Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Gothic Horror

[DanBaron]

We need an ongoing discussion about Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Gothic Horror. A break from politics as usual. Here is an opening question-- What are your top three books in these genres? Mine are- Dune, Lucifer's Hammer, and The Chronicles of Amber. Honorable Mention-- Stephen King 's The Stand and Moorcock's Eternal Champion books. What are your favorites?

[Xavier Breath]

1. There are many, but my absolute favorites are:

1) Slaughterhouse Five - Kurt Vonnegut
2) Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
3) 1984 - George Orwell

[LearnedHand]

2. The Expanse series (James SA Carey) is probably my favorite space opera of all time

It is absolute genius, and their new series looks to be just as good. For favorite fantasy, it depends on the sub-genre. I love Game of Thrones for swords-and-horses, but for urban fantasy the contenders would have to be the Harry Dresden series and the Rivers of London series. I also love Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. The world of the fae she imagines is brilliant. The latest horror writer I like is Stephen Graham Jones.

[lark]

4. I adore all the Dresden books!

I own the complete Dresden works - all very fine!

[LearnedHand]

5. Likewise!

I’m not a huge fan of his other works though. Cinder Spires was pretty good but I didn’t care for the next book in that series.

[lark]

7. I haven't read any of his other works, although I've thought about getting one.

I just love Dresden so much, don't really want to read the other - lesser books.

[LearnedHand]

8. I was just thinking about Ghost Story the other day (no spoilers)

In the entire series, this book was almost my undoing.

[lark]

3. Love Steven King, I've probably got 30 of his books at home.

Dune is indeed an epic story!

I think the Shining is so freaking scary, made me stop reading at night, our shrubs rubbed againt the house and totally freaked me out.

Stranger in a Lost Land is one of my all time faves.

There's an old Ursula K LeGuin book, Hammer of Heaven??, can't remember the name, but know it affected me profoundly when I read it decades ago. Unfortunately, I don't have the great memory I used to have.

OK - just thought of another one I have to add - Robert Jordan's epic Wheel of Time series. It's up there with the Tolkein books, which I also forgot before. I am a great reader of fantasy, scifi since I was a child and never stopped.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

11. I think you are thinking of Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein, and The Lathe of Heaven by LeGuin. . . .nt

[lark]

13. Bazinga, you hit the nail on the head!!

Yes indeed! Both are great works!

[LearnedHand]

6. I forgot to mention Grady Hendrix

He writes horror with a slightly comedic twist. Horrorstör is, for example, about a haunted IKEA-like store. Who hasn’t felt slightly haunted trying to navigate an IKEA?

[LearnedHand]

9. To add to the OP's question, which of the newer writers are your favorites?

[DanBaron]

12. Newer Writers

I have not read much sf and fantasy lately. I have been reading a lot of nonfiction. I can recommend Joe Abercrombie though. If you have not read him, he is like if Kurosawa wrote a Western Fantasy. GRRM recommended him on his Not a Blog years ago. A good read.

[justaprogressive]

10. E.E Smith , William Hope Hodgeson

The Lensmen Series



Hodgeson's Horror stories include The Derelict,
The Whistling Room & The Island of the Ud.

https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/hodgson_william_hope

Collections:

https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/hodgson-deep/hodgson-deep-00-h.html

and is featured in this great collection of horror stories:

A Century of Horror

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3455819-a-century-of-horror

Sorry don't do gothic...