Help - Sci Fi/fantasy book series recommendations

[RedTeamGo!]

btw, you mention you've read the Ender books, have you also read the Bean (shadow) books? I thought they were interesting in their own right. They carried on the story of Ender's Game a little more directly than the Ender sequels.

I have not, a friend of mine has recommended I read them but I still have not. That is a problem I had with Speaker for the Dead for example, was so much different than the original book, I didn't really know what was going on.

[Rojo]

I don't know what people see in Heinlein. He manages to both a fascist and hippie. Grok, whatever.

[medford]

I don't know that it falls under the sci-fi title, but I've read that it contain elements of it so I'll ask it here, both as a question I've had lately and as a possible recommendation for the OP... any recommendations on the Dark Tower series by Stephen King? I think I read the 1st one some 25 years ago (I was going to say 30, but realized I wasn't quite reading Stephen King at age 6)? I've been thinking about diving into that, but not quite sure if its worth the commitment. Seems like Stephen King books are either really, really good, or really really strange and not entertaining.

[RedTeamGo!]

I have been thinking about the Dark Tower series recently as well. It sounds pretty unique and you know they are going to turn it into a movie series at some point.

[joshnky]

I have been thinking about the Dark Tower series recently as well. It sounds pretty unique and you know they are going to turn it into a movie series at some point.

I hated it but I'm not a Stephen king fan. If you like fantasy there are much better options out there.

[Brisco]

Agreed on the Brandon Sanderson books.

Also, I recommend Glen Cook. I have been a fan of Martin since literally the day Game of Thrones was first published. I have bought GoT for over 35 people in the last decade all because I wanted to ensure the Martin kept writing. This is because I suffered through the lost decade when Glen Cook stopped writing.

Cook is not Martin, but the Black Company series and the Garrett novels are some of the most original and entertaining works in the genre.

[thatcoolguy_22]

I have been thinking about the Dark Tower series recently as well. It sounds pretty unique and you know they are going to turn it into a movie series at some point.

Do yourself a favor if you read the Dark Tower; stop when you finish the 4th book. Read a synopsis of the final 3 if you wish, but they are terrible. the first 4 were written by a young stephen king trying to make an epic, the last 3 were by an old Stephen King looking for an ending.

[KittyDuran]

Just adult sci-fantasy or would you try young adult or teen? I really liked Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass). The first book is the best and was made into a movie (which is why I started reading the books). If you can get past The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass is pretty good.

[RedTeamGo!]

Do yourself a favor if you read the Dark Tower; stop when you finish the 4th book. Read a synopsis of the final 3 if you wish, but they are terrible. the first 4 were written by a young stephen king trying to make an epic, the last 3 were by an old Stephen King looking for an ending.

Interesting, I will keep that in mind - I do think this is going to be the next series I read.

It will kill two birds with one stone. I have never read a Steven King book and I am looking for a new series.

[RedTeamGo!]

Just adult sci-fantasy or would you try young adult or teen? I really liked Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass). The first book is the best and was made into a movie (which is why I started reading the books). If you can get past The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass is pretty good.

I prefer adult, especially after reading the very dark Song of Fire and Ice series.

I have read some young adult sci fi/fantasy in the past couple years. My wife and I read The Hunger Games books, and I also recently picked up The Giver at a garage sale, which I felt was a good book.

[PTjvs]

The two series I have recommended to people for ages are A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin (the Game of Throne books) and The Hyperion Cantos (Dan Simmons). These are both adult series.

Someone earlier mentioned Roger Zelazny, and his best stuff is excellent as well (the Amber series, This Immortal, Creatures of Light and Darkness, Lord of Light). Zelazny's later work tailed off substantially, though. Zelazny is a much faster read than Martin or Simmons.

Other scifi/fantasy I would recommend:

Neuromancer (Gibson)
Snow Crash/The Diamond Age/Cryptonomicon (Stephenson)
Hitchhiker's Guide (Adams)
Foundation (Asimov)

I agree that The Dark Tower dropped off badly in the later books.

jvs

[chicoruiz]

Given what you like so far, I'd recommend Kevin Anderson's "Saga of Seven Suns" septet.