Fantasy/Sci-Fi Novel Recommendations for MEN?

[Wick]

Hey fellas, I'm a big reader, I especially like some good Fantasy/Sci-fi.

Problem is sometimes it's hard to find a book made for a MAN.

Anyone got recommendations, please leave 'em here. And don't hesitate to put some outside the genre if you think they're good enough.

I'll leave my own:

DUNE by Frank Herbert:

Aged really well. If you read a lot of Fantasy/Sci-fi you'll see the influence it's had on the genre. (Ex. Desert planet - Star Wars)


Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny

Badass character who's capable and powerful. Unique magic stuff going on.


The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I like characters that get shit done. The main character is driven and capable. It's well written. Be warned, the author has been very slow on finishing the 3rd book (it's been 11 years I think).

 

[Lucky]

Maybe cross check a few of these books in regards to masculinity but these are books I enjoyed.

The First Law Series
Has many interesting characters in a fantasy world similar to our own although it is a grimdark series so it perspective is a very gritty and matter of fact series, characters are complex and drive the narrative it's standout point being the dialogue between characters over world building or magic systems.
Has lots of Byronic type characters which stand out to me and interesting themes throughout the story, I would say that Trilogy 1 is more so standard fantasy, standalones go from Tarantino style film, war story to western while the second trilogy is industrial revolution.


The Lies of Locke Lamora

Honestly I think i might have got this recommendation from somewhere on GC but it follows a con man and his crew in the renaissance type period, has lots of witty dialogue and strong character work, main character from what i remember is very much a get shit done type of guy, has very high ambitions.
*There is more to this series but I only ever read the first.



Just books I enjoyed in general? (Not necessarily fitting criteria)

Mistborn Series- Extensive magic system and cool characters, has a very interesting setting. (Guy has a connected book series universe known as the cosmere and is worth looking into if you enjoy this series)


Books that aren't fantasy or sci-fi

Casanova's Memoir- The original famed seducer among many other things, admittedly I never did finish the book, but their is a reason why his name is still remembered.
A crazy life lived in being the the sole person to escape the Leeds prison along with his other roguish adventures make his stories a worth while read although incredibly long. I would debate that due to his adventures being akin to something in a fantasy novel it would deserve a spot on this list and if not, you can still gauge something seduction related from these pages.

 

[Will_V]

Hey fellas, I'm a big reader, I especially like some good Fantasy/Sci-fi.

Problem is sometimes it's hard to find a book made for a MAN.

Anyone got recommendations, please leave 'em here. And don't hesitate to put some outside the genre if you think they're good enough.

I'll leave my own:

DUNE by Frank Herbert:

Aged really well. If you read a lot of Fantasy/Sci-fi you'll see the influence it's had on the genre. (Ex. Desert planet - Star Wars)


Chronicles of Amber by Roger Zelazny

Badass character who's capable and powerful. Unique magic stuff going on.


The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

I like characters that get shit done. The main character is driven and capable. It's well written. Be warned, the author has been very slow on finishing the 3rd book (it's been 11 years I think).

There's a lot of decent stuff from the golden era of scifi, Gordon Dickson books (like the Dorsai series) tend to be about very masculine, dominant characters (though it's a bit overdone and cheesy). There are lots of good individial novels, Cycle of Fire by Hal Clement for example. If you're into harder core scifi Larry Niven books are pretty good.

I always liked James Blish stuff and read all of the star trek series, I really enjoyed Night Shapes as well.

If you go to an old bookstore and peruse through 60s and 70s scifi you'll find some good stuff, simply because people viewed masculinity differently back then, same as the movies.

 

[Kvothe]

Mistborn Series- Extensive magic system and cool characters, has a very interesting setting. (Guy has a connected book series universe known as the cosmere and is worth looking into if you enjoy this series)

While I love Sanderson, I would not consider him good male character role model material. Great stories, but read them for that and not for the male role models.

I like Patrick Rothfuss-try out Name of the Wind (I know Hector also likes this)

 

[Lucky]

While I love Sanderson, I would not consider him good male character role model material. Great stories, but read them for that and not for the male role models.

I like Patrick Rothfuss-try out Name of the Wind (I know Hector also likes this)

Yes I agree his male characters are not exactly role model material, his strength is more so grounded in magic systems and his stories.

*have bolded the sub heading above it.

and cheers for the recommendation, I did notice the profile name...
I've read name of the wind and the sequel am still waiting on book 3 )':

 

[Gunwitch]

Anyone ever wonder if friends and family are trolling ya when they recommend books/movies/tv?

It's like 600 pages,12 seasons 22 episodes , 3 hours, i'm in head going "I thought you liked me sheesh", why putting me through misery?

I get it, they like it and think I might, so fun fun "so glad you told me about that thanks", but more often it's "avoid talking about how boring it was and you quit watching/reading in 10 minutes" lol

I turn it around on myself I never recommend, or insist anyone has to see anything, read anything anymore these days. Everyone can do a search if bored I figure, i'm just being a hassle to insist anyone take anything in time consuming.


Gun

 

[HoofHearted]

There's a lot of decent stuff from the golden era of scifi, Gordon Dickson books (like the Dorsai series) tend to be about very masculine, dominant characters (though it's a bit overdone and cheesy). There are lots of good individial novels, Cycle of Fire by Hal Clement for example. If you're into harder core scifi Larry Niven books are pretty good.

I always liked James Blish stuff and read all of the star trek series, I really enjoyed Night Shapes as well.

If you go to an old bookstore and peruse through 60s and 70s scifi you'll find some good stuff, simply because people viewed masculinity differently back then, same as the movies.

YES

You have to understand, genre writing was born from economic neccesity and fast output.

For these genres, there's a veritable goldmine and culture in going back and looking at short fiction-- because that's how work was done!

You will find seminal work in anthologies and novellas for sci fi. Fantasy is a trickier beast, fantasy as we know it started with Tolkien and imo not a lot has been done with the genre that's too interesting that you wouldn't know about.

Ironically, the first two Witcher books are actually short fiction collections bundled together. In their combination of sword & sorcery with Polish mythology, European history and adult themes (don't worry im just being a douche they arent that complex), I would have to recommend to fantasy fans. I'm not super well read in this genre, I find a lot of it against my taste, although I have published fantasy fiction it is highly niche and focused on the elements i like which are not popular

EDIT: Oh shit, forgot the most obvious answer. Read the Conan the Barbarian collected fiction. Ypu have yo ubderstand, the term 'novel' meant something sifferent to these writers