What should Jeff Read?

Author: January 6, 2009

Bullshit

Let’s say you received a gift card to a big-box bookstore for the holidays, and you’re mulling over the empire of books you’re gonna buy for FREE! MUHAHAHA! FREE! FREE!

Ahem. Let’s say. Now let’s say  you gaze at your pile of unread books and realize you’ve been going pretty heavy on the history and the old, early-20th century fiction, and light on the recent melt-yer-brain SF/F. What would you buy to rectify this situation? Feel free to comment or email your thoughts. I’d appreciate a groupthink on this one, as I don’t want to waste my gift card. And I waste things so easily.

Thanks!

J

15 Comments

  1. Craig

    How about Robert Ferrigno’s Prayers for the Assassin. It’s the first in a trilogy. The second is out now. Really good stuff.

    Victor Gishler’s Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse is another winner.

  2. Graeme Williams

    I just finished Fathom by Cherie Priest and loved it. It plays with realism and fantasy in a very interesting and thought-provoking way, but I’m not sure it will melt your brain. For that, you might do better with Elizabeth Bear, either New Amsterdam (vampires) or All the Windwracked Stars (no vampires).

    The Shadow Year, by Jeffrey Ford. Spooky Long Island quasi-autobiography. It’s moving and beautifully written.

    The Alchemy Of Stone, by Ekaterina Sedia. Seriously weird novel of a clockwork robot and stone gargoyles.

  3. Rebecca

    A little older, but under-appreciated imho: Anvil of the World by Kage Baker. It’s fantasy, not at all like her Company books, in case you’re familiar with them. Awesome worldbuilding, a protagonist you can root for, an Evil Lord, a Benevolent Mother, demons and magery and environmental destruction! The whole thing goes down like whiskey-soaked candy (I’m shameless, I know.)

    There’s also a sequel to it that just came out (The House of the Stag), but I don’t suggest reading them out of order.

  4. grey_tinman

    I’m just about to finish Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy and I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s an epic fantasy trilogy that doesn’t waste a lot of time on meandering through the desert/mountains/forest. It has a lot of gruesome and bloody action and it keeps moving the whole time. I still have about 50 pages left, so I can’t say with authority that it is great, but it has been so far.

  5. Sean

    Christopher Moore:
    — Bloodsucking Fiends
    — You Suck
    — A Dirty Job

    These are completely off the beaten path of what you’re looking for — and is in no way sci/fi in the traditional sense — but it is good pulp that I absolutely tore through. Very rare to find books that’ll make you LOL.

  6. jsomers

    All,

    Thank you! I think I’ll be heading to the local store today and I’ll definitely look up all your suggestions. It’s much appreciated. I’m planning to take a flyer on any and all that I find.

    Best
    J

  7. Pete P

    I would recomend “Butcher Bird: A novel of the dominion”, its got deamons, a blind samurai and all kinds of supernatural goodies.

    Kadrey, the author, is a pretty eccentric artist and his imagery is really good in this book.

  8. jsomers

    Thanks, Pete–I’ll add it to the list.

    J

  9. Dave

    I absolutely second the Chris Moore recommendation. He’s hilarious, and more people need to read his stuff.

  10. Mike Collins

    I would suggest looking into any of Richard Morgan’s sci-fi novels but particularly “ALtered Carbon” and “Thirteen”, Neal Stephenson’s “Anathem” or Dave Williams debut “The Mirrored Heavens”. I’d also suggest Charlie Huston’s ridiculously great Joe Pitt casebooks.

    Mike

  11. Smedley

    Armor – john steskly : great military scifi of a man defying unbelivable odds. The best thing is that there are two stories being told coming to a climatic convergence.

    Snowcrash or the diamond age – Neal stephenson : classic scifi with a techno twist.

    The watchmen graphic novel

  12. jsomers

    Hey Mike,

    Funny that–I’m reading “Altered Carbon” as we speak!

    J

  13. jsomers

    Smedley,

    Thanks mucho for the suggestions. I tend to shy away from graphic novels, but I’m hearing so much about Watchmen due to the movie coming out I think I may have to take a plunge.

    J

  14. philip shill

    For one of the best Fantasy reads, you need to buy, “The Lies of Locke Lamora” by Scott Lynch.
    Although it didn’t win, it was nominated for a Hugo, John W Campbell (best new writer) and a few others. He has a second one out, Red Seas Under Red Skies. All in all, a 7 book series.
    You can read the first part FREE !
    Go here: http://www.scottlynch.us/excerpts.html

  15. jsomers

    Hey Phil,

    Thanks for the recommend, I’ve added it to the list. Good to hear from ya!

    L
    J

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