So when I was at NADWcon last weekend, I was on a panel titled: “What To Read When You’re Not Reading Pratchett.”
My co-panelists were Marian Crane and Kristine Smith. And we spent a pleasant hour discussing books we loved with the audience.
Rather than slow the panel down to a crawl by spelling out all the author’s names and/or the titles of the books. I offered to post up the list of books we compiled here on my blog.
However, I was moderating the panel, and when I moderate, I’m usually too busy abusing my power to take notes. Luckily, Marian was nice enough to jot down the books recommended by both the panelists and the helpful, clever members of the audience. Then she mailed them to me so I could post them up here for everyone to see.
I feel I should mention that we made no attempt to make this list comprehensive. These were just the books that came up in our discussion:
Our main criteria selection were books that were strong in: Worldbuilding, Characterization, and Language. (As those are areas where Pratchett excels).
We tried with somewhat less success to bring up titles that focused on other things we liked about Prattchett’s writing: the inclusion of humor, careful handling of ethical issues, and a “feel-good” quality to the books themselves. This was somewhat less successful, as these are more ephemeral things, and harder to point at in a book.
What to read after you’ve read all available Pratchett books:
Douglas Adams: Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, science fiction comedy
Neil Gaiman: fantasy and horror novels and graphic novels
Peter S. Beagle: The Last Unicorn, A Fine and Private Place, The Innkeeper’s Song. fantasy
Steven Brust: Vlad Taltos/Dragaera novels, fantasy
Glen Cook: Garrett, P.I. novels, fantasy mystery
Brandon Sanderson: Mistworld novels, Warbreaker, Elantris, fantasy
Jim Butcher: Dresden Chronicles, urban fantasy
Robert Jordan/ Brandon Sanderson: Wheel of Time series, fantasy
Lyndon Hardy: Master of the Five Magics series, fantasy
Walter Jon Williams: Drake Maijstral series, sf
Robert Zelazny: The Chronicles of Amber & many more, fantasy and sf
C.J. Cherryh: nearly anything, fantasy and sf
Barbara Hambly: nearly anything, fantasy and sf
Patricia McKillip: nearly anything, fantasy
Lois Bujold: the Miles Vorkosigan series, sf
P.C. Hodgell: the Kencyr novels, fantasy
Robin Hobb: the Assassin series, the Liveship Series, fantasy. Look also for her books as Megan Lindholm
David Weber: Honor Harrington series, sf
Diane Duane: ‘Wizard’ series and ‘Middle Kingdoms’ Series, fantasy
David Brin: the Uplift War series, sf
Ellen Kushner: Swordspoint and sequels, fantasy
Melissa Scott & Lisa A. Barnett: Point of Hopes, Point of Dreams, fantasy
Ursula K. Le Guin: Earthsea books, Left Hand of Darkness, The Lathe of Heaven, many others, fantasy and sf.
Orson Scott Card & Kathryn H. Kidd: Lovelock (The Mayflower Trilogy), sf
Peter David: Sir Apropos of Nothing trilogy, fantasy
Martha Wells: The Element of Fire, the Cloud Roads, many others, fantasy
Angela Carter: novels and short stories, magic realism
Tanith Lee: fantasy novels and short stories
Liz Williams: Inspector Chen novels science fantasy, mystery. Also see Inspector Chen series from Xiaolong Qiu, modern mysteries
Michael Marshall: The Straw Man and other novels, horror/sf
Georgette Heyer: comedy of manners
P.G. Wodehouse: comedy of manners
E.F. Benson: Mapp & Lucia novels, comedy of manners
Galen Beckett: The Magicians and Mrs. Quent, historical fantasy/alternate universe
Jacqueline Carey: Terre d’Ange novels, historical fantasy, alternate universe
Dorothy Dunnett: The Lymond Chronicles, House of Niccolo Series, historical fiction
Mary Stewart: The Merlin Chronicles, historical Fiction
Ray Bradbury: Something Wicked This Way Comes, fantasy/horror
Christopher Fry: ‘The Lady’s Not for Burning’, play, historical romantic comedy
Tom Stoppard: ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead’, play, historical comedy/drama
Jasper Fforde: Shades of Grey and other novels, sf
William Goldman: The Princess Bride, fantasy
C.S. Lewis: The Screwtape Letters, Christian satire
Mark Twain: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, alternate history
Daniel Keyes: ‘Flowers for Algernon’ short story, sf
Lloyd Alexander: The Chronicles of Prydain, children’s Fantasy
Lee Martinez: The Automatic Detective, sf comedy/ Mystery
Barry Hughart: The Master Li books, Chinese historical fantasy
E. Hoffmann Price: The Devil Wives of Li Fong, The Jade Enchantress, Chinese historical fantasy
Fritz Leiber: ‘Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser’ fantasy series, other fantasy and horror novels
Vernor Vinge: ‘A Fire Upon the Deep’ and other sf novels
Phil and Kaja Foglio: Girl Genius graphic novels, steampunk fantasy
Hiromu Arakawa: Fullmetal Alchemist manga and anime Series, steampunk fantasy
There’s a fair amount of overlap between this list and my personal list of Must Read fantasy that I posted a while back. Some of that’s because I was on the panel, but another big piece of it is because some books are simply great reads. Classics become classics for a reason.
It goes without saying that if you were there at the panel and remember a book that didn’t get added here, you should feel free to mention it in the comments below.
pat
66 Comments
The number of books here I haven’t yet read is astounding.
Thanks!
My one and only question……when will day 3 be written The ending of a Wise Man’s Fear, was not an ending, it was another beginning…
Wow,
In parallel with the list…next to me on the couch is Neil Gaiman’s “American Gods”. It is turning into a totally different book experience, I must say. Kind of nerve wracking, but good. Also, I am nervous to begin with as a friend loaned it to me and I didn’t realize that it is signed by Mr. Gaiman until I had been reading it for an evening…Yikes!
Thank you for the terrific list! I hope to one day even make it through half the list.
Thanks to your recent posts about Terry Pratchett, I read a few dozen pages from one of the books (‘The Reaper Man’, as suggested by another reader of your wonderful blog). It was hilarious and insightful and all around wonderful, and reminded me a lot of Douglas Adams. With one authorial difference: a LOT of books in the series, rather than several much shorter ones. That’s a delightful prospect.
I found your blog banter with Jim Butcher earlier today. I mean to read that at some point, too. It’s interesting to hear/read authors that you thoroughly enjoy and that possibly influenced you, and to imagine how. Plus… someone of your style is bound to have great taste, so away with concerns of disappointment!
All of these shall be read before the year is over.
You shall probably perish of sleep deprivation before the year is over…
Good luck!
A panel about what to read focusing on worldbuilding and language and yet no one mentions Steven Erikson. Strange.
Seconded.
For the Malazan series? I will say it sounded very fascinating and I hope to check it out some day…
My thoughts exactly.
I have to point out that it’s Rodger Zelazny, not Robert. I’m not saying this just because I’m OCD about that kind of stuff, but because he holds a special place on my shelf. When I was 12 my dad handed me a copy of Nine Princes in Amber. It was the first fantasy book I had ever read, and it changed my life for ever.
Thanks for a fine panel and for posting the list!
When I spoke with you after the panel you advised me to post about my book, ‘Advice From Pigeons,’ in this comments thread. I hadn’t thought fast enough to fit it into the categories being discussed at the panel, although some readers had said it was like Pratchett.
If anyone here is interested, it’s a novel about life in the Demonology department of a modern university of magic. Details, links to purchase, and a free first chapter are available at my website, http://www.raosyth.com .
Thanks for the opportunity to mention it!
I’m currently reading Connecticut Yankee by Twain, and it’s amusing to say the least :) Then again… I’m an English teacher, and my views on these things are rather skewed.
It might be worth it (if you feel like it, or of you have a lovely assistant who wouldn’t mind doing it) to bold all of the authors’ names, because this list is a little bit difficult to read sometimes…
A few more authors in case that isnt enough to get you throught the summer!
Neal Stephenson – Cryptonomicon, Quicksilver, Snow Crash
K . J Parker – The Engineer Trilogy
Jonathan Stroud – The Bartimaeus Trilogy (very young adult but also very fun for adults too! Read it with your children and they will love it!)
David Anthony Durham – Acacia: War with the Mein
David Gunn – Deaths Head series
This is a slapdash list and all books may not appeal to all readers.
Don’t forget David Eddings and Raymond Feist.
Pat,
Thank you for these lists. I like to see reviews of fantasy books before I read them. For reason blurbs on fantasy books don’t really stand out and they all sound similiar. So it makes it easier to tell if I will like a book if I see what others have to say.
These guys have a very good fantasy book review site. It is mainly recent publications.
http://elitistbookreviews.blogspot.com/
I do have a question. In a previous blog you said you only read the first 2 Wheel of Time books. That surprised me, given his influence on the genre. Any reason why you didn’t continue farther along? Most people who are not Jordan fans really liked the first 3-4 books, then they sort of got bored. Was it the whole peasant hero thing? He did that, but he changed so much else from Tolkein that for its time it was very different.
Just curious. Not playing crazy Jordan Fan. Won’t come to your house dressed like a trolloc.
Well it looks like I have alot more books to add to my reading list. It so big now that I had to make a word document just for it! Hopefully most of them are available at the library though otherwise I might be living in a tent in my backyard while the books fill up my house. ;)
I just finished Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn Triliogy and all I can think to say about it is “Wow!! just wow!”.
Fabulous list :D
The Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey, and James Mallory
Including “Lovelock” is a bit cruel; the story isn’t finished at the end of the first book, and this book was published in 1994. Frankly, I don’t think we’ll ever read the end, at least not by the original authors. It’s a very good read, but frustrating. :-)
Gah! My list of must have books keeps getting longer! I’d like to recommend Chronicles of the Raven and Legends of the Raven series by James Barclay. I’m surprised these don’t turn up on more lists as the characters and worldbuilding are fantastic. Could be because they have just recently been printed in the US I suppose.
I just started reading Dawnthief, only 100 pages into it and really enjoying it so far!
I’m gonna be “that guy” and just mention George R. R. Martin’s Songs of Ice and Fire series (he’s got other good stuff as well). As for characterizations and worldbuilding it’s a masterpiece. There’s not so much language-creation at play, but I quite like his naming-paradigms. I would also argue that the series got lots of humour (Tyrion could be a Pratchett character) in between all the death and schemery.
I see you talking about Butcher’s Dresden Files, and here they’re mentioned again. But no mention of his Codex Alera? If you haven’t read those yet, you should get around to them at some point, sooner rather than later. I had no life from the time I opened the first book to the time I put down the last. One day for each book, the entire series read in less than a week.
Again, no mention of China Mieville. This makes me sad.
Any typos here are my fault, not Patrick’s. As for Mieville and Erikson, I simply have not read them yet. Something I hope to address in the near future.
I love China Mieville too, but hit up Gene Wolfe first. ;) Erikson & Esslemont can wait, IMO, although I guess it’s good to know what all the kids are talking about.
It’s a pretty good list. I don’t know the SF side of things very much at all–I’ve become a pretty solid Fantasy reader. I just don’t have much of a drive in me to read SF much. On an off topic note: I am extremely jealous of Pat’s library. I saw the picture of it in an offshoot blog post and and it pretty amazing!
Thanks for the awesome list, I see lots of great books on there. :)
Though I have to say I was more than a little surpriesd and overjoyed to see Fullmetal Alchemist on the list, since it is my favorite manga of all time. :D
I would recommend Edgar Rice Burroughs: Tarzan series, barsoom series, Venus series, and pellucidar series. Always thought it had good world building.
no malazan book of the fallen?
I read the first four books I believe–but I’m on the book where basically it is a complete new race/set of characters and I just don’t have the motivation to get into it. Is it worth it?
Yes, you’re getting the setup for where the Bonehunters are heading next!
I’m glad to see Michael Marshall getting some love. All of his “Smith” books, back when he had three names (like a serial killer) are great. Particularly “Only Forward” which I read about 23 times.
One inclusion I would make to this otherwise awesome list is Dan Simmons and his Hyperion Cantos series. They are great examples of imaginative far-future science fiction. I’m not ashamed to say I was weeping like a high school girl who got dumped on prom night by the end of it. Profound stuff.
What, no Abercrombie? Blasphemy!
seeing Fullmetal Alchemist on your list just makes me love you even more, since there’s no Manga I could ever love more than FMA.
Thanks for the list in any case. If my sister ever runs short on fantasy novels to lend me, I’ll surely take a look at that list again.
Thank you so much for the lists you’ve been leaving on your blog, they’ve come in handy when I’ve finished reading your books and other series and out of things to read.
great lists.I have been going thru the list you posted a while a ago and read american gods and then moved to stranger in strange land and now im on 4th book of dresden files (5th book of song of ice and fire was released last week so it got me side stracked) but now im continuing dresden files :) thanks for the book tips!
I great if intimidating list. I shall keep it bookmarked for when I’m in need of a new book to read.
Whenever fantasy book lists come up I always feel compelled to mention Elizabeth Moon’s The Deed of Paksenarrion series, which contains some great world-building. It’s a fantasy (though the fantasy elements are fairly light compared to most) story of a sheep farmers daughter who joins a mercenary company and raises through the ranks to eventually become something more. Moon was in the military herself and the world feels real and gritty in ways fantasy seldom does. I wish I liked her sf half as much as the Paks series.
I also recommend Kathrin Kurtz’s two fantasy series The Chronicles of the Deryni and The Legends of Camber of Culdi which have great world building and characters. She does blend her magic with real world religion which puts off some people and offends others, so if you feel strongly about such things you might want to approach with caution.
*A
Man I blew the first LETTER of my post. Curse you non-editable comments!
Steven Pressfield: fictionalized ancient history.
My two favorites are Gates of Fire (Greek stand at Thermopylae) and Tides of War (Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta). Amazing stuff, especially if you are a military history buff.
It’s amazing how many books on this list and on your previous bigger one I agree with/have read. You must be some kind of clone. From the future. Please give pratchett some future medicine so he writes more discworld.
I agree with the recommendation of Glen Cook’s Garrett novels, but must also highly recommend his Black Company series as well.
My reading recs that haven’t been mentioned yet:
Barry Hughart–Bridge of Birds (please, Ang Lee, make a movie of this!), The Story of the Stone, and Eight Skilled Gentlemen.
Mary Renault–The King Must Die, Last of The Wine, Mask of Apollo, Fire From Heaven, and The Persian Boy (o0ps, almost forgot The Praise Singer).
Robert Harris–Pompeii (historical).
Len Deighton–SS/GB (alternate history).
Harry Turtledove’s In The Balance series (or as I call it, LizardWar. Fleetlord Atvar: “We will just order them to stop.”).
Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy (and yes, he does have A Suitable Girl planned out, for 2013, I think).
That should keep you going for a little while. :)
Definitely second Mary Renault… her misogyny and style brilliantly capture the world of Alexander.
I don’t want to say misogyny is a good thing–because it isn’t–but she really did believe women were inferior, apparently, and it’s very rare to find a modern author who can seriously get their head around that notion. Her books are powerful and entertaining, and show us a world that is unequivocally alien to modern sensibilities. That’s something all to rare in fantasy.
Hi Pat,
Thanks for the 2 great books. Up until i was recently introduced to Name of the wind by a freind I had never read fantasy.Now i can’t get enough!Was really taken by the character kovothe & found myself not being able to put the books down..So thanks Pat now i am completely addicted!
I find it endlessly entertaining how, when one is tired, text on a screen can miraculously change “Mailed” to “Nailed.” At first I thought that mailing a list to the man who should have taken his own notes would be just the sort of thing Pat would write. Then I re-read it, and was at once relieved and a little bit disappointed.
And there I go and write it the right way incorrectly again….
Jack Vance’s Lyonesse books (Suldrun’s Garden, The Green Pearl, and Madouc) may be out of print but they are like $5 on the Kindle store. The writing is unbelievably good. In particular the dialog … if you like David Mamet’s (screen)plays (admittedly something of an acquired taste) you will love Vance’s dialog. Extra-dry/black humor throughout.
Some might dismiss it because the world is Arthurian. That would be a mistake.
Another vote for the Lyonesse books. Plus, the Dying Earth is a great example of worldbuilding and Jack Vance is one of the great fantasy writers…
There should perhaps be a warning for entries with “explicit content”. I’m thinking specifically of Jacqueline Carey’s work, but being non-specific since there are a great many I haven’t read (yet).
Wow…lots of great books I haven’t managed to read yet. I would like to recommend a series of books by Anne Bishop…the Ephemera books, _Sebastien_ and _Belladonna_. The intersting thing about these books is the world in which the story takes place; a world that manifests people’s emotions if not protected and nurtured by a landscaper. The whole story itself is about a battle with an evil entity that was caught before but is now loose, yaddah yaddah yaddah…but the world itself and the way it works is pretty cool.
An older writer that I haven’t seen anyone mention is James Branch Cabell. He was an American fantasy writer who wrote from the teens onwards when the fashion was for realism. He was a genealogist and wrote his great fantasy series “The Biography of Manuel” by starting with Manuel the Pig-tender in 1200s medieval France in “Figures of Earth” and then following the line of Manuel’s actual and spiritual descendants through to 20th century America. Cabell’s humor is very sly and uses wordplay including anagrams, and often includes little jokes for the reader. One example involved a later character calling on the heavens for advice from the great Manuel–Manuel appears and gives him advice (only a physical description of the character is given to the reader), but it is Manuel as he really was and not as the great legend the later fellow is thinking of–so he is naturally disappointed in this old greybeard who doesn’t know anything. Also, amazingly in a 26 or 27 book series that was *not* written chronologically, Cabell always manages to tie up a loose end from one book in another one. In his day, Cabell was considered quite racy for his innuendo, but these days it’s pretty tame. He’s never direct where a hint will do. But he’s a wonderful writer and well worth looking up. He’s also quite cynical, which should go over well with modern readers. The first books in the series are “Figures of Earth” and “The Silver Stallion”, and I would also recommend “The Cream of the Jest”. “Jurgen” was considered to be scandalous in its day (see note above) as a tale of a man’s midlife crisis but was probably just as scandalous for its take on religion–Jurgen travels to both heaven and hell and doesn’t find what he expects…
A recommendation and a question:
1) Recommendation: if you’re reading Roger Zelazny, don’t miss out on “Lord of Light”, a dense, rich, wonderfully human book. As an added bonus, the Buddha makes a cameo appearance. I really think this is the best thing he wrote.
2) Any opinions of Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast trilogy? I’ve looked at it umpteen times, and even after reading the first few dozen pages whilst standing in the bookseller’s can’t decide if it’s worth going for. It looks kinda humourless, but richly imagined and potentially entertaining.
Re Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast trilogy–there is humor in it, but very dark humor. As you say, richly imagined and atmospheric. The second book of the series has some hilarious parts to it (the third book, to my mind, is the dull one). If you’re not sure about reading it you may want to get it from a library, or alternatively rent the excellent BBC TV adaptation of the first two books that was done with Stephen Fry, Christopher Lee, et al (you will find a host of “Harry Potter” actors/actresses in it).
I wasn’t at the panel, but… Bujold’s Curse of Chalion trilogy is very good, too. I especially liked the second one — interesting take on religion and its effects in characters’ lives. Plus, just a good read. And funny.
And since someone else already mentioned YA, let me recommend Megan Whalen Turner. All four books that are out so far, starting with The Thief, which won a Newbery, I believe. You definitely don’t have to be young to enjoy her books. She excels at Worldbuilding, Characterization, and Language. Mmmmm, especially Characterization. And POV/perspective.
Plus she’s cool. I’ve been to two signings now — Rothfuss and her. Rothfuss signed my Kindle cover, and when I presented it to her to sign she immediately said, “You got PATRICK ROTHFUSS to sign your Kindle?” Then she put it behind her back and said, “What Kindle? I didn’t see any Kindle.” I already liked her, but that was awesome.
Wow, I have never seen anyone before mention Lyndon Hardy, he’s even more obscure than Steve Perry- I wholeheartedly approve.
Have you ever read Naomi Novik? The Temeraire series? Try It.
It’s an order :)
Wow…Thanks for a reading inspiration…It’s almost half summer and rain doesn’t want to stop. It’s almost impossible to go out this two weeks in Czech Republic and I think that I’m gonna freak out soon. And I have already read all Pratchett stuff so this “what-to-read-list” came just in time. Now I’m planning to attack our city library and bookstore. About my advice I can say that David Eddings’s Belgariad saga is one of “You Should Read” books. Another is Night Watch by Sergej Lukjaněnko a russian fantasy author. Wish you many full-of-sunlight-days:-)
Sherwood Smith is a Fantastic author who has created an entire new universe in her books. A must have in any collection of sci fi/fantasy lovers
Nice list. Read a lot of those and the remaining should keep me content until Pat’s next book. Unless of course he pulls a Jordan or Martin on us.
Speaking of George RR Martin, not listed? Excellent read. It should be on everyone’s list.
Also, Peter F. Hamilton. His SF works are excellent. Everyone should check out The Reality Dysfunction series. It’s a masterpiece!
Forgot to mention Tad Williams series Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.
Hello Patrick..
Can you give a number on how many books you own?
It is funny that no one mentioned
Robert Asprin and his MythAdventures Series
My favourite tome to always read alongside something else and to read during intervals is Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast series. It is impossible to classify, and doesn’t fulfill expectations of a genre book in terms of world-building, plot or pacing, it is better to think of it as the work of a modernist writer alongside James Joyce, Virginia Woolf and Faulkner, but it is also a very lyrical, a very atmospherical, humorous (mostly absurd and grotesque) and passionate work. It is unique in its very painterly descriptive passages that the writer/poet/artist brought to bear with his wide range of talent. You may find it excessive in that regard (he experiments a bit with style in different parts and volumes, so it is not one-sided), but you will probably be captivated by some descriptions before long. It is not very hard to read beyond its requirement of patience and its generally gloomy atmosphere, although I mostly find it relaxing to read rather than demanding.
I’m currently in the third part Titus Alone, which has the reputation of showing the decline of the author’s talent due to his Parkinson’s disease, but I think that is just because of a change of scene and style, because so far I find it as well-written as ever.
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I know I’m late to the party, but I would highly recommend author Haruki Murakami. He wrote books such as Harboiled In Wonderland; Dance, Dance, Dance; and his newest book is 1Q84.
Thanks for a reading inspiration!