Non-sci-fi books I like

Blog Post Number 30 Written:06-21-2021 Uploaded 08-19-2022

I talk a lot about science fiction, and how it is my favorite genre, because it is, but I don’t want anyone to think that I am some sort of elitist or something. I realise that there are other genres, and people like them, and I like them too. I read other things besides just sci-fi. Let me make some suggestions and ramble a little about it.

So yes, I like sci-fi, I write sci-fi it is my favorite genre personally, but It’s just one of many and all books are good. I read a lot of historical and scientific stuff too, but I know that’s not the same thing. No one wants to discuss Non-fiction in the same way we are here to talk about sci-fi.

I started reading fantasy, before I found sci-fi, I read fantasy and only fantasy. Lord of the rings was my jam as a kid. So, I’m going to call it ‘action’ stuff like Tom Clancy, I know a lot of people would try and file stuff like Tom Clancy or Jonathan Mayberry under science fiction, and arguably maybe the Joe Ledger series is, that’s a bad example, but at least in my head that’s not sci-fi. Sci-fi has aliens and lasers and space ships and other planets and stuff. Whereas Tom Clancy stuff, those kinds of action thrillers with contemporary technologies, countries, political factions, and so on. But I am supposed to be talking about fantasy here. I’ve got quite a few fantasy books on my shelf. The Dragon Rider, and the Eragon series by Christopher Paolini (No those aren’t the same books Dragon Rider was by Funke, same as Ink Heart and the Thief Lord.)  Those are some examples, One of my favorites, the reason I am writing this little rant in the first place, Is the Cry of the Icemark. One of my favorites fantasy books and series of all time. I won’t go into details about it, no spoilers or anything like that. I employ you, got get those books, read them yourself. Plug for that author, because I feel those books get way less appreciation than they deserve. Author’s name is Stuart Hill if you want to look them up. I implore you to look them up. I don’t know anything about the reception of the book, or the reputation of the author, or anything like that so I don’t know if there is something that went down that made these books not be huge. And arguably I haven’t read them since I was in like 8^th grade or something, but I loved them then and they are right up there with some of my all-time favorite sci-fi books. I have considered re-reading them, but now that I am an adult and a published author myself, I don’t think I will. I’d hate to ruin some good childhood memories, like when you accidentally rewatch some of your favorite childhood cartoons and they’re awful and now all those memories are ruined. So I don’t even know if they are contemporarily good, But I remember them being good, and I liked them well enough that I recommend them just as highly as Heinline or Tolkien.

Disclaimer though because I am suddenly suspicious, I never thought of it before, but for how much I love these books and how great I think they should have been treated, they’ve not done as great as my memory tells me they should have been, so maybe there’s something going on and Stuart Hill got himself canceled? Idk, I don’t want to catch flack for a bad recommendation of something, I read the books when I was younger, and I know nothing more about it than what is between the covers of the book, but as an objective review, I love it and highly recommend it and it’s not even science fiction. I have been making an effort to read things outside of my favorite genre now that I have been published. I read my first romance, and my mother-in-law loved the book so much, not only did she run off with my book, she bought the other two books that go with it. Anyway, there are lots of good books, and while some of them, not all of them are science fiction and don’t let my predisposition color your reading selection. Because all books are good.

P.S. I have picked up a used copy of the third book in the Cry of the Icemark series. I haven’t read it yet, but I will reread the series, at the risk of hating one of my childhood treasures.