# Help a new Reader!!!



## Macaulaya26 (Apr 3, 2008)

Hello,
     I have read a couple science fiction series such as the Harry Potter book(my favorite books of all time) and the Ender's Game series.  I enjoyed both of the series a lot but now i am stuck on what to read.  At Barnes and Noble I was talking to someone and he told my the Codex of Alera series by Jim Butcher so I had them order me that.  Any way's I picked up The Eye of The World and have started that.  Any other suggestions based on the types of books I read?
            Thank you


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## chrispenycate (Apr 3, 2008)

Harry Potter may be many things, but it is *not* Science fiction (sorry,  I'm allowed to be pedantic, it's in my job description) 

More seriously, if you enjoyed both the Harry Potter books (simplistic  magic and good and evil clearly defined) and the Ender Wiggin books (even "Children of the mind?), (technology based, which leave a lot more questions about morality, even if he does tend to force feed us opinions) you've got an awful lot of speculative fiction (possibly not horror or ultra high-tech) that you'll appreciate; try a trip to the "recommendations" thread in "general book discussions". (no. I wouldn't dare. I'd have steered you away from the "Wheel of Time" books because of ultimate disappointment)

The problem with these enormous series (as against the single, self-contained novels and short stories of my youth) is that, once launched. it's very difficult to stop, even if you're barely enjoying them at all any more, but I suspect you could try one of the Eddings series - perhaps the Belgariad. 

Oh, and welcome in, by the way.


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## GOLLUM (Apr 3, 2008)

Eddings original series, Ursula Le Guin's classic Wizard Of Earthsea, Garner's Weird Stone Of Brisingamen, Terry Brook's Shannara series, Weiss and Hickmann's Dragonlance, the list goes on but I suspect you may like those. Of course as Chris suggests these are fantasy based books.

If you're after more SF then that's another story.

Welcome too, hope you enjoy the stay..


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## mogano (Apr 8, 2008)

Hi!Can you recommend me a good science fiction book about collective consciousness - I mean something like non-single mind in a single body?Thank you for your help


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## tyr (May 6, 2008)

mogano,
I don't know whether this will answer your query or not, but I try to response.

For story with collective consciousness, I have read _A Fire Upon The Deep_ by Vernor Vinge. There is a species with Group Mind.

For non-single mind in an individual, you can try _More Than Human _by Theodore Sturgeon.


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## The Ace (May 6, 2008)

Why not check out your local library?  You can sample books for free and then only buy the ones you like.


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## old wallie (May 7, 2008)

The library is a great suggestion.  Try Hal Clement's "Mission of Gravity".  The library probably has many old SF and Fantasy books.  Try the Heinlein young peoples books, such as "Have Spacesuit will Travel" and "Double Star".  Also try some short story collections.  I started with "The Green Hills of Earth".  You might like Drakes "Hammer's Slammers".
If you want fantasy,  Terry Brooks has some fun adventure books, the Shanara series comes to mind.  WARNING, some authors loose their touch, and If it doesn't read right to you, put it down, and pick up another book by a different author.  Feist writes well, but the stories get blended if you try to read the whole series at one time.  I became burned out with Jordon, and stopped reading him, even though other people seem to be entranced with the books.
Mostly, remember your reading for fun!!


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## Hilarious Joke (May 7, 2008)

_Magician _by Feist and/or _The Assassin's Apprentice_ by Hobb.


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## Ice fyre (May 7, 2008)

I would reccomend some young persons fiction for you, you may find SCI-FI a bit heavy after Harry Potter.

For all I reccomend the Golden compass by Philip Pullman its a trillogy and can be read by adults and teenagers alike. For Fantasy I have to reccomend Robin Hobb's Assasins apprentice trilogy, its easier going than such as Lord Of the Rings but is a step up in reading difficulty from Philip Pullmans work. 

If you want to be ambitous and brave I reccomend DUNE by Frank herbert its a dense (a bit like me) novel but is a wonderful read. At least I love it!

I agree with the previous poster take your time and enjoy it, get yourself lost in new and strange worlds and try to challenge yourself a little.

Please let us know how you get on


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## Connavar (May 8, 2008)

If you are gonna read Jim Butcher order Storm Front of The Harry Dresden Files.  Its his best work and his most famous that series.


Nice recommendation Ice Fyre, Dune has epicness to it HP fan might appriciate.  Early its more like epic fantasy before it gets very SF like.


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## Ice fyre (May 9, 2008)

Yes indeed, I never thought about it in that way but your right it could be taken that the Navigators are great mages as are the Bene Gesseret.

Hmmm feel a need to read it again, ta Connavar.


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## chord0 (May 15, 2008)

some good authors are Zelazny, Asimov and Clarke
chord0


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## Grimward (May 15, 2008)

chord0 is right on the mark, Macaulaya26.  Under the Fantasy side I would add Janny Wurts, but starting with her Cycle of Fire series as her later works tend to fall into Chris's aforementioned category of long series (I love them, but that's me!).  I also second Wizard of Earthsea from LeGuin, and Weis/Hickman's original 2 Dragonlance chronicles.

Welcome from me, too, and *definitely* have fun with whatever you choose!


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## DeepThought (May 24, 2008)

Seeing that you liked Harry Potter, try these:

*The Bartimaeus Trilogy*, _Jonathan Stroud_
*Books of Magic*, _Neil Gaiman_

The latter are graphic novels and they were written before the _Harry Potter_ books. Coincidently?? _Rowlings_ work is _*very_* similar to _Books of Magic_ (Tim Hunter/Harry Potter...)though Neil being the gentleman/cool guy he is...so no big deal.

Cheers, DeepThought


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## Sar (Jun 1, 2008)

I really liked Feist's earlier work, starting with Magician: Apprentice.  They are books with a lot of forward moving action so they are easy to get into.  They also get you a little deeper into the fantasy genre if that's what you want.


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## Highlander II (Jun 12, 2008)

If you've been rec'd *Alera*, you should also try Jim Butcher's other series - *The Dresden Files*.   Wizards and faeries and vampires, oh my!

There are sample chapters for both Alera and Dresden on Jim Butcher's website-> jim-butcher.com if you want to 'test the waters' before jumping in head first!


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## ironvelvet (Jun 12, 2008)

Hey, lucky you to be just beginning...

I love Harry Potter too and for me that's down to the characters and the pace (cause when you re-read them after a year or two of solid fantasy/SF reading you'll see that originality is not their strongest asset).

So I would recommend Anne McCaffrey, both her Pern books, alien planet/dragons/medieval life and her science fiction Damia etc -steer well clear of Acorna to preserve your mental health.

Also, because I suspect you quite like a setting that is familiar enough to reality to add piquancy to the fantasy element, I'm going to suggest Julian May's Golden Torc series, which is incredible, both historical and futuristic, with depth and imagination and humanity. 

PS. Robert Jordon will break your heart. If it is already too late then please, please get them from the library and save yourself some money. Rescue something from the wreckage


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## jay220 (Jun 13, 2008)

I'm not sure if you have ever gotten into graphic novels or manga at all, but I just finished looking at a copy of Yoshitaka Amano's new book Mateki: The Magic Flute. The story is based on an opera by Mozart called, Die Zauberflöte. It tells the story in full color illustration about a prince battling evil to rescue his princess. With this new graphic novel he wonderfully crafts a story full of his visionary artworks. This is a book that will be a classic and I would definitely recommend it to any one who is looking for a new book to pick up.


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