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Recommendation RequestTrying to expand beyond non-fiction and science fiction?
I’ve spent most of my life reading and nonfiction and science fiction, and they’ve always been my go-to genres. But as I’ve gotten older and busier, I’ve put fiction in general on the back burner and realize I want to branch out a bit more. I am looking to explore other fictional genres, maybe mystery, maybe fantasy, mostly just underrated or hidden classics that you would recommend. I’m open to anything of any genre. This is long as you think it needs more attention and discussion. I’d love to hear your recommendations! Thanks!
Hard to narrow down, but seeing you request fiction/mystery made me immediately think of Tana French, who writes incredible mysteries (I see I'm not the first commenter to make this suggestion!). Her prose, storytelling skills, and characters are incredible. My favorite is The Likeness (part of the Dublin Murder Squad series), but she also has a one-off, The Witch Elm, or The Searcher series (two novels so far, not sure if she's planning more) if you don't want to immediately commit to a six-novel series.
There are some scifi writers that do some pretty good fantasy. Martha Wells (Murderbot) has done some decent fantasy such as The Witch King and the Raksura novels. Sheri Tepper blended fantasy and scifi. I don't usually read male writers, but Tad Williams wrote the scifi Otherland series and the fantasy Dragonbone Chair trilogy...
If you want to try mystery novels, Tana French is a fabulous writer, but her stories are pretty dark. Elizabeth George's novels are generally a good read. And our patron saint writes some good mysteries as Robert Galbraith.
What do you enjoy about science fiction? If the world-building and sense of other ways to live, then good historical fiction (i.e., that doesn't transplant modern attitudes into historical settings). Historical mystery for world-building plus genre plotty goodness.
A fair amount of mainstream literature has been written about science and scientists, including an increasing body of work about women scientists. There's the Lablit list, as a start https://lablit.com
I particularly enjoy women's writing from two periods--the early twentieth century, when so many ideas were boiling up and so many innovations being made in thought and literary form. Virago is a good source, and as time goes on, project Gutenberg and the Faded Page https://www.fadedpage.com. And the late seventies to nineties, the peak of second wave feminism, when women were claiming their own voices, despite backlash and BG (Before Gender).
I enjoy the weird settings, I feel like it’s easier to imagine a different environment and the implications of new technologies. I love the themes of creating a better future, of imaging something bigger than ourselves.
I'm going to recommend the classics of the 1800s and earlier to you. Jane Austen, George Eliot, the Brontë sisters, Mary Shelley, that vein of books. Dickens is fun as well. The Count of Monte Cristo is great, a genuine adventure. I love sci fi and fantasy as well, but when I started reading these classics I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I liked them.
A classic I think everyone should read is "Kristin Lavransdatter" by Sigrid Undset - but it's a massive novel and quite a time commitment.
Another great historical novel that I adored is The World is Not Enough by Zoe Oldenbourg.
Currently reading Kristin Lavransdatter on an earlier recommendation of yours. Thanks!
Have you read Nicola Griffith's novels about Hilda of Whitby in the fifth century, Hild and its recent sequel Menewood. Gloriously big and chewy and richly envisioned.
Menewood is in my TBR pile. I loved Hild. OP- I know you said branching out but Griffith wrote a classic of sci fi called Ammonite you might want to check out both.
I’m also recommending the historical and science fiction of Mary Doria Russell. In historical fiction, A Thread of Grace is an amazingly well researched book about Italians hiding Jewish people as Italy fell during the Second World War. The Sparrow and Children of God are a first contact incensepunk sci fi that reads very well even if you don’t agree with her apologetics.
For great mysteries, I really like Ruth Rendell writing as Barbara Vine. A Dark Adapted Eye; The Brimstone Wedding; A Fatal Inversion and The Chimney Sweeper’s Boy are all stand outs of British literary mystery.
Happy reading.
I read a fair bit, and would be happy to recommend some mystery or fantasy but it would help me suggest books if you could tell me some favourite science fiction novels.
If you like immersive character-driven adventure books I’ll recommend different mysteries to you than if you like time travel and intrigue, or scientifically literate orbital mechanics, and so forth. I read a lot of SF too, so a few titles or authors’ names will give me a decent idea.
Ok, anything by Neil Stephenson like Snow Crash, Mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson, Spin by Robert Charles Wilson (recently finished this one!), Blindsight by Peter Watts was pretty good.
There’s so much great fiction out there, I don’t know how to narrow it down! If you like science fiction, have you read dystopian novels? 1984, brave new world, hunger games etc? ( probably my favourite genre)
What are some of your favourite nonfiction books? We might be able to give recommendations based on those.
I love JRKs mystery series, the Cormoran Strike books written under her pen name Robert Galbraith. They get better and better as the series progresses.
For fantasy, I really enjoyed the Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden (starts with the Bear and the Nightingale). Another good one is the Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. Also Susannah Clarke's Piranesi, and Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell.
For paranormal romance, you might try Nalini Singh's psy/changeling series -- interesting world building.
A provocative mysteryish novel is Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Polish Nobel prize winner Olga Tokarczuk. I've also enjoyed the WWII historicals by Kate Quinn such as the Hunter and the Diamond Eye.
An underrated classic is Ceremoy by Leslie Marmon Silko.
As you can see, I prefer my fiction written by women! Have fun branching out!!