The Great Big Handy-Dandy MHI Group Book List
So you have read everything Larry Correia ever wrote, and you are jonesing for a good book while he's working on the next one. Well, if you ask in the Monster Hunter International group, this is the list you will get of authors, books, series, and sundry suggestions. I have cleaned it up very little, just removed names to spare confusion, and left in micro-reviews because they might be helpful. There are duplicates, I left them in because I think they indicate which series are most popular and a good place to start. It's really fun to get a group of avid readers started on what they have enjoyed, and recommend to others.
Since this is on my blog, and there's a chance you haven't read Larry Correia yet, start there with Monster Hunter International or Hard Magic. Both are excellent in their own different ways.
Jim Butcher's Dresden Files (Storm Front is book 1)
Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne
Anything by Sarah Hoyt
or Dave Freer.
Monster by A Lee Martinez
or the Chicks in Chainmail series
Earth Song series by Mark Wandrey. First book is called Earth Song Overture.
Pixie Noir by Cedar Sanderson, first book in a trilogy.
The 1632 series by Eric Flint and others.
Fire with Fire and it's sequel Trial by Fire by Charles Gannon.
Peter F. Hamilton has some great series.
Stephen Baxter's Xeelee sequence books.
Dan Simmons is an amazing author.
Sarah Hoyt's Darkship books.
Michael Z. Williamson's books
1632 by Eric Flint.
Posleen series by John Ringo,
March Upcountry by Ringo,
Joe Abercrombie fantasy books.
Paladin of Shadows by John Ringo,
Valdemar series by Mercedes Lackey,
Last of the Renshai by Mickey Zucher-reichard,
Vorkosigian saga by Lois McMaster Bujold
Second that vote for the Vorkosigan series. Start with Shards of Honor or with Warrior's Apprentice is good.
Vorkosigan series, or Bujold's Chalion series.
David Drake's Hammers Slammers series, especially The Sharp End.
Only tangentially sci-fi but if you want a shoot 'em up good time shoulda been made into an action film by now... Then check out Ice Station by Matthew Reilly.
Kevin J. Anderson, Saga of the Seven Suns are great books.
David Drake's Leary series, Hammer's Slammer's and his Isles fantasy series
David Farland's Runelords series.
Jack Campbell's Lost Fleet series.
Taylor Anderson The Destroyermen Series
Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's one and, sadly, only collaboration: Good Omens.
Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter also have a four book series as well. The first book is called The Long Earth.
John Ringo's. Black Tide series
The Valhalla Saga by Snorri Kristjansson
It's not part of a series, but you should read, hell, everyone should read Fallen Angels by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Michael Flynn.
Dietz for Sci fi,
David Gemmell for fantasy,
Mark l Van Name for military Sci fi,
Mike Resnick Widowmaker trilogy,
Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Mayberry
If you want Grimdark, any of the Warhammer 40k books by Dan Abnett and the Horus Heresy books.
Everything by Poul Anderson. Flandry!
Red Storm Rising by Clancy
The Mummy by Anne Rice.
Glen Cook, the Black Company books.
If you haven't read Robert E. Howard, you are doing yourself a disservice.
Iron Druid series,
Alex Verus series are light snacks.
If you are going for epic stories, The Stormlight Archives by Sanderson
and The Kingkiller Chronicle by Rothfuss.
Robin Hobb's fantasy,
Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos series.
C.S. Friedman is also a fantastic author. Her Coldfire trilogy are the first books I read by her. Everything I've read by her as entertained me.
CJ Cherryh is another that is a wonderful author.
the Myth Adventures stuff by Jody Lyn Nye
"The Hunt for Red October" is great, though for my money I suggest "The Cardinal of the Kremlin” as better
Patriot Games was the first Clancy I read. I really enjoyed Without Remorse, the book about Clark.
have you read Heinlein, especially his juveniles? "Starship Troopers," "Have Spacesuit, Will Travel," and the lesser-known but really excellent "Between Planets?"
There is also Frank Herbert. His Dune books, then all of the ones that Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert has written.
I'm partial to W.E.B. Griffin as well. I've read just about everything by him.
Non fiction, Martin Buser's Dog Man. Multiple Iditarod champion's story was better than I anticipated.
I like Harry Turtledove also. Also, if you can find them, he wrote a few books under the pen name H.n. Turteltaub called the Hellenic Traders. Not science fiction but great period fiction about ancient Greece.
WEB Griffin is a fun read. I love his books when I'm feeling blue.
Rick Atkinson wrote some great books about World War II.
Nathaniel Philbrick
H.W. Brands also both have great historical non-fiction.
Brandon Sanderson pretty much anything. But I enjoyed Reckoners probably the best.
Well, you can try "Name of the Wind" and "The Wise Man Fears" by Patrick Rothfuss. Not a fast series, and not one that I would say is one of my favorites, but it is very well written. I guess the reason that it doesn't fall under favorites is that the third book isn't out yet and there are a lot of unanswered questions in the first two (which I am sure will be answered by the third).
I finished the Hard Luck Hank series before the Ex Heroes. Really enjoyed them.
"A Sorrow in our Heart" about Tecumseh is really good and he did many historical western novels from the settlers perspective which can be a good point counterpoint
I really liked the Ark Royal Series by Christopher Nuttal.
John Ringo's Wand series.
I The Ghost books by John Ringo. The main character fights on the side of Light but he isn't a nice person.
Ultimate anti-Hero is Flashman, but then your back into books.
Jim Butcher - Dresden Files AND Furies of Calderon
John Ringo - everything
David Drake, espec. "Hammer's Slammers" and Lt. Leary / RCN series
Kevin Hearne's 'Iron Druid' series if you try Jim Butcher and like him.
My favorite anti-hero growing up was the Stainless Steel Rat, Slippery Jim DiGriz by Harry Harrison. Excellent series.
Johnathan Maberry's Joe Ledger series is pretty entertaining. I just finished a book by a Chinese author titled "The Three Body Problem" that blew my freaking mind, AMAZING hard scifi book
Brent Weeks work. The Lightbringer Series and The Night Angel Series are both good reads.
I also suggest (if you like a bit darker fantasy) The Chronicles of the Black Company by Glen Cook.
I also loved the Riftwar Saga by Raymond Feist.
Daughter of the Empire (1987) with Janny Wurts
Servant of the Empire (1990) with Janny Wurts...
I've read MZW's Freehold series already and enjoyed it.
David Weber's Honor Harrington series. You can even read the first book for free: http://www.baenebooks.com/p-304-on-basilisk-station.aspx
For Action-Adventure I suggest, Matthew Reilly's Scarecrow Series,
Pattrick Lee's Breach,
Lee Child's Jack Reacher,
James Rollins Sigma Series.
Urban Fantasy: Iron Druid Chronicles (similar to Dresden Files),
Peter Grant Series,
Bobby Dollar Series,
Sandman Slim series.
For Epic Fantasy: First Law Trilogy (Dark theme, no one is actually hero),
Stormlight Archive,
Kingkiller Chronicles,
Wheel of Time series.
Jonathan Maberry's Joe Ledger series
Stormlight Archive is by Brandon Sanderson, first book is 'The Way of Kings'. Second is 'Words of Radiance'. Third book isn't out yet
Try David Robbins. He writes some horror, westerns, sci-fi. I really like his Endworld and Blade books.
Jack Higgins is also good.
You said you like comedy in your fantasy then I highly recommend authors Jim Butcher and Kevin Hearn
Updated to add:
Bureau 13 series by Nick Pollotta
Armor and Vampire$ by John Steakley
Demon Accords by John Conroe
Night Watch by Terry Pratchett (Anything by him, really...)
This isn't scifi or Fantasy, but WW2 based.. Sven Hassel's books (13 in all) were about a group of soldiers assigned to a punishment tank battalion. I started with Monte Cassino, but the first book is actually The Legion of the Damned. If you like Military stories, I think you'll like these..
I should have mentioned Christopher Stasheff's Warlock series and his wizard in Rhyme series both fun fantasies with a SF background for the Warlock books
TL Knighton's Bloody Eden
Sabrina Chase's Long way Home
Updated again:
Simon R Green's fantasy books
Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson series.
The Thomas Covenant Series
James R Tuck - these books look like fun reads
Tom Kratman for solid military science fiction
Wait, you say, I own all these! Or you want a list sorted by genre? I have more...