Help! I need recommendations!

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bigloader

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I mainly read horror novels, but over the past few months I have been branching out a bit into sci-fi, fantasy and historical fiction. I've recently (within the last 6 months) finished The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers, The List of 7 by Mark Frost, Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, Speaks the Nightbird by Robert McCammon, Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress, Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith, and Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

Each one of these books were magnificent and rank among my favorites ever! I was wondering if anyone else here reads these types of novels and would have some good suggestions as to similar books for me to look into? Thanks!
 
It's not horror, but "Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis is a compelling story that combines sci fi and historical fiction.
 
kythe said:
It's definately not horror, but "Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis is a compelling story that combines sci fi and historical fiction.
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It was great! It was in my list and was one of the first non-horror novels that I read to get me into this genre...
 
Hmmm... I'm not much of a horror reader, so I can't help there.

But as for Historical Fiction:

Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke.

JonathanStrange.com

It's eaier to post a link to the summary than try and explain it.

It's an extremely good read - maybe a bit slow, and a hard slog to get through, but brilliant none the less.
 
I've got to admit that I haven't... but I have heard of one or two of the authors. Neil Gaiman, for one. :p
 
If you liked Neverwhere you might want to give China Mieville's King Rat a try. It combines fantasy and folklore and also gives you an alternate vision of London.

For short stories Looking For Jake by China Mieville is worth a read. He has a way of looking at things very differently.

Elizabeth Kostova's The Historian is also a historical fantasy, this time revolving around the vampire legend. If that is something you care for then there is also Brian Stableford's Empire of Fear set in the Middle Ages with a different take on the times and vampires.
 
bigloader said:
Has anyone else read all of the books that I've mentioned?
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Read all but the McCammon and the Gaiman. Some of the books have sequels: The List of 7 was followed by The 6 Messiahs; To Say Nothing of the Dog is a sort of sequel to Doomsday Book; and Beggars in Spain is the first of a trilogy that also includes Beggars and Choosers and Beggars Ride. Er, I should probably point out that I've not actually read any of the sequels...
 
Thanks for the recommendations so far. I've put all of them on my "to buy" list. Please keep them coming!
 
If you like horror, but want to branch out into fantasty as well, then you could always try H.P Lovecraft, who seems to the blend the two. If you're interested, then try something like one of his collections of short stories like The Call of Cthulhu and other weird stories.
 
I absolutely *adore* both The List of 7 and Doomsday Book, so the other books you mentioned are probably going on my shopping list. :) I didn't think The 6 Messiahs was quite as good as the first one, but I'd still gobble up a new sequel in a heartbeat.

I'd *highly* recommend The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells. It has a Holmesian/slightly macabre vibe that's very similar to List of 7.
 
Historical fiction is not my cup of tea, but I suspect you will like The Moon and The Sun by Vonda N. Mcintyre. It's historical fiction with a fantasy element. It won a Nebula award, which is why I am reading it.
 
Re: Help, I need recommendations!

If you can put up with it being set in feudal Japan, then why not try Cloud of Sparrows by Takashi Matsuoka? It starts off as an historical novel, crossing between Japan and similar era America, and then evolves into a fantasy as the characters come together. Revolving around Genji, the young lord of his region and born with the ability to see the future through visions, and Emily, an American woman who goes to Japan to escape her past, and is somehow connected to Genji's future.
I really enjoyed it when I read it last, and there is a follow up, Autumn Castle, which explains the nature of Genji's prophetic abilities and what actually happens in his and Emily's futures.
 
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