welcome to the fest

Creating this topic to avoid a side conversation disrupting another thread.

For good or ill, Game of Thrones is done. I read quite a lot and am curious a) did you like GoT and b) with regard to liking it or not, what do you recommend reading or viewing for science fiction and fantasy?

If it matters, I've got no particular threshold for quality, having enjoyed both things which are critically well received and things which are varying degrees of deliberately bad.

Copious reader as well. Some good, some bad, have a hard time not finishing a book, even if I hate it, hence the "some bad". I enjoyed SOIAF pretty much from the start, without thinking too critically, mostly because I'm a sucker for what I now know is sociological storytelling. I enjoyed the last two books the most, if that tells you something about what I tend to like.

Was a fan of the TV series until the rising tide of bewbs and torture porn exceeded my good nature.

If you haven't read any of the following, these are my go-to when folks ask that question:

"Way of Kings" series by Brandon Sanderson - one of those fantasy-feel-in-a-sci-fi-setting series. Most of his stuff is easily-consumed, enjoyable reading, but that series is the only one that has really gotten past my skin. The latest book (third) had me in open tears of hope and existential agony towards the end. Come for the fun, engaging plot and characters, stay for the feels.

Anything by Lois McMaster Bujold - can either be sci-fi (Miles Vorkosigan saga) or fantasy (start with Curse of Chalion)

Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb. Such good writing, and again with the feels.

Well cool - I'll keep my eyes open for those series at my library.

Have you ever read Dune? (I'm re-reading the Frank Herbert books) That's the only series which comes to mind when I think of sociological storytelling.

Ian McDonald's Luna series is a hugely different setting than GoT but for some reason felt more like it in spirit than anything else I've read. I found the first book to be superb, the second not as strong, but am looking forward to the third sometime this summer.

Personally I'm a sucker for Mercedes Lackey. In particular her Valdemar Chronicles... stand outs in that category are "Brightly Burning", the "Vows and Honor" trilogy, and the "Magic's Pawn" trilogy.

Read too much back to back and you'll find she has certain go-to tropes and formulas but I find even at her most predictable she's still a fun read.

GothHick wrote: Have you ever read Dune? (I'm re-reading the Frank Herbert books) That's the only series which comes to mind when I think of sociological storytelling.

Yep I usually wax poetical during a re-read to whoever is unfortunate enough to be in my orbit, because I swear there's always another layer that I didn't get in the previous read-throughs. Especially reading the earlier books after you've been through the full series.

Ian McDonald's Luna series is a hugely different setting than GoT but for some reason felt more like it in spirit than anything else I've read. I found the first book to be superb, the second not as strong, but am looking forward to the third sometime this summer.

That I have not read. I'll keep it in mind.


I'm currently doing an re-read of the Wheel of Time series, with other books interspersed, and while a lot of it is cringe-worthy, I'm tentatively hopeful that the Amazon Prime TV adaptation will bring out the best.

Apparently they are bringing in Brandon Sanderson as a consultant, and the books he finished off after Jordan died are <whisper>the best</whisper>, so hopefully they'll sand off the rough edges and give us some non-trope-y multi-dimensional Aes Sedai and Far Dareis Mai.

Mama Immo wrote:Personally I'm a sucker for Mercedes Lackey. In particular her Valdemar Chronicles... stand outs in that category are "Brightly Burning", the "Vows and Honor" trilogy, and the "Magic's Pawn" trilogy.

Oh cool - yeah, I've seen her on shelves for ages and while I suspect I read something once I'm long overdue for another go. Of the three you mentioned, any a better or worse starting point?

gyrfox wrote:I'm currently doing an re-read of the Wheel of Time series, with other books interspersed, and while a lot of it is cringe-worthy, I'm tentatively hopeful that the Amazon Prime TV adaptation will bring out the best.

Hello, wut?!

That was not on my radar at all! Interesting. I read through book 5 ( or 8? ) in high school but got the strong impression the author was dragging things on deliberately for the paychecks. And hey, more power to him but I decided I didn't need to carry on reading them. ( this was self-defense more than a critique of his books, I had a really unheathy obsession with re-reading all prior books before starting a new one. )

Intriguing to hear it's coming to a screen, though - hope you dig it!

GothHick wrote:Oh cool - yeah, I've seen her on shelves for ages and while I suspect I read something once I'm long overdue for another go. Of the three you mentioned, any a better or worse starting point?

Brightly Burning is a good kick off as it's a stand alone story... but after that I highly recommend Vows and Honor as it introduced me to my favorite concept in fantasy to this day: A master blacksmith woman who, knowing doom was on the horizon, forged her own soul into a sword and is now a SENTIENT WEAPON that can only be held by a woman and often drags said holder miles away from what they were trying to do in order to come to another womans aid. It is a magical feminist sword and it just delights me every time.