So basically I was unschooled, and the amount of books I’ve read in my life is embarrassingly low. It was never emforced like in a school, and with my family’s religious hangups, I never tried getting into new things because I never knew what would be deemed “offensive”.

But I’m always interested when I hear people talk about both storycraft and also literary criticism, so I want to take an earnest stab at getting into books.

No real criteria, I don’t know what I like so I can’t tell you what I’m looking for, other than it needs to be in English or have an English translation. Just wanna know what y’all think would make good or important reading.

ETA holy shit thanks for all the suggestions! Definitely gonna make a list

ETA if I reply extremely late it’s because it took me this long to get a library card in my new locale.

  • NaevaTheRat [she/her]English
    9•4 months ago

    Ursula Le Guin’s the dispossessed is pretty impactfull. Very confronting anarchist utopia that is not a Paradise.

    The lions of al rassan by guy gavriel Kay (worked on the silmarillion). A deeply melencholic fictional reflection on the reconquista of the Iberian peninsula.

    The liveship traders by Robin Hobb has the best realised characters in fiction I’ve ever seen. Jaw dropping craft.

    And finally, an entire shelf of book: The malazan book of the fallen. you will laugh, you will cry, and in the end you will love compassion.

    • Random DentEnglish
      6•4 months ago

      Yeah you can’t go wrong with Ursula Le Guin IMO. I loved The Left Hand of Darkness too.

      Also 'cause I love sharing it, her 2014 book award speech is worth a read as well:

      We live in capitalism, its power seems inescapable — but then, so did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art. Very often in our art, the art of words.

    • Drusas
      2•4 months ago

      I’ve heard that about The Dispossessed. I tried to listen to it on audiobook and the narration was terrible, so I just couldn’t get far into it. I need to pick up a physical or digital copy.

      Oh, and Malazan is great. That one took me two tries to really get into as well, mostly because I initially had trouble keeping track of so many characters.

      • NaevaTheRat [she/her]English
        1•4 months ago

        100% read it. I think most things aren’t “must reads” even my favourite stories, but some have such unique ideas or skillful execution that if you enjoy literature you owe it to yourself to read them.

        There’s obviously a very large list, I suggested some I didn’t think would be represented here. The dispossessed is a short read and uncomplex in its construction and pros so it’s easy to squeeze in a chapter here and there or before bed.

        Idk if you will agree it’s a must read, that’s obviously quite subjective, but I highly doubt you’ll find the time you spent with it unsatisfying.