Recommendations #
Books/series/writings that I think are worth your time, in no particular order. Obviously opinions are my own.
A ten book epic fantasy series. It’s the best one out there, if you have the time and energy to commit. The first book is the worst (and it’s still good, especially when you compare it to the debut novel of something like Wheel of Time). Every other book varies between very good and incredible.
Malazan demands a lot from you. It throws you into an entirely new world without any fanfare, leaving you to piece together what’s going on. There’s probably more characters introduced (and killed) than any other book series I’ve read. Each book is hundreds to thousands of pages. In return, it treats the reader with intense respect. There are no easy wins or unearned emotional payoffs. There is so much anguish, humor, life, death, humanity poured into these novels. It is simultaneously the most engrossing and least escapist fantasy series I can imagine. Please go read it.
A 16 book epic fantasy series, told in discrete chunks separated by long stretches of time. I think you really do need to read them all to get the full emotional payoff, and that’s a somewhat hard ask. I would say the best sub-series are (in this order):
- Tawny Man trilogy
- Liveship Traders
- Fitz and the Fool
It’s been said before; Fitz is one of the best developed protagonists in fantasy. You experience so many parts of his life through these novels. Fitz is also a very traumatized person in a world without therapy; being in his head for long stretches of time can honestly be difficult, and there are moments where I simply had to put the book down. It is Fitz’s intense bonds with other characters (specifically the Fool) that make the novels so unique, and worth reading. Because of how well developed Fitz is, the highs and lows of these relationships feel very consequential, and quite realistic. I found it absurdly engaging, and felt book withdrawal for nearly a week after finishing it. The first trilogy is probably required reading for everything else to make sense. The Rain Wilds are… not my favorite, unfortunately.
It’s intimidatingly long, but if you read it, it goes quick.
One Piece is so weird. A manga about pirates, where nobody ever does any pirating once. It goes off the rails instantly from its intended plot and then expands out in every possible direction. At one moment, it’s goofy, and two minutes later you’re in a flashback where the main villain’s parents die tragically. This duality is suffused through every aspect of One Piece, and honestly it might offend the sensibilities of some readers. Women are drawn with absurd unrealistic body proportions, and yet their actual stories are filled with nuance. Trans characters are portrayed in extreme charicature, and yet there is an unspoken dignity to the way the series treats them emotionally. The scope is ever expanding, and yet the world feels so connected. I hesitate to tell you too much in advance, but One Piece, again and again, delivers on its ambition. It looks like it will stick the landing. Go catch up before it ends.