SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

It's usually Auto-Buy, but since we're all trying to reduce the size of our unread owned books, it's only fair to include the library.

Who are the authors you'll read anything new from?

Beth has also started a thread for "must buy" authors you buy new and/or at full price without question.

I'll limit myself to ten.
In no particular order:

Emma Newman
Yoon Ha Lee
N.K. Jemisin
T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon)
Nnedi Okorafor
Maureen F. McHugh
Becky Chambers
Zen Cho
Ted Chiang
Emmi Itäranta

George RR Martin
James SA Corey
Daniel Abraham
Robin Hobb
Kameron Hurley
Yoon Ha Lee
Brian McClellan
Jonathan Stroud
China Mieville
Vina Jie-Min Prassad

Oo! Fun topic.

I'm kinda sad, though, because a couple of my old standards are letting me down lately. Let's see...

Brandon Sanderson-I'll at least try each series. I trust him to write compelling worlds with flawed but ambitious people. Sometimes I just don't like the world or person. He's also crazy productive.

Jim Butcher - Again, I'll try each series. Love Dresden. He did an admirable job upping the stakes without getting ridiculous in each book. I wish he'd take more time on some of the details though.

N.K. Jemisin - I have to get back to her, but she's one of the best voices I've read in a long time and I am so eager to see what she does next.

Juliet Marillier - she's earned my trust. She tackles tough topics with grace and empathy. I love how she weaves folk tales with historical fiction.

Tamora Pierce - well...used to. Pretty bummed that two series in a row have been busts for me. I'll try the new one but I'm lowering my expectations significantly.

Garth Nix - I find him thoughtful, his characters never pigeonholed by our world's opinions. He's inclusive but not preachy and gosh his worlds are cool. But I do have nits to pick lately. Hoping it's not a trend.


I think they're the ones I actively keep an eye on.

My auto buy authors are John Scalzi and Ernest Cliene.

John Scalzi I feel like comes up with good sci-fi worlds and the technology used in these worlds typically fascinated me. Such as the Brain Pals of the old man war series and the Threeps in “Head On” (also Head On is the busy read for July 10 come and join).

Ernest Cliene has such cool technologies and advancements that is makes me hope to have something like it in the future wether it’s The Oasis with all its 80’s references and old school video games in “Ready Player One”. Along with his book armada were you become a VR Fighter pilot (it felt like what I imagined “Enders Game” is like, I know I need to read it).

Hmmm...

Cherryh
Jemisin
Scalzi
Sanderson
Carriger
Chambers
YHLee
Newman
Hugo nominees

What a great question! Here are a few of mine:
Ann Leckie
Lois McMaster Bujold
Guy Gavriel Kay
N.K. Jemisin
Neil Gaiman
Becky Chambers
Yoon Ha Lee

Patrick Rothfuss
George R.R. Martin
Django Wexler
Kevin Hearne
Patricia Briggs
Steven Brust
Jennifer Roberson
Joe Abercrombie
Stina Leicht

and a bunch of mystery writers

I've been eyeing Stina Leicht lately, what would be a good place to start with her?

I haven’t read everything of theirs, but I’d say Connie Willis and Neil Gaiman are up there for me. Also after having begun The Fifth Season, I’m definitely going to read everything by N.K. Jemisin.

Can't remember many right now because it's often that authors I like have one or another book which was the disappointing one of the bunch, but S.J. Kincaid's books never let me down, so if there is an auto buy author for me it's her.

I also like most of Asimov's sci-fi. I'm not keen on most of what isn't sci-fi though I read an anthology of mage stories organized by him which was quite good.

Silvana, does Vina Jie-Min Prasad only have short fiction out so far? I haven't read anything by her, but am definitely going to now. I'm so behind with my Uncanny and other short fiction magazines, I don't think I've read any in over a year. Anyway, what's her best story?

edit: Oh, didn't you rec Fandom for Robots just recently? I'll start with that.

Anna wrote: "It's usually Auto-Buy, but since we're all trying to reduce the size of our unread owned books, it's only fair to include the library.

Who are the authors you'll read anything new from?"

My first thought upon seeing this thread was similar to self-driving cars:

“Alexa, read that book for me and tell me if it’s good.”

Well, when they invent the self-reading book, I'm going to auto-buy it.

Wait, isn't that an audiobook? I already buy those.

I don’t think I have any auto-read authors. Even with Steven Erikson who is my favorite author I haven’t read any of his non-Malazan stuff.

Anna wrote: "Silvana, does Vina Jie-Min Prasad only have short fiction out so far?...
Oh, didn't you rec Fandom for Robots just recently? I'll start with that."

I also really liked A Series of Steaks.

For short fiction, I've been really impressed by Sarah Pinsker. And Then There Were (N-One) is available online and was really enjoyable.

@Anna: Her novelette 'A Series of Steaks' is great too. Also a Hugo nominee this year.

Anna wrote: "I've been eyeing Stina Leicht lately, what would be a good place to start with her?"

Depends on what type of book you like:

The Fey and the Fallen series is more Urban Fantasy set in Ireland
The Malorum Gates is more Fantasy (the blurb says epic flintlock fantasy)

I liked both

Bill wrote: "I don’t think I have any auto-read authors. Even with Steven Erikson who is my favorite author I haven’t read any of his non-Malazan stuff."

I don’t do that any more, either. Every artist eventually does something that makes me stop following them, but back in the 80s and 90s I had a number of auto-reads:

Jack L. Chalker
Larry Niven
Octavia Butler
Katherine Kurtz
Anne McCaffrey
Tom Clancy
James P. Hogan
Isaac Asimov
Earl Emerson
Loren D. Estelman

In comics it used to be Chris Claremont and John Byrne, then Brian Michael Bendis this century.

Right now the only one who qualifies is Becky Chambers, but I did wait more than a year to read her second book, so I clearly don’t have that anticipatory impulse driving me nowadays.

Ariana wrote: "And Then There Were (N-One)"

I've had it open in a tab for months and months, but I hate reading things in a browser.

I really should up my short fiction game.

CBRetriever wrote: "The Fey and the Fallen series is more Urban Fantasy set in Ireland
The Malorum Gates is more Fantasy (the blurb says epic flintlock fantasy)"

Thanks! Malorum Gates is what I have on my TBR, but I was going to wait for the series to finish before trying it.

Katherine Addison/Sarah Monette
K.J. Charles
Ted Chiang
Kelly Sue DeConnick
Lara Elena Donnelly
Frances Hardinge
N.K. Jemisin
Ann Leckie
Natasha Pulley
Megan Whalen Turner

With the caveats that some of my must-read authors haven't written much yet, and that I haven't read the entire back catalogues for some of the others. But I'll definitely always check out their new works.

Neil Gaiman
Rick Riordan
That’s pretty much all.

Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant
N.K. Jemisin
John Scalzi
Ann Leckie
Mary Robinette Kowal (I just realized this morning that I am reading a lot of her work)

I don't read fast enough to have any Auto-Reads. Even my favorite authors have some books I haven't gotten around to, but are pretty much all on my TBR. I'd say the ones that come closest to Auto-Reads are

T.A. Pratt (aka Tim Pratt)
Naomi Novik
Neil Gaiman (Though I have a very long way to go to get through all his work. I eventually want to read them all.)

And I suppose J.K. Rowling, by virtue of reading every HP book and spin off. I wouldn't read any Robert Galbraith though. So I'm not sure she qualifies.

This is a funny topic for me, there aren't any authors that I automatically ready everything, call me skeptical but everybody has duds and I am always looking out for them. When I was growing up (still in progress), embarrassingly, it was Piers Anthony.

Ann Leckie
Yoon Ha Lee
Elizabeth Wein
Kate Quinn
David Mitchell
Haruki Murakami
Neal Stephenson
William Gibson
Becky Chambers
J.R.R. Tolkien/Christopher Tolkien
Emma Newman
Bill Bryson
Daniel O'Malley
Seth Dickinson
Martha Wells
Mira Grant
Alastair Reynolds
China Miéville
Jeff VanderMeer
Tanya Huff

...
This is probably part of why my tbr list is monstrous.

I haven't read 100% of all of these author's books, but they're ones that I will read anything new they write and that I'm slowly working my way through their older stuff.

Jordan wrote: "I haven't read 100% of all of these author's books, but they're ones that I will read anything new they write and that I'm slowly working my way through their older stuff."

Martha Wells would have been on my list, but I've only read two novellas by her, so I couldn't quite justify adding her. I'm definitely going to check out all her future scifi, but I don't know if I want to read all the older fantasy. I've read almost all the books by the authors I listed, and still want to read more.

Hank wrote: "This is a funny topic for me, there aren't any authors that I automatically ready everything, call me skeptical but everybody has duds and I am always looking out for them."

Of course all authors also have duds, but I wouldn't stop reading new releases by them because of one bad book. For me these are all authors who continue to release books I like, for the most part, so I'll always be happy to hear they have something new out. That may change in the future, but for now I'm most likely going to read almost anything these authors release.

Kristin B. wrote: "Neil Gaiman (Though I have a very long way to go to get through all his work. I eventually want to read them all.)"

Don't do what I did and read 57 of his works in one year!

Anna wrote: "Kristin B. wrote: "Neil Gaiman (Though I have a very long way to go to get through all his work. I eventually want to read them all.)"

Don't do what I did and read 57 of his works in one year!
..."

I think my brain would explode! I feel like this would be the absolute definition of too much of a good thing. And unfortunately even Mr. Gaiman has some duds. (I really didn't love American Gods)

Kristin B. wrote: "I feel like this would be the absolute definition of too much of a good thing. And unfortunately even Mr. Gaiman has some duds."

Exactly, and agreed.

I find there are more mystery writers that I automatically buy books from when a new one is released especially if it's another book continuing with certain characters

I'm not sure I have any auto-read authors, because even my favorite authors sometimes put out things that I'm just not interested in getting around to...

But I do have a few auto-interest authors, whose names will perk me up and I'll at least look into whatever they've published:

J K Rowling (including the Robert Galbraith books, which I quite enjoy, but I wouldn't read another Casual Vacancy)
Neil Gaiman (though I have yet to get around to some of the short story collections or the really little kid books)
Garth NixGarth Nix
Catherynne M. Valente
***

These are all authors who's work I've enjoyed recently and would consider reading again, but, again, I wouldn't say any are auto-reads:

Lyndsay Faye
Catherine Webb
Charlie N. Holmberg
Tricia Levenseller
Jessica Day George
Victoria Schwab
Marissa Meyer
Ted Naifeh
Leigh Bardugo
Erin Morgenstern
Becky Chambers


If Susanna Clarke ever puts something else out, even if it's not a Strange & Norrell sequel, I will be interested.

Gail Carriger used to be on there, but I've been a bit tepid with the Prudence series, after quite liking the original Parasol Protectorate, so I've gotten behind on that.

Holly Black used to be on there, but after loving the first trilogy I've read of hers, I've been waning in interest in her stuff since. I'm still gonna give The Cruel Prince a go, though.

Gregory Maguire has also fallen off the list.

colleen the convivial curmudgeon wrote: "But I do have a few auto-interest authors, whose names will perk me up and I'll at least look into whatever they've published"

This is probably closer to what I really meant, but "I'll look into their stuff" doesn't sound as dramatic as auto-read!

colleen the convivial curmudgeon wrote: "Gail Carriger used to be on there, but I've been a bit tepid with the Prudence series, after quite liking the original Parasol Protectorate, so I've gotten behind on that."

I don't like the Prudence series at all, but I'm continuing with it anyway, because there are sometimes glmpses of my favorite PP characters. And the next one coming out this month switches POV to Prim, so there's a slight chance it'll be more interesting. I don't mind reading the series, it's easy and light, if nothing else it works when I don't want to trouble my brain. But I am starting to get to that point of feeling like I've read what she has to offer, but I'm not quite giving up yet. All of her books are so fast to get through, and I really like that's she's churning out novellas about side characters. I may not love all of them, but they're tiny and read in a couple of hours, so it's never a waste of too much time. And the familiarity of the world is comforting, which is why I love having a new one every now and then, to use as an escape from all the more serious reading.

Not that many for me, I read quite broadly so don't tend to get too attached to authors. Ones that I would say though are:

Neil Gaiman
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Gregory Maguire
Gillian Flynn

I don't actually have that many, fortunately for my bank account!

Brandon Sanderson
Patrick Rothfuss
Becky Chambers
Erin Morgenstern

Will definitely be taking some suggestions from those you guys dub auto-reads though!

Tolkein, Guy Gavriel Kay, Philip Pullman, Louis L'Amour, Octavia Butler,

Anna wrote: "This is probably closer to what I really meant, but "I'll look into their stuff" doesn't sound as dramatic as auto-read! "


I'll try to think of a snappier way to put it for you. ;)


Anna wrote: "All of her books are so fast to get through, and I really like that's she's churning out novellas about side characters. I may not love all of them, but they're tiny and read in a couple of hours, so it's never a waste of too much time. And the familiarity of the world is comforting, which is why I love having a new one every now and then, to use as an escape from all the more serious reading. "

I only found out about the novellas recently, so I haven't gotten around to reading any yet. I really want to read the one about Lyall and Biffy, through, because I heart them so much. (I hate the cover, though, because neither of them are anything like I pictured them. Ugh.)

Apparently I've only actually read the first Prudence book, but it just didn't capture me as much as PP, or even the Finishing School ones, which I didn't like as much as PP, either.

But I had that same feeling about Finishing School - I continued because of the comfort of the universe, and getting glimpses of familiar characters in different situations. I did think that one ended well, though.

Anyway - I read a lot of fun and fluffy books, so if you want escape from heavy reading, feel free to browse my shelves. ;)

Yep definitely Gaiman for me, never read anything by him that I didn't really enjoy.

Rachel wrote: "Hmmm...

Cherryh
Jemisin
Scalzi
Sanderson
Carriger
Chambers
YHLee
Newman
Hugo nominees"

Rachel, where would you recommend someone start with Cherryh? She has such a HUGE body of work, it’s a bit daunting to think about the best entry point. I’ve always been curious about her but never read a word...

Anthony wrote: "Rachel, where would you recommend someone start with Cherryh? She has such a HUGE body of work, it’s a bit daunting to think about the best entry point. I’ve always been curious about her but never read a word..."

depends on what genres you like:

Fantasy: The Morgaine Cycle (4 books if I remember correctly)
Sci_Fi: The Chanur or Mri (Faded Sun Trilogy) series

are all good. The Morgaine Cycle is written from a male point of view and the other two have male earthling protagonists along with alien protagonists

Thanks so much, I’ve added The Pride of Chanur to my queue. Not sure when I’ll get to it...soooo many books to read!

Of course there’s also her Hugo winning works like Downbelow Station and cyteen. Cyteen is...intense in an intellectual sense.

Rachel wrote: "Of course there’s also her Hugo winning works like Downbelow Station and cyteen. Cyteen is...intense in an intellectual sense."

I was trying to come up with more generic points of entry to her works. I never could get into the Foreigner books for some reason

and I also liked a few others as well, but those three series I listed are the ones I've re-read most recently and they do seem to hold up quite well

Thanks for all the recs. Surprisingly, Cyteen isn’t available as an ebook. I used an Audible credit for it. Who’d have thought such a popular author’s award-winner wouldn’t be more easily available?

I would - there's lots of books I'd buy in a moment if they were available in Kindle Version:

Louise Cooper's Indigo and Time Master series
Madeleine Brent's books (not SFF)
Zenna Henderson's books

and it was only recently that this one became available: Emergence

I only really have one, and it's Guy Gavriel Kay. Although, I do have the next Becky Chambers book on pre-order, so I guess she's going to become an auto-read for me in the future!

colleen the convivial curmudgeon wrote: "I only found out about the novellas recently, so I haven't gotten around to reading any yet. I really want to read the one about Lyall and Biffy, through, because I heart them so much."

The novellas are hit and miss for me. They all have something great about them though, even if the main storyline isn't amazing. I'm trying not to spoil anything about any of the books, but the very latest novella, which is about Channing, has some side moments of pure perfectness featuring Biffy and Lyall. You have to read RtW first, though! And you'd have to have read the first two (or maybe just one?) Prudence books before you read that one. Yes, it's complicated, and I only read Prudence so that I could read RtW :D I guess you could skip Prudence, but RtW must be read before WtMaW.

Finishing School was OK but it felt too young after PP.

The only one I have at the moment is Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series and those are auto buy on audible because the narrator is just so damn good!

I completely forgot about Rivers, that is a definite me as well.

Nnedi Okorafor. All my other faves (Clarke, Butler, LeGuin) are dead. :/