SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

I've just finished the Hunger Games trilogy, and feel like there is a gaping hole inside of me that puts me at a loss when I think of what to read next. I originally only set out to read The Hunger Games as a promise to my younger cousin, who fell in love with the books when I gave him the first as a gift. I hadn't at that time read them myself, but had done research and deduced that it would be a good fit for him.
I never anticipated that I would be so flabbergasted after the finale of the trilogy, but the emptiness I felt after finishing it reflected that of the main protagonists at the end of the book (if you've read the books, you know what I mean). So, I'm left with a mild predicament, but a particularly confusing on at best. My relatives have given me advice on what to read next. Here are some of their recommendations:

-The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

-The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

-Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

-Game of Thrones by George RR Martin

The list goes on, but I also have some books of my own I've considered reading as well including The Magician King by Lev Grossman and Inheritance by Christopher Paolini.
I'm open to any advice or comments on your preference, or advice on another book/series that is not mentioned previously. I love scifi and fantasy fiction, hence why I am posting on this forum, and don't let my recent plight with the Hunger Games books make you think I'm looking for more dystopian fiction in particular. Thanks! All advice is much appreciated!

Ready Player One is a great, quick and fun read. I'd say do that next as it's simply brain candy.

After that, maybe Magician King.

A Song of Ice and Fire and the Kingkiller Chronicles are both unfinished, so I'm not sure if that would bother you or not.

Maybe give Malazan a shot?

Your relatives gave you some good suggestions.

Oh, and make sure you read The Magicians before Magician King, if you go that route.

To Ala, I've read mixed reviews on Magician King so I was already somewhat hesitant. Then again, can I really pass it up, because I've already read the Magician. I've heard of and seen the Malazan series mentioned before. Why do you particularly mention it?

To Chris, I've read the Magicians and quite enjoyed it. I found I rather liked the obvious similarities to other works of fantasy within the book. Any particular suggestions other than what you mentioned above?

I'm new to this website, but am all ears for advice to expand my knowledge of this genre.

Your interest in A Song of Ice and Fire prompted the Malazan recommendation. I've only read the first one myself, but from what I understand it's a great series.

Having never read the Hunger Games trilogy, I can't really point at anything that would be similar. But I can toss out a few of my favorites:

There's the First Law trilogy which I found excellent.

Also, The Lies of Locke Lamora. Everyone should read this book and it's follow-up.

And a couple from Kay, Tigana and The Lions of al-Rassan.

Ala's suggestions are all awesome, especially Locke Lamora and Lions of Al-Rassan.

If you liked The Magicians, you should like Magician King also.

I'm in the midst of the 6th Malazan book and they are pretty awesome. Certainly not light reads, though.

The Mistborn: The Final Empire series is pretty damn cool too.

Ah I see, but thanks for the insight. I've seen The Lies of Locke Lamora pop up all over the place, so I'll look it over and see if it suits my taste. Is their a particular philosophical allegory within the book?

Steal stuff and be a bastard?

edit: I really don't know and tend to not delve too deeply into books that way. Makes it feel far too much like work.

I understand completely, but you can't help but cherish those few books that speak to you at a profound, fundamental level.

To Chris, I missed your comment before, but yes I've also been told the Mistborn series is excellent as well. You mention Malazan not being light reading, but then again isn't most of Sanderson's work "not light", especially his recent works with the Wheel of Time and the Stormlight Archive? I'm not necessarily looking for a light read, but I don't want to buy and delve into a book to find it lackluster (then again, who doesn't feel that way). At a certain point, I'll have to just dive into something, one way or the other.

The Malazan Book of the Dead is not light reading, but it is important reading. It's a series that will challenge the way you view the world (or it should, anyway). It's a story that spans of hundreds of thousands of years and touches on the human need to worship something larger than ourselves, the nature of civilization, our sense of justice, our motivations for both selfish and selfless acts, death, ambition, greed, identity, love, loss, and much more. The author, Steven Erikson, spent most of his adult life as a working archaeologist, and that gives him a unique perspective on the human race. If you're looking for something to fill the hole, this series will do.

And Ala, you've only read the first book? Holy crap, you're not even done with the exposition yet. You haven't even scratched the surface. Get with it!

Look, I've been busy damnit.

Stop rushing me!

:P

I'll get to them this year.

Hey, I've been working on them for five years and I'm just now close to finishing the 6th book.

They're excellent, but I need a lot of spare time to get through one. When I say they're not a light read, it's an understatement. They're quite dense.

No, Mistborn isn't a "light" read in the sense of fluff. But Sanderson's style is comfortable and engaging at the same time.

Where as Erikson is neither comfortable nor engaging! Hah! I knew you agreed with me, Chris. You just didn't realize it yet :D

Definitely engaging. It's even comfortable in spots, but they're few and far between.

I know you don't like it, Dawn. When I pass out recommendations, I hesitate with suggesting this one. It's definitely a more required taste.

That's great, Nicki. You'll probably pass me then in the next few minutes hours. I'm hoping to take it off pause this weekend and finish it.

Robert wrote: "I've just finished the Hunger Games trilogy, and feel like there is a gaping hole inside of me that puts me at a loss when I think of what to read next. I originally only set out to read The Hunger..."

Hello, you needn't feel lost about what to read next with suggestions like these. I haven't read Jordan (yet), but the others I would say are must reads if you are interested in exploring the genre more. And I would also throw Jonathan Strange into the ring, if you haven't already read it. This book gets under your skin. It gave me nightmares and I still think about it often even though I read it several years ago.

I do know what you mean about the 'gaping hole' you feel in what to read next. Not only does it depend on your taste, but also your mood... Well for me anyway!

I'd have to check my monster sized HC at home later for the exact spot. My status update has me at 56%, but that seems a little low.

I'm loving the insight you guys provided on the approach of what to read next, especially your comment Stan. I'll have to give it a go now after what you said. Whether or not I delve into the Kingkiller Chronicles first is another question, because my cousin persists that I shouldn't read anything before it. I decided to go ahead and read ready player one, and dl'd gardens of the moon and the name of the wind on my kindle. Cheers!

"Name of the Wind" is very good, and you'll love it, but I think Rothfuss dropped the ball on the second book. Also, it seems to take Rothfuss 4 years to get a book out, so the third book might not be out until 2015. In the meantime, all 10 books in the Malazan series are already published.

Rothfuss writes a very entertaining tale, and brother, does he have style, but he doesn't have very much to say about the human condition.

Also, I'd say that it's very hard to judge the Malazan series by the first book. It's a good story, but it really just barely scratches the surface of the overall story.

I here you Stan. I've gathered that same impression of Rothfuss based off of interviews. I'm sure the first book of the Malazan series is only the tip of the iceberg given the ten book total? I'll be interested to see where that series takes me. In the mean time, I'm going to at least read the Name of the Wind as well for my cousin's sake and for my own pleasure, and prolong touching the second book at least for a while.

Robert wrote: "I here you Stan. I've gathered that same impression of Rothfuss based off of interviews. I'm sure the first book of the Malazan series is only the tip of the iceberg given the ten book total? I'll ..."

Happy reading :)

Robert wrote: "I understand completely, but you can't help but cherish those few books that speak to you at a profound, fundamental level."

If that's what you're looking for...

The Love We Share Without Knowing by Christopher Barzak

Requiem by Graham Joyce.

The Traitor by Michael Cisco.

The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe.

The Darkness That Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker.

Nicki wrote: "Robert wrote: "I'm sure the first book of the Malazan series is only the tip of the iceberg given the ten book total?"

After Erikson wrote Gardens of the Moon there was something like a ten year g..."

So true! and when you finally get back to the locale of GotM in the later books, it's like a very different city! In fact, Malazanites have a name for the differences (where GotM had different assuptions than later books) they call them GotMisms! lol

Nicki wrote: "
After Erikson wrote Gardens of the Moon there was something like a ten year gap before he wrote the second book in the series, Deadhouse Gates, so GotM is also rather different from the rest of the series on a number of levels. Personally I still enjoyed it, but from my current position in book six of the series, I have to say that it wasn't representative at all of what came after or of what Erikson is capable of as a writer."

Actually, if you'll check out the Malazan wikipedia page you'll see that the second book was published about a year and a half after the first book. I don't know if he wrote the first book 10 years earlier and just didn't publish it, though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malazan_...

Nicki, if you've only finished through book six, I'll say that you still haven't seen what Erikson is capable of yet.

To Greyweather, thanks for the recommendations.

To Nicki and Stan, what is it about Erikson that makes him such an amazing writer by both of your standards compared to other juggernauts of the genre (Martin, Jordan, Sanderson, Rothfuss, etc.)?

Grey-
It's both an 'epic-ness' and a unique worldview.

By epic-ness, I mean that the world and plotlines are just so vast...There are a number of different continents that come into play, several different armies, and countless plotlines and innumerable characters. It's hard to get across how vast the Malazan world is.

As someone stated above, Erikson was an anthropologist before he started the series, so that mindset plays into the Malazan worldview. It creates quite thought provoking looks at war in particular, and the human condition (both good in bad) in general

That he was able to pull all these things together into a cohesive whole is kind of mind boggling

I'd also recommend reading Mistborn: The Final Empire. After reading all the good reviews about it, I started reading it a couple of days ago and I am already hooked..
The Name of the Wind and Games of Thrones are also good choices..

Robert wrote: "To Greyweather, thanks for the recommendations.

To Nicki and Stan, what is it about Erikson that makes him such an amazing writer by both of your standards compared to other juggernauts of the gen..."

First of all, when did Rothfuss become a juggernaut of the genre? Yeah, he has a lot of twee followers, but he's only published two novels, and only one of those is any good. That's like saying last year's American Idol winner is a juggernaut of the music industry.

As Maggie said above, it's hard to describe the sheer scope of Erikson's achievement until you've read the entire series. He's given a new definition to the word "epic."

However, the real reason Erikson surpasses the other authors you mentioned is that they are merely telling rather entertaining stories. Erikson is tackling all of human history, and the great questions that arise from that. What would you be willing to endure in order to give justice to someone whom everyone else is pretty sure doesn't deserve it? What does true forgiveness look like and what does it do to the person who grants it? Why do you worship that which you worship and what do you receive from that worship? Has evolution been fair to those species that it has destroyed? Has evolution really turned us into better versions of ourselves? Would mankind have been better off if we had never congregated in cities? Why do we sacrifice ourselves for some and condemn others? How have we shaped the world by the simple fact that we eat meat? What are we willing to do in order to achieve our ambitions? How do the hard choices we make irrevocably alter us? What does it mean to love? What drives the human desire for companionship and can we successfully deny that desire?


These are just a few of the questions Erikson manages to address in this series. Yes, he's telling a story, but it is much more than a story. Also, Erikson is one of the few writers who have the discipline to never, ever info dump. You will never see two characters discussing something they both already understand simply for the benefit of the reader. When you dive into the Malazan universe, you are literally dumped there as an outsider, and you have to figure out almost everything by context. You have to learn to pick up on the hints and references that Erikson gives you. You learn that what is said might be less important that what is not said. This series is not escapism. This series requires an active reader.

I was an English major. I can honestly say this series is one of the best works of literature I've ever read.

"twee followers"?

I'm just waiting for someone to take offense to ya. I've got popcorn and everything.

Ala wrote: ""twee followers"?

I'm just waiting for someone to take offense to ya. I've got popcorn and everything."

I don't see why someone would be so stupid as to take offense. After all, Rothfuss has plenty of followers who are not twee, and for someone to be offended by my comment, he/she would have to admit to themselves that he/she is actually twee. My thinking is that a true twee follower would have a sense of denial healthy enough to withstand my comment.

"Twee follower? I like Rothfuss, but Sweet Felurian, I'm not twee, so he can't be talking about me."

If you are looking for something similar I am surprised no one pointed out yet. It is just like Hunger Games and some claim it to be better. It is my next book once I finish what I am reading :)

The second one comes out in a few months.

It's not just that, Stan. It's the overall sense of dickishness in your posts so far.

Edit: Not that I'm complaining or telling you to stop. I just expected a response to it by now is all.

I wouldn't recommend The Eye of the World unless you have really specific reasons to think you'd like it. I thought it dragged on a long time without adding much to the plot or the setting. (Tolkien is my favorite author, so I'm not against all long-windedness - this just didn't seem like well-used long-windedness). I'm fairly sure there was one incident that happened twice at different points in the story. So in general I didn't feel confident that the author was putting as much care into it as I wanted. I feel like there were more things I disliked and some I liked, but I can't remember them.

Ala wrote: "It's not just that, Stan. It's the overall sense of dickishness in your posts so far."

I realize it is not in fashion to be fey or hyperbolic, but do we all have to be bland, goofy, or mildly silly in order to get along? Is there no room for a charming asshole who sometimes argues his strongly held opinions?

Doesn't bother me, I just enjoy the fireworks.

Stan wrote: "I realize it is not in fashion to be fey or hyperbolic, but do we all have to be bland, goofy, or mildly silly in order to get along? Is there no room for a charming asshole who sometimes argues his strongly held opinions? "

I'm waiting for the charming part. :>

± Colleen of the Crawling Chaos ± wrote: "I'm waiting for the charming part. :>"

^


I'm just going the eye roll route on this one.

Stan wrote: "Ala wrote: "It's not just that, Stan. It's the overall sense of dickishness in your posts so far."

I realize it is not in fashion to be fey or hyperbolic, but do we all have to be bland, goofy, or..."

Ooh goody. (settles down with popcorn and large Coke in the row behind Ala)

I must have gotten lost; I thought this was a thread about books.

± Colleen of the Crawling Chaos ± wrote: "I'm waiting for the charming part. :> "

Are you sure we aren't married? You sound just like my lovely wife.

:)

Greyweather wrote: "I must have gotten lost; I thought this was a thread about books."

Oh, yes, please, let's talk about books constantly and abandon every opportunity to banter.

Back on track then:

Ellysa wrote: "If you are looking for something similar I am surprised no one pointed out yet. It is just like Hunger Games and some claim it to be better. It is my next book once I ..."

I've looked at those before, but friends and folks whose opinions I tend to agree with have found those books to be lacking.

Stan wrote: "± Colleen of the Crawling Chaos ± wrote: "I'm waiting for the charming part. :> "

Are you sure we aren't married? You sound just like my lovely wife.

:)"

Positive. I actually like my husband. :>

***

As to the topic at hand, based on the books listed... I got nothin', though I will second Wil's suggestion of Strange & Norrell,though it seems a very hit or miss book.

± Colleen of the Crawling Chaos ± wrote: "Positive. I actually like my husband. :>"


Quit pullin' my leg and come to bed, honey.


Also, I agree with you about Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell; though, on the whole I enjoyed the book.

*snerk* Well that cinches it, since I'm already in bed. ;)

***

Oh, I'll also throw out Dark Tower by Sai King as a rec.

This banter is great, but yea Stan I love how you elaborated on the foundation of what Erikson sets out to accomplish with the Malazan books. The problems Erikson sets out to tackle are fundamental problems revolving around the "human condition", not to overuse a term.

To Ellysa, I've done a decent amount of research on Divergent, and actually bought it as a christmas present for my younger cousin. Although, it seemed nothing like the Hunger Games in premise other than the obvious dystopian setting. But that is also just based on the very general descriptions given by various retail sites.

± Colleen of the Crawling Chaos ± wrote: "*snerk* Well that cinches it, since I'm already in bed. ;)"

Damn. That means I've run across a woman on the internet with a tongue as sharp as my wife's. Rawr! I wonder if men married to women with identical twins feel this way about their sisters-in-law?

Anyway, keep it up, Col. You've got me feeling right at home.

Too many books. Definitely too many books.

Peggy wrote: "Too many books. Definitely too many books."

But a better state of affairs than the alternative!

Robert wrote: "I've just finished the Hunger Games trilogy, and feel like there is a gaping hole inside of me that puts me at a loss when I think of what to read next. I originally only set out to read The Hunger..."

Haven't read the Hunger Games but I would recommend The Name of the Wind by Rothfuss. I don't think it matters that the final book of the trilogy isn't out yet. Books one and two are both satisfying reads on their own. Martin's series is a wild ride that you will love/hate--all in a good way-- but you will fee supremely lost when it is over.(Not necessarily a bad thing.)The Magician King is hands down the worst book I have ever read in my life. Don't waste your time on it.