Sci-Fi, fantasy and speculative Indie Authors Review discussion

I just read a novel that has me thirsting for more books similarly written. I want more, and I want to read something in Speculative Fiction. I'm not sure of the Cloud Atlas (I'm intimidated by its apparent complexity), but certainly an interesting story that is set such that one would take it as realistic, except for one little change to reality with a big impact (e.g. people can't lie, or antique dealer can travel in time, etc.) Incidentally, the book I just read is Time in the World by Rory McClannahan, and it is written in a manner that reminds me of Jack London and Mark Twain's style (rich characters, detailed scenery, robustly honest first person narration, etc.) Any recommendations on classy novels in speculative fiction?

The First 15 Lives of Harry August The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is in a similar vein - you might well like that one.

Yes! I just looked it up. I think this may be a good one. Thank you!

Scifi365 wrote: "The First 15 Lives of Harry August The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is in a similar vein - you might well like that one."

Fernando wrote: "I just read a novel that has me thirsting for more books similarly written. I want more, and I want to read something in Speculative Fiction. I'm not sure of the Cloud Atlas (I'm intimidated by its..."

I'm curious though, how many other classy speculative fiction novels are out there.

Fernando wrote: "Yes! I just looked it up. I think this may be a good one. Thank you!

Scifi365 wrote: "The First 15 Lives of Harry August The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is in a similar vei..."

We may not have the same definition of classy and, like Shanna, I feel uncomfortable saying "you mentioned books? In that case, let me tell you about my book!" But - let me tell you about my book. It is the first in a fantasy detective series and I need more reviews on GR and Amazon, so would be happy to provide a free ebook in exchange for review. Check out the GR page and PM me if you would like a review copy.

A lot of what you mention here is the type of thing I admire in books myself. I too appreciate the depth of the classics with their rich characters, realism, and honest narrative. That's the way I seek to write myself, so I would like to suggest that you give my novel, Planetfall, a try.

I don't really want to speak for myself, so here are a few quotes from other reviews of Planetfall on Goodreads-

"Overall I think the author developed their characters well and did a great job in exploring philosophy and human nature in this story. I would highly recommend Planetfall to all fans of speculative fiction and fans of dystopian societies."

"This is a thinking person's author and that is refreshing in this day and age where everything seems to be handed to you in fiction."

"The characters the author imagines are impeccably real. They are beautifully written, making it easy to empathize with them and fully appreciate their dilemmas...I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thinking through a novel and solving puzzles. If you enjoyed Lost (the plots have absolutely nothing in common but they share a character-driven narrative rather than a plot-driven one) then you will probably enjoy this novel. I eagerly await the author's next work but until then I will probably read this novel again as I'm sure there's a few things I missed in the first pass!"

"I won this book on Good reads.
It was stunning from the first paragraph.
The words made a movie in my mind and the people were authentic.
It is full of action, mystery and I loved the ending."

"I had a hard time putting it down and even when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it and what was going to happen next!"


Here's a synopsis-

You can never go home. That had always been understood, so when Major Thomas Birch and his bedraggled crew limped back hundreds of years later it was clear that something had gone wrong.

In fact nothing had gone right. Their mission of hope had been hopeless from the start. The new world they had tried to create had nearly destroyed them, and when their commander, Colonel Ratliff, had disappeared Birch had done the only thing he could. He had taken command and taken them home.

Failure had not been an option. It had been inevitable.

They had given up so much for this mission. Their lives were over. Everything they loved had died long ago. They had done it to serve others, for the common good, or so it was said. Major Birch had his reasons. Everyone had their reasons. Nobody volunteered to be frozen and blasted into space without a reason.

But now they were going home. Hardly knowing what to expect, they returned to find Base Two abandoned, a desolate outpost crumbling back into the Martian soil it had risen from. And now earth wasn’t answering. Was anyone left, or in this vast universe were they now truly alone?

Stumbling from a failed past into an uncertain future the crew of the Hypnos III find that sometimes the only thing worse than what you run from is the thing you run to.



Ler me know if you would like a copy. I'll send you a free one if you're interested.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

I am halfway through The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, and wow! Its a true masterpiece. I don't want it to end. Thank you SciFi365.

Scifi365 wrote: "The First 15 Lives of Harry August The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August is in a similar vein - you might well like that one."

Hmm, okay. I'll check them out. I know how hard it is to promote a book. My middle grade sci fi adventure book is not an easy one to promote :)

Shanna wrote: "It would be big headed to call myself "classy" and I don't want to be one of those authors who mention their own books at every opportunity, but my time travel series might fit your criteria. Norma..."

Hi Fernando,

My pleasure. We pushed that one on our mailing list a couple of weeks ago when there was an offer on the Print version and the whole team loved it. But I do agree - it is an awesome book. Glad you liked it.

Mark

Hmm, some of these other books sound really good as well. I can't wait to try them out. Thanks folks.

OK, I'll throw mine in the mix (not sure about the classy bit)...

TimeStorm
A 1795 convict ship survives a strange storm and limps into Sydney harbour, where the convicts rebel and escape. But the year is now 2017...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Fernando wrote: "I just read a novel that has me thirsting for more books similarly written. I want more, and I want to read something in Speculative Fiction. I'm not sure of the Cloud Atlas (I'm intimidated by its..."

If you're hesitant about Cloud Atlas, try Ghostwritten (same author).

Hi Fernando.I don't usually mention my own work on Goodreads, but my speculative fiction novel, Kronos Duet has been described as literary, beautiful and compelling. You can check out the reviews on Goodreads and Amazon to give you an idea.
All the best,
Aldous

Thank you Aldous. I'll will certainly take a look.

Swim_two_birds_84 wrote: "Fernando wrote: "I just read a novel that has me thirsting for more books similarly written. I want more, and I want to read something in Speculative Fiction. I'm not sure of the Cloud Atlas (I'm i..."

Okay, thank you!

Steve wrote: "OK, I'll throw mine in the mix (not sure about the classy bit)...

TimeStorm
A 1795 convict ship survives a strange storm and limps into Sydney harbour, where the convicts rebel and escape. But the..."

Interesting plot premise!

The novel that popped into my head when I saw this thread was:

This Perfect Day

Bobby wrote: "The novel that popped into my head when I saw this thread was:

This Perfect Day"

I second This Perfect Day -- GREAT book. (Not sure it fits under "classy," but it's certainly classic.)

Also, it's a very direct and simple story -- so doesn't have that Cloud Atlas problem.

Thank you, gentleman. From the book summary, The Perfect Day looks very interesting. It seems to have that Anthem feel to it. I'll check it out.

Nice intro. Yes I will try that one too. Thank you Emma.

My novel (debuting on November 24 but you can see it here) The Immortality game plays with the idea of the implementation of mind/data interfaces, and how this leads to a literal online addiction I call Meshing. It contains a lot of new twists on old sci-fi tropes. It's a fast-paced thriller and a very quick read.