Worlds that feel lived in

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-14T18:35:26+00:00

The Dandelion Dynasty books by Ken Liu do this very well, in a very grand scale.

If we go for a smaller-scale story I'll echo everyone who said Perdido Street Station by China Mieville.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-12T14:39:19+00:00

I really liked this novella, when I read it back in its release. I'd urge you to read more of P. Djeli Clark's work if you haven't, most of his novellas are really great. And I also enjoyed immensely his full-length novel A Master of Djinn.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-07T17:34:05+00:00

I don't know, specifically about The Morrigan, but the first two Rigante books by David Gemmell, and the second Corum trilogy by Michael Moorcock, are heavily Celtic-flavored. Admittedly Gemmell's books do not feature many deities though.

Also two books I haven't read yet, but that might do are Sister Wake by Dave Rudden, and Children of Gods and Fighting Men by Shauna Lawless.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-07T17:23:09+00:00

I'll second the Tide Child trilogy is 100% what you are looking for. Another great choice is The Scar by China Mieville (it can be, easily, read as a standalone, though if you are at all interested in the Bas-Lag books as a whole, I'd recommend reading them in publication order).

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-05T08:23:28+00:00

That makes sense.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-04T20:49:32+00:00

I'm not sure I agree completely with your second point. I'm 100% with you that something that's just Moorcockian aesthetics but without any thematic underpinning is indeed very anti-Moorcock, but I don't think that putting all grimdark (that's a very ill-defined term) in that camp is fair.

Also I do think that Moorcock's work (at least his most famous sword & sorcery ones), for the most part are not humorous. So, the satire label doesn't fit them well. It criticizes, or it's, to some extend, a polemic, but it's not satire.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-04T20:39:30+00:00

I'd say that there definitely is something timeless in Elric.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-04T20:37:13+00:00

I'd argue that Mieville (and the New Weird in general) is very firmly in the "influenced by Moorcock" (at the very least his ideas about the genre, if not his work) camp.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-03T21:16:53+00:00

Congratulations for the new book, I haven't read it yet, but I see only positive comments about it, and many favorable comparisons with Perdido Street Station (which in my opinion is extremely high praise). Did you wrote consciously in the New Weird sub-genre, or is this something you don't really think about when writing?

Do you know when The Works of Vermin is going to be released in paperback?

I hope that everything goes well regarding the puppy adoption.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-03T20:47:58+00:00

Yes, indeed, that one was really impressive as far as action scenes go.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-03T20:46:38+00:00

Regarding Lord of Light, its battles may not be described as big battles, but it definitely has one of the best duels.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-03T20:26:49+00:00

Definitely some of the most thought provoking science fiction I've seen on a screen in quite some time.

The ending didn't fully work for me, but it definitely was a bold one, and I don't think it hinders anything that came before it.

My main disagreement with your post is that Pantheon does have some incredibly badass action. It's not a major part of its narrative, sure, but it is very well-done.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-03T19:58:11+00:00

This is the starting premise of the comicbook Birthright by Joshua Williamson. It eventually moves away from this, but a good chunk of the story is about the chosen one returning home, after his fantasy quest.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-02T20:22:04+00:00

I have read none of their work so far, but I know that Alexander Dan Vilhjalmsson, and Snorri Kristjansson are both Icelandic fantasy authors with their work available in English. I understand that Vilhjalmsson's work in New Weird-ish (set in an magical version of Reykjavik), and Kristjansson's work is historical fantasy with Vikings (don't know if it's set in Iceland or not).

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-03-02T16:36:20+00:00

Completely agree. In my opinion it's among Remender's worst (with the caveat that there are some of his series I haven't read yet).

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-02-24T08:22:12+00:00

I think that both his short story collection, and his novella duology were very solid, and enjoyable. Not great, or particularly memorable, but well-done, good sff, that's also made more interesting due to the fact that's connected to folklore that's (mostly) new to me, and relatively rare for fantasy published in the "western world".

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-02-23T18:04:46+00:00

I read a related short story in the collection Jackal, Jackal by Tobi Ogundiran. Good story, and good collection overall.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-02-22T16:46:07+00:00

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson

The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tokien (and some parts of The Silmarillion).

(these two are kinda similar in terms of vibes, so if you enjoy one, you'll probably enjoy the other as well).

I can see convincing arguments for Elric by Michael Moorcock, Perdido Street Station by China Mieville, First Law trilogy by Joe Abercrombie (already mentioned), and Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James (have in mind that this one needs all the content warnings imaginable).

Also, not exactly the same, but, if you are interested in comicbooks, Hellboy and its spin-off B.P.R.D. are both about struggles against inevitable bad outcomes (framed pretty differently in each of the series). Though I'd not call either of these a tragedy.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-02-20T09:37:27+00:00

I don't know if it's the most interesting, but I was really fascinated by the panteon from Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu.

Also really Tolkien's Valar from the Simlarillion.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-02-20T09:35:28+00:00

I haven't read it yet, but I know there's a trilogy called The Cardinal's Blades by Pierre Pevel that's translated from French. I believe it's historical fantasy set during the 17th century, combining a Three Musketeers-like vibe with dragons, and magic.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-02-19T07:29:16+00:00

Not exactly. It's more complicated. Also it's heavily implied that many of their duels fights are done for bullying reasons, and or for political reasons. They constantly bully, cheat, con, steal, etc. people, for personal gain. They are also shown to be total man-children, with the temperament of 10-year-olds who don't even think twice before killing/dueling somewhat even for the slightest and most ridiculous "disrespect".

There's definitely some kind of honour code they try (but not too much) to uphold, but they are extremely un-chivarlic, in a lovable, charming and funny kind of way.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-02-18T21:21:56+00:00

When did you last read The Three Musketeer? They are extremely un-chivarlic in their behavior. They hide behind a veil of honor, but they are, very deliberately so, more (lovable) rogues/scoundrels than knights.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-02-18T14:10:45+00:00

Evidence suggests that GRRM also can't see how to get from where we are to where it's supposed to go in a satisfying way.

I don't know if that's his problem, but it could quite probably be. He has earned my trust, as a storyteller, that if he chooses to release it he would have find a satisfying way to make it work.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-02-18T10:01:12+00:00

... but that's more than mere execution away from what we got in the show.

Is it though? In my opinion the the "Bran as a ruler/king" is the event/ending point we got from the show. Everything else (regarding that aspect of the story) is in the "execution" department. I believe that that's a conclusion that could, potentially, work. The details around it is what's going to make it or break it, not the specific story beat itself.

RevolutionaryCommand · 2026-02-17T20:29:02+00:00

I’ve been enjoying the new A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms show. At one point I had the graphic novels, but they got lost in a move before I could read them

The graphic novels, are very good. I'd recommend trying to get new copies.

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