Can anyone recommend a book on this subject to me?

[Entsuropi]

Ok, another of my archive-style threads. If you are wanting a recommendation on a specific subject - say the American revolution or whatever - ask here, and see if the combined brainpower of the board can come up with anything. If not, then Saint and EUOL should be able to combine their nerdiness and egos together.

[Entsuropi]

...Ciphers, codes and the creation thereof.

[Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock]

I can usually only seem to get into fantasy novels. Or some sci-fi, as written by Neil Gaiman. Right now I'm working on Terry Goodkinds Sword of Truth series.

Any other ones that would sort of coincide with the stylings of either author?

[Entsuropi]

Try the Wheel of Time series. Its not a favourite here at TWG, but its first few books are good.

Also you could try Good Omens which is a collaboration between funny-man Terry Prattchet and Neil Gaiman. Its a hysterical take on the chapter of revelations.

[Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock]

I've been looking for the Good Omens book. But the Wheel of Time is just something I don't want to run into. I feel like it'd be trying to run from one end of the wall of china to the other end. Bleh.

[EUOL]

Well, one of my favorite fantasies is Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly.  A few other specific reccomendations:

Melanie Rawn if you like political intrigue and very, very character-oriented books.

Tad Williams Memory Sorrow and Thorn if you want epic fantasy with a lot of depth in description.  His books, like the one I just reviewed, tend to be very slow, with a lot of focus on detail.

A lot of people like Raymond Feist for more moderate fantasy, a little like Goodkind and Terry Brooks.

Guy Gavrinal Kay (sp?) Is a fantastic storyteller that is a little lesser known.  I'd reccomend him, though he's less mainstream than the Brooks, Goodkind, Feist brand of fantasy.  Stranger worlds, less obvious plots, that sort of thing.

David Gemmel for down-and-dirty heroic fantasy.  Quick stories without a lot of depth.  He describes himself as "The Louis Lemure (sp?) of fantasy."

[Entsuropi]

If you do not mind the slight juvinile aspect, David and Leigh Eddings make good books, with fun and interesting characters. Maybe not the most realistic characters, but as EUOLs review showed, its not much fun reading about a realistic but annoying and boring character. Lots of books as well - they did two major lines, one with 2 trilogies, the other with 2 5-book series'. Plus some spin offs and some unrelated books. Actually, has anyone read their latest one?

And Raymond E Feist is good, although do not bother with anything other than the three main series: Riftwar (Magician, Silverthorn and A Shadow at Sethanon), Serpent War (Shadow of a dark queen, Rise of a merchant prince, Rage of a demon king and Shards of a broken crown) and the best one of all, the Empire series which is a collaboration with Janny Wurts (Daughter of the Empire, Servant of the Empire, Mistress of the Empire).  His novel Fairie Tale is a good modern horror/fantasy.

[Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock]

As you said Entrophy, characters that are very realistic and annoying, and just overall an asshole, doesn't make me want to really read it.

I.E. The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant.

[EUOL]

Perfect example.  Reading Thomas Covenant books is like reading Paradise Lost--I love the use of langage and the skill of writing, but don't enjoy myself much.

Eddings is kind of juvenile, but boy can he turn a phrase.  I still love Diamond Throne, for all its relative campyness.

But, speaking of Thomas Covenant, Donaldson wrote another fantasy series--two books--called something like 'The mirror of her dreams.'  It was really good--all of the fantastic Donaldson writing without the depressing character.  I reccomend that series as well.  

So, Eddings, Gemmel, or Feist if you want fluff.  Donaldson or Kay if you want depth.  Williams if you're a masochist.

[The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers]

this will get me pummelled, but Terry Brooks. NOT the Shannara series, so lets not even HAVE the conversation about how we all hate the Shannara series. But the Void and the Word series, starting with Running with the Demon. You'll like it. It's not as deep as some others, but it's pretty yummy in a twinkie sort of way.

[EUOL]

Now, now, SE.  A lot of people like Shannara, and I do remember enjoying them when I was sixteen.  They're not deep, in fact they're a bit repetative, but the first three are far from terrible fantasy.

[Mistress of Darkness]

I agree. I don't know how rereadable they are, but I did enjoy them the first time I read them. Besides, Allanon has helped me appreciate real men like Dumbledore more.

Okay, here's a genre I could use some help finding. What about Science Fiction. The kind with a statement?

[Mistress of Darkness]

Okay that sounds wrong. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm looking for a story that leaves you with an "oh" feeling, rather than "hey cool dogfight."

Not that I don't love those, because I do. I love Hans Solo just as much as the next girl.

[EUOL]

Hyperion--Dan Simmons (Cantubury Tales in space, if the Canturbury shrine were an all-powerful deific force that was going to kill all the pilgrims but one, who would instead get their wish granted.)

A fire upon the Deep--? Can't remember.  Good book with a really interesting group-mind species.  

[Entsuropi]

The Mars trilogy - Kim Stanley Robinson. Book one is fantastic, but it gets boring real fast in the third one. Very deep and pretty hard core sci fi, it made me feel a couple times that i was not smart enough for it. Less sci fi than scientific extrapolation, although the author falls into the "super corperations taking over the world" trap. I really hate that concept now. The characters are weak as well.

Hidden Empire - Kevin J Anderson. A semi-hard sci fi, it has a lot of interesting elements, with a moderately good story. It has a pretty standard backstory in many ways.

For splatter military sci fi, try Games Workshops stuff. Kill Team by Gav Thorpe (who is renowned for destroying the eldar and dark eldar armies, but lets not get into that) is a story about a Imperial assassin squad sent to kill an alien leader. Pretty good, though its emphasis on combat might not sit well, and its pretty short for its price.

The Serrano Legacy - another semi hard sci fi. All about a military officer who is disgraced and becomes the captain of a rich noblewomans ship. It is good, but has its bad elements. And the series ended with a crap and unbelievable explanation.