Sci-fi/Fantasy recommendations

[Sheilbh]

I don't really read sci-fi or fantasy and I think I should, especially after reading the LRB piece on Game of Thrones ( http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n07/john-lanchester/when-did-you-get-hooked ) and Ross Douthat on that piece ( http://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/29/games-of-thrones-and-the-fantasy-authors-challenge/ ).

I generally like genre fiction. I enjoy thrillers, mysteries, comic books and some historical novels but generally avoid sci-fi or fantasy. I don't think writing's the issue either, I don't enjoy a badly written, clunky thriller either.

I think Douthat's right that I normally think I many be interested in a book, look it up online and see it's one of seven in an epic series which worries me. If it gets poor in the middle that seems like a lot of wasted effort and I just may not enjoy it to begin with; though I normally always finish books I start I'm not really keen on reading two books before the author gets into it.

I've read most of the Game of Thrones books (no spoilers, please ) and recently read Hyperion. I enjoyed Game of Thrones a lot. In the end I liked Hyperion but I found bits of it a slog and won't be reading the next book. The only other fantasy-ish book I've recently read was the Rivers of London which I liked.

So I know there's lots of people here who read fantasy and sci-fi. What's good?

Edit: And I've got Cryptonomicon waiting to go, because loads of people have mentioned Stephenson here. I really enjoyed Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell too.

[Razgovory]

I think there are a lot more better written thrillers, mysteries, and historical novels then there are well written fantasy and sci-fi.  That's partly a function of there simply being more of those types of books written then sci-fi and fantasy and partly because sci-fi and fantasy are often judge by the originality of the ideas rather then the quality of the writing.  Many of the best known authors of Science fiction are only hum-drum in style.  Some are (at least in my opinion) down right terrible.  Philip K. Dick had a lot of original ideas but often reads disjointedly like it was written by man with schizophrenia.  Which is also happened to be true.

[Ed Anger]

I like Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy. Nasty characters though.
I like Glen Cook's black company and dread empire books. dread empire isn't for everyone and Black company peters out after the first three. His Garrett books are good is you like fantasy mystery type books. They get way too silly after awhile.

[11B4V]

Whew, there's a lot of stuff out there.

Try;
Dune
Mote in Gods Eye
Elric series
Enders Game series
Black Company
Thrawn Trilogy
Fafthrd/Grey Mouser
God's Demon
etc

[11B4V]

I like Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy. Nasty characters though.
I like Glen Cook's black company and dread empire books. dread empire isn't for everyone and Black company peters out after the first three. His Garrett books are good is you like fantasy mystery type books. They get way too silly after awhile.

   those first three are great.

[Razgovory]

Whew, there's a lot of stuff out there.

Try;
Dune
Mote in Gods Eye
Elric series
Enders Game series
Black Company
Thrawn Trilogy
Fafthrd/Grey Mouser
God's Demon
etc

He's asking for what's good.  Elric novels are dreadful, and the Thrawn Trilogy is some Star Wars tie in. 

[Admiral Yi]

If you've never read any Conan you should start there.

[11B4V]

Whew, there's a lot of stuff out there.

Try;
Dune
Mote in Gods Eye
Elric series
Enders Game series
Black Company
Thrawn Trilogy
Fafthrd/Grey Mouser
God's Demon
etc

He's asking for what's good.  Elric novels are dreadful, and the Thrawn Trilogy is some Star Wars tie in.

They are good ,maybe not to you, but to a lot of other folks they are.

[Ed Anger]

I like Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy. Nasty characters though.
I like Glen Cook's black company and dread empire books. dread empire isn't for everyone and Black company peters out after the first three. His Garrett books are good is you like fantasy mystery type books. They get way too silly after awhile.

   those first three are great.

The third one [spoiler]when the black company was hiding in the desert with the weird creatures[/spoiler] wasn't the best either.

[Scipio]

Shit on the fat man.  His writing is turbid and turgid, a double-down of disaster.

I recommend continuing with Hyperion.  Cryptonomicon is good, but I would recommend The Diamond Age as well.

Gene Wolfe's stuff is uniformly excellent.  I would stick with the Book of the New Sun (Shadow of the Torturer, etc.); four volumes, taut writing with florid vocabulary.  Also, the Wizard Knight series is good.

[11B4V]

I like Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy. Nasty characters though.
I like Glen Cook's black company and dread empire books. dread empire isn't for everyone and Black company peters out after the first three. His Garrett books are good is you like fantasy mystery type books. They get way too silly after awhile.

   those first three are great.

The third one [spoiler]when the black company was hiding in the desert with the weird creatures[/spoiler] wasn't the best either.

I enjoyed his writing style.

[Josquius]

Mars Trilogy.

[Ed Anger]

Now if you wan't some horrid recommendations, I can do that too.

Fire Lance by Christopher Mace. Brit leftist drivel about nuclear war
Orcs! By Mary Gentle. Why did I read this shit?
Left Behind. LEFT BELOW

[11B4V]

So I know there's lots of people here who read fantasy and sci-fi. What's good?

Til your hearts content

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3.Best_Science_Fiction_Fantasy_Books

[Eddie Teach]

Orcs! By Mary Gentle. Why did I read this shit?

I read one called either Orcs or Grunts. It was pretty funny at times.

Besides the books mentioned in the OP and Tolkien, I'd recommend:
Foundation
Ender's Game
Mote in God's Eye
Sailing to Sarantium

Avoid Heinlein at all costs.