Recommend a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book

[Slipoch]

I loved neuromancer, I thought idoru was a little dull, but then all tomorrow's parties was brilliant, idoru is more just a lead up to it.

Gibson's work is quite excellent (although I found the difference engine quite dull) and wasn't there a couple amtrak wars books released by a different author?

[Nekosan]

Wikipedia says:

In a letter dated 26 August 1991 Patrick Tilley confirmed that both the fans and publishers wanted additional novels to be published in the series and he was pursuing the matter, but only if he could "make it good enough." [1]. Rumours circulated for several years that additional novels in the sequence were being written, reaching a height in 1999 when a seventh volume was listed for publication by several websites. Unsubstantiated rumours surfaced in 2001 that Book 7 would be called Ghost Rider[2], and that one of the characters killed at the end of book 6 wasn't actually dead.

In 2007 Patrick Tilley once again hinted that the series would continue, although possibly only as a trilogy rather than six more books.[2]

also:

In 2007 the books were optioned by an Australian production company with the intention of turning them into a series of feature films. In 2008-09 Patrick Tilley wrote a draft of the first script, entitled like the book, Cloud Warrior, and the production company continued pursuing the project in 2010, showing the script and tentative production artwork to several companies at the Cannes Film Festival. The proposed movie series is entitled The Talisman Prophecy rather than The Amtrak Wars and continues the practice from the revised edition of naming the Amtrak Federation as 'The Lone Star Confederation'. Other changes include proposed variations to the design of Federation vehicles and technology from the books, and the removal of Ne-Issan to the Pacific North-West rather than the Eastern Seaboard

FTW

[cyclobs]

LONESTAR!!

[Artful-dodgeR]

Just picked up Eisenhorn trilogy by Dan Abnett. Was told it's one of the best series for 40K fans (just finished Space Wolf omnibus 1 + 2, loved it)... any got any other recommendations for a 40k fan?

[Auld]

I can solve this thread;

[Nekosan]

Just picked up Eisenhorn trilogy by Dan Abnett. Was told it's one of the best series for 40K fans (just finished Space Wolf omnibus 1 + 2, loved it)... any got any other recommendations for a 40k fan?

If you liked Eisenhorn I'd pick up the 3 Ravenor books that follow his rise to fame.

One of my biggest recommendations would be "Emperor's Mercy" and "Flesh and Iron" by Henry Zou(he's an aussie soldier too), 2 books that don't appear to be related at all (the second book is set years before the first) but there's a point where you'll go HOLY **** ****! (he's also a BJJ guy, the occasional MMA/grappling name pops up as a bit of an an inside joke).

The Gaunt's Ghosts books are all reasonable (also abnett), they follow a guard unit specializing in stealth and recon who watch their planet destroyed on founding day (hence the motto "first and only") and their not so standard commander, lots of characters you'll get very attached to.

The Ciaphas Cain novels by Sandy Mitchell are great too, Ciaphas in an imperial guard commissar who's also a dirty sneakthief coward but continually blunders his way into being a hero of the imperium, he wants nothing more than the easy way out but always ends up coming out on top, it's a very different pace than most 40k stuff (and i didn't think i would enjoy it) but i REALLY ended up liking it.

Ben Counter also did a decent "Soul Drinker" series that's a little different too, it chronicles their fall into a traitor legion and they're something of an anomaly in that they still love the emperor, just not in the right way.

[Artful-dodgeR]

I wasn't going to pick up an Inquisition book because Space Marines are my favourites, but thought what the hell, gotta give it a shot. I saw that Ben Counter did a Grey Knights omnibus and I find them kinda interesting... Also want to try Blood Angels. Find them quite good, love the black rage/red thirst. Gene-seed flaws ftw, lol.

When I have a few years spare I'll start the Horus Heresy series too -_-

So many books to read D:

[Yurtles]

The Ciaphas Cain novels by Sandy Mitchell are great too, Ciaphas in an imperial guard commissar who's also a dirty sneakthief coward but continually blunders his way into being a hero of the imperium, he wants nothing more than the easy way out but always ends up coming out on top, it's a very different pace than most 40k stuff (and i didn't think i would enjoy it) but i REALLY ended up liking it.

+1 to that. I've never really gotten into any of the Space Marine books I've read, but those ones I really enjoyed. I found them more human, funnily enough.

Just finished reading Chris Wooding's Tales of the Ketty Jay (Retribution Falls, Black Lung Captain and The Iron Jackal - As recommended by War; who if you're reading this, there's a third one out now that you may not have read).
Very good read. Think Firefly sort of a setup but with airshipy type things instead of spaceships. The first book is a little slow but still good and then the second two are outstanding, it's worth sticking with it.

[War]

Just finished reading Chris Wooding's Tales of the Ketty Jay (Retribution Falls, Black Lung Captain and The Iron Jackal - As recommended by War; who if you're reading this, there's a third one out now that you may not have read).
Very good read. Think Firefly sort of a setup but with airshipy type things instead of spaceships. The first book is a little slow but still good and then the second two are outstanding, it's worth sticking with it.

I already have it in my library waiting to be read

"The Iron Jackal"

[Jonkhorn3]

I got a free copy of Jennifer Fallons book 'The Lion of Senet' with my copy of a dance with dragons. read it after adwd and its was really quite enjoyable, easy to read with cool characters which has now prompted me to buy the next 2 (3 parts, its called The Second Sons Trilogy). Onto the last book now after blitzing through the 2nd . Its a fantasy book set medieval times without all the magic and such.

[Nekosan]

Picked up "All you need is kill" by Hiroshi Sakurazaka(sp) and the latest Gaunt's Ghosts book (Salvations Reach) thismorning, chewing through the Abnett and will be onto AYNIK tomorrow night i think, I'm interested to see how it compares to Armor and Starship Troopers (i left out "the forever war" because i thought that was total bollocks lol).


Edit:I blew through the newest Gaunt's Ghosts book (Salvations Reach), pretty good read but lacking somewhat slightly in the character dept, Abnett focused on too many characters so i never really settled into the skin of any of them during their chapters, it's probably not very noticable unless (like me) it's been a while since you read the last installment.

Munched through AYNIK and it was decent, more of a straight up action story than a treatise on personal ethics/accountability (Starship Troopers) or the affects of continual stress of the human mind (Armor), i wouldn't place it in the same league as either of them but it would make a damn good big budget action movie (somewhat in the vein of "the Source Code" but with a better story and more action). Definitely worth the read if you can find a copy.

As per someones previous recommendation I've started on the first Honor Harrington book (On Basilisk Station) because I'm a sucker for space opera, munched about half today (too hot to do much else but read) and it's quite enjoyable so far (though not up to the standard of Jack Campbell's "Lost Fleet" books IMO).

[Yurtles]

Completely forgot about this, been reading all sorts of good things since my last post and I've forgotten what most of them were now

Currently working through The Stainless Steel Rat series by Harry Harrison, it's been pretty good. First story was published back in the 70's so it's got some of that good old fashioned sci-fi you don't seem to see anymore.

[Nekosan]

Currently reading the The Magicians by Lev Grossman (on its sequel actually), think Harry Potter if Harry was a bitter, alcoholic, Narnia obsessed foreveralone 17 year old who goes to magic university.

[Bek]

I've been reading discworld from the start (The Colour of Magic), so far I'm up to Men At Arms (15th one). Awesome series.

[nudge]

While I do enjoy those discworld books, no way can I read them back to back... It's like doing a monty python marathon.

Found out that Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep is actually part of a trilogy (Zones of thought). Read it about 15 years ago and really enjoyed it, re-read it and still enjoyed it. Reading book 2 and it is not nearly as good. Not so much a trilogy and only loosely based in the same universe. It could easily be a stand alone book with its own unique universe.

But would still recommend A Fire Upon the Deep.