Blockbuster Books

[biodroid]

We all know (hopefully) what a blockbuster movie is. I was wondering are there any books that are like blockbusters too? Not movie tie-ins or Erikson or GRRM but other authors that take you on a wild ride with big events and super endings with twists and on the seat of your pants action/adventure.

I seem to get irritated with books that drag on and only the last 20 pages the action happens. I want a good balance of action and lulls not just all out action or all out lulls.

The only book I can sort of compare it to a blockbuster movie is Magician by Feist. I was watching the movie Eagle Eye and thought why are books not written like this because I seriously enjoyed it and would definitely read something like this, or maybe the new Star Trek or Terminator Salvation.

Suggestions can be Sci-Fi or Fantasy or any genre.

I am a sucker for blockbusters

 

[GOLLUM]

HMM...well I would have included some of Erikson's Malazan books e.g. machine-gun fire finish to Gardens of the Moon, battle sequences in Deadhouse Gates esp. the ending BUT you did rule that out so....

Why not Ian Irvine's Mirror Quartet? Especially from the second half of Book 1 onwards. In fact all of his books (I have them) are seat of the pants SFF action on every page style books. The prose is fairly straightforward but heaps of action and a good storyline.

EDIT: Irvine's books/series are along the lines of EPIC fantasy like GRRM or Erikson. Not on the same level or as complex but still enjoyable IMO.

I'll come up with some more but that's a start.

 

[biodroid]

Excellent, will have a look!!

 

[Rodders]

I suppose the Blockbuster book would be a very subjective thing. We are each looking forward to our own thing rather than a massively hyped book.

The last thing that i remember that even comes close to being a blockbuster would be the whole Dan Brown thing with the Davinci Code. everyone was reading that. even now, i find myself wondering what all the fuss was about. (Much like a blockbuster film actually. )

 

[Culhwch]

There's an Australian author, Matthew Reilly, who's pretty much taken this idea and run with it, and makes no bones about it. He writes action-thrillers, I guess. I've only read one of his novels, Ice Station, and it was certainly reminiscent of a high-octane action movie. Gunfights, chases, you name it...

 

[Rodders]

I've read that. Isn't he quite well known for his Hover racer Book? (It's a young adult book.)

I would try the Death's Head series of Books. They were quite action packed. I'd also go for Dan Abnett's Warhammer 40, 000. He writes great characters and he's never been afraid of killing them off. Often quite nastily. I'd reccoment The Gaunt's Ghost Omnibus of the Founding. (3 novels for a Tenner. Bargain.)

 

[Riselka]

I would put Tim Willocks' novel, The Religion, into this category.

Sure wish he would hurry and get the second novel in the proposed trilogy written, but I understand it took him 7 years to write the first one.

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

Alastair Reynolds and Peter F Hamilton write pretty action-packed SF.

 

[dask]

Seems like THE EXORCIST (yeah, it's horror but still fantasy) was pretty big. So many copies were sold second bookshops stopped buying them. One bookstore owner in town once referred to it as "the kiss of death."

 

[Omphalos]

Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle's (and Stephen Barnes) books of the seventies and eighties are blockbusters. Big, action packed and sold jillions of (tickets) copies. Pretty sure that is what defines a blockbuster.

 

[Connavar]

Any historical fiction by Conn Iggulden. Same with C.S Forrester if you havent already read him.

Those guys are great having adventure,action all over their books. Not that its only action but they are great at it. Vivid,blockbuster in a good way.

 

[soulsinging]

joe abercrombie has something of that feel. lots of action, big events, solid comic relief with that dry action wit. it's good stuff.