Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with recommendations and fantasy

Please tell me what to read!

Janta — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:22:54 -0800

Book-recommendation-filter: Can you help me find something to read? Parameters to follow. I'm desperate for new reading material. I typically read SF/Fantasy and some mysteries (innovative and edgy, I know), and lately I've found myself reading more non-fiction, simply because it seems like most of the SF/F out there has a lot of hackneyed, overblown prose and predictable plots. What I'd really like to find is SF/Fantasy that plays with the genre's conventions a little bit, I think -- actually, I'm interested in any book that twists the conventions of its genre. Additionally, I prefer books with a good deal of action, and absolutely love it when the characters engage in "witty banter" (it should be genuinely smart dialog, though). I'm not super-fond of hard/military SF, though if it focuses on the people more than the science and tech, I'll give it a try.

SF/F that I've enjoyed recently: everything by Terry Pratchett, most of Lois Bujold's books, Scott Lynch, John Scalzi, John Varley, Charles Stross, Guy Kay, George Martin, and Ken Scholes.

Bonus-round: I just re-read Soon I WIll Be Invincible; do you know of any books that mess around with the whole superhero/supervillain/metahuman concept?

Thanks, MeFites!

p.s. -- I've done the usual googling, looked at past questions, tried BookSeer and What Should I Read Next, and haven't had much luck.

fantasy novels with strong women characters

raw sugar — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:35:20 -0800

recommend me fantastic fantasy novels or epics with strong female protagonists or characters! help me metafilter. i'm having something of a fantasy reading renaissance, but as an independent, strong-minded woman, so far i've been frustrated by one-dimensional female depictions in a lot of fantasy classics. i'm having trouble connecting to what feels like some kind of "boys club" at times. i don't want to read about the sidelined princess that's an object of longing, the beautiful slave who needs to be rescued, the noblewoman fretting around the castle, the "strong and equal" female magician who doesn't seem to do anything but have the chosen one's babies. i want to read about women who kick ass and/or take names, not just garnish the background with prettiness or grace or whatever. i'm not looking for feminist propaganda with obnoxiously strong or overbearing women and obviously weak men- just works where women are as complex and pivotal to the plot as, say, mists of avalon. when i say strong i mean strong and interesting of character- examples in things i've read which come to mind are lyra in the his dark materials trilogy, sophie in howl's moving castle, angua or susan of the discworld series.

i've already been recommended elizabeth moons' deed of paksenarrion series and garth nix's old kingdom series, but i'm looking for more reads. :)

Tell me your fantasy football experiences

TravellingCari — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 20:39:30 -0800

I'm not looking for how-tos, but rather books about people's experiences playing fantasy sports. Any recommendations? I've read Mark St. Amant's Committed, which is a wonderful recount of his 2002 season, coupled with interviews of other fantasy "notables". Any recommendations for other books in the same vein? Football or baseball preferred but I'll take any recommendations.

I've read other reading recommendations that come up in the search results(no not all, yet, but most) and they seem to be how-tos and other strategy books. I'm not looking for strategy -- but experiences and/or anecdotes.

Not looking especially for blogs, but I'll take those recs too.

Thanks all!

Recommendations for SF/Fantasy books that deal with "lost civilizations"

papercake — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 09:44:37 -0800

Recommend me some SF/Fantasy books that deal with "lost civilizations" I'm a sucker for stories with mysterious lost civilizations as the focus, or the backdrop. Can't get enough of 'em. I know that's a pretty general requirement and that they've become a kind of a SF/Fantasy cliché at this point, but what are people's favorite books that deal with lost civs?

For instance, I love Richard Morgan's Takeshi Kovacs novels with the Martian technology strewn around all over the place. (Although am frustrated that we never find out more than we do about the Martians.)

Elantris was an interesting idea that, ultimately, fizzled to me.

Love the LOTR's deep history and, yes, have read the Silmarillion and love it as well.

So, Mefites, any suggestions?

Sci-fi/fantasy/nerdcore shows that I can download legally and freely via torrent

poppo — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 06:17:01 -0800

With a nice high speed connection now installed at home, I'd like recommendations for finding sci-fi/fantasy TV shows that I can download legally and freely via torrent, that I would not typically have already seen on American cable. I'm specifically interested in sci-fi, fantasy, or other nerd stuff. I especially would like a mini-series or shows with a serial story.

I'm American and have cable, so I already have access to things like the Sci-Fi channel and BBC America, so I'm looking for stuff I can't get on American cable TV that would also be legal to download.

I wouldn't mind whether you suggest current shows or ones that have already come and gone. Chances are if it wasn't on American cable somewhere I've never seen it.

Books with bumbling wizards?

killjoy — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:38:37 -0800

Recommendations for books with bumbling wizards? I'm looking for light, entertaining reads in the fantasy vein. Think Douglas Adams with magic. Bumbling wizards are a must--extra points for talking dragons and unicorns.

I enjoyed Terry Pratchett's Discworld series and most of Terry Brooks' Kingdom for Sale series.

Most recent books read were Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows and Martin Amis' Money.

What books should be considered for a young adult fantasy book club?

daser — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 17:15:25 -0800

My wife is starting up a Young Adult (geared towards 13-18 yr olds) Fantasy book club at the local library branch. What are some good books in this genre to consider for inclusion? The first book she has picked out is "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman, which seems to have good reviews. For anyone who has read this, is this a good choice?

Fantasy/Adventue Book Recommendation Filter: Keeping track of whole new worlds is just too much work...

jeffe — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 17:55:55 -0800

Fantasy/Adventue Book Recommendation Filter: Keeping track of whole new worlds is just too much work... I just cruised through all nine books of the dresden files and I need another read. I started trying to get into Butcher's furies books, but the more I read the more I feel I am looking for a book or a series based, well, on earth. Keeping track of whole new worlds is just taking too much out of me given the rest of my life. I love the whole sourcery, myth based, occult, adventure/mystery type thing (past, present or future). Even something along the lines of the movie the 9th gate. The Illuminatis Trilogy was one of my favorite books of all time, & I've considered some of the other books from Wilson, but I never find them in stores and am not sure what order i should approach them online. Despite the high density of them in the Dresden Files though I'm not so into the Vampire bit. Any thoughts?

Recommendation for an Epic Adventure/Fantasy novel or series to read.

mi6op — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 22:51:13 -0800

I'm searching for an Epic Adventure/Fantasy novel or series to read. I loved Lord of the Rings and feel that is a great example of what I am looking for and what I mean when I say "epic."

What are good books to buy for a Clive Barker fan?

Cyrie — Thu, 31 Mar 2005 14:05:50 -0800

My brother's birthday is coming up and he has worn his copy of WeaveWorld by Clive Barker into pieces from constant re-reading. I want to buy him some similar books, could you recommend some similar books he might like? The only Barker I have read is Weaveworld, so I don't even know if it is representative of his work. The fantasy in that book was a little too surreal for my tastes, so I'm a little out of my league here in terms of finding something with similar themes and structure.

Fantasy novel recommendation needed

grumblebee — Tue, 23 Mar 2004 10:10:51 -0800

Please recommend fantasy novels for someone who doesn't like fantasy novels (more inside). I'm generally not into the whole swords-and-scorcery thing. But I somehow picked up George R.R. Martin's first "Ice and Fire" book and got hooked. Now I'm trying to wait for the fourth book in the series, but It's taking him a really long time to finish it.

I'd like to read more fantasy, but most of the books I find are bad Tolkein or Harry Potter rip-offs.

But since I loved the Martin books, I'm guess that my dislike of the genre is based more on lack-of-education than problems with the form itself. I just don't know how to find the good books.

In order for me to like it, a fantasy MUST be well-written. I'm talking about prose style here. I can't stomach hack writing, no matter how good the plot is.

I'm not really into jokey stuff, so I don't respond all that well to Harry Potter. I know that there's a serious side to those books, but they're a little too full of silly names for my taste.

I also don't want to read parody or allegory. I want to be transported to another world -- not reminded of this one is some clever way.

In addition to Martin, I've also read Tolkien, the Philip Pullman books, C.S. Lewis, Watership Down, and most other well-known "classics."

What books am I missing?