Recommended reading charts. (Look here before asking for vague recs)https://mega.nz/folder/kj5hWI6J#0cyw0-ZdvZKOJW3fPI6RfQ/folder/4rAmSZxb>Archive:https://warosu.org/lit/?task=search2&search_subject=sffg>Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1029811-sffg>Previous:>> 24779834>Thread Question: Did you forget that the next Black Company novel starring the raped witches and Croaker’s son will be out November 4th?
>>24796095>>24779834
Suneater gets better after the first book, right? It's taking me a long time to get through it.
Two more Wolfe short story reviews:'Lord of the Land' This one is just a solid horror story. There is decent characterization and good suspense once we move past the opening scene with the old man. As with many Gene Wolfe stories, once you go back to the beginning, you can definitely see little clues to different things littered throughout. I liked that it was actually a lovecraftian creature from space. I think that adds a whole interesting dimension to it, and it is fun to speculate as to what being a part of the soul sucker entails. I also learned after reading it that the main character shows up in three other short stories that Gene Wolfe wrote. I would not have expected that from Wolfe. I will have to get around to them. It is not in my favorite short stories from Wolfe by any means, but it is a solidly crafted and enjoyable story at the end of the day.'Josh' This one was a real stumper. There has been some discussion recently on it, but I don't think there has been a real answer to the mysteries of this story. I have proposed some theories and threads that hint at certain things, but I think what is important is that this story was intriguing and eerie throughout, despite much of it not being resolved. And instead of proposing my theories again, I thought I would ask if anyone else here has any interesting ideas about this story.
>>24796647>'Lord of the Land'I will also say that this story shares a similar format to Many Mansions, because in each there is a story told outside a house, and then once the house is entered by the guest, it is revealed that the story is really relevant to what is going inside in the house. In 'Lord of the Land', the focus is more on what is inside the house, while in 'Many Mansions', the focus is on the stories told outside the house.
>>24796095actually good sff:>The Time Machine>Conan>The Hobbit>Titus Groan>The Broken Sword>The End of Eternity>The Stars My Destination>Solaris>The Dragon Masters>Dune>Lord of Light>A Wizard of Earthsea>The Knight of the Swords>Swords and Deviltry>The Forever War>The Deathbird>The Deep>Blind Voices>Sandkings>The Shadow of the Torturer>Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind>Fevre Dream>Neuromancer>Bridge of Birds>Ender's Game>Berserk>Assassin's Apprentice>A Game of Thrones>The Darkness That Comes Before>Black Leopard, Red Wolf>Lovecraft>Borges>Dick
>>24796095not just one, but two fuckups in the op
>>24796750BLACKED Company image and what's the other one?
>>24796095>sisters who got raped by the company when they joined are now its leadersI'm afraid cook may have lost his mind. if this shit took him five years or longer to write we may get the worst STRONK FEMALE CHARACTER types. then again, I can't blame the horny guys.
bros the webnovel general is making fun of us again...
>>24797025I'm also making fun of you in the pulp general
>>24797025>>24797030THIS WILL NOT STAND
Red God will save /sffg/
>>24797025we strayed away from the light of Bakker and into the darkness of YA slop
>>24797025It doesn't exactly help that most /sffg/ posters just post in /wng/ now...
>>24796981>sisters who got raped by the company when they joined are now its leadersAlmost every member was killed at the end of the last book. They're basically senior members by virtue of being alive.
>>24796095Eifelheim - Michael Flynn (2006)Eifelheim is a peculiar novel. Ostensibly it's science fiction, though it reads more like historical fiction that reveals a forgotten history which has been obscured through the centuries due to fear and ignorance. The original novella was published in a 1986 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact and is the "Now" chapters. The novel was published in 2006. This 20 year gap between between writing the two perspectives is only one of the many noticeable differences, despite the novella's text having been updated and expanded.In 1348, the story follows the life of Pastor Dietrich in the town of Oberhochwald, which would now be located in the Schwarzwald, Black Forest, of Germany. The narrative begins with the arrival of the beings, not aliens, as that word is antithetical to its themes. In demonstration of how catholic (all-inclusive) they are, their presence is tolerated, if not necessarily accepted. So goes then the lives of these two very different groups of people.For many works of first contact, the event itself is very dramatic and sensational, with both sides being aware of the significance of what's happening. Eifelheim takes a different approach. Everything is presented in a naturalistic manner, so there's no real plot. If the beings had never arrived, there wouldn't be all that much difference. There's a sort of imposed mundanity to the writing, perhaps to allow for what happens to seem more authentic. Much is done for it to be more like a recounting of events than a fictional tale.The story also takes place "Now", in which Tom is a cliologist trying to resolve an anomaly, Eifelheim, in his modeling. Sharon is a physicist trying to develop a new cosmological theory. They live together in an unconventional manner.Aside from being the life and times of a 14th century European village during the Black Plague, there's a heavy emphasis on religious matters. The humans and beings find each other mutually incomprehensible, as the humans cannot understand science, and the beings cannot understand religion. This causes mistrust and misunderstandings, though necessity mitigates much. In the "Now", the confrontation is between sciences, which are reluctant to engage in interdisciplinary cooperation, thus stagnating progress and forestalling discoveries.Depending on the reader, both may seem impenetrable. The past has its cultural differences, religious worldview, and naturalism, while the the present is laden with detailed scientific discussions and passages interspersed with 9 languages. Many readers seem unable to reconcile the two and greatly prefer one over the other, which is the meta-conflict.My rating is for enjoyment and appreciation. The latter being more than the former. I believe that differences between then and now are less than many want to believe. Technological and social progression are two entirely separate continuum.Rating: 3.5/5This was chosen by the 1st round winner.
Really not feeling Verne, he feels dry and autistic but in a bad way.Finished Journey to the Centre of the Earth and I'm 5 chapters into 20,000 Leagues and it's just not gripping me
>>24796503It gets very different First book is the odd one out. (Even if *I* really liked the first book)2nd book is my favorite in the series, gets into space a bit more - ramps up the SCIfi elements, moves away from the planet bound gladiator stuffreally nails a spooky creepy planet location
>>24796503Yes. I didn't dislike EoS but Howling Dark is incredible and Demon in White is somehow even better. Rest of the series is at least Howling Dark-tier.I recommend the novellas as well. Queen Amid Ashes is great if you want more smaller-scale human-Cielcin conflict.
>>24797040This but also Shadows Upon Time
>>24796503I read Empire of Silence years ago and came away feeling like it was the Kingkiller Chronicles in space. That first impression has not left me wanting to read more of the Sun Eater books, even though the first one wasn't bad.
>>24797384Try Howling Dark. EoS' sequels expand the world a great deal and the story takes on a bigger, darker tone.
>>24796095This started off interesting, but it is devolving into a shitty movie script which tries to smash King Arthur and World of Warcraft together (despite the latter not existing when it was written). I'll most likely finish it, but I need a break from the nauseating campiness and fast pacing of it all. Before picking this up I remember reading some people claim that this was overshadowed by LoTR, and had it come out first it would've had a similar impact, and to that I say they had to be smoking fucking crack. The quality of writing is worlds apart, granted Poul still writes better than every homo author of the day.
I finished Neuropath. The Argument remains undisproven.
I literally would not give a single shit if Sevro died. I do not understand the audience fascination with him. Cassius is a much better character.
anyone read larry correias new book yet? not sure i fancy mistborn meets guardians of the galaxy
>Glen Cook lies weepingWhat happened to him?
>>24797475 Its not as good as LOTR, but its better than anything written in the past 25 years.
Reminder to buy books you enjoy by authors you like :D
>>24796095Is black company good It's on humble bundle right now Is it reddit and pozzed?
>>24797650My favorite authors are dead...
>>24797657I have no idea what reddit or pozzed even mean, but Black Company is good. If you like Joe Abercrombie or Steven Erickson, Glen Cook's Black Company is one of their bigger inspirations for morally grey military fantasy.
THE WIZARD
>>24796095anyone have recommendations for odd, off kilter, strange, unusual, or generally weird sci-fi/fantasy? staff that wll make say "WOW! now THAT was different." early scifi, paranormal, or fantasy that doesn't fit the cookiecutter wish fulfillment YA adventure mold. its ok if its not a literary masterpiece as long as its distinctly..... peculiar..
>>24797672Why is Abercrombie listed next to actually good authors who know how to world build and also how to write military fiction? Abercrombie is a 70 IQ retard next to Cook or Erickson.
>>24797687Perdido Street Station and The Scar
>>24797672>If you like Joe Abercrombie or Steven EricksonWhat if I don't? Huh, motherfucker? What if I don't like them? Am I supposed to just go fuck myself?
Theres a lot of anger and hostility in this thread
>>24797672>I have no idea what reddit or pozzed even meanThen your opinion can't be taken seriously
>>24797717Welcome to /sffg/
>>24797657>Is black company good Not really, but it's not aggressively bad either. >Is it reddit and pozzed?It's very reddit, but also kinda not pozzed. It's like, edgy reddit.
>>24797687>odd, off kilter, strange, unusual, or generally weird sci-fi/fantasy?ObligatoryLEM@PKDAlso Strugatsky brothers.
>>24797684I'll teach you magic, but first, you gotta suck my dick
>>24797785Edgy reddit makes me think of that tranny who made a game where he kills "terfs" so basically a game where a man kills exclusively women and is considered progressive for it
>>24797717Welcome to 4ch
>>24797831Nah, it's not like that. It's more like a novel adaptation of a Critical Role campaign where everyone decided to draft Chaotic Neutral Shadow the Hedgeheg derivatives, and also Vietnam. It's dork reddit, not political reddit.
>>24797839How woke is Critical Role? I've never watched/listened to it.
>>24797839There are literally Critical Role novels.
>>24797691It is because The First Law Series/World is considered to be good. His YA series and The Devils is very shit though.
>>24797156You post your reviews anywhere else like on Goodreads?
>>24797156your """reviews""" are SHITFUCK OFF
>>24798026Yes, they're on Goodreads. I'm the founder of the Goodreads group in the OP.
>>24798026>>24798071>>24797156https://www.goodreads.com/group/show_book/1029811-sffg?book_id=416327
>>24798048>I hate your reviews of SFF books! Let's talk about what books are pozzed and reddit instead.Fucking retard
>>24798071Based Yev. I didn't realize.
>>24798151>Fucking retardI'm not the one reviewing pozzed books, retardOur resident reviewer hates based old fantasy and reads pozzed books, newfag
>Ewgene tries to embarrass Rand with a tale of his childhood, he treats it as a fond memory and shares an embarassing tale of her that makes her instantly get mad.>Starts bitching inside her head about Rand acting full of himself now that he is the ruler of Tear and trying to put the lords in their places when he was just a sheepherder when a good chunk of the previous book had miss former innkeeper's daughter getting pissed at people for treating her like a normal person while she was under disguise instead of bowing their heads for the accepted pretending to be full As Sedai.It's amazing how she keeps getting worse. It feels like half of her character is talking shit about Mat, Nynaeve, Rand and Perrin and trying to drag them through the mud.It was quite funny to see her get reality checked by Rand casually manhandling her and Elayne at the same time after letting her head get so inflated that she really believe that the dragon reborn might only be as powerful as her. Not even the other way around, the reincarnation of the most powerful channeller to ever live and the guy destined to destroy to world might just barely be as strong as someone going 3 for 3 on playing the damsel in distress during the climax of the books.
Man, I need something more like HyperionI love me some literary references
>>24797657>Is black company goodNo. The first trilogy peaks in book 2 and its just okay.
>>24798263Egwene is genuinely delusional
>>24798151"Reviews are shit" newfag has been shitposting for over 3 years. His favorite author is Lord Dunsany.
>>24798239>reviewing pozzed books>he doesn't like the books I like>calls everyone a newfag that disagreesHoly shit, you're retarded. If you sperg out over any review of new fantasy books, why are you even here? Go make old/classic /sffg/ or some shit.
You know how in the past we believed life could exist in the moon, mars, and everything in the system? Are there any books with this concept?
>>24798263Let's not be too harsh. Remember that they're all teenagers. i.e. fucking idiots.
>>24798300Only in older books like John Carter and War of the Worlds. Once astronomers learned more about the solar system such idea became more fantasy than science.
>>24798301There are a lot of things you can blame on someone being a dumb teen, the way she treat her childhood friends is not one of them.You could even say that the way she treats Nynaeve is just like a teen rebelling against a former teacher after graduation, there is no such an excuse for the way she treat the boys.
>>24798343It's because he is her childhood friend that she treats him like that. She doesn't act that way with others.
What should I read from Larry Niven?
>>24798290>favourite author is lord dunsanyI KNEEL
>>24798379Obviously his most famous work is Ringworld. Just be aware that despite the great ideas he's not a very good writer. That's why his collabs like Footfall and The Mote in God's Eye are better books.
>>24798343She does get humbled in the next book, but there's a reason everyone says Nynaeve is best girl. If you're waiting for Mat to stop getting shit on though you're going to be waiting a long, long time.
>write female characters realistically>get called a sexisthmmmmm
>>24798298All new fantasy books are pozzedYou'd know that if you weren't a newfag retard
>>24797156I read this one and basically remember nothing about it except it was intentionally not an "easy read".
>>24797172Try Gulliver's Travels.
>>24797659Then don't buy them. No reason to feed their kids and the publisher. Fuck both of those groups.
>>24797657Drop $1 and see. Or go to Anna's and get it for free. Fuck long running tradpubbed authors, they all bent the knee and/or are already rich, and either way don't deserve your money.
>>24798071>Hyperion 5/5>Neuromancer 2/5thanks for the many contributions but I will punch you for that desu
>>24798239Nigga he's reviewed most of the classics at this point. Yev's read and reviewed like 100 books a year for a decade, so you run out of the classics.Still tho, fuck anything published after 2015.
>if someone online claims something that means it's trueUh I thought /lit/ was supposed to be smart?
>>24798578That's the correct rating, or maybe overrating neuromancer.
William Gibson is a retarded racist hack that unironically printed the phrase "three megabytes of hot RAM"
>>24798608>b-but he's racistYou have to go back.
>>24798605I can understand why some do not like Neuromancer. I will admit that it is probably best enjoyed just like how it was written, i.e. coked up to heaven. But I'll never get the hype for Hyperion. It has one good story, the first one, cause Simmons is a good horror author, and some nice concepts. The rest of the story range from Steven-King-tier bs (why yes, let me fuck the space alien iron spike monster, what could go wrong), to soap opera quality granny fucking, literally. What the fuck man. The story of the professor had potential, but it was stretched for about 100 pages too long. Some of the ousters stuff was neat, but only cause it was essentially sf horror. Yeah, fuck Hyperion, fuck Fall of Hyperion, and fuck me for having read that shite.
>>24797650All the authors I enjoy are dead and most didn't leave children. The ones that did ain't gettin shit.
>>24797687You'll find more of this in short fiction than in novels. Some favorites of mine are Ted Chiang, Michael Swanwick, and The Best of Walter Jon Williams. Mieville's three moments of an explosion is good...ymmv. you can't really go wrong pawing volumes at random off the anthology shelf at the used bookstore and flipping through them. anything edited by Gardner Dozois or Ellen Datlow usually contains a representative cross-section of the best stuff available.
The Strength of the Few is out btw
>>24798802>first person present tense
>consider phlebasOK it has been considered, what now?
>>24798855now you look to leeward
>>24798658I thought Hyperion was alright, but when you get to Fall of Hyperion you realize how much the frame story was holding the first one together. By the time I got to the end of Fall there's so much shit going on and the connection between cause and effect is getting so blurry that I just had to shrug.
>>24798849Are you implying that AI was used? Or is this some esoteric joke? Do you just like big fanned chinks, or are you insane? Pls I need to know, the possibility of AI sloppa makes me nervous.
>>24798887>>24798658Filtered.
