/lit/ - Literature

When you anons refer to Malazan do you guys include esselmounts books as well as Erikson's?

Personally I do. Some of esselmounts were my favorite. I think I got lucky by following a chronological recommend reading order when I read through them, the world was so much bigger and everything just fit.
The only things I didn't read until after the main series were the 3 prequel books and forge of darkness/fall of light

I just finished Shadow of the Torturer and honestly I'm a little disappointed. Felt completely aimless as soon as he left the citadel. I liked the Wizard Knight books and the island of doctor death better. Should I keep going to the next book?

>>20614832
keep going to the next book or skip to Latro, that is
which is a shame because everyone endlessly talks about botns as his best work

I finally decided to read it and I was surprised by it. It was short, fun, action-packed, milscifi and I loved every second of it. I highly recommend it If you guys just want military sci fi.

Requesting cute and funny fantasy.

>>20614797
Maybe this is just me, but does anyone else get this anxious after finishing after finishing a good book? I had that feeling when I recently finish Shards of Earth. it was better than I had expected it to be. It was a neat space opera intermixed with some Lovecraftian elements that somehow worked. Maybe I’m just overthinking it.

>>20614802
>When you anons refer to Malazan do you guys include esselmounts books as well as Erikson's?
No, I think people just refer to the main series, unless stated otherwise. I could be wrong though. Would you recommend the esselmounts books?

>>20615036
yes, highly recommend they are all pretty great
esselmounts basically follow the journey of the crimson guard like erikson follows the bridgeburners/bonehunters

>>20614973
All the time, but for me it's like a "what now" malaise. It can be hard to pick up a new book if that feeling is too strong, but I always do and it goes away.

>>20614802
>Malazan
I lost the will to keep on reading after Chain of Dogs, but I was planning on reading Malazan again in the near future. Should I start with the 3 prequel books first?

>>20615069
For me, it’s different. The feeling is more of that I’ll soon run out of good books to read. Which is why I’m starting to come around on the Amazon self-publish novels.

>>20615086
No, they are better read after I think.
Honestly there are no real big spoilers in there, but they shine a light on intentions of some characters that you don't really know until later in the main series though.

But actually you could read the first book, it does introduce a few good characters that appear later in esselmounts books. The first book was my favorite desu.

Where can I get more information on the Witch-Lord of Angmar at the battle at Fornost? The prologue doesn't say much.

>Chapter 488
>Page 12756 of 42397
It's starting to feel like I may never finish ISSTH

>>20615402
Don't worry, realised it's in the appendices.

read cradle

>>20615463
I will!

>A hole appeared in the metal plate. Fast as I could, I reached through, grasped the surprised elf-like creature by his long, silver hair, and pulled. The moment I pulled his head through the hole, Donut snapped off the spell.
>I let go, and the severed head dropped to the ground, mouth still open wide.
>“What was that, bitch? I didn’t quite get that last part,” I said.
fuck yeah seaking

hey guys i made this, if anyone could put it in the mega folder i would be grateful

Why has janny been nuking the thread lately?

>>20615813
People have been reporting shitposters more and the useless newfag mods delete the full thread instead of doing anything about the actual problem(s).
Remember: Janitors cannot delete threads, only mods. However, a janitor CAN delete individual posts.

>>20615680
Temeraire? Wtf? It's not a shit book, but boring as fuck, but what's libertarian about it? Dragons getting their rights (dumb as fuck sotryline btw)? Anti-imperalistic because Napoleon? Abolition of slavery plot-point? None of those are relevant in any greater way to the story as a whole, where are those libertarian themes. How does the author understand 'libertarian' term anyway?

>>20613824
That's because WoT is terrible. Fourteen books that are barely worth reading unless the only thing you care about is world building. The simple truth is that most epic fantasy series are deeply flawed. I love Malazan, but it's mostly for my fellow schizos.

>>20615479
What an interesting sort of murder to be intensely gratified by.

>>20614802
I can't speak for other anons. I haven't read any of Essel's books and probably never will. I only refer to the ten books in Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. I don't intend to read more books in that universe until I've read these ones twice.

>>20615200
There's not enough hours in the days left in the rest of my life to run out of good books even if I could magically double my reading speed. You must be a pretty special.

>>20616226
>What an interesting sort of murder to be intensely gratified by.
Murder of a bully, especially one that bullied the murderer when they were a child.

>>20616226
>>20616367
Ah fuck, I thought it was a qustion, sorry anon

>>20616367
Yes, I could tell that from the context. Revenge fantasy fulfillment porn.

>>20615463
i downloaded the first 3 books
read the first page
"something something chinese temple"
closed the tab
deleted all the files
simple as

>>20614797
Since it's the monthly theme for the GR group is self-published works, here's some self-published resources that I came across. If the thread is archived, this can also be found in the GR group or warosu.

Patreon statistics
https://graphtreon.com/top-patreon-creators/writing
https://graphtreon.com/top-patreon-creators/adult-writing

Self-Published Science Fiction Competition
https://thespsfc.org/2021-results/

The Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off 2022
http://mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2022/05/spfbo-8-self-published-fantasy-blog-off.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-Published_Fantasy_Blog-Off

For lack of similar:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/r9hic0/rfantasys_top_selfpublished_novels_2021_results/

This self-pubbed author's blog is attempting to be a hub for new self-pub releases.
https://www.robjhayes.co.uk/blog/

LitRPG releases
https://www.reddit.com/r/litrpg/comments/vou73y/july_2022_releases_promotions/

A somewhat amusing history
https://thedude3445.quinlancircle.com/2020/03/30/2010-2019-the-web-fiction-community/

I'm including this again since it was recently asked about:
>>/lit/thread/S19900659#p19908116

>>20614797
The Dragon's Banker - Scott Warren (2019)

The Dragon's Banker is exactly what it seems like based on the title. A banker is forced to be in service to a dragon for the purpose of transitioning his wealth from the old economic system to the new one that's entirely fiat. It's set in a mostly standard fantasy world. There are humans, nomadic elves, dwarves who only live in the cold, jungle-dwelling orcs, goblin laborers, and a new race that's humanoid and loves blasting powder. Dragons have become a myth. Magic exists, but has very little place in the story. Overall, I'd describe this story as jaunty.

The focus is on matters relating to the dragon's investments from start to finish. Economics are involved, but more so in brief theoretical terms and practical applications than anything that requires much understanding of how it works. The only adventure is that which is required of the financial endeavors, whether that be traveling for a week to complete a trade deal in person or testing out new discoveries to corner the market. As a banker, physical conflict is avoided whenever possible as he hasn't the slightest martial prowess. There's some intrigue on his part, but not much. Romance and similar matters are almost non-existent.

This standalone novel is told in a straightforward manner without much depth to the plot, characters, setting, ideas, or whatever else. I primarily derived enjoyment from its simple pleasures and that it was different than much else I've read. I didn't dislike anything about it, which makes it all the more unfortunate that it wasn't better developed and didn't fully commit to its ideals. I suppose that would've made for a different book that as a social fantasy may have been less accessible and with lesser appeal, maybe. For me this put it in an position where if I read more that's similar but better done, I may have to later lower its estimation. However, for now I'll give it the benefit of the doubt as a fun self-published read and encourage those whose find it interesting to give it a try.

Rating: 3.5/5

A novelette is included at the end which has seemingly nothing to do with the book called "Forgo Quest". It's a parody of The Chosen One and similar tropes. There's almost nothing to it aside from that idea, so it's more like an extended comedy skit than anything else. Even so, I found it rather amusing.
Enjoyable

>>20615874
Tbh I don't remember, the lecture was almost 3 months ago and I only wrote down Naomi Novik, so I put Temeraire in there.
Maybe he was talking about something different from her? I remember him saying some story like:
>world with mages
>rich minority of mages live happily secluded in safe magical villages or some shit where they cant be harmed
>living in them is a huge privilegium
>most of mages don't and have to live in fear (of maybe inqusition? i dont remember)
>young mages go to some schools and the poor have to serve those from the safe communities and hope they will let them live there
SPOILERS for this unknown book
> now the main character instead of trying to overcome the rich mages finds a way to create more of these safe spots thus being epicly uncommunist and libertarian

>>20615874
>>20616688
But I remember him saying that he doesn't know her but she must be libertarian because that's libertarian way of thinking.
Yeah this book must have been from her.

>>20616688
That's not Temeraire then

>>20615680
He's missing L Neil Smith's Probability Broach and J Neil Schulman's Alongside Night

>>20615680
What about...
"The Probability Broach" by L. Neil Smith
"The Rainbow Cadenza" by J. Neil Schulman
"Rash" by Pete Hautman
"Fair New World" by Lou Tafler

>>20616688
Can anyone confirm if what I'm describing is Scholomance? (Deadly Education, The last Graduate, The Golden Enclaves)

>>20616772
>>20616812
I'll write them down a perhaps will make a simple libertarian chart in the future.

>>20616874
That's not it, chief

>>20616914
Unclear if intentionally silly or not for ignoring the author.

>>20616914
Looks hot. Anyway I'm pretty sure it's the Scholomance trilogy. I also remember hearing about a Noviks book where the main character is a jewish moneylander, so I'll add that too.
Here's the final chart

Truly the worse crime one could commit is the crime of cutting off a daoists path

>>20615200
Dude it's physically impossible to read every good book. Maybe what you have is a dopamine problem.

>>20614797
What are you reading and what are you planning to read?

>>20616226
It was a quick simple kill.
>'mini-boss' enemy talking mad shit
>plans to flay Carl and keep him alive while he inflicts untold amounts of pain upon him
>gets boop'd mid-sentence and beheaded
lulz
It was the last 2 pages in the chapter that I finished when I woke up.

>>20593650
came to this part just now.
it was well done, gay shit like this is often fairly heavy handed but i thought they handled this quite tastefully.
also i don't really mind any of the liscor subplots, it's the more distant ones that are bothering me.

>>20614973
>but does anyone else get this anxious after finishing after finishing a good book?
yes, because i'll feel anxious about the fact that i'll never read anything new set in that universe again

>>20615463
>I will read Cradle

I can't wait to keep track of how many times I read the word "Apologies" in book ELEVEN of the epic Cradle series!!!

>>20617173
Gratitude, me too.

>>20617173
It never ceases to amaze how easily offended by most the most trivial of details.

>>20617202
Isn't hyper-fixation on details like that a sign of actual, irl medical autism?

>>20617202

>>20617231
Trivial details have become you most offended now as well, as was planned.

If seeing people discuss Cradle causes you to fly into an autistic rage you should probably take a vacation from /sffg/ for a week or so since the next book drops in 3 days.

>>20617349
>>20617354
Nobody is offended or "flying into a blind rage" over Cradle, crossboarders.

>>20617081
If TWI has one strength, it's authentic portrayal of people and their emotions. Not as good with making them intelligent, but characters themselves are consistently great.

>>20617367
You're not fooling anybody. Also
>crossboarders
Been here since the general got started. I still remember when /lit/ first discovered BoTNS and completely flooded the board with Wolfe memes back in 2016.

Is The Mask of the Sorcerer actually good? I read a short story by the author today and it felt like I was reading Kneel Gayman.

>>20617404
>basic pattern recognition is autism
Being here since ~2014 still makes you new, as does your behavior. You're better off in hugboxes like progfant where it's bannable to critique Cradle.

So Tao Wong, the dude who wrote A Thousand Li and System Apocalypse, trademarked the term 'System Apocalypse', got some authors removed from Amazon, and has since been doxxed with a whole lot of surprising negative backlash from the social-aggregate goons. kek

>>20617414
Still not leaving.
Still going to discuss fantasy books in /sffg/.
Cope and seethe.

>>20617433
You think he'll try to backpedal out of it or double down?

>>20617354
>>20617404
>>20617435
Stop trying to stir up shit. It’s genuinely pathetic. Get a life instead of shitposting here 24/7.

>>20617433
Soulless chink "literature" moment.
I thought you couldn't trademark terms and phrases like that though, and that's why "reaction videos" couldn't be copyrighted back when these guys tried to do it?

>>20617447
He already doubled-down in a post yesterday about it. I'm not sure what will happen from here on out.
>>20617453
People were immediately saying that he wasn't even that influential within his genre, just that he was early, if anything, and 'System Apocalypse' is a vague phrase/term anyhow although it seems to be legitimate, considering.

>>20617453
Trademark and copyright are different things. Copyright is you claiming something as a unique creative work of your own mind. Trademark is about brand recognition and brand protection. "Apple computers" for example couldn't be copyrighted because it's not unique enough to qualify as a creative work. But it works as a protected trademark because people might try to pass of bootleg computers as an "Apple computer" and trademark exists to protect that.

If Wong wanted to take the authors he got removed from amazon to court he'd have to prove that they are trying to pass off their books as being under the "System Apocalypse" brand. He probably wouldn't be able to do this, but it's less of a headache for Amazon to just take them down anyway.

>>20617433
>>20617447
THe mods on /r/progressionfantasy are spineless, instead of helping the community in ostracizing the fucker from any self-publish sphere they are more concerned with people being mean to Tao Wong.

Fuck no, the guy is a scum and piece of shit, destroying people's livehoods and sources of income over his fucking ego. He's so fucking mad that his 'System Apocalypse' series is so shit that it isn't even in the top 15 of the works in system apocalypse genre. And he's not even the progenitor of the genre, the idea came from the east. What a stupid, cowardly retard.

>>20617508
>THe mods on /r/progressionfantasy
At least half, if not all, are progfant authors.
>Salaris - Arcane Ascension author who temp banned me because I posted about how I didn't like Bloodline
>JohnBierce - Mage Errant author
>BryceOConnor - Iron Prince author
>CelticCernunnos - The Enchanter author
Idk the other two. One posts in /teenagers lol and the other sounds just as young.

>>20617508
>>20617540
We make fun of jannies going on powertrips but Reddit mods are bare minimum 10 times as pathetic. Subreddit mods lord over these weird tiny internet fiefdoms and demand you show respect and admiration for the most inept and sad kind of people. No matter how bad 4chan gets reddit will always be worse. At least if a janny puts on a trip and starts bragging about how much authority they have and telling people what they can/cannot post they get fired the next day. Reddit mods are expected/encouraged to do that shit.

>>20617447
Here's the double-down post I mentioned.

What does /lit/ think of Silverberg?

>>20617582
Not super knowledgeable about the litrpg scene but I'm doubtful these claims were made in good faith. One anon mentioned System Apocalypse is wasn't well received so I doubt the books he had taken down were intentionally trying to ape it's credibility or name recognition.

>>20617582
Calling it "mistworld" rather than Mistborn or Cosmere. Also, the first example is bad as well. There are so many better examples that could've been easily used, but I guess he's ignorant of them, or at least they didn't come to mind.

>>20617624
I did see a post that claimed Wong's SysApoc books weren't even in the top 15 of the genre lol
>>20617634
I noticed that too. I was thinking "is Mistworld supposed to be Mistborn"?

https://www.mylifemytao.com/copyrighting-the-system-apocalypse/

April Fool's joke from 2019. Turns out a few years later it was no longer a joke

>>20617655
Holy shit what happened? Did he get talked into doing this by an IP lawyer or something?

>>20617540
>Iron Prince author
Oh that's why they talk about that book there. It's not very good. Mage Errant and Arcane Ascension are at least solid, but Iron Prince felt weirdly shilled for being just... All set-up.

>>20617665
The self publishing industry is just as nepotic and incestuous as the regular publishing industry it seems.

>>20617644
Mistworld is a series, but I don't think that was the intent.

>>20617597
You might want to ask in the next thread, this thread is lost because reddit refugees are talking about shit no one cares about.

>>20617655
I hope somebody posts that on progfant. I think somebody from here already made a bread.
>>20617665
Mage Errant has a lot of weird underage gay sex and Arcane Ascension turns its MC gay at the end of the first book. They all have their issues. Iron Prince was just babbys first shounen
>>20617696
Agreed.

>>20617707
Mage Errant has sex between characters who're I think considered adults in universe but underage to us, and gay sex between characters who're way older. And the latter is mostly just used to characterise the mentor as being a bit of a fucking dipshit. Arcane Ascension doesn't turn him gay (because he was never set up as NOT being romantically into guys), he's just asexual but romantically into anybody. I have my issues with them but those are fucking not a thing to care about for me.

So, is this thread just going to talk about some literal who author that nobody ever discusses here because of one thing that doesn’t affect us?

>>20617742
Yep.

>>20617742
We do occasionally discuss A Thousand Li but it is weird. I always assumed "system apocalypse" was just a term, and he happened to be the one to pick it for the name of his series.

>>20617724
Would you say it's worth reading despite the issues? How's it compare to say, Mother of Learning?

>>20617745
>We do occasionally discuss A Thousand Li but it is weird
No you guys don’t. Outside of a few who have dined reviews this is literally the first time it’s been talked about.

>>20617756
>aside of the times it was talked about it's not talked about
You okay man?

>>20617756
It's not discussed quite as commonly as some of the other self published stuff but it still comes up about as often as Beware of Chicken or Mother of Learning. Really not sure what you mean.

>>20617749
Which, Mage Errant? I'd say it has a more cleanly defined magic, and it has good character interactions compared to MoL (which is a low bar because MoL lacks in that almost entirely). Its plot is a bit more ramshackle, and Hugh is a less-defined character than Zorian, but it's more an ensemble cast situation anyway so Hugh being a relatively weak protagonist isn't as bad. Later books suffer from bloat and scope creep, I think. The series keeps getting longer because Bryce doesn't wanna just stop, it seems, and yet the latest book felt like filler.

>>20617597
For me it's Robert Sheckley.

>>20617796
We need to RETVRN to 70s sci-fi and fantasy cover art. This minimalism shit everyone does nowadays is the worst.

>>20617742
>>20617743
let's be honest, we're completely out of books to talk about in these threads. no one actually comes to them to discuss literature anymore, euthanizing the general would be a blessing

>>20617813
Discussion still happens though. The general is still far better off than it used to be when Bakker and anti-Bakker autists would have shouting matches that would span several threads at a time. I also don't have a problem reading/discussing self published progfantasy and Vietnam era sff in equal measure. All in all I'm pretty happy here really.

>>20617794
>Later books suffer from bloat and scope creep, I think. The series keeps getting longer because Bryce doesn't wanna just stop, it seems, and yet the latest book felt like filler.
Would you say it's worth getting into now or should I wait till ME finishes up and see if the ending sucks or not?

>>20617813
Just because you don't regularly read doesn't mean that the rest of us don't. There is a neverending plethora of books to discuss but normalfags want to talk about ASoIaF/WoT/Cosmere/Malazan/BotNS/etc. ad nauseum.

>>20617813
This is literally the first time I’m hearing Tao or whatever the fuck his name is. It’s really obvious the people who bring up whatever is happening don’t really care and just want to vent about Reddit or something.

>>20617806
I've bought so many trash paperbacks from the used book store just because they have good-looking, intriguing covers. I seriously think genre fiction could be saved if there was more to look at than amorphous blobs and giant lettering.

>>20617837
I believe there's only one more book planned. I'm not exactly super excited, but I'll say I generally really enjoyed books 2, 3 and 4. Book 1 is a bit of a weird mess, the pacing is all over the place, but the next few are pretty good adventure stories.

>>20617742
>this thread just going to talk about some literal who author that nobody ever discusses here because of one thing that doesn’t affect us?
Sadly yes. I would have understood if it was one of the big names, but this is such a literal who, that I don't understand why people even bring it up.

>>20617870
Because it's a relevant thing to fantasy, even if only somewhat? We can talk about things like that in here, you know.

>>20617870
>but this is such a literal who, that I don't understand why people even bring it up.
The jannies deleted the posts, but I think it was just an excuse to talk about Reddit mods. Which kind of explain why they brought it up in the first place.

>>20617697
>>20617742
>>20617844
Stop trying to stir up shit. It’s genuinely pathetic. Get a life instead of shitposting here 24/7.

>>20617846
>why yes, I always judge books by their cover

>>20615680
>no Aristillus
Yikes.

>>20615680
I've heard people say The Sword of Truth has libertarian themes but haven't read it so I can't confirm.

>>20617923
>I've heard people say The Sword of Truth has libertarian themes but haven't read it so I can't confirm.
It isn't, it has Objectivism themes.

>>20617796
Hitchhiker's Guide ripped this guy off so hard

>>12228811
kek, 2018 was the first time "Tao Wong" was mentioned and it was some guy complaining about System Apocalypse.

>>20617929
Don't the two kind of compliment one another?

>>20617915
If the publisher didn't deem the book worthy of having a decent cover commissioned then obviously it's not worthy of my time. Simple as.

>>20617940
No, and Rand said as much.

thoughts on larry niven?

>>20617413
I liked it. It's basically about a boy who's thrust into the dark and insane world of sorcery in a fantasy version of Egypt. I saw it described as 'Harry Potter in Hell' which actually put me off from reading it at first, but it ended up being fairly apt; just not in a gay cringe sorta way you might imagine.

>>20618175
I never even heard of Darrell Schweitzer. That novel and The Shattered Goddess sound good.

>>20617742
I'm interested. I read one of his Adventures on Brad books, which seemed mushy and unfocused but I wanted to give System Apocalypse a shot because I thought it was early system apocalypse, at least in the west. So with just that much attachment this meltdown in amusing.

>>20617388
>TWI
what is this?

>>20617413
It was recommended to me here and I really, really liked it.
Some passages read a bit like a feverdream or a trance, I found it captivating and enjoyable.

>>20618484
I was the one who recommended it to you.

>>20618478
i think it's the wandering inn based on past threads, yet another litrpg webnovel or something from the posts about it

>>20618521
>litrpg
eugh

Everyone expects Cersei to be the big death in Winds but I think she'll survive and wind up fleeing to Casterly Rock at the end of the book and the big death will be Sam and here's why:
>Sam manages to stop whatever Euron is doing in Old Town is hailed as a hero in.
>Joncon confesses to Aegon about his Greyscale, Aegon employs this in his seige warfare by infecting people but tells Joncon to go and see Sam to go and get treatment who discovers some sort of ailment for it that prevents the spread but doesn't 100% cure it
>Joncon finds documents in Sam's belongings that confirms Aegon is a fake but he's so disillusioned with being lied too and not wanting to disappoint Rhaegar he burns the documents, then kills Sam being the only one who knows the truth
>Aegon manages to take King's Landing but considering Joncon's actions with Sam this drives him crazy knowing his whole thing with Aegon has been a lie and proceeds to burn everything down after finding out about the Wildfyre underneath KL

Thoughts?

>>20618635
he's never going to finish the books mate

When does the avalanche start?

>>20618686
It's a Sanderson book so nothing will get resolved until the last 10% when everything is all at once.

>>20618684

He's been giving more updates about it lately I'd say he's on the last 1/3rd of it or so. He's probably done with Cersei, Tyrion, and Jaime/Brienne stuff in Winds

>>20618706
He's been acting like he's on the last 1/3rd of it for about 8 years now, and always while plugging a new unrelated project. Even if he does finish this volume, he'd need to be alive and cogent at 98 to finish the series. It's not happening.

he's gonna release the last 2 books at once

>>20618771
He's not releasing a damn thing. Sandermeme is going to finish them from his notes when he dies

banging this chubby zoomer & what do i see when she's riding me

>>20618635
>ailment
is there a word similar to this that means cure? i could swear there is but i can't think of it

>>20618922
panacea?

>>20618635
also that seems a pretty bad plot ngl
>>20618779
sando has already said he won't

Gay necromancers in space

>>20618993
For how much it's bigged up on that notion, Gideon the Ninth has surprisingly little space stuff, and very little on the lesbian front.

>>20618993
i want some sort of continuation now that raised by wolves is cancelled

>>20617840
The thing is anon, unless all you read is one genre of fiction and nothing else, there's very little time to read obscure books that might appeal to a gentleman autist such as yourself and most of us start with the popular recommendations. This means that plebian nose pickers like myself will never find the time to discuss your favorite butt picking novel even though I'm probably older and much more widely read than you are. It's simple math.

>>20617923
It's mostly about ass rape with magic wands. Though I think that's a few books in.

>>20618862
Normally this isn't the kind of photo people are taking when they're banging chubby zoomers, but I agree that woman has shit taste anon.

>>20619092
>5 hour old post
>I'm older than you
>btw youre an autist
lol

>>20618779
>>20618937
He knows he won't be considered for the job because he's not a tribesman. Whoever they hire will do an even worse job.

>>20614797
With the Witcher, I feel like I’m taking crazy pills with how everyone but me reacts to Ciri.
Ciri parts are boring as hell. The pseudo-parental thing with Geralt is cute, but that’s only a small piece of her parts and the rest are just boring overpowered character being petulant and/or doing overpowered things. Each successive book has more Ciri and it makes each successive book a little bit worse to me.
But everyone else loves her.

>>20619172
Is that a direct quote from Sando?

If anyone is going to go finish for GRRM it's David Abraham as he's already an established and popular author, friends with GRRM, and has already written stuff for the series.

>>20619263
Daniel, rather than David.

>>20619224
>is sando going to redpill the kids on jewish nepotism
I mean, it would be hilarious if he did, but I'm not placing any bets.

GRRM supposedly has given absolute orders that no one is allowed to do anything with anything if he dies.

>>20616250
I think you are missing out, they are great

>>20618635
If you need half a novella of bad fanfic to justify a theory, it's a shit theory.

>>20619296
Yeah, we all know how that worked out for Franz Kafka.

>>20618635
Ugh. Thank you for reminding me what a soap opera it turned out to be.
I'm so glad I stopped caring about that series.

>>20619296
Big ask from a shape shifting degen with no heirs.

>>20619018
at least there's some necromancy

>>20614832
Yes jeep going. The overall aim takes awhile to become clear but the adventures increase in intensity. Books 3 and 4 especially are just absolute kino.

>>20619329
True, though Gideon doesn't really get involved. Honestly my main complaint about the book is how frankly irrelevant Gideon is. I keep meaning to read Harrow, because it looks a lot more interesting, but genuinely the perspective is just putting me off.

>It's a "Meng Hao spends 30 years dipping his feet in water then another 10 years meditating at the bottom of the ocean" paragraph

Brave New World really hits different when you're reading it in 2022. Maybe the consoomer meme isn't just a meme.

>>20619345
I always find it weird how flippant some cultivation stories can become about time. On the one hand, sure, it makes sense that given how long these people live a decade isn't that much, but it's still weird to just skip over so much time like that.

>>20619355
>All this takes a long time to describe but actually takes place instantly
>50 years later...

>>20619359
Do any of them do interesting stuff with these time jumps? Like, explore the ramifications of 50 years of change to other people and the world, or is it just brushed off because xianxia?

>>20618922
aliment means food.
medicament is another word for medicine
alleviate is a verb meaning to relieve symptoms

>>20619366
You already know the answer, why bother asking.

>>20619366
ISSTH's sense of scale and time is bass akwards. It was stated earlier that the Western Desert was so large it would take a thousand years to walk across it, and then they fly across it in an undisclosed number of years.

>>20619378
God, it's amazing how they can make such a spectacle creeped thing sound so fucking mundane. In a terrible way, but it's impressive.

>>20619203
because geralt is basically a silent second rate protag and main characters are actually females, therefore witcher series is garbage

New Neal Asher book, ayyy
terrible covers, I know, but it's the relevant book

I've eventually read though all of this author's 'Polity' stuff
I really, really, like him. Not to be snobbish: But I'll be the first to acknowledge that he's not for everyone
You'll have to appreciate what he does with his made up flora/fauna, technology and politics. That's something only a special brand of autistic people will be fully able to do. Spending 10 pages to describe alien crab sex, lmao

Just feel like this author is criminally underappreciated by people who are into the dry serious (often military) scifi stuff
His action scenes feel like REAL action, they are exiting. There's also very well executed body-horror, if you are into that.

Only things that stood as not good to me. Was something I couldn't help but view as out-dated political commentary, in his older books.
Bit too much repetition of concepts the reader already have been introduced to. As a symptom of the books not being a whole series, like you can jump in at different spots, right?
That problem would be lessened, if I read the books over a longer span of time, or my memory was worse.

>>20614797
What resources do you use for naming science fiction and/or fantasy characters, especially if you want their names to have meaning? If you just use baby name sites, which do you use?

What about naming locations?

>>20619343
I thought it was hilarious that the main character 'held a vow of silence' and didn't speak for 60% of the book. Effectively making her a non-person/presence in her own story
Some good humour (IMO) came of that.

I'm reading Harrow right now. There's a lot more stuff going on. I like it.
But it's doing a similar-ish thing, were something is impinging on the MC to act weird.

>>20619415
Why are you asking us this? We’re not the writing general.

>>20619415
We're not the writing general. >>20616933

>>20617915
Unironically, if the cover is bad, the book is bad, and if the cover is good, the book is good.

>>20619263
isn't that ty frank?

>>20619423
That feels like a weird decision, it means you effectively don't really see the protagonist's true self. With Gideon you at least had her thoughts going on, but Harrow's got that second person thing from a more external view, so we're mostly just seeing her actions without quite as much of a look in her head.

>>20619401
>Neal Asher
Where to start ?

>>20619438
Ty Franck was an assistant to GRRM, but Daniel Abraham has done the graphic novel adaptations and some other stuff. That being said, supposedly they won't be doing it though as according to Ty Franck.

why is chinese scifi so much better than western scifi?

>>20619300
It's more about being realistic for me. There are only so many books I can read in a year. It's been decades since I reread some of my favorite books. New books aren't really a priority at this point.

>>20619474
lol
lmao

>>20619474
If you mean webfiction then you are exceedingly silly.

>>20619484
You've entered the age of nostalgic stagnation.

>>20619453
Gridlinked - if you want to start at the "start", some of the ideas in this book may be a bit.. cliched, let's call them classic sci fi

If you rather want to read about the biology of creepy crawlys, you can try The Skinner
Or if you want something that feels more modern, Dark Intelligence, which is more like a spooky mystery story


I read the books out of order, because I randomly bought one while stuck at an airport. And I honestly don't think it hurt the experience much.
That said, I'd recommend starting with Gridlinked

The stand alone books: The Scorpion and Prador Moon, being the least impressive of the books

>>20619474
Greater intellectual honesty

>>20619508
Nice euphemism

>>20619474
As if. Nothing censored by the ChiCom party will ever achieve greatness.

>>20619474
china is on the up and filled with patriotic fervor while the west is collapsing and everyone wants to tear down western history and culture

how come it is china and not freedom island® gaywan that is taking the world of sci-fi and fantasy by storm?

>>20619474
Are you talking about 3 body problem?

>>20619578
This conversation would be so much easier if you named specific books

>>20619578
Taiwan is more Japanese in nature.

>>20619263
imagine being an author friend of GRRM and knowing he's trying to groom you to finish his series. grim

>>20619636
haunting

>>20619474
>reads 1 chapter of three body problem

>>20619617
Post Great Leap Forward China isn't Chinese by any reasonable standard.

>>20619687
I don't care.

>>20619652
I finished Death's End the other day and I think CX might've won the spot for my most hated character to date.

>>20619652
I thought the part were Sophon larped as a Japanese swordwoman and started bisecting Australians was really weird
then later on the Trisolarans were like: No hard feelings okay? Our planet exploded, but we'll help you humans out for free now
what happened to them being monsters?

that remind me, the ending of the first book. The aliens broadcast the message: YOU ARE BUGS
then ended communication
then the next book, they are playing all kinds of nice
and it isn't pretend, they are being helpful without getting anything in return

I get that they were not supposed to be diplomatically savvy, but this just seems so dumb , on both alien and human part
couldn't the trisolarians like, just not have sent that message?

>>20619484
They expand the world a lot, if you do reread, I'd at least add in return of the crimson guard and stonewielder in the appropriate chronological place, both are really good.
Night of knives can be skipped if you are trying to lesson your reading, it's a prequel even to the Malazan main series but kind of small of scale, nothing really happens you wouldn't already know from the main series.

Orb scepter throne is very good, returns to darujistan and lots of crossover there since events of the main series.

Blood and bone is quite separate, goes back to the focus of the crimson guard and includes lots of kallor and ardata stuff.
Assail is the culmination of the crimson guard storyline and actually has a shit ton of world lore. It's set after the crippled god too.

If I was to ranks the esselmount books, not including the 3 prequels about dancer and shadowthrone it would go

Stonewielder>return of the crimson guard >orb scepter throne>Assail>blood and bone>night of knives

The three that are most closely tied with the main series would be return of the crimson guard, orb scepter throne and stonewielder.

>>20619474
>why is chinese scifi so much better than western scifi?

>>20619687
oh, but the americanized ex-japanese colony inhabited by yue barbarians is?

Name 3 good western scifi books that has been published the last 10 years

>>20619572
China has a massively overinflated real estate bubble (ghost cities? really?), a godawful amount of nonperforming debt, and a stupid 'zero COVID' policy that causes them to lockdown and destroy their own economy (and people) at the drop of a hat.
Look up 'lying flat', 'let it rot', and 'last generation' if you think China has any future.
It will grow old before it grows rich.
And they have no one to blame but themselves.

>>20619780
>I thought the part were Sophon larped as a Japanese swordwoman and started bisecting Australians was really weird
Same, all the Japanese larp came out of nowhere
>then later on the Trisolarans were like: No hard feelings okay? Our planet exploded, but we'll help you humans out for free now what happened to them being monsters?
All things considered, it's implied that although they had the intention of taking over the solar system, they had some degree of respect towards some aspects of human civilization, that's why they were willing to let people live after the deterrence ended
>The aliens broadcast the message: YOU ARE BUGS. couldn't the trisolarians like, just not have sent that message?
At first, the Trisolarians didn't understand the concept of omitting stuff or not saying what's on their mind because they communicated over thoughts. They did end up learning it later though
>then the next book, they are playing all kinds of nice
By the third book they play nice because they wanted humanity to drop their guard and make Cheng Xin the Swordholder, because that would mean the end of the deterrence
>I get that they were not supposed to be diplomatically savvy, but this just seems so dumb , on both alien and human part
I agree. Although you gotta take into account that in the universe you have humanity going through centuries, so public opinion and stuff like that is bound to change.

>>20619885
What does "good" mean? If it means you enjoyed them, that isn't possible to do.

>>20619894
>Look up 'lying flat', 'let it rot', and 'last generation' if you think China has any future.
those are just bottom of the pyramid incel freaks. if you take them as a sign that china will collapse then you should do the same for the west if you're not being intellectually dishonest
>It will grow old before it grows rich.
it's already rich
>inb4 gpd per capita
no one cares about that shit. china's economy is already almost the size of the us or larger by some metrics

>>20619885
N. K. Jemisin's -
The Fifth Season
The Obelisk Gate
The Stone Sky

:^)

>>20619928
Three Hugo's in a row!

>>20619894
Economies aren't real

>>20619915
okay chang go get crushed by a collapsing tofu dreg project

I can’t wait for this thread to be deleted due to all the off-topic bullshit.

>>20619825
Return of The Crimson Guard was one of my favourite malazan books.

>>20619942
>https://www.theb1m.com/video/san-francisco-millennium-tower-retrofit
:|

>>20619956
At this point, the only people who still wonder why /sffg/ threads are getting deleted are either the shitposters who don't care, or actual retards.

>>20619885
Jack Glass, Twenty Trillion Leagues Under the Sea, The Thing Itself, all by Adam Roberts

>>20619915
>incel freaks
More like, large portions of your youth.
Your youth are your future.
And they're no longer along for the ride.
>it's already rich
Not when you factor in the staggering amount of debt...much of which is in the "shadow economy".
Large portions of Chinese gold are counterfeit, too.
I'm so glad your system is too corrupt, insular, and self-serving to correct itself.

>>20619941
Okay

>>20619928
literally who?
>>20619972
onions millennialcore

China just keeps winning.
Why is China so imaginative and alive buzzing with ideas while western authors are simplistic retards?

>>20619994
Did you have any other Chinese books in mind? Or is it this 1 book

>>20619997
Why are you replying to the shitposter?

>>20619978
>More like, large portions of your youth.
they're literally not. now think about this:
in china incels and nihilists are censored and persecuted, while in the west there are incel attacks every other month and they infest every western site
>I'm so glad your system is too corrupt, insular, and self-serving to correct itself.
the pot calling the kettle black

>>20619997
its the only wildly successful and admired scifi in the last two decades.
the first influential scifi of this century

>>20619894
>>20619894
China has zero Covid policy because Covid fucks up your body, especially repeated viral infections, crippling capable workers. Their vax sucks donkey cock as well. The last thing China wants is a more depleted workforce and a smaller labor pool to draw from as their population ages.
China is doomed, but so is literally every country because of the devastation climate change is doing and will do on crop yields and the waves of African, South American, and Middle Eastern refugees it will create.

>>20619994
Chinese look to the future, look towards actual progress of civilization.
In the west their idea of progress is to halt everything and change how it is.

>>20620066
China is prepared.

>>20620066
I live in SEA and ended up getting the China made vax, 2 shots cos it was all that was available. I needed to prove I had it to be able to get out and about again.

Anyway, I'm fine, haven't got covid yet and multiple tinder hookups have gotten covid around me, a few I was def with after they got it and before they knew for sure and I still haven't got it.


I didn't get my spermies checked yet, I hope I still have swimmers.
Also fuck china and fuck chinkshit I'm no shill just thought it was interesting
Tianamen square massacre etc etc

>Nothing but off-topic posts.
Can you fuck off already.

>>20619994
Obama was too wise to be a western leader.

>>20620067
Such a difference compared to the west. One doesn't need to wonder long why Chinese SciFi is so master class.

>>20620061
why all the talk about China, if it's just this 1 author that is special?

>>20620102
Because he’s a baiting shitposter, you retard.

>>20620102
one book is all it took for china to take over. why are they so powerful

Which /sffg/ author is the best at implementing forshadowing in their works?

>>20620111
Nobody but you cares about this literal who author.

>>20620014
Oh yeah?
First civilization to collapse loses.
Ready? Go!
I like our odds.

>>20620109
Seriously. Where's the western SciFi scene? At d&d games? Really?
We started with Asimov and now we have onions shit. Chinese have surpassed us.

>>20620067
Literally no one wants to immigrate to China.
Meanwhile, your people are desperate to get their money out of the country, and emigrate.
Has that ever occurred to you?

>>20620109
Even Xi Jinping read the three body problem. Masterful masterpiece of our times. All westlets can do is cope and mald over being pleb filtered by this high iq kino.

Are people here really that fucking retried that they fall for such low-effort bait?

>>20620125
>move to the west
i don't want school shooting, scary scifi burgerpunk

>>20620125
>Literally no one wants to immigrate to China.
actually a lot of people do but chinese don't like immigrant so they fuck off
>Meanwhile, your people are desperate to get their money out of the country, and emigrate.
most chinese that study overseas come back to china instead of staying in the west

>>20619493
Truth hurts. I'm like this with movies too. I'd rather rewatch Once Upon A Time In The West or Robocop than bother with anything new.

>>20620131
>retried
Average American

>>20619493
Because the west has stagnated and circled the drain.
East Asia isn't stagnating. Such a silly eurocentric view is outdated, think more globally.

holy based
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/sep/25/netflix-liu-cixin-adaptation-uighur-comments-the-three-body-problem
netflix kino on the way

>netflix
>kino
does not compute

>>20620135
You have school stabbings; you're not superior.
Also, your school buildings literally collapse and kill your students.
>>20620138
I'm not talking about your students.
I'm talking about your merchant/professional classes.
You know...people with MONEY. And ABILITIES.

You'd stop defending China in a heartbeat if it wasn't for the guy standing behind you, holding a gun to your head.

>>20620151
average western education

>>20620151
Christ, stop replying to him, you fucking retard.

>>20620152
You're right, Netflix is western dogshit. They will inevitably fuck up the three body problem.
>>20620156
Touch grass.

>>20620151
>You have school stabbings; you're not superior.
they're not nearly as common or as deadly as american school shootings
>people with MONEY. And ABILITIES.
merchants aren't people, they're leeches and should be on a short leash and at the behest of the nation as that fool jack ma has learned

>>20620160
>You're right, Netflix is western dogshit. They will inevitably fuck up the three body problem.
i heard there's also a chinese adaptation in the making. now, THAT could be kino

>>20620164
exactly
western retards can't understand how nice it is here compared to their fearful private insurance dystopia
china thinks in centuries while they can't even think in decades, cutting of penises

>>20619825
Out of curiosity I looked the books up on Amazon. Holy shit half of them are either out of stock or overpriced where I am.

I miss him bros…

>>20620174
justpirate.jpg

>>20620183
based Dick enjoyer. I don't think he would have been able to handle the 21st century. have (You) or anyone else here read the works after VALIS? just curious how they are

>>20620156
Dude...we're literally sparring with a Chinese government mouthpiece.
>>20620164
>stabbings not as common
The hell they aren't. You just cover them up.
And I see you had no answer to collapsing school buildings.
I don't remember one of those happening over here.
>merchants aren't people
Even the Soviet Union needed "fixers" to fill the gaps in their top-down bureaucratic plans.
The more you deny/obstruct that, the more you will fail.
>at the behest of the nation
At the best of corrupt, self-serving bureaucrats, you mean.
>>20620170
>fearful private insurance dystopia
I'll take that over your forced organ harvesting dystopia any day.

And remember...I'm doing this of my own free will.
This is your job. If you fail, off to "camp" you go.

>>20620226
>Dude...we're literally sparring with a Chinese government mouthpiece.
You’re replying to a faggot shitposter who doesn’t give two shits what he says. All you’re doing is derailing the thread.

>>20620183
Me too.
It's SO unfair he died right as he was about to finally make serious money (i.e. after selling the movie rights to the novel that became "Blade Runner").

>>20620230
It started with the moronic claim that Chinese literature is somehow superior to Western literature.

>>20620227
Weren't there only 3? i.e. the rest of the VALIS quadrilogy?
The Divine Invasion managed to be even more mind-bending than VALIS.
The other 2 (The Transmigration Of Timothy Archer and Radio Free Albemuth) were basically stories of other people, set in the same world as VALIS.

>>20620230
Don't bother, anon. He's too retarded to see it.

So in chapter 520 it says that it's been 100 years since the story began. 60 of those years were in chapters 518-520ish as Meng Hao studies the ocean. Seems like a really productive use of time.

My brother won't shut the FUCK up about this stupid book called "Name of the Wind". Give me the summary, Good? Bad? I heard the writer is another GRRM, writing series he will never finish

>>20620067
>>20620094
>>20619994
kill yourself chang

>>20620317
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu6MaN9tT_8

>>20620317
the Mc is a fedora-tipping redditor cuck

>>20620317
It's a trilogy where le super badass guy who is now washed up recites his life story to a writer and tells him the tale will take 3 days(books). By the end of the second book the mc is only in his second year of mage college or some shit. So there is no chance it can get wrapped up in 1 more book. The mc also looses his virginity to some 1000 year old sex goddess and she is so impressed with his penis she keeps coming back for more. Also the last book came out 11 years ago. I heard it was amazing but got bored and gave up 150 pages in.

>>20620337
>trilogy

>>20620337
I can already fucking tell how it will go
"heehee hoohoo I am a liar am I not I suppose it will take more than three days after all"

>>20620326
Looks like Chang got dragged off by his minder for a lovely stay at a re-education camp.
One down, several hundred million to go.
I'm up for the challenge.

And with that, I wish you all good night.

>>20620448
i'm still here

>>20619994
It was cool until they needed to fucking deus ex machina at the panama canal.

>>20620328
Ok, ok, ok.
Other than the meme cucking. Is the book or series any good?

>>20620532
>Is the book or series any good?
Read it and find out, no one here is going to give you a serious, in-depth answer.

>>20620540
Good point.

>>20620544
Sad it had to be this way, but /sffg/ has been shit for a while now.

>>20620579
It’s gotten better, but no by much.

>>20620305
Even worse, he kills himself and his consciousness becomes the ocean. He spends like 150 years contemplating a damn ocean.

>>20614797
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pf-DyEEGlU
This interview always fucks me up when Gene Wolfe chokes talking about his Alzheimer's ridden wife and says he better not get into details: "Oh, you don't wanna hear this". Then the crowd are so autistic they don't read his emotions and try to get him to elaborate... Sad.

>>20620622
Yes, we know, Wolfe fans are autist. What's your point?

>>20620624
Well, I've never met one irl. Are they all like that? And I had no "point," I'm just thinking aloud.

>>20620637
>Well, I've never met one irl. Are they all like that?
Yes, I mean, are you new to /sffg/?

>>20620637
>Well, I've never met one irl. Are they all like that?
They're fantasy fans, anon. It's not hard to tell they're socially maladjusted.

>>20620640
I've only started using it since leaving college (I was studying Literature and thought my like of fantasy was shameful at the time), but I've been on /lit/ properly since 2016. Some of you guys here are really helpful though, like when showing me The Broken Sword and other fantastic books. Never really spoken to Wolfe fans and the only one I have interacted with online is probably Greg Sadler.
I do find 4chan's culture still a bit enigmatic though. I wasn't here for the early days nor Something Awful so I think I'm a bit of a normie.
>>20620647
I like fantasy quite a lot. I guess I'm awkward. But I still think I can read emotions and the room, at least I hope so. I have issues looking people in the eye who I don't trust though.

>>20620654
>But I still think I can read emotions and the room, at least I hope so.
>I have issues looking people in the eye who I don't trust though.
I think you need to come to terms with the truth, anon. That if you were in that situation, you would have done the same.

>>20620661
I got schizophrenia, not autism. I'm sure it presents differently in social situations.

>>20620622
Christ, I feel bad for Wolfe.

>>20620690
Same, all I feel is just sadness for him.

>>20620734
Don’t even know why he even did the interview. He should have spent his last years in comfort.

>>20620622
Shame that's Wolfe last interview.

>>20614868
I should really give self-publish books a try.

>>20620859
You really should, some of them are worth reading.

>>20620884
How do you know which ones are good to read? Do you just read a sample first? I’m not saying trad publishing is very good but it at least has a team behind its production/structural and line editing/cover/marketing.

>>20620889
>How do you know which ones are good to read?
By reading them.

>>20620891
I have a life expectancy of maybe 50 more years. I don’t have time to read garbage I’ll regret.

>>20620892
Yet, you're wasting your time here.

>>20620894
If you don’t like it here, leave. I’m currently reading something and spoke to you while taking a shit.

>>20620892
>Doesn’t want to waste time
>Is on 4chan
What?

>>20620892
If I've only got 1 month left to read I'll read Cradle!

>>20620897
Never said I hated here, merely stated how absurd your post was.

>>20620898
>>20620901
4chan isn’t a waste of time. If you think that, then why are YOU here? It’s just a fun hangout and the last simulacrum of the Wild West of the internet.

>>20620904
Anon, please stop coping and just face the fact.

>>20620904
>If you think that, then why are YOU here?
Because, in about 15 to 25 minutes, I'm about to sleep, so I decided to waste time here.

>>20620904
>the last simulacrum of the Wild West of the internet
The fuck are you on about? 4chan isn’t some secret club anymore. And it can be argued it’s part of social media at this point.

>>20620900
Yes, we know, you keep shilling at every opportunity.

>>20620183
I’ve stated reading him and damn, was I missing out. Wish there more like him.

>>20620945
How could you miss him until recently?

>>20620953
what?

>>20620916
Key word: simulacrum.

>>20620957
How could you miss Dick until recently? He should have your first read.

>>20620967
Dick is an average writer on science fiction, I don’t blame that anon for missing him.

>>20620622
I'm going to him....

>>20616914
>Schlomomance

>>20620974
All of us is going to him. He was the American Tolkien.

>>20620967
he said he was missing out, not that he was missing him
out of curiosity, do you read and enjoy china lit?

>>20620987
China Miéville? No, I was planning to but I haven’t decided what book to read from him.

>>20620995
Start with his first book on rats, he really subverts tropes.

>>20621012
I think Mieville is shit and Tolkien king though

I'm almost finished with The Tarnsman of Gor and it's okay but I expected lots of brutal cunt rape and gore carnage (it's in the name). I figured these books were controversial for a reason but it's kinda bland. At least Tarl has a conscience still but that isn't what I was sold on.
>>20619172
Brandon Sanderson IS a Jew. The Mormons are crypto-Jews, at least the successful rich ones. Joseph Smith was a freemason, all freemasons are Jewish (well, actually Phoenician but same thing). There might some converted Mormons that aren't Jewish now (mostly brown people overseas), but they're just useful for their tithe.