What do I need to read?

[kennahijja]

My f-list is wise and perceptive and well-read, so here's the problem:

I'm badly out of good books. That, and my birthday isn't all that far off, so I would have an excuse for hitting Amazon. But as it is, I'm even out of books I know I desire madly. Hence, I'll ask you. What would you rec? What excited you recently?

What *do* I like? Fantasy, horror, SF if it's character-driven and not technology-heavy. Slashy, dark, unusual, stylistically beautiful, erotic. Other genres if the themes fit.

Examples that rocked my world... Carey's 'Kushiel' series, Friedman's 'Coldfire', McMaster Bujold's 'Miles Vorkosigan' series, McKillip's 'Riddlemaster' trilogy. General fondness for MZB, Guy Gavriel Kay, C J Cherryh, Octavia Butler... Storm Constantine, apart from the undisciplined plots. Liked Lynn Flewelling's 'Nightrunner' series for the slash, but otherwise it's too cliched for me... Not much into the Tolkien clone type stuff...

Suggestions will be lovingly huggled! :)

And if anyone ever stumbled across a list of homoerotic fantasy novels, I'd so love to see that :).

Comments

[hpstrangelove.livejournal.com]

Well you may have already ridden the bandwagon, but there are several new converts to the three Administration Series books; it's been available on-line for a while, but I actually ordered the first book over a year ago, not realizing it was on-line. I started it a week ago and finished it today, and I loved it - some tech stuff in it but not too heavy I don't think. I ordered the other two yesterday, and am waiting impatiently for them to arrive.

If you don't mind what is classified as Young Adult, I thoroughly enjoyed the Thief, Queen of Attolia and King of Attolia series.

Oh, and I forgot to mention - Wicked Gentlemen. I had that book a while too and saw several on my flist who were reading it. It's m/m fantasy and pretty decent I thought.

Seconded

[lilian-cho.livejournal.com]

I thoroughly enjoyed the Thief, Queen of Attolia and King of Attolia series.

Enthusiastically seconding the Megan Whalen Turner rec =D
Don't let the first person pov of the first book throw you off.

Even though I heartily support the canon het (starting in the second book onward), I predict that you will see slash everywhere in the third book.
In a light-hearted, rivalry/friendship/pre-slash "OMGYou'reAPratButSecretlyAwesome" kinda way =P


I love Robin McKinley's Dragonhaven (YA too I think). It's first person pov, but it's v. compelling.
The main character is an almost-15-y.o. boy who lives in a dragon reservation. One day he came across a dead poacher and a dying dragon mom.
Will post a few fav. quotes on my LJ this week.


For canon homoerotic fantasy, there's The Mirador series by Sarah Monette. Complete with wizards, thieves, prostitution, madness, mazes and inappropriate incestuous longings. One of the protagonists is annoying to hell and back, but he is _supposed_ to be annoying and high-handed and totally self-centered.


And Naomi Novik's Temeraire series--I ship Temeraire/Laurence so hard (Yes even though Temeraire is a dragon and Laurence is a British gentleman with a fixation on neckcloths and proper attire). It's not "deep" but fun in a what-happens-next kinda way.


tl;dr--Long book rec comment is long.

[oddnari.livejournal.com]

Alas, can't help you. My SF reading only comprised Star Wars and fantasy was all about Tolkein and Terry Pratchett.

If you want historicals, though, and non-European historicals at that, as well as non-European/non-American slice-of-life and stuff with magic realism, I'll be able to help you.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Yes, hit me :). Apart from (non-ancient-history-setting) detective stories, I read pretty much anything ;).

[narcissa-malfoy.livejournal.com]

Legend of the Ice People. I think I have talked to you about this series before :) It is now available in English, and I am told that the translation is supposed to be good. You can find the first chapter here.

It has fantasy, horror and is dark, unusual, stylistically beautiful and erotic. There is even a hint of slash in book five :) No SF, though.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll have a closer look at it for sure.

[atdelphi.livejournal.com]

Checking out lists of Lambda Award winners and nominees might be a helpful jumping-off point - they're the awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror novels that feature GLBT content. :-)

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tip!

[leni-jess.livejournal.com]

Extract from my booklist of fantasy novels - some homoerotic examples.

Most recent is probably Ellen Kushner: Swordspoint, and that's not new.

No, I tell a lie: I'd rec this series currently developing: Sarah Monette [LJ truepenny]: The Doctrine of Labyrinths 1 Mélusine, 2 The Virtu, 3 Mirador

Melissa Scott: Five-Twelfths of Heaven, Silence in Solitude, Empress of Earth; Burning Bright; Dreamships, Dreaming Metal; The Kindly Ones, Mighty Good Road, Trouble and Her Friends (she's gay, and most of her books feature a gay heroine, but gayness isn't the focus, just a fact of life)

Elizabeth A Lynn: Watchtower, The Dancers of Arun, The Northern Girl (trilogy); A Different Light (more 'modern' setting), The Sardonyx Net (focuses on a scary SM homoerotic relationship). Dunno if any of them are currently in print, though.

Samuel Delany's SF novels are heavily SM/Ds homoerotic, from the POV of the submissive, usually; I find them a bit hard to take, but he used to write interesting stuff about language, too. Old.

Not homoerotic, and YA in intention, esp the first two: Joy Chant: Red Moon Black Mountain, The Grey Mane of Morning, When Voiha Wakes ('sbeautiful! a women-in-charge world, from POV of nice young man). Also not new.

Hmm. Looks as if I haven't found much lately.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

I've read Elizabeth A Lynn (own them in German translation, not that I could get my hands on them now...). Will definitely look at the others. Sarah Monette is someone I've been considering for a while. And Joy Chant, when I was a teen!

Can you think of a good example Delany novel that focuses on those themes? I know he's written quite a few ;).

[sylvanwitch]

Ever read any Tanya Huff? She herself is a lesbian, and her plots tend to have homoerotic elements if not outright homoeroticism. Her "Blood" series is good, her "Shadows and Ashes" series (might have that a little wrong--it's a spin-off from "Blood") even better, in my opinion.

I'm very fond of Charlaine Harris (anything by her, but you'd probably like her Sooky Stackhouse stories; she has a more recent series about a most unusual pair of "siblings"--they all have "grave" in the title and are delightfully wicked and twisty).

And Kimberly Harrison is amazing! Her "Witch" books are contemporary fantasy at its hot best. Two of her main characters are in almost eternal UST of the lesbian variety. Very hot.

I don't know if any of these are what you're interested in, but I enjoy all three authors and have never been disappointed by their writing.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

I've seen Tanya Huff's novels, but never picked one up. Didn't hear of the others, but will go and have a look!

[painless-j.livejournal.com]

Manga, dude! Totally get into manga. Ahem. Just saying...

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Ew! *ducks*

No, seriously, it's not as if I haven't tried, but... so not my thing with one exception, purely for story.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

God, we like a LOT of the same books! Go pick up Sharon Shinn. Start with Archangel and if you like it you'll know what to do.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Ah - that's a name I hadn't heard before! Thanks! *goes to find out more*

[the-merope.livejournal.com]

Read Midnight's Children (which is one of my favourite books), Slaughterhouse 5 (this one because I've been dying to read it for about two years now, though it's not really fantasy. More madness and war, or war and madness) Mervyn Peake's The Gormenghast Novels (because I love them; they're fantasy without magic or anything supernatural; it's called "fantasy by manners" I think, or something like that; all to do with the atmosphere created, and the ... tone, I think. Has elements of the horrific), try American Gods by Neil Gaiman if you like fantasy that's the opposite of Tolkien, Margret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, Franz Kafka's In the Penal Colony, but since that's a story you may get it in a book that says "and other stories" in its title. And write up a list of your favourite 20 novels and submit them to libraholics! You'll never be short of ideas on what to read next :)

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

'The Handmaid's Tale' is probably the most terrifying book I've ever read, and I read 'Titus Groan' until the atmosphere became so... oppressive I had to back out :). Thanks for the others!!! And for the libraholics link - I'll do that.

[fairlyironic.livejournal.com]

I second Wicked Gentlemen (http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Gentlemen-Ginn-Hale/dp/0978986113/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233629225&sr=1-1), which is a homoerotic fantasy set in an AU Victorian England. It's not as explicit as the description on the back of the book makes it sound, but it's got very lush, descriptive language, and appealing characters.

I noticed that someone already recced Dragonhaven (http://www.amazon.com/Dragonhaven-Robin-McKinley/dp/044101643X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233629271&sr=1-1), which is good, but not Mckinley's (http://www.robinmckinley.com/) best. I'd start with Sunshine (http://www.amazon.com/Sunshine-Robin-McKinley/dp/0425224015/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233629349&sr=1-1), her vampire novel. It's very character driven, so if whole chapters of character development with very little happening in the plot drive you nuts then it isn't for you. On the other hand, the characters are very appealing, it's set in a facinating AU (one of Mckinley's better qualities is how well she writes AUs) and it has the best descriptions of food that I've ever read. My mouth waters just thinking about that book.

And someone's already mentioned Swordspoint (http://www.amazon.com/Swordspoint-Ellen-Kushner/dp/0553585495/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233628927&sr=8-1), a homoerotic, clever fantasy novel. The characters always remain a little distanced from the reader, but the plot is so clever it's easy to overlook. I actually liked the sequel (http://www.amazon.com/Privilege-Sword-Ellen-Kushner/dp/0553586963/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233629409&sr=1-2) better, because it's more character driven, less stand-offish, but just as clever.

My favorite Tanya Huff (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanya_Huff) novel (homoerotic) is <http://www.amazon.com/fires-stone-tanya-huff/dp/0886774454/ref=sr_1_1?ie=utf8&s=books&qid=1233629491&sr=1-1">The Fire's Stone. Actually, it's the only Tanya Huff book that I've read, and I may be biased because I've had it since I was 12, but it's yummy. It's high fantasy, and a tease the whole way through, since nothing actually happens, probably a good thing, since 12-year-olds are reading it.

If you haven't already read them you'd probably like anything by Neil Gaiman (http://www.neilgaiman.com/), especially American Gods (http://www.amazon.com/American-Gods-Novel-Neil-Gaiman/dp/0060558121/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233629596&sr=1-1) and Good Omens (http://www.amazon.com/Good-Omens-Accurate-Prophecies-Nutter/dp/0060853972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233629637&sr=1-1). American Gods is a very clever and philosophical drama. It pits the old gods against the new gods, teaching the reader a thing or two about various mythologies along the way. Good Omens is pure cracky religious-fantasy comedy. Watch The Omen (http://www.amazon.com/Omen-Two-Disc-Collectors-Gregory-Peck/dp/B000EYK4KS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1233630669&sr=1-1) first for full effect.

And finally, if you have any inclination to try manga, I really enjoy the Finder series (http://www.amazon.com/Finder-1-Target-Yaoi/dp/1933440007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233629686&sr=1-1); it's homoerotic and explicit! A photographer comes to the attention of a mafia crime lord when he snaps incriminating photos of said crime lord. The photographer is taught a lesson. The plot advances from there.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Ah, I think I've seen 'Wicked Gentlemen' pop up too often in this thread to ignore :). And I loved 'Good Omens' for exactly the 'Omen'-parody you mention! Many thanks for the others - now I have quite a bit to check out on Amazon.

And damn! I really dislike manga, but that last rec of yours sounds *so* up my alley it's not possible...

[hinotori.livejournal.com]

Soooo. I said The Administration Series, right. That's the main thing I wanted to name. I've gushed about it here, so I'll spare you now. ;)
Other stuff:

Fantasy ... I loved Robin Hobb's Farseer- and Tawny Man-series. The former took me three attempts to get into, then I devoured the books pretty much in one go and went on to Fool-- a sequel of sorts, which is also slashy to no end (it's arguably canon).

George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series -- fantasy that is nothing like Tolkien, in a good way. Politics, excellent characterisation, long. The first book is less than five quid on amazon uk atm.

I may be back with more later. It's very, very interesting to see what people are recommending here; may steal some of those for myself. ;)

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Yep - you're not the only one who's recced the Administration Series, or Robin Hobb. I'm certainly intrigued by the former, and will keep an eye out for the latter when I next hit the used bookstores in town :).

GRRM has been a favourite of mine before even starting the ASoIaF series - his 'Armageddon Rag' and 'Fevre Dream' were pretty spectacular already.

[deralte.livejournal.com]

I third the American Gods rec, and suggest Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell if you haven't read it. Jim Butcher's Dresden Files as well. Also, not fantasy, but if you like your stories dark, you'll like the Dexter series by Jeff Lindsay.

And to slightly change the subject, I love the Riddlemaster of Hed series. I used to reread it religiously every year and lament that it was out of print and that I never met anyone who had read it. Thankfully, such is not the case any more.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed 'Good Omens' and really prefered the non-Pratchett parts (in the way that when picking from two *very* good voices I liked one better, not that those parts were in any way bad) and have seen but never picked up Dresden Files. Thanks!!!

Out of print? Well, I picked a three-in-one collection up a few years back in a London bookstore to give to Chthonia, but well, some years back. Still have my old German translations which (*very* unusually so) are as amazing as the original and feel so much more familiar ;). But I'm almost sure I've read Riddlemaster fanfic drabbles on my flist a year or so back :(.

[lazy-neutrino.livejournal.com]

Seconded Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Let me lend you the first George RR Martin next time I see you: if you don't like it, that's quickly sorted. Have you considered Naomi Novik? (I hope I have spelt that right.)

[jaelle-n-gilla.livejournal.com]

I must be the only person in the world who hates that novel of Johnathan Strange and Mr Norrell and stopped reading it (two attempts) less than half way through. Can you say what you liked in the story? I thought the plot was terribly slow to develop if it was existent at all. So, did you like the characters? Any of them in particular?

I also didn't like "Extremely loud and incredibly close" and now that I mention it, it had no plot either. Lots of introverted feeling but no plot or development at all. Maybe that's what I need.

[inamac.livejournal.com]

Have you tried Mercedes Lackey's books? They're light and fluffy, but fit the sort of things already on your list.

Of course you've read Mary Renault? (If not, the most homoerotic is 'The Persian Boy')

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

I'm lastingly in love with the Diana Tregarde series, but others? Not yet. And yes, Mary Renault - I loved 'The Persian Boy' to bits!

[liriaen.livejournal.com]

The latest William Gibson - Spook Country - was lovely; very polished and cooked à minute - not tech-heavy, very real, very smart.
You know I'l always say Pynchon, Rushdie, Pynchon, Rushdie... or perhaps the entire Sandman graphic novels would you be more to your liking. Souryo Fuyumi's "Cesare" manga is made of brilliance, and much needed in the absence of Cantarella, but so little of it is scanlated yet.
And in the "Life is stranger than fiction" category: Rat Scabies and the Holly Grail: too splendid for words!
Then again, never mind me. My thoughts and ideas usually account for jack shit.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Oh, even if I hadn't trusted your taste before, I would after the Alessandro Baricco you gave me! That last one looks positively brilliant. Even if I prefer Gibson filtered through you and H/D :D.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Not coming up with anything new but I second:

George Martin's Ice and Fire saga. (if he doesnt DIE before he finishes it)

Swordspoint and Privilege of the Sword

Wicked Gentlemen

The Farseer Series by Robin Hobb (the Liveship series is also great, but not slashy)

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

He better not! Although it's taking ages! (Yes, I follow and love GRRM (although my favourite of his is still Armageddon Rag...).

The others are being thrown at me so often in this thread that I practically have no resistance left ;). Thanks so much!

[jaelle-n-gilla.livejournal.com]

Lately I have read "Death - the high cost of living" and "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gayman, "Nation" by Terry Pratchett, and I am currently on "Kafka on the shore" by some Japanese guy I can't remember. I'm about 1/3 through and it's fascinating. I have heard that the ending is somewhat surprising, though, so I hope it's still ok when I've finished it.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

I really need to get into Neil Gaiman, everybody adores his books and I really liked 'Good Omens' too... Thanks!

[randomchris.livejournal.com]

For obvious homoerotic fantasy, the Mercedes Lackey series "Magic's Pawn", "Magic's Promise" and "Magic's Price" was many readers' first experience of a homosexual main character who is not all about being gay.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

I fell totally in love with Mercedes Lackey's 'Diana Tregarde' series way back, but never picked up any of her others... no, scratch that, there were one or two 'elves in modern America' ones that were fun, but... Dunno why I never read any others - probably grumping that it couldn't possibly be as good. I might get lucky with those in one of the second hand bookstores? *makes note*

[siamkatze.livejournal.com]

I was going to rec Robin Hobb's Farseer/Liveship/Tawny Man series, as well as Sarah Monette's Melusine and sequels, but I see others have done so already. I can only second it! Very, very worth it.

To add something new, I'd also like to rec the First Law series by Joe Abercrombie. It's fantasy, not slashy, but the characters are so well written that they make up for it. I also wrote some short review-sort-of-things on my LJ for book 1, book 2, and book 3 which might or might not make any sense...

PS: I'm so bookmarking this post! I will have to check out everything people mentioned here.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

I hear you about the first two! And everybody else as well :).

Thanks for the second, too - nobody's mentioned it so far, and I've never heard of them, but it looks intriguing.

[ejab62.livejournal.com]

Right now I'm fascinated by Anne Rice's Vampire books (read: Armand) so of course that would be my suggestion. It's fantasy, erotic and character-driven.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Anne Rice is one of my not-so-favourites. I read her erotic stuff (Exit to Eden was pretty fascinating, in a way), and her Witches books, and Cry to Heaven, but the Vampire novels... never managed to get through one yet.

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

Wicked Gentlemen! It's gorgeous. :D

I also second the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin.

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

It looks as if I'm sold the first one, and I've read the latter, of course :). Just forgot to mention it ;).

[mieronna.livejournal.com]

*secretly bookmarks* I meant to post a similar search myself, though I wouldn't have focused on science-fiction ;)

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's sort of a spectacular gold mine :). I'm not that much into SF, or well, not the militaristic/hi-tech side of it...

[snorkackcatcher]

Other than the obvious ones everybody said such as ASOIAF, here are three picked up out of the sent-for-review-and-dropped-in-a-box-afterwards pile at work that I liked. (And yes, I do keep meaning to do proper reviews of these.)

Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Stroud -- a Scandinavian-legend type setting, nicely developed, small-scale for onxe and often slyly humorous, with a (to me) really unexpected finish that was nevertheless beautifully set up when I thought back.

Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help by Douglas Anthony Cooper -- a sort of dark farce about a schoolboy who not only sees dead people but is best friends with them, and is sent (along with a fellow 'sufferer') to a mysterious Professional for 'help'.

Stealing Light by Gary Gibson -- high-concept SF, FTL tech is available only through an alien race called the Shoal (seeing as they're, well, fish), who will help out other species only within strictly defined parameters that include no trying to discover the secret. A batshit human colony discover what appears to be a pre-Shoal FTL ship, and need the services of the heroine (who has a computer-interface in her brain and a Dark Past) to control it ...

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Apart from ASoIaF, which I read, of course, the others are unknown and intriguing to me - especially the last. Thanks so much!

[fpb.livejournal.com]

I'll just repeat this till I get through: you need to read my stuff. 8-)

I'll throw in my 2 cents!

[shadowclub.livejournal.com]

I don't know if people mentioned these yet...

Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton- This is a series about vampires and such. It is erotic and definitely on the darker side. Loved the kick-ass main character (or at least thought she was a good character). Lots of slashy relationships etc. come into play! Warning: the first 7/8 books are good, but after that the series went sort of downhill... in most people's opinions at least.

Primary Inversion series by Catherine Asaro- Definitely a "Space Opera". I wouldn't qualify these novels as dark, but it's sci-fi and definitely a decent read. One of the characters is gay and there is a book about him (sorry! I don't recall the title)

I've found a few lists of homoerotic fantasy novels here (http://www.amazon.com/Queer-nbsp-SciFi-nbsp-and-nbsp-Fantasy/lm/R1HW898GENASZH/ref=cm_srch_res_rpli_alt_2) and here (http://www.amazon.com/Awesome-Fantasy-m-romance/lm/R314YKRJ00MC01/ref=cm_lmt_fvlm_f_3_rlrsrs0). Unfortunately, there just isn't a whole lot of quality stuff out there that is easily found and so there are quite a few overlapping books!

I highly recommend the Outlander series even if you aren't that into historical things! The premise is that WWII is over and a former nurse,Claire, and her husband are on a second honeymoon. While in Scotland Claire is transported back 200 years and meets Jamie. Very interesting series. BUT one of the secondary characters is gay and has a spin off series (Lord John Grey) which are actually mystery novels and decent. However, I like the main Outlander series better!

If you don't mind YA stuff Hero by Perry Moore is a coming of age story where the main character is super-hero (and gay to top it off). It's darker, but in a more teen way (I wouldn't say that it was really annoying, just appropriate for the character). Very character driven.

I don't know if you read erotica at all, but Joey Hill wrote Ice Queen. It's definitely a BDSM novel, but honestly it was so well done I would recommend it to people who don't enjoy that sort of thing. The emotions and stories behind the main characters were engrossing. Plus, some of the sex is rather hot:)

Okay, so this comment is really late and sort of strange as I'm not on your flist, but I am on break and you are one of the authors I enjoy reading (and because you rec so many interesting stories) so I was just browsing through your journal and I couldn't resist this post! So many interesting books (I've never heard of Coldfire, but we seem to have similar tastes and it looks good!)!

/end slight stalker-ishness

Re: I'll throw in my 2 cents!

[kennahijja.livejournal.com]

Heh, I sure don't mind stalkerism of that kind! :) And we know each other, right? Last round of springtime_gen and a couple other places?

Thanks very much for the lists, and since I'm definitely reading erotica, the Ice Queen rec - that sounds interesting! As does Catherine Asaro - I'm currently switching from fantasy back to SF as primary genre, after... almost 20 years, really ;).

I've read Anita Blake since the beginning, torn between fascination and dislike - the first books were pretty good, the heroine aside, but then it descended into bad sex and painful Mary Sue-ism, and damn, half of fandom writes better (and more credible) smut than Hamilton does... Yep, I've got hard feelings there ;). And I tried Outlander once, but didn't click beyond 20 pages or so... dunno why?

And oh yes, if you ever get 'round to reading Coldfire, let me know what you think! There's quite an active LJ community there too ;).