Best coming of age fiction books according to redditors
We found 1,433 Reddit comments discussing the best coming of age fiction books. We ranked the 408 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 1,433 Reddit comments discussing the best coming of age fiction books. We ranked the 408 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
I'd say it was Victoria at ID who I work with suggested it, and she has her finger on the pulse of contemporary digital stuff.
The last book I read - I only just recently read A VISIT FROM THE GOON SQUAD - oh my god I LOVED this book. I found that there are moments in the story in this book that are so profound, that I was moved to tears. I love being moved to tears in literature, and this book had me from page 1 and I think that this writer is so talented.
I'd say probably Meryl Streep. I met her last year at the BAFTAS. I was pretending not to be very nervous, tried to play it really cool, and wanted to sit next to her and just talk to her about her work and the craft of acting for hours and I'm sure I said really embarrassing things instead.
Because I looked up each of these, here are links for reference:
^ these are Amazon links, no referrals!
The blueprint for this effort appears to cost $14.
Diamond Age
A couple of Meta posts: List of good fantasy hfy stories and Request for 'thrown into fantasy' subgenre and Fantasy is welcome, but where is it?
ones listed therein:
Published books, try: (Lol, all of these are "Novel Length")
More general fantasy:
There is a book I think every person who enjoys reading should take a chance on. It's called "The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer" by Neal Stephenson. It was written before we had smart phones and tablets, but predicted the use of similar things using nanotechnology. There is a "book" (tablet) that is a prototype and falls into the hands of a poor little girl. A little animated mouse on the page teaches her all kinds of fun things and leads her on an adventure very similar to what is described here.
It's for sale on Amazon
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.
Of course there are others (non fiction: Krakauer, Hillenbrand, come to mind; deeper: Tim O'Brien, Saramago; more fantastic: Guy Kay, Herbert, etc. ) but, trying to stay within age range / contemporary, and gender neutral... that's where I started! if any of these seem like the right thread, let me know, and i can give you a bucket more.
I really enjoy Kit Falbo's The Crafting of Chess, and I don't feel like it gets a lot of advertising/talk. https://www.amazon.com/Crafting-Chess-LitRPG-adventure-ebook/dp/B07P1YRHTX/
Also, Sarah Lin's trilogy New Game Minus https://www.amazon.com/Changing-Faces-LitRPG-Adventure-Minus-ebook/dp/B07KMMT9TX/
She has a superb Urban Fantasy Wuxiua coming out too.
oh man what a request. Read: Name Of The Rose by Umberto Eco or Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go
Geneticist here. It's theoretically possible. Full-genome sequencing is available in wide-scale now, and the work that was done with sequencing the preserved mammoth lays a pretty good path to doing it. That said, it's not going to happen for a few reasons.
1 - We don't have the technology.
This is because nobody wants to touch human cloning right now. It's a death trap for the genetic establishment. You think people are freaked out by Monsanto crops? Cloning a human would lead to an impossible shit-storm. Ethically, why would you? All of the work in organ duplication using scaffold proteins and stem cells is to avoid any kind of need for a Kazuo-Ishiguro-style future before anybody has the chance to do so. We have fertility procedures, but those wouldn't work in this situation. So since nobody has built the research base to clone humans, no, we can't do it with modern technology.
2 - It's a unique and difficult problem.
Human DNA is trickier than most other organisms. Partly because it's so complex we don't understand it all yet. We thought there were twice as many protein-coding genes just fifteen years ago. Human DNA is pretty massive, and mummification is a hell of a lot more stressful on DNA than being frozen like the iceman. The chemicals/processes used to preserve a mummy work because they blast all the biological processes into a total halt and make the whole thing inedible and inaccessible to bacteria. Reconstituting all those chromosomes from seriously damaged DNA is no small trick.
Also, we have a higher standard for human experimentation, again due to ethics. It's all good and fine if you make a wooly mammoth clone and he dies after a year, or has a debilitating degenerate illness, or he's in terrible pain because you stitched something to the wrong place, but if you do that to a human subject? You've just killed your career and more or less proven to the entire scientific community that you're an attention whore who should never, under any circumstances, be given money again. Likely, you'd be in jail.
3 - It serves no purpose.
500 years is such a tiny drop in the bucket that it's almost 100% that this girl is more or less the same as any Peruvian village person you can find. She's actually probably a lot like a number of the tribesmen that you find who have never had "contact with modern humans." In fact, who knows. The Spanish were already in the region 500 years ago. So we already have individuals that are exactly the same as her. In fact she's probably only a few inconsequential genes from being the same as any given person reading this post right now.
For the second part of your question, flash freezing is usually the best way to preserve DNA. It doesn't stop chemical processes, but it slows them waaaaaay the hell down. Geneticists usually make use of -70 C freezers for storing reagents and samples, because it takes whatever biological process might be occurring and slows it waaaaaay down. This is routinely used to preserve E. Coli stocks indefinitely, so it works pretty well. With a large organism, every cell in the body is a potential harvest site for DNA, so you have pretty good odds that on aggregate, you'll be able to piece together what you need, given enough time and resources. No need for a reproductive cell in these circumstances.
tl;dr Probably, but no. And why would we want to?
The third one was used for the cover image of Never Let Me Go (Kindle edition):
https://www.amazon.com/Never-Let-Me-Kazuo-Ishiguro-ebook/dp/B000FCK2TW
Cool to see other pics of this person - thanks for posting
I personally tend to enjoy the magical combat in stories that have very clear magical rules, so that you can try to figure out how characters will use their abilities tactically in order to defeat their opponents.
Some examples:
Into the Labyrinth, the first book in my Mage Errant series (and my debut novel), follows the adventures of Hugh of Emblin, an incompetent, friendless student mage. When an unusual mage picks him as an apprentice, however, his life begins to take a turn for the better- and the stranger.
When writing Into the Labyrinth, I really wanted to contrast Hugh with all the other socially outcast orphans out there, who tend to be tough, self-reliant, and capable. Hugh's very much not these things- he's got serious mental health issues he has to grapple with, including depression, cripplingly low self confidence, and severe social anxiety. He hasn't handled his difficult past with anywhere near the aplomb you tend to expect from a protagonist, and he really just wants to be left alone and stay out of people's way. Of course, Hugh seldom gets what he wants.
Into the Labyrinth features a fairly complex hard magic system, for those who enjoy those. The sequel, Jewel of the Endless Erg (which features a truly egregious number of dragons), is already out, and I'm currently in the middle of writing book 3.
You must have a super strict definition of what you consider "progression fantasy" (vs I guess other fantasy that doesn't have strict RPG quantification).
Some other series that I consider progression fantasy and I enjoyed:
To me "normal" length book is 300-350 pages.
> why aren't established fantasy authors rushing to deliver?
New niche (niche-ier?) genre labels appear all the time, so there are probably a ton of fantasy stories out there that have that "progression" aspect to it that you are overlooking.
Seriously, just climb down through Amazon's category labels to the bottom of fantasy limb and read there.
The difference between "fantasy" and "progression fantasy" is how much the author details the main character(s) montages.
If you enjoy that type of setting then I highly recommend Mage Errant, I've read the first three books and they are only through 2 years of schooling (albeit they start at like 16). But lots of learning, training and improving.
Into the Labyrinth: Mage Errant Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J675X2C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KFYXDbX0H4XEY
I spend more time trying to figure out what to read than reading. I have been addicted to amazon reviews for over a decade. I love reading book reviews and people's opinions. If I ever buy a book, and I lose interest after one or two chapter's - I ditch it. If I like it....I'll devour the book and read reviews as I go along.
After reading the first few chapter's if The Diamond Age, I wanted to throw it away...I was so bored, but since Neil Stephenson wrote it I pushed on. One of the best books I've ever read.
I tend to enjoy non-fiction more, and even science/text based books I tend to use for self-study. I guess you could say I'm on some kind of quest for knowledge...what kind of knowledge, I'm still looking. I guess I'm still searching for something.
>Hackworth got all the news that was appropriate to his station in life, plus a few optional services: the latest from his favorite cartoonists and columnists around the world...
>A gentleman of higher rank and more far-reaching responsibilities would probably get different information written in a different way, and the top stratum of New Chusan actually got the Times on paper, printed out by a big antique press that did a run of a hundred or so, every morning at about three a.m....
>Now nanotechnology had made nearly anything possible, and so the cultural role in deciding what should be done with it had become far more important than imagining what could be done with it.
>One of the insights of the Victorian Revival was that it was not necessarily a good thing for everyone to read a completely different newspaper in the morning; so the higher one rose in the society, the more similar one's Times became to one's peers.
-The Diamond Age or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson
[Blood Song by Anthony Ryan] (http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Song-Ravens-Shadow-Novel-ebook/dp/B00ABKGG0C) is pretty similar in many regards, though the sequels are slightly less so. They both have both a story and a meta-story (Kvothe tells his story to the Chronicler at the inn, Vaelin tells his story to the imperial historian).
It's quite good, I highly suggest it.
Have you read Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer? I have a feeling you will like it.
I know I must be missing some, but these are all that I can think of at the moment.
Fiction:
Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges
The Stranger by Albert Camus
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
White Noise by Don Delilo
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot
Everything that Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men by DFW
Infinite Jest by DFW
Of these, you can't go wrong with Infinite Jest and the Collected Fictions of Borges. His Dark Materials is an easy and classic read, probably the lightest fare on this list.
Non-Fiction:
The Music of the Primes by Marcus du Sautoy
Chaos by James Gleick
How to be Gay by David Halperin
Barrel Fever by David Sedaris
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris
Secret Historian by Justin Spring
Of these, Secret Historian was definitely the most interesting, though How to be Gay was a good intro to queer theory.
Sounds like you might enjoy Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age. I think Snow Crash is meant to be in the same universe - it's hilarious but not as dense. You might also like his Cryptonomicon, though it's not technically Sci Fi.
Tad Willams' Otherland Series is Epic Sci Fi with a huge amount of detail. Might be right up your alley.
Dune, Neuromancer and The Enderverse if you haven't already read those.
For fiction:
Tons more here: http://www.arsgratialibertatis.com/book-list
Books About Mental Illness:
Are you referring to this, or is there another Blood Song I should know about?
There are so many more options like this, but I don’t want to overwhelm you! These may not all be your cup of tea. But they are some of my favorites for a somewhat reasonable price.
[Cradle]
[Mother of Learning]
[Sufficiently Advanced Magic]
[Street Cultivation]
[The Land]
[The Divine Dungeon]
[The Dark Herbalist]
[Ascend Online]
[The Way of the Shaman]
[The Wheel of Time] (Low Quality)
[I Shall Seal the Heavens]
[A Will Eternal]
[Coiling Dragon]
[Patrick Rothfuss] (Author)
[The Thousand Li]
[Savage Divinity] (Low Quality)
[The Dao of Magic]
[Dante's Immortality]
[Forge of Destiny]
[Veilverse]
[Way of the Immortals]
[Sundered Soul]
[Edge of Eons]
[Soulship]
[The Wandering Inn]
[Delvers LLC]
[Dodge Tank]
[World Tree Online]
[Life Reset]
[Viridian Gate Online]
[The Crafting of Chess]
[Reverend Insanity]
[I Eat Tomatoes] (Author)
[Er Gen] (Author)
[The King's Avatar]
[Against the Gods]
[Martial World]
[Dragon Heart]
[Purple Days]
One thing I think should be mentioned, since it connects with a previous guest - DC Pierson has a book called The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To
The book, like Sleepless, deals with someone who doesn't sleep. I personally really liked this book (read it a few years ago) and I think a lot of you may as well, being fans of not just X-Files, but of a similar sense of humor as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Couldnt-Sleep-Never-Vintage-Contemporaries/dp/0307474615
A Visit From the Goon Squad (Pulitzer recipient 2011) by Jennifer Egan. It includes, among other inventions, a series of PowerPoint-like slides made by a precocious girl as a thought journal.
I wouldn't go with Snow Crash, but The Diamond Age is one of the most beautiful novels you'll ever read with a solid nanotech foundation.
The only flaw is the ending. It isn't bad per say. It just ends like a kung-fu movie where they roll credits as soon as the hero delivers the death blow to the villain.
Yikes. Taking that concept a step further gets us into Never Let Me Go territory. Kinda scary, honestly.
I think voice and tone are the main markers of YA, and those are incredibly hard to nail down.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, The Ranger's Apprentice, My Sister's Keeper, Miserere, The Midwife's Apprentice, The Catcher in the Rye, the His Dark Materials trilogy, Ella Enchanted, Catherine, Called Birdy, Fangirl, the Mistborn trilogy, Girls Like Us, various Tamora Pierce books, and Incarceron are all books that could be considered YA in some markets, but not in others (some are marketed up as adult literature, others down as children's books).
If you went solely by "characters being teenagers for most of the book" to define YA, (and even threw in caveats like "coming of age" and "no explicit sex") you'd get titles like Wild Ginger, The Poisonwood Bible, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Into the Forest, or The Year of the Flood on the YA shelves, possibly disappointing a lot of people who aren't interested in such a dreary world view and often a pervading sense of melancholy (which is perhaps coming from the slower pace, even if things are happening all the time?).
Endings seem to play a role too: those adult examples were all unhappy ends that could make the characters' entire journey seem pointless. YA doesn't necessarily shy away from the unhappy ending (The Fault in Our Stars, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, and Feed come to mind), but there's always a spark of hope and the books were more upbeat up until that point.
YA doesn't necessarily shy away from cynicism or ennui and/or despair either: there was plenty of that to go around in The Hunger Games, Looking for Alaska, Graceling, Delirium, and The Archived, but those tended to be character traits coming from character voice rather than the tone of the narration itself.
Bonus MG vs YA distinction: Does he liiiiike her and maybe kiss her or marry her or are they dating or secretly lusting?
tl,dr: Gut feeling. I know it when I read it, and I don't always agree with the official designation on the spine.
Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go might be the exact kind of book you're looking for. It's not necessarily for a young adult audience, but at times it does read like it could be. NLMG has a very unique take on a sci fi dystopia and it's all from the point of view of a female protagonist.
There's a film version of the book which I've never watched, but I'm told it's actually pretty bad so I'd say just stick to reading the novel.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (post-apocalyptic)
When unattended environmental and economic crises lead to social chaos, not even gated communities are safe. In a night of fire and death Lauren Olamina, a minister's young daughter, loses her family and home and ventures out into the unprotected American landscape. But what begins as a flight for survival soon leads to something much more: a startling vision of human destiny... and the birth of a new faith.
In no particular order:
You should read Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. There are no spaceships of laser guns, but it kept me wanting to turn the page, and it's more science-fiction than most Holly Wood blockbuster sci-fi movies.
Warning: DO NOT watch the movie, or even the trailer. Part of the enjoyment of the book is the pace and the way in which the world is revealed. I haven't seen the movie yet; It might be really good, but if you are a book reader you should avoid it until after reading the book.
Into The Labyrinth is a group of Very Special Teens from Wizard School That Has A Labyrinth Under It. The whole setup promises plenty of weird and interesting magic. The latter half of the book takes places in the aforementioned labyrinth, where it basically turns into an old-school dungeon crawler. It's interesting and well-written, the world is vivid and alive, the twists are nice but it doesn't lean on them no one is The Supreme Magus.
Crafting of Chess gives us a sense of the rl characters life and issues
https://www.amazon.com/Crafting-Chess-LitRPG-adventure-ebook/dp/B07P1YRHTX/ref=nodl_.
Paradise Clash follows a pi who is hunting a missing person in a game
https://www.amazon.com/Paradise-Clash-Bounty-L-Price-ebook/dp/B07Q8WQPSR/ref=nodl_
The Crafting of Chess kind of fits from what I remember. There are plots about past situations, game company things, but most of what he MC does meets that description.
https://www.amazon.com/Crafting-Chess-LitRPG-adventure-ebook/dp/B07P1YRHTX
Spinward an artifical dreamstate novel also works. It takes place almost entirely in the game.
https://www.amazon.com/Spinward-Artificial-Dream-State-Novel-ebook/dp/B01KQOSHYK
Also look at: You need a bigger sword, Battle Spire, Codename Freedom, Stonehaven league.
The Crafting of Chess
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A Chess Hustler decides to play an immersive Fantasy game as a way to push for a better life. Near future Sci-fi with fantasy game world action.
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https://www.amazon.com/Crafting-Chess-LitRPG-adventure-ebook/dp/B07P1YRHTX/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+crafting+of+chess&qid=1556405261&s=gateway&sr=8-1
​
Kindle Unimited
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3.99 to buy e-book
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14.99 paperback
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2 reviews shy of 50 on amazon. I should have a new book out next month, a Space Opera. If you like this, I'll do my best to get more work out for those that care.
He's only got 2 books I could find and one is the sequel to the other, so id start with the first one.
Into The Labyrinth
Olive Kittridge -Strout
A Visit from the Goon Squad -Egan
The Imperfectionists -Rachman
Let the Great World Spin -McCann
I'm not familiar with books about body image but I don't think that books need to be about body image to make young black kids comfortable with their blackness - just reading about normal, well-written black characters is enough for some kids. (Even seeing a black face on the back of the book or illustrated on the cover is a good thing for young people.) There are a bunch of books out there that address the topic of fitting in and what it's like to be black in America and feel "normal," but those books are usually catered to pre-teens and I don't know enough about them to give any recommendations.
There are a bunch of good books out there by black writers (all of the ones I can think of right now are by women) that have black main characters and convey a positive message (not just about being black) that I think might help. Check out these books and their authors:
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson. Some reviews here call it 'difficult' to read but I couldn't put it down! If you're more technically-oriented than I, you will derive yet another layer of joy from this little masterpiece, as if it needed one.
That's the only book of his I have read.
You can look at basically anything by Gibson if you want the same general setting.
And of course Snow Crash and The Diamond Age are heavily inspired by KWC's culture but the locations are very different.
Just off the top of my head aside from the genre staples (1984, V for Vendetta, Brave New World, etc.)
The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
Shades of Grey: A Novel by Harper Fforde
I am currently reading The Passages by Just in Cronin
Sorry for the formatting, on mobile. I will clean it up later.
Goodreads has a lot of great lists of dystopian books.
Blood Song is great book. I'd recommend it.
I'll add some of my favorites that you didn't mention. They are mostly Superhero, because that's what got me into self published authors that are frequently on KU.
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis Taylor. Great sci fi with plenty of humor and nerdy pop culture references, but also a fare share of danger and adventure. KU has all 3 books in the Bobiverse.
Sensation: A Superhero Novel by Kevin Hardman. This is a YA Super Hero novel, and is the first of 7 along with a couple spinoffs and short stories. The author also has a sci fi series and a fantasy series, but I haven't read them yet. I'm pretty sure all of his books are on KU.
Into the Labyrinth by John Bierce. This is the Mage Errant series. The 3rd book just came out, and there is a post here by the author. This is a book centered on a magical school, and it has a very good and detailed hard magic system.
Fid's Crusade by David Reiss. This is a Super Villain novel, and is darker than a lot of superhero books out there. There are currently 3 books in the Chronicles of Fid. I've only read the first one but I really liked it, and I even bought it when it was on sale so I could go back and read it again sometime instead of relying on it being on KU forever.
Arsenal by Jeffery H. Haskell. Another Super Hero novel, this one is probably in between the other two I mentioned in terms of tone, being darker than Kid Sensasion, but lighter than Fid. The protagonist is disabled and in a wheel chair, but made an awesome suit of armor to become a hero. There are 8 books in the series, and there is another series set in the same world with the 4th book coming at the end of the month. All of them are on KU.
I'd be interested in a book club! How would that work? As far as recommendations, I'm really excited about Neil Gaiman's new book, but it isn't coming out for another ~11 days.
Bad Omens is great!
I recently finished Gaiman's new novel, The ocean at the end of the lane. Very good read, I recommend it.
I know this is slightly off topic, but let me play Grandma here and suggest some books for you that have gaming influences which you might enjoy. Coincidentally, my nerd book club is reading these three for April:
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To by DC Pierson, and Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks by Ethan Gilsdorf.
Also, happy late birthday!
Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad?
Recently finished: A visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan -- read it all in about two sittings, this book is amazing!
On now: The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach -- really enjoying it thus far, and it is not what I expected.
Next up: Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon -- Pynchon is my favourite author and I've been saving this one for a while because of how long it is.
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler! I just finished it, loved it, can't wait to go onto the next one. It's the perfect border between YA/adult.
I think Parable of the Sower is far and away her best novel. Dystopian post-apocalyptic west cost with awesome politics. Didn't care for the sequel as much though - too preachy. Kindred is also fantastic literary sci-fi (though some would argue it's not sci-fi at all). Other suggestions for good political and/or feminist sci-fi novels?
Edit: Here's a good list from China Mieville, slanted towards socialist politics as is the author.
You mention Atwood but I'd like to put The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake out there as well. Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower is a great one as well.
One I read when I was quite young and I still have vivid mental images from it is John Wyndham's The Chrysalids.
Also... I am saving this for all of the other suggestions!
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Yes, Diamond Age is such a great spiritual successor to Snow Crash. Where Snow Crash has that frantic pace and hyper compressed events, Diamond Age takes its time and describes every molecule of the beauty in the book's events. These two works are such great testaments to Stephenson's skill because it's obvious he worked really hard to make them describe similar themes, but also compliment each other.
Have you seen the new covers? I like them, they do a good job of presenting them as companion pieces.
Snow Crash
Diamond Age
Snow Crash and Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson talk about it some, but it's not the libertarianism that most libertarians are familiar with. It's more a "freedom to choose your own society and its rules" than a "government does not interfere with choices" liberty. The Common Economic Protocol of SC/DA is technically a government, but the only thing it regulates are the formation of new phyles (societies, etc) and the use of nanorobots for warfare (Nell's foster father, at one point, has to go off to combat against some rebels that violate the terms of the Protocol, IIRC).
Diamond Age has a lot of what you're looking for, though in a very high-technology environment that enables the lifestyle, and with different implementations of libertarianism. Sea-steading is not done by building a colony and floating off into the sunset, but by building new landmasses off the coast of Shanghai and connecting them to the mainland with a large bridge. The phyles with the expertise to do this (Neo-Victorians (stuffy Brits), Japanese engineers, and
the GermansHindus, IIRC) are fabulously wealthy for their ability to create new housing zones, commercial areas, and industrial zones more-or-less on demand for the overpopulated cities of China. On the other hand, in the American Southwest you have small (in population) phyles that dominate the landscape: homesteaders whose only duty to the phyle is to mind their own land, and provide for the common defense. There are plenty of other systems described however: a Zulu phyle that protects its own by hunting down and bringing to justice anyone who harms one of theirs, a communist phyle that requires you to give up your possessions and live as if you're in a reeducation camp 24/7, a Hidu phyle that is mostly a bank for anyone who wants to borrow, with collection policies in the form of indentured service, etc, etc.It's an excellent character study for societies: you see the good and the bad of every one of them, where they work and they don't, and why. It's all enabled by technology that makes it possible (more or less) to provide everything to the masses at little or no cost, with money being exchanged only for premium design, service, or honest-to-god handmade goods (which are astonishingly expensive - entire phyles live a pastoral existence and create them for wealthier societies - the "Amish"/Luddites are billionaires). People do what they want to: become hackers, live in drum circles, homestead, work for Software Kahns, join theatrical troupes, work as scenario writers for a bordello, or in the semi-feudal administrative system of the Middle Kingdom. Most of this is implied, not explicit, which only makes it better reading, if you ask me: Stephenson may hit you over the head with the details of nanotechnology and ponderously describe encryption services (which personally I like anyway), but the wonder and cleverness of how the whole society works is rarely stated directly, meaning you can tease it out slowly and marvel at the way it all fits together.
TL;DR Yeah, Snow Crash. Also the Diamond Age. And I probably should write some sort of critical analysis of the Diamond Age to get something out of my system.
*edited for clarity and accuracy.
For sheer 'play in the virtual world' stuff, you MUST read Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. You'll blaze through that, so follow it up with Stephenson's The Diamond Age
Good YA dystopic future stuff:
The Windup Girl
Station Eleven
Finally, get into Neuromancer, by William Gibson. It's a fantastic--some would say genre-defining--cyberpunk novel.
Then go devour everything Stephenson and Gibson put out there. That should get you through at least the first half of the summer. Happy reading!
Take a look at the list of past Hugo winners and look for easily accessible ones. A few jump out at me:
Starship Troopers - Robert Heinlein
Dune - Frank Herbert
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress - Robert Heinlein
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
Barrayar - Lois McMaster Bujold, or maybe the omnibus Cordelia's Honor
The Diamond Age - Neal Stephenson
Since searching wikipedia turned up the Timeline of Non-Sexual Social Nudity(TIL) I'm just going to guess you're you're looking for a more techie true to life rendition of the hacker archetype based on the amazon synopsis.
Based on that I'd recommend:
Cryptonomicon
just.go.read.it.right.now.
It may take a little effort to get into, damn thing is a tomb, but give it a chance. You will not be disappoint.
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Stealing the Network Series
How to Own a Box
How to Own a Continent
How to Own an Identity
How to Own a Shadow
comments
These are told in a chapter/viewpoint style, each chapter is usually written by a different knowledgeable, and sometimes security famous, security dude. Out of those I've only read How to Own an Identity so far, but it was pretty good and and my guess is that the rest hold up to that standard, so dive in. They are a series from what I understand so reading them in order is probably a good idea, but not completely necessary.
_____
And then for flair (these are more scifi/cyberpunk-ish; so if that's not your thing avoid):
Snowcrash
comments
The main character's name is Hiro Protagonist. No seriously. He's a ninja, he's a hacker, he lives in a U-Store-it container, and he delivers pizza for the Mob in a post-collapse USA, can you really not read this book now?
--------------
The Diamond Age
comments
All about the practical social implications of nanotechnolgy told through the eyes of a young girl, her father, and an assortment of disposable associates.
--------------
The Sprawl Trilogy
Neuromancer
Count Zero
Mona Lisa Overdrive
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I've only read Neuromancer and Mona Lisa Overdrive, which were both great, so I'm guessing Count Zero is probably good too.
Similar to Snowcrash in the lone gun hacker sense, except with more drugs a little bit more of a scattered tone.
And if all else fails there's always the DEF CON reading list.
ninja edits because I suck at markdown
Maybe one day, Diamond Age style.
Long before that, though, we'll be 3d-printing tiny glass tubes that we attach to circuit boards that do the synthesis for us a la Lab on a Chip. Precursors in, apply power to chip, desired chemical out.
Sounds like that Oprah book, She Comes Undone, by Wally Lamb
>In this engaging first novel, narrator Dolores Price recounts her life story from age four to age 40. The troubled product of a stormy marriage, she is already sipping Maalox in grade school. Then her father walks out on her mother, who suffers a nervous collapse, and Dolores moves to her repressive grandmother's house in Rhode Island. By the time she reaches eighth grade, she has only one friend: a boarder who eventually rapes her. Anesthetizing herself with junk food and soap operas, Dolores becomes an obese, isolated young woman who attempts suicide during her first semester in college and spends seven years in a mental institution. Oddly enough, this relentless parade of disasters makes for interesting reading. The author keenly evokes his protagonist's profound alienation and self-loathing, endowing Dolores with a bleak sense of humor that keeps readers rooting for her. Ironically, the book itself "comes undone" as its heroine develops self-esteem, at which point an absorbing portrait of a woman on a collision course with her problems turns into a disappointing series of cliches about love, forgiveness and Dolores's ticking biological clock. Nonetheless, this is a promising debut. ( July )
A light board for tracing. A Wacom tablet for digital drawing. A selection of your own favorite dystopian novels, or even better- pick three you haven't read yourself yet either, get copies for both her and yourself, and plan to read one a month and then go out for coffee and discuss, two-person book club stylie.
The Wanting Seed is by the same author as A Clockwork Orange and is great. Classics- Brave New World, 1984, Animal Farm. Branch out a little maybe? Fight Club, or other books by Palahniuk. CS Lewis is great- Till We Have Faces, The Screwtape Letters. Margaret Atwood- Oryx and Crake, or The Handmaid's Tale. Tideland, and then watch the Terry Gilliam movie together. Never Let Me Go, which also was made into a fantastic movie.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.
It is technically a science fiction book, but it doesn't really feel like one, and I think it fits thematically with some of what you are looking for. It's beautifully written, romantic and very sad. I wouldn't read too much about it if you care about spoilers, but the Amazon description doesn't give much away. link
Girl, Interrupted ( http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Interrupted-Susanna-Kaysen-ebook/dp/B00D0OR5EC/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415949143&sr=1-1&keywords=Girl%2C+Interrupted The book is much better than the movie, promise)
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden ( http://www.amazon.com/Never-Promised-You-Rose-Garden/dp/0312943598 That date is the reprint date, this was originally published in 1964)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane ( http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-at-End-Lane-ebook/dp/B009NFHF0Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415949213&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Ocean+at+the+End+of+the+Lane It's a fantasy novel but it fits what you want)
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie.
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. The main character is a teenager, but the book is written for mature audiences.
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North.
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan.
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. Main character is a teenager, but this is not YA.
Check out the "Look Inside" previews to see if any of these is right for you.
My favorite book is Blood Song by Anthony Ryan if you like fantasy I consider this a MUST READ.
Us Kindleclaws are a bit wishy washy. It's cuz we're so full of loooove <3
The Schooled in Magic series by Christopher G. Nuttall and The White Mage series by Derek Perkins are both in that style and are good.
Foda-se, não consigo comprar um ebook na amazon
Na de espanha diz que não está disponível, na .com dá erro mal clico em comprar a dizer que os dados do cartão estão errados (não estão)
Mas então onde raio vou eu comprar ebooks? Quero emsmo ler esta série e os fdps não me deixam dar-lhes dinheiro
>!K? K what? The letter before L? The letter after J? Did you know that in oK the K stands for “okay?” So your reply is “okay?” or K as in Potassium? Do you need some Special K for breakfast? K as in I can 👌 you? Can I 👌 you and feed you to hungry drakes? drakes have an K in it. "K”? Are you fucking okay me? I spent a decent portion of my life writing all of that and your response to me is "K”?Are you so caffeine-addicted that the only letter you can comprehend is "K” - or are you just some fucking dragon who thinks that with such a short response, he can make a statement about how meaningless what was written was? Well, I'll have you know that what I wrote was NOT meaningless, in fact, I even had my written work proof-read by several writers of /r/redditserials. Don't believe me? I doubt you would, and your response to this will probably be "K” once again. Do I give a fuck? No, does it look like I give even the slightest fuck about a single letter? I bet you took the time to type that one letter too, I bet you sat there and chuckled to yourself for 20 hearty seconds before pressing "send". You're so fucking pathetic. I'm honestly considering directing you to a beta reader, but I'm simply far too nice to do something like that. You, however, will go out of your way to make a fool out of someone by responding to a well-thought-out, intelligent, or humorous statement that probably took longer to write than you can last in bed with a chimpanzee. What do I have to say to you? Absolutely nothing. I couldn't be bothered to respond to such a worthless attempt at a response. Do you want "K” on your gravestone? Do you want people to remember you as the asshat who one day decided to respond to someone with a single letter? "Hey, look, everybody! It's that "👌” guy!" That's who you are. You're going to be known as the "👌” guy. How does it feel? Do you feel happy? Quite honestly, I don't care, which is why I'm not even going to respond to you. Do you really think you can just get away with "k" as a message? What if someone did that to you, huh? Do you think you would like it? Making an entire paragraph to get a fuckin' one letter response of the /u/elevenboyah letter in the alphabet, you think that's fuckin' funny, elven? Do you want your crush to respond back with "k” after you spill your feelings out like this? (Take me back, writersbutlerbot.) Huh? What if I did it to you? K. Did you fuckin' like that? What, did you just put your stories on hiatus because someone disregarded your entire effort of writing this ENTIRE paragraph FROM HAND in about fifteen minutes? That just makes me feel fucking rejected just like my ex. (Take me back, Darren.) k. What're you, fuckin' dragon? Can I have a response that actually MEANS something instead of just worldbuilding our "stories" with the spam of "k?”. Now occasionally with questions or something it's reasonable, but doing it to any fucking response they say. "We're having a nuclear crisis, you have fifteen minutes to evacuate." You're the type of person that would fuckin' say "k” to that, you limp draconic hypocrite. You think you can get away with this, right? You think it's SOOOOOO funny to do this shit, but I can guarantee that you'll be taken out back and burnt soon. You're fucking dead, "k"eker.!<
(original by nenea_tanti)
Yep - same in Australia.
Australia links:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Chosen-Flameweaver-Saga-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07D5Y22FC
https://www.amazon.com.au/Charred-Flameweaver-Saga-Book-2-ebook/dp/B07D5SS7TN
And the pre-order page for book 3:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Nightsworn-Flameweaver-Saga-Book-3-ebook/dp/B07F5N418G
Arcane ascension
Mage errant
Alco, check out /r/ProgressionFantasy/
I will just mention that I happened upon this post and was surprised there was an audiobook available
see, I checked out the page for book 1 as one does and saw no audio format listed, so just assumed none existed
by making this combined pack, discoverability is really reduced
My favorite LitRPG read for 2019 so far has been The Crafting of Chess. IIRC the author has stated he couldn't afford an editor or to commission cover art, so he did everything flying solo. And boy, can you tell.The cover art is basically stick figures, he seems to think "martial" (as in law) should be spelled "marshall," (as in sheriff) and on and on...but if he'd not published it I'd have felt I was missing out. Dunno. 🤷♂️ But it sounds like he brought the book to market for effectively no money out of pocket, so it can be done.
Having said that, I think it was the cover art on Travis Bagwell's books that made me immediately gravitate to them. So different from typical LitRPG covers, yet so arresting in their own right. (I think he said his sister in law does them. Lucky him.)
My favorite book of the year has been The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I think they're even making it into a movie, which would be very cool!
Mmmmmm, books.
This is my most wanted book right now, but this would be the runner up if the first goes over $5 by May. Used books in any condition are just fine!
Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. I started it yesterday and I'm 3/4 of the way through.
Congrats and thanks for the contest!
This makes me happy because I love Neil Gaiman!
I ain't birthed no babies!
Speaking of books, I would recommend that one for you (The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman) because it's supposed to be really good.
Happy Birfday
I've read that The Thinking's Woman's Guide to Real Magic is like an adult oriented Harry Potter book.
The Night Circus is a fantasy romance novel involving magic and a circus. This is set in the late 1800s or early 1900s.
Monstrumologist and its' sequels are really interesting monster hunting novels. This is set in the late 1800s.
Have you read the Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman yet?
Jonathan Strange & Mr.Norrell was a great read. It's another book about magic. I have a copy and I really like it.
Maybe The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had to is something you might enjoy?
D.C. Pierson of "Derrick Comedy" wrote a pretty good book on the topic called The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To. It's the first book I read that referenced Invader Zim.
I'm sure your friend has access to all the recovery literature he can handle, and more. I wouldn't even go there, if you are considering it.
I might go for some light entertainment.
Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is about hiking the Appalachian Trail, it's an easy read and it's hilariously funny.
Cheryl Strayed's Wild is about hiking the PCT and is also a fun read.
For novels, I have to recommend A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, and Middlesex by Jeffery Eugendes. They are both big huge sprawling books that are also super enjoyable and easy to read. (So they are not a new Moby Dick.) I've never read them, but I hear the Lord of the Rings books are completely absorbing too. They would take up a huge chunk of his time.
You might also send some comfort clothes. Some warm socks or slippers or sweatpants or a hoodie, something like that. (I'm a huge fan of LL Bean's sweats, they are super comfy and well made.) Also maybe an iTunes gift card if he's got an iphone or ipod.
Out of curiosity, what's the scifi book you're sending? I'm a big scifi fan too.
Just a few: Mr. Peanut, John Dies at the End, The Magicians, Horns, Running Dog, The Name of the Wind, A Visit from the Goon Squad.
Amazon has it.. Barnes and Noble as well. The cover is as shown in my pics, not in their icons on Amazon.
This book is brilliant.
http://www.amazon.com/Parable-Sower-Octavia-Butler/dp/0446675504/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1321902753&amp;sr=8-1
Are you not from the US?
the Diamond Age
Friday
the Sparrow
the Blind Assasin
Parable of the Sower
I'm not sure if it's been mentioned yet, but Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler reminded me a lot of Fallout.
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin
Anything by Joanna Russ
Floating Worlds and Great Maria by Cecelia Holland
The Shattered Chain by Marion Zimmer Bradley
Titan by John Varley
Ammonite by Nicola Griffith
Walk to the End of the World by Suzy McKee Charnas
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh
Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter by Simone de Beauvoir
I had to hit the dictionary often for The Diamond Age.
Diamond Age
>John Percival Hackworth is a nanotech engineer on the rise when he steals a copy of "A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer" for his daughter Fiona. The primer is actually a super computer built with nanotechnology that was designed to educate Lord Finkle-McGraw's daughter and to teach her how to think for herself in the stifling neo-Victorian society. But Hackworth loses the primer before he can give it to Fiona, and now the "book" has fallen into the hands of young Nell, an underprivileged girl whose life is about to change.
Right, I have a bit of a terrible memory so here are some... not all of them have a woman as the main but generally more than just 'supporting' or 'girlfriend' roles :)
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear. This is part of a series and I'm pretty sure this is the first in that series with Darwin's Children the next one.
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson.
Ender's Game.
Mainly my favourite authors are Greg Bear, Greg Egan, Neal Stephenson, Stephen Baxter, Philip K Dick - the usual crowd. Do you have any recommendations?
My favorite post-singularity fiction is the Golden Age trilogy by John C. Wright. Superintelligent AI, virtual reality, and mind uploading, and he still manages a deeply human tale of epic heroism. It's a little hard to get into for the first three or four chapters, but then it really takes off. I've read it three times.
Greg Egan's work is pretty interesting, eg. Permutation City, which is mainly about uploading etc.
For more of the near-future speculation side of Accelerando, Cory Doctorow writes a lot of good stuff. And there's Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom which is post-singularity.
Neal Stephenson's Diamond Age is pretty much a classic, covering nanotech, AI-based education, and all sorts of craziness. One of my favorites.
Compare Veracity cover with The Diamond Age cover. Same designer/artist, or a copycat.
My favorite book at the moment is She's Come Undone. It's fiction, I don't really know what to tell you about it, it's just really good.
My Favorite Book!
Robert McCammon. My favorite horror writer after King. Start with Swan Song, or Boy's Life.
*Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-tme
Because it's an amazing book, and available for like three bucks on eBay
The transhumans will raise humans to claim their organs and dispose them when there is no need for it.
Likely path for humans kept alive for organ harvesting.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FCK2TW/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1
(although he lived in England for almost all of his life, Kazuo Ishiguro started his career by writing two little-known books set in Japan, showing he is still firmly grounded with the Japanese culture - which was explained also in the main text of my original post)
My mom's been gone for 14 years in Novemeber. I had a great relationship with my mom. However, she loved her pain pills and her blood disease and liver disease caused her great pain, which, apparently, the doctors thought they could control with more pain pills. My mom died at 38 years old due to a heart attack. There were no drugs in her system when she died. Her heart finally gave out from too much...I guess. And as sad as I was for the first few years, over the past few, I have grown incredibly angry with her. For loving her drugs so much. I honestly think that if she had just stopped doing the drugs, she might still be alive today. And while I do believe my life is better/turned out better than it would have had she still been alive...I am so fucking angry about it that when I think about it my heart beats hard out of my chest and I can't breathe. When I think about that anger it breaks my heart. Because I had a great relationship with her, and as an adult who is in control of my emotions, I should be able to forgive her and love her again. But...the anger. :-(
That being said, my mom's aunt and my mom's mom raised me since I was 14 all the way until recently when I moved out on my own. I am 28 now and I feel as though I have 3 moms. My great-auntie is a saint. Absolutely the most caring individual ever. She took care of my mom when she was around 14, and is now taking care of her granddaughter(her son's daughter) on the weekends. She deserves the world, and I hope one day I can give back to her as she's given to me.
Hey Bean!
Book
Finished re-reading Neverwhere and decided to read Ocean At The End Of The Lane which somehow I never read before.
grown assman, living with my parents :(
cheer me up scotty!
neil gaiman
I just finished The Long Earth (excellent read!) yesterday and now I need to start my next one. I have taken to reading on my phone (e-books) while walking from my car to the office in the morning since it's a few blocks. These days it tends to be one of my longest dedicated reading times since I am so busy otherwise.
What book do you have right now? Pardon if you already answered in earlier comments. I will refer you to my lack of time reference earlier :)
I would love the new Neil Gaiman book. You ALL still have Zoidberg!
I really enjoyed Blood Song by Anthony Ryan. The book is fantastic, and has a really high rating on both goodreads.com and amazon.com. The book started out as self-published, but due to its success Ryan now has a publisher. Best part is that Ryan just finished the second book in the trilogy a few months ago and is planning to have the third book finished next year.
Also, I was just on Brandon's website, and he's already 25% finished prewriting the third Stormlight Archives book. I was at a book signing event a few months ago, and Brandon said that he would like to have the next book finished by the fall of next year. Supposedly Peter later said that next fall is a pipe dream, but I'd believe Brandon is capable of completing it by then.
I recommend the Witch Hunter by Troy Smith. Obviously, there are witches, but is a dark, adult fantasy. Multiple points of view, dark theme.
https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Hunter-Trials-Freedom-ebook/dp/B071NM35J3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1510646223&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=witch+hunter+troy+smith
I have not yet finished this next book, but so far Blood Song by Anthony Ryan is pretty good. I am still finding out more about the book, so I would not compare is to Thrones, but it has a cool world so far.
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Song-Ravens-Shadow-Novel-ebook/dp/B00ABKGG0C/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1510645487&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=blood+song
Just trying to get some of the lesser known series in there.
EDIT: woops some of these may not be Epic...hmm...I honestly don't know how to distinguish...I think Most of them are Epic, and the only really out of place one in Cook's Garrett series, but to be honest it does get pretty epic, I mean...it builds slowly but...ok, make of the list as you will.
Online fiction:
Pact: I'm enjoying Pact. Not as much overall as Worm, but there are some moments that are pretty awesome like [6.11](#s "not existing when the Behaim's do their thing with perception, and it goes straight from 6.10->6.12. Meta shenanigans are best shenanigans.")
Citadel: It's exactly what would happen if you cross Super Powereds' setting with characters from Worm. Not enough story yet to get a really good feel for how it's going to turn out, and the chapter length leaves something to be desired, although the update rate makes up for it. So far, I'm willing to keep reading it, which is more than I can say for most serials I start.
I second Hard Reset, and its sequels. Entertaining time loop shenanigans, and the characterization is pretty good ([Pinkie Pie](#s " narrator is best narrator.")). It's worth mentioning that I've never watched the show, or had any interest in watching the show, but I still found it fairly entertaining.
While we're on the subject of ponyfic, Fallout Equestria is one of my favorite pieces of fiction. Dark MLP!Fallout, not much else to say.
The Optimalverse, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, is also pretty good. Satisfying values through ponies and friendship has never been more gratifying. Or terrifying, depending on your viewpoint and whether or not CelestAI's actions creep you the hell out.
Leftover Soup is a webcomic that I enjoy almost as much as the author's comments. There were quite a few times while reading it and thought "Huh, you know, that's a good point. I never thought of it that way."
The SilverClawShift Campaign Archives: What everybody wishes their DnD group was like. Fairly epic campaign.
Old Man Henderson: what every GM is terrified their group will be like.
Inviolate: A DC universe spanning conspiracy. Probably better if you have previous understanding of the universe, but I found it entertaining with just a layman's knowledge base.
Good ol' paperbacks:
Finished up Blood Song and its sequel Tower Lord not too long ago. Really enjoyed Blood Song, had a few issues with Tower Lord, but overall two very good books.
The Red Knight was pretty good as well, although it did have a tendency to get caught up in medieval armor jargon. I have no idea what most of those word were, but understanding is not necessary to enjoy the story.
The Dragon's Path is the first novel in the Dagger and the Coin series, and it looks pretty promising. Some entertaining political/economic maneuvering.
For fans of the Dresden Files, Benedict Jacka's Fated and it's sequels have much the same vibe. So far, it's only about as good as the early to mid Dresden Files, but the author has been improving steadily.
Reading Blood Song by Anthony Ryan and it is a fantastic book. It is the first in a trilogy but there is supposed to be a big drop in quality in the 2nd and 3rd books.
I would highly recommend another book here, I read indie fantasy almost exclusively and I haven't seen or heard of any of these books. Although I would highly recommend Blood Song by Anthony Ryan.
http://www.amazon.com/Ravens-Shadow-Book-One-ebook/dp/B00ABKGG0C/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1369100256&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=blood+song
He has been picked up by a publisher and book 2, while already mostly finished is going through Penguin and will not be released for a while.
Originally they were free to read but now only the 4th year of the story is free. I hadn't found the first three years for free anymore you might have a better chance but here is the link any way
And then here is the free fourth year
Hmm. I have Kindle Unlimited so Amazon won't let me easily look up if a book is in Prime Reading too, so this may or may not apply (sorry) but these were the best I've read recently:
edit: Also why do so many of these Prime/KU requests always seem unpopular? "What are some good affordable books you can suggest" seems like a very reasonable question to me.
I love this type of stuff too so I have some suggestions for you!(Read the real descriptions for the books, these are just quick ones I put together.)
[Books]
Fimblwinter
This is about a man who, when down on his luck, made a deal with a goddess to protect her last follower in another world.
Schooled in Magic
This is a story about a girl who was abducted from her world because she was a Child of Destiny...problem is her mother is named Destiny, is it a fluke?
Portals of Infinity: Book One: Champion for Hire
One day William walked through a portal in the woods into an entirely different world and after staying a while decides that this world might be better for him.
[Manga]
Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari
One day our protagonist Naofumi is browsing a bookstore and finds a book that sucks him into another world as a hero! The thing is though, everyone looks down on him because he is the Hero of the Shield which people think of as weak.(Only 7 Chapters so far)
[Light Novel/Web Novel]
Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou
A class of highschoolers are transported to another world and become Heros, among them is Hajime, our protagonist, who received an artisan class and mediocre stats. This is his story of fighting through hardships and persevering.
Mushoku Tensei
A 34-year-old NEET otaku was chased out from his house by his family. This virgin, plump, unattractive, and penniless nice guy found that his life was heading towards a dead end. He recalled that his life could actually become much better if he can get over the dark history of his life.
Just when he was at the point of regret, he saw a truck moving at a high speed with 3 high school students in its path. Mustering all his strength, he saves them but ended up getting run over by the truck, which kills him.
The next time he opens his eyes, he had reincarnated to a world of swords and magic, as Rudeus Greyrat. Born to a new world and a new life, Rudeus declared, "This time, I'll really live my life to the fullest with no regrets!" Thus begins the journey of a newly made man
Log Horizon
Just read the description on the site. It has the basic premise of SAO, but it is very different than SAO.(Has an anime also)
These are the only one I can think of at the moment.
Edit: formatting
christopher nuttall
https://www.amazon.com/Schooled-Magic-Christopher-Nuttall-ebook/dp/B00INFP20W
Schooled in Magic by Christopher Nuttall starts out a little YA but is very well written and takes a mature approach to describing a world where rape, murder and pillage is basically a given. I kinda think of the series as a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, except the protagonist is a young woman from an abusive home who ends up in a much less politically correct version of Hogwarts. Also there are 15 books in the series, so if you like it you'll be set for weeks.
For those of you in Canada,
Here's the first book
And
here's the second
So - Here is the link to the Netherlands marketplace version. If that still doesn't work, please let me know!
I need to give We Are Legion another shot, I DNF'd it a while back. I think I had been reading too many books with pop culture references then and had gotten sick of it. I've read the first two Sensation books, but I didn't like the second one much so I didn't put it on the list.
I've been meaning to read Into the Labyrinth for a while, it looks good from the reviews I've seen. I'll have to check out the other two superhero books as well.
> Which brought me to the book on amazon, easy enough. Except I can't actually buy the ebook. "Not currently available for purchase." Googling suggests regional issues are the reason, but the tutorials I found for changing location hasn't been working.
I have no issue purchasing it on AU Amazon
I've found it's generally easier to find a somewhat generically named book by searching the author rather than the title. If you put John's name in to Amazon, for instance, Into the Labyrinth is the first result to come up.
If you're trying to breach into female author territory, I suggest Joyce Carol Oates. You may remember her from "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?", a short story that's been on a lot of high school and college curriculum. If you enjoy that, read her novel Zombie:
http://www.amazon.com/Zombie-Novel-Joyce-Carol-Oates/dp/0061778915
Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates
Read Zombie, by Joyce Carol Oates. It's not about zombies, it's about a psychopathic killer, written in the first-person. That book has haunted me for years. (On a side note, I just realized whoever I last loaned it to apparently never returned it, so I had to go to Amazon and buy a new copy.)
My initial thoughts:
Religion: An Insider's view of Mormon's Origins by Grant Palmer
Fiction: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
2nd Fiction Choice: Wool by Hugh Howey
The Ocean at the End of the Lane. The worst is that since I'm subscribed to so many publishers/bookstores/etc on FB, the cover keeps popping up on my feed! They're totally taunting me. :-)
I also really like this Star Trek.
Or this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-End-Lane-Novel/dp/0062255657/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1373474851&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=neil+gaiman
:)
I want to read Gaiman's latest!
Reminds me of the front cover of Neil Gaiman's new book. http://www.amazon.com/The-Ocean-End-Lane-Novel/dp/0062255657
http://www.amazon.com/The-Ocean-End-Lane-Novel/dp/0062255657/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1368425350&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=gaiman
Indeed. It's out next month!
I read a book that had an interesting take on this concept: http://www.amazon.com/Couldnt-Sleep-Never-Vintage-Contemporaries/dp/0307474615
http://www.amazon.com/Couldnt-Sleep-Never-Vintage-Contemporaries/dp/0307474615
The only book to ever make me laugh out loud.
Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
Blood Song, by Anthony Ryan has a lot of similarities to the Kingkiller Series. They share the same framing device: a notorious person tells his life story to a historian. In this one, the main character is awaiting execution for killing a neighboring empire's heir, and a historian wants to get his side of things before it's lost forever.
The main character, Vaelin Al Sorna, is given up by his father, a high ranking Lord, to the Sixth Order, a sect of monastic warriors, for seemingly political reasons. Abandoned by his father, he devotes himself to duty and the Faith, but he often finds himself caught between its harsh strictures and his own innate sense of morality.
Aside from the similar structure, the stories are very different in both scope and tone, not to mention having a much faster pace. It also has one of the highest review scores I've ever seen on Amazon. Note that Blood Song was originally self published on Kindle, but it was picked up by a traditional publisher and a hardcover version will be available in July.
If you want another Dresden-like book series, check out the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne. I'd say they are almost sue-ably similar. Main character is flippant and sarcastic, but also honorable and relies heavily on improvisation. I think these would be exactly what you're looking for.
I can also second the suggestion for Weeks' new Lightbringer series.
For your Night Angel fix, I recently read and loved Blood Song. The author is fairly new, but the book is absolutely solid and wonderful.
Another good book series is the Kingkiller Chronicles.
I'll stop the list there before I get carried away. But I think Iron Druid and Blood Song will be spot on as far as similarity. The other two are books I think you'll really enjoy, but aren't necessarily as similar.
I want to read this but I am confused! Is it this one or this one?
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler and the sequel to it. It's an amazing read just on an entertainment level, but there's a lot of social commentary too if you're looking for it.
Parable of the Sower was pretty good.
http://www.amazon.com/Parable-Sower-Octavia-Butler/dp/0446675504/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1310715086&amp;sr=1-2
China Miéville's Un Lun Dun. It's a kids' book, but it's fantastic. Miéville turns a lot of the standard fantasy tropes on their heads, with thoroughly enjoyable results.
Dathan Auerbach's Penpal. Horror/suspense, written by a redditor, and debuted on reddit. The Kindle version is less than $4. Seriously creepy but totally worth it.
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's Good Omens. I have never laughed so much while reading. It's phenomenal.
Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age. What happens to poor people once nanotechnology can be used to make anything? It's my favorite of the Stephensons I've read, but it still ends like a Neal Stephenson novel. :|
Cory Doctorow's Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town. It's about the first-born son of a mountain and a washing machine. It's also about setting up wireless networks. Also: it's FREE.
Hope you enjoy some of these! :)
The Diamond Age By Neal Stephenson is a top contender.
One of my favorite books is The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson.
I've read it twice now since 2008; the first time I was captivated by the world he created. The second time, I began to understand what he was trying to explore with culture and what it means to "belong" to something or to subscribe to a belief system.
An entertaining read set in a fantastic world that you will not forget :)
Neal Stephenson's [The Diamond Age](http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Age-Illustrated-Primer-Spectra/dp/0553380966/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1314797352&amp;sr=8-1 "fuckin great book") has an interesting situation. It's not a post-collapse world, but it is a semi-anarchic "not-so-far-future" world where governments don't have very much power. In this world, people have separated into "philes" (same root as in "audiophiles like sound equipment"), some of which are based on religion, or ideology, others are based on habits, values and aesthetics (for example some groups choose to live like Victorian-era Britons with steam-punk technology).
Nice. I've been trying to think of a good automata book. Diamond Age just popped into my head. Hehe.
You may be interested in this novel - it starts a bit slow and cryptic so you have to be a little patient before it gets good.
When the Lights go out Tanith Lee was a book that made a very strong impression on me.
The tombs of Atuan by LeGuin was another book I kept on rereading as a teen.
The Woman who Loved Reindeer by M.A. Pierce I only read once as it got knicked from my library. Over 15 years later I still carry it with me, or at least the feeling I got from from it.
I'm also slightly thinking The Darkangel trilogy by Pierce as well. Another series that got read, re-read and re-re-read.
Come to think of it, I think a lot of the books that really got to me as a teen were the fantasy starring alienated but strong teens and women.
Nowadays I think one of my favourite books are The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, which, aside from being absolutely awesome scifi, I guess also touches on the topic of strong but misfitted women.
Have you read "The Diamond Age," by Neil Stephenson?
You may also enjoy The Madness Season by C. S. Friedman.
If you can give me more examples of stuff you like, I may be able to offer more suggestions.
Neal Stephenson covers this pretty well in Diamond Age
http://www.amazon.com/The-Diamond-Age-Illustrated-Spectra/dp/0553380966
>John Percival Hackworth is a nanotech engineer on the rise when he steals a copy of "A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer" for his daughter Fiona. The primer is actually a super computer built with nanotechnology that was designed to educate Lord Finkle-McGraw's daughter and to teach her how to think for herself in the stifling neo-Victorian society. But Hackworth loses the primer before he can give it to Fiona, and now the "book" has fallen into the hands of young Nell, an underprivileged girl whose life is about to change.
The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer (Bantam Spectra Book) Paperback – May 2, 2000
by Neal Stephenson
Ever read The Diamond Age? They did it, and ended up using diamonds for everything (i.e. windows, buildings, etc.).
You should read the Diamond Age.
Excellent. Good writers, all! Have you tried out Neal Stephenson? If no, I highly recommend A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer and The Baroque Cycle, although almost all of his books are excellent (except his first :P).
Science Technology Engineering and math education by whatever means. http://www.amazon.com/The-Diamond-Age-Illustrated-Spectra/dp/0553380966/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1346894433&amp;sr=8-1-spell&amp;keywords=young+laides+illistrated+primer
I haven't read that myself, but based on the description and notes elsewhere in the thread I might recommend these:
Ok. I am going to recommend Room by Emma Donoghue. It was one of the most amazing and disturbing books I have ever read. It is fiction. It is about a boy who was born and grew up in one room, his mother was kidnapped and they are kept in secret by their captor. It it told from the voice of the boy and how he grows up and what his world is like when the whole world is just his room. I won't give any spoilers but this book is unforgettable.
One more because I can't resist. The second is She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. It is a coming of age type story but unlike any I have read before. It was one of my favorite books ever, but also depressing. I like books that really make me FEEL, whether it is happy or sad and this one really got to me.
Realistic fiction, since I've done a lot of fantasy in this thread. I'm a big fan of Wally Lamb, She's Come Undone will probably make you cry, and no book has ever spoken to me like I Know This Much is True.
please read this
Never Let Me Go - Reviews kinda say it all, so I'll let you go check those out instead of rehashing.
Probably Never Let Me Go.
I don't know about his other stuff. How about Kazuo Ishiguro? I wouldn't really consider his writing style similar to what you mentioned or Delillo, but I really enjoyed Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go
> I do like a good American drama.
Try Boy's Life
I've read it 3 times.
For some fun brain vacation police procedural, you can't go wrong with John Sanford
Is this the book you're talking about? If so, it's sounds really interesting!
Thanks to your recommendation, I am reading it now. It is a great book. Check out "Boy's Life" by the same author. It is s deviation from this topic, but still great.
Here's a shout out for you: Boy's Life by Robert McCammon. One of my all-time favorites. I have yet to meet someone who has read this book and not loved it.
Oh my goodness that is so generous!
I'm Moriah, and I've been an avid reader since, well, forever. I was one of this kids who got in trouble for reading long after my bed time, my mom just didn't know what to do with me! One of my all time favorite books is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I feel like I can take on the world after reading this, which is probably why my copy is falling apart!
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffennegger Super good
or if you like something that makes you go "Is this really the way that the world is going to go?" try Never Let Me Go- Kazuo Ishiguro then if you can't get enough of it, they recently made it into a movie with Keira Knightly
pecksniffian :D
http://www.amazon.com/kindle-store/dp/B009NFHF0Q
This would be an amazing read, methinks. Gotta love Neil.
Thank you for the contest, and thanks to your dad as well!
EDIT: Can't spell pecksniffian correctly, silly me. :P
The book I am currently most excited about is probably The Ocean at the end of the lane Because I have never read anything by Neil Gaiman that I did not love. Unfortunately, it's not actually released yet , so probably doesn't count. Second choice would be January First It is a memoir from a man raising a young daughter with early onset schizophrenia. I have a 3 year old Niece whom I adore, but she is coming from a long line of paranoid schizophrenics on her mother's side (her mother included) and a host of other psychiatric disorders on my side of the family... and While I hope she manages to escape her genetics, I worry... I don't know how I expect reading the book to help the situation or anything.. but maybe I could just gain better insight and understanding as to how the mind works and the troubles faced by someone in such a situation and be better at helping and dealing should I have to.
I know you said "favorite" and neither of these could realistically BE my "favorite" as Ive never read them, but I already own my favorites :P p.s. my name is Jynn
[Neil Gaiman's most recent novel] (http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-End-Lane-Novel-ebook/dp/B009NFHF0Q/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;sr=&amp;qid=) would be lovely, and is certainly dark. The kindle edition is 7.99.
That is so generous of you! Happy birthday!
Here is a book from my list.
Have a good one!
This bathroom clock would help me out a lot when it comes to getting my butt out the door to work on time. I've also wanted to read this book after having read a short story by the author.
Good luck with the training! My ex went through marines training and he wrote to me saying how much easier it was than he thought. I still think he lied about it to seem like a tough guy but maybe it wasn't really that bad. Hope your Army training went swimmingly!
I don't have specific music I listen to while I write, but I definitely have to have some background noise whether it be music or TV or whatever. I do not have a totem. I use my netbook, and I just use Microsoft Word. I am definitely a pantser and always have been. I just go where the story takes me. I have not actually completed any of my books yet, but I have one in progress, and several ideas.
I also have written many songs, which I also am a total pantser in that regard too. However, I handwrite those and just write on whatever is available at the time.
I don't specifically have any writing related stuff like paper or pens or anything, but books and music both inspire my writing. So, take your pick :-).
If you finish reading the 2 kingkiller books (I honestly suggest reading the first and then waiting for the third to come out), read Blood Song by Anthony Ryan. Then if you have even more time, read anything by Brandon Sanderson. Mistborn series and Stormlight (I just really wanted to re-rec this one). Joe Abercrombie's The Heroes (and all of his other books, ofc). Then for even more character development, read the Coldfire trilogy. It's an older book and not as 'fast' as books written nowadays, but it has Gerald Tarrant.
There's a lot of superhero novels. If you're in the mood for a series, look here: http://www.amazon.com/Super-Powereds-Year-Drew-Hayes-ebook/dp/B00BIJ05F2
Also, Worm is a must read superhero serial that pretty much redefined the genre. https://parahumans.wordpress.com/
https://parahumans.wordpress.com/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BIJ05F2
I personally love worldbuilding in stories, probably to the same extent you do. Someone wrote below that they don't want to read a D&D guide, I DO want to read a D&D guide. We probably are in a minority, but there are a few ways I've seen authors cover for the fact that their stories are very heavy on world exposition:
My advice as a wanna-be author (a few unfinished stories) is to just do something that you feel good and comfortable doing, but just make sure you have some good editors that can understand what you are trying to do. Amazon self publishing is a thing, and there are a bunch of websites where you can also share your stories. There are way more readers than authors out there
Yeah here you go. Hopefully this will come across right since I'm on my phone. [Kings Dark Tidings] (https://www.amazon.com/Free-Darkness-Kings-Dark-Tidings-ebook/dp/B019YM2E62/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1499307660&amp;sr=1-1&amp;refinements=p_27%3AKel+Kade)
Free the Darkness is the beging of a series that has 4 books out currently with more to come. These books are only available as Ebooks or audible (which is fine with me). They create one of my favorite worlds at this point, with characters who don't seem complex at first, but develop very well.
Red Rising is a completed trilogy that is not my typical fantasy cup of Tea, but give it an honesty try and by the end of the first book you will be amazed by the ride you just took! This one is hard to explain how it is good without spoilers, but I would say it is similar to a roman opera with mid evil, fantasy, and sci-fi space elements. The MC starts off with a basic personality but gains tremendous depth as the book progresses.
Riyria Revelations This books honestly sounds like exactly what you are looking for. This completed series of 6 books is perhaps the outline of how a great fantasy should be written. While my other two recommendations are more from a personal level, this series is "objectively" better. This book follows multiple plot lines that weave together masterfully for one of my favorite resolutions of all time.
I have been eye-balling King's Dark Tidings and noticed the description says "Updated! Now professionally edited" so there's that!
If you're willing to try out an indie author, the King's Dark Tidings series by Kel Kade has an extremely OP character with an interesting take on romance.
Also (shameless self-plug), my own series, The Eternal War, has at least one OP character, although the romance doesn't really come into play until book 2.
Edit: Added links to suggestions
The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss Kvothe is one of the most overpowered, got the answers to everything, character.
Book 1 The Name of the Wind kindle link.
Book 2 The Wise Man's Fear kindle link.
King's Dark Tidings by Kel Kade. Rezkin suffers from the same blight as the previously mention Kvothe, BUT he has social awkwardness, which is great through the first 2 books.
Book 1 Free the Darkness kindle link.
Book 2 Reign of Madness kindle link.
Book 3 Legends of Ahn kindle link.
Here is one of my favorite books. Urban Fantasy.
MC is OP, but doesn't realize it. Manages to survive things he shouldn't.
Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia
The fist book is free from the Baen website.
Try this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Into-Labyrinth-Mage-Errant-Book-ebook/dp/B07J675X2C/
Hey man, I'm also from Australia and I just searched up "John Bierce" on the Kindle app and it showed up. For free! I tried finding a link on Amazon for you but I couldn't. Weird. If you have the kindle app, you can download it from there. Or download the app :p Good luck!
EDIT: I tried some more. Try this link?
https://www.amazon.com/Into-Labyrinth-Mage-Errant-Book-ebook/dp/B07J675X2C/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1539174516&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=john+bierce&amp;dpID=51I9IvuaRFL&amp;preST=_SY445_QL70_&amp;dpSrc=srch
I'm a part-time author, 19 books, 20th out early next year. And although a long time ago I wrote a book that prefigures LitRPG in a lot of ways, I've been on a steep learning curve this year to catch up with where LitRPG is at. Firstly, as a reader, I've come to appreciate that the usual criteria for enjoying a book don't fully apply. I get hooked by following an MC in a gaming system, especially one with levels and skill tipping points and stay up much later than I intended to read on. This despite weak stories, poor writing, errors, etc. I'm into literary fiction as well and appreciate a book that leaves me deeply moved. But these days I'd rather read LitRPG. Of course, I prefer well-written LitRPG (Kit Falbo's Crafting of Chess and Travis Bagwell's Awaken Online spring to mind) but it's really interesting that there is a hook in LitRPG done right which is, frankly, new to fiction. If an author comes to the genre thinking they understand it (me a year ago) but don't deliver that sweet, addictive engagement with progressing in the game, then that author is going to disappoint readers, and see correspondingly negative posts. My experience here in the reddit community though, has been overwhelmingly positive and nothing like the territorial hostility and downright bullying I've seen in the LitRPG / GameLit Facebook groups. I think the reddit community is now so large that proprietorial authors and their epigones can no longer whip up a storm against new writers.
TL;DR: you should come back to the genre.
Olivia Butler's Parable of the Sower
There is a series called Super Powereds in which one of the 5 or so main characters has power over luck. Its a great series above and beyond that though. Its set in a super hero college and main characters are all 18 trying to get there hero certificate.
I don't see why the candy wouldn't work, its not like they are fit for consumption.
Edit: Also, unrelated but you should get him the book "The Parable of the Sower." Amazon link. Its not a zombie book, but it is an interesting read about survival in an apocalyptic world.