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Best SF/F series Isaac Send a noteboard - 16/02/2013 07:13:08 PM
Fishing around for some new reading material, and remember that a RAFO Top ## list had been discussed, figured I'd do two for one.

For my part I don't like stand-alone too much, one book and it is done, and even a trilogy doesn't always get a very flushed out universe so I'll specify some conditions:

1. Must be composed of at least 4 books, and a trilogy plus an anthology or lone prequel should be avoided.

2. Is not the novelization of some movie, TV series, or video game like Star Trek or Star Wars or Star Craft, or for that matter a RPG like Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, Warhammer 40k, etc.

I'm also going to try to list off all the really common ones on these sorts of lists or conversations as well as few others that come to mind, and add them in as people think of them.

The List So Far
Adams, Douglas - Hitchhiker's Guide
Alexander, Lloyd - Chronicles of Prydain
Anderson, Kevin J. - Saga of the Seven Suns
Anthony, Piers - Xanth; Incarnations; Mode
Asimov, Isaac - Foundation/Robot Series
Bakker, R. Scott- The Second Apocalypse
Banks, Iain M. - Culture
Butcher, Jim - Dresden Files; Codex Alera
Burroughs, Edgar - Barsoom
Bradley, Marion Zimmer - Avalon;Darkover
Brooks, Terry - Shannara
Card, Orson Scott - Ender's Game; Alvin
Carey, Jacqueline - Kushiel
Cherryh, C.J. - Foriegner; Alliance-Union; Fortress; Ealdwood
Clarke, Arthur - 2001; Rama
Cook, Glenn - Black Company
Donaldson, Stephen - Thomas Covenant; Gap
Drake, David - Hammer Salmmers; RCN; Lord of the Isles
Duncan, David - Seventh Sword; Pandemia; King's Blade
Eddings, David - Belgariad/Mallorean; Elenium/Tamuli
Erikson, Steven - Malazan
Farland, David - The Runelords; Mummy Chronicles; Nightingale Series
Feist, Raymond - Riftwar
Goodkind, Terry - Sword of Truth
Heinlein, Robert A. - Future History; Lazarus Long
Herbert, Frank - Dune
Hobb, Robin - Realm of the Elderings
Howard, Robert E. - Conan the Barabrian
Jordan, Robert - Wheel of Time
Le Guin, Ursula - Earthsea
Lewis, C.S. - Chronicles of Narnia
Lukyanenko, Sergei - Watch Series
King, Stephen - Dark Tower
Martin, George R.R. - A Song of Ice and Fire
McCaffrey, Anne - Pern
Modesitt, L.E. Jr. - Saga of Recluce and several quartets
Monette, Sarah - Doctrine of the Labyrinths
Moon, Elizabeth - Vatta's War
Moorcock, Michael - Elric of Melniboné
Niven, Larry - Known Space
Norton, Andre - Witchworld; Trillum; and several others
Novik, Naomi - Temeraire Series
Pratchett, Terry - Discworld
Reynolds, Alistair - Revelation Sapce
Rice, Anne - Interview with a Vampire, etc
Ringo, John - Aldenata
Rowling, J.K. - Harry Potter
Sanderson, Brandon - Mistborn/Cosmere
Sapkowski, Andrzej - Witcher Saga
Scalzi, John - Old Man's War
Simmons, Dan - Hyperion
Smith, E.E. 'Doc' - Lensmen
Stover, Matthew - Acts of Caine
Swainston, Steph - The Castle Books
Taylor, Travis - Looking Glass (w/ Ringo)
Tolkien, J.R.R. - Middle Earth
Weber, David - Honor Harrington; Safehold
Williams, Tad - Otherland; Shadowmarch; and Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn
Wolfe, Gene - Book of the New sun
Wurts, Janny - Wars of Light and Shadow
Zelazny, Roger - Chronicles of Amber

I'm doubtless leaving off some there, and added a few of my own that probably don't parallel most of the entries, obviously your mileage may vary on those. Certainly mine does, I've either read all those, tried reading and didn't get into it, or tried it and hated it. I, for instance, am a Dune fan and thus not terribly fond of Kevin Anderson, but he does sell a lot of books.
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This message last edited by Isaac on 18/02/2013 at 06:00:21 PM
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Best SF/F series Isaac - 16/02/2013 07:13:08 PM 1771 Views
Re: Best lesser known SF/F series HyogaRott - 16/02/2013 07:45:41 PM 1198 Views
Re: Best lesser known SF/F series Isaac - 16/02/2013 08:10:30 PM 1197 Views
So you're looking for series that are not yet on your list, yes? I'm a little confused. Legolas - 16/02/2013 09:05:53 PM 1330 Views
I am but figured a list would save time and multi-task Isaac - 16/02/2013 09:58:18 PM 1233 Views
Fair point, could be useful to point to whenever people ask the same question of what to read next. Legolas - 16/02/2013 11:05:06 PM 1271 Views
Yes, there is that, I have always felt the site could use a recommendation list Isaac - 17/02/2013 02:45:43 AM 1203 Views
Robin Hobb's work should be in here. *NM* temeraire - 17/02/2013 12:45:17 AM 644 Views
Doctrine of Labryinths by Sarah Monette. Chas - 17/02/2013 03:07:55 AM 1447 Views
Re: Doctrine of Labryinths by Sarah Monette. Isaac - 17/02/2013 04:45:54 PM 1220 Views
Lloyd Alexander, Chronicles of Prydain - 5 major books and one anthology. Tom - 17/02/2013 06:25:29 AM 1103 Views
Re: Lloyd Alexander, Chronicles of Prydain - 5 major books and one anthology. Isaac - 17/02/2013 04:55:33 PM 1375 Views
Re: Best SF/F series Dar Valon - 17/02/2013 07:12:29 AM 1048 Views
Barsoom is my overrall favorite book series, not just on SF, but in general. Bergioyn - 17/02/2013 10:47:52 AM 1068 Views
Bakker's SECOND APOCALYPSE novels. Two trilogies, same world, same characters. *NM* Ghavrel - 17/02/2013 10:48:31 AM 509 Views
For myself, there seems to be a lot of shit on that list Larry - 17/02/2013 08:02:37 PM 1315 Views
Oh come on. I know you like Bakker's work. *NM* Ghavrel - 18/02/2013 09:36:39 AM 505 Views
And Erikson's. Larry - 18/02/2013 02:32:12 PM 1123 Views
Heh. jh - 18/02/2013 12:30:48 PM 1157 Views
Was that a snarky way of saying you don't like Adams or something? Tom - 18/02/2013 06:30:49 PM 1220 Views
I think it was a not so snarky way of saying Hitchhiker's Guide started as a radio show. *NM* Legolas - 18/02/2013 06:41:44 PM 488 Views
Not a TV series, movie series or video game...and not really even based on a radio show. Tom - 19/02/2013 06:56:15 PM 987 Views
Well, it was a trilogy in 5 (6?) parts Larry - 18/02/2013 07:03:10 PM 1205 Views
I actually had to look that one up Isaac - 18/02/2013 07:13:44 PM 1145 Views
A couple to consider Knightscape - 18/02/2013 05:29:41 PM 1277 Views
2001 violates rule number 2. *NM* heartbreak - 19/02/2013 12:29:26 PM 502 Views
The movie and the book were written at the same time *NM* random thoughts - 19/02/2013 05:49:44 PM 499 Views
Clarke wrote both, so is the book really anything more than a novelization of the screenplay? *NM* heartbreak - 19/02/2013 06:18:31 PM 511 Views
he co-wrote the screen play and both were based on a short story so yes was more than that random thoughts - 23/02/2013 11:19:31 PM 1011 Views
I find it strange that you list the Donaldson's Gap series but not the Thomas Covenant series random thoughts - 19/02/2013 05:52:58 PM 1136 Views
??? It is on there Isaac - 19/02/2013 07:39:36 PM 1092 Views
I guess my eyes skiped it random thoughts - 21/02/2013 06:14:54 PM 1127 Views
Re: I guess my eyes skiped it Isaac - 21/02/2013 09:52:57 PM 1344 Views
He is a wordy writer and the main character is not very likeable random thoughts - 23/02/2013 11:15:33 PM 1389 Views
I finished that one just now, too. It was... interesting. *NM* Legolas - 21/02/2013 06:20:18 PM 481 Views
Re: I finished that one just now, too. It was... interesting. Isaac - 21/02/2013 09:43:43 PM 1010 Views
did you read the entire series? random thoughts - 24/02/2013 01:22:03 AM 1051 Views
Oh no, only the first one. Legolas - 24/02/2013 11:53:01 AM 975 Views
Sorry I was talking about Donaldson random thoughts - 24/02/2013 05:12:24 PM 994 Views
Steven Brust - Jhereg / Elizabeth Boyer - various novels in same world *NM* wheelwright - 19/02/2013 06:26:21 PM 635 Views
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