DEATH wrote:Thanks!
Bob the Gunslinger wrote:There is not really a lot of new Science Fiction that stands out, so far as I know. Peter F. Hamilton has some new books out,
I tried one of his books and it was crap. (Although it was apparently one of his least recomended ones).
I found the Night's Dawn trilogy to be pretty good, if cheesy. I enjoyed it with the same part of my brain that likes Babylon 5.
Repairman Jack series,Kim Harrison's series, Patricia Brigg's series, Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series,
Never read them, the only one of those that i've even heard about is the repairman Jack series.
I am a big fan of the Repairman Jack series. It has a lot of horror elements in it, but also some humor and quite a few thriller elements.
Brandon Sanderson is a pretty good writer. He wrote Elantris, which was a good stand-alone novel even if the squeaky-clean (*cough*Mormon*cough*) characters were a bit hard to take seriously. The first Mistborn book is even better, and the series is pretty popular, but I just haven't gotten around to reading more of it. A great deal of his new popularity may be based on the fact that he is writing the final Wheel of Time novel(s?).
Kim Harrison and Patricia Briggs both write modern/urban fantasy with strong female protagonists. They are about as popular now as Charlaine Harris or Laurell K. Hamilton were about 3 years ago, and still gaining new fans. I have bought some of their books, but have not had time to read them.
and a few other series that spring to mind. If you're looking for a completely new fantasy author, you really should try
The Warded Man by Peter Brett (sold in the UK as
The Painted Man). It's good, it's (mostly) original, and the characters will breathe for you.
I'm not a fan of character heavy/focused books usually, personal interplay is not my forte. I remember you recommending this book once, but the Amazon review shows little of interest. Mind telling me more?
Sure. The book is set in a world where demons (known as corelings) rise out of the ground every night at sunset and attack anyone they can find. The only protection available is to be inside a warded house throughout the dark hours. Travel is nearly impossible unless you're going somewhere you can get to during daylight hours, which has caused various towns and city states to form and become isolated.
Once, thousands of years ago when the corelings first arrived, a messianic figure known as the Deliverer taught the people how to make wards that would turn the corelings' magic back on them, and the demons were defeated for an age. During this age of enlightenment, many wards were forgotten and science prevailed, which left mankind unprepared for round 2, which has been going on for 500 or so years at the time of the book, I think.
The main character, Arlen, was always curious about what lie over the next hill, and what life would be like without the corelings. When his mother is torn apart by demons, he rushes out to save her while his father stands terrified behind the warded threshhold. Although he is badly injured, and fails to save his mother, the experience teaches Arlen that mankind's biggest weakness against the demons is fear, and he blames cowardice and complacency for the state of the world. He sets off to learn as much as he can about the corelings and how to defeat them.
Do you want to learn more? Is this the kind of information you were asking me about? If you're looking for some kickass fantasy action, there is that, too, but I found the background and how the characters interact with it to be the most compelling parts of the story.
If you enjoy the WH40k universe, check out Steve Parker's Gunheads. It's the best Imperial Guard novel to come out in a long time, excepting the Ciaphas Cain series.
I don't like the IG series. I understand that all of the Horus Heresy books since Fulgrim's have been crap, right?
If you don't mind me asking, why do you dislike novels about the Imperial Guard? I should also mention that Gunheads is primarily about a tank company.
As for the Heresy, Mechanicum was pretty good.
In terms of science, I can't recommend enough the book
Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History. If you own a dog, or just love doggies, you should really read the book. The authors also wrote a similar book about the big cats, which I plan to get by the end of the year.
I'm allergic to both, and i'll pass. But thanks!
Holy crap is that sad. Maybe you can find a nice pet who won't set off your allergies? I hear that Portuguese Water Dogs are supposed to be easy on allergy sufferers.
"Gunslinger indeed. Quick draw, Bob. Quick draw." --Count Chocula
"Unquestionably, Dr. Who is MUCH lighter in tone than WH40K. But then, I could argue the entirety of WWII was much lighter in tone than WH40K." --Broomstick
"This is ridiculous. I look like the Games Workshop version of a Jedi Knight." --Harry Dresden, Changes
"Like...are we canonical?" --Aaron Dembski-Bowden to Dan Abnett