This year due to my new commute, I've been able to listen to several audiobooks which have inspired me to read more as well. Nothing wrong with a little escapism. 😉
Cage of Souls by Adrian Tchaikovsky: This book was a blast! I stumbled on it when a subreddit recommended it for Dying Earth/WWN type stories. It's about prisoners in a prison outside the last city known to man, the former of which is set in a hellish jungle. There is so much interconnectivity between the characters, and the author's style is apparently to start slow and then slam on the gas! Highly recommend.
City of Last Chances by Adrian Tchaikovsky: Another book from the same author as before, and fits the same template: build a world, then blow everything up. Though the author is known for his sci-fi, this was the beginning of a fantasy series. It's weird, and good. Several cultures mashed into an ancient city in which an occupying force has taken hold. The setting in this book would make for an amazing game setting, especially if you can incorporate cultural differences. It also has the best representation of the difference between a Priest and a D&D Cleric. Highly recommend.
Virtual Light and Idoru by William Gibson: The first two books of the Bridge Trilogy, set in the same timeline as the Sprawl Trilogy (famously including Neuromancer). Where Sprawl was high tech, fast, and big, this series seems more grounded. Putting the Low Life in "High Tech Low Life." Both books were great, though the narrator for the latter was more difficult to listen to. Great characters, great plots, and fun antagonists. Very cyberpunk, and great to listen to if you want a more street level game.
Hyperion by Dan Simmons: Far future, time shenanigans, short stories told amongst a crew heading for near certain death. Each story tries to reconcile why the crew is on the journey together; some are better than others, but they are all worth a read. This is sci-fi, but much more gonzo. Vaults of Vaarn, I'm looking at you. Looking forward to listening to the sequel.
Bran Mak Morn and Kull the Conquerer by Robert E. Howard: Pulp, pure and simple. Aside from Conan, Howard wrote of several other characters and times. These are just as action packed, but each have their own vibes. Bran Mak Morn leads his Picts against the Romans and faces his people's inevitable doom. Kull leads his conquered kingdom against snake people and sorcerers, and faces ennui. So much fun in these pages.
The Hyperborean Cycle and The Zothique Cycle by Clark Ashton Smith: Both of these are collections of short stories set in different eras, in different lands. Smith was the lesser know part of Howard's and Lovecraft's writing friendship, and struggled with publication and popularity. What he did not struggle with was purple prose and imaginative tales. Hyperborea is set long ago, and yet long after some ancient civilizations had already vanished. Alien gods toy with mortals, and mortals act foolishly in their hubris. Zothique is set at the end of the world, and much is based on curses of the past; also, necromancers. Lots of necromancers. Both are great, though both can be slow at times or difficult to parse. In full disclosure, I have only listened to three quarters of Zothique.
The Eternal Champion, Elric of Melnibonè, Stormbringer, Hawkmoon, Von Bek, and Corum: the Prince with the Silver Hand by Michael Moorcock: Based on the number of titles here, you can probably guess how I feel about Moorcock's work. I have been loving each and every book, though I find myself drawn to the more grounded ones. Hawkmoon with its flamelances (laser guns) and domesticated giant flamingos was probably the most down the earth, while Elric tends to go on more philosophical adventures. Stormbringer was the best book I've read in some time! Absolutely amazing! I've begun reading The White Wolf, but it's too soon to count that as a book read. It's already off to a weird start. If you want battles between Order and Chaos as well as some seriously depressed protagonists, these are the books for you.
