# Favorite "lesser known" science fiction/fantasy series?



## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Fans love book series, because you can get to know characters better and see what happens to them over a period of time, including how events in early stories affect late ones. I'm sure authors love series because they provide a new book with a built-in audience, and it is easier to plot subsequent books. Though many authors have complained about feeling trapped by fans who complain if they write anything other than the fan's favorite series. The authors understandably may feel a little constrained and imprisoned by this.

In this thread, let's describe our favorite science fiction or fantasy series that's not well-known. So let's avoid stuff like Lord of the Rings, Vampire Lestat, or Robert Heinlein's Future History. If it gets a lot of shelf space at Barnes & Noble, let's leave it be. Instead let's try to illuminate some good series many Kindlers haven't heard of! If possible, provide links to the books, preferably in ebook form.

My favorite lesser-known series is the John Grimes series by A. Bertram Chandler. The series follows the career of John Grimes, a starship officer. The first book in the series, "The Road to the Rim" takes place when he isn't even officially on duty yet, but is a newly-graduated Midshipman traveling as a passenger to his first duty station after graduating from earth's academy for space officers. The series follows Grimes' career as he rises through the ranks of the Federation Survey Service, but finds he never really fits in. Eventually he gets fired<!> and has to earn a living as a freelancer (starting out as captain of a private space yacht, but eventually getting his own small vessel-for-hire), and finally he joins the space navy of the newly-independent Rim Worlds, where he fits in better.

Things I particularly like about this series:

1) A. Bertram Chandler, was an officer and ship captain in the Australian merchant marine. As a result, he has a good understanding of what goes on in ships (which translates well to spaceships) and his stories deal in detail with problems in managing the ship and crew that are skimmed over or ignored in most of this sort of book. I remember one reviewer of his books saying "you could hear the water lapping at the gunwales" in these novels. He intended it as a kudo for the author, and I agree with him!

2) John Grimes is less perfect and more human than the heroes/heroines who generally populate this sort of series (I'm talking to YOU, Honor Harrington!  ). Despite being competent and ethical, he makes mistakes, gives in to baser emotions on occasion, and fails in his goals sometimes. Yet he's not a failure or an angst-filled loser. This makes him more believable and real for me.

For another view of Grimes, and a more specific description of some of these stories, there's an excellent webpage here:

http://www.toddbehr.com/chandler/grimes.htm

The books themselves are not available on Kindle (though a closely-related book by Chandler, "The Rim of Space" is). Most of the books can easily be bought in DTB form if you don't mind buying used from Amazon's associated vendors. But the best way to buy these is in ebook form from Baen Books. These can be downloaded by USB or emailed to your Kindle. The link is here:

http://www.webscription.net/s-124-a-bertram-chandler.aspx?CategoryFilterID=0

You can buy individual novels, but I'd advise buying the bundled collections--"John Grimes: Federation Survey Service", "John Grimes: Far Traveler Couriers" and "John Grimes: Rim Worlds Commodore".


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

It doesn't look like one saves any money by buying the collections--the books are $4 each individually.  It does sound like a good series, I might dip my toe in by buying the first in the series!

Betsy


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> It doesn't look like one saves any money by buying the collections--the books are $4 each individually. It does sound like a good series, I might dip my toe in by buying the first in the series!


I was so delighted when I found these available in ebook form (to save wear and tear on my treasured DAW and Ace paperbacks from the 1970s and 80s) that I'd never bothered to do the math, since I obviously needed 'em all!)  They're still worth reading, however you buy them!


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Am I allowed to mention alternate history series on here?


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

scarlet said:


> Am I allowed to mention alternate history series on here?


If it passes muster with Betsy, Luvmy4brats, etc., it will pass muster with me. As long as nobody mentions Harlequin Romances (unless they publish science fiction!) or New York detective serials.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I don't know whether or not this qualifies as "lesser known," but some of Gordon R. Dickson's "Dorsai" series is available in a 2-in-1 Kindle edition:


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

My brother just mentioned Mike Resnick to me.  I'd never heard of him, but he seems to have a lot of books...plus he's connected to Baen's somehow.

Betsy


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

These are some of the lesser-known series that I re-read once in a while:

The _Hooded Swan_ series by Brian Stableford
The _Starrigger_ series by Jeffery Carver (available as ebook)
The _Wayfarer_ series by Dennis Schmidt
The _Star Kings_ series by Jack Vance
The _Vatta's War_ series and the _Serrano Legacy_ series by Elizabeth Moon (some available at Baen)
The _Mongo_ series by George Chesbro (detective/fantasy/sf/suspense, but sometimes just straight detective)
The _Castle_ series and the S_kyway_ series by John DeChancie
The _Lord Darcy_ series by Randall Garrett
The _Wizard of..._ series by Simon Hawke
The _Retief_ series by Keith Laumer
The _Engines of God_ series and the _Alex Benedict_ series by Jack McDevitt
The _Anthony Villiers_ series by Alexei Panshin
The _Widowmaker_ series by Mike Resnick
The _Vlad Tapes_ series by Fred Saberhagen

Mike


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

The Hooded Claw said:


> Though many authors have complained about feeling trapped by fans who complain if they write anything other than the fan's favorite series. The authors understandably may feel a little constrained and imprisoned by this.


Actually, some readers feel the same way. Offhand, I can think of very few, if any series, that are still good after four or five books. I've never been able to get beyond book four in Dune, for example; and the first four Flashman novels, historical fiction, are about the funniest books I've ever read, but the sameness seems to just overwhelm going onwards past five or six. King's Dark Tower took a slight turn for the worse at four, then nosedived into an outhouse at five, six, and seven.

For me, I think long running series are too much like TV shows--just story treadmills--but then again, I stopped watching TV is 97, so my baseline might be off.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Geemont said:


> Actually, some readers feel the same way. Offhand, I can think of very few, if any series, that are still good after four or five books. I've never been able to get beyond book four in Dune, for example; and the first four Flashman novels, historical fiction, are about the funniest books I've ever read, but the sameness seems to just overwhelm going onwards past five or six. King's Dark Tower took a slight turn for the worse at four, then nosedived into an outhouse at five, six, and seven.
> 
> For me, I think long running series are too much like TV shows--just story treadmills--but then again, I stopped watching TV is 97, so my baseline might be off.


I feel that way about most of Harry Turtledove's series....First few books are awesome, but then they go on and on and on. I can think of another author or two it applies to, but I've kept being a fan of the John Grimes books all the way through....And I've kept being a fan of Honor Harrington, for instance, though my interest has dipped with the last book (hoping it is a temporary low-tide mark).


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

I started reading Katherine Kurtz' Chronicles of the Deryni(which have been kindlized) before my voice started changing and I've read and re-read them many times since ... It's a Celtic based series that started out as a magic based adventure series and grew into a slew of trilogies that has grown into a detailed history of Gwynedd and the struggle between the Church, the magical Deryni race and normal humans ... this series is followed by The Legends of Camber of Culdi, The Histories of King Kelson, The Heirs of Saint Camber & The Childe Morgan Trilogy (none of which are on Kindle).

In the realm of fantasy and sci-fi combined are the Saga of the Pliocene Exile and the Galactic Milieu by Julian May (which are not on Kindle)


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I feel that way about most of Harry Turtledove's series....First few books are awesome, but then they go on and on and on. I can think of another author or two it applies to, but I've kept being a fan of the John Grimes books all the way through....And I've kept being a fan of Honor Harrington, for instance, though my interest has dipped with the last book (hoping it is a temporary low-tide mark).


I love the overall story of Turtledove's Worldwar series and the Great War/Settling Accounts trilogy of trilogies ... but you are right that they begin to go on and on after awhile ... some of his stand alone histories (Ruled Britannia for example) though are perfect as is and should not be expanded upon.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Geoffrey said:


> I love the overall story of Turtledove's Worldwar series and the Great War/Settling Accounts trilogy of trilogies ... but you are right that they begin to go on and on after awhile ... some of his stand alone histories (Ruled Britannia for example) though are perfect as is and should not be expanded upon.


WorldWar and his "Great War" series are exactly what I had in mind. I loved the first four WorldWar books in particular, and even shelled out for hardbacks of several of 'em (which I normally refused to do for fiction) but they went on and on....I never did read the last one or two books in it.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Not sure if Brian Jacques counts, but I haven't met too many people who have read his "Redwall" series.  Alan Dean Foster's "Spellsinger" books seem pretty unknown compared to his others which aren't as much fantasy as they seem to be science fiction.  Both of those might be pushing it as unknown, but they're all I can recall right off the top of my head.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Scheherazade said:


> Not sure if Brian Jacques counts, but I haven't met too many people who have read his "Redwall" series. Alan Dean Foster's "Spellsinger" books seem pretty unknown compared to his others which aren't as much fantasy as they seem to be science fiction. Both of those might be pushing it as unknown, but they're all I can recall right off the top of my head.


I'd not heard of Brian Jacques or Redwall, so I'd have to say they are "lesser known". There's at least one of 'em available on Kindle:


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## Rasputina (May 6, 2009)

Diana Paxson's Wodans Children series based on the Niebelungenlied and Völsunga Saga consists of 3 books The Wolf and the Raven, The Dragons of the Rhine, and The Lord of Horses. Not available on kindle and out of print but used copies are generally available from Amazon, Alibris and Powells ect. 

I'm in process of reading Stephen Lawson's version of Robin Hood where he reset it to Wales just following the Norman invasion and seating of William the Conqueror. Also a trilogy, consisting of Hood, Scarlet, and Tuck books. Available on kindle but I'm reading the hardcovers.


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## BoomerSoonerOKU (Nov 22, 2009)

A couple of series I'd recommend that I don't see much about (and they are both trilogies for those who don't like the drawn out stuff) would have to be "The Winter of the World" series by Michael Scott Rohan, and the "Coldfire Trilogy" by C.S. Friedman.

Unfortunately, neither are available for the Kindle, and it seems that the Rohan trilogy is out of print, but it seems both have a ready supply of used books available.  I read "The Winter of the World" series in Jr. High, and was enthralled.  A mixture of blacksmithing/silversmithing and magic.  Quite different from the standard fantasy fare.

The "Coldfire Trilogy" is somewhat darker than I usually read, but the creative world that Friedman brings to life in these books has made me read them a number of times.  I've requested both series on the Kindle, but if you don't mind just buying them used or looking at a local used bookstore you won't be disappointed.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

I think one of _the_ finest sci-fi writers of the 20th century was a Russian author by the name of Alexander Beliaev. (Sometimes it might be spelled Beliaef or Belyaev.) Beliaev could count HG Wells as a fan. Wells once wrote that Beliaev was one of the few science fiction writers who did not forget science in his fiction. It is unfortunate that Beliaev is completely unknown in the West, though some of his books have been translated into English, but never released by a major publisher. His most famous novel is probably "The Amphibian Man" about a young boy who is implanted with gills of a shark. It's a fantastic novel filled with adventure, great undersea adventures, debate about ethics in science, and romance. There was a very popular Soviet film made of it, too, which can be found on DVD in a beautiful transfer, but with mediocre English subtitles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Belyayev


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

Redwall is well known enough that there is an animated series. I have seen it in PBS in the US.


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## Barbara S (Oct 31, 2008)

I'd like to mention Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover Series. She was one of my favorite authors growing up. Her books are starting to be made available for the Kindle. I've noticed a number of them being added over the last 6 months or so and hope that the rest will soon follow. For some reason, my browser doesn't work with the link function, but a good example of the series is Heritage and Exile, which is an Omnibus edition of The Heritage of Hastur and Sharra's Exile.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

Okay, so, because of the different spellings of the author's name - I just stumbled on a Kindle translation of "The Amphibian Man," which they call "The Amphibian." I have no idea what the translation is like, though!


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Barbara S said:


> I'd like to mention Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover Series. She was one of my favorite authors growing up. Her books are starting to be made available for the Kindle. I've noticed a number of them being added over the last 6 months or so and hope that the rest will soon follow. For some reason, my browser doesn't work with the link function, but a good example of the series is Heritage and Exile, which is an Omnibus edition of The Heritage of Hastur and Sharra's Exile.


I have all of the Darkover series and related books.. LOVE THEM TO DEATH! Going to amazon right now to see which are Kindle available.. you have made my night!


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

Tad Williams' _Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn_ series--which has just recently been Kindle-ized. The first book, The Dragonbone Chair, is listed below.











This one is nice in part because it's only a trilogy. I'm with others who've noted that the longer a series runs, the worse it gets. I'll have to think about which others I'd recommend.


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## yogini2 (Oct 27, 2008)

My favorite would be the John Scalzi series:  Old Man's War, The Ghost Brigades, and The Last Colony.  All on the Kindle. Very imaginative.  In the first book they take old people towards the end of their life, give them an enhanced version of their former self and send them off in space: to serve in the military on the off-worlds for a number of years.  They give up Earth completely when they sign on.  Then the books are the lives and adventures on various planets:  different beings, different religions, different customs, different planets.  Fabulous.

Is Steven King's Dark Tower series too main stream.  Dragged in places, but by the end I was looking for some of the characters on the street.  I read them all on my Kindle one after the other.  By the end I felt like I knew them all and wanted to have lunch with them to see how they were doing.

Yogini


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

yogini2 said:


> Is Steven King's Dark Tower series too main stream.


It would be to me, but so would Bradley's _Darkover_ series. 

In fact, now that I think of it, I might not consider a trilogy to be a series.

Mike


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## 1131 (Dec 18, 2008)

yogini2 said:


> My favorite would be the John Scalzi series: Old Man's War, The Ghost Brigades, and The Last Colony. All on the Kindle. Very imaginative. In the first book they take old people towards the end of their life, give them an enhanced version of their former self and send them off in space: to serve in the military on the off-worlds for a number of years. They give up Earth completely when they sign on. Then the books are the lives and adventures on various planets: different beings, different religions, different customs, different planets. Fabulous.
> Yogini


I've picked up the 1st two of the Old Man's War series (had planned on reading them next but got side tracked when True Compass was released). They are next on my TBR. Glad to here some good things about them.


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## yogini2 (Oct 27, 2008)

[q


imallbs said:


> I've picked up the 1st two of the Old Man's War series (had planned on reading them next but got side tracked when True Compass was released). They are next on my TBR. Glad to here some good things about them.


Let me know what you think. Also read Android's Dream by the same author. This author has an unusual sense of humor. One species communicates through farts. So a human government bureaucrat creates an international (universal?) incident by farting slanderous remarks about the other. Who comes up with this stuff? Not me, but I appreciate that a bored passive aggressive government worker will do the same types of things even in another universe far, far away.

Yogini


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## yogini2 (Oct 27, 2008)

jmiked said:


> It would be to me, but so would Bradley's _Darkover_ series.
> 
> In fact, now that I think of it, I might not consider a trilogy to be a series.
> 
> Mike


Not wanting to start a fight here, but the definition of a series is "a group or succession of similar or related things" . So for me, three is a series. 

Maybe if Hooded Claw wishes to further define "series" as it applies to this question, then I will withdraw my suggestion


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

yogini2 said:


> Not wanting to start a fight here, but the definition of a series is "a group or succession of similar or related things" . So for me, three is a series.
> 
> Maybe if Hooded Claw wishes to further define "series" as it applies to this question, then I will withdraw my suggestion


I don't have (or want!) moderator super-powers, and I'll respect what anyone writing a serious non-trollish post chooses to regard as a series. But I reserve the right to make sarcastic comments about the reading comprehension skills of anyone who tries to claim that a single book is a series!


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I don't have (or want!) moderator super-powers, and I'll respect what anyone writing a serious non-trollish post chooses to regard as a series. But I reserve the right to make sarcastic comments about the reading comprehension skills of anyone who tries to claim that a single book is a series!


I'm not sure if the universe is ready for you to have super-powers .....


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## Archer (Apr 25, 2009)

I was amused by the bloke who started the thread on the 'Zon fantasy forums asking for recommendations for a good one-book series.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

archer said:


> I was amused by the bloke who started the thread on the 'Zon fantasy forums asking for recommendations for a good one-book series.


Here's one, if you want to count 10 volumes in one physical book of 1264 pages. 


Not yet available on Kindle, unfortunately.


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## Aravis60 (Feb 18, 2009)

One of my favorites that most people that I talk to don't know about:


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## unic1 (Dec 16, 2009)

More in the fantasy vein - I liked T. A. Pratt's Marla Mason series.  He calls it the "Marlaverse".  Light read, but good character development and continuation of characters' stories in the series.  He also published a free prequel book on his website.  Another good one is Brent Weeks' Night Angel series.


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

"the first four Flashman novels, historical fiction, are about the funniest books I've ever read" - oh man, I'd forgotten about those. You're right, hilarious doesn't begin to describe them! ... are they available for the Kindle?? Must check.

My favorite series is the Honor Harrington series (up to number 16?, I think). Free, if memory serves me correctly, on the Baen site.


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## Cillasi (Nov 11, 2008)

Tad Williams Otherland series is one of my favorites, but it hasn't been kindlized yet.


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