David Gemmell books

Macseamusa

i dont know if this is in the right forum(move me if not), but they are fantasy books and this is the sci-fi/fantasy forum so..
I recently read Legend by David Gemmell, i thought it was the best fantasy book i have read in ages. where can i buy more of his stuff? Oh and where can i buy the star ship troopers orginal book and who is it by? I got Legend off a mate and i havent seen him for a while so thats why im asking u guys.

Snaga

Read them all, well currently just about finished The Swords of Night and Day.

You can get them in Easons, or most large bookshops. Failing that amazon have them all if you can get your hands on a credit card.

Macseamusa

ah i see u took ur name from Legend, cool
cheers for the info

moridin

Heh, I think Gemmell and Feist are about the only 'popcorn' fantasy authors that I like anymore.

Just finished the latest Skilgannon book myself, nothing inventive in it in the slightest, but it was fun to read

jongore

REad lots of his stuff, some of it can get a little repetitive but overall his stuff is a good read. As was said before you can get his books in any half decent book shop.

xx

Originally posted by Macseamusa
i dont know if this is in the right forum(move me if not), but they are fantasy books and this is the sci-fi/fantasy forum so..
I recently read Legend by David Gemmell, i thought it was the best fantasy book i have read in ages. where can i buy more of his stuff? Oh and where can i buy the star ship troopers orginal book and who is it by? I got Legend off a mate and i havent seen him for a while so thats why im asking u guys.

Here's a thing. Buy 'The first chronicles of Druss the Legend'. Goes back to Druss growing up and becoming the 'Legend'. Fantastic read.

Manach

Gemmel is rather like a fine stout, same taste as the previous and still making you come back for more.

soiaf

Gemmel is rather like a fine stout, same taste as the previous and still making you come back for more.

Despite not liking stout, I agree with you completely
Reading "The Swords of Night and Day" at the moment, its always good to
read a Gemmell book, it may be a formulaic, but he does them so well!

Oh and where can i buy the star ship troopers orginal book and who is it by?

Robert Heinlein write the original book. Its very different to the movie, but
quite good. I got my copy from Amazon, but I suppose you should be able
to get it in any decent book store [or at least order it in the store].

Unpossible

The Swords of Night and Day

isn't this the sequel to White Wolf? I didn't know it was out yet, have to get it soon as white wolf was what got me interested in Gemmell

Q_Elexra

Funnily enough my local Easons (Drogheda) hasn't had a Gemmell book in a while. I've bought all the ones I have in another local book shop. I'm only as far as 'Waylander II' myself (having started from 'Leagend').

Gemmell has given me one of my top three fave fantasy/Sci-Fi characters in Tenaka Kahn. Taught he way amazing. I also think The Thirty is/are amazing.

Rev Hellfire

That better not be you nicking the books I was coming back to buy in the wise owl.

Macseamusa

is the book about starship troopers by Robert Heinlein,actually called starship troopers? cos i cant find it in the libraries in dun laoghaire rathdown area..
anyone know where i can get it, i dont wanna buy it cos i dont have any money at the moment

MarVeL

It is indeed. I seem to remember the library in the ILAC centre had it in but I haven't been there in years so I'm probably wrong

thomur

Druss the legend, Waylander, wolf in shodow. Cant beat it

Black Sheep

Macseamusa wrote: »

is the book about starship troopers by Robert Heinlein,actually called starship troopers? cos i cant find it in the libraries in dun laoghaire rathdown area..
anyone know where i can get it, i dont wanna buy it cos i dont have any money at the moment

'Starship Troopers' is the sort of thing you might pick up in a large secondhand bookshop like Chapters on Parnell St - another option if you can't track it down in the library.

It's absolutely worth reading - a true SF classic.

If you enjoy that it'd be worth also looking at John Steakley's 'Armor' and Joe Haldeman's 'The Forever War'.

Doc Ruby

Manach wrote: »

Gemmel is rather like a fine stout, same taste as the previous and still making you come back for more.

I for one raise a glass to that man once a fortnight regular.

..Brian..

Gemmel is an excellent writer, I love his books. My only criticism is he rushes through fight scenes.

AnCapaillMor

Loved him but found he rushed the endings, you're reading the book and you know there's only a few pages left and you're going no way is he going to finish it by the end of the book and he does. The only one that had a long ending was troy and i think the wife finished that off.

Tenger

Doc Ruby wrote: »

I for one raise a glass to that man once a fortnight regular.

I absolutely love Gemmell. I have kept all the books and they get a read every year or 2. I love the stout analogy, I have always viewed them like an old film I like to watch at Xmas, for nostalgia reasons.

My first 2 Gemmel books were Waylander and Legend. Legend is wonderful.

I would love to see a TV/film version done. Along the lines of the Sharpe TV show, it is popcorn fantasy but the formulaic layout would suit TV I think.


"OK, we got the drunken wrestler, the dour crackshot bowman and the old broken blademaster, lets find an untested farmhand with a heart of gold and we are all set for our quest"

Cardinal Richelieu

There was talk of a film of Legend(would need a name change not to be mistaken with Tom Cruise movie) but that seems to have died away.

Tom

Lion of Macedon is one of my all-time favorite books and the Troy trilogy is certainly worth a read.

Doc Ruby

Tom wrote: »

Lion of Macedon is one of my all-time favorite books

Yeah he was at or near the peak of his craft when he wrote that.

Tyler MacDurden

Cardinal Richelieu wrote: »

There was talk of a film of Legend(would need a name change not to be mistaken with Tom Cruise movie) but that seems to have died away.

Frightened me there for a moment, thought Cruise had been cast as Druss

I've heard rumours of this for years, apparently Ron Perlman was in the running to star at one stage. Would be awesome if done properly, like Helm's Deep (times six).

Trojan

Tyler MacDurden wrote: »

I've heard rumours of this for years, apparently Ron Perlman was in the running to star at one stage.

Perfect casting!

Elothar

He was and still is my favourite author of all time. Yes sometimes the plots could be a little formulaic but his characters were absolutely marvellous creations! I regularly re-read his whole collection every couple of years and prefer to see it as meeting up with old friends rather than drinking stout (which is disgusting! ;P).

Tenger

Elothar wrote: »

....I regularly re-read his whole collection every couple of years and prefer to see it as meeting up with old friends rather than drinking stout (which is disgusting! ;P).

Each to their own...some Ventran red perhaps?

Elothar

I'm more a kind of 'Girly-Pops' kinda guy. So make mine a strawberry Daiquiri.

Patser

Recently read his Troy trilogy and really enjoyed them. I tend to like historical fiction books - Pressfield Scarrow Cornwell's Sharpe - so maybe the grounding in the Troy mythology helped.
Only the Kassandra character had any supernatural abilities.

How does his other work compare. Do his fantasy books veer more towards realism
or are they more magical with Dragons, Wizards etc.

seklly

I read most of his books years ago, it's a pity he never got to write the war of the twins book, was looking forward to that one!

Nody

Patser wrote: »

How does his other work compare. Do his fantasy books veer more towards realism
or are they more magical with Dragons, Wizards etc.

There is some magic but magic in general is more at the level of the witch who can see the future in the woods rather than fireball throwing combat wizard of unimaginable might decimating armies. In general it's about men and women fighting it out with swords with the odd witch on the side line giving advice with a ting of mythical beings (i.e. giants/vampires etc. rather then fire breathing dragons) every so often.

Elothar

Was looking forward to the Twins book meself Seklly. It's a pity we'll never get to read any new Gemmell!

@Patser: Gemmells style I find is fairly realistic. A portion of it is based on mythology of one sort or another, the Arthurian legend, The Greek/Trojan war but it's all his own style. Most people would describe it as 'Heroic Fantasy'. As in it's based more around individual hero's and their motives and actions. There is magic, as Nody said, some Shaman based, others psychic based and the odd traditional magic based too. He's most definitely worth reading and re-reading and re-reading and...I think you get the point!

Icyseanfitz

was so devastated when i heard he had died started reading him when i was around 14 id say, love every single one of his books, ive tried to get into other fantasy novels but i tend to find it hard, any recommendations based on gemmell?

Nody

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

was so devastated when i heard he had died started reading him when i was around 14 id say, love every single one of his books, ive tried to get into other fantasy novels but i tend to find it hard, any recommendations based on gemmell?

Hmm, The Elenium series (Eddings), The lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman's bastard series by Flynn) or Gotrek & Felix (buy the first omnibus second hand for less than a fiver before going deeper to see if it's your style) would all come to mind. Over all relatively positive stories but not without things going wrong. Eddings of course being more towards happy ever after while the second two are more towards "And you'll be cursed for the rest of your life".

Icyseanfitz

Nody wrote: »

Hmm, The Elenium series (Eddings), The lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman's bastard series by Flynn) or Gotrek & Felix (buy the first omnibus second hand for less than a fiver before going deeper to see if it's your style) would all come to mind. Over all relatively positive stories but not without things going wrong. Eddings of course being more towards happy ever after while the second two are more towards "And you'll be cursed for the rest of your life".

could never really get into Eddings for some reason or another

Nody

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

could never really get into Eddings for some reason or another

Well if you can specify a bit more what you like & dislike we'll be able to fine tune the recommendations further

Elothar

The early books from Feist I found very good. Also the Malazan series (though they can be hard to get into/get your head around them). Also liked series from J.V. Jones, Reichert, Stan Nichols and there's more names I can offer if ya want!

Tenger

I would second the Fiest books. Similar in tone to Gemmell, maybe a bit less 'heroic'.

Gotrek and Felix are rollicking madcap adventures. Not in any way deep, but definitely an easy and and humourous.

Gentlemen Bastards series (3 books so far) are great. Superb in fact I would go with.

Bit more slow paced but interesting is The Name of the Wind, and its follow up, A Wise Mans Fear. More to come in that series so prob best to wait.

I really enjoyed The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercombrie (as well as his follow up books) Very gritty and visceral. Similar to Gemmel in that the 'magic' is a very low key background presence.

Tigger

Tenger wrote: »

I really enjoyed The First Law trilogy by Joe Abercombrie (as well as he follow up books) Very gritty and visceral. Similar to Gemmel in that the 'magic' is a very low key background presence.

this

Icyseanfitz

Nody wrote: »

Well if you can specify a bit more what you like & dislike we'll be able to fine tune the recommendations further

i suppose i like that his books generally revolve around one big heroic figure, i like how magic and fantasy is there but isnt all that to the forefront and even when it is its fairly low key, always found his books very easy to get into, i guess i like how his stories are always fairly simple and more about human nature and the struggles people go through rather than some giant plot.

Ive read Feist's Serpentwar Saga and really liked it, might try to get into his other books again

Nody

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

i suppose i like that his books generally revolve around one big heroic figure, i like how magic and fantasy is there but isnt all that to the forefront and even when it is its fairly low key, always found his books very easy to get into, i guess i like how his stories are always fairly simple and more about human nature and the struggles people go through rather than some giant plot.

Ive read Feist's Serpentwar Saga and really liked it, might try to get into his other books again

Sounds like The First Law trilogy, Gentleman's bastard and Gotrik & Felix to me (the last one while simple is really focused about the two main characters and their development over time). The name of the wind may be a fit but magic is a corner stone in there and less focus on melee battles so to speak.

Icyseanfitz

i remember starting the name of the wind last year, never got around to finishing it, kvote seemed like an interesting enough character

onlinemonkey

Might be a little away from swords and fantasy but for a great popcorn read I would recommend the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher his The Codex Alera books are also great

Icyseanfitz

any recommendations on sci fi books that might be similar in structure to Gemmell? would love that

Nody

Icyseanfitz wrote: »

any recommendations on sci fi books that might be similar in structure to Gemmell? would love that

The lost fleet series (six books); very easy reads but enjoyable development over time. Dune series by definition (the meta plots in later books are beautiful but only read the originals), perhaps Foundation series as well (and the stand alone once as they are all about describing human behavior) and of course Altered Carbon series by R. Morgan (I'd also throw in Market Forces; it's a stand alone book but very interesting...).

onlinemonkey

Nody wrote: »

The lost fleet series (six books); very easy reads but enjoyable development over time. Dune series by definition (the meta plots in later books are beautiful but only read the originals), perhaps Foundation series as well (and the stand alone once as they are all about describing human behavior) and of course Altered Carbon series by R. Morgan (I'd also throw in Market Forces; it's a stand alone book but very interesting...).

+1 for the lost fleet, good easy reading

Trojan

Nice tribute to David Gemmell over on reddit:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/4v052v/it_has_been_10_years_since_david_gemmell_passed/

Manach

Sorry for the bump of an old thread, but finally some of Mr. Gemmell's work is being released on audible format (unsure if this applies across other formats) and is due for release in June.