Word on Non-SW books

Star Wars books now number almost a hundred books, not counting the young reader series, RPG guides, short fiction and fan stories. That is a lot of literature for one to read.
But just because there are so many SW books doesn?t mean that you have to read only SW. There are far more books out there that you will probably, if not likely like and enjoy. Star Wars authors don?t write just SW, they write a whole bunch of other books along with the SW book that they have been commissioned to write. Michael Stackpole, for example, has written the Dark Glory Wars, Once A Hero, Fortress Draconis, Talion: Relevation. Timothy Zahn has two current books out, The Icarus Hunt and Angelmass. The list goes on and on.
I am encouraging everyone to read some non-SW works, for they are wonderful reads and reading SW all the time only narrows your view on Science Fiction. Star Wars is only a part of the science fiction realm, and there are a lot more good books out there.
Like Timothy Zahn?s tactical work? Read Ender?s Game, Ender?s Shadow, and Shadow of the Hegemon, all by Orson Scott Card. Like starships and Han Solo? Read the Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn. Some other good sci-fi books are 2001, 2010, 2061 and 3001 by Arthur C. Clark. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein, Jurassic Park and Timeline by Michael Crichton. Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle. The list goes on for light years.
Fantasy is also a huge field too. Orson Scott Card, Michael Stackpole, J.K. Rrowling, J.R.R. Tolkien are all writers in this section of litature as well. Their books are just as exciting as any sci-fi book around. The Hobbit, Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, Return of the King, Fortress Draconis, Harry Potter, The Lost years of Merlin. These are all really great books that should be read.
There is a whole universe out there, explore it!

 

Like Timothy Zahn?s tactical work? Read Ender?s Game, Ender?s Shadow, and Shadow of the Hegemon, all by Orson Scott Card.

Read 'em. Quite good. Also try Zahn's Conqueror's trilogy, superior to his Star Wars work.

Like starships and Han Solo? Read the Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn.

Icarus Hunt, on the other hand, sucked the big one.

Some other good sci-fi books are 2001, 2010, 2061 and 3001 by Arthur C. Clark.

The first two were good, 2061 sucked, and I frankly don't remember 3001. Rendezvous with Rama was excellent, though.

Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein, Jurassic Park and Timeline by Michael Crichton.

Michael Crichton's got a great imagination, but his characters could use some work. Love his books, though, and am eagerly awaiting the inevitable movie of Timeline.

Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle.

Haven't actually read this one.

Orson Scott Card, Michael Stackpole, J.K. Rrowling, J.R.R. Tolkien are all writers in this section of litature as well. Their books are just as exciting as any sci-fi book around.

Moreso, I'd argue, but I'm partial to fantasy. And I'd rank Stackpole and Rowling well below the "great" level.

The Hobbit, Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, Return of the King, Fortress Draconis, Harry Potter, The Lost years of Merlin. These are all really great books that should be read.

Eh. Hobbit and Lord of the Rings are great, if you're up to it. Harry Potter is good but far from great. Haven't read Merlin. Fortress Draconis, too, is less than great. Mike Stackpole's best, but not great.

I'd also recommend:

Clive Barker. His "fantastique" fiction started out as horror, evolved into very excellent fantasy, and as his career progresses he seems to be pushing the limit as to how close to reality he can go without losing that fantasy element. Some of his upcoming books should hearken back to the old stuff.

George R.R. Martin. Excellent, excellent medieval warfare fantasy.

Walter J. Williams. Not for everyone, but his sci-fantasy worlds are pretty outstanding.

Vernor Vinge's Fire Upon the Deep and Deepness in the Sky are kind of heavy, but pretty close to excellence. These are sci-fi, not fantasy.

Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy and Liveship Traders trilogy are outstanding, as will be her upcoming Tawny Man trilogy. Haven't read her books as Meghan Lindholm yet.

Robert Jordan is not a "great," but his world-building is commendable and his books very exciting and compelling. One of my favorites.

Alfred Bester. He won the first Hugo award I think, for The Demolished Man. An OUTSTANDING sci-fi novel.

David Gemmell, also not great, writes awesome sieges.

Some other good current fantasy authors: Elizabeth Haydon, Terry Goodkind, David Farland (psuedo for Dave Wolverton).

Stay away from: J.V. Jones, Terry Brooks, R.A. Salvatore.

 

There is a Sci-Fi author called Peter F Hamilton who has written a triologi called At the dawn of night (or something like that) It is supposed to be one of the best sci fi storrys ever. (this is my next readings)
also i heard that Dune is pretty good

 

<<There is a Sci-Fi author called Peter F Hamilton who has written a triologi called At the dawn of night (or something like that) It is supposed to be one of the best sci fi storrys ever. (this is my next readings)
also i heard that Dune is pretty good >>

Peter Hamilton is an excellent British sci-fi author. His trilogy that starts with "A Quantum Murder"(at least I think that's the name of it) is a great read. I wasn't sure I would like it, but I really got into it and read all three novels.
I think that SW has helped expand the sci-fi and fantasy publishing world. There are a lot more people spending money on these genres than ever before.

 

This is a list of fantasy that I?m happy to recommend to people. These are some of my favorite all-time fantasy books. They?re not always the best written or the best selling, but they?re the ones that I either physically could not put down or have reread umpteen times. There is no real order to the books, except that books more suitable for younger readers appear towards the top, while more mature novels appear down at the bottom.


The Magicians Nephew by C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Horse and his Boy by C.S. Lewis
Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander
The Black Caldron by Lloyd Alexander
The Castle of Llyr by Lloyd Alexander
Taran, Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander
The High King by Lloyd Alexander
Sir Stalwart by Dave Duncan
The Crooked House by Dave Duncan
Silvercloak by Dave Duncan
The Hobbit (or, There and Back Again) by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
Unfinished Tales by J.R.R. Tolkien
Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings
Queen of Sorcery by David Eddings
Magicians Gambit by David Eddings
Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings
Enchanters Endgame by David Eddings
The Redemption of Althalus by David Eddings
Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Dragons of Winter Knight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Dragons of Spring Dawning by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Time of the Twins by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
War of the Twins by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Test of the Twins by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Well of Darkness by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams
To Green Angel Tower by Tad Williams
Green Rider by Kristen Britain
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan
The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan
The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan
Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan
A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan
The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan
Winters Heart by Robert Jordan
The Gilded Chain by Dave Duncan
The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Wandering Fire by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Darkest Road by Guy Gavriel Kay
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
Legends Anthology edited by Robert Silverberg
Years Best Fantasy Anthology edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer
Lord Valentines Castle by Robert Silverberg
The Sword of Bedwyr by R.A. Salvatore
Luthiens Gamble by R.A. Salvatore
The Dragon King by R.A. Salvatore
The Waterborn by J. Gregory Keyes
The Blackgod by J. Gregory Keyes
A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
The Wayfarer Redemption by Sara Douglass
Enchanter by Sara Douglas
Anno-Dracula by Kim Newman
The Bloody Red Baron by Kim Newman
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
The Mummy (or, Ramses the Damned) by Anne Rice
Grunts! by Mary Gentle
Assassin?s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
Assassin?s Quest by Robin Hobb
Iron Dawn by Matthew Woodring Stover
Jericho Moon by Matthew Woodring Stover
Heroes Die by Matthew Woodring Stover
The Blade of Tyshalle by Matthew Woodring Stover


My list of things that I mean to read between now and the end of January includes Terry Brooks Sword of Shanarra (I disliked it first time around two years ago, but I?m willing to give it another try), Robin Hobbs Liveship Traders trilogy, and maybe a little David Drake. And I?ll be rereading the Wheel of Time, since Winters Heart is about to be released in paperback. And maybe The Once and Future King; I?ve been meaning to read that for a while, but I?ve read far too much in the way of Arthur stories over the years; Arthur books are practically a genre unto themselves.



When it comes to Science

 

The four Rama books are definitely a good reading, IMO.

I wish I had time to read all that, but SW is already taking all the time I can spend reading... Well... At least till I've read all I still got to read...

 

Will i be the first to mention the late great Douglas Adams?

Come on people...Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy and the four books that follow make up one of the founding trilogies of all Nerd/Geekdom...

And if you've already been through the five...then read his two Dirk Gently novels...Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul!!!

Also...i can't belive no one...NO ONE!...has mentioned the master RAY BRADBURY!!!...how can his fantastic career been forgoten...if nothing else read some of his short stories...a great place to start would be "The Illustrated Man"...the most fantastic collection of short stories ever written...

 

I don't like Douglas Adams (too inane), and I don't like Bradbury either (don't like his style).

 

I like Bradbury and Adams. Their books are pretty good.
Those are some lists.

 

The Wheel of Time Series, most all of Arthur C. Clarke's works. Brave New World by Alduos Huxley. There are more.

P.S. I once created a thread like this, and some people posted some really great books. I'll go hunt for it.

 

Isaac Asimov is great too.
(Great is a relative term. For me, I means anything that I deem really good.)

 

I read Robert Jordan, I used to think he was "the best writer ever" then I opened my eyes to how much he used deus ex machina, how annoying his protrayal of women is sometimes, etc....but I still reccomend the books to people because his world has a lot of depth and politics etc. it's very interesting.

Right now I am really into Tad Williams. I picked up the entire Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series at a used book store, along with his first book, Tailchaser's Song. I am on the last book of MS&T, and the whole series is very, very good.

I don't think very many people (at least not anyone I know) read "only" Star Wars books. There may certainly be enough of them to, though...

 

Tad Williams is very good, as long as you don't mind books so far even the author considers them bloated.

I really enjoyed Tailchaser's Song and Memory, Sorrow and Thorn, but I couldn't get into Otherland (I got a quarter of the way through it) and I didn't try his other stuff.

 

Yeah, I like books that are really long though. I bought the first book in the Otherland series but haven't read it yet.

 

Some other good reads are:
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlen (one of the best books I've ever read)
The Mote in God's Eye, Footfall, and Lucifer's Hammer all by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven
The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Dune, by Frank Herbert, is a must read for any sci-fi fan.

If you are intersted in some non science fiction here are some good ones:
Battle Cry and Armageddon by Leon Uris (two more of the best books I've ever read)
River God by Wilbur Smith (this one is tied for first with several others)
The Year of the Death by Reuben R. Merliss. This one is probably out of print but is very good. The copy I have is so old the cover price is 75 cents.
Night of Camp David by Fletcher Knebel and Seven Days in May by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II.
An Army of Angels, I don't remember the author's name but the book was about Joan of Arc. I found it interesting that at the beginning of each chapter there was a copy of her signature from the confession she signed before they burned her at the stake. The only word she could write was her name.

I hope everyone tries all the books that have been suggested in this thread and likes them half as much as the poster. If you do you'll probably love them.

Lordmaul13

 

Some non-SCI-FI books are good too. Some times I see things that seem to be bases for star wars things.
WWII: Band of Brothers, Enemy at the Gates, Ghost Soldiers, All good books.

 

Has anyone read The Dig by Alan Dean Foster ? It is the novelization of the Lucasarts adventure game based on an idea of Steven Spielberg. This game is IMO one of the best game ever made, and I was wondering if the book was as good as the game... Does anyone know ?

 

I've posted something similar before but a few books well worth reading are:
Anything by Neal Stephenson, 'Snow Crash' and 'The Diamond Age' are two of the best pieces of Sci-Fi I have had the fortune to read. His latest book, 'Cryptonomicon' is slightly less scifi and explores the world of cryptography and code breaking. It is set during the second world war and present day but is a very long read.
Another author worth trying is Michael Marshall Smith. He generally produces scifi although I have read no-body like him before or after. A friend whom has borrowed these books likens his style to Terry Pratchet.
If you like the strange and bizarre then Jeff Noon is definitely worth a try but apart from 'Automated Alice', a twist on Alice Through the Looking Glass' they are best read in order, Starting with 'Vurt'.
For a bit of light hearted yet clever humor then Matthew Thomas is worth a read, 'Before and After' may be a little dated seeing as it deals with the turn of the 21st Century but still extremely funny. His second book 'Terror Firma' is just funny.
For times of reflection and seriousness then Douglas Coupland is worth a read. 'Girlfriend in a Coma' really makes the reader think about themselves and what is important.


Good luck to the Gunners, They need it after last nights debacle.

 

The lost years of Merlin are some of the best fantasy that I've read.

 

Peter F. Hamilton's sci fi series was called The Night's Dawn trilogy, and it is excellent. Defintely a different kind of scifi, with great characters and nice realism considering that it takes place in the 27th century. If you do pick up the books, though, Id get them in the 6 paperbacks available as opposed to three 1,000 page HCs. Oh, and I read his Greg Mandel novels as well, and thouroughly enjoyed them.

Here are a few other suggestions ( as if there havent been enough ) :

The Age of Unreason, by Greg Keyes
Evergence (trilogy), by Sean Williams and Shane Dix
A Second Chance at Eden (a collection of short stories that is a good setup to the Nights Dawn Trilogy) , by Peter F. Hamilton
Timeline, by Michael Crichton
Hyperion (four books), by Dan Simmons
Foundation (six books), by Isaac Asimov

*** obviously there are many other great books out there. When I get the chance Ill search my library and come back.

 

I dont think anyone yet has mentioned it but everyone MUST read RAS forgotten realms stuff. Tottally imersing, interesting characters, lots of plot twists and everythign else you could imagine. Also check out the Age of Unreason series by Greg Keyes. Much better than Edge of Victory. Im halfway through the third in the series and its an amazing read.

 

Age of Unreason is good. I've heard that Kathy Tyers Firebird trilogy is good too.

 

Read Dune people!!!!!!! They are the most incredible books ever. They rival my addiction to Star Wars. I guarentee you'll like them. They are so amazingly well written and so detailed. They're also kinda confusing at first but I like that. Makes me feel like I'm learnin' somethin'. Once you reach the end and you get past all the confusion, you'll sit back and go "whoa." I did, literally. [waves hand] You will read them. You will read them all!! [laughes manically] Is that a word? Anyways, they're by Frank Herbert.

 

Oh, yes, the Dune books are true classics. My personal faves are Dune and God Emperor of Dune.

 

I had a little trouble getting into Dune. I read REALLY fast and I miss alot of things. I enjoyed it though.