/lit/ - Literature

Seveneves is so poorly written. Should I try reading any other Stephenson's book ever again?

Anyone got any cool sf/fantasy writings they want us to critique?

>>21599906
>Seveneves is so poorly written. Should I try reading any other Stephenson's book ever again?
I think you just picked a bad first book of his read.

>>21599937

Bakker - King

Mod - seething chink

>>21599962
honestly I might read these

>>21599954
agreed. I slogged through 70% of Seveneves only to finally drop it. Snow Crash is a classic, and I think Anathem is fantastic, but I'm a philosophy dork

>>21599997
Pity. About your taste, I mean.

>Morrowind is in the north
>Has a warm, comfortable climate
Other examples of bad world building?

>>21600098
'tis a mystery, n'wah.

>>21599926
I tried reading the thing he (co)wrote after and it was worse, dropped after a chapter. Seveneves had an interesting premise at least.

Anathem and Diamond Age are great. Snow Crash is good fun, just don't try to take it seriously. I remember enjoying Cryptonomicon, but barely anything about the plot. Baroque Cycle was interesting, but not enjoyable to read. Reamde = shit.

>>21599926
No. Seveneves was a good Stephenson book and if you didn't like it you won't like other good ones (and there are good and bad).

>>21600098
>England is described as fairly temperate despite being parallel to Moscow

What were they thinking?

>currently on volume 26 of a fantasy/sci-fi/magical girl/supernatural/comedy/haremshit light novel series
I think I'm a lost cause, bros.

>>21600459
>>>/a/isekai

Read The Wandering Inn, Read Mother of Learning, Read I Shall Seal the Heavens.

Also read The Prince of Nothing, Neuromancer, Cradle, A Song of Ice and Fire, Hyperion, Between Two Fires, The Poppy War.

>>21600495
fuck off retard gay tranny

>>21600459
series name?

>>21600941
Invaders of the Rokujouma

I just finished my first Vance book after the Dying Earth books. I read Showboat World, very good. Want to start the Faceless Man and its 2 sequels. Has anyone read them here?

When do the fucking Sranc and Bashrag n' shit finally show up? I'm almost halfway through the Warrior Prophet and I'm already fucking BORED.

>>21600495
>Cradle
Lukewarm YA trash

>>21601023
Tolkienbabby getting filtered

>>21601034
Just tell me, bakkerhomo. I've read enough about people cumming on different things.

>>21600459
Disgusting. Why not just rope already?

>>21601036
The real bashrags were the friends you made along the way
in book 5 lmao

>>21601044
Figured as much. Doesn't even get good until the tail end.

>>21600445
>Maine is on the same parallel as Spain
>Maine is a snowy mountainous forest realm while Spain is a rocky desert
What did God mean by this?

>>21599926
If the writing is what bothered you then no, it's a representative example of what Stephenson's writing is usually like.

>>21599850
>Różalski
I can't escape this cunt, can't I?

Does anyone remember a book where the protagonist rapes a boy?

This book changed my life

The February book selection is now ongoing for what I'll read then write about this month in the relevant GR thread. Voting will follow after the choice is made.

>>21599999
Checked

Guess I'll give it a try

Ilia Volyova is kinda hot bros

>>21599962
Queen of /sffg/

>>21601453
>such jaw
>many strong
>much wedge

>>21599850
The Tyranny of Faith, Empire of the Wolf #2 - Richard Swan (2023)

In The Justice of Kings I was uncertain about the series having a single POV that was writing a memoir and wasn't the most important character, but in Tyranny of Faith this narrative style is used to great effect. It's similar to what George R.R. Martin does in Games of Thrones in that a less influential character's viewpoint is provided to show how the world sees an important character and how their relationship changes. This also provides for a more detached assessment of a supposed hero's actions, as it can be all too easy for a reader, let alone the characters, to just go along with whatever they do.

The story begins with the party's arrival in Sova, the city at the heart of the Sovan Empire, and with that everything changes. The previous book took place at the fringes of the Empire where its might held less sway. That allowed for a lot of personal agency, but being here strips all of that away to reveal obeisance to institutional authority. The Empire could described as a liberal autocracy in that it has free markets and doesn't discriminate among its citizens. There's also a long tradition of secular common law meant to be applied fairly to all. However, all of that only continues to exist at the pleasure of the Emperor. If civil rights are dictated by the whims of one, or only a few unelected individuals, how much can their continuance be counted upon? Much of the book is in contemplation of the relationship an individual has to their government and the interplay between its estates.

Unraveling the conspiracy that was discovered in the first book is of the utmost concern. There's also a murder mystery, an infiltration, multiple battles, purges, relationship drama, and the occasional horror scene. The action-oriented scenes were nice, though I enjoyed the contemplative ones more. What interested me the most was the questions that are brought up along the way and my consideration of them, especially in terms of contemporary similarities.

The characters are of a decidedly gray morality. There's a clear delineation between being lawful and what many would consider being good. Mostly they're just trying to survive through their trauma and obligations. The utmost priority is the continuation of Empire, despite their reservations about its methods. The Emperor's directives must be obeyed regardless. Many ethical compromises are required to preserve the status quo. How much ought a person sacrifice to ensure the victory of the lesser evil?

The first book set up the world, this one sets up the stakes, and third is assumedly the consequences. I'm quite interested to see what form that takes, specifically whether it's viewed at a distance, as is done with the viewpoint protagonist. The outcome has been already been known since the opening of the first book, so it's only a matter of how they get there. I hope that it's a path less taken.

Rating: 4/5

>>21601810
I received this advance reading/review copy (ARC) from Orbit through NetGalley. I appreciate being allowed to read it and have provided my thoughts on the book as anyone ought to do for having received early access for free.

I've read four ARCs since I signed up at the end of last month. This is the first of them I've posted here. I'm not sure how many I'll read or how often. I was against the idea of reading ARCs, but then I decided well whatever and read a few anyway. It'll be interesting to see how they compare to the retail version. They'll probably be almost exactly the same from what I've seen people say.

Any good books set in fantasy Africa?

Aaaaaaandd... roll credits.

>>21601818
Kys

>>21602027
Please provide a practical demonstration of yourself doing so first. I wouldn't want to disappoint you by making a mistake.

>>21602085
It's ok fag, keep trying and you will get it right eventually

>>21601998
There was so much cool shit in early Revelation Space, and then NONE of it go anywhere interesting.

>>21601810
Are there any hot women knights? This is important

>>21601810
>Woman on the cover
coomer garbage goes into the trash

>>21601810
>>21601818
>>21602085
your """reviews""" are SHIT
FUCK OFF

>>21600990
Imagine naming your character Jack lol

>>21601957
King Solomon's Mines

>>21602121
There's the one on the cover, if you consider her as such. She had sex, but it's only mentioned in passing. Women are described, but not in lurid detail.

>>21599850
Reminder that the more escapist an author is the more shit their fantasy becomes.

>>21602139
What's the ideal cover?

>>21602273

>>21602152
no they rule and it's actual content so shut the fuck up

>>21600990
i read the first one, its ok, very stated and not the vance i would typically expect; you might try maske thaery before moving onto durdane, it is a proper classic vance

>>21601023
srance and bashrag are in the aspect emperor series, till the thousand fold thought, the series only deals with human characters...mostly

>>21600495
how heavy does the prince of nothing series lean into philosophy regarding causality and 'fate' ?
If its a decent amount i might read since thats what I'm all about in my fiction.

Are there any fafhrd and grey mouser stories where the mouser actually uses the little magic he knows? I’ve been looking for examples/inspiration for characters who know a few occult tricks but aren’t full on wizards or sorcerers. Any other stories with similar characters are welcomed.

Just finished two books, Peripheral and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

Peripheral - I loved Gibson's earlier stuff, particularly the dialogue and world building in Neuromancer and the trilogy. He seemed to have a lot of talent in conveying ambience, world building, and plot development all through how people talked. I firmly believe that is a major component of why Neuromancer is so fantastic. Peripheral feels like a shitty knockoff of Neuromancer. The characters speak in stilted "cool" parlance like they do in Neuromancer, but none of the characters are actually cool or interesting.. They're all country hicks, ex military, or extremely rich fucks. I get that it's not meant to be cyberpunk, but god damn were all the characters boring and uninspired. The dual world setup was cool and the only, ONLY redeeming factor of the book. Can't believe Gibson actually wrote this.

DADOES - I've seen Bladerunner, so I always held off on reading it. To my surprise, it was WAY different from the movie. The themes were different, the characters were different, the plot points were different. There was a cool religious undertone, the whole obsession with animals, the whole fake police station. Rachel was way more built out too.. Anyways it was an interesting and refreshing read, I can see why it inspired so much interest back in the day.

Not sure what I'm going to read next, I always get to this point where I finish all the books that I have and I need to spend the next month looking for something fun to order, and I end up getting like 50 books. Recommendations definitely welcome

is anything by Greg Egan good other than Permutation City?

>>21601957
Haven't gotten around to reading it yet, but Imaro was pitched to me as African Conan.

>>21602653
A huge amount. That's sort of the entire point of the Dunyain.

>>21602917
I think a lot of it is and I've written as such.

Does anybody know the name of the short story of Isaac Asimov where a moon ambassador comes to an underwater base because living in the moon is shitty and they need more resources?

>>21603470
Found it, it was waterclap, it wasn't a moon ambassador.

Any recommendations on what to read next for Phillip K Dick? I enjoyed Do Android Dream of Electric Sheep and A Scanner Darkley. But Man in the High Castle was quite a bit of a slog and uninteresting for the most part. Would have been better if condensed into a short story.

>>21603744
A Maze of Death
Ubik would probably be the most popular choice though.

>>21603744
The answer is in the question. Read a collection of his short stories.

Redpill me on HP Lovecraft. Is he actually good at writing horror?

>>21603821
He's fairly hit or miss. Start with Shadow Over Innsmouth.

>>21603821
The first professional ideasguy.
>Look man imagine a horror story, all right? Yeah man well it's just so SCARY I can't even describe it. Yeah just imagine that.

>>21603821
I wouldn't call anything he's written scary but it does make for a pretty interesting mythos.

>>21603869
>Look man imagine a horror story, all right? Yeah man well it's just so SCARY I can't even describe it. Yeah just imagine that.
legitimately made me laugh

>>21602728
The Witcher books by Andrzej Sapowaoyzkyckapyozjsypwyzck vaguely fit this. Witchers have access to a few minor cantrips but are very much not real sorcerers.

>>21603869
t. never read any Lovecraft story and is just going by memes

>>21603869
>>21603943
ironically very few of Lovecraft's stories are actually like that, unfortunately they tend to be the most overrated and popular ones, or worse - they're the ones where he goes "omg its literally indescribable I can't even" and then goes on to describe it in exact anatomical detail and oops it looks like its nothing more than a fucking jellyfish attached to a triangle or something
there is exactly one or "the poor bastard fell into a non-euclidian angle that was obtuse where it should have been acute..." and what this really means is that he fell down a fucking hole into the shadow realm

I think the only time Lovecraft actually enticed you with that "I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you" schtick is in The Case of Charles Dexter Ward where you're left wondering just what horrible fucking thing it was the 1700s colonials faced under Joseph Curwen's farm, because he obstinately refuses to elaborate, but then he ruins it later in the same story with that resurrected incredible melting man or whatever the hell that crusader magician vampire hunter or whatever was, it was really dumb

>>21604012
That part was weak but I honestly really liked The Case of Charles Dexter Wood because it's a combination of a hack and slash adventure with the townsmen rallying everyone to kill whatever is under that farm and a swashbuckling 1700s equivalent of a paranormal SWAT raid and a supernatural thriller mystery. I don't think it all worked perfectly but I think it's a shame he didn't do more active storytelling.

>>21604047
I do agree that CDW is one of his best works, vastly underrated compared to the more "traditional" tentacle niggerman shit that everyone recognizes

>>21603744
Man in the High Castle is one of the worst PKD novels, i don't know why normies love it so much. read the Simulacra, Martian Time-Slip, Clans of the Alphane Moon or The World Jones Made

Stoner weddings are so fucking weird

>>21602728
The Blacktongue Thief fits what you're looking for.

>>21602728
Gray Mouser uses a major spell in Gollancz Fantasy Masterworks #18: The First Book of Lankhmar

"... And by the blood of that one whom it is death to look upon..."

So sonorously invoked the Mouser, as with eyes closed and arms outstretched he cast the rune given him by Sheelba of the Eyeless Face which would destroy all sorcerers of less than First Rank of an undetermined distance around the casting point -- surely for a few miles, one might hope, so smiting Hasjarl's warlocks to dust.

Whether his Great Spell worked or not -- and in his inmost heart he strongly mistrusted that it would -- the Mouser was very pleased with the performance he was giving. He doubted Sheelba himself could have done better. What magnificent deep chest tones! -- even Fafhrd had never heard him declaim so.

He wished he could open his eyes for just a moment to note the effect his performance was having on Gwaay's magicians -- they'd be staring open-mouthed for all their supercilious boasting, he was sure -- but on this point Sheelba's instructions had been adamant: eyes tightly shut while the last sentences of the rune were being recited and the great forbidden words spoken; even the tiniest blink would nullify the Great Spell. Evidently magicians were supposed to be without vanity or curiosity -- what a bore!

Of a sudden in the dark of his head, he felt contact with another and a larger darkness, a malefic and puissant darkness, of which light itself is only the absence. He shivered. His hair stirred. Cold sweat prickled his face. He almost stuttered midway through the word "slewerisophnak". But concentrating his will, he finished without flaw.

When the last echoing notes of his voice had ceased to rebound between the domed ceiling and floor, the Mouser slit open one eye and glanced surreptitiously around him.

One glance and the other eye flew open to fullness. He was too surprised to speak.

And whom he would have spoken to, had he not been too surprised, was also a question.

The long table at the foot of which he stood was empty of occupants. Where but moments before had sat eleven of the very greatest magicians of Quarmall -- sorcerers of the First Rank, each had sworn on his black Grammarie -- was only space....

Very quietly he stood up and silently walked in his ratskin moccasins to the nearest archway, across which he had drawn thick curtains for the Great Spell. He was wondering just what the range of the spell had been, where it had stopped, if it had stopped at all. Suppose, for instance, that Sheelba had underestimated its power and it disintegrated not only sorcerers, but...

>>21600098
Not much further north than Cyrodiil which was a literal jungle until Tiber's fuckery.

>>21602728
Powder Mage series has three different kinds of magic users: Privileged (real wizards), Knacked (have a single "knack" that can be pretty much anything from a keen sense of smell to not needing sleep) and Powder mages which are a strong variation of Knacked that have affinity with gunpowder (they snort it like coke for similar energy bursts and can detonate it from a distance)

>>21604151
>they snort it like coke
I really need to stop putting off reading these

>Best girl doesn't speak a line of dialogue
is powder mage actually based?

>>21604237
Bug men writing about bug men, how poetic.

>>21604243
is there anything wrong with that? Why should bugmen write about anyone else? They are not whites who hate their own race and only write about blacks and fags

>>21603744
Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. Dick was a pretty fucking bad writer desu senpai, most of his pre-1970s stuff is barely readable.

>>21603744
Honestly, all PKD is the same and the order and novelty all work depending on how familiar you are with him. I liked A Scanner Darkly the most for example, while I found Martian Time Slip too long and somewhat dull. Three Stigmata of Palemer Eldritch is pretty good and one of his most schizo works. Galactic Pot Healer was neat. Really, just pick up whatever

>>21604250
>is there anything wrong with that?
Certainly, it makes all their novels feel soulless to the Western reader because he's not used to soulless people.

>>21604267
He instead is used to roasties, homosexuals, trannys and blacks

>>21604213
>doesn't say a word
>uses blood for nefarious sorcery
>refuses to elaborate
>never leaves Taniel's side
Yeah I'm willing to say based

>>21599926
I've only read Cryptonomicon and Snow Crash (in addition to Seveneves) and they aren't nearly as bad. Crypto has the same problem as Seven in that it's terribly bloated, but structurally it's not a fuckup like Seven is. I can only recommend Snow Crash if you like shlock and want to read early cyberpunk

>>21604151
>Powder Mage series has three different kinds of magic users
There's more than that. There's those three, there's the blood mages like Ka Poel, there's mage breakers who are anti-magic entirely, and there's whatever that Palo guy who can talk to the dead in the second trilogy is.

>>21604460
Palo is prolly just knacked

>>21604498
Ben has a knack that lets him smell magic remember, and that Palo guy smelled like magic (specifically grave moss and dirt), not like a knacked does to him. Magic in the series seems to spawn mostly from culture rather than any underlying order so there's not hard limit placed on how it can manifest by the setting.

>>21604460
>guy who can talk to the dead
A Necromancer?

>>21604526
No, he can't raise the dead or anything like that. He's more like a medium who can talk to spirits.

>>21604531
That's a necromancer.

>>21604531
That's what necromancy is by definition

Is there any cuckshit in Power Mage pt2? Maybe I'll read it, I'm getting in the mood for it.

>>21604282
>He instead is used to roasties, homosexuals, trannys and blacks
I don't read stuff written in the past 20 years, unless it's an already established author, like say John C. Wright who hates trannies as much as I do.
But chinks as chinks can't write characters who aren't bugmen. It's a racial trait they can't escape.

>>21604687
Part 2 is Stryke (based dad) and Vlora (who cucked Taniel in book 1 and carries the stigma of it for the entire series). Vlora has her own (toxic) relationship but doesn't cuck them.

>>21604687
No. And Vlora is still being punished for her cuckery in pt 1. It's pretty great.

>>21599850
We see adaptations of novels into movies and shows, but what about the other way around? Are there any standout novelizations worth checking?

>>21604970
Halo: The Flood was pretty good

>>21604970
2001: A Space Odyssey is probably the best known example.

>>21604237
someone has recommended this to me before, how is it?? worth reading?

>>21605044
No, it's chinese.

>>21605046
i really enjoyed the three body problem and the rest of the trilogy though

>>21605050
Then go for it, you have low standards for enjoyment.

>>21600990
I haven't read Faceless Man. If you're looking for another Vance recommendation The Dragon Masters is short and sweet

>>21600990
Planet of Adventure series and Cadwal Cronicles are both pretty fine.

why are these threads so dead now

>>21605235
>dead now
Autists killed this general a couple years ago. We're undead now.

>>21605242
but even half a year back these threads were still pretty active
now they're up for days
dead
rotten
foetid

>>21604263
>all PKD is the same
picard ascii facepalm.wav
>>21605246
Like most other generals. The quality of this thread is, unfortunately, no higher than that of /vg/.

>>21599850
Should I read Robot series or Galactic Empire series before reading Foundation series?

>>21605272
I would say no, but you should read at least the robot detective books after the first three Foundations if you plan to move on to the later follow-ons. Galactic Empire novels aren't necessary but are flavoring if you like the universe.

>>21605037
2001 shouldn't really count because they were conceived and written together.

>>21605272
The original trilogy was written in isolation; Asimov didn't decide to weld it to the robot stories until the later novels.

>>21604970
Raiders of the Lost Ark by Campbell Black
The Star Trek Reader series by James Blish

>>21599850
Do you actually read book summaries before deciding to read them?

>>21604970
Revenge of the Sith novel is better than the movie

So, you be saying that these penisy dudes will aggressively hunt and swallow entire factories, but if you pull one of their scales back with a crowbar they instantly into submissive femboys and will work as your taxi? And Mud'Dib forgive there's a small brook running nearby, this shit instakills them

>>21605382
I decide purely by the cover art.

>>21605382
I prefer to go into a book knowing nothing about the plot or characters

>>21605382
i generally try to get a vibe of the setting for sure

Read The Wandering Inn, Read Mother of Learning, Read I Shall Seal the Heavens.

Also read The Prince of Nothing, Neuromancer, Cradle, A Song of Ice and Fire, Hyperion, Between Two Fires, The Poppy War.

>>21605535
No

>>21605403
surprisingly, this. which makes multiple editions a bitch.

>>21605559
>nebula
automatically shit and pozzed

>>21602917
I enjoyed Quarantine

>>21605535
filtered

>>21605382
fuck no, that builds expectations and inevitably spoils part of the plot. what i do is skim these threads to see people talk about books, and sometimes they say something that makes me think i should read that or that other book. then i download it, keep it in my list and try not to think about it again until i read it one or 2 months later (or never). some of my best experiences come from going into a book knowing almost nothing about the premise or what i decided to read it in the first place.

this includes when the book is so bad that it's good, like when i read a book by Jemisin it was one hell of a trip

>>21604695
Fang Yuan is better main character than almost any western main character, but yeah I have agree with the rest of your post, chinese can't write.

>>21599850
In what order shall I read these? I looked up foundational sci fi and this seemed to be up the right alley
Also FUCK there's an apple logo I didn't even realize till I spread these out God DAMN IT it's not even a sticker. I need a sticker for the cover art to put over the logo.

>>21605559
>Book 3 of the Dandelion Dynasty
>"He's building a dynasty!"
Reviewed by bot

>>21605786
90% of posts ITT is chinaman bots

What do you guys think about the Legend of the Galactic Heroes novels? I adore the old OVA adaptation but i've never actually read them before.

>>21605777
>available exclusively in the Indian subcontinent
good morning sirs

>>21605873
I've watched all the of versions, what's out of the new version, and all of the versions. The novels are decidedly inferior due to translation problems and in general, but overall I still enjoyed them. I don't know how much that was just because of enjoying the main series OVA and then the like 50 episodes of other content that was from the books.

>>21605382
after being burnt by so many books with shit endings, I steadfastly refuse to read any book that I don't know how it ends

this doesn't mean I will spoil every part of the story for myself, but I don't want to read 2300 pages only for the hero to get fucked in the ass and shit himself to death while Doofy the mentally retarded sidekick accidentally falls on the bad guy and breaks his neck and gets to become king of the world

>>21605916
Sometimes I forget to look back over what I type and see what got changed. Oops

>>21605777
I tried to give the series an honest shot, but after 3 books I grew tired of the formula that kept happening. It was like I read 1 book 3 times.

>>21605916
Wow, yeah im doing a bit of reading online and there are some pretty bad translation gaffes and poor grammar, very disappointing to learn this.

>>21605777
If I am buying a book, why the fuck would you tell me something is on or is going to be on TV. If I wanted TV shit, I would be in the video store.

>>21602791
This keeps me from reading more modern Gibson desu. Even the Sprawl trilogy was shit by the third book.

>>21599850
Gave a shot to Iron Dragon's Mother, the 3rd part of Swanwick's Iron Dragon trilogy. It's the weakest of the three. Everything is more or less the same as in the first two novels, but the novelty of cursing dwarves and fries who masturbate and capitalism in fantasy got old without something more. The world he portrays is just ugly at this point.

fantasy bros, why can't we stop losing?

>>21606075
So what I'm getting from this is that the difference between the average traditionally published author and self-published author is that that the traditionally published author only has to worry about writing while the self-published has to worry about the entire process.

>>21606089
success in self publishing depends on authors ability and skills to write a good book, success in traditional publishing is about being the right color/orientation and writing liberal garbage.

>>21605559
too bad only the first book is good
the 2 middle books have their problems with plot and bloat
the last one suffers a little less from this but is still kind of problematic

>>21606109
Ah, and here I thought it was for self-publishing how well they could pander to a niche audience and traditional it was how much profit they could make the publisher.

>>21606109
>success in self publishing depends on authors ability and skills to write a good book
That's cute, but the most successful self-published authors are the ones who pump out hundreds of cookie-cutter trash entries to flood the catalogues.

>>21606120
You're half right

>>21606130
The masses consider that to be quality writing

>>21606136
I would love to know which books are selling so poorly.

Are there good fantasy novels that aren’t epic adventures or kings and heroes or whatever but just kind of like slice of life stories?

>>21606136
That's their intent anyway. A few tentpole releases is the model. It's always a mystery what will make a lot of money so a lot is put out in the hopes that something will make it big. It's the same for all content.

>>21606147
pretty much anything that isn't genre or mass market stuff, i imagine

>>21606165
Yes, and I'm sure you can find them on your own.

>>21606165
the witcher short stories sort of fit the bill

>>21606165
>good fantasy novels
>slice of life stories
pick one

>>21606165
Probably.

>>21606147
Stastically speaking, the majority of them. Just search by publisher and Goodreads and you'll see the abysmal numbers. That goes for basically any random book chosen though.

Is this really what this general has degenerated into? Just repeating the same shit over and over again. Because I swear, I’ve seen the self-publish and traditionally published bullshit now for multiple threads straight now.

>>21606165
You could read manga where this is plentiful.

>>21606136
>>21606075
What this is telling me is that I, as a voracious reader of fantasy novels, probably have a much bigger overall impact on an author's bottom line than I previously assumed. I can probably write to that author my thoughts on their book and get a response, if I'm one of fewer than 2000 people who bothered to read their book.

>>21606194
That's how every general has been since the first general has existed on the site.

>>21606194
should i start blog posting about how revelation space makes me feel stupid sometimes instead?

>>21606198
>”read” pictures that go the wrong direction
No thanks

>>21606194
>Just repeating the same shit over and over again. Because I swear, I’ve seen the self-publish and traditionally published bullshit now for multiple threads straight now.
It's because people here don't read and instead of making a separate thread for their self/traditional publish bullshit, they have to shoehorn it here every chance.

>>21606205
What would you want from these stories? What does slice of life mean to you?

>>21606211
That's the purpose of a general though. To have a place to put all the randomly marginally related stuff that can't survive as its own thread.

>>21606213
Basically something where the stakes aren’t life and death. Could be like literary fiction but in a fantasy world, could be like Harry Potter but without Voldemort, could just be a comfy story about a knight trying to impress a girl by winning a jousting tournament or something. I’m just getting a little burnt out on reading 10,000 page long stories about saving the world.

>>21606230
Ports of Call by Jack Vance
9 Tales of Raffalon by Michael Shea

>>21606136
This was debunked within an hour of being posted but you spergs just keep reposting it.

>>21606213
Me again
>>21606230
For example, I just read the Lies of Locke Lamora and thought it was excellent right up until the end when he decided to make Locke and Jean into superheroes who literally save the city from a supervillain’s evil plot to release poison or something over the highest building in the city. It was literally a plot from a Spider-Man movie, and I just wanted a fantasy ocean’s 11. And while oceans 11 isn’t “slice of life” I think you get what I mean.

>>21606230
Why not read short fiction then? There isn't time to to do much in those so they tend to be much less in terms of what's done.

>>21606204
No because revelation space is a type of story that you read once and forget about it. I vagually remember the captain that was in the process of fusing with his ship, I think that was the only reason I even bothered finishing it, I wanted to know what happened to him, the conclusion was disappointing if I remember correctly, he whiteknighted

>>21606252
True but they’re also, obviously, very short so there’s not much to read or get invested in. Not to mention that by today’s standards a 300 page standalone novel in the fantasy genre basically is a short story.

>>21606250
A Shadow in Summer
The Goblin Emperor
The Raven Tower
The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids
The Magic of Recluce
Imager
Isolate
The Sacred Book of the Werewolf
Orconomics
The Color of Magic
The Dragon's Banker
Tress of the Emerald Sea

>>21606272
There's probably a lot of serialized fiction that's episodic without any central plot that goes on forever.

>>21606194
>repost of a repost of a repost of a
yes 4chan has been cluttered with newfags for longer than it has not

>>21606272
Americans are dumb af, they will use inaccurate units to measure important values like length, they will use feet and inches but for air tempereture which accuracy isn't that important (20c isn't that different from 21c so 67, 68, 69 and 70 f pretty much mean the same thing), regarding water all that matters is freezing temp, boiling temp, and maybe ~40c for warm water). Americans literally have it backwards, using innacurate measurents for length (where accuracy is crutical) and accurate measurements for temperetures where accuracy isn't that important.

>>21606272
>They're not long enough for me to develop a parasocial relationship with the characters
This is your problem. It's up to you to fix it or fill it. Have you considered watching Critical Role or something like that where you can pretend you have friends?

>>21606302
thank you based anon

>>21606313
Next you'll complain about dating systems. What's the deal with Americans putting that month first rather than the day? That's backwards!

>>21606326
Be sure to report back your inevitable disappointment from his recs.

I feel like Silmarillion is a book that I will come to enjoy and appreciate the more I reread it after reading Tolkien's material.

>>21606361
neck yourself
tolkien is shit

>>21606368
I quite like him.

>>21606230
Try the "Dunk and Egg" novellas by George RR Martin. "The Hedge Knight" is the first but you can find all three under "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms". The story is about just some no name knight and his young squire. They participate in jousting tournaments and just go about their lives with no kingdom-spanning plot or supernatural bullshit. Just some dudes getting into a lot of trouble.

>>21606130
You mean like Sanderson?

>>21606194
This is a containment general cause /lit/ doesn't like scff . They love people like you bitching and keeping interaction low.

>>21606169
>they intended to get waxed by litrpg and mtl chinkfiction
Is this more likely or is it more likely they're just spewing out propaganda and the totally unsalable shit is only there to herd people into their few semi-competent offerings? Because if they just want to sell books any of the regulars here could do a better job picking authors than the assclowns they have in charge now.

>>21606246
Source: I SAID DEBOOONKED

I wish that nicely illustrated fantasy short story magazines were still a thing.

>>21606414
Sounds great thanks anon.

>$3.50 for these in the charity shop
>12 wheel of time books for $5
can't stop winning bro's

One of the best self-published fantasy authors makes a kickstarter and makes 2 dollars. Sanderson makes a kickstarter and makes 2 billion dollars. That's the difference.

>>21606560
whoa those editions look cool i dont think ever ever seen them before, post the front covers too

>>21606560
I bet those will look amazing on your book shelf.

>>21606571
If they didn't have those obnoxious "now a tv show" decals they'd be decent enough, think their spines look better personally.
my spergy ass is just happy they're all the same edition of release.

>>21606586
Disappointing

I sure am glad I'm going to get winds of winter soon haha

>21606312
>newfag pretending to know what this general and this site used to be

mods should just delete this whole hellscape

>>21606586
yeah i agree the spines look cooler

>>21606595
Agreed.
their previous releases had much better covers without those black circles, but I can't complain at 50 cents a piece.

>>21600098
>Has a warm, comfortable climate
It doesn't it's not as cold as Skyrim but Vvardenfell is not warm and comfortable.You might also want to look up gulf stream.By your logic the UK should be a lot colder.

>>21606596
*finishes your series for you*
heh... nothing personal kid.
now if you'll excuse me, I'm needed in japan.
some business about a 'berserk' series or whatsoever.
*leaves*

>>21606617

>>21606626
any books like berserk/dark souls? are the witcher books any good? just started WoT when does it get good?

>>21606781
>any books like berserk/dark souls?
the prince of nothing trilogy by R. Scott bakker.
>are the witcher books any good?
dunno
>just started WoT when does it get good?
never, it sucks ass and is boring.

>>21606803
>he doesn't know

>>21606805
von welchem Wissen sprichst du ?

>>21606816
sorry i dont speak nazi, chud.

>>21606617
>Vvardenfell is not warm and comfortable.
It is. I think it's mostly due to gigantic Red Mountain and lava rivers. The north seems to be colder than the south, but the south has plantations with a year-long growing season. You don't see any signs of temperatures ever falling below zero on the island.

Any SFF books with female villains? evil women are always compelling to read.

>nearing the end of my reread of DCC 2
So much shit happens in this book that I had forgotten. Both could even practically be their own book, halved. I love how every character is distinct and nuanced. Carl hasn't gotten the nuke yet but we've met Katia and we've bombed the magistrate's building/krasue lair, dealing with its aftermath now.

Michio Pa GF or Ilia Volyova dommy mommy? your choice western man.

>>21606953
what did he mean by this?

>>21606975
Can't you read, or are you this stupid?

>>21606953
need more info to decide

>>21605382
I like knowing as little as possible

>>21606890
No

>>21606890
giwtwm

>>21601810
Good review, looks like I’ll be checking this one and the first book out eventually.

>>21607222
Speak English, you dumb zoomer.

>>21607243
There's a lot who have marked it as to-read, but not many readers yet. Someday though. I'm glad that it was helpful.

>>21607260
I actually wouldn’t have known about it until you did the review. So there’s that. Anyways, thanks again for the review.

>>21607266
I considered putting that I post these these here as well as part of who reads them with consideration to being being approved for an ARC, but decided that Goodreads by itself would have to suffice because saying that would almost surely be a net negative.

>>21607288
Don’t stop posting them here, you’re reviews are one of the few posts with any actual content

>>21607326
>you’re reviews are one of the few posts with any actual content
His posts are also one of the few that isn't just an infinite repeat from other threads.

>>21607326
>one of the only people who actually reads
>but a good chunk of it is whatever hugely popular-at-the-time current year bestselling list drivel
Monkey paw'd.

>>21607355
Yes, Anon, that’s called reading and not caring about politics like some terminally online person.

>>21607381
You're the one who mentioned politics.

>>21607355
>good chunk of it is whatever hugely popular-at-the-time current year
Yes, anon, the person who does reviews reads books and doesn't posture for anonymous people. If you don't like it, you can always just ignore it.

>>21607408
That’s the problem, they never can. Don’t know why the reviews brings the schizos, just a guy sharing his thoughts. But the again, that’s /lit/ in a nutshell, people just seethe if you read.

>>21607406
Don’t try and pretend to be stupid.

>>21607326
I don't have any intention at this of doing so. If I stopped posting here entirely that means that I've quit writing them in general. I would still be posting as I regularly do, but that shouldn't be noticable. Hopefully anyway.

>>21607355
I read a good bit of current year, but I don't know that it does all that well mostly. I provide opportunties to dictate what I'm reading as well. I have for Feb ongoing, but nobody except aeos has posted, and that was just to meme. What do you think I should be reading?

>>21607408
>>21607415
There are a lot of reviewers in the GR group, I have a thread for it. They just don't post them here. The ones that post their reviews here often don't post them on GR. It's quite curious. Of 20 was posting to both for a while mostly, but well, so these things go.

>>21607426
>I don't have any intention at this of doing so.
That’s good to hear.

>>21607426
>What do you think I should be reading?
I think you should just ignore them. They always bitch at you while offering nothing. No point in humoring them.

>>21606953
dommy mommy Volyova any day of the week

>>21607415
>schizo for sharing three lines, one of which was two words

>read The Dark King
>post-apocalyptic politicking with MC time traveler from the past that has retained technological knowledge, ready to rise from the dirt
>wow this is better than reverend insanity
>reach chapter 400
>HOLY SHIT THERE'S SUDDENLY AN ENTIRE INNER CITY OF ULTRA STRONG IMPERIAL CHINK GENE CULTIVATORS ---OUT OF NOWHERE--- THAT ENSLAVE THE MC, INCLUDES A WHOLE PLETHORA OF ANNOYING HAUGHTY CHARACTERS AND BREAK THE PERSPECTIVE AWAY FROM ALL THE PLOT LINES AND OUTER CITY POLITICKING STUFF THAT MADE THIS STORY INTERESTING, YOU'RE A CULTIVATOR NOW SON BEST KILL THAT BIG MONSTER AND ABSORB IT
NICE STORY NIGGER AUTHOR, IT ALMOST MAKES ME WANT TO LEARN MANDARIN AND SEND THIS "古羲" NIGGER DEATH THREATS this happened years ago but i am still mad

>>21607483
I hope that one day you're able to let go of your resentments. You're only hurting yourself with them. It must be awful to be so mad for years and years.

>>21607483
why are you like this?

>>21605707
Reading a manual has more life than that book. Keep coping, hope they pay you to keep shilling this shit in every thread.

>>21607489
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NpjJVhG4ic

>>21607496
He does it for free, anon.

>>21607494
Whatever do you mean?

>>21607483
Is that the one where he is in cryo sleep, wakes up in the futre and is a 200 IQ genius(author reported)? I read something like that, had a 'Fastest way to fry 3 fish in a pan' question as some sort of a test.

>>21606560
Fireplace fuel, dogshit brainlet series for midwits.

>>21606626
Ruined WOT with is faggottry, everything he releases follows the same formula and is predictable as hell. Fuck this faggot.

>>21607513
Yes, if my memory works correctly. Translator fucked off for a year or two due to some finna legal troubles with WebnovelTM. New translator came in and then the story nosedived in plot hard.

>Bored out of my mind
>For shits and giggles start reading 'Inside A NTR Game As A Former Hero'
>A former isekaied OP hero's soul enters the body of a weak, already NTRed hero who is destined to get cucked with every female he cares about
Sounds like a decent premise for comedy, trying to avoid the fate of the body
>The comedy is good
>The translation is atrocious, but MTL brain can still cope with it
>He is powering up because he is weak as shit
>The halfway through he gets a super dick by clearing a dungeon
>Story loses all semblance of comedy, turns into collecting jade beauties harem story
>Power levels don't exist, he is strong enough to face anything so tension doesn't exist
Amazing, I had no expectations and the author still fucked me in the ass.

>>21602917
I've read nearly everything he's written and I'd say ~70% of it is good. I haven't read Scale yet because I'm still looking around for a freely available copy of it.

Anyone know how to get paywalled chapters on Reaperscans? Aggregate sites only post the latest free chapter, and I'm not paying 5 bucks to read one chapter.

>>21607541
Have you tried paying for it.

>>21607536
>A former isekaied OP hero's soul enters the body of a weak, already NTRed hero who is destined to get cucked with every female he cares about
Ah, yes, the NTR RPG plotge.

>>21607288
I really enjoy your reviews and I read them both to find new books and to also expand the way I personally critique books I read. Please keep sharing them here

>>21607546
Hey it worked for like 40 chapters, got some laughs out of it.

>>21607542
If they weren't so jewish to ask 5$ for a 4 minute read I would consider it.

>>21607483
Gemposters, give me some novels to read

>>21607549
I will be, that was just about trying to acquire yet to be released books for free. It seems unlikely that I'm a particularly suitable model for improving critique, but if it helps you, then alright.

>>21607555
Undying Mercenaries ain't that bad if you can deal with MC doing something retarded, somewhere retarded and somehow saving the day in every book.

>>21607536
I think your biggest mistake was thinking that was a decent premise for comedy

there's maybe a .1% chance that a story that requires both writer and reader to have intimate knowledge of an already niche subject to understand the parody will actually land its jokes

>>21607553
Then don’t ask others for free handouts.

>>21607567
The comedy comes from him being fed up from having to isekai and fight once again, now in a shitty NTR video game of all things.
The prologue was him being on Earth, playing NTR games in order to find the worst one to recommend to his friend, a vanilla lover, who owes him money and doesn't want to pay back. He was losing his mind with how shitty the games were, then losing his mind from being transported into the world.
Now that I am writting this down, comedy really was in the first 1/10th of the story, still had the posibility of coming back before the dick enhancement.

>>21607573
Nigger, why are you even replying to me if you don't have anything good to say? Maybe someone knows a site that does pull the paywalled chapters, I posted due to that, not to have your ass obssesed with replying to every question talking to me.

>>21607573
How about you legally purchase a full-price rope and use it to hang yourself?

>>21607565
>MC doing something retarded, somewhere retarded and somehow saving the day in every book.
That sounds like most novels. You got any webnovels, the chapter kind, not book kind?

>>21607536
And that's why you don't read chinese webnovels no matter the cost.

>>21607598
No, why would I do that?

>>21607604
You mentioned Reverend Insanity

>>21607536
I mean, you only have yourself to blame for reading it.

>>21607601
>>21607623
It said no NTR, it had good ranking and score, it started with good comedy.
But you are right, fuck me for believing webnovel users' opinions and clicking on such a trashy title. Should've been wiser.

>>21607598
War Queen
12 Miles Below
Fodder

I've read mountains of chinkshit and japshit, only "World of Cultivation" I would call a decent read. I also like "Heavenly Jewel Change" but I think I stopped at some point since it wasn't fully translated. Mushoku Tensei is also alright but why read the novel when the anime is in production? You probably already heard of Release that Witch and tried top Royalroad stories apart from this.

>>21607498
It's probably true that there's no zealot like a convert.

>>21607629
>fuck me for believing webnovel users' opinions
I would have sooner believed a goodreads opinion.

>>21607576
Seems like a weird cope.

>>21607536
So this is the power of reading MTL stories? You ignore red flags for shit stories.

>>21607426
>There are a lot of reviewers in the GR group
Wished they posted here more often, then maybe /sffg/ would be useful for something.

the verbal sparring between Sajaki and Sylveste is so much fun to read

>>21607576
And not once did you think the story was not worth it?

>>21607769
Are we supposed to know who those people are?

>>21607629
>It said no NTR, it had good ranking and score, it started with good comedy.
And you believe it? Fucking hell, anon. I know children who are smarter than you.

>>21607541
No

>>21606628
What is this image suppose to prove?

>>21607775
yes

>>21607802
Then you’re an idiot.

>>21605257
>picard ascii facepalm.wav
Reddit response for a reddit author. Yes, all PKD books are in fact the same WHOA DUDE REALITY BUT TOO MUCH benzedrine-fueled shlock written in lumpen maladroit prose. PKD fucking sucked, which is why only the same (somewhat) passable two or three novels out of the dozen+ awful books he wrote get recommended all the time.

>>21607811
no

>>21607814
Yeah, you are.

>>21607823
nope

>>21607811
>>21607823
Ignore the retard.

>>21600098

>>21607830
HOLY SOVL

>>21600098
>Other examples of bad world building?
Every fantasy series in existence.

>>21607830
This 24KB gif has more soul than I do.

>>21600098

>>21607853
that’s sad.

>>21607726
>>21607759
>>21607771
>>21607790
Alright alright get off my dick please. It made me laugh in the beginning, something that good part of the 'comedy' novels failed to do even once. It's like a pretty girl with dyed red hair, your know you are in trouble but it seems right at the moment. Exceptions that prove the rule and all that.

>>21607860
>It's like a pretty girl with dyed red hair, your know you are in trouble but it seems right at the moment.
What are you on about?

>>21607854
A classic.

>>21606890
no

>>21607860
Are your standards that low?

>>21600098
How is that bad world building?

>>21607516
WOT was shit before he took over.

>>21607553
You that poor?

>>21600098
>world building fags
Only videogame obsessed retards give a fuck about cuckbuilding, it's a book not a shitty 4 hours epic lore vid from youtube.

>>21607813
I mean I still enjoy reading him, but the novelty wears off after a certain point. His prose is passable and he really does offer a crazy schizo ride with many of his works.
>>21606890
Book of the New Sun sort of.

>>21607496
I will read manuals if that means I can avoid melanin enriched, coomers and white knights in my literature.

>>21607879
If they were I wouldn't be complaining about it here but still indulging myself with that slop. I was just more open to the idea that there is gold somewhere in there, deep within.

>>21607886
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

>>21607516
I'm not exactly a big Sanderson fan but come on you can't blame him for Wheel of Time, it went to irrecoverable shit like six books before he took over

Sanderson should write a cyberpunk story or something

New thread
>>21608322

>>21606890
A Practical Guide to Evil has various female villains and antagonists

>>21602728
Justice of Kings has a medival lawman who can do some low tier necromancy and use a magic Voice to command people (with varying effectiveness)