Recommendations Thread

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

Need some recommendations? Want to read a particular genre, or want a book with a certain trope? Ask for suggestions here :D

[Leigh]

Hey, I've been looking for some solid steampunk as an intro to the genre. The little that I've read with steampunk so far was actually romance, and I found there was not enough emphasis on the steam technology. Any suggestions?

[Sookie]

Leigh: Mpauli here has uploaded a series of videos on this genre - intro, where to begin, sub-genres etc. I have used that as a guide for picking up the books. Check out that playlist on his Youtube channel!

[Roger, Knight Radiant]

Boneshaker This is the only steampunk that I have read, it was a decent story but as it turns out I'm not really into steampunk...

[Leigh]

Thanks for the ideas Sookie and Roger, I'll look into these.

[Joey]

Biopunk, go!

[Leigh]

Steeeeeampunk, Joey, steeeeeeeampunk!

[Joey]

Leigh wrote: "Steeeeeampunk, Joey, steeeeeeeampunk!"

Nope, I'm looking for biopunk suggestions. Different genre.

[Leigh]

Oh, sorry!

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

Bio... punk? Please explain :)

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

I was going to ask the same thing. Thats new to me.

[Shawnie]

I don't know how to inset a link to the list, but I found several "Biopunk" lists on GR. I've read quite a few, so I say Yay to Biopunk as well. :) From the list..."Biopunk sci-fi genre is closely related to cyberpunk genre, difference being that most biopunk stories are plotted in dystiopian societies making use of biotechnology advancements and biological "wetware" rather than relying on siliconic hardware. Biopunk also comprehends some emerging works in the "DIY biology" movement."

[Freya, Dragon Rider]

Ahh OK that makes sense :) would you say it's more a sub genre / branch ?

[Cupcakes & Machetes, Hybrid Creature]

historical fiction/steampunk/paranormal
historical fiction/steampunk

These are a couple steampunk books that I have on my TBR list so I can't honestly tell you if they're good or not but I thought it might help give you someplace to start from.

[Leigh]

I've actually read Soulless and it was pretty good, but the Steampunk aspect was underplayed in my opinion. There was more development for the paranormal and romantic parts. I'll look into the Phoenix Rising. Thanks!

[Lancer, Warden of the Slums]

Chris wooding's: tales of the ketty Jay series as well as cherie priest's clockwork century series are two good steampunk-ish series. Especially tales of the ketty Jay, first book is retribution falls. One of my favourite series of all time

[Lancer, Warden of the Slums]

Forgot to say that romance does not take Center stage by any stretch in either series.

[Leigh]

Lancer wrote: "Chris wooding's: tales of the ketty Jay series as well as cherie priest's clockwork century series are two good steampunk-ish series. Especially tales of the ketty Jay, first book is retributio..."

Retribution Falls looks really good!

[Lancer, Warden of the Slums]

The whole series is super good. It's fun, it may not be super deep and philosophical bit as far as a swashbuckling steampunk-ish pirate airship adventure extraordinare goes it's pretty awesome. It has some elements of magic (called daemonism) that are quite interesting and I found that you really start to root for the characters. Also there is a golem that's just awesome :) I highly recommend it!

[Suncani]

The first one always reminds me of firefly a little bit.

Another steampunk series which is pretty good is George Mann's Newbury and Hobbes series. The first one is called The Affinity Bridge It's quite easy going and there are pretty much the things you expect in there, but the way they treat Queen Victoria in the series is interesting.

[Lancer, Warden of the Slums]

Has anyone read malice and valor, the first two books in John Gwynne's faithful and the fallen Series. They are fantastic!

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

No but I want to!

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

They are on my list .

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

Okay as I was talking to someone on Twitter about this last night...

Does anyone know of any fantasy books where women have equal power to men?

Because I swear every fantasy series, if it's based on a historic period, feels free to add in magic and dragons etc, but will keep the women as they were in that period, and they're always second class. It makes no sense...

For example, the women in A Song of Ice and Fire are awesome, BUT their society says they're below men.

As far as I know, the women in The Lord of the Rings have power, but there aren't exactly many of them in the book (hence replacing Glorfindel with Arwen during the Flight to the Ford in the films).

[Leigh]

Good luck with finding equality among the sexes. I hate to be pessimistic and would love for someone to prove me wrong, but a lot of stereotypes pass over into books from the real world. The best I've found are individual characters, like in your example.

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

Yeah it just kind of bugs me... it's like it's fine to have dragons, but women in power? Ridiculous!

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

I agree Leigh . You will always find individual female characters who have forced themselves to the top but the systems are still male dominated. In Emperors Blades there is equality in the Elite forces but it doesnt exist outside of that

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

Well that one's on my to read list, so that's good to hear :) Thanks Paul!

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

Best fighter , male or female, Brienne of Tarth ,is openly mocked . Brilliant character but illustrates the point

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

Best fighter , male or female, Brienne of Tarth ,is openly mocked . Brilliant character but illustrates the point

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

Its a good book Rinn but its sequel is so much better .

[Ryan]

Birth control and the welfare state (where the state looks after you in your old age rather than your children) have freed most women (and men) from the need to devote their lives to raising children. The rise of white collar industry has allowed women to be as productive as men in the work place. If these things don't exist in your fictional world then most women in it will be stay-at-home mothers. Whether that makes them second class is a matter of opinion but the fate of 'most women' shouldn't stop any given woman from achieving highly - the cream always rises to the top.

And in the real world, the queen has been the most powerful piece on a chess board for 500 years.

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

Unless you're playing a Russian where its a male piece

[Ryan]

It's a male piece in most places, including the Middle East where chess originated. But when it got to western Europe it became a queen. Our ancestors knew Girl Power.

[Lancer, Warden of the Slums]

I know it's not the females of every race but the drow elves from forgotten realms series are a matriarchal society where the females dominate the males. If you read the spider Queen books or the dark elf trilogy you will see lots of examples of the woman being much more powerful then the men where the men are subservient to the women. Off the top of my head it's the only example I can think of which is sad. There needs to be more written this way, to me it opens up a lot of different options for plot lines that have not been done.

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

They were enlightened Ryan :-)

[Leigh]

oh, those Europeans....

[Lel]

I feel that David Eddings doesn't do women to much injustice. Pol, Ce'nedra and Porenn all seem to have equal power to men and command a lot of respect.


Can anyone recommend a good old fashioned pirate book although not as old as treasure island and 20,000 leagues. I feel I have a lack of pirates in my collection...

[Leigh]

I can totally recommend by George MacDonald Fraser. A few of the jokes might be dated, but the writing is wonderfully fun. It's always been number one for my pirate fix!

[Ryan]

I haven't read it but I want to read On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers. Wikipedia claims it was inspiration for the Pirates of the Caribbean movie plus the Monkey Island computer games. Probably not the best endorsement for literature though.

[Andrew]

I loved the Belgariad :D They were some of my first books I read independent from school. I haven't read them MANY years though. I think you are right, Lel, that the women are portrayed somewhat fairly, but I it has been too long I can't remember. As I recall there was a clear distinction between the sexes, and some "Boys will be boys" moments contrasted to the girls often having a secret communication and knowledge with one another. But nothing oppressive comes to mind, like in many other works. As I recall, queens and spies and even some fighters were respected as equals, even if most fighters and rulers were men.

I suppose somewhat similarly, there is The Wheel of Time series. There are many cultures there with different views on women, I suppose. There is a clear distinction between men and women (in fact, that is an overall, metaphorical theme). Sometimes I feel Jordan wrote women in a somewhat stereotypically "catty" and childish way. But in other regards women were often seen as being some of the most feared and powerful people in societies, and had nearly as much "screen time", influence, and personal growth as the men. For as many times as they were rescued or captured by men, they also rescued or captured men. Or each other.

[Lel]

There is def. a boys club vibe at points during the series Andrew, but I like the fact while they disappear and do 'manly' things the women take it upon themselves to organise the rest of the kingdom how they saw fit.

[Lel]

Thanks for the pirate books, I have looked at 'On Stranger Tides' but I think it didn't have favorable reviews. Will look into The Pyrates though.

[Cupcakes & Machetes, Hybrid Creature]

has a polyamorous society where families have many husbands and wives all in the same group. However, the women pick what men marry into the family and politically women rule almost everything. I still haven't finished it so I can't give an overall opinion on it yet but it's the first book in a long while where the ladies are the top dogs.
Plus, there are bear mounts and I want one.

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

hybrid.creature wrote: " has a polyamorous society where families have many husbands and wives all in the same group. However, the women pick what men marry into the family and politi..."

Oooh sounds interesting! May have to add to the list for future ref :)

[Trillian]

thanks, that book really sounds interesting. Instantly put it on my reading list!

[Trevor]

It seems I cannot start a new thread so I'll ask here. I'm coming to the end of Iain M Banks Culture series and will soon be looking for another series to read. I like trilogies etc but I was wondering if anyone knows of any series that are similar to the Culture series? A series that is doesn't need to be read in any particular order, the Culture series is set around a civilisation, not a running story.
I have all Asimov's Robot series as well as Heinlein's Future Histories, is there anything else out there that might be similar?

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

If you have any hassle setting up a thread myself or one of the other mods will set it up for you.
Sadly I'm not a great help on this one as I'm not a big space opera man. :-)

[Trevor]

Paul wrote: "If you have any hassle setting up a thread myself or one of the other mods will set it up for you.
Sadly I'm not a great help on this one as I'm not a big space opera man. :-)"
Not a real problem Paul. most things are covered in previous topics, I just had to decide where I needed to put this one.

[Trevor]

I've been seeing Alan Dean Foster's Pip & Flinx series in the bookshop recently, I think we currently have 7 or 8 from the series but I think they will need reading in order according the this page https://www.goodreads.com/series/5181...