# Wanting to try Scifi/Fantasy - need help



## vg (Oct 28, 2008)

My kindle has opened new doors to me - I'm about to take a leap.  I've never read scifi/fantasy but know there are alot of you who devour the stuff.  What would be a good book for a beginner?


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## sherylb (Oct 27, 2008)

Well VG-

First thing you need to know is that SciFi and Fantasy are two different genres. I probably won't be able to explain this very well, but here goes.

SciFi is _generally_ about outerspace and all things related to space, quantum physics stuff like time travel and such, aliens, hard science, etc.

Where Fantasy _generally_ encompasses things like vampires, werwolf and, fairies, and that whole group; paranormal, psi capable characters; Kingdomes with Knights, damsels in distress and swords...lots of swords, dragons, magic, etc.

Not complete by any means but think about the difference between Star Wars and The Hobbit. Star Wars is SciFi and The Hobbit is Fantasy. So first you need to think about which genre you are intersted in and let us know.

Hope this helps.

Sheryl


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## Snapcat (Nov 3, 2008)

vg said:


> My kindle has opened new doors to me - I'm about to take a leap. I've never read scifi/fantasy but know there are alot of you who devour the stuff. What would be a good book for a beginner?


What genre of novels do you usually read? There are a lot of different types of fantasy and sci fi- so maybe it would be good to ease into something similar to what you read.

I think "Dune" is a good science fiction book, and "The Hobbit" a good example of a fantasy novel.


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2008)

You should probably read both my and jmiked's "Favorite novels" threads.  We both mention several sci-fi novels and discuss the genre.


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## Kindled Spirit (Oct 27, 2008)

vg said:


> My kindle has opened new doors to me - I'm about to take a leap. I've never read scifi/fantasy but know there are alot of you who devour the stuff. What would be a good book for a beginner?


vg...u might want to check out a new post made by member kreelanwarrior. he has a new book called In Her Name that blends sci-fi with fantasy. It sounds good.


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## vg (Oct 28, 2008)

thanks to all - I'll check out the recommendations.  I've read the Hobbit, so I guess I've touched on the fantasy side.  I'd like to try scifi, but am really nervous


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Blood and Chocolate the book is a really quick and easy read (if you have watched the movie...the only thing the book and the movie have in common is the character names). My friends and a couple of my classmates say that "Dune" is really good. I haven't read it and I downloaded it because it only costs 1.95 and the second book costs 1.25


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

sherylb said:


> Well VG-
> 
> First thing you need to know is that SciFi and Fantasy are two different genres.
> Sheryl


Not to mention that many people consider SciFi and Science Fiction to be two different genres.


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## Snapcat (Nov 3, 2008)

vg said:


> thanks to all - I'll check out the recommendations. I've read the Hobbit, so I guess I've touched on the fantasy side. I'd like to try scifi, but am really nervous


Well I'm more of a fantasy fan typically- but as far as science fiction I've enjoyed:

Dune, 1984, Journey into the Center of the Earth, Brave New World, Slaughterhouse Five, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Foundation, Dragonriders of Pern (more the earlier books). I'm not so much a fan of "hard" sci fi.


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## Michael R. Hicks (Oct 29, 2008)

vg -

_In Her Name_ sort of crosses the bridge between fantasy and sci-fi (and some romance thrown in for fun!); several of the readers I've heard from aren't sci-fi *or* fantasy readers and still enjoyed it. And the beauty of the Kindle is that checking out a book is risk free - just download the preview and check it out. My wife has eight pages of samples! 

And for anyone who doesn't have a Kindle, the first four chapters are in a free PDF.

Cheers,
Mike


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## marianneg (Nov 4, 2008)

vg said:


> thanks to all - I'll check out the recommendations. I've read the Hobbit, so I guess I've touched on the fantasy side. I'd like to try scifi, but am really nervous


If you want to try it on the cheap, baen.com has lots of books you can read for free - click on "Free Library Books" on the left side of the homepage.


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

Here are several Kindle books in the science fiction area I would throw out for newbies:

 The Puppet Masters  by Robert Heinlein

 Double Star  by Robert Heinlein

 Camouflage  by Joe Haldeman

 Rite of Passage  by Alexei Panshin

 Ancient Shores  by Jack McDevitt

 Crystal Singer  by Anne McCaffery

There are large number of books suitable for introducing people to SF that aren't ported to the Kindle yet. 

Kindleboards links:
























_Rite of Passage_


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2008)

jmiked: I'm shocked! You forgot City! 

It isn't on Kindle yet either, However it _is_ on Audible.


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

Bacardi Jim said:


> jmiked: I'm shocked! You forgot City!
> 
> It isn't on Kindle yet either, However it _is_ on Audible.


Well, I actually went and checked to make sure all those on my list were officially on the Kindle, heh.


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2008)

Audible counts as Kindle-ready, right?   (Though I linked to the pb version.)


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

Bacardi Jim said:


> Audible counts as Kindle-ready, right?  (Though I linked to the pb version.)


Not to me. Maybe if I still had a morning commute, I might change my mind. I have a hard enough time trying to listen to the podcasts that accumulate on the iPod.


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## hazeldazel (Oct 30, 2008)

You'll love Heinlein unfortunately there's not a ton of his stuff on Kindle format yet. There's a few on Amazon and a few on Webscription.net. His SciFi is more great-story-that-just-happens-to-be-in-space/future type of scifi. My favorites of his are _Stranger in a Strange Land_ and _The Menace from Earth_. _Starship Troopers_ was great too - actually, I really like most of his stuff.

Other great SciFi to try is _Sassinak_ by Elizabeth Moon, available at Webscription.net. Moon also wrote _The Deed of Parksenarrion_ trilogy which is in the Fantasy category. And of course, you've read _The Princess Bride_ by William Goldman right? I mean, not reading The Princess Bride, would be... inconceivable. 

L. Spraque DeCamp (sp?) is great, Anne McCaffrey is great, Andre Norton, gosh there's so many... But really, you *have* to read The Princess Bride.


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## Snapcat (Nov 3, 2008)

hazeldazel said:


> But really, you *have* to read The Princess Bride.


Agreed!


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## Tarma (Oct 27, 2008)

My favorite Heinlein is "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress". Unfortunately no ebook format yet.


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## vg (Oct 28, 2008)

Wow - I go to dinner and come back to all these choices!  I'm going to take each one and check out the reviews and samples to pick something.  I've got to ask jmiked - what is the difference between SciFi and Science Fiction?

I have a sample of "Hitchhiker's Guide" that I forgot I had downloaded, so maybe I will start with that, and since In Her Name seems to be a mix, I will download that sample right away also.

I'm kind of excited to see if I like this - I know it should make for some interesting reading!

Hazeldazel - I haven't read The Princess Bride, but I've seen the movie - bet it doesn't even come close.  Okay - add that to the list...


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## vg (Oct 28, 2008)

Just found Double Star by Robert Heinlein for  $.35 - score!  Along with the others I said I would download.  I'm off on this new adventure now - thanks again for all the help!


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## RovingSoul (Oct 27, 2008)

...Why isn't anybody mentioning any of the Greats. The fantasy books To Rule Them All. Obviously, they seem too obvious to most of us, but if vg really hasn't ventured in...

The Lord of the Rings
Harry Potter
Chronicles of Narnia

The three series that cannot be beaten. At least IMHO.

(Yea, I know someone mentioned the Hobbit.)

And then some others, of little consequence of course.

Dragons of Pern
Wheel of Time
A Song of Fire and Ice
Earthsea

This is a website that pretty much says it all.

http://www.bestfantasybooks.com/


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

vg said:


> I've got to ask jmiked - what is the difference between SciFi and Science Fiction?


For a starter, see: http://www.jvoegele.com/literarysf/scifi.html .

Scifi is used as a pejorative term by many hard-core enthusiasts. It frequently refers to all those movies that were made by people who didn't bother to consult anybody to see if it made any sense at all from a scientific or logic standpoint. Scifi frequently contains premises that are unsupported by any scientific fact. Scifi is frequently a western with spaceships, or a monster movie.

Armageddon was SciFi.
Bladerunner was Science Fiction.
Independence Day was SciFi.
2001 was Science Fiction.
Jumper was SciFi.
Star Trek and Star Wars were Scifi.
Babylon 5 was Science Fiction.
Godzilla was definitely Scifi.
Red Dwarf and Dr. Who are clearly Scifi. (British TV series)
Any movie made for the SciFi channel is Scifi, unless it's a monster movie (which is increasingly frequent).
Any movie with a huge alligator/spider/chipmunk/ant/snake, etc. doesn't even qualify as Scifi, it's a monster movie.

As a general rule, Scifi is more likely to be a tv show or film, while science fiction is more likely to be of the written persuasion. Many examples can be shown to disprove this as a universal statement, though.

But basically, it's a case of "I'll know it when I see it." And nobody cares except people who tend to like stories of ideas instead of the 115th story of Spock losing his brain. It's only important to people that argue about it, and believe that the labels are the things.

And Scifi can be very entertaining, even if silly.

I made up all this on the spot, and I retain the right to say that I hadn't had my correct dose of caffeine yet.

Mike


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

> Hazeldazel - I haven't read The Princess Bride, but I've seen the movie - bet it doesn't even come close. Okay - add that to the list...


You *have * to read the book... I am reading it right now for the first time and as much as I love the movie, there is no comparison!! Definitely add it to your list!!


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2008)

Personally, I use the terms SF, sci-fi and science fiction interchangeably.  But that's just a matter of convenience.  Despite being a lifelong dedicated devotee, I'm not so much of a purist as to quibble over the labels.  *shrug*


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't think anyone has mentioned Isaac Asimov. (If so, my apologies). There's the Foundation Trilogy, then there's a Second Foundation Trilogy, and the Robot Novels -- Caves of Steel, Naked Sun, and one other (blanking on the name right now -- I could get up and look at my bookshelf)  They're all set more or less in the same future universe. Also multiple Robot short story collections which are also kind of part of the same world. I'm sure there's a web site that explains how it all works together. I believe he was one of the first to describe a 'future history' that pretty much all of his pieces fit into. The more you read the more it comes together because things reference each other, but many are also stand-alone.

For Fantasy there's the Thomas Covenant Series. Two trilogys. Start with Lord Fouls' Bane. You'll probably spend the first 100 pages or so wondering why the h3!! you are meant to care about this guy, but stick with it. Author is Stephen Donaldson.

Ann


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2008)

Ann Von Hagel said:


> I don't think anyone has mentioned Isaac Asimov. (If so, my apologies). There's the Foundation Trilogy, then there's a Second Foundation Trilogy, and the Robot Novels -- Caves of Steel, Naked Sun, and one other (blanking on the name right now -- I could get up and look at my bookshelf)  They're all set more or less in the same future universe. Also multiple Robot short story collections which are also kind of part of the same world. I'm sure there's a web site that explains how it all works together. I believe he was one of the first to describe a 'future history' that pretty much all of his pieces fit into. The more you read the more it comes together because things reference each other, but many are also stand-alone.
> 
> For Fantasy there's the Thomas Covenant Series. Two trilogys. Start with Lord Fouls' Bane. You'll probably spend the first 100 pages or so wondering why the h3!! you are meant to care about this guy, but stick with it. Author is Stephen Donaldson.
> 
> Ann


Thomas Covenant may be the least likable protagonist ever.


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

Bacardi Jim said:


> Personally, I use the terms SF, sci-fi and science fiction interchangeably. But that's just a matter of convenience. Despite being a lifelong dedicated devotee, I'm not so much of a purist as to quibble over the labels. *shrug*


I pretty much adapt myself to whatever company I'm in. People abstract different things to hang labels on, and the label is not the thing, so I am more laid back about such things than some.

And I agree about Thomas Covenant. 

Mike


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2008)

You'd think that a leper who had his life saved by God _and personally met Him_ wouldn't be such a whiner when God asks him to do a little work saving an alternate world.


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

Ann Von Hagel said:


> I don't think anyone has mentioned Isaac Asimov. (If so, my apologies).


I thought about including Asimov. I finally didn't, as I think his stuff is more a literature of ideas than characterization, and might not be as enjoyable until one has dipped one's toes into the stream, so to speak.

Mike


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## vg (Oct 28, 2008)

Roving Soul - I eagerly waited for each Harry Potter and also enjoyed the Chronicles of Narnia, so I guess I'm not as lacking as I thought. And I've seen most of the movies  Mike mentioned, so I guess I have enjoyed the scifi and science fiction stuff without even realizing it (thanks for the clarification Mike).  I've read so many stories dealing with the past, it will be such a change for me to read things now that are based on future events.

vicki


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

Vicki, if you also like mysteries, you might try the In Death series by J.D. Robb.  The main character is a cop and the mysteries/solving cases aspect is the main premise, but the series is set in the near-future, beginning in 2058, so you also get sort of a sci-fi element based on some aspects of flying cars, some off-planet excursions (not a lot and not much about the actual travel, but just the premise of it being no big thing in only 50 years is cool), how communications might be, and other futuristic devices.  They're fun for that stuff.


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## vg (Oct 28, 2008)

Steph, I'll look into it, thanks


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## Tarma (Oct 27, 2008)

One of my favorites "The Witches of Karres" by James H. Schmitz.








There's also "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card and "The Forever War" by Joe Haldeman, but I don't think those are e-books yet.


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## Lee (Nov 7, 2008)

I'd like to recommend anything by Dave Duncan, who writes great, involving fantasy with a dash of humor.

The six-book King's Blades series is a great place to start:

The Gilded Chain

















Lord of the Fire Lands


















Sky of Swords

















Paragon Lost

















Impossible Odds










The Jaguar Knights


















Or, if you'd rather have a standalone novel as opposed to a series, I really enjoyed this one:

Reaver Road


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## hazeldazel (Oct 30, 2008)

*smacks head* 

Yes!  That's what I forgot!  Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series  (fantasy)

I already mentioned Anne McCaffrey, but definitely check out her Dragons of Pern series (fantasy) or The Rowan series (scifi) or Dinosaur Planet series (scifi).  BTW, the Sassinak book by Elizabeth Moon I mentioned in an earlier post, ties into McCaffrey's Dinosaur Planet universe, and the two authors have collaborated several times.  

I didn't mention Asimov as I don't think he's a scifi-for-beginners type of author.  His books are more big-idea stuff rather than character-driven stories that just happen to be in space/in the future.  

Stephen Donaldson's series (fantasy) is good but dark, not sure if you like that.  If you like mysteries, you might enjoy Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire mysteries.  Modern era, fun with vampires.

Oh, and just a final word about movies made from fantasy/scifi books - the movie adaptations almost always universally suck.  Or they're not completely horrible but they pale in comparison to the movie.  I always try to watch the movie before reading the book or I'm just disappointed.  Case in point:  Dune, Starship Troopers, even LOTR.  So, if you like the movie please try reading the book!


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

I would 2nd or 3rd the reccomendation of the www.baen.com free library. You can download some great new sci-fi (not old-out of copyright) in .prc or mobi format for the Kindle. I believe the Witches of Karres shown above is available for free at Baen (that's where I read it...)


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## HappyGuy (Nov 3, 2008)

At BAEN books I would recommend almost anything by Mercedes Lackey, especially her Bardic series (although I don't know if they're available for free at Baen). McCaffery's Pern series is GREAT. Read the first of that series abut 20 years ago and have read it over and over again. they're not so much straight fantasy as a mix of scifi and fantasy. Almost anything by Azimov or Heinlein. Arthur Clark is good scifi, especially his Rama series (But I don't think much of his writing has been Kindlized yet - ironic for such a forward thinking person and the inventor of the communications satellite).


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

The first 2 books of Mcaffrey's Pern series, Dragonflight and Dragonquest are available on the Kindle in one volume for $1.25. Money well spent!!  (I would post link....but I haven't figured that out yet)


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## strether (Dec 15, 2008)

You might want to try some "soft" Scifi, as an intro, "soft" meaning character-based rather than plot- or idea-based sci-fi. A place to start might be with one of Sharon Lee & Steve Miller's Liaden Universe novels, say, Local Custom or Scout's Progress. Anne McCaffrey has called them her "comfort" novels, by which I think she means they're re-readable books that you can sink into and just enjoy the characters. All of these are available at Baen, though none are free. Not very expensive, though.

Another series you can really get into are the "Miles" books by Lois Bujold, also all available at Baen. I think there's a novella "Mountains of Mourning" that's available for free.

My only caveat in dealing with Baen is you really need to do your homework. In buying Bujold's books, for example, you might find that some of the titles are available separately, when for a couple of dollars more you could buy two books (with a novella thrown in, usually.)

A great resource for determining who's written what, and in what order is available at www.fantasticfiction.co.uk
Probably others have recommended this resource, but it can't be repeated too often. It works for most authors, but for Bujold, her dates of publishing don't reflect the chronological progress of the characters. If there's any interest, I'd be happy to provide a chronological listing of these Miles novels.

Jim


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Jim, congratulations on your first post, and thanks for the great info!

We have great members here!

Betsy


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2008)

Thank you.


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## chobitz (Nov 25, 2008)

sherylb said:


> Well VG-
> 
> First thing you need to know is that SciFi and Fantasy are two different genres. I probably won't be able to explain this very well, but here goes.
> 
> ...


Actually Star TREK is sci fi and Star WARS is a fantasy..


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## MonaSW (Nov 16, 2008)

And Dragonriders of Pern is fantasy except for the science fiction back story. 

A good place to start with science fiction/fantasy might be Andre Norton. For fantasy, her Witch World books are very enjoyable.


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## vg (Oct 28, 2008)

thanks for the great info, Jim.  I've got some books backing up that have been recommended, but will add your suggestions to my future checkouts...


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## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

Unbelievably, only one of Orson Scott Card's Ender books are on Kindle, and it's not the first one.

Of course, equally unbelievable to me is that only the first Hitchhiker's Guide book is on Kindle, and none of the Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective agency books are there (Douglas Adams.  Get them in DTB versions if you have to.  They're just that good.)

What are Jasper Fforde's Thursday novels?  Fantasy?  Those are good to, as they mention a lot of other works that you can read for reference, nearly all of which have fallen into the public domain.


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## akw4572 (Nov 3, 2008)

I know it's been mentioned, but for my money, George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire can't be beat in the fantasy section.  It's not typical, "hero quest" type, it's a world with a massive scope and history.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I greatly enjoyed the work of Asimov (especially the Foundation Series), Orson Scott Card (ender's Game is awesome), and many of the other classics. The problem is many of those books are not available on the Kindle.

I love the work of Jim Butcher. He is writing two series right now. Codex Alera (my favorite of the two) is a fantasy series that follows the growth of a young man by the name of Tavi. The books are well written, the world well developed, and there is always a nice cliff hanger at the end of each book. There are five books in the series. The sixth, and final book, is set to be released in December 2009. All five books are avaliable for the Kindle. I am linking the first three for you. The other two titles are a bit spoilerish and I wouldn't want to ruin the fun.







The second series that Butcher writes is the Dresden File. This series follows Harry Dresden, a modern day Wizard living and working in Chicago. It is written in todays Chicago and is a ton of fun. There are Vampires, Werewolves, Wizards, and Witches. Plenty of fighting and magic. Trips into other worlds and dimensions. PLus a ton of humor. Good stuff. All of the books are available on the Kindle.





Robin Hobb is another one of my favorite Fantasy authors. She has written many different trilogies, my favorites are the Assassin's trilogy, the Twany Man's trilogy, and the Ships of Magic trilogy. Each trilogy stands alone but they are also connected. Start with the Assassins, move to the Twany Mans, and then the Ships of Magic.


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## Guest (Dec 31, 2008)

robin.goodfellow said:


> Of course, equally unbelievable to me is that only the first Hitchhiker's Guide book is on Kindle...


Look again. The next three were released last Wednesday. Only Mostly Harmless isn't Kindlized yet.


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## ScrappingForever (Nov 26, 2008)

Thanks ProfCash! Downloaded some more samples! Thanks heavens I got the Delicious Library thingy to help me keep it all straight!


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## dsalerni (Dec 18, 2008)

strether said:


> Another series you can really get into are the "Miles" books by Lois Bujold, also all available at Baen. I think there's a novella "Mountains of Mourning" that's available for free.
> 
> If there's any interest, I'd be happy to provide a chronological listing of these Miles novels.
> 
> Jim


Jim,
I will heartily second your recommendation of the Miles Vorkosigan series for readers wanting to stick their toes into the waters of science fiction! Personally, when I suggest these books to people (or give them as gifts), I don't usually start with the chronological first story. I think you have to fall in love with Miles before you can appreciate his parents. So I always suggest that people begin the Vorkosigan saga with this one:











Dianne


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## strether (Dec 15, 2008)

dsalerni said:


> Jim,
> I will heartily second your recommendation of the Miles Vorkosigan series for readers wanting to stick their toes into the waters of science fiction! Personally, when I suggest these books to people (or give them as gifts), I don't usually start with the chronological first story. I think you have to fall in love with Miles before you can appreciate his parents. So I always suggest that people begin the Vorkosigan saga with this one:
> 
> 
> ...


If you're right, I gave my sister-in-law the wrong book for Christmas.  I read them all in chronological order, so was just following my example. If you do start with The Warrior's Apprentice, though, buy it from Baen. Five dollars for TWA, plus The Vor Game, plus the novella, Mountains of Mourning. At Amazon, it's $5.95 for the first one alone.

If I wanted to get someone hooked, though, I'd tell them to start with Memory, and then let them fill in the blanks from there. The author says in one of her afterwords that she designed all the books to be read as individual books, so you could have a wonderful time becoming familiar with all the details and putting the wonderful world of these books together in your head. Of course, you'd have to re-read, but you'll want to do this anyhow.

Jim


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Another really good author is Neil Gaiman and pretty much all of his novels are online. He takes a more modern twist to mythology and fairy tales.

I have read (and enjoyed)









His graphic novel Sandman is really amazing but would not be good Kindle material.


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## SusanCassidy (Nov 9, 2008)

Among many others, a good deal is Elizabeth Moon's Heris Serrano series, available as "Heris Serrano" from Baen books, for $4.00.  It is a trilogy, including Hunting Party, Sporting Chance and Winning Colors.  Lots of action, and good characters.

I would also recommend "Lucifer's Hammer", by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle - awesome: a comet hits the earth, and changes the climate, etc.  Really good - I've read it a number of times. $4.00 from Baen Books.

Of course, no one beats Heinlein, and Lois McMaster Bujold, and the Dragons of Pern novels by Anne McCaffrey.

I'm mostly a science fiction reader, as opposed to fantasy, but I like Harry Potter, Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden books, and the Katherine Kurtz Deryni novels, which are now available in Kindle format from Amazon for very good prices.


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## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> Look again. The next three were released last Wednesday.


Get OUT!!! Really? GREAT!!!!
<dances off to amazon>

~robin

Stop the presses!!! "So Long and Thanks for All the Fish" (the 4th book in the trilogy) is available as a PRE-ORDER for Kindle!!! Have I been under a rock? When could we start pre-ordering for Kindle? Have I actually gone crazy? Er?


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## Guest (Jan 1, 2009)

robin.goodfellow said:


> Have I actually *gone* crazy? Er?


I do not think that verb means what you think it means.


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

SusanCassidy said:


> Among many others, a good deal is Elizabeth Moon's Heris Serrano series, available as "Heris Serrano" from Baen books, for $4.00. It is a trilogy, including Hunting Party, Sporting Chance and Winning Colors. Lots of action, and good characters.


I'll second this recommendation.

Mike


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

robin.goodfellow said:


> When could we start pre-ordering for Kindle? Have I actually gone crazy? Er?


It started several months ago... At least that's when I first pre-ordered an M. C. Beaton book I wanted.

Then it just showed up on the Kindle one day.    

Mike


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## robin.goodfellow (Nov 17, 2008)

> I do not think that verb means what you think it means.


Inconceivable!


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## 1131 (Dec 18, 2008)

SusanCassidy said:


> Among many others, a good deal is Elizabeth Moon's Heris Serrano series, available as "Heris Serrano" from Baen books, for $4.00. It is a trilogy, including Hunting Party, Sporting Chance and Winning Colors. Lots of action, and good characters.


I'll 3rd this recommendation. I "discovered" Moon about a year ago and was instantly hooked.
Both the Heris Serrano and the Vatta War series were good. The Heris Serrano series has 7 books - not all of them are in e-book format. The Vatta War series has all 5 books available for the Kindle. For a good stand alone book from Moon, I liked both Speed of Dark and Remnant Population; Remnant Population being my favorite.


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## MonaSW (Nov 16, 2008)

Elizabeth Moon also has an excellent fantasy series: The Deed of Paksenarrion, starting with Sheepfarmer's Daughter. Not yet available on the Kindle, but I am clicking! To me it seems to be one of the best all time fantasy series. I wish she had more books set in this world but maybe five is all we get.

Also not on the Kindle but another author I have always enjoyed was Jo Clayton: http://www.dm.net/~mjkramer/joseries.html For her work, I would start with the Diadem series. One of my all time favorites by her was the Drinker of Souls trilogy.

If you don't mind reading dtbooks, your library should have both of these authors.


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## MaureenH (Dec 14, 2008)

I'm a beginner to fantasy and sci fi too. I know it's obvious, but if you're a woman, you'd probably really like the Twilight Saga series.







Book 4 is Breaking Dawn. http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Dawn-Twilight-Saga-Book/dp/B0015DYIH2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1230851153&sr=1-1


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## MaureenH (Dec 14, 2008)

I also really liked Graceling (sort of chick fantasy)


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## Dazlyn (Dec 20, 2008)

I think someone else recommended Graceling also.  I have it on my wish list


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## strether (Dec 15, 2008)

MonaSW said:


> Elizabeth Moon also has an excellent fantasy series: The Deed of Paksenarrion, starting with Sheepfarmer's Daughter. Not yet available on the Kindle, but I am clicking! To me it seems to be one of the best all time fantasy series. I wish she had more books set in this world but maybe five is all we get.
> 
> Also not on the Kindle but another author I have always enjoyed was Jo Clayton: http://www.dm.net/~mjkramer/joseries.html For her work, I would start with the Diadem series. One of my all time favorites by her was the Drinker of Souls trilogy.
> 
> If you don't mind reading dtbooks, your library should have both of these authors.


Baen has it available in Kindle format as a trilogy. Four or five bucks. No need to wait longer 

Jim

Edit: Sorry, I just checked and it's $6 for the Moon trilogy. Sheepfarmer's Daughter is a freebie; if you're not sure about the series you can download that and buy the trilogy later if you like it.


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## MonaSW (Nov 16, 2008)

Thank you strether!!! I don't know why I didn't check there, I have several books from Baen already. Paid and downloaded. 

$6:  Free: ​


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## strether (Dec 15, 2008)

MonaSW said:


> Thank you strether!!! I don't know why I didn't check there, I have several books from Baen already. Paid and downloaded.


Glad to have been of service.  I don't usually like fantasy, not even Bujold's, alas, but I enjoyed this.

Jim


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## Andra (Nov 19, 2008)

Well, the books that I really like by Raymond Feist aren't available for the Kindle yet.  I re-read The Riftwar Saga books on a regular basis (Magician, Silverthorn, A Darkness at Sethanon etc.)
I also enjoy the ones he wrote with Janny Wurts that show the flip side of life in Kelewan on the other side of the rift.
But if you can find them used or in a library, they are definitely worth reading.
I'll also second the votes for Anne McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey and Robert Jordan.
And of course there is an entire thread on Terry Pratchett!
Happy reading.
Andra


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

Andra said:


> Well, the books that I really like by Raymond Feist aren't available for the Kindle yet. I re-read The Riftwar Saga books on a regular basis (Magician, Silverthorn, A Darkness at Sethanon etc.)
> 
> Happy reading.
> Andra


Ohh I loved those!! I think I've read them about 6 times now....but its been awhile....to bad they aren't Kindleized. 
I could never get into the later additions though...


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## David J. Guyton (Jan 6, 2009)

My favorite author is *Terry Goodkind*....I don't think he has been mentioned yet. His books are fantasy, and as the series progresses they become more political in nature (although this does not diminish the entertainment at all). I think how much you will like the series will depend on what side you fall on politically, but he has like 25 million books sold, so it's popular stuff. _Wizard's First Rule _ is the first book. Goodkind has been a huge inspiration for my writing. By the way Mr. Goodkind owns one of my charcoal drawings!

If you're more interested in fantasy without the subtle (or not-so-subtle) messages, pick up *Weis and Hickman's* stuff. I like _The War of Souls_ trilogy. Very fun books.

My first fantasy novel was *Raymond E. Feist's * _Faerie Tale_. It still has a special place in my heart. The ending is a bit weak, but the characters are so great and the story so fun that it doesn't even matter.


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## strether (Dec 15, 2008)

Followers of this thread who enjoyed Elizabeth Moon's _Deed of Paksenarrion _ might be interested to know that Baen has released two novels that preceded that trilogy. It's called _The Legacy of Gird _ and has two large novels, _Surrender None _ and _Liar's Oath _ in one large download for $6. I've found it every bit as compelling as the trilogy I was familiar with.

Jim


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

SusanCassidy said:


> Among many others, a good deal is Elizabeth Moon's Heris Serrano series, available as "Heris Serrano" from Baen books, for $4.00. It is a trilogy, including Hunting Party, Sporting Chance and Winning Colors. Lots of action, and good characters.
> 
> I would also recommend "Lucifer's Hammer", by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle - awesome: a comet hits the earth, and changes the climate, etc. Really good - I've read it a number of times. $4.00 from Baen Books.
> 
> ...


Wow, lots of good recs here--and I second whoever said that you might want to start with some character based sci/fi or fantasy. Some of the Asimov, Dunes, Heinlein...they're pretty dense. I do agree that Dragons of Pern is a great fantasy start.

Also from Baen, you might like Holly Lisle (I also like Mercedes Lackey, already mentioned). Who writes the Honor Harrington series-- *Very* accessible sci/fi. --David Webber!!! He is also with Baen, so those will be available in eformat. Another accessible sci/fi from baen is Mark Van Name. I liked the first in the series best. The second not so much, but the first is worth reading all on its own and you can decide from there...

Lots of good discoveries await!!!

Maria


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## David Derrico (Nov 18, 2009)

I also enjoy David Weber -- if you want sci-fi, I liked his Honor Harrington series, although it does focus a bit on the physics and tactics of space combat, but it's not TOO far on the "hard sci-fi" end of the spectrum. It has great character development and focus on big picture ideas.

He also writes some fantasy stuff -- most of which is free at the Baen library. I'm finishing the 3rd book of a series that starts with _Oath of Swords_.


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## Guest (Feb 17, 2010)

I recommend Mary Doria Russel's novel The Sparrow as an excellent, if atypical, SF work. I was also very impressed by Stephen Donaldson's The Gap series (5 books).

In the heroic fantasy genre I like no one better than the late David Gemmell - I'd start with his first book, Legend and then look at the Rigante series and perhaps Lion of Macedon.


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## arshield (Nov 17, 2008)

I am a big sci fi AND fantasy fan.  Many good books recommended.  Some more if you want...The Alcamyst by Michael Scott and the rest of the series if you like Young Adult Fantasy.

Terry Brooks if you like your fantasy with a tinge of humor, especially The Landover series.

And Snow Crash and similar if you want to veer to the cyber punk sub-genre.


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## DannieGirl22 (Feb 20, 2010)

Personally I LOVE Terry Pratchett! His books are hysterical as well as insightful about people. I recommend him to EVERYONE!

D


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## David Derrico (Nov 18, 2009)

I should also mention that my favorite sci-fi (or otherwise) book of all time is Douglas Adams' hilarious _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_. If you're looking for something funny, you can't do better.

My favorite non-funny sci-fi author is Timothy Zahn. I started with his Star Wars novels (the Thrawn trilogy), but I also highly recommend his Conqueror's trilogy. He is great at adding incredible depth and backstory and believable history to his characters, especially his alien characters.


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## MPinTX (Feb 19, 2010)

I agree with many of the recommendations here, but I'll add a couple:

One of my all times faves is C. J. Cherryh's Foreigner series.  It's long (9 books), but she does some of the best world-building and character development I've ever read, hands down. Some describe it as anthropological science fiction, as the focus is more on the interface between the human protagonist and the alien culture, not so much the technology. The politics and biological motivations and cultural customs of the Atavei are Byzantine, and it's fascinating to watch the human "ambassador" learn to negotiate that minefield without inadvertently setting off assassinations and wars. She makes her alien characters warm and accessible, but does not make them mere human with different skins, which is often a difficult task in sci fi. 

Other greats:  Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn trilogy, Tad Williams' Otherland series, and Gaiman and Pratchett's collaboration on Good Omens, which is the funniest version of the apocalypse ever. I laughed my tail off the entire time reading that book.


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## Chad Winters (Oct 28, 2008)

http://elitistbookreviews.blogspot.com/

These guys give great Sci-fi and Fantasy book reviews.

I'm interested in this one: http://elitistbookreviews.blogspot.com/2009/11/diving-into-wreck.html
but its not in Kindle version


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