SciFi and Fantasy eBook Club discussion

It's time to make your nominations for the February Fantasy Theme: Dark Fantasy.

The Wikipedia definition is as good as any for our purposes, "Dark fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy ... that combine fantasy with elements of horror. The term can be used broadly to refer to fantastical works that have a dark, gloomy atmosphere or a sense of horror and dread." ...

Remember we are excluding any authors who we've selected to read in the past 12 months. The list can be found here. Any author on this list is cannot be nominated. Any author previously nominated and/or a runner up but not selected is still fair game.


So Let's see what you all come up with. Remember, one nomination and one seconding per person, no nominating your own book and once we have a nice list, I'll open up the vote.


Nominated and Seconded
Black Sun Rising by C.S. Friedman
God's Demon by Wayne Barlowe
Running with the Demon by Terry Brooks
Prince of Thorns by Mark  Lawrence
The Shadow of the Torturer ny Gene Wolfe
The Stealer of Souls by Michael Moorcock


Nominated
Butcher Bird by Richard Kadrey
Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon
Thieves' World by Robert Lynn Asprin
The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks
The Black Company by Glen Cook

I would like to nominate American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

Kevin wrote: "I would like to nominate American Gods by Neil Gaiman."

YES ! I m reading it right now :D

Georgia wrote: "Kevin wrote: "I would like to nominate American Gods by Neil Gaiman."

YES ! I m reading it right now :D"

So, you would second it?

Wow. I know the internet is crawling for me tonight, but y'all had nominations in before I sent out the mail announcing it. Way to pay attention.

For this theme, I nomination Butcher Bird by Richard Kadrey

For sure ;)
Officially, I would like to nominate American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Georgia wrote: "For sure ;)
Officially, I would like to nominate American Gods by Neil Gaiman"

You mean seconding it because I nominated the book already.

Kevin wrote:
You mean seconding it because I nominated the book already."

Oh! Ok! got it now ;)

I've never read a darker fantasy than God's Demon, so I hereby nominate it for Feb. reading.

I'd like to nominate Boy's Life by Robert McCammon. I've been meaning to read it and this would finally motivate me. :-)

What about Black Sun Rising by C. S. Friedman? Not quite sure if it falls into dark fantasy but it is some of the darkest I've read and it's unique. :)

I'll second Black Sub Rising.

Also, we read a book co-authored by Gaiman in the last twelve months, Good Omens. He shouldn't have have been nominated.

Don't know if people are willing to consider a short story collection, but Thieves' World: First Blood apparently contains the stories from the first two books, and is definitely dark swords and sorcery.

I want to nominate 'The way of Shadows' of Brent Weeks

I'll nominate The Stealer of Souls by Michael Moorcock, fantasy doesn't get much darker than the Elric series and this is the first one.

I am going to nominate Running with the Demon by Terry Brooks



Now, in Running with the Demon, Brooks does nothing less than revitalize fantasy fiction again, inventing the complex and powerful new mythos of the Word and the Void, good versus evil still, but played out in the theater-in-the-round of the “real world” of our present.

On the hottest Fourth of July weekend in decades, two men have come to Hopewell, Illinois, site of a lengthy, bitter steel strike. One is a demon, dark servant of the Void, who will use the anger and frustration of the community to attain a terrible secret goal. The other is John Ross, a Knight of the Word, a man who, while he sleeps, lives in the hell the world will become if he fails to change its course on waking. Ross has been given the ability to see the future. But does he have the power to change it?

At stake is the soul of a fourteen-year-old girl mysteriously linked to both men. And the lives of the people of Hopewell. And the future of the country. This Fourth of July, while friends and families picnic in Sinnissippi Park and fireworks explode in celebration of freedom and independence, the fate of Humanity will be decided . . .

A novel that weaves together family drama, fading innocence, cataclysm, and enlightenment, Running with the Demon will forever change the way you think about the fantasy novel. As believable as it is imaginative, as wondrous as it is frightening, it is a rich, exquisitely-written tale to be savored long after the last page is turned.

Greg wrote: "Also, we read a book co-authored by Gaiman in the last twelve months, Good Omens. He shouldn't have have been nominated. "

You are correct. I apparently left him off as author and have corrected the list and, unfortunately, removed American Gods from the nominations.

I am going to make my own second, though, and second God's Demon.

I'd like to nominate Mark Lawrence's Prince of Thorns. I generally don't like dark and gritty fantasy, but the fact that I'm recommending this book is a evidence of just how good a writer Mark is. His character is more than flawed, and yet the book kept my attention and I found the writing to be extremely well constructed. It's also made a number of "Best of 2012" lists.

Anyone want to help out a good book by seconding Running with the Demon? Thanks.

I'll second Running with the Demon. I read it a while back and liked it.

Geoffrey wrote: "Greg wrote: "Also, we read a book co-authored by Gaiman in the last twelve months, Good Omens. He shouldn't have have been nominated. "

You are correct. I apparently left him off as author and ha..."

If my nomination was taken off I would like to nominate one of the first dark fantasy out there, The Black Company by Glen Cook.

Geoffrey wrote: "Greg wrote: "Also, we read a book co-authored by Gaiman in the last twelve months, Good Omens. He shouldn't have have been nominated. "

You are correct. I apparently left him off as author and ha..."

I'm just wondering what book was that the group read that was coauthored by Gaiman?

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - it's about to fall off the ' last 12 months' list but not quite yet....

I have to say that this is a great list of books with a noticeable lack of vampires .... :-)

I'll second "Black Company", since my brother keeps suggesting I read it (but I never seem to get around to it).

As far as Moorcock goes, I'm pretty sure we read one of his, but not sure if it was within the last year or not?

Geoffrey wrote: "I have to say that this is a great list of books with a noticeable lack of vampires .... :-)"

I think Thieves' World may have a vampire-like character in one of the stories, but that's only a vague memory, so I could well be wrong. Anyway, how can you resist a collection that includes the story title, "The Spiders of the Purple Mage"? :-)

Geoffrey wrote: "Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - it's about to fall off the ' last 12 months' list but not quite yet...."

Off forgot about that one because to me its more Terry Pratchett than Gaiman.

I'll second "Prince of Thorns"

Dodie wrote: "I'll second Running with the Demon. I read it a while back and liked it."

Thank you so very much!

I'll second Way of Shadows

Agree with Kevin Good Omens is certainly more Pratchett than Gaiman.
Charles couldn't find Moorcock on the author list for the last year and actually I've just realised I put the wrong title down, I meant Elric of Melniboné. Long time since I read them and I forgot the first Elric book published isn't actually the first in the series.

David wrote: "Agree with Kevin Good Omens is certainly more Pratchett than Gaiman.
Charles couldn't find Moorcock on the author list for the last year and actually I've just realised I put the wrong title down, ..."

The publisher keep on reprinting them, and The Stealer of Souls is the current edition, with ebook version available ,so I would just keep that nomination.

David wrote: "Agree with Kevin Good Omens is certainly more Pratchett than Gaiman.
Charles couldn't find Moorcock on the author list for the last year and actually I've just realised I put the wrong title down, ..."

One reason it might be more Pratchett is because it is Gaiman's first published work.

I'd like to read "Prince of Thorns," too. Bought it recently, and it's staring at me from my shelf.

I read the Elric novels a bozillion years ago in the DAW paperback editions. Moorcock has rereleased the books under different titles and internal arrangements. I have a book (not read) called Elric: The Stealer of Souls. I think that is the new first book in the series, but someone ought to check.

I'd remove the Moorcock nomination since we cannot figure out the mess he and his publisher make.

Stealer of Souls is book 1 of the Daw Rerelease in 2008 ... Elric of Melniborne is the first in the original series and not available although Gollanz announced they are going to re-release the original series in 2012 ....

The table of contents (as seen below) for Stealer appears to be the books Elric of Melniborne, Stormbringer plus all sorts of miscellany. We can leave this on the list as it's not yet seconded, second it or remove it as everyone sees fit.... I'm good either way ...

CONTENTS
Title Page
Dedication
All the stories in The Stealer of Souls and Stormbringer…
Foreword by Alan Moore
Introduction

AT THE BEGINNING
Putting a Tag on It

THE STEALER OF SOULS
The Dreaming City
While the Gods Laugh
The Stealer of Souls
Kings in Darkness (with James Cawthorn)
The Caravan of Forgotten Dreams (originally titled The Flame Bringers)

MISSION TO ASNO!

ORIGINS
Early artwork associated with Elric’s first appearances in magazines and books

STORMBRINGER
Dead God’s Homecoming
Black Sword’s Brothers
Sad Giant’s Shield
Doomed Lord’s Passing

LETTERS AND MISCELLANY
Elric
The Secret Life of Elric of Melniboné
Final Judgement (by Alan Forrest)
The Zenith Letter (by Anthony Skene)

Acknowledgments
About the Author
About the Illustrator
Also by Michael Moorcock
Praise for Michael Moorcock and the Elric Series
Copyright

Regardless of mess publisher made, one version or another of the book can be found and read whether part of an omnibus, different title, whatever.

I'll second The Dreaming City standalone book, in the Stealer of Souls collection/bundle/omnibus or whatever work the complete book is found.

I'll nominate The Dark Griffin by K.J. Taylor

Debbie (Debbie Rice) wrote: "Regardless of mess publisher made, one version or another of the book can be found and read whether part of an omnibus, different title, whatever.

I'll second The Dreaming City standalone book, in..."

I don't think you can second The Dreaming City as it's not actually been nominated. But you can nominate it.

If it was up to me, I'd leave in The Dreaming City as nominated but not seconded and The Stealer of Souls I'd remove.

Or can be interpreted as Message 15 wanting to read so nominated Stealer of Souls, the bundle/collection/omnibus edition starting with The Dreaming City. 32 referred to it as keeping the nomination, 37 just clarified what was in Stealer of Souls by posting table of contents after you questioned.

Do we need to poll on that, too? Or should David post the nomination again or edit message 15 comment?

Does everyone have to read the exact same edition? Or aren't we all welcome to read the book in or out of an omnibus edition, ebook, paperback, hardcover, audio, online or whatever?

I just assumed if there was a bundled/omnibus version of a nominated book it would count. I can't imagine this is the first time there's been some sort of combo edition brought up in group where it wasn't safe to assume we'd be reading the first book if not read in group before.

I'm inclined to not remove a nomination for reasons like publisher making a mess of things. If members don't want, well poll sorts that out.

Debbie (Debbie Rice) wrote: "Or can be interpreted as Message 15 wanting to read so nominated Stealer of Souls, the bundle/collection/omnibus edition starting with The Dreaming City. 32 referred to it as keeping the nominatio..."

I agree, it sounds like a seconding to me, but I let a mod be the judge.

This nomination will win for sure. Just joking ofc.
I am only this confident in my own fantasy world :)

What is darker or gloomier than being tortured or executed ? Or what if you are a young orfan boy and have to learn all this as an apprentice of the "Guild of Torturers" ?
And the sun is growing old, and Earth is nearing her last days ?

Read it all in:

The Shadow of the Torturer

by Gene Wolfe

And shiver. Good reads !

YT Steppenwulf.

Seconding Wolfe's The Shadow of the Torturer.

The Shadow of the Torturer is available as an ebook in the omnibus Shadow and Claw at Amazon. I didn't see a stand alone ebook, but that shouldn't make a difference.

In the end, I decided to go with the initial nomination and assume it's seconded due to the lengthy discussion around it. .. :)

Oops sorry for the confusion I caused!

Geoffrey wrote: "In the end, I decided to go with the initial nomination and assume it's seconded due to the lengthy discussion around it. .. :)"

You assumed wrong. It was not seconded. A different book of Moorcock's was nominated. That does not count as a second.

*sigh*

Apparently a lot of wrong decisions are made in this group. That second 'book' is actually a novella within a different book. I was unable to find it as it's own ebook so I went with the original nomination as that was the ebook the novella's in.

And, once I learned a mistake was made with the seconded books, I could have removed it from the running already - but it had a couple votes so I decided to leave it in the poll. I guess that was wrong of me as well.