Books
In addition to playing computer games, I also read a lot of books. I read mostly science fiction and fantasy, but also books from Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton. I have recently become conflicted about my book and movie lists. Some of these books now seem simplistic and boring when I read them now, but I don’t think I would have ever found the deep complex books without reading the simple ones and getting pulled into the genre first. Just be aware that there is a wide range of books here, some of which a ten your old would enjoy, and some that wouldn’t even really make much sense without some college level literature classes for background.
Ender’s Game - Orson Scott Card
The first time I read this book, I went through the whole thing three times in about two days. This is an awesome book. It is about a five-year-old genius that is basically drafted into the military in a war against alien bugs. It sounds cheesy, but it isn’t. I would recommend it to any sci-fi fan. The first three sequels are good but in a different way. They are more hard core sci-fi, and they go off in a different direction from Ender’s Game. Card is writing a new trilogy of books that are more in the style of the first book, I highly recommend them. The first one, Ender’s Shadow is a parallel novel to Ender’s Game. All the same events take place, but it is from a different perspective. It is easy enough to read that anyone could pick up Ender’s Game and understand it.
The Malazan Book of The Fallen - Stephen Erikson
These books are currently only published in the UK and Canada and not in the US. After reading some rave reviews I imported them and was blown away. They are by far the freshest best written fantasy in a very long time. The world of these books is dark, complicated, and textured, and Erikson drops you right into the middle of events without explaining what is going on. Once you think you finally have it figured out, you find out a key piece of information and the whole thing twists. I have never read a series where it seems like the author has such a solid vision of where he is going and how he will get there. Conversations and actions in the first book that did not make a lot of sense at the time suddenly become clear two or three books further in. There is a huge cast of characters, yet the pacing stays even as he rotates the viewpoint between them. Fortunately, the books have been picked up for publication in the US starting in 2004. If you enjoy fantasy, do yourself a favor and get your hands on these any way you can.
Dune - Frank Herbert
The first book is the best, but all the rest are very good also. The best way to describe them is heavy sci-fi mixed with a lot of politics. They are very interesting, and not like anything else. I would really only recommend them to hard core sci-fi fans.
Hyperion Cantos - Dan Simmons
This is a four book series split into two parts. The first two books are hands down the best hard sci-fi since Dune. The first book has pilgrims going on a journey and telling their stories in the fashion of the Canterbury Tales. The second book is the equivalent of a 500 page climax to the first book. I have never before read such a complex blending of science, politics, and character development where it all worked perfectly. The third and fourth books are totally different in tone, being a love/adventure story set in the bizarre aftermath of the first two books. The end of the fourth book is the most emotionally moving fiction I have ever read and is a fitting end to the Cantos. If you enjoy hard sci-fi, then you need to read these books. The third book bogs down a little, but it is more than worth it for the last half of the fourth.
Starship Troopers - Robert A. Heinlein
The book is much better than the movie and is a precursor to all the mechanized body armor stuff we have today, like Battletech and a lot of Anime. The story is one of the best and most realistic depictions of what space infantry combat would be like. Even though the movie is not as good as the book, I still think the dropship sequence is the best scene ever in any movie. That is my opinion as a sci-fi and troop combat fanatic :)
The Belgariad and Malloreon - David Eddings
I really like these books. They are a very good introduction to fantasy for someone that would be intimidated by some of the other stuff on this list. They are the kind of books where you can see what’s coming a mile away, and you know the good guys will win in the end, but you just don’t care - you keep reading anyway. Refreshing is the best way to describe them. They are easy to read, and I would recommend them to someone wanting to get into fantasy.
The Lord of The Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Before the Lord of the Rings there was not fantasy as we know it today. These are just very, very good books. There is not really much else to say.
New Star Wars Trilogy - Timothy Zahn
These were the first of the many new Star Wars books. They are my favorites, and they are very well-written and fit into the SW universe very well. They are set a little while after the Return of the Jedi and deal with one of the endless stream of Imperial admirals that still have some of the Imperial fleet and are out to destroy the Republic.
The Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
These books are really what introduced me to fantasy. They are supposed to be children’s books, but they are a good read for anyone. Even though they were written quite a long time ago, they still are very cool.
Tom Clancy - pre Rainbow Six
If you like military and spy fiction and haven’t read Tom Clancy’s books, then you are missing out. All of his fiction books except Red Storm Rising are set in the same universe and have the same characters. He does a good job of pulling just about every character that has ever had a significant role into every successive book. Rainbow Six was where his writing started going downhill fast, and anything past it is not worth reading.
Sphere - Michael Crichton
I like all of his books, but for some reason, this is my favorite. I can’t really tell you why without giving away the plot, but I’ll just say it is a very good book.