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Original poster

If he likes Hitchhikers Guide, Lord of the Rings etc...

60 replies

BigBoysDontCry · 17/11/2023 15:26

Hi, looking for recommendations for a book for my 23 year old son to shove in his stocking for Christmas. He likes the above and is into gaming/Japanese anime/manga too.

He's autistic and difficult to get ideas from so it can be a hit or a miss sometimes. He has been a prolific reader in the past and would read pretty much anything but nowadays it's really got to appeal to him and then he really enjoys it.

My list of ideas is very short as it is so don't want to not include a book if I can help it.

Thanks in advance

OP posts:
kokotheguerilla · 17/11/2023 18:29

Jim Butchers Dresden Files. Might be a good fit.

Baldieheid · 17/11/2023 18:28

Robin Hobb - the Assassin and Rain Wilds series' (5 series in total)

Tad Williams- Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch, and the 2 follow ups. I think the series is The Gentleman Bastards, but could be wrong.

Robin Hobb Soldier Son trilogy. It seems to be a love or hate trilogy, I love it.

Eyesopenwideawake · 17/11/2023 18:25

Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series.

Seconded.

LivingDeadGirlUK · 17/11/2023 18:17

Some of my fav's

The wheel of time (gets a bit of a slog through books 7-8-9 but if he can manage Tolken he has the patients of a saint).
Katherin Kerr Devery series
The nights dawn trilogy by Peter F Hamilton is a work of art but quite dark.
The Dragons of pern books by Ann Mcaffry

CesareBorgia · 17/11/2023 18:09

My husband has similar tastes and also likes Terry Pratchett, Raymond E Feist and Neil Gaiman.

Leafsliding · 17/11/2023 18:09

You’ve just made my day with this post OP - I’ve got a 15 year old with what sounds like similar taste so am also going to be googling .

wellthatwentwelldinnit · 17/11/2023 18:05

Red dwarf books?

TamzinGrey · 17/11/2023 16:56

Wizard of Earthsea trilogy by Ursula Le Guin.

Also agree with everyone suggesting the Philip Pullman Northern Lights trilogy.

SomersetBrie · 17/11/2023 16:49

Ready Player One is great for gamers (way better than the film). If that works out, there's Ready Player Two (though I've not read that yet).

Flowers for Algernon? My teenage DC liked that.

CatChant · 17/11/2023 16:43

The Magicians trilogy by Lev Grossman.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susannah Clarke.

Lockwood and Co series by Jonathan Stroud.

Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series.

Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders series - the earlier ones before they descend into ‘sequelitis’.

John Wyndham’s novels. The Day of the Triffids is the most famous but The Midwich Cuckoos, The Chrysalids and Chocky are all very readable.

Ursula leGuin’s Earthsea novels.

I also think Terry Pratchett is worth another try but he hasn’t hit his stride in the first two Discworld novels so start with either the third, Equal Rites, or the wonderful fourth, Mort.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 17/11/2023 16:27

Discworld I would start with Mort, not the colour of magic.

Raymond Feist is good. The magician series and the riftwar series especially

wyndon · 17/11/2023 16:27

Something by Neil Gaiman? If he likes comics he might like Sandman.

Joe Abercrombie's First law series is quite good if he hasn't read them. Dune is a classic, not much humour though. The Wheel of Time too.

I suppose with a prolific reader the tricky thing is finding something he hasn't read yet. How about a special/collectors edition of something you know he likes, like LoTR?

JaneyGee · 17/11/2023 16:24

heldinadream · 17/11/2023 15:34

Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast Trilogy. Like LOTR but darker, funnier, and more Gothic. Truly wonderful books.

Gormenghast (series) - Wikipedia

Oh yes!! Forgot about these. 😀

JaneyGee · 17/11/2023 16:23

C. S. Lewis wrote a great science fiction trilogy. They are full of fantasy (Merlin appears one of them). Lewis was friends with Tolkien, and shared his tastes and interests.

Has he read all of Douglas Adams’ stuff? He wrote more than Hitchhiker.

Terry Pratchett and Philip Pullman would also be worth checking out.

Octaviathethird · 17/11/2023 16:19

Second The Dark Tower, and His Dark Materials.

Original poster
BigBoysDontCry · 17/11/2023 15:54

Thanks everyone, I wasn't expecting so many responses. I'll get onto Google after dinner and suss them all out. I bet there will be something I think he'll like.

His brother is more into factual/history books nowadays so their tastes don't cross. He's also better at letting me know what he has on his wish list.

OP posts:
Original poster
BigBoysDontCry · 17/11/2023 15:50

I'm sure I got him the first couple of the rivers of London a few years ago, he hasn't asked for the rest but then he never asks for anything.

If I had any chance of getting in his room to see what he has on his shelves it might help. We have book cases all over the house so I'm assuming his favourites are in his room.

OP posts:
EmpressaurusOfCats · 17/11/2023 15:48

igivein · 17/11/2023 15:42

This is a bit left field, but how about Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch?

It's a sort of crime / magic / fantasy crossover and is quite witty and funny. As a bonus if he likes it there's about 7 books in the series, a few novellas and some graphic novels that might appeal

I was going to say Rivers of London too, if he’s a Hitchhiker fan.

Chemenger · 17/11/2023 15:48

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 17/11/2023 15:43

At that age (albeit 30 years ago!) I absolutely loved The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant

Me too, I was trying to remember what they were called to recommend them.

Original poster
BigBoysDontCry · 17/11/2023 15:47

ErrolTheDragon · 17/11/2023 15:38

Do you know which he tried? Because the first two in the Discworld series aren't as good as the others, they're more just parody fantasy novels.

Show quote history

I think it was Discworld but it's many years ago. Maybe worth another look, is there something else you'd recommend?

OP posts:
Honnomushi · 17/11/2023 15:46

Brandon Sanderson Mistborn Trilogy ?

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 17/11/2023 15:43

At that age (albeit 30 years ago!) I absolutely loved The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant

igivein · 17/11/2023 15:42

This is a bit left field, but how about Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch?

It's a sort of crime / magic / fantasy crossover and is quite witty and funny. As a bonus if he likes it there's about 7 books in the series, a few novellas and some graphic novels that might appeal

ErrolTheDragon · 17/11/2023 15:38

BigBoysDontCry · 17/11/2023 15:28

I should add that he didn't get into Terry Pratchet even though it looks like a good fit.

Do you know which he tried? Because the first two in the Discworld series aren't as good as the others, they're more just parody fantasy novels.

Original poster
BigBoysDontCry · 17/11/2023 15:38

heldinadream · 17/11/2023 15:34

Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast Trilogy. Like LOTR but darker, funnier, and more Gothic. Truly wonderful books.

Gormenghast (series) - Wikipedia

Sorry lots of replies arrived at once. Thanks I'll look these up. He has a good sense of humour, his autistic issues are around his communication.

OP posts: