One of the questions I am often asked is for recommendations for someone to read who loves science fiction and fantasy series.
Typically the person asking has read the Harry Potter series and/or The Lightning Thief series and/or The Hunger Games.
I don't often read series though I love science fiction and fantasy, so I never know what to recommend.
Please help me. Please share as many series as you can think of. It can be recent or old. It can be science fiction or fantasy. It can be for children or for adults.
What would you recommend?
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.
If people like Harry Potter, I always recommend Diana Wynne Jones (so much better) particularly her Chronicles of Chrestomanci, and also Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea novels. Fantasy but rooted in human nature and psychology.
ReplyDeleteFor Harry Potter fans, Black and Clare's Magisterium books, Bell's Crooked Sixpence, Nimmo's Charlie Bone, and Horowitz's Groosham Grange. For Hunger Games fans, Oppel's newer Overthrow, Lu's Legend, Aquirre's Enclave, and Jeff Hirsch's books. For Lightning Thief fans, anything in the Rick Riordan Presents series, Mbalia and Makonnen's Last Gate of the Emperor, Zhao's The Dragon Warrior, Burt's Cleo Porter. If the reader is a D&D fan, I adore O'Donnell's Homerooms and Hall Passes series. You need more, let me know!
ReplyDeleteLyzzyBee beat me to it: I completely agree with her selection of Diana Wynn Jones and Ursula LeGuin! Pullman's "Dark Materials" series is a favorite with some people, though I really liked the first volume better than the rest. The TV series is pretty good for a while too, but got a bit odd. And I love Neil Gaiman!
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I think it'd depend on what age range they're looking to read but if they're looking for middle grade fantasy, I'd definitely recommend the Nevermoor series, the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Amari and the Night Brothers and Tristan Strong! 😍
ReplyDeleteScience Fiction: Martha Welles, Andy Weir, Maria V. Snyder (she belongs in both categories), David Weber, Evan Currie.
ReplyDeleteFantasy: Intisar Khanani, Jeff Wheeler, Juliet Marillier, Laurie Forrest, Julie Kagawa, R.J. Barker, Michael J. Sullivan, Mary E. Pearson.
I didn't like or could get into Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. But a big YES to Nevermoor!! Brilliant. Anything by V.E. Schwab.
ReplyDeleteI hope will make a list of all the suggestions you get - would love to see as well.
Happy Tuesday Debs!
Tales of the Solar Clipper series by Nathan Lowell. Start with Quartermaster!
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
Lori
https://fiftytwo.blog/2021/11/15/ttt-if-you-like/
For kids, I'd recommend Nevermoor. Or, if they're looking for a realistic book with a few fantasy elements, try The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. For adults, try VE Schwab's A Darker Shade of Magic or Vicious.
ReplyDeleteThis is my husband's favorite genre! He absolutely loves Brandon Sanderson as an author, and also the Wheel of Time series.
ReplyDeleteI second Brandon Sanderson. I also HIGHLY recommend Jody Hedlund Come Back to Me, I am NOT a fantasy fan at all, but I LOVED this book and can't wait for the second one to come out in January! My post: https://cindysbookcorner.blogspot.com/2021/11/top-ten-tuesday-new-authors.html
ReplyDeleteI'll leave it to those who read that genre. Interesting recommendations so far.
ReplyDeleteFrom Charlotte via Twitter: I'd recommend the past years' #cybils elementary/MG spec fic shortlists, because not only are they all great books, they aren't just my personal ideosyncratic favorites! cybils.com/cybils-books. But if you want my own picks, the authors who live on the "bookshelves of favorites" are Kelly Barnhill, Anne Ursu, Deva Fagan, Stephanie Burgis, William Alexander, Ursula Vernon (as T. Kingfisher--a few are in the mg spectrum, Stephan Bachman, Kate Milford, and Sarah Beth Durst
ReplyDeleteI grew up reading Robert Heinlein's science fiction novels. And I think they're still great reads.
ReplyDeleteI'm not much for sci-fi/fantasy, but here are a couple of authors who write in the genre whose books I've enjoyed in the past: Blake Crouch, Brandon Sanderson, Piers Anthony, and ... that's all I've got!
ReplyDeleteHappy TTT!
For optimistic science fiction I can't recommend The Long Way To A Small Angry Planet highly enough. The sequel A Closed and Common Orbit is different but thought provoking. Both excellent. I just finished Dead Space as well by Kali wallace and it was a very good murder mystery in space and also dealt with artificial intelligence.
ReplyDeleteThe Murderbot novellas by Martha Wells are fun. And I'm fond of her book Emilie and the Hollow World. If you have a younger reader who's interested in a hollow world/ slightly steampunk flavored adventure with a fascinating merfolk culture, I recommend it. Although as an adult I enjoyed it just fine! :)
Nice twist about this week's TTT. Thanks for visiting mine about China.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big fan of sci-fi or fantasy myself but I did like The Martian by Andy Weir.
Ooh okay, this is definitely my area! So for kids/teens, I'd recommend the Cassidy Blake series by Victoria Schwab (starts with City of Ghosts), Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy. For adults, definitely the Shades of Magic trilogy by VE Schwab.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2021/11/17/top-ten-tuesday-342/
While I have read a few books (and series) and even enjoyed them, they are not a category where I can rattle off names when someone asks me :-) and glad you asked for recommendations (cool twist to the theme)..Now I can use these for my TBR..
ReplyDeleteI read a good amount of scifi - by the way, for me science-fiction in a very different category from fantasy. Unfortunately, I haven't read many series though.
ReplyDeleteI would recommend the Flood series, by Stephen Baxter.
For adults: Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series (science fiction), Sharing Knife series (fantasy), and Penric and Desdemona series (fantasy); Anne Leckie's Ancillary series (science fiction); Terry Pratchett's Discworld series (fantasy)
ReplyDeleteFor younger readers: Roshani Chokshi's Aru Shah series (fantasy); Patricia Wrede's Enchanted Forest series (fantasy); Grace Lin' 3 books starting with Where The Mountain Meets The Moon (fantasy)
I don’t read as much fantasy as I’d like but I have loved the following that are in keeping with the three you’ve mentioned: Sarah J Maas’s Throne of Glass series, The Iron Chronicles series by Kevin Hearne, Naomi Novak’s Scolomance series, & Maria V Snyder’s Chronicles of Ixia.
ReplyDeleteI'd recommend anything by N.K. Jemisin. She is the best!
ReplyDelete