Favourite Science Fiction/Fantasy books

Mypathtriedtokillme I just downloaded a sample of Mammoth and it looks really good! Can’t seem to track down a paperback copy under £20, and even on Apple Books it’s £7.99 Might be worth it though, especially for the depressive penguin

I’m currently reading Mammoth by Chris Flynn. It’s actually really good and funny.
Written from the View of a 13,0000 year old extinct mammoth who’s on sale at a natural history Auction in New York.

Chronicles of St Mary’s and the Time police series, Rivers of London series, Flowertown by S.G Redling,
I like John Scalzi’s Interdependency series and really liked the ‘Lock In’ series, Quarantined by Joe McKinney

Zombie books: I enjoyed the Deadline series by Mira Grant, Raising Stony Mayhall by Daryl Gregory, Joe McKinney’s Dead World Series,

Mark Tufo was way too torture porn for me

During lockdown I read the Talon series by Julie Kagawa - enjoyable YA with dragons, Vivian Shaw's Strange Practice with doctor to the supernatural Greta van Hellsing and K B Wagers A Pale Light In the Dark which I thoroughly enjoyed .

Ben Aaronovitch is very good, although not suitable for young teens, I'd suggest. I like Charles Stross, particularly the Laundry books, but those are definitely not suitable for children or people of a nervous disposition.

John Wyndham is something I'm about to hand to my Tolkien-loving tween son.

Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson.
X3 1000 page trilogy superb.

Best to read Cryponomicon first as a "taster" and it sort of, very loosely, leads you in.

Terrible writing, superb ideas.

Yes his influence remains.

We can buy it for you wholesale!

I much prefer audio books and have just worked my way through all the Chronicles of St Mary's, they were excellent. I also love Terry Pratchett too.

Does anyone else listen to BIg Finish? The produce all the Dr Who audio books. They do the whole universe, I'd strongly recommend the Diary's of River Song and Iris Wildthyme.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is wonderful if he’s up for a challenge.

Titus Groan/Gormenghast are fantastic books for teenagers.

the fiction of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle " The Sherlock Holmes" is very interesting, a bit old though but worth reading

I thought the NK Jemesin trilogy was a bit crap, and needed a competent editor to shorten it. First book okay, then I carried on because I was invested.

Ditto the Three Body Problem. Excellent first book, can’t believe I finished the other two.

Currently reading the Expanse, which is great. Also a trilogy by Marko Kloos which is on the cheapy Amazon section and good, in an airport blockbuster fashion.

I love the WoT series, although it does drive me to distraction.

And let’s not forget Snow Crash.

I'm currently reading dd 'Ender in Exile' - sequel to 'Enders Game', Orson Scott Card - these are fine for younger teens.

I read 'Evolution' to dd age 12 - the animal characters work well but I did edit the later human parts ad hoc for sexual violence.

Contemporary sci fi - Another vote for Adrian Tchaikovsky, especially 'Children of Time' (which I also read to dd 13) and Cage of Souls.

Also the Becky Chambers Books - but they vary a bit - 'A Closed and common orbit' has more weight to it.

Very fond of Stephen Baxter (I teach some evolutionary biology and have recommended 'Evolution' to students).

I don't read fantasy (apart from Anne McCaffery's dragon books a while back which I loved) but DD now 15 is into Brandon Sanderson - currently reading the Mistborn series which does seem OK for that age.

Revenger series by Alastair Reynolds. It's less convoluted than his other stuff, and a superb mixture of fantasy and SF.

Thanks all. He has read Tolkien (including the Silmarillion etc, however you spell it) plus Pratchett. He loved all of it. I think he likes the humour of it as well as all the detail.

Will have a look at WofT, Rothfuss and some of the others. Thank you.

I remember being irritated by WofT as well. Need to find books with strong non stereotypical female characters. Other than Pratchett, the genre doesn't do that so well. He is a bit old for Tamara Pierce.

I love Rothfuss and Tolkien. I've never read any of Terry Pratchett's books but they seem quite popular, I'll have to give him a go.

Joe Abercrombie is a bit...tortury.

Brandon Sanderson, Robin Hobb, Lois McMaster Bujold, I would be happier recommending. They have some mild sex references but nothing very explicit, while having enough depth to hit the mark. And definitely Tolkien, of course. I’ll add in Patrick Rothfuss as well.

I don’t remember Wheel of Time having any overtly sexual content, but the attitude to women is a bit immature and weird - female characters are always having “cat fight” type things with slapping and hair pulling, behaving irrationally/ overly emotionally, and the lead character has multiple...er...love interests. I’d recommend it to a teen old enough to enjoy the plot (which is intricate and interesting, if long-winded!) and able to apply a bit of critical thinking to how characters are portrayed.

Everything by Julian May but my favourite series is the Galactic Milieu trilogy.
I may be due a re-read shortly.

Another all time favourite is the Fionavar Trilogy by Guy Gavriel Kay.

Terry Pratchett starting with Guards, Guards!

Many mentioned above, but I'm really addicted to Sheri Tepper.

Melissa Scott

The Sime/Gen series by Jacqueline Lichtenberg and Jean Lorrah

Seconding Doomsday Book by Connie Willis