ghostdance Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I came to the board after ASoIaF looking for a new book/series, based on what I read, chose Abercrombie, read The First Law Trilogy, loved it, and now I am ready for something new. I've been quicky reading recommendation threads, lists here etc. and have come up with a choice between Neal Stephenson's "Snow Crash" or Scott Bakker's "The Darkness that Comes Before." I am not 100% wed to these two, and can be swayed elsewhere, but what do you guys think- which should I read (or even something else by one of these). Some additional information in case it makes a difference- my favorite fantasy is: ASoIaF (read it three times since 2006), LOTR (read it 10+ times in my lifetime), Zelazny's Amber Series (but NOT "Lord of Light", sorry LOL lovers), Ender's Game (but not the other two Card books I tried), Abercrombie, almost all Guy Gavriel Kay Thanks in advance, I really need something to fill the Abercrombie void I'm having now... By the way, I should add, I know nothing of eitehr author and have never read anything by either. I am, in this case, and some others (if you ask my wife) a blank slate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deluge Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Bakker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookWyrm Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 The Darkness that Comes Before. I am actually likely to finish the trilogy tonight, and I have to say that so far it is an utter success. If you liked ASoIaF, then you're bound to like Bakker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paxter Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Have never read Stephenson, but Bakker's PoN is my favourites fantasy series after ASOIAF. Characterisation and world-building are incredible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
add-on Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Both are quality books; it just depends on what you feel like reading right now. Bakker does some great things with epic fantasy. If that's what you feel like reading, go with Bakker. If you feel like reading something a bit different from what you've read in the past, go with Snow Crash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Errant Bard Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Read both and start with Snow Crash for it is a standalone quick read, and it will change from your fantasy regimen, making PoN feel that more fresh afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bastard of Godsgrace Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Both are very good - and very different - novels. Read both by all means. I agree starting with Snow Crash may be preferable, since it is standalone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datepalm Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 [quote name='Bastard of Godsgrace' post='1639070' date='Jan 6 2009, 09.49']Both are very good - and very different - novels. Read both by all means. I agree starting with Snow Crash may be preferable, since it is standalone.[/quote] I'd second that, but add, for what its worth, that my likes in books seem to mesh up nicely with yours, and I love Snow Crash, but was bored to tears by Darkness. Start with Snow Crash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkemikk Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 One word: Bakker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mashiara Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I haven't read Snow Crash. I'm almost halfway through Cryptonomicon though, and it's making my brain boil. I would say Bakker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Errant Bard Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 All of you that recommend Bakker without having read [i]Snow Crash[/i], do yourself a favour, read it, to hell with the [i]Cryptonomicon[/i] or the [i]Baroque Cycle[/i], it's not [i]Snow Crash[/i]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nous Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Stephenson. These two writers are not in the same league. Not even near. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balefont Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 [quote name='Errant Bard' post='1639044' date='Jan 6 2009, 01.53']Read both and start with Snow Crash for it is a standalone quick read, and it will change from your fantasy regimen, making PoN feel that more fresh afterwards.[/quote] :agree: This is sound advice. Cleanse the palate before Bakker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Besselfunction Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Since this is settled, I can ask what's really important: Who's the bigger badass: Khellus or Raven? ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Raidne Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Raven. The guy's just pragmatic. Plus, he doesn't completely suck donkey balls. Can you just imagine getting to a dinner party and seeing that the bastards invited Kellhus? Oh, what a fucking drag, you'd think. That guy is not only dead boring but just really full of himself. Everyone would be conspiring to avoid sitting next to him. So, yeah, I hate Bakker. I never made it past the second book. I'm not even sure why I tried to go that far. I also love the Baroque Cycle over all other books, perhaps even ASIOAF, although I can't say for sure until it's finished. Also like Cryptonomicon. Snow Crash is different. It's an easy read. It's also - unlike Bakker - actually [i]fun[/i] to read. It's also a classic. But really, if I pretend to like Bakker the real question is this - would you rather read a book that starts off really strong and slowly disintegrates into barely managed chaos, or a book that drags on and on for hundreds of pages until it finally starts to get somewhat readable about halfway through? I tried. That's as positive as I can be. As far as my tastes go, I also really like Kay. Kay, IMO, is the anti-Bakker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mme Erzulie Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I've just started The Baroque Cycle, but even after 25 pages, it shows infinitely more promise than the lacklustre Prince of Nothing. Book of Inflated, Poorly Realised, Clumsily Written Ideas, if you ask me. Never sympathised with any of Bakker's characters, but more importantly, never bought how Kellhus supposedly swayed everyone with his Socratic arm-chair pseudo-babble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isis Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 [quote name='Errant Bard' post='1639176' date='Jan 6 2009, 11.04']All of you that recommend Bakker without having read [i]Snow Crash[/i], do yourself a favour, read it, to hell with the [i]Cryptonomicon[/i] or the [i]Baroque Cycle[/i], it's not [i]Snow Crash[/i].[/quote]I kind of agree, but I have to say that even though it was a long hard slog, by the time I got to the end I thought the [i]Baroque Cycle[/i] was a masterpiece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isis Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 [quote name='Nous' post='1639185' date='Jan 6 2009, 11.21']Stephenson. These two writers are not in the same league. Not even near.[/quote]Absolutely spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mashiara Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 [quote name='Errant Bard' post='1639176' date='Jan 6 2009, 13.04']All of you that recommend Bakker without having read [i]Snow Crash[/i], do yourself a favour, read it, to hell with the [i]Cryptonomicon[/i] or the [i]Baroque Cycle[/i], it's not [i]Snow Crash[/i].[/quote] I'm finding the Cryptonomicon to be amazingly complex. That doesn't mean I don't like it, quite the contrary. It's brilliant at times.. I'll probably go on to read the Baroque Cycle at some point after I'm done. Maybe I'll even get to reading Snow Crash as well, who knows. I recommended Bakker based on what I thought the OP would like more based on what authors he had read before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGP Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 [quote name='Erzulie the Unruly' post='1639334' date='Jan 6 2009, 07.37']I've just started The Baroque Cycle, but even after 25 pages, it shows infinitely more promise than the lacklustre Prince of Nothing. Book of Inflated, Poorly Realised, Clumsily Written Ideas, if you ask me. Never sympathised with any of Bakker's characters, but more importantly, never bought how Kellhus supposedly swayed everyone with his Socratic arm-chair pseudo-babble.[/quote] Insofar as the pseudo-babble, I do agree somewhat, but I'd taken the swaying as convincing when considering what it would be like to have someone read the movements of my soul and lay it out for me. I'd be impressed and curiously drawn to a person who could do it at all, no matter the language usage they chose to overtly relate it to me. I haven't read any of Stephenson's work, so I've no basis for comparison. I'm curious however, because we've drawn very different impressions of Bakker's work, re: book of inflated, poorly realized, clumsily written ideas. Could you expand on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.