Slightly desperate - can't find anything to read

[Tsynn]

It seems that it has been years since I had a book that I needed to finish before I turned off the light. I haven't stayed up 'til the wee hours in too long.

I'm looking through the recommendations here, and doing web searches for 'Books if you liked... such and such'.

I very much liked Arthur C Clarke, Larry Niven, Greg Bear and Asimov - but I ran out. I remember starting the Mistborn series and losing sleep, but none of the subsequent series have grabbed me in the same way. The Golden Key got me, but I haven't found anything else by Rawn, Elliot and Roberson that has the same hook. I have completely devoured everything by Robin McKinley. Oryx and Crake kept me up nights, but Atwood needs to write new things faster I loved the beginnings of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, but have lost steam with Reaper's Gale... they are sitting on my book shelf, taunting me.

Basically, just wondering if anyone gets into the same funk sometimes.

I'm trying out Eric Brown, Stephen Baxter, Jack McDevitt, Ben Bova (do not like), and Scalzi (do like).

 

[J Riff]

Jack Vance - Demon Princes. Just started it again, s'veryGood.

 

[RX-79G]

I would suggest these SF books. They are well thought of, interesting and very readable without being too far out, and inspiring rather than dystopian:

Armor by John Steakley (especially if you like Scalzi)
Player of Games by Iain M. Banks
Marrow by Robert Reed

These are some of the books I've graduated to from Clarke, Niven, Bear and Asimov, so I think you might enjoy them.

 

[Randy M.]

For some reason, your mention of McKinley makes me wonder if you've read Patricia McKilliop or Peter Beagle.


Randy M.

 

[Tsynn]

I would suggest these SF books. They are well thought of, interesting and very readable without being too far out, and inspiring rather than dystopian:

Armor by John Steakley (especially if you like Scalzi)
Player of Games by Iain M. Banks
Marrow by Robert Reed

These are some of the books I've graduated to from Clarke, Niven, Bear and Asimov, so I think you might enjoy them.

Thanks for putting some thought into this. I purchased the eBook, Consider Phlebus (I.M. Banks), last night and started it. I do enjoy books describing alien cultures and it seems like this will be good.

But - I do enjoy some good apocalyptic or dystopian sci-fi (Atwood, Brin, McCarthy).

 

[Tsynn]

For some reason, your mention of McKinley makes me wonder if you've read Patricia McKilliop or Peter Beagle.


Randy M.

Beagle yes, but I am not sure if I have read McKillip. Looking her up brought to mind R.A. McAvoy, and for some reason, Farmer's Dark is the Sun. I think I have matured too much to completely fall into books the way I used to, and that is the problem. I can still remember reading everything McCaffery wrote, but now I go back it seems less than what I remember.

I'll check out McKillip though

 

[thaddeus6th]

Tsynn, all the time. I used to read voraciously, but even in relative terms I often go through peaks and troughs (tend to read less generally because I'm writing quite a bit so that reduces my appetite somewhat).

I think it's pretty normal to go through cycles of devouring books and having fallow periods.

I've only read the first two (and the second is much better), but apparently the Malazan series was inspired, at least in part, by The Black Company by Glen Cook, so you may want to give that a look.

 

[RX-79G]

Thanks for putting some thought into this. I purchased the eBook, Consider Phlebus (I.M. Banks), last night and started it. I do enjoy books describing alien cultures and it seems like this will be good.

But - I do enjoy some good apocalyptic or dystopian sci-fi (Atwood, Brin, McCarthy).

Also a great choice. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, and it is a good starting point for the rest of the Culture novels.

 

[BAYLOR]

Beagle yes, but I am not sure if I have read McKillip. Looking her up brought to mind R.A. McAvoy, and for some reason, Farmer's Dark is the Sun. I think I have matured too much to completely fall into books the way I used to, and that is the problem. I can still remember reading everything McCaffery wrote, but now I go back it seems less than what I remember.

I'll check out McKillip though

On Mckillip you might try The Forgotten Beasts of Eld.

 

[Kylara]

I'll add in the painted man by peter v brett.

Also the culture novels by banks are fab. And anything by Hamilton is amazing most are doorstops of books but don't feel like it!

 

[Extollager]

If you haven't read Eugene Vodolazkin's Laurus, get a copy in your hands and read the first 30 pages.

 

[The Storyteller]

You mentioned Mistborn, so I'm wondering if you've tried Way of Kings? I was actually in a similar funk before I read that, as it had been a very long time since I had been so invested in a book I couldn't put it down. Despite the size of Way of Kings and Words of Radiance, I devoured both those books in record time and read for hours at a time! (Might just be a personal preference, not sure if it does that to everyone.)

I also recall staying up until three to read Ender's Game in pretty much one sitting. Not sure if that would be your thing based on the other books you mentioned, but is worth the read to find out!

 

[Paul_C]

I too like Iain M Banks (along with A C Clarke, Asimov etc.), and my suggestions would be:

Julian May - Galactic Milieu Series
Alastair Reynolds - Everything from Revelation Space and almost all the rest up to Blue Remembered Earth
Hannu Rajaniemi - Quantum Thief etc. (Jean Le Flambeur trilogy)
M John Harrison - Kefahuchi Tract trilogy - Light/Nova Swing/Empty Space
Richard Morgan - Takeshi Kovacs series

I've also recently read books by the following which I enjoyed and have bought more:

Adam Roberts
Charles Stross
Ann Leckie

 

[Alex The G and T]

I'm deep into a reread of The Black Company omnibus (Glen Cook) The Black Company, Shadows Linger, The White Rose.

It's been so long since I read it that it feels like the first time.

Jaded old fart that I am. This is keeping me up at night. There's something sparkly about the writing, and compelling about the story.

Rollicking fun Sword and Sorcery with plenty of weirdness and not too much convoluted drama.

 

[2DaveWixon]

I'm deep into a reread of The Black Company omnibus (Glen Cook) The Black Company, Shadows Linger, The White Rose.

It's been so long since I read it that it feels like the first time.

Jaded old fart that I am. This is keeping me up at night. There's something sparkly about the writing, and compelling about the story.

Rollicking fun Sword and Sorcery with plenty of weirdness and not too much convoluted drama.

I'll second the recommendation! Glen Cook is generally pretty good -- both fun and compelling -- and the Black Company books are very good (but move on to his other work, by all means!)

 

[Alex The G and T]

oh, I certainly shall, Dave. I've had a whole shelf of, 30 or 40 Glen Cook books, inherited abruptly, six or seven years ago; when I was helping a friend's widow clear out her house.

The problem was that I couldn't remember which ones were mine, lent out and not returned; or ones that I had already borrowed, read, then returned.

This week's result of years of ignoring the dilemma: Start from the beginning and read 'em all. I intend to be on a Glen Cook binge for the foreseeable future.


Edit: Ok. Made me look. there's only eighteen and a couple are duplicates. Frustratingly, there are three dust jackets and only one hardcover. More mysteriously, there is a hard-cover tome that appears to be a gamer's manual. I don't know anything about that.

 

[Peter V]

Thanks for putting some thought into this. I purchased the eBook, Consider Phlebus (I.M. Banks), last night and started it. I do enjoy books describing alien cultures and it seems like this will be good.

Consider Phlebas is a good place to start with the Culture. Personally I pretty much like all of Iain M Banks work but especially anything connected to his Culture universe. Personal favourite is Excession. He is sorely missed

 

[Peter V]

It seems that it has been years since I had a book that I needed to finish before I turned off the light. I haven't stayed up 'til the wee hours in too long.

I'm looking through the recommendations here, and doing web searches for 'Books if you liked... such and such'.

I very much liked Arthur C Clarke, Larry Niven, Greg Bear and Asimov - but I ran out. I remember starting the Mistborn series and losing sleep, but none of the subsequent series have grabbed me in the same way. The Golden Key got me, but I haven't found anything else by Rawn, Elliot and Roberson that has the same hook. I have completely devoured everything by Robin McKinley. Oryx and Crake kept me up nights, but Atwood needs to write new things faster I loved the beginnings of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, but have lost steam with Reaper's Gale... they are sitting on my book shelf, taunting me.

Basically, just wondering if anyone gets into the same funk sometimes.

I'm trying out Eric Brown, Stephen Baxter, Jack McDevitt, Ben Bova (do not like), and Scalzi (do like).

Do you like Space Opera? Not that I like the name for the genre because I think it kind of demeans it. I really enjoyed Peter F Hamilton's Nights Dawn and Commonwealth Series (in particular Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained). Also Dan Simmons Hyperion Cantos.

Unrelated: Clive Barker's Imajica and Weaveworld and Tad Williams is worth a look - War of the Flowers maybe

 

[Tsynn]

You mentioned Mistborn, so I'm wondering if you've tried Way of Kings?

I also recall staying up until three to read Ender's Game in pretty much one sitting. Not sure if that would be your thing based on the other books you mentioned, but is worth the read to find out!

Thanks! I have read some of Sanderson's other books. I'll give them another look. His young adult series, Reckoners, was great.

Ender is a good example of a series I lost sleep over. I think it's so neat that authors can come up with such detailed and interesting alien culture world building. I read everything he put out in a few weeks. I was the same way with G.G. Kay's novels, and Clive Barker, and Gemmell.

 

[Tsynn]

I too like Iain M Banks (along with A C Clarke, Asimov etc.), and my suggestions would be:

Julian May - Galactic Milieu Series
Alastair Reynolds - Everything from Revelation Space and almost all the rest up to Blue Remembered Earth
Hannu Rajaniemi - Quantum Thief etc. (Jean Le Flambeur trilogy)
M John Harrison - Kefahuchi Tract trilogy - Light/Nova Swing/Empty Space
Richard Morgan - Takeshi Kovacs series

I've also recently read books by the following which I enjoyed and have bought more:

Adam Roberts
Charles Stross
Ann Leckie

Hmm... awesome list. I'll look into them after work