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Omaha, NE Your favorite non-Star Wars science-fiction novels

Discussion in 'MidWest Regional Discussion' started by Darth_Tharon, Oct 30, 2003.

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  1. Darth_Tharon

    Darth_Tharon Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Aug 5, 2003

    What are your favorite NON-Star Wars science-fiction novels, and why? [Why is obviously the most important part.]

    Please include a short description of each book(s) and why you like it (to promote other people maybe wanting to read it). Thank you in advance for contributing.


     
  2. craigrr

    craigrr Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 8, 1999
    Does it have to be sci-fi? Other than SW, I don't read much SF. Mostly just fantasy and alternate history type stuff.
     
  3. paperclipx

    paperclipx Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 8, 2001
    I'm with Craig on this one. Outside of SW I don't read much SF, I read more fantasy. So I'm going to go off in that tangent and answer Chris' question with a fantasy novel. THE fantasy novel.

    Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

    Now before anyone says, hey thats 3 books!, let it be known Tolkien wrote it as one. It was the publisher that broke it up into 3. They didn't feel a book that long would sell in that day in age, and suggested he break it down. So there.

    And if I really have to explain why, then you wouldn't understand to begin with. Frodo lives!
     
  4. craigrr

    craigrr Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 8, 1999
    Don't get me wrong, I've read some sci-fi, but I've always been more into fantasy. The only SF I've read(that i can remember anyway)were a few of the Alien novels and a book by Andre Norton called "Star Man's Son:2585" or something like that. It wasn't a bad book. From what I remember, it was a post-Apocolyptic sort of thing.

    Here are some of the authors whose work I've enjoyed:

    Tolkien (duh)
    Tad Williams- Memory, Sorrow & Thorn trilogy
    Terry Goodkind- Sword of Truth series- Excellent, excellent books (Omaha native)
    Orson Scott Card- Best known for Ender's Game series, but the Alvin Maker series(Seventh Son) is what I first read. Very good.
    Robert Jordan- Wheel of Time series
    Terry Brooks- Shannara series
    Melanie Rawn- Dragon Prince series


     
  5. wundermutt

    wundermutt Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 22, 2003
    i'm going to have to go with the Discworld series from Terry Pratchett. it's a mix of sci-fi/fantasy and humor, mixed in with social commentairy. there are about 20-25 books in the series, and it would take far far too long to explain each of them. i have all but one book in the series (though one of them i can't find at the moment, and wouldn't you know, that's the one i want to read....again)and they area good read over and over again. i've read each at least 2 times, and a couple i've read 7 or 8 times. if anyone wants to be introduced to the series, let me know, i'll let you borrow a book or two.
     
  6. Darth_Tharon

    Darth_Tharon Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Aug 5, 2003

    Hey, thanks for all the contributions so far! They're all really cool, and I'm certain people will have some new ideas the next time they hit the bookstore in search of something good to read.

    As far as posting stuff, heck, anything goes in my book (pardon the pun). Even Star Wars stuff would be cool; I just wanted to emphasize that I didn't want Star Wars books to completely rule this thread. Instead, maybe part of the posts could explore what else was out there, outside of the Star Wars milieu that we all know and love. But if you have a great interpretation of a recent SW read, by all means, put it up and speak your piece.

    Mainly, I was just going for people picking each other's brains for more options in what they were reading, in the hopes that some of these posts would open up new avenues for them to read stuff they wouldn't usually read, or even take a chance on. It's always nice to get a recommend from someone you know, y'know? *laffs*

    I'm not picky about it, though. If you have something cool to say about a recent SW read, then post away! (Especially anything about the New Jedi Order series--I haven't gotten into that yet, and I wouldn't mind knowing if any of them are good reads or not.) Thanks for posting, and for permitting me to clarify about this thread's intent. See all of you at Zzzap this Sunday, and in costume.


     
  7. craigrr

    craigrr Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 8, 1999
    As fas as the NJO goes, I'm 1/3 of the way thru the latest book, The Final Prophecy. It's pretty good so far. personally, I don't think there's a bad book in the bunch. There are some I like better than others. I also have minor gripes about some, but it's nothing big. Two main gripes have to do with the Force Heretic series: Remnant, Refugee & Reunion. The biggest gripe about that one is that the books aren't divided into chapters, just parts (Part I, Part II, etc...). Makes it a little difficult to say "I'm going to read to the end of chapter #whatever and then go to sleep...". The other complaint I have is the end of Reunion. It was a little bit of a Scooby Doo ending. All the major plot points were revisited and tied up or at least updated, which in itself, isn't a bad thing. I just didn't like the way Williams & Dix did it.

    THe last NJO book comes out on Tuesday. I'm trying to get The Final Prophecy finished so I can pick up The Unifying Force.
     
  8. HuskerJedi3409

    HuskerJedi3409 Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Oct 24, 2003
    I still think the Zahn series is the ultimate SW read. As far as NJO, they are good, but so depressing (I know that is the point of the series). I do think the war would end quicker if someone other than Han, Leia, Jaina and Tahiri were contributing. Seems like they are the focus of all the storylines. I mean, thousands of systems and they are the only group that can handle everything? Bring back Wraith Squadron! Maybe the universe isn't worth saving. Just my opinion. I think more storylines with the Imperial Remnant would have been better. Can't wait to see how they end the series.
     
  9. LuneKell

    LuneKell Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Jan 20, 2001
    Hi, all!

    You might like to read Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald's Mageworld series. Debra Doyle wrote Star Wars fanfic years ago, and the first Mageworld trilogy was very obviously Star Wars influenced.

    You also might like Lois McMasters Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan series. Bujold, too, got her start in Star Wars fanfic, although there's no hint of it in the Vorkosigan books.

    Although David Weber was never in SW fandom that I've heard, you might like his Honor Harrington series. It's one of the biggies in the military SF field, and very, very hardware oriented. I was kind of disappointed, though, in the last book in the series, War of Honor. Weber started getting very preachy.

    My all time favorite SF series is CJ Cherry's Foreigner series. She does the absolutely best aliens. I also recommend her Faded Sun trilogy, which is availlable in a single volume. Also her Chanur series.

    James White's Sector General books are excellent, too. Sector General is a humongous hospital bult in space that takes the most difficult cases from scores of worlds.

    Kate
     
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