Science Fiction/Fantasy recommendations

[NadiaWadia]

Can anyone give me any recommendations?

In the past I have enjoyed writers like Ursula Le Guin, Philip K Dick, John Wyndham, Sheri Tepper etc.

In fantasy I prefer quirky stuff, not so much the dragon-y type, IYKWIM.

dont know Sheri Tepper but I love the other authors you mentioned!

Some classics to try if you havent already:
Neuromancer by William Gibson - a bit like Philip K Dick - maybe my favourite sci fi book to date

Dune by Frank Herbert

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray bradbury

Also really recommend The Stand by Stephen King (especially if you can get the longer 'author's cut' rather than shorter edited version. It is more of an apocalyptic fantasy novel than his usual horror, def one of my favourite books and a good long one to get lost in.

For quirky stuff something like Automated Alice by Jeff Noon may be one to try tho didnt really get into it myself.

would love to see suggestions from others...

I'm a big Sf & F reader. Faves include Octavia Butler (can be rather grim but also extremely well-depicted scenarios and people), Joan Slonczewski (hard to get in this country but ebooks are available: try Door Into Ocean first). Also if you google the blog SF Mistressworks you will find reviews of sf by women - I know that's not specifically what you asked for but you will find some interesting and less usual suggestions that way!

I just finished Ready player one by Ernest Cline which was fabulous. Not normally a scifi person but this was great.

Help! Does anyone know the title/author of a sci-fi/fantasy book about a book found in Hay on Wye which changes someone's present/future? Thought I had bought it after reading it twice but maybe just found at the library and can't find again. Have tried the finder websites to no avail...

Thanks everyone.

Well I have just ordered Kindred by Octavia Butler which looks very interesting from the Amazon description, so thanks again for all your help.

Have you tried Elizabeth Moon. She's written science fiction and fantasy and is enjoyable if not great literature.

Flowers for Algernon and The Stars My Destination are two of my favourites for science fiction.

If you've not read him already Neal Stephenson is also pretty good.

Fantasy - Magician by Raymond E Fiest is a classic though his later stuff isn't in the same league.
Janny Wurts and Raymond E Fiest wrote a grat series together - Daughter of the Empire was the first one.

Quirky maybe - Terry Pratchett - not everyones cup of tea but his Guards Guards was good.

I like all the authors you mention, especially Ursula le Guin. A few things I'd particularly recommend:

Native Tongue & the sequel The Judas Rose by Suzette Haden Elgin (lots of fascinating stuff about linguistics mixed in with the story)

Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover novels, though they are VERY mixed in quality. The Shattered Chain is one of the best IMO (it doesn't really matter what order you read them in). Its years since I read the Mists of Avalon but I remember it being good.

Very light but amusing - Diana Wynne Jones' adult novels inc Dark Lord of Derkholm & Year of the Griffin

I liked The Diamond Age and Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson.

Also On, Stone and The Snow by Adam Roberts.

I loved Elgin's Native Tongue but didn't like its sequels as much: felt she depicted the female characters as saintly superhumans (a bit) and the men as inhuman.

Diana Wynne Jones's adult novels come across as light but like Pratchett actually have a lot of depth behind them. Excellent stuff.

Wraeththu by Storm Constantine. There are two trilogies and she revised and updated them quite recently so look for the new editions. They are amazing and wonderful and just brilliant, but very hard to describe. There are several fanfic books too, SC doesn't mind, in fact she gets on well with the fans and helps them out, and has even put references to the fan fic into her books so they all tie in really well, and they are great too. And definitely quirky they just aren't like anything else you'll ever read.

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell is a fantastic story, I might go so far as to say it's my favourite SF novel

Try Mary Gentle - fantasy, very quirky.

Rats and Gargoyles
The Architecture of Desire
Left to his Own Devices

(These form a trilogy)

Also the Book of Ash (four novels but you can get them in a single edition)

And 1610 - A Sundial in a Grave.

She's also written Grunts! which is a fantasy parody and hilarious "Pass me another Elf, this one's split."

Try Barbara Hambly.

I rather love Elgin. Also Wynne Jones.

Pratchett, obviously, is a god. Ditto Neil Gaiman.

And Robin Hobb, although I'd avoid the Shaman trilogy. The Liveship Traders trilogy is good.

comixminx / motherinferior - which Wynne Jones adult novels would you recommend particularly? I've only run into a few aimed at adults though I've enjoyed all of them that I've read (except maybe Hexwood which I wasn't so keen on).

Takver - I quite enjoyed A sudden wild magic, Dark Lord of Derkholm, Year of the Griffin and cant recollect the name of it now but it was to do with Magids, Maree Mallory and Rupert Venables (suspect MotherInferior will be able to name it).

Deep Secret and its sequel The Merlin Conspiracy, dinky.

Both very good indeed.

Wot pointythings said.

I have just read online that Elgin has Alzheimer's. How sad./

Hello, DWJ fan.

DWJ is so fab. Children's books too.

Ohhh, The Sparrow was heart-breaking (but a damn fine read).

Am now looking forward to reading some of the stuff recommended on here

John Christopher is very similar to John Wyndom, although most of his books were aimed at teenagers, The Death of Grass had just been reprinted and more adult.
Roger Zelazny' s Amber series are good as well.

I really enjoyed Jim Butcher's Codex Alera. A great series,well worth a read.