I’m not the OP, but would you please? I absolutely love Dresden and that subgenre.
You’re not the OP and I’m not the person you’re talking to, but I recommend Patricia Brigg’s Mercy Thompson books, starting with Moon Called.
I also liked the first few of the Blood books by Tanya Huff, starting with Blood Price. I didn’t like the last in that series for personal, persnickety reasons.
I like:
Tanya Huff’s Blood books
P.N. Elrod’s The Vampire Files
Charlie Huston’s Joe Pitt series (very violent, but excellent writing)
Patricia Briggs’s Mercedes Thompson series
Charlaine Harris’s Southern Vampire series
Definitely – tryy his “juveniles” (written in the late forties and fifties for kids, but better than most adult SF) – Citizen of the Galaxy, or Space Cadet, or Tunnel in the Sky, or any of the others.
You might also try The Puppet Masters (which reads like James Bond vs. The Body Snatchers, but which predates both Bond and The Body Snatchers) or Double Star or The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
Sure, there’s the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs.
The Rachael Morgan series by Kim Harrison. Some of the books are hit and miss, but overall I enjoy them.
The Kate Daniels series is pretty good, although only two books have been written. There seems to be room for at least one more.
The Cassandra Palmer series has three books in it, and I think it’s complete, at least it felt that way.
The Nightside Series by Simon Green is pretty good, although it can be a bit dark.
Kelly Armstrong has a Woman of the Otherworld series that has some of the same characters and in the same universe, but the stories don’t all have to be read in the same order. I started out with Dime Store Magic as the first one I read and enjoyed it. I haven’t read all of them, but the ones I did read I enjoyed.
The Kitty Norville series is pretty good.
The Weather Warden series is good, although I think the author is streatching it out a bit with the last few books.
The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlain Harris are an enjoyable read.
As is The Night Huntress series by Jeannie Frost. Note that even though a lot of books are listed, only the first two are currently available.
That’s it off the top of my head, I’ll look through the bookcase when I get home and see what I’ve forgotten.
Seconded
Also:
China Miéville - Perdido Street Station and others
Raymond Feist - I quite liked the first Riftwar series for light reading. Also the Empire series.
yeah I’ve read the riftwar stuff and the mistress of empire books, good stuff.
Forgot some others:
add Kiln People for David Brin (it’s a stand-alone; call it science-fantasy), and Soldier of the Mists for Gene Wolfe (it’s the first in a series, but the best of the series and can be read alone just fine).
Hyperion by Dan Simmons – first and best in the series; it’s like sci-fi Canterbury Tales.
Most anything by Patricia McKillip – particularly the Riddle-Master trilogy, the Book of Atrix Wolfe, and The Forgotten Beasts of Eld.
I quite like Tanith Lee – particularly her Four Lords of Darkness Series (Night’s Master, etc.). They come across as rather romantic fantasy. Also her duology of Don’t Bite the Sun and Drinking Sapphire Wine (which I think got omnibus’d).
I enjoy the Honor Harrington military sci-fi series by David Weber; the first book is On Basilisk Station.
I enjoy David Weber’s Norfressa Cycle, beginning with Oath of Swords.
David Weber’s & Jon Ringo’s Prince Roger sci fi books are very good; the first is March Upcountry. Military/political/survival SF.
You mention liking L.E. Modessitt’s Recluce books; pick up The Spellsong Cycle if you haven’t.
Simon Green’s Drinking Midnight Wine, The Man With The Golden Torc, Daemons Are Forever, and his Hawk and Fisher books and related novels are good.
Eric Flint’s Mother of Demons is a good space-castaways novel.
Eric Flint’s 1632 and sequels is good; it’s about a town mysteriously transported into Germany’s Thirty Years War, and it’s attempts to survive. They have just enough technology and resources that they don’t get immediately run over, but not so much that they can just declare “Grantville Uber Alles” and be done with it, which makes for a lot of politicking and battles.
Just a note, many of David Weber and Eric Flint’s books can be read for free at the Baen Free Library. That way you can read the first of a series to decide if you like it before buying the rest. I’ve read several of the books Der Trish mentioned that way.
Thanks!
Nobody mentioned Arthur C. Clarke yet?
I usually enjoy Gregory Benford and Stephen Baxter for some hard SF.
How about Neuromancer by William Gibson.
Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars Trilogy is worth a look.
And looking at my bookshelf, a couple obvious recommendations that I haven’t seen yet:
Ender’s Game - Orson Scott Card
Dune - Frank Herbert
Another vote for Heinlein–maybe an anthology of short stories, something from his “future history” series, Time Enough for Love, Friday, Citizen of the Galaxy, Farnham’s Freehold.
Almost anything by Spider Robinson, especially the Callahan series except Callahan’s Con–he really phoned it in on that one. Also, Lady Slings the Booze is good.
Fred Saberhagen–Berzerker series. Also heard good things about the Swords series, but have not read them.
On the fantasy side, check out the Horesclans series.
I’ve read the full ender suite, and all the core dune and even some of the prequels. I knew my originjal list was missing some obv ones…
I’ve only disliked one Vernor Vinge novel, which was Tatja Grimm’s World, I believe. I have his massive collection of short stories, too, and it’s wonderful.
I also vastly enjoy John Varley. He’s just plain fun to read, while making me think a bit.
DEFINITELY give Heinlein another try. He wrote mostly hard SF, but he did venture into fantasy. I would suggest skipping “The Number of the Beast-” entirely. He is one of the pillars of SF. If he’d been able to continue his career in the Navy, I don’t think that American SF would be nearly as rich.
dont have the books handy and its to late to go surfing for authors but
Elantris, its a fantasy story, sort of a trilogy but contained in just one book. not a bad read at all.
the name of the wind (something like that) I just finished and liked that one a lot, waiting for the next in line.
Lies of Locke Lamora, great book and the next is out, I just havent got to it yet.
the Blade Itself and Before they are Hanged are decent, even good in a lot of ways, his writing style kind of throws me from giving a great recommendation but I really do like the story lines.
thats all I got before bed
Oh,
Add Mercedes Lackey to the have read list also, someone is bound to suggest thoise at some point if I don’t head them off at the pass.
How about some Peter F. Hamilton?
Either his “Gap” series or “Nights dawn trilogy”
Julian May’s Saga of the Exiles was quite enjoyable.
Most of Piper’s work is public domain now and available at Gutenberg.
How about three of the greatest short story writers; Theodore Sturgeon, Harlan Ellison and Fredric Brown?
CMC +fnord!
Nobody mentioned Ursula K. Le Guin yet?