/lit/ - Literature

A worst

>>11700827
The best waifu.

>>11700827
what an awful image
you should feel ashamed of your deed, OP

Reminder that xianxia are the highest quality literature.
China is the future.

>>11700842
Maybe you should've made the new thread yourself since you so insisted for someone to make one. Too late to complain now.

Begone thots, a better catfu has arrived.

>>11700848
why would i when it's easier to just complain about it?

Ok, what are we going to read next? We're doing this monthly now meaning the deadline will be September 30th regardless of length. I'd recommend a length between 100 and 300 pages, give or take a few. Since we read both top voted books last round no book is automatically nominated.

>>11700853
You had a perfect chance to fix the source of your complaint, and you failed to do anything about it. So it can't be much of an issue in the end.

>>11700857
The Straggler's Mask

Or Titus Groan

>>11700857
>300 pages allowed
LORD OF LIGHT
O
R
D

O
F

L
I
G
H
T

>>11700857
The Night Land. It's an old classic, never talked about in here, and in public domain.

>>11700865
>The Straggler's Mask
>600 pages and can't be pirated
Sorry brah.

>Titus Groan
A little on the long side but sure.

>>11700867
Noted.

>>11700868
Also a little long but sure.

>public domain
My dick.

>>11700857
Titus Groan.

>>11700827
>lady still seething about getting fat

>>11700848
He's not me fruitcake. he's right though

>>11700894
You wanted a new thread, you got one.

Recommend me some modern-ish space opera on par with the comic Prophet.

>>11700857
Blood Music.

>>11700951
Dread Empire's Fall

>>11700951
I've never read that comic but my favorite space opera is the Night's Dawn trilogy.

>>11700989
Prophet's pretty kino as long as you don't mind your space opera not being tightly plotted.

>>11701001
Been a while since I read any good comics. Just some random Batman stuff lately. Maybe I'll give it a look.

>>11701004
It starts off with the premise of Conan IN THE FUTURE, but then gradually grows into a crazy space opera with fantastic art work.

>>11701012
CRAZY

>>11701012
That pic reminded me that I still need to read The Goddamned.

>>11701020
CRAAAAAAZY

Just finished Blue Remembered Earth by Alastair Reynolds, wow how disappointing coming from Revelation Space with super gothic grimdark hard sci fi to we wuz astronauts n shieeet

>>11701012
https://www.amazon.com/Prophet-Vol-Remission-Simon-Roy/dp/1607066114

This?

>>11701054
Yep.

>>11701004
Dark Horse's Conan is good for the first two creative teams.

>>11701054
You should use this site though. Fuck Amazon.

https://www.instocktrades.com/TP/Image/PROPHET-TP-VOL-01-REMISSION/JUN120482

>>11701063
I liked the Queen of the Black Coast adaptation too.

In fact I like most of their adaptations.

>>11701068
Yeaa..it was the Roy Thomas stuff I stopped at, was a bit of a letdown. Might just skip to Wood because I liked Northlanders.

>>11701067
Do I need to be familiar with the stuff that came before this series?

>>11701076
Ehhh not really. The references will go over your head when the writer starts using them, but they don't affect the overall story. And you don't need to bother reading the Prophet issues Liefeld wrote in the 90s. There's really no connection at all to them.

>>11701094
Though being familiar with the universe this takes place in DOES make the references all the more fun. Like when Supreme (Liefeld's version of Superman) makes a cameo as a corpse whose body is being used as a generator.

>>11701103
I went ahead and ordered it. For that price, it's worth a shot.
On a side note I had a laugh at Amazon. There was a copy on there for like 38 cents or something, but the shipping was like 28 bucks. Who do these scammers think they are?

>>11701113
I'm a real big fan of Prophet, but like I said: it's not TIGHTLY plotted. A lot of the charm of the book is the art and the craziness and scope of the story and the universe it takes place in.

>>11700827
anyone subscribe to Analog?

>>11701122
Have you ever read Requiem Vampire Knight?

>>11701113
Also dis nigga ends up with the best nickname.

>>11701151
Nah never got around to reading it.

>>11701155
Skip it. It's basically gory grimderp with no relatable characters and no point.

>>11701161
It's hilarious and over the top. I recommend it.

>>11701161
That's pretty much why I never got around to reading it, but I did just recently read all the Berserk volumes and enjoyed them. And those French Elric comics are also enjoyable and pretty grimderpish (with amazing art). I might finally check it out. I find grimderp much more tolerable in comic book form if it has great artwork to back it up. In novels? Not so much.

>>11701177
Think of Berserk except Guts is an Apostle as well and him and his kind rule the world, with all the decent people reduced to helpless cattle/rape-bait, and you've got about a fraction of what Requiem Vampire Knight is going for.

It doesn't really even work as black comedy for me.

>>11701189
That does sound pretty bad.

>>11700857
City by Clifford Simack

>>11701192
It's the comic book equivalent of New Obscurantis Order by Anorexia Nervosa.

>>11701195
>Clifford Simack
I liked The Fellowship of the Talisman.

>>11700857
To answer your question from last thread:
>Is it reasonable that there can be as much difference between two intelligent civilizations (humanity and the picnic goers) as there are between humans and insects in a field?

We predict that there would not be (given how some of the anomalies are literally indistinguishable from a magical curse). The aliens have to be bound by the same laws of physics as we are, after all.
Then again, if they do turn out to exist, there's nothing we could do but just accept the evidence as given.

>next month
I nominate The Lifecycle of Software Objects.

>>11700878
>600 pages and can't be pirated
I doubt it's 600 pages though. The faggot probably did as all KU authors and inflated the count somehow. What kind of mongolian name is Juho anyway?

>>11701314
Half of it in the middle is just badly written purple prose furry porn. You could read about ten of those pages with the time and attention it'd take you to read one normal page. So in the end it'd be like, about 330 pages? That'd perfectly doable.

Hope you like frog vore.

>>11700827
>The ship groaned and growled beneath him like a constipated fat man straining to shit
The american Tolkien everybody, whats a good book or series to get the taste of this shit out of my mouth?

>>11700981
Did you like it? I thought it was a little bland. The girl's background was god awful to read, even more after we knew exactly what was going to happen but the book told us anyway.

>wHy ShOuLd ShE cHoOsE yOu?
I will record her history objectively!
>wHy WoUlD sHe LoVe YoU?
Eternal loyalty and servitude!
>rApE yOuR wAiFu
No!

>>11701336
His face is repulsive

>>11701338
>I will record her history objectively!
Go away Croaker, you can't even objectively record history of the company.

>>11700973
Noted.

>>11701195
Dang, sounds interesting.

>>11701313
Noted.

>>11701347
Stop trying to blueball me One-Eye.

>>11701336
Robert E. Howard is the American Tolkien. Not this walking tumor.

>>11701364
I like both, but they're not really the same thing at all. They're not even two halves of the same coin.

>>11701337
>The girl's background was god awful to read
That was my favourite part tee bee aitch

>there is an american tolkien

>>11701338
>meet the woman of your dreams
>piss yourself and start crying
>she falls in love with you
Why doesn't this work for me?

Tolkien is England's Guy Gavriel Kay

>>11701380
Because you're a real person rather than a one-dimensional self-insert.

>>11701325
>one of the Amazon reviews says "fetish porn"
How much of this is accurate? Is the book really filled up with weird furry smut or is it just a meme?

>>11701378
The true bogpill is realizing that Tolkien was American because we're all living in America.

>>11700827
>tfw accidentally pick up a western web novel
The fucking MC is pretty much just sanderson.

>>11701314
>>11700878
>page length on amazon

Yeah it's been fucked with, amazon pays you less money if your books shit so you're encouraged to stretch out page count.

>>11701419
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr8ljRgcJNM

wtf is her problem?
>ree how dare you save my kingdom and try to give it back to me, who do you think you are the savior of humanity?

Rabbit fucker, you better add the print edition of your book on Goodreads (with the correct amount of pages).

>>11701630
What are some good, subtle ways to stretch the page count? I mostly just used a huge font and left every other page in the middle blank.

>>11701731
You can just set the word count per page when you're compiling the epub/ pdf anon. There should be tutorials on how to abuse amazons page read nonsense.

>>11701756
Cool. I could've made the thing like thousand pages long if I'd known.

Next story is about pirates. Maybe I'll rewatch Pirates of the Caribbean for a supplementary course on plot stretching.

Going to make a fantasy race that are Elves only with ears that point downward. Think it will sell?

>>11701780
Probably not, unless it's wow night elf tier ears that are long and with tips that bend downward slightly. Elves have to be good looking.

>>11701776
I'm unfamiliar with your apparent rabbith theme but I'm intrigued.

>>11701780
Can't see why it wouldn't work.
My elfettes are identical to tolkien elves except for a third eye in the middle of their foreheads [with none of the skull recess required to support/ protect an eye or its muscles].

>>11701833
Why are you making them ugly anon?

>>11700852
All the aliens in CJ Cherryh's books are utterly unoriginal and boring. They are always just weird looking humans. In Hestia or the Fading Sun cycle or in Foreigner.

>>11701838
>doesn't have a third eye fetish

I want them to be capable of staring directly into a mans asshole while being forcibly 69'd after a slave raid.

It's central to my stories underlying themes.

>>11701852
H-how long until it's released

>>11701833
>I'm unfamiliar with your apparent rabbith theme
I like bunnies.

>>11701852
I too am intrigued by your premise and would like to know more.

He actually sent it, the absolute madman. For those who wondered, I can't see any layout gimmicks used to stretch out the page count (610), rather it's done very professionally bar typoing the author's name in the front cover, kek. I feel you, man.

Guess I'll actually have to read it, wish me luck.

>>11701871
I will probably die before the first book of my thirteen novel long series is finished.

>>11701875
I have a thing for elves.

>>11701891
Oh wow.

/Spoiler

Does he fuck that rabbit?

>>11701891
>typoing the author's name in the front cover

>>11701891
Man, I only sent it yesterday. Figured it would've taken at least a couple days for it to be there - so this is the power of Finnish mail system... not bad, not bad at all.

>>11701902
>Does he fuck that rabbit?
Growing up is an important underlying theme of the story, and getting laid is an important facet of growing up. So the bunny does get to creak the bedsprings with someone. If you want to know who, and how, you'll have to read it yourself.

>>11701912
It took like a week before anyone noticed, and the Goodreads cover still has the typo in it. I'm too embarrassed to point it out for them.

>>11701891
Man, I only sent it yesterday. Figured it would've taken at least a couple days for it to be there - so this is the power of Finnish mail system... not bad, not bad at all.

>>11701902
>Does he fuck that rabbit?
Growing up is an important underlying theme of the story, and getting laid is an important facet of growing up. So the bunny does get to creak the bedsprings with someone. If you want to know who, and how, you'll have to read it yourself.

>>11701912
It took like a week before anyone noticed, and the Goodreads cover still has the typo in it. I'm too embarrassed to point it out for them.

>>11701776
>Next story is about pirates.
I fucking hate pirate stories. I skipped the whole ship part in Feist's magician book (it felt like 30% of the book).

>>11701780
Nah, it's ugly as fuck, mate. Looks like old people's ears.

>>11701993
How would you feel about a spooky mystery in a castle and the surrounding small town and woods? I've got one of those in editing.

>>11701891
Oh, wow. The cover looks much better in the printed version.

>>11702008
That sounds much better. Put a labyrinth (or a maze) in it for extra awesomeness.

>>11702028
>mazez
Like a network of cramped secret passages connecting nearly every room in the castle? Creaky, cold, spooky, full of strange echoes, and a mysterious door hidden in its heart?

>>11702046
>Like a network of cramped secret passages connecting nearly every room in the castle?
No, hahaha, that's completely retarded hahaha. I am talking about mazes, not some faggy ventilation ducts thingys. You know, the underground kind, with traps, undead skeletons, shifting walls, bull-men and stupid catpeople that get cranky if you answer their questions wrong.

>>11702083
Oh, well, the first book has a couple.

>>11702083
Oh, when you say "maze", what you mean is a "dungeon"? The first book has a couple.

Who do you consider a properly written female character? It seems these days a lot of authors confuse "strong female character" with "be an insufferable cunt and act like a man".

>>11702093
Castles have dungeons. It's where they throw prisoners and stuff. Mazes are mazes, I just thought it would be so boring reading about which way he turned and how many paces he took, so I figured we could as well throw some monsters in there while we're at it. I guess maze is a better name for what we usually call dungeons by influence of D&D and games, since mazes are built to hide something in it, so you expect to find hidden treasures inside, while dungeons are meant to throw unwanted things in and why would you waste resources making it so complex just for that?

But yeah, I guess the definitions get a little blurry, but for me, as long as there are wriggly branching lines and hidden passage-ways, it's a maze.

>>11702156

>>11702157
"Maze" would technically speaking be a better word for what we usually use "dungeon" for, but I'd argue "dungeon" is spookier and comes across better. Either way, they come across a couple places in the book that you might like.

>>11702156
I asked a friend about this once, and from what I can remember of her advice it involves thought rather than straight-up action, asking rather than ordering, more emotion rather than straight-up doing stuff in general. I probably still don't get it across with any female characters of mine, but I hope they're at least not cunts.

>>11702189
>it involves thought rather than straight-up action, asking rather than ordering, more emotion rather than straight-up doing stuff in general
sexist

>>11702213
I apologise, I did not mean to imply that men could not think or ask kindly at all. I only speak of how things tend to be and where the two sexes tend to gravitate towards. There are always exceptions.

Just that I myself can't recall my father asking much stuff when I was a kid. He mostly told me to. It was my mother that asked.

>>11702156
>Who do you consider a properly written female character?
Big tits, big ass and wants my cock.

>>11702226
Will add evil-demi goddess who protecc with a twin to this

>>11702213
Facts aren't sexist.

Recommend me some fantasy and some science fiction series from the last 28 years.
I just want some series with good plot.
For reference my favourite writers are leon tolstoy, Alejandro dumas, lovecraft and Dostoevsky.

>>11702273
>my favourite writers are leon tolstoy, Alejandro dumas, lovecraft and Dostoevsky.
Yeah... you're not going to find anything even approaching these guys from the last fifty years at least. Sorry.

>>11702256
What facts?

>>11702284
That women are inferior creatures, slaves of their emotion, unwilling and unable to act decisively.

>>11702288
>facts

>>11702277
Fucking hell, i only have tolkien and hyperion cantos. Someone suggested me ASoIaF and iain banks culture series, they any good?

>>11702311
They're a decent read, sure, but can't even begin to approach the title of a true classic. Within a generation both will have been forgotten.

>>11702311
I wouldn't start asoiaf until it's finished desu.

>>11702323
>until
if

>>11702224
Men and women tend to act differently along fairly predictable lines, but there are always exceptions to the rules. Some men are incredibly insightful, empathetic, and caring. Some women are straight-up evil, cruel, and selfish. You're going to write any character, man or woman, you should see them as a human (or elf, aliens, whatever) first, and as a man or woman second. Their gender may inform their personality, but doesn't define it.

The mistake a lot of writers make is going against cliches, inadvertently falling into a different pit of cliches. They want a woman who is as good as a man, so she acts like a man because femininity is bad apparently. She has to be commanding, powerful, badass. She ends up being a rebellion against perceived stereotypes rather than an interesting person.

Those are my abbreviated thoughts on the matter. As for a "properly" written woman, Ellen Ripley from Alien is pretty good. I know it's a movie so I'm cheating, but she's a good example.

>>11702320
>>11702323
A friend asked the same on reddit, they told him to read sanderson and expanse books, might as well bite the bullet

>>11702338
>reddit
Oh, you don't want to listen to them. Sanderson in particular is actually pretty terrible.

>>11702284
Women are shit leaders and tend to act on emotion. They are also physically inferior to men in every aspect.

>>11702156
>>11702189
>>11702224
>>11702335
Honestly, just have her like to wear dresses and feel pretty (even if she rarely gets the chance), and worry about boys a bit, and you're already halfway there.

>>11702338
k e k
Something I'd like to make clear: do you want literary merit or do you just think you want literary merit because the big names like Dostoyevsky is all you've read?

>>11702320
I will just read jose saramago for fantasy, what's some decent scifi?

>>11702344
>Women are shit leaders
The best leaders in history have been women.

>>11702376
Now I know you're trolling.

>>11702365
They were only reference about shit i like, don't think too much into it, i just want something decent to read. Tried to read broken earth and got sick 50 pages in.

>>11702382
Cleopatra
Olympias
Boudicca
Livia
Irene of Athens
Elizabeth I
Margaret Thatcher

>>11702399
Hitler

>>11702365
>>11702384
Also, i spend close to 10 years with little to no time to read so i came back and started reading again, this year i got three body problem series and the accursed kings and i liekd them.

>>11702399
I already get that you're trolling, no need to double down and post some of the most retarded cunts in history anon.

>>11702344
>>11702376
>>11702382
>>11702399
I don't suppose we could... drop this line of talk and go back to fantasy and scifi, maybe to how to write a good woman character to begin with? Because I don't think any of you are going to convince anyone else of fuck-all, and it's just going to be an ugly waste of time.

>>11702422
>no need to double down and post some of the most retarded cunts in history anon.
Bet you're the type of retard that thinks Cleopatra was shit because her enemies told you so.

>>11702399
>Boudicca
A bloodthirsty savage that got her asshole ripped open by the Romans the second they got serious. Yeah, real great leader.

Female characters are only good for sex and producing offspring. A good female character knows when to open her legs and mouth in my opinion.

>>11702443
To be fair, the Romans were pretty kickass even against male leaders.

>>11702273
>I just want some series with good plot.
The Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster-Bujold. The universe is introduced in "Falling Free" and the first book of the actual saga is "Shards of Honor". I love that series so much. Dont let the horrible Baen covers deter you.

>>11702273
Fantasy: Malazan Book of the Fallen
Sci-fi from the past 28 years is a mystery to me.
Also, if you want good prose and storytelling you probably shouldn't read sci-fi or fantasy.

>>11702443
Did a better job than Caractacus, she even had the balls to go down with the ship.

>>11702430
>Her nickname in Greek was ” The Great Swallower,” though this may have been Roman propaganda against her.
Damn what a ho. On top of being no leader at all.

>>11702465
I am getting Rome flasbacks.

>>11702477
She lost anon. There are no varying degrees of loosing.

>>11702469
Oh, and Alastair Reynolds "Inhibitor" series that begins with Revelation Space. Truly grand scale space opera.

>>11702473
I'd like to put out a warning;
sometimes Malazan, Book of the Fallen will be shilled by some dudes, but the truth is, it just straight up sucks after the very first book ( Gardens of the Moon ) and degenerates into ever more splintering plotthreads with less and less and less relevance to anything, culminating in the prequel books Forge of Darkness and Fall of Light - wherein the first book has basically nothing happening and the second just expands on secondary and tertiary characters from the first; meanwhile failing to retrospectively craft any kind of interesting narrative concerning the civil war and its causes;

its even worse than the original books, because in the original books scope is usually ground-level footsoldiers for most practical purposes, divorced from the absurdity of imperial administration and politics, while the prequels delve DEEPLY into the people making actual decisions - and all of them are irrationally stupid and retarded

do not waste your time reading those 10+ books.

What are some fantasy that take heavy inspiration from the Roman Empire? I know Codex Alera is one.

>>11702495
A Throne of Bones by Vox Day.

>>11702495
Why would you read some faggy watered down version of fatasy Rome when you can choose from so many good historical novels? Chances are they would be written better too.

>>11702515
Yeah, but the fantasy version has dragons and shit.

>>11702494
Ok, then just give me your most decent books or series, it doesn't have to be book of the generation or some shit like that. i Grew up with asimov, dumas, tolkien, etc because that's what was in my home, i actually ordered blindsight and perdido street station for a taste of weird.

>>11702490
Yes there are.
>>11702495
The Red Knight series has a Byzantine Empire knockoff.
>>11702513
He's not going to bother to finish it though.

>>11702494
What would you recommend then, pasta man?

>>11702533
>>11702545
Gormenghast, The Night Land, and everything by Moorcock.

>>11702538
>He's not going to bother to finish it though.
I didn't know it wasn't finished (I didn't actually finished the first book, not my cup of tea). But the first book was published in 2012 and the second in 2016. So maybe it's still on time? Why do you think he won't finish?

>>11702555
> the second in 2016
He only published half of it.

>>11702533
>>11702545
Pasta is actually quite wrong since the second and third books are better than the first in the series and if you manage to read three books then you'll be quite capable of deciding for yourself if you want to read the rest to find all the answers.

>>11702538
>Yes there are.
Pray tell how? If she was a male, that episode would be yet another footnote in the list of Roman victories.

>>11702518
Don't be such a fag anon.

>>11702570
>If she was a male, that episode would be yet another footnote in the list of Roman victories.
Clearly the true power of the women is to be remembered.

>>11702584
>Clearly the true power of the women is to be remembered.
Yeah... for loosing.

>>11702570
>Pray tell how?
In general terms losing a war but retaining enough strength to pay a tribute for the enemy to fuck off is different to losing a war and being completely occupied.
As for her I'd say losing, being dragged through you conqueror's streets and force to kiss the symbol of their empire and beg for mercy before being publicly executed or becoming a museum piece is worse than losing and becoming an hero.

>>11702591
>loosing
Are you implying something about loose women here or did you simply misspell 'lose'?

I admit that I am a normie, so ridicule me all you want.

What do you consider required reading?
I have got some entry level stuff like Andrej Sapkowski, Asimov, Richard Morgan, Gaiman. But I want to broaden my horizons.

>>11702616
>What do you consider required reading?
Tolkien and Robert E. Howard come to mind.

>>11702610
I assure you it was just a Freudian slit.

>>11702595
Now you're just splitting hairs.

>>11702616
Stanislav Lem, arthur Clark, Peter Watts.

>>11702616
The Black Company.

>>11702621
I've got a boxset of Lord of the Rings+Hobbit+Silmarillion+"unreleased tales" in the mail.
Do I read TLOR trilogy before or after the other books?

>>11702653
Read them in the order you just listed: start with The Hobbit, then LOTR, etc.

>>11702623
>There are no varying degrees of loosing
>Yes there are, here's why
>N-no

>>11702658
He's right, though. Win or lose, nothing else matters.

>>11702426
>>11702426
4chan’s primary function is to let frustrated people take out the shittiness of their lives on other people (who aren’t the cause of the shittiness). It’s an anger box instead of a hug box. (It doesn’t help and actually makes things worse.)

Anyway, to generalize I’d say one of most women’s primary goals is security, instead of guys’ needs to prove themselves. Guys are just as emotional as women but about different things and they try to hide it.

When writing any characters I try to give them at least two motivations, preferably with some conflicts arising from them. Example: I have two sisters that are adventurers. Of course the main character has loyalty to her sister but she’s also smarter and more levelheaded so there’s tension from trying to keep them from taking crazy risks while still trying to get treasure.

>>11702664

>>11702658
>N-no
All you peddle in are excuses. Not good enough anon, not good enough by far.

>>11702719
But that's you.

>>11702763
You lost, there is no need to be obtuse.

>>11702780
There's no such thing as "win" or "lose" a debate. Don't take it so seriously.

>>11700827
Hahahaha fucking thank you OP finally some BALLS in our image

>>11700827

>waifus
Sansa Stark
Brienne of Tarth
Milla Talon-Hand
Holly Short
Hermione Granger
Luna Lovegood
Chameleon
that one elf queen who wanted Drizz't's dick but Drizz't cucked her (it's been a long time since I read Dark Elf and Icewind Dale and I can't find what her name was)

>>11700827
the waifest waifu

Guys I always liked cyberpunk games and movies but it just occurred to me that I never read any books about it.
So what can you reccomend me?
While I value strong and original themes I find likeable characters the most important in keeping me interested in the story.

>>11702569
this holy shit

>>11702949
Neuromancer by William Gibson and the rest of the series are THE cyberpunk books. They made and defined the genre. Hardwired by Walter Jon Willaims is also quite good.

>>11702949
Snow Crash is like Ready Player One except not terrible.

Give me some western novels with the tone of xianxia.
MC that is a sociopath that only cares about power, and nothing else, not women, not friendship, or allies.

>>11703154
Well not really but The Stars My Destination

>>11702616
To add to the others:
Jack Vance, Alfred Bester

>>11702569
Agreed.

>>11703165
Its kind of a Count of Monte Cristo thing there, but at the same time every person in /sffg/ should read The Stars My Destination at some point. If its not the best Science Fiction novel ever written, its in the top five.

>>11701891
What's with the spine? Where does the front cover end and the spine begin? Is it some kind of an optical illusion?

>>11703207
transparent rock formations? idk. Also the text should be reading top to bottom.

>>11703195
>Count of Monte Cristo
Speaking of which are there any fantasy novels with a similar tale of revenge in the same scope of Monte Cristo? Preferably one where the character taking his or her revenge gets a happy ending like Edmond did.

>>11702490
>There are no varying degrees of loosing
Bluepilled as fuck

>>11701731
Increase the font size of all your periods and spaces.

>>11703207
I don't understand

>>11703300
He probably mistook the building on the lower left side of the cover for the edge of the spine.

What a delusion...

The style is good, and the story has so much potential, but meh.

any good war focused sengoku or earlier era books?

>>11703345
>bro you can set off a nuke by covering it with pig fat and setting it on fire

>>11703345
The Red Queen's War is a lot better imo.

>>11702949
The later Rifters Trilogy books are secret cyberpunk but also only really 7/10

>>11703498
It has an evil waifu too

>tfw you finally succumb to the love and the light that is PKD
I've got so many stories of his on the backlog, already several novels deep. I wanna find the more obscure mindfuckery. I read The Defenders last night, starting The Penultimate Truth tonight. I hate how all his main male leads seem to be in poor marriages. I lost my train of thought.

>>11701847
You should read The Pride of Chanur then.

Any one of you read a lot of Clark Ashton Smith?

>>11703535
I read the first 2 books of the Valis trilogy, just got the third. Holy Fuck PKD is cool. (Coming from lots of russian lit and kierkegaard)

>>11703345
court of broken knives is managing to up the mopey edgelord protagonist stakes. not sure if like.

>>11703498
it is yes, nicely done bromance.

>>11702616
>Richard Morgan
No. Just no. Replace this goober with David Gemmell. He was my entrance into fantasy and wrote wonderfully pretentious-free heroic fantasy.

>>11703880
You'll not enjoy the ending.

>>11702949
Seconding Neuromancer and Snow Crash.

If you want more, these two are part of the five founders or cyberpunk: Software by Rudy Rucker is a funny and smart take on AI and robots. Rucker has a doctorate in maths. Eclipse by John Shirley is rock and roll cyberpunk. Shirley had been in bands and the music scene. (There’s a revised edition of Eclipse which I hear is pointless so get the original.)

Vurt by Jeff Noon is highly recommended. This probably has the best characterization of all the books mentioned plus it has a new spin on the cyberpunk themes: archetypes and unmistakably British lower class Manchester

If you want something more bite sized, Burning Chrome is Gibson’s short story collection. Mirrorshades edited by Sterling is the primary cyberpunk short story collection. The short story True Names by Vernor Vinge is very classic.

what do you think Jasnah's pussy taste like?

>>11704109
Same price too

>>11704109
It's the third time. It's really stale and sickening by now. She probably has at least three sorts of venereal diseases.

>>11702495
red rising has space roman larpers.

>>11704109

>>11703897
yeah well, it has some style at least.

Can you believe there's actually people who spend years world/magicbuilding for a story like they're going to be the next Tolkien or Jordan?

>>11704517
I've noticed great world-building can trick people into thinking they're reading a good story. See: Malazan.

>>11704517
>or Jordan

>>11704547
nigga I wasn't implying he was good

>>11704109
I don't care, give me Shallan

>>11704538
What exactly is meant by World Building? Does good world building need to be loads of endless pointless drivel as with Malazan or WoT? Can it not be short and sweet, like Lions of al Rassan?
>>11704442
Good taste.

>>11704551

>>11704583
Over detailing the world with the false idea it'll make your story more complex.

>>11704583
>What exactly is meant by World Building? Does good world building need to be loads of endless pointless drivel as with Malazan or WoT? Can it not be short and sweet, like Lions of al Rassan?
Nothing wrong with having a well defined world with depth, but that shouldn't come at the cost of a good story. Good storytelling should always trump good world-building.

Can someone tell me why /lit/ hates George Martin

>>11704606
The guy's writing is crass, even when it doesn't fit. The famous "the more she drank the more she shat" passage could be exempted, as that's clearly a crude situation that would call for crude language, but it's peppered throughout the books.

Is drawing to illustrate your fantasy novel cheating?

I understand maps maybe Tolkien did landscapes

>>11704606
Too popular

>>11704606
his last solid book was published in 2000. He's achieved household name status off the back of a TV show that nosedived hard post storm of swords content.

His success however has had a lot to do with revitalising the genre.

>>11704648
We don't hate Tolkien.

>>11704654
>revitalising the genre
No.

>>11702273
Terra Ignota by Ada Palmer
Hyperion by Dan Simmons(?)
Anything by Ursula K. Le Guin

>>11704671
there was an increase in fantasy being published in the 00s. Rowling had a hand in it too more broadly.

>>11700827
What's some sci fi similar to the show "The Orville"?

>>11702469
>Dont let the horrible Baen covers deter you.

>CAPTAIN VORPATRIL'S ALLIANCE: A SPACE OPERA LITRPG HAREM ADVENTURE

But yeah it's seriously some of the best character writing in modern science fiction. Very readable and entertaining stories about people.

Though I would suggest skipping Falling Free until after Labyrinth and before Diplomatic Immunity. It takes place centuries before and serves as the background story of a race of humans who were genetically engineered to have arms instead of legs and live off in a distant corner of the galaxy, so it doesn't have any real relevance to everything going on in the other books, until it does.

>>11704615
The vast majority of his writing is not crude in the least. It is, however, extremely frank and to the point about everything. That includes the violence and the sex and yes, the shitting. You sound like a huge prissy faggot for hating a guy that doesn't beat around the bush.

>>11704654
>revitalising the genre.
I wouldn't go that far. He's had a marked influence in the sense that there are a lot of Martin imitators out there right now, and writers influenced by his style in a more broad fashion, but in general fantasy was enjoying an upswing well before the TV show.

>>11704858
I know that, his books were popular enough in their own right for publishers to take note before the tv show.

>>11704816
Space Captain Smith

>>11704846
>GRRM's writing
>to the point

>>11704816
Rex Nihilo

>>11704839
>That cover
Jesus Christ, what the actual fuck? Seriously, who the fuck O.K. that?

33% into The Praxis (Dread Empire's Fall, #1) and nothing happens. I shouldn't trust anonymous posters

>>11705056
Wait for you to get the girls backstory. THEN nothing really happens.

>>11705088
She obviously replaces the lady right? I don't care about any character right now, less their backstory.

>>11705101
>She obviously replaces the lady right?
Oh, but you have to read it! It's like a thousand pages for the reveal. You'll never guess what REALLY happens. It's so thrilling! But I won't spoil the fun for you. Yes.

>>11705116
heh

Asked this a few threads back and I don't recall ever getting a reply. Anybody ever read the Deathstalker series by Simon R. Green and have words for or against it?

>>11704618
No. In fact it's probably a good idea so that after you die it can't be argued your protagonist's appearance wasn't defined properly.

>>11705276
Never read it, but that cover is kino as fuck.

>>11705290
but isnt the point of writing to have the reader come up with the imagery on there own?

Otherwise why even write and not choose another medium?

Outer-/lit/ is making fun of Brandon again

>>11705496
At least we have something in common with outer /lit/.

What's the best single-volume fantasy story? I'm tired of everything being spread across multiple books.

If you can't tell a story within a single volume then it's not worth telling.

>>11705350
can someone answer this

>>11704606
GRRM was fine until book 4 when he clearly lost control of the story. It was supposed to be a trilogy then he went money grubbing. I'm sure I'd go for the money too if I got the offer but it always comes at a huge cost of quality.

>>11703300
>>11703314
I think he mistook that vertical line running through the book near the edge for the edge itself.

>>11705671
The Name Of The Rose.

>>11705671
Probably some Discworld.

>>11705671
Vurt by Jeff Noon

>>11705671
>>11705843
Pick whatever you like. Possibly Small Gods, or Guards! Guards.

>>11705829

>>11703883
David gemmell is based. I loved his stuff as a teenager

>>11705676
Seems not.

>>11705350
I'd argue that it's much better to leave as much to the reader's imagination as possible, and not waste time and space describing shit that a more visual art form could do so much better anyway, but many will disagree with me.

Lads, recommend me some space opera. All I've found myself was very mediocre. I was thinking of Perry rhodan but the scale is crazy. Anything that is shorter while still being well written?

>>11706186
Galaxy's Edge

>>11706197
Oh that actually looks decent. I'll pick it up. Thanks m8

>>11706186
Try some Alastair Reynolds

>>11704583
A well defined world that makes sense by itself. You don't need to have much of it appear in the book though. If you're writing a book set in Germany today you may not talk about WW2, but the fact that it has happened can help explain why Germany is the way it is today and can be referenced in passing as context if you bring up the duality of being part the western world where free speech and personal freedom is idolized and the fact that certain parties, use of certain sybols and questioning certain historical facts are outlawed.

>>11705829
>Fantasy
It's a good book though and I have Island of the Day Before in my stack.

>>11706208
I've only read the first four books, but I like it. Each book also has its own setting which is fun: first book is more of a military sc-fi story about an elite unit of soldiers trapped on a hostile alien planet. Second book is pure Star Wars-style space opera, but more "serious." Third book is what I would describe as Zero Dark Thirty in space. And the fourth book is about a giant space fleet attempting to conquer a planet.

>>11704109
It tastes like dying childless and alone surrounded by cats. Reminder that Amaram did nothing wrong and neither did the Ghostbloods.

>>11706186
>Romans did not like tits
What idiocy is this now?

>>11706339
I thought Romans were fags

>>11706382
Yes, and therefore Romans died out after a single generation because no one wanted to have children.

>>11706382
More like bisexuals with pedo tendencies. Kinda like golden age 4chan desu

>>11706393
>bisexuals
>golden age
Fuck off, faggot.

>Book focuses on nothing but worldbuilding/lore
>This is bad
>Video game does it
>"This is why the gaming medium is so great, the postmodernludocosmnarrative indifference adds to the game by..."

>>11706780
It's almost like there is a difference between literature and vidya.

>>11706794
There is, you play one but can't play the other. I see now. You are a right.

>>11706794
Don't.

Don't.

>>11703815
Pretty sure we all have. It's required reading.

>>11706804
I haven't.

>>11706809
Better fix that.

http://www.eldritchdark.com/writings/short-stories/

>>11706812
Time to pad out my goodreads challenge!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5H3IAzjjUwI&feature=youtu.be

based sandman doing a livestream on saturday to help against domestic abuse

>>11705290
>image
But that’s wrong

I herd u guise liek waifu threds

>>11706997
Yes.

Had to drop Wheel of Time before finishing first book. I think I dropped it when they meet obnoxious notGypsies. Felt like a boring imitation of Tolkien with few ok characters.

>>11707037
b-but it gets good 29 books in

>>11707043
Maybe it really does, but I can be bothered to pick it up again.

>>11707037
>belittling Perrin for assuming the travellers steal constantly
>they actually never steal
Jordan clearly never lost his bike to those rat bastards.

>>11705056
>>11705101
Just wait, shit gets really hairy later on.

>>11705276
>Anybody ever read the Deathstalker series by Simon R. Green
I have read the first book and it was pretty unique. Space opera with lots of weird races and genetic experiments and cyborgs, all with a Baroque/Dune-ish touch. Quite readable if you dont mind a book showing its age a bit.

>>11707130
BASED FUCKING WORM DOES IT AGAIN

Seriously, who literally cares what a subreddit thinks?

>>11707130
>Middle-earth 2nd
>Kingkiller
>Sanderson, Abercombie
>Harry Potter
>Discworld so far down
>Malazan
>WORM
Holy fuck it only gets worse the farther I go. How can so many people be so wrong?

>>11707130
Forgetting someone?

>>11707130
Why are Sanderson, Jordan and Rowling so high, why isn't Tolkien at the top? Who voted for this shit?

>>11707165
>Why are recent fantasy novels more popular with a crowd of casual readers than a far older one

Please use your brain, anon.

>>11707149
>who literally cares what a subreddit thinks?
People who want to flaunt superiority over a bunch of other faggots and then go cry when outer-/lit/ shits on them for their shit taste.

>>11707165
Jordan was surprisingly low desu.

>>11707130
Dune is a fantasy novel?

>>11707216
1984 is on the list too

>>11707216
Honestly, yeah.

>>11707226
>1984 is on the list too
Oh so it didn't make it to top 20? Such a shame, I always liked it's fantastical world building.
What is wrong with these people? Besides the obvious.

>>11707087
Yeah, the ship take-over was fun, I'll give you that.

>>11707235
How dare you respond to me?
Begone wretch.

>>11707241
>>11707168

>>11707246
Fine! You nevER LOVED ME ANYWAY.

>>11707252
Can you explain to the someone not initiated in the deeper mysteries of reddit how 1984 is a fantasy novel?

>>11707259
Don't go anon, I didn't mean it. You just sometimes say these hurtful things.

>>11707260
I'm not saying it's a fantasy novel, I'm saying reddit's core userbase wouldn't be enthralled with an older book. Genre be damned.

>>11707260
Only because I want you to pay attention to me sometimes instead of your stupid books.

>>11707271
Yeah man that just got weird. I know that pretending to be a little girl on the Internet is a cherished tradition but this is not the place to do it.

>>11707265
Sad.

>>11707292
>sad
It's normal. Go strike a conversation up with your average go and see how many classic books/movies/music they've willingly read/seen/heard.

>>11707296
>Go strike a conversation up with your average go and see how many classic books/movies/music they've willingly read/seen/heard.
You don't do that with complete strangers. What do you think I am, some nerd?

>>11706197
Funny you mention it, I started reading this just a few days ago. Just finished the Legionnaire storyline today. It's perfectly good military sci-fi but it feels a little bit shallow to me so far. Still, enjoyable to read so I'm going to stick with it for a while.

>>11702156
Dagny taggart

One of you fruitcakes make a new thread.

>>11707719
But that near hysteric anon will be mean to whomever makes the new thread.

>>11707719
>fruitcakes
Stop using MY insults.
Aside from that fantastic post.

New thread fagamuffins.
>>11707741
>>11707741
>>11707741

>>11707013

>>11701336
I dont see literally ANYTHING wrong with this line, and I havent read a single one of his books

Maybe this place is genuinely full of brainlets pretending to be smarter than they are, but unless Martin writes in omniscient, the prose is meant to sound like it was spoken by the anchored character, not by some separate narrator

>>11702469
ugly sexist lesbian drivel

>>11707130
>no gormenghast
jesus fucking christ these people, is that list from reddit?