Use Of Weapons by Iain M Banks. If you promise to read it? I will lend it. Hell, I will buy it for you. A tragedy in the truest sense - a tragedy that cannot be averted, as it grows from the characters of the protagonists...
Otherwise, I would recommend The Mote In God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle as the most pitch - perfect and agonizing characterization of first contact with a truly alien race.
Or George R. R. Martin, who writes medieval fantasy as it should be - brutal. Painful. Filled with despair at all the potential cut short.
Ot any and all Lois McMaster Bujold. Her sci-fi is as beautifully phrased as her fantasy, as every story grows from human beliefs and convictions.
I mean, I'm assuming you've read Neil Gaiman. If not, start with the ten volumes of The Sandman and then read American Gods.
The Player of Games is also good, of course. :) Oh, and also you should read Snow Crash, which has more ideas per page than most books do in their entirety.
Yep. I got introduced to the Culture by drnick (http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~njl98r/) when I was at southampton. Read all the books he had in a weekend or so.
I have a very well-thumbed copy of Snow Crash. :) Not read anything by Stephenson since the Cryptonomicon though.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2005-05-30 06:09 pm (UTC)If you promise to read it? I will lend it.
Hell, I will buy it for you.
A tragedy in the truest sense - a tragedy that cannot be averted, as it grows from the characters of the protagonists...
Otherwise, I would recommend The Mote In God's Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle as the most pitch - perfect and agonizing characterization of first contact with a truly alien race.
Or George R. R. Martin, who writes medieval fantasy as it should be - brutal. Painful. Filled with despair at all the potential cut short.
Ot any and all Lois McMaster Bujold. Her sci-fi is as beautifully phrased as her fantasy, as every story grows from human beliefs and convictions.
I mean, I'm assuming you've read Neil Gaiman. If not, start with the ten volumes of The Sandman and then read American Gods.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-31 03:02 am (UTC)I have read Use of Weapons, though not for a long while.
Thanks for the rest. I was pondering obtaining Sandman the other day, but there's just so much of it!
no subject
Date: 2005-05-31 03:07 am (UTC)Oh, and also you should read Snow Crash, which has more ideas per page than most books do in their entirety.
no subject
Date: 2005-05-31 03:14 am (UTC)I have a very well-thumbed copy of Snow Crash. :) Not read anything by Stephenson since the Cryptonomicon though.