Summer Reading!

[plutoniumdragon]

Okay, a quick post since I'm not on my own laptop (yet.  Soon I'll have one, and post more frequently).  I have finished my training period, and along with a raise I now have a lot more time on my hands when I'm at work.  So, I've decided to catch up on my reading, 'cause I can't surf the Net for even half of a 12-hour shift.  Therefore, I'm

Comments

[2_ragged_claws]

Lord of Light, by Roger Zelazny: Possibly his best work. Based on Hindu religion/culture. Science fiction. Fascinating setting. Main characters are from the Hindu pantheon. Some awesome and compelling characters with similarly awesome powers. Antiheroes and sympathetic villains. Themes include religion, religious freedom, and ethics of self-determination versus absolute authority. A great read.

[prismakaos]

old man's war - john scalzi - science fiction with humor
fear and loathing in las vegas - hunter thompson
bring me the head of prince charming, if at faust you don't succeed, a farce to be reckoned with - roger zelazny/robert sheckley - humorous fantasy
dragonlance chronicles (dragons of autumn twilight, winter night, spring dawning) - margaret weis/tracy hickman - hack and slash dnd but okay writing
death gate cycle - margaret weis/tracy hickman - fantasy

or you go onto ebay and search for "science fiction book lot" and find a bunch of random books for low prices.

[kalliplokime]

Ooh, I'll second Death Gate cycle.

Beyond that:
To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis - beautifully complicated, amusing time travel
Doomsday Book, Connie Willis - time travbel drama
Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov - science fiction/detective stories about a NYPD cop and his robotic partner
Lysistrata, Aristophanes - hilariously ribald Ancient Greek comedy (but read the Douglass Parker translation, 'cause the rest suck)

[meschlum]

Well, there's my book reviews (which I'll update more once I get LJ to not crash my browser) for references.

Specifics? Not too sure about your tastes...

David Gemmel has done some nice low fantasy (limited and scary magic, epic heroes) with rather militant themes, and a focus on the warrior ethic. Good stuff. Against the Horde (or Legend) is the first in the Drenai saga, and it's good.

S. Andrew Swann has done some fun stuff - a lot of conspiracy theories, neat technology, and pretty good writing. The Moreau books (starting with Forests of the Night) are set in a future where genetic modifications have been used to uplift animals for military purposes. And then peace hits, and you get thousands of non human refugees, trained and engineered to kill... Interesting setting, strong characters, lots of government plotting and conspiracies.

C. S. Friedman is good. No more need be said - pick up anything and enjoy (at least I do).

C. J. Cherryh has done some nice science fiction, if not always optimistic - I'd recommend the Merchanter