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Tooth and Claw by Jo WaltonAn Anthony Trollope novel, but with dragons. And dragons make everything better! Walton puts you into the world of the dragons so quickly. You care for the dragons just as if they were humans, even though the world-building makes it obvious they are not. It's a comedy, a novel of manners, and has dragons!
Love, money, and power become the forces that threaten to separate five siblings as they struggle to deal with their individual lives in the wake of their father's death, in a fantasy set in a world populated entirely by dragons. Winner of the World Fantasy Award.
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Magic Bites by Ilona AndrewsThis urban fantasy series provides a surreal view of Atlanta, GA. As a result, this fan wants to go to Atlanta. In this world, there is magic, most of the time. But sometimes, suddenly, the magic stops working. Andrews has battling factions, paranormal creatures, and a touch of romance.
Earning a living cleaning up magical messes, mercenary Kate Daniels is drawn into a power struggle between two factions--necromancers and shapeshifters--within Atlanta's magic circles when her guardian is murdered.
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Blackout by Connie WillisYou can recommend this book as a historical fiction set in World War 2, and then mention the time travel aspect. Blackout includes the best description of the Blitz this fan has ever read. The plot is driven by time travelers from a future Oxford who go back in time to study WW2, but problems quickly arise.
Another participant mentioned she prefers the SpecFic like Connie Willis where you can forget the SciFi or genre elements. The SpecFic elements take second place to the story.
Stranded in the past during World War II, three researchers from the future investigate period behavior and seek each other out in a shared effort to return to their own time. By the multiple Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author of The Doomsday Book.
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The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. TolkienWhile this is really three books, fan view it as one story told over three books. Tolkien set the standard for high fantasy with his creation of Middle Earth. The world-building is extraordinary, as is the myth making. At it's core, this is a "hero takes a journey" novel, but the quest and the mythology have become part of popular cultural. Many people mentioned loving this book. One person who cited it as a favorite, bemoaned the lack of fantasy novels that were just as immersive.
Others noted they could never get into it, and weren't looking forward to trying again.
Presents the epic depicting the Great War of the Ring, a struggle between good and evil in Middle-earth, following the odyssey of Frodo the hobbit and his companions on a quest to destroy the Ring of Power.
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Rat Queens: Sass & Sorcery by Kurtis J. WiebeThis graphic novel is high fantasy, reminiscent of Dungeons and Dragons as a book. All the lead characters are women -- strong, foul mouthed women -- who battle to win. Because of the emphasis on female leads, this series turns some classic fantasy tropes on their head, which adds to the enjoyment.
Who are the Rat Queens? A pack of booze-guzzling, death-dealing battle maidens-for-hire, and they're in the business of killing all god's creatures for profit. It's also a darkly comedic sass-and-sorcery series starring Hannah the Rockabilly Elven Mage, Violet the Hipster Dwarven Fighter, Dee the Atheist Human Cleric and Betty the Hippy Smidgen Thief. This modern spin on an old school genre is a violent monster-killing epic that is like Buffy meets Tank Girl in a Lord of the Rings world on crack!
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China MiévilleFor this first meeting of the SpecFic Genre Study, the leaders asked everyone to read a China Mieville novel. On participant now says the author they most strongly dislike is Mieville. |
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. RowlingAs mentioned above, some participants have avoided this modern classic of fantasy which has cross-over appeal to all ages. With it's roots deep in traditional fantasy tropes, the Harry Potter series can also be seen as classic fantasy at the level of The Lord of the Rings.
Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
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Bird Box by Josh MalermanWhile this participant never likes Horror, they did enjoy Bird Box. Although it is a Horror novel, it is not scary. Instead, a feeling of creepiness pervades the novel. Something has come to Earth, but you can't look at it. The entire novel you are left wondering "What is going on here?"
In a world where no one can go outside or open the door for fear of letting "them" in, single mother Malorie and her children must leave the house and risk everything to survive.
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Life After Life by Kate AtkinsonWhile generally not a fan of SpecFic, this person loved Life After Life, which they read for a Quarterly Book Discussion and Leadership Training program. This novel feels as much like historical fiction and family drama as SpecFic. However, the set up of Ursula Todd being born, dying, and reborn countless times is pure SpecFic. Although she keeps living her life over and over, the novel appeals on various levels.
Another participant mentioned that she loved this novel, but never thought of it as SpecFic.
The award-winning author of Behind the Scenes at the Museum follows the experiences of a woman who after being born on a snowy night in 1910 repeated dies and reincarnates into the same life to correct missteps and ultimately save the world.
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The Shining by Stephen KingThis participant tends to like non-typical styles of SpecFic. Horror is their favorite genre under the SpecFic umbrella. She first read this novel at 14, and still remembers how it impacted her. The book starts slow and the suspense builds excruciatingly. She loves stories where horror invades real life. Another participant noted the book is much, much better than the movie!
Contradictory, another participant hates when Horror seems too realistic. Although she is a Stephen King fan, she has never been able to read this novel. As soon as the dad starts to go insane, she bails.
Terrible events occur at an isolated hotel in the off season, when a small boy with psychic powers struggles to hold his own against the forces of evil that are driving his father insane.
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Station Eleven by Emily St. John MandelNoting that using the audio may have colored their perception, this participant disliked Station Eleven which has had rave reviews. The reviews talked about a theater troupe set in a cool dystopian world. However, in reality, this reader thought the book got bogged down in the middle. The novel is very character focused, and the middle centers on one character's life. They just wanted to say "let's go back to the fun and the characters I liked!" However, the narrator felt somewhat boring, which could have added to the dragging middle.
The sudden death of a Hollywood actor during a production of King Lear marks the beginning of the world's dissolution, in a story told at various past and future times from the perspectives of the actor and four of his associates. By the author of The Lola Quartet.
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Watership Down by Richard George AdamsOne participant said her favorite SpecFic were the novels she read as a kid, including Watership Down and the Harry Potter series. (She was surprised to realize Life After Life was SpecFic, as it was a newer book she enjoyed.)
An allegorical tale of survival about a band of wild rabbits who leave their ancestral home to build a more humane society chronicles their adventures as they search for a safe place to establish a new warren where they can live in peace.
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Neuromancer by William GibsonOne participant mentioned this was her least favorite book. She read it, but can't tell you what the story was about. This cyberpunk novel included too much technology that went too much over her head.
Case, a burned-out computer whiz, is asked to steal a security code that is locked in the most heavily guarded databank in the solar system, in a special twentieth anniversary edition of the influential Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Award-winning novel.
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The Queen of the Tearling: Volume I by Erika JohansenThis series is very historical, but veering towards dystopian. While the reader is still in the middle of the series, it is a new favorite.
Coming out of exile to ascend her rightful throne, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, with a cadre of soldiers and the magical Tearling sapphire to protect her, makes a daring decision that evokes the wrath of the evil Red Witch, forcing her to embark on a quest to save her kingdom and fulfill her destiny.
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The Magicians by Lev GrossmanWhile the next participant like some fantasy, they are especially scared of horror. And the fantasy they like tends to be more literary and deep. However, they hated The Magicians because they found the protagonist too whiny. While they aren't a reader who has to like the lead, they at least have to not hate the hero. Also, they felt not enough time was spent on developing the world and how magic worked in this world. Another member said they also disliked The Magicians because they found the lead to be just nasty yuppie scum.
After graduating from a secret, exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, Quentin Coldwater finds that a fictional land from a series of childhood fantasy novels is real, but is more darker and dangerous than he could have imagined.
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Ancillary Justice by Ann LeckieWhile this is very much a novel of military science fiction, it has strong feminist themes. (Feminist military space opera is a strong sub-subgenre, but still somewhat unusual.) The heroine sets out to recover her lost starship, and get even with those who took it. The revenge theme is very strong in this nove. This reader likes the entire series.
Now isolated in a single frail human body, Breq, an artificial intelligence that used to control of a massive starship and its crew of soldiers, tries to adjust to her new humanity while seeking vengeance and answers to her questions.
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The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson WalkerThis apocalyptic novel has a very literary bent. The heroine is a 14-year-old who describes who the world is slowing down as the Earth revolves slower. Walker does go into the physics of what is happening. This apocalyptic novel feels very realistic. It is almost set in our world, but things are just a little off or wrong. The fan of this book doesn't like SpecFic that has a lot of world-building. They prefer SpecFic with a setting closer to reality so they don't have to learn a lot of new rules.
A painstakingly researched debut imagines the coming-of-age story of young Julia, whose world is thrown into upheaval when it is discovered that the Earth's rotation has suddenly begun to slow, posing a catastrophic threat to all life.
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The Sparrow by Mary Doria RussellYears after reading this novel, the suggester still feels ill at ease with the storyline. A group Jesuit priests go out into space to answer a radio signal. They hope to bring the Word of God to the new species talking to Earth. (The plot is very reminiscent of Catholic Priests reaction to the New World on this level.) However, terrible things happen to the lead. Things so horrible you can't imagine them happening, or surviving them. The hero does survive, but his entire world view is changed.
A number of people commented they did this book in book clubs. The issues and themes are so absorbing, even nonfans of SpecFic get absorbed in this novel.
The sole survivor of a crew sent to explore a new planet, Jesuit priest Emilio Sandoz discovers an alien civilization that raises questions about the very essence of humanity, an encounter that leads Sandoz to a public inquisition and the destruction of his faith.
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Bloodman by Robert PobiOne participant mentioned that Horror was their least favorite of the SpecFic genres. For example, they found Bloodman entirely too scary!
Returning to his childhood home after his elderly father nearly kills himself, FBI consultant Jake Cole is pulled into a hauntingly familiar double homicide investigation that echoes his mother's murder three decade earlier.
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The Passage by Justin CroninNumerous participants mentioned The Passage by Justin Cronin as being a favorite. They loved the character building and sense of tension and high action caused by the danger and killing. Even the "gross parts" didn't detract from their enjoyment. However, the problem is you have to wait such a long time for the next book in the trilogy to come out! Because of this, many people end up re-reading previous books when a new volume comes out. See also the sequel, The Twelve and the trilogy finale The City of Mirrors.
One fan said her normal genres were Women's Fiction and Literary Fiction, but she couldn't put this novel down. Another said this was their favorite SpecFic novel of all time.
Rendered a latest test subject in a covert government experiment, abandoned six-year-old Amy is rescued by an FBI agent who hides them in the Oregon hills, from which she emerges a century later to save the human race from a terrifying virus. By the award-winning author of Mary and O'Neil.
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Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson LevineRetellings or modern retellings of classic fairytales provide another entry point into enjoying SpecFic. This retelling of Cinderella is one participants favorite, although she enjoys a lot of retellings of classic fairytales.
In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.
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The Library at Mount Char by Scott HawkinsDescribed as a mashup of Fantasy and Horror, this novel was one speaker's favorite.
After she and a dozen other children found them being raised by "Father," a cruel man with mysterious powers, Carolyn and her "siblings" begin to think he might be God; so when he dies, they square off against each other to determine who will inherit his library, which they believe holds the power to all Creation.
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Stephen KingThe next speaker identifies as a huge Horror fan. They said they loved Stephen King most. As a result, they had also gotten into the novels of Joe Hill, King's son. Multiple speakers mentioned The Shining (see above) as one of their favorite novels because of the slow building of tension and terrifying horror set so close to reality. |
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Horns by Joe HillWhile other people may have preferred his last novel NOS4A2, this fan liked Horns the best. In Horns, Hill does a great job of creating the atmosphere of "horror", but with none of the "blood and guts" type scenes. This novel is creepy, suspenseful, and scary. The writing is all about creating that atmosphere that focuses on the horror of a situation where non one can lie to you.
If your book club is willing to stretch itself, this novel is also literary enough to make a perfect October selection. Some people mentioned the novel is much better than the movie.
After his childhood sweetheart is brutally killed and suspicion falls on him, Ig Parrish goes on a drinking binge and wakes up with horns on his head, hate in his heart and an incredible new power, a power he uses in the name of vengeance, only to learn that, when it comes to revenge, the devil is in the details.
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The Historian by Elizabeth KostovaOur next reader also liked novels that are eerie and create chills, but without being gory. They also like big fat books, that really let you get into the story. They recommended The Historian as a new take on the vampire novel. Other speakers who love Literary Fiction also mentioned enjoying this novel.
Discovering a medieval book and a cache of letters, a motherless American girl becomes the latest in a series of historians, including her late father, who investigates the possible surviving legacy of Vlad the Impaler, a quest that takes her across Europe and into the pasts of her father and his mentor.
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A Discovery of Witches by Deborah E. HarknessAnother series that creates a wonderful eerie atmosphere is the All Souls trilogy by Harkness. Again, all three novels are big, fat books that really let you sink into the world-building.
A different reader enjoys books that draw them into the world enjoy they can believe it is real. They normally even enjoy books with genre-blending. Thus, they expected to love this book, but ended up hating it because of the Romance element. However, it was largely the heroine, who was a silly fool controlled by the hero, they disliked. Diana needed "a talking to".
Discovering a magical manuscript in Oxford’s library, scholar Diana Bishop, a descendant of witches who has rejected her heritage, inadvertently unleashes a fantastical underworld of daemons, witches and vampires whose activities center around an enchanted treasure.
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Red Rising by Pierce BrownRed Rising is part of a series with the third novel, Morning Star, coming out the week after we met. In a society where status is based on color, a Red, Darrow, learns that his people are being oppressed. They have been told their labor and suffering are necessary to create a habitable planet, but Darrow learns the planet is already habitable. Darrow becomes an undercover agent posing as a Gold. He hopes that by working from with in the system as a Gold, he can become an agent of change and break the system.
A tale set in a bleak future society torn by class divisions follows the experiences of secret revolutionary Darrow, who after witnessing his wife's execution by an oppressive government joins a revolutionary cell and attempts to infiltrate an elite military academy.
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Flowers for Algernon by Daniel KeyesThis reader also prefers SpecFic that is closer to reality. In fact, until focusing on the reader profile, they weren't sure they had read any SpecFic. They like books that focus on the humanity of the characters. They don't mind science or technology being included, but want the connection with humanity. In particular, they enjoy delving into the mind of another person.
Charlie Gordon, a youth with limited mental capabilities, along with a laboratory rat named Algernon become the joint objects of a scientific alteration to see if Charlie can become "normal."
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The Eyre Affair by Jasper FfordeThe Thursday Next series tops this speakers list. They love the British humor, literary fiction, time travel, and hunting criminals. Thursday's ability to read herself into books as well as all the allusions to other novels in particular make this series appealing to bibliophiles.
In a world where you can actually get lost (literally) in literature, Thursday Next, a notorious Special Operative in literary detection, races against time to stop the world's Third Most Wanted criminal from kidnapping characters, including Jane Eyre, from works of literature, forcing her to dive into the pages of a novel to stop literary homicide, in a wildly imaginative, mesmerizing thriller.
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1984 by George OrwellThe next speaker also refers to enjoying the classic novels that involve politics and dystopian societies. They weren't sure they had read any SpecFic, until they realized these novels were SpecFic.
Portrays life in a future time when a totalitarian government watches over all citizens and directs all activities.
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Brave New World by Aldous HuxleyAnother novel that focuses on politics and dystopian societies, and is often forgotten to be SpecFic novel, Brave New World was also a favorite.
First published 70 years ago, the classic, prophetic novel capturing the socialized horrors of a futuristic utopia remarkably explores the now-timely themes of cloning, individual creativity and freedom, and the role of science, technology, and drugs in humankind's future.
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The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret AtwoodInvolving politics, dystopian themes, and in some ways foreshadowing the future, this reader loved The Handmaid's Tale, another classic often considered Literary Fiction despite its SpecFic roots.A chilling look at the near future presents the story of Offred, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, once the United States, an oppressive world where women are no longer allowed to read and are valued only as long as they are viable for reproduction.
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Help for the Haunted by John SearlesUnfortunately, this novel was not enjoyed by our speaker. They said it was very slow to develop, and the plot seemed to go all over the place. They found the non-linear nature of the novel disturbing. They didn't like not knowing which time period the current chapter was in.
Struggling with the loss of her parents, who helped haunted souls find peace, Sylvie Mason pursues the mystery, moving closer to the truth of what happened that night as she comes to terms with her family's past and uncovers secrets that have haunted them for years.
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Neil GaimanOne speaker mentioned particularly disliking Neil Gaiman. Others in the group considered those as "fighting words". Love him or hate him, Gaiman makes a strong impression on readers. |
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A Clockwork Orange by Anthony BurgessThis reader mentioned enjoying many of the classics already listed, but added A Clockwork Orange. A later speaker seconded this book saying it was probably his favorite as a young man.
Fifteen year-old Alex narrates from a complacent albeit violent dystopian future. Imprisoned after leading a gang on a violent rampage, Alex becomes a guinea pig in an experiment by the totalitarian State to reduce violent tendencies. As Alex continues to come of age, his life becomes a struggle between politically controlled vulnerability and savagely demonstrated free will. -- Karen T.
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The Man in the High Castle by Philip K DickAnother classic of SpecFic making a resurgence thanks to the new television show is The Man in the High Castle. Since Philip K. Dick is an assignment for the second meeting, members might want to keep the recommendation of this alternate reality in mind.
After the defeat of the Allies during World War II, the United States is divided up and ruled by the Axis powers.
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The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott LynchOur next speaker reads a lot of SpecFic. For a fun caper, he recommended The Lies of Locke Lamora which is the first in a series. This series follows the exploits of a group of con-artists as they lead a subtle, underground revolt against the system.
Vowing to bring down the omnipotent crime boss running the city, a group of Gentlemen Bastards, led by the eccentric Locke Lamora, sets out to beat the Capa at his own criminal game, taking on other thieves, murderers, beggars, prostitutes, and thugs in the process.
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A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. MillerOur next reader read a lot of SciFi as a young man, but now seems to focus more of his reading on Crime Fiction. He highly recommends the classic A Canticle for Leibowitz, pointing out that Miller might be the "Harper Lee" of SpecFic. Both wrote one novel, which is considered a classic "must read", but then were never heard from again. (Both also published second novels much later, which were not as critically acclaimed.
A Canticle for Leibowitz can be said to be "all about religion", which he normally doesn't like. However, the way religion, politics, and post-apocalypse are interwoven make this novel an exemption.
First published in 1959 to critical acclaim and enduring popularity, a new edition of the landmark novel follows the struggle of the Monks of the Order of Saint Leibowitz to preserve the remnants of civilization after a nuclear war and to protect them against tyranny.
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The Woman who Died a Lot: Now with 50% added subplot by Jasper FfordeAlthough a second recommendation for the Thursday Next series, this speaker focused on enjoying the 7th book in the series. While they said they don't normally like series, they loved Fforde's sophisticated humor. They are also not a fan of "buying into a new world", but find this one close enough to reality to be enjoyable.
Forced into semi-retirement after an assassination attempt, Thursday Next finds her recuperation challenged by the personal and professional struggles of her children and Goliath's constant attempts to replace her with synthetic duplicates. By the author of the Nursery Crimes series.
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Wicked: The life and times of the wicked witch of the West by Gregory MaguireOne speaker sited their enjoyment of modern retellings of fairy tales (echoing an earlier reader) or tales that are part of popular culture and consciousness. They loved how Maguire took The Wizard of Oz and twisted it into the series that starts with Wicked.
Set in an Oz where a morose Wizard battles suicidal thoughts, the story of the green-skinned Elphaba, otherwise known as the Wicked Witch of the West, profiles her as an animal rights activist striving to avenge her dear sister's death.
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Lois McMaster BujoldAnother author great at immersing you in her world-building is Bujold. Her characters draw you into her novels. Her writing is smart, clever, intriguing, and fun! She is probably most famous for her SF series starring Miles Vorkosigan. If you want to read about his parents, start with Shards of Honor. Miles' own adventures start with The Warrior's Apprentice. Bujold also has a fabulous fantasy series The World of the Five Gods which starts with The Curse of Chalion. |
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The Name of the Wind by Patrick RothfussRothfuss also sucks you into his novels with great world-building. If you like High Fantasy, like The Lord of the Rings, you will probably enjoy this series. A second participant mentioned it's similarity to Harry Potter. If you enjoy the themes of a child going off to school to learn magic, with great world building, and a hero on journey or quest, you will enjoy this series.
A hero named Kvothe, now living under an assumed name as the humble proprietor of an inn, recounts his transformation from a magically gifted young man into the most notorious wizard, musician, thief, and assassin in his world.
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Storm Front by Jim ButcherButcher writes urban fantasy that is very humorous. However, as the series develops, both the tone and the humor get darker. The graphic novel adaptations, which start with Welcome to the Jungle, were recommended later.
As Chicago's only practicing, professional wizard, Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is used to being mocked. However, when the Special Investigations Division of CPD encounters an impossible case, Harry is the one they call. No sooner has the destitute Harry agreed to meet a new client looking for her missing husband than Lieutenant Karrin Murphy also phones. Against the laws of men and wizards, someone is using thaumaturgical magic to kill. One of the first victims was a henchman for Gentleman Johnny Marcone, bringing the mafia into the case. Harry’s self-deprecating humour lightens the mood as he fights fast paced battles with forces beyond his control. -- Karen T.
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Moon Called by Patricia BriggsBriggs' urban fantasy also has broad appeal with humorous characters rebelling against society.
While trying to live a so-called normal existence, mechanic Mercy Thompson, a shapeshifter raised by werewolves, gets into trouble with the gremlins, witches, and vampires with whom she deals on a daily basis.
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Hounded by Kevin HearneHearne's urban fantasy mixes a lot of mythology (starting with Celtic but expanding across pantheons) with high action. The Irish Wolfhound, Oberon, with whom the hero can communicate adds a large dose of humor.
The last of the Druids, Atticus O'Sullivan finds his peaceful life in Arizona shattered by the arrival of a very angry Celtic god who wants Atticus's magical sword, forcing Atticus to call upon his friends--and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish--to deliver himself from evil.
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And Again by Jessica ChiarellaOur next speaker was another person who enjoyed their SpecFic set close to reality. No Dragons for this reader! However, she enjoyed Chiarella's novel about patients who receive new bodies. The book delves into what it is going to be like for the characters, and not so much into the science. While the premise is SpecFic, the novel is really a character study. (The fact that Jessica's mom is a Fremont librarian was an added draw.)
When four terminally ill patients get brand-new, genetically altered bodies that are exact copies of their former selves, giving them each a fresh start at life, they discover that their new reality is far from perfect as they must re-enter their former lives and relationships and try to regain the physical identities that had made them who they once were.
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The Girl with All the Gifts by Mike CareyWhile our next speaker edits SciFi and Fantasy reviews, she doesn't tend to read those books. She does read Horror, and LOVES apocalypse novels. She likes end of the world novels with any type of calamity, but especially zombies! She views reading zombie apocalypse novels as research and preparation for when the big event arrives. Because it is coming!
While she seconded some novels mentioned earlier, she really loved The Girl with All the Gifts. The spread of the disease from insects to humans mirrors real life transmission of a disease from bugs to ants which cause the ants to march off treetops to their death. Although she enjoys world ending novels, she prefers they have a touch of reality. Making the apocalypse believable adds to her enjoyment -- and practicality of her research!
A little girl who is detained by the military, restrained in a wheelchair and goes to school while heavily guarded doesn't truly understand why she is special until it is up to her to save the world.
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When She Woke by Hillary JordanSet in a not too distant future, When She Woke looks at world taken over by fundamentalist in a very realistic way. The government dyes people's skin with drugs to denote which crimes they have committed. The story starts with a woman waking up Red, and works backwards to tell you what happened to her. In some ways the story mirrors The Scarlet Letter, with touches of The Handmaid's Tale as well.
In the future, abortion has become a crime as a series of events threatens the existence of the United States. One woman wakes up to discover that her skin color has been changed to red as punishment for having the procedure done. Now she must embark on a dangerous journey in order to find refuge from a hostile and threatening society.
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Ready Player One by Ernest ClineThe next reader enjoys Fantasy and Science Fiction, but enjoys Horror less. She loved Ready Player One. This novel features a dystopian future where people spend most of their time in virtual reality. The plot centers on a quest to find treasure hidden in the game. The clues to puzzle all feature 1980s pop-culture references. Any child of the 1980s will enjoy all the nostalgia. This novel is also great for teens, especially those into retro-1980s fads.
Immersing himself in a mid-21st-century technological virtual utopia to escape an ugly real world of famine, poverty and disease, Wade Watts joins an increasingly violent effort to solve a series of puzzles by the virtual world's super-wealthy creator, who has promised that the winner will be his heir.
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The Gunslinger by Stephen KingThe Dark Tower series covers every genre that exists: Western, Fantasy, Romance, Time Travel, and more. King's magnum opus starts with The Gunslinger, Roland. Roland has to get inside the other character's heads, but since they live in different realities, Roland doesn't really understand them. This psychological aspect is wonderful. After the team forms, they go on multiple mini-quests on the way to their ultimate goal. The relationships between the characters are the aspect this speaker loved the most. It also has one of the best opening sentences: "The man in back fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed."
The graphic novel version which starts with The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born was also recommended later.
Roland, the world's last gunslinger, tracks an enigmatic Man in Black toward a forbidding dark tower, fighting forces both mortal and other-worldly on his quest.
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This Census-taker: A novella by China MiévilleThe next speaker enjoys fantasy and science fiction particularly with witches and magic. The Harry Potter series and All Souls trilogy (both mentioned above) are favorites. However, they really did not enjoy This Census-taker, which they read for today's discussion.
Abandoned in a remote hilltop house with his increasingly unstable father after his mother goes missing, a little boy welcomes a stranger into the home in the hopes of ending his isolation only to confront doubts about his safety and salvation. By the Hugo Award-winning author of Three Moments of an Explosion.
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Dragonflight by Anne McCaffreyThe next participant also realized they had read a lot more SpecFic after listening to everyone talk. As a kid, they read the Pern series and enjoyed it. However, they quit reading SpecFic as they grew up.
At a time when the number of Dragonriders has fallen too low for safety and only one Weyr trains the creatures and their riders, the Red Star approaches Pern, threatening the planet with disaster.
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Ursula K. Le GuinLe Guin was another favorite of this participant when they were a kid. She was one of the first female SpecFic writers to truly gain the respect she earned. |
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Some Girls Bite by Chloe NeillMore recently, this member has enjoyed the Chicago Vampire series.
When graduate student Merit was attacked by a vampire, her life was saved by yet another who decided to turn her into the walking dead, yet trying to figure out her place at Hyde Park mansion amongst her new vampire friends is becoming quite challenging, especially after she determines that she is still being targeted by an unknown entity.
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The Real Story: The Gap into Conflict by Stephen R. DonaldsonThis reader enjoys the Donaldson's Gap series. It has wonderful world-building that sucks you into the story. The characters also star strong females, which they found hard to find in the 1990s.
With an enormous corporation controlling all of explored space in an era of a faster-than-light travel known as "crossing the gap," Morn Hyland flees from the military police she once served and joins space pirate, Angus Thermopyle.
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Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen R. DonaldsonHowever, the same reader did not enjoy Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series. This Donaldson series they found completely depressing. The bleak atmosphere kept them from enjoying the characters, plot, or writing.
Deprived of all human contact and in a state of moral isolation, Thomas Covenant is transported to the mysterious, magical world known as the Land, where he becomes the tool of the Land's immortal enemy, Lord Foul the Despiser.
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The Stand by Stephen KingThe next speaker loves The Stand, but only the first version -- not the uncut version. In general, they read Horror, but don't like SciFi or Fantasy. For example, they've never managed to get past the first few pages of The Lord of the Rings.
Others prefer the uncut version. A few members mentioned the graphic novel versions, which start with The Stand: Captain Trips.
A monumentally devastating plague leaves only a few survivors who, while experiencing dreams of a battle between good and evil, move toward an actual confrontation as they migrate to Boulder, Colorado.
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Good Omens: The nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter, witch by Neil GaimanOne fantasy type novel this reader enjoyed was Good Omens. How can you not love a series where baby Jesus gets misplaced and has to be found by a biker gang?
The world is going to end next Saturday, just before dinner, but it turns out there are a few problems--the Antichrist has been misplaced, the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse ride motorcycles, and the representatives from heaven and hell decide that they like the human race, in a new edition of the classic novel, featuring a new afterword from the authors.
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Mistborn: The final empire by Brandon SandersonIf you love world building and characters who are complex but still fun, our next speaker recommended the Mistborn series.
Experiencing an epiphany within the most daunting prison of the monstrous Lord Ruler who has enslaved his people for a thousand years, half-Skaa Kelsier finds himself taking on the powers of a Mistborn and teams up with ragged orphan Vin in a desperate plot to save their world. By the author of Elantris.
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Robopocalypse by Daniel H. WilsonOur last speaker loves SpecFic; however, he never really got into "old school fantasy" -- specially the fantasy focusing on women in fancy dresses and dragons. But Robopocalypse was a novel they loved. In this dystopian novel, robots take over the world. The novel focuses on the final battles between machines and the remnants of the human race. While there is a lot of technology, it is written laymen friendly. This novel is a great gateway book for thriller readers to get absorbed into a SpecFic novel. Fans of Justin Cronin and Stephen King will also enjoy this novel written in the same style as World War Z by Max Brooks. Robopocalypse is also great for teens.
A tale set in the near future finds the world thrown into chaos by rebelling artificial intelligences under the leadership of a murderous technology called Archos that kills its creator and takes over the global network, triggering an unprecedented united front among all human cultures. By the author of How to Build a Robot Army. |
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The Difference Engine by William GibsonThis speaker also wanted to mention The Difference Engine. When reading reviews or plot summaries, he felt this should be one of the greatest SciFi novels every. However, in reality the writing is meandering. The unfocusedness make the experience of reading the novel awful.
With the computer age arriving a century ahead of its time--during the Industrial Revolution--politician's daughter Sybil, explorer and paleontologist Edward, and diplomat and spy Laurence race toward a rendezvous with history.
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