[Shade]

I'm running out of books to read, so it's almost time for my annual amazon shopping spree. But I've pretty much exhausted all the sci-fi classics by now (basically, if it's Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein, Gibson, Orwell or Card, and worth a damn, I've read it, as well as several major classics by other authors), so I need some suggestions. Here are some current ideas I'm thinking about, but any suggestions are welcome:

I'm sorta feeling in a Mech kind of mood, so I'm thinking about looking into some Battletech novels. I know the universe and like both it and mechs in general, so it has some serious appeal. But I've got no idea which of the books are best, nor where to start, so if anyone here reads those, I'd like some input. As for timeline, I'm definitely looking for stories that take place pre-and-during the clan invasion, as that's by far my preferred period. One absolute requirement is that any books absolutely, positively, must feature some kick ass Mech battles Trilogies and the like are fine, I like long story arcs.

I've also been thinking about the Uplift series by David Brin, as the premise looks very interesting, but since it seems kind of atypical I'd also like to hear from anyone who has read those first.

Finally, and in the fantasy realm, I'm feeling rather tempted by the Books of the Swords by Fred Saberhagen, but I'm having a ***** of a time finding anything that amounts to a decent review of them. The premise looks awesome though, but I don't know his work at all and bad writing can kill even a killer premise.

Soo... if you're a Sci-Fi/Fantasy lover like me and have read any of these, please help me

[Dark Hunter]

Well... if you've never read a book by Charles Sheffield I'd look into those. Some of his better ones are Between the Strokes of Night and The Mind Pool. Godspeed isn't half-bad either.

As for Battletech books, I must admit I haven't read many, but I do have duology concerning Jeremiah Rose and his Black Thorns mercenary unit, during a several year halt of the Clan invasion. Despite it being sort of a cease-fire, they still have border conflicts galore against the Clans, and the Black Thorns get thrown into some pretty hot situations. The books are: Main Event and D.R.T.. And yes, plenty of kick-ass Mech battles. 

[Mr. Vega]

Have you read any of the culture novels?

[Shade]

Nope, had never heard of them actually. But having looked them up now that you mentioned them, those look very interesting indeed.

[BloodEagle]

For fantasy... The Name of the Wind. That one book puts everything else I've ever read to shame. 

For sci-fi... you could always go through the Star Wars books that were made pre-ep. one.
If you go this route, try the X-wing series.

[IPAndrews]

Farenheit 451 is fairly engrossing.

[Shade]

It is. But I've read it, and I've got too good a memory of it to reread it again. That's the big problem for me actually, I can remember the books I read with considerable detail even years later (I'd be great in a world where books were burned, like in F451 ), so I have to buy new ones all the time. It'll be much cheaper for me once I get old and senile, then I can just reread then same 2-3 books all the time and go 'ooh' and 'aah' each time

[thegreenmonk]

Try books by John Ringo (Council wars series or the Posleen series)
or Frank Herbert (Dune).  another good author is David Weber (In fury born is an amazing book)

Try the Baen Free Libary online, they have stacks of good sci-fi authors on there. 

Hope this helps

[NGTM-1R]

I'm running out of books to read, so it's almost time for my annual amazon shopping spree. But I've pretty much exhausted all the sci-fi classics by now (basically, if it's Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein, Gibson, Orwell or Card, and worth a damn, I've read it, as well as several major classics by other authors), so I need some suggestions.

Contemporaries of those folks and worthwhile; Fred Saberhagen's Berserker series, which should also be mandatory for anyone who writes a killer robot. Larry Niven. Jerry Pournelle's CoDominium future history books; I particularly like West of Honor, but it's not all that sci-fi.

I'm sorta feeling in a Mech kind of mood, so I'm thinking about looking into some Battletech novels. I know the universe and like both it and mechs in general, so it has some serious appeal. But I've got no idea which of the books are best, nor where to start, so if anyone here reads those, I'd like some input. As for timeline, I'm definitely looking for stories that take place pre-and-during the clan invasion, as that's by far my preferred period. One absolute requirement is that any books absolutely, positively, must feature some kick ass Mech battles Trilogies and the like are fine, I like long story arcs.

Warrior Trilogy: En Guarde, Riposte, Coupe. Blood of Kerensky trilogy: Lethal Heritage, Blood Legacy, Lost Destiny. That's the basics. Extended basics (): Twilight of the Clans series, particularly Grave Covenant, the Operation Serpent ones (The Hunters, Sword and Fire, and Shadows of War), and Prince of Havoc. Just for fun or flavor; Day of Honor and Operation Excalibur, Double-Blind, Binding Force. I just got my hands on the Jade Phoenix Trilogy, so I'll let you know.

[Mustang19]

(basically, if it's Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein, Gibson, Orwell or Card, and worth a damn, I've read it, as well as several major classics by other authors),

Umm... Timothy Zahn? Thrawn trilogy? 

Orson Welles? If you really want to waste time, War of the Worlds... as in the recent movie. There you go. I bet you haven't seem that. 

But seriously, some of the older SW books are good, can't give an opinion on the newer ones although I don't like them. Truce at Bakura was interesting. Which shows you how much I know about scifi.

[Shade]

Good... good, this is exactly what I was hoping for.

Thegreenmonk: Really should've put the dune series in my "already have" list, as that's a must have and thus bound to be suggested when I didn't. Will take a look at the others and see if they look like my thing though.

Ngtm1r: Awesome! Those suggestions will make an excellent start

Mustang: Zahn, yes, can't believe I forgot about him. I Don't have the Thrawn trilogy, and if you hadn't mentioned it I bet I'd have forgotten to get it again. I keep meaning to and then forgetting, it's like a damn curse or something Not WotW though, know the story too well from other sources, but still not a bad suggestion.

[redsniper]

* redsniper cannot recommend the X-Wing books enough.

[Desert Tyrant]

*Desert Tyrant cannot sing the prases of The Thrawn Triolgy enough.

Really, the Thrawn Triolgy and the X-Wing books are as good as the Expanded universe ever really got.

[Mustang19]

Is it just me, or did every SW book after 1995 start to get crappy?

[redsniper]

I'm liking this new-fangled Legacy of the Force thing, though.

[Desert Tyrant]

Is it just me, or did every SW book after 1995 start to get crappy?

Largely enough, yes.  Hey, i'll admit I liked The New Jedi Order.  Plus you have no idea how much I hated the New Republic.  I outright cheered when thise imcompetant, worthless retards got reorganized into the now much more competant Galactic Federation of Free Alliances(Or GFFA.)

Really, though, the EU has always paled in comparison with the movies in scope and quality(lolz 8 klick Executor lolz, despite the fact that anybody with a pair of ****ing eyes can see that the Executor is much larger.

[NGTM-1R]

Really, though, the EU has always paled in comparison with the movies in scope and quality(lolz 8 klick Executor lolz, despite the fact that anybody with a pair of ****ing eyes can see that the Executor is much larger.

Take that, reverse it.

[Desert Tyrant]

Really, though, the EU has always paled in comparison with the movies in scope and quality(lolz 8 klick Executor lolz, despite the fact that anybody with a pair of ****ing eyes can see that the Executor is much larger.

Take that, reverse it.

...what?

In TESB, we see an Imperator next to the Executor as DEATH squadran emerges from hyperspace, and said Imperator is not much longer than one of the mighty Star Dreadnought's engine groups.



...**** it, here's what Curtis Saxton has to say about it:http://www.theforce.net/swtc/ssd.html

[BloodEagle]

I smell a thread-jack.

[NGTM-1R]

...what?

You speak nonsense. Come back when you know the EU better; mainly the books.