Thread 24690786

Recommended reading charts. (Look here before asking for vague recs)
https://mega.nz/folder/kj5hWI6J#0cyw0-ZdvZKOJW3fPI6RfQ/folder/4rAmSZxb

>Archive:
https://warosu.org/lit/?task=search2&search_subject=sffg

>Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1029811-sffg

>Previous:
>>24681926

>Thread Question:
Say one positive about a book/series you dislike and one negative about a book/series you enjoy.

>>24690786 (OP)
malazan is reddit

Paitently waiting for anon to read Marrow.
Patiently waiting for other-anon to read another else in Ursia, perhaps the Mage Hunter series.

>>24690786 (OP)
Victra best girl
>TQ
I thought The King of Elfland's Daughter was boring but Dunsany balances whimsy and tragedy better than anyone.
Sun Eater's side characters are mostly just serviceable.

I just finished the Murderbot Diaries. They were pretty good.
But Martha Wells has like four other book series, all fantasy. Are any of them any good? Which one should I start with?

>>24690432
Correct. Good eye

>>24691134
Stop reading books by women.

>>24691120
Based Victrafag. I guess Pierce Brown is a liar as we got past August with no updates on Red God or whatever he's working on.

>>24691178
I only read books by women. I love romantasy and scifi with pronouns. That's why I post on /sffg/

>>24691244
No, anon, stop, his masculinity depends on your reading choices.

>character has a close friend who suddenly grows distant
>character knows something is wrong
>"i'll mend things once i'm done with [plot]"

>>24691254
Name 20

>>24691266
I've been checking out this general's favorite YA series, currnetly on Golden Son and it's got this plot going on with the gold poet guy

>>24691308
Roque au Fagii. Are you enjoying it anon?

>>24691320
it's nice.
I like the ideas more than the narrative. Wish i lived in a biodeterminist caste-based interplanetary empire.
But it usually feels like the plot "just happens" instead of being something the story builds towards, or the natural results of the characters' actions.

>>24691213
The update was about the hazard bedlam thing, which is a lorn prequel. More info on that in the next phase of the "game" this month.

>>24691364
He needs to stop this gacha shit and finish red god. I’ll iron rain his fucking house if he does a gurm and gets distracted by constant side projects.

>>24691364
>Lorn prequel
Who asked for this? He gets glazed so much in the series that I've lost all interest in him.

The golden age of scifi sucks.

>>24691416
I didn't ask for Lorn in particular but a prequel about pre-Rising era Golds being cunts to each other while pretending to be honorable knights is exactly what I wanted.

why in the HELL did I binge buy all of these star wars prequel novels???

>>24691516
because old star wars is comfy and kino

>>24691516
Why not, most of the prequel novels are pretty good.

>>24691451
That would be good but I don't have faith PB will portray Lorn as anyting but a Gary Sue.

>>24691682
Wasn't he always?
>most famous and feared space ninja knight
>has a griffon and a space castle
>one of the few honorable golds darrow meets
>has a famous bloodline with skilled descendants including someone who MUST die
etc but I sitll like him as a character. I'd rather that than a story of how Silenius started the society

>>24691544
>>24691634
checked. yes so I bought Plagueis and really enjoyed it and then said fuck it and went on a spree to then buy the prequel movie novelizations (the third of which I am reading now and isn't bad but not as good as others have claimed - Stover is a bit too cheesy with his writing) ; bought some Bane novels ; a Maul novel ; the Ep III Grevious prequel novel ; among others. I'm burned out

>>24691756
the Darth Bane trilogy and the revenge of the Sith novel are the best of what you listed. Read those before you burn yourself out.

>>24691682
>>24691745
Lorn is still a traditionalist Gold who would have turned on Darrow if he knew he was a red or wanted to abolish the hierarchy. I think there's plenty room for flaws in a character like that who preaches honor but turns his head at cruelty like that.

>>24691771
I think he would've been like Romulus. Political differences with Darrow and would've killed him if he could, but recognised the rot of the society and wouldn't mind a good culling at the top. Probably would've done it himself if he wasn't sad about his sons

I've been reading Gibson's The Bridge series, it's not so bad. They're no where near as the highs of neuromancer, but the writing is still fun.

I can't be the only one who cares about gold society in red rising more than the actual plot at this point. Honestly, he should just go all the way back to the conquering, and follow some of the first golds (or the preceding scientists and philosophers) before the first war. At this point the RR universe has just become another milquetoast scifi series (with boring supernatural stuff like the main antagonist that doesn't even belong in the story)

I read Haïta the Shepherd on a whim. I've actually read some other Hastur stories years ago but I forgot pretty much everything so this was a nice way of going to the beginning again, especially since I'd missed this short story for some reason. I did enjoy the quasi-parable quality, but somehow I kept expecting the maiden to be someone/something more sinister, not Happiness. It's not even that I had what Cthulhu mythos at the back of my mind, she just felt kind of scary (which might be rather fitting if we were to start philosophising).

>>24692024
>(with boring supernatural stuff like the main antagonist that doesn't even belong in the story)
Minds Eye is not supernatural.

>>24692086
i don't even remember the in-universe explanation, it's not some new stage of human evolution right? It's literally just meditation speeding up his mind to godly levels, that the Sovereign didn't have?

>>24691134
City of Bones is great

Instead of making himself king, Conan sets up a democratic society like an American Revolution. Has anyone written that?

>>24692206
Democracy is lame as hell, i never want to see it in fantasy and i'm disappointed to see it in sci-fi

>>24692226
NTA but based. If democracy appears in SF it should be dystopian. It shouldn't be in fantasy unless it manifests as Athenian / magna-carta English aristocratic oligarchy

I need dwarf, hobbit, and gnome oriented novels please. As many as possible.

I've already read that dwarf series by the German guy (it isn't that good)

>>24692121
Afaik the Mind's Eye and Breath of Stone are just Dune-like psychic techniques I wish more space opera included honest to God supernatural elements

>>24692267
Breath of Stone isn't even a power or anything it's just the chuuni name Darrow gave to his dual welding style.

>>24692288
>isn't even a power
Allegedly the Mind's Eye isn't either. As I remember they're described similarly, being feats of mental focus rather than magic

>>24692267
>just a psychic technique
well... you would think this kind of shit would get out, or be used to a devastating effect against the rebellion. I get them not using it before Darrow showed up because they didn't really need it, but now that the Golds are facing extinction there's no reason not to just go ham

>>24692206
Why the fuck would someone like Conan create a democracy? Especially one where he shares power with civilized men? The whole point of those stories is that his wild side is always and will always be the better path.
>>24692267
It's not psychic at all. It's just meditation that may or may be enhanced by the Gold's genetically superior minds. The Sovereign (Octavia) did have it and it's a secret passed down in their line. That said, I do agree that it only barely fits in the series. Meditative-like sword/combat forms aren't uncommon in the genre, but Brown's attempt with the Mind's Eye was poorly implemented IMO. Breath of Stone was only a little better and I think that's because we got to see the process as it formed instead of Lysander's "oh and by the way I can enter a state that lets me notice literally everything in an instant with no preparation"

bros i had a dream that i was in love, woke up alone. fug... what books for this feel

Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser 0.0001 seconds after killing some randos at the same time in Lankhmar.

>>24692386
me on the left

>>24692357
Politics are gay, noted.

conan is an enlightened centrist

>>24692372
Clark Ashton Smith, "A Night in Malneant" and "The Holiness of Azedarac"

>>24691134
I, too, bought the humble bundle.

Murderbot is surprisingly good for a woman author. Still, the absolute best of them is like a solid B, while there are As and A+s in the male space.

book recs that features cute genie/djinn girl(s) as part of the main cast?

>>24692904
go read some fanfic or something you loser

in the 1990's author Walter Kirn went into a convenience store in Montana and saw some young dork dressed like a wizard trying to sell customers copies of his self published fantasy book. Kirn thought the costume and desperation was cringe and declined to buy a copy. Another author happened to come into the store though, Carl Hiaasen. He bought one for his child to read on their road trip. The kid went the whole drive without making a peep, totally engrossed in the book. Hiaasen decided to take a look at it too, and eventually passed it onto his publisher. The kid dressed like Merlin was Christopher Paolini and the self printed book he was hawking was Eragon, went on to sell 41 million copies.

2:01:30 mark
https://youtu.be/BEcloLz3ICc?t=7290

>>24692996
it any good?

>>24693022
Just started it, yeah it's definitely well written
https://tokybook.com/post/eragon-fd63cf

I never see anyone talk about Apollonius. Gotta be my favorite character, though I'm still very early in Lightbringer

>>24693072
He's alright but loses all his teeth after Iron Gold. Felt like PB knew he fucked up making Darrow do something as retarded as breaking out a notorious war criminal so he relegated Apollonius to be Darrows wacky rival.

>>24693022
I read up to Brisingr when I was in middle school. It was good, but I got kind of bored at Brisingr. Eragon was the best IMO. But It has been so many years now.

>>24693089
I like how wacky he is. It is one of the most retarded things Darrow did, but it gave us a character that is truly unique in this universe, unique in a way that agrees with me.

>>24693095
Don't reread it. Keep it perfect in your memories.

Just finished Light Bringer and indeed came independently to the conclusion that Lysander MUST die.

>>24693072
I enjoy him but I hated how he was introduced. I was so confused when I was reading Iron Gold because the book acts like we know him and his history with Darrow when he was never in the previous books, only mentioned as a brother of Tactus. I remember reading it thinking have I missed something.

>>24693107
Based and now you join the long wait for Red God. Hopefully not long though.

>>24692996
Carl Hiaasen is a champ. Hoot was great, had a copy of Flush long time ago.

>>24693022
I loved that shit when I was 11, but I can't imagine reading it as an adult.

>>24691134
>I just finished the Murderbot Diaries. They were pretty good.
I kept being amazed how taking the writing just a bit further would've taken it into full cringe territory. Author knew when to stop for the most part.

>>24693226
There's a bit of dialogue in the second book about how "normal" Tactus is compared to his insane brothers. I guess that is the character development

brent weeks was once one of the biggest fantasy writers

>>24693072
Apollonius deserves to rule the Core Golds. While Mustang and Darrow were trying to make the Republic work, he studied the blade.
>>24693089
>>24693096
I like that he plays politics as well as anyone but is mainly driven by his private ambitions, like dueling Darrow.

>>24692996
There's no way that story is real

>>24694140
It isn't because we've known since the start that he had his parents publish the book for him.

>>24694061
Private ambitions also include wanting to fuck Darrow

>>24694140
even if it's not literally true it's still spiritually true

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cv659HLRUg

SHE

NEVER

MISSES

>>24694159
the virgin grrm "uhh everything is heckin morally grey" vs the chad tolkien "objective evil exists and is actually really easy to spot"

>>24694159
>literaturelets think the lord of the rings is "old literature"
>>24694221
You have never read a work of literature written pre 1900
If you did you'd know that gray morality was a feature of the trad literature you pretend you love so much

>>24694150
>had his parents publish the book for him
That actually confirms the story, his family run a small self publishing business. Back then especially "self publishing" businesses just printed your shit out and stapled the pages together.

>>24694221
oh wow this is only the bajillionth time I've heard this very "based" take, well spotted anon

>>24694244
>>24694310
/lgbt/ is down the hall and to the left

>>24694449
you would know

>>24694159
damn, agent scully looks like THAT?!?

>>24694159
my villain is evil yep but he doesn't do a heckin racism

Wing, I finally finished A Knight of valora. It's quite good. I do like Adah as a protagonist and it's a bold move to have her be a bitch in the first half of the book. It works well. It's quite funny at times too. But some scenes are unnecessary. Did you really need her to be an angry Karen cunt seething at some kid picking his nose and being annoyed by a fat slob with horrible BO when she's riding the bus? It's funny sure, but unnecessary.

I would say you did way too much world building here, she didn't need to travel the world to solve the mystery. I think a tighter focus on just the city she lives in and capturing the criminal would have sufficed. But I did like the twist. Glad you shared it for free. I wouldn't have paid a dollar otherwise

8/10

Get a better cover.

>>24694932
This novel is STANDALONE.

>>24694937
I'm glad it was too. There's no need for 1000 page doorstoppers that's only book 1 of 10. Clean action from point A to point B. One and done.

>>24694932
>8/10
>not worth a dollar
Astounding

>>24694994
not him but I haven't paid for any story in 30 years

>>24694994
Nobody is willing to pay for a self published slop written from someone that uses 4chan.

>>24695002
The worth of something and whether you'd pay for it are two different concepts.

>>24694937
>>24694979
Oh that said, now that I think about it, your world building is pretty well done. Four ancient temples a few big cities and tons of metal tubes running everywhere. Very final fantasy esque

>>24695007
There are various posts that claim to have done otherwise, but they could be lying.

>>24695017
One can only hope this is sarcasm.

>>24695028
There's more to it. But I did say he should have stuck to a single city and just mention the other cities. A tighter scenery would have done wonders for the story. Too much jammed in one.

Just have the monster experiments be underground, the jew sell his weapons to the politicians and start the MIC, while plotting to overtake the world with his monsters when the the other countries destroy each other with weapons.

>>24695010
no that's literally what worth means

>>24695054
No, you don't understand. The newfag who doesn't read and dropped his favorite buzzword "slop" that came here to shit up the thread said you're not allowed to enjoy anything from those damned ol' dirty 4channelers I tell you hwat.

>>24695109
Not a single good book has come out of this supposed elite reader and writer board.

>For sword and sorcery to be at its best, one needs a landscape that is ‘on the brink of civilization’ in an almost scientifically ideal way. It is only here that one can truly play the game.
What did he mean by this?

>>24695132
isn't this guy a pedophile?

>>24695132
Mechas

>>24695134
Only little boys.

>>24692386
I started reading The First Book of Lankhmar a couple days ago. It's fun

Just started the Uplift Series by David Brin what i'm in for? (besides talking chimps)

>>24695132
Too much civilization stifles agency. Your heroes can't run around chopping heads off in a region with strong states. Too little civilization and there are no peasants to support either heroic murderhobos or their evil wizard enemies, no tech, no interesting cities, no stakes. Same principle applies to cowboy stories, stories set in medieval Europe, stories set in feudal Japan, etc.

>>24695132
i know 4chan hates him because he's black and gay but he's right about this.

Two more short story reviews from Wolfe's 'The Dead Man and Other Horror Stories'

"The Friendship Light"
I have to say, this is probably the first dud of the collection, except for perhaps the OG Dead Man story. The best way to comment on this story is to reference something Wolfe said in one of his interviews. He said that he once wrote a story that he thought was so good, and it got rejected by everyone. Years later, he dug it up, reread it, and realized he completely failed to tell the story that he wanted to tell. He certainly wasn't referring to this story when reading it, but I felt it was very applicable here. What we essentially get is some dude and his fuckbuddy getting creeped out by weird occurrences around his house. I liked Ty's voice, but we leave him for most of the story to be with Jack who is pretty uninteresting. I feel mixed on the twist with the sister. I half expected it, half hoped he wouldn't go that path. In the end, I just don't think there is too much here to like.

"The Haunted Boardinghouse"
While this is fairly predictable and conventional (by Wolfe's standards), I think this story is done very well. It is one of the longer ones thus far in the collection and I think that works to its benefit. He paints a wonderfully late 19th century esque world and story, despite the world clearly being set in the future. Most importantly, I think the prose and characterization is excellent, especially the characterization for our protagonist. He really represents those of us who believe that (real) education, learning, and knowledge are worthwhile pursuits in their own right. Definitely reminds me of those stories of people from the old days fighting to have an education... in contrast to our modern equivalent of shirking it off as a state mandated burden. A bittersweet ending ties it all together in a mostly satisfactory way... maybe slightly too bitter for my tastes. I think this is definitely in the upper tier of stories for the collection, but I have a couple others that still beat it out.

>>24695401
I hate him because he is likely a pedo.

>>24695124
>>24695124
IS THIS TRUE?

>>24695435
i remember this anon wrote a fantasy book about a bunny girl or something like that
then there was bird-anon

>>24695435
100%

>>24691366
kek

>>24694979
Most books actually do need more than one book, but there are authors who take it too far. They will spend pages and pages on shit that does not matter, or following characters no one cares about. If is only acceptable if a bunch of shit happens in the course of those thousand page books.

>>24692008
Gibson was always trying for nu-Conrad, for better or worse that's what he achieved.

>>24694221
A sample from one of the authors that parrites that meme, btw.

What are some sci-fi series with a large scale? I like stories where it feels like every character is just one cog in a giant machine.

>>24696029
The Time Ships

The worst part about reading lightbringer is knowing Lysander isn't going to die here

>>24696029
revelation space

>>24696115
Interesting, i just found out that its an official sequel to The Time Machine by HG Wells.

>>24696116
He dies a spiritual death at least
>his only friend, Pytha, abandons him because of him killing Cassius
>his alliance is basically in tatters and held apart in the most fragile way, and he knows that
>he knows he’s a fraud and it fucking kills him
>knows that everyone hates him, especially his rapist BDSM boss Atlantia but he goes along with it because he’s a fucking loser that has burned every bridge
>knows he would’ve been happy just living with Cassius doing good but he’s an attention seeking arrogant schizo
His spiritual death is complete and his physical one is coming. In conclusion, Lysander MUST die

So the second arc of red rising is just about millenials vs zoomers?

>>24694932
>female mc
not reading

>>24694932
>female MC
reading

This is a quick 'review' of Lord of light i wrote to my friend:

[1/2] The book came out in 1967, right in the middle of the hippie movement. Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if Zelazny was writing on acid – the style is all over the place. You can read it as both fantasy and sci-fi (as he himself claimed), but in reality it leans much more toward fantasy.

Fun fact: there was once talk about adapting it into a movie, but that never happened. However, in 1980 the CIA actually used the cover story of a Lord of Light movie crew scouting locations in Tehran, when in fact they were there to pull off a rescue mission. That whole operation later became the basis for the 2012 film Argo.

As for the novel itself – I get that back in the late 60s it must have felt unique. Zelazny was trying to blend sci-fi with Buddhism, Eastern mysticism, and myth, which was trendy at the time (think Beatles in India, Sgt. Pepper, all that). But I’m not sure he completely pulled it off. Personally, I found the book exhausting at times. I had to force myself through the last 80 pages.

The structure is strange: one chapter reads like a mythological tale with biblical language, describing the gods and their temples in huge detail, but the characters feel flat. Besides the main protagonist, most of them are barely interesting or even memorable – everyone has multiple names and it’s hard to care about them. Then, suddenly, the style shifts and they’re drinking, smoking, and talking like everyday people. It’s jarring. Historically, I get why it was influential, but as a reader today it just feels clumsy.

The premise: humanity colonizes a planet inhabited by “demons” and mythical beings. A small group of humans consolidates power, creating a theocracy. When people die, their karma is judged via a “psychic probe” in the so-called karmic temple, and their soul is transferred into a new body. If you’ve been bad, you might come back as a dog; if you’ve been pious, you get a healthy new body. The rulers, seen as gods, wield mysterious “powers” supposedly explained by advanced technology – though it’s never really clear how any of it works. The book wants you to accept it at face value, half science, half mythology.

So yeah, Zelazny throws in commentary on religion, caste systems, mysticism, sci-fi tech – maybe too much at once. And when the big battles kick off, the whole thing suddenly feels like anime. I’m not even exaggerating: it reminded me of Bleach. Gods blasting each other with lightning, explosions leaving craters, characters standing up from rubble completely unharmed – it’s very DBZ-esque.

>>24696488
[2/2]

To be fair, some of the mythological sermon-style passages are genuinely beautiful. But then it switches back into pseudo-sci-fi explanations and the effect is ruined. In the end, the book was more of a slog than a joy for me. I respect its place in genre history, but I wouldn’t call it great.

From what I’ve heard, Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber are straight fantasy, so I’m actually more excited to try those.

Oh, and a heads-up: the opening chapter is weirdly taken from the end of the book and placed at the start. Don’t be surprised if you feel confused right away.

>>24696488
>it’s very DBZ-esque
No, it's just mythology. If you thought LoL's style strange, then avoid Creatures of Light and Darkness, it's even more experimental.

>>24689472

replying to the previous anon in another thread

> LotR
> The Blade itself

Lies of Locke Lamora is the most overrated piece of shit, literally avoid it

Mistborn or Malazan?

finished the broken empire, hated gentleman bastards

>>24696488
>However, in 1980 the CIA actually used the cover story of a Lord of Light movie crew scouting locations in Tehran, when in fact they were there to pull off a rescue mission. That whole operation later became the basis for the 2012 film Argo.

the fuck?

>>24696996
Yeah

What are some good sci-fi horror stories from the pulp era?

>>24696991
Mistborn is probably similar in tone and writing style to broken empire, its fast paced and easy to read. Malazan is more adult, edgy and autistic in its grand worldbuilding and epic plot it is however a commitment to read. You’re thrown right in without understanding and it can filter many people because of that. I liked them both for various reasons.

Did you know that Joe Abercrombie wrote the script for that abysmal Borderlands movie? What a fraud.

>>24697145
The movie was doomed far before Abercrombie got involved

>>24697095
is there any way to know the lore prior? or is just not worth it and let the books discover it for you?

>>24697207
>let the books discover it for you
basically the intention of malazan

>>24697207
>is there any way to know the lore prior?

Just read the books nigga, it's not like you're preparing yourself for a DnD session.

>>24697207
Go balls deep and learn it as you go. There are reading guides on Reddit which some people in here have used. I did use it for gardens of the moon just to get familiar but after that I did it without. The guides do chapter by chapter summaries and explain things like races or key events

>>24697210
>>24697264
>>24697269
understood, thanks anons

>>24697275
If you are doing malazan, try and get through the first book. It’s difficult because it was written as a film script then retrofitted to a book novel. It’s probably the weakest of the series but the author improves massively following it. At the time of reading it, I thought it was ok but on reflection I enjoyed it a lot and what it was setting up.

Abysmal dogshit.

Are there any sci fi books that showcase the paranormal except it's more understood and more mainstream? Most sci fi brushed this stuff away as woowoo and hocus pocus in favor of logic and reason. However, having a full understanding of the world would require a better understanding of people's spiritual and paranormal experiences.

>>24697145
If it's true that's a huge embarrassment. I can only give him the benefit of the doubt and assume there was massive meddling and changes by the studio or director.

>>24697651
turning those cool mysterious things as a "science" and more understanding is very reddit. Pulp where the sc fi is woowoo and hocus pocus IS what makes it good. That is why something like Dune is and will be remembered and why modern "hard" sci fi will be laughed at and forgotten in the future.

Gideon the Ninth was a fun mystery novel
Harrow the Ninth was a fun what the fuck is happening novel
Nona the Ninth was a waste of time
I expect Alecto to also be a disappointment

Claim:
Female MCs are better for fantasy books than Male MCs.

Argument:
Female MCs are better as the protagonist because it provides far more depth and options for the story to expand and be told. Female MCs have the benefit of emotions to add layers of depth to a character. Male MCs are generally layered to have superficial ideas of honor, glory, and duty, but the minute Male MCs are written to be selfish, manipulative, or sad, they are dismissed as a good character and the book is put away. Female MCs allow for such personal failings and make for a far more compelling story.

Female MCs can also take on different roles from damsels to hardened amazon warriors conquering men into snu-snu. Males? Have no such things.

TL:DR - Female MCs allow for personal character driven narratives while Male MCs do not.

It is already a fantasy, thus reality with women worse than men being strong warriors or a wily thief does not matter.

>>24697145
>that abysmal Borderlands movie
the milfs were hot tho

>>24692008
Gibson is an ignorant racist hack that needs to be hung, drawn and quartered
>16MB of hotswapped RAM

Is The Night Land any good?

>>24695401
He's a literal pedophile that not only was part of NAMBLA, but also wrote a book entirely about pedos (Hogg, gay pedo, not the hot uuuoohhhh kind) and spent his days having gay orgies in times square
He was a fucking disgusting piece of shit and I'm glad heat burning in hell

>>24697837
true, plus most of the times female MCs get raped and that's hot

>start series
>scene from the future where MC is emperor writing in his diary
I hate narrative prolepsis. Write stories in chronological order, keep any interruption of time to a couple days, unless it's a flashback.

Also I just don't like his prose and the setting is kinda depressing so I dropped it.

>>24697859
He's not dead.

>>24697867
Wait what
I could've sworn he died

>people don't realize they're living in a fantasy world
>random metal melted and put together allows for a man with two legs to move faster than any creature
>giant cloth capturing heated air allows for man to take to the skies like a bird
>a weapon with a pull of a trigger can fell any beast with a small pebble
>artificial sunlight
>armor of all different types and builds from leather, to cloth, to chemical compounds to protect said user from the elements
>multiple different beasts to ride on
>different types of cute, wet, soft aliens to stick your dick into, some are white, some yellow, some black, some brown, some red
>the magic to capture a moment in time on a single piece of paper
>telepathy through words on a screen to some fat ugly acne covered asshole

Fantasy is the worst genre of all

>>24697912
>the church worships a jew and not a beautiful goddess
Terrible setting.

I'm from /a/, what I should read?

>>24697971
I concede to your superior argument.

>>24697981
Hogg

>>24697981
Don't listen to >>24697984
Read Naked Lunch.

>>24697981
Don't listen to >>24698093
Read 120 Days of Sodom

>>24697981
Don't listen to >>24698095
Read Fanny Hill.

>>24694159
Yeah, no.

Evil is not the "absence of good" as she defines it. Are rocks evil? Stairs? Hurricanes? None of them are "good" so by her definition they must be evil, but they're not. They're inanimate objects or non-sentient forces of nature, they are neither good or bad, they merely exist.

The bar for evil is much higher than that: evil is maliciously acting with the intent to do harm. People who do this consistently are evil and non-sentient things aren't because they cannot have intent.

Most of the villains she complains about are bad not because they're "post modern" or whatever the fuck, but because they stop maliciously acting with the intent to do harm, and so stop being evil. The Hannibal Lecter she criticizes from the show is a bad villain in the later seasons because he stops being a villain. Likewise for the person in Scandal.

She holds up Sauron as being a well written villain because he's unambiguously evil and villains from today's stories aren't, but Sauron isn't why the Lord of the Rings is a good story. He's basically not in the books at all. He has no dialogue, and he's rather boring as far as villains go. The interesting part of LotR is how the characters act together to achieve their goal of overthrowing Sauron and almost fail in doing so due to the corrupting nature of power.

I'll concede that making your villain represent some aspect of the culture wars is stupid. That'll age very poorly no matter which side it represents, and your readers/audience won't be able to keep themselves from cringing.

For my hot take, Thanos wasn't a villain in Infinity War. He did act with the intent to do harm, but he wasn't acting maliciously, rather he believed everything he did was absolutely necessary to prevent total extinction. That makes him wrong, but doesn't cross the line of being evil, and this is why he's such a memorable antagonist. Once his task was accomplished, he put down the metaphorical sword and retired off into the sunset. Lane specifically criticizes his scene at the cabin early in Endgame for him not being "scary", but why would he be? His work was finished and his period of harming others was over.

What was the name of that royalroad(?) selfpub novel with a single dad who lived on some planet colony? with his daughter and it was a very slow burn slice of life progression thing

>>24698264
I knew I would have to post to learn the answer on my own. What a name.
>https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/26727/arkendrithyst

>>24698263
Rocks are good, actually.

>>24697863
I wasn't enjoying it until nearly the 2nd half desu

>>24698263
>>24698263
nta
I haven't watched the video.
I disagree with you.
I find it interesting that you believe malice is essential to evil. Tell me what you think of these situations.

1. A specific serial killer kills people because that's what makes him feel good. He holds no malice towards them, because he feels nothing about them, it's all about his own pleasure.

2. A CEO of company knows that that their product is causing great societal harm, but it's also making a lot of profit. The CEO feels bad that people are suffering, but that's just how it is, and how society works.

3. A soldier is told to put people in a chamber and then press a button that kills them. He believes that what he's doing is terrible and wishes he didn't have to, but orders are orders.

4. An alien civilization sends out autonomous entities that seek out all other intelligent life and eradicates it, as others may upset their status quo.

Antihero and antivillain are relatively new concepts. Sure, you can argue the byronic hero has similarities, but they aren't the same.

Thanos is a villain. His intent is irrelevant. What do you think about "the ends justify the means" and "for the greater good"? I'm interested to know what you think about about longtermism. If you don't know about it, I suggest looking into it.

>>24698399
AI posters need to be banned

>>24697863
>but I did have breakfast this morning

>>24698405
>supposedly intelligent board
>takes a random pol shitpost at face value that had zero citations or research

How is Enders Game? Work mate said I should read the first two then drop the series.

>>24698420
Card is the worst human being to ever live because he had some reservations about homosexuality and he's Mormon

>>24698416
Filtered. Likely stupid and brown.

>>24698437
Me saying you're retarded for taking a pol shitpost with zero citations at face value isn't an opinion or anything to get "filtered" by, it's you being a tard

>>24698263
Evil as the absence of good is probably the most enduring definition of evil throughout history so you should probably actually read up on the argument before weighing in with your uninformed dumb opinion on the topic.

>>24698400
AI derangement syndrome will only become worse. For your sake, I hope you're doing this to annoy, rather than believing it. I don't know if you realize that it's consistently been me that you've said are AI posts, but you need better heuristics.

>>24698444
I don't disagree with that and if anything was arguing for that. Why do believe I was doing otherwise?

>>24698452
This post >>24698399 is 100% AI

>>24698464
It really isn't and neither have my previous posts that you said were either that others also replied to and we had sustained conversation about.

>>24698420
>>24698426
so he was based

>>24698399
>1
Doing harm for personal pleasure is a malicious act, therefore evil.
>2
Hmm. His actions are causing harm (people suffering) and his motives are selfish (money). I'd say this is acting maliciously and therefore evil, but it could probably be argued the other way under my definition. It certainly feels wrong though.
>3
I'm unsure of this one. What would happen if he didn't do it? If the consequences are severe, then no, he's only acting in self preservation which isn't malicious, even though he intends harm when he pushes the button. Deserting would be better than hitting the button however.
>4
Eradicating others is malicious, and they clearly intended harm when creating the machines, even if it was for personal benefit.
>Thanos is a villain. His intent is irrelevant.
How about this? Thanos is a villain because he opposes the protagonists, but he isn't an evil one because he doesn't have ill intent.
>What do you think about "the ends justify the means" and "for the greater good"? I'm interested to know what you think about about longtermism. If you don't know about it, I suggest looking into it.
I haven't heard of longtermism before, but it looks like a specific form of utilitarianism. I'd say "it depends".
Are the "means" just minor discomfort for the benefit of future generations, stuff like reducing personal consumption and leading less wasteful lifestyles? That's justifiable. Are the means "evil"? (acting maliciously with intent to do harm, even for future benefit.) Then I'd say no. Most examples of "effective altruism" I've seen would fall under the latter category, stuff like selling as many cigarettes as possible just to get money to give to charity.
>>24698444
I did look it up, I just disagree.
>Are rocks evil? Stairs? Hurricanes? None of them are "good" so by her definition they must be evil, but they're not. They're inanimate objects or non-sentient forces of nature, they are neither good or bad, they merely exist.
Likewise, is failing to intervene in a crime "evil"? Are all bystanders evil? Their actions have no inherent "goodness" to them and harm is occurring as a result of it, but they are not the ones inflicting it.
Just because other philosophers believe in that theory doesn't make it the one true definition of evil.

Are there any SFF works that evoke a strong citypop vibe

>>24698426
>>24698542
Like I give a fuck. How is the book and series?

>>24697981
Don't listen to >>24698168
Read Deltora Quest

>>24698649
certified aussie classic

>>24698651
aussie women write some very good fantasy desu

>>24698654
too bad they're shrill evil alcohol and drug addicted banshees

>>24698657
Yes it is a shame women are what they are.

You don't understand bros
>walk into local bookshop
>palestine flags everywhere
>lgbt books everywhere
>pro-abo books
It's like they're trying to force us to become America

>>24697981
cradle
its shit, but it will likely appeal to you

>>24697981
cradle
lord of the mysteries
reverend insanity

>isekai
>elf waifu
>action girls
>epic battle to save the world
>friendship and FAMILY
it's /a/ core

/lit/ really doesn't watch anime huh
What's up with all the boards being filled with ignorant philistines?
/v/ doesn't play games
/vr/ plays even less
/tv/ doesn't watch movies

>>24698569
>>24698569
3 is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_orders and related to the The Banality of Evil

How do you reconcile 4 with Thanos? He "eradicated" half of all living beings?

Again, nta, but the "Should you try saving someone who is drowning?" is a common scenario. Certainly many try, and it can end up with both drowning. So, instead let's try some different scenarios again.

The question for these is "should anything be done?" and/or "Is not doing anything evil?"

1. You see a person who's looking at their phone waking towards an open manhole. If you do nothing, they will fall in, causing severe injury.

2. You're at a party and pick the wrong room while looking for the bathroom. Inside you see an unconscious person being raped. This becomes a traumatic event for them and eventually the person commits suicide.

3. You're a senator in the Intergalactic Senate and there's a proposal to permanently quarantine a planet so they never are able to leave. You know that the report that this proposal is based on isn't accurate. If you do nothing, eventually everyone on the planet will die.

4. Theodicy (Supreme Being, Simulation, or whatever else)

>>24698696
anime's all haremslop now, it's nothing but trash

>>24698701
>watch anime
>it's japslop
>watch film
>it's wokeslopamerislop
>play game
>it's actionslop
>read book
>it's fictionslop
>go outside
>sunlightsop
>come back inside
>isolationslop

>>24698696
>/lit/ really doesn't watch anime l

>>24698696
4chan has been full of normalfags longer than it hasn't. having the mildest cursory taste in anything japanese (a game, manga, one single anime) labels you a "weeb" not to mention the gross incompetent of every other hobbied board. it's been a long-running joke that you could have a healthier discussion on ANY topic ANYWHERE other than its home board.

>>24698708
did you not finish your post? did candlejack ge

>>24698709
Is there a reason for this phenomenon of a topic being better to discuss outside its home board?

>>24698694
not that anon but that checks a lot of boxes and my public library has it for download

>>24698694
>the MC Tavi Alwaysright uses talk no jutsu to get out of sticky situations
You are right about that.

>>24698694
Butcher? He certainly is!
Butcher? More like hack!
Butcher? He certainly butchered those books!
Butcher? Yeah I can tell
Butcher? He certainly is!

>tfw the epic battle on top of an erupting volcano in the middle of a tornado against the zerg queen will never be animated
why live alerabros...

>>24698694
>That portion in like the second or third book where the mc's mom and the evil loli were locked up in a rape dungeon.
That took me by surprise didn't thnk it was that type of series. Further surprises that the evil loli actually did get raped.

>>24698737
brat needed correction

>>24698657
that's the reason why they are good writers

>>24698715
nta
It's simply that the majority aren't interested in discussion and care about anything else. If you're discussing it on another board, then it's more likely those are highly interested in discussing it.

>>24698737
>brat rape
nice, but what about the mom? this is important because i'm a hag enthusiast

There's something about 3D hags thats unappealing, but 2D hags are god tier

>>24698737
Sounds very anime, gonna read it.

>>24698772
i like both

>>24698770
>nice, but what about the mom?
The lolibaba offers herself to be raped in the moms place so nothing happens to her.

speaking of anime
there's this neat 5 book series coming of age learning how to use magic about a dude who is like a magical engineer in the way he steers what he does and makes (one of his biggest feats is using a bunch of underground bombs to make this underground tunnel system)
ANYHOOOOOO
that's not the cool part
here's the cool part
in book 2 or 3 his wife is imprisoned by this elf that she has fantasies about (IIRC) but stays true to the MC then in some future side book bullshit the author retcons it so she NTRs the MC and cheats on him with ELF dick

>>24698700
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_orders
>Under the London Charter of the International Military Tribunal that established them, the trials determined that the defense of superior orders was no longer enough to escape punishment but merely enough to lessen it.
Interesting. I think I'd agree with this. These people might not be evil under my definition, but there were other choices they could have made that wouldn't have resulted in execution, such as deserting or sabotage.
>How do you reconcile 4 with Thanos? He "eradicated" half of all living beings?
The aliens in 4 did not know for certain the other species they eradicated were going to do them harm or disrupt them in any way. I get this is coming from the Dark Forest paradox, but they didn't give the others a chance to see if they would be a threat or not. They intended to do harm preemptively.
In Thanos's mind, the situation is clearer. If he does not kill 50% of all life right now, then at some point in the future 100% of living things will die. He's wrong about this, but his intentions are formed off this knowledge so it's what matters to the question. Preventing total extinction is drastic enough an end that nearly anything is justified, and he isn't justifying his means because he enjoys the process, merely that they're absolutely necessary.
If the aliens from 4 knew for certain (even wrongly) that other species would wipe them out, they also wouldn't be evil.

For 1-3, "should anything be done?" the answer is yes to all.
"is not doing anything evil?" depends again on intent. If you're choosing not to do anything because you want the bad thing to happen, then that's evil.
If it's because you're afraid to speak up or you fear retribution, then that's not acting with intent to harm, so I'd say not evil. Doesn't really apply to 1 though.
If it's because you're lazy and just don't feel like it, I don't know what to say. You're definitely not a good person but I don't know if I could call you "evil".
>Theodicy
I had to look this up. I'm not a religious person so my attempt here probably isn't going to be very good, but here goes:
Assuming a world in which God is all-powerful and all-good, evil could exist if his creations could choose to act with harmful intentions. Acts of God like tsunamis would not exist since they'd be evil, unless God is a utilitarian and causes them in order to bring about the "greater good" of getting people to build hurricane-proof houses that aren't in tsunami-prone regions (lol).

I'm curious to know your take on this though, so here's one for you:
A stranger gets wounded in an accident, and needs a blood transfusion to survive. You are the only person with a compatible blood type close enough to save his life before he dies. The process poses no risk to you, and requires a small enough amount of blood that you won't notice it afterwards.
Is refusing to help evil? And likewise, is it evil for someone else to force you to give him your blood?

>>24698814
Is this a difficult question for you?
Now that we've turned it on me, I have to say I've been going along with your definition, though I don't agree with even the premise. For me there's a complete difference between being unethical and evil. Evil to me is either related to moral absolutism often found in religions (immorality/sin/etc) or casually used to mean "people/stuff I really don't like".

So, to your questions. I believe it'd be unethical to not do so, but not evil. I don't believe it'd be unethical to force someone to do so. An example of this is mask mandates and vaccinations, which became quite politicized.

>>24698993
Oops, I missed.
>>24698859

While we're on the matter, you may find this interesting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Kohlberg%27s_stages_of_moral_development

>>24698859
One more thing, continuing on Thanos. Let's move to a real world example.

Eliezer Yudkowsky believes AI will literally kill everyone, thus as you said, much can be justified. Bomb AI centers, as he says, and he doesn't say this, but maybe if it becomes desperate enough, hunt down and murder AI researchers, then move on to AI sympathizers.
https://time.com/6266923/ai-eliezer-yudkowsky-open-letter-not-enough/

>>24699052
He's explicitly against terrorism. He wants there to be an international coalition that enforces this just like the US sort of enforces nuclear non proliferation. Don't be a dishonest faggot.

>>24698807
good, moms should only copulate with their sons

>>24699064
I didn't say anything about terrorism. All of says was what's in the article and what he didn't say. It's a thought experiment about what can be justified if what he wants falls through.

I haven't read his new book, so I don't know what he's saying now

>>24699079
On a related note, I don't know what Yudkowsky thinks about AI 2027, but if of it were true (it's not), then only having 2 years would seem cause to advocate for rather extreme tactics. I've linked that site before, so here's a video about it instead.
https://youtu.be/5KVDDfAkRgc

>Space Opera
>AI is outlawed throughout the, and everyone abides by this.

Kinda getting tired of seeing this, hell, at this point it's starting to feel like a stock SO trope.

>>24699089
name 5 besides Dune

>>24699089
How much do you think that's the influence of Dune versus current politics?

>>24699089
we need more Wall E style A.I. books. The slop a nd sloth that humans use lead to a wasteland only inhabited by the most disgusting and dirtiest of humans

>>24699090
>>24699091

Just from what I read recently:
The Spiral Wars
Sun Eater
Exodus
The Ship of Prophecy.
Red Rising.

All have this as a feature. And speaking of Dune, I'm starting to get a bit tired of Sci-fi societies that are just repackaged Medieval/Ancient Europe societies with some of the edges sanded off. A lot of them are even more straight-up about it than Dune is.

>>24698993
>>24699000
>000
Nice.

I feel similarly, with the exception that if you refuse specifically because you want to watch him die, then that is evil. A malicious act with the intent to harm.
Your distinction between evil and unethical is a good one to make, and it's similar to what I've been thinking while working through these. The bar for unethical is lower than for evil, but I don't have a great definition for it yet.
I actually came up with that hypothetical as an argument against the common claim that "the right to bodily autonomy is absolute", which applies to abortion, and yes, mask mandates and vaccinations.
>>24699012
Indeed. It sounds familiar from my philosophy class years ago, but a refresher is always good.
>>24699052
>bombing AI centers
He truly believes this is necessary, he doesn't intend to do harm to people, and he's not doing it maliciously: not evil. Whether it's ethical or not depends on what the risk actually is and at this point it doesn't seem that high.
>he doesn't say this, but maybe if it becomes desperate enough, hunt down and murder AI researchers, then move on to AI sympathizers.
If he truly believed it necessary then it wouldn't be malicious, so still not evil. This would not be ethical though unless the risk was 100% real and this was the only way to prevent it.

It's late so I'm going to bed, but thanks for the discussion.

>>24697971
>>24697983
>the church worships a jew and not a beautiful goddess
idk man catholics really love mary
>inb4 "it's veneration not worship"

>>24699110
These are all modern uninspired slop, no? Fuck that.
Read planetary romance books from back in the day:
Dumarest saga
C S Lewis Space Trilogy.
Nova by Delany
Conquers from the Darkness
etc... and a bunch of Jack Vance novels like The Demon Princes.

pic related is related to Epstein so that's fun too.

>>24699110
read the xeelee sequence
read marrow and the greatship books
read revelation space
read the culture

I just finished The Knights of Dark Renown by David Gemmell, and I'm fairly certain Elden Ring lifted a bunch of concepts from this book. Perhaps Dark Souls as well. There are too many parallels to be mere coincidence. If anyone is interested, I'll go into detail. But be warned that it's impossible to do so without spoiling events. The book is actually fairly good. If you're into dark fantasy and sword and sorcery you'll probably like this one. So best to read it if you haven't already.

I did a quick search, and don't see anyone else making the association between this book and Elden Ring and Dark Souls. So I might be the first one to do so. The book would make for great material for anyone running one of those game lore youtube channels.

>>24699207
Do you think that has anything to do with GRRM's involvement with Elden Ring?

>>24699218
I don't know. We don't know how much GRRM crafted for Elden Ring. And so I can't say if these concepts come from George or Miyazaki. However, because one of the main concepts is found in Dark Souls, it's likely Miyazaki is the one who is drawing inspiration from this book.

Is After London by Richard Jeffries any good?

>>24699207
ya no shit. Gemmell is goated

I need more like WoK that isn't written by Sanderson. Any recommendations?

>>24699207
Please vaguely explain without spoilers

>>24699255
Elden Ring stuff aside, this is the first Gemmell book I've read. It's a good first impression. I'll have to check out his other work.
It might be too early to say this, since I'm not familiar with his work at large. But while I was reading, I was thinking "this is the man that /sffg/ thinks Jack Vance is". Meaning, his book reminded me a lot of Jack Vance's work, but actually good.

It's an old book, so it has that old boomer pacing. They really didn't linger too long on anything. Quick to develop relationships, and move through time. But even still, he wrote with more heart than Vance is capable of mustering.

>>24699263
Impossible. I'm not going to toss out vague explanations, because what typically happens, is someone expresses doubt, since the explanations are unconvincing. So I would have to explain more, effectively spoiling in order to convince the doubters.

>>24699176
>>24699143

Thanks.

>>24699256
Well, what aspects of his books do you like?

>>24698263
>She holds up Sauron as being a well written villain because he's unambiguously evil
I haven't watched the video and don't plan to because I don't like her, but she was refuted by Tolkien himself decades ago, which is funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbKNEDKoSRU

>>24699294
the redditness, especially shalan

So uh I started Mother of Learning
>MC experiences the same ~month before moving back in time over and over
Okay cool. So I'm 7 chapters in with the first loop already happened and how the FUCK does the author extend this shit for THIRTY (30!) hours?

>>24699371
After being here for a long time, one should consider if it's same anon responding. Which then brings up the purpose of this post. Did the think she other anon would fall for it? Is it just a joke? A way to vent? Was he hoping that anon or some other anon would go along with it?

What did anon mean by this?

>>24699385
I either need to turn off autocorrect or read my through my posts again.

>>24699381
hijinks and friendship

>>24698814
>then in some future side book bullshit the author retcons it so she NTRs the MC and cheats on him with ELF dick
Having NTR in your story is bad enough, but going out of your way to retcon it in? I'd be livid

>>24699207
>>24699280
explain it then with spoilers
i read it years ago but haven't played any elden ring/ souls games

>>24698661
> palestine flags everywhere
Palestine is a noble cause, and should ve supported regardless of your Christian and political values, the rest of those causes are not.

>>24699730
Don’t care about browns. Simple as.

>>24699730
Ok, Pope Urban.

>>24699731
>>24699737
>t. schnozz

>>24699731
Ok Shlomo.

>>24699385
hoooly reddit

>>24699207
I got Quest for Lost Heroes and Winter Warriors at a used bookstore. Can I start with either of those or do I need to read Gemmell in order?

>>24699388
>>24699385

No, I get what you mean. It's unlikely >>24699371 and >>24699256 are the same person.

>>24699941
you should start with legend or morningstar or knights of dark renown

>>24699294
>>24699965
I'm a big fan of the character growth/moments, especially Kaladin and Dalinar. Also in love with the magic system, specifically the ideals and how they help flesh the characters out, but also add conflict as they have to hold up to their ideals even if it's conflicting.

>>24700172
Wheel of time? It was what inspired Sanderson

>>24700172
Read the better original: WoT. Or try Worm for the magic and epically long anime style battles.

LEVEL 33
ONLY ONE LEVELING PERSON ON THE OTHER FACTION WITH WARMODE ON
I WANT TO JUMP ON SOMEONE
I WANT TO BE JUMPED ON
I WANT TO FIGHT

>>24699621
>but haven't played any elden ring/ souls games
Then the explanation is wasted on you.
Required reading:
https://darksouls.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Knight#Lore
https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Nomad
https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Nomadic+Merchants#lore
https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Crucible+Knight#lore
https://eldenring.fandom.com/wiki/Crucible
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcIEWVFSce8
https://eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com/Demi-Human

And it still won't be enough to merely read it. You need to absorb it. Taking information in through the game, in order to place it into proper context. Maybe watch a few lore videos to have the ideas fleshed out for you.

>>24700236
Personally not a big fan of the anime fights, or rather I like them as a representation of the characters reaching a moment of self-actualization, which hits me more emotionally and stays with me longer than funny sky fights.

>>24700219
I've been hesitant since it's quite long as well. I'll probably give at least the first book a shot.

>>24700219
>>24700329
Also been hesitant to read WoT because I enjoyed Stormlight when it was grounded characters in a hole story and it lost me when everyone got powers and could heal from getting shot in the neck, no stakes.

>>24700336
Sanderson still aspires to be half as good as Jordan. If you like the former then it's a no brainer you'll like WoT.

>>24700172
I would heavily recommend The Cradle series it also utilizes a power system heavily focused on self-actualization and driving philosophy. I think it even goes further as everyone has nearly full control over their power set. Though that's a bit of a minor spoiler.

>>24700381
What's this from?

I expected something good, I was told it was good. This is horrible to read

>>24700523
On a side note, I've come to heavily prefer non-exclusive power systems where the abilities characters have are mostly if not entirely a result of what they choose to have and the effort and resources they use strengthen themselves. Though I understand this comes with down sides in story telling.

>>24700523
I'll give it a shot along with WoT, I'll probably start with Cradle since the first book is significantly shorter than WoT.

>>24700779
cradle is a light easy read, I got sick in 2021 (covid?) and read it (and a thousand li) while I was in bed for a week

Question are there any series that wait a while to explain their magic system? In that I mean a series that has a magic system from the outset and the reader and characters can gradually glean information on how the system works but it's only flat out explained later in the series.

>>24701015
Try The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington. Its not amazing and has plenty of flaws, but it fits what you described perfectly.

Any of these standalone? I fucking hate 1000 page 5 book series. They go overboard and say nothing 99% of the time

>>24701125
Honestly, youre better off considering Children of Time as a standalone. The sequels are shit and dont add anything to the story, and the first one is self-contained. Having said that, its a 6.5/10 book and arguably his best book.

>>24701125
Read his novella Elder Race. Short sweet and dedicated to Gene Wolfe

>>24697837
I love male MC in universes of dominant women but I know I'm a freak because this shit barely exists, and when it does is often unapologetic furshit.

>>24701242
Do you have any recommendations? Wheel of Time is the only series I can think of that matches.

Again another account, a private one this time, has applied to the group with writing anything. If that's you, send a message to placeholderaccount or post here with some detail or account. Ratings ,average rating, etc. I'll deny it after a few days and then you can also try again. I won't notice it's the same twice.

>>24701125
children of time is a trilogy although the first book can be a stopping point, I think the next 3 are another trilogy
service model is standalone
I read spiderlight off a rec in a /v/ thread and thought it was fun but the last chapter was kinda weak imo
its fantasy instead of scifi though

>>24701261
The occupation saga, the foreigner sequence (kind of), the Morgaine Saga. I wish more dudes were gay bitches like me, there's even a derth of good fanfics on the matter.

It's been a few weeks and I'm musing about The Unholy Consult. That book is fucked up. It's like what if Hell was real but the world is a nightmare too.

>>24701715
no, the real hell is women thinking fantasy books are for kids...

>>24701736
all of outer /lit/ believes fantasy is for children

Which of the four Sanderson secret books are good?

>>24698420
>>24698644
The series was great, honestly. It explored themes in a great way, and stood alone. I recommend only the first four, as I haven't read the rest, and I probably won't ever.

Ender’s Game
Speaker for the Dead
Xenocide
Children of the Mind

I've heard good things about Ender's Shadow and I always liked Bean, but even though I've bought it I still haven't read it yet.

>>24701779
this is why >>24701820 >>24700790 >>24700236 >>24699110 >>24698694 >>24697981 >>24694932 >>24692904

>>24697981
>I'm from /a/, what I should read?
Roadside Picnic

>>24691450
I know this is bait, but fuck you anyway.

>>24690786 (OP)
I have a problem. I keep buying books. I don't even have room on my bookshelf. I need to buy more bookshelves, but I can't afford them. And I can't afford these books. But I can't stop. And there's no way I'll read all of them in even five years.

Help.

>>24701864
Same with my Steam library except there's no physical constraints to stop me AAAAHHHH

>>24701877
A-anon... I also have that problem...

>>24701858
this but the yuri version

>>24701864
This is why I took the e-reader pill. I do all my casual reading on that and only buy physical books for series I really like for my shelf

>>24701899
Ew yuri.

>>24701899
Cool yuri

>>24701915
>>24701960
The duality of lit.

>>24701915
>>24701960

Do audiobooks count as reading?

>>24702025
no also this image is transcoded

>>24702025
No

>>24702025
In 500 BCE yes. Not really now. Also I find it almost impossible to focus, my mind always starts wandering after a while.

>>24702081
I have a better luck with really long books that go over every little detail and repeat themselves a lot, this way even if you lose focus for a few seconds it doesn't matter, you didn't miss anything important.

>>24702081
>>24702101
How about reading and listening at the same time?

>>24700554
Looks like Conan

I'm not impressed with Verne so far
The amount of autistic detail about Iceland is insane

>>24702379
I never liked Verne myself. I always felt he wrote stuff that was "fantastic" and "exotic" for the hell of it ie for kids who never left France.

>>24702025
Ethically no, but functionally yes.

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/39/39/7722

>>24702081
>In 500 BCE yes
Lowkey the funniest thing I've read all week anon.

>>24702081
>BCE

>>24701905
But you can't trust e-books. Ever.
Don't you know they're sanitizing every book that goes digital?
I'm not crazy, it's a real thing, and it has been happening for years.

An old physical book from 1975 when it was written and first published is safe, though.

>>24702800
dunno I just download pirate epubs from zlib, I don't really think the FOMO of missing a paragraph really equates to the comfort of an e-reader.

>>24701125
This is the only Tchaikovsky I've read, but I found it quite enjoyable. A nice little novella that explored its core concept without overstaying its welcome.

>>24702081
>BCE
never ask what made the common era common
never ask who decided we switch from BC

>>24702800
>I'm not crazy,
You are. They don't even update epubs to fix typos, they aren't updating them to brainwash you with their gay agenda