Favourite Science Fiction/Fantasy books

[Ecci]

Just wondering what the scifi & fantasy folks out there enjoy most?
For me, it's currently Jodi Taylor's Chronicles of St Mary and The Expanse by James S A Corey.

@tilder

Some great books on here.

My son is really into fantasy books. Loved the Belgariad. I find it tricky to find stuff without sex or other adult themes for him to read. Which makes the genre sound awful, I know.

I thought Tad Williams would be ok, until I got to the dubious consent scenes.

He doesn't like teen fantasy books, likes the adult stuff. If anyone can recommend a safe series I would really appreciate it.

Is WofT clean? It's been ages since I read it. Not sure I want to re read it all to check!

My teen DS loves Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series - the sexual content is entirely age-appropriate (it amounts to “people and dragons sometimes have sex”).

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

Titus Groan/Gormenghast are fantastic books for teenagers.

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.

@tilder

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.

For strong female characters the Garth Nix Old Kingdom books are great imo and age appropriate.

@Giggorata

PKD often wrote “pulp” novels at speed, to support his 5 ex wives' alimony payments! that's why his novels were sometimes not all they could be.

But no one had the wild whirligig of ideas that he did.
A shedload of SF films emanate from PKD's ideas...

Also chain-smoked, swigged whisky and never edited.

Terrible writing, superb ideas.

Yes his influence remains.

We can buy it for you wholesale!

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.

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.

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 .

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

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.

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