Science Fiction

I'm going to start out by offering an obligatory tip of my hat to the Grandmaster of Science Fiction--the brilliant writer and conceptualist Robert A. Heinlein.  As was pointed out in an essay by Spider Robinson entitled Rah Rah R.A.H. (which you can read HERE), most of us futurist and science fiction-type authors owe a great debt of gratitude to the man for bringing our genre out of the shadows and into the mainstream, and for forging new roads for us to follow these many years later.  

Here's to you, Mr. Heinlein. 

The "Dune" Series by Frank Herbert: I strongly recommend this series because of its deep insight into politics, society, and human nature. 

The "Honor Harrington" series by David Weber.  Awesome military sci-fi.  I recommend anything by Weber.

The "Blackcollar" series by Timothy Zahn. It's refreshing to see sci fi with a slightly different view of what the ultimate weapon might be...

The "Cobra" Series by Timothy Zahn. Great science fiction and a slightly different view on how cybernetics might work.

"A Coming of Age." by Timothy Zahn. Very unique piece of science fiction exploring the possibility of a world in which the children are all telekinetic but the adults are not...

"Triplet" by Timothy Zahn. Wonderful science fantasy genre-bender... Strongly recommended for those with slightly eclectic tastes.

"The L'Nague Federation" books by F. Paul Wilson... I've only read the first one "An Enemy of the State" ---couldn't find any others--- but think it's got great philosophy and a marvelous insight into the troubles infecting our country.

The "Matador" series by Steve Perry. I've read a few of these, but so far my favorite has been the  "The 97th Step". It's a great piece of science fiction with a martial art mix...

"The Regiment" and "The White Regiment" by David Drake. If you like military sci-fi, this series is awesome... He expounds on a rather unique system of philosophy.

The "Intervention" series by Julian May... The continuation of her pseudo-fantasy series "The Saga of Pliocene Exile"... Her idea of how psychic powers might work is very enlightening...

The "Flynx" and "Tran-ky-ky" books of Alan Dean Foster. Just good stuff. Not terribly deep, but vastly entertaining.....

"The World of Tiers" books by Phillip Jose Farmer. Good ole genre-bending sci fi from the 70s...

"Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert A. Heinlein. A "must" for any free thinker... 

"Hunters of the Red Moon" and "The Survivors" by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I love these books... Sci fi with a tiny bit of Genre bending. Just a smidge, though.

"Callahan's Crosstime Saloon" and its sequels, by Spider Robinson.  I can't recommend these books enough.  They have every possible element you can imagine, and often tug the heartstrings more than anything I've ever read.

"The Dragonriders of Pern," by Anne McCaffrey.  Science fiction that reads like fantasy.

Wes Spencer's "Ukiah Oregon" books.  I think the series is entitled "Alien" something, but to me they're just the Ukiah Oregon books.  Wonderful, contemporary science fiction.

Fantasy

"The Black Jewels" Trilogy by Anne Bishop.  Put away your preconceptions.  This is truly the most unique fantasy series I've ever read.

"The Heralds of Valdemar" by Mercedes Lackey. Some of these are better than others, but, all in all, a great series that can keep a reader occupied for a long time.

The "SERRAted Edge" series by Mercedes Lackey. Great contemporary Fantasy. Make sure to read its companion books "Knight of Ghosts and Shadows" and "Summoned to Tourney."

The "Diana Tregarde" series, also by Mercedes Lackey. The sometimes scary ---sometimes funny adventures of a modern witch...  One of the forerunners of Paranormal Romance.

"The Wheel of Time" by Robert Jordan. All I have to say about this one is "WOW!" Incredible stuff... Getting a little long, though.  He could finish it any time as far as I'm concerned.

"The Riftwar Saga" by Raymond Feist... Great epic fantasy... Here's a site dedicated to the author by a friend of his Feist Page ...

The "Sword Dancer" series by Jennifer Roberson... Nice tight fantasy world...

The "Last of the Renshei" series by Mickey Zucker Reichert. I wouldn't want a Renshei after me, that's for sure...

"Strands of Starlight" by Gael Baudino. I hate to say this, but, in my opinion, this book is so far ahead of anything else she has written I can't begin to explain. It's one of my favorite single books of all time... 

The "Guardians of the Flame" series by Joel Rosenberg. This is perhaps my favorite fantasy series... A group of gamers transported into the game world to become their characters... Karl Cullinaine is one of the great fantasy heroes of all time...

"Dragonlance---Chronicles." by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. This is one of the classics of modern Fantasy. 

The "Iron Tower" series by Dennis McKiernan. If you liked Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings", you should like this one as well. If you didn't like "Lord of the Rings," try it anyway. It has its own value...  

"The Chronicles of Thomas Covenent the Unbeliever." Hard to read. Covenent himself is kinda pathetic, but well worth the time invested. The end of the second series makes up for everything.

"The Chronicles of Amber" by Roger Zelazny. Nice, easy, first-person narrative. Very entertaining. 

The "Black Company" series by Glen Cook. Dark humored military fantasy that left me breathless for quite a while....Probably the scariest villains ever...  

Also by Glen Cook is the Garett P.I. series.  Amusing.  A P.I in a fantasy world.  Lives with the Dead Guy.  There's just something about the way Cook writes.  Glen Cook

The "Bureau 13" books by Nick Pollotta...  Based on the Role-Playing Game of the same name (also known as Stalking the Night Fantastic) these books are HILARIOUS...  

"The Dark is Rising" by Susan Cooper.  I read these books when I was a kid and I loved them.  Good mix of celtic myth and modern fantasy.

"The War for the Oaks" by Emma Bull...  Another wonderful piece of contemporary fantasy.

"Fire In the Mist", "Bones of the Past", and "Mind of the Magic" by Holly Lisle.  

"The Belgariad" and "The Elenium" by David Eddings...  Both series continue, by the way...  Definitely worth reading.

Horror

"The Keep" by F. Paul Wilson. Great creepy stuff... Nazis get what's coming to them when they run into something nastier than they are.

"Watchers," "Fear Nothing," and "Seize The Night," by Dean R. Koontz. I loved these books... Not very scary, but, for me, not much is... Still three books well worth reading.

"The Vampire Chronicles" by Anne Rice. The first 3 books are something else, particularly "The Vampire Lestat"... but, you probably already know that.

"Faerie Tale" by Raymond E. Feist. Genuinely creepy stuff... The dark side of faeries...

"Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter," by Laurell K. Hamilton.  I don't consider them horror, but...that's where you'll find them in the bookstore.  Uh...watch out for the last three in the series, though.  They're a little "hot" for my tastes.  The earlier books are the best, as far as I'm concerned.

Her "Merry Gentry" Fey series is also highly recommended.

Thrillers

The "Eve Dallas" books by J.D. Robb.  Yeah, I know it's Nora Roberts writing under a pseudonym.  They're great, regardless.

Just a few authors I wanted to include.  Not up on all the series titles yet, but here they are.

Robert Tanenbaum

Lee Childe's "Jack Reacher" books.

John Sanford's "Lucas Davenport" series.  I like these especially because the title character is a gamer AND a cop.

Kay Hooper

Tami Hoag

Catherine Coulter's "FBI" series.

Historical Fiction

"The Lion of Ireland" by Morgan Llewellyn. A sad and wonderful tale of a legendary man.

The Authurian books of Mary Stewart. Unique Arthurian stuff from long ago. I read this in grade school and Jr. High...

"The Mists of Avalon" by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Another Arthurian tale. From the female perspective... Good book...

Alternate History

"1632" by Eric Flint and "1633" by Eric Flint and David Weber.  20th Century West Virginians tossed into the middle of Europe's 100 Years War.  Made me proud to be an American.  Now if only the Powers-That-Be would just realize what makes America something to be proud of and stop grinding it into dust in the name of false patriotism.

E-books

I'm still gathering data on these.  Some great authors out there in cyberspace.  I'll work on introducing you to them over the next few months.

The various "Wind"-related erotic dark fantasy and suspense by Charlotte Boyett-Comp.  Windlegends WARNING!  This link leads to an website containing adult material.

The sharp and witty futuristic romance of my friend Angela Verdenius.  Click 

And the romantic fantasy and suspense by another friend, Angelica Hart.  Click

The Young Adult Time Travel Fantasy novels of Cathy Miller.  Click

The taut romantic suspense of Jaycee Clark.  Click

The time travel romance of Diana Grayson's "The Bond Unbroken."  Sorry, I don't have a link for her.  Though I do know she writes for New Concept Publishing.

Then there's the first book of the "Everdark Wars" by Elizabeth Burton.  This is epic fantasy of the Finest order.

I just finished reading Michelle Pillow's "Jaded Hunter," the second book in her "Tribes of the Vampire" series, the first of which is "Redeemer," which, oddly enough, I couldn't get into.  I might go back and try again now, however.

Visitor recommended

The "Shannara" series, by Terry Brooks...  The first series was okay, but the second was much better, in my opinion.

The "Castle Perilous" series by John D'Chauncie...  Entertaining.  Somehow it reminds me of a writer I used to know.  I wonder if it's him sometimes...

The "Spellsinger" books by Alan Dean Foster.  Amusing Fantasy series.

Okay.  I'll break down and add it.  I think it goes without saying.  Who could forget "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings"...  by J.R.R. Tolkein...  Especially now, since the movies?

More to come...

So, if you have any suggestions, please send them in... I'll add the title and author to the list.  I can't give credit for the suggestion, because for quite a few different books, I get multiple suggestions.  So, <shrug> I guess that's that.

I used to have a lot more links to websites connected with the authors and their books, but most of them are gone now.  If you know of any, feel free to e-mail them to me so I can edit them back in.

Thanx