I don't think we've had one of these for a long time, and with the vast number of new authors or authors which have only recently really come into popularity we're terribly overdue for a new one.

I made a similar thread not long after I joined (I've just realised that on Saturday I became one of those old, four year vet persons ), and the premise of this one is the same - suggest books for others. I know there are a lot of readers on the forums, so we should have no shortage of suggestions, whether they be the Forgotten Realms series, Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game, or even G.R.R.M's A Sword of Ice and Fire.

Oh, and no spam or mindless shite, please - I won't bother splitting it, I'll just trash it.

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Frank Herbert - The Great Dune Trilogy

I want to begin with a Science Fiction trilogy which I've recently been reading - Frank Herbert's Dune trilogy: Dune, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune. He wrote a second trilogy, the first book of which carries on directly from CoD, but I've not got that far yet.

The Dune trilogy starts by following Paul Atreides, the son of a Duke of one of the Major Houses in the Universe, as he and his family move to the planet Dune, also known as Arrakis. Political intrigue is in play, however, and they soon find themselves on the run. Dune Messiah stays with Paul and new political intrique (I don't want to give too much away here), whilst Children of Dune very much deals with Paul's shadow.

The trilogy (and second trilogy) itself is extremely well written and, in my opinion, is one of the best examples of political sci-fi that you'll ever find. Well worth the read, and even though the first book was published in the mid-60s, many of the ideas in it are in no way outdated.

His son, Brian Herbert, has written a further two trilogies with a Star Wars fan-fic writer Kevin J. Anderson based on notes left by Frank Herbert... but these should be avoided at all costs.

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Steven Erikson - Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen
Ian C. Esslemont - Tales of Malazan

The second series I want to suggest is still being written, but should see completion within the next two years - Tales of the Malazan Book of the Fallen by Canadian author Steven Erikson. There is also a sister series by Ian C. Esslemont (with whom Erikson built the Universe of Malaz) which is onto its second book.

The TotMBotF series is an exercise in epic fantasy, and a truly enormous one at that. I've never before come across a more immersive series. The eighth book, Toll the Hounds, was recently published, and continues to follow the people of the Malazan Empire under the rule of Empress Lasseen. Each book is around 1000 pages in length, contains over a hundred characters and combines three or four story arcs which usually meet at the end. The series itself also combines a number of story arcs, the first of which you don't notice until you're onto the fourth book, by which time another half dozen have been woven into the magnificent tapestry of Erikson's stories.

It starts with Gardens of the Moon, and then moves on to Deadhouse Gates. If you can make it through those two, then the rest of the series comes naturally - I warn you now though, that a lot of people can find it very hard to get into GotM.

Erikson has been compared to G.R.R.M in the past but, unlike Martin, Erikson produces a book a year and doesn't kill off every 'good' character for giggles.

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I'll add more at a later date, and until then it's over to you lot. Suggest whatever you want - it doesn't have to be fantasy or Sci-Fi, but I reckon that's what the majority of you read.