

Raptor Jesus wrote:See the problem is that i cant find any "adult" books that interest me. I really liked His Dark Materials, and the idea of challenging ideas but I cant find much and I like some of the fantasy aspects but not the child parts. Idk ¡This cheese is burning me!.

One of the main things to think about is what genre of novels you like. From the books you've referenced you seem to be into a fair amount of fantasy, in which case discworld is a brilliant thing to wean yourself onto.

I'd also suggest Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series; it's massively tongue in cheek, but the references it gives to so many other major works can really help to give you an idea of where to go in terms of reading.

by **vector** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:38 pm UTC

Mine definitely did. The entire point of the library trip was to be read to, as well as learning the Dewey Decimal system. All of my teachers up to fifth grade also had long reading periods practically every day, from both newspapers and novels.

As far as recommendations for the girl go, I'd go with Jane Yolen's Pit Dragon Trilogy and second the Dealing with Dragons quartet. Though Tamora Pierce is not the best author, she might also be good (if on the slightly fluffier and less thought-provoking side).

by **PAstrychef** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 6:57 pm UTC

So what adult books have you tried and why have they failed you? You want a book that talks about big ideas, that's easy to get into-try Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenanceby Pirsig. A great introduction to philosophy and a nice travel story too.

Hamish Campbell · by **baultista** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:14 pm UTC

Earlier today I finished reading the Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks, which is admittedly the first non-school related book that I've purchased since highschool.

It was a pretty fun and entertaining read, but now I'd like to get onto a fiction story with, you know, a narrator, a plot, and a story :lol:

Currently on my list of books to read are:

JPod -- A story about game developers living in BC (my former dream job near the city I wanted to live in now I'm targeting software development in Ottawa)
The Road -- An absolutely gruesome-sounding post-apocalyptic novel
Restaurant at the End of the Universe --> Mostly Harmless -- I loved the first book, but completely stopped reading after that.
World War Z -- Especially now that I have background in Max Brooks' zombie universe

Does anybody have any suggestions?
To be honest I'm a little burnt out on the post-apocalyptic setting. A good romance novel involving the paranormal (no Twilight, please), or a coming-of-age story are on my list, but I have no idea what to look for.

by **Hobgoblin** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 11:28 pm UTC

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse is the best book I've ever read, and might just be the best book you'll ever read.

Give it a go, it's pretty short, but mega-thought provoking.

by **goingnorthwest** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 8:34 am UTC

i dont think i saw anyone mention jack kerouac's on the road, which is a great read despite its more than likely "mature" rating. (but you probably see worse things on primetime tv)

by **d3c31t** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 10:53 pm UTC

Ok, First off allow me to say hello.

Hello, I am D3. How are you?

Anyway... Im searching for books to read... obvious but now thats out in the open lets begin shall we?

Recently I have read books such as the name of the wind, the illuminatus trilogy, House of leaves, Battle Royale, The engineer trilogy, The book of the new sun (all four books in it) and various others...

to keep it simple I am at a bit of a loss. See, Im desperately searching for a fantasy/sci fi book that breaks the cliches. I want a book or series that is focused on the bad guy. Im looking for something about a heartless killer, cold, cruel, calculating, motivated by greed or something sinister like that. Basically I'm trying to find a story that is about the perfect bad guy, I dont care if he wins or loses but i want him to be forever heartless... that kinda character, the book doesnt even have to be well written... its just insanely difficult to find a story like that. So pretty much if anyone can help me find the perfect anti-book... id appreciate..

Thank you for your time,
D3

by **vector** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:28 am UTC

Romance involving paranormalish stuff sounds like Stardust to me (by Neil Gaiman). Never read it, but I heard it's quite good.

by **vector** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:31 am UTC

If you don't mind comics, you might try Death Note. Otherwise, I'm afraid I can't help you. I will warn you, though, that the main character pretends to have good intentions. If you're looking for bare, scummish evil, I can't think of anything. Pretty surprising how rare such a thing is, huh?

by **d3c31t** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 1:39 am UTC

Already read deathnote =)... Evil but pretending to be good is just as good.. so is evil but thinks is good... but yea it is funny how authors seem to be scared to represent the bad guy... I wonder why that is?

by **justaman** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:03 am UTC

Not quite fantasy, but does fit the criteria - Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake, is at least 50% about the bad guy.

by **vector** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:06 am UTC

Monster? Haven't seen it, but it seems to fall in that line (another anime/manga).

by **fyrenwater** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:36 am UTC

It's not sci-fi or fantasy, but Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay might be a good choice. The show Dexter is based off it. If you've never heard about it, it's about a serial killer that kills serial killers. Definitely focuses on a villain-type character.

Anyway, there's an entire series that came after the first book. The show is really only connected to the book for the first two seasons, but it's generally the same concept and ideas. But like I said, haven't really watched the show, haven't read the novels. I've heard mostly positive reviews for them, though. Won't hurt to check it out.

by **netcrusher88** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:17 pm UTC

A bit of an odd suggestion maybe, but The Atlas of Middle-Earth (Revised Edition) by Karen Wynn Fonstad. Not only is it full of beautifully drawn maps of Middle Earth, drawing in part on Tolkien's own illustrations, the accompanying text is like a concise history of Arda, and many of the tales and battles have their own illustrative maps. I consider it a must-have for any Tolkien fan.

While we're on the subject, The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien, but only once you've read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's the Old Testament to LOTR's New, sort of. Worth reading in my opinion, just don't go expecting another LOTR book - it doesn't have the same polish and it's more history than tale, with a few exceptions like The Tale of Beren and Lúthien.

by **kapojinha** » Thu Jul 16, 2009 2:51 pm UTC

vector wrote:If you don't mind comics, you might try Death Note. Otherwise, I'm afraid I can't help you. I will warn you, though, that the main character pretends to have good intentions. If you're looking for bare, scummish evil, I can't think of anything. Pretty surprising how rare such a thing is, huh?

I read Death Note.. the book.

It was pretty good, though a bit confusing.
Mostly because I've never read the comics before.

And for those out there who love historical fiction, a brilliant author: Conn Iggulden.

The Emperor Series (Julius Caesar) - The Gates of Rome, The Death of Kings, The Field of Swords, The Gods of War
The Conqueror Series (Genghis Khan) - Wolf of the Plains, Lords of the Bow, Bones of the Hills
The Dangerous Book for Boys - A series of books that has everything in them from "building a soapbox racer and tying knots, to learning about famous battles and how to make potassium aluminium sulphate crystals". (Note: These books aren't necessarily just for boys.. I mean, I think they're cool and I'm a girl.)
Genghis: Birth of an Empire (separate from the Conqueror series, Conn Iggulden wrote this with his brother)

Yes. These are good books. :mrgreen:

by **aurumelectrum13** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 7:02 pm UTC

If you want to read about the "bad guy", you could always try Grendel. It would help if you read Beowulf beofre hand though...

by **Savarin** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 6:24 pm UTC

Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss is one of the best books I have ever read. I can't recommend it highly enough.

by **Tajfoon** » Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:47 pm UTC

Hi,

I'm looking for a catastrophe thriller books. Be it from alien invasions or natural disasters or whatever, books like The Swarm which I thought was great fun to read. I would also put The Descent into this category.
Preferably books with more than one main character, basically I want the book equvivalent to Day after tomorrow

But the more scientific the better.

by **culled** » Tue Aug 11, 2009 10:21 pm UTC

chevalier wrote:
cathrl wrote:Chevalier's definition of "not for a pre-teen" seems to encompass many of my 9 year old's current favourites. YMMV, of course.

Of course, my opinion is most likely biased; I worked for Border's bookstore for years and was often disappointed with the pathetically few number of younger individuals who read strictly for pleasure.

I would just like to point out that though I read for pleasure as a kid (and still do) I would never have talked with you because a) I had no money and therefore got almost all of my books from the library. b) Were I in a bookstore I wouldn't have voluntarily talked to an adult employee anyway.

by **Czhorat** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 6:21 pm UTC

*delurking*

For the fantasy fans, I'll second the recommendation for Leguin's Earthsea books. If you like smart fantasy, you can try Catherine M. Valente's Orphan's Tales (In the Night Garden and Cities of Coin and Spice) They're beutifully written, creative books made up of a series of tales nested and woven within eachother, a little like the Arabian Knights but a bit more structurally complex.

If you don't mind a little sex in your fantasy novel, there's Valente's Palimpsest or Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series.

For those who mentioned villains, there's Banewrecker and Godslayer, again by Carey. They re-tell a story closely parelelling Tolkien, only from the dark lord's POV.

Geoff Ryman's Air is one of my favorite recent-ish SF books.

by **Czhorat** » Fri Aug 14, 2009 6:23 pm UTC

For the one who wanted disaster fiction:

Have you read Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven (and Pournelle? I forget)

There was also Robert Silverberg's The Alien Years. A bit less disastery, but still IMHO a better book.

by **whitelightwhiteheat** » Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:53 am UTC

Does anyone of any really depressing books about suffering and pain and hate and stuff? i really like taht stuff for some reason.
random facts that may help, likes jack kerouac, Irvine Welsh, Bret Easton Ellis, Nick Cave, Bob Dylan and HP LOvecraft
Thanks!

by **Whispering** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 11:26 am UTC

Anyone know of any good steampunk (or similar genre) novels? And don't say I should just pick up the Girl Genius graphic novels.

by **Zohar** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:50 pm UTC

His Dark Materials is kind of set in a steampunk universe, at least The Golden Compass.

by **Manifold** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 11:08 pm UTC

Whispering wrote:Anyone know of any good steampunk (or similar genre) novels? And don't say I should just pick up the Girl Genius graphic novels.

You should check out Philip Reeve's Mortal Engine Quartet. It's found in the young adult's section in the library, but don't let the label fool you. I don't think it should be there, after reading the first book.

by **RetSpline** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:23 am UTC

So when I was in the library yesterday, one of the librarians saw me wearing this shirt, and asked if I was into SciFi. I said yes, and she responded that she was going to be buying more SciFi books for the library this year and would like my input. This is a seriously awesome opportunity, and the most excited I've ever been about school. However, I haven't really read a whole lot of SciFi; most of my reading has been fantasy stuff. I'm working on a list for the librarian, but I need help, here's what I have so far:

Douglas Adams:
So long, and thanks for all the fish (They have the rest of the Hitchhiker's trilogy)
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (They have Long Dark Tea Time)

Orson Scott Card:
Children of the Mind (again, rest of the series)
I don't know the books of the Bean series, so I can't check if they have those. Are they even good? I haven't read them yet.

Neal Stephenson:
Cryptonomicon (I haven't actually read this series, but I've heard a lot about it)

I may also suggest the Star Wars X-Wing series, as that is one of the few EU series that I enjoyed, but I was kinda young when I read them last.

They do have both of Max Brooks' Books, which is awesome.

Additionally, we may not be limited to only SciFi. I'm definitely going to push the Discworld series, as we only currently have the Tiffany Aching series. However, I think that there is a pretty good selection of Fantasy.

by **Duende** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:03 pm UTC

I'd recommend for anyone just about anything by Neil Gaiman. He's one of my personal favs. American Gods is my favorite. Also just about anything by Ray Bradbury, if you're into sci-fi.

by **folkhero** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 9:11 pm UTC

whitelightwhiteheat wrote:Does anyone of any really depressing books about suffering and pain and hate and stuff? i really like taht stuff for some reason.
random facts that may help, likes jack kerouac, Irvine Welsh, Bret Easton Ellis, Nick Cave, Bob Dylan and HP LOvecraft
Thanks!

Thomas Hardy's tragedies have their share of suffering and pain. More guilt than hate mostly. Might I recommend one of his big three: "The Mayor of Catserbridge," "Tess of the Du'rbervilles" or "Jude the Obscure."

You should also check out Kafka if you aren't already familiar with him.

by **diotimajsh** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:12 am UTC

So how about fantasy books where magic is treated in a more scientific and systematic manner? Where the author fleshes out how magic works in some amount of logically consistent detail. I suppose I'm envisioning something like a "hard fantasy" analog to "hard science fiction", although it wouldn't necessarily need to be plausibly compatible with our current world, just internally consistent, detailed, and well supported.

The Wiz Biz series by Rick Cook gets a little into that with its computer programming approach to magic, but I seem to remember that still leaving some descriptive holes. Gordon R. Dickson's Dragonknight series and Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell brushed across this occasionally, if I remember correctly.

by **JayDee** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 3:41 am UTC

Wheel of Time has a fairly elaborate (and sexist to boot!) magic system. When you have a P.O.V. from a channeler (spell-caster)you will generally get descriptions of exactly what people are doing. There are multiple schools in the world with different traditions and uses of the power, but the underlying rules are the same. There is a fair amount of re-discovering lost arts as well, which which involves (at least sometimes) people coming up with new things to do in the system in imaginative ways.

A quick google gives Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn books as another example. I haven't read them myself, but it isn't surprising considering he was tapped to finish off the Wheel of Time series.

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin (and sequels, I guess) has a consistent system of magic, although a fairly simple one. It also has a really good example of a School for Wizards.

by **Josephine** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 5:26 am UTC

Okay. Now that I'm most convinced in a technological singularity, I can't seem to suspend disbelief anymore for a lot of scifi. Does anyone know of any good post-singularity sci-fi?

by **netcrusher88** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 6:00 am UTC

I'm a fan of Charles Stross for post-singularity SF. In particular Accelerando is the story of a family (and their AI cat) living through the singularity. Other post-singularity (for a certain value of singularity) by Stross includes Singularity Sky/Iron Sunrise (a duology), Glasshouse, and Saturn's Children, which is post-humanity.

If you like those you'd probably also like his other speculative fiction, like The Atrocity Archives, a book set in present-day with an unusual take on "magic is real, just hidden"*), and Halting State, a Twenty Minutes Into The Future (warning: tvtropes link) book that Stross uses as an example of why he's wary of writing that sort because it has sort of already happened - I thoroughly enjoyed it, however.

There's a lot of semi-post-singularity SF too, where part of humanity lives on more or less as we do now (sometimes with some nifty tech, but usually the only new things they have are neural interfaces and teleporters) and the rest of humanity lives on in a post-singularity (again, for a certain value of singularity) world. Examples of this include Simmons' Ilium/Olympos duology (where the post-singularity "humans" are referred to as posthumans, but believed to be centuries dead) and to an extent Asimov's Robot trilogy, though whether you'd consider the difference between earthbound humans and the Spacers to be singularity-born is questionable.

*

Spoiler:

by **Josephine** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 12:49 am UTC

Great, thank you. I'll look into those.

[EDIT] Turns out Accelerando is a CC licensed ebook too.

by **Esc** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 4:33 am UTC

If I remember correctly, Name of the Wind has an extremely well fleshed out and creative magic system. The book as a whole, especially with regards to the main character, struck me as being somewhat folktale-ish in a good way, is remarkably well written, well thought-out, unique, imaginative, and extremely entertaining. It's Patrick Rothfuss's first, and thus far only, novel, is set up to be the first in a series, is 662 pages long, and was published in 2007 (as if that matters). It had me hooked from the first chapter, and is one of those books that I really, really didn't want to put down until I had read it from cover to cover.

Anyway, it's very, very good. And Savarin agrees with me on that point. And I just found a page of reviews which indicates that Robin Hobb, Terry Brooks, Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Tad Williams are also rather approving of it. So you should totally read it, mmkay?

by **Under A Pale Grey Sky** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 4:09 pm UTC

Hmm... if you're looking for a good book to read, I would recommend either Tad Williams' "Otherland" series or Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series.

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