Best science fiction & fantasy books according to redditors

We found 24,941 Reddit comments discussing the best science fiction & fantasy books. We ranked the 7,114 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Subcategories:

Science fiction & fantasy writing books
Fantasy books
Fantasy gaming books
Science fiction books

Top Reddit comments about Science Fiction & Fantasy:

u/NChSh · 6654 pointsr/politics

Donald Barr is AG William Barr's dad

Donald Barr was in the OSS, which was the precursor to the CIA

Donald Barr gave Epstein his first job as a math teacher in an elite, politically connected school, even though Epstein did not have any qualifications or even a college degree.

Donald Barr wrote a book called Space Relations, about a race of aliens that are so rich they become bored with everything and start a sex slavery ring and are also aroused by fear

Edit: This post has managed to raise the cost of the book 8 fold in about an hour, I should have bought it first damn

Edit 2: It looks like at least 3 copies sold for about $188 each since my post went up and now you cannot buy it anywhere online. Independent book sellers please DM me so you know where to send my commission ;)

u/ArstanNeckbeard · 3405 pointsr/news

You mean Bill Barr, the guy whose father, Donald Barr, was the headmaster of a school that later hired the incredibly unqualified Jeffrey Epstein to be a math teacher? The same Bill Barr whose father, Donald Barr, wrote a novel about an alien sex-trafficking ring whose protagonist falls in love with their captor? The same Bill Barr that joined lawfirm Kirkland & Ellis just months after they represented Jeffrey Epstein in a case? The same Kirkland & Ellis Law Firm that also employed Alexander Acosta, the US Attorney that accepted Jeffrey Epstein's ridiculous plea deal?

u/Taniwha_NZ · 2894 pointsr/news

>Barr created the only possible scenario in which that could happen

What really freaked me out was discovering that Barr's father, Donald Barr, back in 1973 wrote a science-fiction book involving a planet where sexual slavery of children was front and center. The story was filled with sexual stuff involving kids.

There's a whole world of pedos just under the surface here. Epstein wasn't going to rat anyone out, he would have pleaded the 5th on every question he was asked. But the trial might still have lead to unwanted investigations, so they needed him dead to just stop questions being asked.

u/pookachu123 · 2177 pointsr/news

Epstein has deep ties to Israel and rich Jewish Business men. Here is a list of shady and weird shit that has been released the past couple of days that relates to the CIA and Mossad. The more and more you read about this, the more apparent it is that the CIA/Mossad are involved and probably have a vested interest to keep this stuff under wraps.

u/hypnosquid · 637 pointsr/news

Don't forget that Donald Barr hired Epstein (who had no teaching creds) to teach 7th graders math. At the same time, Donald Barr also wrote a sci-fi novel about sex slavery in space.

Ultimately, William Barr is covering for his father.

u/LevTheRed · 476 pointsr/AskReddit

Old Man's War. It's about an old man who joins the armed wing of Earth's colonizing force, which only recruits from the oldest portions of society. It's the first book in a series of books that deal with mankind's expansion into space, and the possible problems.

If you like science fiction, go buy it right now. Don't look at any plot descriptions, because most of them spoil the questions surrounding why only the old are recruited, which doesn't get answered until a third of the way into the book.

u/bohrmupfel · 303 pointsr/lotr

It's this one. :)

u/vFunct · 207 pointsr/politics

Just want to make sure people understand that the guy that runs the Manhattan Correctional Center where Jeffrey Epstein died is... Attorney General William Barr, and that he expressed support of extra-judicial killings a couple days ago.

Also, his father, Donald Barr, hired Jeffrey Epstein as a tutor even though he had zero qualifications to teach: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jeffrey-epstein-math-science-students-memories_n_5d28cf17e4b0060b11ebf987

The best part? Donald Barr wrote a sci-fi book about sex slavery by the rich: https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

u/deejay_reich · 182 pointsr/AskReddit

If you haven't read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, make that your next book to read. Probably one of the most popular science fiction books ever written.

u/big_buddha999 · 126 pointsr/politics

Barr is likely fucking those children as well.

Barr's father gave an unqualified Jeffrey Epstein a job teaching children. Barr's dad also wrote some weird sci-fi pedo porn.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0860000249/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8dARDbN2B4VYT

The cycle of abuse continues.

u/LeSpatula · 122 pointsr/ofcoursethatsathing

I'm more of a "Ass Goblins of Auschwitz" kind of fan.

u/Petrichordates · 108 pointsr/HighQualityGifs

On that note check out this comment by u/NChSh:

> Donald Barr is AG William Barr's dad


> Donald Barr was in the OSS, which was the precursor to the CIA


> Donald Barr gave Epstein his first job as a math teacher in an elite, politically connected school, even though Epstein did not have any qualifications or even a college degree.


> Donald Barr wrote a book called Space Relations, about a race of aliens that are so rich they become bored with everything and start a sex slavery ring and are also aroused by fear


Obviously crazy conspiracy theory but damn man. Add in their recruiter Ghislaine Maxwell's Mossad agent father and this is just a wild ride.

u/drowawayzee · 96 pointsr/news

Epstein has deep ties to Israel and rich Jewish Business men. Here is a list of shady and weird shit that has been released the past couple of days that relates to the CIA and Mossad. The more and more you read about this, the more apparent it is that the CIA/Mossad are involved and probably have a vested interest to keep this stuff under wraps.



u/antihexe · 94 pointsr/WTF

http://www.amazon.com/Ass-Goblins-Auschwitz-Cameron-Pierce/dp/1933929936

>"It's Monty Python meets Nazi exploitation in a surreal nightmare as can only be imagined by Bizarro author Cameron Pierce.

>In a land where black snow falls in the shape of swastikas, there exists a nightmarish prison camp known as Auschwitz. It is run by a fascist, flatulent race of aliens called the Ass Goblins, who travel in apple-shaped spaceships to abduct children from the neighboring world of Kidland. Prisoners 999 and 1001 are conjoined twin brothers forced to endure the sadistic tortures of these ass-shaped monsters. To survive, they must eat kid skin and work all day constructing bicycles and sex dolls out of dead children.

>While the Ass Goblins become drunk on cider made from fermented children, the twins plot their escape. But it won't be easy. They must overcome toilet toads, cockrats, ass dolls, and the surgical experiments that are slowly mutating them into goblin-child hybrids.

>Forget everything you know about Auschwitz...you're about to be Shit Slaughtered."

u/TygerPanzy · 94 pointsr/books

Ass Goblins of Auschwitz - It's Monty Python meets Nazi exploitation in a surreal nightmare as can only be imagined by Bizarro author Cameron Pierce.

In a land where black snow falls in the shape of swastikas, there exists a nightmarish prison camp known as Auschwitz. It is run by a fascist, flatulent race of aliens called the Ass Goblins, who travel in apple-shaped spaceships to abduct children from the neighboring world of Kidland. Prisoners 999 and 1001 are conjoined twin brothers forced to endure the sadistic tortures of these ass-shaped monsters. To survive, they must eat kid skin and work all day constructing bicycles and sex dolls out of dead children.

While the Ass Goblins become drunk on cider made from fermented children, the twins plot their escape. But it won't be easy. They must overcome toilet toads, cockrats, ass dolls, and the surgical experiments that are slowly mutating them into goblin-child hybrids.

Forget everything you know about Auschwitz...you're about to be Shit Slaughtered.

u/0rvilleTootenbacher · 78 pointsr/SubredditDrama

"Donald Barr is AG William Barr's dad

Donald Barr was in the OSS, which was the precursor to the CIA

Donald Barr gave Epstein his first job as a math teacher in an elite, politically connected school, even though Epstein did not have any qualifications or even a college degree.

Donald Barr wrote a book called Space Relations, about a race of aliens that are so rich they become bored with everything and start a sex slavery ring and are also aroused by fear

Edit: This post has managed to raise the cost of the book 8 fold in about an hour, I should have bought it first damn"

Copied this from r/news, trying to find the user who posted it

u/Forlarren · 70 pointsr/movies

I wouldn't call being verbose awesome. As for the message in the text you should either read The Forever War, or watch the film again to learn why it's flowery but wrong.

> War is not violence and killing, pure and simple; war is controlled violence, for a purpose.

The problem is that political purpose is often dictated by evil, power hungry, short sighted politicians (many of whom have had military experience and are often the worst when it comes to starting more pointless wars), and is counter productive to the continuation of the species (we came damn close to destroying the world many times during the cold war, like seconds away close). For a more contemporary example it was the chicken hawks elevated by military rhetoric that leveled Iraq just to hand out rebuilding contracts for their buddies, laying economic waste to both nations.

Plus I preferred Michael Ironside's delivery, juxtaposed with his missing hand. You don't need a bunch of prose to show violence as authority, "because fuck you" is it's own proof.

Other points that can be easily picked apart (and I'm not the first to do so).

> Liberty is never unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes.

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure" --Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was talking about rebellions and the rebellious as the patriots. The removal of tyrants, makes Heinlein's statement disingenuous at best. It's a reversal and celebration of authority, that is ironically only possible due to Jefferson's original rebellion.

> It's never a soldier's business to decide when or where or how—or why—he fights; that belongs to the statesmen and the generals.

This is the Nuremberg Defense, nobody should have to explain why it's wrong.

Too many people read Starship Troopers then praise it without reading it's critiques or counter examples. Heinlein's theories haven't held up well in the years following his book. It's a good story, and a great window into the mind set of a WWII soldier, but as a model for society it's woefully inadequate.

If you really want to understand war and it's wide ranging ramifications in an easily approachable format I would suggest starting with John Keegan's: A History of Warfare. Then read Joe Haldeman's: The Forever War as a Vietnam era perspective counter example to Starship Troopers. Then try watching Verhoeven's Starship Troopers again as it was intended to be viewed, as an intelligent satire.

u/jef_snow · 60 pointsr/scifi

Ender's Game, Revelation Space, Altered Carbon and a few other great series out of there have dedicated a lot to overcoming time dilation.

Joe Haldeman tackled it head on in The Forever War Amazon link, a fantastic book that as a fan of similar stuff, you might like it!

u/MzMonet · 54 pointsr/news

Space relations: A slightly gothic interplanetary tale https://www.amazon.com/dp/0860000249/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FaAuDbBN054CT

u/gabwyn · 47 pointsr/scifi

Here are the recently published novels we've covered in the /r/SF_Book_Club (you can check out the survey results for these books from the sidebar over there):

u/AMW1234 · 46 pointsr/Epstein

I could use some help digging a bit deeper into my Epstein theory, or in trying to disprove it. I am trying to be brief yet detailed, while providing sources and background, which seems to be a tall task. Please let me know if you would like to know where I sourced anything I say below:

_____

The Family Jewels is the informal name used to refer to a set of reports that detail domestic activities conducted by the United States Central Intelligence Agency. Considered illegal or inappropriate, these actions were conducted over the span of decades, from the 1950s to the mid-1970s. William Colby, who was the CIA director in the mid-1970s, helped in the compilation of the reports and dubbed them the "skeletons" in the CIA's closet. Most of the documents were publicly released on June 25, 2007, after more than three decades of secrecy. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Jewels_(Central_Intelligence_Agency) for more background on the Family Jewels.)

Important to note, the number one worst "Jewel" is redacted entirely for purposes of national security more than 40 years after the Family Jewels were compiled and disclosed to Congress via the Church Committee (see the first pages of the document linked in my other comment). Journalists continue to speculate about what the Missing Jewel could possibly be, and I have begun to wonder whether it may be Epstein. Of note, MKULTRA, where the CIA tested LSD on unknowing US citizens (resulting in the death of CIA agent Frank Olson), as well as the CIA ridiculous and repeated attempts to assassinate Castro were willingly admitted in the Family Jewels.


See https://www.thenation.com/article/wheres-cias-missing-jewel/

What domestic covert operation could possibly be worse or more embarrassing for the US intelligence community than MKULTRA and the Castro attempts? In this post, I posit that it was the operation of which Epstein was the modern face, which started under the name Project RIVER BOAT.


If you read the 702-page Family Jewels FOIA release closely, you'll see a note from one CIA agent reporting to the CIA Director in relation to then-still ongoing domestic CIA operations--which are outside the Agency’s charter--of which he or she had knowledge. One such operation is RIVER BOAT, which began in April 1973 and has a stated purpose of "Political leverage, Industrial exploitation, civil damage suits." (see document clipping attached to this submission).


April 1973 is also just about when Barr Sr. would have hired unqualified Epstein at the Dalton School.


Barr Sr. was a confirmed OSS agent during WWII. OSS is the predecessor to the CIA, and as you can see based on what Barr Sr. did after his teaching and writing career, it can be deduced that his government contacts were maintained. Also of note, the Family Jewels also make reference to the CIA's concern with "communist" influences within US institutions of higher education and research into brainwashing/hypnosis (though most of this material, including that on higher education, remains highly classified). Barr went on to (eventually) be a Dean at Columbia University in his first role after leaving the OSS. There is also a few year gap between WWII (which is when the OSS supposedly disbanded) and his Masters at Columbia, for which no explanation can be found (Bill Barr was born at the very end of this period). See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Strategic_Services for more information regarding the OSS; see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Barr for more information regarding Donald Barr.

Remember also that Donald Barr wrote a fictional book that was literally about a species of aliens that was so wealthy that it became bored with the monotony of day-to-day life that they started a child sex-slave ring to satisfy their desire for excitement. See https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249 for more information regarding Donald Barr’s book, Space Relations. Add this to Barr Jr starting his career as a CIA attorney and then covering up the Iran-Contra scandal for Reagan, and everything seems to start making some sense.

Note also that the NRO is the agency which specialized in audio and video surveillance. A couple years back, in 1995, the NRO was found to have over a billion in cash which did not originate from its Congressional budget (see https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/09/24/spy-agency-hoards-secret-1-billion/7857e132-1b9d-40ba-8ca5-976d09beb10b/ ). We also have a $2.5B black budget that does come from Congress for the CIA’s covert operations.

I searched the entire database of released CIA documents, as well as the FBI database, and did not find a single mention of any variation of "RIVER BOAT" in a single other document. In other words, Project River Boat remains classified to this day. I am currently strategizing a way to get some documents relating to Project River Boat without saying Project River Boat, and have a variety of approaches (read: FOIA requests) in the works.

Finally, I think this bit may actually be coincidence, but Epstein's Palm Beach mansion and Mar-a-Lago are just a River Boat's ride from the Palm Beach FBI field office. It is literally just across the Gulf Stream, which is the body of water that separates Palm Beach from West Palm Beach. Such an operation would've been transferred to the FBI if it was continued beyond the Church Committee hearings since FBI covers domestic surveillance whereas the CIA is tasked with foreign operations. See https://www.google.com/maps/place/Federal+Bureau+Investigation/@26.7089846,-80.0861226,13z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x88d8d664ffffffff:0xcf2e1a3c580db89c!8m2!3d26.7089832!4d-80.0511034 AND https://www.google.com/maps/place/358+El+Brillo+Way,+Palm+Beach,+FL+33480/@26.6933597,-80.056113,14z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x88d8d6ef6234d6eb:0xa154b1bbfbac0c39!8m2!3d26.6933594!4d-80.0386035?hl=en A cable to transmit video data could literally be laid in a direct line in the Gulf Stream. This is also the specific office Acosta worked out of when he prosecuted Epstein (later stating Epstein was "intel" in defending the light punishment agreed to by the prosecution). You can see Epstein's estate out the windows of the FBI Agent's office windows, yet they could not get enough to prosecute him in the 2000s cases for some odd reason.

I could use some help in digging a bit deeper into these theories, or in trying to disprove them.

u/swimmin_in_a_fishbow · 42 pointsr/trees

I agree, I had to get the set as soon as I saw it. Help yourself.

u/N546RV · 42 pointsr/quityourbullshit

I'm reminded of a line of dialogue in a book I recently read (well, listened to). To expound on the plot summary on Amazon, the protagonist awakens to find that, while he was dead, the US became a theocratic state. Cryogenic preservation was ruled to be blasphemous, preserved people were declared to be dead, and all related assets were confiscated and sold off, including the preserved people.

The protagonist observes that it seems like it the proper action would have been to just bury the people, to which the other character replies, "Did theologues limit themselves to logical or consistent behavior in your time?"

I laughed so hard at that line - especially how it's delivered by the narrator - that I nearly had to pull my car off the road.

u/BrentRTaylor · 40 pointsr/rpg

In no particular order:

  • Basic Fantasy RPG
  • Savage Worlds
  • Dungeon World
  • Mouse Guard Check under other purchase options. You can get it for about $19.40.

    You can't go wrong with any of them, but gun to my head, I'd say look into Mouse Guard or Dungeon World.

    Mouse Guard

    Mouse Guard...is just down right fun. While combat is certainly part of the game, it's got a heavy emphasis on problem solving in encounters over straight up murderhobo-ing your way through the game. It's my go to game for one shots. Perfect for when you need a break in the middle of a long campaign in another system, or if just not enough people show up for a session in your primary campaign. Not that you couldn't run a long campaign in Mouse Guard, that'd be rad.

    Dungeon World

    Dungeon World is also another great game for one shots, IMHO. Need to work on your improv? Play Dungeon World. It's a very narrative driven game that heavily encourages collaborative world building with your players. Additionally, if you discard all of the rules on classes and combat, the rest of the system is an amazing compliment to any other game system you want to run. It's GMing section is honestly the missing manual for D&D or any other system you want to run. And hell, Fronts are a great way to organize an adventure or long campaign.

    Edit: A few other options that came to mind

  • Fate: Core System, or Fate Accelerated Everyone seems to either love or hate the system with no in-between. If you've played the Dresden Files RPG, you're familiar with the system. Fate Core was derived from the Dresden Files RPG.
  • Bubble Gum Shoe This one is a lot of fun. Runs on the Gumeshoe system. Kind of an innocent system. Think Scooby-Doo mysteries, without the monsters. If you want something grittier, take a look at Trail of Cthulhu or Mutant City Blues.
  • Monster of the Week This one is a guilty pleasure of mine. Game is exactly what you'd expect from the title. If you like episodic shows like Supernatural or Buffy, this is for you.
  • Fiasco Haven't played this one myself yet, but it looks interesting. This is a game that doesn't require a GM and is entirely improv. Looks great. Requires six sided dice.
u/Salaris · 38 pointsr/Fantasy

(This self-promotion post was pre-approved by moderators.)

Six Sacred Swords is my first book in the new Weapons and Wielders series. The story follows Keras Selyrian, a talented swordsman who begins a journey to seek out the titular Six Sacred Swords. The story is heavy inspired by Japanese adventure and role-playing games, such as Final Fantasy, Bravely Default, and Ys. This one in particular is most strongly inspired by The Legend of Zelda, and you'll see some obvious Zelda influences in there if you're a fan of the franchise.

This is much more of a adventure focused book than most of my previous novels, with most of the story involving exploring dangerous uncharted wildernesses and dungeons. It's also a smaller scale story in terms of the size of the cast and the focus - it's more about an individual adventure than something of world-scale importance. (At least for now.)

This book takes place in the same setting as Sufficiently Advanced Magic, but years earlier. You can read the series in either order. Notably, Sufficiently Advanced Magic is currently on sale for 0.99 on the US and UK Kindle stores to celebrate the launch of Six Sacred Swords. If you're trying to figure out where to start, Six Sacred Swords is more of an adventure with characters that are already very powerful, and Sufficiently Advanced Magic is better if you're in the mood to start with younger characters that are coming of age and just learning magic.

Thanks to /r/fantasy for the amazing support you've always given my books, and feel free to post if you have any questions!

u/Poor_Irishman · 38 pointsr/USNEWS

Donald Barr is AG William Barr's dad

Donald Barr was in the OSS, which was the precursor to the CIA

Donald Barr gave Epstein his first job as a math teacher in an elite, politically connected school, even though Epstein did not have any qualifications or even a college degree.

Donald Barr wrote a book called Space Relations, about a race of aliens that are so rich they become bored with everything and start a sex slavery ring and are also aroused by fear

u/platysaur · 36 pointsr/Fantasy

Mistborn Trilogy if you haven't read it yet. The mass market paperback is $15.44.

http://www.amazon.com/Mistborn-Trilogy-Boxed-Hero-Ascension/dp/076536543X

u/dmun · 36 pointsr/litrpg

The Cradle.

Good Western Wuxia, good writer and a good intro to the genre without the... oddities... of translations.

u/Phased · 34 pointsr/tifu

If that happened in a class I was in I honestly would not have had a second thought about it. That is some pretty normal college private reading, and at least one person in there would also enjoy that book. If you are close to anyone in that class they may poke fun at it, but as long as nothing continued to draw attention to it they will forget about it.

Could have been worse.. It was no Ass Goblins of Auschwitz.

u/squashbelly · 33 pointsr/news
u/indianajonesilm · 31 pointsr/oculus

Great book on this subject : We Are Legion

u/tehsquishmeister · 30 pointsr/television

Space relations: A slightly gothic interplanetary tale https://www.amazon.com/dp/0860000249/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_4o4VDbZXKXH8T

u/hootorama · 29 pointsr/AskReddit

Ender's Game - By Orson Scott Card

Hell, the whole series of books he wrote after Ender's Game is great.

u/Gilgilad7 · 27 pointsr/litrpg

My native fantasy world litRPG recommendations:

Dante's Immortality has a strong zero to hero theme for a native to his fantasy world. The MC is worse off than a beggar at the start. Has some magic academy parts. Well written. Some of book 2 is on Royal Road but the author has been re-writing book two for a long time so it may or may not ever be completed.

Threadbare is a quirky litRPG story about a stuffed bear and his attachment to his girl and the friends he makes along the way. This story is full of puns, some clever and some more on the nose but I had a good chuckle several times and had a lot of fun reading this series. As lighthearted as this story appears at first, it does have some grimdark elements and tells a good story. The series actually has a conclusion which is rare enough in this genre so it gets major points for that.

The City and the Dungeon has one of the more interesting magic systems I have seen in litRPG. The characters are all native to the fantasy world. This series is a bit different in that it is written in the form of the MC retelling past events to his sister kind of like how Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles are written as a flashback. The story itself features old school dungeon diving party mechanics which I happen to really like. The fairly original magic system and strength ranking system are very interesting. I did find myself wishing that the author would give more details on stats, character builds, etc., but the plot skips events and advances too quickly. At the same time it over-explains superfluous details like various branches of dungeon religion theory and courtroom law procedures. That was my main complaint, but overall I enjoyed the story. Not sure on status of book 2.

Arcane Ascension This one is strongly represented on the r/ProgressionFantasy subreddit but has some light litRPG elements too. No user interface and on the soft end not having many stats. The world is a native fantasy world with tall RPG like puzzle towers that people try to climb. These books feel more polished and professionally written than most books in the litRPG genre. It is a hybrid story that bounces back and forth between school life (magic academy) and dungeon (tower) diving. I really loved the focus on the Tower exploration and the puzzle solving that was required. The magic academy part of the book is cool as well but I think for specifically litRPG readers it won't be the main appeal.

The magic system is pretty deep, with over 50 different "classes" of magic ability called attunements. For example, Guardian attunements are melee fighters who can strengthen themselves, while Elementalists wield Fire, Air, and Lightning. It is also possible to gain more than one class as well and we see glimpses of characters that are god-like in power while the MC, a first year student, is incredibly weak in comparison. The MC makes the most of his attunement though and crafts clever items to help cover his weaknesses and relies on his friends to fill the other gaps. Crafting magic items is a major focus for the MC which I found entertaining and satisfying.

u/Engineroom · 25 pointsr/books

I'll skip over the classics (Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, Philip K Dick) as they've already been covered.

  • Peter F Hamilton is incredibly good, I'd suggest starting with the Confederation Universe series. Very long, and can get a little heavy, but in my opinion, absolutely superb hard sci fi. The universe is similar in size and scope to that of Tolkien's, the science is detailed and well constructed, the space combat is awesome, and I found the characters believable and easy to empathize with. Judging from your criteria, I have a feeling that this series may be just what you're looking for.

  • As others have suggested, Alastair Reynolds is an absolute stand-out in today's sci fi line-up. His Revelation Space universe is complex, engaging and has some of the best science theory I've read. He also includes a lot of biotechnology / biological themes in his work - which is a refreshing change from the nanomachines / cyborg / tech-heavy staples that seem to dominate a lot of modern sci-fi. There's an incredible sense of tension that is maintained for the entire series, more-so than any other modern anthology I've read.

  • Richard Morgan is another of my personal favorites. If you want action-heavy, quality sci fi, look no further. I'd recommend starting with the Kovacs series, (Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken Furies) they're equal parts Noir / Drama / Action / Sci-Fi / Awesome. Not much space combat, but the ground combat is really, really good.

  • If you haven't read Robert Heinlen's original Starship Troopers (Don't judge it by the movie; seriously) I'd highly recommend it. Not much you can say about it, except that the movie cut entirely too much of the thought provoking content out.

  • John Steakley's Armor is superficially similar to Starship Troopers, but it's far more weighted on the psychological trauma of war; the action is almost ancillary - in fact, where Starship Troopers tends to glorify war a touch, Armor tends to question the validity and purpose of war in an advanced society.

    Finally:

  • I'm not going to say anything other than: "Do yourself a favor and read Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash."

    Seriously. No space combat, but without doubt one of the most entertaining fiction I've read in any genre, and a superb example of dystopian sci-fi. For god sakes, the hero - Hiro Protagonist (I know, right?!) - is a Hacker / Samurai that works for the mafia. Delivering pizzas. Trust me on this: Go with it, you won't be sorry.

    Hope that helps and wasn't a Great Wall of Boring Text :-)
u/seanomenon · 23 pointsr/printSF

Was it Hyperion?

u/Kurat · 23 pointsr/politics

You really couldn't google "barr space relations"? Here, spoonfed for ya: https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

u/Yangoose · 22 pointsr/litrpg

While not a LitRPG I feel like the Bobiverse scratches the same itch very well.

It's about a guy who's consciousness is put into a robot and shot off into space. He has 3D printers that can create anything he can think of, including copies of himself. While not living "in a game" he still creates his own VR world that he shares with his copies and can control his perception of time by speeding up/slowing down his processor.

He explores, invents, creates and discovers tons of amazing stuff.

u/WanderingWayfarer · 22 pointsr/Fantasy

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.

u/Darth_Ra · 22 pointsr/vexillology
u/ClearandSweet · 22 pointsr/anime

Maybe not all of you are fans of classic sci-fi literature, so here's more insight.

The book Yuki Nagato gives Kyon is the Hugo-award-winning Hyperion by Dan Simmons. It's a story in the style of the Canterbury Tales, where numerous travelers each tell their tales of the weird occurrences they survived on the eponymous planet. There's interstellar politics, undying clones, time travelers, memories of a destroyed earth, other races of aliens and things far beyond the control of the main character and one of the most terrifying beings in all of literature, The Shrike. There's too many connections Yuki and the rest to even begin to spell out, but it is exactly the type of world Haruhi wants to believe in. And if only Kyon had read it, what happens throughout the series may have been be less of a burden on him. But he didn't. It is clear though, that the author understood the appeal of Hyperion when he wrote Melancholy.



The biggest thing Haruhi took from Hyperion though is the storytelling. The things left unsaid. The… not mystery, but… unknown. The workings and world of Dan Simmon's novel never gets truly explained. Many issues get raised over betrayal, assassination, motivation and allegiance. The story is told by varying characters, each narrating his own tale.
This unreliability can then be seen in Melancholy within the three supporting characters of Yuki, Mikuru and, soon, Koizumi, and their deceptions, interactions, technobabble and 'classified information'.

And that spirit is one that I love. It's not about what and how but who and how did they feel about it. Fantasy is a tool. The characters are the interesting bit.

u/darrelldrake · 21 pointsr/Fantasy

It seems like a busy thread to me! Suppose it has been busier, though. Linking one from each:

/u/ksvilloso Jaeth's Eye

The minor characters in an epic story are often forgotten, relegated to the dusty corners of a text; footnotes in a biased account that draws focus on the privileged, the named, and the powerful. This is a story from those shadows.

The lives of a mercenary, a seamstress, and a merchant converge. Kefier, who is picking up the pieces of his life after his brother’s accident, finds himself chased down by former associates for his friend’s death. Already once branded a murderer, he crosses paths with his friend’s sister, Sume, whose only desire is to see her family through troubled times. In the meantime, young, arrogant Ylir takes a special interest in Kefier while he himself is entangled in a battle with a powerful mage, one whose name has been long forgotten in legend. At the crux of their conflict is a terrible creature with one eye, cast from the womb of a witch, with powers so immense whoever possesses it holds the key to bring the continent to its knees.

Jaeth’s Eye introduces an epic fantasy tale of revenge and lost kingdoms, but also of grief, love, hope, and a promise for tomorrow. The Agartes Epilogues gets to the heart of epic fantasy from the sidelines.

-----

/u/benedictpatrick They Mostly Come Out At Night

The villagers of the forest seal themselves in their cellars at night, whispering folktales to each other about the monsters that prey on them in the dark. Only the Magpie King, their shadowy, unseen protector, can keep them safe.

However, when an outcast called Lonan begins to dream of the Magpie King’s defeat at the hands of inhuman invaders, this young man must do what he can to protect his village. He is the only person who can keep his loved ones from being stolen away after dark, and to do so he will have to convince them to trust him again.

They Mostly Come Out At Night is the first novel from Benedict Patrick’s Yarnsworld series. Straddling the line between fantasy and folklore, this book is perfect for fans of the darker Brothers Grimm stories.

-----

/u/undyrk Paternus

The gods of myth, monsters of legend, heroes and villains of lore.

They're real -- and they're coming back to finish a war that's been waged since the dawn of time.

Fi Patterson and Zeke Prisco's daily routine of caring for the elderly at a local hospital is shattered when a catatonic patient named Peter unwittingly thrusts them into a conflict between ageless beings beyond reckoning. A war of which he is the primary target, and perhaps the cause.

In order to survive, Fi and Zeke must forget everything they know about the world and come to grips with the astonishing reality of the Firstborn. Only then can they hope to learn the secrets locked in Peter's mind, help stave off an ancient evil that's been known by many names and feared by all, and discover truths about themselves perhaps best left hidden.

-----

/u/tanniel The Eagle's Flight

Peace in the Seven Realms of Adalmearc is only as strong as those who rule them. With the death of the high king and his heir too young to assume the throne, political intrigues fill the landscape as the leading noble families scheme and plot their way to power. Meanwhile, enemies abroad sense the changes and make their own preparations.

Standing as a safeguard against both foreign foes as well as enemies closer to heart are the Order and its knights. Keeping the realms of Adalmearc united and at peace is their foremost duty. But when the strife turns political and the enemy is difficult to discern, when alliances shift and allegiances are torn, even the hitherto unassailable honour of a knight may become stained.

The Eagle's Flight compiles the first three of the Chronicles of Adalmearc. It is a journey into the world of Adal, its realms, peoples, cultures, and conflicts.

-----

/u/stevenkelliher Valley of Embers

For hundreds of years, the flame-wielding Embers have been the last line of defense against the nightmare creatures from the World Apart, but the attacks are getting worse. Kole Reyna guards Last Lake from the terrors of the night, but he fears for his people’s future.

When Kole is wounded by a demon unlike any they have seen before, the Emberfolk believe it is a sign of an ancient enemy returned, a powerful Sage known as the Eastern Dark.

Kole has never trusted in prophecy, but with his people hanging on the precipice, he reluctantly agrees to lead the Valley’s greatest warriors in a last desperate bid for survival. Together, they will risk everything in search of a former ally long-thought dead, and whether Kole trusts him or not, he may be the only one capable of saving them.

-----

/u/stevethomas Klondaeg Omnibus

Monsters killed his parents, and Klondaeg is out for revenge. Armed with a double-headed battle-axe with a split personality, Klondaeg travels the world, teaming up with its mightiest adventurers to battle every monster he can find. Klondaeg is the greatest monster hunter in all of history, but the world needs more than a monster hunter. It needs a lord of heroes.

This omnibus edition collects all of Klondaeg’s outrageous adventures, including “Klondaeg The Monster Hunter,” “Klondaeg Saves Fromsday,” “Klondaeg and the Klondaeg Hunters,” and “Klondaeg: Lord of Heroes.”

-----

/u/salaris Sufficiently Advanced Magic

Five years ago, Corin Cadence’s brother entered the Serpent Spire — a colossal tower with ever-shifting rooms, traps, and monsters. Those who survive the spire’s trials return home with an attunement: a mark granting the bearer magical powers. According to legend, those few who reach the top of the tower will be granted a boon by the spire’s goddess.

He never returned.

Now, it’s Corin’s turn. He’s headed to the top floor, on a mission to meet the goddess.

If he can survive the trials, Corin will earn an attunement, but that won’t be sufficient to survive the dangers on the upper levels. For that, he’s going to need training, allies, and a lot of ingenuity.

The journey won’t be easy, but Corin won’t stop until he gets his brother back.

-----

/u/ashearmstrong A Demon in the Desert

Grimluk is an orc with one purpose: hunting demons.

The Wastelands mining town of Greenreach Bluffs is deteriorating: with each passing day its inhabitants grow more fearful and paranoid, plagued by...something. They suffer nightmares and hallucinations, there are murders at the mine; the community is on the brink of madness and ruin and, as events escalate, realization dawns: the town has a demon problem. Two attempts at hunting it down fail, Greenreach Bluffs is at breaking point...and then Grimluk the Orc strides in out of the Wastes to answer their call for salvation.

-----

/u/pirateaba The Wandering Inn

An inn is a place to rest, a place to talk and share stories, or a place to find adventures, a starting ground for quests and legends.

In this world, at least. To Erin Solstice, an inn seems like a medieval relic from the past. But here she is, running from Goblins and trying to survive in a world full of monsters and magic. She’d be more excited about all of this if everything wasn’t trying to kill her.

But an inn is what she found, and so that’s what she becomes. An innkeeper who serves drinks to heroes and monsters–

Actually, mostly monsters. But it’s a living, right?

This is the story of the Wandering Inn.

-----

/u/michaelrfletcher Ghosts of Tomorrow

The children are the future.
And someone is turning them into highly trained killing machines.

Straight out of school, Griffin, a junior Investigations agent for the North American Trade Union, is put on the case: Find and close the illegal crèches. No one expects him to succeed, Griffin least of all. Installed in a combat chassis Abdul, a depressed seventeen year old killed during the Secession Wars in Old Montreal, is assigned as Griffin's Heavy Weapons support. Nadia, a state-sanctioned investigative reporter working the stolen children story, pushes Griffin ever deeper into the nightmare of the black market brain trade.

Deep in the La Carpio slums of Costa Rica, the scanned mind of an autistic girl runs the South American Mafia's business interests. But she wants more. She wants freedom. And she has come to see humanity as a threat. She has an answer: Archaeidae. At fourteen, he is the deadliest assassin alive. Two children against the world.

The world is going to need some help.

-----

/u/will_wight Unsouled

Sacred artists follow a thousand Paths to power, using their souls to control the forces of the natural world.

Lindon is Unsouled, forbidden to learn the sacred arts of his clan.

When faced with a looming fate he cannot ignore, he must rise beyond anything he's ever known...and forge his own Path.

u/ethics_in_disco · 19 pointsr/politics

You too can have Donald Barr's Space relations: A slightly gothic interplanetary tale for the low, low price of $100 plus shipping on Amazon. 2/5 stars.

An informative review:

>A ponderous exploration of a sensitive topic

>Donald Barr's Space Relations is a character-driven space opera from 1975. Despite the seemingly-humorous subtitle, it is a deadly earnest novel that attempts to tackle weighty issues with ostentatiously "literary" prose.

>It tells the story of John Craig, the ambassador from Earth to the planet Kossar. Craig represents an intergalactic human empire, currently at war with a sinister bug people. Kossar, although human, is not part of the empire - mostly because the ruling aristocrats refuse to abolish the slave trade that is the foundation of their class system and economy.

>The narrative is split in two. Initially (and ultimately) it tells the story of Craig's official visit to Kossar. In between, it recounts Craig's previous visit to the planet - two years spent as a slave of the fulsome Lady Morgan.

>The war with the bug aliens is, although occasionally referenced, merely a MacGuffin to make Kossar (otherwise a backwater world in dire need of sterilization) important. Similarly, the complex, Machiavellian politics of the future - both in Kossar and on Earth - are often, tantalizingly, cited, but never fully explored.

>Instead, the plot focuses on the torrid romance between John Craig (slave) and Lady Morgan (his owner). The author also explores (crashes through the underbrush, really) the issues of slavery and domination.

>The result is a frustrating and ponderous read. Barr aggressively pursues character development instead of world-building, but since his characters neither grow nor change, it is merely a prolonged sketch of two fairly obnoxious people.

>His exploration of slavery is neither sensitive nor telling. Despite repeatedly and officiously informing the reader that slavery is wrong at every turn (go figure), Barr creates two openly "superior" characters as his leads. Craig and Morgan freely kill, torture, seduce and make sweeping political decisions on behalf of thousands of people - but this is acceptable, because they're somehow imbued with "natural heroism". Slavery and oppression are wrong, unless you're someone as wise and talented as Craig or Morgan, in which you're perfectly justified in forcing decisions on other people.

>An expression of this natural superiority is Craig's unbelievably irritating habit of composing poetry. Clearly intended to add to the depth of the novel, what begins as an annoying, occasional snippet soon becomes a field of lyrical land-mines. This practice is especially painful in the middle of the book, as the reader is forced to plow through sonnets on every other page. As a result, Space Relations is one of the most picture-perfect expressions of Tolkien's Law ("Always skip the poetry") that I've ever read.

>Space Relations is a laborious read. Although I always appreciate an attempt at character-building instead of world-building, the novel managed to avoid everything of possible merit.

u/mleon246 · 19 pointsr/Pathfinder_RPG

Not pathfinder, however it is compatible...

You want to look at The Book Of Erotic Fantasy^Fantasy^Fantasy^Fantasy (Dramatic Echo) It shouldn't be hard to find a pdf and covers what you are looking for.

u/-Nixxed- · 19 pointsr/HurricaneSharpie

I hope this one particular picture gets a million up-votes and we don't lose sight of this.

"On today’s edition of “Yes, yes that really is the story they’re sticking to...” Epstein was taken off of suicide watch, while his cellmate was transferred out, the guards on duty weren’t real guards, and the cameras broke and failed to capture his death"

Oh, and just a friendly reminder, Epstein (when he was 20) worked for Donald Barr, who was the headmaster at Dalton School in New York City. So, if you are connecting dots, Epstein worked around young girls at a school, where Donald Barr was the headmaster. That Donald Barr has a son named William Barr. William Barr is now the US Attorney General. Well, these are just some of the dots, I know - the Clinton's did it too. No free passes in my book though.

https://twitter.com/RachBlevins/status/1167065317346107393?s=20

Williams Barrs dad wrote this book, should give you some insight on the psychology of his upbringing: https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249?sa-no-redirect=1&pldnSite=1

Epstein / Barr relationship from way back when:

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/the-epstein-barr-problem-of-new-york-citys-dalton-school/

Edit: added source

u/matticusprimal · 18 pointsr/Fantasy

I can't believe I'm the first person to suggest this, but you probably want Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe. The kid is not an overly powerful mage, but has to traverse the tower of death traps using his wits and clever ways no one has thought of before with his magic. Feel is sort of a D&D campaign/ dungeon crawl but with LitRPG overtones and protagonist who might just be on the spectrum.

Will Wight's Cradle series is a more Asian inspired take on magic with the protag again being considered deficient magically and having to think his way around the situations in unconventional ways to gain strength. Even by the middle of the third book, he's still not brimming with power.

Brent Week's Lightbringerhas some VERY powerful characters in it (in fact one of the POVs is the most powerful man alive), but one of the POVs is a kid just getting his feet under him. Good series, but probably the least similar to what you're asking for here.

u/solsangraal · 18 pointsr/gifs

ender's game

if you're into bullies getting consistently destroyed by the little guy, read it today

https://www.amazon.com/Enders-Game-Ender-Quartet-Book-ebook/dp/B003G4W49C

u/redbeard_the_irate · 18 pointsr/Fantasy

The Cradle Series by Will Wight has something similar to what you are after, with the magic users needing to progress through the various levels of power. It starts with Unsouled.

Only three books of the series so far, but it's a lot of fun.

u/lynchyinc · 18 pointsr/Fantasy

My personal favourites are;

u/[deleted] · 18 pointsr/IAmA
u/PittsburghDan · 17 pointsr/dndnext
u/dgendreau · 17 pointsr/space

If you havent read the Bobiverse series, you should.

https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/dp/B01LWAESYQ

u/Dawnstar9075 · 17 pointsr/lotr

For anyone interested, you can buy this set here

u/sapidus3 · 16 pointsr/litrpg

I enjoyed theArcheologist warlord by E.M. Hardy (technically I suppose you would say it is sci-fi, but it feels more like fantasy). The main character gets transformed into a sentient space pyramid thing. At first I thought it would be more of a dungeon building thing, but he ends up sending workers out to gather resources, build pylons to extend his range, construct different units, ect.

It's not litRPG but the Bobiverse books by Dennis Taylor are fantastic and definitely get some of the 4x, spanning across the galaxy vibe as the bobs spread throughout space.

Are you interested in settlement/city building?

u/Woetra · 16 pointsr/printSF

I don't know if it is exactly what you are looking for, but you may like Ender's Game.

u/heliosxx · 16 pointsr/books

There is only the one book. The movie only used the book as a premise and went off on its own. Anyone who has read the book pretty much doesn't like the movie. I don't think the 2nd and 3rd made it to theaters...
If you like bug killing adventures, look at Armor. If you like a more engrossing story look at Ender's Game.

u/0n_an_unrelated_note · 15 pointsr/ProgressionFantasy

Kinda in order. Keep in mind I don't read the translated Asian novels because most of the translations are hot garbage and I just can't get used to those.

Cradle from Will Wight- Excellent writing and plotline, it's what got me into this subreddit in the first place. No need to say any more, this is a stable of the sub.

Mother of Learning from Domagoj Kurmaic- Also really solid, the story is a few months away from finishing, highly recommend.

Metaworld Chronicles from Wutosama- The author took a generic isekai plotline and twisted it. The writing might not be completely as good as the others, but probably competing for personal enjoyment right up there with Cradle. It's not as popular as the others, but read the first few chapters and give it a shot if you want.

Arcane Ascension from Andrew Rowe- Very solid too, but slightly inferior to Cradle imo. Probably because I read Cradle first. Honestly, the book is quite forgettable since I don't remember the plotline, but I still remember it being good.

The Traveler's Gate Trilogy from Will Wight- It gets really wordy at times, and I get confused by the plot sometimes because I get impatient and my eyes skip a few lines or so. Still solid, but the weakest one out of the ones I've read.

u/BeardedDeath · 15 pointsr/Fantasy

The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon is a good trilogy with a female paladin being the main character. Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson also has a good lead female role throughout it and is also a great read.

u/xamueljones · 14 pointsr/rational

I've bought a fair amount of ebooks on Amazon recently and I think most of them are books that a lot of people here would enjoy (heck I heard about most of them through here!).

The Preorders:

Underlord - The sixth book in the Cradle series which is described as a Western Xianxia series. A lot of people here don't really like the Xianxia genre and I agree with their criticisms of how many main characters are very villainous, under-developed enemies and female characters, the economies of cultivation aren't logical, poor scaling in conflict as you go from one city to interstellar in scope, and awkward prose. But I bring up all of these flaws to say that the Cradle series completely avoids all of the typical flaws in Xianxia and has a very smart character who sets out to cultivate smartly instead of bullheadedly.

And the sixth book is coming out in March! (Get the box set. It has the first three books and is cheaper!)

Exhalation - Who here hasn't heard of Ted Chiang, the master of short stories that perfectly appeal to the r/rational crowd? The same guy that we literally use as an introduction to rational fiction. Well, if you enjoyed his first collection, Stories of Your Life and Others, you'll love hearing that the second collection is coming out in....May! (Ugh....really May? I don't think I can wait that long!)

The books you can read right now!:

The Beginner's Guide to Magical Licensing - Has a similar start to Unsong where a magical college-graduate, minimum-wage, sweat-shop worker stumbles on a powerful spell and sets out to start his own business competing with the powerful. The parts of the story that follows afterward makes a whole lot more logical sense than Unsong however. (Used to be online for free, but now you'll have to pay the price for your ignorance if you want to read it! (Nah, I lied.))

Six Sacred Swords - If you liked the Arcane Ascension series, but wished there was more dungeonnering and less of school shenanigans, then look no further! In some ways it's a lot like reading a very good DnD session played by really savvy players who never follow the 'standard' way to solve problems.

The author of Six Sacred Swords made a recommendation for The Ruin of Kings. He said that it reads like a Locke Lamora-esque rogue protagonist, telling the story in a style similar to Kvothe, in a setting similar to Game of Thrones. I haven't bought the book yet, but the review was interesting enough that I wanted to include it in my list of recommendations.

Senlin Ascends - I haven't read this yet either, but skimming through it, I see some fair bit of social manipulation/combat that I think people here would like. Plus the Tower of Babel setting is something that appeals very strongly to me.

Polyglot: NPC REVOLUTION - A lot of people here seem to really like LitRPG and Artificial Intelligence, but almost no one seem to ever question the implications of the NPCs in LitRPG stories having human-level intelligence.

Small Medium: Big Trouble - It's by the same author who wrote Threadbare that people here really liked. Similar to Polygot where the NPC is the main character who needs to deal with players, but smaller scale in scope. There's a lot of fast-talking to convince selfish sociopaths to do what you say.

Q is for Quantum - I was going through my older ebook orders when I found this one. It's the single best introduction for quantum mechanics that I have ever read (not that I've read too many of those). It focuses on building an intuition for the subject and once you've read through the book, you will understand on a gut level what superposition means. Note that it's meant as an introduction for the subject, so don't expect it to cover everything, just what's need to get started learning about quantum mechanics. But I'd still recommend it to experts if only for a better way to explain their subject to their peers and laypeople.

u/KevinAnniPadda · 14 pointsr/ABoringDystopia

The direct link:

Space relations: A slightly gothic interplanetary tale https://www.amazon.com/dp/0860000249/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_TjwvDbV8MMHEQ

u/McCool303 · 14 pointsr/politics

Doesn’t surprise me, his daddy liked to write books about children being sold into intergalactic sex rings. I’m sure none of those fantasies inspired his young employee Epstein.


https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

u/InfinitePool · 14 pointsr/Fantasy

I'm so excited to finally get to read it. I'll be back in a few hours to post what I thought of it, but i'm expecting good stuff based on "Unsouled".

If you haven't read "Unsouled" he made it free for the next week because of "Soulsmith" https://www.amazon.com/Unsouled-Cradle-Book-Will-Wight-ebook/dp/B01H1CYBS6

EDIT: I've seen this response a lot, but just so everyone knows. Will Wight has said on his blog that this series will be a LONG series. It's looking like we will be with this series for a while. Super pumped to see how the scope of the series changes 7-8 books from now!

u/JennJayBee · 14 pointsr/news

The son of the man who started Epstein's career is currently the US Attorney General– the guy who heads up the whole department responsible for making sure Epstein was kept imprisoned and safe as he was being investigated. That man is William Barr, who was appointed by Donald Trump– another of Epstein's good friends.

Barr's dad, aside from hiring Epstein, also wrote a book about aliens and sex slavery.

But of course... This could only be those sneaky Clintons!

u/Interceptor · 14 pointsr/AskScienceFiction

If you haven't already, you should check out the SF classic novel 'The Forever War' ( https://www.amazon.com/Forever-War-Joe-Haldeman/dp/0312536631 )

It deals with exactly this, with soldiers fighting on the other side of the galaxy struggling to remember what they are fighting for, because Earth changes so much in their decades-long tours.

u/facehair · 14 pointsr/books

I can really, really recommend Altered Carbon by Richard K Morgan, and the two follow-up books. Smart, hard-boiled, fast-paced sci-fi action!

u/charmlessman1 · 14 pointsr/StarshipPorn

Hyperion, actually.

u/Zombi_Sagan · 13 pointsr/SF_Book_Club

The Moon is A Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein

> Robert A. Heinlein was the most influential science fiction writer of his era, an influence so large that, as Samuel R. Delany notes, "modern critics attempting to wrestle with that influence find themselves dealing with an object rather like the sky or an ocean." He won the Hugo Award for best novel four times, a record that still stands. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress was the last of these Hugo-winning novels, and it is widely considered his finest work.

> It is a tale of revolution, of the rebellion of the former Lunar penal colony against the Lunar Authority that controls it from Earth. It is the tale of the disparate people--a computer technician, a vigorous young female agitator, and an elderly academic--who become the rebel movement's leaders. And it is the story of Mike, the supercomputer whose sentience is known only to this inner circle, and who for reasons of his own is committed to the revolution's ultimate success. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is one of the high points of modern science fiction, a novel bursting with politics, humanity, passion, innovative technical speculation, and a firm belief in the pursuit of human freedom. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is the winner of the 1967 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

u/Mellow_Fellow_ · 13 pointsr/rational

Give Sufficiently Advanced Magic a try. It's a pseudo lit-rpg with a rationalist protagonist. In some ways it's similar to the Cradle series by Will Wight.

u/thekiyote · 13 pointsr/DnD

>Alternatively, maybe you can research some kind of Magic Circle Against Pregnancy and STDs.

The Book of Erotic Fantasy is helpful for finding a framework for those spells.

u/pm1902 · 13 pointsr/WTF

It's real... wow. Goodreads / Amazon

I need to read this book.

u/UnfortunateTruths · 13 pointsr/rpg

Savage Worlds is 9 dollars on Amazon for the softcover. It's a universal roleplaying system that is a lot of fun. Get that and a set of dice for 15 dollars and you're good to go.

u/cquick72 · 12 pointsr/TheExpanse

The Forever War by Haldeman https://www.amazon.com/dp/0312536631/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_zTFiDbR3EQFT2

Amazon Product Description: The Earth's leaders have drawn a line in the interstellar sand--despite the fact that the fierce alien enemy they would oppose is inscrutable, unconquerable, and very far away. A reluctant conscript drafted into an elite Military unit, Private William Mandella has been propelled through space and time to fight in the distant thousand-year conflict; to perform his duties and do whatever it takes to survive the ordeal and return home. But "home" may be even more terrifying than battle, because, thanks to the time dilation caused by space travel, Mandella is aging months while the Earth he left behind is aging centuries...

u/chonggo · 12 pointsr/printSF

Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven is pretty good.

Alas, Babylon is one of the classic post-apocalyptic scifi novels. As is a "A Canticle for Leibowitz", mentioned above.

EDIT: I just noticed that "Lucifer's Hammer" won the Hugo award, which is a big deal if you didn't already know. Another book that comes to mind that you might like is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein. Not quite the same genre, but similar, and a real classic as well. And really good!

u/davidjricardo · 12 pointsr/TheHobbit

I hate it when pieces like this talk about a product, but never mention price or give a link to buy. For those interested, here is an amazon link, currently selling for $34.33 (prime eligible).

u/Odd_Regret · 11 pointsr/politics

>The best part? Donald Barr wrote a sci-fi book about sex slavery by the rich: https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

3/5 star rating for only...$184!!!

u/sammyakaflash · 11 pointsr/thewallstreet

I wonder if they stay true to the book William Barr's father wrote about rich space aliens that start up a sex trafficking ring.
https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

u/MetzgerWilli · 11 pointsr/DnD

>Iv read countless stories in here about how so n so char murder so n so and no one is upset at the gore of it, shit what about all them goblin and kobolds every noob player slaughters? whole villages of them get killed in almost every campaign at some point or another. What happens to the babies that are left behind with no ione to feed n protect them? No one cares because its fantasy and its not real and i just dont see how rape should be any different.

If you and your group agree on a setting where this is ok. Go ahead, I heard the Book of Erotic Fantasy has a lot of relevant rules on how to handle many facettes of this topic.

But if a DM and/or players feels uncomfortable playing this, there is no reason to put a focus on it. It might be that rape exists in the world and you can find hints to it (some half orcs might have this background), but this does not mean that it belongs in the game itself.

In my game I also reduce violence to a level where a creature at 0 hitpoints is dead, not incapable of fighting and winding around on the ground, shitting themselves, burbling and suffering for hours. Sometimes I describe cut off limbs, heads, or a moaning body for a dramatic effect. But I don't overdo it, because that's not the game we want to play. Creatures getting killed don't scream from the heart of their lungs like they do in real life. And no one has his bad conciousness overwhelming him from killing 200 goblins/bandits/devils. It simply is not the focus of our campaigns.

Most people indeed want to play a fantasy game with a violent touch, not a realism game with every good and bad facette of real life in it. There is no sexual violence in the LoTR books, why should there be in a DnD game? (There are other books that scratch on the surface - Like in Heitz' 'The Dwarves', where Tungil, in a village after an orc attack, notices dead women with their skirts pulled up)

If you want to steal a kiss from a barmaid, flirt her up and take a room, 'hell go for it', I am sure most DMs will allow it, maybe even encourage you to keep in touch with her, marry her or get a child in the long run. This might also be a dramatic way to make players take into account the personal lifes of those they have to kill. But don't expect him to describe the sexual act in any detail itself. Unless you all agreed on, that is.

u/punninglinguist · 11 pointsr/printSF

The most prominent one recently has probably been The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. It's more "post-ecological cataclysm," though, and civilization has more or less survived.

u/FiveVidiots · 11 pointsr/thisismylifenow

are you just ignoring the Ass Goblins of Auschwitz

u/Def_Not_A_Llama · 11 pointsr/ThriftStoreHauls

I’d recommend checking out this classic

u/AngryFurfag · 11 pointsr/pics
u/Oreot · 11 pointsr/rpg

Savage Worlds Deluxe Explorers Edition (soft cover) is $8.66 on Amazon and is a fantastic little crunch medium system with a lot of free and cheap material covering most genres.
http://www.amazon.com/Savage-Worlds-Deluxe-Explorers-S2P10016/dp/1937013200

u/roontish12 · 11 pointsr/space

The Forever War. Many people compare it to Starship Troopers, which was also badass, but I liked this one better.

u/pluto_nash · 11 pointsr/rpg

You are looking for the newish genre LitRPG. A tremendous example of which is Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe on here as /u/salaris


Here is the blurb from GoodReads.com:
>Five years ago, Corin Cadence’s brother entered the Serpent Spire — a colossal tower with ever-shifting rooms, traps, and monsters. Those who survive the spire’s trials return home with an attunement: a mark granting the bearer magical powers. According to legend, those few who reach the top of the tower will be granted a boon by the spire’s goddess.

>He never returned.

>Now, it’s Corin’s turn. He’s headed to the top floor, on a mission to meet the goddess.

>If he can survive the trials, Corin will earn an attunement, but that won’t be sufficient to survive the dangers on the upper levels. For that, he’s going to need training, allies, and a lot of ingenuity.

>The journey won’t be easy, but Corin won’t stop until he gets his brother back.

It is incredibly readable, I couldn't put it down. There are definitely some criticism to be made of it, but no more than a lot of other fantasy stuff that is well regarded and eminently readable.

u/InFearn0 · 11 pointsr/ProgressionFantasy

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:

  • Into the Labyrinth by John Bierce (two sequels are out, although these books tends to be on the shorter side). Like, this book is shockingly short. If I hadn't checked the length after, I would have sworn this was at least twice its 178 pages (which is probably good if the author is crazy like me and considers crazy stretch goals like "adapt this into a feature length film").

  • Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe is a very western magic school progression series.

  • The Fire Within by DK Holmberg is about a good friend that accidentally passes the test to get into magic school, then has to work his ass off to not get kicked out and forced to serve the school as a janitor. (6 books in this series right now)

  • Hollow Core by Gage Lee is basically Wuxia/Xianxia High School (sequel comes out October 29th)

  • Azyl Academy by Chris Vines is another Wuxia/Xianxia High School (sequel comes out November 8th) -- This book has two main weaknesses, the first is the author has way too much meta internal monologue that I think he uses as a "lampshading" trope to justify that a person positioned by a god has a lot of inherent talent (I mean, he already justified it by having a literal god intervene). The other is the lack of a coherent goal (MC just wants to "git gud" because a god told him he would be the difference between a good and bad outcome). But this series is admittedly aimed at "grade level: 5-12" (which seems like a big range to me).

    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.
u/patrusk · 10 pointsr/scifi

Check out The Windup Girl, it's the closest thing I can think of that reminds me of The Diamond Age. Aside from Snow Crash, of course.

u/darknyancat26 · 10 pointsr/rpg

Savage Worlds sounds perfect for what you're looking for! The game is centered around the players being hard-to-beat action heroes. There are rules for pretty much any type of combat you can think of, and you can run nearly any genre you could possibly want with the system. Player creation is also extremely flexible, and you gain plenty of "edges" as you level up. I highly recommend the system for all intense action RPG needs. I've run a Sci-Fi campaign with the system, and it was super easy to learn and the players had a blast. The core rule book is only $8.99 on amazon, so it's definitely worth a try! :)

u/mitchbones · 10 pointsr/booksuggestions

Most of the time I am "in the mood" for a certain genre or type of book. I will recommend some of my favorites that are easy to read and enjoyable. With a super short summary to see if it sparks your interest.

Fantasy:

  • Name of the Wind : Great fantasy novel which follows a single character, Kvothe, who is an old innkeeper with a mysterious and illustrious past telling the story of how he became a legend. It is very well written and highly entertaining, the book is all about Kvothe as a teenager just trying to survive and becoming an arcanist. Highly recommended.

  • Mistborn Trilogy : I've only read the first one. A dystopian world where ash falls from the sky every day with a centuries old tyrannical ruler. The story follows a young girl who is just trying to survive on the streets any way she can but gets caught up with revolutionists. Very enjoyable, and a unique magic system.

    Scifi:

  • Ender's Game: This an Dune are always recommended for anyone looking to get into scifi...as well as Foundation series (which I haven't read :/). Earth has been attacked by an alien species of bugs...twice. We barely survived last time, so in order for us to prepare if it happens again Earth has started training military geniuses. Ender is one of the children chosen for training, and he is the best of the best. The story focuses on him and his story about rising through the ranks to try and save earth.

  • Dune: If you want to experience a sand world with giant worms, extreme political tension, plot twists, feints within feints. I could say more, but simply saying that it is in my Top 3 favorite books says enough.

  • Hitch-hiker's guide to the galaxy: Probably one of the funniest books I've ever read. It is highly regarded among this community and geeks as a whole. Do not judge it by the movie, this is a must-read book if you want a laugh.

u/penubly · 10 pointsr/printSF

I'd suggest one of the following:

  • Old Man's War by John Scalzi. Well written, fun and an easy read.
  • Seeker by Jack McDevitt. A good old fashioned archaeology mystery set 9,000 years in the future.
  • Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Classic story about the child selected to lead Earth's defense against alien invaders.
u/OneTrueKingOfOOO · 10 pointsr/politics
u/ShinkenBrown · 10 pointsr/EnoughTrumpSpam

>The Attorney General William Barr's Daddy.

You mean Donald Barr, the guy who, in addition to hiring Jeffrey Epstein to his first well-connected position, which he was not qualified for, also wrote a book about a group of aliens so rich they become bored with everything and to occupy themselves engage in mass sex slavery and are aroused by fear?

Y'know, they say to write your experiences.

(For the record I don't condone assuming authors have done horrible things based solely on their books - but in context this is pretty close to "If I Did It.")

u/dasqoot · 10 pointsr/ThingsCutInHalfPorn

A clone of the city makes up the bulk of the setting of The Carlucci Novels by Richard Paul Russo.

Perdido Street Station by China Mieville is heavily influenced by KWC, but the city in the book (New Crobuzon) isn't an exact copy of the city like in the other novel, just built similarly.

u/kindofageek · 9 pointsr/secretsanta

First off, I got what looks to be some great books from my match. I got Perdido Street Station, Hyperion, The Sparrow, The Little Country, and American Gods. I have never read nor heard of these titles, but I'm excited to start reading them.

Now for the best part. My match sent me an original manuscript for a novel they wrote. How awesome is that? They also included a short story (a side story to the novel) that includes me as a character. I can honestly say that this is one of the best things I've ever received! I think I'll start with the novel first.

http://imgur.com/xVFbm

*update: Thanks for all of the encouraging posts! It seems that I really struck gold on this exchange. I sent a little reddit gold love to my SS for the wonderful gift. It's such a great collection that I feel like the books I sent to my match are woefully inadequate.

u/mikedust28 · 9 pointsr/lotr

25 bucks

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: Deluxe Pocket Boxed Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/0544445783/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8WPQDbVT63M9G

u/teaminus · 9 pointsr/NoMansSkyTheGame

I recommend Hyperion and the rest of the Hyperion Cantos.

u/I_DUCK_FOGS · 9 pointsr/asoiaf

Go get your copy of Game of Thrones and start over :)

If you like science fiction at all, I've been reading Dread Empire's Fall. It's pretty good.

Also, the Foundation Trilogy by Asimov.

Edit: Also, The Hyperion Cantos is excellent and incredibly epic. Just the summary of it gives me chills: "On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope--and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands."

u/ScoopTherapy · 9 pointsr/books
  1. Hyperion/Fall of Hyperion - Dan Simmons

  2. 9/10

  3. Scifi Epic

  4. Possibly the best science fiction book I have ever read due to it's Canterbury Tales-like format, incredible characterization, emotional impact, thought-provoking ideas, haunting villains and events, and truly epic scale.

  5. Amazon
u/ActualCryptid · 9 pointsr/SubredditDrama

https://www.acc.umu.se/~stradh/dnd/mirror/Assorted/ADnD_netbook_of_sex.html

And it's in-print D20 version, https://www.amazon.com/Book-Erotic-Fantasy-Gwendolyn-Kestrel/dp/1588463990

My Worst DM Ever whipped one of those out. We were playing an unoriginal campaign, which is fien, i got stuck with a characted i didn't like, fine, but he spnt literally 20 minutes arguing with a Stereotypical Neckbeard (complete with fingerless gloves and a laptop full of splatbooks that he went to constantly) about whether or not the wizard wouldnsign a contract. It was resolved when the DM, after 20 minutes, had an NPC offer him a scroll of languages. WHY DIDN'T YOU START WITH THAT!?

Then an hour later, he wants onenof us to fuck a guy in a tavern for information, and whips out the BOEF. I did not return for the next session.

u/lowkeyoh · 9 pointsr/DnD

The interesting thing about games is that you can't copyright mechanics. You can, however, copyright the text of your rules.

>Copyright does not protect the idea for a game, its name or title, or the method or methods for playing it. Nor does copyright protect any idea, system, method, device, or trademark material involved in developing, merchandising, or playing a game. Once a game has been made public, nothing in the copyright law prevents others from developing another game based on similar principles. Copyright protects only the particular manner of an author’s expression in literary, artistic, or musical form.

If I made a game with six stats, with stat effective scores equal to (stat-10)/2, played using a twenty sided die and adding relevant numbers to the roll trying to hit a target number, that's completely OK. When you start using game terms or make books for existing games, that's when you get sued. I can publish a game that plays the same way that D&D does, but I can't publish a book FOR D&D because I'm not TSR.

Cool, so during the transition into 3rd edition, WOTC created the OGL, Open Game Liscense. Essentially, anyone could publish material for 3rd edition D&D, as long as they followed the OGL. This means there's TONS of support for 3rd edition out there. Custom books, classes, settings, campaigns, new rules, new everything. Problem was that WOTC had no control over the quality of said material, and wasn't making money off them.

If you want to see an example of the kinds of books that killed 3rd edition look no further than The Book Of Erotic Fantasy

One thing about OGL is that you can never UN-OGL your game. 3rd edition rules are open for anyone to use. They can't just say "Stop printing stuff for our game that we can't make any money from" So they made a NEW game, 4th edition.

This made a lot of 3rd edition players mad, because they were so heavily invested in 3rd edition. Imagine if you owned thirty books for a game, and then poof, the creators aren't supporting the system any more.

So in that void, Paizo made their own game, called Pathfinder. They're not allowed to use ANY of D&D copy written materials, so no Gods, no settings, no specific NPC's, but the core rules of the game are free for anyone to use. They made their own gods, their own world, and spells like Tasha's Hideous Laughter became Hideous Laughter. They modified some of the rules of 3rd edition, and fixed things that gamers didn't like about the system, and put out their own game.

u/Speedingturtle · 9 pointsr/MLPLounge

You can still have horse sex there, too. Edit: Proof.

u/fisk42 · 9 pointsr/printSF

If you're looking for something for < $1.46 you're mostly only going to find short stories and books of questionable quality by indie authors.

If you're willing to be patient the Kindle Daily Deal has high quality books from time to time for only $2. Just off the top of my head I've gotten sweet deals on Arthur C. Clarke, Stanislaw Lem, Lauren Beukes and Philip K Dick.

Amazon also has Monthly Deals and periodically a Big Deal where you can find books for $2-$5.

If that money is burning a hole in your pocket a quick perusal reveals a few books within a couple dollars of your credit:

Most of Greg Egan's books are permanently at $2.99

Nod $3.79 was an amazing book, nominated for several awards

1st 3 books of the Dragonriders of Pern $1.99

Player Piano $3.99 by Vonnegut

Flowers for Algernon $4.81

Enders Game $3.99

A Calculated Life $3.99 - was nominated for a couple awards this year

Edit, Also found (and added prices to all):

The Last Policeman $2.99

Horns $2.99 This is horror and not sci-fi but it is a thrilling good book.

u/PatriarchCoreSplit · 9 pointsr/Iteration110Cradle

It's Andrew Rowe! I just bought your new book! Haven't gotten around to leaving an Amazon review yet though. Enjoying it so far!

Edit: The book is Six Sacred Swords. If you've read Sufficiently Advanced Magic, you've already been introduced to the protagonist: Keras Selyrian (The mask-wearing Swordsman Corin meets towards the beginning of the first book).

Edit Edit: I am not Andrew Rowe, Salaris, who I replied to, is Andrew Rowe.

u/sonrad10 · 9 pointsr/tumblr

[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sufficiently-Advanced-Magic-Arcane-Ascension-ebook/dp/B06XBFD7CB/ref=mp_s_a_1_1](Sufficiently Advanced Magic). It's not exactly like the post, but I'm enjoying reading it. Description from Amazon:

>Five years ago, Corin Cadence’s brother entered the Serpent Spire — a colossal tower with ever-shifting rooms, traps, and monsters. Those who survive the spire’s trials return home with an attunement: a mark granting the bearer magical powers. According to legend, those few who reach the top of the tower will be granted a boon by the spire’s goddess.

Here's the orgiginal thread.

EDIT: I can't seem to get the first link to format properly, but I'll leave it because it still works ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

u/RadicalDreamer89 · 9 pointsr/booksuggestions

Scalzi's Old Man's War was excellent. I devoured it in the initial reading, and I've re-read it about 3 times since (all this year).

u/amaterasu717 · 9 pointsr/books

It might be helpful if you give us a list of any books you've read that you did enjoy or genres you think you might like.

I have never met a person who didn't love Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy but it may not be your thing if you don't like wacked-out sci-fi so some general idea of your interests could help a ton with suggestions.

A Short History of Nearly Everything is a solid non-fiction

Robot Dreams is a great set of sci-fi short stories

Ender's Game gets a ton of hate but is a pretty great sci-fi

On A Pale Horse is an older series that I'd consider fantasy but with sci-fi elements

Where the Red Fern Grows is well loved fiction

A Zoo in My Luggage is non-fic but about animal collecting trips for a zoo and is hilarious.

u/ExistentialistCamel · 8 pointsr/DestructiveReaders

Openings are hard as shit to do in sci-fi/fantasy. You have to basically lecture on the world without it sounding like you're lecturing them on the world: excuse me while I grab my smoke and mirrors. I'm not going to do line edits because it's view only. Instead you get my wall of text that I'm compiling on scifi/fantasy openings as I read more and more piles of it, when I should be reading something like literature (Idk, is that what the cool kids are doing?).

It's view only so my line edits will probably be limited, but I'll start with your opening two sentences.

>The café of 'Morl's Best Cuppa' was odd, green and uncomfortable to look at. It's rough exterior stood out against the trimmed vein of grey that was the rest of the city-block, like a bulb of gum beaten flat under step, ruining an otherwise pristine side-walk

Protag is looking at a building. I'm not as experienced in third person style narratives, but I'll do my best. If I was writing this in first person I'd be extremely leery of writing a description of the building for the begging portion. I do think you have an interesting world set out. There are genuinely funny moments, but it's packaged in a way that makes me want to put it down. I'd say this is due to an incomplete opening. You have characters and setting, but you don't have a problem for these characters to overcome (plot).I'm going to copy paste parts of a post that I did on sci-fi/fantasy openings that I made earlier, with significant modifications/additions (but the core idea is the same). If this is frowned upon, I'll stop. Disclaimer, I'm not saying that you should do any of these things that I suggest. This is merely my own opinions on ways to get over the initial hump that sci/fi fantasy stories face. These are some good resources/books that I've found.

In essence a good opening has three things

  1. a solid hook (I know it when I see it definition)
  2. introduction of problem (shit has to hit the fan in some way. "Walk towards bullets".)
  3. brief introduction of setting. Number three is the trickiest. Too much info and its boring, and nothing feels like its happening. It's listening to a lecture entirely on the structure of a building, with nothing about what's going on inside. Too little and it's cliche, you're just some fantasy/sci-fi hack.

    This is kind of vague and bullshitty so I'll use some examples.

    The openings in fantasty/sci-fi books are notoriously terrible. For instance, Red Rising, an otherwise half decent thriller book has the shittiest opening that I've read in a published work. But that didn't stop him from selling books out the wazoo and getting good blurbs ("Ender, Catniss, and now Darrow"), because he knows how to write a page turner later on (I'd still recommend it even though the opening is questionable, if you enjoy cheap dystopian thrills). But damn, did the opening want to make me throw the book against the wall. It's not that he doesn't do the three things that an opening should do, it's that he switches voices within it and had several narration snaps when it's clearly HIM speaking and not the main character. I'd also say that Patrick Rothfuss' opening is extremely shitty (and he says so himself), as he takes 50 pages before anything substantial happens. Thus he went back and added a prologue so the reader would feel some sort of plot in the story. Prologues are effective in scifi/fantasy for quickly introducing a problem, if your world takes awhile to build. For instance -- Harry Potter also did this to an extent, since it had the scene with his parents dying. Some openings, like the one that I'm about to discuss, have a really solid hook and immediately grab the reader. Am I saying that you should write a prologue? No , I haven't really read enough of your story to figure that out. I'm just offering a few nuggets of advice that I've seen authors use to get over the initial hump of creating the world.

    I think a solid example of a good opening in a sci-fi story, that I've read recently, is the story Wool (here's a link, use the look inside function). The hook is one of the better ones I've read, something along the lines of "Holston climbed his stairs to his death." Is it a cheap trick? Yes. Do I really care, and does it add tension to an otherwise monotonous climb up the stairs? You betcha! He explains certain elements of the silo as he gets to the different actions, e.g. "I put my hand on the guardrail, worn down one flake at a time by centuries of use." He doesn't just come out and say "HEY THE SILO IS OLD LEMME TELL YOU ABOUT MY CHILDHOOD IN THE SILO AND THEN GET TO THE PLOT DAMMNIT". In your case we see some characters mostly annoyed, bored, or not really doing much. Sure the setting is engaging, but the characters, in my opinion, aren't. The pro of an exposition opening is that you can fit a lot of information into a relatively small amount of space. The con is that it's hard to present in a way that doesn't create a POV snap, a boring tell instead of show description, and it's hard to create a problem if you're trying to be an omnipotent narrator. Dune does it, but it hasn't set a trend because it's hard as shit to do. Pride and Prejudice does it, but Jane Austen is incredibly good at writing in different tones. I'll stick to my nice comfortable first person narrative right now. I'm not a good mechanical writer, or a good writer at all yet, but I'm working on it. I do worldbuilding half decently (though I'm put to shame by the people on /r/worldbuilding)

    Another solid opening is "Mistborn;" (here's a link) a fantastic example of a dialogue driven opening. I'd say that if a dialogue opening is done right, its exponentially more interesting than an exposition opening. The problem is making the characters feel natural. I spent quite some time on my opening hammering out the robotic narration style, but I still had to go back and write a prologue because I didn't introduce the main problem of the story properly. I problem that I had is that my characters seem to stick their fingers up their butts and don't do anything. Basically a dialogue opening is harder to do, but it's well worth the effort if you can pull it off. Dialogue is also a good way to squeeze information out of your world. Want to have an explanation about scientist, well slap a scientist in there and have your protag ask some questions about it. Don't have random flashbacks in the very begging. Think about a movie that had someone fixing breakfast, and every time they did something relatively minor there was a flashback. E.g. poured some orange juice. That reminds me of my mentor who trained me in how to write a good sci-fi opening. Going to eat some Coco puffs, like me mum used to. But me mum beat me so I angrily ate the coco puffs.

    The best fantasy opening that I've ever read is Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. I'd recommend taking a peek at it here. He casually just strolls in, quickly establishes two characters, a problem, and a setting in half a page. It's brilliant. I can't say I've read the rest of it though, but it's on my list of things to read. The only complaints that I've heard about Lies (aside from the usually fantasy grumbling about tropes), is that the heist narrative is too lowly for such a talented writer. I think that's a pretty good sign that hes doing shit right.

    In the words of Brian Sanderson "writing is all smoke and mirrors." In fantasy/sci-fi you have to set up scenes that are more or less infodumping segments that feel natural to the reader. E.g. travelling from town to town, "oh theres a ghost thing over there"
    "that's not a ghost its your mum!" laughter ensues
    On the bright side, it seems like you've done some good world building, so writing the segments shouldn't be too hard. I highly recommend watching Brandon Sanderson's lectures on the youtube channel "Write about dragons." Start with the first lectures he does, because they cover a lot of mistakes that people make.

    Also read this article on common mistakes that editors see (link) . Watching and reading just a little bit will help you from falling into a ton of pitfalls, like I did with my first story. I spent far too long on too little words, that were absolute rubbish. Now I've been able to get at least a consistent word count down every week, with mixed reviews (some chapters are better than others.) Basically, write consistently and read often. Potential and inspiration are bullshit. Hammer out some words, get it torn apart on this sub-reddit, pick up the pieces and repeat. Make sure to give back often, this place is awesome. I think one of my better experiences was posting a basically infodumpy chapter, and had some pretty positive reviews (aside from some pseudoscience that I quickly cut, and leapt back into the warm embrace of space opera).

    If you get past the opening hump, this article, is a fantastic way to plan how your plot is going to unfold over the course of a novel, in a concise fashion. I wish I'd found this resource sooner, cause my planning would've been much better. (I tend to discovery write, with minimal planning.)
u/TedStiffcock_PHD · 8 pointsr/DnD
u/well_uh_yeah · 8 pointsr/books

I have three books that I love to loan out (or just strongly recommend to those weirdos out there who refuse a loaner):

u/lordhegemon · 8 pointsr/books

In all honesty, the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings are pretty tough to get into, since they are practically the ur-examples of fantasy, written back when a lot of commercial fiction methodology was still being developed.

When i read a book, I worry first and foremost if I'm entertained, if I am, I'll give it my recommendation, regardless of the flaws. These are the ones I think you'd find best for jumping in with.

YA/Middle Grade Books

u/telnetrestart · 8 pointsr/rpg

Check out Savage Worlds, all extras are divided among the players and go on their initiative. The rules are light enough and the character sheets simple enough that one person could run a good number of extras in addition to their character without combat bogging down.

The core book is on amazon for less than 10 bucks - knock yourself out.

u/witchdoc86 · 8 pointsr/DebateEvolution

My recommendations from books I read in the last year or so (yes, these are all VERY STRONG recommends curated from ~100 books in the last year) -

​

Science fiction-

Derek Kunsken's The Quantum Magician (I would describe it as a cross between Oceans Eleven with some not-too-Hard Science Fiction. Apparently will be a series, but is perfectly fine as a standalone novel).

Cixin Lu's very popular Three Body Problem series (Mixes cleverly politics, sociology, psychology and science fiction)

James A Corey's The Expanse Series (which has been made into the best sci fi tv series ever!)

Hannu Rajaniemi's Quantum Thief series (Hard science fiction. WARNING - A lot of the early stuff is intentionally mystifying with endless terminology that’s only slowly explained since the main character himself has lost his memories. Put piecing it all together is part of the charm.)

​

Fantasy-

James Islington's Shadow of What was Lost series (a deep series which makes you think - deep magic, politics, religion all intertwined)

Will Wight's Cradle series (has my vote for one of the best fantasy series ever written)

Brandon Sanderson Legion series (Brandon Sanderson. Nuff said. Creative as always)

​

Manga -

Yukito Kishiro's Alita, Battle Angel series (the manga on what the movie was based)

​

Non-Fiction-

Jonathan Haidt's The Righteous Mind - Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion (and how we are not as rational as we believe we are, and how passion works in tandem with rationality in decision making and is actually required for good decisionmaking)

Rothery's Geology - A Complete Introduction (as per title)

Joseph Krauskopf's A Rabbi's Impressions of the Oberammergau Passion Play, available to read online for free, including a fabulous supplementary of Talmud Parallels to the NT (a Rabbi in 1901 explains why he is not a Christian)

​

Audiobooks -

Bob Brier's The History of Ancient Egypt (as per title - 25 hrs of the best audiobook lectures. Incredible)

​

Academic biblical studies-

Richard Elliot Friedman's Who Wrote The Bible and The Exodus (best academic biblical introductory books into the Documentary Hypothesis and Qenite/Midian hypothesis)

Israel Finkelstein's The Bible Unearthed (how archaelogy relates to the bible)

E.P. Sander's Judaism: Practice and Belief, 63BCE-66CE ​(most detailed book of what Judaism is and their beliefs, and one can see from this balanced [Christian] scholar how Christianity has colored our perspectives of what Jews and Pharisees were really like)

Avigdor Shinan's From gods to God (how Israel transitioned from polytheism to monotheism)

Mark S Smith's The Early History of God (early history of Israel, Canaanites, and YHWH)

James D Tabor's Paul and Jesus: How the Apostle Transformed Christianity (as per title)

Tom Dykstra's Mark Canonizer of Paul (engrossing - will make you view the gospel of Mark with new eyes)

Jacob L Wright's King David and His Reign Revisited (enhanced ibook - most readable book ever on King David)

Jacob Dunn's thesis on the Midianite/Kenite hypothesis (free pdf download - warning - highly technical but also extremely well referenced)

u/urdomon · 8 pointsr/Fantasy

cradle series by will wight has some similarities

https://www.amazon.com/Unsouled-Cradle-Book-Will-Wight-ebook/dp/B01H1CYBS6

u/abrittain2401 · 8 pointsr/litrpg

Cradle series by Will Wight

Good series, not sure if id consider it strictly pure litrpg but still has the idea of leveling and learning skills etc. Deffo worth a read though!

u/KenshiroTheKid · 8 pointsr/bookclapreviewclap

I made a list based on where you can purchase them if you want to edit it onto your post:

This Month's Book


u/zoink · 8 pointsr/Anarcho_Capitalism

For some more ancap fiction threads and posts I have assembled

I listend to a talk David D. Freidman gave at Duke on Stateless and Semi-Stateless Societies in Fiction and Semi-Fiction. (Blog post) (Audio)

I was curious about the pieces he mentioned, so I decided to make a list of them.

*****

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress - Robert A. Heinlein

The Ungoverned - Vernor Vinge

True Names - Vernor Vinge

Oath of Fealty - Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

The Syndic - C.M. Kornbluth

The Domination of Draka (series) - S.M. Stirling

Dispossessed - Ursula K. Le Guin

The Probability Broach – L. Neil Smith

The Great Explosion – Eric Frank Russell

The Cassini Division (Fall Revolution Series) - Ken MacLeod (I don’t believe the books by this author are mentioned but I believe this is the one concerning the “Einstein” in the capitalist enclave.)

Harald - David D. Friedman

Salamander - David D. Friedman

**
Here are also some links to other threads on the subject that have been posted in this sub:

Any An-cap friendly novels out there?

A permanent catalog of fiction with AnCap themes (please feel free to contribute)

Any representations of a stateless society that is positive in fiction?

Agorist fiction?

I have provided Amazon links. Most of these pieces can be found online, but I will leave that to the reader.


u/HeliumCan07 · 8 pointsr/lotr

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: Deluxe Pocket Boxed Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/0544445783/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_piZBDbW6Z36EB I’m pretty sure this is the one

u/fookinpikey · 8 pointsr/KingkillerChronicle
  1. Hyperion (series) - by Dan Simmons
  2. 10/10
  3. Science fiction
  4. This book is amazing, as are the other 3 in the series. The character and world building are both fantastic, and it's the kind of book I go back to read every other year or so. The end of the 4th book is one of the few endings that actually made me cry after reading it.
  5. Amazon.com and Wiki
u/atrasicarius · 8 pointsr/worldbuilding

There's actually quite a bit of good post-singularity literature. You should check some of it out. Here's a quick list of a few of my favorites:

u/Dycedarg-Beoulve · 8 pointsr/politics

BTW this is not a joke - it’s true and you can buy the fucked up book on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

u/NotADoctor · 8 pointsr/scifi

Armor - by John Steakly

Heh, at the moment Amazon says it is frequently bought together with Starship Troopers and The Forever War

u/JasonUncensored · 8 pointsr/DnD
u/motku · 8 pointsr/Denver

Ethical Concern: The GMO corn is trademarked by <insert well known chemical company here> and the seed is sold to farmers who invest in it. Corn propagates by wind, neighbor farmer did not buy in but now his seed stock is infiltrated and the trademark owners sue him for stealing seed stock or some other violation of copyright. Local farmer caves to relentless legal pressure, soon all food stock is owned by corporations. This could get really wild (The Windup Girl), but so far that's still sci-fi, right?

Environmental Concern: Most GMO crops are created by chemical companies who in turn make products effective on plants that were not created by them. Rather than taking time to work with the environment these companies amass petrochemical sprays (a further economical cost to the farmer as well) and bombard regions so their plant survives. This chemical mixture goes into the soil and water where it in turn effects us; you do know that ALL drinking water is recycled I hope.


So you might be right, there might not be concerns on the healthy diet level (though we all know how wonderful the American diet is for us all). But there are larger socioeconomic issues here as well. To lock this only on a healthy for diet issue is absurd. I highly recommend Botany of Desire (book or PBS) as the potato chapter is enlightening on this measure (from an economic standpoint). Basically; organic food is far more economic in terms of space, maintenance, and profit per square foot.

u/CaseyBurkhardt · 8 pointsr/WTF

Go ahead, skim the first three chapters...

u/Portal007 · 8 pointsr/rpg

I'd get Savage Worlds Deluxe Edition. It's the only book you need to run in Savage Worlds (plus it's a fantastic system) and it is only 10 dollars (sometimes cheaper). http://www.amazon.com/Savage-Worlds-Deluxe-Explorers-S2P10016/dp/1937013200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407602646&sr=8-1&keywords=savage+worlds

Dungeon World or Apocalypse World (neither are related to Savage Worlds) are also fantastic pick ups that are cheaper than most p&p rpg books.

u/BioSemantics · 8 pointsr/Fantasy

Oh shit, my friend are you missing out. There is an explosion of Chinese/Korean/Japanese fantasy works being translated that you can freely read online. The writing isn't always superb, but they are all immensely entertaining.

Come on down to:

https://www.reddit.com/r/noveltranslations/

Some suggestions:

These are classics, super long, and finished both being written and translated.

Coiling Dragon

Desolate Era

World of Cultivation

I Shall Seal the Heavens

This one uses western themes but in a more chinese-fantasy-style:

Warlock of the Magus World

There are a number of unfinished ones you might like as well. My favorite is The Way of Choices. It is written in a more classical and literary style. One of the better written ones definitely.

The Way of Choices

For the next one, the initial premise is weird here, a person is reincarnated, and then given a second chance at their new life groundhog-style, but I like it.

The Records of the Human Emperor

Martial World

Will Wight has a series that mimics the style of Chinese fantasy novels. You might like it.

The Unsouled

There is a whole huge world of this material being written and translated out there. More than you could read and stay ahead of really.

These type of novels are usually called Wuxia or Xiancia novels depending on whether they center in on martial arts (the former), or more fantasy elements (the latter).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xianxia_novel

https://forum.wuxiaworld.com/discussion/7616/difference-between-xianxia-wuxia-novels

u/TabethaRasa · 8 pointsr/litrpg

I'd go with Ascend Online if you're looking for a book with an actual game.

If you want more of a fantasy with game elements, Sufficiently Advanced Magic is where it's at. (While I admit that I know the author personally and have some bias, it's an Amazon Bestseller.)

If you prefer something modern-day and like a good zombie story, The Alpha Virus is a great read, though it's still a work-in-progress.

For a series with great characters and emotional impact, The Wandering Inn is an ongoing web serial of considerable length, and updates frequently.

u/SD99FRC · 7 pointsr/news

SEALs, no, but Special Forces are, by design, supposed to interact with and train local forces.

The problem with Barnett's suggestions of a split force is that in neither Iraq nor Afghanistan has there been a climate where a "SysAdmin" force could exist and operate. The SysAdmins would have to be doorkickers with more specialized training.

Removing the hitters from the theater would just invite resistance forces to increase their attacks. Barnett pretends like civil affairs forces don't already exist. The problem is, unprotected, they are just potential casualties. Barnett's solutions don't really show how to fix much of anything because they're strategies for a battlefield that will never exist. The difficulty of counterinsurgency operations can be seen dating back to antiquity. It's not like Barnett suddenly "solved it" with his idea of a split force.

The reality is that there will always be boots on the ground who don't understand the greater strategy and importance of their actions, no matter how much or how often they are told or taught about the implications. You'd have to go full The Forever War and start conscripting the best and brightest from top universities if you'd expect to create an army of scholar-soldiers who have both the talent to combine warfighting/peacekeeping and nation-building activities, and then still have them maintain the level of big-picture awareness necessary for ultimate discretion. The kinds of soldiers Barnett needs don't exist in great numbers. Wars will always be fought with a cross section of the nation's populace, and, well, half the population is below average.

u/Majromax · 7 pointsr/pics

Science Fiction / Classic War Sci-Fi Novel sounds like Forever War.

u/aducknamedjoe · 7 pointsr/Anarcho_Capitalism

For fiction:

u/kevinlanefoster · 7 pointsr/scifi

Footfall by Niven and Pournelle

Ring of Charon by Roger MacBride Allen (Follow up - The Shattered Sphere)

Saturn Run by by John Sandford and Ctein

From the other linked discussion - One of my favorite scifi trilogies, The Chronicles of Solace (The Depths of Time, The Ocean of Years, The Shores of Tomorrow) by Roger MacBridge Allen, makes the lack of FTL -- and the necessary workarounds for maintaining an interstellar civilization -- a major plot point.

Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown

Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan - No FTL, but consciousness can be beamed as data and downloaded into different bodies (called sleeves). Futuristic noir detective murder mystery.

--Best of luck!

u/FlockOfSmeagols · 7 pointsr/scifi

"Altered Carbon" by Richard K. Morgan is kind of cyber punky and similar. It's the first book of a trilogy.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345457684/$%7B0%7D

u/Wagnerius · 7 pointsr/scifi

<with a french waiters accent>

For madam,

I would propose either china miéville "Perdido..." or Robert Charles Wilson "spin". Both weave interesting believable characters within a good sf plot.

But If you want a page turner, I would say Eliantris or Warbreaker both by brandon sanderson. They're fantasy and really hard to put down.

In the end, I would propose "To say nothing of the dog" by connie Willis. Very clever and funny with a time travel theme.

</with a french waiters accent>

( Damn, I really liked to be a bookseller...)

u/JustTerrific · 7 pointsr/suggestmeabook

Old Man's War by John Scalzi

u/raziphel · 7 pointsr/HFY

Use whatever makes the most dramatic and compelling story, and whatever reinforces the narrative itself. I'd probably start with throwing the reader into the middle and fill in the background as the main story progresses. For example, how Paolo Bacigalupi builds the setting in The Windup Girl or John Scalzi allows the setting to unfold in the background of Old Man's War.

You can always go back and write prequels, first contact stories, and the like afterward. Remember, Tolkien didn't start with the Simarillion either- he just threw the reader into the setting.

The question however is this: who's your target audience? Adults or young adults? If you can get an illustrator like Drachen to work with you (cause damn he's good), That would be something to consider in and of itself.

u/tgiokdi · 7 pointsr/AskReddit

Old Man's War by John Scalzi who's actually pretty cool blogger, and is an apparent good person

u/Radidactyl · 7 pointsr/DMAcademy

Definitely this one

It has suggestions for ability check DCs, improvised damage, etc.

There really isn't any wasted space on it.

u/Putridgrim · 7 pointsr/DungeonsAndDragons

And it's right here on Amazon
Dungeon Master's Screen Reincarnated https://www.amazon.com/dp/078696619X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ypXdAbANRGBRS

u/NoWordsJustBirds · 7 pointsr/DungeonMasters

I underestimated how useful that DM screen is for quick reference. It has so much useful stuff and constantly referencing all the material slows down gameplay to a crawl. I eventually could pull it off the top of my head, but it vastly improved immersion/fun when I picked it up. I got this one but there are others

u/psyferre · 7 pointsr/WoT

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.

u/Greensleeves2020 · 7 pointsr/Epstein

The other "coincidence" that seems to have been thoroughly buried is that Barr senior was not only the HM of the school but also an author of Sci Fi novels. In 1971 he published a Sci Fi novel Space Relations which revolves around sexual slavery and rape of a 14 year old . i know you couldn't make it up but there is the book on amzaon and good reads . Unsurprisingly it has been dropped from the "selected publications" section in Barr Senior's wikipedia page . One imagines Barr is a little shy about bringing this up, as it would seemingly strengthen the recusal argument.

https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

u/Afferent_Input · 7 pointsr/news

> Epstein (when he was 20) worked for Donald Barr

Don't forget, Donald Barr wrote a SiFi book called Space Relations, which is about a future where oligarchs rule and sexualize minors and rape sex slaves.

u/BMErdin · 7 pointsr/rpg

My goto generic system these days would probably be Savage Worlds. Character creation is pretty simple, combat is quick. Power level kind of takes care of itself, based on what edges PCs take, but you could always limit what is available. Plus the Explorer's Edition of the rulebook, which has everything the hardback copy does, is only 10 bucks.

Quick start rules, if you want to take a look before buying.

u/DaniScribe · 7 pointsr/litrpg

I'm not well-read in the genre so I'm not sure if this is exactly what you're looking for, but Will Wight's Cradle series sounds as though it might interest you. The series isn't complete, but there are five completed novels in it.

Amazon link for the first book, Unsouled

Amazon link for the first three as a package deal.

I would recommend it if you're a fan of cultivation, spiritual techniques, and the zero to god journey. It also has a more western style prose that for me was more enjoyable to read.

u/wtfchrlz · 7 pointsr/Fantasy

You want the Cradle series. MC starts out weak and basically never stops training and becomes more powerful than he thought possible.

u/IICVX · 7 pointsr/litrpg

You might like Unbound Deathlord - the MC is fairly amoral in that one.

Awaken Online might also be to your liking.

I also like to recommend Unsouled, which is basically a xianxia novel written by an American. IMO cultivation / xianxia novels are basically litrpgs, with weird names slapped on top of the numbers.

Another one that kinda sorta straddles the line of LitRPG is Super Sales on Super Heroes - it's a superhero novel, and the MC's power is that he can spend "points" to upgrade things.

u/RaspberryChocolate · 7 pointsr/Fantasy
u/kalimashookdeday · 7 pointsr/Futurology

If you're into this, The Bobiverse series is great. Same concept.

Book #1 in the current series of 3:

https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/dp/B01LWAESYQ

u/Coolgamer7 · 7 pointsr/audiobooks

The best "Standard" deal is the
Platinum Annual
24 Credits/Yr.
You pay $9.57 per credit
$229.50 per year

That's always available and offers the most credits at the cheapest price per credit.

If you follow the Audible sub then you'll find signup deals on there from time to time. The last I took advantage of was the
Discount Gold Annual
12 Credits/Yr.
~$8.29 per credit
$99.50 a year

You could sign up for that one until April 5th. Sometimes if you call and ask you can still sign up for one of these deals, but I haven't done/tried that so I can't say much about it. I don't know of any sign-up deals going on right now, they usually happen around holidays.

Depending on the genres you enjoy, your best bang for your buck might be a Kindle Unlimited subscription and then picking up some cheap audiobooks through whispersync. You can pick up a KU subscription for $0.99 for two months (https://www.techbargains.com/deals/amazon-kindle-unlimited-membership) and if you hunt around you can find a bunch of good books for $1.99. It's mostly Sci-Fi and Fantasy, but as a few examples:
https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/dp/B01LWAESYQ
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MFGX5GI/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SLWQGUM/
https://www.amazon.com/Thru-Hiking-Will-Break-Your-Heart-ebook/dp/B00W4RICAM

Those aren't endorsements, just examples (I've only read the first one, which I would endorse if you like Sci-Fi)

Beyond that if you like classics you can usually find some of those cheap:
https://www.audible.com/pd/Siddhartha-Audiobook/B07HK6JZSC

On occasion, if you go to cancel your subscription you'll be offered a deal to keep it. I haven't signed up for any of those, and don't know what those deals are, but it's an option.

Last but not least, you can just buy more credits. If you've run out of credits (or if you contact Audible Support) you can usually buy 3 credits for $36 ( I think that's the correct amount). I generally wouldn't recommend this option, it's a bit more expensive to buy the Gold Plan, but you get a year's membership with that. Whereas buying credits straight out still leaves you paying a monthly subscription as well.

u/Zodep · 7 pointsr/audible
  • We Are Legion (We Are Bob) is a hilarious trilogy that is a bit cheaper to buy the kindle and then add on audio narration. Ray Porter, the narrator, makes his series amazing.


  • Off to Be the Wizard is a great series with good humor and can be less expensive if you buy the kindle and then add on the audio narration. I liked books 1-3, with 4 and 5 being not as great. The first books is well worth the purchase though!


  • Super Powereds Year 1. This is one of my favorite series. Kyle McCarley does an amazing job narrating this saga (4 in the main story and 1 side story that could stand alone). Probably the worst covers and really made me not want to read the series, but Drew Hayes has become my favorite author. Every series he does is pure gold.


  • Expeditionary Force: Columbus Day. RC Bray, sci-fi and lots of hilarious dialog when Skippy shows up (about halfway through the book). The series is great, and book 6 is coming out next week. Great starter price 0.99+7.49 for the kindle and audiobook.


    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.
u/Nematrec · 7 pointsr/talesfromtechsupport

Yes, the bob in the computer is an entirely different kind of spirit.

u/Pafkay · 7 pointsr/sciencefiction

The Bob, not exactly what you asked for, but worth the read

u/TistedLogic · 7 pointsr/scifi
u/SleepyTexan · 7 pointsr/noveltranslations

Finally had some more time to read, picked up books mostly on Kindle Unlimited with some exceptions on Novel Updates.

Stuff in bold is stuff I really like and can recommend, stuff italicized is stuff I'm not sure about but you should probably read anyway.

Picked up


Arcane Ascension: (Kindle)

  1. Sufficiently Advanced Magic

    LitRPG, School, Dungeon/tower

    Story had a pretty decent hook in the beginning, characters are decently fleshed out although I do hope book 2 has more character development.

    The MC is a recovering loner with interesting family dynamics due to an unfortunate grandfather, militant father, and a missing brother.

    I would have enjoyed this story more if I read it in chunks as the author is trying to create something new with depth and that ruined a bit of the immersion for me.

    After reading 2/3 of the story I took a break and read other stuff before coming back to it and the last 1/3 was very enjoyable; then again the last bit was mostly plot development instead of world building.

    Completionist Chronicles: (Kindle)

  2. Ritualist

    LitRPG, cleric?, puns?

    Same author as the Divine Dungeon series linked below.

    Compared to the Divine Dungeon series this story is much more enjoyable since the MC is human and already has a personality.

    Divine Dungeon: (Kindle)


  3. Dungeon Born

  4. Dungeon Madness

  5. Dungeon Calamity

    Dungeon core, cultivation, puns?

    Pretty interesting premise but it is my first dungeon core story; story is pretty good and told in the POV of two MC's, a dungeon (Cal) and some shepherd who learns to cultivate.

    In book 1 Cal is still developing as he was just Born which made it slightly more difficult to get into due to not much character development but the different POV's makes things easier to read. If you're okay with book 1 which was enjoyable but focused more on setting the foundation of the story then you should like books 2 and 3 much more.

    Awaken Online: (Kindle)

  6. Catharsis;

    LitRPG, Anti-hero?, Necromancy, glass cannon

    A bit of an aside but this really made me feel nostalgic for Legendary Moonlight Sculptor even though there isn't much in common.

    The prologue set the tone for the the story and while it could be too soon to tell I'd say he's only mostly anti-hero.

    Story is a bit cliched and there isn't much tension but it's pretty well written and does a nice job overall differentiating itself.

    Fields of Gold

    Mild Mary Sue, hunting, isekai, reverse harem?

    Phew, finally have something to fill the void that is Volare. (Even though I have 3 other novels I'm bulking up to binge later)

    Just when I think I'm free of all food porn from previous completed novels they ambush me with this. y u do dis /u/Etvolare (and Myst), some of y'all have gotta be foodies and I'm concerned it's a criteria in novel selection.

    Another Mary Sue story with hints of a reverse harem but that's probably unlikely. Her immediate family loves her but everyone else.. fuck 'em, except for maybe that one gentle aunt.

    The S-Classes That I Raised

    Time rewind, yandere, taming

    Weak asshole MC turns over a new leaf with his time travel and patches things up with his younger more OP brother.

    Ascend Online (Kindle)

    LitRPG, Crafting, taming

    Solid story but it's a bit average, pretty good read overall but character development is kinda weak.

    I’m the Evil Lord of an Intergalactic Empire

    Mecha, "anti-hero", ^^^ha! futuristic, isekai, misunderstandings, long life span

    MC gets betrayed pretty badly by his wife due to the involvement of a third party who gets off on the grief and misery of others. MC reincarnates to another world and is mistrustful of women, gets abandoned by his parents and ends up doing some territory management in the pursuit of being evil later.

    Demon King, Retry!

    Overpowered, loli, misunderstandings, territory management?

    Think of this as a more lighthearted, shallower take on Overlord for a younger audience, maybe.

    A Demon Lord’s Tale: Dungeons, Monster Girls, and Heartwarming Bliss

    Non-harem harem?, Wish fulfillment

    Strong MC with a soft spot for ladies.


    ***

    Still reading


    Trash of the Count’s Family

    Restaurant seems to be going well, some more of Cale's background is being very slowly teased through the story which makes it all the more understandable he wants to chill.

    Ascending, Do Not Disturb

    Apparently another story where cuteness is justice regardless of gender; two justices have been unlocked so far: cuteness and deliciousness.

    The Beloved Imperial Consort

    Strict mother and chill father? That'll be a fun baby, smart little monkey.

    Lucia

    Lucia is hangry and the damn grapes aren't in season yet.

    The hubby is gonna have some serious blue balls if he doesn't find something to busy himself with.

    Assassin Farmer

    The assassin organization has changed hands with the death of the idiot boss.

    MC has plenty of people waiting on her now (much to her distaste) and new house(s) are being built for her and her hubby's brothers.
    *
    Edit**: forgot to add the Arcane Ascension series and labeled the ones on Kindle Unlimited.

u/Corbzor · 7 pointsr/Pathfinder_RPG

There was a 3rd party 3.5 book that was entirely about sex, it has lots of STDs. It also had rules for pregnancy and sex and monsters themed around that.

EDIT: It has already been linked further down the page then I had gotten to.

u/killdefenses · 7 pointsr/postapocalyptic
u/omaca · 7 pointsr/scifi

Iain M Banks most recent Culture novel is called Surface Detail. His Culture novels are great.

China Mieville consistently wins awards for his "new weird" books; most notably the Bas Lag novels. His The City and the City is a kinda mind-bending crime novel, but his most recent is Kraken.

The Wind Up Girl has garnered quite a few positive reviews.

u/appBlu · 7 pointsr/rpg

Savage Worlds since this is r/rpg

If it's a fantasy setting, you could just rip Eberron and fit it to your liking.

Edit: saw your other post, since its the far future you could incorporate a Cyberpunk/fantasy setting such as Shadowrun. I'd recommend getting the Fantasy and Sci-Fi companions to give you some ideas and prebuilt objects for the world.

What I enjoy most about Savage Worlds is the amount of flexibility you are given as a GM/Player in that everything has a baseline, and you add flavor to make it something different. Great examples of this are the spells, where it could be a simple "Bolt" spell, but with added flavor such as Fire or Frost, you can change the dynamics of how they work. Plus, the main book you'll need is only 10 dollars.

u/RattyJackOLantern · 7 pointsr/rpg

Dungeons & Dragons is the big dog, it's the only TTRPG most people have ever heard of and that name recognition means whatever the current edition of D&D is will almost always have the largest player base in a given area in the English-speaking world.

But if you want a different game you could go with something like Savage Worlds, which is a rules-medium system that can play in any genre you want. The corebook (which is the only book you'd need to play, though others are helpful) is less than $10, which is a plus. See the demo here: https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/peg-freebies/TD06.pdf
Corebook here https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Worlds-Deluxe-Explorers-S2P10016/dp/1937013200

If you want to get some friends together and try some D&D (5th edition, which is the current one) though, I'd try it with the free demo rules before dropping between $90 - 120 on the 3 core books depending on where you buy them. Free demo rules here: https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules

If you play a game with your friends you'll want some dice, unless you just decide to use a dice roller app on your phones. I'd recommend buying a big bundle of cheap dice rather than paying a lot for individual sets. A bundle like this one https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KN7REWQ/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B01KN7REWQ&pd_rd_wg=8uUwb&pd_rd_r=HQQYF600AKZZA1GKEZHV&pd_rd_w=CjKc8

DrivethruRPG is the site you'll want for other RPGs and older Dungeons & Dragons material, they're the amazon or wal mart of TTRPGs, selling PDFs and print on demand books. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/

u/Tallgeese3w · 6 pointsr/news

Littler known fact Barr's father wrote a Sci fi novel about underage kids being sold into sex slavery
https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249
Surely just more of a coincidence

u/CalvinLawson · 6 pointsr/scifi

Read Armor.

u/Crepti · 6 pointsr/DnD

I point you towards the Book of Erotic Fantasy.

u/failed_novelty · 6 pointsr/rpg

I've found just the 3.5 book for you, OP!

Remember to LARP as appropriate ;-)

u/Devil_Nights · 6 pointsr/KotakuInAction

It is 1000% serious. Just like this harrowing novel.

u/Bamce · 6 pointsr/Shadowrun

My suggestion when starting kids of this age in rpgs is always Savage worlds Its cheap, easy, fast, and versatile.

This week you can be playing super criminals(or cops) doing whatever in "not shadowrun". Then next week when he gets super into power rangers you can easily play "not power rangers" with the same rule set. Then when some pirate show comes on tv you can play "not pirates" or "not space rangers" or really whatever you want. There is a huge number of setting books (that you don't really need) for all flavors you could want.

The card based initiative system is great. Probably the best initiative system I have ever seen in something that has a codified init system.

it uses a target number 4 system with "raises" for each mulitple of 4 over your first. Dice explode and get added together. So it helps to teach math

its based on a 'benny' or benefit system where you have little tokens that allow you to do things like reroll dice. The game is based around an economy between player and gm, with the gm being encourage to give them out to the players for good roleplay, decisions in character, or bringing in their negatives. We can take this one step furhter with kids and use it teach them small life lessons. Encourage them to do things, like instead of fighting a guy, they talk him down, or help him, givem a benny.

I often suggest usings like candy to represent these tokens. He can't eat them until he spends them on something, but then when he is out of them he can't do cool rerolls and stuff. teach him restraint since he wants to do cool stuff, but also wants to eat the candy.

u/aenea · 6 pointsr/scifi

You've got some great suggestions so far- I'd also suggest Old Man's War ...it's fun.

Legacy of Heorot is also a good, fun read.

Connie Willis writes great short stories, and The Doomsday Book is one of the better time travel books that I've read (especially if you have any interest in history).

One of my favourite things to do is to pick up short story anthologies at the library, which usually gives me a good idea of which authors I'd be interested in reading.

u/Slagathor91 · 6 pointsr/masseffect

This book is fantastic: http://www.amazon.com/Old-Mans-War-John-Scalzi/dp/0765348276

Maybe not rich histories, but very, very interesting for a stand alone book.

u/ENTersgame · 6 pointsr/NavyBlazer

Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card.

u/adifferentusername · 6 pointsr/booksuggestions

The HItchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
The one I linked to is actually a collection of all 5 in the Trilogy, but it is so worth reading. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed anything I've read by Vonnegut.
If you like Sci-Fi, check out Orson Scott Card's work. I'd start with Ender's Game. What Would Satan Do?. Don't let the title discourage you. It offers a very interesting take on the apocalypse. I am currently reading Immaculate Deception, very interesting.

u/lllluke · 6 pointsr/politics

refusing to post the link is just stupid moral grandstanding. i don’t know what you’re trying to prove exactly other than the fact that you are a paragon of virtue, anybody could find it instantly if they wanted to. look i did it https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

u/Emelius · 6 pointsr/news

Barrs dad was also Epsteins headmaster. Barrs father also wrote about a future break away civilization separate from Earth that still has slavery and rapes young women.

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

u/JakobTanner100 · 6 pointsr/litrpg

The Crafter by Outspan Foster. I haven't read this one yet, but I'm pretty pumped. Ordered the paperback. Set in a non-vr world.

Dante's Immortality. Highly recommended on this sub. Book 2 probably won't happen. Probably once a week asks about book 2. Still, so good that it's worth reading book 1 of an unfinished series. I think that's pretty high praise for it.

Sufficiently Advanced Magic. Another sub favorite. People argue whether or not it's LitRPG, most important thing is: it's dope.

Adventures on Brad. Nice slice of life in a non-vr fantasy world with game mechanics. Fun stuff.

A few others:

Adventurer Academy andIs It Wrong to Try and Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon.

Enjoy!

u/nordic86 · 6 pointsr/philosophy

Have you ever read "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress"? In the book, they worry about the computer "playing a joke" where it releases all the oxygen in living quarters. Comedy is a hard rubric.

u/eonge · 6 pointsr/AskReddit

On the same train of thought, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is one my favorite novels of his.

u/dragonlady_88 · 6 pointsr/booksuggestions

Perdido Street Station features a scientist in a bizarre and dark cyber-punk universe. http://www.amazon.com/Perdido-Street-Station-China-Mieville/dp/0345459407

u/int0x13 · 6 pointsr/AskReddit

I'd recommend Perdido Street Station. Not pure, but has some very steampunky stuff and more importantly is a great book!

u/greenleaf547 · 6 pointsr/lotr

http://www.amazon.com/The-Hobbit-Lord-Rings-Deluxe/dp/0544445783
Here you go. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt edition, released just this year.

u/AnxietyOrganized · 6 pointsr/suggestmeabook

The Bobiverse are mentioned quite a bit on Reddit. Guy becomes immortal through becoming a sort of AI after death. He is “awakened “ to help humanity however he struggles with not caring as much for humans since time and mortality don’t mean anything to him anymore. Bob

u/madwilliamflint · 6 pointsr/52book

Finished We Are Legion (We Are Bob) yesterday.

It's...beyond reproach. If you have any nerdery in your soul you have a moral obligation to read this. I want to wait to read the second book because I don't want it to be over.

I don't want to say too much about it for fear of spoiling anything.

u/ansong · 6 pointsr/printSF

We are Legion might be up your alley. Book two has just been released so it looks like the Kindle version of book one is on sale.

u/literal-hitler · 6 pointsr/rational

I highly recommend the bobiverse series to you as a second point of reference.

u/Ambaire · 6 pointsr/Showerthoughts

If they ever come up with true machine uploading / true brain-computer interfaces, I'll be one of the first to sign up. Assuming it actually preserves consciousness and the sense of I, and isn't just a memory transfer and someone else wakes up inside.

Something like the tech in Old Man's War would be perfect.

Or for a more future scifi feel, Bobiverse.

u/serenityunlimited · 6 pointsr/booksuggestions

Is there anything in particular you're leaning to?

Author Cherie Priest has a couple excellent books.

  • Boneshaker, first book in her Clockwork Century series. It's a steampunk setting with zombies and all sorts of wonderful stuff. This book is actually on sale through the end of the month for $2.99.
  • Bloodshot, first book in her Cheshire Red Reports series. It's about a vampire gal who is a thief-for-hire.

    The Dresden Files series, by Jim Butcher, is a wonderful series. It's about a wizard-for-hire in the modern world, and delves into the wonderful magic environment that Jim has created. Jim likes to put his characters through trouble and turmoil, and it's good for character development! The series starts off with Storm Front.

    The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is another great series. It's a post-apocalyptic/oppressed setting, centering around something called 'The Hunger Games' - an annual battle that captivates the capitol and all twelve remaining districts. There is a movie releasing next year, as well.

    The Name of the Wind is a terrific book by Patrick Rothfuss, the first entry into his series The Kingkiller Chronicles. It's a fantasy setting, and is about a character named Kvothe recounting his life. The writing style has an absolutely artistic writing style that is captivating to read, and such interesting and progressing events that make you eagerly turn the page. I have not yet read the sequel, The Wise Man's Fear, but I'm told it's even better in every way.

    Terry Pratchett is an amazing and renowned author. He has been knighted, an event for which he created his own sword for by hand, battles against Alzheimer's in a most respectable and commendable way, and has created such an interesting and provoking world that provides a lot of laughs and curious perspectives on matters. Where you start is a more difficult choice. A couple choice options might be as follows (I haven't read others yet, so I can't attest to others, but there are many!).

  • Guards! Guards! which is the first installment to the City Watch sequence.
  • The Reaper Man trails after Death, after he has been fired from his job.

    I haven't started this book yet, nor looked into it, but I have heard terrific reviews. The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch, is his first book in his Gentleman Bastard Sequence series.

    And of course, if you haven't entered George RR Martin's world of Westeros, the series A Song of Ice and Fire could be a wonderful read. It's very complex and very long and not yet complete (five books so far). It starts off with Game of Thrones, which is what the recently-aired HBO series was based upon.

    In the science fiction sphere, I would recommend Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It's the first in his Ender's series, and there are quite a few books set in the world. I have only read the first one, and it was an excellent read, insightful and thought-provoking.

    ...anyway, that should be a few to peek at!
u/TheHighRover · 6 pointsr/opiates

For anyone who would like to know, the following books I've read are my favorite and I'd really recommend them to anyone: The Martian by Andy Weir, Gerald's Game by Stephen King, The Panther by Nelson DeMille, Unflinching by Jodi Mitic, American Sniper by Chris Kyle, and Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

EDIT: Oh, and Blackwater - The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army by Jeremy Scahill.

EDDIT 2: Oh, and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card which is so much better than the movie. The movie does not do this novel justice. And Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly.

u/Will_Wight · 6 pointsr/Fantasy

1.) Unsouled is a good taste of my work, and by crazy coincidence, it's only a dollar right now!

2.) I like to think we'd be working in one massive, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink mishmash fantasy world. Where you have to load magic spells into a rifle to hunt fire-breathing sheep for dinner.

3.) Rainforests.

4.) Because I like stories. Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, and Nasu Kinoko.

u/liebereddit · 5 pointsr/Fantasy

The first book is FREE if you have Prime. Made the decision kind of easy.
https://www.amazon.com/Unsouled-Cradle-Book-Will-Wight-ebook/dp/B01H1CYBS6#customerReviews

u/ASIC_SP · 5 pointsr/ProgressionFantasy
u/SparkVGX · 5 pointsr/Iteration110Cradle

Also! if you haven't had a chance to start this series, The first book is currently free right now:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H1CYBS6/

u/vkevlar · 5 pointsr/scifi

Mandatory pointer to Armor, by John Steakley.

u/veritablequandary · 5 pointsr/printSF

ALL of John Ringo's Posleen War series. I always recommend people start with Gust Front even though it's #2 in the series. You can decide for yourself whether you want to follow the Cally O'Neal story arc - I didn't care too much for it personally, but there are plenty of other stories in that universe (Ringo's nothing if not prolific) to keep you busy.

Once you're grounded in the 'verse you can branch out to the books he wrote with other authors; Watch on the Rhine features rejuved Waffen SS soldiers fighting to defend a limp-wristed Germany from the invading aliens. Yellow Eyes chronicles the defense of the Panama Canal.

Ringo is far & away my favorite military sci-fi author. He has another series in a different universe that begins with March Upcountry and is also awesome (written with David Weber btw).

Other authors... have you read David Feintuch? Midshipman's Hope is the first one I think. After the 3rd or 4th book in that series they get a little stale but I enjoyed them for a while. The Starfist series is kind of fun if you can handle a formulaic approach to the prose (more or less the same story in every book IMO).

I didn't care too much for Kratman's A Desert Called Peace but my dad (retired Air Force) did. I'll second the Scalzi & Haldeman recommendations too, and not just the books already listed - their entire bibliography (both guys) is solid.

I'd be furious with myself if I didn't include Steakley: Armor is one of my all-time favorite books and I try to re-read it once a year.

I'll keep thinking - I know there is more out there.

u/Armor_of_Inferno · 5 pointsr/books

"You are what you do when it counts."

-Armor, by John Steakley

I read this book around age 15, and trust me when I say that this is a heavy read, from an emotional perspective. This simple phrase was one of those things that stuck with me, and I've found new depth in it over the years. I chanted it to myself before I proposed to my wife. I've used it when talking to a friend facing death, and another who was ready to commit suicide. It definitely stuck with me.

u/bokowolf · 5 pointsr/books

I ain't so good at book descriptions but here's some stuff I really enjoyed -

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-A-Novel/dp/0307887448

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi: http://www.amazon.com/The-Windup-Girl-Paolo-Bacigalupi/dp/1597801585

The author would argue with me about this being SF - Atwood prefers the term "speculative history" I believe - but the entire Oryx and Crake trilogy is very good.
http://www.amazon.com/Oryx-Crake-Margaret-Atwood/dp/0385721676/ref=la_B000AQTHI0_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397411558&sr=1-2 the first book in Oryx and Crake, followed by Year of the Flood and Madaddam

u/docwilson · 5 pointsr/printSF

That pretty much describes The Windup Girl, a recent joint hugo/nebula winner.

u/Toboe_LoneWolf · 5 pointsr/savageworlds

Just to clarify, there is 1 Core Book (which is, as others have said, all you technically need), and 4 companion books - Super Powers, Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy. Then there are numerous setting books such as Deadlands, 50Fathoms (made by Pinnacle), or Beasts & Barbarians (made by the licensee GRAmel).

  • Core Book - the stuff you absolutely definitely need
  • Companion Books - extra optional rules in case you need rules for things like mechas in space (Science Fiction) or sanity rules a la Cthulhu (Horror)
  • Setting Books - premade worlds for you to play in; often comes with a campaign already made although not always
u/SmoothWD40 · 5 pointsr/booksuggestions

If you liked Song of Ice and fire you might really like Erikson:

Malazan Book of the Fallen is a 10 book series, might take you a bit to get into in the beginning but once it gets going I was not able to put it down. It's extremely gritty and has a lot of characters and plot lines, but they are all done extremely well, it gets to a point that you just start following the bigger picture of what is happening even as you read the events that each character is involved in. (I highly recommend this series to anyone that likes fantasy in shades of gray)

Another great book I read recently was Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay

Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson is a very good page turner, had a couple of late nights not being able to put it down. The "magic" (don't know what else to call it really) in the books is really creatively done, his writing style keeps you reading late into the night.

And off the top of my head I also liked Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks. This one is a fun read, not as involved as the others mentioned above.

u/ohnoesazombie · 5 pointsr/booksuggestions

I think the best way is to suggest a few that got me into reading. One or two are YA, but well-written enough that I find it as worthwhile a read at 28 as it did at 14.

Ender's Game - Earth Has made contact with an alien species, and... It didn't go well. A program is started to teach a new generation of soldiers how to fight this alien threat. Children are not allowed to be children for long when the future of mankind is on the line. Also, it's being adapted into what is shaping up to be a pretty badass movie.

Snow Crash - Written in the 90's, but it essentially pioneered the concept of the online avatar, and predicted the rise of the MMO. Also, pizza-delivering ninjas. Trust me on this. It's good stuff.

Neuromancer Classic cyber-punk. Most sci-fi is like you see in star trek. Clean and sterile. Cyberpunk is the dirtier side of sci-fi. Organized crime, computer hacking, and a heist on a space station. And Molly. This book is the reason I have a thing for dangerous redheads.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Considered by most to be the very best in sci-fi humor. Lighthearted, hilarious, and I find I can read it in the course of about two days. It is absolutely, completely, and utterly amazing.

American Gods - What happens to the old gods when we start worshiping the new ones? Can the likes of Odin or Anubis compete with our new objects of worship. like television or internet? Remember, Gods only exist as long as folks believe in them. The old Gods aren't going down without a fight, though...

Hope some of these strike your fancy. It's admittedly more sci-fi than anything, but it's all soft sci-fi (Where the science isn't as important as the fiction, so story comes first), and nothing too out there. Please let me know if you decide to try any of these, and especially let me know if you enjoy them. I always like to hear if I help someone find a book they love.

u/Inorai · 5 pointsr/Inorai

xD ok this will be a long message bear with me.

  1. Is there a synopsis of each story available?

    Yes! Every serial I write has a home page, and every home page has:

  • Links to every part that is released

  • A brief 'blurb' for the series, normally what I'd put on the back of the hardcopy :)

  • Links to any artwork I've been sent or purchased of the series

  • Links to any other media, like audio files or videos

    For my serials, the home pages are as follows:

    Flameweaver Saga

    Halfway to Home


  1. I want to read other stuff

    From a quick browse-through of your comments I didn't see you crossing paths with any other serial authors - If you haven't read any of his stuff, I highly, highly recommend /u/Hydrael's work, over at /r/Hydrael_Writes! His Dragon's Scion and Small Worlds projects are exceptional! Small worlds is also published on Amazon!

  2. I want to read traditional novels

    I can help with that! Some quick recommendations that I personally love - these are loosely ranked in order of how I'd recommend them, but the fact that they're here at all means they've got my support :)

    Fantasy novels:

    The October Daye series:

  • Urban fantasy

  • Awesome worldbuilding

  • Is where I learned how to write twists, and where I picked up my penchant for chekov's guns

    Trickster's Choice/Trickster's Queen

  • Traditional fantasy

  • Wonderful politics and intrigue

  • Influenced how gods are handled in Flameweaver

  • Both written easily enough for young readers to understand, and complex enough for adults to enjoy

    Graceling

  • Traditional fantasy

  • A bit more well-known, but a surprisingly solid upper-YA read. Kind of a guilty pleasure book of mine haha

    Scifi Novels:

    Agent to the Stars and Old Man's War

  • John Scalzi is the author I modeled my own writing style after. So if you like my style, you might like his too.

  • Darkly humerous. Realistic and gritty, without being overpoweringly grim.

  • Wickedly sarcastic

    The Ender Quartet

  • A bit wordier/harder to read, after Ender's Game. The last book (Children of the Mind) is probably one of the most challenging books I've ever read. But rewarding.

  • Long-running, intricate plotline

    The Ship Series

  • Indie series I happened across a few years ago

  • Upper YA. Younger characters, but dark content

  • Well-written, relatable characters
u/Literally_A_Shill · 5 pointsr/WhitePeopleTwitter

I saw this in another thread about it:

>Donald Barr is AG William Barr's dad

>Donald Barr was in the OSS, which was the precursor to the CIA

>Donald Barr gave Epstein his first job as a math teacher in an elite, politically connected school, even though Epstein did not have any qualifications or even a college degree.

>Donald Barr wrote a book called Space Relations, about a race of aliens that are so rich they become bored with everything and start a sex slavery ring and are also aroused by fear

I've read different things about when he actually got the math teacher gig. Either way, I expect that any results of an "investigation" will be heavily politicized.

u/KaynanK · 5 pointsr/Tulpas
u/cyberrod411 · 5 pointsr/TheExpanse

FYI, the first book of this series (Kindle version) is FREE for prime members right now if your interested. I don't know how long. I just got it.

https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/dp/B01LWAESYQ

u/BrownNote · 5 pointsr/books

I'll echo the other redditor that said The Forever War.

I read it for a comparitive literature class I took and it was the only book besides R.U.R. that I really enjoyed.

And speaking of that, R.U.R.. This is the book that made the word "Robot" into a science fiction staple. And it's a short read too.

u/JonesBee · 5 pointsr/explainlikeimfive

Check out The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein. It's a scifi but in my opinion it addresses the issue very comprehensively. Very good book overall too.

u/pear1jamten · 5 pointsr/booksuggestions

If anyone is interested in older science fiction books The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress Is a fantastic book that is still relevant today.

u/Skadwick · 5 pointsr/Atlanta

Been on a huge Cyberpunk reading kick lately, especially William Gibson. I've never been much of a reader, so it's awesome to find books that are easy to dive into. Just finished Count Zero, now about half way through Burning Chrome. Altered Carbon arriving today for beach trip this weekend B)

I highly suggest any of these to anyone who is even moderately interested in the genre.

Met new VP of software at work yesterday. I'm actually pretty excited about working for him now. I really liked my old boss, but this dude seems much more... managerial. Hopefully I start getting actual development work now.

u/Katamariguy · 5 pointsr/Gamingcirclejerk

I'm so happy my books came in the mail.

u/cvsickle · 5 pointsr/witcher

My wife bought them for me. Fake leather covers, but I really like them.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hobbit-Lord-Rings-Deluxe-Pocket/dp/0544445783

u/SkeuomorphEphemeron · 5 pointsr/books

Dan Simmon's Hyperion

495 Reviews
5 star: (337)
4 star: (82)
3 star: (34)
2 star: (23)
1 star: (19)

u/edheler · 4 pointsr/preppers

The list was too long to fit into a self-post, here is the continuation.

Prolific Authors: (5+ Books)

u/TheCyborganizer · 4 pointsr/SRSBusiness

Most of the characters in The Windup Girl are Thai or Chinese.

The Left Hand of Darkness messes around with gender in interesting ways. (Also, Ursula K. Leguin is an all-around fantastic author.)

Robert Heinlein can be a controversial author, but many of his works had non-white protagonists. Manuel Garcia O'Kelly-Davis from The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress is multiracial, and Johnny Rico from Starship Troopers is Filipino, if I recall correctly.

Someone else in this thread recommended The Brief But Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao, and it's not exactly SFF (more in the vein of magical realism) but it is easily one of the best books I've ever read.

u/pyres · 4 pointsr/PersonOfInterest

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress 1957

The Colossus Trilogy *Edit: POI Really reminded me kind of the first book when I started watching it.

Colossus - the Forbin Project also a Movie based on it

The Fall of Colossus

Colossus and Crab


And also

When Harlie was One 2.0



u/tom_still_waits · 4 pointsr/scifi

Richard K. Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs trilogy (Altered Carbon, Broken Angels, Woken Furies) would make a great show.

u/e40 · 4 pointsr/reddit.com

Glaxnor, I almost always agree with you, but here we part ways. It may be true of certain types of SciFi, or even the entire Fantasy genre, but not all. Replay and Altered Carbon are two that disprove this, for me.

u/argleblarg · 4 pointsr/AskReddit

Read any of China Miéville's Bas-Lag books - Perdido Street Station being an excellent place to start. Dark, strange urban fantasy in a world of his own design.

Also, if you like fantasy that's based in the real world, more or less, you might like Tim Powers's works; he writes what he refers to as "secret histories", which basically look at some event in recent (e.g. 20th-century) history where the historical record doesn't quite add up, and then he goes "How could I weave this all together by claiming there was magic going on behind the scenes?". Last Call and Declare are probably my favorites of his (although Last Call does use a certain amount of European mythology, it doesn't do so in the same way most fantasy, being set in pseudo-medieval-Europe, does; Declare uses Middle Eastern mythology instead).

u/megwach · 4 pointsr/lotr

They’re $22 on Amazon right now! Seems like a good reason to get a third set!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0544445783/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_svCpDbKDQ5Q63_nodl

u/zaxecivobuny · 4 pointsr/EDC
u/italia06823834 · 4 pointsr/tolkienfans

Something like The Art of the Lord of the Rings and/or The Art of The Hobbit might be good. Those are fairly large (though thin).

They also make a faux leather "Pocket" The Hobbit and LotR set.

u/neodiogenes · 4 pointsr/reddit.com

Among others, Dan Simmons, especially the Hyperion series. Neil Gaiman, of course -- and just as obviously Alan Moore.

Speculative fiction isn't the most mature of genres, sadly, so there aren't many others, but this is where I've now set the bar. I'm open to suggestions myself.

Honestly, it's not so much that Card is immature, but I've been so underwhelmed by everything he's published in at least the past 10 years that I have no real desire to revisit his older stuff. That and I'm a little over the "superkid saves the world" contrivance.

u/KapinKrunch · 4 pointsr/books
  1. Hyperion - Dan Simmons
  2. 10/10
  3. Science Fiction, Fantasy, Frame Story
  4. A poetic epic that is presented in a similar style to that of Chaucher's The Cantebury Tales. Deals with many mature, emotional themes that many science fiction novels tend to shy away from. I highly recommend reading the sequel The Fall of Hyperion immediately after as they could be considered one book in two parts.
  5. Amazon.com
u/hopesksefall · 4 pointsr/printSF

I would recommend The Commonwealth Saga and it's followup The Void Trilogy. The Commonwealth Saga deals with humanity encountering a malevolent, nigh unstoppable alien threat forcing cooperation with other races, AI, and the use of wormhole-like portals. Sounds like it would be in your wheelhouse. Almost all of the books in both series are in the thousand page range, give or take a few hundred.

You might also enjoy Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Galaxy-spanning empires and invasions, unlikely partnerships, AI, transport portals, etc.

u/DharmaTurtleSC · 4 pointsr/AskReddit

I'm looking for a new book, are you talking about this?

http://www.amazon.com/Hyperion-Dan-Simmons/dp/0553283685

u/stackednerd · 4 pointsr/suggestmeabook

Fellow fan of series here! Let me see...

Young Adult
Percy Jackson series is fun (and finished, too, I think).
Artemis Fowl series isn't quite as good as Percy Jackson IMHO, but it's got a following.

Fantasy
Harry Dresden series This is one of my favorites. Harry is Chicago's only professional wizard. There are a ton of these books and they are still going strong.
Game of Thrones These are great...but unfinished. If you watch the show, reading the books does help you get even more out of the story, I think.
Wheel of Time Another good series. There is a LOT of this series and it's finished. (Thank you, Brandon Sanderson!)
Mistborn Speaking of Brandon Sanderson... This one is very good. I highly recommend reading the Mistborn books before trying the Stormlight Archive, but only because as good as Mistborn is, Stormlight Archive is even better.
Stormlight Archive Amazing. Man, these are good. The series isn't finished, but the two books that are available are some of my favorites ever.
Kingkiller Chronicles I loved the first book. I could not freakin' believe I enjoyed the second one even more. The third one is still pending.
Temeraire Dragons in Napoleonic times. Super cool premise! This one is not finished (I don't think, anyway).
Gentlemen Bastards Con men in a fantasy realm. It's pretty light on the fantasy elements. Very light, I'd say. I'd also say that it has some of the very best swearing that I've ever come across. :D

Scifi
Old Man's War I'm almost finished this one--it's amazing!

Horror/Thriller
Passage Trilogy I've heard these described as vampire books...maybe zombie books... It's apocalyptic for sure. Great books!

Mysteries
Amelia Peabody Egyptology + murder mysteries. Super fun, but trust me...go with the audiobooks for these. They are best when they are performed.
Stephanie Plum Total popcorn reads. If that's your thing, shut off your brain and just enjoy.
Walt Longmire These get particularly good as it goes along. The main character is a sheriff in modern day Wyoming. (Side note: The TV show is also great--just don't expect them to stick to the books.)

Graphic Novels (Everything recommended can be gotten in a "book" format instead of only in comic form, in case that matters. I've gotten most of these from my local library.)
Locke & Key Eerie as crap. Love the art! This one is on-going.
Y: The Last Man All the men on the planet drop dead in a day...except for Yorrick. REALLY good. This is the series that got me reading graphic novels. Plus, it's finished!
Walking Dead I am not a zombie fan...but I like these. They're not done, but I've read up through volume 22 and am still enjoying them.

Other
OutlanderI have no idea how to categorize these or even give a description that does them justice. I refused to pick it up for AGES because it sounded like a bodice-ripper romance and that's not my bag. But these are good!

I hope there's something in there that'll do for you. Have fun and read on!

Edit: Apparently, I need to practice formatting. :/
Edit 2: I forgot to add the Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentlemen Bastards #1).

u/KimberlyInOhio · 4 pointsr/suggestmeabook

How about giving him a book of Stephen King novellas? Four Past Midnight, Hearts in Atlantis, or, if he wants some really scary, dark stuff, Full Dark, No Stars.

Or Terms of Enlistment by Marko Kloos for military sci-fi. Or Old Man's War by John Scalzi. OMW is a terrific series. Love those books!

u/beero · 4 pointsr/JoeRogan

Attorney General William Barr's dad wrote a book about the alien child molesters after he hired Epstein to work with him at a private school in New York

https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

u/IOIOOIIOIO · 4 pointsr/AskReddit

Armor. I empathize with the Engine.

u/Mister_DK · 4 pointsr/books

Unfortunately it isn't available as an ebook anymore.
Click the link under "Tell the publisher" and try to change that

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0886773687/ref=kinw_rke_rti_1

u/RunningDoyle · 4 pointsr/pics

I thought it was great and one of the main characters you would doubtless sympathize with. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1597801585

u/Geckoface · 4 pointsr/worldbuilding

That'd be THAUM!, which I've posted about a few times... It's not quite in the sky-shark category, but it's up there. It's urban fantasy, and important elements of the story include garden gnomes waking up from their slumber to turn all of life into porcelain, Hell getting new management and becoming like an infernal Las Vegas, knights driving around in cars with the souls of warhorses, a radio host choking to death on air and being condemned to haunt the aether, the tentacled Elder Evils discovering they're living inside a story, and Satan accidentally conceiving the Antichrist on a drunken one-night stand.

There are still rules, of course. I'm not willing to go more chaotic than this: where the rules of narration break down, so does every interesting thing in the story. If you really crave the crazy, I recommend you read Ass Goblins of Auschwitz, though at the same time I'd urge you never to touch that book.

u/kodemage · 4 pointsr/rpg

List of Influential RPG Titles

Dungeons and Dragons - By TSR and WotC

Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition - TSR

  • Core Rulebooks
  • Adventures (Keep on the Boarderlands, The Tomb of Horrors, The Temple of Elemental Evil)

    Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition - TSR

  • Core Books (PHB, DMG, MM)
  • Unearthed Arcana
  • Campaign Settings (Dragonlance, Ravenloft, Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun)
  • Arms and Equipment Guide

    Dungeons and Dragons 3.0 - WotC

  • Savage Species
  • Deities and Demigods
  • Stronghold Builder's Guidebook

    Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 - WotC

  • Core Rulebooks (PHB, DMG, & MM)
  • Expanded Core (PHB2, DMG2, MM2, 3, 4, 5)
  • Psionics Handbook
  • Unearthed Arcana
  • Complete Series (Arcane, Adventurer, Warrior, Divine, Champion, Scoundrel, Mage, Psionics)
  • Campaign Settings (Ebberon, Forgotten Realms)
  • Adventures (Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil)

    Dungeons and Dragons 4e - WotC

  • Core Rulebooks (PHB, PHB2, PHB3, DMG, DMG2, MM, MM2, MM3)
  • Essentials (Heroes of Forgotten Kingdoms and Heroes of Fallen Lands, Rules Compendium)
  • Settings (Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun)
  • Adventures (Tomb of Horrors)

    Pathfinder - Paizo Publishing

  • Core Rulebook
  • Advanced Player's Guide
  • Advanced Race Guide
  • Ultimate Magic
  • Ultimate Combat
  • Ultimate Equipment
  • Game Mastery Guide
  • Ultimate Campaign
  • Mythic Adventures
  • NPC Codex
  • Bestiaries 1-4

    Not Dungeons and Dragons

    World of Darkness - by White Wolf

  • Vampire the Masquerade - Vampires are so mainstream now...
  • Werewolf the Apocylypse - Where there are vampires there are werewolves.
  • Mage the Ascention - and witches and wizards.
  • Hunter the Reckoning - and someone to hunt them.
  • Changeling the Dreaming

    "New" World of Darkness

  • Core Book
  • Expanded Core (Vampire, Mage, Werewolf)

    AEG

  • Legend of the Five Rings 4th Edition Core Rulebook
  • Legend of the Five Rings 1st Edition Core Rulebook
  • 7th Sea
  • Deadlands

    Other

  • Shadowrun
  • Savage Worlds
  • Dungeon World
  • FATE Core
  • Call of Cthulhu
  • RIFTS
  • GURPS
  • Paranoia - Super expensive on Amazon, not sure why.
  • Elf Quest - Also a very popular graphic novel.

    Authors to Look for

  • Gary Gygax - Role Playing Mastery and Master of the Game
  • Monte Cook
  • John Wick
  • Dave Arneston

    RPG Related Non-Fiction

  • Confessions of a Part Time Sorceress - Shelley Mazzinoble
  • Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and The People Who Play It

    RPG Fiction, also essential

  • Dragonlance - Chronicles Triligy by Weise and Hickman - Set in a D&D campaign Setting
  • Drizzit's Series - By R. A. Salvatore. Icewind Dale Trilogy and The Dark Elf Trilogy
  • The Riftwar Saga by Raymond Feist - It's allegedly the story of the author's long running D&D game.

    Other Lists

  • Good Reads Popular RPG titles.
  • Wikipedia timeline of RPGs

    Honorable Mentions

  • Star Wars - d6 Edition, d20 Edition, SAGA Edition, Star Wars RPG (Fantsy Flight)
  • Star Trek - Various Incarnations
  • Serenity the RPG
  • D&D Comic Books
  • Buffy the RPG
  • Whatever the heck "Demon" is...

    *Please add suggestions below, I'll add to the list as I revisit this thread throughout the day. Adding Amazon links now.
u/DelugedPraxis · 4 pointsr/rpg

Someone else will say it if I don't, but Savage Worlds has the tagline, "Fast! Furious! Fun!". It's definitely more crunchy than Dungeon World, but manages to make combat go fast.

If you end up getting it, note that the "Savage Worlds Deluxe Explorers Edition" is the newest version.

The books labeled as companions are also up to date. Don't buy anything labeled 'toolkit' as they are earlier parts of what became the companion books.

All of the older versions are extremely similar or literal copies. If you have an old version it'll work with the new stuff as far as I've been able to tell, but that also means its pointless to have more than one 'version'.

Bonus, the system is really quite cheap. You don't need any companions, but they do have a lot of cool stuff:

http://www.amazon.com/Savage-Worlds-Deluxe-Explorers-S2P10016/dp/1937013200

http://www.amazon.com/Fantasy-Companion-S2P10500-Savage-Worlds/dp/0981528112/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1CVET03E63CH10C4H8DD

http://www.amazon.com/Horror-Companion-Savage-Worlds-S2P10502/dp/1937013162/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1CVET03E63CH10C4H8DD

https://www.peginc.com/store/super-powers-companion-second-edition-le/

https://www.peginc.com/store/science-fiction-companion-le-bundle/

u/totsichiam · 4 pointsr/rpg

Savage Worlds handles large groups of enemies really well. You can pick up the older version pretty cheap, or get the PDF for about $10.

u/SmallFruitbat · 4 pointsr/YAwriters

Well, there's /u/bethrevis' Across the Universe trilogy for starters. I didn't like the first book much, but loved the next two.

Cecil Castellucci's Tin Star is a standalone YA sci-fi with strong Titan A.E. vibes.

Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game also fits, though it's a smaller focus, I think.

More adult than YA, but I'm currently reading Steven Erikson's Willful Child and it fits the easy reading notes. It's kind of Star Trek helmed by meta-William Shatner/Zapp Brannigan/Zaphod Beeblebrox, as narrated by Kurt Vonnegut.

I believe These Broken Stars would also fit the YA space opera label, though I haven't read it.

Edit: And if you don't mind spinoffs, I forgot about Star Wars' Young Jedi Knights series. Loved those as a kid. Not sure how they stand up, but that was the series fitting the YA niche instead of adult or MG.

u/frakkingcylon · 4 pointsr/kindle
u/Falsus · 4 pointsr/Fantasy

Really? I'm Swedish and I picked it up from the link I linked in the post.

The amazon converter bot over at /r/FreeEBOOKS had more links though.

> Here are all the local Amazon links I could find.


>amazon.co.uk

>amazon.ca

>[amazon.com.au]
(https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01H1CYBS6/)

>amazon.in

>amazon.com.mx

>amazon.de

>Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.

u/amazon-converter-bot · 4 pointsr/FreeEBOOKS

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find.


amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.

u/Soupforbrunch · 4 pointsr/Fantasy

Will Wight's "Cradle" series might be what you are looking for. It is heavy on the martial arts and Asian-themed magic/mysticism, so if you like that you will really enjoy the books.

https://www.amazon.com/Unsouled-Cradle-Book-Will-Wight-ebook/dp/B01H1CYBS6/ref=pd_sim_351_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=2SM8VAFNDW52VNETV8JQ

u/Earthfall10 · 4 pointsr/magicbuilding

I think you might like the magic system in The Cradle Series. It has a relatively soft magic system where people harness different types of auras which form in the natural world and mix and use them in thousands of different styles. For instance the protagonist is from a clan who specializes in using dream and light aura to craft illusions while another person uses sharpness aura to make other people's weapons explode with invisible knives.

u/MooseMoosington · 4 pointsr/noveltranslations

The Dao of Magic is a more westernized type cultivation story. The Dao of Magic has some pretty interesting ideas, and for the most part is a great read. It is not without its flaws though, but they give the story character in their own way.

Unsouled is the first book in an ongoing series of wuxia/xianxia inspired books that is released on Amazon. I feel it is really well written, though I got bored halfway through the released books. It's still great, it's just hard for books to keep my interest, and is nothing against the author/story.

I haven't really read many English stories that are purely wuxia/xianxia though, but I have noticed wuxia influence in all manner of fantasy webnovels nowadays. I know there are many more wuxia/xianxia original English stories though; I just can't think of them off the top of my head.

u/bobd785 · 4 pointsr/Fantasy

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.

u/Empiricist_or_not · 4 pointsr/KingkillerChronicle

Two Debut novels from the last two years that were amazing:
We are Bob we are Legion

The Traitor Baru Cormarant

u/Kamlyn · 4 pointsr/rpg

A really clever and well written series by *Brandon Sanderson. The game is being written after these books. If you ever have the spare time they are a great read.

Ninja Edit.

u/dshafik · 4 pointsr/books
  • David Eddings: "The Belgariad" (volume 1 and volume 2) and "The Mallorean" (volume 1 and volume 2) - these are two story arcs told across multiple novels in each volume, both are related and follow each other.
  • Terry Goodkind: Sword of Truth - 9 book epic fantasy, completed a couple of years ago (Books 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9)
  • Brandon Sanderson: Mistborn Series (The trilogy and the new spinoff)
  • Brandon Sanderson: Way of Kings (book 1) - This is a new series, book 2 is expected late in 2013 (grrr!)


    But by far, my favorite series:

  • S. M. Stirling: Nantucket Trilogy (book one, two, and three)
  • S. M. Stirling: Emberverse (amazon list of the 8 books so far)

    The first trilogy follows the Island of Nantucket, which is thrown back to the bronze age and loses access to high-energy physics. The Emberverse is the rest of the world (though mostly the US) who stay in present day, but also lose access to high-energy physics.

    If you want to go more Sci-Fi, I'm currently reading and enjoying:

  • David Weber: Honor Harrington (Honorverse) Series (Amazon List, 22 books!)

    Also on my list to read:

  • Eric Flint: Ring of Fire/The Assiti Shards Series (link)
  • Roger Zelazny: Chronicles of Amber (link)
u/ThunderousOath · 4 pointsr/DMAcademy

The official DM Screen Reincarnated is probably your best goto at the moment for $10. However, I prefer Stratagem's Master's Tome 4-Panel for $20.

u/TheBeneGesseritWitch · 4 pointsr/navy

Aw! <3

Like, what books I'd recommend, or just....stuff to do underway that would be in the self-improvement area? The big two that jump out as underway activities are always "save money, and work out."

What platform are you floating on?

So the first thing I do with all my proteges is I hand them the grading sheet for Sailor of the Year/Quarter and a blank evaluation, and I ask them to grade themselves. Not everyone wants to be, or needs to be, Sailor of the Year or a 5.0 sailor, but if that's the standard the Navy has set as "the best," then at least we have a guideline of what we should be working toward, right?

One thing that was pretty big at my last command was the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. Instruction here. One thing that is a really easy way to gain community service hours while underway is to make blankets for the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society's "Budgeting For Baby" class. You can crochet (that's incredibly easy, I promise) or you can google one of the thousand DIY no-sew blanket tutorials. If you belong to a Bluejacket Association or Enlisted Association or whatever, you may be able to get them to fund the cost of buying the material...or even ask the FCPOA if they'll give $50 to the cause. You can head over to Jo-Ann's or Fabric.com and check out their discount sections too. NMCRS offers 30 hours per blanket. Taking an hour out of your Holiday Routine for the entire float.....most of the DIY no-sew blankets only take an hour or two to make, sooooo. Collect those hours. Add in a COMREL or two, and there's no reason you can't end a float with over a hundred hours of community service. This is particularly great if you have a friend or two to make blankets with you....snag one of the TVs on the messdecks and watch a movie while you crochet. You can also contact a local homeless shelter and see if they need hats and crochet hats for them. Obviously not a good suggestion if you're stuck underway on a submarine with no space, but if you're surface side--good to go.

Books I'd suggest, well, hm, this could get out of control pretty fast, but off the top of my head:

  • Personality Plus by Florence Littauer or her work specific version

  • Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

  • It's Your Ship by Capt Abrashoff

  • Starship Troopers

  • Ender's Game (Ender and Starship are obviously straight scifi but there are some really awesome leadership principles/concepts/ideas that are worth mulling over. They've both been on past CNO's recommended reading lists too....and they're just fun to read.)

  • For money, while, like, 99% of his stuff is "Duh!" I can't discount the practical steps he outlines, so Dave Ramsey's books, particularly Financial Peace is worth reading. His whole book is basically the wiki in r/personalfinance, but if you're wondering how to get your finances straight I recommend picking up this book. Just, in general. Good basic information and a starting point. Not saying you need it, but "saving money" just happens underway by virtue being trapped out on the ocean =)

  • Leaders Eat Last
u/greenwizard88 · 4 pointsr/books

I loved to read. I started reading the BoxCar Children on the bus every day. Then I found the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, and some other obscure mystery books in the basement of the same caliber (e.g. bad). I kept reading everything I could find, until Highschool.

I too went to a "demanding" school. I stopped reading for fun, and would occasionally skip books for english class, too. Luckily, only one of my teachers in 4 years was a very pro-feminist (she was actually bi) , and then off to college... I pretty much stopped reading entirely, but unlike you I wasn't dissuaded by feminist nazi's.

Then I got a concussion. Let me tell you about concussions: They manage to turn the most basic thing like telling time into a chore, while other more complex things like driving remain unaffected. Anyway, I got a concussion, and the mental effort to read an hour for class would send me to bed exhausted.

The best books would take me a week or more to read through, and this is without school or work to slow me down.

What I found worked for me was to find something simple that I remember liking, and I would try to get through that. My goal was to re-teach my brain how to read.

  • Pick up something on an elementary school reading level
  • Find something you remember liking (so you'll be re-reading it)
  • Try to find something short

    Your goal is to sit down and enjoy it in 1, maybe 2 settings. Find a free weekend, ask your girlfriend not to disturb you, and start reading. When I tried to start reading again, my routine included an energy drink to keep me awake and focused.

    Your goals are 3-fold:

  • Re-experience the joy of discovering a story. TV feeds the story to you, re-learn how exciting it is when you become that character
  • Make it easy: Think psychologically, you don't want to re-enforce your behavior (reading) by making it difficult, that'll never work.
  • Instant gratification. By finishing the book in 1-2 sittings, you receive instant gratification for starting to read, as opposed to starting it and waiting a month or more to receive the gratification of finishing it.

    If you can read a news article about your favorite video game, you can read, and this is probably more mental than anything else. If that's the case, remember it can take up to 3 months to break a habit because it takes 3 months for your brain to "re-arrange itself" (lets not get into neuroscience right now!). Likewise, even if you start reading now, it may take 3 months before you notice any change, because it'll take your brain that long to "re-arrange itself" to enjoy reading. So try to read a book a week, for 3 months, until you can get somewhere.

    Also, it doesn't matter if you miss a sentence, or even an entire paragraph. You're not trying to read everything, you just want to have fun!

    It's back to school season. Go into your local Barnes & Noble, and ask for someone that works in the kids department. They can recommend good books, or just see what the local schools have for required reading. Generally, there's some good books on their lists (Gary Paulsen, Louis Sachar, etc)

    Lastly, some good books I would look at reading, in order of difficulty:

  • Invitation to The Game
  • The Transall Saga
  • Hatchet
  • Holes
  • The Boxcar Children or Hardy Boys
  • Sabriel (female protagonist, but one of my favorite books of all time)
  • Enders game
u/KariQuiteContrary · 4 pointsr/books

I second The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson series as recommendations.

Looking for Alaska is really popular among my high school students, both girls and boys.

Maybe Ender's Game?

The Seven Realms series is another one several of my kids have been raving about to me. I haven't gotten around to reading them myself, but it might be worth checking out. Starts with The Demon King.

u/digiorno · 4 pointsr/scifi

Ender's Game. This is an easy book to read and you will probably enjoy it.

u/Vaufe · 3 pointsr/SFGSocial

I just started Old Man's War (John Scalzi) a couple nights ago. Interesting read so far. I am tempted to set it aside for a bit and re-read Hyperbole and a Half, because it's just a good read. Also, the "Simple Dog" reminds me of a friend's dog. :)

u/CJGibson · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

Read the Mistborn Trilogy. It's well written, interesting, and very different from your standard swords-and-sorcery fantasy (but still really good).

u/V2Blast · 3 pointsr/IAmA

As neolduser posted: The Mistborn trilogy.

u/DiegoTheGoat · 3 pointsr/AskReddit
u/PutCleverNameHere12 · 3 pointsr/rpg
u/LawfulStupid · 3 pointsr/DnD

The absolute best way to get started is the Starter Set. It's everything you need to get started including some dice and an adventure. As you get more into it, you'll want to pick up the Players Handbook, the Monster Manual, and the Dungeon Master's Guide (If you don't want to get them all at once, I recommend getting them in that order.) Also very useful is a Dungeon Master's Screen. Moving into more advanced stuff, Xanathar's Guide to Everything is a book full of a bunch of optional rules to spice up the game, and Volo's Guide to Monsters gives more monsters for players to fight, and some you can actually play as. If you need more adventures to run, Tales From the Yawning Portal is a nice big book of dungeons.

u/RadiologisttPepper · 3 pointsr/CatsPlayingDnd

This is a campaign specific screen for Tomb of Annihilation. If you’re looking for a general screen, the DM Screen Reincarnated that Wizards makes is really the best option. I hemmed and hawed back and forth over which screen to get and I’m really happy with the standard one. I use this because a player in my campaign bought it for me and its great for the specific module.

u/typoguy · 3 pointsr/dndnext

You might want to grab a DM's screen. It's basically the cheat sheet you want. Armor class IS put in a weird place in the rules, in the Equipment section rather than in Combat, where it's actually used. Armor (or lack thereof) gives you an AC (Armor Class), which is the number a creature or character has to roll in order to score a hit on them. So if a character is wearing no armor, the AC is 10 plus their DEX modifier. Say that adds up to 12, a monster has to roll a 12 or higher to hit them. A monster's stat block will list their AC, but a character's AC is based on what armor they're wearing (check the chart in the Equipment Section of the rules).

u/MommaDM · 3 pointsr/DnD5e

Dungeon Master's Screen Reincarnated https://www.amazon.com/dp/078696619X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_PttUBb346TC84

I don't think you'll get much cheaper than buying the official one.

u/stevensydan · 3 pointsr/DMAcademy

I just ran my first session as a new DM with LMoP last week! I'll jot down my experience running a group of 4 beginners. (so take my advice with a grain of salt as a beginner that has not finished the campaign)

---
First, read through the books in the Starter Set! (If you can afford the Player's Handbook, that is a good idea as well.) I highly recommend going through the rulebook (or Basic Rules) then at least skimming through the entire LMoP module. You don't have to memorize everything but as a DM it is important to have the idea of the setting in your head.

For combat, you have to decide if you are going to run "Theater of the Mind" or battlemat+miniatures for combat. Theater of the Mind is more flexible and requires less preparation but battlemats give great visuals at a cost of preparation and supply.

Then you have to decide if you think your players would want to make their own characters or not. For my beginner group, I decided that they would be a lot more invested/excited if they could identify with their own creation so I chose to not use the pre-generated character sheets. Once you are comfortable with the rules of D&D enough, set a date to meet with your group.

Since we had to make characters, I held a Session 0 to introduce the basic concept of what to expect in committing to D&D as well as character creation. I highly suggest making characters together a separate day before Session 1 because it usually takes a decent amount of time for the first time (3ish hours for me).

My Session 0 looked like this:

  • Introduction to D&D

  • Explaining all races, classes, backgrounds and letting them pick

  • Giving character sheets, rolling stats

  • Guiding them through the char sheet by referencing DNDBeyond for background/race/class bonuses

    After everyone was done, I let them take home the character sheet and work on character appearance, personality, and background story.

    The week after, we had Session 1. Make sure you actually read through the LMoP module in depth, at least up to Part 1-2 beforehand. I also decided to take some elements of this supplement Part 0 for LMoP to use as a tutorial for my players. Then, begin your adventure! My party took a lot longer than I expected and only got to the entrance of the Cragmaw Hideout after 3 hours.

    Good luck to your campaign, I'm looking forward to my second session!

    ---

    Some recommended guides I used:

  • Matt Mercer tips (all DM's love this man)

  • Don't Stop Thinking guides (great graphic visuals and in-depth coverage)

  • Matt Colville tips (gives a good idea of how D&D should look like at an advanced level)

  • DungeonDudes (channel that covers good topics)

  • DNDBeyond (amazing website for the Basic Rules, classes, and races)

  • OneCritWonder LMoP tips (helpful overview of the module)

  • LMoP enemies (generator that adapts to how many players you have)

    ---
    Supplies I personally prepared (BUT ARE OPTIONAL):

  • Beginner dice (shared with my beginners, they are planning to get their own sets soon)

  • Custom character sheets (a bit overwhelming at first but I find helpful for each class)

  • Spell cards (I don't think many people use these but I find it an amazing resource to give your players if they are spellcasters)

  • Battlemat (use with Wet-Erase markers)

  • Paper minis (dedication and time required, can use coins, legos, or anything instead or even real miniatures if you can afford it)

  • DM Screen (the official and most standard and affordable screen)
u/NihilCantabile · 3 pointsr/DnD

The new dm screen seems nice. All the previous ones of 5e are mostly useless, this one has the info you really need Screen

u/book_worm526 · 3 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Ender's Game...little boy trains to save the world from aliens on a video game. The first book connects you to Ender and books 2-4 make you think about things a little difficult. They deal with some pretty taboo topics from a point of view that allows you to sympathize. They are so well written, Orson Scott Card is an amazing author, and you will be hooked by 50 pages, I promise :)

u/arationaltheist · 3 pointsr/IAmA

> To arms, rise the banners, he who believes in a God will quake when he sees the Hordes of nerd atheist bigots. Descend upon the Theist and show no mercy!

That's what I half expected....

> But, define beliefs?

What I believe in personally even without solid, absolute, undeniable, beyond a doubt, unquestionable, incontrovertible proof.

> Are you spiritual compared to believing organized religion

I guess part of it is spiritual, but it's mostly religion. Just not a single religion.

> And reddit only likes it if you go from Theist ot Atheist, due to then you will agree with them.

All I see on Reddit is these Theist/Atheist conversions so I thought it was time to hear from somebody who did the opposite.

> Favorite book?

Ender's Game

u/thoumyvision · 3 pointsr/printSF
u/minutestapler · 3 pointsr/printSF

Ender's Game is always a good one for young adults.

My first scifi-ish books were: Keeper of the Isis Light, Alien Secrets, Animorphs, Beyond the Farthest Star. The first three may be a bit too young for him though.

Don't be afraid to give him non-YA (adult) scifi books. It's better to go too old for him than too young and risk insulting him. If you have a particular favorite (that isn't too theoretical/preachy), give him that. He's more likely to read it if you are interested in it, and it'll give you something to discuss.

u/danteferno · 3 pointsr/mexico
u/Tafty · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

I just read Ender's Game for the first time a few weeks ago. Don't let the blurb on the back deceive you, this is no kids book.

u/mllestrong · 3 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I know I'm Horrible, but I have never played Cards Against Humanity!

If you haven't read it, I suggest reading Ender's Game before the movie comes out. The book is fabulous, and the movie could really ruin it for you. :)

u/tittering_chum · 3 pointsr/news

It's not like the head of the DOJ's father got Jeffrey Epstein a job as a high school teacher at the most expensive and exclusive high school in New York City despite not having a high school degree nor any prior teaching experience. It's also not as if the head of the DOJ's father wrote scifi stories about having sex with kids.

Oh wait, sadly all of that has happened:

Jeffrey Epstein Taught at Dalton. His Behavior Was Noticed.

Space Relations

u/cleantushy · 3 pointsr/politics

Here's the book, written by Donald Barr. Published 1974

https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249


As for Barr hiring Epstein:

Epstein started working at the Dalton school in 1974. He was a college dropout. Donald Barr was the headmaster of the Dalton school in 1974

https://heavy.com/news/2019/08/donald-barr/

u/burnsalot603 · 3 pointsr/news

While suspicious dont over look AG Barr.

Just want to make sure people understand that the guy that runs the Manhattan Correctional Center where Jeffrey Epstein died is... Attorney General William Barr, and that he expressed support of extra-judicial killings a couple days ago.

Also, his father, Donald Barr, hired Jeffrey Epstein as a tutor even though he had zero qualifications to teach: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jeffrey-epstein-math-science-students-memories_n_5d28cf17e4b0060b11ebf987

The best part? Donald Barr wrote a sci-fi book about sex slavery by the rich: https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

As soon as I can find the post I copy/pasted it from I will give credit to OP. There are a ton of these posts and I couldn't cooy/paste username

u/CelticMara · 3 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon
  1. My favorite book (beginning of a trilogy, plus more after that, yaaay!) is Heir to the Empire, by Timothy Zahn. It is set in the Star Wars universe, about five years after the battle of Endor. It is written so well, you can practically hear the background music. Plus, he introduces my favorite character of all time in that book.

  2. I don't even remember the name of my least favorite book. I refuse to give that thing room in my brain. It was billed as a murder mystery, but the murder was only a mystery to the main character, who actually heard it go down while she was hiding, but spent the next several chapters oblivious. Then it took her over 2/3 of the book to figure out that the murder victim just might be the girl who had been renting a room in her house and who had been coincidentally missing since the night of the murder. Oh, and the author was simply awful at giving her characters normal human reactions to things. Then at the end, it turned into a "you should go to church and become a 'Christ-centered' Christian" book. I don't even...

  3. Harry Potter. The books are charming. But the movies took what she wrote, embellished, and made a rich world of depth and wonder.

  4. Jumper. It's a very good Young Adult fiction book, easily enjoyable by adults as well. The movie took the slightest hint of a main theme, wasn't even true to the mechanics of that, and threw out everything that made the book good. As Hollywood does.

  5. I enjoyed the Battlestar Galactica book that was based on the original TV series. I'm pretty sure that the only reason was that I was young and loved the series.

  6. Jedi Search: Star Wars (The Jedi Academy): Volume 1 of the Jedi Academy Trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson. I'm so sorry to say this about an author, but after reading Zahn's work, it was like going from art at the Louvre to a child's crayon scrawlings. Then he booted my favorite character off to the periphery and failed to justify her reason for taking off and randomly showing up merely for exposition, then disappearing again. To add insult to injury, he repeatedly brought up that she had "tried to kill" Luke Skywalker. Ahem, no. Had she actually tried, he would be dead. The entire point had been that she was fighting to not kill the guy. And she succeeded. In not killing him. Dude, if you are going to play (write) in somebody else's universe, you need to do your research.

    I would be happy with any of the e-books on my list that are in your price range. But here are five:

    Sara, Book 1

    Ender's Game

    Wyrd Sisters

    Witches Abroad

    Horror, Humor, and Heroes Volume 2

    Have fun with your first gift giving! And thanks for the contest. :)
u/homedoggieo · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

For elaborate world building, it's tough to beat Dune. Intergalactic politics in the wake of an AI rebellion, deep mysticism and Bedouin-flavored lore, religious fanatics, a drug that makes the universe go round, and giant freaking sandworms!

Ender's Game is another popular suggestion to get you into reading. I preferred Dune, though.

Another good read that I enjoyed immensely was Unwind by Neal Shusterman. After the United States has fought a second civil war over abortion, a new deal is struck - no abortion, but unwinding up to the age of 18. It's dark and twisted and I loved it... especially considering it's a young adult novel, which is not my genre of choice.

Odd Thomas is a fun series, but Koontz can be kind-of hit or miss. I'm finding the odd-numbered books in the series to be better than the even-numbered ones, but that's just based on the first four. I wonder if that was intentional?

u/juankulas · 3 pointsr/audible

Don’t know if this is a deal but Ender’s Game is at 7.49

https://www.amazon.com/Enders-Game-Ender-Quartet-Book-ebook/dp/B003G4W49C

u/theonlyotheruser · 3 pointsr/transgendercirclejerk

Read this, it might help.

u/rickg3 · 3 pointsr/FCJbookclub

I read eight books in September. Between travel and general boredom, I finally started digging into the books on Kindle Unlimited and discovered a few series that I enjoyed, even though they are frustratingly incomplete.

The first was the Unsouled series (5 books) by Will Wight. The universe is a combination of high fantasy and sci-fi with an overarching flavor of Asian mythology. At first, I wasn't completely sold on it, but the characters have some interesting arcs, especially Lindon, the protagonist. If you're a fan of anime-style story arcs with underpowered protagonists bumblefucking their way to glory, you'll like it. Also, the books are really easy to read, but engaging enough to keep interest. 4/5 stars

Second, I read the Euphoria Online (2 books) series by Phil Tucker. It's a story about a dystopian future where humanity has surrendered control to an AI to help mitigate the damage that's been done to the environment. The AI has taken over government functions and put together a VR game for humanity. The game allows players who play on "Death March" mode, which can be fatal, to gain a boon from the AI and the protagonist decides to attempt it because his brother is on Death Row. 3.75/5 stars

The last book that I finished just last night is Pandemic by A.G. Riddle. It's a well written in a Tom Clancy/Dan Brown kind of way. The story involves a pandemic (shocking, right?), a secret society, and other airport paperback style shenanigans. It's an entertaining read, but not breaking any new ground. I enjoyed it simply for the rollercoaster ride of the plot. 3.5/5 stars.

u/FunkyCredo · 3 pointsr/litrpg

Just like u/Arcane_Pozhar I highly recommend putting Cradle on top of your list.

I’ve read through almost everything recommended on this sub and nothing approaches the level of quality and scope of Cradle. First book in the series is Unsouled. The latest is book 6. New books are released consistently every six months.

There is a very active sub for fans r/Iteration110Cradle however I don’t recommend going there until you’ve caught up with books because the community theory crafts all the time and its spoilers galore.

Will Wight engages with fans quite a lot and there is a lot of hype regarding new releases. In fact the latest book managed to get more reviews than the first book because of all the hype surrounding its release

u/CoffeeArchives · 3 pointsr/Fantasy

In my opinion, Unsouled is much better. Better characters, more epic worldbuilding, along with better prose.

It is still recognizably by the same author, so depending on what you did and didn't like about Travelers Gate, it's hard to say how you'd enjoy this series.

I'd recommend going to the book's Amazon page and reading the free preview (should only take a few minutes). It covers the book's prologue and the first part of chapter one. If you like that, you'll definitely enjoy the rest of the book.

u/Robot_Spider · 3 pointsr/suggestmeabook

Armor by John Steakley. It's what I wanted Starship Troopers to be.

Also The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Ship to ship space combat at relativistic speeds!

u/doctechnical · 3 pointsr/scifi

The Forever War books by Joe Haldeman.

u/Jibaku · 3 pointsr/ifyoulikeblank

Try:

  • The Forever War by John Haldeman

  • Armor by John Steakley

  • Old Man's War by John Scalzi

    Hmm, apparently anything written by a John something or the other will work...
u/Bizkitgto · 3 pointsr/conspiracyundone

> Fiction is just a mirror of reality for the most part. Many things that happen in fiction don’t even happen here. But as far as pain and sadness. Joy and love, life and death, it’s all real here. Here it’s real. - Lucian Bane

Fiction that mirrors reality and challenges the reader is more of what we need, the books i listed below have shaped my view of the world in a very thought-provoking way.

Other stuff out there, the pop-fiction, the garbage or crack cocaine for the brain is as bad as TV. Hollywood panders to the masses. Did you know Hollywood usually has two different versions for films released in America and Europe? Yep, that's right - Hollywood dumbs down movies for American audiences. Everything in media these days is centered around comic books and video games - the modern day opiates of the masses.

Some notable fiction that should be required reading:

u/MattieShoes · 3 pointsr/AskWomen

I dunno, I guess I can find the philosophy interesting even if I think it's wrong, or won't work in reality. Plus I see no problem picking and choosing bits that do resonate without taking on all the baggage.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein

The story is the moon gets turned into sort of a future-past Australia, where they ship prisoners. Even if their sentence ends, they (and their children, grandchildren, etc.) end up stuck there because their bodies have adapted to the lower gravity. But these ostensibly free people are still faced with a monopsony in the form of the prison, and they're being taken advantage of, so they revolt against Earth. It also features a computer that "wakes up", explores different family styles than a typical nuclear family, and so on. It has a bit of a utopia/dystopia, with Earth and modern society as the dystopia to the moon's utopia. Oh, and it's written in a pidgin language he invented which is mostly borrowed Russian words and grammar here and there, like dropping pronouns.

But (barely) underneath that, it's basically a libertarian political manifesto. Examples:

> I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.

I think that was a quote from the wisdom-dispensing old-author type that always feature prominently in Heinlein's books.

> Thing that got me was not her list of things she hated, since she was obviously crazy as a Cyborg, but fact that always somebody agreed with her prohibitions. Must be a yearning deep in human heart to stop other people from doing as they please. Rules, laws — always for other fellow. A murky part of us, something we had before we came down out of trees, and failed to shuck when we stood up. Because not one of those people said: "Please pass this so that I won't be able to do something I know I should stop." Nyet, tovarishchee, was always something they hated to see neighbors doing. Stop them "for their own good" — not because speaker claimed to be harmed by it.


Anyway, I recommend it, if you can stomach the occasional anachronism or sexist comments. Dude was way ahead of his time back in 1965, but not so much compared to 2017. In another of his books, there's some casually dropped line about women being partially responsible when they get raped, so he gets a lot of hate.

Oh, and the term "TANSTAAFL" comes from the book. You still occasionally see references to that.

u/6roybatty6 · 3 pointsr/IAmA
u/Wiles_ · 3 pointsr/books

Checkout Amazon's Look Inside preview. The grammar is similar to what you'd expect a Russia speaking English to use.

u/justinmchase · 3 pointsr/atheism

True polygamy is hard to argue the immorality against unless it appears to be coercing children. But usually the word polygamy is applied to Mormons incorrectly. They actually practice polygyny which is much more objectionable.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygyny

The practical real world problem with Mormon polygyny is the fact that it ends up coercing very young women to "consent" to marry an older man. It's not exactly consent when they're children. Also, its overtly patriarchal and a form of female oppression which is both bad for women and another kind of coercion rather than consent.

If you were to, however, argue in favor of polygamy as a true plural marriage with various combinations of genders it would be harder to argue that is was patriarchal or oppressive or immoral. It may be unhealthy still, but I'm not sure we have enough real world evidence to arrive at that conclusion yet. Very few people engage in this kind of polygamy as far as I know.

If you would like to read some fiction dealing with the concepts of Group Marriage you should check out Robert A. Heinlein:

u/strolls · 3 pointsr/printSF

I kinda think Richard Morgan's Altered Carbon and sequels reflect what you have in mind. There are other science fiction themes, but the books' setting would probably appeal to you.

In the first one, although the best, this isn't quite so pronounced, as that's basically a whodunnit, but in the second a global war is being waged between the corporates and a revolutionary. The third book shows the population of a different planet that has turned to religion in response to a recession.

The overarching narrative is that the rich have all the political power and run things to suit themselves. The protagonist's background is that he grew up in the decades after his planet's oligarchy quelled the revolution on his planet, and it has not quite been conveniently relegated to the history books, more of an uncomfortable place there (e.g. its implied that political writings and poetry from that period are not actually banned, but you should be careful about certain opinions; others are taught in school, but presented in a bland manner, with the meaning stripped from them).

u/ubr · 3 pointsr/books

not completely military, but Rickard K Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs books are really good reads.

Altered Carbon

Broken Angels


Woken Furies

and there's his non Takeshi book:

Thirteen



u/HeyYouJChoo · 3 pointsr/books

I liked The Scar by China Mieville. It is the second book in a series; you do not need to read the first book to enjoy this one! If you are looking to start from the beginning, Perdido Street Station is the first book.

u/shanem · 3 pointsr/scifi

If you don't mind things set in our geography but with fantasy worlds added on there's:

The City and The City by China Mieville. I really didn't like it but lots of people do.

Not to give much away but towards your fantasy point [spoiler](/s"The story is set in a city that overlaps with another. There aren't other races etc though.")

Alternatively his Perdido Street Station has those of other species in something like our modern times.

Also I'm surprised to have not seen American Gods in here.

u/Thranduil_333 · 3 pointsr/lotr

You can pick this set up reasonably cheap on Amazon... The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings: Deluxe Pocket Boxed Set https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0544445783/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_YZr6CbMRHXTZP

u/PotViking · 3 pointsr/lotr

Not the best, but certainly pretty! I got this from my Reddit Secret Santa this year and I fucking love it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0544445783/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_6?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

u/davidc11390 · 3 pointsr/TheHobbit
u/yespls · 3 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Pizza

Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion (collectively known as Hyperion Cantos) by Dan Simmons. easily my absolute favorite books, ever - not only are they well written, they mingle theoretical physics and science fiction in a way that makes my nerd girl toes tingle with anticipation.

*edit: words everywhere! also, don't want the pizza (I'm sure someone else can put it to much better use than me). just want to share good books :)

u/2scoops · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

The Hobbit (a book everyone should read at some point) by Tolkein.

All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriott.

Oliver Twist by Dickens.

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

The Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett.

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

u/catinadress · 3 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

My favorite book right now is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. It also happens to be the book I finished most recently. It was such awesome science-magic, girl on an adventure, surreal kids stuff. I wish I had read it when I was younger!
I have Hyperion by Dan Simmons on my reading wish list... I've never read it and I want to!
Thanks!

u/Browzer · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

Currently reading Hyperion by Dan Simmons. I like it. It's kind of like a sci-fi Canterbury Tales. 7 humans are on a pilgrimage to this alien world, and the novel is mostly them telling each other their 7 back stories to pass the time.

u/trekbette · 3 pointsr/books

Check out the Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons.

You may also want to look into getting a Nook or Kindle. You can carry hundreds of books on a light weight device.

u/vendilion · 3 pointsr/melbourne

It's not new, and I didn't read it recently, but you can always read Hyperion if you haven't, because it's probably my favourite novel ever, sci-fi or otherwise.

u/iSeven · 3 pointsr/pcmasterrace

Other works of fiction that contain the concept of a metaverse;

Books

u/moby323 · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Hyperion by Dan Simmons is a great book.

u/kylesleeps · 3 pointsr/suggestmeabook

Swan Song - Robert McCammon Of the books I read last year this was my favorite.

Old Man's War - John Scazi - It's a pretty fun Military Sci-fi series

Leviathan Wakes - S. A. Corey - Near space, space opera.

Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson - Epic Fantasy with an interesting magic system, good place to start with a popular author

The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie - "Grimm Dark" fantasy, he does an interesting thing by playing with a LotR style quest.

The Black Prism - Brent Weeks - Interesting Magic system, one of my favorite ongoing fantasy series. Much better than his first trilogy IMHO

Midnight Riot - Ben Aaronovitch - Funny urban fantasy series that takes place in London

His Majesty's Dragon - Namoi Novik - Napoleonic* war + dragon's, fun quick reads.

Sevenes - Neal Stephenson - Stand Alone sci-fi novel about human's trying to survive in space as the world ends.

I can suggest more if you want, and I assume you've probably read at least some of these. Hope you enjoy some of them at least though.

u/MachiavelliV · 3 pointsr/funny
u/SpideySlap · 3 pointsr/PoliticalHumor

https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

And he was former OSS

That's what's so fucking spooky about all of this. This is 100% the substance of the qanon conspiracy. They just got all the details wrong. But who would've guessed that there are fucking breadcrumbs in obscure sci from the 70s?

u/zorblatt9 · 3 pointsr/politics

Space relations: A slightly gothic interplanetary tale: Donald Barr

FFS. JFC. WTF and every other TLA epithet.

From the first review on Amazon:

>I have a copy of this book. It is a really badly written book whose only excuse seems to be to refer to human trafficking and sex slavery either as an appeal to prurient interests - in which case it fails, or to relate reminiscences in fiction, or possibly as a payoff, because the dialogue and connecting thoughts are lacking, as well as any real plot even after half the book is read.

>The writer seems to like putting everything in terms of girls, and boys, and children, even when the scenes do not necessarily (but often do) involve kids. So while for instance the 14 year old girl getting raped in the first few chapters is really supposed to be 14, the hero of the book in danger of being sodomized - 'bend down kid and make it good' (sic) is not supposed to be a kid. It is that way throughout the book. They are either labeled like they are children (the queen was a 'child'), or actually boys or girls. So it pretty much starts with the word "naked" and goes down from there.

>It is pretty shocking a headmaster of a school would write this junk. It's not the only low grade sf story out there with this non-writing in it - but they are always bad reads. exploitation novel at best, says something about the writer regardless.

And the sick fuck Daddy Barr hired college dropout Jeffery Epstein to work with kids.

u/KanyeWesleySnipes · 3 pointsr/politics

Barr’s father Hires Epstein-Time Magazine
https://time.com/5650974/william-barr-jeffrey-epstein/

Looks like I was wrong about an all girls school but don’t let that fool you about the seriousness of what happened there. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/12/nyregion/jeffrey-epstein-dalton-teacher.html

From the above source:

“In the mid-1970s, students at one of New York’s most esteemed prep schools were surprised to encounter a new teacher who pushed the limits on the school’s strict dress code, wandering the halls in a fur coat, gold chains and an open shirt that exposed his chest.”

“Eight former students who attended the prestigious school during Mr. Epstein’s short tenure there said that his conduct with teenage girls had left an impression that had lingered for decades. One former student recalled him showing up at a party where students were drinking, while most remembered his persistent attention on the girls in hallways and classrooms.”

“I can remember thinking at the time, ‘This is wrong,’” said Scott Spizer, who graduated from Dalton in 1976.

“Mr. Epstein’s time at Dalton was brief, and an administrator said it ended in a dismissal”

“But the accounts offer a window into Mr. Epstein’s early adulthood, before he developed extensive private wealth that allowed him to acquire a $56 million mansion just a mile south of the Dalton School. It was there, prosecutors said this week, that Mr. Epstein and his employees paid “numerous” underage girls to engage in sex acts with him.”

(Read on for more details)

I forgot this first part about the law firm connection to the first deal and a second source about Barr’s father hiring Epstein -New York Times Article(Secondary Sources are provided in the article) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/23/us/politics/william-barr-jeffrey-epstein.html

From the above source:

“Mr. Epstein’s death prompted an unexpected challenge to Mr. Barr’s credibility. The Justice Department has faced accusations that it mishandled an earlier investigation into the financier by making a deal in 2008 that allowed Mr. Epstein to elude federal charges and serve prison time from his office. It also shielded his six known co-conspirators. That deal led to the resignation last month of the labor secretary, R. Alexander Acosta, who had brokered the agreement while serving as United States attorney in Miami.

”To quell renewed furor over the deal, the Justice Department opened an internal review. Prosecutors in Manhattan had also opened a new sex trafficking investigation, but Mr. Epstein’s connections with powerful figures all over the world prompted skepticism that charges would ever be filed. Even Mr. Barr had chance ties to Mr. Epstein: His old law firm, Kirkland & Ellis, had worked with Mr. Epstein on the Miami deal, and decades earlier, Mr. Barr’s father had hired Mr. Epstein to teach at Dalton, the elite private school in Manhattan.”

Did I mention he reappointed the lady he hired back in 1992 to be in charge of the bureau of prisons? A long time underling who’s career was made by Barr to be the first ever woman in this position is in charge of investigating the case in which he should be recused stating he needed to “shake things up” right after the Epstein Murder occurred. https://chicago.suntimes.com/2019/8/19/20812436/bureau-of-prisons-chief-removed-epstein-death-hugh-hurwitz-william-barr


Here is the actual book Headmaster Barr wrote now selling for $183 on Amazon Space relations: A slightly gothic interplanetary tale https://www.amazon.com/dp/0860000249/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VQj3DbAN841M2

Here’s a Vice article, and while I find the a sometimes questionable news source this Vice article summarizes some of the oddities of the book that are disturbing https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/qvgpm3/epstein-truthers-are-obsessed-with-a-sci-fi-book-about-child-sex-slavery-written-by-bill-barrs-dad

Read some of these articles and you will get the full picture it’s not that this isn’t all being reported, people just don’t listen to it or don’t care. Everything Barr has done is suspicious and ridiculous and these connections are so odd.
Does it make me a conspiracy theorist to think this shit is weird? I’m sorry for the terrible formatting and probably incoherent order of this but I’m on mobile

u/NRA_IS_TERRORISM · 3 pointsr/news

Oh yeah. Our wonderful AG probably has a direct hand in suppressing this too. Especially since his Dad, Donald Barr (who also wrote an interstellar slave sex ring space opera called Space Relations) recruited him. People think I'm wearing a tin foil hat when I explain this. It's a conspiracy out in the open. Killing Epstein was an olive branch to all of the elites, left, right, royalty, and international intelligence agencies.

u/Ekkisax · 3 pointsr/ProtectAndServe

No book will prepare you for law enforcement, it has to be touched, smelled, heard, and seen. If you're already a cop then the best thing you can do to be better is to be a well rounded human being and books can help with that.

Here's the recommended reading from some of the prior threads I was able to find in the sub.

  1. On Killing
  2. On Combat
  3. Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement
  4. Intro to Criminal Evidence
  5. Blue Blood
  6. 400 Things Cops Should Know
  7. Cop: A True Story
  8. [Verbal Judo] (https://www.amazon.com/Verbal-Judo-Gentle-Persuasion-Updated/dp/0062107704/)
  9. [What Cops Know] (https://www.amazon.com/What-Cops-Know-Connie-Fletcher/dp/0671750402/)
  10. [Into the Kill Zone] (https://www.amazon.com/Into-Kill-Zone-Deadly-Force/dp/0787986038/)
  11. Training at the Speed of Life
  12. Sharpening the Warrior's Edge
  13. The Gift of Fear
  14. Deadly Force Encounters
  15. The Book of Five Rings

    I've read a good portion of the above listed. I highly recommend Emotional Survival and going to see one of Gilmartin's talks if he's in your area. Below are a few of my personal suggestions.

  16. Meditations
  17. Blink - Not sure if I buy it, but interesting to think about.
  18. [Armor] (https://www.amazon.com/Armor-John-Steakley/dp/0886773687/)
  19. Iron John: A Book About Men
  20. The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics
u/Sangasu · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Armor, by John Steakley is a good one.

u/bug_eyed_earl · 3 pointsr/USMC

Armor is also a great book in the vein of Starship Troopers.

u/MyOpus · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Jack Campbell's The Lost Fleet

John Steakley Armor

John Scalzi Old Man's War

Joe Haldeman The Forever War

u/Nobody_home · 3 pointsr/movies

I would rather see the book Armor turned into a movie. It's a fantastic read.

Here's the link to the book.

u/AFineWayToDie · 3 pointsr/Pathfinder_RPG

Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel, who also did some official work for 3.5, but the Book of Erotic Fantasy itself is 3rd party and not officially part of the D&D collection.

u/abbatoth · 3 pointsr/DnDGreentext

They did. I give you The Book of Erotic Fantasy!

​

Edit: u/comics0026 did me one better. His post.

u/StoicLeaf · 3 pointsr/DnD

depending on how drunk and mentally scarred you want to be for the rest of your life: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Erotic-Fantasy-Gwendolyn-Kestrel/dp/1588463990

u/CodySpring · 3 pointsr/DnD

Looks like a good time for the Book of Erotic Fantasy!

u/BlkSheepKnt · 3 pointsr/DnD

For those interested, In 3rd edition a book was published under the OGL called The Book of Erotic Fantasy It had everything from fertility rates of the races, gestation period, spells for helping birth and curing/causing impotence and love potions as well as more lascivious gaming aids. Among 3rd edition grognards it is a book of much discussion.

u/Laranna · 3 pointsr/dnd_nsfw

Book of Erotic fantasy it kind of does. Old and not many of them left thats why its so expensive. I got one :) nice but not too much i can use in my game.

Gah. Wrong reply. Sorry friend

u/1point618 · 3 pointsr/SF_Book_Club

back to the beginning

---

Current Selection#####


u/pyratemime · 3 pointsr/TheExpanse

For an epic series consider Dune by Frank Herbert especially as we approach the new Dune movie in 2020.

For well written political-military sci-fi with a good grounding in realistic physics try the Honorverse by David Weber. First book is On Basilisk Station

For exceptional military sci-fi Hammer's Slammers by David Drake. They are a series of short stories that can stand on their own but when read together form a cohesive story arc.

For a one-off story that deals with some major issues of technology and how it can affect our near future try the bio-punk story The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. Be warned however there are some really... uncomfortable parts that are NSFW to put it mildly. Easy to skip but wanted to be up front about that.

As a personal guilty pleasure I will also recommend the military sci-fi series the Legacy of the Aldanata by John Ringo. It is not "hard sci-fi" but I really like Ringo and the core quadrilogy is so much fun. Start with A Hymn Before Battle

u/Dart_the_Red · 3 pointsr/Fantasy

This is a book I don't see often, but I think it fits really well with your tastes.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

It's got a dystopian future where the world is run by corporations, and has an interesting cast of characters with their own goals. It's a standalone novel, but I will highly recommend it.

u/analogorithm · 3 pointsr/printSF

You haven't mentioned yet if you got a book to read or not, so here is my suggestion:http://www.amazon.com/The-Windup-Girl-Paolo-Bacigalupi/dp/1597801585.

u/Mykl · 3 pointsr/printSF

Have you read The Windup Girl or Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi? Really good stuff, he's very dark and some might say depressing but his writing is top notch. Pump Six is his collection of short stories, I suggest you start there.

u/skroggitz · 3 pointsr/Thailand

There's not a lot of history in The Windup Girl but it is set in Bangkok, and it is a good read..

u/phongbong · 3 pointsr/Cyberpunk

This could probably fit in a category called geneticpunk. It's a good read. Also where's your source to the link? Always source other peoples work. That chick is beautiful and I'd like to see more of her.

u/furgenhurgen · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

This is not in the horror realm, but I really enjoyed it. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupe.

u/scifideome · 3 pointsr/scifi

The Windup Girl? Takes place in Thailand, the big bad corporations are GM food corporations, main character is a young woman who is the product of genetic engineering.

u/LennyTheCrazyInmate · 3 pointsr/funny

From Amazon:
It's Monty Python meets Nazi exploitation in a surreal nightmare as can only be imagined by Bizarro author Cameron Pierce.

In a land where black snow falls in the shape of swastikas, there exists a nightmarish prison camp known as Auschwitz. It is run by a fascist, flatulent race of aliens called the Ass Goblins, who travel in apple-shaped spaceships to abduct children from the neighboring world of Kidland. Prisoners 999 and 1001 are conjoined twin brothers forced to endure the sadistic tortures of these ass-shaped monsters. To survive, they must eat kid skin and work all day constructing bicycles and sex dolls out of dead children.

While the Ass Goblins become drunk on cider made from fermented children, the twins plot their escape. But it won't be easy. They must overcome toilet toads, cockrats, ass dolls, and the surgical experiments that are slowly mutating them into goblin-child hybrids.

Forget everything you know about Auschwitz...you're about to be Shit Slaughtered.

http://www.amazon.com/Ass-Goblins-Auschwitz-Cameron-Pierce/dp/1933929936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405476751&sr=8-1&keywords=ass+goblins

u/jdunmer1018 · 3 pointsr/books

I came across a screenshot of it on 4chan one day, and out of disbelief looked it up... And yes, Ass Goblins of Auschwitz is a real book. It's fucking weird.

u/gonzolahst · 3 pointsr/secretpalace

It reminds me a bit of this, which can be found free in pdf form extremely easily, which I did through no fault of my own. I don't know who found it, but it wasn't me. I wasn't even in the room, and also I can't read or write. I only know how to type one paragraph.

u/boo909 · 3 pointsr/WeirdLit

Just to add to u/autophobe2e 's excellent description. Check out the Ass Goblins of Auschwitz by Cameron Pierce, even the title gives you a rough idea of what the genre is like, it's not for the faint of heart but if you have a peculiar (some may say sick) sense of humour you will love bizarro fiction.

https://www.amazon.com/Ass-Goblins-Auschwitz-Cameron-Pierce/dp/1933929936

u/Gravlox15 · 3 pointsr/selfpublish

Dude, the very top result when you search "bullshit" contains the word in the title. Plus, there's this fine gem which means Amazon doesn't care much about vulgarity in titles.

Edit: gotta give a shoutout to another of my favorite absurd titles: click if ye dare

u/Cyc68 · 3 pointsr/ImaginaryWTF

Link for those who don't mind tainting their Amazon search history. The "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" section is well worth a look too.

u/Xaielao · 3 pointsr/rpg

Savage Worlds - Fallout

Savage Worlds is easy to run and get into, requiring only a $10 book - Savage Worlds Deluxe Explorer Edition that has rules for all kinds of settings and is very modular and customizable.

u/TheNerdySimulation · 3 pointsr/rpg

Personally, I have read (and listened to) RPO multiple times. I don't think D&D would be fitting at all for it, but maybe something like Savage Worlds? It allows for building your character out in a very open ended way, just as is demonstrated in the Story, and since it is meant to be the more intense and over the top, you could with ease work that in (They are actually working on a Rifts adaptation to Savage Worlds currently, which is also a ridiculously action packed kind of setting).

You don't have a class system in Savage Worlds, so characters can pick up skills as they increase in power, without having that sudden "Level Up," feel to it. And, because it is meant to be easily adaptable to any sort of setting, it even having a very good amount of varying settings/genres, there would be no problem in changing to different settings or worlds so quickly, since all you really have to do is copy the book's explanation, "Oh, yeah, your Phaser doesn't work here because this is a Magic Zone. Sword and Sorcery time, guys!"

Plus, the Main Book for Savage Worlds (which includes everything you would need to make characters, know all the rules, and craft a campaign) is only about $10.00, which you can find on Amazon or their Own Website. I highly recommend it, and trust me as someone who recently got into this system to say that it is very easy to learn and simple to teach. I honestly think it is a great system that isn't too heavy on the rules that they get in your way, but not too light to force you to try and make up too much on the spot.

And if you are worried about having content from D&D, converted over to this system for you to use, I recommend Zadmar's Magnificent Collection of Free Savage Worlds Content It even includes a load of Monsters converted to the system from both D&D and Pathfinder.

u/Mr_Jackson101 · 3 pointsr/rpg

Just gonna throw my hat in the ring here with some suggestions:

IF YOU WANT AN ASSORTMENT OF BOOKS

GURPS 4th Edition Basic (~60 USD): A simply fantastic game which, for everything that it can do, along with the absolute wealth of materials, both official and fan made, combined with it's pretty stellar price point (You can pick up everything you need to play anything you want for about 60 USD), it's hard to argue with. As I mentioned in one of my other comments, GURPS modularity is probably its key selling point, but on top of that, it sports a system that, when you break it all down, is actually incredibly easy to learn, and very simple. I've taught the "base" game in just a few sentences.

Savage Worlds Deluxe (~10 USD): I'm listing the lower price here simply so I can cram more into this list under the 100$ budget, but Savage Worlds is exactly what it says on the box: A fast, fun, and furious system, on top of that, I don't think I've seen a cheaper game that does as much as Savage Worlds. It shares similarity to GURPS in its modularity, you can run a lot of different settings and and hack in your own rules with relative ease. SWDX also has some unique rules from time to time (Using playing cards for initiative, the way that bennies work, etc.) and for speed, you generally can't beat Savage Worlds. Chargenning is speedy, and combats are among some of the fastest I've seen, allowing you to really get into the roleplaying aspects of a game more than just the crunch.

All Flesh Must Be Eaten (~15 USD): I personally got my copy of this game for 19.99 at my local book store, but it seems like it's been out of print for awhile. You can still get a digital PDF of it for 15 dollars at RPGdrivethru, however. I've run All Flesh Must Be Eaten numerous times, and with its ruleset, you can run a variety of different zombie games. Its fairly simple, with chargenning taking a fairly short period of time, combats running by fairly smoothly, and not a lot of "bloat" in the rules. It does what it does well, but might need some tweaking if you want specific types of games (I had a game where the PCs were zombie killing gods near the start of the game, for example, didn't play too well for my gritty game.)

FATE Core System (~15 USD): I listed 15 USD as the price here, but you can pay what you want for it on DrivethruRPG I've not actually run this game myself, but I do own it and have read the rulebook cover to cover. This is a very freeform system from what I can gather that takes narrative roleplaying to a pretty different level. It focuses on essentially creating "conditions" on characters, items, environments, and so on, and using those conditions to spawn the action and contribute to dice rolls. It's truly a unique system, and is designed to run any setting you particularly want. For 5 bucks, you can't go wrong adding another generalist RPG to your repetoire.


-------------------------------------------------

IF YOU WANT JUST ONE SYSTEM AND SETTING IN PARTICULAR:

Shadowrun, 4th Edition, 20th Anniversary Edition (~50 USD): There is not a single game on this Earth that makes my imagination go gallivanting quite like Shadowrun. The setting, in my mind is one of the most finely crafted, and most fun settings I've ever played. The gist is that it's a fantasy-cyberpunk game, you got dwarves, elves, trolls, orks, humans, etc. in a cyberpunk world with nasty corporations waging wars in the shadows, and there's magic and technology and it's just wonderful. The 20th Anniversary edition is the one I recommend purely because it I'm familiar with it, but it ALSO is a basically a "done" edition, and it comes with the 4th edition errata already written into it. It's also full colour, with beautiful artwork and it even has Shadowrun fiction between each chapter. And the best part is that you can get this book for 50 USD on Amazon. I got mine for 60 almost brand new, and the hardcover book is worth the investment.

Shadowrun 4th, Augmentation (~12 USD): This book contains lots of new cyberware augmentations for characters, and I consider it one of the "Core" splatbooks to be used. You can get it for about 12 USD on Drivethru RPG.

Shadowrun 4th, Arsenal (~12 USD): Another one of the "core" splat books in my opinion, this one basically contains craploads of guns and new ways to kill people. Fun! You can pick up the PDF at DrivethruRPG for 12 USD.

Shadowrun 4th, Runner's Companion (~12 USD): Contains a metric crapton of character creation options, but for the love of god, screen the characters your players create. RC is fantastic, but it lets in some broken options. You can pick it up at DrivethruRPG for 12 USD.

Shadowrun 4th, Unwired OR Street Magic (~12 USD for either): I put these two in a lump category because you couldn't buy both on the $100 budget, so it's up to you what you pick. I consider both to be the final parts of the "Core" splatbooks. Unwired is an entire rulebook that elaborates all on the technical side of Shadowrun, about hacking and the matrix and devices and all of that. Street Magic gives new spells, adept powers, traditions, etc. You can find Unwired on DrivethruRPG here for 12 USD, and Street Magic here on DrivethruRPG for 12 USD.

----------------------------------------------------

That was long winded! But hopefully this helps out, if you have any questions, please feel free to let me know!

u/wendol928 · 3 pointsr/rpg

I would recommend Savage Worlds (SW) as something that would fit your needs perfectly. It's tag line is "Fast, Furious, and Fun!" Here's why I think it will work for you:

Simple mechanics that will feel different but familiar to DnD players: Without getting too technical, DnD's core mechanic is roll a d20+modifiers to beat a target DC. SW's core mechanic is roll a d(x)+modifiers to beat a Target Number (TN). The d(x) is set by your skill level. So weak but intelligent character doing an athletics check might roll a d4+modifiers to beat a TN of 4, whereas on a knowledge check he might roll a d12+modifiers to beat a TN of 4.

Combat is tactical, fast, and doesn't rely on attrition: SW bills it's combat rules as working a lot like a tabletop wargame. Lots of the combat rules will feel familiar to DnD players, but the rules also work better than DnD imo when there are a large number of combatants.

Much of the speed and lack of attrition is due to the fact that instead of giving players and enemies an ever increasing pool of hit points, SW allows PCs to take up to 3 wounds before being KO'd. Each wound has a significant effect on PCs' ability to do things, so getting hit is dangerous. Normal enemies can take only one wound, though elite enemies can take 3 like PCs.

Moreover, when rolling to damage (also on skill checks), dice "explode" on a roll of their highest possible value. So rolling a 6 on a d6 allows you to roll again and add the value to your original roll. If you roll the highest value again, the die explodes again.

The consequence of exploding dice in combat is that if you or the GM rolls high enough, you or an enemy NPC can deal multiple wounds in a single strike--thus severely wounding or outright killing a character in a single blow. This means there's a lot of risk management when running into a crowd of enemies. And even the first encounter could be deadly.

The high risk of death is offset by the use of "bennies" (benefits) which are a form of meta currency that PCs and the GM can spend to reroll skill checks or roll to "soak" a wound. Bennies are awarded for good role-playing, but they can and do run out, so players have to be judicious about how they spend them.

The core rule book is cheap ($8.60 on Amazon), and there are lots of good supplements: SW is a setting neutral, but there are great setting books for just about anything you would want, including published adventures. So even if you just wanted to try out the core rule book, it's a low sunk cost if you decide you don't like it.

Edit: Added accurate price w/ link; changed italics to bold; changed "operate" to "rely."
Edit 2: Bold Savage Worlds
Edit 3: Grammar

u/Jeffrywith1e · 3 pointsr/savageworlds

The Savage Worlds core rulebook is wonderfully inexpensive- $9.99.

They do have free Test Drive rules which would give you a very good idea of whats going on.

u/cbeckw · 3 pointsr/nickofnight

Thanks for the in-depth answers! Mine are surprisingly similar to yours.

>Who is your favorite author?

I love Tolkien, and George R R Martin, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, Cormac McCarthy, Larry Niven, Patrick Rothfuss, Douglas Adams, Diana Wynne Jones and probably a bunch I'm missing at the moment. My favorite genre is sci-fi, both space opera and hard.

I haven't been on WP long enough to have many favorite authors but I do enjoy your stuff, lalalobsters, luna_lovewell, written4reddit, and a few more.

>What is your favorite book?

My Dad introduced me to Tolkien and the sci-fi giants like Asimov, Heinlein, and Clarke when I was probably 9 or 10 (I am about to be 34,) so all of their seminal works are very dear to me. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I freaking love dinosaurs and Jurassic Park is my favorite movie and because of that I have probably read JP the novel more than anything else.

I just finished reading [We are Legion (We are Bob)] (https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/dp/B01LWAESYQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1485632176&sr=1-1&keywords=we+are+legion+we+are+bob) and found it highly enjoyable.

>And, most importantly, describe your level of love for cheese.

Cheese is a staple food group for me and variety is the spice of life so I am always eating new cheeses. Staples include: extra sharp cheddar, havarti, and bleu cheese. If it's stinky, it's probably delicious, too. And, my favorite snack is english muffin halves slathered in cream cheese and covered with jalepenos. I also could eat a bucket of cottage cheese plain, or my favorite, mixed with mango chutney.

And now I'm hungry.

u/djc6535 · 3 pointsr/ifyoulikeblank

Give the Bobiverse series a try.

The premise: An engineer signs up for cryogenically freezing his brain when he dies on a whim. A bus runs him over. He wakes up hundreds of years in the future except it has been determined that these frozen brains are now the property of the state. They couldn't unfreeze him and bring him back to life, but they COULD use his brain as a template to be mapped into a computer system. He is now effectively an AI, given control over a Von Neuman probe that is to be sent out to colonize space.

There's lots of fun world building and an interesting look at the human condition. They're pretty clever with Bob too. For example, there's no such thing as Faster Than Light travel, so Bob just turns his clock speed down. In this way he experiences time slower than is actually happening and doesn't go insane on the long journey between planets. The books really start to pick up as he constructs other Bobs, each with their own slightly different personalities.

u/EdLincoln6 · 3 pointsr/booksuggestions

Super common, actually.


The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer features a protagonist who becomes a werewolf. Misfit Pack does the same thing.

One Woke Up by Lee Gaiteri features a protagonist wrestling with coming to terms with his time as a zombie


Into The Abyss by J. Langland features a protagonist turned into a horned demon.

The Tome of Bill features a protagonist who becomes a vampire. (Characters turned into vampires is super common, actually)


We Are Legion (We Are Bob) features a protagonist who becomes a space probe.


Chrysalis and Queen in the Mud on Royal Road feature protagonists who are turned into an ant and a salamander respectively.

u/Bovey · 3 pointsr/suggestmeabook

I hope you get some recommendations that help you in this thread, but it seems to me that no author is going to be able to speak to your fathers personal circumstances.

If it's a option, spend time with him and talk everything though. Help him understand how you are feeling, and ask him to help you understand his feelings, thoughts, and motivations. I have no doubt that books will be recommended here that can help you in dealing with your circumstances, but only by talking to your father can you hope to truly understand his.

When you need to take your mind off the more serious stuff that life throws at you, I'll recommend We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse Book 1)

>Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street.

> Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets. The stakes are high: no less than the first claim to entire worlds. If he declines the honor, he'll be switched off, and they'll try again with someone else. If he accepts, he becomes a prime target. There are at least three other countries trying to get their own probes launched first, and they play dirty.

> The safest place for Bob is in space, heading away from Earth at top speed. Or so he thinks. Because the universe is full of nasties, and trespassers make them mad - very mad.

It's relatively short, and a fun, rather light-hearted read. The Kindle version is on sale for $3.99, and the Audible version is only $1.99 for Members.

u/KnightFox · 3 pointsr/geek

You might check out We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor. It's a great exercise into Von Neumann probes, post biological life and interstellar colonization. Book 2 is supposed to be out in the spring.

u/photopiperUX · 3 pointsr/sciencefiction

This series might not be exactly what you're looking for, but it just came to mind...

The Bobiverse series

It's about a guy who is killed in an accident, and later has his brain used (in the far future) to man an AI probe to explore the universe. Bob begins to replicate himself, and many Bobs are born.

At one point one of the bobs discovers an indigenous race on a far planet and become EXTREMELY invested in their future. It's only one of the several aspects to the main story, but it was my favorite part.

​

It's a very entertaining series, lots of comedy and philosophical dilemmas.

u/coelhudo · 3 pointsr/brasil

To no segundo livro do We are bob (Bobiverse). Começa nesse aqui. Pra quem gosta de ficção científica muito recomendo.

Outro livro muito bom é o "Surely You're Joking Mr Feynman". É um apanhado de histórias do físico Richard Feynman, tem a passagem dele pelos Los Alamos e também a vinda pro Brasil. Bem entretenedor.

u/nooneisreal · 3 pointsr/Fantasy

I am in Canada but had a look at Amazon.ca out of curiosity and noticed it's actually free to read if you're a prime member (part of 'Prime Reading').
Does the author still make money from this?

https://www.amazon.ca/Sufficiently-Advanced-Magic-Arcane-Ascension-ebook/dp/B06XBFD7CB

u/Zoidy_ · 3 pointsr/Iteration110Cradle

Arcane ascension
Mage errant

Alco, check out /r/ProgressionFantasy/

u/notmy2ndopinion · 2 pointsr/dndnext

Sounds like an NPC straight from Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe.

u/TembaAtRest · 2 pointsr/army
u/funkymonk11 · 2 pointsr/scifi
  • Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game"
  • Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash"
  • Joe Haldeman's "Forever War"
  • Arthur C. Clarke's "Rendezvous with Rama"
  • Vernor Vinge's "A Fire Upon The Deep"
  • Kurt Vonnegut's "The Sirens of Titan"
  • Philip K. Dick's "Do Android Dream of Electric Sheep" (inspiration for the Blade Runner movie)
  • Dan Simmons' "Hyperion"

    Every single one of these books has something different to offer you from the genre of scifi. Those three at the top are great entries into the genre. As what I perceive to be "deeper cuts", allow me to suggest my four favorite scifi novels:

  • Isaac Asimov's "Foundation"
  • William Gibson's "Neuromancer"
  • Paolo Bacigalupi's "The Windup Girl"
  • Alfred Bester's "The Stars My Destination"

    Cheers!
u/acetv · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

Theory of Continuous Groups by Loewner. This book is based on lecture notes which Loewner was planning to turn into a larger book. Unfortunately he passed away before getting much done so some of his colleagues edited and compiled the notes into this book. I'm only quarter of the way in but so far it's given me a really unique perspective into group actions. I'm loving it but it doesn't hold my attention for long spans of time.

Geometry of Polynomials by Marden. Marden is my idol, and I plan to devote my life to studying the zeros of functions. That said, this book is the hardest goddamn book I have ever read. Hell, some of the exercises he gives were actual topics of published research 60 years ago. That seems a little mean to me. Anyway I still love this shit.

Mr. Tompkins in Paperback by Gamow. Alternates between stories about a character transplanted into hypothetical worlds where particular laws of physics are exaggerated and semi-rigorous lectures about the physics itself. The section on gravity as curvature of space was especially enlightening. The author uses the idea of a merry-go-round spinning at relativistic speed, so that straight lines on the surface (i.e. geodesics) are in fact curved to outside observers. You can then imagine that the merry-go-round is walled off from the outside, so that on the inside the centrifugal force can be thought of as gravity toward the edge. This is the concept of acceleration of reference frame being equivalent to gravity. For a non-physicist this kind of explanation is AWESOME.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein. My first Heinlein, just started it but I'm enjoying it so far. I honestly confused him with Haldeman... I loved The Forever War and I wanted to get another book by the author. Oh well.

Yeah so what I'm a nerd.

u/ASnugglyBear · 2 pointsr/suggestmeabook

There is a lot of stuff in interstellar :D

Marooned in Realtime Deals with long time spans

Spin deals with dying earth and people dealing with it scientifically and not, ways to surpass it.

The Forever War deals with the human effects of time dilation



u/grome45 · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

I've fallen on a deep sci-fi binge, so I'm going to recommend what I've read so far (lately) and loved:

Ender Series: The sequels to "Ender's Game" are not on par with the first, but they're compelling nonetheless (except maybe Childrens of the Mind), and the Bean series (Ender's Shadow and the sequels) is GREAT. I would recommend reading the sequels, and if not, to stay with the same Ender's Game vibe, then at least read Ender's Shadow, as it opens up the story a lot more.

Foundation (Isaac Asimov): One of the groundbreaking sci-fi series. I've currently read only the first one (Foundation) and absolutely loved it. It takes up several character's point of view over the course of a lot of years. But don't worry, each character get their spot lights and they shine in it. And the universe he creates is one I'm anxious to get back once I finish with...

Leviathan Wakes (James S.A. Corey): This one I'm still reading, so I won't jump up and say: READ IT, IT'S AMAZING! But I will say this, it's long and full of twists, but it's two central characters are fun and interesting. Someone said it's like reading the best sci-fi movie there is. And it kind of is. It's full of action, suspense, some horror and fun writing. I would check it out if I were you.

Spin: I enjoyed this one. Not fanatical about it, but still enjoyable. It's a little bit too long, but the mystery around the event that occurs in the book is interesting and compelling enough to continue. The characters feel real, and the drama around it is fun.

A while ago I also read: The Forever War which I liked a lot. I like seeing humanity evolve, so this book was awesome. I hear it's a lot like Old Man's War, but I've heard better things from Forever War than Old Man's. Might be worth checking out.

Hope I was helpful!

u/AerialAmphibian · 2 pointsr/Military

I'm about to start reading "The Forever War" by Joe Haldeman. Seems to be pretty well regarded because it avoids a lot of silly sci-fi/war stereotypes. Also the story's military are based on the author's own experiences serving in Vietnam.

EDIT: Just checked Amazon and the book's not available for Kindle yet. The page had a link to request it from the publisher. I clicked it so there's one more vote. :)

u/docbrain · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Have you read The Forever War?

u/wicud · 2 pointsr/scifi

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Even non sci-fi readers that I've recommended it to have enjoyed it and been intrigued by the future warfare that the book describes.

u/Fuckedyomom · 2 pointsr/todayilearned

You sure are getting defensive now, but I'm okay with everyone having their own opinion on matters. I would suggest reading Stranger in a Strange land if you are looking for some more philosophy from Heinlein (it's not boogey man fascist communist killing material I swear).

Also check out Forever War, which is probably the harshest criticism of SST from one of Heinleins peers, which ironically became Heinleins favorite book of all time.

u/SquireCD · 2 pointsr/scifi_bookclub

The Forever War might be to your liking.

u/alchemeron · 2 pointsr/scifi

Armor by John Steakley.

Well, it's not actually my favorite book, but it has really stuck with me and taught me a few cool writing devices. I see some Forever War and Starship Troopers fans in this thread, and Armor kind of rounds out a military sci-fi trilogy for me. Thought it worth mentioning.

u/bitter_cynical_angry · 2 pointsr/technology

There was a scene in the new uncut version of The Forever War where, when William Mandella gets to go home on leave, already very sick of the war, he gives an interview to the media about how bad the situation is, how the war sucks, etc., and later hears it on TV, chopped, reedited, and with new words of his added in (not coincidentally, always when the camera is showing the reporter nodding sagely or something) saying how great the war is, how high the soldiers morale is, how much he believes in it, etc. It's only a matter of time.

u/Lurfadur · 2 pointsr/NetflixBestOf

If you're interested in reading a book with a somewhat similar theme as the movie (who even started the fight? war is not pretty, etc...), I highly recommend The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. It's sort of an anti-Starship Troopers story where the main character is drafted to war rather than volunteering. Still scifi with bizarre alien creatures but, IMHO with a more memorable story.

u/timschmidt · 2 pointsr/technology

Yep. Read them. Also coming to mind: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.

u/Spellersuntie · 2 pointsr/Libertarian

Not everything I'm going to list is really libertarian per se but I think they do give important context for the libertarian/broader right wing movement

Economics in One Lesson. It's repetitive but gets the point across

Anarchy, State, and Utopia is a philosophical perspective

IThe Moon is a Harsh Mistress. It's difficult to call Heinlein a libertarian but this book definitely is. Also where the 'rational' part of my flair comes from!

There is No Alternative. I'm not sure how many people would consider Thatcher a libertarian but she's an important part of the history of the modern struggle against socialism that I think is overlooked in the United States

The Fatal Conceit. One of Hayek's must read works. A much shorter one that is I think just as important, Why I Am Not a Conservative

Atlas Shrugged. I'm not saying it's a good book or that you don't know of it but it's worth thumbing through just to see what all the hubbub's about. Prepare yourself for a latent S&M fetish.

Capitalism and Freedom. Maybe reading this will help you figure out why Naomi Klein seems to hate Friedman so much. Also very good and much more digestible is his television series Free to Choose and the similarly titled book

The Communist Manifesto. Provides good context. And maybe a chuckle.

u/LosElCholito · 2 pointsr/books

I always preferred The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress! as far as Heinlein goes.

u/Masterfactor · 2 pointsr/cabins

I'll recommend three!

An exploration of how biology affects culture, framed in a hard science first contact story:
The Mote in God's Eye


In the near future scientists discover a dead astronaut on the moon... who died 50,000 years ago.
Inherit the Stars


A sci-fi classic with great characters along the way. The over-crowded Earth is heavily reliant on the food created by a prison colony on the moon, which decides to declare its independence, with the help of the first A.I.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

u/ejaculindo · 2 pointsr/brasil

> Ancap é muito utópico

Diz que é utópico mas não usa nenhum argumento...

>daria pra escrever um livro de ficção só com ideias ancaps

https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Harsh-Mistress-Robert-Heinlein/dp/0312863551/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501153276&sr=8-1&keywords=the+moon+is+a+harsh+mistress

u/ridersonthestorm · 2 pointsr/books

I'm currently reading Moon Is A Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein and while I haven't finished it yet, so far it's been a really enjoyable read with a lot of ideas that force you to stop and think for a bit.

u/Morrigane · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions
u/pjabrony · 2 pointsr/space
u/LSNL · 2 pointsr/Libertarian

Which reminds me...

Moon is a Harsh Mistress is an excellent book!!

u/Shadowslayer881 · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

If you're interested in philosophy and cyberpunk/noir, there's probably nothing better for you than Altered Carbon. Humanity has gotten to the point where bodies can be swapped around with all of the implications along with it, and the main character is brought in to check out a suicide for one of the social elites.

It hits every one of your points you're interested in (except being a technical book, but whatever that's a hard sell anyway), and I'm a really big fan of it.

u/untype · 2 pointsr/books

The Takeshi Kovacs Trilogy starting with Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan. If you've ever wondered what life would be like if we could digitize human consciousness and shoot that consciousness at light speed through the cosmos to be inserted into awaiting bodies or "Sleeves", this may be the book for you. What is mind-blowing is not the technology so much as the insight into what our world would look like and how it's associated population would look/behave in their consequential relationships/interactions. Very enjoyable at the same time as being scary. A great time to read this type of subject matter ahead of our supposed transcendence/singularity.

u/Ereth · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

You were pretty vague in your request, but i'll leave this right here:

http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Carbon-Takeshi-Kovacs-Novels/dp/0345457684

Pretty dark and mature cyber punk/detective noir book.

u/victor_erewhon · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

What do you think of Altered Carbon's black/green cover on Amazon?

u/baetylbailey · 2 pointsr/printSF

Try Altered Carbon by Richard K Morgan; it's one of the best combinations of action, atmosphere, and hi-tech ideas.

u/peterparker81 · 2 pointsr/ActionFigures

Or you could read the takeshi kovacs series, those are even better.

Sorry, i get carried away.

u/Unnatural_Attraction · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Altered Carbon has plenty of action and sex.

u/Khumalo_Neurochem · 2 pointsr/asoiaf

Richard K. Morgan: A land fit for heroes

It's a pretty damn good fantasy series. I got into it because his cyberpunk noir novels were so damn good. Altered Carbon and the rest of the Takeshi Kovacs novels were excellent.

Also, I was lucky enough to have friends immediately recommend Joe Abercrombie post asoiaf. The First Law Trilogy is absolutely gripping. Personally, I think it's better than asoiaf.

u/Biochemicallynodiff · 2 pointsr/Cyberpunk

I'd like to see the problems (or solutions) of Identity that new technologies will create. I just finished the book Altered Carbon and in there, the future is going to happen in a way that we'd be able to digitize our consciousness and "re-sleeve" into another body so death would effectively be optional. Of course, if you didn't want to be trapped in the body you were born with, what would you want to make you feel as though you're You? But then again, some people (the not so wealthy) don't have the option of choosing what body they're put into.

All in all, why is it such a matter for us to determine "who we are" in the life that we didn't elect to be in? It's these philosophies that I'd like to see presented and dwelled on.

Altered Carbon - Netflix series

Altered Carbon - book

u/FertileCroissant · 2 pointsr/printSF

I just finished, and rather enjoyed Altered Carbon (Takeshi Kovacs Novels), which also falls into the cyberpunk noir genre. The first one at least, haven't read the rest yet.

u/DaystarEld · 2 pointsr/rational

Hey everyone, this week we discuss action scenes and how to ensure they're engaging and meaningful. Hope you enjoy it!

May 10th is when our Scrivener promotion ends, so if you've been trying it out and want to buy it, be sure to use the code RATIONALLY at checkout for 20% off before then!

The book recommendation this week by /u/alexanderwales is Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan. It's a hardboiled detective story set hundreds of years in the future, when human minds can be digitally stored and put into empty 'sleeves' at will. A wealthy man, Lauren Bancroft, hires the ex-military detective Takeshi Kovacs to get to the bottom of a supposed suicide; the suicide was Bancroft's, who was restored from backup and has no knowledge of what might have made him take his own life. The novel has all the staples of hardboiled detective fiction, filtered through a transhumanist lens where bodies are disposable, torture takes place in virtual reality, and the femme fatales have been genetically engineered for beauty. The action in particular is a highlight, which is a good thing because there's plenty of violence along the way.

If you want to give the audio book a try, sign up for an Audible trial through us to get a free book and help support the show. Thanks for listening!

u/frexels · 2 pointsr/books

cracks knuckles I have no idea if these have audiobooks. I'm sorry if they don't. Most of these are only three books long or shorter, sorry.

Sandman Slim and the sequel. It wasn't my favorite book, BUT it sounds a lot like what you're looking for. And it was fun.

China Mieville's Bas-Lag series (Perdido Street Station, The Scar and Iron Council. Three (~500 pg) books long, fantastic world building, twisty plots and great characters.

The Baroque Cycle, Neal Stephenson (Quicksilver, The Confusion and The Confusion of the World. Three books long, but you could kill a small animal by dropping one of those books on it. These are good, but his stand-alones are better (Snow Crash and Diamond Age for sure).

Most of Stephen King's stuff has the kind of sprawl you're looking for.

Dune, at least until God Emperor (#4).

Honestly, I think if you liked John Grisham, you'll like The Girl with the
Dragon Tattoo books. I think I'm making that leap based on the last book in the trilogy. They're definitely entertaining.

u/lief79 · 2 pointsr/scifi

Perdido Street Station is realtively new and quite interesting.

u/carthum · 2 pointsr/books

Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere is a great urban fantasy story that takes place in the unseen world below London and includes some magic, adventure and a great mystery.


If you haven't read the Chronicles of Narnia try those. After you get past the Christian allegories in the first book the series is enjoyable. If you have read them check out His Dark Materials. Another great book that has been called the atheists' response to Narnia.

China Mieville's Perdido Street Station would be a good one too. Definitely darker than the fantasy in Harry Potter but well written and a great story.

The Hunger Games trilogy has been mentioned a few times and is enjoyable. It is more Science Fiction than fantasy but is a great dystopian story. Written for YAs, like Harry Potter, but enjoyable for just about anyone.They're making a Hunger Games movie now so you'll be able to say you read it back before it was cool.


Edit: Forgot to mention The Dark Tower Series. A great series by Steven King that combines fantasy, western, science fiction and some horror. That sounds like a hodgepodge but the series manages to walk the line so well you end up staying awake until 2am reading to find out what happens next.

u/getElephantById · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

China Mieville always writes out there science fiction. Try Perdido Street Station and The Scar.

u/mmm_burrito · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Look into China Mieville. Specifically Perdido Street Station.

u/judgebeholden · 2 pointsr/books

Seeing as Blood Meridian is my favorite book, I'll try to give you some suggestions in a few different genres.

Jack O'connell's Word Made Flesh and Skin Palace are gritty, litty noirs. He has a way with verisimilitude and description. Also check out Jim Thompson's cynical 50's dime crime novels (Pop. 1250, the Grifters, and A Hell of a Woman are several standouts).

China Mieville's Perdido Street Station is an excellent, imaginative high concept steampunk-fantasy that dwells in grime and blood.

KJ Bishop's The Etched City, a rad, mad dream-like fantasy about love, cruelty, and loss.

If you desire something from the literary realm, I recommend 2666 by Bolano. Really, it's like nothing else out there and its depiction of violence in the fourth section is as bleak and unsparing as Blood Meridian.

u/generalvostok · 2 pointsr/bookshelf

Top 5 off those shelves would be:
The Yiddish Policemen's Union - Alt History detective novel by a Pulitzer winner
http://www.amazon.com/Yiddish-Policemens-Union-Novel-P-S/dp/0007149832
The Atrocity Archives - Lovecraftian spy thriller and IT hell
http://www.amazon.com/Atrocity-Archives-Laundry-Files-Novel/dp/0441016685/
Books of Blood - A compilation of Clive Barker's nasty little 80s horror anthologies
http://www.amazon.com/Books-Blood-Vols-Clive-Barker/dp/0425165582/
Perdido Street Station - Steampunky fantasy with excellent worldbuilding that's apparently a good example of the New Weird, whatever that is and however it differes from the Old Weird
http://www.amazon.com/Perdido-Street-Station-China-Mieville/dp/0345459407
American Gods - Gaiman's mythology based urban fantasy; a modern classic
http://www.amazon.com/American-Gods-Neil-Gaiman/dp/0380789035

As for the Weird Tales collection, it's Weird Tales: 32 Unearthed Terrors. It sets out to present the best tale from each year of the magazine's original run. Published in 1988 and edited by Stefan R. Dziemianowicz (as if the eldritch gods didn't inject enough unpronounceable names into the mix) you've got everyone from Isaac Asimov to Seabury Quinn to good ol' HPL himself with "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward"
http://www.amazon.com/Weird-Tales-32-Unearthed-Terrors/dp/0517661233
Not quite the $1 deal I got from the library sale, but not as outrageous as some of the out of print prices on Amazon.

u/gamehendge87 · 2 pointsr/geek
u/belandil · 2 pointsr/Fantasy

It blurs the line between genres, but I'd highly suggest Perdido Street Station by China Miéville.

Since you liked Left Hand of Darkness, check out LeGuin's A Wizard of Earthsea, and if you like it, the subsequent sequels.

u/MeBeSleepy · 2 pointsr/witcher

Here. I have the same set. Very good quality, although the font is really small, so keep that in mind if you have bad vision.

u/giantshadytree · 2 pointsr/lotr
u/zgh5002 · 2 pointsr/lotr

https://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-Lord-Rings-Deluxe-Pocket/dp/0544445783/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499748898&sr=8-1&keywords=lord+of+the+rings+pocket+edition

I'm quite fond of this. I have the 50th anniversary hardcover but I don't take it with me. These look great and go right into my back without an issue.

u/senface · 2 pointsr/tolkienfans

The answers you seek lie within the books , and “waiting for a nice hardcover set” sounds like you are just purposefully stalling yourself.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0544445783/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_P7Z0DbCEGWQJ1

Pick this set up, it’s super affordable and gets you right to it.

u/PhilLikeTheGroundhog · 2 pointsr/bookporn
u/Rag3kniv · 2 pointsr/lotr

For anyone looking to get them:

Barnes & Noble: $38.84 (the link the OP posted).

Amazon.com: $33.83 (cheapest I saw, just ordered some from here).

Amazon.ca: $58.76 (way more expensive, but perhaps shipping from Amazon.com would cost you more?).

u/1337_Mrs_Roberts · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

My top recommendation in science fiction is Dan Simmons' Hyperion. It really blew my mind when I read in my 20's.

u/idT · 2 pointsr/IAmA

At some point in this beautiful thread you mentioned that you are not well read. What books have you read that you've really enjoyed?

If you haven't read these, they're worth a glance at the description:

  • Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein. The perfect read for any martian
  • Hyperion, by Dan Simmons. This is a scifi novel based around the poet John Keats and his epic poem, Hyperion. It is masterful.
  • Gravity's Rainbow, by Thomas Pynchon. Mind-boggling prose with a vocabulary to match.

    Thanks for your time on this thread. You are awesome sir
u/dhpye · 2 pointsr/writing

Dan Simmons does this a great deal in Hyperion - it's basically the Canterbury Tales, which is, afaik, the first book to use this framed narrative.

u/doctorbaronking · 2 pointsr/KingkillerChronicle

The Hyperion and Ilium books by Dan Simmons both have the kind of narrative weight that KKC does, though both are a hardish Sci-Fi.

u/reggieonreddit · 2 pointsr/Freethought

Thanks for the comment!

>People who remove religion from their lives often fill the void with less effective (and sometimes harmful) substitutes.

This is actually really interesting and I think explains what happened to me, too. It's a good argument for showing one reason why religion, and creating a false need/purpose, can be a negative thing. It's much easier to live without religion if you've never believed in it before, in my opinion.

Hyperion looks like a good read. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll probably pick it up on Kindle.

u/sasane · 2 pointsr/scifi

Hyperion by Dan Simmons?

u/lumpy_potato · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

"The Hegemony Consul sat on the balcony of his ebony spaceship and played Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C-sharp Minor on an ancient but well-maintained Steinway while great, green, saurian things surged and bellowed in the swamps below." - Hyperion, Dan Simmons

"Joe Gould is a blithe and emaciated little man who has been a notable in the cafeterias, diners, barrooms, and dumps of Greenwhich Village for a quarter of a century" - Up In The Old Hotel - Joseph Mitchell

"He told them he loved them" - Columbine - Dave Cullen

"Kazbek Misikov stared at the bomb hanging above his family. It was a simple device, a plastic bucket packed with explosive paste, nails, and small metal balls. It weighed perhaps eight pounds. The existence of this bomb had become a central focus of his life." - The School - C.J. Chivers

"It was summer; it was winter." The Long Fall of One-Eleven Heavy - MICHAEL PATERNITI

"The human head is of the same approximate size and weight as a roaster chicken. I have never before had occasion to make the comparison, for never before today have I seen a head in a roasting pan" Stiff: The Curious Lives of Cadavers - Mary Roach

u/Light-of-Aiur · 2 pointsr/gaymers

I'd forgotten that Borderlands 2 released, so I thought you meant the novel Hyperion.

u/InsertNameHere64 · 2 pointsr/Military

I would really suggest the series ,Old Man's War. I'm not very good with summaries but it is a fantastic series if you are into sci-fi. Essentially elderly people's minds are transferred to new bio-enhanced bodies to fight humanities enemies. Sounds really generic but really well done in my opinion.

If you are into more of a military recommendation and less of a sci-fi one I would suggest The Weapon

It was also mentioned but Starship Trooper is a classic book and one of the inspirations I had for military service.

u/pokebud · 2 pointsr/books

It's not very sci-fi though, it's mostly just a sci-fi setting, but you're right it's not very recent.

Maybe Old Man's War would have been a better suggestion?

u/Oculusnames · 2 pointsr/oculus

Train them in modern planes, give them regeneration and we would have Old Man's War.

u/firewoodspark · 2 pointsr/writing
u/AlphaOC · 2 pointsr/technology

You'd get along well with the main character from Old Man's War.

u/-Untitled- · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I'm in the middle of Fragile Things, Neil Gaiman's collection of short stories, and I'm loving it!

Link

You ALL still have Zoidberg!

u/Sjetware · 2 pointsr/homeworld

I've read all these books, and they were decent reads. However, I should mention some positives and negatives about the series.

PROS:

  • The books are fairly well written.

  • The plot line at least makes some decent sense.

  • Some of the technology and tactics make sense as well, and the neat thing is the concept of light delay in astronomical terms in relation to combat positioning and fleet tactics. This is really the meat and bones of the books and is usually the most interesting to read (in my opinion anyways)

    CONS:

  • There is a lot of deus ex machina with the fleet fights.

  • There is a convenient hand waving of why the main character is so good at what he does. It's literally because everyone else is so terrible.

  • The romantic subplots seemed a bit forced, and constantly talking about 'honor' and crap seems really silly in context of a fight to return home.

    OVERALL:

    I'd definitely check these out if you're jonesing for some science fiction, but there are definitely better books out there if you're looking for something amazing to read.

    OTHER SERIES / BOOKS RECOMMENDATIONS:

    Into the Black - EDIT: Had book 4 listed here instead of book one, fixed

    Lines of Departure

    Old Man's War
u/TheFlyingDutchBros · 2 pointsr/dndnext

I couldn't agree with this more. Sly Flourish has a whole book on Fantastic Locations where he discusses using them, how they can improve your game, and tips for building them/running them. I highly recommend it.

I also highly recommend building set-piece encounters for dramatic moments in the storyline. The big boss fight is an obvious time to do this, but I suggest spreading them out more to keep your players on their toes and show them that it's more than just a formula. If you want to study how to make them, I personally think that Whispers of the Vampire's Blade is a great place to start (it's also a super fun module).

As far as worldbuilding goes, don't overdo it (I should know, I overdo it all the time). Nailing the details can make the game 10x as immersive, but spending all your time writing adventures on just the details does not an interesting adventure make. For ideas on worldbuilding, YouTube can be a good resource if you find the right channels. Other than that, read fantasy novels. Published campaign settings can give you good ideas too, but usually I find novels to be more inspiring because they take more risks. It's okay to say your world doesn't have goblins in it as long its in service of something more interesting. Maybe they all died in a horrible ritual that created some new evil? That kind of thing. For novels with tremendous worldbuilding, I recommend anything by Brandon Sanderson, especially his Mistborn trilogy.

I hope some of that helps!

u/rahnawyn · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite authors. Both his Mistborn series and The Stormlight Archive are among my top ten, probably. Hell, I've read every single book of his, even the children's, and they're all goddamn amazing.

u/Boldly_GoingNowhere · 2 pointsr/suggestmeabook

The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson is a great fantasy series for YA fans branching into adult Fantasy. In fact, they are re-packaging them in PB for teens because they have such good cross-over appeal

I really liked Sorcery and Cecilia, which is Jane Austen with magic, basically.

Speaking of Jane Austen, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a great YA title that's basically a re-telling of Persuasion done in a sort-of dystopian, far future setting.

If you want a more literary contemporary YA, I would try I'll Give You the Sun. It's probably the best book I've read all year.

I've got more where that came from if you would like more titles!

u/DealingWithIt127 · 2 pointsr/brandonsanderson

From what I've read?

  1. Oathbringer
  2. The Way of Kings
  3. Words of Radiance
  4. The Well of Ascension
  5. The Final Empire
  6. The Hero of Ages
  7. Elantris
  8. The Alloy of Law

    So you could read that as 1. Stormlight Archive 2. Mistborn 3. Other books

    This link is all the Mistborn books with the UK (Gollancz) covers, this is the trilogy with US covers. There is a boxed set of the original Mistborn trilogy somewhere, I've seen it in the UK versions (can't speak for the US, as where I live all the Sanderson books are sold with the UK covers).

    You'd have to buy the Stormlight Archive and other books separately though as I don't think they have boxed sets yet. Amazon and Book Depository are bound to have them, I'd recommend shopping around for the best price. I don't live in the US, so I can't speak for the retailers that exist over there.

    Edit: Yeah nah I got the order wrong
u/Clurichaun · 2 pointsr/books

Oh god I love this question. I've got some fantastic recommendations:

Fantasy Series:


  • The Gentleman Bastards Sequence

    by Scott Lynch
    Book One: The Lies of Locke Lamora

    Simultaneously one of my top 5 favorite fantasy novels, and my favorite Heist story of all time.
    Suspense, Intrigue, Visceral action, and some of the wittiest, best-written dialog I've ever read in fiction make this series simultaneously dark, tense, and hilarious.
    Thank god Lynch was wondering what a swords and sorcery take on Ocean's Eleven would look like, because the thought never occurred to me before this.

  • The Mistborn Trilogy

    by Brandon Sanderson
    Get the boxed set. Just do it.

    Sanderson is perhaps best known for being chosen to continue the Wheel of Time series after the passing of Robert Jordan; and this is very unfortunate. I would take Mistborn over WoT any day.
    The author's passion seems to be exotic settings, and unique magic systems with a solid set of rules. You get so attuned to what Mistborn's Allomancy can and can't do, that it seems as fundamental as gravity by the end. And speaking of endings, this one is Incredibly well thought out.

    -----------------------------
    I've got stuff to do, so I'll cut it off here for now, but seriously, check them out. And Please don't ask me which I'd recommend more, I don't want my head to explode.

    More to come, if I'm not too lazy. I'm full of these.

u/xlightbrightx · 2 pointsr/books

The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson.

u/Metrofreak · 2 pointsr/books

Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy is what got me back. Giver er a run, she'll treat you real nice.

u/qunix · 2 pointsr/books

I finished the Mistborn Series recently, and it has a very strong female lead.

u/Closet_Mistborn · 2 pointsr/books

I guess based solely off of my name:

The Mistborn Trilogy - Brandon Sanderson - I believe this will go down as one of the, if not the best fantasy series of our time.

u/RobertM525 · 2 pointsr/masseffect

>It's basically asking if turning-completeness exists for for all states of intelligence, that all it needs is time (faster clock speeds or actual time) to make a "breakthrough".

Some insights never "click" if the disparate information doesn't arrive in consciousness at the same time (or get activated simultaneously at a subconscious level). Certainly, an AI would likely be able to think faster than us, but the question is, would it think better than us? Data in TNG is an interesting example of this—he seems no "smarter" than the other main characters, only able to access and process information faster than them. Whether this is realistic or not is debatable, but what if super-creativity was much harder to program than other super-human aspects of an AGI?

>The point of the paperclips is that they are arbitrary. It's not that a paperclip factory itself would go nuts, it's that anything can go nuts, it doesn't even have to be a "computer in a box".

Right, though the paperclip maximizer is a very particular example of something "going nuts;" of a hyper-intelligence wiping us out, not because it was angry at us for enslaving us (as most sci-fi AI antagonists do), but because we make it unable to fulfill its absurd directive. It's just so smart that we can't stop it. Or maybe it wipes us out because it out-competes us for resources to fulfill its absurd objective.

Imagine if, say, the Earth were invaded by alien robots that were going to "consume our planet" because, once upon a time, its creators said "make starships" and forgot to include a "until we don't need any more" parameter.

>Look at what happened with the housing bubble.

Well, the housing bubble was the result of a number of stupid decisions, but, yeah, some of them came about as a result of people pursuing an objective that was ultimately rather stupid. I mean, even if the objective was "accumulate money," many of the institutions which precipitated the catastrophe failed in that objective because they were wiped out by their own stupidity. Like the corporation which pursues short-term (quarterly) profits over long-term goals and ends up going under because of it, perhaps not even understanding why. And if the company goes out of business, not only do they fail at the "better" objective of "make long-term profits," they also failed at the short-term goal they set for themselves to always make quarterly profits higher than the preceding quarter's.

I'd say that type of failure could be used to describe the problem of a paperclip maximizing AI, but only at a very distant level.

>Yeah, that's the sad part. I'd love to think that introspection and empathy will look similar across any kind of consciousness, thinking that all sentients would respect some variation of the "golden rule" when they recognize something of themselves in each other. But I know that it's pretty much wishful thinking without any examples other than humans.

We evolved empathy because it was beneficial for our species (see: inclusive fitness). A lot of the things we value most are derived from being a cooperative primate species. OTOH, if a solitary species were to evolve intelligence, they would probably be mystified by humanistic values. Psycho/sociopaths, for instance, represent an interesting and frightening slice of humanity which has no empathy and therefore only pursue selfish goals, sometimes completely rationally. If all of humanity was that way, we wouldn't have civilization, but we might still collectively be just as intelligent.

Thus I suppose you could say that if we were to ever encounter another space-faring species, we should expect them to have values somewhat approximating the humanistic ones we have, if only because the type of species which would create such values would also be more capable of collaborating and building civilizations.

OTOH, if a species somehow evolved intelligence that was so great that they could work together without any empathy, they could still form an advanced society with values we might find abominable. (On a side note, anarcho-capitalists often imagine humans as being this way: perfectly rational beings who will choose to cooperate because it's in our best interest. In fact, we really aren't. It might be in the best interest of Company X to contribute voluntarily to a road paving fund because paved roads mean more customers and therefore more business, but we don't really work that way. Free riding is evolutionarily very useful, and so is trying to avoid being taken advantage of by free riders. The tug-of-war between those two instincts—both on a personal level and on a collective level—make us ultimately rather irrational. We also require too much that we feel empathy to act in a pro-social way, and thus our limited Monkeysphere limits our ability to improve society as a whole.)

Anyway, all of that only describes a species that evolved naturally. AGIs are a wholly separate issue. They have no reason to feel empathy and thus no reason to see other beings as being fundamentally equal to them, even if they're different. Unless they're specifically programmed for it, anyway. And accidental AGIs like the Geth wouldn't necessarily be programmed with "humanistic values" like that.

>I keep going on and on about arbitrariness, then praise the Geth just because they happened to land within that tiny mind-space where they end up with a human-reminicient sentient intelligence. I guess the point is that from the premise that the Geth are a network sentience that has become introspective, what follows is so logical and well developed.

Yeah, maybe it's just a suspension of disbelief thing. Sometimes you have to accept an absurd premise (e.g., FTL travel is possible, aliens would be human-like, AGIs would have humanistic values) to get to an interesting story. OTOH, if one is simply world building and engaging in "speculative fiction" (in the sense that it's fiction which speculates about "what would happen if...?" scenarios), then it's inexcusable. But sci-fi is often a balance between "speculative fiction" and entertainment (to say nothing of the uncountable number of times science fiction has been used to examine the human condition through an otherworldly lens).

>There is no reason why an "attacking" AI has to be sentient, the nonsentioent AGIs without any capacity for introspection are probably the most dangerous.

Yeah, though they're probably harder to pull off as compelling villains (unless one merely wants their villains to be akin to a force of nature). Stargate Universe, for example, had some robot villains that figured prominently in their second season that didn't seem to be sentient. I don't know if you've seen the show, and I certainly don't want to prime you to approach it in a certain way if you haven't, but they really weren't very interesting villains. Realistic, maybe, but not as interesting as even, say, the Geth of ME1. IMO, of course.

>This could take the form of "a computer in a box",

It's not exactly related to what you were saying, but it occurs to me that an interesting story might arise from an "Asimov AI" in a box (i.e., not doing anything except existing as an experiment) being called upon to save humanity from a paperclip maximizing AI. I don't know what kind of a developed, interesting plot could really come out of that, but it's an idea, anyway. :)

>It's also available for free online in pdf format from his website.

Interesting, since I see Amazon is selling it for $8. :)

>Overall though, I usually never know what to recommend in terms of scifi; it depends so much on taste, and it varies pretty wildly.

Well, I greatly appreciate even those two recommendations! My wife and I just picked up Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn, so I'll have to finish that first before I look into anything else, but I like having an idea of what else to look for afterward. Both are now on my Wish List. (Though I keep meaning to make use of the local library.)

FWIW, what I am looking for these days is intelligent sci-fi/fantasy with good characters. Hard sci-fi tends to sometimes fall into the trap of being too much "speculative fiction" (in the sense that I used it above) and not enough of an interesting story or one populated by real characters with real dialog. Soft sci-fi tends to be little more than "adventures in space," which can sometimes be good, but sometimes be incredibly stupid.

Unfortunately, my wife and I have become somewhat hard to please these days. :) We need good prose (diction, dialog, etc.) as well as a plot which makes sense and doesn't having insultingly stupid plot devices (like the space magic of ME3's synthesis ending) or one-dimensional characters. It's kind of a tall order, I feel like. (I liked Snow Crash, for instance, but my wife found it too "info-dumpy" and found its satire somewhat distracting.) I sometimes long for the days when I was a teenager and could read Star Wars books (or worse) and be completely satisfied.

Hell, part of the reason I can't write anymore (I used to do it a ton as a teenager) is because I don't think my fiction writing skills are capable of producing a book I would like! :)

>And I can't even write them in a timely manner, and I still think I missed something I wanted to say...

Heh. There are a lot of things in life which can come long before writing posts on the Mass Effect sub-reddit. :)

u/Ianoren · 2 pointsr/DnD

The first two are the different core books. Player's Handbook, Monster Manual.

The last is a Dungeon Master Screen, which looks like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Masters-Screen-Reincarnated-Wizards/dp/078696619X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511802648&sr=8-1&keywords=dungeon+master+screen

u/Kisho761 · 2 pointsr/DMAcademy

I started DMing fairly recently as well, and like you I tried to find some quick reference guides to keep things rolling smoothly. I typed up some stuff, printed it out, had it nearby...

And found I didn't need it. The game is exceptionally deep and complex, but surprisingly accessible. So long as your character sheets are correct then they'll tell you the most important info, you won't need to worry about calculating stuff on the fly. Just ask for relevant checks and make sure your players know what modifier to add (this is where character sheets being correct helps!).

It may be helpful to have a reference of what can be done in someone's turn in combat, but even then when starting out people will just move & attack. I wouldn't worry too much about doing anything else, unless your players ask about it.

The most important thing is being able to improvise. Go with the flow, be flexible, and learn to say 'yes, and...' (unless what they want to do breaks your game).

If you really want a quick reference, then the official DM screen from Wizards has a bunch of useful info on the inside of it: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dungeons-Dragons-C36870000-Dungeon-Reincarnated/dp/078696619X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539533391&sr=8-1&keywords=dm+screen

u/nmdrums · 2 pointsr/DnD

Amazon has the official DM screen. Link here

u/MelissaJuice · 2 pointsr/DnD

The standard 5E DM screen is excellent.

The starter set is also excellent.

u/Karieo · 2 pointsr/dndnext
u/B787_300 · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Get those kids some books!

oh lawd, this is going to be LONG
for advanced readers,

Enders Game

The Giver

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

The Harry Potter Series

The Heir Apparent

Farenheit 451


A lot of these books can be read young and then reread when older to get more meaning

For younger beginning readers

Dr Seuss, I really remember Green Eggs and Ham, Go Dog go, and One Fish two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish


Oh and surprise me, i really like SciFi/Fantasy and have read the Dune Series and ASoIaF, but the Modern High Power Rocketry Book would be very very appreciated.

u/jsato · 2 pointsr/books

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

10/10
Science Fiction

it's my favorite science fiction book. People should read it before the movie comes out next year!

Ender's Game

u/mikeramey1 · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

> How does one who has never tried at anything, try at life?

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

Some challenges seem huge but if you break them down into little pieces you can conquer them. How do you do that? Just start doing anything and something will happen.

Succeeding in my line of work is all about the effort I put into my projects. Even if I work my tail off there is a chance I could fail but the success is so sweet that I have to keep trying. Just do anything. Good luck.

Books: The Four Agreements

Ender's Game

Body for Life

If You Haven't Got the Time to Do It Right, When Will You Find the Time to Do It Over?

The War if Art

I got something out of these, maybe you will too. Good luck.

u/Kinickie · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Doesn't appear to be a kindle version at the moment, but the formatting of the novel doesn't really lend itself to digital. Still worth a read even if you must lug around a dead tree.

The Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card.

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin.

Animal Farm by George Orwell

The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin. My favorite sci-fi short story. Couldn't find a link to a kindle version, but it's in a lot of sci-fi short story collections. You can probably find it in your local library (if it still exists).

u/Patches67 · 2 pointsr/tipofmytongue

Ender's Game?


It's about a boy who was fooled into thinking he was playing a simulation but was actually attacking and destroying a world for real.

u/kentdalimp · 2 pointsr/books

What I had to do was find a reading spot/time. I only read comfortably laying in bed before I go to sleep. It's become a habit now and thats the way I like to read. No distractions, read until I'm tired and then go to sleep. My wife can read anytime/anywhere, and I'm jealous of that, but it doesn't work for me.

Also find some books that you really like, that are easy. When you don't want to stop reading it helps a lot. Eventually you get to the point that you really can read anything because it doesnt have to hold your interest for every single sentence.

Try some Young Adult or easy reads right off the bat. a few suggestions, things I enjoy that are easy reads:

Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games

Dean Koonz

Orson Scott Card - Enders Game

Find a Genre you're interested in and something with good reviews, then find your time/place and make it a habit.

u/MusicalXena · 2 pointsr/writing

Let's start with the premise of your question: there's only one conflict in your story, and this single conflict is the only source of suspense to keep the reader interested. Fortunately, suspense is not the same as conflict, and using that difference effectively will help your reader power through the "info dumps."


Conflict = things like man vs man, man vs society, man vs nature, etc. In a novel, there may be one or multiple conflicts, but it's usually a finite number of important conflicts. Interesting conflicts generally span the whole novel. Conflicts can take a lot of time to fully establish, can evolve over time, and the resolution of a conflict is a big deal.


Suspense = things that keep the reader interested. When done well, suspense is what causes readers to keep turning pages long after they promised themselves they would stop reading and go to bed. Suspense is not a genre, but something that every well-written work of fiction has in abundance. Suspense can be created in a single sentence and resolved in the next one. Suspense can also relate to the main story arc and function as a long term "hook." If you want a really good example of how to create many sources of suspense in just a few paragraphs, look up Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. When reading carefully, you'll notice that Card juggles multiple sources of suspense at any one time. For instance, the main character might react to something but the reader doesn't get to see what they're reacting to until the next paragraph (short term suspense that makes you keep reading to find out what they saw). The thing that they are looking at might relate to the next roadblock in their overall story arc (medium and long term suspense). This is a "can't put it down" kind of book, and there's no reason you can't borrow some of those tricks to keep the pace moving even in the very beginning of yours.


I highly recommend this Dictionary of Narratology. It will inform your writing by showing you choices you didn't know exist.


(Disclaimer 1: I'm not saying that Orson Scott Card is an amazing author that everyone should emulate. He has some limitations that I get frustrated with, such as sexism and nondescript settings. However, suspense is something he excels at creating in abundance, so he's a good model for learning new ways of creating suspense and increasing pace.


Disclaimer 2: Suspense for the sake of suspense is not a good idea. Connect the suspense to things that matter, like character development and the story, for maximum effect.)


I hope this helps.

u/pineapplesf · 2 pointsr/santashelpers

I take it from Harry Potter and Divergent he likes strong, morally-white protagonists on journeys to save the world. I don't know his exact reading level or interests, so I will make the following suggestions by category. I ranked books in each category by difficulty.

 

Teen Fantasy:

 

Dealing with Dragons: Funny, easy to read, dragons, magic, and sarcasm.

The Lioness Series, Immortal Series, or The Magic Circle Series: Strong female leads and interesting to read with great stories (Think Mulan). My brother loved them.

Artemis Fowl: Strong, morally ambiguous but ultimately altruistic, sarcastic, and smart protagonist against the world.

User Unfriendly: Dudes get sucked into a video/rpg and try to get out without dying. Like Tron, but less sci-fi and more fantasy.

Halo: One of my brothers who HATES reading -- or at least is incredibly picky actually stayed up all night to finish four of Halo books. He also really likes the games. I don't know which one is the first or the best but this one had the best reviews. I dunno if it is dark either -- I haven't read it :'(.

The Dark Elf Trilogy: Darker than anything else I have on here (or can be) hero vs world type fantasy. Drizzit = my brothers' hero growing up. Kinda WOW-esque? Having played both, I understand how much of WOW is inspired by DnD. I personally didn't like this.

Redwall: Harder to read, talking animals save the world from other talking animals. I personally hated this series, but my brothers read every single book in the series at the time.

 


Adult Fantasy:

 

Magician: Magic, totally badass protagonist, BORING first couple chapters, but ultimately the most OP hero I have ever read. Amazing, truly amazing. I think it is two-three books in the first series.

Harper Hall: Dragons, music, strong, but lost protagonist. Deals with sexism and gender biased. The other books in the cycle range from sci-fi to political fantasy.

Dragonbone Chair: Strong, badass hero vs a dragon. What happens? He becomes more badass. It is a lighter verison of LOTR/Sword of Shanara (which is probably too much politics/genetics/enviromental commentary -- generally boring-- for him right now) --

An even lighter alternative, more teen book is Eragon. That being said, I absolutely DETESTED these books. I don't care if he was 16, he didn't coming up with any of his own material. But -- a lot of people really like it, so your brother might!

 

Sci-fi:

 

Ender's game: Amazing ending, especially if he likes videogames. I haven't seen the movie, but my Dad said it was "loosely inspired" from the book. All I know is the book was world-changing. It has some legitimately dark points (like gouging out a giants eye or drowning puppies).

Johnny Maxwell Trilogy: This dude is cool. I didn't know until I linked it that it is hard to get a copy >.<.

Dune: This, like LOTR, is VERY political and can be very easily boring. It might also be too adult or hard for him. There is mental illness and just crazy people in the later books.

 

Mature Humor:

 

He should be ready for some British humor, which is a little more mature than American humor (sorry) and much more sarcastic. You also have to be in the mood for it, especially if you aren't expecting it.

Sourcery: Really, really funny.

Hitchhiker's Guide: Also funny.

Magic Kingdom for Sale -- Sold: American. Funny take on fantasy books.

 

I kept away from darker books where the protagonist is morally grey (Artemis fowl and Drizzit being exceptions -- though they are both still definitely heros), sex, questionable themes, or general mental derangement.

I also stayed away from more modern books, which I have read a lot of if you would like recommendations for those instead. I read a lot in general, so if you have a questions about a book in particular, I can try to help.

Edit: Links

u/EndOfLine · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

The Stainless Steel Rat (probably the closest thing to Space Opera on my short list of suggestions)

Dune

Anything by Isaac Assimov

Anything by William Gibson (Count Zero, Mona Lisa Overdrive, and Neuromancer would be good first choices)

Ender's Game

H. G. Wells and Jules Verne are also good choices if you want some classic old-school sci-fi

u/TheGateIsDown · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

If you are willing to give it a shot and you have 16 hours to kill, I'd recommend starting the series A Song of Ice and Fire. Guaranteed to keep you engaged.
If you are looking for a short read about small time crime in Boston and trying to sleep for 14.5 hours I'd recommend The Friends of Eddie Coyle.
Also if you have not read Ender's Game or the companion series Ender's Shadow this would be your other option. A fantastic sci-fi series, just realize that the author is kind of a dick.
*edit added links

u/gigabein · 2 pointsr/masseffect

You should read Ender's Game. I don't want to ruin it for you, but it too has big, scary bugs.

u/tvprod · 2 pointsr/AskReddit
u/xCurlyQ · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Just started A Game of Thrones. You ALL still have Zoidberg!

Book

u/Wooshar · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Talk about a hard decision! I seriously cannot choose so here are a few of My Favorite Book (s):

Pride and Prejudice

Shadow Divers non-fiction

Ender's Game

If RedditRaffle chooses me I would like this book.

What a great first contest!

u/Hypobasis · 2 pointsr/WoT

Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy, damn good book.

u/Antishill_canon · 2 pointsr/PoliticalHumor

Weird coicidences you say?

Donald Barr is AG William Barr's dad

Donald Barr was in the OSS, which was the precursor to the CIA

Donald Barr gave Epstein his first job as a math teacher in an elite, politically connected school, even though Epstein did not have any qualifications or even a college degree.

Donald Barr wrote a book called Space Relations, about a race of aliens that are so rich they become bored with everything and start a sex slavery ring and are also aroused by fear

u/crunk-daddy-supreme · 2 pointsr/news

>Donald Barr, William Barr's dad wrote a book on sex slavery in 1975 immediately after hiring Epstein the previous year. Barr was forced to resign in 1974 and no one really knows why. https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

>1 Used from $4,999.00

great where am I going to get my sex slavery book now?

also sad to see people shitting on the book which had decent reviews in the past.

u/Captain_Sabatini · 2 pointsr/rpg

You can do with one dice set. But I would recommend starting with a cheaper game.

Savage Worlds Deluxe is the only book you need to get started playing Savage Worlds and it is less than $10. Now the real key to this system (in my opinion) is the settings which will cost a bit more but you could still get the Savage Worlds core and a setting or two for less than the cost of getting all the books for 4e or Pathfinder (unless that setting is Hellfrost or Deadlands Reloaded and you want all of it, then it will cost you).

There is also OpenQuest another fun game that is a retroclone of RuneQuest (another fun game that is in it's 6th edition now). OpenQuest 2 is about to be published so OpenQuest is no longer being printed/sold but the dev kit in that link has all the rules for OpenQuest just none of the art (and possibly sloppy formatting, I don't know I own the full pdf).

But if you are dead set on getting one of those two I would say Red Box but be warned I have really bullshit reasons. Some asshats ruined DnD 3.5 for me so badly that, while I logically know that people can have a fun time with it (I even have) 3.5 (and by default Pathfinder) leaves a foul taste in my mouth so take my recommendation with a grain of salt. But also 4e is easier on a first time DM.

Edit: Oh and I have a few more systems I might recommend but I was trying to go with beginner friendly systems that still have a bit of crunch to them. I think both of these systems are easier to play/run than DnD/PF (except maybe basic DnD, I have never played that line).

u/mrbarky · 2 pointsr/rpg

Have you thought about just adapting something like Savage Worlds (which uses the Die Used=Skill rating)? I haven't used the system but own the book. It's universal, and I think it might even have vehicle combat rules as well.

http://www.amazon.com/Savage-Worlds-Deluxe-Explorers-S2P10016/dp/1937013200/ref=pd_sim_b_2

u/GunnerMcGrath · 2 pointsr/ender

Agreed. I was looking through the gallery of Ender's Game book covers and most of them are atrocious. I do think this cover is probably the best I've seen, in terms of representing the book well and still giving a cool sci-fi feel to it, without looking too much like a kids book like this one.

u/depressmania · 2 pointsr/nba
u/silenceforsilence · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

This is such a crazy awesome contest, and you are such a crazy and generous person!

A Kindle Fire is the ideal e-reader in my opinion. I'm constantly on the go, and constantly stuck in long rehearsals and going on trips which have a lot of down time. Reading is one of my favorite things to do, and I tend to go through books really quickly. I love real books, that paper feel and smell, but it's not always the best idea to pack two or three books to take along. Luggage can get heavy, there's not enough space, etc. With an e-reader, I could have tons of books at my fingertips! I feel like I should maniacally cackle there, but it might not be the best idea.

If I win, I would love the book Ender's Game to start off the Ender Quintet.

u/Trkghost · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Make me smile, Rasta!

this would be cool

u/sbeleidy · 2 pointsr/suggestmeabook

There's this thread on similar books to the count of monte cristo and here are the current suggestions ordered by page length:

The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester - 236 pages

Neuromancer - 271 pages

Ender’s Game - 5 books with the first (the linked one) around 250 pages

River God - 676 pages

Shogun & Tai Pan - 1000+ and 700+ pages each


I'm debating the first 2 really. Not sure if you happened to have read them and would have a recommendation.

u/ebooksgirl · 2 pointsr/RandomActsofeBooks

I was a total girly-girl at your daughter's age, and LOVED The Secret Garden at her age. Would Coraline be too scary for her?

For your son, 6th grade is when I discovered Ender's Game and got WAY into the Star Trek novels. Franchise books tend to be pretty clean, would he be interested in the Star Wars novels?

u/mewfasa · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

The whole Ender's Game series is really, really good. I highly suggest reading all of the books. Everyone always compares it to the Hunger Games, but I personally don't think they really compare.

2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America is a book I thoroughly enjoyed, and I had my dad read it too. It's it's a bit apocalyptic, and of course it's a fictional novel, but the story sounds so plausible it's scary.

People have already recommended a bunch of books by John Green, but I second those recommendations. He's a wonderful author.

Finally, a coming-of-age book which just so happens to be my all-time favorite book is The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

I can talk about books all day. I love reading so much

u/Ask_Seek_Knock · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

First suggestion, although it isn't fantasy more historical fiction, is James Clavell's Asian Saga. Starting with Shogun. It takes about 70 pages for me to really get into the story, which for a normal length book would be a lot but these are over 1,000 pages for the most part. It sounds daunting but the stories are full of adventure and intrigue and you will very likely be captivated and swept away.

Second Ender's Game Series Kind of a classic science fiction series, just like Dune.

Third The End. The second book in the series releases on the 30th of August.

u/ThetaOmega · 2 pointsr/anime

What genre do you typically read? Here are a few of my favorite books.

[Flowers for Algernon] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003WJQ74E/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)

1984

Ender's Game

World War Z

Flowers for Algernon: This story is told in first person, in a series of journal entries of a mentally handicapped man named Charlie. He goes under a medical experiment to see if mental retardation can be fixed by surgery, and the journal entries follow him through this. Warning: There will be ninjas cutting onions during your reading of this book

1984: This is a must read story in my opinion, on the off chance you have not read this already. It tells the story of Winston, a party member that works for a totalitarian government. To be honest, I don't read this story for the main character Winston, but I read it for the political commentary in the book, as it describes his life.

Ender's Game: This is set in the somewhat distant future of Earth. Earth has been at war with an alien insect race, thou at this time, there is a cease fire. This follows the story of Ender Wiggins, as he goes through military school. And he is like, 10 years old, as is his fellow classmates.

World War Z: You know that movie that was called World War Z with Brad Pitt? Throw all of that out the window. The only similarity that the movie and the book has is the name World War Z. This book is written as a series of interviews of survivors of The Great Zombie War. It goes through the whole war, from an interview with a doctor who dealt with a patient zero in a small Chinese village, to the great panic and how the government reacted, as well as the aftermath. It interviews people from all walks of life. Doctors, military, human smugglers, government officials, and everyday normal people both in the states and abroad. If i had to recommend only one book, it would be a tie between this or 1984. And 1984 is tied because of the historical significance.

u/woodsman707 · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

Life of Pi is really good. I also just read Slaughterhouse 5, which was excellent, but I felt it was too short. I am reading Ender's Game right now, which is excellent. There are so many good books. Check out /r/books, /r/booksuggestions and I think you'll find a bunch to read.

u/PaganPirate · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Fear cuts deeper than swords - it really, really does. :)

1.) Not just grey but Earl Grey.

2.) A rain cover.

3.) Ginger chews?

4.) Ninja throwing knifes for my wee son - because I'm a craptastic parent!

5.) A classic, Ender's Game because why haven't you already read this??

6.) An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related! Sorry! Nothing physical. $1.55 is the closest.

7.) Hello Kitty!

8.) I think compasses are beautiful.

9.) Princess Bride - but no on my WL. <3

10.) Gerber 22-41131 Profile Guthook Fixed Blade Knife -- It's self explanatory really.

11.) I love to cook and I need to cook healthy food but my current knives (and I use the term loosely) leave me beaten and bloody. So these

12.) Happy crayons

13.) A surfboard. Because they are BADD ASS!

14.) A gun safe could hold a lot of bread!

15.) Pretty lupus friend earrings!

16.) Blood orange and bergamot candle!

17.) Doctor Who K-9 bobble head!

18.) Pencils. I freaking LOVE pencils.

19.) A gift card, so I can gift more people. :)

20.) I love this beautiful buddha.

MADE IN OREGON! Bob's Red Mill flours. Look it up!

I love silly contests like this - I know others have done better, but I had fun looking. <3

u/acciocorinne · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

My kitty makes me happy!

I'd love this kindle book!

Can you feel the love

u/EpimetheusIncarnate · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

400 gifts! You're so awesome! I think this is the only thing that qualifies on my wl lol. Thanks for the contest!

u/nandhp · 2 pointsr/kindle

I'm not sure that's true. Some books (like this one) say at the very bottom of the description:

> At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied.

(Although I haven't actually bought the book, so I can't tell you if it's lying or not.)

u/lief101 · 2 pointsr/AdviceAnimals
u/MaybeEvilWizard · 2 pointsr/Fantasy
u/jacktrowell · 2 pointsr/litrpg
u/Elbryan629 · 2 pointsr/litrpg

Ohh. I see.

Cradle Series

Overgeared

Red Mage

The Gam3

Limitless Lands

Divine Dungeon

Mirror World

The Good guys

War Aeternus

Dest March

Bushido Online

Dark Elf Chronicles

Djinn Tamer

Hero of Thera

Morning Wood

The Two Week Curse

Party Hard

Axe Druid

Ryan DeBruyn
Equalize: A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG (Ether Collapse Book 1)

The way of the shaman

Galactagon

u/Dorrin · 2 pointsr/atheism

The best responses to your points to me are found in, Peter Hamilton's Commonweath Series, and the brand new Bobiverse Series by Dennis Taylor and Ghost in the Shell. If you for some reason hate books, reading, and anime here is a quick TLDR: Just because the new you is a copy doesn't make it worthless, or makes death any less horrifying. Furthermore, the potential options are more than simply copying a brain before/during death. There's the whole nanite brain replacement Ship of Theseus issue starting from simple neural augmentation all the way to full on cybernetic replacement.

You'd really like the Bobiverse, it literally has entire genealogies of copies of one nerd, each with slightly different slowly diverging viewpoints which I found captivating and engaging.

u/Jakedubbleya · 2 pointsr/polandball

Oooo Brazilian Empire! There's a really good book I just read with you in it! https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/dp/B01LWAESYQ

u/Talmun · 2 pointsr/AskMenOver30

Highly recommend the following series:
https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/dp/B01LWAESYQ

It’s fun, it’s an easy read, but it’s not simplistic.

Also huge recommendation for these two books:
https://www.amazon.com/14-Peter-Clines/dp/1618680528

https://www.amazon.com/Fold-Novel-Peter-Clines-ebook/dp/B00NDTS7NC

Again, fun, easy to read and a blast to re-read.


u/Lexidh · 2 pointsr/Fibromyalgia

Oh, then you need to read Bobiverse. Amazon link

u/dane83 · 2 pointsr/Atlanta

One thing that I've learned is that some books that you buy on Amazon will let you add the narration for really cheap if you buy the book. So instead of paying $30 for a book (or $15 a month for a credit), you can buy a kindle book on sale and 'add' the audio book.

I'm currently listening to a series called the Bobiverse thanks to this. The first book (We are Legion, We are Bob) was only $4 for the book and then another $2 to add the audiobook. If you like sci-fi/adventure books, I'd recommend it, it's dumb fun.

Also don't forget that your local library probably offers audiobooks on OverDrive.

u/FatFingerHelperBot · 2 pointsr/suggestmeabook

It seems that your comment contains 1 or more links that are hard to tap for mobile users.
I will extend those so they're easier for our sausage fingers to click!


Here is link number 1 - Previous text "Bob"



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u/BronxBombers15 · 2 pointsr/readyplayerone

We have the same taste man ... trust me and read We are Legion. It was honestly my favorite out of all of them ....

  1. We are legion (We are Bob) and the sequels are

  2. For We Are Many: Bobiverse and the newest addition that just came out,

  3. All These Worlds: Bobiverse

    https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/dp/B01LWAESYQ
u/tophermeyer · 2 pointsr/startrek

I just read a 2 novel series called "The Bobiverse". It's sort of sci-fi pulp but it's fun and I really enjoyed it. It captured the things I like about Star Trek, a little action/adventure/exploration with a few smart jokes.

https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/dp/B01LWAESYQ/ref=pd_sim_351_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZPJFXB9C798XNAT6WP51

u/klobersaurus · 2 pointsr/TheExpanse

do yourself a favor and read this asap! it's quick and wonderful!

u/wheeliedave · 2 pointsr/printSF

The bobiverse is a good, fun, new one... Martin Kloos is great if he likes military scifi. Vernor Vinge is great with little or no bodily fluids, just spiders and dying civilisations...

u/s4nholo · 2 pointsr/MECoOp

One of my top faves atm. Another is the bobiverse series. It's been pretty entertaining and has a similar humor, but not quite as over the top.

u/FumbledAgain · 2 pointsr/EliteDangerous

Have you read (or listened to the audiobook) We Are Legion (We Are Bob)? If not, you need to! It's $3.99 as a Kindle eBook or free if you're a member of Kindle Unlimited, and the audiobook is only $1.99. It's the first in a series of three books, and it's both amazing and hilarious, narrated from the perspective of a snarky geek. Your mention of Epsilon Eridani is what reminded me of it. I definitely recommend the audiobook as the narrator, Ray Porter, delivers the snark perfectly.

u/Cash4Duranium · 2 pointsr/aurora4x

Thank you!

I highly recommend it. I know people are really hit or miss with audiobooks, but I love listening to it while playing Aurora.

Here's the first (it's a pretty short series of 3 books): https://www.amazon.com/Are-Legion-Bob-Bobiverse-Book-ebook/dp/B01LWAESYQ

u/BunnySideUp · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Can’t believe we haven’t mentioned Bob

The Bobiverse series. Basically follows Bob, a man who signed up to by cryogenically frozen in modern times, then 100 years or so later is recreated as an AI against his will to be placed in control of a Von Neumann space probe, going on to replicate and explore the galaxy.

Highly recommend the audiobooks.

u/TheOffTopicBuffalo · 2 pointsr/gaming
u/Accomplished_Wolf · 2 pointsr/suggestmeabook

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:

u/InsidiousToilet · 2 pointsr/whatsthatbook

Sufficiently Advanced Magic (Arcane Ascension, Book 1), by Andrew Rowe? It has magic, a tower, dueling, and a lost brother. It was published on February 26, 2017, so it's definitely within your date range.

u/rump_truck · 2 pointsr/HFY

Worth the Candle is a pretty good ongoing serial

Mother of Learning isn't quite a litRPG, but it uses D&D-like magic and scratches a lot of the same itches

Andrew Rowe's Arcane Ascension series isn't explicitly a litRPG, but it's written by a game designer and meant to feel game-like. It has a level up system, so it's barely worth making the distinction.

Edit: I just learned that I should have read War of Broken Mirrors before Arcane Ascension instead of the other way around.

u/BigIron60T · 2 pointsr/pcgaming
u/Kazaxat · 2 pointsr/Fantasy

I thought to check the price on the US Amazon page, and while it may not quite match the sale our Canadian counterparts have, $3.99 is not exactly expensive: https://www.amazon.com/Sufficiently-Advanced-Magic-Arcane-Ascension-ebook/dp/B06XBFD7CB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496421171&sr=8-1&keywords=sufficiently+advanced+magic

I'm definitely considering picking this up, I did enjoy the War of Broken Mirrors novels, and am a fan of JRPG's in general.

u/OWHealSlut · 2 pointsr/Iteration110Cradle

You could try Andrew Rowe's [Sufficiently Advanced Magic] (https://www.amazon.com/Sufficiently-Advanced-Magic-Arcane-Ascension-ebook/dp/B06XBFD7CB).

u/iAmTheHYPE- · 2 pointsr/politics

> his father didn't endorse rape or anything like that at all.

https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

u/onmywaydownnow · 2 pointsr/books

Armor John Steakley. Sooo good. I wish they would make it into a show on scifi (: I know i know people are scared of that but scifi can do good shows too.

u/ruadh · 2 pointsr/scifi

http://www.amazon.com/Armor-science-fiction-John-Steakley/dp/0886773687

This may not be it, but it has certain elements similar. Especially following the survival of that soldier.

u/stupidillusion · 2 pointsr/WritingPrompts

Isn't this the plot of Armor

u/evoblade · 2 pointsr/MilitaryStories

I'm not certain about the time slowdown. In fact it probably didn't seem to, because I remember being amazed at how incredibly fast I moved my arms. They were a little sore afterwards.

btw, if you are interested, here is the link for Armor.

u/NyQuil_as_condiment · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Armor by John Steakley

Ex Heroes by Peter Clines

14 by Peter Clines

And everything by William Gibson. Seriously, just all the things by him but start with Neuromancer

u/Johnzsmith · 2 pointsr/books

Armor by John Steakley. I am not a big sci fi fan, but I picked this up at a used book store 20 years ago and loved it.

u/old_dog_new_trick · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Try Armor by John Steakley. An older book, but includes several scenes with soldiers in powered exo-skeleton suits fighting in low-g.

u/LgFatherAnthrocite · 2 pointsr/HFY

If you've never read Armor by John Steakley, I'm gonna go ahead and recommend you read the fuck out of that.

https://www.amazon.com/Armor-John-Steakley/dp/0886773687

Awesome Work! Cant wait for your next one!

u/Tennessean · 2 pointsr/NetflixBestOf

I addition to The Forever War and Old Man's War, let me throw Armor out there. It gets into the psychology of an individuals war pretty heavily. I put it up there close to Starship Troopers, and slightly above The Forever War.

u/CircumcisedSpine · 2 pointsr/WTF

And here is the Amazon page for it.

http://www.amazon.com/Book-Erotic-Fantasy-Gwendolyn-Kestrel/dp/1588463990

God, I love Amazon reviewers.

u/Jebydia · 2 pointsr/DnD

If you really need lots of sex rules you can adapt book of erotic fantasy

Was originally for 3.5 but can probably adapt everything in there if needed.

u/Ryugi · 2 pointsr/rpghorrorstories

www.oglaf.com

Its a comic series. Fair warning, its SUPER NSFW. Its basically if you were cataloging an adventure made from the Book of Erotic Fantasy, and everyone at your table had a GREAT sense of humor, this is what you'd make with it.

Here's the "Pinecone" comic which is one of few comic pages from that site that IS technically SFW (just a big ole gay smooch). Clicking next for page 2 is NSFW, but it continues the skit.

The Xoan Ambassador is my favorite character. He's like everyone's charisma-rogue/bard hybrid type.

More on the Zoan Ambassador nonsense (Nsfw)

u/Ratfor · 2 pointsr/DnD
u/Midnight_Shade · 2 pointsr/DnD

I'm not sure about this subreddit's policies on linking to Scribd and other book sites, but here is the Amazon link.

It's pretty interesting, and like the product description says it adds a whole new dimension to your game, which can be pretty amusing and fulfilling. It talks about different race's ideas on love, how to rp these types of encounters, and how different ideas dealing with this type of stuff would affect the campaign

u/Torvaun · 2 pointsr/DnD

I'll just leave this here.

u/fknbastard · 2 pointsr/rpg
u/karrachr000 · 2 pointsr/DnD

While I do not think that the book is strictly Forgotten Realms, you might have a look at the Book of Erotic Fantasy. It contains spells and feats that you will not find in any other sourcebook.

u/MrBleah · 2 pointsr/suggestmeabook
u/newloaf · 2 pointsr/pics

For some insight into the importance of seed repositories, read The Wind-Up Girl.

u/fatalist23 · 2 pointsr/worldnews

Reminds me of The Windup Girl. But that's science-fiction. Maybe we're moving towards a future like it though.

u/OsoFeo · 2 pointsr/conspiracy

> When you really think about GMOS it's putting a company in charge of food. And if one entity gains all the food we could have a real situation going on.

Already a sci-fi plot point

u/BrainInAJar · 2 pointsr/printSF

The Windup Girl ( or anything by Paolo Bacigalupi ) is pretty fantastic.

u/donutfarm · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

u/SSMonkeybusiness · 2 pointsr/books

More of a hard sci-fi than GRRM's stuff: The Windup Girl

u/Lardalish · 2 pointsr/booksuggestions

Ok, you like a lot of the authors I do so Imma try and throw a couple out there.
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi Set in future Thailand where global warming has run rampant, the oceans have risen, and gene companies produce food seed continuously to keep ahead of genetic plagues that destroy anything edible. It's some solid hard scifi and if you like Gibson and Dick it should do ya well.

Red Thunder by John Varley Set in the near future the Chinese are clearly going to win the spacerace to Mars and a small group decides to build a ship to beat em. This is the first in a three part series (which I just learned had a third part lookin up that link) and I enjoyed it.

As for fantasy...

The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher In the world of The Dresden Files, magic is real, along with ghouls, vampires, demons, spirits, faeries, werewolves, zombies and other mythical monsters. Harry Dresden works to protect the general public, who are ignorant of magic and the dark forces conspiring against them. This makes it difficult for Harry to get by as a working wizard and private eye. The Chicago PD's Special Investigation unit, when led by Karrin Murphy, regularly employs Dresden as a consultant to help solve cases of a supernatural nature. I love this series, whenever a new book comes out (and hes up to 14 not counting a few short story collections and such) I read it almost nonstop.

u/pangefous52 · 2 pointsr/books

Fucking Ass goblins

Ass Goblins of Auschwitz. For real...

u/telepathetic_monkey · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

The Hater trilogy... Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3. This trilogy is amazing. It's about a sixth sense that about half the world's population has, it causes a world wide war. It has great imagery (but it's very gory). If you're into post apocalyptic survival stories, this is for you! The whole series is out now, but when I first started reading it I had to wait for each book to come out...gaaahh it was killing me!

Also, for shits and giggles, Ass Goblins of Auschwitz. I've never read it, but I read the description, and now it is my life goal to read it haha!! Seriously though, read the description...

Thanks for the contest!!

u/Vesploogie · 2 pointsr/AskReddit

Maybe this?

Or some literature!

u/megazver · 2 pointsr/AskMen
u/Pop_pop_pop · 2 pointsr/books

Lend me your ears as I weave for you the tale of the Ass goblins from Aushwitz http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1933929936?pc_redir=1408593891&robot_redir=1

u/randite · 2 pointsr/rpg

Yep.

What your describing is pretty much pulp action. Pulp action is sort of the default for Savage Worlds. I don't think you'd need anything at all beyond some good ideas and the Deluxe Explorers edition.

u/indiemosh · 2 pointsr/rpg

Also, possibly the best selling point: the core book is only $10. For a physical copy.

EDIT: Here's an Amazon Link.

u/Syd35h0w · 2 pointsr/whowouldwin

if this is a pen and paper type deal utilizing the polyhedral dice, i'd suggest picking up Savage Worlds Deluxe with the Super Powers Companion.

Savage Worlds is the easiest RPG system to use and the easiest to modify with different settings to utilize such as sci-fi, fantasy, horror and modern.

u/terminaldogma01 · 2 pointsr/rpg
u/AdmiralCrackbar · 2 pointsr/tabletop

Buy some dice.

Buy some books.

Honestly, it depends what kind of game you want to play. I think here you're going to get a lot of weird niche games suggested but for starters you're better off sticking with the a more 'traditional' experience. D&D is an excellent starting point if you want to play a fantasy game, you can even pick up one of their adventures if you don't want to write your own material.

If you're unsure about spending that much just to get started you can pick up this starter set that will include the basic rules, a set of dice, some pregenerated characters, and a short adventure. From there, if you like the game, you can pick up the full rulebooks and some more dice and whatever else you like. Alternatively you can try out the free basic rules by downloading them from the Wizards of the Coast website. All you'll need is a set of dice to get started.

If you don't like or don't want to play D&D you can check out a bunch of other systems that will let you play other games or settings. [Edge of the Empire] (https://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Edge-Empire-Rulebook/dp/1616616571/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=edge+of+the+empire&qid=1563883870&s=gateway&sr=8-1) is a really cool Star Wars game, but it requires custom dice. My personal favourite sci-fi rpg is Traveller though, and it has the advantage of only requiring six sided dice.

A lot of people really like Savage Worlds, it's fun, it's cheap, and it's generic enough that you can run almost any setting you like with it. Unfortunately there's a new edition due out really soon so take that in to consideration. If you want a more in depth generic system then I can recommend GURPS, although you'll also need the Campaigns book. This system is absolutely not beginner friendly, it slaps you in the face with tables and rules for all sorts of scenarios, but I adore it and it's not really all that hard to figure out.

If you want an alternative to D&D Green Ronin has the "Age" series of games, starting with Fantasy Age, continuing with Modern Age, and the recently released The Expanse RPG covers Sci-Fi. I will admit that I've not actually had a chance to play any of these games, but I've read the rules and like the system.

Honestly you can find a game to cover practically any genre you want, whether it's Grimdark Fantasy, Martial Arts, Space Exploration, Lovecraftian Horror, Anime Cyberpunk Space Opera, or almost any other thing you can think of.

Don't fall in to the trap of playing a game because someone suggests it's 'easy', play something that really grabs your interest and inspires your imagination.

u/SelousX · 2 pointsr/rpg

I'm currently using Savage Worlds, running a 4-person group through (loosely) an old MERP module. We're two episodes in, and everyone is having a blast. The Savage Worlds Deluxe Explorer's Edition is usually around $9.95 MSRP:

http://smile.amazon.com/Savage-Worlds-Deluxe-Explorers-S2P10016/dp/1937013200/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420053487&sr=1-1&keywords=savage+worlds+deluxe

No matter what, good luck!

u/uqubar · 1 pointr/news

So who has all the probable blackmail evidence from Epstein's safe now?

Bill Barr's Father Donald hiring Epstein to teach at Dalton is odd in retrospect. Also Donald Barr's scifi book about space slavery is also creepy AF. Space relations: A slightly gothic interplanetary tale https://www.amazon.com/dp/0860000249/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_.p4ZDbQVJ4RFD

u/BrotherChe · 1 pointr/BrotherChe

Seven Mountains

So, I usually don't bring up the conspiracy theories rolling around in my brain and the internet, but Dan Brown was calling to me on this one.

https://old.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/diavta/william_barr_is_neckdeep_in_extremist_catholic/

> They shouldn't have been surprised: The buttoned-down, establishment-seeming Barr is actually neck-deep in a web of extremist conservative Catholic institutions, and he has been for the last three decades.

> Barr disclosed on a questionnaire submitted during his Senate confirmation process that he's been an active leader of several far-right Catholic and Christian groups.

> Six months later he told the wing nut Catholic League it was time to impose a "Moral consensus" based on "Natural law"-which conservative Catholic theologians believe means Catholic law.

https://www.thenation.com/article/william-barr-notre-dame-secularism

These are Catholics of the far right, who abhor the socialistic progressive tendencies of the Jesuits such as Pope Francis.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/5/3/1855095/-Did-Opus-Dei-Teach-A-G-Barr-to-Puts-Away-His-Scruples

Add to that, Pompeo, Devos, and Mike Pence seem to follow some Dominionist ideals, especially when it comes to the end of days.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominion_theology

Particularly Seven Mountain Domionists. Their plan is to rule the US by taking over 7 parts of a culture.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/infernal/2019/02/dominionism-in-america-part-5-the-seven-mountains-mandate/

People should remember, there are forces working toward goals much different than you'd expect.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/10/15/us-state-dept-under-fire-using-official-website-promote-pompeos-christian
https://old.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/diaguh/us_state_dept_under_fire_for_using_official/

http://www.autostraddle.com/i-was-trained-for-the-culture-wars-in-home-school-awaiting-someone-like-mike-pence-as-a-messiah-367057/

---

Back to the Opus Dei, and general Sharia law style ideas and attitudes being put out by these people
Opus Dei and their quest to rule by subjugating women and children.

"blessed be the fruit".

Barr's dad's book is quite a read -- seems to be a manual for establishing a culture involving sex slave rings.

https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

Barr set Epstein up with a teaching gig at a girls school, his connections to the powerful through being OSS/CIA, the subject matter of the book and his connection with Epstein is a little too on the nose. Epstein's Zorro ranch was organized with intent of being a breeding compound for eugenics and transhumanism with himself as a genesis point.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/08/01/jeffrey-epstein-new-york-times-details-dna-eugenics-interest/1886777001/

u/h54 · 1 pointr/Blackfellas

I just finished Armor by John Steakley. He only wrote two books that I know of and I really enjoyed them both.

u/testudoaubreii · 1 pointr/pics

You might like this book.

u/mul4mbo · 1 pointr/reddit.com

I liked it, but I was introduced to it by my dad (sci-fi nerd) when i was 14 or something. It is a fast, fun read, but it will not change your life or anything. I read it a second time a few years ago. I still liked it.

It is basically the same setting as starship troopers, but there isn't much time dedicated to social philosophy or whatever. It reads faster, more like Ender's Game. it mostly focuses on the specific missions and the obstacles the main character must overcome in order to survive. It goes into a lot more detail about power armor and fighting bug-like aliens.

The story is told in two perspectives (through two main characters) and I think one of them is more interesting than the other. So like 1/3 of the book kind of drags a bit (relatively) and I just want to read through to get back to the other guy. I think it's worth it, but some people (in reviews on amazon, etc) hate it. Some parts of it are really cool though.

I don't think this book rivals Neal Stephenson or William Gibson or anything, but it totaly kicks Terry Goodkind's ass. Also, it has half a star more on Amazon than either Snow Crash or Neuromancer. That's kinda bs, but ARMOR is a good, fast read.

EDIT: Seems like major retailers usually carry it (Barnes&Noble, Hastings, etc), and I often notice copies of it at used bookstores.

EDIT2: He also made the list of finalists: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/07/138938145/science-fiction-and-fantasy-finalists

u/twcsata · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

You really need to read John Steakley's "Armor". It's a little older now, but the book itself won't seem dated, and you should be able to get it on Amazon.

Edit: Here's the link.

u/805primetime · 1 pointr/AskReddit
u/dasjimbo · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

How about
Armor?

u/steamtroll · 1 pointr/books

Armor by John Steakley. I was remembering bits through it, but it wasn't until close to the end that I fully remembered reading it. It was just as good the second time.

u/DrDeath666 · 1 pointr/AskReddit

I suggest you read the book Armor

u/feetextreme · 1 pointr/scifi
  • Armor - More ground base fighting in powersuits than in space - Second half of the book isn't very exciting - Audiobook is awesome
  • The Forever War - War fought against aliens over a long period of time. Space and ground battles
  • Old Man's War - Lots of advanced tech in these books with space battles and ground combat - This would probably be my first recommendation
  • Currently reading Leviathan Wakes which is turning out to be pretty good
u/slick8086 · 1 pointr/movies

Yeah, no I don't think so. I've read the entire Ringworld series. The ring structure seems like the only similarities to me.

From what I know of Halo, the armor and Master Chief character seem inspired by John Steakley's Armor I've read this twice now, it is a really fun read.

http://www.amazon.com/Armor-John-Steakley/dp/0886773687

BTW this was published in 1984, well before any Halo stories.

Edit: I really have to recommend the audio book too, the narration and voice acting are awesome. (listen to a sample here)

u/madmanz123 · 1 pointr/scifi

The bugs from Armor were good as well in terms of sheer numbers/tenacity.

http://www.amazon.com/Armor-science-fiction-John-Steakley/dp/0886773687

u/ZaaK433 · 1 pointr/reddit.com
u/Empty_Jester · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

I recommend Armor: http://www.amazon.com/Armor-John-Steakley/dp/0886773687.

Although it is about combat in power armor, the real conflict is in the mind of the guy inside the suit as he is thrown into battle after pointless battle.

u/lordxi · 1 pointr/DnD

What the fuck did I just read?

On another note...

u/Luk3ling · 1 pointr/DnD

> And what do you choose to do? Get your fucking rocks off? How incredibly goddamn pathetic is that?

> It's just gross and sad on many different levels.

You want to bitch about me being condescending when you choose phrases like "incredibly goddamn pathetic" and "sad on so many levels" to describe people who don't share your opinion.

> "I was asked what my opinion on it was. I gave my opinion. To quote another contributor to this thread, "It all depends on the group and how they want to play." That's how I want to play, and I'm getting attacked for it."

Let me fix this sentence for you, so that maybe you understand why you're being attacked.

"I was asked my opinion, so I gave it, using words like "Pathetic" and "Sad" to describe people who don't share my opinion with me. I find it silly that people might enjoy romance in their D&D, therefore everyone else should as well, if they don't, well fuck those sad, pathetic people!"

Sorry to break it to you, bro, but there are a lot of people who feel the need for even X-RATED content in their table top, let alone just pg13 romance.

Asshole.

u/RhynoD · 1 pointr/funny

Hey, I've managed to play DnD for a decade now without using that book. I don't want to have to start now.

u/pliskin42 · 1 pointr/DnD
u/thebardingreen · 1 pointr/sex
u/Rabbitknight · 1 pointr/DungeonsAndDragons

If this is the kind of game you want to run may I reccomend this book it's 3.5 but easily adapted:
https://www.amazon.com/Book-Erotic-Fantasy-Gwendolyn-Kestrel/dp/1588463990

If not, "you are now capable of bending in such a way as it is possible" fade to black move on.

u/delroland · 1 pointr/dndnext

You can still find the Book of Erotic Fantasy on Amazon, though it's out of print so all the prices are stupid high.

It was a little silly but a good amount of the material was actually decent.

u/beardbard89 · 1 pointr/dirtypenpals

If you need some more inspiration for absurd sexual D&D, look no further than The Book of Erotic Fantasy

u/dnd_curious · 1 pointr/DnD

I see, thanks for pointing that out. I didn't actually know where the chart came from.

So it's this book (gallery). It just says "OGL", doesn't seem to mention 3E anywhere. I guess that would mean that it's technically still usable in 5E?

u/CoreySnipes · 1 pointr/Cleveland

I'm reading The Windup Girl right now, and the shipping docks and nearby warehouse/industrial area are featured prominently. In the post-apocalyptic landscape (after "the Expansion") moving goods by sailing ship is once again the dominant form of global trade. I like that your idea of using the flats and up the Cuyahoga river a bit. Maybe also that section of abandoned "subway" under the Veterans Memorial bridge.

u/fisolani · 1 pointr/books
u/oldneckbeard · 1 pointr/tipofmytongue

If you liked that book, check out The Windup Girl. It's a book, but about a post-oil economy where people are storing energy in springs, and there is a small group of android-like people who run on that energy.

u/tandem7 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood are two of my favourites.

The Wind-up Girl is also pretty neat.

The Fionavar Tapestry is one of my all-time favourite fantasy reads.

The Lies of Locke Lamora is usually a good bet if you like GRRM.

u/modestmouth · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Riddle the First: Wine
I’ve heard tell that wine can be paired with fruit and cheese. Because I’m a classy lady I would have no trouble substituting traditional cheese for some White Cheddar Cheez-its:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ONPN9K/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3OX0211BFWC4U&coliid=I2QRJJ8FY0PH3O

Riddle the Second: Broom
Do you know how dusty White Cheddar Cheez-its are? Of course I need a broom to keep my side of the dormitory clean!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006TESANU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3OX0211BFWC4U&coliid=I37I11D6JNTLOL

Riddle the Third: Hat
What “classy lady” wouldn’t want a miniature top hat headband fascinator? I just hope its not too distracting to the other students…
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IB052U4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3OX0211BFWC4U&coliid=IPL430LO8ISSR

Riddle the Fourth: Book
I chose a muggle book of fiction I’ve wanted to read for a while now, The Windup Girl, by Paolo Bacigalupi. I’ll give you a prize if you can say “Bacigalupi” three times fast…
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1597801585/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3OX0211BFWC4U&coliid=I3IYSDZAX1N183

Riddle the Fifth: Trunk
Cards Against Humanity would be stowed away in my trunk. What better way to learn about all my new housemates after sorting is complete?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004S8F7QM/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3OX0211BFWC4U&coliid=I1Z7ZLARVMKSAN

For Bonus Points: Cape
I need variety! Why wear the same boring old cape day after day if I don’t have to? With Dancing Colors Scarves I could have a different colored cape, or a cape of many colors, anytime I pleased!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0042SR4F0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3OX0211BFWC4U&coliid=I2KTI79YW1128G

u/GaBeRockKing · 1 pointr/rational

I'd suggest The Windup Girl. Though the psychological horror is pretty explicit. (Admittedly, it panders heavily to my tastes because, hilariously enough, Iowa is a superpower in that setting.)

u/AndThisGuyPeedOnIt · 1 pointr/neoliberal
u/eorld · 1 pointr/news

If you liked that book you should read the Wind-Up Girl and his other stuff. It's mostly all from different perspectives in the same future Earth.

u/mhornberger · 1 pointr/explainlikeimfive

> The real risks for GMO foods is that the plant can be induced to produce its own herbicide which in turn might have health consequences on people who consume it.

We'd have to establish that the herbicide was a peoplecide as well. My main concern about GMOs have nothing to do with health. I think it's crazy and dangerous to allow corporations to patent the food we grow. The SF novel Windup Girl was set in a dystopia where a company had, after patenting certain types of foodstuffs, "accidentally" released a pathogen that wiped out all the other ones, thus making everyone utterly dependent on theirs. I consider that a very potential future. It's the patenting of the food supply that freaks me out, not the health issues of GMOs.

u/cc4000 · 1 pointr/ifyoulikeblank

Yes' I came here to suggest that' here's a link - http://www.amazon.com/The-Windup-Girl-Paolo-Bacigalupi/dp/1597801585

u/cavehobbit · 1 pointr/scifi

For those commenting the lack of women authors, I agree.

I suggest Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente. She has other interesting books as well.

ALso, I did not see Paolo Bacigalupis The Windup Girl mentioned, very good

u/Pimmelman · 1 pointr/WTF
u/NuisanceConduct · 1 pointr/AskReddit
u/Cleops · 1 pointr/oldpeoplefacebook

Bwahahaha :D My evil plan has worked.

Seriously though - I found a neat tool recently you can use to stop your amazon likes from appearing on Facebook. It is here for PC/Mac and here if you are browsing FB on your phone with an iphone or android

u/GrayghOst123 · 1 pointr/books
u/Combat_Wombatz · 1 pointr/books
u/juliusorange · 1 pointr/books

Ass Goblins of Auschwitz has to be up there for most ridiculous book. But it is actually a pretty decent read.

u/unreplaced · 1 pointr/HeroRP

Name- Cassidy Okuda

Age- 16

Allegiance- Undecided but probably Defenders, eventually

Main Power- "Shadow"/Dark Energy Manipulation*

Minor Power- Unconsciously exudes a mild terror pheromone, just enough to amplify already agitated peoples' fear. For example, he's part of a team doing a breaking and entering stealth mission of some sort. There's a guard that's already incredibly nervous about guarding, I don't know, Jesus' left testicle or something, Cas' pheromones would just sort of push him over the edge to where somebody popping up and going "boo." in a monotone would make him faint. Meanwhile, the other guards who're all hardened war criminals wouldn't be affected at all.

Weakness(es)/Power Drawbacks- ^^^I ^^^think ^^^I ^^^can ^^^spin ^^^this ^^^to ^^^be ^^^both ^^^at ^^^once. Actually using his main power for more than few seconds at a time causes horrific hallucinations that can start anywhere between instantly and days later and can last from seconds to hours. Sometimes causes "precognitive" visions ^^^that ^^^are ^^^occasionally ^^^forced ^^^on ^^^anyone ^^^he ^^^uses ^^^his ^^^powers ^^^on. The difference between the two is the "visions" basically force a third person/out of body experience where the experiencer for lack of a better word more or less views a Superjail-ish massacre/apocalypse/whatever.

He's still willing to use his powers (pfft sanity, who needs, mirite?), this just sort of relegates him to a support character- drag off/aggro one enemy at a time, temporary cloaks, stuff like that. I'd like to eventually have him be able to turn this on other people (like what Raven did to Doctor Light in the old Teen Titans show; less tentacles, more badass Sith-styled hands-over-the-throat-while-darkness-slowly-covers-the-face) but at the cost of taxing his mind more. Basically, regardless of any upgrades he might get later, using his powers in any capacity will eventually break him.

**Personality(?)-
Since this is just a little blurb for a character submission and not a full on template (and Origin Story and all that good stuff is separate... the easiest way to start this comparing him to pre-Trigon trying to end the world Raven. Mostly "speak when spoken to" kind of quiet, measured, likes to keep to himself. He's not outwardly creepy or offputting, he doesn't actually go out of his way to avoid people, just... doesn't do much to encourage anyone to notice him, either. Spends most of his time reading and meditating (something he started doing to cope with the hallucinations and faux-visions), collecting horror memorabilia, stuff like that. It's actually not until you get to know him that he gets creepy, or worse still, you get a taste of his powers' kickback.

*As of starting, I'd like to leave it at shadows. It's really energy from a sort of "Negative Zone" dimnsion that's full of eldritch abominations and stuff. Would obviously need some help, but I'd like to explore the dimension and how Cas has access to it at some point.

*More often= quicker, etc. etc. Even with meditation and constant reminders that the horrible, horrible shit using his powers projects onto him... I'm talking like bizzarro fiction Ass Goblins of Auschwitz mixed with H.R. Geiger and Clive Barker. Stuff that would be a lot for anyone, let alone a 16 year old kid.

---

Think I did that right. If/when he's approved I'll expound on it more, but my characters are usually the ones
causing* the massacres, so it'll be nice to write someone he's not a violent mentally unstable bastard for a change ^^^two ^^^out ^^^of ^^^three.

u/greedyheart · 1 pointr/milliondollarextreme

i always thought this book looked interesting https://www.amazon.com/dp/1933929936 never read it though

u/someguy7734206 · 1 pointr/intrusivethoughts
u/darkmooninc · 1 pointr/rpg

Sex sells. You know? The books feel like some cross between a Troma film fan fiction.

In fact, Bizarro Central describes Bizarro as:

  • Franz Kafka meets John Waters
  • Dr. Suess of the post-apocalypse
  • Takashi Miike meets William S. Burroughs
  • Alice in Wonderland for adults
  • Japanese animation directed by David Lynch

    Other great Bizarro authors include Jeff Burk, Mykle Hansen, and Cameron Pierce.

    It's really fun stuff, in the way that art house films and dropping acid are really fun stuff.
u/declared_somnium · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon
u/ScullerLite · 1 pointr/IAmA
u/mafab · 1 pointr/Destiny
u/Pariah1974 · 1 pointr/rpg

Savage Worlds Deluxe Core Rules: Explorer Edition


  • Slipstream

  • Deadlands: Reloaded Player's Handbook

    Probably you could get by with the core rules and one or the other. Slipstream would be beneficial for the gear, space combat, and the edges, while Deadlands would give you edges, dueling rules, and both would have good stuff for Professional edges.
u/not_a_troll_for_real · 1 pointr/rpg

Check out Mythweavers: http://www.myth-weavers.com/forumhome.php

It's a play by post site and you can join games for all sorts of different rpgs.

Personally, I would recommend trying Savage Worlds. It's a really fun and easy to learn system, and it can be used for a wide variety of games, from fantasy to modern to sci-fi. There's a free test drive of the rules that you can check out here:
http://www.peginc.com/freebies/SWcore/TD06.pdf

The full rulebook is $8.99 on Amazon, and it has everything you need to play: http://www.amazon.com/Savage-Worlds-Deluxe-Explorers-S2P10016/dp/1937013200#

u/emosorines · 1 pointr/books

Old Man's War (recommended by Penny Arcade!)

And if you can consider this science fiction, then Infected it's pretty awesome, and very raw and gritty

u/sonnyclips · 1 pointr/scifi

I hope the downvotes were more for my inartful and pretentious comment than against the book. Don't take my word for it though check out the reviews on Amazon. I like the book though because it blends classic space exploration scifi, like Heinlein, with more modern genetics, networking and computer technology speculation.

u/rocketsocks · 1 pointr/booksuggestions
u/artman · 1 pointr/scifi

Good to hear from you. I am not a book critic at all so I thank you for letting me try.

>Indeed, the story is designed to start in media res, and the lack of familiarity with the setting is intentional. The next six chapters are dedicated to exploring the characters and the world around them. I've always found it more interesting when the reader is thrust into an unknown universe, only to have information about that universe slowly disclosed over the course of the story.

Ever read John Scalzi's work? In Ghost Brigades he does this very well in the first chapter where you are just boggled to the point that you can't put the book down to find out where the story will go next. I know that most writers do this, but that was the one that stands out right now. He is a great writer and I recommend him if you haven't read any of his work. Start with Old Man's War.

>You shouldn't ;)

Dang! If you can, link the next installment. I'll be having a slow day at work tomorrow!

u/butcha7 · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

The Old's Man War Series (link http://amzn.to/1T0yQSB) and Warship of the Black Fleet Saga (link http://amzn.to/1XgUCqm).

u/ibechainsawin · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Great contest idea! Don't let life get you down, you obviously have awesome ideas, so just keep'em coming!

Here is something you might like!
I noticed you're a Robert Jordan fan and Brian Sanderson did the most recent books in the Wheel of Time series. This series is awesome for WoT fans, trust me. :D

Redditing at work is AWESOME . It's what I'm doing right now.
If you choose me this is what I would like. :)

u/whattothewhonow · 1 pointr/Showerthoughts

Its typical fantasy. Sanderson focuses on characters and world-building rather than prose, so the books are serious, but the writing isn't overly impressive like you would expect from Tolkien. He does action scenes really well and has very interesting magic systems, plus, his universe is all interconnected, so in future books things will start crossing over in more in depth ways. I highly recommend it. If you're interested in looking into it, I recommend starting with the first Mistborn trilogy

www.amazon.com/Mistborn-Trilogy-Boxed-Hero-Ascension/dp/076536543X

u/opallix · 1 pointr/books

The Abhorsen trilogy is some great YA fiction that I'm sure your son would enjoy. The books are about a decade old, and are available as a cheaper box set - but admittedly the covers on these might not be as intruiging to a 7th grader.

The Mistborn Trilogy is also great, but might be a little difficult for a 7th grader to get through. Regardless, I'd get him these if you feel that he's up to the challenge.

u/dam360 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I really want to read more books by "Brandon Sanderson" ever since I read the Wheel of Time. Robert Jordan couldn't finish his series, so he hired Brandon Sanderson before he died. I'd love to start with The Mistborn Series, if you would be so kind.

u/fatalis_vox · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Mistborn, and then the following two books if/when you have time.

Then everything else that author has ever written. Save "The Stormlight Archive" for last, though.

XOXO,
Voxie

u/Colossal_Ika · 1 pointr/DnD

I went for the Dungeons and Dragons DM Screen Reincarnated:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/078696619X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_h4RoDb8RDFYX5

Its not too expensive and comes with all the basic info you would need on hand in a game. But feel free to stick more to it as well Haha.

Edit: edited broken link

u/TheElderMason · 1 pointr/nfl

Really hope you bought some protection.

u/mornal · 1 pointr/DMAcademy

The official DM screen is available on Amazon for cheap (https://www.amazon.com/dp/078696619X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_rWNPBbMBCSYCD).

u/masterfang · 1 pointr/southpark

I think it is this one?

u/combat_wombat96 · 1 pointr/DnD

hey man! little update for you. so the switch is definitely an upgrade. a major upgrade. i am absolutely loving 5e. its making my job as the Dm a lot easier and all of my players seem to like the much more role play centered, streamlined game play of it. we dont have to keep track of as many numbers and its really freeing for the players at a role play stand point, and me from a story telling stand point. another great thing about it if you're a dm is that there are so many books available! i bought the standard players handbook, monster manual, and Dungeon masters guide and they are all solid upgrades from 3.5 especially the dm guide. and with volos guide to monsters, and Xanthars guide to everything also available there are so many more options for fights, npcs, and playable characters. so i 100% recommend the switch if you are considering it. you will not regret it.

i also highly recomned this DM screen...lots of super useful info, and none of the fluff. DM screen

u/aaronil · 1 pointr/DMAcademy

I used to make my own DM screens using a customizable screen, but I really like the new DM's Screen Reincarnated. There's not one way to make a DM screen, so I'll share what I do...

I adapted the 4-panel landscape DM's Screen Reincarnated for my Tomb of Annihilation campaign, customizing with sticky tabs, and have periodically updated it to reflect what was most useful to me over a couple-session arc. Here are the current photos as the PCs spent 3 sessions exploring the lost city of Omu.

Customized cover/front https://i.imgur.com/fUhAlkU.jpg

Trickster Gods & random weather https://i.imgur.com/91NjYbQ.jpg

Trickster Gods https://i.imgur.com/uitLGnp.jpg

Random encounter table, random targeting & tracking max HP reduction due to night hags https://i.imgur.com/0u9k9Yp.jpg

PC stats-at-a-glance & exploration guidelines https://i.imgur.com/uabR1Ai.jpg

u/Typhron · 1 pointr/DMAcademy
  • Ask everyone interested in playing when they're available. Time management is the only way to defeat the time boss.

  • Take notes, and ask/reward those players that take notes. This not only good for keep track of backstories and player stats, but also player behavior and how you can adjust the story to such. Improv is important in D&D, and preparation is one part of practice.

  • Make a friggun DM screen. Geek and Sundry/Matt Mercer made a video on it, and you can buy premade ones for about $10 on Amazon, but do yourself a massive favor and try to make one yourself with the information you might want to keep in mind. The personal touch makes all the difference, and there are probably things not covered by the the PHB/DMG/official screen that you may want to add (for instance, a Wild Magic table if that comes up often in your games).

  • Stress ball/fidgetspinnercube/a thing to fiddle with other than die, and a water bottle. You'll understand.
u/Ryngard · 1 pointr/DnD

I don't have the campaign specific ones. I did want to interject that "crap" is HIGHLY subjective. While it might not be the best per se, it isn't as bad as people say. It just isn't a one-screen-fits-all. Everyone wants something different.

FYI they are putting out a new WotC one this Fall and from looking at screenshots it seems better laid out and more optimized.

The Gale Force 9 screens are made specifically to complement the adventure with adventure art and specific info on the DM's side. So unless you REALLY like that Curse of Strahd art, I wouldn't worry with any of the GF9 screens. But I can't speak to the quality.

Dungeon Master's Screen Reincarnated

Picture of the new screen being used by Matt Mercer

u/FugueNation · 1 pointr/dndnext

Here are the links to the book, which is which and why they are so cheap is beyond my knowledge, but maybe ToA is a player and a DM book, or a Campaign and a Map set?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0786966203/ref=ox_sc_act_image_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/078696619X/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

u/swimforthewater · 1 pointr/whatsthatbook
u/songbirdz · 1 pointr/RandomActsofMakeup

Ender's Game is seriously so much better than the movie. It's amazing what people will do to ensure the safety of the human race, without fully seeing the whole picture.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, by David Wroblewski. I was hesitant at first, always seeing it, but never checking it out at the library. It wound up being one of my favorite books to read, it was that good. Story of a mute boy raised on a farm breeding dogs. He can sign, and has pretty good life, as far as things go, until his father dies. He tries to prove his uncle had a hand in the death, but the plan backfires. Hated the ending - not because it was bad, but it was so damn sad.

If you're willing to poke at a series, try Scott Lynch's Gentlemen Bastards series, the first book is The Lies of Locke Lamora. The series centers around Locke and his shenanigans as a Gentleman Bastard - a notorious gang of thieves. They pull off some pretty intense schemes, some with great success, some with spectacular failures. It's a great series, and another set of favorites that I recommend to everyone that'd ask.

Congratulations on the new job, hope it works out well for you! Also, I love that you had such a great turn out for your book drive. My kids know how important it is to read - I actually push my daughter to read a little bit above her grade level. She keeps a reading log for homework, so her teachers are pretty impressed. She did amazingly well on her latest state reading/math test, and her teacher believes it's because of all the reading she does. If you do another drive, I hope it goes just as well.

u/gumarx · 1 pointr/books

Don't feel lame. I went on a really long kick where I was reading a lot of franchise books - Dungeons and Dragons, World of Warcraft, Stargate, etc etc. Sometimes they're terribly written, but sometimes there are really good stories with some great character development.

I'm not really familiar with the other two books but from what I looked up of them (especially considering the Halo + Ben Bova) I think you'd like Ender's Game.

It's technically YA fiction, but it's good enough that you'll often find it in with the regular science fiction. It's also a series so if you like the first one that'll give you a few more to read.

In the classic Science fiction category The Foundation Series is worth looking into as well.

Let's see. Maybe The Sky People too. It's not exactly classic literature, but it's a fun romp in space - a what if there was life on Venus & Mars and it was dinosaurs and prehistoric humans sort of thing. Although not classic science fiction it has that same feel because it takes a stab at what type of life might exist on our neighboring planets.

I haven't read Edgar Rice Burroughs, but he might be up your alley too.

u/CrimsonKevlar · 1 pointr/AskReddit

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said by Phillip K. Dick.

Really, anything by Phillip K. Dick.

u/13DprimePlays · 1 pointr/GiftofGames

I have to recommend my favorite book, it was even made into a decent movie!

I would love Speedrunners. And if you're feeling extra generous, Nimble Quest is also on sale for $0.50 right now!

www.steamcommunity.com/id/13DprimePlays

u/HirokiProtagonist · 1 pointr/bookclub

I've read The Book Thief! I really liked it. Here are some books that are similar to the Book Thief, and have changing/growing characters:

u/timz45 · 1 pointr/bookexchange

I have Your Inner Fish . It was a very good read. Any random chance you have Ender's Game ?

u/B-Wing · 1 pointr/books

Read Ender's Game before the movie comes out.

u/JavertTheArcanine · 1 pointr/steam_giveaway

Okay I know the giveaway is over but you asked for obscure and so you have to read this fanfiction called Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. It's so amazing it has its own fanbase, inspired a new genre of fiction, has its own website, wikipedia article, and a few news sites have even reviewed it.

It's even got a podcast reading if you prefer.

It's like... if Harry Potter was smart and rational and also a huge sci-fi/science geek. It's basically a bit like Ender's Game if you've ever read it (which is another one you should definitely read).

Links:
HPMOR website
Podcast's site (also has readings of other works of rationalist fiction inspired by HPMOR)
Podcast on iTunes
HPMOR on Fanfiction.net
HPMOR Full PDF
HPMOR PDF but separated into separate books: 1 2 3 4 5 6
HPMOR MOBI
HPMOR EPUB

I can honestly say that this fanfiction is without a doubt the best thing I have ever read in my life. I can't speak well enough of it. I recommend paying attention when you read because the things you learn are useful later in the book for solving the plot. The plot is so well crafted that you can trust anything that happens has an explanation behind it. If you find yourself asking "why is it like this?" there is a reason! This is a game you can only play once, so please enjoy it while it lasts. Ahhhh! I'm talking too much, enjooooooooooy~!

u/Crayshack · 1 pointr/AskMen

I mostly read speculative fiction, which is typically divided between the subgenres of fantasy, sci-fi, and alternate history. Alternate history is technically considered a subgenre of Sci-Fi, but I read enough of it to make it worth counting as a separate group. Within each of those subgenres, there is a wide variety of styles and some people might find themselves not a fan of one style but a fan of another. If you are not well read in these genres, then you will want to try a few different styles of story before dismissing it. I also sometimes read novelizations of historical events which have their own sort of enjoyment to them that fictional stories lack. Then there are books that are set from an animals point of view, which range from attempts to be as accurate as possible to being practically fantasy stories.

As far as individual books, I will try to give you a few of the best to pick from without being overwhelming. Some are stand alone stories while others are parts of series.

Fantasy single books:

After the Downfall

Fantasy series:

The Dresden Files

A Song of Ice and Fire aka Game of Thrones

Sci-Fi single books:

Slow Train to Arcturus

Mother of Demons

Sci-Fi series:

The Thrawn Trilogy There are a great many Star Wars books worth the read, but this is definitely the place to start.

Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow

Alternate History single books:

The Guns of the South

1824: The Arkansas War Technically this is a sequel to an earlier book, but this one is leagues better and you don't need to read the first book to understand what is going on.

Alternate History series:

How Few Remain

1632

Worldwar

Non-Fiction:

Band of Brothers

War Made New This one isn't even really a novelization, just an analysis of the changes to military technology, tactics, and training over the last 500 years. Regardless, it is very well written and a great read.

Animal POV books:

Watership Down

Wilderness Champion

The Call of the Wild and White Fang These two books are by the same author and go in pretty much opposite directions. Among literature fanatics, there is no consensus over which one is better and I don't think I can decide for myself so I am recommending both.

Edit: I forgot to mention, the first book in the 1632 series is available online for free. This is not a pirated version, but something the author put up himself as a part of an effort to move publishing into the modern day with technology and make books more accessible to readers.

u/houseofsabers · 1 pointr/AskEngineers

I'm also about to do a road trip with two other scientists! Here are some awesome books that either I've read, or I plan on reading on my trip:

Contact - Carl Sagan. This book is absolutely my favorite science-y fiction, ever.

Cat's Cradle or Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, if you haven't read them already.

Anything by Ray Bradbury - specifically Fahrenheit 451, also if you haven't read it already.

If you're into full-on science fiction, I can totally recommend the Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card and the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons.

u/robynrose · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Robin Mckinley - anything by her though specifically Sunshine. If you haven't read Mercades Lackey than you would probably like her since you like Tamora Pierce. Start with Arrows for the Queen or Magic's Pawn. Raymond E Feist writes another good fantasy series that has tons of books in it. You might even like the Robert Jordan Wheel of Time books since you like the Game of Thrones. If you haven't read the Ender's Game books by Orson Scott Card they are very good. Some classical sci-fi - Foundation series by Issac Asimov.

edit: also because it looks like you like some historical romance The Secret History of the Pink Carnation and Peony in Love.

u/mint-milk · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon
u/Zoobles88 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I'VE BEEN GOOD I SWEAR

$4.19 book :)

Thank you for the contest, Santa Chica!

u/lemousse · 1 pointr/books

Again on the sci-fi note: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

u/MKandtheforce · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I'd love to get Ender's Game. I've had it on my to-read list for a while. :)

I pick 7!

u/k9centipede · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Girl in the Tangerine Scarf. Novel about a muslim growing up in america.

John Dies at the End. Horror fantasy novel with a lot of philisophical aspects. Also, lots of dick jokes. It's written by a guy that went on to write for Cracked.com. It also recently came out as a movie.

Ender's Game. Futuristic scifi about a kid that goes up to space-school to learn how to save the world from an alien invasion. Soon to be a major motion picture.

13 Reasons Why. Novel about the aftermath of a high school suicide. Good if you want lots of feels.

u/haxdal · 1 pointr/ADHD

Interesting, The Kindle version is free on Amazon .. good enough reason to add it to my collection :)

I'm mostly into SciFi books myself. Recently I've been reading a bit by Paul McAuley, If I were to recommend something recent it'd be The Quiet War and Gardens of the Sun by him. For old classics you can't go wrong with Ender's Game or Ringworld.

u/Uthanar · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Yeah I read a lot of Fantasy and Sci-fi. Umm, if he likes more Military Scifi I would recommend:

  • Dauntless It's the first in a really cool space/naval series about a fleet of spaceships far from home and fighting through enemy territory to get home. All the while the Fleet Commander is acclimating to being 100 years in his own future (without "timetravel")

  • Starship Troopers Is a classic scifi by Heinlein and has very little to do with the movies. Similar war ideas, giant bugs, but totally different feel. No cheesyness.

  • Ender's Game of course is a classic Scifi book. Young boy growing up in a Battle School where they train kids to be soldiers. Very deep, very perspective changing.

  • Stranger in a Strange Land Is another Heinlein book. A human boy grows up being raised by an alien Martian race on Mars. Brought back to Earth as an adult human, but again raised and taught everything by Martians. Has no concept of earth, our beliefs, our morals, our actions, anything. An amazing story that gives a great perspective for a WASP like me to see what it's like to integrate into a society where nobody is like you, and you understand nothing.

    If he likes "high fantasy" (elves, wizards, knights, etc) then let me know and I throw out a few of those too.

    EDIT: Also I'll plug Audbile.com here because these all also have great Audiobooks with GREAT narrators and I love listening to my books on my Android phone all the time. And of course Amazon owns Audible! discounts for buying the audiobook and the kindle book (often cheaper than outright buying the audiobook!)
u/Alyscupcakes · 1 pointr/news

I've got one for you.

Attorney General, Bill Barr's father, George Barr, wrote a book called "Space Relations" where rich aliens buy sex slaves https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

George Barr also hired the collage dropout, to be a math teacher at a prestigious private school... That college drop out was Jeffrey Epstein

Now these are just the facts. Ask yourself, what is the conspiracy theories you could develop just from these facts?

u/AutoModerator · 1 pointr/conspiracy_commons

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u/X-7-S · 1 pointr/news

>Here is a list of shady and weird shit that has been released the past couple of days that relates to the CIA and Mossad but for some reason reddit won't allow. The more and more you read about this, the more apparent it is that the CIA/Mossad are involved and probably have a vested interest to keep this stuff under wraps.
>
>Epstein's accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell was found reading a book about covert CIA operations and the secret history of the CIA at In N Out. As if she was trying to send a message: https://www.foxnews.com/us/jeffrey-epstein-ghislaine-maxwell-in-and-out-burger-californiaGhislaine Maxwell was allegedly living in Boston with her boyfriend but he denies that: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/08/14/jeffrey-epstein-associate-ghislaine-maxwell-massachusetts/xfh2JloheR869JKvwwkVpI/story.htmlGhislaine Maxwell's father was Robert Maxwell. Robert Maxwell was a rich media mogul who almost everyone suspected was a double agent for Mossad: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1445707/FO-suspected-Maxwell-was-a-Russian-agent-papers-reveal.htmlEpstein had a fake Saudi passport: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jeffrey-epstein-mansion-saudi-arabia-passport-cash-diamonds-trump-a9007446.htmlOne of Epstein's clients was the Saudi Arabian businessman Adnan Khashoggi, who was the middleman in transferring American weapons from Israel to Iran, as part of the Iran–Contra affair in the 1980s. http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/jeffrey-epstein-high-society-contacts.htmlEpstein is close friends with Ehud Barak, the former prime minister of Israel. https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-israeli-politician-ehud-barak-often-crashed-at-his-manhattan-apartment-neighbors-sayEpstein and Ehud Barak both funded and bankrolled Carbyne, a Public Safety Technology company that has developed a call handling ecosystem, which delivers advanced IP-enabled communication features and caller solutions.. They essentially are a 911 service looking to replace the current 911 service. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Jeffrey-Epstein-bankrolled-Ehud-Baraks-high-tech-investment-report-claims-595492Carbyne has partnered with Google to work as a 911 service in Mexico. https://www.israel21c.org/google-and-israels-carbyne-improve-911-service-in-mexico/I will leave it up to you to see how potentially invasive the Carbyne app can be if you had it: https://carbyne911.com/about/Epstein apparently got a free 77M$ house from Les Wexner and he was close to Les Wexner as Wexner gave him Power of Attorney and control of his funds. Wexner is the owner of Victoria's Secret and Uber rich. https://www.wsj.com/articles/jeffrey-epstein-taught-a-retail-legend-a-hard-lesson-be-careful-who-you-trust-11565964001Wexner founded and is part of "the Mega Group" which is a group of America and Canada's wealthiest Jewish Business men. The other founders are Edgar Bronfman and Michael Steinhardt. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB894240270899870000Bronfman was president of the World Jewish Congress - the most powerful diplomatic and lobbying group in the world regarding Israel and probably by extent Mossad. They have a lot of tangential relations to Mossad.Edgar Bronfman was associated with the sex trafficking cult NXIVM. He later disavowed them but his daughters were deep in it. His daughter was recently arrested along with other NXIVM members for sex trafficking: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Bronfman-Russell-to-plead-guilty-in-NXIVM-case-13780718.phpIt was found that Epstein had a portrait of Bill Clinton dressed in drag wearing Hillary's blue dress: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/08/jeffrey-epstein-mansion-bill-clinton-paintingWilliam Barr is in charge of this investigation. William Barr's dad hired Epstein. Barr also worked for Epstein's previous legal company. He has a clear conflict of interest.Donald Barr, William Barr's dad wrote a book on sex slavery in 1975 immediately after hiring Epstein the previous year. Barr was forced to resign in 1974 and no one really knows why. https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249I haven't even gone into the Roy Cohn and Craig Spence connection, because to be quite sure I'm not even sure I believe it. All I can say is that Craig Spence in the 1980s seemed to be doing a very similar thing as to what Epstein was doing, but he was doing it with call boys in the White House. He committed suicide shortly after being outed. One of his famous last words were: "All this stuff you've uncovered (involving call boys, bribery and the White House tours), to be honest with you, is insignificant compared to other things I've done. But I'm not going to tell you those things, and somehow the world will carry on"

Why wont reddit allow this ?

u/Kaellian · 1 pointr/news

Feel free to read his book, I have not, but by all account, it includes sexual slavery of minors done by rich oligarchs.

Here is an old 6 year old reviews (not tainted by the recent event).

>His exploration of slavery is neither sensitive nor telling. Despite repeatedly and officiously informing the reader that slavery is wrong at every turn (go figure), Barr creates two openly "superior" characters as his leads. Craig and Morgan freely kill, torture, seduce and make sweeping political decisions on behalf of thousands of people - but this is acceptable, because they're somehow imbued with "natural heroism". Slavery and oppression are wrong, unless you're someone as wise and talented as Craig or Morgan, in which you're perfectly justified in forcing decisions on other people.

He isn't the first author to write something like that, it could be a coincidence that he wrote a book about elite enslaving and raping people, but in the context of Epstein, it's certainly is a weird as hell coincidence.


Now, whether he is unrelated to Epstein or not is another question. Many claimed that he was when the news first came out, but since, it appeared that Epstein was hired as he left. Hard to find exact informations.



>Is the inference here that Barr is also sympathetic to pedos?

I worry that he would be sympathetic to his father, would the investigation lead somewhere that would sully his family's name.

u/SpinningHead · 1 pointr/politics

He also wrote a book about aliens having sex with teen sex slaves or some such. https://www.amazon.com/Space-relations-slightly-gothic-interplanetary/dp/0860000249

u/Confident_Sherbert · 1 pointr/litrpg

>quintessential LitRPG novel -- the best one that's also the best example of the genre and its style

A single one doesn't exist yet.

https://www.amazon.com/Land-Founding-LitRPG-Chaos-Seeds-ebook/dp/B0172GEB68 is often how most people find the genre based solely on marketing/promotions. However, if you read the book after reading high quality fantasy novels it's likely you'll be disappointed.

The best books are in sister genres. https://www.amazon.com/Unsouled-Cradle-Book-Will-Wight-ebook/dp/B01H1CYBS6 for cultivation, and https://www.amazon.com/Sufficiently-Advanced-Magic-Arcane-Ascension-ebook/dp/B06XBFD7CB for progression fantasy.

u/UndyingSwordSage · 1 pointr/Fantasy

Krista D. Ball's The Demons We See was inspired by Dragon Age's Templars vs. Mages stuff, irrc.

There's also some stuff by actual Dragon Age writers, like Rogues of the Republic by Patrick Weeks.

For The Legend of Heroes, maybe Arcane Ascension. People go do dungeon crawls, get magic, then go to a magic academy. It's basically Trails of Cold Steel as a book, complete with the international politics and some gem-based magic. Some parallels with FE:3H as well.

u/Eyegore138 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

or you can do the Savage Worlds cheaper paperback version

or the more durable hardback version its a generic system with tons of different settings guides so they can play anything from superheros to mad max to high fantasy

u/tanman1975 · 1 pointr/scifi

Ender's Game The book, not the movie. Still my all time favorite.

u/cwf82 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

This is the one. Some other good ones might be Ender's Game, A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, and Fluency. Really all depends on what types of book you like to read. I can recommend many!

u/arcticfawx · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Have you ever read any Orson Scott Card? His Ender's Game and series is absolutely amazing. He has a few other series, too, like Seventh Son, and some amazing standalone books like Songmaster.

Another trilogy I'd highly recommend is the His Dark Materials series, including The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass.

u/unicorn_factory · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

How about Enders Game I am mad at myself for waiting so long to read any of the Enders Game books. Also, there is a movie coming out for the first book in November, so if its anything like Watchmen now is the time to read it.

Since I already own copies of the books and this is the only book I have on my WL that is under $10 (I have a great used book store I go to) you don't have to gift me.

u/iryuskii · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Enders-Game-Ender-Quintet-ebook/dp/B003G4W49C/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1370567555&sr=1-1&keywords=ender%27s+game
Have always loved this book, I would really like the Kindle for reading books and watching movies on the go. As a younger kid I would always read and now I feel as if it doesn't happen as much. This would make me read.

u/Draco_Dormiens · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

-a hammock because the outdoors is awesome

-this sharpie is amazing

-these pens, although a little pricey, are AMAZING. Additionally, you can get refills for them on Amazon and those are inexpensive

-best coloring pencils imho

-Some really awesome book series one, two, three and four

-for math, here's some sodoku

-Some movies: Overboard, When Harry Met Sally, Burlesque

-Telescope

-Picnic basket

-Spirituality book

-some incense and an awesome fairy burner to go with them

I'll try and add some more later :)

Thanks for the contest

I really really want it! ( $5 and $10

u/CheetahSnake · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Ender's Game

I haven't read this or seen the movie, and I really should. The books are always better than the movies! Thus why I want to read this first

u/adhochawk · 1 pointr/kindle

I don't believe there's a way to do it in general. Some books, like Ender's Game, include it in the description. (It's at the very end, so you may need to expand it)

u/o0oo0o_ · 1 pointr/kindle

> I think my account is American

On the Kindle, in the Kindle store, look at Store Settings and there's a setting for Country/Region that will tell you which store it's registered to.

I think there's a separate setting for your Amazon account through the Amazon website; I'm not sure if the two are always linked to the same store, but I don't think they are.

> Ender's Game

It's available in the Amazon USA store, so it may be because of the region you're in. https://www.amazon.com/Enders-Game-Ender-Quartet-Book-ebook/dp/B003G4W49C/

u/Kibure · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I would love Ender's Game for my kindle. Thank you for the contest and congrats on the new job.

u/cgbish · 1 pointr/AskReddit

I read all the time, I actually didn't like the idea of reading on a tablet or e-reader at first, but I'm reading every day on my new Kindle and I love it.

I would highly recommend The Thrawn Trilogy, first book here. I also really loved the whole Ender's Game series found here. One last big recommendation is The Sword of Truth series found here.