Bonus points for any books you believe are classics from that time period. Any language, but only fiction please.
I’m really excited to see what Lemmy has.
- John Scalzi - Old Man’s War series and The Interdependency series
- Dennis E. Taylor - Bobiverse
I’m a big John Scalzi fan. Whenever one of his books release, it’s basically xmas for me. There have been a few less than stellar books, but overal they are very enjoyable.
Dennis E. Taylor - Bobiverse
That was pretty fun except the 4th book.
Scalzi - the first few books yes, afterwards I just lost interest and read them for the sake of reading them.
For me I enjoyed both of Scalzi’s series, the story written in a plain language but it’s still exciting and captive, with some plot twists added.
Each series is set in different universes with their own limitations.
How in the hell has George Saunders not been brought up wtf?
Terry Pratchett.
I am on 12 of 42 or however many he wrote, but damn it if his little quips aren’t masteries of word play. So far Sorcery, Wyrd Sisters, and Mort are my favorites.
I tell people it’s like living in a Monty Python universe with a dash of magic.
My favourite has always been the Colour of Magic, but along with that, I enjoyed reading Guards! Guards! to my children just as much.
Be sure to include The Amazing Maurice and Equal Rites and the Tiffany books as well; the only thing YA about them is the ages of their protagonists.
Equal Rites was great! I think that was my first introduction to Granny but I wished there was a sequel.
There kinda is. Esk shows up in I Shall Wear Midnight. Tiffany resolves a lot of the threads left by the witches
I’m more of a fan of his later works myself. It trades some silliness for depth as time goes on. And I really loved Susan who you haven’t met yet
Agreed, I’m most of the way through The Colour of Magic and I can’t remember the last time I was reading something where at times I have to stop and fully comprehend what I just read because it was so dang well written that I have to go back and read it again immediately.
And you’re on one his weaker books! 🫣
https://www.lspace.org/books/apf/index.html
This link has always been helpful for explaining his books.
That will never end. Every re-read for me is fantastic.
Older than you asked for but I’d vote for Mervyn Peake
Then one that enjoyed but never heard that much about was Sophia McDougall
Ken Follet: Pillars of the Earth. Historical fiction. You’re transported back to the 1200s. Cathedral building with raunchy politics, a bit of HBO Game of Thrones mixed in. It was extremely visual… and fondly memorable for me.
Not to mention the two sequels World without End and A Column of Fire, set in the 1400s and 1600s, respectively, and the prequel Kingsbridge set around the year 1000.
Then there’s the century trilogy which takes place in the 20th century, and a whole lot of smaller works like A Dangerous Fortune, which manages to make you care for some bankers in 19th century London.
Ray Bradbury. All his books are amazing.
Bah, I don’t feel like reading? He wrote tons of short stories.
first well known work after 1970
The Martian Chronicles was published in 1950, Fahrenheit 453 in 1953
I actually didn’t check that. I would have sworn early 70s.
Turns out I am thinking Bradbury Theater
Three names that jump to mind immediately
Octavia E. Butler
Ursula K. Le Guin
Gabriel García Márquez
Le Guin and García Márquez probably had well-known works a bit earlier than 1970 though, maybe 1960ish.
I appreciate you naming more than one female author!
Neal Stephenson
I had to scroll way too far for Stephenson. He has some ups and downs (as all creators do), but some of his novels are mind blowingly awesome.
I still rate Snow Crash as one of the most enjoyable reads.
Whatever you may think of it, it’s a non stop ride. I even enjoyed the audiobook fairly recently which has got to be getting on for 20 years since the book.
I must get his more recent works.
This book is one of those that just lives in my head, like its scenes and images pop into view whenever I’m thinking of sci-fi, especially cyberpunk.
Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon are among my favorites. I’m also a bit of a sucker for the techno-futuristic theme of the former, and echno-enthusiasm theme of the latter. Growing up as an IT geek in the 90’s made a lot of it strike a home run with me.
Rise and Fall of the D.O.D.O. is pretty cool. It’s written as an epistolary of letters, diary entries, corporate memos, and voicemails, which gives it an interesting and fun angle.
N. K. Jemison
Diamond Age is my all time favourite (although I read it just one time as I do with all books). In the current age of AI it is very relevant. If nano technology and AI will progress we’ll maybe head into the depicted scenario and I hope I’m still alive then.
Cryptonomicon, Anathem, The Baroque Cycle are wild rides and masterpieces too. Anathem was a bit hard to get into but it got really exciting after the first 300 pages (of ~1000) or so. Stephenson is a manic genius.
Gotta say, every time I go out and look at the moon I can’t help but wonder what would happen if it somehow exploded. Then I find myself wondering why I’m not in an asteroid-mining ship and end up questioning all my life choices.
An asteroid-mining ship with a strap-on atomic bomb that is. It’s a good time to become a monk and live behind the safe walls of a monastery harboring the collected knowledge of our world. Maybe you’ll get your chance to be the first on board.
Octavia Butler and her likely prophetic Sower series on how US descent is gonna occur
Sarah Waters
David Foster Wallace
Stephen King
Haruki Murakami
Kurt Vonnegut
Toni Morrison
Just a few names that popped into my head
Edit: some of these are based on popular opinions. For example, I never really got into Toni Morrison
Love DFW
Vonnegut is wonderful but his first book is 1950s and his greatest success is likely the 1960s. Question asked post 1970.
Yeah, I knew he started in the 50s. But you’re right, I looked it up and some of his notable stuff was earlier than I thought
I’m happy to see someone else mention Murakami.
I went on tear in university—a long time ago now—reading everything that had been translated to English by then. And, while they had the most bizarro plots, I found them to be the most compelling reads, wanting to read more and more, until I ran out of things to read.
He definitely deserves a place on this list.
Neil Gaiman
Haruki Murakami. I’ve liked everything he’s written up to 1Q84. I’m sure his newer stuff is good tooI just haven’t caught up to them yet lol
If you want something more like hard sci-fi/cyberpunk, I recommend the Otherland series by Tad Williams. It’s seriously probably the best modern sci-fi I’ve ever read
Have you read the expanse and if so, is it better than the expanse?
I have not read The Expanse yet, but it looks like a good series!
Its absolutely incredible IMO. Was hoping you had to compare it. Guess I’ll just have for ead other land and decide for myself. What a shame lol.
I have read the first book of the Expanse. I liked it but didn’t find any connection to Murakami, perhaps in later novels?
I have no idea what you’ve just said
He died in 1982 but his works are hugely influential:
Philip K Dick.Cory Doctorow and I suggest reading Walkaway. I found it transformative.
Little Brother too, very good.
