any white wolf fiction fans?

[bigalt]

I need a break from real books for a while, so I need some nice tasty sci-fi junk to read. I was thinking of delving into the white wolf stuff, I always kind of theoretically liked the world from what I know of the rpgs, but know next to nothing about it.

Anyone know enough about it to tell me where to start? It's as intimidating as the dragonlance novels, there are so many and I would imagine that reading them in the right order would be more rewarding, but it's hard to know what that order is.

 

[TallBill]

i read a book called white wolf by Jack London once.. that book was awesome.. way better then call of the wild.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Some better bets than RPG-based novels:

Elizabeth Moon - Deed of Pakesenarrion (trade paper trilogy)
Steven Brust - Book of Jhereg (trade paper trilogy)
C J Cherryh - The Morgaine Saga ( " " " )
C J CHerryh - The Dreaming Tree (trade paper duology)
L. E. Modesitt, Jr - The Magic of Recluce (first of the series, read them in publication order)

 

[bigalt]

I've never really gotten into the rpg based novels before, but with the crpg games like baldur's gate and planescape torment, I always enjoyed the fact that they were loosely related and that the rules of one applied to the other, but in different circumstances.

It seems like it could be a decent literary device, to already have your setting made for you. Sometimes when picking up stuff like david eddings and robert jordan, I just feel like they're making it up as they go along, and often shape the universe to their characters.

Of course, the story can only be as good as the author writes it, so maybe the novels are crap. anyone that's actually read them/is into them around here?

p.s. thanks for the suggestions, though! i might take a peek.

 

[DaveSimmons]

The couple of Ultima novels I read a long time ago actually were decent, but Lynn Abbey was already an established fantasy author before writing them.

Writing in someone else's world is almost like a songwriter performing a cover version of a song, part of their creativity and individual voice are lost in following someone else's rules. For a good author (or songwriter) the results may be quite good, but I'd still almost always rather that they be completely themselves.

Also, the better authors (like the ones I listed) seem to set up a world and see how it shapes their characters, rather than (as you say) changing the world as they go along. You'll notice Jordan wasn't on my list

 

[thedarkwolf]

I've read two. One was called "Call to Battle" by Doug Murry and it was okay at best. The other one was better but I can't remember what it was called. I've read a lot of werewolf books so they all kinda blur together.

Found it Breath Deeply by Bassingthwaite, Don

 

[bigalt]

My current favorite books are actually historical fiction, a series called flashman by george macdonald frazer. He's writing within the confines of the real world, and absolutely brilliantly fits in the guy into most of the major events of victorian england. Of course the guy probably put more thought into each book than of the dragonlance guys do in their careers.

But it sounds as though I'd better steer clear of these vampire ones, unless I'm real desperate.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Nancy A. Collins has written some good "splatterpunk" vampire novels (collected as Midnight Blue) and a decent werewolf one as well (Wild Blood).

Laurel Hamilton's first few Anita Blake - vampire hunter books were good, but the series went downhill later on.

S. P. Somtow's Moon Dance is a good and unusual werewolf story set in 1880s Dakota Territory

My current favorite books are actually historical fiction, a series called flashman by george macdonald frazer

I've never read those, most of the (not really) historical fiction I've read is alternate history military SF from David Drake, SM Stirling, Eric Flint, etc.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Nancy A. Collins has written some good "splatterpunk" vampire novels (collected as Midnight Blue) and a decent werewolf one as well (Wild Blood).

Laurel Hamilton's first few Anita Blake - vampire hunter books were good, but the series went downhill later on.

S. P. Somtow's Moon Dance is a good and unusual werewolf story set in 1880s Dakota Territory

The Anita Blake books are a lot fun and a good way to waste sometime in a Buffy the Vampire Slayer kind of way. When Anita turns into super slut around book 8 it does start to get bad though. Lots of good characters and humor.

Moon Dance is one of the better werewolf books out there. Wild Blood wasn't that bad either there are better ones out there.

McCammons's Wolf's Hour is by far my favorite. If you look it up it sounds stupid as hell, a british spy during WWII that is a werewolf , but it rocks.


If your wanting a good vampire series to read check out Brian Lumley's Necroscope series. All of those but the last 3 are really good.

 

[bigalt]

thanks!

 

[Fausto]

I'm not very familiar with the books, but I shot pool with some of the WW folks a few weeks ago. Do I get a cookie?

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
McCammons's Wolf's Hour is by far my favorite. If you look it up it sounds stupid as hell, a british spy during WWII that is a werewolf , but it rocks.

If your wanting a good vampire series to read check out Brian Lumley's Necroscope series. All of those but the last 3 are really good.

I'll check those out next time I'm in a monster mood

For wolf books I forgot to mention Alice Borchardt's werewolf novels set in Roman times, The Silver Wolf and Night of the Wolf, both good especially Night .

 

[thedarkwolf]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
McCammons's Wolf's Hour is by far my favorite. If you look it up it sounds stupid as hell, a british spy during WWII that is a werewolf , but it rocks.

If your wanting a good vampire series to read check out Brian Lumley's Necroscope series. All of those but the last 3 are really good.

I'll check those out next time I'm in a monster mood

For wolf books I forgot to mention Alice Borchardt's werewolf novels set in Roman times, The Silver Wolf and Night of the Wolf, both good especially Night .

Those aren't bad either although the first one The Silver Wolf is pretty damn wierd. Told you I read a lot of werewolf books .

The thing I really liked about Lumleys vamp series is the vamps aren't whinny pussies which was nice after coming from Rice's series.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Yes, Rice's first couple were good (though whiny) but I think the Body Thief was the last of hers I read before giving up on her.

Speaking of WW2, here's an oldie werewolf novel you probably haven't read: Poul Anderson's Operation Chaos. Dated now, but fun when I read it a couple of decades ago.

(edit) and I assume you've read John Steakley's Vampire$ ? (much better than the John Carpenter adaptation, though not as good as Steakley's Armor mil SF)

 

[thedarkwolf]

Well you found one werewolf book I haven't read yet but I did know about it . The library doesn't have it and I can't find it.

I did read Vimpires but I can't remember what happens in the book vs. the movie. I did like both though.

Rice's books just started getting a little too homoerotic for me starting with Body Theif and Armand just beat you over the head with it . Merrick and Blood and Gold are pretty good and I think she has another one out now.