Switchback the Second Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 WoT has been my favorite series and I find that I continue to return to it over and over because most of the fantasy series I pick up pale in comparison. Now, this is just personal taste to be clear, there are obviously many wonderful fantasy series and I don't want to get into a pissing match about the pros and cons of WoT. But since I'm struggling to find something in fantasy to keep my attention, I'd like to try a huge scifi series, or a steampunk one (if it exists). But I like the high canvas of WoT, with hundreds of characters, a rich and interesting history to the world, ancient secrets, a bunch of competing factions with their own plots and manipulations, politics, etc. Are there comparable series in scifi with a similar feel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamjm Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 But since I'm struggling to find something in fantasy to keep my attention, I'd like to try a huge scifi series, or a steampunk one (if it exists). But I like the high canvas of WoT, with hundreds of characters, a rich and interesting history to the world, ancient secrets, a bunch of competing factions with their own plots and manipulations, politics, etc. Are there comparable series in scifi with a similar feel? I'm not sure if Jordan ever commented on it, but I've suspected that Dune might have been a big influence on him. The Aes Sedai and the Aiel feel a bit reminiscent of the Bene Gesserit and the Fremen. Dune certainly has a large cast of characters, plenty of background history and many competing factions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentRoamer Posted October 11, 2014 Share Posted October 11, 2014 Adrian Tchaikovsky Shadows of the Apt would be a good reccomendation and meets a lot of your requirements - it is a large series with a big cast of characters and combines fantasy with a mixed SF/steampunk element. Im on book 7 and enjoying the series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felice Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 I like the high canvas of WoT, with hundreds of characters, a rich and interesting history to the world, ancient secrets, a bunch of competing factions with their own plots and manipulations, politics, etc. Are there comparable series in scifi with a similar feel?Julian May's Saga of Exiles might be worth a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterbound Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 Robert Stanak. The Ruinmist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Richard II Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 Naw bro, John Ringo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Reckoner Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 Poul Anderson has a long running series that's been reprinted by Baen Books, The Technic Civilization Saga. Its a long series...WoT is a long series... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjornbert Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 The Ketty Jay series. Good stuff(no, it doesn't resemble WoT. It still is excellent) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Scot A Ellison Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 peterbound,Robert Stanak. The Ruinmist.I wish I'd thought of that first. Great recommendation. If the OP was impressed by the quality of the middle books of WoT and the last book in the series, Mr. Stanek should be right up his ally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Switchback the Second Posted October 12, 2014 Author Share Posted October 12, 2014 You would think the standard Stanek/Goodkind/InsertShittyAuthor recs would be old by now, no? Are there any posters left on this board who actually find those funny? Anyway, thanks for the recs. I've always meant to read the entire Dune series (read the first one years and years ago), so now may be a good time for that. That May series sounds really interesting too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Scot A Ellison Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 St2nd,The Dune series, not the series written after Frank Herbert's death that calls itself Dune, is excellent. It was my first foray into a work of fiction that also explored subtle and interesting concepts of philosophy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterbound Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 You would think the standard Stanek/Goodkind/InsertShittyAuthor recs would be old by now, no? Are there any posters left on this board who actually find those funny? Anyway, thanks for the recs. I've always meant to read the entire Dune series (read the first one years and years ago), so now may be a good time for that. That May series sounds really interesting too. The same ones that actually read and follow the Rec sticky threads find it hilariousIt'll never get old.Besides. I thought your op was troll bait, with its wot theme. Those books are bad bad bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Switchback the Second Posted October 12, 2014 Author Share Posted October 12, 2014 How about Hamilton? He seems to be the king of the long, epic sf series. And he has a new book coming out soon based in his Commonwealth universe, which I note has 2 finished series already. Any parallels in there, or in his Night's Dawn series? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unJon Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 How about Hamilton? He seems to be the king of the long, epic sf series. And he has a new book coming out soon based in his Commonwealth universe, which I note has 2 finished series already. Any parallels in there, or in his Night's Dawn series? this is actually a great call given the reasons you like WOT. Hamilton is epic and sprawling and goes into as many side plot details as Jordan minus the braid tugging. Start with Night's Dawn trilogy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry of the Lawn Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 The same ones that actually read and follow the Rec sticky threads find it hilariousIt'll never get old.I generally dont like the same jokes over and over again, but i agree.Mievilles Bas-Lag stuff is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felice Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 How about Hamilton? He seems to be the king of the long, epic sf series. And he has a new book coming out soon based in his Commonwealth universe, which I note has 2 finished series already. Any parallels in there, or in his Night's Dawn series? Yes, Night's Dawn would definitely fit; haven't read his other stuff yet. Mievilles Bas-Lag stuff is good. Brilliant, but I wouldn't consider it to be very WoTish... (though I'm only three books in to WoT so far) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Switchback the Second Posted October 12, 2014 Author Share Posted October 12, 2014 this is actually a great call given the reasons you like WOT. Hamilton is epic and sprawling and goes into as many side plot details as Jordan minus the braid tugging. Start with Night's Dawn trilogy.Right on, I'll check it out. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitakaze Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 I just now finished reading WoT's The Eye of the World. I was five books into the Malazan Book of the Fallen series and I was starting to get a little weary of the darkness. Ice and Fire is dark but Malazan can get ridiculous. I wanted to try something back to basics and decided to finally get around to WoT. I find myself wondering if I should move onto the second book or find a new series. EotW was good, but wow, was it familiar and I often found certain facets of Jordon's writing to be a bit annoying. The war of the sexes stuff was tiring and contrite and Rand Al'Thor made for a pretty bland protagonist. I guess in that sense I've been spoiled by Martin, Erikson, Rothfuss and others. Having Jordan's clothing descriptions in place of Martin's food descriptions or Tolkien's scenery descriptions was not quite as engaging. Maybe I'm being unfair, but Trollocs (Orcs), Fades (Nazghul), and Draghkar (Fell Beasts) were not overly frightening. There were definitely some better moments in EotW, but I've never read anything thus far that was so brazenly derived from Tolkien. I want to give the series a chance. Does it get any better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhom Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 EotW is definitely a Tolkein riff. The series deviates from that path significantly and even includes a definite Dune riff a few books later.In much the same way you can't judge Malazan on its first book, I'd give WoT at least through book two or three before writing it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felice Posted October 12, 2014 Share Posted October 12, 2014 There were definitely some better moments in EotW, but I've never reead anything thus far that was so brazenly derived from Tolkien. Read Sword of Shannara, then come back to WoT; you'll appreciate it a lot more ;) There's less of a focus on Rand in the next couple of books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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