Long sci-fi adventure novels with rich characterisations

[BT Jones]

Not science fiction but i'd like to throw these into the mix.

Stephen King's IT is an absolute classic as far as i am concerned when it comes to characterisation. I felt these guys were my friends.

Another long book from Dan Simmons is Carrion Comfort. Over 1, 000 pages long and i remember the concept being pretty interesting.

Swann Song by Robert R. McCammon. A great story set after a good old fashioned nuclear apocalypse.

I adored Clive Barker's Weaveworld. A beautiful written and imagined story. This one i'd even go as far as to recommend. The inhabitants of the fugue are an interesting bunch.

Wow, it's funny that you mention that @Rodders, because I just finished reading IT this last month. It took forever to get through, but I really enjoyed it on the most part, and the characters were very well written. I particularly enjoyed the switching perspectives, which is something I have already adopted for my WIP.

 

[Rodders]

I haven't finished it yet, but I think Adrian Tchaikovsky's Shards of Earth would be a good fit. It's the first in a trilogy and the second book is out in April, with the final book likely arriving next year.

Shards of Earth was great space opera. I enjoyed it enough to get a signed hardback from Forbidden Planet.

 

[saulfan]

Try, 'The Mote in God's Eye' by Pournelle and Niven.

David

 

[Bick]

Or, the Caine chronicles by Charles E. Gannon?

 

[Elckerlyc]

Or, how about something completely different? And I mean, completely different.

The most engaging I have read (and in fact still am reading) happens to be a web-serial. It beats everything I have read before. Period. Seriously. But, seeing here on this site how preferences and opinions can differ, it probably isn't to everyone's taste.
The downside of a web-serial is, obviously, that it's all first draft. There simply isn't time to rewrite every chapter if you have committed yourself to publish 2 chapters every week. Chapters that often exceed 20.000 words. Having said that, the story and storytelling is nonetheless compelling and engaging. Once I was past the first few chapters I have not stopped looking out longingly for the next installment. The quality of the writing has improved majorly over time.

You wanted a long story? How about something over 8 million words and ongoing?
The world-building is complex and extensive, covering many races worldwide, their culture, characteristics, and shared history. All the characters are distinctively recognizable and have their own quirks. The ongoing story is, certainly in the beginning, interspersed with 'slice of life' chapters, often funny or moving, that helps picturing, understanding and appreciating the characters. The dialogs are never boring, repetitive or superfluous, but bring the plot forwards.
The story takes place on a world with game-like mechanics. People get [Classes] with levels and [Skills]. It is not a game, though, or anything to do with roleplaying. Everything is serious business and often deadly as well. Situations can get tense. Also there is magic. Clearly it is not Earth, it inhabits many legendary creatures and monsters, but whether that suggests some connection with Earth remains unclear.
The story starts with the main character, a 20 year old girl, suddenly being transported from Earth to this strange world and since struggles to stay alive. It slowly becomes clear she is 1 of a 1000 youngsters who have been abducted and of who many died instantly or soon after.
Who or what is behind these abductions is one of the mysteries that needs answered. One of the many. It starts simple, straightforward and focused on one character, but it grows and turns out to be a really complex, well thought out story.
Anyway, enough said. Check it out for yourself. It is free for your perusal, on this website The Wandering Inn

 

[BT Jones]

Or, how about something completely different? And I mean, completely different.

The most engaging I have read (and in fact still am reading) happens to be a web-serial. It beats everything I have read before. Period. Seriously. But, seeing here on this site how preferences and opinions can differ, it probably isn't to everyone's taste.
The downside of a web-serial is, obviously, that it's all first draft. There simply isn't time to rewrite every chapter if you have committed yourself to publish 2 chapters every week. Chapters that often exceed 20.000 words. Having said that, the story and storytelling is nonetheless compelling and engaging. Once I was past the first few chapters I have not stopped looking out longingly for the next installment. The quality of the writing has improved majorly over time.

You wanted a long story? How about something over 8 million words and ongoing?
The world-building is complex and extensive, covering many races worldwide, their culture, characteristics, and shared history. All the characters are distinctively recognizable and have their own quirks. The ongoing story is, certainly in the beginning, interspersed with 'slice of life' chapters, often funny or moving, that helps picturing, understanding and appreciating the characters. The dialogs are never boring, repetitive or superfluous, but bring the plot forwards.
The story takes place on a world with game-like mechanics. People get [Classes] with levels and [Skills]. It is not a game, though, or anything to do with roleplaying. Everything is serious business and often deadly as well. Situations can get tense. Also there is magic. Clearly it is not Earth, it inhabits many legendary creatures and monsters, but whether that suggests some connection with Earth remains unclear.
The story starts with the main character, a 20 year old girl, suddenly being transported from Earth to this strange world and since struggles to stay alive. It slowly becomes clear she is 1 of a 1000 youngsters who have been abducted and of who many died instantly or soon after.
Who or what is behind these abductions is one of the mysteries that needs answered. One of the many. It starts simple, straightforward and focused on one character, but it grows and turns out to be a really complex, well thought out story.
Anyway, enough said. Check it out for yourself. It is free for your perusal, on this website The Wandering Inn

8 million words? Wow, that's quite a commitment. The 1st chapter was interesting though.

 

[Elckerlyc]

8 million words? Wow, that's quite a commitment. The 1st chapter was interesting though.

I fear the writer might suffer from a burn-out before the final chapter. They put tremendous pressure on themselves.
Anyway, glad you like the 1st chapter.

 

[psikeyhackr]

For character-driven science fiction my first thought is Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga. Admittedly the individual books are not particularly long but there are 16 of them so it does add up.

I have to go along with that. Barrayar kind of blew my mind when I first read it. I had to go into introspective mode and try to figure out why I liked it so much. It is not like it has any mind-blowing sci-fi ideas like Ringworld or Mote in God's Eye. But the characters malfunctioning in the Barrayaran culture bubble are so interesting.

 

[farntfar]

I would like to suggest the GAP series, by Stephen Donaldson. Some very complex characters who can change from being engaging to horrific and back again through the series. New and equally complex human characters get added as the series progresses, not to mention the aliens who have really to be viewed almost as a single character.

4 large books, and one introductory volume which is thankfuly quite small, because I found it the least interesting of them all. However it is necessary to set the stage for the rest.
Writen between 1990 and 1996, if the dates are important, by the author of Thomas Covenant et al. In my view this series is his finest work.

 

[BAYLOR]

The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F Hamilton

 

[tobl]

The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F Hamilton

you know... that could be the title of a book about our times

 

[BAYLOR]

you know... that could be the title of a book about our times

Yes it could.