Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books

[fishonjazz]

Sorry to colton and other fans of the wheel of time for bashing it. I can see why people liked it and i will stop bashing it.

 

[gregbroncs]

Am I the only one that really likes this genre but does not really like Tolkien? The Hobbit was a great book. But I thought the Trilogy was hard to read and a bit too long winded for me. Wheel of Time is great though. Just picked up the last book a week ago and am going to read it after A Dance with Dragons, which I am working on now.

 

[AtheistPreacher]

I liked Wheel of Time when I first read it, which was in high school. But I distinctly remember quitting in the middle of book 9 in disgust after it had all slowed to a crawl (it was all downhill after around book 5 or 6). A few years later, I tried picking them back up again and reading from the beginning, but I just couldn't do it. Halfway through the first book I wondered why I had liked these books in the first place. I may yet go back and try again, I think it's been more than five years now. But it ain't high on my priority list. I'd rather re-read Hobb, or Martin, Dan Simmons, or even Eddings.

As for Tolkien, I remember loving LOTR a whole lot more than The Hobbit. I read LOTR again six or seven years ago and didn't like it as well as I had the first time, but still enjoyed myself. But I can see why others might not care for it.

 

[gregbroncs]

It took me longer to read a LOTR book than any Wheel of Time or Song of fire and Ice book. And the WOT and Martin Books are 3X's as long.

 

[Hekate]

Wheel of Time is a lot better than A song of Ice and Fire. I can see how some people may get bored with latter books though.

What surprised me was that noone mentioned Ursula K. Leguin's Earthsea. Fantastic read. One of the best books I have ever read regardless of genre.

Another one I like is Michael Ende. The Prison of Freedom had splendid short stories. He also has more popular books you probably know. The Neverending Story and Momo.

 

[AtheistPreacher]

Wheel of Time is a lot better than A song of Ice and Fire. I can see how some people may get bored with latter books though.

What surprised me was that noone mentioned Ursula K. Leguin's Earthsea. Fantastic read. One of the best books I have ever read regardless of genre.

Another one I like is Michael Ende. The Prison of Freedom had splendid short stories. He also has more popular books you probably know. The Neverending Story and Momo.

Wow, I completely disagree. At least if we're talking about 1-3 of SOIAF... 4-5 weren't so hot (still better than books 8 and 9 of WoT). I'll take any one of those first three books over anything Robert Jordan ever wrote.

 

[colton]

I read the first few SOIAF books. They were great, but eventually the graphic sex & violence made me decide to give up on the series. Frankly I have no regrets.

 

[fishonjazz]

I read the first few SOIAF books. They were great, but eventually the graphic sex & violence made me decide to give up on the series. Frankly I have no regrets.

That makes sense.... they are pretty damn R-rated

 

[colton]

What surprised me was that noone mentioned Ursula K. Leguin's Earthsea. Fantastic read. One of the best books I have ever read regardless of genre.

I had to read A Wizard of Earthsea for 7th or 8th grade English. Loved the book. A few weeks later I discovered that there were two sequels in the school library, and read them both in the library that same day.

 

[Hekate]

Wow, I completely disagree. At least if we're talking about 1-3 of SOIAF... 4-5 weren't so hot (still better than books 8 and 9 of WoT). I'll take any one of those first three books over anything Robert Jordan ever wrote.

6-10 was bad especially 10(still better than some of the books I've read) but series pick up after that. While SOIAF is great I truly don't think it has the system/backstory/details Wot has. Jordan is a great world builder and I think it appeals to me more. Having a vast, lively world that is.

I had to read A Wizard of Earthsea for 7th or 8th grade English. Loved the book. A few weeks later I discovered that there were two sequels in the school library, and read them both in the library that same day.

It was the first fantastic fiction books I read. I am glad to stumble onto them. It has 6 books and every one of them is great.

 

[AtheistPreacher]

6-10 was bad especially 10(still better than some of the books I've read) but series pick up after that. While SOIAF is great I truly don't think it has the system/backstory/details Wot has. Jordan is a great world builder and I think it appeals to me more. Having a vast, lively world that is.

Again, perfectly legit for you to prefer the one over the other, but saying that Martin's series doesn't have "the system/backstory/details Wot has," and that it has a more "vast" and "lively" world, those to me just seem like a crazy things to say. There's all sorts of backstory, world-building, and ridiculous numbers of characters in ASOIAF. I mean, for one it so far has well over a thousand named characters (link). And there's all kinds of interesting backstory about the Targaryen conquest of Westeros, the history of the various religions, the rebellion, the history of the Night's Watch, history of the First Men, old conflicts and alliances between the great families, all that stuff. After reading nine books of WoT, I found Martin's books more fleshed out in terms of both the characters and the world.

I guess we just have to agree to disagree.

 

[Hekate]

Again, perfectly legit for you to prefer the one over the other, but saying that Martin's series doesn't have "the system/backstory/details Wot has," and that it has a more "vast" and "lively" world, those to me just seem like a crazy things to say. There's all sorts of backstory, world-building, and ridiculous numbers of characters in ASOIAF. I mean, for one it so far has well over a thousand named characters (link). And there's all kinds of interesting backstory about the Targaryen conquest of Westeros, the history of the various religions, the rebellion, the history of the Night's Watch, history of the First Men, old conflicts and alliances between the great families, all that stuff. After reading nine books of WoT, I found Martin's books more fleshed out in terms of both the characters and the world.

I guess we just have to agree to disagree.

Let's do that. It has been a long time since I read first 3 novels of SOIAF so I am going by the feeling I got when I was reading it. I shall do a reread when my books clear up just to have a better opinion.

BTW Texhnolyze is going great. Thanks again for that.