The best books nobody knows about.

[RelexCryo]

To start off, I'm just about to finish Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, and I have to say it's in my top 5 favorite books. It presented a very new view on consciousness & language that really got me thinking. Since this is the Escapist, I bet a few of you have read it before, but other than my SUPA English teacher, nobody else I've talked to has even heard of the author, let alone this particular book.

So, Escapists, what great books have you read that nobody else has?

Edit: Thought of some more.

Ray Bradbury's and Richard Matheson's short stories. Yes, you've probably read A Sound of Thunder, or I Am Legend, but I doubt many people are familiar with The Fog Horn or Witch War. If you are, all the better.

Armour, by John Steakley. It is good.

 

[Gitsnik]

(Also, have you read The Historian? What did you think?)

The Kostova book? It's on my to-read list. I skimmed the first few chapters and it seems like it will be a great one to get through, it's just not on my high priority list.

I'll be interested to see where she goes with it.

What about The Vampyre. It's short and a bit soft, but it's probably one of the top 5 influential vampiric books

 

[MrRags]

i really liked "doctor Franklin's island" i have read it like 3 times
but i also really liked the rest of the "ender's game" series
even i dont remember those titles and i read them all....

 

[Lusulpher]

Ran into The Serpent's Coil(magical/fantasy/drama novel) and The Singer of All Songs(magical/fantasy/adventure series), when I was in the Young Adult section of a rural public library looking for manga(it's free at libraries, and uncensored).

They are both by the same author and I'm definitely a Sci-Fi guy(Ender's Game series WOOOTT!!!), but those really took me to some unique worlds.(also a Redwall fan, Eulalia!)

Highly recommended.

 

[The Madman]

Every 'serious' fantasy fan and their mother seems to be gushing praises towards G.R.R Martin and the late Robert Jordan for respectively A Song of Ice and Fire and the Wheel of Time series. And both are deserving of praise, I own and have enjoyed both series so far.

But you know what I found better? The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. It's mature without being downright sadistic like the Song of Ice and Fire series and while detailed in it's creation of a new fantasy setting doesn't dissolve into boring politics and subplot no one cares about like Wheel of Time did on occasion.

And yet no one seems to have heard of the author, nevermind his two published books (The one mentioned above and its sequel!). It's a crime! If you like fantasy, look em up NOW! Go on, do it, I'll wait.

 

[Guestowel]

SFW by Andrew Wellman

 

[Tharwen]

Oh and most of my friends have never heard of the Discworld series, which is equivalent to high treason in my opinion.........

What........?

*Lets jaw fall in astonishment for dramatic effect*

 

[WhiteRat07]

The Heart is Decietful Among All Things Very good and kinda creepy book never known anyone who read it.

 

[Demon Messiah]

Anything by Glen Cook is gold. Someone already mentioned the Black Company series but my personal favorites are his Garret P.I. series. It's a set of private detective stories set in a fantasy universe. Cook does a lot of cross-genre stories. The Black Company is War/fantasy cross, the Garret series is a 40's film noir/fantasy cross. He also has a series that's more of a sci-fi/fantasy cross but i can't recall the name off the top of my head.

 

[Jonabob87]

Turbulent Priests by Colin Bateman!

 

[TeacakeWeasel]

I thoroughly recommend a book titled "incompetence" by Rob Grant.

set in a version of earth that's a little too close to reality; where nobody can can be denied a job by any reason of age, race, creed or incompetence.
You can't be fired for being bad at your job.
this rule is a severe handicap for a detective with a severe disability (he's actually good at his job) who has to chase down a psychopath who is using the inept system to his advantage, leaving a trail of bodies across Europe.

The best part of the book is chapter 14 when the detective is reading the accounts of a mass food poisoning, Soooo much vomit.

 

[Doitpow]

Have enough people heard of the The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix for it to belong elsewhere?

I've heard of it, but only because I just got back from working at a bookstore.

In that case, I'll take this opportunity to highly recommend them.

Second,
also add the keys to the kingdom series

Mortal Engines. 'Nuff said.

also second,
The prose is a bit lax, but the story and set pieces are mazing

Here are my recomendadtions
A boy and his dog
The sirens of titan by Kurt Vonnegut
Use of Weapons by Ian M. Banks

 

[Sir Prize]

Green Angel by Alice Hoffmen, it's very emotional and odd.

 

[Prometherion]

This may be the most sophisticated thread posted on Escapist. So civilised.

My suggestions are:

The confederate states of America - Roger Ransom
or
We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families - Philip Gourevitch

 

[SnipErlite]

I don't know anyone that's heard of Dark Lord of Derkholm.

I adore Diana Wynne Jones and this was one of my favourite books as a kid.

I remember reading it when I was about 11. I completely forgot about it until one day when I was 17 I saw it in the library. Oh, happy times.

Oh and most of my friends have never heard of the Discworld series, which is equivalent to high treason in my opinion.........

What........?

*Lets jaw fall in astonishment for dramatic effect*

'Tis sad, isn't it. Although some have heard of or maybe read one or two, they still haven't explored the series. Sad times.

 

[Tharwen]

Oh and most of my friends have never heard of the Discworld series, which is equivalent to high treason in my opinion.........

What........?

*Lets jaw fall in astonishment for dramatic effect*

'Tis sad, isn't it. Although some have heard of or maybe read one or two, they still haven't explored the series. Sad times.

*Glances over at the 4-foot-long Terry Pratchett shelf*

Yeah...

 

[SnipErlite]

Oh and most of my friends have never heard of the Discworld series, which is equivalent to high treason in my opinion.........

What........?

*Lets jaw fall in astonishment for dramatic effect*

'Tis sad, isn't it. Although some have heard of or maybe read one or two, they still haven't explored the series. Sad times.

*Glances over at the 4-foot-long Terry Pratchett shelf*

Yeah...

*Glances through the ceiling into the 4-foot long Terry Pratchett shelf in my room*
Yeah-huh, that's one hell of a lot of bookgasm they're missing out on.....

 

[rt052192]

my friends don't read so for me it's considered unknown

The Wheel of Time Series by the late Robert Jordan RIP

 

[dirt_empire]

Nueromancer by William Gibson, the start of cyberpunk published in 1984

Thank you!
ThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYou!

I used to have the entire trilogy back when I was a kid, but sadly I've lost it and have been unable to re-purchase it due to a slight brain-fart (I thought it was called 'Technomancer'). And every freaking time I ask about it in one of those big-ass book stores (Borders), and say things like: "Think it was something like Technomancer... Cyberpunk. Came out in mid 80s. Sort of a big-deal book among computer crowd. About a hacker." All I get out of the employees is this:

O.O?

"We haz sci-fi section..... Try looking thar."

You, my kind sir, are a life-saver.

ThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYouThankYou!

No problem. I hope you enjoy the series again. Also, Barnes and Noble nerds are better. We're like a hive-mind, we know all...