Fantasy and SF Recommendations: Stand-Alone Books

[WenchofTarth]

I'd say Snow Crash though its not technically sci-fi or fantasy but a dystopian future but I'll throw it out regardless. Perhaps it'll squeak in :)

[Brother Darkness]

I would like to recommend The Imajica by Clive Barker. A great spralling epic with a sort of alternate history edge to it, top class.

[1234567]

"Dark Universe", by Daniel F. Galouye.

Post-Apocolyptic setting where mankind lives underground and survives by echolocation as light no longer exists apart from as an abstract religious idea. It's quite good. A little cheesey.

[Bronson]

The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag by Robert Heinlein . A private investigator and his wife are hired by Mr Hoag to investigate him and what he does during the daytime because he seems to have no memory of himself and what he does for a living. This is by far one of the best books ive ever read. :cool4:

[Arch-MaesterPhilip]

"The Two Georges" by Harry Turtledove & Richard Dreyfus is one of my favorites. It's set in 1995 New Liverpool (Los Angeles). It centers around the theft and recovery of a painting featuring George III and George Washinton, which commemorates the creation of the North American Union (United States and Canada).

[Miriamele]

The Thief - Megan Whalen Turner - quite short book that follows the adventures on a theif who is pulled out of the king's dungeon to help a quest. Short, to the point, good fun. Very nice story.

It's the first part of a series. The sequels are: The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, A Conspiracy of Kings

The second book is often considered even better than The Thief, darker though and there is a lot of political intrigue.

[wolverine]

The Last Castle and The Dragonmasters are both short but awesome standalones by Jack Vance.

[Joyful Union]

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - Susanna Clark, just an epic novel, great deconstruction of standard fantasy tropes

Blue Light by Walter Mosley, great sci-fi, a really unusual take on super hero fiction

[The Tall Talker]

Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield- The story of the battle of Thermopylae through the eyes of a Spartan Heolot

[mushroomshirt]

"The Fade" by Chris Wooding. It's set in a subterranean world, and at the heart of the story is a soldier (I shamefully admit that I don't remember her name) who goes to war, and, little by little, loses everything.

One of the things I remember best other than how horrible the main character's life is, is how the chapters were arranged. Counting down from 30 is the main plot line while 31 to 40 is the protagonist's past -- all of which is jumbled up.

But I won't lie. The reason I bought the book was because the cover was pretty: http://www.booku.com...book_190160.htm

This book doesn't get enough attention around here, and it is quite excellent. I really liked the way it was structured too.

I just downloaded this and read it based on the recommendations on this board. I recommend it, too. Not really sure why it had to be science fiction, it read really more like a Jason Bourne or La Femme Nikita kind of thing. Just happened to be set in a Sci-Fi world. Really good book!

[Brendan Moody]

I'd like to mention The Epiphanist by William Rosencrans, which is that rarity of rarities: a self-published novel that's not only readable, but polished, subtle, and complicated. It's an SF novel with a richly imagined and described milieu and solid thematic underpinnings concerning religion, politics, and the relationship between the two. I liked it enough that I put an excerpt and an interview with the author on my blog in addition to my review. Kindle owners might note that the Kindle edition is only 99 cents.

[Saint Arya]

"The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern was a wonderful read. The vividness of the scenery and beauty come off the page and imprint themselves in your mind. The story itself is creative, romantic and adventurous. I loved it wholeheartedly.

[Lyraviolet]

The last few Sci-fi/Fantasy books I've read have all been really enjoyable.

First is A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness. The story involves a young boy dealing with an ill mother and bullying at school who has visitations from a nearby "Ent-like" figure at night. The book is short and can be read in a couple hours. Warning: This one is a tearjerker.

Next is Nancy Farmer's House of the Scorpion, about Matteo Alacran, a child clone of a drug lord in a land called Opium between what was once Mexico and the US.

Last is a great novel by Brom (huge fan!). The Child Thief is a retelling of the Peter Pan story mixed with much more gore, fey, fantasy and a cross-over to the modern world.

[poor_fellow]

Just finished The Stand by Stephen King. It's the best post apocalyptic book I've been able to get my hands on The book was going great with the practicalities of rebuilding the world democracy, and up until 3/4 of the way there it looked like democratic world building was going to defeat the antagonist... but then King went all deus ex machina and God told everyone fuck civilization and practicalities and put their faith in the Lord. Still with rich characters, a wonderfuly imagined post apocalyptic world, and a Lord of the Rings type climax between good and evil it is one of my favorite books.

[Iotun]

Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti - By Genevieve Valentine

A semi-surreal, haunting, steampunk-but-not-really story about a down at the heels travelling circus in a post apocalyptic world. Dark and melancholy, but also quite fast paced and very readable.

I've just finished reading this a few hours ago and would greatly recommend it. I feel like the book has left me an emotional wreck though, it's in a way ruined my enthusiasm for reading something new because of a) the fear of having to suffer the same emotional blow and B) I kind of feel disrespectful to the characters to move to something new so soon. (I always become attached to books I like though, so...).

I found it very much more driven by characters and their relationships at a very human level, rather than purely by plot or world-building which almost seems to take a secondary role and be there purely to explore the relationships between the characters. I think I've enjoyed it a lot more than many other books that seem devoted to the overall story and world they're building and try to be a lot more expansive.

[Joyful Union]

I would say the Forever War, since the sequel is a completely different storyline.

[First of My Name]

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover, since there's a small chance it has already been mentioned. A thousand times better than the movie. I absolutely love Stover's prose, which expands on characters and moments on an insane degree, and is surprisingly philosophical for a Star Wars book.

[Captain Sheepf*cker]

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover, since there's a small chance it has already been mentioned. A thousand times better than the movie. I absolutely love Stover's prose, which expands on characters and moments on an insane degree, and is surprisingly philosophical for a Star Wars book.

I thought that was part of a series.

And to not comment without adding anything I'll submit the Etched City by K.J. Bishop, Blindsight by Peter Watts, and House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds, though I'm sure at least one of these has been recommended before.

[Lily Valley]

Little, Big by John Crowley is an older read good for people who liked The Child Thief or Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. The story is dreamier than either of the others with the line slowly blurring between "the real world" and fairyland. The language is rich and descriptive, the story follows a family's strange history while simultaneously giving the feeling that time has stopped where they are living.

[thecryptile]

hey gang, my first post on this forum. i'm currently reading Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold. it relates to events that occurred in his First Law Trilogy but its standalone. if you like your fantasy raw and real and your characters unsavory, then i definitely recommend it!

This, also his other stand alones in the FL universe, Red Country, a Fantasy/Western crossover, with elements from John Wayne's classic the Searchers as well as Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven and Man with No Name movies, and The Heroes, a Fantasy War Story with elements of Hamburger Hill, the tagline: Three Men, One Battle, No Heroes