Some years ago, I read more or less everything that HP Lovecraft wrote and blogged about it.
Years later, I read more or less everything Jack Vance wrote and blogged about it twice.
I have also, more recently, read almost everything that William Golding wrote, but I have not blogged about it on the basis that it may not be revelant to my readers' interests.
I have really enjoyed these projects - I have found that after a while they get a momentum of their own and motivate further reading, and there is something about getting to know an author's personal arc that itself almost functions as an overarching novel-within-a-novel: you read the fiction, but can also get an overview of the linkages between the works so as to provide a coherent whole.
I would like recommendations for other fantasy/SF/horror authors to get to grips with. Here are some baseline requirements that Must Not Be Violated:
1. The author should have published at least 7 novels.
2. The author should not be JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, George RR Martin, Brandon Sanderson, Steven Erikson, Julian May, David Eddings, China Mieville, or Gene Wolfe, because I have either read all or most of their stuff already, or know that I don't particularly like them.
RECOMMEND AWAY. And show your workings. Sell me on your recommendation!
Discworld - Terry Pratchett
ReplyDeleteTerry Pratchett - Discworld.
ReplyDeleteThese books are humurous, witty and at the same time seriously down to earth in their treatment of serious subject matter. It's 41 books total which greatly exceeds your limit of 7. If you don't want to tackle that many, the series breaks down into several "sun-series". The wizards books, the death books, the witches books, the guard books etc. I should say that some of the earlier books are weaker. They start as sword and sorcery parodies before he finds his footing as soemthing of. Their own. The author himself recommends starting with "Guards Guards".
David Gemmell.
ReplyDelete