1. Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournell

2. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

3. The Chronicles of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin (excluding the newer ones)

4. The Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny

5. The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov (without the follow-on communism nonsense)

Any others?

{Okay, you caught me, I'm looking for good books to read, and only trash seems to have been published, lately.}

{Disclaimer: let's keep a modicum of literary integrity, here. Don't suggest anything Ravenloft or Dragonlance, for example. Ugh.}

I'm currently reading a Phillip Pullman book called The Golden Compass. Don't know if you've read it, and it's really a more young adult book I suppose, but the series is supposed to be wonderful and sort of like Harry Potter, not just for kids. I like another of his series that I've read, the Sally Lockhart books, Ruby in the Smoke, Shadow in the North and Tiger in the Well. They're set in Victorian London and they involve some interesting intrigue.

My sister had it in a wonderful leather bonded tome, with Hitchhiker's guide, The Resturant at the end of the universe, Life, the Universe, and Everything, So long, and thanks for all the fish, and two others that escape me at the moment... or maybe one. Anyway, I'm more then 3/4 of the way through the book, and i've been reading since late christmas day.

SOOOO many jokes that have been posted on this board, along with Joojooflop's name make sense now! Maybe you should read it again.

Three books that i've read recently that were really good hardcore sci-fi: Revelation: Space by Alistair Renoylds (Sp? Bah!) and Manifold: Time and Manifold: Space by Stephen Baxter.

Revelation: Space has a pretty good storyline, though in the beginning it is difficult to figure out who all the people are/were/when because it keeps jumping around. Stick with it, it gets good.

Manifold: Time and space can be read in either order, but Time makes Space that much more involving (Since, I belive its a tad longer). The characters are the same, but a few minor differences in the past skr00 with the storyline.

-The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan

-The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind

-Any thing by David Eddings

-Mercedes Lackey is pretty good so far as ive read

-The Crown Of Stars by Kate Elliot

-The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy

-Good Omens by niel gaiman & Terry Pratchett

-"Waiting for the Galactic Bus" & "The Snake Oil Wars" by Parke Godwin

-The Myth Series by Asprin ( cant remeber his first name)

thats all i can think of for right now, and yes, i am a book worm, i do read about 2 books a week, an i rarly read any thing under 2oo pages

The Stand - King (best story EVER)

Mommy Laid an Egg - (look in the kids' section of the library, it'll be worth the "There goes a pedophile" stares)

And Daemon, if you like Good Omens, read the rest of Terry Pratchett. There were elements of Gaiman in that book, but most of the comedy I recognized as Pratchett's from his books, especially the Discworld series.

Though I can't hang with Tad Williams: his style was so pretentious on the one book I started that I avoid him like the plague. He's the fantasy equivalent of SF's Robert L. Forward. Bleh.

I'm picky--one of the dangers of being an English major.

Anyone who's read Hitchiker's should also read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long, Dark Tea-Time of the Soul. Very funny.

I'm starting to read Pratchett, since I can use the humor. Already read most of Robert Aspririn's Myth series.

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Blind Swordsman had this to say about Cuba:
What's wrong with dragonlance?

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Not up to my literary standards. Waaaay too formulaic.

A Song of Ice and Fire

George R. R. Martin

. . . but they're so damn depressing I keep putting off getting the rest. In the first one, nearly every character I gave a damn about either died or was horribly maimed. He does such a great job with the setting, the oncoming winter just settles into my bones.

Interesting orbital implications, btw, with the oddly timed, lengthy winters. Been thinking about that one, but too lazy to do any math to see.

I'll read that one when I'm feeling irrepressibly happy, and need something to bring me back to reality.

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Bloodsage had this to say about Optimus Prime:
Not up to my literary standards. Waaaay too formulaic.

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""Look at me, I'm too smart and advanced to read a best selling series""

STFU. If you dont like it, you dont like it, but dont pretend its beneath you.

Thanks for playing.

If that hurts your feelings, then perhaps you should indulge in some self-improvement, rather than lash out at those with more refined taste.

Neener.

Nevermind that the series has sold millions of copies worldwide. Nevermind that Weis and Hickman could sign toilet paper and it be worth more than your life.

You're "More refined"

Whatever you say, skippy

I don't know. I enjoyed them.

You need an attitude check.

Unless you'd care to compare credentials in the field of literary criticism? I assure you, I'm quite qualified to hold the opinions I do.

Unlike the mass-market, "everyone else has one, so I must, too" crap you seem to be advocating in place of a rational approach to judging literature. Go back to your Hardy Boys, and watch Spot run some more; I'm sure you enjoy it immensely.

If you're going to barge into a thread and start something, you'd best have something going for you beyond, "STFU."

Otherwise, you just look silly.

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And I was all like 'Oh yeah?' and Soldar was all like:
Am I the only one who's read the Michael Moorcock series (or currently reading them)?

I don't know. I enjoyed them.

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Which one?

I've read several Moorcock books, and they're excellent. Classics of the genre.

I especially liked Dancers at the End of Time. Can't remember if that was part of a series, or not.

Shared worlds have been around a long time.

And the books are quite formulaic. And generally written by hacks, as well.

Not that you're not allowed to enjoy them, mind you. Just don't try to tell me they're well-written, or that I'd enjoy them.

They're not. I wouldn't.

Twisted plots and a strong moral story? I recommend anything and everything written by James Marrow, the man is just sick with the way he plays with the reader's beliefs and expectations.

I would recommend reading his "Only Begotten Daughter" which is by far his best stand alone book. Also very good are "Towing Jehova", "Blameless in Abbadon", and "The Endless Footman" in that order.

Heh..ya think George R. R. Martin is depressing, try Melanie Rawn..she kills every main character but a handful off :P

Of course, I also read them when I was 11 and again at 13, maybe I should read them again...

I liked Wheel of Time, I read them all this year... I guess you could call it abit formulaic as well, you know how it will end, most likely, but He hasn't written the End yet, so it hasn't ended yet...

So yeah, you know the end, but it's getting there that the story is good. I enjoyed Wheel of Time. It had it's flaws, it's not the Best. Series. Ever. But out of any "recently" (as in, since 1960) written literature, it ranks pretty high up there for me.

One of the things that gets me is the people who read the Rainbow Six books, and Delta Force and all that... It's interesting stuff, but unless it's the REAL thing or it's Sci Fi, I don't care much for it. Realistic Fiction always bored the hell out of me... ("Hypotheticly, this could happen, buuuut... It didn't.")

Grrrr. He had such a great thing going with the first few.

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Lyinar had this to say about Matthew Broderick:

I'm currently reading a Phillip Pullman book called The Golden Compass. Don't know if you've read it, and it's really a more young adult book I suppose, but the series is supposed to be wonderful and sort of like Harry Potter, not just for kids. I like another of his series that I've read, the Sally Lockhart books, Ruby in the Smoke, Shadow in the North and Tiger in the Well. They're set in Victorian London and they involve some interesting intrigue.

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The Golden Compass and the other two books in the trilogy are REALLY REALLY good. If you think it's kiddie-ish...wait until the Subtle Knife (2) and Amber Spyglass (3), there is death, killing, plot twists and even a little sex. HIGHLY Reccomended

Before I forget, I'm pleased to see that you have a legitimate complaint about WoT. You wouldn't believe how many people I've met who dislike the series because, "It's too wordy." Peons!

Anyway, back the matter at hand. You might try Grendel. As you may imagine, it's a retelling of Beowulf which casts Grendel as the tragic hero. Fairly cool.
If you're feeling brave, you might try the Rift War series. Raymond Feist can really turn a phrase, making the chapters aesthitcally pleasing reads. Sadly, his plot progression is lacking, and the two books I read are very flighty and disjointed. If you want to give it a try anyway, start with Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master.

Now it's back to the old business. Hacktastic work like Ravenloft novels or most any Star Trek fanfiction are rarely insightful or creative, but that's partially by design. They're strictly entertainment value, diversions. Not everything can or should be Faulkner, y'know?

My wife, oddly enough, is currently reading Neverwhere; I'll have to pick it up when she's done.

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Bloodsage stumbled drunkenly to the keyboard and typed:
I've read the Rift War series, and I like them.

My wife, oddly enough, is currently reading Neverwhere; I'll have to pick it up when she's done.

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Bloodsage.

Pratchett. Gaiman. Good Omens. Must get. Pratchett's humour and story telling with Gaiman's scene setting.

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Bloodsage thought this was the Ricky Martin Fan Club Forum and wrote:
I liked Wheel of Time for a while, but Jordan completely lost control of his characters. And he comitted several mortal sins: he began re-using phrases over and over, and he felt he had to summarize the entire previous series in each new book.

Grrrr. He had such a great thing going with the first few.

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just a tad, like the 3, 4 and 5 books i think are a little boring and repetitive, but his later books are awsome, like in the latest book, Winter Heart, he finaly admits his love to adhavia, or something like that, Elain, and Min, and they confess their love to him, the scene is hilarios, Nyvgyen is stunned speechless, and Rand manages to cleanse the male half of the power, the book is just plain awsome, i dying for the next one

[ 12-27-2001: Message edited by: Daemon_Reaper ]

a massive spoiler crushes YOU for 785 points of damage!
You have been slain by a massive spoiler!
LOADING, PLEASE WAIT...
You have entered Barnes & Noble
You say, "Hail, a sales clerk."
a sales clerk says, "Oh, hello there Sentow! Are you here to [return a book]?"
You say, "I am here to return a book."

Spoilers are bad, m'kay?

I've also enjoyed several of the Star Wars books, but the ones I hold above the others are the Kevin J. Anderson, Kathy Tyers, and Timothy Zahn ones. I've fallen behind though on these so there are a bunch of newer ones that I have not read.

I enjoyed Prachett's DiscWorld stuff for a while, but after like the 7th or 8th I got a little bored. I'm told it picked back up again, so I am considering going back to that.

Currently I am reading 'The Quark And The Jaguar' (mainly because of your mention on a different thread) and am enjoying it. I like to alternate between fiction (mostly SF with some fantasy) and non-fiction. By the way, have you read 'The Particle Garden' by Gordon Kane? It's a bit old now(1996), but I really enjoyed his explaination of the stuff. That book was where I first read a decent explaination of the 'color force' and just how quarks go together to make the other particles. Anyway, if you have not read it, I'd recommend it. It sort of has a similar feel to 'The Quark And The Jaguar' in that it's a Scientist explaining things in a more general populace accessable way.

Also, on a similar path, but a different field 'Code:The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware And Software' by Charles Petzold is a very enjoyable read. Whether you are a programmer or not. Check it out.