Looking for sci-fi and fantasy novels that are worth reading?

Question

I'm basically just looking for a good read at the moment. I've very interested in Sci-Fi and Fantasy, as I've found these genres to be the most mindbending, stimulating and immersive of all fiction. I love The Ender Series by Orson Scott Card, The Dark Tower by Stephen King, Tad Williams' Otherland, and so on and so on. I started George R.R. Martin's Fantasy series which was good, but I'm looking for something a bit different. I also started Amber, which is really a great series, but I'm looking for something compulsively readable as well as thought provoking and rich.

Any thoughts?

Answer 1

Try Neal Stephenson with The Baroque Cycle and Cryptonomicon. The sci-fi label for these books is debatable but the author classifies them as such and so do most publishers. Besides these books are so engrossing that you won't be able to put them down. As for fantasy definitely check out David Gemmell's The Drenai and Rigante series they are tops. And you might also want to check out David Eddings The Belgariad and The Malloreon series. They are both great reads and don't have some of the other pitfalls that some fantasy series have. And any other series by Eddings except "The Dreamers" series I highly recommend.

Answer 2

"Compulsively readable" makes me think of a couple of Neil Gaiman's novels that I've read. "American Gods" and "Anansi Boys". They blend mythology and the everyday in a really compelling way. Both are richly imaginative and thought-provoking in a way. They mess with the supernatural in much the same way as, say, The DaVinci Code, but without offering dumbed-down insights or pretending to "intellectual" about it.

As a curiousity I'd also like to recommend the "Thursday Next" series by Jasper Fforde. It's just plain wacky. Weird and wonderful imaginative flights. Let's just say that if you've ever had to read the classics of English lit and found them boring or hard to handle, you might enjoy this.

Answer 3

If you like the Dark Tower, you should also try:

Black House - Stephen King
The Stand - Stephen King
The Talisman - Stephen King and Peter Straub
The Eyes of the Dragon - Stephen King

I'm a pretty big Stephen King fan obviously, and I'm also a sucker for Star Trek novels, that's a habit my dad got me into :)

Answer 4

For something a bit different, I'm surprised no one else has mentioned Philip K. Dick (his book, "Do androids dream of electric sheep" was what Blade Runner was based on). His writing's unusual, and tends to be a lot more thought-provoking than most sci-fi. Two of his best for me were, "The man in the high castle" and "The divine invasion". Give them time when you start reading them, though - there's more going on beneath the surface than in most other SF.

Answer 5

Neil Gaiman -- Neverwhere

Neil Gaiman -- The Sandman (comic book series)

Isaac Asimov -- Prelude to Foundation

Tolkien -- The Hobbit

Answer 6

Isaac Asimov's Foundation series was voted the best SF series of all time. It's a must for anybody interested in GOOD SF. Also, his Robot series (starting with I, Robot) is a classic. "Data" from Star Trek, Next Gen is based on Asimov's robots.

Answer 7

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - It is a fantasy romance novel. 2 thumbs up

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice - Fantasy as well but it is really dramatic

R L Stine rocks so try out his books too

Answer 8

King Fortis the Brave by LaMontagne and Snyder

Answer 9

A friend of mine named Rosalie Skinner has recently published a teen-aged fantasy book entitled Exile: Winter's Plight, a sequel, Exiled: Summer's Peril (it's like a part two), and has several forthcoming books. Her author site is located at http://www.rosalieskinner.com/exiled/home.asp if you want to take a look.

Answer 10

Try some John Ringo. I read his into the Looking Glass book and have since read it 2 more time. Excellent book.