| Author | Series | Image(s) | Title(s) | Comments |
| Anthony, Piers | The Apprentice Adapt |        |
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On the technological, decadent world of Proton, someone was trying to destroy Stile, serf and master Gamesman. His only escape lay in Phaze, a world totally ruled by magic. Soon he learned that his alternate self had already been murdered, and that he was next. On Proton, his fate depended on winning the great Games. On Phaze, he must master magic to survive. And if he used any magic at all, his friends were determined to kill him at once!
Tre: Read this series when I was younger. Loved the idea behind the ladder. |
| Brooks, Terry | Shannara |    |
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Living in peaceful Shady Vale, Shea Ohmsford knew little of the troubles that plagued the rest of the world. Then the giant, forbidding Allanon revaled that the supposedly dead Warlock Lord was plotting to destory the world. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness was the Sword of Shannara, which could only be used by a true heir of Shannara--Shea being the last of the bloodline, upon whom all hope rested. Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of Evil, flew into the Vale, seeking to destroy Shea. To save the Vale, Shea fled, drawing the Skull Bearer after him....
Tre: Great starter series for those new to scifi and youth. |
| Card, Orson Scott | Ender Series |         |
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Intense is the word for Ender's Game. Aliens have attacked Earth twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses -- and then training them in the arts of war... The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of 'games'... Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games... He is smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet?
Tre: Amazing concept and intense subject matter. For the thinking readers among us. Card is brilliant. |
| Card, Orson Scott |  |
Pastwatch, The Redemption of Christopher Columbus | In one of the most powerful and thought-provoking novels of his remarkable career, Orson Scott Card interweaves a compelling portrait of Christopher Columbus with the story of a future scientist who believes she can alter human history from a tragedy of bloodshed and brutality to a world filled with hope and healing.
Tre: Interesting idea from Card but I could never get on board. |
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| Card, Orson Scott | Homecoming |      |
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High above the planet Harmony, the Oversoul watches. Its task, programmed so many millennia ago, is to guard the human settlement on this planet--to protect this fragile remnant of Earth from all threats. To protect them, most of all, from themselves. The Oversoul has done its job well. There is no war on Harmony. There are no weapons of mass destruction. There is no technology that could lead to weapons of war. By control of the data banks, and subtle interference in the very thoughts of the people, the artificial intelligence has fulfilled its mission. But now there is a problem. In orbit, the Oversoul realizes that it has lost access to some of its memory banks, and some of its power systems are failing. And on the planet, men are beginning to think about power, wealth, and conquest.
Tre: Another thoughtful series from Card. Not nearly as ground-breaking as Ender. |
| Clarke, Arthur |  |
Rendezvous with Rama | At first, only a few things are known about the celestial object that astronomers dub Rama. It is huge, weighing more than ten trillion tons. And it is hurtling through the solar system at inconceivable speed. Then a space probe confirms the unthinkable: Rama is no natural object. It is, incredible, an interstellar spacecraft. Space explorers and planet-bound scientists alike prepare for mankind's first encounter with alien intelligence. It will kindle their wildest dreams... and fan their darkest fears. For no one knows who the Ramans are or why they have come. And now the moment of rendezvous awaits -- just behind a Raman airlock door.
Tre: So-so. Move along. |
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| Cook, Glen | The Black Company |   |
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Some feel the Lady, newly risen from centuries in thrall, stands between humankind and evil. Some feel she is evil itself. The hardbitten men of the Black Company take their pay and do what they must, burying their doubts with their dead. Until the prophesy: The White Rose has been reborn, somewhere, to embody good once more. There must be a way for the Black Company to find her...
Tre: Overly dark as the "heroes" are still blood-thirsty mercenaries. |
| Donaldson, Stephen R. | The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever |       |
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He called himself Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever because he dared not believe in the strange alternate world in which he suddenly found himself. Yet he was tempted to believe, to fight for the Land, to be the reincarnation of its greatest hero....
Tre: Very creative and well-done story. The subject matter is better suited to adults. |
| Eddings, David | The Belgariad |      |
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Long ago, the Storyteller claimed, in this first book of THE BELGARIAD, the evil god Torak drove men and Gods to war. But Belgarath the Sorcerer led men to reclaim the Orb that protected men of the West. So long as it lay at Riva, the prophecy went, men would be safe.
But Garion did not believe in such stories. Brought up on a quiet farm by his Aunt Pol, how could he know that the Apostate planned to wake dread Torak, or that he would be led on a quest of unparalleled magic and danger by those he loved--but did not know...?
Tre: Well crafted, engaging tale. Better than good, but perhaps not great. All ages welcome. |
| Eddings, David | The Malloreon |      |
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| Eddings, David | The Elenium |    |
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| Farland, David | The Runelords |    |
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Another doorstopper fantasy series is launched, this one with a boiler-plate medieval-style backdrop and a well-developed system of magic. The ruling aristocratic Runelords accept ``endowments''--magical enhancements of voice, brawn, wit, grace, etc.--from contributors called Dedicates, who thereupon become helpless (a Dedicate who donates his wit, for example, becomes feeble-minded) and must be cared for by the Runelord. Endowments are made via ``forcibles,'' these resembling magical branding irons that absorb the endowment and then burn it into the Runelord's flesh. Prince Gaborn of Mystarria is visiting Sylvarresta in order to ask for the hand of Princess Iome when news arrives of an invasion by the Wolf Lord Raj Ahten. The latter, having taken hundreds of endowments, has grown so powerful that he captures Castle Sylvarresta without a fight. King Sylvarresta is deprived of his wits, while Iome must yield up her glamour. And by forcing the defeated Sylvarrestans to yield hundreds more endowments, Raj Ahten draws closer to being transformed into the godlike immortal Sum of All Men. Gaborn, assisted by the powerful Earth wizard Binnesman, evades capture while studying a book that may contain the secret of how to defeat Raj Ahten; and he swears a terrible oath to protect Iome, then another to serve the living Earth. Gaborn's father, Orden, gathers an army at Castle Longmot to defy Raj Ahten's frowth giants, flameweavers, and nomen, but after a terrible struggle Raj Ahten defeats Orden in single combat and razes Longmot by the power of his Voice alone. So Gaborn, the new Earth King, must find a way to defeat or dissuade Raj Ahren. A bloody, violent, grim saga, with thoughtfully devised magics, and, despite rather anonymous characters, a well-turned plot: overall, reasonably satisfying and involving.
Tre: Great series. Loved it. |
| Feist, Raymond | Riftwar Saga |     |
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To the forest on the shore of the Kingdom of the Isles, the orphan Pug came to study with the master magician Kulgan. But though his courage won him a place at court and the heart of a lovely Princess, he was ill at ease with the normal ways of wizardry. Yet Pug's strange sort of magic would one day change forever the fates of two worlds. For dark beings from another world had opened a rift in the fabric of spacetime to being again the age-old battle between the forces of Order and Chaos.
Tre: Feist has created a wonderful world, full of just the right amount of magic, strong characters and intrigue. I wish it didn't have to end. |
| Feist, Raymond | The Serpentine Saga |     |
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Tre: Another strong showing by Feist but it really could have ended with the third book, Rage of a Demon King, which was really the climax of this series. It seemed to me that the 4th book was an afterthought. Even still, the series is great because we're now working with a new generation of characters from the land of Midkemia. Fun stuff. |
| Gibson, William |  |
Neuromancer | Tre: This book created the whole cyberpunk genre, which is novel but the story was depressing and left me feeling cold. I had hoped for so much more. | |
| Heinlein, Robert A. |  |
Starship Troopers | Tre: Very interesting take on the Army of the future in space. The story was only decent. | |
| Herbert, Frank |  |
Dune | Tre: Big letdown in my opinion. To much ado about nothing. Can't recommend it. | |
| Jordon, Robert | The Wheel of Time |           |
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The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and go, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth returns again. In the Third Age, an Age of Prophecy, the World and Time themselves hang in the balance. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow.
Tre: I love this series. My only complaint is the time between books. Some portions are a bit drawn out. |
| Kay, Guy Gavriel |  |
Tigana | Kay ( The Fionavar Tapestry ) brings to life a layered, pragmatic world of magic and difficult choices, where brutality and beauty coexist. Eight of the nine provinces of the Peninsula of the Palm, on a world with two moons, have fallen to the warrior sorcerers Brandin of Ygrath and Alberico of Barbadior. Brandin's younger son is slain in a battle with the principality of Tigana, which the grief-stricken sorcerer then destroys. Years later, a small band of survivors, led by Alessan, last prince of Tigana's royal house, wages psychological warfare, planting seeds for the overthrow of the two tyrants. At the center of these activities are Devin, a gifted young singer; Catriana, a young woman pursued by suspicions of her family's guilt; and Duke Sandre d'Astibar, a wily resistance leader thought dead. Meanwhile, at Brandin's court, Dianora, his favorite concubine and--unknown to anyone, another survivor of Tigana--struggles between her growing love for the often gentle tyrant and her desire for vengeance. Gradually the scene is set for both conquerors to destroy each other and free a land. Tolkien protege Kay's brilliant and complex portrayal of good and evil, high and low, will draw readers to this consuming epic. | |
| Kay, Guy Gavriel | The Fionavar Tapestry |    |
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Tre: The Finonavar Tapestry trilogy is different in some ways from the standard sci-fi fare, in that it mixed current day characters with those from mythical literature and placed them into a traditional world completely with villains and heroes, dark and light. At first I didn't warm to the concept, but as I went on it grew on me. Not knowing much of about Arthur Pendragon, Lancelot and Guinevere I felt them to be out of place in this setting. But truly they were the beginning of fantasy themselves. The stories culminates in predictable fashion with only a few twists. In the end, I felt glad to have finished the three books rather than ending the story at the first. |
| Le Guin, Ursula K. | The Earthsea Cycle |     |
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Tre: Very interesting but not grand as the reviews led me to believe. Ged, also known as Sparrowhawk, is a gentile but powerful magician who almost singlehandedly confronts many manner of evil in these four books. I believe there are more but I shall stop here as Tehanu was the least impressive. I imagine it was fanciful stuff for the late 1960s. 6 out of 10 |
| Lewis, C.S. | Space Trilogy |    |
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The first book in C. S. Lewis's acclaimed Space Trilogy, which continues with Perelandra and That Hideous Strength, Out of the Silent Planet begins the adventures of the remarkable Dr. Ransom. Here, that estimable man is abducted by a megalomaniacal physicist and his accomplice and taken via spaceship to the red planet of Malacandra. The two men are in need of a human sacrifice, and Dr. Ransom would seem to fit the bill. Once on the planet, however, Ransom eludes his captors, risking his life and his chances of returning to Earth, becoming a stranger in a land that is enchanting in its difference from Earth and instructive in its similarity. First published in 1943, Out of the Silent Planet remains a mysterious and suspenseful tour de force.
Tre: Didn't really strike a chord with me, even though Lewis is an obvious genius. |
| Martin, George R.R. | A Song of Ice and Fire |    |
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The cold is returning to Winterfell, where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime. A time of conflict has arisen in the Stark family, as they are pulled from the safety of their home into a whirlpool of tragedy, betrayal, assassination, plots and counterplots. Each decision and action carries with it the potential for conflict as several prominent families, comprised of lords, ladies, soldiers, sorcerers, assassins and bastards, are pulled together in the most deadly game of all--the game of thrones.
Tre: This is a series with a significant focus on politics, intrique and betrayal. Masterfully written and deep. Looking forward to the next installments! Adult oriented material. |
| McKiernan, Dennis L. | Iron Tower Trilogy |    |
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Tre: I don't remember reading these books. Must not have been very special, yet I probably purchased too many at once. |
| McKiernan, Dennis L. | Silver Call Duology (#1) |   |
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| Niven, Larry & Pournelle, Jerry |  |
The Mote in God's Eye | Tre: Powerful story of mankind's first encounter with alien life. The Moties are seemingly far past all our capabilities but are they hiding something? Engaging tale throughout. I highly recommend. 8 out of 10 | |
| Simmons, Dan | Hyperion |   |
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On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all. On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope--and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.
Tre: Ultimately negative in it's view of things. I became more depressed as I went along. Can't recomment. |
| Tolkien, J.R.R. | Lord of the Rings |      |
The Hobbit
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Tre: Simply the gold standard for SciFi. |
| Weis & Hickman | Dragon Lance: Chronicles |    |
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Tre: Don't remember much of these that I must have read some 20 years ago. |
| Weis & Hickman | Dragon Lance: Legends |    |
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| Weis & Hickman | Dragon Lance: Tales |   |
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| Weis & Hickman | Dark Sword Trilogy |    |
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| Williams, Tad | Memory, Sorrow and Thorn |     |
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Tre: I’ve started down the path of another true science fiction epic. In the same thoughtful and detailed veign of Tolkien. High praise I know, but it’s off to a wonderful start. On to Book 2! Book 2 is just as compelling as the first. I’m start to rush through unnecessarily so I force myself to slow down and savor this sci-fi masterpiece. This is the first half (800+ pages) of the third piece of the trilogy and it’s one of the most amazing pieces of science fiction I’ve ever read. In many ways even better than Tolkien. If you’re a fan, this is a must read series. On to the final volume! I’ve just completed the Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series by Tad Williams and do you know what I think? I think it’s even better than Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. |
| Zelazny, Roger | The Great Book of Amber (Chronicles 1-10) |  |
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Tre: Hard to believe I've read this whole thing and remember almost nothing. |