Poul Anderson. Where to start?

[Coragem]

Well, I've been intending to give Poul Anderson's work a try for some time now. However, having looked over his whopping body of work I'm not sure where to start.

I've been looking at Tau Zero and The Broken Sword, simply because the first made it into the SF Masterworks series, and the latter is in the Fantasy Masterworks series.

Any other tips? Does he have a series that stands out?

Thank you,

Coragem.

 

[nomadman]

The King of Ys, Three Hearts and Three Lions and The Broken Sword for fantasy. Brainwave and Tau Zero for SF. I personally prefer Anderson's fantasy to his SF (but then I prefer fantasy to SF period). The Broken Sword (a classic of S&S) has a raw, vibrant feel to it reminiscent of the Norse sagas on which it was based. Highly recommended. Hrolf Kraki's Saga, a retelling of the famous saga of the same name, is worth checking out as well.

 

[Fried Egg]

I would start with the Masterworks entries. I've read a few other titles but so far none have been as good as the ones that are part of the Masterworks series.

 

[J-Sun]

Any other tips? Does he have a series that stands out?

I agree with nomadman and Fried Egg in that you can't go wrong with Tau Zero and Brain Wave.

As far as his series, though, his biggest and probably most important is actually a conjunction of two main series and some interstitial works. The first is the story of the Polesotechnic League starring Nick van Rijn and David Falkayn. The next is the Terran Empire series starring Dominic Flandry. Then there are works before (some of the Earth Book of Stormgate, etc.), between (People of the Wind and The Day of Their Return, etc.) and after (The Long Night, The Night Face, etc.)

Several us of discussed Anderson recently in the March reading thread - if that link doesn't take you there, it's the posts in the 90s (to at least 113) in that thread.

-- Oh yeah - I'm using the old titles but Baen has been re-releasing the whole series in omnibus volumes lately. Not sure what the titles are but that'd probably be the best way to get them these days.

 

[AE35Unit]

I've only read two Anderson books, Tau Zero and Brainwave, both excellent, Tau Zero being my favourite.

 

[DMZ]

Hes a really good Auther

 

[clovis-man]

Three Hearts and Three Lions is one that can be read and re-read with enjoyment each time.

 

[Beamer]

Three Hearts and Three Lions is one that can be read and re-read with enjoyment each time.

That was always one of my favorites too, another though a little juvenile was Vault of the Ages.

A few more:
The Star Fox
Satan's World and another related book whose name escapes me
The Dominic Flaundry novels

I really need to find some time to go back and do some rereading of his stuff its been too long.

 

[Vertigo]

I like a lot of his work but I tried reading his Flandy book recently and I found they had dated really badly. I just couldn't get past the 70's attitudes that they were filled with, in particular the sexism.

 

[J-Sun]

Satan's World and another related book whose name escapes me

Probably Mirkheim, although there's also The Trouble Twisters and Trader to the Stars.