Not just war books too, some of his stuff like 'Between the Rivers' was absolutely amazing. I love his work though, I have the latest in 'American Empire' sitting in front of me.

Other books...I've always been a science fiction person. I love the work of both Heinlein and Asimov. If I had to pick a couple books...

Heinlein:
Time Enough for Love
Starship Troopers

No, the movie was -not- like the book.

Asimov:
The Caves of Steel
Foundation's Edge

Turtledove:
The Guns of the South

The Myst books (based off the video game) were actually a buck to the trend of poor movies/books from games. They were very well written, with interesting stories.

I read a lot, but those are books that really stick out in my mind.

Felemar: Yes, Pawn of Prophecy.

Pawn of Prophecy. That sounds familiar, is that part of the Belgariod?

I read a few books by a guy I'd never heard of, Charles de Lint...

BY GODS THEY WERE GOOD

I dunno if anyones said him yet, though I know a lot of my favourite authors have been said, I suggest them. Very nice blend of fantasy and modern day.

I remember those Dragonlance books vaguely, but I read two books from that setting, Kaz the Minotaur and The Doom Brigade, which I thought were excellent simply because the characters were so different from the norm.

Since I love the American Empire series, did you also read Great War Series or Settling Accounts or How Few Remain? Those are great books also, they are absolutely amazing. I also read his fantasy World War 2 theme, that was good. Plus Ruled Brittania, which was long.

First book of the Belgariad, yes. It was a good series...until he wrote himself into almost the exact same thing with the Mallorean and tried to use a philosophical story reason to explain it. It just seems like he was being lazy to me

Spot on. Read the Riven Codex for the formula outlaid. Also, read the Elenium, Tamuli, Redemption of Athalus and (to a lesser extent admittedly, but also a worse book) the Elder Gods. Read the Elenium and Belgariad and stop there, unless you like deja vu.

Ooooh. Books. A few of my very favourite authors/books:

Jacqueline Carey's "Kushiel's Legacy" trilogy. Currently my very favourites.

Raymond E. Feist's "Magician" - I love Magician, but found the rest of the Riftwar saga rather disappointing in comparison.

Just about anything by Katharine Kerr. Loved everything I've read by her.

Terry Pratchett, of course.

And some I liked or found interesting:

"Monument" by Ian Graham. Rather interesting book ... The main character is rather different than the normal heroes.

Sara Douglass - Most of what I've read I quite liked.

There's probably quite a few books I'm forgetting, but that's all I can think of at the moment.

Letsee, A. A. Attanasio's series based on the Arthurian legends, starting with the Dragon and the Unicorn are all excellent. It starts with a lot of verbose and complex stuff, but the later books simplify down a touch. Excellent, excellent imagery and scene-setting. (Though it also has quite a bit of religious and pseudo-metaphysics stuff in it.)

Robert T. Bakker's Raptor Red, and Meg, are both historical fiction that give life and character to some ancient critters. They're pretty fun reads.

Mercedes Lackey's Mage Wars Trilogy (ie, the one about the gryphons) I rather enjoyed, though some people have voiced annoyance that it focuses more on character interaction than the war(s) they're surrounded by.

Matthew Stover's Heroes Die is a gritty character and plot driven story that I've been sitting and trying to think of a decent, short description for and can't quite come up with anything that fits. He's an excellent writer all around, and his books done for StarwarsEU(I've only read one-and-a-half by request of signifigant other, I'm not all that much of a Starwars fan) are much more tame and relaxed reads if you'd rather avoid stories of everyone betraying everyone else and scenes of blood, gore, and various other sick stuff in terrible amounts of detail.

I was also a pretty decent fan of Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern a while back, her handle on overall plots and world setting is admirable. I haven't kept up with it in quite a few years, though.

There are buckets more I could go on about, but that's enough for now.

I'm going to second the recommendation of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones. But it was only the first book in the series, and each book has been great. It basically ruined me since nothing else I have read compares. Just wish he would hurry up and finish Feast for Crows.

Well, I read the first book of the Elder Gods (picked it up on a whim). There was a nice concept going with the focus on the interaction of the gods and the cycles and things, but the story foreshadowed itself to be incredibly repetitive. And at the end, it's filled with island native borderline homosexuality that comes out of nowhere. One minute there's a big battle going on, then the two natives start hitting on each other in the canoe. If it was actually in context it wouldn't seem nearly as odd (yes, trying to cover all the bases for the types of people who jump on such remarks about homosexuality).

Heed my call and read Steven Erikson's Malazan series. Awesome. First book throws you into it pretty much head-on, so it might be a bit confusing, but it just keeps getting better! Can't recall name of first book...second is called Chain of Dogs, third Memories of Ice, fourth...something...gah. Great, GREAT series.

Grew up on DragonLance and Forgotten Realms.

Death Gate Cycle.
Dragons of Pern Novels.
Hogsfather
Small Gods.
Good Omens.
Wicked: Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Spider Robinson got one mention so far, but I'd like to add that he's easily one of my favorite Sci-Fi writers, I have read almost everything he has written, and it has all been very much worth the time. He ranks up beside Asimov and Heinlein, and that is saying a lot. Doug Adams is also one of my favorites, they I don't generally group him with the other Sci-Fi authors.

I recently read Martin's books just as many of the rest of you are saying. He is a good writer, not the best I've ever read, but very solid and I'm definitely looking forward to Feast For Crows.

Terry Goodkind's early books are very good, but he's been getting a little too preachy and long-winded for my tastes recently.

The first five books of Joel Rosenberg's Guardians of the Flame series aren't the greatest books on the planet but are interesting mush if you're looking for something new.

Robert Jordan is ridiculously long-winded.

Dragonlance books seem to generally suck as a rule, though I've only read two or three of them and can't place the names on even those, they just seemed way too generic and boring to me.

Firstly, some sci-fi - Alastair Reynolds, did a series of 5 books (I think) set in deep space in the distant future, very gripping read, I found.

Second, Terry Pratchett, just 'cos

Thirdly, Iain M Banks, because he's brilliant at science fiction and just plain, but slightly surreal novels. (from the former, I'd recommend Feersum Endjinn, and the latter, Complicity, although I've read nowhere near all his work)

although my likes also include Katherine Kerr, Ann Mcaffrey, Douglas Adams, Elizabeth Moon, i'm too tired to go into more depth right now.

Pratchett, naturally, but more the earlier books when the jokes were new, and the footnotes took up half the books

I'll admit to a guilty Harry Potter habit *shifty eyes*

sci-fi: The Robot Trilogy and I, Robot by Asimov (book is way better than that goofy movie), Douglas Adams' Hitchiker's stuff, Childhood's End by Arthur C Clarke (best sci-fi I've ever read)

Fantasy: Tolkien (dur), some Mercedes Lackey, The Riftwar Saga (the original 4 books) by Raymond E Feist, read about half of the Wheel of Time stuff before it started getting repetitive and I lost interest.

EDIT: gah, how could I forget. Pale Blue Dot and Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan. True men of science like him are far too rare. We lost him far too soon.

I've read just about every sci-fi or alternate history book he wrote, and some of the fantasy too.

Someone mentioned Alastair Reynolds...I took a copy of his first book with me when I went on vacation to Winnipeg, and just couldn't get into it. I might try again.

Other authors I do like include Spyder Robinson, David Brin, um...I know the author, and can't remember his name, or the name of his books... Ah, Robert Asprin. Gotta love the first few books in the 'Myth' series.

Yeah, takes a bit of getting into. I didn't really understand the book until I read the others. The second in the series - Chasm City, is better by far, I thought.

I don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but

Read Stephen King's The Dark Tower series! It is fan-****ing-tastic!

Seriously; i've read a ton of books, it's practically a hobby, and it is by far the best I have encountered. Hurry up and read all 7 books (Over 3000 pages... yum!) so we can have pointless yet heated debates about it!

Just like on the Serenwilde city chat!

(Just kidding)

*Runs away*

Katherine Kerr, all of her stuff, but especially all the parts of the Deverry Saga *eyes Nevyn*

William Gibson, what can I say I am a cyberpunk fanatic and the man is my god, if you have never read any of his stuff and like Cyberpunk, then do so. But a warning stick to it and try to make yourself finish the book they do eventually make sense I swear, he just gets a little distracted on the way sometimes.

Clive Barker is IMHO the greatest psychological horror writer to have graced this earth. Imajica, both the Books of Art (The Great and Secret Show, and Everville), Weaveworld. All fantastic.

Neil Gaiman if you have never read Neverwhere, read it. Dont care who you are, what you like, just read it even if you hate the book, it will teach you a lot about the world.