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[H.Protagonist]

I know Gaf likes a challenge, so book me!

Request: I've pretty much exhausted the series/authors I do know and like, and I could really use some fresh material to dig into. I'm a fan of science fiction and fantasy (though mystery/suspense is great too), and I'd love to hear some recommendations for any books that generally meet a few particulars that I prefer.


The Particulars:

- Male lead (late teen to middle age)
- Not keen on romantic themes
- Fighting, blood, injury, etc. a plus
- Prefer serious/dark humor to outright comedy


Basically, male leads that are practical and competent in an interesting setting/story that doesn't revolve around some kind of love interest or saving a girl. I'm happy to hear anything you guys recommend if you think it's awesome, though.


Authors I've liked: William Gibson, G.R.R. Martin, G. Keyes, C.J. Cherryh, Dick Francis, Joe Abercrombie, Neil Gaiman, Neal Stephenson


So... what do you have for me, Gaf?

 

[Count Dookkake]

To Your Scattered Bodies Go - Philip Jose Farmer

First book in the insanely epic Riverworld series.

 

[Esch]

read this topic pls

 

[BertramCooper]

The Ender books, if you haven't read them yet.

Author is a colossal dickhole, obviously, but he's a fantastic writer.

 

[Derwind]

Read the Death World series by Harry Harrison. There is a love interest but she doesn't need saving. Not in the least.

Anyways, this is like the umpteenth thread asking for Sci Fi/Fantasy book recommendations. Do a quick search, you'll find similar threads.

 

[Veelk]

It's urban fantasy, but the Dresden files seems like it'd be just your thing.

 

[Movement]

Stranger in a strange land - Heinlein

 

[Fjordson]

I wonder if you'd enjoy the Farseer Trilogy. Matches basically all of what you're asking for save for the dark comedy. All three were excellent in my opinion.

 

[Slayven]

The Irond Druid saga.

 

[rando14]

I know Gaf likes a challenge, so book me!

Request: I've pretty much exhausted the series/authors I do know and like, and I could really use some fresh material to dig into. I'm a fan of science fiction and fantasy (though mystery/suspense is great too), and I'd love to hear some recommendations for any books that generally meet a few particulars that I prefer.


The Particulars:

- Male lead (late teen to middle age)
- Not keen on romantic themes
- Fighting, blood, injury, etc. a plus
- Prefer serious/dark humor to outright comedy


Basically, male leads that are practical and competent in an interesting setting/story that doesn't revolve around some kind of love interest or saving a girl. I'm happy to hear anything you guys recommend if you think it's awesome, though.


Authors I've liked: William Gibson, G.R.R. Martin, G. Keyes, C.J. Cherryh, Dick Francis, Joe Abercrombie, Neil Gaiman, Neal Stephenson


So... what do you have for me, Gaf?

Based on what you've said I'd recommend these three to start. All 3 have male protagonists (WoK has multiple, but focuses in the first book on a male protagonist) and lots of good fighting. Ryria has some decent humor but not corny.

Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings"
Guy Gavriel Kay's "Tigana"
Michael Sullivan's "Ryria Revelations"

Tigana has a decent amount of romance but it's not the traditional "saving a girl" type, it actually strengthens the overall story in a way that works very well.

 

[H.Protagonist]

To Your Scattered Bodies Go - Philip Jose Farmer

First book in the insanely epic Riverworld series.

Cheers, Count. I do get excited when there's a whole series waiting.

read this topic pls

I feel like the second comment on that thread really sells it. Michael Moorcock, huh? I'll check out his stuff. Thanks.

The Ender books, if you haven't read them yet.

Author is a colossal dickhole, obviously, but he's a fantastic writer.

Already read them. They were pretty great... and then I had to hear about the author. Doesn't diminish his writing, but it certainly casts them in an uncomfortable light.

 

[noobasuar]

I think "A Scanner Darkly" by Philip K. DIck fits your criteria.

You haven't lived until you've read it. Get on it.

 

[H.Protagonist]

Read the Death World series by Harry Harrison. There is a love interest but she doesn't need saving. Not in the least.

Anyways, this is like the umpteenth thread asking for Sci Fi/Fantasy book recommendations. Do a quick search, you'll find similar threads.

Love interests that don't need saving are OK. I just can't take pages and pages of ooey-gooey inner monologue or damsels in distress. Thanks for the recommendation, and I do know there are other threads (which i gleaned new stuff from), but it's been weirdly hard finding books with the specific things I'm looking for. Hence thread.

It's urban fantasy, but the Dresden files seems like it'd be just your thing.

Read a few and then couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading the author's self-insertion fic...

Stranger in a strange land.

Already cleared that one, but thanks!

I wonder if you'd enjoy the Farseer Trilogy. Matches basically all of what you're asking for save for the dark comedy. All three were excellent in my opinion.

Did try getting through the first book, but his sudden shift in the latter half really turned me off for some reason.

The Irond Druid saga.

Cool, thanks.

Based on what you've said I'd recommend these three to start. All 3 have male protagonists (WoK has multiple, but focuses in the first book on a male protagonist) and lots of good fighting. Ryria has some decent humor but not corny.

Brandon Sanderson's "The Way of Kings"
Guy Gavriel Kay's "Tigana"
Michael Sullivan's "Ryria Revelations"

Tigana has a decent amount of romance but it's not the traditional "saving a girl" type, it actually strengthens the overall story in a way that works very well.

Read and liked the first. Will check out the others. Both sound like they could fit the bill. Cheers.

 

[Movement]

Have you read tales from earthsea?
Also, not really fantasy, but I always recommend the man who folded himself, it's a mindfuck

 

[Adam Blade]

Anything by Robert Stanek.

 

[Fjordson]

Did try getting through the first book, but his sudden shift in the latter half really turned me off for some reason.

Interesting. Well then I'll echo the Tigana recommendation. Absolutely fantastic book.

 

[H.Protagonist]

I think "A Scanner Darkly" by Philip K. DIck fits your criteria.

You haven't lived until you've read it. Get on it.

I'm more fond of a fantasy setting, but I'll check it out. Thanks!

Have you read tales from earthsea?
Also, not really fantasy, but I always recommend the man who folded himself, it's a mindfuck

I remember starting the first one when I was a kid, but I never finished it. I'll give it another look. Cheers!

Anything by Robert Stanek.

Tried looking him up. His webpage is... interesting. If you recommend him, though, I'll give him a closer look.

 

[Adam Blade]

Tried looking him up. His webpage is... interesting. If you recommend him, though, I'll give him a closer look.

I'm sorry, I made a bad joke. Please don't read anything by him as his writing is pure dreck. :/

For a serious recommendation, you could try Weeks' Night Angel trilogy.

- Young male protagonist, assassin's apprentice
- Mild romance themes
- Bloody
- Rare humor
- Did I mention bloody?

 

[Clevinger]

The Forever War.

The book tells the timeless story of war, in this case a conflict between humanity and the alien Taurans. Humans first bumped heads with the Taurans when we began using collapsars to travel the stars. Although the collapsars provide nearly instantaneous travel across vast distances, the relativistic speeds associated with the process means that time passes slower for those aboard ship. For William Mandella, a physics student drafted as a soldier, that means more than 27 years will have passed between his first encounter with the Taurans and his homecoming, though he himself will have aged only a year.

Mainly about a squad of grunts as they go from deployment to deployment, while human society rapidly changes for them due to time dilation. A good amount of dark humor. It has a love story, but it's well done. The love interest is another soldier and she doesn't need saving (any more than the guy or anyone else in their shitty, hopeless war does).

 

[DiscoJer]

Read a few and then couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading the author's self-insertion fic..

Apparently the protagonist of the series was the guy's City of Heroes (RIP) character...


Anyway, my favorite two fantasy series are the Kane novels by Karl Edward Wagner, which are almost impossible to find (he died in the 80s and the estate is something of a mess) which is sort of Conan meets Lovecraft. But sometimes used book stores have them. Darkness Weaves is the best.

And the Ethshar series by Lawrence Watt-Evans. The Unwilling Warlord is my favorite book

http://www.ethshar.com/theunwillingwarlord.html

 

[H.Protagonist]

Interesting. Well then I'll echo the Tigana recommendation. Absolutely fantastic book.

Will do!

I'm sorry, I made a bad joke. Please don't read anything by him as his writing is pure dreck. :/

For a serious recommendation, you could try Weeks' Night Angel trilogy or his newest series.

At 70 books, all with, ah, fascinating covers, I was a little dubious. I will happily steer clear of those and check out the Night Angel trilogy. Thanks.

The Forever War.



Mainly about a squad of grunts as they go from deployment to deployment, while human society rapidly changes for them due to time dilation. A good amount of dark humor. It has a love story, but it's well done. The love interest is another soldier and she doesn't need saving (any more than the guy or anyone else in their shitty, hopeless war does).

Way ahead of you. An amazing book.

 

[Kallor]

Malazan. The first book isn't amazing but everything from there is glorious.

 

[Veelk]

Read a few and then couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading the author's self-insertion fic...

They get progressively better with each installment. It's gradual increase in quality, but at the current entry, the characters have developed very well, the world is elaborately, but consistantly constructed, and shit is very much getting real. The biggest criticism I have of it is that dresden does come off as a mary sue. Not because of any one incident, because I can't think of anything that isn't sufficiently justified, but just as a whole dresden has to be the luckiest man alive to keep finding an out each and every time.

 

[Derwind]

Love interests that don't need saving are OK. I just can't take pages and pages of ooey-gooey inner monologue or damsels in distress. Thanks for the recommendation, and I do know there are other threads (which i gleaned new stuff from), but it's been weirdly hard finding books with the specific things I'm looking for. Hence thread.

Deathworld is far more action, sci-fi oriented, no ooey-gooey inner monologues or damsels in distress. Its all about strange new worlds with its inhabitants trying to kill you.

 

[Verdre]

Sergei Lukyanenko's Watch series, starting with Night Watch, is a great series. It's an urban fantasy series set in Russia that eschews most of the common tropes of a horrible genre. The main protagonist is a lower level magic user in the Moscow Watch. The general summary of the books has it as Light vs. Dark, but it is very much not that at all, though it's presented like that at first.

Twelve by Kent Japser is a really good vampire book, also set in Russia. It's a good story that manages to capture a great atmosphere.



Peter S Beagle - The Last Unicorn - I have to recommend this one, just because. Wonderful writing, great characters, but really melancholy and bitter at times. Not really what you want in your OP, though.

 

[Tapiozona]

The Particulars:

- Male lead (late teen to middle age)
- Not keen on romantic themes
- Fighting, blood, injury, etc. a plus
- Prefer serious/dark humor to outright comedy


Basically, male leads that are practical and competent in an interesting setting/story that doesn't revolve around some kind of love interest or saving a girl. I'm happy to hear anything you guys recommend if you think it's awesome, though.

- Check
- Check
- Check
- Check-ish

 

[RealisticPillow]

I Am Legend, Planet of the apes.

 

[LaserBuddha]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=658205

 

[PhoenixDark]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=658205

this

 

[H.Protagonist]

I'm sorry, I made a bad joke. Please don't read anything by him as his writing is pure dreck. :/

For a serious recommendation, you could try Weeks' Night Angel trilogy.

- Young male protagonist, assassin's apprentice
- Mild romance themes
- Bloody
- Rare humor
- Did I mention bloody?

You've just sold it even more. I LOVE bloody/characters that get the shit kicked out of them. It's a weird 'particular', but I can't help but seek it out. Many thanks!

Apparently the protagonist of the series was the guy's City of Heroes (RIP) character...


Anyway, my favorite two fantasy series are the Kane novels by Karl Edward Wagner, which are almost impossible to find (he died in the 80s and the estate is something of a mess) which is sort of Conan meets Lovecraft. But sometimes used book stores have them. Darkness Weaves is the best.

And the Ethshar series by Lawrence Watt-Evans. The Unwilling Warlord is my favorite book

http://www.ethshar.com/theunwillingwarlord.html

Oh, yeah? Had no idea. I liked the concept and Dresden does get his ass handed to him constantly, but the feeling of reading some guys fantasy projection made it a bit unpalatable. I do dig trashy/fun stuff and was reconsidering it despite that (I'm desperate for new stuff of a particular vein, as I said).

Will see if I can hunt down the others you mentioned. if it's your favorite book, it must be worth a read.

Malazan. The first book isn't amazing but everything from there is glorious.

Awesome! Anything decent with bonus extra series book tacked on has my attention.

They get progressively better with each installment. It's gradual increase in quality, but at the current entry, the characters have developed very well, the world is elaborately, but consistantly constructed, and shit is very much getting real. The biggest criticism I have of it is that dresden does come off as a mary sue. Not because of any one incident, because I can't think of anything that isn't sufficiently justified, but just as a whole dresden has to be the luckiest man alive to keep finding an out each and every time.

That makes me lean more towards continuing on, then. I really do like his other stuff (The Codex Alera stuff was fun), but something about Dresden was just too personal. Kinda creeped me out. I do enjoy how much damage he takes, though. Worth a second chance, then.

Deathworld is far more action, sci-fi oriented, no ooey-gooey inner monologues or damsels in distress. Its all about strange new worlds with its inhabitants trying to kill you.

Excellent. I like reading about worlds with deadly landscape/inhabitants.

Sergei Lukyanenko's Watch series, starting with Night Watch, is a great series. It's an urban fantasy series set in Russia that eschews most of the common tropes of a horrible genre. The main protagonist is a lower level magic user in the Moscow Watch. The general summary of the books has it as Light vs. Dark, but it is very much not that at all, though it's presented like that at first.

Twelve by Kent Japser is a really good vampire book, also set in Russia. It's a good story that manages to capture a great atmosphere.



Peter S Beagle - The Last Unicorn - I have to recommend this one, just because. Wonderful writing, great characters, but really melancholy and bitter at times. Not really what you want in your OP, though.

I've read Night watch, and it wasn't bad, but there was something... bleak(?) about it. I finished it, but wasn't sure if I wanted more. Definitely had an interesting flavor.

Twelve sounds cool. Will look that up.

As for The Last Unicorn... a childhood favorite. I still think about it sometimes.

 

[Grady Durden]

Brent Weeks - The Night Angel Trilogy

 

[Veelk]

That makes me lean more towards continuing on, then. I really do like his other stuff (The Codex Alera stuff was fun), but something about Dresden was just too personal. Kinda creeped me out. I do enjoy how much damage he takes, though. Worth a second chance, then.

Good to hear. How far did you get? Because I think it reached 'good' quality at around book 4 (though that may just be my bias for the Fair Folk)

 

[Draconian]

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. I read it this year and it has been my favorite book by far. Great sci-fi world with a bunch of memorable action sequences. Just talking about it now makes me want to go read it again.

EDIT: You listed Stephenson, so I bet you've probably read this already.

 

[H.Protagonist]

- Check
- Check
- Check
- Check-ish

Your recommendation, sir, has made it to the short list! Thank ya.

I Am Legend, Planet of the apes.

Read 'em!

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=658205

Hmm... looks promising. Thanks!

 

[Cameron122]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=658205

this

Hmm... looks promising. Thanks!

 

[Verdre]

I've read Night watch, and it wasn't bad, but there was something... bleak(?) about it. I finished it, but wasn't sure if I wanted more. Definitely had an interesting flavor.

Twelve sounds cool. Will look that up.

As for The Last Unicorn... a childhood favorite. I still think about it sometimes.

Bleak is definitely the word for the Watch books. If you didn't care for that, then I wouldn't really recommend you continue.

Another maybe recommendation would be Mike Carey's Felix Castor series, which begins with The Devil You Know. Similar to the Dresden books, but more grounded and without the main character being as powerful as the plot calls for.

 

[H.Protagonist]

Brent Weeks - The Night Angel Trilogy

Ooo, another recommendation for this one.

Good to hear. How far did you get? Because I think it reached 'good' quality at around book 4 (though that may just be my bias for the Fair Folk)

3rd book, I believe. Seems I just missed the cut-off? I'll start over from one and finish through 'til 4. That's about a week's worth, so it won't take too much time to determine if he's improved.

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. I read it this year and it has been my favorite book by far. Great sci-fi world with a bunch of memorable action sequences. Just talking about it now makes me want to go read it again.

EDIT: You listed Stephenson, so I bet you've probably read this already.

Draconian, you're killing me. Just look at my username!

Brilliant book, though. I've all most f his stuff. Cryptonomicon is my favorite, but the Big U and Diamond Age are close behind.

 

[Haly]

Prince of Nothing: Epic high fantasy with wars and wizards and rape
A Wizard of Earthsea: Anthropological fantasy with wizards and philsophy
Child of Fire: Urban fantasy in Pacific Northwest with Lovecraftian horrors and noir detective shenanigans
The Book of the New Sun: Post-post-apocalyptic science fiction and linguistic mindfuck
Anvil of the World: Tongue-in-cheek high fantasy about a jaded assassin looking to make a new start
The Scar: Cities made of ships and 3.5ed Monster Manual (female protag)
Wool: Post-apocalyptic science fiction set in a giant underground silo where humanity has forgotten its past (various gendered protags, main one is female)
Temeraire: Historical fantasy retelling of the Napoleonic wars with DRAGONS
Name of the Wi-- pffffffft AHAHAHAHA yeah right

 

[Draconian]

Draconian, you're killing me. Just look at my username!

Brilliant book, though. I've all most f his stuff. Cryptonomicon is my favorite, but the Big U and Diamond Age are close behind.

Haha wow. It didn't hit me until I came back to this thread and looked at your name beside the topic. I'm gonna probably read The Diamond Age later this year. I'm really looking forward to diving into all of his stuff now.

 

[Rentahamster]

Read this short story to tide you over:

http://robinhanson.typepad.com/files/three-worlds-collide.pdf

From here: http://lesswrong.com/lw/y4/three_worlds_collide_08/

 

[Haly]

Lol that fic.

 

[Derwind]

Excellent. I like reading about worlds with deadly landscape/inhabitants.

There's three books in the series written by Harry Harrison himself and a fourth book that's a collaborated effort with a Russian writers Ant Skalandis and Mikhail Akhmanov. There's also a short story *The Mothball Spaceship*.

I've only read the first three.

Its a pretty good space opera, the main character has that Han Solo feel to him, he's smart, resourceful and not exactly a hero. It has just the right amount of darkness to it and adventure. I really like it, it poses certain questions you normally don't expect to deal with in these types of stories. Its a really great read.

Harry Harrison is also one of my favourite authors.

Also my personal recommendation, The Stars My Destination by Alferd Bester is one up there as one of my all time favourite reads, it is straight up space sci fi, its very dark, its extremely imaginative.

 

[Pau]

Ursula K. Le Guin does some of the best fantasy and science fiction around. It's typically about strange cultures.

A Wizard of Earthsea - Male main character in one of the coolest fantasy worlds out there. The second novel in the series switches to a female character, while the third has a different male protagonist.
Gifts - Think mutants but your power runs in the family.
The Dispossessed - Scientist/Mathematician from an anarchist planet decides that information should be free and tries to give share his discoveries with the capitalist twin planet.
The Left Hand of Darkness - Dude goes to a planet without gender as a sort of ambassador.

 

[H.Protagonist]

Oh, 3 votes.

Bleak is definitely the word for the Watch books. If you didn't care for that, then I wouldn't really recommend you continue.

Another maybe recommendation would be Mike Carey's Felix Castor series, which begins with The Devil You Know. Similar to the Dresden books, but more grounded and without the main character being as powerful as the plot calls for.

I did like some of it to be sure, but it felt blank at the end. The whole light v. dark balance felt pointless in some ways. An interesting concept, but the nature of their task ensured there would be no victory exactly.

I like the sound of the Castor series. If it's similar to the Dresden series, but more grounded then I'm definitely interested. Dare I hope there's a lot of damage to the main character?

Prince of Nothing: Epic high fantasy with wars and wizards and rape
A Wizard of Earthsea: Anthropological fantasy with wizards and philsophy
Child of Fire: Urban fantasy in Pacific Northwest with Lovecraftian horrors and noir detective shenanigans
The Book of the New Sun: Post-post-apocalyptic science fiction and linguistic mindfuck
Anvil of the World: Tongue-in-cheek high fantasy about a jaded assassin looking to make a new start
The Scar: Cities made of ships and 3.5ed Monster Manual (female protag)
Wool: Post-apocalyptic science fiction set in a giant underground silo where humanity has forgotten its past (various gendered protags, main one is female)
Temeraire: Historical fantasy retelling of the Napoleonic wars with DRAGONS
Name of the Wi-- pffffffft AHAHAHAHA yeah right

I love your descriptive blurbs. Wizards and rape, another vote for The Book of the New Sun's linguistic mindfuck and oh, my, Name of the I-Can't-Take-That-Insufferable-Main-Any-Longer.

Thanks!

Haha wow. It didn't hit me until I came back to this thread and looked at your name beside the topic. I'm gonna probably read The Diamond Age later this year. I'm really looking forward to diving into all of his stuff now.

You are in for a serious treat. Diamond Age is wonderful and you have to dive into Cryptonomicon. Mind candy.

Read this short story to tide you over:

http://robinhanson.typepad.com/files/three-worlds-collide.pdf

From here: http://lesswrong.com/lw/y4/three_worlds_collide_08/

It sure starts off right: "(1/8) The Baby-Eating Aliens."

 

[Alric]

Chronicles of the Black Company Should be everything you're looking for. Dark Fantasy, with little magic and no elves or dwarves. Reading is a bit confusing at first because its the stories of the main character as he see's them or hears them. Anything he writes down basically in their for hire mercenary group. No real good or evil, everything is very grey morality wise.

 

[Decado]

I'm going to second Guy Gavriel Kay. With the exception of Ysabel, most of his novels should fit your criteria. I particularly recommend (in addition to Tiagana) The Lions of Al-Rassan. A bit of romance, but it enhances rather than detracts.

The earlier The Black Company novels from Glen Cook may be up your alley. Always found them very entertaining.

Also strongly suggest The Red Knight by Miles Cameron. Peter V. Brett's series starting with The Desert Spear. 2nd and 3rd book don't quite live up to the first, though.

There are also a huge number of David Gemmell novels to check out. Very much heroic fantasy. Romance elements tend to be cursory.

I don't read much sci-fi, but I remember enjoying Altered Carbon. Richard K. Morgan. Meets your criteria, for sure.

EDIT: Dammit Alric!

 

[Mr_Appleby]

Samuil Petrovich trilogy of SF novels by Simon Morden just about ticks all those boxes.

- male lead, check
- minimal romancing (could hardly be called as such tbh, and not a major element)
- definitely injury. it's practically a theme of the series.
- serious with comedic touches.

they're not the oh wow best novels i've ever read but the first that spring to mind given your criteria. I had great fun with them and will definitely be keeping a look-out for subsequent books by the author. You can get the first 2 as a single volume for kindle. He does save a girl in the first book, but only by mistake. The plot(s) are much bigger than that.

 

[Teriyaki]

Night Angel Trilogy
Warbreaker
Alloy of Law
Dresden Files
Darksword Trilogy
Death Gate Cycle

 

[ClassyPenguin]

Blade of Tyshalle

 

[Krowley]

You seem like a pretty experienced Fantasy reader so you've probably already checked out Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, but I figured I would mention it anyway. People tend to either love it or hate it. I love it personally, despite the rough patch in the middle books, and consider it one of the best Fantasy series of all time. It fits well with most of your criteria.

You also might want to check out Stephen King's Dark Tower series. I think it stands well above the vast majority of fantasy out there. The first book is a bit rough around the edges, but it is also short, and from the second book onward, it becomes a really special series. I don'[t think there is any other fantasy series quite like it.