sholio | The things one finds...

oh my god, this commercial is so, so, SO wrong on pretty much every level that I cannot stop laughing at it (at least partly in horrified amazement that it's an actual commercial and not an SNL parody commercial). The shaved cat! THE TULIPS.

You know what I need, I think? A new series of books to be hooked on. It was so lovely to sink into the new Dresden Files book, but it was all over so quickly and now I have to wait for the next one. *chews nails* My reading has been falling off lately -- I'll start books and then abandon them -- and I think a lot of it is because what I really want right now is to fall in love with some characters and spend a lot of quality time with them. Most of what I've been reading lately have been stand-alone genre and literary-type books, but I'm finding them harder to get into. Since I'm not really following any TV shows avidly at the moment, I think that I need to find me some good, escapist brain candy to satisfy my mental sweet tooth.

Recommendations? I'd prefer books with SF or fantasy elements, but I'm open to anything else, too, if you know of something that's good. If you've been reading my journal for any length of time, you probably know what I go for: ensemble casts with relationships more complicated than just "boy meets girl, love at first sight", strong friendships, quality world-building. I like to be surprised and to have a story take me places I'm not expecting. I like genre-mixing (steampunk SF, mystery fantasy). I'm very character-focused; I like to follow the same characters over years and watch them grow and change. I am an absolute sucker for ambiguous and flawed heroes, ambiguous and likable villains, and enemies forced to work together for the common good. I like explosions, and as much as I adore solid world-building, I get bored with infodumps and florid writing very quickly.

A few of the series that are the sort of thing I'm looking for right now:

- Death Gate (Weiss & Hickman)
- Dark Tower (King)
- Discworld
- Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin books
- Coldfire (C.S. Friedman)
- Tobias Buckell's Xenowealth books

I've tried both Lynn Flewelling and Janny Wurts and just couldn't get into either one (sorry,

xparrot!). I also haven't tried George RR Martin because I'm scared XD, though I have the first Song of Ice and Fire book sitting in my to-read pile in case I manage to get over the fact that everyone keeps telling me these books will rip my heart into a million shreds and dance on the pieces.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Have you tried the Lee & Miller Liaden books? Science fiction with a Georgette Heyer sensibility.

Someone else recommended those! I have never heard of them, but I'm definitely going to take a look!

I have no recs ATM but OMG that ad! I kind of love it even though it's so so wrong (maybe because it's so so wrong).

I KNOW! It's so awful and wrong and hilarious and weirdly addictive.

You made me go look at my sci-fi shelf since I'd only rec'd fantasy. Julie Czerneda's Web Shifters series is one of my faves in the straight out hard-core sci-fi genre. David Brin was the first author I read as a teen in the genre, so I may be a little sentimental, but you might like his Uplift series--it's about humans genetically evolving the intelligence of apes and dolphins and the struggle for equal rights (more or less). Also, I was, you know, twelve and...dolphins on a space ship, OMG!

(Edited for inappropriate excited apostrophes)

Oh, *that's* what Uplift is about! I've heard of it but had no idea what it was. The only Brin I've read is "Postman" (which was quite good). And I haven't read Czerneda either. Thanks for the recs!

Feintuch's Midshipman's Hope, first in a series, like Patrick O'Brian IN SPACE! Only it's more like CS Forrester's Hornblower series IN SPACE, but that's not the point, it's fantastic!

Ooh, that sounds wonderful, and I haven't heard of it! Thanks for the rec! *makes note*

It's one of the very few series I first read in high school and still reread on a regular basis. ... Actually, it's pretty much just this one. There are a handful of individual books I first read as a teenager that I can still enjoy, but no series beyond this one. Impressive!

The best world building (more like universe building...) I've EVER seen is in David Brin's Uplift series. The series starts with Sundiver but it's actually one of the weakest of the books (although still good in its own way) and you really DON'T need it for the others. You can easily start with Startide Rising. The series is pretty hard core sci-fi; no fantasy elements. But it's also among the best sci-fi EVER written. Some of the characters are recurring throughout. If you're ever in the mood for short stories, Brin also has a few excellent collections.

Raymond E. Feist has some very good fantasy (he also has some very BAD fantasy...). The Riftwar cycle is all worth reading and has some characters that you will absolutely fall in love with. One word of warning; the first book takes a little while to get started but once Feist finally finds his pace, the story starts FLYING. The two books following the Riftwar (I think the author calls those the "Krondor Sons" series) are good and so is the Serpentwar series. These are all set in the same world with many of the same characters showing up throughout each series. And honestly? I'd stop there - the other series are not nearly of the same quality. I SHOULD warn you, however, that Feist's writing is not deep. It's fun and easy and is the kind of stuff you read when you really just want to turn your brain off for a little while.

On a bit of a side note - you'll see that Feist co-wrote a trilogy ("Daughter of the Empire" which can easily be skipped without loss of continuity to Feist's other work) with Janny Wurts. Their writing really couldn't be more opposite in style but Feist's minimalist style combined with Wurts overly descriptive and melodramatic style actually works. Don't ask me how.

I feel awfully gauche barging in and posting a response to this so late, but I came across it and feel contractually obligated as a card-carrying "character-focused fantasy" fangirl to toss out a few names.

1. I'm guessing, since she's written some SGA tie-ins, that you may be familiar with Martha Wells? If not, she's an absolute must. Start with "Death of the Necromancer" and continue into the "Fall of Ile-Rien" trilogy, or try out "The Element of Fire" for free (http://www.marthawells.com/eof1-8.htm).

2. Carol Berg- I first read her and Martha Wells around the same time, and the two of them are my goddesses of awesome characters. :) Her first trilogy, the Rai-Kirah books, starts with "Transformation" and is a MASSIVE must-read for folks who enjoy friendship stories. In a nutshell: "A mistreated slave and the arrogant prince who owns him must put aside their differences to save the prince from the evil forces out to control him and take over the world." (Only better. :) )

3. Elizabeth Wein - These are a bit YA-ish in length, but filled with lovely, nuanced character interactions that make me squee all over. The first book, "The Winter Prince", is a variation on the Arthur/Mordred story. The sequels carry the story off to Africa... though a lot of emotional baggage from Camelot comes along for the ride.

Have you read Jacqueline Carey? I've only read the first Kushiel book so far, but it surprised me with how good it was, so that might be a contender, too.

Thanks for the recs! *adds* I actually did read (and loved) Transformation a few years ago (though I haven't enjoyed any of her other books nearly so much). :D

Have a couple of series to suggest to you...

One is the 'Dead' series by Charlane Harris. Was recently done on HBO or Showtime (don't get either), Sookie Stackhouse is the hero in this series and it is good reading.

Harris also has another one going that for the life of me I can't remember the name, but it has to do with a girl who solves mysteries by finding dead bodies...and not just in the grave yard.

Then there is always Laurel K. Hamilton's early books on Anita Blake the registered vampire killer...they are very good before they started having a bit more not so soft porn instead of a romping good tale.

Ah, now I have gone beyond just a couple. For my last recommendation, one that I will always come back to any and all of the J. D. Robb mysteries set in a very real future. Please, please don't be put off by the fact that this series is being written by Nora Roberts...they are sharp and entertaining mysteries with excellent characters and just a soupcon of good sex.

May I request that you friend me, so that I might keep up with both your recommendations and your good, good tales?

I have you as a friend, so I suppose that you are wondering why my few and far between LJ entries are showing up on your LJ...well it's because I do value what you think and would like to keep up with what's going on with you and your writing.

As ever...

Thank you for the recs! :)

I think that I had you added as a friend for a while and trimmed you off when I was trying to streamline my friendslist. But I don't mind adding you back!

David Weber is a SF writer - the Honor Harrington series. It has a lot of what you said you wanted to read. A heroine that is strong but struggles with parts of herself. It has the heros that are villians and the villiabs that are heros and the world buliding is believable.

And if you like Chinese mythology, Kylie Chan has a triology out that mixes mythology with modern life. It has a believeable heroine, a flawed god and a Demon King. This focuses alot on the yin/yang principles so there are disscussions about evil/good and how different cultures view things. Good world building as well.

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