Books
Inspired by other people's posts, I thought I'd list some books that I like, and some that I don't, in the hope that some of You Out There can recommend new stuff for me to read.
Three books that I don't like: House Harkonnen, House Atreides, House Corino - the new 'Dune' books written by people who aren't Frank Herbert - shite prose, shite plotting, and a terrible tendancy to re-use everything single thing that Frank Herbert ever came up with in the original series. On the other hand, the Dune books that Frank did write are pretty amazing.
...and now for some ones I do...
Guy Gavriel Kay's "Sarantine Mosaic" diptych ("Sailing to Sarantium", and "Lord of Emperors"), and also "The Lions of Al-Rassan". Delicious prose, in the historical fantasy genre - the Moors, the Byzantine empire under Justinian, all good. Famous for having been trusted to edit Tolkien's posthumously published work.
Robin Hobb's "Assassin Trilogy" ("Assassin's Apprentice", "Royal Assassin", "Assassin's Quest", if I recall correctly). Emotionally stunted royal bastard child trained up as an assassin against a background of Great Events. This is a definite one to read. There's a secord trilogy, "The Liveship Traders", set in the same world - it's nowhere near as good, and only worth reading for the sake of understanding the third trilogy, "The Tawny Man", which carries on from the first trilogy.
Gene Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun" (four books, published as two volumes under the masterworks label) - far future dying earth in which society has regressed and technology has effectively become magic. Written from the perspective of an accolyte of the torturers' / executioners' guild. Again, fine prose, and an excellent story. There's a fifth book, "The Book of the New Urth" which is compulsary reading for those who like the main four.
Jack Vance's "Dying Earth", collection of stories is excellent.
Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" - a dark and twisted carnival comes to small-town America.
Jack Williamson's "Darker Than You Think" - werewolves and shapechangers under a modern setting in NOVEL's NOT CRAP SHOCKER.
For good SF, rather than high fantasy, I like Kate Wilhelm's "Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang" - civilisation dies back, should one cling to its remains or embrace the wilderness?
Michael Moorcock's Melnibonae books are pretty good, also. Especially if you imagine Lex and Taffdan playing the characters.
Roger Zelany's "The Chronicles of Amber" - just the first five books, you can get them in a single volume, also very highly recommended. The second set of five books seemed a little less well written, not really up to the tight standards of the first.
-Ed
Three books that I don't like: House Harkonnen, House Atreides, House Corino - the new 'Dune' books written by people who aren't Frank Herbert - shite prose, shite plotting, and a terrible tendancy to re-use everything single thing that Frank Herbert ever came up with in the original series. On the other hand, the Dune books that Frank did write are pretty amazing.
...and now for some ones I do...
Guy Gavriel Kay's "Sarantine Mosaic" diptych ("Sailing to Sarantium", and "Lord of Emperors"), and also "The Lions of Al-Rassan". Delicious prose, in the historical fantasy genre - the Moors, the Byzantine empire under Justinian, all good. Famous for having been trusted to edit Tolkien's posthumously published work.
Robin Hobb's "Assassin Trilogy" ("Assassin's Apprentice", "Royal Assassin", "Assassin's Quest", if I recall correctly). Emotionally stunted royal bastard child trained up as an assassin against a background of Great Events. This is a definite one to read. There's a secord trilogy, "The Liveship Traders", set in the same world - it's nowhere near as good, and only worth reading for the sake of understanding the third trilogy, "The Tawny Man", which carries on from the first trilogy.
Gene Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun" (four books, published as two volumes under the masterworks label) - far future dying earth in which society has regressed and technology has effectively become magic. Written from the perspective of an accolyte of the torturers' / executioners' guild. Again, fine prose, and an excellent story. There's a fifth book, "The Book of the New Urth" which is compulsary reading for those who like the main four.
Jack Vance's "Dying Earth", collection of stories is excellent.
Ray Bradbury's "Something Wicked This Way Comes" - a dark and twisted carnival comes to small-town America.
Jack Williamson's "Darker Than You Think" - werewolves and shapechangers under a modern setting in NOVEL's NOT CRAP SHOCKER.
For good SF, rather than high fantasy, I like Kate Wilhelm's "Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang" - civilisation dies back, should one cling to its remains or embrace the wilderness?
Michael Moorcock's Melnibonae books are pretty good, also. Especially if you imagine Lex and Taffdan playing the characters.
Roger Zelany's "The Chronicles of Amber" - just the first five books, you can get them in a single volume, also very highly recommended. The second set of five books seemed a little less well written, not really up to the tight standards of the first.
-Ed