Does anybody here have a favorite fiction novel?

[Littlelebowski]

Y'know, that reminds me that we need a "flipping LL off" emoticon....

I believe the site owner and a couple of mods are already at work on that

I read the first 3 books of Martin's. The 4th book lost me. Way, way too many families and feuds to follow.

I strongly recommend "Thirteen" by Richard K Morgan. It's not my favorite fiction novel (that's a 3 way tie between Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny, Use of Weapons by Iain Banks, and Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel) but's it's damned close and would be enjoyed by most in this thread.

It's set 100 years or so in the future. Due to obvious trends in genetic selection, several nation-states have deliberately bred back some human males to 20K years ago and found the "alpha male" set of genes and are using said "thirteens" as assassins and soldiers. Very well written and involving. You will have to think to enjoy this one.

[jaydoc1]

Jaydoc, the guy they shoehorned into ghost-writing Jordan's last books is actually carrying the weight pretty well

I agree. While I was sort of surprised how quickly he tied up some long running storylines, I actually think that he has a very Jordan-like writing style. Also, I think that, interesting as they were, Jordan had spun off far too many substories and plots so cutting away some of the chaff was actually fairly welcome (and in most cases done in a very gratifying manner).

Just happy I won't be left dangling in the wind or wondering if these last couple books are really how Jordan had planned to end the series. I think his wife will see to it the story is Jordan's to the end.

[CaptainDooley]

A bit of a necropost, but I was looking for a recommendation on something new to pick up and thought I'd add my .02. Every year I read Douglas Adams' Complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It's scifi that is so funny I still laugh out loud while reading it. I've read it probably close to 20 times.

In addition to that, I'm a huge fan Tolkein's work and King's Dark Tower series. I've read quite a bit of King's horror works, assorted Conan, Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes, John Carter, most of the work of CS Lewis and John Grisham, and a smattering of Star Wars novels. I recently read Point of Impact by Hunter (my first by him) and thoroughly enjoyed. Glad to know there's more Swagger novels to check out.

By the way, grabbed Without Remorse based on the positive comments here, it'll be my first Clancy novel. Anyone recommend any other modern combat based fiction?

[MistWolf]

I really enjoy The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. It's fun, light-hearted, clever and moves along smartly. I can read this one over and over.

I like the the Lord of the Rings series, but as the movies, not the books. Every time I've read LoR it's work. I also hate the fact that after Tolkien ended the story, he ended a dozen times afterwards!

I am a sucker for post-apocalyptic stories. I blame it on seeing Planet of the Apes on the big screen as a kid. One of the best was written by Donald McQuinn in three books

Warrior starts off with our heroes awakening from cryogenic freeze in a failing creche in Pacific Northwest, hundreds of years after the fall of civilization. The world they find themselves in is savage and primitive, but very human and believable. The other two books continue with the characters figuring out how they fit into the new world and the intrigue and struggle for power they find themselves swept up in. The other two titles are Wanderer and Witch.

Another well written book in this genre is Wolf and Iron by Gordon R. Dickson. It's about a man who survives the end of the world, is befriended by a wolf, builds a homestead and grows from a lucky survivor into an experienced woodsman.

Scifi is another genre I enjoy. One of my favorite authors is Isaac Asimov and one of my favorite of his books is Caves of Steel. It's a very interesting study of what society would be like in a crowded urban environment and is eerily prophetic.

William C. Deitz is another favorite author, especially his Imperial Bounty series, Drifter's Run series and most of his French Foreign Legion In SPACE!!! series. Good stories, great characters, fast pacing. Well worth the read

...just to name a few

[WillBrink]

Tom Clancy's Without Remorse

In short a former Vietnam era Navy SEAL (John Clark) has his family killed by a drug cartel and he goes crazy on them. That's the short version but of course it being a Clancy novel it has alot of detail to it.

-Jax

Way too many for me to list. Would at least need to be narrowed to a genre. As far as action, nothing beats the first 4-5 Steven Hunter books starting with Point Of Impact. Last few in the series of Bob Lee Swagger, not up to snuff to classics like Pale Horse Coming, etc.

Most books from Vince Flynn a close second.

Rogue Warrior series up 'till Weisman left are great fun I thought.

[GeorgiaBoy]

The Dummy Line by Bobby Cole

[Spiffums]

Dune is probably my all time favorite but there are just soo many good fiction books out there.

[jmp45]

+1 Dune, Slaughterhouse 5, Cat's Cradle, Player Piano, Sirens of Titan.. For a few.

[QuickStrike]

Just finished Starship Troopers. Can't believe it was written in the 50's!


Pretty good IMO, kinda drags on about the training.

[RancidSumo]

There is a lot of talk in this website about Pressfield's Gates of Fire and Killing Rommel but I haven't seem anyone mention The Profession. I finished it a couple if days ago and it was an excellent read. I like all of Pressfield's books and this one was no exception.