Looking for completed stories of epic length that is primarily a Journey of discovery for the MC.
Examples of what I am looking for:
Deja Vu Ascendancy by AscendingAuthor on SOL https://storiesonline.net/s/57098/deja-vu-ascendancy
or
Hindsight 20/20 by SmokinDriver on SOL
https://storiesonline.net/series/1047/hindsight-20-20
or
A New Past by Charlie Foxtrot on SOL
https://storiesonline.net/s/75651/a-new-past
or
Earth Children Series by Jean M. Auel in print
completed stories of epic length
Does this exclude series of stories which are itself only novel length? (Like aroslav's Team Manager series).
Journey of discovery for the MC
How about a close-knit group of MCs? (Like oyster50's Smart Girls series).
HM.
I love the Smart Girls series by Oyster50... So I would have to say yes to any like those.
As far as series of stories that are by themselves novel-length... well, as long as the series has concluded and the novels are interconnected through the characters and the overall premise of the series is the journey of discovery...then by all means include them in any recommendations.
I am primarily looking for LOOOOONG reads that appeal to me and will hold my interest. I have a list of epic stories that I am constantly re-reading and rotating through while reading the shorter stories. I am looking to add to that list because I am such a voracious reader that I consistently read the equivalent of 3-12 full novel lengths each day (dependent on what else I have going on IRL) so any recommendations are welcome.
If you will, please share your list. I'm always looking for stories to read...or re-read as I've been mostly been doing for a while.
If you haven't read these yet, you could have an enjoyable winter's night ahead of you. Stay warm and toasty and cuddle up with -
Florida Friends by Dual Writer
Trilogy and More by Woodmanone
Anthony Carter Universe by Argon
Stupid Boy Stories by GYounger
Third Son by GYounger
Dark Days by Reluctant Sir
Hero League Universe by Reluctant Sir
Thanks Nizzgrrl, I'll give the ones by Reluctant Sir a try. I've read (and re-read) most of the others except for one set of stories which I lost interest in.
I've read most of the older, well known ones or those in the "top 50" I've wanted to read. Many I started reading but lost interest in even though they have big scores. Maybe I have add :)
I am primarily looking for LOOOOONG reads that appeal to me and will hold my interest. I have a list of epic stories that I am constantly re-reading
In dead-tree, I gave a short list in another thread, a few of those are:
Cherryh's Foreigner series - Humans, from a lost colonisation ship, land on a planet with indigenous intelligent natives with a roughly Victorian tech level but loose a war, and are restricted to an island reservation, with only a single person permitted on the mainland, being an ambassador/translator who also regulates how quickly human tech can be released to the natives without destabilising their society - roughly feudal but with assassination a valid legal recourse. Over twenty volumes, AFAIK still being written, I've read the early volumes multiple times; the main character develops from a wet-behind-the-ears recent graduate, through attempted coups, the return of the human faction who decided to stay shipboard and shepherding the Atavi race into space, to being a powerful lord in the Atevi society.
Cherryh's Chanur series is another alien-society storyline, and Cherry's training as a linguist means the aliens each have consistent and distinct 'voices' (where they can be understood at all). Another series I've read multiple times, maybe into the 20's.
Cherryh's Cyteen books are a coming-of-age story crossed with a murder-mystery; two books (the first was published as a trilogy in the USA) which look at how cloning and age-extension interacts with society, especially the extra-solar colonies. I particularly like how she is able to give the main character different voices dependent on her age at the time - there are sections with transcripts of the MC at age 120+ and as a teen, and the contrast is stark (but consistent). Contains references to homosexuality, underage sex, rape of a minor and drug use, but these are just splashes of colour to enhance the picture and show some of the why some characters are as they are. I've read this one maybe 40 times, the sequel (which resolves the murder mystery) only a few, maybe 5.
Another Cherryh series (or trilogy-plus-one) are her Morgaine books, some of the first Cherryh I read (thinking they would be something to do with the Arthurian legend), that read like high fantasy but are actually SF linked lightly to her Alliance-Union universe; also one that I've read multiple times.
All the above, and many of Cherryh's works have strong female MCs, but don't let that put you off - they're all good reads, and generally tie together with others of her works.
Another large trilogy I'd have put on that list if I'd thought of it in time, and also with a strong female MC, is John Varley's Gaea series which covers the exploration then occupation of an artificial structure populated with designed lifeforms (centaurs, angels, zeppelins - large hydrogen-filled blimps that are deathly afraid of fire, buzz-bombs, a large creature that moves slowly along eating vegetation and shitting asphalt which it squashes down to leave a ready-to-use road)
Finally, from here worthy of note are the Jake Fielding Stories from hermit, about 4MB covering the discovery and growth into power of a young boy who was conceived by rape of a girl by a telepath. There is a fourth part mooted, but the story is complete and indeed could be stopped at the end of any of its parts.
Another from here is the Sex Magus series from TechnicDragon, currently posting part six (from the size is probably near complete).
Thanks for the recommendations.
I never really clicked with Cherryh as an author (primarily because I almost never like alien encounter / space opera / intergalactic war type stories with the notable exception of the Honor Harrington series by David Weber). I might have to look up the Morgaine books though as I have always loved the Arthurian myths.
I might also take a look at Varley's Gaea series as the description is intriguing.
I have read the Jake Fielding series (in fact it is on my list of stories I constantly re-read).
I will take a look-see at the Sex-Magus series.
Dead Tree, you could try the Vorkosigan series by Bujold McMaster.
Its space opera, but the entire story arc is about growth as a person, and not just the MC. All of the supporting characters have a development / maturation arc.
For example the annoying, silly aunt seen through the eyes of the child is an heiress, political king maker and business woman with a satisfactory private relationship when seen through the eyes of the child turned adult.
20 plus years of writing so they get better / more adult as they go along.
A Civil Campaign is one of my favorites. The proposal scene at the end cracks me up but also makes me feel good.
I love the Miles character in all the stories, but I REALLY identified with him in that scene and its aftermath.
The scene in Vorkosigan house when he screws up his proposal or the scene in the Council of Counts when she proposes back? Both were good.
As far as series of stories that are by themselves novel-length... well, as long as the series has concluded and the novels are interconnected through the characters and the overall premise of the series is the journey of discovery...then by all means include them in any recommendations.
I'm still working on the last book of the series, but there are four VERY long novels complete.
A True History by me.
ETA: You know Honor was supposed to die, and things didn't work out quite like Weber had planned, didn't you?
LOL... oh I am VERY familiar with ATH 1-4... and waiting for 5 is killing me...one of the reasons I stressed completed stories/serials was because I absolutely detest waiting for the next upload on an unfinished story. Yours is driving me nuts!! LOL... I actually did not know ATH was ongoing when I started reading it... I just saw completed book 1-3 (you hadn't started book 4 yet) and didn't realize I had snookered myself until I got to the end of 3...by that time I was well and truly hooked. As far as HH goes, yep I did know that. She was supposed to die and her children were supposed to be the primary characters for the Mesa War.
waiting for 5 is killing me
Read my most recent blog post. You won't get the whole thing all at once, but it'll start posting soon. :)
The Aubrey/Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brien. There's 20 books. The title of the first book is Master and Commander, which is not the same story as the movie by the same name.
Try https://storiesonline.net/s/72846/human-phoenix and its sequel.
And https://finestories.com/s/10527/a-charmed-life and its sequel
Ian
A Fresh Start, its sequel, and short story and the 3 Grim Reaper novels are all on my repeat reading list already. :-) Thanks though.
Looking for completed stories of epic length that is primarily a Journey of discovery for the MC.
Well, that includes my almost insanely long "Country Boy, City Girl" series.
https://storiesonline.net/series/1519/country-boy-city-girl
The original 3 "books" and their companion story are finished, as are around a dozen shorter stories that all tie in to them in one way or another. And I am currently working on another that will be roughly novel length when it is finished (I think).
But the 4 "core books" are over 1.5 million words.
Epic Story not mentioned here:
Eric / Erica Olafson Saga by Vanessa Ravencroft
https://storiesonline.net/series/1548/erica-olafson
Im on my 8th or 9th read-thru 😁
Deadtree Stories
Babylon 5 by Joseph Michael Straczynski ...
Im on my 8th or 9th read-thru 😁
Did you know there's a huge wiki around the Galactic Chronicles universe?
The Galnet Wikia Community site was founded by fans as a way of preserving information related to the Galactic Chronicles Series. The community has complete detailed information about the technology, the science, the life, the people, the items, things, history, universe, society, and more that make up the Galatic Chronicle Series.
Almost 20.000 pages!
https://galnet.fandom.com/wiki/Galnet_Data_Base
Nothing new to add to those on SOL, but in print I've enjoyed S.M. Stirling's Nantucket/Emberverse series. Recently finished out at eighteen books total - three in the Nantucket part and the rest in the Emberverse portion.
I have loved that series since he started writing it. I just wish he would add some more in the Nantucket series.
The Emberverse was really interesting to me as I lived for years in Oregon, even in the areas covered by the story.
I just wish he would add some more in the Nantucket series
He let so many things open, they really cry for a sequel.
Same can be said for 'Conquistador' and 'The Peshawar Lancers'.
The last scene in the Epilogue of Conquistador opens wide for a multitude of sequels.
HM.
I agree it would be nice to see another Nantucket book or three, but only if he's really interested. By the end of the Emberverse books it felt, at least to me, like he was losing interest in that world.
What I really love about those books are some of the characters, particularly some of the female characters. I see Juniper, Sandra, Pip and the two D'Aths as such vibrant characters. Them, I miss.
The Long Ships by Bengtsson. One long novel about the adventures of a Viking during the middle ages.
One of my favorites - the Horatio Hornblower series by C.S. Forester. More than a dozen novels about the career of Hornblower a royal navy officer during the Napoleonic wars. I started reading them when I was about 13 or 14 and still occasionally read them now.
The series follows Hornblower's career from midshipman to admiral. The first novel published was Beat to Quarters (The Happy Return in the UK). That is probably the best one to start with.
Other worthy nautical fiction series ..
Dudley Pope's Ramage series
Ken Bulmer's (as Adam Hardy) Foxey (Geo. Abercrombie Fox) series of RN misfits ..
Another Bulmer pseudonym series, not naut/fic, but where the MC's origins start with an RN shipwreck survivor -- Dray Prescot S & S series (Scorpios/Antares/Kregen).
There is a similar series here on SOL set in the same time period. When I get a chance I will find the links.
Argon's Anthony Carter series? Same time period, at least part of it set in the navy.
https://storiesonline.net/universe/102/anthony-carter
Argon actually borrows ("steals" is such a loaded word) one or two of the Hornblower characters in two of his stories, "Ellen" and (briefly) "The Return of Thomas Grey".
Horatio Hornblower
He had a trumpet he played for various lengths depending on how many prostitutes were available in the ports that they were entering. He was a whore ratio horn blower.
Arrgh, you got me reading the HH stories. Am up to book 3 now. This is going to blow my Kindle budget.
One thing I just remembered about The Long Ships is that it's the only historical novel I can recall where it is mentioned that the protagonist has parasites - in this case lice, and it is viewed as normal for everyone.
Its almost half a century since I read The Long Ships. Thanks for reminding me. I've added it to my reading list.
Just thought of another one:
My Inheritance by E.Z. Riter https://storiesonline.net/a/E_Z_Riter
Here are two more authors to add to your winter reading list if you have not already read them. These go back some years -
The Lucky Jim series by FantasyLover https://storiesonline.net/universe/1193/lucky-jim
The Eros universe and the Magic Ink series by Uncle Jim
https://storiesonline.net/a/Uncle_Jim
DRAT!!! I meant to include Tom's Adventures by T-Rix in that last posting.
Oh, well, the memory is the second or third thing to go. Wait, go where?
The Playing the Game trilogy by Rev Cotton Mather.
The A Golfer's Dream series by TheCaddy.
The Lucky Tickets stories and the sort-of followup of Dream State by JiMC.
And pretty much any of Jay Cantrell's longer works.
The Deryni series by Katherine Kurtz.
https://www.goodreads.com/series/100370-deryni-chronology
In my opinion well written novels set in a fantasy c.1200's where magic is rare, and sometimes suppressed. Feels like medieval Wales/Scotland, with a bit of England. There are other realms that are made up, yet feel "authentic" to the medieval era.
Conflicts feel authentic. Struggles for power, control, and justice. I am certain that George RR Martin read these novels and "borrowed" from them.
No actual fantastical creatures, just humans and Deryni* and a few ghosts. So too does the magic feel authentic. Only some of the characters have magic, and many of them are Learning about magic as they go.
On here I would recommend the author Green Dragon for all 3 of their stories as they tie together. They are of a similar vein to the Honor Harrington books.
In print I would recommend Bernard Cornwell's "Richard Sharpe" series. It's a Napoleon era English Infantryman view of that conflict similar to Horatio Hornblower.
In print I would recommend Bernard Cornwell's "Richard Sharpe" series. It's a Napoleon era English Infantryman view of that conflict
I can't remember if there are 19, 20 or 21 books to this series.
R.S. starts as an involuntary (hang or serve) soldier sent to India; later to Europe to fight Napoleon's armies and finally ends in Chile. He gets promoted, made an officer...
I read the series three or four times, but my last was about 20 years ago and I can't remember most details.
HM.
I can't remember if there are 19, 20 or 21 books to this series.
Twenty three, I think currently. Along with three additional short stories. The latest novel, 'Sharpe's Command' is out or will be out shortly.
I would recommend the author Green Dragon
If I ever need a new pen name, I intend to include the word 'Dragon'. All the authors on SOL who have Dragon, or some variant thereof, in their names, seem to be good at what they do.
Of course, that would require me to actually write something ;-)
AJ
a new pen name
Is your ass dragging? Or dragon? Drag on (and on).
"The term "drag" refers to the performance of masculinity, femininity or other forms of gender expression. A drag queen is someone who performs femininity and a drag king is someone who performs masculinity. The term may be used as a noun as in the expression in drag or as an adjective as in drag show. Wikipedia"
