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I am but figured a list would save time and multi-task Isaac Send a noteboard - 16/02/2013 09:58:18 PM
Fishing for series I feel like reading and figured I'd save people time by listing all the ones I'd tried, love, hate, or meh, and that meshes nicely with keeping an actual list. Maybe if it gets to a good size we can split into chunks for quickpoll and develop a site list. Though my own motives are purely selfish, I want something to read and the nice thing about long series is that if you don't like it you don't like it but if you do you will generally find the next ones good, something that's a bit less true of unrelated books by the same author.

I'm assuming you have in fact read Harry Potter - if not, for whatever reason, they genuinely are good. Admittedly the first two books are very much children's books, but starting with book three they rapidly become less so, and Rowling is quite good at subtle plotting, using elements from several books ago that didn't seem important at the time, so even the first two books aren't as simple as they seem.


I saw the first movie on opening night with some friends who were fans, I think it might have ruined it for me but I do keep meaning to get around to it. Definitely should be on the list though.

Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series consists of a pair of trilogies, and now some more books, so that should make it long enough to qualify. The first trilogy is far superior to what follows, I'd recommend that. A good amount of sex (the heroine has strong masochistic inclinations, which doesn't stop her from being quite effective as an agent on various missions and adventures), don't know if that might bother you. The setting is some kind of alternate history medieval France/Europe, it's quite interestingly done, lots of subversions of actual medieval Europe/Middle East. That plus the excellent heroine and quite good plotting makes the first trilogy among my favourite fantasy series; unfortunately the protagonists of the later books aren't as interesting.


I'm usually bored by the romantic subplots of most books, and I usually find any scene more descriptive then 'and they embraced and shared a deep kiss [end chapter]... the next morning' unnecessary.

You're also missing everything by Tad Williams, who is on his fourth series now, I think, each of them in a totally separate universe, generally tetralogies. Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is a pretty good fantasy series, while Otherland is superb near-future SF (with a liberal dose of fantasy - most of the series is set in a number of different virtual realities, running the gamut from Middle Earth over Mars and Ancient Egypt to the Troy of the Iliad).


Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is the only one I've read by him and I tend to think of that as a trilogy. I don't know why I've never gotten around to reading Otherland, I do remember the prologue tohugh, probably worht another try.

Then Janny Wurts, I know my fellow admin Rebekah is a great fan of her magnum opus The Wars of Light and Shadow, which must be close to a dozen books by now (haven't read it myself). She also co-wrote an interesting trilogy with Feist and another one on her own (I read both, but the latter doesn't seem to have left much of an impression), but I suppose by your rules trilogies aren't allowed. :P

Another one that I haven't read myself, Narnia by C.S. Lewis, I'm not quite sure whether I really should read that...

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
- Albert Einstein
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Best SF/F series Isaac - 16/02/2013 07:13:08 PM 1750 Views
Re: Best lesser known SF/F series HyogaRott - 16/02/2013 07:45:41 PM 1181 Views
Re: Best lesser known SF/F series Isaac - 16/02/2013 08:10:30 PM 1181 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 1304 Views
I am but figured a list would save time and multi-task Isaac - 16/02/2013 09:58:18 PM 1213 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 1253 Views
Yes, there is that, I have always felt the site could use a recommendation list Isaac - 17/02/2013 02:45:43 AM 1189 Views
Robin Hobb's work should be in here. *NM* temeraire - 17/02/2013 12:45:17 AM 639 Views
Doctrine of Labryinths by Sarah Monette. Chas - 17/02/2013 03:07:55 AM 1421 Views
Re: Doctrine of Labryinths by Sarah Monette. Isaac - 17/02/2013 04:45:54 PM 1196 Views
Lloyd Alexander, Chronicles of Prydain - 5 major books and one anthology. Tom - 17/02/2013 06:25:29 AM 1085 Views
Re: Lloyd Alexander, Chronicles of Prydain - 5 major books and one anthology. Isaac - 17/02/2013 04:55:33 PM 1362 Views
Re: Best SF/F series Dar Valon - 17/02/2013 07:12:29 AM 1031 Views
Barsoom is my overrall favorite book series, not just on SF, but in general. Bergioyn - 17/02/2013 10:47:52 AM 1048 Views
Bakker's SECOND APOCALYPSE novels. Two trilogies, same world, same characters. *NM* Ghavrel - 17/02/2013 10:48:31 AM 500 Views
For myself, there seems to be a lot of shit on that list Larry - 17/02/2013 08:02:37 PM 1290 Views
Oh come on. I know you like Bakker's work. *NM* Ghavrel - 18/02/2013 09:36:39 AM 497 Views
And Erikson's. Larry - 18/02/2013 02:32:12 PM 1103 Views
Heh. jh - 18/02/2013 12:30:48 PM 1138 Views
Was that a snarky way of saying you don't like Adams or something? Tom - 18/02/2013 06:30:49 PM 1204 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 479 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 967 Views
Well, it was a trilogy in 5 (6?) parts Larry - 18/02/2013 07:03:10 PM 1187 Views
I actually had to look that one up Isaac - 18/02/2013 07:13:44 PM 1124 Views
A couple to consider Knightscape - 18/02/2013 05:29:41 PM 1257 Views
2001 violates rule number 2. *NM* heartbreak - 19/02/2013 12:29:26 PM 493 Views
The movie and the book were written at the same time *NM* random thoughts - 19/02/2013 05:49:44 PM 489 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 505 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 992 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 1118 Views
??? It is on there Isaac - 19/02/2013 07:39:36 PM 1074 Views
I guess my eyes skiped it random thoughts - 21/02/2013 06:14:54 PM 1107 Views
Re: I guess my eyes skiped it Isaac - 21/02/2013 09:52:57 PM 1323 Views
He is a wordy writer and the main character is not very likeable random thoughts - 23/02/2013 11:15:33 PM 1373 Views
I finished that one just now, too. It was... interesting. *NM* Legolas - 21/02/2013 06:20:18 PM 472 Views
Re: I finished that one just now, too. It was... interesting. Isaac - 21/02/2013 09:43:43 PM 994 Views
did you read the entire series? random thoughts - 24/02/2013 01:22:03 AM 1029 Views
Oh no, only the first one. Legolas - 24/02/2013 11:53:01 AM 961 Views
Sorry I was talking about Donaldson random thoughts - 24/02/2013 05:12:24 PM 976 Views
Steven Brust - Jhereg / Elizabeth Boyer - various novels in same world *NM* wheelwright - 19/02/2013 06:26:21 PM 625 Views
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