Books, Books And More Books

[dulux-oz]

Hi Everyone,

This may have been better off as a Blog post, but I wanted people to add their bits as well so instead it's a Forum Thread.

The literary field of Alternate Fiction (what the pros call Fantasy Fiction and Science Fiction combined) has exploded over the last couple of decades and is now arguable one of the biggest (if not the biggest) category of literature around. The problem, as I see it, is because it is so popular there has become a "very low bar" to entry because the publishers are so desperate to fill the demand - and so there is, quite frankly, a lot of cr@p in the market; so much so that it is hard to find the gems among all the manure.

So this is my recommended list of novels: GMs can use it to draw inspiration from and everyone else can have a damn good read! A lot of it is "old school" (or is that "classic") and a lot of it should be familiar to you if you've read any Alt Fiction in the past. I've read all of these, and liked nearly all of them. I recommend them because, to me, they have improved my GMing, my gaming or just my understanding of how to construct a good story. You may or may not agree, and you certainly will have others you can add to the list: please do. If you find a title on the list that you've never read then I really encourage you to do so - you may not like it, but the chances are that you will, but either way give it a go.

So, in no particular order...

Tolkien - The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and others (Fantasy) - Obviously :)
Raymond E Feist - The Riftwar Cycle (Fantasy), and others - Feist is also a RPG-author
Stephen Donaldson - The First and Second Chronicles of Thomas Convent (Fantasy), the Gap Series (SF) - beware, these are heavy going; great stories, but not a light read.
David Webber - The Honor Harrington Series (SF)
Anne McCaffrey - Dragonriders of Pern (Fantasy with SF Cross-Over), plus others (too many to list)
David Eddings - The Belgariad (Fantasy), The Mallorean (Fantasy), , plus others (too many to list)
Terry Brooks - Sword of Shannara Trilogy (Fantasy) - I didn't like this one, but I still recommend it
Harry Harrison - Stainless Steel Rat Series (SF)
Terry Pratchett - Discword Series (Fantasy), and others - This is comedy fantasy, in the same way that Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy is comedy SF
Robert Aspen - The Myth-Adventure Series (Fantasy) - Comedy Fantasy
Susan Cooper - The Dark Is Rising Series (Fantasy) - Young Adult, but still a good read

Cheers

[damned]

David Gemmell - everything he has written
Peter V Brett
Brent Weeks
Trudi Canavan
Brandon Sanderson
Mark Lawrence
J R R Martin

[Klandare]

Robert Jordan - Wheel of Time series (Epic Fantasy) - it goes on for quite a bit but is a really good series.
R.A Salvatore - All of the Drizzt's series (Fantasy)
Terry Brooks - I would recommend getting through all of the Shannara series of books as they get better as they go on beyond The Sword of Shannara
Dennis L. McKiernan - His series set in the Mithgar world (Fantasy)

[Varsuuk]

I wanted to add that Ray Feist's books were for the longest time my favorite fantasy books. That's saying a lot because by the 80s/early 90s I prob read more than anyone I ever met in the genre and I was friends with many geeks and gamers ;p

They were best in the original series to Darkness at Sethanon, all Three tie-in books with Janny Wurts (superb on own merit) and I very much enjoyed Prince of the Blood and next few. My problem with his series after MANY books so it's better than most is that it got hard to make stori s interesting after one of the major chars (2 really) became just short of gods. But I still found something mething to enjoy even like 13 books past the prime heh. Well, other than the Conclave books where that character felt as out of place as the Rose Estes character in the Greyhawk novels following EGG leaving. Barely felt same world. Some later collaborative stories or guest author novellas also rocked (like Honored Enemy, Stirling? His Dies Fire series is great but more post apoc with later mystical stuff not this category but do recommend)

I'm going to try Donaldson again. I tried in late 70s? late 80s but got "lost" or confused or turned off. not sure, I didn't get much past the plague? thing at start. no idea wh. but i hear it is great so I bought it on Kindle and will retry. I've dropped precious few books but when in teens was more willing to give up. Interestingly, The Gunslinger was one such after finishing or nearly? finishing my adhd kicked in and i wandered off. It was the original edition written in 70s before the awesome reedit/authors retcon of it. I have since read Dark Tower series 2x)

I loved sword of shannara as kid. Wife not knowing bought me the trilogy 3 years on kindle so felt should reread. old her i read first but not other 3. Turns out i read number 2 and i guess i didn't care to continue. I enjoyed them somewhat but still thought it was better when i had read less and had only the new wave of post Tolkien fantasy to compare it too (I'd kill to find Usharak by Bros Hildebrant on kindle - wonder if will like still) Perhaps I should try reading later books.

Anne McCaffrey's Pern Trilogy, Issac Asimov's Foundation Trilogy, Zelazny's Chonicles of Amber and Julian May's Multicolored Land/Torc books were the 4 I ordered for 1¢ when I joined the Science Fiction Book Club (I ordered fattest books i thought i might like since i read faster than my wallet) Loved Pern and Harper books. I plan to revisit since eventually missed many. I also recommend the Wizard of Earthsea series by her.

For Asprin, I waaaaay recommend the gritty Thieves World books. It's one of the first shared world anthology series. amazing stories by some well known names plus newer folks. Went 13 in series plus spin offs. I kept writing to request it on kindle I can't keep busting out paperbacks f on garage. I want to reread but don't want to beat illegit versions :( I loved this series and bought all the original Chaosium TW products, esp the amazing City of Sanctuary.

I of course recommend Tolkien through at least The Silmarien (I read, LotR, then Hobbit, then Sil... in retro, think I was lucky. I read tons other but that was cos was fantasy starved in those years. It isn't same as Tolkien did not finish any of those so can't recommend unless as scholarly (he'll I read essay books on JRR like Master of Middle Earth and Letters of Tolkien lol)

I now say the name of my favorite series writer (surpassing Tolkien in many ways but... your first girl, you can't ever love others in same way) is GRE Martin and he Song of Ice and Fire. Took me 12+ years but when finally read his other stuff I loved them too. Recommend the Dreamsongs anthologies.

and due to then buying all his stories in other anthologies by Him and Gardiner Dezois? I discovered a slew of other folks i grew to love. too many to mention (I recommend his Dangerous anthologies and he'll most others great way to taste many good to great writers)

Foremost probably Brandon Sanderson, starting with Words of Radiance series then Mistborn, then everything else!


I very strongly recommend The Dagger and Coin series by Daniel Abraham. Memorable characters without doubt from hero to villain. Also a bit diff than others with some financial focus also lol. really want you to read this one too. His SF Expanse series is good too. But I prefer this one much more.


Also.. try The Princess Bride by Goldman if you haven't read it. If you haven't seen the movie...you are DEAD TO ME! just recently listens to an amazin audible "As you wish" the memoirs of Cary Ewes about filming it. DEFINITE get the audible, all the guest readers and carey's amazing voice mimicry talents makes it gold. I miss Andre the Giant.

I could go on but i prob near limit of a post ;)

Also really looked the Last Word series then Half a Series from Abercrombie.

Rothfuss is amaaaazing and also found through anthologies! I'm dying for the next in Name of series (also next Sanderson in Radiance...)

Then there is Robin Hobb. I found thru Grrm and loved first two series of her Assassin/Fool thing.


New stuff much of whic

[Varsuuk]

oops was typing on tablet, think i somehow started writing in middle of another paragraph and lost other books/authors i covered. Bleep it, I'm tired, maybe next time lol will figure which i messed up.

I meant to end on "post limit" the stuff that followed should have preceded that last paragraph....

[Callum]

If you read the Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, you should also read the Last Chronicles, as these develop and explain several elements of the Second Chronicles. Either that, or just stop after the First Chronicles. Personally, I highly recommend them all - Donaldson writes in a way that no-one else does.

[vodokar]

Can't go wrong by reading the books that inspired E. Gary Gygax to start our hobby. Appendix N of the AD&D DMG, folks. Enjoy.

APPENDIX N: INSPIRATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL READING

Inspiration for all the fantasy work I have done stems directly from the love my father showed when I was a tad, for he spent many hours telling me stories he made up as he went along, tales of cloaked old men who could grant wishes, of magic rings and enchanted swords, or wicked sorcerors [sic] and dauntless swordsmen.

Then too, countless hundreds of comic books went down, and the long-gone EC ones certainly had their effect. Science fiction, fantasy, and horror movies were a big influence. In fact, all of us tend to get ample helpings of fantasy when we are very young from fairy tales such as those written by the Brothers Grimm and Andrew Lang. This often leads to reading books of mythology, paging through bestiaries, and consultation of compilations of the myths of various lands and peoples.

Upon such a base I built my interest in fantasy, being an avid reader of all science fiction and fantasy literature since 1950.

The following authors were of particular inspiration to me. In some cases I cite specific works, in others, I simply recommend all of their fantasy writing to you. From such sources, as well as any other imaginative writing or screenplay, you will be able to pluck kernels from which will grow the fruits of exciting campaigns. Good reading!

Anderson, Poul: THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS; THE HIGH CRUSADE; THE BROKEN SWORD
Bellairs, John: THE FACE IN THE FROST
Brackett, Leigh
Brown, Frederic
Burroughs, Edgar Rice: "Pellucidar" series; Mars series; Venus series
Carter, Lin: "World's End" series
de Camp, L. Sprague: LEST DARKNESS FALL; THE FALLIBLE FIEND; et al
de Camp & Pratt: "Harold Shea" series; THE CARNELIAN CUBE
Derleth, August
Dunsany, Lord
Farmer, P. J.: "The World of the Tiers" series; et al
Fox, Gardner: "Kothar" series; "Kyrik" series; et al
Howard, R. E.: "Conan" series
Lanier, Sterling: HIERO'S JOURNEY
Leiber, Fritz: "Fafhrd & Gray Mouser" series; et al
Lovecraft, H. P.
Merritt, A.: CREEP, SHADOW, CREEP; MOON POOL; DWELLERS IN THE MIRAGE; et al
Moor****, Michael: STORMBRINGER; STEALER OF SOULS; "Hawkmoon" series (esp. the first three books)
Norton, Andre
Offutt, Andrew J.: editor of SWORDS AGAINST DARKNESS III
Pratt, Fletcher: BLUE STAR; et al
Saberhagen, Fred: CHANGELING EARTH; et al
St. Clair, Margaret: THE SHADOW PEOPLE; SIGN OF THE LABRYS
Tolkien, J. R. R.: THE HOBBIT; "Ring trilogy"
Vance, Jack: THE EYES OF THE OVERWORLD; THE DYING EARTH; et al
Weinbaum, Stanley
Wellman, Manley Wade
Williamson, Jack
Zelazny, Roger: JACK OF SHADOWS; "Amber" series; et al
The most immediate influences upon AD&D were probably de Camp & Pratt, R. E. Howard, Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, H. P. Lovecraft, and A. Merritt; but all of the above authors, as well as many not listed, certainly helped to shape the form of the game. For this reason, and for the hours of reading enjoyment, I heartily recommend the works of these fine authors to you.
- E. Gary Gygax, 1979, AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide, p. 224

If you really want to know what inspired our favorite hobby. Explore that reading list.

[PTBBC.ORG]

There are several on here that I will be checking out. I have read some of the others. I know that my first read a long time ago was Dragonlance. Followed up by Death Gate Cycle (which I would love to have that world built for an FG campaign). Recently read the Night Angel series by Brent Weeks. Enjoyed the first few books of the Guardian of the Flames. Enjoyed the Paksenarrion/Legacy of Gird by Moon. There was another series I read, but can't remember the name for the life of me. It's about a warrior who wants to be the best in the world, studies so much at techniques that he ends up slowing his aging?. I think there were 3 books about his story, and then another 3 books about decades later where he shows up again. Ugh... I can't remember. I thought it was Zelazny... but guess not.

[Varsuuk]

eep how could I forget my love for Joel Rosenberg's Guardians of the Flame. I've read it several time, last time less than 10 years back.

i enjoyed Death's Gate 7 book series even more than Dragonlance for sure.

I am in middle of reading Vance's Dying Earth et al but it's on and off as they are short stories and only somewhat thrilling atm. Thing is, the genre evolves and current readers even old dude who read the simpler books before are more jaded. Some is unfair, because the tropes etc were new with the older masters some, I feel is warranted. Not every one of those I listed will stand the rest of time but I think most do.

Hey, I KNOW the Beatles were big and important (I was born in '64, they were still all over radio when I was young) etc, but I always found them boring or "simplistic" for the most part especially compared to the immediately following acts. The Who and The Stones both blow them away musically and lyrically imo (subjective) Although after listening to My Life (Audible again), Richards got me to try out on itunes a metric feces ton of "old timey" Blues artists mamy of which I knew of, some I'd heard and most I loved their songs as don by rockers/blues guys i. my generation. But had no clue these stark "simple(r)" tunes were so powerful...so...maybe it's just me.

I did a "Squirrel!" didn't I?

[MarianDz]

Author which missing you here is for your country (USA) maybe unknown. His name is "Andrzej Sapkowski", and he is from Poland, he wrote "The Witcher" series.
I like his works and way how he describe world about he is written. (I doesn't play Witcher game but books are excellent masterpiece!). Really recommend it to you all.
Begin your reading with the short storries "The Witcher", "Sword of Destiny", "The Last Wish, Something Ends something Begins", and then continue with Novel series "Blood of elves", "Time of contempt", "Baptism of Fire", "The Tower of Swallows", "Lady of the Lake". Till his last published work named "Season of storms" published in 2013, see Wikipedia.org for more info's about his books (searching phrase "Andrzej Sapkowski" without quotes of course :)). Some of his works can be buyed through Amazon on e-book readers as Kindle or as audio books.

[Varsuuk]

Author which missing you here is for your country (USA) maybe unknown. His name is "Andrzej Sapkowski", and he is from Poland, he wrote "The Witcher" series.
I like his works and way how he describe world about he is written. (I doesn't play Witcher game but books are excellent masterpiece!). Really recommend it to you all.
Begin your reading with the short storries "The Witcher", "Sword of Destiny", "The Last Wish, Something Ends something Begins", and then continue with Novel series "Blood of elves", "Time of contempt", "Baptism of Fire", "The Tower of Swallows", "Lady of the Lake". Till his last published work named "Season of storms" published in 2013, see Wikipedia.org for more info's about his books (searching phrase "Andrzej Sapkowski" without quotes of course :)). Some of his works can be buyed through Amazon on e-book readers as Kindle or as audio books.

Couple people have recommended him. But always from Europe. I think I will get (if I can in order you said) first stories and see if the translations are as good as those who read the originals say.

Thanks.

[MarianDz]

look here
https://www.amazon.com/Andrzej-Sapkowski/e/B001ICAMAW/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

[dachda]

I'll throw a few of my favorites into this mix.

Gene Wolfe - anything
Walter Moers - Zamonia series
Robert V.S. Redick - Chathrand Voyage series
Ursula Le Guin - anything

[Answulf]

Quick suggestion - The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Excellent book:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/186074.The_Name_of_the_Wind

... and as a bonus you can watch him play D&D with Chris Perkins and the Acquisitions Incorporated guys here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_fGKY44DaI

My favorite modern fantasy author is Brandon Sanderson. The Mistborn series and The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive) are fantastic. Not being too familiar with recent fantasy books, I found him because his stuff is some of the highest rated fantasy on Goodreads.

[Nylanfs]

I'm watching this kickstarter, it looks like an interesting twist on the three musketeers.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/battlefieldpress/sisterhood-of-the-blade-anthology?ref=nav_search

[Full Bleed]

Anything by:

Philip K. D!ck (his real name got censored!)
Richard Matheson


And, for pure Fantasy Fiction directly inspired by our hobby:

First 6 Dragonlance Novels (Chronicles and Legends)
Gygax's "Gord the Rogue" series

[Royalwolf]

Author which missing you here is for your country (USA) maybe unknown. His name is "Andrzej Sapkowski", and he is from Poland, he wrote "The Witcher" series.
I like his works and way how he describe world about he is written. (I doesn't play Witcher game but books are excellent masterpiece!). Really recommend it to you all.
Begin your reading with the short storries "The Witcher", "Sword of Destiny", "The Last Wish, Something Ends something Begins", and then continue with Novel series "Blood of elves", "Time of contempt", "Baptism of Fire", "The Tower of Swallows", "Lady of the Lake". Till his last published work named "Season of storms" published in 2013, see Wikipedia.org for more info's about his books (searching phrase "Andrzej Sapkowski" without quotes of course :)). Some of his works can be buyed through Amazon on e-book readers as Kindle or as audio books.


I second this! the Witcher series is excellent. there is a fight scene on a frozen lake that is one of the greatest "1 vs many" that I have ever read.

also loved reading the main works of Tolkien, George Martin, Ray Fiest, and Joe Abercrombie (specially the first Law series), as some others here have already posted

there is one I haven't seen listed in this thread - the Deed of Paksennarrion. if you want a great book about a Paladin character, this the definitive one, IMO

[Trenloe]

Can't go wrong by reading the books that inspired E. Gary Gygax to start our hobby. Appendix N of the AD&D DMG, folks. Enjoy.

APPENDIX N: INSPIRATIONAL AND EDUCATIONAL READING
And a chance to get reprints of the original magazines where a lot of those stories were printer - Weird Tales reprints from Goodman Games: https://goodman-games.com/store/product-category/appendix-n/

Lots of cash needed to to whet that Appendix N appetite in the original form.

[Varsuuk]

Anything by:

Philip K. D!ck (his real name got censored!)
Richard Matheson


And, for pure Fantasy Fiction directly inspired by our hobby:

First 6 Dragonlance Novels (Chronicles and Legends)
Gygax's "Gord the Rogue" series

Coinki-dink - currently re-reading Saga of Old City ~55%. Think will reread this then the sequel and space rest between other current reads of mine. Last time read these were as they came out.

[Nylanfs]

I'm watching this kickstarter, it looks like an interesting twist on the three musketeers.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/battlefieldpress/sisterhood-of-the-blade-anthology?ref=nav_search

And this funded so I'm looking forward to it. :)

[bestellen]

It goes on for quite a bit but is a really good series. -Robert Jordan - Wheel of Time series (Epic Fantasy).

[Spin-Man]

I'll add a few as well:

Butcher, Jim: The Dresden Files (fun, modern-day Chicago wizard)
Goodkind, Terry: Wizard's First Rule (the first book is great, but the series gets progressively worse)
Herbert, Frank: Dune (one of the all-time great sci-fi novels)
Salvatore, R.A.: The Cleric Quintet (The Drizzt stuff was listed, but this is smaller and has just as much merit)

I will definitely take your suggestion to check out Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny. The Amber series is probably my favorite fantasy series.

[sjard]

Tad Williams - Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. (The Dragonbone Chair, Stone of Farewell, To Green Angel Tower).
Lloyd Alexander - The Chronicles of Prydain (The book of Three, The Black Cauldron, etc. Young adult celtic myth stuff).
Another vote for David Eddings,
Terry Pratchett (again)
David Drake - Lord of the Isles series for fantasy, Hammers Slammers for ground based military SF, and the Lt. Leary/RCN series for space based.

[Black Hammer]

Nobody recommending William Gibson? While Neuromancer is the best known, I think the short story collection "Burning Chrome" is far less intimidating and just as evocative. Gibson might have been a better short story writer than novelist, based on both Burning Chrome and the framed tales within some of his novels. Unfortunately the short story is an uncertain medium at best these days.

Jerry Pournelle has some excellent classic military SF, and is co-author of "The Mote in God's Eye" with Larry Niven, which is in my opinion one of the best SF books out there.

While I question nearly everything about the man otherwise, Harlan Ellison has some very colorful, if sometimes distasteful, pieces. "Shattered Like a Glass Goblin" and "A Boy and His Dog" will very quickly help you decide whether you ever want to read anything else he wrote, ever.

On the far end of the spectrum from pulp novels, Kafka and Vonnegut expand the mind wonderfully when it comes to narrating alternative perspectives. As a DM, I think description is very important, and most RPG settings touch on the surreal at least occasionally. Vonnegut's "Sirens of Titan" comes especially recommended.

Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is, in my opinion, a better book than either Starship Troopers or Stranger in a Strange Land. It's also short and extremely readable, with less preachy bits than most of Heinlein's work.

[aimeusdietger]

The thing I love about fantasy fiction books is that they often come in form of a series hence I'm always anticipating the next book. I've definitely checked a few books off these lists but clearly I still have a long way o go. This will be fun!

[mhorgunn]

For those who are delving in D&D and especially Forgotten Realms ... I recommend Erin Evan's Brimstone Angels. Good solid writing ... perhaps a bit girly for some ... but a nice source for warlock packs and dragon born.

[hawkwind]

I can recommend this series of fantasy novels https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thraxas fantasy Noir and very funny

[Nylanfs]

The thing I love about fantasy fiction books is that they often come in form of a series hence I'm always anticipating the next book. I've definitely checked a few books off these lists but clearly I still have a long way o go. This will be fun!

Welcome to the forums and FG community aimeusdietger!

[Gooberosity]

Tad Williams - Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. (The Dragonbone Chair, Stone of Farewell, To Green Angel Tower).

I'll second this one, but I also wanted to mention that Tad Williams has published a fourth book in the series that happens just after Green Angel Tower called The Heart of What Was Lost.

[Callum]

I'll second this one, but I also wanted to mention that Tad Williams has published a fourth book in the series that happens just after Green Angel Tower called The Heart of What Was Lost.

I'll third the recommendation for Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. I'd also like to thank Gooberosity for drawing my attention to the fourth book, which I didn't know about until now!

[Phystus]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Greg Bear. Dinosaur Summer is amazingly good.
Larry Niven is another favorite of mine. Ringworld is a classic.
One very old-school writer I have enjoyed is Robert Sheckley. Check out his short story compilation Untouched by Human Hands. It seems to have aged a lot better than most 50's sci-fi.
For some really mind-bending older stuff check out Norman Spinrad. Check out his short story collection Star Spangled Future.

~P

[Ken L]

Ah, someone already mentioned Sanderson's Mistborn (original trilogy). I recently finished that after having them idle on my kindle for a year or so.

The Riyria revelations trilogy by Michael J. Sullivan is also well written. (Theft of swords/Rise of Empire/Heir of Novorn)

I don't have to mentions Pat Rothfuss' King killer chronicals do I?

[Nylanfs]

I also recommend ALL of Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/)