The Sword and Laser discussion

The best SERIES is _______

Of all time? I got asked this and it made me really think. I picked Lord of the Rings. But I have a bunch in second place, what would you have chosen?

Off the top of my head I would be hard to pick between Mistborn and Wheel of Time. Night Angel was also awesome.

For BEST series of all time I'd say Lord of the Rings and Dune.

For my FAVORITE I'd say Pern and the Dresden Files.

Dresden FIles or the Vorkosigan saga for me, though I am on the second book of Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy and that might take the top spot.

At one time it was the Grand Tour by Ben Bova. Not so much anymore

I don't know, it's hard to think of a series that didn't end up disappointing me. I need to reread Lord of the Rings with adult eyes, I think. I'm also planning to make my way through both the Vorkosigan Saga and the Vlad Taltos books.

Until then, I guess it's either Leiber's Fafhrd and Grey Mouser stories, or Moorcock's Eternal Champion books.

Bujold's Vorkosigan series.

I read Lord of the Rings. After I finished I asked myself, "Why did I do that?" Becaue everybody talks about it. Yeah, so!

Man-Kzin Wars is better. Hey, I'm into sci-fi not fantasy. And I tried Bujold's fantasy. Not for me.

I definitely think that Lord of the Rings is unbeatable as the best series written, but to offer up something different I would have to say the Magicians series by Lev Grossman. Not only does Grossman present a familiar story in a whole new way, but he's still writing them which gives readers the opportunity to follow the story as it progresses.
I HIGHLY recommend anyone who likes fantasy to give them a try!

Well, the Lord of the Rings, isn't a series. Just one book split into three volumes. So I can't go that way. Maybe The Silmarillion, Hobbit and Lord of the Rings? All three are among my favorites but so different that I don't think they will work as a series.

The Foundation. At least the first three books were consistantly good. Laser.

The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. Sword

Farseer trilogy - Robin Hobb
Malazan book of the fallen - Steven Erikson
Nightangel trilogy - Brent Weeks
Kingkiller chronicles - Patrick Rothfus
Mistborn trilogy - Brandon Sanderson
Gentlemen Bastards - Scott Lynch

HM : Acts of caine

If we're going for consistency in quality (so no series that take a few books to get good, or fall off in quality at the end), I'd have to go for either Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy, or NK Jemisin's Inheritance Trilogy.

Wait, I forgot one: Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain. It's the only series I can think of off-hand that (mostly) gets better as it goes along, once you look past the repetitive quirks and catch-phrases aimed at its young audience.

Reinoud wrote: "Gentlemen Bastards - Scott Lynch"

This has been consistently appealling as well.

If anyone knows me I would have to say, The Legend of Drizzt as Salvatore has been written the series in a constant manor for the past 25 years.

Kevin wrote: "If anyone knows me I would have to say, The Legend of Drizzt as Salvatore has been written the series in a constant manor for the past 25 years."

i still can't phantom why you like those book so much. I had to struggle through the first trilogy :)

I will have to go with The Dark Tower Series. Most do not like the ending, but I think it is brilliant. Very close 2nd is the Dresden Files.

Erik wrote: "I will have to go with The Dark Tower Series. Most do not like the ending, but I think it is brilliant. Very close 2nd is the Dresden Files."

Dark Tower was a very nice read indeed! I didn't dislike the ending that much. Wasn't really anything else for it i guess.

I hear a lot of good things about this Dresded Files series. But i wonder if the quality can be steady over 15 or so books. Is there an overall story or are the books independent?

Right now, I think my favorite series is A Song of Ice and Fire. It was the series that brought me back to reading more in general, when I first picked it up ages ago. That's not to say that there aren't others that are up there, and I suspect Stormlight may give it a run for its money...but I'm going to go with ASoIaF.

Now, when I was a kid....maybe Ramona Quimby or Babysitter's Club. ;)

If we're talking about finished series, I'd go with either Mistborn or Sword of Truth.

On any given day roll a three-sided die to determine among Dresden Files, Iron Druid, or Mistborn.

Reinoud wrote: "I hear a lot of good things about this Dresded Files series. But i wonder if the quality can be steady over 15 or so books. Is there an overall story or are the books independent?"

The initial three books of the Dresden Files are a little clumsy, but still better than many other novels. The best thing about the series is the character development over so many books. You become tremendously invested in the characters.

Yes and each Dresden book has its own complete story, which is nice. And he is regular about publishing one once a year, with a 20 book total in the series, so I'm pretty sure he WILL finish it. I'm dying to see how the overall story arc ends.

I would have to go with The Chronicles of Narnia, mostly because I have extremely fond memories of my father reading them to me every night before bed, and then re-reading them myself a couple of years later. I really ought to pick those up again this coming year.

On of the things I most look forward to about eventually having children of my own is going to be reading that series and The Hobbit to them.

I have to say lord of the rings is one of the few books I stopped reading because I found so boring.

My favorite series would have to be the The Chronicles of Amber followed by the discworld novels.

The Prince of Nothing by R. Scott Bakker is my current favorite.

Honorable mentions go to:
The Belgariad
The Malloreon
The Elenium
The Tamuli
The Malazan Book of the Fallen
His Dark Materials

Timothy wrote: "The first Black Company series by Glen Cook. Followed by the Black Sun Trilogy by C.S. Friedman."

I would have to agree, I think Glen Cook put Grimedark on the map.

Reinoud wrote: "Kevin wrote: "If anyone knows me I would have to say, The Legend of Drizzt as Salvatore has been written the series in a constant manor for the past 25 years."

i still can't phantom why you like t..."

The reason is because Drizzt made me realize what type of characters I love, and why I read fantasy. The kind of characters I love are the ones that have integrity and morals.

Reinoud wrote: "Kevin wrote: "If anyone knows me I would have to say, The Legend of Drizzt as Salvatore has been written the series in a constant manor for the past 25 years."

i still can't phantom why you like t..."

I can see where you are coming from. The first book I read in the series, The Crystal Shard took me almost the entire summer of 2008 to read the book as I got the book in May of 2008. I lemmed the book many times.

I would always recommend everyone to pick up the series not by chronological order, but by publication order for any series, so one can see how the author's writing develops, and see the characters from a different perceptive.

The series I will read over and over again forever: The Dark Tower series (and related books).

I'm also fond of Dresden Files, Song of Ice and Fire, Retrieval Artist (Kristine Kathryn Rusch), and Orion (Ben Bova).

Dune (Frank's 6 and the Dune Encyclopedia), his son's work is an Alia-level abomination though

Joe Amercrombie's "First Law" Trilogy, plus the other works in the mythos like "Best Served Cold" and "The Heroes"

"The Culture" works by Banks, RIP

The Gap series from Stephen R.Donaldson and Lord of the Rings. The only two series I ever read more then once.

Edwin wrote: "The Gap series from Stephen R.Donaldson and Lord of the Rings. The only two series I ever read more then once."

You and I are probability one of the few people that actually enjoy Donaldson's novel out there.

Mistborn. Wheel of time. Dresden. Stormlight archive

Yes! Mistborn. And Harry Potter.

I second/thousandth the Dresden Files, but I add Hitchhiker's Guide the the Galaxy all 6 (Yes I included Eoin Colfer) parts of the trilogy

While I agree with a great many series already said in the thread, I am saddened that either people haven't read my favorite series, or they have and didn't love it as much as me.

For those that may not have read this series please do. It's a fantastic series, hard to find in print, but it does have audio book versions available on audible. You can also find old (novel)copies and new collected (novel)copies on amazon marketplace (they are not in print anymore sadly).

Without further adieu I give you:

The Gandalara Cycle: One moment he was Ricardo Carillo, an aging language professor from our own world. The next, he found himself in a young, strong body in the exotic desert world of Gandalara.

The Gandalara Cycle I
The Gandalara Cycle II
The River Wall

I cannot express enough my love for this series, it is a joy to read, surprising and heartfelt, with plenty of action to wrap it all together.

-cory

The Malazan Book of the Fallen.

I started reading this a bout a year ago and never looked back. I have consumed the books almost completely one after the other and I never do that for any series ever.

My favourite series is the entirety of Robin Hobb's Realms of the Elderlings series. (the Farseer trilogy, Liveship trilogy, Tawny Man trilogy, and the Rain Wilds Chronicles.)
https://www.goodreads.com/series/5409...

Honorable mention goes to the relatively unknown A Trial of Blood and Steel by Joel Shepherd.

Of all the series I've ever read, if I'm forced to choose just one, probably the original Dragonriders of Pern trilogy by Anne McCaffrey is still my favorite.

There are a lot of great choices in this list but my favorite of all time has to be The Dark Tower. I just can't wait to read anything and everything related to it as soon as it is released!

Easily this:
Gene Wolfe's SOLAR CYCLE:

The Book of the New Sun:
Shadow and Claw,
Sword and Citadel,
The Urth of the New Sun

The Book of the Long Sun:
Litany of the Long Sun,
Epiphany of the Long Sun

The Book of the Short Sun:
On Blue's Waters,
In Green's Jungles,
Return to the Whorl

Didn't have to think more than .0001 second to choose this above all others, even Tolkien, though he ranks very high indeed.

Cryptically for those who have not read Wolfe, I will say his Solar Cycle is my pick for both Sword and Laser, and excels in both.

Laser - Iain Bank's Culture World novels

Sword - an easy pick with Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen series

Laser - The whole Future History/World as Myth series by Heinlein which includes at least 16 of his books (by my count), most of which are seemingly unrelated until the last few when the characters start coming together for adventures and parties and such.

Sword - The Middle Earth books by Tolkien of course,
followed by either The Belgariad by Eddings or the Thomas Covenant books by Donaldson.

I'm going to go with The Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy as my favorite, followed by The Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings.

The Kingkiller Chronicles - Patrick Rothfuss
Demon Cycle - Peter V Brett
Mistborn & Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
Honor Harrington - David Weber
Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn - Tad Williams
Song of Ice and Fire - George RR Martin
Farseer / Liveship Traders / Tawny Man - Robin Hobb

All excellent. Don't make me choose.

And Wheel of Time, obviously.

Farseer and Tawny Man trilogies particularly from the Realm of the Elderings by Hobb.

I can't decide between these!

The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever - Stephen R. Donaldson
A Song of Ice and Fire - George RR Martin
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
Space Odyssey - Arthur C. Clarke
The Book of the New Sun - Gene Wolfe

here here J on Gene Wolfe!

Since it keeps getting brought up, can people please sell me on the Malazan books? I've read the first three, and while I liked them well enough, I feel like I'm just missing something because they never "hooked" me.

Obviously the world is pretty epic, and I believe that's meant to be a large part of the appeal. But I just can't find enough in the characters to keep me going. I find that lot of the protagonists are fairly blank. Really the only ones that have seemed properly fleshed out are Anomander and Coltaine. I don't really get how I can be 3 books in and still not have much of an idea about the real characters of some of the main players.

Do I just need to plow on and it will all make sense soon? Or if I haven't gotten it by book 3 is it a doomed effort?

Malazan. Brilliant worldbuilding. Intricate plot. Unbearably poor storytelling.