Your One and Only

[aldenoneil]

Reading Vance's post, "Books you loved but were hesitant to recommend," I found a lot recommended that I now want to read.

That got me wondering (and I can't believe this hasn't been done before on S&L, but if I can't see it, it doesn't exist): what's the one sci-fi/fantasy book or series you would recommend above all others?

I'm looking for one title, no fudging. If you fudge, you'd best justify the hell out of your response. JK lol.

But pick one.

P.S. Mine's Red Mars

[Joseph]

When I'm asked what book/film I would recommend it always depends on who the person is, for example I wouldn't recommend 'The Gentleman Bastard' series to my parents.

Ignoring my nit picking, I'll have to say the aforementioned series, specifically The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. :)

Not only is it a fantastic story its something I think fantasy should do more often, its not about an end-of-the-world war or an evil overlord, its a bunch of young, arrogant thieves believing they are smarter and richer than anyone else. And discovering that when you push the world, the world pushes back.

:) P.S. If they've read that I'd recommend American Gods...: :D

[Vance]

hmmm, limiting it to Fantasy and Science Fiction, I would have to go with Tigana.

Guy Gavriel Kay is a hugely under-appreciated author (although his books did rank high among the top 100 sf/fantasy books listed here recently), and most of his books are stand-alone. This means a recommendee can read just the one book. In fact, I would promote any of Kay's books for the S&L fantasy pick sometime.(The Lions of al-Rassan would be another good one)

[Kate]

I'm going to play it safe and say The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I can think of no reason why a reasonable person would not like it.

[Jlawrence, S&L Moderator]

The 13 Clocks by James Thurber. Beware the Todal.

[Aloha]

I loved Dune. But to tell you the truth, the first book that popped into my head was Ender's Game, which surprised me, because I usually say Dune when asked.

[terpkristin]

Aloha wrote: "I loved Dune. But to tell you the truth, the first book that popped into my head was Ender's Game, which surprised me, because I usually say Dune when asked."

For whatever it's worth, I hated Dune but LOVED Ender's Game. I think Ender's Game is much more approachable, so I think that would be one of the top I'd recommend, especially if they were new to the genre.

Oddly, though I read a lot more fantasy than science fiction (generally speaking), I'm finding it a lot harder to identify what I'd recommend of fantasy, especially for a newbie to fantasy.

For experienced readers, I think I'd have follow-on questions before making a recommendation. American Gods is a good idea, though.

[Russell]

I would have to say Steven Erikson's Malazan book of the fallen

[aldenoneil]

This is great. Plenty I hadn't heard of in just these initial posts.

Woe betide me for creating this thread and adding to my already imposing to-read list, though.

[Elianara]

You pose a difficult question, when you limit it to one book. I read a lot more fantasy, so I think I'll keep to the sword side. Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon, because it's one of the few books I have reread several times, and still like a lot.

[Denis]

When it's a fantasy I usually recommend The Lies of Locke Lamora as it's a fun, easy read (and just plain fantastic), but since that one's already been recommended I'll go with The Blade Itself this time around ;)

In the Sci-fi department I'll go with Dan Simmons' Hyperion ;)

EDIT: I guess I fudged a bit there ;)

[aldenoneil]

Mummi wrote: "I guess I fudged a bit there ;) "

That was a great fudge, though.

Seen a lot of recommendations for Hyperion of late. I only knew it before from seeing its cover in bookstores for two decades.

[Ryan]

The Dragon Bone Chair by Tad Williams. There is just something magical about that book for me. No matter how many times I read it, it always draws me in and makes reality a bit less real for a while.

[Kevin]

Good Omens. Anyone who dislikes it fails to be my friend. :)

[Darryl]

I usually recommend the Harper Hall Trilogy (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, and Dragondrums), by Anne McCaffrey.

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

Wow, only one. I could think of dozens.

I will fudge slightly and choose a 5 novel series, which has a 5 novel sequel and 2 prequels.

My pick would be The Belgariad by David Eddings

[Micah]

Tassie Dave good choice! That was the series I was thinking of as I read through this post. Read it as a kid a few times and loved them. Also re-read them last summer (28 now) and still loved them. Plus the initial books are all small enough to get through pretty fast. And the 1st series stands on its own. But if the person liked them then the additional books just add to the fun.

[Kevin]

My would have to be the Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore.

[Bree]

I'm going to go with Perdido Street Station. But I would underscore pretty much everything people have listed above.

[Ed]

Without a doubt, mine is Gene Wolfe's "Solar Cycle" (Book of the New Sun, The Urth of the New Sun, Epiphany of the Long Sun, Litany of the Long Sun, and the Book of the Short Sun (On Blue's Waters, In Green's Jungles, Return to the Whorl)).

[aldenoneil]

Shannon wrote: "And the Hobbit was one of my first fantasy books."

If I had a second pick, and I'm not saying I do, but if I did, it would absolutely be The Hobbit.

Ed wrote: "Mine is Gene Wolfe's 'Solar Cycle'".

I didn't realize that series was so extensive. I didn't read New Sun with the group, so that's high on my to-read list.

[Kris]

Glen Cook Black Company books...if you don't like the military then his Garrett files series are just as good....

[Kevin]

Kevin wrote: "My would have to be the Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore."

Great story!

[Kevin]

Kevin wrote: "Kevin wrote: "My would have to be the Crystal Shard by R.A. Salvatore."

Great story!"

One of my favorite books of all time. This book to me is so different in the plot structure of any fantasy I have ever read. Plus I consider this to be the first book of the Legend of Drizzt. Its so much cool when the reader does not know his background.

[Ed]

aldenoneil wrote: "I didn't realize that series was so extensive. I didn't read New Sun with the group, so that's high on my to-read list."

I kind of cheated a little. The "Solar Cycle" is just what fans call it. It's really three related series: "The Book of the New Sun", "The Book of the Long Sun", and "The Book of the Short Sun". "Short Sun" brings the whole series full circle, and the way the three series all fit together is brilliant. It's a mammoth achievement in SF literature and vastly underappreciated, IMHO, but Wolfe is a love-him or hate-him kind of author. I probably should have posted in the "qualified recommendations" thread instead. If you're the kind of reader who likes a challenge and doesn't mind having to read every single word on the page (seriously, don't skim or read too quickly) and really likes to think about what you're reading and what's going on beneath the surface, then you'll love it.

[kvon]

Although I really like Kevin's suggestion of Good Omens, I'm still picking my first instinct, The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin. I get something different out of it each time I read it.

[Gregory]

The Lord of the Rings unless we are counting it as 3 books and not one. In that case i gotta go with The Hobbit.

[Kevin]

Gregory wrote: "The Lord of the Rings unless we are counting it as 3 books and not one. In that case i gotta go with The Hobbit."

This might make me some enemy's but these books dont even make my top 10, I appreciate them, and dont dislike them but to me they are a 87' volvo to the Dragon Bone Chair's 2012 corvette.

[Kate]

I hated Lord of the Rings.
Sometimes I just want to yell it from the rooftops.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Kate wrote: "I hated Lord of the Rings.
Sometimes I just want to yell it from the rooftops."
I've never tried it. Never ever ever. I figure if I can't get through the movies....

This is a great question though, and I am not sure I can just pick one. I still feel like I'm getting my footing in both genres, and agree with those that say they'd probably recommend different books to different people.

For instance, Palimpsest and A Wrinkle in Time are both incredibly meaningful to me. But this probably means I wouldn't recommend them to people who wouldn't keep them safe. :P

So, I dunno, Snow Crash?

[Jlawrence, S&L Moderator]

Ed wrote: "The "Solar Cycle" is just what fans call it. It's really three related series: "The Book of the New Sun", "The Book of the Long Sun", and "The Book of the Short Sun". "Short Sun" brings the whole series full circle, and the way the three series all fit together is brilliant. It's a mammoth achievement in SF literature and vastly underappreciated, IMHO, but Wolfe is a love-him or hate-him kind of author. I probably should have posted in the "qualified recommendations" thread instead. If you're the kind of reader who likes a challenge and doesn't mind having to read every single word on the page (seriously, don't skim or read too quickly) and really likes to think about what you're reading and what's going on beneath the surface, then you'll love it."

What I read of Long Sun and Short Sun seemed lacking compared to New Sun, *BUT* I initially thought the same of the New Sun epilogue/fifth book The Urth of the New Sun, and a re-read of Urth right after the Sword & Laser New Sun run made me see many more of the connections between all the books, and I ended up really loving it. So that might happen with Long Sun and Short Sun too during an eventual re-read. But all the reasons you mention above make Book of the New Sun a qualified recommendation for me, even though it's still one of my favorites.

The 13 Clocks was my unqualified recommendation because it's just a delight to read - It's a short, quirky kid's book that can still cast a spell on adults, a modern take on the fairy tale that's funny without ironic-ing away its own magic, and it has some images and turns of phrase that have stayed with me since I first read it at age 11 or so. If you seek it out, try to get the version with Marc Simont's illustrations. Looks like Neil Gaiman's written the intro to a recent re-print, I'll have to track that down.

[Seth]

Kate wrote: "I'm going to play it safe and say The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I can think of no reason why a reasonable person would not like it."

Spot on.

[Ed]

Jlawrence wrote: "What I read of Long Sun and Short Sun seemed lacking compared to New Sun, *BUT* I initially thought the same of the New Sun epilogue/fifth book The Urth of the New Sun, and a re-read of Urth right after the Sword & Laser New Sun run made me see many more of the connections between all the books, and I ended up really loving it. So that might happen with Long Sun and Short Sun too during an eventual re-read."

While I'm willing to admit that parts of "Long Sun" are a little ponderous, "Short Sun" is easily the best thing that Wolfe has written in my opinion and is captivating and brilliant from start to finish. The ending is mindblowing. Unfortunately, to fully appreciate "Short Sun", one needs to read like 9 other books first ("New Sun" and "Long Sun").

[Jlawrence, S&L Moderator]

Ed wrote: "While I'm willing to admit that parts of "Long Sun" are a little ponderous, "Short Sun" is easily the best thing that Wolfe has written in my opinion and is captivating and brilliant from start to finish. The ending is mindblowing. Unfortunately, to fully appreciate "Short Sun", one needs to read like 9 other books first ("New Sun" and "Long Sun"). "

Ah, ok. Well I am looking forward to a second attempt on Long Sun and Short Sun (never finished either), and am hoping I'll notice a lot more in them this time. I think re-reading Urth *immediately* after finishing Sword & Citadel made all the difference, so maybe I should do these re-reads soon, while the New Sun stuff is still sorta in my head!

[Tamahome]

First half of Old Man's War. Funny and effortless to read. Plus I'm a sucker for body swapping (no, I'm not a swinger).

I also read The Stars My Destination in one day as a kid. I wish it didn't have the rape.

[Tora]

I'm so glad you posted this question. My immediate reaction was that I can never, ever choose just one, I always have many favorites and can never narrow it down. But for the purposes of posting, I thought it would be silly to recommend something everyone here would have heard of already, so I started trying to think of something sort of obscure. And that quickly brought me to Goblin Moon by Teresa Edgerton, which is an old favorite of mine which had been out of print for some time.

The Scarlet Pimpernel meets Jane Austen in an alternate Victorian setting. Adventure, romance, secret agents in disguise, intrigue, steampunk, magic, guild secrets, alchemy, goblins and trolls and fairies in pseudo-Victorian England--my love for this book knows no bounds.

And thinking of that made me go check to see if by some chance it might have been made available for Kindle, because my paperback copy is in storage in my brother's basement across the Pacific Ocean from me, and lo, it is! For $2.99! http://www.amazon.com/Goblin-Moon-Mas... So I immediate bought it, and am now going to rush off and read it.

[Ewan]

If you're interested in committing to a really large series with a huge fan community then you cannot go wrong with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Its 13 books strong with the final instalment coming this year.

I always hesitate to recommend this series because it's so long and that can be daunting. It's also an acquired taste, but well worth it if you acquire it.

It weaves traditional tolkienesque swords and sorcery fantasy with elements of science fiction and draws heavily on the tradition of historical war fiction in places. Brilliant character driven plot that takes alot of what you know from other fantasy stories and gives a fresh perspective.

I've been reading it for years and I still re-read it periodically. Have fun if any of you decide to jump head first into this time consumer.

[Ewan]

Also if you fancy a sci fi book then the one I can recommend above all else is The City and the Stars by Arthur c Clarke.

Its old and has devices seen time and again in modern fiction. If you didn't know its age you might see it as derivative. This isn't derivative, this and books like it are what great science fiction is derived from.

[Kevin]

Ewan wrote: "If you're interested in committing to a really large series with a huge fan community then you cannot go wrong with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Its 13 books strong with the ..."

Dont do it. Its a great series for about 7 books and then it gets to the point where each giant volume spans a few days.

[Kate]

Kevin wrote: "
Dont do it. Its a great series for about 7 books and then it gets to the point where each giant volume spans a few days.
"

While they we're immensely frustrating when you'd waited years for them to hit the shelves, books 8 - 10 benefit hugely from a charitable reread (I remember thinking 9 & 10 especially worked better considered as a single book, but I don't remember why exactly, something to figure out on my next read through). There's a noticeable jump in quality in book 11, and then we're on the the Sanderson books which are just teaming with awesome.

[Ewan]

Kevin wrote: "Ewan wrote: "If you're interested in committing to a really large series with a huge fan community then you cannot go wrong with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Its 13 books str..."

I think like all series so long there are a few duds, but even so the series itself does stand up to most criticism levelled against it. Some of the books are slow and others seem to speed by, but taken as a whole it is an incredibly interesting story and if you can get through the books which don't tickle your fancy too much then I think its a very worthwhile use of your time.

[AndrewP]

I agree with Tamahome, in the last few years Old Man's War stands out from the rest.

[Stan]

Simon R. Greens Blue Moon Rising

Fantasy, adventure, humor and romance with some great world building thrown in.

It is up there as one of the most entertaining fantasy novels I've ever read.

P.S. Simon R. Green is a very prolific, yet under appreciated author. He has at least 4 or 5 major series which he has written, all with 5 or more novels each

[Michal]

It's not so much the book I *would* recommend, but I do find myself *actually* recommending Ellen Kushner's The Privilege of the Sword the most from my science fiction/fantasy collection.

(My true "most recommended book" is The Long Ships, but it ain't sff)

[Alterjess]

It depends on who I'm recommending the book to and why.

I mean, the answer is probably still The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, but there are certain circumstances (say, this person has already read the H2G2 trilogy, or maybe I already know they hate Blackadder and Doctor Who or something) where I might go with Red/Blue/Green Mars instead. Or maybe Dune. Or Tolkien. Um. I'm cheating now, aren't I?

I love Gene Wolf to pieces but he's such a dense, difficult writer that I don't know if I'd recommend him to someone without knowing their reading habits pretty well first.

The author I've been forcing on people most lately is David Mitchell.

[Kate]

Michal wrote: "It's not so much the book I *would* recommend, but I do find myself *actually* recommending Ellen Kushner's The Privilege of the Sword the most from my science fiction/fantasy collect..."

Good choice, I read it in one sitting on Saturday. Excellent book.

[Tamahome]

Kushner's Swordspoint is one of Neil Gaiman's audiobooks. It's partly full cast. http://www.audible.com/pd?asin=B006FJ...

[terpkristin]

How can it be "partly" full cast?

[Tamahome]

terpkristin wrote: "How can it be "partly" full cast?"

Kushner reads part by herself, then other scenes are full cast. *shrug* Dune was that way, but I think they just ran out of money.

[Kate]

Tamahome wrote: "terpkristin wrote: "How can it be "partly" full cast?"

Kushner reads part by herself, then other scenes are full cast. *shrug* Dune was that way, but I think they just ran out of money."

I've listened to it and the parts where it's full cast versus the parts with single narrator all seem organic and natural. Maybe they did it for budget reasons, but it works well enough to feel planned.