Best dark fantasy books according to redditors
We found 3,542 Reddit comments discussing the best dark fantasy books. We ranked the 880 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 3,542 Reddit comments discussing the best dark fantasy books. We ranked the 880 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Here is the United States link:
They Mostly Come Out At Night (Yarnsworld Book 1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DL8S8F6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dT1QBbSSRK49D
P.S. - OP, next time you may want to put the links in the comments of the post. I guarantee more people will get it if they can just get it from the post.
This is from the Dark Tower book series, widely regarded as Stephen King's magnum opus. I cannot recommend it enough. The first book is called The Gunslinger.
Also, please don't judge the series based on The Dark Tower movie that came out a short while back. I promise it is infinitely better than that.
The gunslinger reaches across the couch as he shakes his head. Because he's wrong, he realizes. Parcells wouldn't bash Julian for the arm-reach, even though it was an odd, lame-looking thing. Bill thinks it might even be possible that Parcells might grunt some word of compliment - such a rarity that the player to whom it happened hardly ever knew how to respond; he was left gaping like a fish pulled from cook's barrel.
So Belichick shook /u/jedelman11 's hand.
Self publishing my dark fantasy/romance novelette last spring. I've wanted to 'be a writer' since I was a little kid, but always worried I wasn't good enough or no one would like it. I now have a 4.5 star average on Amazon, with 40 reviews. I find it hard to believe other people like my writing.
The sequel should be out for Christmas, and then I'm going to try to write a lot faster and turn this into the career I've always dreamt of.
Some of my favorite books available on Kindle Unlimited:
They Mostly Come Out At Night and Where the Waters Turn Black by Benedict Patrick
Paternus by Dyrk Ashton
Danse Macabre by Laura M. Hughes
The Half Killed by Quenby Olson
A Star Reckoners Lot by Darrell Drake
Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe
Jaeth's Eye by K. S. Villoso
Here are some that I haven't read, but have heard mostly positive things about:
The Palace Job by Patrick Weekes
Revenant Winds by Mitchell Hogan
Ghosts of Tomorrow by Michael R Fletcher
A Warrior's Path by Davis Ashura
Valley of Embers by Steven Kelliher
Faithless by Graham Austin-King. He also has another series, The Riven Wyrde Saga, beginning with Fae - The Wild Hunt
Ours is the Storm by D. Thourson Palmer
Path of Man by Matt Moss
Threat of Madness by D.K. Holmberg
To Whatever End by Claire Frank
House of Blades by Will Wight
Path of Flames by Phil Tucker
The Woven Ring by M. D. Presley
Awaken Online: Catharsis by Travis Bagwell
Wolf of the North by Duncan M. Hamilton
Free the Darkness by Kel Kade
The Cycle of Arawn Trilogy by Edward W. Robinson
Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Renshaw
Benjamim Ashwood by AC Cobble
The Crimson Queen by Alec Hutson
The Queens Poinsoner by Jeff Wheeler
Stiger's Tigers by Marc Alan Edelheit
Rise of the Ranger by Philip C. Quaintrell
Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron
Devil's Night Dawning by Damien Black
Here are some older fantasy and sci-fi books that I enjoyed:
Tales of Nevèrÿon by Samuel R. Delany - African inspired S&S by an extremely talented writer.
Witch World as well as other good books by Andre Norton
Swords and Deviltry The first volume of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser by Fritz Leiber - Many of the tropes of the rogue/thief came from this legendary duo created by Leiber. And it's worth noting that Leiber actually coined the term Sword & Sorcery. This collection contains 3 stories, two average origin stories for each character and the final story is the Hugo and Nebula winning novella "Ill Met in Lankhmar" detailing the first meeting of Fafhrd and The Grey Mouser.
Swords Against Darkness - A '70s S&S anthology. It has few stinkers, a few mediocre stories, and a some really good ones. Poul Anderson and Ramsey Campbell both have awesome stories in this anthology that are well worth checking out. For some reason, there were quite a few typos in this book, it was slightly distracting, but may have been fixed since I read it.
The Best of C. L. Moore by C. L. Moore. I read this earlier this year and I absolutely loved it. The collection is all sci-fi and one Jirel of Joiry story, which is her famous female Sword & Sorcery character. I was suprised by how well her sci-fi stories held up, often times pulp sci-fi doesn't age well, but this collection was great. Moore was married to the writer Henry Kuttner, and up until his death they wrote a bunch of great stories together. Both of their collections are basically collaborations, although I'm sure a few stories were done solo. His collection The Best of Henry Kuttner features the short story that the movie The Last Mimzy was based on. And, if you are into the original Twilight Zone TV series there is a story that was adapted into a memorable season 1 episode entitled "What You Need". Kuttner and Moore are two of my favorite pulp authors and I'm not even that into science fiction, but I really enjoy their work.
It seems like a busy thread to me! Suppose it has been busier, though. Linking one from each:
/u/ksvilloso Jaeth's Eye
The minor characters in an epic story are often forgotten, relegated to the dusty corners of a text; footnotes in a biased account that draws focus on the privileged, the named, and the powerful. This is a story from those shadows.
The lives of a mercenary, a seamstress, and a merchant converge. Kefier, who is picking up the pieces of his life after his brother’s accident, finds himself chased down by former associates for his friend’s death. Already once branded a murderer, he crosses paths with his friend’s sister, Sume, whose only desire is to see her family through troubled times. In the meantime, young, arrogant Ylir takes a special interest in Kefier while he himself is entangled in a battle with a powerful mage, one whose name has been long forgotten in legend. At the crux of their conflict is a terrible creature with one eye, cast from the womb of a witch, with powers so immense whoever possesses it holds the key to bring the continent to its knees.
Jaeth’s Eye introduces an epic fantasy tale of revenge and lost kingdoms, but also of grief, love, hope, and a promise for tomorrow. The Agartes Epilogues gets to the heart of epic fantasy from the sidelines.
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/u/benedictpatrick They Mostly Come Out At Night
The villagers of the forest seal themselves in their cellars at night, whispering folktales to each other about the monsters that prey on them in the dark. Only the Magpie King, their shadowy, unseen protector, can keep them safe.
However, when an outcast called Lonan begins to dream of the Magpie King’s defeat at the hands of inhuman invaders, this young man must do what he can to protect his village. He is the only person who can keep his loved ones from being stolen away after dark, and to do so he will have to convince them to trust him again.
They Mostly Come Out At Night is the first novel from Benedict Patrick’s Yarnsworld series. Straddling the line between fantasy and folklore, this book is perfect for fans of the darker Brothers Grimm stories.
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/u/undyrk Paternus
The gods of myth, monsters of legend, heroes and villains of lore.
They're real -- and they're coming back to finish a war that's been waged since the dawn of time.
Fi Patterson and Zeke Prisco's daily routine of caring for the elderly at a local hospital is shattered when a catatonic patient named Peter unwittingly thrusts them into a conflict between ageless beings beyond reckoning. A war of which he is the primary target, and perhaps the cause.
In order to survive, Fi and Zeke must forget everything they know about the world and come to grips with the astonishing reality of the Firstborn. Only then can they hope to learn the secrets locked in Peter's mind, help stave off an ancient evil that's been known by many names and feared by all, and discover truths about themselves perhaps best left hidden.
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/u/tanniel The Eagle's Flight
Peace in the Seven Realms of Adalmearc is only as strong as those who rule them. With the death of the high king and his heir too young to assume the throne, political intrigues fill the landscape as the leading noble families scheme and plot their way to power. Meanwhile, enemies abroad sense the changes and make their own preparations.
Standing as a safeguard against both foreign foes as well as enemies closer to heart are the Order and its knights. Keeping the realms of Adalmearc united and at peace is their foremost duty. But when the strife turns political and the enemy is difficult to discern, when alliances shift and allegiances are torn, even the hitherto unassailable honour of a knight may become stained.
The Eagle's Flight compiles the first three of the Chronicles of Adalmearc. It is a journey into the world of Adal, its realms, peoples, cultures, and conflicts.
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/u/stevenkelliher Valley of Embers
For hundreds of years, the flame-wielding Embers have been the last line of defense against the nightmare creatures from the World Apart, but the attacks are getting worse. Kole Reyna guards Last Lake from the terrors of the night, but he fears for his people’s future.
When Kole is wounded by a demon unlike any they have seen before, the Emberfolk believe it is a sign of an ancient enemy returned, a powerful Sage known as the Eastern Dark.
Kole has never trusted in prophecy, but with his people hanging on the precipice, he reluctantly agrees to lead the Valley’s greatest warriors in a last desperate bid for survival. Together, they will risk everything in search of a former ally long-thought dead, and whether Kole trusts him or not, he may be the only one capable of saving them.
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/u/stevethomas Klondaeg Omnibus
Monsters killed his parents, and Klondaeg is out for revenge. Armed with a double-headed battle-axe with a split personality, Klondaeg travels the world, teaming up with its mightiest adventurers to battle every monster he can find. Klondaeg is the greatest monster hunter in all of history, but the world needs more than a monster hunter. It needs a lord of heroes.
This omnibus edition collects all of Klondaeg’s outrageous adventures, including “Klondaeg The Monster Hunter,” “Klondaeg Saves Fromsday,” “Klondaeg and the Klondaeg Hunters,” and “Klondaeg: Lord of Heroes.”
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/u/salaris Sufficiently Advanced Magic
Five years ago, Corin Cadence’s brother entered the Serpent Spire — a colossal tower with ever-shifting rooms, traps, and monsters. Those who survive the spire’s trials return home with an attunement: a mark granting the bearer magical powers. According to legend, those few who reach the top of the tower will be granted a boon by the spire’s goddess.
He never returned.
Now, it’s Corin’s turn. He’s headed to the top floor, on a mission to meet the goddess.
If he can survive the trials, Corin will earn an attunement, but that won’t be sufficient to survive the dangers on the upper levels. For that, he’s going to need training, allies, and a lot of ingenuity.
The journey won’t be easy, but Corin won’t stop until he gets his brother back.
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/u/ashearmstrong A Demon in the Desert
Grimluk is an orc with one purpose: hunting demons.
The Wastelands mining town of Greenreach Bluffs is deteriorating: with each passing day its inhabitants grow more fearful and paranoid, plagued by...something. They suffer nightmares and hallucinations, there are murders at the mine; the community is on the brink of madness and ruin and, as events escalate, realization dawns: the town has a demon problem. Two attempts at hunting it down fail, Greenreach Bluffs is at breaking point...and then Grimluk the Orc strides in out of the Wastes to answer their call for salvation.
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/u/pirateaba The Wandering Inn
An inn is a place to rest, a place to talk and share stories, or a place to find adventures, a starting ground for quests and legends.
In this world, at least. To Erin Solstice, an inn seems like a medieval relic from the past. But here she is, running from Goblins and trying to survive in a world full of monsters and magic. She’d be more excited about all of this if everything wasn’t trying to kill her.
But an inn is what she found, and so that’s what she becomes. An innkeeper who serves drinks to heroes and monsters–
Actually, mostly monsters. But it’s a living, right?
This is the story of the Wandering Inn.
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/u/michaelrfletcher Ghosts of Tomorrow
The children are the future.
And someone is turning them into highly trained killing machines.
Straight out of school, Griffin, a junior Investigations agent for the North American Trade Union, is put on the case: Find and close the illegal crèches. No one expects him to succeed, Griffin least of all. Installed in a combat chassis Abdul, a depressed seventeen year old killed during the Secession Wars in Old Montreal, is assigned as Griffin's Heavy Weapons support. Nadia, a state-sanctioned investigative reporter working the stolen children story, pushes Griffin ever deeper into the nightmare of the black market brain trade.
Deep in the La Carpio slums of Costa Rica, the scanned mind of an autistic girl runs the South American Mafia's business interests. But she wants more. She wants freedom. And she has come to see humanity as a threat. She has an answer: Archaeidae. At fourteen, he is the deadliest assassin alive. Two children against the world.
The world is going to need some help.
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/u/will_wight Unsouled
Sacred artists follow a thousand Paths to power, using their souls to control the forces of the natural world.
Lindon is Unsouled, forbidden to learn the sacred arts of his clan.
When faced with a looming fate he cannot ignore, he must rise beyond anything he's ever known...and forge his own Path.
For Canadians: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01DL8S8F6/ref=docs-os-doi_0
It's free as well.
https://j-novel.club/v/jk-haru-is-a-sex-worker-in-another-world/search
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07FXHXLRS
https://global.bookwalker.jp/de7827a969-83ad-4e96-a969-87901bd5ed26/jk-haru-is-a-sex-worker-in-another-world/
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-au/ebook/jk-haru-is-a-sex-worker-in-another-world
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1129176433?ean=2940161583395
https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/id1417813578
Um, I wouldn't normally do this, but what you're asking for is a pretty accurate description of my own book, They Mostly Come Out At Night - a lot of reviews directly compare it to the Brothers Grimm tales. And since I feel really unclean for shilling my book here, send me a PM if it sounds like something you might be interested in reading...
...know what it takes to go through the design process of creating your own 'professional' looking book covers.
Speaking as a cover designer, here's a number of elements where I see a lot of amateurs messing up:
Failing to research their genre niche to see what the covers of the top-selling books look like. Book buyers use the covers to guess at what the book will contain, to narrow down their choices. There are far too many books available to expect that readers will read the description of every single result of their search on whatever platform they're searching on, so you need to signal genre, sub-genre, and mood loudly enough that it jumps out as someone's eye is scanning over a batch of 1.5" tall covers that are all competing for attention.
What signals those things, and what things readers are looking for, changes subtly over time, so you need to keep an eye out. I designed the house look for the Zoe Chant shifter romance books (I don't do all the covers; many of the authors do their own) and while we've kept the same overall look, when Zoe Chant first published the idea was to play up the cozy qualities in the books. As action romance has gotten more popular in the past few years, the challenge now is to play up the dramatic tension without signalling "alphahole" because the Zoe Chant niche is focused on ultimately kind heroes. This mostly involves a lot of dramatic lighting, and in recent months a lot more glowy elements to pull focus. The books are the same sort that have been published all along, we're just focusing on different aspects now.
Yes, there are always books that break the mold of current design and sell a ton, and thus set new fashions that everyone else chases. Your book will not be the one that does that.
Leaving large flat areas of color in the design. This also fits in with researching covers in your niche: large flat areas of color are common in non-fiction, but not so much in fiction. At the very least, fill in that empty blackness with a texture or with words. If you have a background in graphic design and understand how to use negative space properly, go for it, but if you don't, then I wouldn't attempt it.
Failing to give the focal point of the design a 'pop'. 'Pop' means to stand out. You can do this with color, composition, negative space, light glows, etc., and you should use more than one thing. It should be immediately apparent what the focal point is, because you have less than one second to grab the reader's eye and make them interested. The more experienced you are, the more subtle you can go--I love the cover for Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House, where the broken-up letterforms cause you to look twice and realize it's a snake doing that.
Failing to take lighting on the stock photos into account. If you grab two stock photos and montage them into a picture, they need to have complementary lighting. You can't have one high-key (bright, few shadows) and one low-key (dark, dramatic), and if you have the lighting in each photo coming from a different direction, you need to account for it in the rest of the picture because the two pictures will never blend properly if you don't. Yup, even in photomontages that aren't supposed to look like one photo: we are used to consistent lighting schemes in real life, and inconsistency draws the attention in a bad way because the brain goes "Something is wrong here."
Slapping the text on as an afterthought. The best cover designs involve the text from the very beginning, and make sure the composition includes the text. Ninth House above is a very obvious (and also very trendy right now) example.
(Also note that while Ninth House technically has large flat areas of black in the artwork, the title covers it up.)
Being afraid to put text on top of the artwork. Too many amateurs either make or buy a nice picture, and then go "I can't hide this picture!" and scrunch the title waaaaay down at the bottom and put their name waaaay up at the top. Ideally, you should have researched what your genre's conventions are--note that most trad publishers often put the text smack on top of the artwork, even interacting with it--and worked with the artist to develop a composition that takes the text into account. Barring that, put the full artwork on your website where your fans can see it (and maybe buy prints from your artist, or you if you licensed the copyright), and just slap that title on top.
Joe Abercrombie can get away with breaking this rule because he's Joe Abercrombie (and because the positive shape of the helmet POINTS AT THE TITLE, and because his name is BRIGHT RED and focus-pulling, and because the lighting on the helment is dark at the bottom and light at the top--three things that drive the eye to Abercrombie's name, which is the focal point).
Using default Photoshop text effects. Do not use anything more than a subtle drop shadow if you're new to this. Most text effects just look muddy at Amazon search results size, and are terrible anyway. If you find yourself looking at your title on the cover in a flat color and thinking, "This looks boring. I should jazz it up," then it means you are using the wrong font. It's still going to look wrong once you put a pillow emboss and outer glow on it. Go look at creativemarket.com, filter by price range, and invest in a (READABLE) font that is more interesting than Arial or Times New Roman or whatever you were using that came default with your computer.
Not making their author name big enough. You shouldn't go as big as Robert Jordan's name if you're not as big as Robert Jordan, but when your name is tiny, it looks like you're apologizing for having dared write the book.
Speaking of Jordan, I love these current covers. This is what you do if you can't bear to cover the artwork: you frame it, and you pull colors for the frame and the text from the artwork, and you incorporate interesting shapes into the frame. As a not-well-known author, you'd put the title into text the size of Jordan's name and put your name into the smaller text, and in the case of these covers, the frame would draw attention to your name, so the text could be smaller. (Although for an unknown author who wanted a similar cover, I'd put the series name into the frame, make the title large, and put the author name across the top.)
Aching God sounds like it's for you.
Edit* If you are into anime/games then I hesitantly suggest this japanese light novel. I don't really think it's going to be what you're looking for though.
Worth the Candle seems sort of like half story and half critique of dnd storytelling. My experience was that it's interesting but also frustrating for that same reason.
There's A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, a novel made up of 3 fairly short stories set in 3 different era's after a nuclear apocalypse. We read it recently in r/SF_Book_Club here.
I also enjoyed 'I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream' by Harlan Ellison. The whole story was posted as hundreds of separate submissions in this novel subreddit (the head of the redditor who posted this is probably adorning the wall above Harlan Ellisons mantelpiece).
A few years ago I read The Amtrak Wars series, I enjoyed them as a teenager but I'm not sure if they'd hold up as well with a reread.
For general fantasy I've enjoyed Gentleman Bastard, The Kingkiller Chronicle, and The Broken Empire. I listen to Kingkiller Chronicle fairly often due to the amount of commuting I do where I live.
For more urban/fantasy maybe try Lives of Tao, Iron Druid Chronicles, or anything by Neil Gaiman. The anniversary edition of American Gods was really excellent on audio-book. Not sure if the others have audio editions or not.
I've also really enjoyed stuff by Drew Hayes (a webnovelist). His banner series is SuperPowereds. But I though NPCs was a great take on an old fantasy trope. Neither come in audio formats unfortunately.
Good luck.
You're thinking of A Slow Regard of Silent Things, which is just a short(er?) story. I finished the second book last night and was frantically trying to find out if the 3rd was available for preorder anywhere...
If you're a fan of when CK2 bleeds a bit into the fantasy/supernatural world, I can heartily recommend The Black Company by Glen Cook. Follows a mercenary company in dark fantasy world, and is a damn good read.
And then if that takes you, then maybe give Battle Brothers a try. You run a mercenary band in dark fantasy world. It's sort of like Mount and Blade mixed with XCom, in a good way. Best of all, it's just about to leave Early Access, so no waiting 3 years for it to be complete!
I completely understand. Some characters rub me the wrong way as well! Thanks for giving my work a try. And I'd encourage you to keep giving indie writers opportunities. There are some great works out there. I'd recommend Phil Tucker's The Path of Flames, Timandra Whitecastel's Touch of Iron, and Benedict Patrick's They Only Come Out at Night.
Is this the new set they're doing for the film? Do you know where your gifter got if from? I really want it myself!
EDIT: I think I found it.
The Black Company- the heroes are basically the heroes just by virtue of not quite being as bad as the really bad guys- they're basically Fantasy Blackwater.
Jorg Ancrath in Prince of Thorns is an awesome anti-hero. Just a warning though, Jorg is an extremely dark anti-hero. Some of it proved twisted enough to turn some readers away, but I thought Prince of Thorns and its sequel King of Thorns were excellent, and the author is an active member in /r/fantasy.
I also feel I should mention Thomas Covenant, in the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant The Unbeliever. Thomas is a very unique anti-hero, in that for a good portion of the story he is flat out unlikable. He is not nearly as dark as Jorg (who I mentioned before), but I always felt Jorg was a badass while Thomas Covenant is flat out infuriating.
Having a protagonist that you aren't supposed to like or even really relate to is a very interesting dynamic in a story, and coupled with some very good writing and one of the most vibrant fantasy worlds makes Thomas Covenant some of the best fantasy I have ever read. The first two trilogies are very good, and the sixth book (White Gold Wielder) makes for me a very strong argument for greatest fantasy novel of all time
Hey, Brendan, wanted to say right away that the Doomstar Requiem was one of the best things I’ve ever experienced, and, personally, makes you one of the Greats by itself. From the music to the climax of the Metalocalypse universe, I was enthralled during my first viewing and only listened to the album for weeks afterwards. I’ve been watching your stuff since Home Movies, and I’ve been looking forward to Galaktikon II ever since I heard about it. After listening to it all morning, I’m definitely pleased with the next direction.
All prostration aside, I have a couple questions for you. Since Metalocalypse couldn’t really finish like you wanted, I’m sure you have a bunch of ideas that you had to give up on. Is there any plotline from that universe you’d ever resurrect somewhere else? For example, if you could, would you want to do make a Galaktikon project in the style of Metalocalypse(or something more serious), or has the experience with Adult Swim kinda ruined that? As a writer, I can’t imagine how much it would hurt to leave something as massive as Metalocalypse “unfinished.”
My second big question is whether or not you would be interested in scoring a movie/series that isn’t completely yours? I would love to hear your material anywhere, but since Dethklok was a big contributor to my writing playlist for my Horseman of the Apocalypse trilogy, it’s hard to imagine some of my scenes without your music in the background. It’s a pipe dream, but when I eventually get these books on a screen, I know exactly who I’d want to turn to for the score.
Thanks, I know this post was way too long, but I’m a big fan and couldn’t help it.
You might like The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, which focus on enslaved gods rather than killing them, but which I think probably get at some of the aspects you're interested in.
All together now:
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Rubicon
Adventures of Tin Tin, Vol. 7
The Gunslinger
The Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks is pretty good.
Better yet, read the book. The movie was quite disappointing in comparison.
I read Murakami's Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman and reread A Catcher in the Rye. I understood ACitR much better this time through and appreciated the style.
I began reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest but couldn't get into it; I subsequently tried The Man in the High Castle and felt the same way. It's a good thing I'm approaching my goal because I've seemed to have tired of reading. I'm going to try rereading Rothfuss's The Name of the Wind in anticipation for the late October release of The Silent Regard of Slow Things.
I went to the release event for Patrick Rothfuss' new novella, The Slow Regard of Silent Things (warning: do not read this novella if you haven't already read his other books, as it will make less than no sense).
It was awesome. He read this column that he wrote on why Gerbils count as fish. The man is just genuinely funny. And brilliant.
What other reddits do you surf?
I moderate /r/RATS, /r/Louisiana and /r/OpenChristian. I also read a lot in /r/SquaredCircle, /r/SRSBusiness, /r/SRSDiscussion, /r/polyamory, /r/woahdude and I've been dipping back into /r/Christianity a bit lately as well.
What do you do in your free time?
I read. I reddit. I smoke my pipe and drink my cocktails. I watch pro wrestling. I cuddle. I toy around with making jewelry (trying hammered wire recently) or playing with polymer clay. I'm considering this thing they call "ex ur size" or some such. It involves riding on a bike that goes nowhere. I understand I can read or watch TV while I do it, so I figured what the heck.
What do you read?
Right now I'm going back and forth between The History of White People and A Canticle for Leibowitz. Before that I read Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. the most powerful book I've read in the last few months was Silence by Shusaku Endo. You should read it. And then you should read Lamb because you'll need something a bit more jovial. But not until after you've sat with it a while.
What do you watch?
Ring of Honor Wrestling, WWE, Leverage, Big Bang Theory, How I Met Your Mother.
Do you Blog?
Yup, though not regularly enough to develop any sort of readership.
Do you game?
I just got my first console since the original NES when I was in junior high. It's a Wii. Every once in a while I'll play Mario Kart of do something on the Wii Fit.
Do you play a musical instrument/sing?
I make noise periodically. I want to do more.
What are your favorite movies?
Absolute number one favorite? Hedwig And the Angry Inch. The only tattoo I have is from that movie. Other favorites include The Big Lebowski, Pump Up The Volume, The Wrestler, Shortbus, Dangerous Beauty, Walk The Line.
What is some favorite music?
My absolute favorite band is Over the Rhine. Behind them, tied for second place, you'll find Boris, the Cure, Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash. Also up there are Kris Kristofferson, Mischief Brew, the CrimethInc band called Requiem (there are lots of bands called Requiem), The New Orleans Bingo Show. The list goes on for days.
Gyah, this is a topic I need so much help with. I hate most fight scenes in books and movies, but presumably they're there because most people enjoy them. Next time, I'm going to be smart and write about more pacific characters.
My personal strategy for writing fight scenes that I don't hate is to have about one line of dialogue/narration that moves the plot forward per line of "action." And I try not to focus on the typical blows, but rather the effects - like getting knocked on your ass. I also think there are more scenes about training than actual fights too.
Some personal pet peeves:
Some additional resources:
How to Fight Write
Previous discussion from /r/YAwriters
Writing a fight scene and need some tips!
Any tips for writing fight scenes?
As for books with fight scenes I don't skip over... I'm really enjoying Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire series (adult) right now and part of the reason is that the physical fights happen quickly, play out in surprising and frequently dishonorable ways, and the action tends to tie together plans that were previously laid with an indeterminate outcome.
It's a "young adult" series. School Library Journal calls it grade 8 and up.
Two characters fall for each other and it's revealed at the end of book 1 they're brother/sister. Book 2 is lots of angst about how evil they feel because they still want each other. Then there's a further reveal at the end of Book 2 that they're not really brother/sister, it was all a plot. Simultaneously, another character (who turns out later to be the 'big evil' for the series) is introduced that the girl character kisses--he ends up being her biological brother who pursues her sexually throughout the series.
https://www.amazon.com/City-Bones-Mortal-Instruments-Book-ebook/dp/B0013TXA5Y/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1526394403&sr=8-14&keywords=cassandra+claire
Have you checked out Mark Lawrence? I'm not really a fan of Grimdark fantasy but his books are amazing.
https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Thorns-Broken-Empire-Book-ebook/dp/B0052RERW8/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Prince of Thorns comes immediately to mind. The series is all about a gleefully evil bastard who could easily fulfill the villain role in any other book. I didn't expect to like this at all... But I did.
On a far more saccharine level, there are the Artemis Fowl books, about a 12-year old evil genius who plans to ransom a fairy.
I have also seen the Thomas Covenant books recommended in this context, but I haven't read them. Also, Dark Lord: The Early Years.
There's still time to emotionally scar a loved one. Run to the book store, drive there at excessive speed, teleport if you can.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052RERW8/ref=rdr_ext_sb_ti_hist_1
or for more laughs and marginally fewer decapitations:
http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Fools-Red-Queens-Book-ebook/dp/B00G3L1338/ref=asap_B004HNAQOQ?ie=UTF8
Happy holidays!
Absolutely. Everybody should read A Canticle for Leibowitz. http://www.amazon.com/Canticle-Leibowitz-Walter-Miller-Jr/dp/0060892994/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319748042&sr=1-1
A Canticle for Leibowitz is missing?
And if Timeline , Atlas Shrugged, and Minority Report are there, why not Flowers for Algernon?
For that particular class, I believe the assigned reading was:
>* Wastelands - John Joseph Adams
I also took a class on dystopian literature, which included:
>* The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Others I could recommend:
>* Lost Horizon - James Hilton
Thanks for the link pal...
I have thought about doing the same thing. I started thinking about this after I read the first three books in the "Black Company" series by Glen Cook. I would suggest checking it out. Very good read. Might give you a lot of ideas.
In thinking about the campaign that I wanted to make, I also thought about using the tales of the yawning portal book. This would give me something to use as a kind of filler. Just kind of re-flavor some of the mobs/bosses/feel of the dungeon to fit my needs.
I was also thinking of having my players be the "special ops" component of the military. This would give an easy explanation to why they always needed to sneak off or why they have such better toys than the rest.
In case you are interested. Here is a link for the first three books. https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Black-Company-Glen-Cook/dp/0765319233/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1497121270&sr=8-3&keywords=the+black+company.
Nope, Signet secured rights to the first 4 books when that was published.
You have 2 choices for full sets that match styles in terms of Paperbacks
Either the MMPB
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-II-Drawing-Three/dp/1501161814/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491158609&sr=8-3&keywords=the+dark+tower+series
Or the Scribner reprint
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-Boxed-Set/dp/1501163566/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1491158609&sr=8-2&keywords=the+dark+tower+series
I'd recommend They Mostly Come Out at Night by Benedict Patrick. It's a creepy, atmospheric book that draws from European folklore (and not the pretty kind).
Ascend Online by Luke Chmilenko
Chronicles of the Black Gate by Phil Tucker
The Aching God by Mike Shel
The Castes and the OutCastes by Davis Ashura
Paternus by Dyrk Ashton
​
I could keep going all day, but here's some starters, ha!
JK Haru. It is digital only, and if you check its Amazon page, you'll see that so far all reviews praise it. Like /u/takakoshimizu said, it gets really dark and unhappy, though the protagonist is quite sassy, which adds some (dark) humour.
Would totally recommend it.
Thanks for confirming this, Shawn. It crept out ahead of schedule here and there. And we were all wondering if it was legit.
Why don't you try this
This meme synopsis nearly made me buy this most likely trash novel
Here’s the Amazon link. apparently it’s very good according to those who finished it. Requires a mature and open-minded reader though.
Try one more last time. https://www.amazon.com/One-More-Last-Time-GameLit-ebook/dp/B07HS2MP8D/ref=nodl_#
Short reads, coming out fast and furious
MC is stubborn and just doing what they want.
The Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks
Starting with The Way of Shadows
Have you looked at the Amazon reviews? About half of reviewers were soemwhere between disappointed and very pissed off. Some apparently because when they pre-ordered it, there was no description and they thought it was book 3, but more who felt ripped off by an overpriced short story in which nothing of any interest happens. I haven't read it myself so I can't comment yet.
Since the other person didn't link it, here ya go.
you should check out the Chronicles of the Black Company
Thanks! I'll check these out... and maybe I'll reread the Dark Tower series, so friggin' great.
<>
Edit:
Amazon links:
The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley
Abundance Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler
Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker
Stephen King's Dark Tower Series
Patrick Rothfuss's Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicles)
Scott Lynch's Gentlemen Bastards series
(yeah, these are smile.amazon.com links... if you aren't already supporting some organization with your Amazon purchases, how about my kid's school's PTA?)
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence.
Prince of Thorns, the first book in the Broken Empire trilogy (Mark Lawrence) is only $1.99 on Amazon right now..
Alas, Babylon
A Canticle for Leibowitz
And extremely carnivorous, with an entire culture spanning thousands of miles and centuries upon centuries...
Has anyone read The Slow Regard of Silent Things ? Is it worth reading ? I've read the Kingkiller Chronicles, but this is just a story about Auri, right?
It's already out!
The Name of the Wind: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Kingkiller Chronicle) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0756413710/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RsaFDb9K849RM
Got it new for $15
Got it off amazon! Here's a link for ya!!
The Dark Tower 8-Book Boxed Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501163566/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_KTgSzbWNZ47PP
I agree the price differential isn't that wide. However, it does happen where the ebook is priced more than the paperback. I've seen $7.99 paperbacks with $11.99 ebooks before.
Heck, even right now, Prince of Thorns is listed at $7.60 for the mass market paperback and $7.99 for the ebook. Sure, $0.39 isn't that big of a difference, but why the difference at all? Clearly, ebooks have a lower production cost than paperbacks.
I understand that you, as the author, don't set the price, but when publishers pull crap like this, it really irritates us consumers.
EDIT: It's an even bigger gap for Emperor of Thorns at $7.99 for the ebook and $5.82 for the paperback. And that book is 2 years old.
I feel you'd like the Broken Empire trilogy, starting with Prince of Thorns. In it, we follow a magnificent, evil bastard named Jorg Ancrath on his quest for power.
For further recommendations, check out the thread I made a few months back:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/1hzf31/the_big_rfantasy_recommendation_thread_thread/
I can guarantee you'll find something you like in it.
Not sure if you're serious with this post or not, but in case you are, yes there is! http://www.amazon.com/Regard-Silent-Things-Kingkiller-Chronicle-ebook/dp/B00J9SUF2W/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1409945825&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=the+slow+regard+of+silent+things
Healers Suck! A GameLit Harem (Crystalia Online Book 1) Charles Andrews 2018/9/21 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HL8LTRL
The Hall: Book 1 of the Muraglen Saga Frank Albelo 2018/9/21 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HL8Y9K6
Princess Tamer 6: A LitRPG Harem Adventure Neil Bimbeau 2018/9/21 https://www.amazon.com/dp/J6FQVPT
Myth Protector: A Gamelit Harem Fairy Tale Adventure Jamie Hawke 2018/9/22 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HLQH975
Game of his life: A litrpg and gamelit mmo action adventure Jason Alters 2018/9/22 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HLRSQPV
Raid Slayer: A LITRPG Fantasy Adventure Riley Morrison 2018/9/22 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H7T8XWL
Trojan: An Epic LitRPG Adventure (Afterlife Online Book 3) Domino Finn 2018/9/24 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HMK5JBR
The Arena (The Adventures of Horc Book 2) Drew Seren and Robert Brownson 2018/9/24 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HMJPSL4
It Ain't Easy (The Valens Legacy Book 10) Jan Stryvant 2018/9/24 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HMR3WS8
Game Changer (Reality Benders Book #3) LitRPG Series Michael Atamanov 2018/9/24 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FQQGC83
The Idle System: The New Journey Pegaz A 2018/9/24 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HNKPKZ3
Phoenix World: Beta Test Zone 5 C.W. Dykes 2018/9/25 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HPDZGWW
Trapped in a Video Game (Book 4): Return to Doom Island Dustin Brady and Jesse Brady 2018/9/25 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FKFGGDR
Lord of the Flame: A LitRPG novel (Call of Carrethen Book 2) Stephen Roark 2018/9/25 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HNSWR7G
Solstice 2: A Gamelit Harem Adventure Harrison Shaw 2018/9/26 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HR31YWH
Wicked Wager - A Gamer Girl Erotic LitRPG Adventure John Waylon 2018/9/26 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HQY5Q3S
Freehaven Online: Lady Thunderlord, Into Hades: A LitRPG Adventure Jun Prince 2018/9/26 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F37VFSJ
The Eight of Nights: An OmniWorld Adventure (OmniWorld Adventures) Randy Nargi 2018/9/26 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1724047663
A Troll's Curse: A Monster MC Adventure April O'Malley 2018/9/27 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HRW3HQ2
One More Last Time: A LitRPG/GameLit Novel (The Good Guys Book 1) Eric Ugland 2018/9/27 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HS2MP8D
Danger Knights: Part I Harrison Shaw 2018/9/27 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HRGSL94
CO-OP (Animus Book 2) Joshua Anderle and Michael Anderle 2018/9/27 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HRTM2M3
Banisher Reborn: A LitRPG Series (The Banisher Chronicles Book 1) Deck Davis 2018/9/28 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HSPTBXV
Couch Potato Chaos: Gamebound Erik Rounds and David Debaene 2018/9/28 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FDTPN2R
Danger Knights: Part II Harrison Shaw 2018/9/28 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HTXYLW2
First Level (Replay Book 1) John Gunningham 2018/9/28 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HG3TQGW
Build-A-Harem: The Island Collection: Books 1-3 Zachariah Dracoulis and Elisha Dracoulis 2018/9/28 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HVT9MWT
Black Flame in the Barren Steppe: Epic LitRPG (Realm of Arkon, Book 8) G. Akella and Mark Berelekhis 2018/9/29 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HJ6LMK4
Mine Shaft: A LitRPG Sci-Fi Harem Adventure (Venus Online Book 4) Jeremy Zenith 2018/9/29 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HVY2GFY
Chosen: A Sexy LitRPG Novella (The Harémon Master Book 1) A.V. Kern 2018/9/30 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HX36MJ7
Rebirth Online: A litRPG Adventure Michael James Ploof 2018/9/30 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H7SNL7G
The Heroine Collector, super bundle #1: a GameLit harem saga V.R. Harimenko 2018/9/30 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HXNDP94
Ghosts of Smoke: A LitRPG Novel Yuli Ban 2018/9/30 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HWLDC6B
El Sexorcisto!: Harems and Ultraviolence Yuli Ban 2018/9/30 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HX4Z1NS
I love this thread idea, though I feel like it's already mostly covered by the "What did you read this month?" thread. Still, far be it from me to not shove my preferences in everyones face.
Anything Lindsay Buroker puts out. Most known for her Emperor's Edge books. First one is free, just try it. Steampunk, bit of romance, fun cast of characters. It's nothing revolutionary, honestly, but I just have so much fun reading her stuff and I can't even tell you why. I'm just an absolute addict and she provides the crack in a timely manner. You think Sanderson writes like a machine? This woman must have self-triplicated somewhere along the line. 5+ books a year.
Next up would be J.S. Morin's Twinborn books. It's not exactly unknown on here, but it still needs a mention. Two series, one building on the other. Excellent work-building, cool characters, can't wait for what the author does next. It's mostly traditional Fantasy as you can get, but featuring Pirates, Magic, Empires, Demi-Gods and as of the 2nd series Steampunk, bit of SF and Transhumanism. Excellent stuff.
I also greatly enjoyed the short, fun read that was Larkspur. Not unknown on here either as the author frequents /r/fantasy relatively often, but still. MORE DAMN YOU!
Also, [Fae - The Wild Hunt] (http://www.amazon.com/Fae-Wild-Hunt-Riven-Wyrde-ebook/dp/B00IWOW2Y8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1417986097&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=graham+austin+king) by Graham Austin-King. He has a promo thread for the 2nd volume up on here right now anyway, but who cares? I loved the first book. Dark fairy-tale, novel approach to multiple POV story-telling. Can't wait for tomorrow. (2nd book release)
Lastly, [Book of Deacon] (http://www.amazon.com/Book-Deacon-ebook/dp/B0036FTF4S/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1417986518&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=book+of+deacon) by Joseph R. Lallo. Counting by the Amazon reviews it isn't exactly obscure, but I never saw it mentioned on here. Quite traditional "chosen one, save the world" Fantasy, but what makes this series is the diverse cast. There's a human magician and there's a fox and a dragon and... I'll just shut up now. Traditional in many ways, not so much in others.
The first book is Larkspur: A Necromancer's Romance. The RRAWR thread discussing the book can be found here.
It's amazing.
And if you really like the story, check out Rothfuss's Auri book that releases next month :)
Thanks! Australian link: https://www.amazon.com.au/They-Mostly-Come-Night-Yarnsworld-ebook/dp/B01DL8S8F6/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?keywords=Benedict+Patrick&amp;qid=1562675957&amp;s=digital-text&amp;sr=1-6
Samesies.
AU Link
amazon Australia
I cannot recommended Aching God by Mike Shel enough. It is so, so good.
Aching God (Iconoclasts Book 1) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C9DBKB6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_u5wQCb75W19QE
The Good Guys: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HS2MP8D/
back to the beginning
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Current Selection#####
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Past Selections#####
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I used to eat scrambled eggs mixed with grape jelly as a kid.
shudder
Edit- link
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0060892994/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;colid=2NTUQVT5GNRFH&amp;coliid=IKV39RU7DTSH
Whoop-di-do-da, Happy Cake Day! My absolute favorite book is [A Canticle for Leibowitz] (http://www.amazon.com/Canticle-Leibowitz-Walter-Miller-Jr/dp/0060892994/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1369148346&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=a+canticle+for+leibowitz) by Walter Miller. It's a sci-fi book depicting three different eras of human society's evolution after a devastating nuclear war through the eyes of a religious order that sprung up shortly after the bomb. It's not an easy or chipper read by any means, but it's good. I love it because it has all the philosophical things I love in sci-fi: science, morality, the struggle of religion in modern society, post-apocalyptic dystopian survival, American imperialism... and somehow it's not dry or preachy or hokey.
I'll post links so you can get an idea of what they're about. Apologies, I'm a bit tired, otherwise I would give you a rough synopsis myself
If you're looking for some good fantasy books I'd highly recommend the following:
1.) The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - http://www.amazon.com/Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicle/dp/0756404746
2.) Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence - http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Thorns-Broken-Empire-Lawrence/dp/1937007685
3.) Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson - http://www.amazon.com/Gardens-Moon-Malazan-Book-Fallen/dp/0765348780/ref=pd_sim_14_12?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=51pDraZRUIL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL160_SR99%2C160_&amp;refRID=1H0ZZ7MYMYZGKGQMEKTW
This next one has some fantasy elements, however, it's hard to pigeonhole into an exact genre (low fantasy adventure?), nonetheless, it's one of the better books that I've read recently.
4.) The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastards) by Scott Lynch
http://www.amazon.com/Lies-Locke-Lamora-Gentleman-Bastards/dp/055358894X/ref=pd_sim_14_5?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=51tpIK8K%2BtL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL160_SR98%2C160_&amp;refRID=1H0ZZ7MYMYZGKGQMEKTW
5.) The Way of Shadows: The Night Angel Trilogy: Book 1 by Brent Weeks -
http://www.amazon.com/Way-Shadows-Night-Angel-Trilogy/dp/0316033677/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=51tPZPp5dsL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL160_SR93%2C160_&amp;refRID=1WERAT21ARWMVZN12V2P
(All books mentioned are the 1st novel of a larger series. If you're already aware and/or read these already than disregard, trying to pass along some great books for anyone who might come across my post)
If you want a faster paced fantasy novel, then The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks might be for you. I've only read the first book so far, but it was quite enjoyable.
Hrm.
Maybe The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin? That gets very epic, but not quite in the same way as Malazan or Wheel of Time. It feels a little more anime-esque, which you might or might not enjoy.
Are you only looking for finished series?
Will Wight's House of Blades looks is the start of a series that might go in the direction you're looking for, but again, it has a little more of an anime feel.
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan is the start of something pretty epic, but it's just the beginning of a series. It's a little lighter on magic than the examples above, but it looks like there will probably be more magic later on.
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
"Convoluted without being dense, Jemisin's engaging debut grabs readers right from the start. Yeine desires nothing more than a normal life in her barbarian homeland of Darr. But her mother was of the powerful Arameri family, and when Yeine is summoned to the capital city of Sky a month after her mother's murder, she cannot refuse. Dakarta, her grandfather and the Arameri patriarch, pits her against her two cousins as a potential heir to the throne. In an increasingly deep Zelaznyesque series of political maneuverings, Yeine, nearly powerless but fiercely determined, finds potential allies among her relatives and the gods who are forced to live in Sky as servants after losing an ancient war. Multifaceted characters struggle with their individual burdens and desires, creating a complex, edge-of-your-seat story with plenty of funny, scary, and bittersweet twists."
You should check out some of N.K. Jemisin's books. I would especially recommend the first two books of the Inheritance trilogy (Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and The Broken Kingdoms) and the second book of the Dreamblood series (The Shadowed Sun). These books have strong female main characters and I love N.K. Jemisin's writing style. Also I enjoy that her books incorporate culture and racial themes outside of the traditional, white-washed classic fantasy.
Also, check out Sarah J Maas' Throne of Glass series. It definitely has a strong female lead who becomes stronger and more grounded as the series goes on.
Yeah, I love the horror fantasy as well. I'm sure you are familiar with the Hellraiser movies....and you may or may not be familiar with Lord of Illusions, but Barker's new book has the protagonist from LoI, who is a paranormal investigator, going to Hell to meet it's Priest, Pinhead. It's called the Scarlet Gospels and is the only one I haven't read yet and am really looking forward to.
Also, there were a series of books called Necroscope by Brian Lumley that you may enjoy.
I'm currently reading The Descent by Jeff Long and I can't put it down.
The Descent (Descent Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/051513175X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_bc.FDb6CP0SNK
the descent by jeff long. https://www.amazon.com/Descent-Jeff-Long/dp/051513175X
sorry for link, on mobile. it inspired a movie by the same name, but is very different.
Ever since I read The White Road by Lotz and The Descent by Long , I’ve been particularly interested in caves/tunnels/tight places in horror. This film really scratched that itch.
The idea of (not sure if spoilers are allowed here) the type of world that was under there, the logistics of getting there, and the reality of what the other place was and it’s physics was also rather appealing.
The poster had completely new meaning to me after watching.
I love the novel this was loosely based on, great read if anyone has not checked it out yet
All of my favorite books!!! But as an aside it is my understanding that the release in October is just a Novella about Auri the third book is going to be The Doors of Stone (working title) yet to get a release date.
G'mornin folks. I had the best start to my day. Just me and my itty baby in bed. She had her breakfast then laid there beside me smiling and grabbing at my face for a good half hour. Melted my heart, she did.
I hope y'all have a great Sunday. If anyone wants a chat hit me up! I'll be around all day. Gonna hang out in TC most of the day too. I refuse to be productive today.
P.S. All my Rothfuss fans... LOOKIT!
It is on Amazon. Here's the share link from the page.
The Name of the Wind: 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Kingkiller Chronicle) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0756413710/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_0gZIzb5MYNK7P
No, for some reason the link shows the normal book, if you look on the amazon page or click the hardcover tab on their website it is a new cover. Now I'm not saying it's as cool as other anniversary editions I've seen (I personally love the cover of the UK 20th Anniversary Edition of Assassin's Apprentice), but it is a completely new, if basic, cover.
Chronicles of the Black Company - Only a 30 pages into it But it's good so far, written sort of Journal like. Not much Fluff, which i like.
Just Finished The Wise Man's Fear Really enjoying that series, but not looking forward to wait times on the next novel....
To clarify, the books have been republished in the form of four omnibus editions:
By today's fantasy standards, this is a four book series, even if it is divided into ten shorter novels.
I recommend you read "Chronicles of the Black Company" (Aka The Books of the North) by Glen Cook.
That will give you a good idea of what grimdark fantasy about men intended for men is supposed to be like.
Let's start with the obvious. You seem to enjoy the Warcraft universe. Did you know that fantasy novels have been released for that universe? See here for more details.
Maybe you want something new, though. I can't vouch for the quality of Warcraft novels, but a lot of the Warhammer Fantasy novels out there have had positive reviews, and take place in a similar (but more grimdark, because Warhammer) world. You can find more information about Warhammer Fantasy novels at Black Library, here.
Okay, so far, so good. But maybe you want something older and unrelated to a game franchise. Instead of mindlessly bleating TOLKIEN TOLKIEN TOLKIEN over and over at you, I'm going to suggest you avoid him. He's one of those fantasy authors that people like to tell everyone to read when they have no better suggestions, or because he's old and somehow a "father of the genre." Instead, try Tad Williams with his Memory, Sorrow and Thorn trilogy. It tells the same sort of story, but with more character development and less time spent on epic feasting.
Alternatively, if you enjoy gritty military tales, give The Black Company a whirl - easily one of my favourites in the genre, and a book that inspired another awesome series, Malazan Book of the Fallen. (Note: Malazan is sort of like A Song of Ice and Fire in that it has a ton of characters, frequently jumps around, and can leave you disengaged from one novel to another.)
Edit: I should add that Brandon Sanderson is a good bet, and I'd recommend his Stormlight Archives series (aka, The Way of Kings) over his Mistborn stuff, but that's personal preference. I didn't mention him originally because he'd already been mentioned everywhere else in this thread, and repetition isn't helpful.
Yes, here's a pic of the spines https://www.amazon.ca/Dark-Tower-8-Book-Boxed-Set/dp/1501163566/ref=pd_cp_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=F239A53A0G9Z3MCCK0TH
There's a very nice box set of paperbacks that was released this past December. Matching books, nice box artwork, and actually affordably priced.
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-Boxed-Set/dp/1501163566
Some of my favs:
The King Killer Chronicles
Gentlemen Bastard Series
The Dark Tower
Riyria Revelations
The Ender Quartet
Ummmm I know I'm leaving some out, but those are some of my favorite series off the top of my head.
Edit: Stupid formatting on mobile.
The Dark Tower 8-Book Boxed Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501163566/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_0UoRCb94KT723
have you read "The man in the high castle"? It's alternative history in which the nazis have won WWII.
What I also really liked, but is not really alternative history, but more a different future for mankind, with fantasy elements and a good story is "The Broken Empire trilogy"
Prince of Thorns, Mark Lawrence. Start of a great trilogy. 1st person perspective.
https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Thorns-Broken-Empire-Lawrence/dp/1937007685/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1473200756&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=prince+of+thorns
I just finished the follow-up trilogy "Red Queen's War" which followed a very different character but was also fantastic
The Broken Empire series by Mark Lawrence fits the bill. It's fantasy, and the hero -- or anti-hero -- is so incredibly amoral that I often found myself saying, "Am I rooting for the bad guy? I think I'm rooting for the bad guy."
It's one of my favorite series of the past few years.
I love Joe Abercrombie's fantasy noir/grimdark. It's long on swords and short on magic. If you want to emulate someone, I can't think of a better choice. He writes fully realized characters, even for his bit parts. He avoids cliches in his phrasing and dialogue, so everything seems fresh. And he does great action scenes. I think the best introduction to Abercrombie is Best Served Cold.
I think it's also important to read Mark Lawrence, starting with Prince of Thorns.
I'd highly recommend the Broken Empire trilogy by Mark Lawrence (Starting with Prince of Thorns).
It's very dark with a good dose of sarcasm. There are plenty of interesting characters but you won't get lost trying to memorize a millions names and places. Plus Mark is a regular on Reddit and seems to be a super cool guy.
Click 'Kindle' format
She probably has all of the books you've mentioned if she really likes them, bookish people usually do... A special edition might be an idea, but I won't be able to help you with that, I go for cheap paperbacks due to money ;)
I'm tempted to recommend "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin, it's not sci-fi classic per se, but it's a dystopian classic, she would probably like it if she likes Brave New World, but again, she might already have it. Still I'm sure she'd be thrilled to get a thoughtful thank you gift from you, even if she's read it before or even has a copy... Here's a link to that book on amazon, if you want to have a look: amazon link
If she does like classic sci-fi, here are some old-school, hard sci-fi (but it's not all just spaceships and aliens) that she might enjoy and possibly even not have, since a couple of the authors aren't from English speaking countries:
I was going to mention [Alas, Babylon] (http://www.abebooks.com/search/an/frank/tn/alas+babylon) but it was very short. I also think that A Canticle for Leibowitz was okay as well.
For me, A Canticle for Leibowitz is one of the best.
I'm fairly terrible at giving good synopses, so I'll let Amazon's summary do the work for me:
> In a nightmarish ruined world slowly awakening to the light after sleeping in darkness, the infant rediscoveries of science are secretly nourished by cloistered monks dedicated to the study and preservation of the relics and writings of the blessed Saint Isaac Leibowitz. From here the story spans centuries of ignorance, violence, and barbarism, viewing through a sharp, satirical eye the relentless progression of a human race damned by its inherent humanness to recelebrate its grand foibles and repeat its grievous mistakes.
It's a seriously devastating book. You should be able to find a used copy of it somewhere fairly easy, it's considered a bit of a classic. Also, the Amazon link I provided isn't even the cheapest (new) edition you can get, that would be the mass-market paperback, but I linked to the trade paperback one first because it has the best cover-art.
Just an FYI to everyone who doesn't realize: Walter Miller was one of the legends of early sci-fi--though he inexplicably stopped publishing after his masterpiece A Canticle for Leibowitz.
A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller, Jr. One of my favourite books. Amazon link
Buying a book is not about obtaining a possession, but about securing a portal.
I sit in a corner and stare at the wall everyday at work. Books help my day pass so much quicker. I need a new series and [this] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/0316033677/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&amp;colid=2FW4CC4RC9SM5&amp;coliid=I2VQ9SUF6IPRF4) looks interesting. Thanks!
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. One of the better fantasy books to come out for a while in my opinion.
http://www.amazon.com/Wise-Mans-Fear-Kingkiller-Chronicles/dp/0756404738
EDIT: also recommend the Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks
http://www.amazon.com/Way-Shadows-Night-Angel-Trilogy/dp/0316033677/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c
In roughly recommendish order:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicle/dp/0756404746
http://www.amazon.com/Mistborn-Trilogy-Boxed-Hero-Ascension/dp/076536543X/
http://www.amazon.com/American-Gods-Neil-Gaiman/dp/0380789035
http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Apprentice-Farseer-Trilogy-Book/dp/055357339X/
http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Prince-Book-Melanie-Rawn/dp/0886774500/
http://www.amazon.com/The-Way-Shadows-Night-Trilogy/dp/0316033677
Just in case you think about buying them
https://www.amazon.com/Night-Angel-Complete-Trilogy/dp/0316201286 This is for the entire trilogy
https://www.amazon.com/Way-Shadows-Night-Angel-Trilogy/dp/0316033677 And this is for only the first one.
I got into the RR trilogy as a means of coming off my hangover from reading the Night Angel trilogy.
It's a fantasy book, not sci-fi, but it's very similar in other ways. It follows the journey of a young hero from zero to powerful hero, and the books tend to take a step back in scope each time just like RR.
I would say Night Angel is certainly more dark and has less of a "young adults" feel that RR does.
Both are excellent books.
/u/Morthy you shall be now dubbed Dr. Morthy-o. Let's play a pill version of Tetris. (??)
I've been suggesting this to everyone here, but you should really read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (and its 2 sequels) by N.K. Jemisin. I have not before nor since read a book that was this exquisitely plotted and executed. It is fantasy; it concerns gods and humans, a city suspended in the sky and a woman from a faraway land who is called to the city to fulfill her destiny. It features strong women, warring gods, and many plot twists. It makes my heart sing.
So read it. :)
If you want a straightforward page-turner, try The Descent by Jeff Long. Turns out, a species of hominid diverged from homo sapiens a long time ago, and continued to evolve deep below the earth, in underground caves and tunnels. All of a sudden they seem to be coming to the surface to attack people, and we've got to stop 'em. To paraphrase one of the characters, "we've declared war on hell".
If you want something more challenging, how about House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski. It's hard to describe this book, but if you get a chance to pick it up in the bookstore, flip through the pages and look at how it's laid out. The fonts and layout change, some pages only have a couple of words on them, some pages are printed diagonally, others reversed. The book itself is a mystery about a mystery. It may be a horror story, or it may not be, but it will definitely give you an uneasy feeling when you're out there in the woods.
If you want a book that may inspire you while you're out there, pretty much anything by John Muir would do, but how about The Wild Muir: Twenty-Two of John Muir's Greatest Adventures. I haven't read this book, but it's a compilation of his writing and I'm sure I've read many of the stories that go into it. Muir is a great lover of and writer about nature, and had a lot of adventures to draw from.
Have fun on your trip!
A couple of books that I enjoyed:
Felix Gilman - The Half-Made World
http://www.amazon.com/Half-Made-World-Felix-Gilman/dp/0765325535/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1422115061&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=The+Half-Made+World&amp;pebp=1422115068901&amp;peasin=765325535
The lost city of Z
http://www.amazon.com/Lost-City-Deadly-Obsession-Amazon/dp/1400078458/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1422115097&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=lost+city+of+z
Jeff Long - The Descent
http://www.amazon.com/Descent-Jeff-Long/dp/051513175X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1422115133&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=the+decent
Edit: I would also check out Mark Hodder's Burton & Swinburne series. Book 3 Expedition to the Mountains of the Moon is what I was thinking of.
The Descent by Jeff Long.
To follow up on this, if you don't want to go into caves but still want to experience the fright and thrill of them, read this book.
It's fantastic and scary and also makes you sit back and make you think.
I was going to say Jeff Long's - The Descent, but that's probably not it. But you may enjoy it anyways.
Year Zero by Jeff Long. It's more like plague apocalypse but trust me I find this book much much scarier than any zombie/monster apocalypse books I've read before.
Also the Descent from the same author. This one has real monster and body horror. I still suffered nightmares from it
I'm new to reddit so hope I didn't mess up posting links in comment too much >_<
edit: yep...messed up the link
I'm waiting on THIS. Also, I finally got my wife to read The Name of the Wind. She's slowly getting through it, but she is starting to get hooked.
Here's something to keep you busy for a bit then: http://www.amazon.com/The-Slow-Regard-Silent-Things/dp/0756410436/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1412046798&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=NAme+of+the+wind
I only found out through a friend but he's releasing a novella based on Auri that was originally supposed to show up in GRRMartin's Rogues collection (he settled on a story featuring Bast). Should be out in October.
Source:Amazon
I am reading "Before they are hanged" by Joe Abercrombie. It is the second book in a three part series called "The first law".
It's a great series so far. His world building, characters, and especially his fight scenes are incredible.
If you haven't read anything by him I would start with "Half a King". I couldn't put it down when I started.. Although I just noticed it is actually going to be a series and I know that annoys some so be warned.
edit: and this book will be next.. It's on pre-order and will be delivered next week.. I can't wait. The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss
http://amzn.com/0756410436
you can get it on the Kindle
I dont know if it has the drawings and extra pages though.
off the top of my head right now the only one I can think of is this one and the first three dark tower books. At work right now i'll come up with list ASAP.
Not sure how easy it is to find the actual book, here it is:
http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Black-Company-Glen-Cook/dp/0765319233
I'd definitely suggest Glen Cook's The Black Company about a group of mercenaries with a mysterious past that would fit right into the background history of The Witcher universe.
The books have an equally dark tone and don't shy away from consequence or death. The books are told from the Company Historian's perspective that records the events, so there's a hook of an unreliable narrator, with selective memory - the black company are not good people, they're just fighting to survive.
There's a bunch of parallels to the Witcher, not the least of which being the sense that they're the last generation of a long line that's been dying out.
(Think: a group of freelance soldiers that are employed by an empire of sorcerers and warriors as powerful as the Wild Hunt)
Sexy Rexy!
I have never been gifted either, i just posted my intro last night actually!
http://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Black-Company-Glen-Cook/dp/0765319233/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&amp;colid=3RHOBNPXHQ933&amp;coliid=I2TFAT0VMH420K
That copy came out like a decade ago when the book was released. The 2016 Scribner releases with the movie tie-in covers don't have a physical copy of books 5-7 and TWTTK available yet as far as I know, even though the Kindle versions have the new covers. According to this post, Scribner plans on releasing a matching set of all the books within the next 6 months or so.
Amazon Link
Those are pretty!! I've never seen these printings before!
EDIT - Amazon link for those interesting in owning their own
here you go
The closest I've got to that is Prince of Thorns. I've only read the first book of the trilogy in another language, but it was decent, and pretty much exactly what you describe. To be honest I got it as a gift, and I don't know if I would be willing to pay money for it, but maybe you can find it in a library or something.
Now, onto web serials (all free), which are close to your criteria:
Dungeon Keeper Ami. Fanfic. Sailor Mercury from Sailor Moon accidentally becomes a Keeper from Dungeon Keeper. Quite good.
Kumo desu ga, nani ka? (I'm a spider, so what?) and Everybody loves large chests. A giant spider and a mimic, respectively, try to survive in RPG-like fantasy worlds. Both stories are good.
And Worm. Teenager girl can control bugs. Becomes a supervillain despite good intentions. Very, very good.
The Prince of Thorns is the first of the Broken Empire trilogy.
Slight Spoilers
It's implied that the world of the books is our world, in a future where science's pursuit into the foundation of reality has created a sort of tear between what is and what isn't. Consciousness can now control reality directly, aka magic's back bitch.
The main character is basically a little boy, I mean I think he's like 12 at the start and even younger in flashbacks, but he's leading a self-styled "brotherhood" of some truly nasty brutes (and a couple not so nasty). It's a good read, even if he tends to rush the climaxes with convenience. His characterization is top notch though. He begins each chapter with a sentence or two about another particular member of "the brotherhood" and almost every time he made it interesting enough to stick with me.
The main character is young but he's a bit of a sociopath. Read the synopsis and reviews and decide for yourself. I didn't think it was but now that you asked and I thought about it more it might be borderline YA but its kind of dark for YA.
https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Thorns-Broken-Empire-Lawrence/dp/1937007685
It definitely does, and Sanderson's work on the final 3 books was pretty inspired to say the least.
Also, check out
https://www.amazon.com/Lies-Locke-Lamora-Gentleman-Bastards-ebook/dp/B000JMKNJ2
https://www.amazon.com/Way-Kings-Brandon-Sanderson/dp/0765365278/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;psc=1&amp;refRID=KRSFJE42GMR8VFGZGC72
https://www.amazon.com/Blade-Itself-First-Law/dp/0316387312
https://www.amazon.com/Prince-Thorns-Broken-Empire-Lawrence/dp/1937007685/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1492715571&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=prince+of+thorns
I need this because I REALLY need a guard dog around the house.
/u/0hfuck needs this, because you never know when you need a good supply of bones, and what better source than a city of them? (And you never know when I'll need to borrow one to feed my dog. See above. ;) )
Here it is on Amazon! :)
A book is obviously the most useful thing, since it fulfills my need to do things other than video games this summer!
Prince of Thorns - There are 5 or 6 books now in this post apocalyptic fantasy series
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052RERW8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1
You should check out The Prince of Thorns and sequels for just this. He's a totally evil, terrible person who you end up pulling for.
Ive been reading this book trilogy called From Hell With Love. Its about The Horseman of Pestilence and Death, who uncover an assassination plot to kill Satan. It is really interesting and have enjoyed it a lot. There is a lot of action and it is good at keeping your attention. The two horseman also encounter a lot of different mythical demons and other creatures. The whole book takes a very different approach to Hell as most people know it, and anyone with even a passing interest in Heaven, Hell, and mythology should check it out.
http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Love-Forsaken-Comedy-Book-ebook/dp/B00EDRBGKE/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1414772369&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=from+hell+with+love
>My second big question is whether or not you would be interested in scoring a movie/series that isn’t completely yours? I would love to hear your material anywhere, but since Dethklok was a big contributor to my writing playlist for my Horseman of the Apocalypse trilogy, it’s hard to imagine some of my scenes without your music in the background. It’s a pipe dream, but when I eventually get these books on a screen, I know exactly who I’d want to turn to for the score.
Had to come back to this, even if it took me way too long to find again. That book was damn good, I loved it. My only complaint is that I stayed up way too late finishing it. If I didn't need to get to sleep hours ago I'd be buying the rest right now. I definitely know what I'm doing after work tomorrow.
Thank you for your shameless self promotion. Seriously.
/u/faustyna's Larkspur has one of my favorite portrayals of death.
I don't need to ask for anything! I find my own links!
It's not really my genre, but it looks like it's getting pretty good reviews, so congrats! I'm sure it was a lot of work, but I'm glad it seems to be paying off.
I love it too -- I've got the first book and where the boss is so appreciative. Soon to be 4 books out right now, *Larkspur, or A Necromancer's Romance, is dark fantasy.
there is an ebook version. The kindle edition is 10.94 http://www.amazon.com/Slow-Regard-Silent-Things-Kingkiller-ebook/dp/B00J9SUF2W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1396662860&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=the+slow+regard+of+silent+things
Its only slightly more expensive than going to see the average movie.
You should get yourself this game and me this ebook. Shipping would take up too much of the available funds, so digital delivery it is.
Thanks for the review, absolutely loved this book.
EDIT: Just going to post a link to the book here
Some great fantasy books on Kindle Unlimited are listed here. I would recommend Chronicles of the Black Gate by Phil Tucker, Heartstrikers by Rachel Aaron, and Aching God by Mike Shel.
I'm so thrilled you enjoyed The Raveling! Makes me happy. The third book was just released, if you hadn't seen that yet.
Have you read The Aching God? I think it's a really terrific book. I've heard good things about the Rhenwar Saga. I also loved Paternus, though that might be classed as urban fantasy.
https://www.amazon.com/Aching-God-Iconoclasts-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07C9DBKB6
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Rhenwars-Saga-Fantasy-Pentalogy-ebook/dp/B07KLXCH5X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=rhenwars&qid=1575089953&s=digital-text&sr=1-1
https://www.amazon.com/Paternus-Rise-Gods-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B01CXPD8T4/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=paternus&qid=1575089982&s=digital-text&sr=1-1
Yeah, It is ... even reviews looks god damn promising
the good guys series and delvers llc
Ohh. I see.
Cradle Series
Overgeared
Red Mage
The Gam3
Limitless Lands
Divine Dungeon
Mirror World
The Good guys
War Aeternus
Dest March
Bushido Online
Dark Elf Chronicles
Djinn Tamer
Hero of Thera
Morning Wood
The Two Week Curse
Party Hard
Axe Druid
Ryan DeBruyn
Equalize: A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG (Ether Collapse Book 1)
The way of the shaman
Galactagon
One More Last Time by Eric Ugland - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HS2MP8D/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i2
MC is in a crazy time crunch to get into the game world and chooses a bunch of settings more or less at random breaking aspects of the game. More than that though it's a very well written and edited series (including a little meta poking fun at the genre). Highly recommended.
Larkspur: A Necromancer's Romance by V.M. Jaskiernia
Book... wait... what?!
Ah. Haha, no. Unfortunately, the book coming out on the 28th is The Slow Regard of Silent Things which, while Kingkiller related, is a novella about the Auri. Which is cool, because Auri is totally awesome, but is a bit disappointing because the third book is still a way away. Last I heard, there is no possibility of a 2014 release and even a 2015 release is incredibly unlikely...
It's really disappointing that 2016 is soonest we can hope for, but there are supposed to be 3 novellas (the Auri one included) released in the meantime. :/
Next week man, next week!
Edit for those asking: October 28
2nd Edit: Yes, sadly it's not really book three, just a side-story focusing on Auri. Still...
Book one
Book two
Absolutely incredible short story
Book one had such an uncomfortable start for me, felt too tropey and overdone, but I'm glad I stuck around and got into it because it really picks up into an amazing couple of books.
I just really hope book three is released during my lifetime.
One of the character's names is Ambrose.
Not book 3 but part of the story, The Slow Regard of Slient Things is releasing on the 28th of October. It focuses on Auri, who lives under the University.... So it could reveal a bit about the doors :D?
Here is the amazon link to it
Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:
amazon.com
amazon.co.uk
amazon.ca
amazon.com.au
amazon.in
amazon.com.mx
amazon.de
amazon.it
amazon.es
amazon.com.br
amazon.nl
amazon.co.jp
amazon.fr
Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.
Perhaps these might be your thing. "Best" is subjective.... so you are subject to my opinion, heh. They ought to keep you warm for a bit.
Phil Tucker's Path of Flames series
Benedict Patrick's Yarnsworld series
Patrick Weekes' Rogues of the Republic series
Tad Williams, A Stark and Wormy Knight
Mike Shel's Aching God
Brett Herman's Chaos Trims My Beard
Evan Winters' Rage of Dragons
Aching God
Bingo Squares
JK Haru is a Sex Worker in Another World
&#x200B;
Licensed.
https://www.amazon.com/Haru-Sex-Worker-Another-World-ebook/dp/B07FXHXLRS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=jk+haru&qid=1569816671&s=gateway&sr=8-1
If we're doing fiction, I nominate A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter Miller. It was required reading at Jesuit prep school and really challenged me on faith, God, and the meaning of life. And it's great sci-fi.
A Canticle for Lebowitz is another great (albeit not perfect) book that doesn't seem to get the attention it deserves.
Edit: ReverendSlack mentioned this one first, but I didn't see it.
Hands down, The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe. It's actually a series of four books (The Shadow of the Torturer, The Claw of the Conciliator, The Sword of the Lictor and The Citadel of the Autarch) following Severian the Torturer after he is banished from his guild for showing mercy to one of their "clients."
It's just...beautiful and complex and you'll discover something new and fascinating each time you read it. The tetralogy has been ranked on par with the works of Tolkein and has been recognized all the major sci-fi awards, and gained wider literary recognition as well. See the editorial reviews section on the linked Amazon pages:
>"Outstanding...A major work of twentieth-century American literature." --The New York Times Book Review
>"Wonderfully vivid and inventive...the most extraordinary hero in the history of the heroic epic." --Washington Post Book World
>"Brilliant...terrific...a fantasy so epic it beggars the mind. An extraordinary work of art!" --Philadelphia Inquirer
>About the Author: Gene Wolfe has been called "the finest writer the science fiction world has yet produced" by The Washington Post. A former engineer, he has written numerous books and won a variety of awards for his SF writing.
Anyway...yeah, I kind of like these books.
EDIT: A Canticle For Liebowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr. is great, too. It's kind of post post apocalyptic, and it examines the self destructive nature of humanity.
I am interested in The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and any apocalyptic books you may have.
Here are the apocalyptic books that I have remember having on my shelf.
[The Eleventh Plague](http://www.amazon.com/The-Eleventh-Plague-Jeff-Hirsch/dp/0545290155
/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345558472&sr=8-1&keywords=eleventh+plague)
The Compound
Children of Men
A Canticle for Leibowitz
The Road
Read "A Canticle for Leibowitz." Here's a brief summary from a review on Amazon:
>Walter Miller's only major novel is not simply a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel but also a multi-layered meditation on the conflict between knowledge and morality. Six hundred years after a nuclear holocaust, an abbey of Catholic monks survives during a new Dark Ages and preserves the little that remains of the world's scientific knowledge. The monks also seek evidence concerning the existence of Leibowitz, their alleged founder (who, the reader soon realizes, is a Jewish scientist who appears to have been part of the nuclear industrial complex of the 1960s). The second part fast-forwards another six hundred years, to the onset of a new Renaissance; a final section again skips yet another six hundred years, to the dawn of a second Space Age--complete, once again, with nuclear weapons.
The monks worship a scrap of paper they found that survived the apocalypse, it's actually a shopping list. This book is amazing because it makes you think about the origins of human society, where it's going, and human nature as it exists today. Positively exquisite.
Obligatory wiki links: Dystopian Literature. Although, some of the titles listed don't seem to fit (The Dispossessed?). Nuclear holocaust fiction, and your general apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction.
Some of the better/more popular ones:
Zombies: World War Z, Raise the Dead, Marvel Zombies, Zombie Survival Guide, Day By Day Armageddon, I Am Legend.
Also, just for kicks, some of my favorite dystopian movies:
Brazil, Soylent Green, 12 Monkeys, Blade Runner, Akira, Children of Men, Dark City, A Boy and His Dog, Logan's Run, Idiocracy, Equillibrium.
Post-Apocalyptic I recommend two things:
A Canticle For Leibowitz Brilliant novel consisting of slightly linked chapters from shortly after collapse up to new civilisational heights. Don't read the sequel, it's a bad Western.
Wool by Hugh Howey. Really gripping, believeable world-building and decent characters. Sequels are ok, but if you can stand not getting proper conclusions stop after Wool :)
EDIT: Aaaah, I forgot one of the most important ones - The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Depressing, low-key, believeable. The prose is stunning. If you read anything read this.
Thanks for that; I just looked up the reviews for this book on Amazon, and I am ordering a copy today!
Try reading The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks. It's not Dishonored, however, it is very much a kind of magical assassins creed lush with political corruption, violence, and magically enhanced assassination.
I would first echo most people here and say Sanderson's anything- Elantris comes to mind as a good recommendation.
When you say in the same calibre, are you talking in terms of story, in terms of being high fiction, in terms of length or in terms of moments that make you go, "ohhh... well DAMN!"
I would recommend a lot of things I saw below, so I'm going to try to not do that any more than I already have. The Conan Chronicles by Robert Howard are fun and a much unappreciated classic of Low Fantasy. Orcs by Stan Nicholls is a great series, somewhere in the middle ground between high and low fantasy, and does an interesting twist on the classical fantasy story. The Gentleman Bastards series is another interesting take, but it is more of an Ocean's 11 in a fantasy world. I only saw one mention, but anything Tolkien is a must read if for nothing else than to pay respect to the godfather. The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks is another good story, and it uses a lot of the ideas Jordan uses in terms of who knows what, why and when to progress the story. Finally, for a more Eastern themed book, Tales of the Otori by Liam Hearn is a good trilogy with a lot of political twists.
EDIT: added a link for Elantris
Is this the book you mean? I love that book so much. I have read it about 4-5 times, and it never is boring. Alas, I lent someone my copy long ago and they never returned it. Been wanting to read it again lately.
guhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh like the end of 2015 MAYBE more like mid-2016 MAYBE uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
stop reminding us.
In the meantime though, there are cool short stories. One comes out in a few weeks!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Slow-Regard-Silent-Things/dp/0756410436
Read the main series first though.
It should be out now. http://www.amazon.com/The-Slow-Regard-Silent-Things/dp/0756410436
Working on Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins of the Internet, then it'll be on to Slow Regard of Silent Things.
I don't think so. The Amazon one is published by DAW, this one is published by Orion.
I tried to but I couldn’t work out how to post a picture!
Here’s the amazon page which has some images: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Name-Wind-Anniversary-Kingkiller-Chronicle/dp/0756413710
You are very generous indeed,
I would like to request - Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook in physical
I have always heard this is such a great series but my local library doesn't have it, and I have blown my next 3 months book budget already.. Thanks Sanderson Leatherbounds
The Black Company Series by Glenn Cook first three books found here
Really good read, no real similarites between them and NoTW, WMF, except for a certain irreverence. But could be my favorite fantasy series.
Dark / Gothic?
Chronicles of the Black Company, my friend.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501143514/ref=sxts_sxwds-tsp_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&amp;pf_rd_p=3139988802&amp;pd_rd_wg=Ukt3p&amp;pf_rd_r=JACDD2N13V84NXC602PP&amp;pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-top-slot&amp;pf_rd_t=301&amp;pd_rd_i=1501143514&amp;pd_rd_w=WXDjM&amp;pf_rd_i=the+gunslinger&amp;pd_rd_r=SD8XG2JA8D6Y5VHY7TZ1&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1501107186&amp;sr=1
Cully, get thee to a bookstore (or Amazon, whatever) and pick up the Dark Tower series by Stephen King! You'll find phrases, sayings, and words like this all throughout the series (and plenty of them are actual words, they are just rarely heard or seen nowadays).
I REALLY suggest getting the revised editions that King released, especially with the first book, The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger.
Ok, sorry it took so long, but maybe try Spice and Wolf light novels, Konosuba, Death March to a Parallel World, and No game no life.
If the manga light novels aren't your style, then perhaps The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, or The Passage by Justin Cronin.
Only cuz I literally made this lift for my wife here you go:
Hiking headlamp
Ski helmet (I like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Pret-Helmets-Helmet-Rubber-Powder/dp/B06XWVPXHG/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1511876129&amp;sr=8-2-spons&amp;keywords=pret+cynic+x&amp;psc=1 in medium and rubber powder color, my hats are 7 ¼” size for reference)
Ski/snow pants (I’m 31ish waist and 30 length)
Hiking boots (waterproof/resistant, cover the ankle, haven’t done any research on type or brands)
Workout pants (I have plenty of shorts and shirts)
Dark Tower Book series (https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-8-Book-Boxed-Set/dp/1501163566/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1511877521&amp;sr=1-3&amp;keywords=stephen+king+collection)
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tower-Boxed-Set/dp/1501163566
I don't want to spoil anything for you, but as a science fiction fan I would highly recommend the Broken Empire series by Mark Lawrence.
I would also recommend Matt Stover's Acts of Caine series as it is a really interesting blend between Sci-fi and Fantasy.
[This one?] (http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Thorns-The-Broken-Empire/dp/1937007685) If so, I will order it... only $5!
I PM'ed you my answers. I especially love the Halloween trick one I wrote about - you're going to enjoy it. I'd really just love these two books - 1 and 2 because reading is fun. Thanks!
This? Haven't read it myself (though my friend said it was entertaining.) Reading the synopsis and I don't see any mention of noir or heaven & hell.
I think this would be pretty cute and practical in the timetot's room! It shouldn't take up too much space since it'd be on the wall.
I'd like this book :) Thanks for doing this and congrats on the timetot!
based on what i see on your list .. you may want to give these a try! =)
1.29
4.24
5.99
7.99
Thanks for the contest!
The Way of Shadows By Brent Weeks is excellent too. I read this series when it first came out years ago (I was working at a book store) and I loved it. It's his debut series so it's a little clunky at times, but I thought it was fantastic. He has another really good series out too now The Lightbringer Series. I've read the first book in this series and was not disappointed.
Glad I could help!
if you like de assasin thing try "the way of shadows" from Brent Weeks... https://www.amazon.com/Way-Shadows-Night-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B001E0V112?ie=UTF8&amp;ref_=asap_bc
you'll love it.
The Black Prism. It's the first in an amazing series! I also really love The Night Angel Trilogy but it is really dark so I usually don't recommend it to people I don't know personally. The description:
>For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city's most accomplished artist.
For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.
But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and cultivate a flair for death.
good luck man and thanks.
here's my choice
Brent Weeks way of the shadows is good, and it's being turned into a graphic novel.
The Blade Itself
Prince of Thorns
I'm really failing at this whole thing.
I have three books I'm currently in an on hold status on:
Those would be my suggestions for this month. I have read The Girl on the Train and have neutral feelings on it.
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. "Medievalesque" fantasy set in a far future. Main character Jorg is a right bastard, but he grows on you.
Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie, . Grimdark fantasy, short on magic and long on swords. Abercrombie is great at characters and action scenes. There are several books set in this world; I think this standalone is the best introduction.
Prince of Thorns. Quality fantasy.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0052RERW8/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1
+Kauffmann616:
Hey, Brendan, wanted to say right away that the Doomstar Requiem was one of the best things I’ve ever experienced, and, personally, makes you one of the Greats by itself. From the music to the climax of the Metalocalypse universe, I was enthralled during my first viewing and only listened to the album for weeks afterwards. I’ve been watching your stuff since Home Movies, and I’ve been looking forward to Galaktikon II ever since I heard about it. After listening to it all morning, I’m definitely pleased with the next direction.
All prostration aside, I have a couple questions for you. Since Metalocalypse couldn’t really finish like you wanted, I’m sure you have a bunch of ideas that you had to give up on. Is there any plotline from that universe you’d ever resurrect somewhere else? For example, if you could, would you want to do make a Galaktikon project in the style of Metalocalypse(or something more serious), or has the experience with Adult Swim kinda ruined that? As a writer, I can’t imagine how much it would hurt to leave something as massive as Metalocalypse “unfinished.”
My second big question is whether or not you would be interested in scoring a movie/series that isn’t completely yours? I would love to hear your material anywhere, but since Dethklok was a big contributor to my writing playlist for my Horseman of the Apocalypse trilogy, it’s hard to imagine some of my scenes without your music in the background. It’s a pipe dream, but when I eventually get these books on a screen, I know exactly who I’d want to turn to for the score.
Thanks, I know this post was way too long, but I’m a big fan and couldn’t help it.
Concise_AMA_Bot :
[+plzjustthrowmeaway](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6w7oii/im_brendon_
small_creator_of_dethklok_and_my_new/dm5z3x6/): Whoa its Brendon Small. Huge
fan of Home Movies and Metalocalypse. This will probably get buried but I have
a pretty specific question I've been wondering for years; Who/what might have
influenced the creation and development of the character Nathan Explosion? Im
wondering if it wasn't an amalgamation of metal-archetypes because while
attending a certain college a particularly metal teacher of mine mentioned that
you may have taken a few lessons with him/known him, and I was curious if there
might be some basis to this or if I can put the thought to rest! Regardless,
thank you for taking the time to do an AMA
: Concise_AMA_Bot :
:
: [+_BrendonSmall](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6w7oii/im_brendon_sma
: ll_creator_of_dethklok_and_my_new/dm62d6b/): who is the teacher?
:
-----------------------------------------------------------
Concise_AMA_Bot :
[+hardrocknguy](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6w7oii/im_brendon_small_
creator_of_dethklok_and_my_new/dm5xm8v/): Loving the new album. Always loved
the first Galaktikon also. First Question: I like the little odd time
signatures in the song 'The Agenda'. Was that always planned to do something
like that in the song? Second Question: Was there any particular piece of gear
(guitar, pedals, amps, etc.) you loved using for the new album? Third
Question: Do you plan on continuing doing more story/concept albums in the
future? Thanks Brendon.
: Concise_AMA_Bot :
:
: [+_BrendonSmall](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6w7oii/im_brendon_sma
: ll_creator_of_dethklok_and_my_new/dm5zx7u/): It's funny that song SOUNDS
: like an odd time signature in the chorus but it's in 4/4- we're just
: accenting the triplet underneath. I used 2 distortion pedals throughout the
: album the EVH 5150 pedal and the Andy Timmons JHS pedal for leads- I also
: used the HELIX and if you go into line6.com theres a little video with
: isolated tracks where you can hear how I used it on OCEAN GALAKTIK and TO
: KILL A GOD- very cool piece of gear ha ha galaktikon is a little bit like
: grown up Star Boy (and the captain of outer space)
:
-----------------------------------------------------------
Concise_AMA_Bot :
[+DeniseDeNephew](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6w7oii/im_brendon_smal
l_creator_of_dethklok_and_my_new/dm5xb84/): First of all, let me say that your
appearance on Comedy Bang Bang as Victor Diamond is one of the funniest
things I have ever seen, and I have had that episode (and ONLY that episode)
saved on my DVR for.... a year, maybe two? I keep it cued to Victor's entrance
because that's why I kept it. "Adult freckle". I show it to everyone who
comes over to my house and it has never failed to make people laugh. He's such
a great character. Anyway, how much of a typical episode of Home Movies was
scripted and how much was ad-libbed?
: Concise_AMA_Bot :
:
: [+_BrendonSmall](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6w7oii/im_brendon_sma
: ll_creator_of_dethklok_and_my_new/dm5y0r3/): Thanks for digging Victor's CBB
: TV appearance. He was a character I had before home Movies. I love doing
: anything with Scott Aukerman & CBB podcast- so much great creativity and fast
: brains in the same room. So much damn fun. Home Movies 1st five episodes
: were improvised off of outlines and we got into trouble w story telling but
: the characters and tone were totally there- so when we came back on the air
: Bill Braudis (amazing writer for Dr Katz) and myself wrote all the scripts.
: And we's read through each scene and try to do it from memory and allow for
: tons of improv. so it'd be a combo of both but the improvised performance
: were always better and more human
:
-----------------------------------------------------------
Concise_AMA_Bot :
[+Kauffmann616](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6w7oii/im_brendon_small_
creator_of_dethklok_and_my_new/dm5y7qu/): Hey, Brendan, wanted to say right
away that the Doomstar Requiem was one of the best things I’ve ever
experienced, and, personally, makes you one of the Greats by itself. From the
music to the climax of the Metalocalypse universe, I was enthralled during my
first viewing and only listened to the album for weeks afterwards. I’ve been
watching your stuff since Home Movies, and I’ve been looking forward to
Galaktikon II ever since I heard about it. After listening to it all morning,
I’m definitely pleased with the next direction. All prostration aside, I have
a couple questions for you. Since Metalocalypse couldn’t really finish like
you wanted, I’m sure you have a bunch of ideas that you had to give up on. Is
there any plotline from that universe you’d ever resurrect somewhere else? For
example, if you could, would you want to do make a Galaktikon project in the
style of Metalocalypse(or something more serious), or has the experience with
Adult Swim kinda ruined that? As a writer, I can’t imagine how much it would
hurt to leave something as massive as Metalocalypse “unfinished.” My second
big question is whether or not you would be interested in scoring a
movie/series that isn’t completely yours? I would love to hear your material
anywhere, but since Dethklok was a big contributor to my writing playlist for
my [Horseman of the Apocalypse trilogy]( https://www.amazon.com/Hell-Love-
Forsaken-Comedy-Book-ebook/dp/B00EDRBGKE/), it’s hard to imagine some of my
scenes without your music in the background. It’s a pipe dream, but when I
eventually get these books on a screen, I know exactly who I’d want to turn to
for the score. Thanks, I know this post was way too long, but I’m a big fan
and couldn’t help it.
: Concise_AMA_Bot :
:
: [+_BrendonSmall](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6w7oii/im_brendon_sma
: ll_creator_of_dethklok_and_my_new/dm60tz9/): as a writer it doesn't hurt
: because I know the story. As a show creator actor musician writer
: Metalocalyspe is a jackpot scenario. Im lucky I got to do it. I'm always
: open to working with other people on things. I love collaborating-- I've just
: been lucky enough to have long lasting projects that kept me from doing so
:
-----------------------------------------------------------
Concise_AMA_Bot :
[+TheJaybo](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6w7oii/im_brendon_small_crea
tor_of_dethklok_and_my_new/dm5ye8x/): I've always wanted to hear an extended
version of Dwayne's solo from
Guitarmageddon. Any chance you
have one of those lying around?
: Concise_AMA_Bot :
:
: [+_BrendonSmall](https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/6w7oii/im_brendon_sma
: ll_creator_of_dethklok_and_my_new/dm5zk17/): I think it's all in the
: episode! my guitar playing has changed a lot since then!
:
-----------------------------------------------------------
IamAbot_v01. Alpha version. Under care of /u/oppon.
Comment 4 of 9
Updated at 2017-08-28 20:09:52.911694
This is the final update to this thread
This is the book!
Not answering your question at all, but check out "A Canticle for Leibowitz". Somewhat related to this idea, one of the best books I've read in a long time.
http://www.amazon.com/Canticle-Leibowitz-Walter-Miller-Jr/dp/0060892994
A Canticle for Leibowitz is my favorite. Swan Song is good. I'm reading The Last Survivors series by Susan Beth Pfeffer. It's pretty good but it's more like a young adult/teen series. I am Legend was great. So much better than the movies. Alas Babylon and On the Beach are Post nuke novels that gave me nightmares. If you need more check out this List
Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:
Link: this book!
This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting).
He has a short story coming out in October I believe.
http://www.amazon.com/Regard-Silent-Things-Kingkiller-Chronicles/dp/0756410436/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1406913321&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=pat+rothfuss
It's about Auri and I suspect it will be a great read. Unfortunately it isn't book three :(
http://www.amazon.com/Canticle-Leibowitz-Walter-Miller-Jr/dp/0060892994/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1248001865&amp;sr=8-1#reader
With a first page that reads as badly as Canticle does, you would regret it almost instantly.
OP: most redditors have frighteningly bad taste in books (and music, and often art). Not all, but anything with more than half a dozen upvotes will be something to avoid.